A New Member

After that case, the Get Backers picked up Sariel from Tsunade's house but he was fast asleep on her couch.

'Ohya? Uppity-boy's fast asleep on your couch.' Ban commented as he came in with the others through hi-speed travel by Upper Reality.

'Well, he wanted to eat actual home-cooking and not restaurant stuff.' Tsunade crossed her arms in amusement. 'He ate a lot and fell asleep.'

'Naaa Tsunade-chan's cooking is the best too...' Ginji went tare on them.

'Well, I figure eating heavy stuff eaten by rich folk isn't for growing bodies after all.' said the flame-user. 'If he liked it he could have asked me to take him to a restaurant instead. Well, I got some things ready too, for Toshiya-san and Reiji-san too. Kakeru-san told me about your time under Lucifer...I can't even call that happy living, honestly.' she went to the kitchen...and took out two plates of works of art that are clearly dessert.

Two fluffy souffles with a dollop of butter and maple syrup on it decorated with a whipped cream that secured black tuiles in place, and small flowers.

Everyone GAPED at it.

'Its beautiful!' Kazuki, Hevn and Himiko gushed out.

'Here, you boys eat it. Its a taste of home.' she said as beside the dish is a small fork. 'No restaurant or not even a first-rate chef can ever replace home-cooking.'

'Is this even home-cooking?!' Toshiya and Reiji exclaimed in disbelief.

'This is something you'd find in high-class pattiseries!'

'Ask him, he ate that too and saw me make it.' said Tsunade. 'I became a good cook out of necessity you know.' she said. 'Besides, take-outs are more expensive, budget unfriendly and the irony to a buyer sometimes, your cooking tastes better. Come on eat up, they're still warm.' the boys exchanged looks and dug in.

Their expressions on eating the dessert were priceless.

'T-this is...'

'Fufu, I get that a lot. Eat up boys because after this, you're going home to your parents...though Rena-san refused to go home.'

'Eh?'

'Unlike you boys who have it good...she doesn't.' Tsunade shook her head in dismay and utter disgust. 'She told me her tale since she wasn't sure she could tell Paul-san, being an adult male.'

'What happened to Remiel?' Toshiya asked her worriedly.

'Her mother's boyfriend who her mother remarried was molesting her when her mother's not around. Apparently he only married her because he was more interested in her daughter than the woman herself.' the Retrievers and the boys choked and balked from disbelief. 'As for her tutor? Worse. She trapped them in her dolls in a bid to get rid of them and be free because her mother never believed her and refused to divorce for her sake. She latched to Lucifer for freedom.' she stated grimly. 'She hated her mother for failing her and doesn't want to go back home. Even if it meant giving up school and a possible bright future because she has excellent grades. I took back her cards and begged me to never let them go if she gave me her cards, and the porcelain dolls she trapped them in. All she took with her when she ran away, was her biological father's photos that she held precious.'

'My god...' Hevn choked out at the terrible tale of the girl.

'Remiel, she...' Reiji choked out in horror. 'What can we do?' he asked anxiously.

'Right now, there's no evidence of rape to pin on those men which was why nobody believed her.' Tsunade shook her head, upset. 'At any rate, what can we do about a case like this? Those two are still comatose in hospital.'

'Her mother was the one who hired the three of us.' said Kazuki. 'I think we need to handle this case more...delicately.' he said with a cringe. 'And how do we explain those men in coma? There's no proof of drugging or injury to excuse it away. They just fell down one day a day after Rena ran away from home. Even doctors can't explain how and why two perfectly-healthy men fell down comatose and no forms of scanning came up with anything. Family visited them and tried other treatments, nothing obviously worked.'

'We'll find a way around this somehow. This case ain't over yet.' said Ban. 'We'll talk to the little lady herself in Honky-Tonk.' he said darkly. 'She's the last one to be retrieved back but we won't let this go. She needs a closure she'd be happy about. These twerps must all have good endings so they'd go home for good. What of the Ten-Yen kid?'

'Ah, Mamoru-kun neh...he also has mother issues.' Tsunade quipped. 'He has perfect grades, his mother showed him off like a trophy and began heaping pressure on him to look good to the neighbors according to him, and at school, he gets brutally-bullied by kids jealous of teachers praising him. After school was brutal. His mother refused to believe him and simply told him to deal with it for the sake of his grades. No wonder he's pissed and even called her a bitch to my face he wished he was never her child and lamented why couldn't he have nicer parents who cares more for his feelings and well-being than numbers on a test paper. That's two kids, guys.'

