[EDIT: MAR/9/19 - no special notes]
THANK YOU to: general zargon, Sceonn, Guest, sympatheticassassin, XxShadowfangxX, CaiaNadiya, aperez09, Crystalstorm, Akayuki Novak, Arashi - IV of VI, Sir Butt, Kuroi Rin, Holymagic, and Natsu Yuuki. ALSO, thank you to others who put this on their favorite and watch lists.
Guest: Reborn is trying a different tutoring tactic with Tsuna but that doesn't mean he's above messing with the boy or others. Case in point, he still tricks Gokudera and has fun watching Tsuna deal with the volatile bomber, and then finds further amusement when they start bonding as friends (in Tsuna's eyes at least).
Sceonn: And for others concerned over the scars. The only ones that bother Tsuna are the ones from the alleyway. He doesn't want to "waste" money and he also doesn't want to bother Reborn to fix up scars he knows he ought to "get over" at some point. As he goes through Life-After-Reborn-Stirs-Everything-Up he will end up finding some different perspective and come to terms with what almost happened and he'll find a way to deal with them.
** Reminder: Tsuna calls Nana madre because of his love of Italian.
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"Other things may change us, but we start and end with family." ~ Anthony Brandt.
The transfer student despised Tsuna's guts before he even set foot through the door, of that the young Sky was certain.
Handsome though that silver-haired boy was, he had the disposition of a snarling pit bull and Tsuna had held his intimidating glare with a raised eyebrow and a tilt to his head, only half meaning the challenging posture. He'd been learning from Nobu for long enough to read the body, and this guy was no martial artist. He had to be a specialist in something, something probably dangerous. This transfer from Italy situation had Reborn's trolling signature all over it.
Gokudera stomped up to his desk and tried to kick it to the side but Tsuna, not minding cheating the little things, had anchored his desk to the ground with his hybrid Flame and all the jade-eyed boy got was a jolt of pain. He muttered in Italian, cursing and and saying he was way more worthy of being boss of the Vongola, and Tsuna resisted the desire to slam his head into his desk.
Of course, leave it to Reborn to summon Miss Congeniality to Namimori for him.
At lunch Tsuna and his friends headed to the roof to eat. Half way through his meal Tsuna turned to his tutor. "Is there a reason you wanted to bring in an angry Italian after the Vongola boss seat?"
Reborn jumped and landed on Tsuna's shoulder. "Partly for my entertainment, mostly to bring in a subordinate well-versed in the ways of the Mafia. You're ignorant of that world, Tsuna, and Gokudera is a gold mine of information I expect you to make use of."
"Can he really defeat me and become the Decimo?"
Reborn pulled his ear and he squeaked in pain. "Baka-Tsuna, I said it yesterday. The Nono's sons, his heirs, are dead or out of commission. As for how you are a candidate..." The infant looked over Takeshi, Ryohei and then eyed Tsuna with disturbingly shrewd eyes. "You are directly descended from the first boss of the Vongola, the Primo."
Tsuna blinked and filed that away. "Okay... please tell me about my, uh, opponent?"
In the underworld the transfer student is known as the Hurricane Bomb or Smoking Bomb. Unless you're beyond stupid, Reborn said, it's easy to guess how the mafioso fights. Tsuna has more than enough physical power, speed and skill to beat Gokudera several times over and he is perfectly safe. Under Mafia Law the loser becomes the subordinate of the winner, which means the Decimo will have that snarling pit bull of a boy listening to him by the end of the day. Correctly guessing how Gokudera fights, Hana and Kyoko said it was too dangerous and only Reborn promising to keep Tsuna alive kept the three (and Ryohei, who Kyoko had secretly planned to drag along) from following their Sky after school.
Tsuna went to meet Gokudera only because he decided to hold true to the bit of faith he placed in his tutor. It just smarted a bit that he didn't have the time to get permission from Hibari to use the tonfa. He'd have to go up against bombs with no buffer! Was Reborn insane? Most likely.
"Ciao, Gokudera-san," Tsuna said as pleasantly as he could. He met with the bomber behind the empty school gym. "Reborn told me to meet you after school."
The silverette pointed a cigarette at him. "Tch! You've got nothing that a strong leader needs, you flimsy looking fake. The Vongola will fall if you take over, so it's gotta be me."
Tsuna bit his cheek as he decided to ask a relevant question. "Gokudera-san, are you related to the Nono in any way? Or the Primo?"
That gave the bomber pause and there was a briefly thoughtful look before he cursed and snapped a dynamite in half with his grip. "Son of a whore! The Family is a group of famial inheritance, how the fuck did I forget? I'd need to be his son or something to be eligible. A nobody like me can't even dream of it."
Tsuna felt a harsh pinch of sympathy for the mafia boy and was distracted, barely having time to throw himself out of the way when a handful of small round bombs came flying at his head. Fortunately they exploded before hitting the ground so nothing was damaged yet. The sudden appearance of four dynamite sticks in his hands is what made Tsuna's decision: Better to bring Hibari's wrath directly upon me than to let the whole school be terrorized for the damage those explosions will bring. He took out his tonfa and drew on his hybrid Flame, once again wreathing his body in arcs of amber.
