"We've arrived, young master."
Hikaru went out of the car and saw the large familiar mansion in front of him. It took a few tries before they gained access to visit, but Hikaru managed to make them agree to meet with him by tempting them with a useful information.
The Vongola mansion, well, headquarters didn't look like a mafia famiglia owned it. It was more like a mansion of a rich victorian era noble but with a bit of modern design.
Vongola, accompanied with a few more famiglia, has been trying their best to seek out the Estraneo family headquarters. Each famiglia had their own information network, making it possible for them to find out that the Estraneo family has been doing illegal research. It wouldn't have been a problem if the experiments only involved rats, but from what they had found out, the Etraneo family had been delving into human experiments.
It has been a taboo to do such experiments, that was why they are trying their best to eradicate traces of the Etraneo's. Their existence had become a stain for the Italian mafia. If they continued to let them be, then the Italian mafia would be a laughingstock to the mafia organizations at other countries.
That was the knowledge, the history, and the truth that Hikaru had found out at the many lives he had lived.
At some lives, the eradication of the Estraneo family went on like the original plot. They were eradicated by Mukuro and a few other children.
Others that had happened was that the other famiglia's raided the Estraneo research facility. At those times, it had lead Mukuro to be quite different from the original. He had become a loyal killing machine, a hired assassin for the Italian mafia.
It was also this reason that had made Hikaru's other lives suffer. Because when he had lived as another personー when he lived as someone who had a different name and background, Mukuro had been the one to go after him.
At some of his lives, he remembers the pain he had suffered through the hands of Vongolaー his former acquaintances... friends...
They had been the one to end Hikaru's other lives because they had been enemies.
Because the soul was born in the body of an enemy.
Hikaru took a deep breath as he took in his surroundings. He needed to stop thinking about the past and focus on what he could do in the present. And at present, he needed to have a private conversation with the current head of the Vongola famigliaーTimoteo.
Beside those two large doors were two men on each side, wearing two modernized black suits. Surprisingly, it didn't look out of place. The one who did was Hikaru and Li thay were wearing their oriental themed clothing.
Li was wearing his Changshan robes, the green color of the robe had made Li look less of a threat. Hikaru, on the other hand, was dressed in a customized yukata. The outer layer, mostly know as a hakama, has been changed to a hoodie. Though Hikaru was wearing multiple layer of clothing, the heat didn't affect him that much. The umbrella also helped reduce the sun's heat. But honestly, Hikaru was using his ability to maintain his body heat, but that was a secret.
"What do you want." The men weren't polite as they stuck their gaze in the two approaching figures in their mansion. They were used on having visitors, but most has an appointment and their arrival would have been said to them. That was why seeing two strangers in front of their headquarters, with no notice from the higher ups, their suspicion and alertness was heightened.
"I would like to request an appointment with Vongola Nono." Hikaru calmly said under the glares that the two brawny men had been giving him.
His statement brought a slight surprise to the two men for a second since knowing that this was one of Vongola's headquarters(hideouts) was already an information that only few had been allowed access to.
Looking at the boy, the poker faced haughty attitude made him look like someone from an important family. Making a rash decision might lead to some unpleasant consequences.
"If it isn't possible, then I would like to meet the current head of the security first." Hikaru tilted his head, looking to be in thought.
"Is Sir Croquant Bouche present?" Hikaru's words made the two men jump in surprise at the mention of a very familiar name. Of course it was, since Croquant was one of their Vongola Nono's trusted aides. Knowing the name of one of their higher ups only means that the kid in front of them might be from an important family.
Vongola had many allies, this was a good thing. The downside of this is that some have a hard time remembering all of them. Others have given up on memorizing the different surnames in the list and just decided to follow orders from whoever is in charge.
A glance and a nod. One of the men had placed an urgent message directly to Crouquant Bouche's channel.
Hikaru was patient since he knows that Croquant would definitely come. What kind of guardian would dismiss someone who knows their name. The ones who had access to information about Nono's aides can only be three things.
1. A spy.
2. An information broker and possible new enemy/ally.
And 3. A current ally who visited without an appointment.
Croquant rushed outside the mansion in hurried steps, but not so much that it would look like he was running.