'Riiiight...' Ginji winced. 'We need to talk to our clients first because they need to reconcile or they'll just run away again.'

'Sooo Tsunade, look after the boys alright? We'll leave the older boys here.' said Ban.

'Oh yes, Dino-san, the person you said you called over arrived as well.' said Tsunade. 'You may want to talk to him in the kitchen.'

'Ah, he's here? Goody!' Dino beamed. 'Have you gotten along?'

'Its a little awkward...' said Tsunade awkwardly. 'He treats me like I'm some godsend after I gave him dinner and calls me 'hime-sama' and its impossible to dissuade him.' she said, twiddling with her fingers and blushing as she got teasing looks from the adults and Himiko. 'But he wishes to become a Freelancer as well when I told him stories...its apparently more fun in Japan for him and decided to stay.' Dino laughed and merrily went to the kitchen. 'So Dino's not coming with you guys.'

'That's settled, we're leaving!' and they left.

'Don't forget to ask Paul about the two Casette Tapes I left him!' Tsunade called out. 'You're gonna need it!'

'Ou!'

'...I'm not sure I wanna go home.' Toshiya sighed. 'It'd be back to that life again.'

'No shit. I really don't want to go back.' Reiji groaned.

'So why do you guys not want to go back?' Tsunade prepared a recorder hidden with Divine Design to record their tale on why they left home.

xxx

'So, what do you think of Tsunade, Gokudera?' Dino asked Gokudera Hayato, age 14 having become 14 very recently.

Gokudera Hayato, the Smoking Bomb has heard of Tsunade from Dino.

At first Gokudera thought he was just shitting him until he saw her in person. He arrived by around dinner time wherein she's alone in her house with some guy.

Boyfriend, he thought...but she has a lot of food ready that's too much for two people to eat and last he checked, her brother is in hospital to watch over his girlfriend who underwent Eye Surgery so he won't be home until she's out of hospital.

Then she called him out so he had no choice but to join her and the guy.

She was very attractive but has a dangerous air about her, considering what Dino just told him about her. The Japanese Freelancers are more powerful than any Don and Guardian in Italy and she was the weakest due to her immature body that was frailer than that of her companions' and inexperience, but can still kill them and made up for her physical setbacks with her instincts and intuition that never led her wrong that he was asking her for tips.

He felt the need to assign Gokudera whom he hired to stay by her and become her Guardian since he sorta 'adopted her' as a sister figure and the stuff she gets into gives him nightmares he felt he'd feel better if there was someone to watch her for him. He'd get paid 7400(990.580) Euros a month for his job and he gets to keep any money he gets for his Freelancing Work. Besides, he'd get to learn a lot from her and get stronger here!

Not a bad deal.

But when he ate her cooking...it was as if heaven opened its gates to him because its THAT good.

She cooked a lot, knowing their appetites and it has NOTHING to do with the fact that there's a lot of people over.

'I only met her today but...she has this very unusual air I can't understand even though she's nice.' said Gokudera. 'Although there's no denying she's dangerous...she smells strongly of burnt smell and blood, things only our sort can detect.'

'Well, once the boys are gone, the Vindice will show up with her Blood Test Results.' said Dino. 'Our joint-job this time around is out of this world.' he shuddered but grinned. 'But it was fun! Their world and how they work is fun however crazy it was.' he said before going serious. 'You'll find this place more your alley. You're wasted in Italy when you have potential.' he said as Gokudera tried to protest but Dino raised his hand to silence him. 'Gokudera Hayato or should I say Hayato Gokudera della Torre?'

'I'm not a friggin' della Torre.' Hayato bit out bitterly, but Dino continued on as if he didn't say anything.

'You are a genius who scored perfect in Languages, Mathematics, History, Art, Music, Physics, Chemistry, Earth Science, certain subjects of Social, Applied and Interdisciplinary Science as well as Mastery of Understanding in how the Mafia works and a rather unusual level of occult interest. You would have mastered more if only you didn't run away from home.' Gokudera stiffened before scowling. 'If not for that, clients being racists and a certain thing about you, you'd be an ideal heir more than Bianchi is. And you are held back by lack of resources otherwise you have the ability to fully-exploit your studies and become more than just the Neophyte you are now. You can grow in this country and get stronger.'

If most Dons dissed him because, how come Dino knew and expected a lot out of him that he hired him to watch someone and grow better in the process?

'So has Tsunade gotten to know you?'

'Not much chance. She gave me a knowing look but talked more to that kid on the couch we can't talk about why I'm here. Judging by what they say, kid has a troubled home life.'