For the next minute Tsuna drew on his Intuition as best he could and supercharged his body, once more thankful that his Sky and Lightning combined. He struck out, movements blurred as he put out the burning fuses and tossing them to the side with a flick of his weapons.
Gokudera looked panicked and a dozen more bombs came flying at Tsuna. Most were put out with swipes of his tonfa and the other four were sent flying high in the air to explode with no damage dealt. Frustrated, Tsuna turned a frown on Gokudera and started advancing toward him, intent on ending the fight before the both of them had something blown off.
This action resulted in the bomber completely panicking and he dropped what appeared to be two dozen lit dynamite. Tsuna's heart stuttered at the horrible image of a blown-to-bits Gokudera his mind supplied and his Sky flared, flooding the immediate area as he further supercharged himself with Sky-Lightning.
Fortified with his Flame, he moved in a blur and threw Gokudera into a bush well out of range. Experiments with his Lightning long before Reborn appeared, and accomplished for protecting Fuuta, gave birth to a fine net of amber electricity blanketing the small area of the fallen dynamite. Theoretically he knew it would at least contain the blast (though not save the Nami-chuu property beneath), but what Tsuna didn't expect was for the fuses to go out because of an inexplicable crystalline substance forming on the tips. Dazed and highly confused- Why would fiery Sky cause this? -Tsuna picked up several dynamite and poked the crystal*. It felt solid and warm, though that was probably him reacting to his solidified Flames.
Gokudera scrambled out of the bush and gawked at the sight of his dynamite defused. "I was mistaken!" He said, voice a bellow. "No one else is fit to be the boss!"
"Gah!" Tsuna clapped a hand to his chest and turned. He went bug-eyed at the dogeza position Gokudera had. "Wh-what...?"
Gokudera's head lifted and Tsuna swore he saw stars in the boys green eyes. "Juudaime! For risking yourself for someone like me I place my life in your hands. I will follow you anywhere! Please, command me to do anything!"
Tsuna probably looked as gobsmacked as he felt and he could almost feel the amusement he just knew Reborn, wherever he hid, was getting at his expense. He took a deep breath and stood before putting away his tonfa in case Hibari came by and saw him using them without authorization.
"Gokudera-san..."
"Yes, Juudaime!"
Tsuna had been about to ask his... subordinate to call him by name and not treat him like a boss, but it didn't feel like the right time for it. He wasn't close to the transfer student, did not know him, and therefore felt like what he wanted didn't really matter much to the other. He was maybe an idol for being the sole candidate for a damn Mafia syndicate and that's all he was to his subordinate right then, and until he felt real friendship from Gokudera the silverette would only be his (well-treated) underling and soon-to-be friend.
Tsuna smiled gently. "Come on, you should meet the rest of my Famiglia."
"Gladly!"
. . .
Before any meeting between Famiglia could occur there was a chore to complete.
Tsuna went to the supermarket first. For half an hour he made Gokudera walk beside him and repeatedly asked if he wanted this or that, and if the bomber looked at something for too long Tsuna put it in his basket. There was a lot of protests from the bomb user and he was quick to stop being obvious about what he found interesting. But Tsuna was not to be deterred and he used what his madre affectionately called his Kitten-Eyes and asked Gokudera what foods he liked. Reborn, sitting on his student's shoulder, snorted in amusement at how swiftly the bomber gave in to answering Tsuna's questions. Unfortunately at the cash register there was a 'slight' compication when Gokudera resorted to on-his-knees begging in order to be allowed the 'honor' of carrying the heavy bags of rice and rice flour.
Reborn nearly chuckled at Tsuna's look of mortification.
The trio went to Nagakusa Park and sat on a bench beneath a weeping willow. Gokudera looked happy to be with Tsuna and was eager to help him with anything, and he couldn't quite wrap his mind around it. Why would the bomber want to dedicate himself to anyone like that? He'd appeared very proud and strong in class, aside from his former snarling pitbull presence. Was it life in the mafia that cultivated this side of him?
Tsuna reached into his bags and pulled out two water bottles, neutral choices of drink, and handed Gokudera one. Immediately the bomber was grinning and happily thanking his boss for such kindness, and the gratitude only doubled when Tsuna offered him a choice between a chocolate bar or chips. Intelligent is putting the transfer's brain-power lightly, so noticing that his boss had gone straight for the candy section of the store before anything else was a dead give-away and made his choice clear. He would never take candy from the boss.
"Let's get to know each other, Gokudera-san," Tsuna smiled at the bomber and pushed away his reservations. "We can play a round of Twenty Questions and we can both choose whether or not to answer."
To Tsuna's private horror Gokudera looked close to doing something drastic out of the bizarre adoration he felt.
"Um... y-you don't have to answer this, but I'm curious." Tsuna's sweet face was serious as he looked the bomber in the eye. "I would never force anyone to work under me, it's all their choice and I would defend your decision if you chose to go back to Italy instead of remaining here. So... why?"
Gokudera's expression lost the happy puppy-quality as he stood up and moved directly in front of him. There the taller boy settled down on one knee with his head bowed.
