A/N: Yay! I finished this chapter in almost a month difference, I'm on a row!
Anyways things are starting to move, the weathers are coming together and soon the sky will become stable once again...
Disclaimer: I do not own KHR! Like never ever and will not or had not or anything.
Chapter 13
ITALY INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, ITALY
Hayato stood 5ft away from Kyoya. Though is nothing compare the 25ft+ circumference of space given by the people at the airport. Why do I get the feeling "the crowding herbivores" is not the only reason he is frustrated with? Hayato thought feeling a little disturbed.
The ex-Vongola Storm guardian almost sighed in relief when their mission showed up.
"Oh yeah, now I remember you, you were in some of my classes before I moved to Italy for something," Takeshi laughed good-naturedly as Tsu-kun sighed covering a hurt expression. Hayato glanced almost in an awkward manner at Tsu-kun who was on Ryohei's shoulders. It seemed he was forced to by the looks of it.
"...yeah Dame-Tsuna is not name one can forget," Tsu-kun replied darkly, but changing the subject, "but I am glad you are going to play baseball again! You always happy when you played!" Tsu-kun was originally 10 years old always looked up to Takeshi-kun who took pride in playing the game he loves.
"Well I will be playing again now when I go back to school thanks to you Tsu-kun!" Takeshi turned toward the little boy who looked shocked for a second then he beamed. Smiling, he barely caught himself as Ryohei who insisted to carry Tsu-kun so he can recover faster, laughed loudly yelling extreme.
Behind the trio of sky, rain and sun, walked another trio of geniuses of their field with Spanner holding on an unusual calm Lambo, who was licking his grape lollipop.
"Why are we back? Is not safe! We just left Italy and now we just had to come back!" Shoichi clutched his stomach in pain as he curse his phone when he tried to contact his wayward boss getting no answer. Is like the eccentric disappear from this dimension or something. Wouldn't put it pass him, Shoichi mentally growled.
"We go wherever master Lambo goes," shrugged Spanner as Giovanni trying to get his breathing back to normal, while erasing the scarring images of Lambo getting into the plane as unconventional as possible and playing with his grenades all through the flight. the other flame users only made it worse. Its a miracle that the half burn, damage jet (crash)landed with them (though the workers were mostly) unharmed.
Reborn just smirked all through the trip claiming it training leaving Tsu-kun clean up the mess.
"Ah home at last, kufufufufu," laughed Mukuro as Chrome nodded, "shame that the two lackeys had to stay behind. But why didn't you stayed behind with them?"
"Its for the best Mukuro-sama," Chrome said and then deadpanned, "besides Boss needs all the help he can get to rein you in."
"CH-CHROME?! WHY?!" Mukuro had a dark mist flow around melancholy realizing someone had corrupted his innocent Chrome (it was all you Mukuro).
Tsu-kun grinned at their antics and turn to the awaiting cloud and storm flame users, "Hibari-san! Gokudera-san!"
Without further ado, Hibari asked, "Where's the baby?" They knew Hibari meant Reborn.
"OH! MASTER PAO PAO HAD AN EXTREME EMERGENCY MEETING HE HAD TO EXTREMELY GO TO!"
"I wonder if he knows..." Gokudera wondered out loud as Hibari just stood there even more annoyed.
"What happened?" Takeshi asked as Tsu-kun jumped from Ryohei, worried as he felt the dread he been suppressing before he passed out with a fever. The cloud and storm become quiet and looked anywhere, but them.
After a minute of awkward silence, Hibari muttered darkly, "Too many people." He walked away as they followed him into a limo awaiting them.
"Still not sure why you should be here!" Gokudera growled at Tsu-kun.
"Sorry, Gokudera-san, but I have to," Tsu-kun looked at the green eyes with his determine glowing orange eyes saying no arguments will sway me.
Of course Gokudera ignored him, "Is dangerous for you, especially with the rumors."
"Oya, Oya, they heard he is the true heir of Vongola?" Mukuro put in smirking at the Hibari who sat on the roof of the limo, though left the sky window opened to hear them.
"Among other things," Hibari commented surprising Mukuro.
"What ever! You midget kid should go back to Japan and mind your own business!"
"Hayato..." Takeshi began worried about the storm who is acting more short-tempered than usual.