'Ah, our job this time was to find and bring back runaway kids who got involved with the occult in hopes to get away from extremely pressuring parents...and two of whom have it real bad. But we convinced them to go home...well, three of them. The other two is a bit more problematic.' he sighed.

He told Gokudera what he just got wind of with the team and Gokudera blanched.

That pretty much sums up that the conclusion to the job will be difficult.

About three hours later considering the distance between her house and Honky-Tonk plus Traffic...the team and mothers saw the boys playing Playstation in the living room, and one boy asleep.

'Toshiya!'

'Reiji!'

The looks on the boys' faces were that of a grimace and swallowing a bug as their mothers went to fuss on them and apologizing.

'Kakeru!' three mothers cried that got them cringing while one woman went to the couch to gently shake her son awake.

'So, fixed the parents?' Dino asked them.

'Yup.' Ban stated grimly. 'I haven't seen Hevn, Fuuga and Himiko since they left with Sendou Rena's tape...but the youngest went home with his mom. Only these three are left.'

'Ah, sou ka. Here, casette tapes.' Tsunade took out two casette tapes with names taped on using masking tape and names in katakana. One said 'kakeru' and the other was 'toshiya and reiji'.

'Casette tapes?!' Reiji nearly shrieked in horror as he and Toshiya knew what it meant since it got their names on it. They've been recorded!

'Your honest feelings are on this tape for your moms to hear.' Tsunade glowered at them. 'Your moms must listen, understand and accept how and what you truly felt so there'll be positive changes in the house that will have both parties happy! Got it?' she said as she flared her Sky Dominance on the boys and their mothers, something Dino, a Flame-Active noted but nothing harmful, just enough to cow them into doing what she wants them to do. 'Your moms WILL listen at a neutral place with a third party. Mido, back to Honky-Tonk with everybody since I have guests coming.'

'Alright. Come on folks, back to Honky-Tonk for our happy endings!'

xxx

When they were gone...

'Finally, we can get somewhere.' Tsunade sighed.

'Well, to be honest I prefer dealing with drug lords again than this.' Dino sighed wearily. 'This really isn't my forte. I'm not good with troubled home life stuff.'

'You're telling me...' there was this look in the younger Sky's eyes that worried Dino. 'Ah, they're here and we made them wait long enough.'

On that word, Gokudera freaked out as the Vindice are here.

'Its about time.'

'Yeah, we couldn't believe what we saw though.'

'Well in Freelancing, anything goes, fellas. Anything goes.' Tsunade grinned, plopping down on the armchair, nevermind the fact that her TV and Playstation are still on. 'This world has a helluva LOT to offer beyond what everyone and their grandma knows. And that's what makes it interesting.'

'Heh, well, we can now announce the DNA Test Results.' Tsunade, Dino and Gokudera braced themselves. 'You're of Vongola Blood and of Direct Descent through a Branch Family...the Sawada Family.' came the declaration...

That pissed off the young, powerful Sky.

Her flames erupted, blazed and raged, her fury clear but her fire didn't burn anything, she was merely on fire to express how angry she was that her full force cowed the whole house.

'Holy smokes...this li'l Vongola's strong boss.'

'They're lucky with this one considering the Main Branch is getting dried up lately.'

That, did it.

'Oh, I see it now...living the high life in Italy after abandoning me at seven fucking years old until the day Vongola finally fucking dries up and makes a puppet out of me, is that how it's gonna be?!' came the roar of rage.

'Hime-sama, calm down!' Gokudera cried.

'How about an explanation because what you said doesn't make any sense?!' Dino sputtered. 'Then what of the story about yourself you told me?'

The raging inferno slowly died down, leaving a broken girl in its wake.

'That came AFTER I was abandoned for weeks and nobody came for me obviously.'

After telling them of her childhood and what she believed in before Mugenjou happened...that was a shock to Dino AND Gokudera...and the fact that few people knew her past. Shido, Ban, Ginji and now, Kakeru, Dino, Gokudera and a pair of Vindice Messengers.

She vehemently told them Vongola can dry up and DIE for all she cared, she'd sooner die than be forced into inheritance or marry someone who'd become the next Don of Vongola or her kids and their kids and so on be forced to take the mantle. They abandoned her over things beyond her control so why should she let them come to her out of convenience to save their ass before Vongola collapses?

She'd sooner kill them herself out of spite.

'...where's your former address?'

'That house should still be standing since the bills are still being paid automatically as far as I knew.' said Tsunade as she gave them the address and they left.