"The mafia is filled with corruption and darkness, Juudaime. Bosses with real heart like you are rare. I've worked freelance for years and none have ever shown any consideration for even their real subordinates, much less a mutt like me. I've only seen the worst of humanity, and compared to that... You truly shine like the sun. My perception of you might be colored by that time of my life, but I know... I know you're special. You've already done more for me than anyone else in the world. This is why I could never work under anyone else, it's why I already know I would never want to."
Tsuna looked helpless as he watched Gokudera kneel in front of like a knight in front of his king. He looked at Reborn and only saw more amusement (and perhaps something else) at his expense and decided to do things his way. He slid off the bench and tentatively touched the bomber's shoulder. The wide-eyed, hopeful face that looked at him tugged more than a few of Tsuna's heart strings and he smiled the same sort of light-the-day expression he had for his Famiglia. Gokudera turning several shades of red was privately puzzled over by his boss.
Not all Harmonizing is obvious to a Sky. To most it happens subconsciously, and to Tsuna, in this instance, the soft click of a connection between Gokudera's Storm and his Sky was more like a subtle touch of warmth in his chest, barely noticeable amidst the heat of his freed Flames.
"If anything being in my Famiglia will be good for you, Gokudera-san! We all care for and look after each other like a real family." Tsuna's smile took on an apologetic edge amidst the warmth. "You're new and it will take time, but know you'll do fine as long as you listen and, well, try not to start too many fights with my friends." Otherwise I'll have to get bitten to death in your stead, since you don't have the conditioning to survive a fight against Hibari the demi-human, at least not without a trip to the hospital.
"Juudaime, I would never think of disobeying you!"
Tsuna briefly entertained a silly thought, but that would be mean and taking advantage. Instead of asking Gokudera to do the Chicken Dance Tsuna pulled out his phone and sent out a text to everyone asking them to meet at his place if they can. For Hibari Tsuna felt it prudent to mention that he has found another 'pack' member and that he'll do his best to keep Gokudera out of trouble. Hibari rarely answered texts and Tsuna had yet to actually call him up more than once and it didn't really count since that had been Fuuta.
Ah, it was Tuesday. The questions could wait.
Tsuna chuckled to himself and wondered if his madre had gotten Hibari inside to eat with Fuuta while the rest of the Famiglia gave the prefect his space. From what Tsuna really knew about his sparring-partner, tolerance of people in general is rare. The fact that Hibari didn't seem to mind Fuuta's well behaved and polite presence was one of the things Tsuna was most fond of in the violent prefect. It probably helped that his bambino was quite good with reading the atmosphere and not talking when it was a bad idea, and always pulled Ryohei into another room to play whenever possible.
"Juudaime?"
"What are you laughing about? You sound stupid," said Reborn, digging his shoe into his student's scalp.
"Hibari might be with madre and Fuuta."
"Why?" Reborn tugged on a lock of Tsuna's hair to get him talking faster.
"I've known Hibari since I was ten. He helped me and he sort of... took to my madre and myself for some reason." Tsuna smiled and clearly looked amused. "I think it might be that he likes my madre because she can be scary."
"Mamma, scary?" Reborn snorted. "I'll have to see it to believe it."
A ten minute walk later that is exactly what happened. Tsuna felt his stomach churn and his heart burn cold and he took off at a dead sprint without a word, leaving Gokudera to panic and chase after his boss with dynamite in hand. Right as they came up to the clean, undamaged looking house there was a gunshot, a shrill scream and a swell of power that rippled out much like Tsuna's except it was clearly Mist Flames. Reborn cocked his Leon-gun and Tsuna slammed the door open with tonfa in hand.
There were a lot of bodies laying around. That was the first thing both Reborn and Gokudera noticed as they stepped in the door.
Men were sprawled in such a way it was clear that they had dropped like marionettes with their string cut, and the six visible in the front hall were frothing at the mouth. Tsuna stomped over the bodies, barely paying attention when his feet crunched over hands and arms, and as he entered the living room with Reborn and Gokudera at his side he dropped his tonfa and rushed forward. His madre was sitting there and cradling an unconscious Fuuta close. A bullet wound in the little boy's shoulder stained part of the carpet red and Nana was sobbing. Beside her, fur ruffled and a weeping wound in her leg, Piero was purring loudly and rubbing against his mother frantically.
Tsuna was numb and his face was blank as he called Hibari and informed him, voice dead and flat, that there had been another attack in his home. He clicked off as soon as he had finished talking and he knelt by his mother and son, holding them close. Sky-Lightning flickered over his body, washing harmlessly over his two most precious Famiglia members as his eyes flooded with tears. His self-control held enough for him to resist sobbing.
Reborn moved to his students side and crawled into the Decimo's lap to get at Fuuta. There he laid his hand on the wound and a sparkling flicker of Sun appeared. As soon as the bullet was drawn out by regenerating flesh Fuuta swiftly gained color and there was no scar remaining. Tsuna hiccupped as he thanked Reborn and held his slowly calming mother closer. Reborn healed Piero and then stepped back to take in the situation with Sherlock-like clarity.