As this series of events went on, Li didn't question Hikaru's actions nor the sudden knowledge that he has of the Italian mafia. The one thing that caught him off guard might have been the fact that Hikaru could speak fluent Italian. Then again, the young Fujimoto had liked reading book so much that his room had became a mini library back in the estate.
The door slammed open, but surprisingly didn't produce the expected loud bang it was expected to have. Hikaru lightly looked at the person who stood with a glare on their face. Most would have hiccupped in fright.
There stood Croquant Bouche, the mist guardian of Vongola Nono. Hikaru had made eye contact with the tall man, not at all affected by the heavy pressure that the man was emitting just by standing there. He could see that Croquant used a but of his mist flames to bring about the feeling of fear to those he deemed a threat.
A normal child would have cried already.
"Greetings, Vongola's mist guardian. This might be sudden, but I would like to request a meeting with your boss." Hikaru's tone was light, his eyes blinked normally, and his mannerisms show no nervousness. This was what Croquant had noticed when he observed the young boy who stood there calmly.
Croquant felt a small unease when he made eye contact with Hikaru, but quickly brushed it off as a moment of surprise at the unexpected reaction and words that he received from the young lad.
Then he moved his gaze to the adult that was accompanied the child. One misstep and he would have missed the presence of the man. It was a deliberate skill, a honedー most likely a habit already, to conceal his presence to be that thin. A skill fitting for assassins.
He had to be careful.
"What nonsense. Boss has no further appointments this month. Go back." Croquant dismissed the two strangers. He might not look like it, but he was one of the few people who remembers every surname in that godforsakenly long lost of alliances the Vongola has. He was sure that a weird albino child and a suspicious old assassin wasn't in that list.
Hikaru noted Croquant's words. He had expected such reaction since he had no prior engagement with any of the Vongola families current members. It was expected to be treated as a threat, especially since young killers had been popping out in the coming generation.
"If I said I have information concerning the Estraneo family, is the appointment still impossible?" Hikaru twirled his umbrella for a bit. The sun had been covered by clouds, Hikaru looked down and blinked. As he did, the shadow had seemingly made the boy's eyes glow. Like some sort of illusion, but it only lasted half a second.
"Hmn." Croquant huffed, his gaze with disbelief. Two possible outcomes for the boy's identity entered his thoughts. Either a young arrogant information broker, or a lying spy.
"Still not possible?" Hikaru placed a hand on his chin and thought up a bit of a mischief. At most, he would be apprehended as a spy and grabbed by his collar by the man. He isn't sure if he could dodge due to his small stature, but it was still worth a try. If he wants his plan to be more efficient, he needed help from Vongola since raising a mafia base with two people is still a bit tiring.
"Capital City of the Friuli Venezia Giulia region, Trieste." Croquant stared down at the boy, the latter's eyes closed. Due to the lack of emotion on the child's face, it made it harder for Croquant to read the child.
"August 16, 11:47 AM. A brief contact on Ponte Rosso." Croquant eyes began to open wide in surprise. An order of Nono to pass on information to their branch. An information that nobody but Nono and the other guardians should know.
"Quite an interesting deal. Though fooled by a mole. It's not a surprise why Vongola or the other famiglia's haven't caught Estraneo's whereabouts." Hikaru nodded as if he was having a normal conversation with the other.
Li was silent and didn't pry.
The two guards had a lost look on their faces.
Croquant's expression was already twisted in genuine shock.
"You... How did you..." almost like a low growl, Croquant's gaze locked on Hikaru, quickly appointing the young child a threat.
A quick dash that wasn't seen by the two guards and a silent run, both heading towards Hikaru. A small clap from the umbrella, closing it. The two guards only saw a blur of movement and felt a gust of wind.
Croquant had dashed towards Hikaru, hus hands in a position showing that he was going for the boy's neck. Li was in front of Croquant, a bit to the left side and pointing his outstretched hand at Croquant's neck.
Hikaru was at an unexpected place. Li already knew the child's capabilities but Croquant didn't. And so it came to a surprise to him to feel the weight on his other arm. It felt more like the weight of a small animal rather than a young child. Croquant didn't even feel the boy shift pass him until he felt the weight on his arm.
The child listlessly stared at him, his umbrella opened to block the sun's rays. It made it possible Croquant to be able to see the boy's face. And to his shock, the previous yellow(?) eyes of the boy, his left eye had now changed to a blue hue.