'...wow, Tsunade...no wonder you connected to the kids so fast.' Dino choked out. 'Ban hired you on this case because he knew.' he shook in utter shock, his expression akin to a shaky-jawed goldfish if that was possible.

And her words during magic training...made full sense.

Gokudera was just as shocked.

The girl he called hime-sama for her cooking is a Vongola Heiress...who was willing to throw it all away out of vengeful spite for her abandonment.

Fully-aware that Vongola's got no heirs left, she was willing to damn it out of revenge.

It was a 'they abandoned me, they won't have me when it counts' sort of thing.

Then again...riiiight...abandoned for things beyond her control indeed. Who wouldn't be pissed?

He never imagined that the CEDEF Boss and his wife were that shallow.

But still, together with her foster brother, she considered herself a Mariudo Tribeswoman, adopted their ways, and became a well-respected person since age nine.

Then again, upbringing in Mugenjou and Martial Arts Clans are different from society standards. VEEEERY DIFFERENT.

That, and Dino was kinda close to the princess, consoling her of her feelings and telling her that she's not alone.

'You may have lost your family but you got a lot of cool older brothers and sisters who'd never leave.' he said. 'They're way better isn't it?'

xxx

Namimori, Sawada Residence...

The Vindice explored the house.

It was dusty with a thick layer of dust and indeed, there's so much evidence in the living room alone, and the master bedroom.

'Yup...her story matched about her home life at least, the living room alone has it.'

They saw the torn photos, and the letter she left behind.

'Vongola's screwed the pooch now if you ask me. We Vindice don't interfere in Internal Family Matters after all so she can actually do what she wants to any Vongola Member being strongly linked to it...'

'We gotta get popcorn ready, I want to see the show when the old man decides they need Sawada Tsunade.'

'You sound way too happy about this.'

'I liked TV Dramas before I became a Vindice and no TV allowed in our prison.' came the grumble. 'Can't I see live action? How many times did I try to petition for cable TV?'

'We CAN'T have TV all the way up there! Its why we have books and videogames, moron.'

xxx

Next Day...

'Here.' Tsunade gave a notebook to Dino. 'Do all this and you'll be fine.' she said before they went into the kitchen so she could cook.

'Thanks.' said Dino, taking the notebook. It was a training manual she wrote down for him.

'Well, Romario will be here soon to pick you up so have lunch before you fly back home.' said Tsunade. 'I'll return our cards to Maria-san later.'

'Well, it was fun having magic but we can't be witches or we'll be way worse off.' said Dino. 'Sleipnir warned me about the ancient war of Witches and Voodooists and there's been a fight behind society's back for it. We can't get into that crap as not even witch trainees and babies are spared in the hunt and murder. Its best to stay what we are.'

'Right...'

'I'm worried about Maria-san, Ban and Himiko.' Dino fretted. 'They're the only witches we know.'

'They'll be alright.' said Tsunade reassuringly. 'Maria-san and Ban are strong. Himiko has them to count on so she'd be OK. We should worry about ourselves more. Besides, I have a new disciple here since you asked me to take him on.'

'Yup.' Dino chirped. 'He's wasted back home. He should bloom here.'

'Alright, I'll teach him the ways of Japanese Freelancing!' Tsunade grinned. 'Oh, did you do your homework?'

"What is this, a teacher asking a kid if he did his homework..." Gokudera gawked as Dino cheerfully gave Tsunade a paper envelope.

After cooking a very large meal and prepared two large bentos...Romario came around 12:30 to pick up Dino and they went back to Italy.

Now its just her and Gokudera left in the house.

'Now then...its us now since Shido-nii won't be back until the bandages are taken off.'

'You mean he won't be home for weeks?'

'Yup. Madoka-nee's vulnerable right now and leaving my sweet in-law in out of the question.' she said, playfully flicking his forehead. 'She's a really sweet girl you'd like her if you meet her but we got enemies...my job is to burn them to death while he stays by her side.'

'So you've been hunting when off the clock?'

'Yup...I can only kill low-ranking members though...I can't kill those stronger than me. That's the rule Shido laid down since if anything happens, I'm the last Fuyuki left since if the worst comes, he'll be the one at the front lines.' said Tsunade. 'The Mariudo as a whole, has four branch clans with each a specific ability relating to life itself. Our ability is Awakening. Dang it was hard mastering it but damn worth it.' she chuckled.

'Before I begin training...I'll unleash your full potential first with our clan ability. That way you'll fully-absorb the grueling training I'm going to put you through.'