Fuuta was the target, meant to be taken alive for his unique talent. Nana was extra, disposable. One of the men must have tried to shoot her, and Fuuta, horrified by Piero having been shot, was foolish and brave in that instance and tackled the woman out of range, taking a bullet in the process. Pain knocked him out.
Gokudera felt cold and angry as he watched this transpire. His precious Juudaime's family had been attacked, their youngest shot, and it made his strong boss cry. There would be hell to pay. Gokudera wasn't aware that Reborn was watching as he took a cursory glance around the room and pinpointed the leader of this soon-to-be dead group slumped off to the side. The bomber went into his bag and pulled out rope and metal wire, always useful to have on hand for any reason, and began tying the eighteen unconscious men tight before he dragged the leader to Reborn with a serious face.
"If you'll allow it I will get every scrap of information this bastard has, then the Vongola can deal with them in whatever way they see fit."
"You'll need an interrogation space. Use the spare room in the basement, it's been recently cleaned out."
"Thank you, Reborn-san."
As Gokudera dragged the body downstairs Reborn turned his attention to Tsuna. The boy was clawing back to a state of calm as he held his mother and whispered assurances to her while she hugged Fuuta in her lap. He stood and left for the kitchen, returned with a cold bottle of milk tea, and encouraged his mother to sit on the couch with Reborn while he took Fuuta upstairs to clean him up and make sure he was comfortable in bed. Reborn obliged and allowed the woman to hold him in her lap as he told her of the arrangements he planned to make in order to ensure this never happens again. Sitting in a room full of the men who had attacked did not seem to phase her much, she was more stressed about the event and she even leveled a glare on them.
"I don't regret taking in Fuuta-kun, Reborn-kun. I could never do that, but... I regret not being able to protect my boy's son..."
Reborn looked up at the woman and then took hold of her hand. "Sawada Nana, the power you hold is truly amazing. You only need to learn control in order to properly draw it out. After that the chances of this happening again are slim."
She nodded and rubbed at her tear stained face. "Tsu-kun has talked me through what it feels like to be connected to the energy. He says his is prickly and warm, and mine feels cool and comforting..."
"The energy you have, mamma, is called the Mist Flame and it can fabricate feelings and emotions and create illusions. When you can use it without fail you can begin creating powerful illusions. How often do you feel it?"
"More and more lately, Reborn-kun." Nana smiled, looking a little more like the woman he'd met yesterday. "Usually I connect with with my... my Mist in the morning before making breakfast with Fuuta-kun... Today I forgot..."
Reborn watched as she shrunk in on herself and casually tugged a pillow out from underneath a mafioso and hugged it tight enough that she might have choked him in its place. She looked so fragile and it was a jarring contrast with the Mist Flame she held inside. Tsuna truly did take after Nana in Reborn's opinion, he merely got the Sky and raw talent from his moronic father.
"Mamma, you will get better. One day soon you won't have to concentrate to connect with it, you'll be in perfect sync and your Mist will be ready to use at a moments notice."
Nana sniffled and looked at Reborn with a grateful smile. "I believe you, Reborn-kun. I know my Tsu-kun doesn't need me to protect him, not anymore... but he can't be everywhere with Fuuta-kun. I will become more for my family, anything less just isn't good enough!"
Reborn nodded, allowing a smile to soften and light up his baby-face. "I have no doubt, mamma. You make your son proud, I hope you know."
Nana twitched and stared with hopeful look that much resembled Tsuna's earlier this day. Reborn was tensed, ready for water-works, but when a brilliant smile of pure happiness lit her face the hitman relaxed.
"You really think so, Reborn-kun? Tsu-kun... he doesn't like his papa at all." Her smile dimmed ever so slightly, but the joy was still slightly blinding. "He doesn't care about Iemitsu's opinion, and... I've wondered if I disappoint him as much as his papa. This makes me so happy, thank you."
Reborn patted her hand and hopped onto the head of the mafioso slumped over the back of the couch. "Will you be fine here, mamma? I need to go make a few phone calls."
Nana held up one finger, headed to the kitchen, and quickly returned with a marble rolling pin. Reborn smirked and told her he'd be back in a few minutes.
. . .
Tsuna woke Fuuta up long enough to wash off the blood and help him get dressed in comfortable sleep clothes before carrying his son to his own room, certain that all of Reborn's traps could keep him safe. Tsuna kissed Fuuta's forehead and left the room, body tense and face hard as he descended the stairs with soundless footsteps.
Right as he stepped into the main hall the front door opened and Hibari entered with a sharp look on his face. He immediately spotted the blood on Tsuna's white sleeve and the distinctly carnivorous look in his glowing amber eyes. Hibari directed his men to take the tied up mafioso and dump them in the usual place, it being the old Namimori Police Station where Hibari had no problem investigating them himself before dumping their living remains in real Police holding cells during the night.
