RETURN TO THE HOMELAND – MUSIC FIXES EVERYTHING
The Shimon Training Yard
The Shimon training yard is not dis-similar to the other training yards that have been set aside for mafia members. It is an unremarkable rectangular area with nothing to look at but concrete and a few training implements.
The Shimon family had not travelled to witness the battle of the successors, they have no idea just how strong Tsuna and Bana have become. They struggle to believe it when Enma tells them that he is far behind that duo. It is true though, while Basil is working to first obtain the ultimate form and Enma is still working to stabilise it, the two leading lights of the mafia had long since passed that stage. Tsuna and Bana are masters of the ultimate form.
"It's time for you to show me just what you have achieved" the hitman tutor Reborn informs his newest student, "Let's fight with our full strengths Enma".
Reborn brings out a whip, a weapon he has just started using again recently. Seeing that Reborn is using his new weapon makes Enma recall that the Arcobaleno also is being depended on for his strength in this battle. Reborn is not doing this because he is Enma's teacher but because he is his ally.
"You really want to see just how strong I can get, my home tutor" Enma asks arrogantly as he picks up a huge hammer that he has been practicing with.
The weighty hammer fails to impress the hitman, "The weapon doesn't make the man" he notes.
Reborn swings his whip towards Enma.
'Fast' notes the Shimon leader boss. Enma is unable to avoid the blow completely so decides on an alternative strategy, he sways to the side, lowering the relative speed between himself and the whip.
Reborn smiles as he observes the damage reducing tactic, something he had done many times himself in the past. Reborn spins his body the opposite direction to his first strike, changing from counter-clockwise to clockwise as the whip approaches Enma from the other direction.
Enma drops his hammer just in front of him and jumps backwards, allowing the whip to wind itself around the heavier weapon.
As Reborn retracts his whip in preparation for his next attack the Shimon boss also makes his preparations. As the whip flies away from him the red haired leader creates a black hole one meter in front of himself. Enma picks up his previously discarded hammer and smashes it into the black hole, launching the gravitational body towards the young looking hitman.
Reborn doesn't panic as he feels the incoming gravity field, he can judge these things perfectly and he knows it. The arcobaleno swings his whip perfectly so that it gets stuck in the black hole and then uses like a monkey on a vine, shooting himself towards Enma.
"You're still too slow to compete against me Enma". Reborn mercilessly swings his weapon towards Enma for what he believes to be the last time.
Enma holds up his forearm, wincing in pain as it is struck by the whip. The whip wraps around the boss arm in a way that makes it easy for Reborn to manipulate his position.
"It's over" declares Reborn.
Suddenly Enma grabs hold of the whip with his captured hand. "I can still get stronger yet, REBORN" he shouts as he pulls Reborn towards him using the latter's own weapon.
Enma raises his hammer into the air and slams it down hard. The collision causes a small earthquake and birds launch from the tops of nearby buildings. Reborn was not injured however, Enma had lowered his hammer too quickly and missed the Arcobaleno.
The Shimon family members can hardly believe it; their leader has made a mistake. How is this possible, he came so close to defeating the seemingly undefeatable Reborn?
"Why did you let me go" asks Reborn, "Don't tell me you will show the enemy this weakness".
It is upon Reborn saying this that the Shimon family members realise, Enma swung his hammer too fast on purpose, so as not to hit Reborn. It was a pure demonstration that he would have won in a real fight.
"I don't believe it's a weakness to value your friends" smiles Enma as he rubs his reddened arm.
"Neither do I Enma" the tutor smiles back.
Enma and Reborn decide to lay on their backs for a moment and rest. The two of them have earn that haven't they, a rest. Even Sawada Tsunayoshi is resting when necessary.
"Say Reborn, what do you intend to do after this battle is over".
"After it's all over" the tutor begins, "Who knows, I guess I will still be a part of the family".
"I would like to retire somewhere. Perhaps somewhere with a beach. In my free time I would like to take on some students… maybe someone easier to handle".
Enma laughs, Reborn indeed hadn't had the easiest students to deal with. "I can't say I blame you, this whole situation has gotten out of hand".
"Reborn, I'm going to make that ambition of yours come true, as a thank you for helping me, I will definitely make it come true".
"Yeah, thank you Enma".
The Yakuza HQ, Medical Room
In the bland and un-interesting medical room Yaru is sat twiddling his thumbs. There is only so much time you can spend contemplating what has happened, it gets boring eventually. Not only that but the green haired Yakuza would prefer not to think about what has happened, despite how grateful he is to the Yakuza and to Honda, it hasn't been full of good memories.
The door to the medical room burst open much to Yaru's shock.
"FOR JAPAN" yells a slave as he runs towards the youngster while brandishing a knife.
Before Yaru can react a dart appears and pierces straight through the slave's skull before hitting the far wall. An incredible shot, to go through the skull without slowing down yet to kill its own momentum enough not to damage the wall, this was clearly thrown by someone with unnatural ability.
Yaru immediately looks in the direction the dart came from.
Sakura wakes up upon hearing the commotion and immediately realises what has happened. "Someone tried to hurt big brother Yaru".
The young girl comes to the brink of tears, "Big bro, I'm really sorry, if I was playing music instead of sleeping then none of this would have happened".
Yaru couldn't hold a grudge against this little girl. "Don't worry about it" he whispers, "None of this is your fault".
