Chapter Three - All That is Hidden in the Mist
Tsuna sighed tiredly as he settled in on the bed he had woken up in three exhausting hours before. The temperamental skylark had refused to let his stubborn charge go home to a unintentionally neglectful mother who had on numerous occasions ignored Tsuna for days on end, when he was still exhausted from his brush with death. So Tsuna was stuck with an overprotective nanny until he was cleared by the flame specialist that Kyoya had managed to get (read:Threaten) into rushing over to Japan from Italy at the speed of light with the help of an unnamed and obviously hated uncle.
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Somewhere in Italy
Gokudera Hayato had long since given up trying to impress his father just as his father had long since given up pretending to pay even the slightest bit of attention to him but really sending his to Japan just because he knew a extraordinary amount about the elusive flames, hoarded by the top mafia families instead of allowing his 'employee' (callboy) to go really was an all time low. Although traveling in a private jet was an experience that Hayato had always enjoyed.
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15 hours later in Japan
"Takashi..."
"...Takashi"
"...ARTH TAKASHI!"
"Huh... Otou-san did you say something?"
"Man, how did I produce such an idiot son? I've been calling you for the last ten minutes, where in the world have been?"
"... Italy"
"Italy?"
"Wait a moment who are you calling an idiot?"
Yamamoto Tsuyoshi laughed in exasperation
"Who else would I be talking to?"
"Tsk" Takashi mumbled under his breath as he tried to think of something smart to say
Tsuyoshi smiled fondly as he gently rebuked his son
"Give up already, we both know you aren't going to think of anything"
Yamamoto Takashi sighed and decided to change the topic
"So what did you want, can't you see I was busy"
Right, busy"
Takashi glared back at him and turned to storm out of the empty shop in retaliation
"Halt"
Takashi paused mid-turn
"..."
"Calm down, I have something to say to you, my idiot son"
Takashi reached for the door
"I need you to accompany me to the airport."
Takashi's hand paused in midair
"Why?"
"We're picking up a kid for a... friend of mine"
"Why?"
"Because we are, now come on we're late"
"Fine"
Takashi and his father left the shop no more than a minute after that and entered the shinny black Volvo that had always left Takashi wondering at how a mere sushi chef had brought such a flash car but every time he had asked His father had said something along the lines of 'I wasn't always a sushi chef' and clammed up. Despite his never ending curiosity about the car and the lack of answers, currently his mind is somewhere completely different.
Yesterday in the middle of the day he had suddenly, for no apparent reason, felt something akin to abject terror and that feeling had lasted until a few hours later when out of nowhere the prickly feeling had disappeared leaving behind only an unpleasant memory of being completely and utterly terrified.
Takashi's deep pondering screeched to a halt as they approached a small, stoic looking building that was made of boring grey concrete and glistening glass that was impossible to see through and seemed to reside in the middle of a beautiful, lush meadow that Takashi knew would never have found on his own and would probably have trouble finding again and amidst that lovely green meadow was a small and sleek black plane unlike anything Takashi had ever seen before.
"Otou-san" he began to say as his curiosity took hold
"Idiot son, this is a private airport and that is all you need to know at the moment"
"But..."
"No buts, you will find out when the time is right"
"But..."
"What did I say"
"No buts" he grumbled as his irritation at his ignorance grew
Tsuyoshi pulled into the small carpark that was directly in front of the surprisingly imitating building for something so small and unclipped his seatbelt.
"What ever happens do not talk at anyone at all"
"Why not" Takashi whined, his normally calm and collected exterior having long since broken
"Because saying the wrong thing could get you killed"
"NANI?!"
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Inside the Airport
"You expect me to go off with some strange man and his son because you told me too?" Even to his own ears Gokudera sounded incredulous but as was standard his father completely ignored him and charged right on.
"He is a trusted associate"
"In our line of work?"
"Yes"
"Tch, emotionless bastard" Gokudera muttered under his breath defiantly
"Did you say something Hayato?"
"... No"
"I thought that was the case"
*Beep*Beep*Beep*
"Did that bastard just hang up on me?" Gokudera clenched his teeth and smacked his forehead in frustration
"Right stupid question, of course he did."
As he resolutely resisted the urge stamp his feet like a child having a tantrum, Gokudera surveyed the airport, he took note of the large, soaring windows that he would bet his entire fortune on them being one-way and the large amount of guards stationed all around the building.