Tsuna was following his Intuition again and on the way to the basement he stopped to look at his mother pacing the living room with her rolling pin with a calm little smile on her face. She recovered fast and part of him was sad that it was something she was used to. Hibari was following Tsuna with an interested look in his eyes and he also took a second to check on the Mazakuma as he passed the room. As the basement stairs were made of cement it was easy walking down soundlessly without any creaking wood. He immediately noticed whimpers of pain and stuttered refusals to answer anything and when Tsuna stepped through the slightly opened door he took in the sight of Gokudera threatening to stuff a lit cherry bomb up the mans ass.
Several burns and could be seen on the half-naked man's torso and he was secured to a chair with metal wire that cut into his flesh deep enough to bleed.
"Who sent you here? If you really like pain I'll start with your toes and work my way up to breaking your face."
"Gokudera."
The bomber twitched and turned before bowing to Tsuna. "Juudaime, I'm sorry. This isn't something you should dirty your hands with. Please, allow me."
Tsuna shivered as he realized this was a small part of what Gokudera's freelance work must have involved. That the boy was willing to continue staining his hands with blood for No-Good Tsuna's peace of mind filled the Sky with a growing hatred for the world Timoteo was forcing on him. He could not let this continue.
He. Would. Not.
"No," Tsuna said, voice soft as a whisper and as dangerous as any pit viper. "You say I'm your boss, the one you'll follow and obey, then as boss I refuse to let you do this. You are a part of my Famiglia, and mine to protect. This is my duty... Please stand aside Gokudera."
The silverette looked ready to protest for several seconds, then he shuddered and left to stand several feet away from Hibari. Tsuna nodded his thanks and approached the angry and pained looking mafioso with a cold fire look of rage on his young face. He stopped directly in front of the man and tapped into the deep well of his hybrid Sky and covered his body in a violently flickering aura of Flame in a manner similar to Mochida's, only Tsuna gained a flame on his forehead. With the swell of soft Flame smothering the little room rode his barely contained rage and the desire to rip the bound man shreds. Behind him Hibari smirked with a delighted glint in his eyes, and Gokudera staggered to the side to slump against a wall with shaking legs.
Just like earlier, when the Decimo saved Gokudera's life, there was that rich warmth and with it this time was the peculiar sight of amber lightning. The warm presence was so much heavier this time and it left a bitter, coppery taste on the bomber's tongue even as he still felt drawn to the shorter boy, though in what way he was reluctant to think about.
Tsuna leaned down and the man turned his head to look at a cobweb filled corner. Terrified puts what the man felt in small terms because he was close to fainting and there was a nasty smell of urine in the air. Tsuna gripped the man's chin and jerked his head for a face-to-face stare down. The man choked and whimpered and there was not an ounce of guilt in Tsuna's heart. He was doing this to make sure Fuuta would have one less group after him.
"Who. Sent. You?" Tsuna said, voice soft and as threatening as a full grown grizzly.
The man's eyes rolled back and he fainted.
"Shit," Tsuna muttered, stepping back. "At least he'll... probably talk when he wakes up."
A weight landed on his shoulder and Reborn pinched his cheek. "Tsuna, you can stop this. I know who sent these guys. The small three leaf clover tattooed on their palms mean they belong to a group set in the UK."
Breathing deep, Tsuna let go of his rage and pulled back his Flame. Knowing the problem is likely already solved helped that process and Tsuna turned away, eyes dazed and unfocused. He took a step to leave and found himself wobbling dangerously as a a tsunami of pain crashed through him. Only Gokudera lunging forward to catch him kept Tsuna from face-planting.
"Juudaime!" The bomber kept his arm secured around his boss. "You're okay, right? Talk to me!"
"Relax, Gokudera. What Tsuna has entered two times so far is a state called Hyper Dying Will Mode. It puts immense strain on the user, but I suppose having suffered quite a bit of pain could lessen the effect of the bodily stress and explain his remaining conscious right now." Reborn landed on the bomber's shoulder. "Him entering it without use of a bullet or pill means he is in double the pain."
"Goku...d-dera... 'M fine, jus'... need t' sleep..." Tsuna was limp and hiding his face against his soon-to-be-friend's chest because of that blinding overhead light. "Too... bright..."
Hibari narrowed his eyes on the small carnivore being propped up by the greenhorn of Tsuna's pack and decided he could not yet be trusted with the Mazakuma's son. He stepped forward and, without a word, took Tsuna into his arms bridal style and ascended the stairs, leaving Gokudera cursing and following after him. Hibari entered the living room and cleared his throat to let Mazakuma know he was there. Nana turned and smiled sweetly at Hibari before noticing her son's limp form and she hurried over to check on him.
"Tsu-kun has a little fever... please lay him on the couch, Hibari-kun. He just needs to rest a bit. I'll have the Gyūdon finished and packed in a container for you soon."
As Hibari nodded and placed the little carnivore down in a fairly comfortable position, he sensed the approach of the greenhorn.
"You! Punk! Why did you take the Juudaime away from me?!"
Hibari looked at Gokudera for a moment and plainly ignored him as he settled into what had become his plush chair. It was in a corner of the room where he could survey the entire space and was away from the couch and where the zabutons (seating cushions) are placed around the low table. Piero leaped into his lap and relaxed under the Cloud's gentle attention. Gokudera had taken several angry steps toward the prefect when a slender and calloused hand grabbed his wrist. He jumped slightly and looked down to see Tsuna looking at him with eyes he could barely keep open.