"I can't Gokudera, I wish I can stay home and help protect Kaa-san with Shamal and your sister," at the last word Gokudera gagged, "but they are...I need them as I feel they need me..."
At this Hibari cursed as Gokudera paled shouted, "Dang it! Its already calling the third sky!"
"What do you mean calling the third sky?" Shoichi's eyes shadowed as he asked dripping with unspeakable torture if not answered.
"Good if you didn't know, that means Vongola and the others able to keep that under wraps," bitterly replied Gokudera.
"Is it about...Byakuran?" Shoichi hesitating asked.
"Shoichi...we still figuring out what happened..."
"WHAT HAPPENED?!" Shoichi pulling Gokudera's shirt, asking wide-eyed, fearing for the answer.
"Two days ago the marshmallow freak mysteriously disappeared and earlier the baby's boss was taken under that uncle herbivore's and herbivorious cloud's noses," replied Hibari.
Shoichi let go of Gokudera and went into shocked. The Gesso mechanic gripped his stomach bowing his head, shook.
"You idiot! You acting as if he died or something?"
"SHUT UP! LAST TIME HE DISAPPEAR, HE DID ALMOST DIED!" Gokudera was not amused feeling the stress from the last couple of days and this idiot dared to yell at him as if he can do something about it. Angrily he took out his dynamite, "YOU SHUT UP! YOU ARE THE ONE WHO LEFT HIS BOSS BEHIND AND..." before Gokudera finished he felt a small hand gently taking his dynamite.
He glared at Tsu-kun who calmly put out the fuse. Then Tsu-kun turned around and threw the dynamite stick at Shoichi's face.
"OW! WHAT WAS THAT FOR?!"
"You two should calm down and start planning what to do since this is going to be a rescue mission, no?" Tsu-kun somehow called out the Boss aura, only this time there was no 10 year old Tsuna showing up, except his eyes. Everyone stared mesmerize at the boy's eyes and listen, "Now as far I know, it seems I am going to be bait," he lifted his hand when there was protests, "is inevitable, correct Hibari-san?" Hibari looked down at them and nodded as if reigning something. Tsu-kun narrowed his eyes at the cloud, but he sighed.
"First thing we should do is get it out of our system."
"Eh?" Ryohei and Takeshi blinked confused.
"We can't plan if we all don't have a clear head." Mukuro wondering what Tsu-kun meant by all notice something on Gokudera or more like lack of. To confirm his suspicions, he stick his head out and ducked a tonfa.
Ignoring the questioning gazes, he laughed finding what lacked.
The rings.
"WHAT ARE YOU EXTREMELY LAUGHING ABOUT PINEAPPLE HEAD?!" Ryohei yelled as Mukuro twitched.
"So~how long has it been?" Mukuro asked as he materialize his trident in amusement.
"What do you mean?" Takeshi was confused at Mukuro's question. He ignored it as he fingered his trident and materialize his mist flames engulfing it. Chrome was about to question what crazy idea her cousin have now when she notice Tsu-kun talking with the driver in Italian.
"Eh Boss you know italian?"
They all turned at a sheepish Tsu-kun as the Driver agreed to Tsu-kun's request.
"Herbivore what are you up to?" Tsu-kun just grinned as he checked something in his pocket and nodded to himself.
CAFE SHOP, ITALY
"Verde..." Reborn growled at the Lightning Arcobaleno who just ignored the Sun Arcobaleno. The two babies were waiting for the others show up to the annual Arcobaleno meeting that just a day before was changed to a cafe shop instead of the mansion. After a couple minutes as Reborn rein in his anger (and dread he fears he is out of the loop, again), Verde responded.
"Oh I didn't see you there, I was busy writing notes you see," Verde patted his alligator, Keiman and drop into his mouth his paper work, "by the way the results came in couple of days ago."
Reborn mentally counted backwards as Leon comforted his trigger happy partner. He noticed his pacifier glow signaling him an Arcobaleno is near.
"Reborn? What are you doing here?" Colonnello dropped in with Lal from his large white hawk, Falco. He walked to their table as Falco who shrunk, rested on Lal's shoulder. Falco glared with Lal as men goggled her in the cafe.