The elder of the two Yakuza adopts a more serious expression as he recalls the imminent danger. He turns back to the source of the dart, "Who is it?".
An elderly man with wispy grey hair and a long white beard emerges from the shadows with his hands behind his back. The man has a set of tattoo associated with the Yakuza causing Yaru to feel relieved. This is the man who has thrown the dart.
Sakura giggles, "It's just old man Gon".
"Hello my child" Gon starts, surprising Yaru with his very gentle voice, "Would you mind playing some of that cheery music for me".
"Yes" replies Sakura as she immediately begins to play her music to the level of near perfection.
"I see now" Yaru begins with an analytical tone, "I thought it was unusually merciful of the master to spare Sakura, the old man that spared her was you right".
"That's right, I wanted to save Sakura" the old man replies as he strokes his beard. "Her music is very pretty wouldn't you agree".
Yaru concurs, "Yeah, it's beautiful, it really makes me smile".
"I'm glad you think so too, I hate to see the fate of all those poor and potentially talented slaves at the hands of the boss" explains Gon.
"Forgive me old man but… you don't seem like the Yakuza type; why do you follow the master" asks Yaru.
"Well unfortunately his philosophy about the weak and the strong is correct" begins Gon. Indeed, in a world where people can reach such staggering levels of power the strong will always be capable of imposing their wills upon the weak.
"He is the strong and I am the weak".
Yaru has more questions, "How strong is the master, really?".
Gon laughs, "Tell me, who could I possibly compare him to?".
Yaru is stunned, he didn't think of this. If there is indeed nobody in the world stronger than Honda then it is impossible to compare him to others, strength isn't measured in numbers after all.
"I suppose that it was a stupid question, so you follow him because you afraid of death" Yaru prompts his senior to continue as Sakura's music brightens up the background.
"It's not that but I made a promise, back when I first realised what the Yakuza was becoming" starts Gon, "It was the day that Vongola Primo was first defeated by the
master, I went to him and we spoke".
Gon continues, "I told him, 'I have seen the Yakuza do terrible things, unlike the mafia there is no way it will change, please allow me to join the mafia', and do you know what he said".
"What did he say".
"He said, 'I have no need for un-loyal members, just keep fighting for your boss, then maybe one day he will change'". Gon finishes.
"Do you think the master will change?" Yaru asks incredulously.
"There is no way, back then Primo didn't understand the full capabilities of our master, his full psychology" the old man explains, "Still he may be looking down on me now from up there in heaven and I don't want to disappoint him after coming this far".
Yaru smiles, "You're an interesting old man, one last question, why the darts".
"I like the game".
The green haired Yakuza laughs, "What an uninteresting reason".
One Week Later, The Yakuza HQ, The Meeting Room
The meeting room has a beautiful view of Japan. Yaru and Sakura admire the view as the last attendee of the meeting arrives, the old man Gon.
"Gon, I'm glad you could make it, still willing to oppose the mafia are we" teases Honda, knowing the very well what Primo had said to Gon all those years ago.
Honda laughs, "You take Primo's word too literally, then again I can't blame you for your fear of death".
Uninvited and without being prompted Sakura begins to play some cheerful music on her trumpet.
"Stop that noise, it's irritating" Honda shouts angrily as he looks towards Yaru and Sakura.
"But I like it" retorts the young girl.
"It's alright Sakura, you can play again when we leave" Yaru comforts the young girl.
Lucy scoffs, "You treat her more like a sister than me, you are disgusting".
Yaru doesn't know how to reply so he decides simply to ignore his elder sister. The relationship between the two has been becoming more and more strained. Yaru wants to get closer to his sister again, he loves her and therefore refuses to refute anything she says.
"Can we begin" Kara asks impatiently, "This bickering is tedious".
"I agree" says Honda, "Yaru are you ready?".
"Ready?" replies Yaru, not quite understanding what Honda means.
"Are your injuries healed, if they are we can start travelling tonight, we can begin the voyage towards Italy and get there tomorrow". The answer caught Yaru off guard, he had almost forgotten that it was their intention to invade Italy, to fight the mafia one final time.
"Mostly" he answers after a few seconds. Yaru then pulls his shirt over his shoulders and shows his back to the group, "I'm afraid this could take a while to fully recover though".
Kara turns to Lucy, "Compared to that your injuries were superficial" she informs her raven haired comrade, "Don't you think you went a bit overboard Lucy".
"I don't need you telling me how to act" complains the elder Kosuke sibling, "You're not my mother".
"Do as you like then" says Kara emotionlessly, not interested in getting into an argument with Lucy.
"Sakura can play some much and make the pain go away" the young girl chirps in.
"Sakura" begins Yaru, "The master said not in…".
"It's fine" interrupts Gon, "Do it Sakura".
Upon Gon's prompt Sakura swaps her trumpet for an instrument Yaru has not seen her use before. Sakura swaps the tubes of the trumpet for a string instrument, the violin.
As Sakura plays the violin the tone is less cheery than her usual pieces. Instead this music is very soothing. As Yaru's body bathes in the soothing music all of his wounds disappear as if they were never present to begin with.
"Amazing…" exclaims Yaru. 'This ability must be why the master keeps Sakura around'.
Honda smiles, "Well now that has been taken care of we can begin our preparations, let's go to Italy and crush the Mafia once and for all".