"Don't fight... him..."
Gokudera swallowed hard and nodded. Tsuna managed a smile before his hand fell and his new subordinate gently placed it on his boss's stomach. He'd been given an order and he'll stick with it- Hibari had a smirk when he stupidly glanced over- even if all he wanted to do was shove a dynamite down the bastards throat.
. . .
Hana, Kyoko, Ryohei and Takeshi had stayed at school longer than necessary helping clean up the school cafeteria* after some foolish monkey's started a food fight at lunch, one that escalated to ridiculous levels. For some reason Hibari thought it was right to always stick work on them, and it was rather bothersome. Did it have something to do with their being a part of Tsuna's 'pack'? Hibari hadn't (ordered) Tsuna to stay behind to fix damages and whatnot, so it was probably some bizarre idea he had about animal hierarchy's that should have nothing to do with people. Tsuna could fight, defend, and protect better than most police officers, of that Hana was utterly certain, but still...
Damn gorilla instincts. Hibari needed a new brain.
"Hana-chan, I wonder if Gokudera-san is being good to Tsuna-kun."
"Maa, don't worry, Kyoko!" Takeshi gently patted her head with a sweet grin. Hana wasn't fooled by it and smirked at his next words. "If he's hurt Tsuna we'll just have to teach him that it's a really bad idea~!"
"EXTREME! I won't mind if we have to teach this kid some respect for my Otōto!"
The group of four came to a stop at the sight of a familiar grey van marked with the Hibari family crest (a skylark mid flight with a magnolia blossom in its talons). That always meant Fuuta Hunting trouble. The group hurried inside and were met by Nana* who just stepped off the stairs with Tsuna's favorite velour lion blanket in her arms. She smiled at the sight of them and waved them toward the living room.
"Tsu-kun's asleep. Reborn-kun told me he tuckered himself out talking to the leader. If one of you could tend to him...?"
Kyoko stepped forward and gently took the blanket. "Hana-chan will take care of him, mamma. Would you like some help in the kitchen?"
"Oh, I would love some, Kyoko-chan!"
Hana took the blanket from her friend and, with more levity than she felt, playfully bumped the sweet girl toward Nana with her hip. Kyoko giggled softly and followed the Sawada matriarch, leaving Hana to lead the boys. Her attention immediately settled on the silverette that had tried to intimidate Tsuna that morning and she felt both confused and amused by the about-face because that oddball was watching Tsuna sleep with sincere concern. Hana's eyes moved to Hibari and the boy was in his Observe-The-Herbivores chair with Piero, and he was once more watching Tsuna with interest and a smirk tugging at his lips.
The gorilla will forever confuse Hana.
She sighed and walked over, ignoring the weird transfer as he warned her not to hurt Tsuna otherwise he'd blow her up. With a deft flick of her hands she had the soft blanket covering Tsuna and she tucked the blanket close to his flushed face. One touch of her hand informed her that Tsuna had a fever hot to the touch.
"Takeshi, get a cold cloth. Ryo-monkey, get over here and give him some rays."
Ryohei saluted while covering his mouth with his own hand to keep relatively quiet. Reborn kicked Gokudera back into his seat when he tried to interfere, and the bomber watched in anxious awe as Ryohei used this golden yellow light to ease away the Juudaime's fever and his mildly labored breathing. Takeshi returned only a second after Ryohei dropped his use of Sun Flames and brushed aside Tsuna's hair to place the icy cold hand towel down. With Tsuna tended to Hana turned to Gokudera in her patented 'You're a stupid monkey, you better listen to me now' stance of folded arms and unflappable expression.
"You fought Tsuna. The lion-monkey defeated you, and now you're his underling. Is that it?"
All the things she did not verbalize came out in her sharp tone and how she placed herself between Tsuna and the transfer. If your loyalty is based on nothing but circumstances then how can we trust you with him? Talk or deal with being kicked out. As Gokudera's thoughts raced Reborn was sitting pretty on the arm rest with a cup of expresso.
Oh yes, Tsuna's Famiglia has commendable strength in many different forms.
Gokudera took Hana's measure and his keen mind observed the dynamic she obviously represented in his boss's Famiglia. She seemed to be something like his Right Hand, the one he trusts to get things done. She was defending him from a perceived threat, her eyes dissecting him where he sat, and he knew she was the one to convince. It would have to be the truth, he couldn't risk having the Juudaime misjudge him because he could not trust someone his boss held in high esteem. With a fortifying breath Gokudera gritted his teeth and stood to bow. When he straightened up he had a look of calm acceptance. He hoped it was clear that he wasn't challenging her.
"All I've ever known is a world full of greed and death and deception. I've never met anyone like the Juudaime. He saved me from my own bombs and then accepted me into his Famiglia without protest, and no one has ever given me a chance to prove myself. I worked as a freelance mafioso, taking a lot of jobs that... weren't pleasant." Gokudera paused and seemed to gather some fortitude with a glance at Tsuna. "But he actually tried to get to know me. He shared food and drink with me. Showed more care toward a lowly, new subordinate when few fully-fledged bosses give a shit about their loyal underlings. He's... more than I hoped for when I came to Japan."