"What does that suppose to mean?" Reborn became suspicious at the surprise and wary look of Lal.
Reborn barely stopped his hand going to Leon when he sense a presence just materialize behind him.
"Hello Viper," Reborn still glared at the CEDEF bosses greeted the arrival.
"They mean why are you in Italy instead over at Japan teaching," Viper aka Mammon the mist Arcobaleno and mist user of Varia patted the white and yellow salamander ring on her head turning it back to a dark green frog, "good job Fantasma, I will feed you after this free meeting," she ended in disgust at the thought of a prospective job without pay. Before Reborn asked what are they implying, he barely kept himself from gaping at two babies behind Viper.
"That bad huh?" Colonnello unnaturally grimly asked.
Skull the Cloud Arcobaleno pacifier user barely able to walk was helping Fon the Storm Arcobaleno pacifier user walk toward them. They barely nodded at the Rain Arcobaleno's question.
"Lichi and Oodako are at the Vongola infirmary still recovering from the attack," Fon softly answered.
Reborn became worried wondering what could have attacked Fon who rarely looked ruffled needed help to walk and Skull the lackey that no matter how Reborn beat up to shut him up looking subdue and quiet.
"Well?" Verde asked curious on what happened.
"Last evening we had a meeting at the Vongola Mansion and we," Lal signaling her and Colonnello, "found something, but we will explain that later. Yuni left the mansion and met up with Skull and Fon at the Giglio Nero limousine..."
"We were not sure how it happen, next thing we knew, we were attacked," Fon began and he barely hid a grimace as he sat at the table, "our partners took the most damage hence still recovering, but Yuni just disappear and all there was left was a note behind," Fon became quiet at this point. All the Arcobaleno were subdue to find their sky disappear and didn't know/couldn't do anything about it.
"What did it say?" Lal asked softly afraid of the answer after a moment of silence.
"The two of the Tri-ni-set sky will soon call the third," Skull surprisingly answered. Reborn tsked and went Fon and Skull. He summoned his sun flames and began to heal them. Fon hissed in pain and Skull just grumbled. Reborn was just blank faced ignoring the chatter around him for once and tried to make the healing less hectic since his control is lacking. He did just fully healed any strains Tsu-kun had from his last transformation and watching Skull with all his loud complaints just softly grumbled and Fon who always calmer than the rest of them looked guilty and hating himself. After all there are things that should never been seen.
"You did your best," Reborn never of the comforting type surprised everyone with his words and he went back to his seat ignoring them.
"So now they are after your recent student Reborn," Verde bringing back to the topic at hand.
"Why is that relevant?" Colonnello was confused at this.
"Why his sky flames of course..." Verde began
"Just because his flames are of the sky variety doesn't mean he is one of the three let alone Vongola," Fon pointed out, but notice the silence at the table, "What is it?"
"He's Iemitsu's kid," Viper put in.
"Wait! Reborn?! You're training a five year old?! Enough that Iemitsu's wife lost her first child, but the second too?" Lal cried outraged at the sadistic baby.
"Second?" Reborn raised his eyebrow.
"Yeah, he lost his first kid here in Italy when ...the other two skies were severely damage..." Colonnello frowned feeling he is missing something.
"Funny story," Reborn smirked as Verde chuckled, "what is the name of the first-born of Iemitsu?"
"Tsunayoshi, but what...?"
"Did your subordinates said what is the name of the so-called second child?"
"Tsu-kun or Tsunayoshi...Wait! What?!" The CEDEF bosses, Fon, Skull shouted in surprise. Viper just counted her money ignoring them as Reborn looked smug as Verde snorted.
"But last I heard if he was alive he would be fifteen and Oregano told me he was five!"
"Oh he looks like that now, but soon his flames will stabilize and he either go between the age he disappeared as or 15," Verde explained.
"Since we are at topic and might as well let the others know, explain your results," Reborn still isn't forgiving Verde for the late results.
"Hmm...where to begin?" Verde slowly pick up the files that Keiman gave him.
"If the boy was involved in the explosion from couple of years ago," Verde began as his glasses shined at the sunlight, "somehow the force transported the boy go into a time jump that possibly his flames protecting him, but with a cost of being unstabilize," he looked at this notes, "not to mention weaken the seal of the ninth."
