Little Cow Boy

'Hey Hayato, any luck with your sister?' Amon grinned with a teasing smile, causing Gokudera to sputter.

'Shuddup! She's in Kyushu right now but I'm not taking any chances!' came the freaked-out shriek from the living room.

'...how bad is Poison Cooking again?' Tsunade called out, sweatdropping while making dinner in the kitchen.

'You don't wanna know, you really don't...' Gokudera cried waterfall tears in chibi while hacking.

Tsunade giggled while making dinner. Tonight, its a dish she wanted to try out. Bulalo.

Granted, it takes three dang hours to make to reach ideal softness and she had to keep an eye on it...that she started boiling the meat for two hours now in her Pressure Cooker before removing scum and burning away the thick oil(but leaving its flavor behind) before adding condiments, diced onion leaves, onions, pepper, potatoes and nappa cabbages.

The long time helped her focus on making Dinner Bentos of the workers.

Then after putting the cabbages for last, she turned off the heat and let the hot soup cook it for at least, three minutes before declaring its done as she put rice on bowls, and bigger soup bowls to put some soup in, as well as the right amount of veggies and meat. On a separate plate, are pickled cucumbers with sesame seeds.

She then rung the dinner bell and the men in her life came marching in.

'Hoo? Trying out for new variety, Tsunade?' Reborn piqued interest.

'Yup. We've been doing muscle and bone friendly diets so this time we'll do skin-friendlies starting today!'

'Er hime-sama, beef shanks are kinda tough right?' Gokudera blinked, looking at the meat on the bowls.

'Normally yes, but if boiled long enough, they're a delectable melt-in-the-mouth goodness.' Tsunade beamed. 'Let's try this out!' she said as they sat down to eat.

'Let's eat!'

After that, they had to deliver the packed bentos to the workers.

xxx

Summer...

Was Yamamoto's release from Hospital but still has to wear his neck brace until it fully heals. Amon was subtly cheating with Reborn's guidance using Yamamoto's X-Ray results. Normally he'd be stuck with it for a year despite hospital release, but they cut the time by half which means he has to put up with it for two more months.

Papa Yamamoto asked Tsunade to accommodate his son while he finds a Dorm School for his son to enroll in. That, and staying with a friend might help his heart.

So now there's five in the house...and Yamamoto joins their Mugenjou sessions if only to watch them train, and for him to benefit off the slum's atmosphere.

However, Tsunade went out on a Private Walk one day for some reason...and she wouldn't say why, just smiling mysteriously instead.

One day, last week of summer...she took the team to Atami to a white-sanded beach for a treat.

Not that the boys would admit it, but they have an ulterior motive.

Seeing Tsunade in a swimsuit.

The girl they were indebted to for genuinely caring for them was also very cute and her nurturing, understanding and very accepting personality...was attractive.

To them, she was the only one they might just fall for unless they meet others in the future.

'OK! I'm ready!'

Tsunade came out in a white, one-piece swimsuit that has a push dagger cut design on it to show some skin and slight cleavage in the middle.

Seems innocent enough...until they saw the back that can make anyone think she was just wearing bottoms.

'Hime-sama, your swimsuit...'

'Its a halter top!' Tsunade chirped.

'They sell THAT to teenagers?!' Yamamoto yelped, eyebrows raised.

'I got it from Chinatown!'

The boys exchanged helpless looks while Reborn twitched.

Ura-Shinjuku Chinatown is the hot pot of Debauchery, Snuff Films and Twisted Fantasies. Yamamoto lost his innocence when Tsunade told him what she put up with for years.

'That thing isn't laced with drugs, right?' Reborn asked warily.

'Nope. I set a good example before I had it custom-made for me so they didn't rig my swimsuit.'

That's telling, Reborn thought. She probably killed the idiot who even thought of it before they could even try it.

Suddenly, his pacifier glowed. "?!" 'Brats,' he said, 'I have to meet someone in a few minutes. Go do teenage things and I'll look for you later alright?'