Hana eyed Gokudera for a tense few moments before she smirked. "Tsuna-monkey is the one you never knew you needed, huh?"
"Yeah. There isn't much I wouldn't do for him."
"Good. As long as you aren't too loud you and I will get along just fine."
Hibari left shortly after that with a tub of Gyūdon clutched in the arms of a Disciplinary Committtee member. Kusakabe was dealing with the mafioso his committee had taken.
OMAKE,
Basil [and a bit of the CEDEF]
Iemitsu used to be Basil's idol, his goal and ideal of what a being a great man meant.
Two years ago Basil was found and taken in by Iemitsu (and, in small part, Lal). The thirteen year old was known as a "boss" in his dangerous neck of an Italian city. He was strong, had a natural ability to draw on his Rain Flames to weaken and slow down his opponents, and he was a great protector who strove to make his little territory as safe as possible for the unfortunate families he shared the area with. Life was hard and the poor were easily lost when cold weather set in, which instilled Basil with a belief that family, blood and not, was everything. The one church there, a large and well constructed building forgotten by the world, was often the place many from more than one neighborhood gathered to share warmth and food in the winter.
His orphanage was dilapidated, parts of the building breaking down, and he had begun entering into underground fights to make money for his family and extra, if possible, to spread around. Those fights were often watched by the mafia looking for 'fresh' blood to add to their ranks, and Basil refused all their offers until one persistent pair.
A toddler sized woman and a towering blond mountain of a man came to one of his fights. Basil had been leery over the man, at first not trusting his presence, but the child-woman named Lal Mirch promised Basil that their organization would fund this part of the city and make life better for his friends and family. They returned six more times before he decided to trust them and in two months time their word became reality and the orphanage, along with many other buildings, got the needed funding for repair and food, so Basil decided the least he could do was pledge his loyalty to Iemitsu and his family, whoever they may be. He had made a similar pledge to Lal, but she waved it off as unwanted. Iemitsu took the pledge enthusiastically and treated Basil more like a son and less like an apprentice.
Only recently did Basil find the courage to ask Iemitsu about his family.
The man had become quiet and nervous before pulling on his goofy, happy mask. The CEDEF boss bluntly admitted that he left them when his son was five and was only returning in two weeks time in order to test his son before the boy was to be declared the Decimo in a roughly another year or more. Basil was surprised by this, and it was certainly not a good surprise. Family sticks together through anything, you don't up and leave for eight years and return because of business. That... no, Basil had been comfortable with his life, liked thinking that Iemitsu was a good man. He didn't want to dislike the only person who had ever been something close to a proper father figure.
A father figure who loved to drink and regularly encouraged Basil to do the same, one who gambled and enlisted his apprentice's help in covering the small but easily accumulated debts...
It was a painful eye-opener to say the least.
Basil threw himself into training under Lal Mirch, distancing himself from his boss in a bid to deal with the fact that Iemitsu was not the man he had believed him to be. It wouldn't have been so bad if it were not for the fact that Iemitsu had pretty much abandoned those he left in Japan. The CEDEF boss seemed to accept this change, didn't try too hard to persuade Basil that he was the same awesome man as before, and Basil, a day before Iemitsu left, made an appearance and politely told his boss good luck in testing his son. The usual affection in his voice was subdued, hesitant, and he wasn't sure how to act around the man who he felt did not deserve the respect and admiration from before.
Just about the only thing Basil really liked about the mafia world was how there was a great emphasis on family and loyalty, two parts of life he felt helped the world to function. In Basil's eyes the CEDEF boss had not honored the concept of family so valued in many Italian mafia's.
When Iemitsu returned, still with that cheerful and goofy mask, he had a small CD that contained footage which he allowed only a select group in the CEDEF to watch, among them being Basil and several trusted members having returned from testing Tsuna. The Nono had his own copy to watch with his own Guardians. Iemitsu had insisted that his apprentice watch because it would give him insight on the future boss of the Vongola.
While those who experienced fighting Tsuna grumbled about his copious and brutal use of Lightning to lock up the muscles of their legs and arms, Basil sat forward and focused all his attention on the big screen of the rec room Iemitsu commandeered. The footage started with a shaky view of a peaceful street and more. Iemitsu's video for the first half was a from a button-camera on his overalls, which he made use of by walking backwards in front of his son, a slender boy who looked as threatening as a mildly sullen kitten a in large sweater. A big odd-eyed silvery cat was perched on the boy's shoulders and eyed Iemitsu with remarkably dangerous eyes for an animal.
For ten minutes Iemitsu chattered at Tsuna about nothing important and frequently interjected his own talk with questions about his son's life and Tsuna eventually relented with a spiteful glitter in his light amber eyes. The boy told Iemitsu about the 100-plus broken bones he had gained since he was five. How he had been miserably lonely before making friends. Having said he was still pushed around and bullied when not backed by a friend, Tsuna emphasized that he was actually quite happy.