Likeー
ーlike the color
of the Sky.
Croquant frowned and spun his body, standing up straight making the two unknown visitors jump back and land on a safe distance.
Li who was previously standing a few steps behind Hikaru, was now a few steps in front of the boy. Though looking relaxed, his eyes said otherwise as Croquant could feel the calculating gaze that Li now had.
Hikaru blinked once and his eyes went back to normal. He looked at Croquant and did his best to put on a smile.
"Once again. I would like to request a meeting with your boss. I take it that its possible now?" Though Hikaru tried his best to smile, at most, all he produced was a small uplift at the corner of his mouth. Accompanied with his closed eyes, it made the boy look like a fox.
"How arrogant." Croquant took in the smile as a mocking one, but Hikaru didn't care on whatever impression he would leave on the people he would meet here.
Despite the dismissive words and face that Croquant had, he gestured for Li and Hikaru to come in with a small tilt of his head.
Hikaru happily went in, though it didn't show much in his face, and Li following after him.
The two guards were left with confusion, but didn't voice out their thoughts. Who would dare question the actions of their superiors?
They would like to see who was brave enough to step on a lion's tail.
Invited inside the Vongola mansion, Hikaru felt bewildered at what he was feeling. As he looked around, he could see the familiar walls and statues he had seen along the way.
There were times that he was born as an ally but he also experienced walking down this hallway as a prisoner that was about to be interrogated. He didn't know if he should feel nostalgic or not because this place both had happy and sad memories.
As he walked, he passed through the hallways that held the portraits of the past and current Vongola leaders.
At one point, there was still a long line of wall that vacant spaces, most likely preserved for the portraits for the future bosses.
After the portrait of Timoteo was a vacant space. A familiar space. The wall in which Decimo's portrait would have been hung in the future.
"Wait here." Croquant said as he went in a room. Hikaru knows that room well.
Because he had been there as an ally.
And as an enemy.
Many many times.
Li watched as Hikaru stood in front of that vacant wall. It would have made sense if the young master had stared at one of the portraits, but because that wasn't the case, Li had been left bewildered on why Hikaru stood in front of a blank wall with no portrait. Looking at it with an unexplained emotion.
It was almost like staring at an old person who was reminiscing old memories. But that cannot be because Hikaru was looking at nothing. There was no reminiscing if all he could see was a blank wall.
"Vongola Nono has approved of your visit. Please enter." Hikaru snapped out of his daze and looked at who spoke. This time it wasn't Croquant who had come back out to greet them, but rather the storm guardian. The right hand man of Timoteo, Coyote Nougat.
"Li should wait for me here." Hikaru said and glanced at the old man. Li asked no questions and did a small nod to signify that Hikaru's orders would be done.
Hikaru faced Coyote, sparing the old man a glance, then looked towards the opened door, and walked in to meet an old acquaintance.
An old acquaintance who doesn't know him, and won't remember him.
Because of the ceiling to floor windows, the room was bright. Unexpectedly, Nono was sitting on the sofa in front of his usual spot. It made it seem like they wanted him to feel more comfortable. The scene looked more of a grandchild meeting their grandparent, if one would ignore the other intimidating old men behind the softly smiling Nono.
Hikaru didn't hasten his steps, his actions calm and unlike his age and stature. It made some of the men in the room blink, only to see that it was really like that and not an illusion. A peculiar child, it would make on curious on why and how he wasn't intimidated by the pressure they were focusing on the boy.
The young child sat down, rather comfortably and like he was in a familiar venue. They saw the child look at each of them slowly. Though slow it was quick enough to count as a glance.
"May I request we speak privately, Sir?" Hikaru directed at Timoteo. The conversation would be easier that way because despite how dismissive the ninth generation guardians looked, they were just as protective as the tenth generation guardian to their boss.
Nono blinked, caught off-guard by the child's request. It might also been due to the pressure being emitted by those behind him that made it hard for the child. Though stoic, Nono thought that a child is still a child.
On another note, the ninth's guardians tensed at the child's request. Leaving Nono, even if its a child, is still dangerous. It wasn't that they were underestimating Nono's strength, but the child's abilities was still not known. They don't know what danger lies behind that young age.
"It's okay. Leave us." Nono said, still having that smile. It was more of a mask to make others more comfortable around him.
"Boss." Coyote was the one to speak up, his tone rigid.