'Alright!' and the small family ran off to find a spot before they can start playing as they have the beach ALL to themselves, having come late off-season on purpose.

Reborn went back to the Hotel to meet a young woman with blue-green hair, blue eyes, a gold clover mark under her left eye and wearing a maroon dress shirt, a tie, and a pencil skirt. On her legs were stockings, and office lady shoes on her feet.

'Aria.' he greeted. 'What brings you to Atami?'

'Uncle...the future has changed so much.' said Aria uncomfortably. 'Our lives depend on the tenth generation of Vongola and yet due to what her mother has done, three people are essentially left defenseless and one boy has lost his rightful spot.' she said in dismay. 'That boy is her true Sun Guardian...it must not happen!' she cried pleadingly. 'All seven are the true inheritors of the Vongola Rings's true form yet the true Sun is being left behind.'

'Who is this boy?' Reborn frowned.

'Sasagawa Ryohei. He lives in Namimori.' said Aria. 'Next year, all of you will be taken to the future including two girls...that's all I saw...without training, that boy will die and he's the true Sun to her Sky.'

'That makes two Suns huh? Natsuki Amon was also compatible with Tsunade's Sky.' Reborn mused. 'Having two Guardians of the same element for one Sky is unheard of. Then again, Tsunade's ridiculously strong I fear for her future.'

'I see what you mean...' said Aria, her eyes rolling downwards and Reborn's beady eyes focused at her orange pacifier tied to her with a cute pink ribbon. 'Hope he doesn't find out...'

'...I hope so too. Or it'll be chaos. You don't know how many dangerous guys are protective of Tsunade and I don't mean Vongola. We'll make plans according to what you saw. I need to know when and how. Amon and Tsunade will be pissed, but we can't let innocents die. Amon will feel threatened his position will be taken but...'

xxx

At the beach...

'Jeez, before we could swim we had to deal with effing Jellyfish Swarms!' Gokudera was utterly annoyed as Tsunade had to persuade him to ride on her back, something that got him near-paralyzed with embarrassment and the mere idea of stepping on his boss was akin to absolute blasphemy to him.

In other words, Yamamoto saw everything.

'They're pests and became pests because Turtles and other natural predators are getting choked out by garbage that drifted to the sea and then there's turtle egg hunters.' Tsunade sighed. 'Storm Flames are a real doozy on this one!'

'Jellyfish? Here?' Yamamoto blurted.

'Yeah. The ocean's warming up causing Jelly Bloom.' said Tsunade. 'And that's bad for the Fishing and Shellfish Business. The fish and shellfish that feed on plankton and small creatures will starve to death. We had to finish off a particularly large swarm...and some Crown of Thorns I spotted. I think we should do jobs like these once in a while.'

'But still, you guys can make fire with weird stuff...will you let me do it too?' Yamamoto asked hopefully.

'Well, you can't train for now though, you're still under a neck brace. But Yamamoto...once you're in, there's no turning back.' Gokudera told him. 'You'll enter a life of violence. We came from violent backgrounds we survived from so its normal to us but you came from a normal life. Are you gonna throw that away?' he asked with narrowed eyes as if daring Yamamoto to say yes.

He did.

'I already saw too much, know too much and Tsunade-chan's my only friend before you guys became my friends too...what's a normal life all alone?'

'He's made up his mind.' said Tsunade. 'I just hope you won't regret this. Your dad will be the kind to chase us down with a sword y'know?'

Yamamoto laughed in a carefree manner.

'So, is it OK for us to play in the water now?'

'I'll pass, I'm sooo pooped! Jellyfish ruined my day.' Gokudera sighed as he plopped down on his back on their beach blanket. 'If we didn't, we'd be in hospital by now from stings...'

'Go take a break Hayato.' Amon grinned. 'We'll be here for a week anyway, what's one missed day?'