Happy because he had his friends, mother, and the cat on his shoulder, all of whom made up his entire world. It wasn't said in so many words, but Basil could tell how Tsuna considered the people he held in high regard and affection to be his treasures. Had he heard this before realizing his boss's follies, Basil would have taken offense at the man not being on the son's list of Precious-People-Plus-Cat. Now though, hearing the warm tone of absolute loyalty in the boy's voice, this allowed something in the CEDEF boss-apprentice to relax. He had built up Iemitsu on a pedestal in his mind, but this was proof that at least the man's son appeared to have a good head on his shoulders.
Footage of that cut out and what came on next was obscured slightly by the green and slightly yellowed leaves of a tree. It showed Tsuna and two boys sneaking through the underbrush and toward the derelict house used as the site of the test. Tsuna showed leadership and bonds with the white haired boy by persuading him to remain very quiet. They entered the house through a broken back door and creeped through the building, and climbed the stairs.
More footage from the hall outside of the room holding the hostages and the visible members of the CEDEF showed Tsuna peek into the room and grow enraged by what he saw. He was wreathed in glittering and wildly dancing Lightning Flames. The camera angle changed to one inside the room as Tsuna, the white haired boy, and the tonfa user, all rushing inside ready to fight. They moved so fast they were blurred on the video as they sent several men crashing away.
"You made a grave mistake going after my friends." Basil felt himself shiver a bit at the dangerous tone and what was more, he felt further respect and admiration well up in him.
Tsuna rolled his shoulders as the CEDEF members in disguise pretended to be shocked silly by his entrance, which only a few truly faked. The others were twitching from the Lightning Flames playing havoc on their muscles.
"Don't listen to what they say, Ryo-Aniki. Hit them knowing they hurt our friends."
The footage, taken from behind and having HD quality, allowed Basil to clearly see the three tied up teens at the other end of the medium sized room. The male had a bruised face and a bloodied nose. Basil felt his stomach churn and rebel and he couldn't understand how it helped anything to alienate the future boss by hurting his friends. Even after two years Basil was still baffled by how brutal the mafia world was alongside those ideals of family and bonds. He would never like it, but being a part of an intelligence organization was fascinating sometimes. Also, he usually watched movies before they came out, and this is on top of his old neighborhood and the surrounding area being supported.
Good and bad, ill-balanced.
It was nearly a thing of art, the fight that is. Tsuna never ceased moving even as he manoeuvered himself between his friends and the flow of incoming "thugs". Basil was sure that if the young Sawada had been any slower he would have gladly taken hits for his three friends, but that wasn't the case. The future Decimo's movements were smooth and flowed into one another, not one change in stance or strike was wasted.
By the end of it Basil was a bit lightheaded and he was embarrassed to realize he had barely breathed throughout the fight. Tsuna had held all of his attention. When it ended and the "unconscious" CEDEF members were tied up, or bound with the liberal use of duct tape when rope ran out. Tsuna then quickly, and tenderly, treated the minor wounds his three friends suffered.
Iemitsu rewound and paused on a clip showing Tsuna's fierce expression after he slammed a pipe into a particularly large member of the CEDEF and the clip was paused on the man as he was two feet above the ground by the force of the hit. He had a proud, if slightly somber, look on his face.
Lal Mirch was the first to speak a brief and contemplative silence. "I really don't see how you two are related."
Iemitsu flashed a grin. "It's just the Lightning. You'll see when he gets his Sky Flames back."
Basil spoke up too, though he was quiet. "I second what Lal said. Tsuna seems... amazing, and certainly has a strong heart."
Iemitsu was silent for a moment before grinning. "Oh, he definitely has that in spades. It's just a question of whether he has the strength of will to survive the minefield making up his future underworld kingdom."
Basil stood and left. There was something weighing on his mind and though he could not put the feeling into words it made staying in Iemitsu's presence a little less than pleasant. One thing was certain. If Tsuna was anything like Basil himself, and he had the power that comes with being the boss of the Vongola, then either he would change the underworld or he'd destroy it.
The apprentice boss of the CEDEF hoped for something in between.
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** Sky Petrification: Freezing the bombs, which is irreversible at this point for Tsuna, is what plants the seed of the Zero Point Break Through for him. So yep, Reborn's having fun at Tsuna's expense does serve a purpose.
** I know few Japanese schools have cafeteria's but Namimori-Chuu does. Not a big one, as said in the story, but still there because I said so.
** BASIL: His speech and thinking is in Italian, there's no old style talking for him. I had fun writing the Omake for him. He's a total cutie. I know, some of you might not like it, and that you may think of it as a generic past, but I wanted to make Family and loyalty a big thing for him. Part of taking off the Rose-Colored glasses bit.
As for reviews, I once more ask for anyone noticing mistakes to please point them out (while also, if applicable, hopefully taking the time to think of something they liked about the chapter).
TO THOSE WHO OFFERED ME CRITIQUE in the last chapter: Thank you very much. :) I felt like a loser, yep, but I needed it! It let me fix up the chapter a bit.