"It's like a small army" Gokudera whispered feeling not a small amount of awe
"We are merely being cautious"
"Urrgh, When the fuck did you get there?!"
The boulder like man seemed to smirk
"My apologies Ojou-sama"
Gokudera spluttered in shock and spoke directly to the arrogant man who had dared to address HIM as a women
"What. Did. You. Just. Call. Me?"
"Is something Ojou-sama?"
"Do you want to die? You fucking conceited bastard"
Suddenly a hand landed on Gokudera's shoulder and he jumped in fright "guh, didn't you ever get told not to sneak up on people you touchy bastard?"
"Maa, maa why don't you just calm down and leave the 'nice' man to do his job, little storm we have important places to be."
Gokudera whirled around, ready to give the ugly bastard who had dared to lay hands on him a piece of his mind, and froze.
"Tch figures"
The smiling freak his gaze landed on had a definite aura and even Hayato in all his infinite 'wisdom' would not dare to challenge him at his current level of skill. The runt hiding between his legs on the other hand...
"Oi runt what are you doing hiding behind your father? Come out and face me you coward." Gokudera all but shouted in his best impression of his fathers boss voice.
The little runt looked startled, like a frightened cat but refused to say anything communicating instead with wild hand gestures that made little sense to the visibly annoyed Gokudera. Sensing Gokudera's waning patience the smiling freak cut into the little showdown that Gokudera was forcing,
"Gokudera Hayato, correct?"
"... Yes"
"Ok and now we can leave, my name is Yammamoto Tsuyoshi, this is my son Takashi and our destination is the house of the illustrious Hibari family."
By this time the Ouji-san had managed to drag the boys out of the glass fortress and Takashi took that as his cue to speak.
"WHAT?! Why are we going there? That place is dangerous!"
"Have patience my idiot son, all will be revealed when we arrive at our destination"
"Urgh fine"
"The Hibari family" Gokudera said slowly as he went over what he knew in his head and came to a few conclusions "...UMA"
"Nani?"
"Oh nothing Ouji-san"
"Yosh, then lets go... Ouji-san!?"
"Ouji-san" Gokudera agreed smugly
"We're leaving." Takashi growled menacingly (well as menacing as a ten year old can get)
"But..."
"No buts"
"Takashiiii."
"Act your age you stinkin' old man" Gokudera had had enough of the old freaks whining, he was almost ready to disregard his common sense and force the man to shut the hell up.
"He's right Ouji-san."
"Ouch, my own son, turned against me"
Just as Gokudera was reaching the end of his limited patience Takashi did what he does best and defused the situation.
"Don't we have somewhere to be? If I remember right Hibari Kyoya is anything but a patient little monster"
"Oh right, come on my two little mutants"
Already far too used to his fathers eccentricities to bother, Takashi was 100% successful in the endeavor of ignoring the idiot. Gokudera on the other hand was frozen in shock over the fact that some stupid (dangerous) old man dared to call HIM a mutant.
"We are leaving now." Takashi said to Gokudera forcefully
"Um yes"
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After a long and unbearably awkward drive the black Volvo pulled up in front of what could only be described as a fortress. The long and windy drive fit what Yammamoto remembered of the reclusive Hibari family and the tall stone walls that surrounded the large compound reminded him of the days that had long since past him by, when such a fortress was not such an uncommon sight.
"Ok get out of the car"
"What? Why?"
"Because I said so, my idiot son"
Despite his less than subtle grumbling Takashi exited the car without any further protest and was quickly followed by a reluctant Gokudera and his excitable father.
"Okay now go knock on the door."
"Are you insane?! Wait don't answer that..." By now Takashi (who from this moment forth would no longer respond to the name Yammamoto) was convinced of his fathers insanity "Why don't you do it, huh?" At the droll his father pointed in his direction he sighed and try to reason with him one last time.
"He'll kill me"
"And?"
"And you don't care?"
"No" this Tsuyoshi said as if he was asking why he would do such an idiotic thing and Takashi almost cried
"Right" Gokudera, who had thus far contained his mirth flew into a fit of unrestrained giggles that only seemed to increase in magnitude at the withering glare that Takashi shot in his general direction.
In an attempt to avoid drawing out his entrance into the underworld Takashi bounded towards the large gothic doors enhanced by carvings of the tortured faces of what could only be enemies of the Hibari family and raised his hand to grasp the large bronze knocker hanging out of an eyeball of one particularly unlucky soul.