'We have missions to curb down Jelly Blooms after this week we'll be busy...'

xxx

While the teens worried about Jelly Swarms, the Arcobaleno present in Atami worried about their future.

Reborn, after conspiring with Aria sighed. '...we have to enact and plan all this without Tsunade blowing a fuse on me. She hates that town...I have a perfect excuse to go there thanks to Hibari Kyoya. I'm not channeling Viper but I better be compensated for this since its me who'll put up with her anger and her prowess in Sky Oppression when she's mad is scary.'

'Sorry but it had to be done...' said Aria sheepishly, hands in a prayer position out of apology. 'Or we're all dead.'

xxx

Nightfall...

'Man I'm pooped...we did a lot today!' said Yamamoto cheerily.

'Yeah but Yamamoto, you burned yourself real good I'll have to fix you before you can peel off damaged skin afterward!' Amon told the tall teenager.

'Hai hai!'

'But Reborn-san's gone the whole day...so much for being gone a short while.' said Gokudera in concern.

'Probably business.' Amon mused.

'Probably...'

'Let's order dinner by Room Service after a bath, sea water will ruin our hair!' Tsunade told the boys. "Reborn's got a looot to answer to..."

Her eyes glinted darkly.

She sensed something rather foreboding but can't put a finger on it...

xxx

On their final day...

Tsunade went out to take out her phone and held it to her ear before it can even ring.

/Hello?/

'Hi, have you gotten my request?'

/Yes but this is pretty unusual but a job's a job, right?/

'Yes. Please do it worth what I spent alright? Its insurance. I feel its necessity. But dang, you're good at being elusive if Hevn had trouble finding you.'

/Ahaha it can't be helped, the last job required battle sensitivity. We're here in Tokyo now for your request./

'Alright, that should be ready by summer next year I hope.'

/That depends on the situation. We'll begin immediately./ and call cut.

'Fufu...everything's in place now...my gut will soon shut up.' then she frowned. 'But since Reborn left...my instincts are going bonkers...he better not surprise me with anything related to the Underworld or I'll geld him myself.'

And she went back to the outdoor pool where her friends are.

But still, the feeling of foreboding did not go away...

But on her way back, she met a little foreign boy in a one-piece cow-print boxers. With horns out of his thick afro hair.

He's a kid with vibrant green eyes with # on his cheeks.

'Oh! Are you lost?' she asked him kindly.

'Have you seen a baby in a black suit with a hat oneesan?' he asked her politely in a deliberate cutesy way.

'He should be in the hotel somewhere...he hasn't been back since this morning.' Tsunade pouted. 'He came with my gang on an outing but...'

'Can I stay with you until he's here?' the boy lit up.

'Sure thing kiddo! Kids shouldn't be alone in Tokyo, bad guys are all over the place.' said Tsunade, picking him up and letting the kid ride on her shoulders.

'Waaah, so high~!' the boy squealed. He was lucky to find a nice oneesan who knows Reborn!

His stomach growled.

'Uhhh...'

'Oh dear, looks like I'll have to call Room Service again~!'

xxx

'Hime-sama/Tsunade-chan? This kid?' the Guardians stared at the little boy Tsunade has with her.

'He seems to be a lost boy who wants to see Reborn so I thought we should wait for him here!' said Tsunade cheerfully. 'He's not back yet?'

'No.'

'Muuu! Where is he?! Not even a text message!' Tsunade grumbled unhappily.

'Oh, sorry but I'm back.' Reborn piped up as he came out of the bushes. 'I had to meet someone. And...who's that?'

'This child's been looking for you.' said Tsunade, putting down the boy. 'Don't know why.'

'Gyahaha! I finally found you Reborn!' the child chirped cheerfully, taking a gun out but it was immediately 'confiscated' by Gokudera by distantly disintegrating it.

'No firearms in public places!' Gokudera scolded.

'Gupyaa! My gun turned to dust!' the boy wailed.

'Ne nee, why do you have a gun and pointing it at the kid?' Yamamoto asked kindly but he was twitching.