"Seal?" Fon asked turning to Reborn.
"Oh yeah I remember that, I visited them a while back, figures why Mamma was comfortable with me," Reborn began, "Dame-Tsu did have powerful flames then and Iemitsu asked Nonno to seal them since it tend to cause trouble, which personally he should have been trained since it crippled the boy from his full potential and now I am trying to undo that damage."
Verde went on as if he wasn't interrupted, "So a side-effect was the de-aging of the boy and now that he is releasing his flames constantly as you jump started with your dying will bullet, his body is trying to settle into his true state."
"Wait, wait! You mean to say there was no second child, but they are both one and same and has powerful sky flames and is the Vongola heir to boot?" Lal asked stared at them.
"Not to mention the third sky?" Colonnello asked in disbelief.
"Same thing. Vongola's true sky is one of the tri-ni-set skies," Verde argued.
"By the way you get to see who attacked you?" Lal turned to Fon who shook their heads in response of no as Skull just sit there frowning. She sighed.
"Could have been that Decimo? Byakuran was going to a meeting of his," Colonnello suggested.
"Nah," Reborn replied as Viper snorted, "the guy is only powerful on his own, but he sends his men out, he comes trash." At this some of Arcobaleno chuckled at the reference.
"Tell that to the famiglias that disappeared," muttered Skull.
"Well the Carcassa famiglia was a bad famiglia to begin with," Colonnello pointed out.
"Bovino." Reborn darkly said. They all got quiet at this.
"There is something big missing though about him, I feel it," Reborn frowned as he thought out loud, "either way that means I have to find my Dame student before he gets kidnapped," Reborn said annoyed.
"Well we could use him for the Tri-ni-set barrier phenomenon to find Yuni-sama," smirked Verde making the other uneasy.
"No. You will not use him as bait!" Reborn shouted.
"Well he is going to be with or without his will," Verde shrugged, "Besides his flames are rather interesting and if stabilized..." He was silenced when Reborn shot him with the bullet only grazing his cheek.
"Verde! Yuni will be horrified if she heard you! You want to make her cry again?!" Lal yelled at Verde as Reborn petted Leon trying to calm down.
"Verde, you promised you wouldn't do human experiments like that anymore," Viper pointed out, "Besides you changed, no?" Not waiting for an answer Viper went back at counting her money when a creepy song went off and nobody blinked as Viper answered it.
They still wasn't surprise as Viper cast an illusion so the good hearing babies wouldn't hear her conversation.
No it was what she said when she ended the call, "The usual pay with no interest." This is the mist Arcobaleno always fighting for higher pay and interest but this...!
"Fantasma to Varia, idiots dared to entered my domain and damaging my goods," She waited for the ring appear when of changing frog turned into a salamander to float on her head. She faced with an unasked question, which Fon who nodded, hold her hand and both disappeared.
"That is not good, " Skull commented after a beat of silence.
Reborn and Colonnello slapped him, "YOU DON'T SAY!"
Lal rolled her eyes at their antics, when her phone rang. She frowned not showing fear as she answered. Lal proceed to cursed and hanged up, "CEDEF is being attacked and as we speak the Gesso famiglia is surprisingly helping the Varia's own attack." She looked at Colonnello who sighed, "Falco protect my precious Lal, alright?" Falco nodded as Lal scowled at him and took flight.
After she left, Colonnello turned to them as Verde growled, "Oh no, don't even think about it Blondie!" Said Blondie went puppy eyed on the scientist.
"No! I mean it!"
"I let you get some of my flames!" Colonnello bribed Verde
"..."
"Pleeeeeeasssssseee!"
"Fine, come on you undead wannabe," grumbled Verde dragging a surprise Skull with Keiman and stood in the middle of the cafe. People around them use to their strangeness ignored how a hole appeared swallowing the two Arcobaleno and alligator and then the hole is covered like it was never there.
Reborn rolled his eyes at the dramatic exit as Colonnello chuckled.
"Lets find that Dame student of yours," grinned Colonnello and went on the Leon Airways green airplane.