'Lambo-san is a hitman from the Bovino Famiglia!' Lambo cried out his declaration. 'Boss told Lambo-san to assassinate Reborn!'

"IS HE AN IDIOOOOT?!" the hairs of the tenth generation raised comically from horror. While he declared his stupid intent, at least he didn't break Omerta!

'Er, Lambo-chan, why? Reborn is a high-ranking guy you know and he didn't get that rank for a joke, he's done a lot of noteworthy accomplishments...' Tsunade asked weakly as Reborn just looked amused and watched how the younger guys do it. 'Why did your boss think you can uhm, beat him?'

'Because he's younger than me! He said so!'

Reborn wanted to laugh at their comically-floored expressions. Those faces are PURE GOLD he immortalized it with his Leon-Camera.

He knew the Bovinos are more suited to lab work and as inventors because as Mafioso even if they're a famiglia, THEY'RE ALL IDIOTS!

'So yeah! Reborn! DIE!' Lambo took out a Bazooka and shot it at Reborn but Tsunade zoomed past to grab Reborn and tossed him at Yamamoto and got shot for her trouble, and was replaced by an adult male version of her with fluffy hair and in a black suit.

'What the...hey, I don't remember us going out to a resort...'

'...who are you?' the man looked taken-aback that they didn't recognize him.

'Mou! Its me! Tsuna!' the man called Tsuna pouted. 'I guess I got hit by the 10-year Bazooka so your Tsuna and I switched places ten years from now!'

Reborn noted a certain ring on his right middle finger...he inwardly smirked.

On the other hand, Yamamoto, Gokudera and Amon looked totally pole-axed.

'But Juudaime...you're not our Juudaime...' Gokudera croaked out.

'Eh? What're you talking about? I reluctantly became boss you know!'

'In this time, you're a girl called Tsunade.' said Gokudera, showing him his cellphone's gallery and showing him a picture of him, a long-haired girl and Yamamoto with Amon together. The girl resembled him!

'E-EHHHHH?!'

xxx

Future, 10 years from now, Tsunade found herself in a Meeting Room with men she doesn't recognize, other than her father, Dino, Hibari, Yamamoto and Gokudera.

'A girl?!'

That, and a girl in a swimsuit with a purse and sandals.

'...who are these people, Hibari-san, Hayato, Yamamoto?' she asked them. 'I don't know them other than dad and Dino-san.' she said, looking at the other men and lone two women in the room. She saw them in the future but again, names unknown.

'You'll meet them someday.' said adult Gokudera as Tsunade took out her phone and took photos. 'A lot will happen before we end up here.'

'Fufufu! Dino-san, Hibari-san Hayato and Yamamoto will flip if they see what they look like one day~! You're a good-looking bunch!' Tsunade chirped giggling, happily patting her cellphone. 'I like your hairdo this year Dino-san! You look more like a model and a total stud!' she beamed at Dino.

'Ahahaha, thanks!' Adult Dino blushed sheepishly.

'Oi, that aside, why is HE replaced by a young girl?' the scarred man frowned. 'This is not supposed to happen when shot by a 10-year Bazooka!'

'...he?'

'Er, what's your name kiddo?' Yamamoto asked her. 'You replaced our manly boss just now.'

'Huh? I replaced a guy?' Tsunade blinked. 'I'm Sawada Tsunade.' several jaws dropped. 'I'm a guy here?!' she yelped in shock. 'Show me a picture before my time runs out!' she cried, 'I wanna see!'

'Er, here.' an eye-patched woman turned into Adult Male version of her. 'His name is Tsunayoshi.'

'HAAAAAA?!' Tsunade freaked out. 'Shouldn't I replace adult me? That's now how time-travel switching is supposed to work!'

'You and us both.' Iemitsu scratched his head. 'So Tsunade, still two more minutes, tell us about yourself. Nobody will interrupt. I want to know how different the timeline is.'