SOME FOREST FAR FROM CIVILIZATION, ITALY
After convincing Spanner and Giovanni to leave Lambo behind (he cried and kicked and wanted to hang out with Tsuna-nii and they should go find a place to stay), they all went into a large forest away from civilization (Shoichi when to the Gesso mansion to track down any news of what is going on). As the limo left them taking the trio, everyone who stayed stared at Tsu-kun as he opened a note. He coughed and read out loud;
"You crazy, lazy ex-guardians, will stay in the forest and keep guard as my Dame student fight the carnivore cloud, love Reborn, the greatest hitman in the world."
"That's it?" Gokudera glared at Tsu-kun suspiciously.
Tsu-kun pouted, "The rest is for me, so don't worry about it," he took out his white mittens as Hibari smirked with bloodlust. Closing his eyes, Tsu-kun call deep within himself for the sky flame and summoned it. Suddenly his mittens turned black gloves and mentally went over the spartan training from Reborn. Both Tsu-kun and Hibari stood in the middle of the clearing as the other 6 flame users waited for the first attacked.
Tsu-kun felt the air blow around them and he opened his eyes giving off a calm gold glow haze as a wisp of flames grew in front of his forehead, but no flickering afterimage came into play. He ducked as he sensed Hibari began to attack. Tsu-kun blocked a painful jab from the cloud's tonfas. He kept blocking, but each one was stronger than before.
Tsu-kun glanced briefly at Ryohei and Lambo who was being carried by Chrome who looked on worried. Tsu-kun realized he must be insane fighting the guy he heard rumors as the demon prefect in elementary school back in Japan, but if I don't get stronger, I will never able to save them, Tsu-kun thought as he call up more of his flames to strengthen his blocks. Tsu-kun ducked, rolled, twisted, block as Hibari attacked faster and kicked at Tsu-kun's stomach. Tsu-kun caught his leg and subconsciously froze it.
This made Hibari slashed with his tonfa that led Tsu-kun loosen his hold. Hibari took advantage and gain some distance as he tried to break the ice. He frowned realizing while the ice is easily broken, the boy learns to control it, Hibari would have no hope. He snapped out of his daze when Tsu-kun threw fireballs almost mimicking Xanxus pistol shootings. Hibari's black long coat wasn't lucky and had no choice, but to take it off. Normally he will be furious, but the fight just began to get interesting. Excited, he summon his cloud flames for the first time in the fight.
Tsu-kun cursed and give himself distance to the cloud flame user. He looked around since he lost the cloud user and was attacked brutally from behind and thrown into a tree. Coughing and gingerly touched his sore ribs, and back, he was glad to reinforced his body for that painful second. He looked up as Hibari crouched down and ready himself into a sprint.
I really underestimated his bloodlost! Tsu-kun thought terrified and realize he just went out of Hyper Dying Will mode. Then his intuition flared telling him to set up for what is coming. And is not Hibari.
Thinking fast, Tsu-kun blinked trying to see through the debris...That's it!
Summoning his flames again, he shot around Hibari messing with him and creating debris having Hibari lose sight of Tsu-kun. The little boy flew up barely controlling his flames for flight. His intuition yelled as Tsu-kun abruptly dived shouting, "Hit the ground!" A lightning mix with sun flames ball flew above Tsu-kun who pushed Hibari into one of the holes he made earlier. A couple of trees beyond them where destroyed.
"Well someone shrunk nicely," a dark silhouette chuckled.
"Anyone, but him!" Hayato hissed. At this everyone looked toward the newly arrival.
Tsu-kun stared suspicious at the person as his intuition calmed down only to warning and no longer life-threatening. "Are you the Vongola Decimo?"
"Hm? Oh wouldn't you like to know," he went on glaring at Hibari and Gokudera, "so what did you do to them?"
"Do what?" Scowled Gokudera.
"You know the rings!" Reynardo explained annoyed at the storm user.
"You lost them?!" Gokudera asked horrified at this guy who seems to lose everything valuable, "What's wrong with you?!" Reynardo was about to say something back, but just huffed.
"Who are you, really?" Both Tsu-kun and Reynardo know how heavy Tsu-kun's question is.
"...I don't get you, I don't even like you..." Reynardo trying to deflect the question as Tsu-kun wonder what wasn't said. Tsu-kun sighed, "What is what you truly want?" Again Reynardo just smirked and summoned familiar sky flames on each hand.
Yuni and Byakuran...
Tsu-kun opened his mouth to ask, but Hibari rushed toward Reynardo who just put out the flames and pocketed his hands. He ducked casually and with finesse as Hibari attacked with abandoned.
"Pathetic," sneered Reynardo as he kicked Hibari with the other ex guardians and Chrome and Lambo. Hibari would have able to get up from such a hit with a bruise, but since he been fighting Tsu-kun for a while almost in full power, he's exhausted and pride damage once more.
"For the official record I never was truly the Decimo," he laughed at them. They gapped at him horrified.
Tsu-kun asked confused, "You guys didn't check he was worthy? I thought only the best of the best become Boss of all bosses and only by blood and accepted by the Vongola can lead and yet he was trained for years?"
"Kufufufu, but he steals all kinds of flames, no?" Mukuro put in.
"Your point?" Gokudera doesn't like to be lecture on something he has no idea especially from Mukuro and he isn't a happy camper. "The ring; the loophole is if the flames can direct the ring's power, it can almost recreate the acceptance and by what I remembered the flames from when I use to be guardian, feels like the bunny's."
Reynardo applauded the not so amused Mukuro who took out his trident as Gokudera took out his dynamite. "Bravo! You convict!"
"Speak for yourself, you thief!" muttered Chrome as she calm Lambo who felt threaten (and in need of naptime).
"Chrome?!" Mukuro was surprise at the audacity of his cousin and she only blankly stared at him.
"That will mean you met Tsu-kun," Takeshi said frowning at the implications.
"Ah yes, but some are curious how you survive our last...encounter, " Reynardo stood tall not at all intimated by the now sword, dynamites, grenades, two tridents, tonfas, and fists with Reynardo's name on them.
"This means you do know," Tsu-kun's intuition agreed and notice Reynardo suddenly put on a poker face. Like that isn't suspicious at all.
"You know there is this law of traitors especially for those who chose to leave without the blessing of their boss," Reynardo grinned murderous at Hibari and Gokudera, "since only you two left with my permission" everyone gasped in surprised, "the rest of you just left or quit without my ok." He quickly summoned the sky flames and pushed back Tsu-kun, Hibari, Gokudera, Chrome and Lambo out of the ring of flames that surrounded the others. Reynardo place his hands over each other and inside of his palm facing them.
Tsu-kun felt dread as Hayato cursed, shaking. Hibari practically flew toward the sky flames, but pushed back as Hayato snapped out of it and threw dynamites as the others as well. Tsu-kun was breathing hard still recovery from the beating and saw how hard the others are trying to get in, while here he was sitting, unable to stand up.
Mukuro looks resigned as he glanced in bitter smirk at his cousin. Ryohei cried out Extreme to the end or something. Takeshi gripped his sword that flickered to baseball bat ever so often. A pulled was felt as Tsu-kun panicked;
Yuni was in shock as well as Tsunayoshi that the young teen attacked them first and began to swallow their life flames...
"I can't...I wont..." Tsu-kun muttered as he tried to stand up hearing the out cries of his friends feeling a strange calm almost like waiting for something to happen...
"I WONT LET HIM!" Flames were burned anew and Tsu-kun broke into the sky flame ring.
"Wao, Omnivore fight me again when this is over!" Tsu-kun nodded as he went toward a strange smiling Reynardo as if he was expecting him to get in. Reminds me of Reborn, Tsu-kun thought annoyed. He punched him just to spite Reynardo.
Reynardo saw changing mist flames flickering around Tsunayoshi, then saw the bright sun flames, calm rain, lightning flames sizzling around, multiple cloud flames...
"You still stuck in a five year old body with little combat experience, you got nothing on me boy!" Reynardo mocked the determined boy.
Tsu-kun ignored him, having heard worse once a upon a time and focus on figuring out the mystery of Reynardo. The older boy gave off like is not what is seems, but right now he is hurting his friends and if Tsu-kun has the innate power, then he will do something about it.
He will do it with his dying will!
A/N: Uh oh, things are getting messy! Tsunayoshi will be free, but...and what is up with Reynardo...You will know in the next month in the new chapter of Toward the True Sky!
Thanks everyone who fav/reviewed/follow this story. *bows*