'Humm...two minutes isn't enough, so who can do Illusions? The only illusionist I know is Bouche-san.'

'Its me.' the eyepatch woman smiled. 'I am Chrome Dokuro, bossu.'

'Nice to meet'cha!' Tsunade lit up brightly, smiling at her kindly. 'Copy-paste my memories, Chrome-chan! Its faster this way.'

'OK...' Chrome touched Tsunade and pored into memories...and copied all she saw...and showed the end of VOLTS, how she met Dino, Gokudera, reconciliation, Yamamoto and Hibari. Tsunade was soon gone, switching back with Tsuna.

'I'm finally back.' Tsuna gasped, 'I just got the shock of my life.'

'...you and me both, bossu.' Chrome looked shaken and pale-faced. 'Tsunade-sama is totally different from bossu.'

'How different?' the flamboyant man in a mohawk asked curiously.

Chrome showed them Tsunade's past where time passed differently...and good lord Tsunade is totally different from their boss indeed, that Tsuna was horrified at what-could-have-been of his childhood as he had no idea his mother has that side to her. Iemitsu was horrified that his wife abandoned Tsunade, leading to a life of bloodshed, vigilantism and a rather bleak view of the world, knowing every crime and every thing illegal mankind has committed! It was due to this, that she's fine and dandy with killing.

'M-my god...' Tsuna looked horrified.

'Nana wouldn't...she wouldn't...' Iemitsu stammered out in denial, denying what he saw of Tsunade's memories.

His daughter, bullied in school due to having learning cognition troubles after he left home with Nono for 'that', abandoned to starve to death by herself and the letter she left behind, and her flames reviving her, her intuition leading her to Tokyo, to Mugenjou...where her hard life began and the crazy that followed.

Nobody could say a word, utterly speechless.

'...that's a what-could-be. You clearly don't know your mother well enough, Tsunayoshi.' said Hibari, stone-faced from silent rage at the injustice a child put up with. That, and one of his herbivores were damaged and forced to leave. 'Any more, Dokuro?'

'Hai, how she met Dino-san, Gokudera-kun, Yamamoto-kun and Hibari-san.' said Chrome. 'Because she's in Tokyo, she never met the Sasagawa siblings, Lambo-chan and Haru-san so she didn't recognize him.'

'Oh no...I wonder how she'll meet me there?' Ryohei croaked out.

'I'll begin with Dino-san and how she learned she's a Vongola.' said Chrome as she played out Tsunade's memories of Dino, starting with her team's mission for the Police...meeting Dino eventually and getting away with a statue made out of a lethal drug...and how she fought off a person who can LITERALLY switch personalities and gender at will, and doing teamwork despite being a single body.

'That's not the Graduation Exam Reborn gave me...' Dino gulped. 'My graduation exam was surviving the Varia's Obstacle Course!' he was also horrified that by the end of it, they barely escaped alive, all bloodied and hacked up, escaping on a frigging whale! He honestly did NOT blame his younger self at all...then him having his first adventure as a Freelancer wherein she met Gokudera whom she charmed with her personality and her food.

What followed after that was meeting the ninth generation, Reborn and a literal one-sided fight. If not for her Hyper-Intuition, Vongola would be without two bosses by now...and Iemitsu divorcing his wife for his daughter.

It was hard for Iemitsu to swallow what happened in Tsunade's life.

What followed was her time with Yamamoto. Yamamoto, Tsuna and Ryohei were horrified that without Tsuna/Tsunade to stop him from suicide, he ended up in a hospital in Tokyo...but he did something good that enabled Tsunade to forgive him as she hated all children in Namimori. Finally, how she met Hibari.

Where Gokudera failed in, he succeeded at...in making her wear a bra and made her buy some. Hibari knew that while it took him years later to respect Tsuna, he honestly can't blame his younger alternate self for 'falling hard' for his more powerful younger girl self.

They had a lot to think about...their meeting purpose forgotten.