"Hurry, hurry." Nono did a small waving gesture with his hands, his demeanor relaxed and easygoing. Hikaru knew that it was half truth and half a mask.
The ninth's guardians glanced at each other before deciding to leave the room. All had taken one last glance at the young child that looked out of place with his oriental clothes surrounded by western furniture.
As the door clicked shut, Hikaru and Timoteo was left alone in the room. The silence wasn't that tense, an unexpected calming atmosphere had been made. It might have been due to the never-ending smile that Nono had. If possible, Hikaru also wanted to learn how to smile like that. But well, what is currently not possible, is impossible.
"You seem to have travelled a long distance." Nono opened up the conversation and pushed the plate of candies they had managed to prepare in a haste after he received that the guest was a child.
"Yes." The topic of travel was quickly closed. Hikaru was not interested in talking about how he made his way to Italy.
"A curt reply." Nono nodded as he took in the child's appearance and his reactions. But firstー
"It would be ideal to introduce yourself since today seems to be our first meeting." Nono had no time to send out an order to investigate the boy's identity. At most, he got Croquant's short summary on what he had conversed with the boy.
Though young, it seems like the child in front of him has some skills. He was light on his feet. More so, accompanied by a man like Li. There was also that surprising information that the boy knows of what he instructed his guardians to do back at Trieste.
"I'm Fujimoto Hikaru." The name sparked some kind of memory in Nono. He couldn't be sure but he knows he had heard of that name before.
Hikaru was contemplating on what he should say next because if he goes straight to the information about the Estraneo family, it would only make him more suspicious.
"Vongola Nono, may I be frank?" Hikaru raised his gaze and looked straight at Timoteo. He saw the old man have that reassuring smile. If one didn't know any better, they would surely label Timoteo as a harmless person.
Hikaru placed a hand on his left eye and looked down. He was feeling nervous... he was nervous, that was what the emotion was called. He was also scared because in front of him was a man who had killed him a few times before at his past lives. One wrong word and he would be considered as a threat.
An enemy.
He took a deep breath. As long as he doesn't mess up, the happy ending is possible. He had to take the risk.
"Do you believe in Seers." Hikaru started. The habit of tapping his hands showed. He couldn't control this feeling of unease. It was as if he was going to hurl.
He glanced at Nono and saw that the man had no intention of stopping him from speaking nor calling him out as crazy.
It was going well. That's the ideal situation.
"I am... no, it is more accurate to say that I have the abilities of a Seer." Hikaru didn't quite get how he could explain this ability since he got it from one of his past lives. The female Seer who died bearing no name to call herself.
As he finished, Hikaru removed the hand that was hiding his left eye then looked straight at Nono.
Blue colored eye with an intricate symbol. Though faint, it was obviously a butterfly.
Nono was surprised at what he saw, but more of the fact that he felt such pure sky flames when he looked at Hikaru's eyes.
"Continue..." Nono still had his smile, but his gaze now had a hint of seriousness. Hikaru felt a sense of relief, a rush of something inside his chest as he saw that Nono didn't ridicule his statements.
"I need your assistance in raiding the Estraneo headquarters. Is it possible?" Hikaru blinked, and the blue hue of his left eye went back to its normal color.
"I know it sounds like a lie. Earning your trust is impossible. It would also look like I am threatening Vongola." Hikaru knew that whatever information he knew of, most is deemed as private and an unknown piece to those uninvolved in the higher echelon of Italian mafia.
Hikaru took out a bunch of papers out his sleeves, the amount of it made it impossible to believe that the stack came from it.
"These are information that only few should know. Though it may look like a threat its... uhm
.. I just, I want to prove my credibility. So please don't misunderstand." Hikaru handed the documents to Nono and the latter received it silently.
As Timoteo began to read, he noticed that most that was recorded down were private meetings, conversations that he was sure that nobody else knew, and down to the oldest operation he could remember. All of it was listed down, fully detailed that Timoteo felt like the youth was there to witness it.
He had goosebumps and an unexplainable turbulence was placed inside his heart. Nono looked at the youth that was sitting in front of him, and though the boy had a stoic face and a calm countenance, the nervousness that Nono could see with the tapping of the child's fingers was seen.
Like a child that was caught doing something bad, except Hikaru is a child and what he had done was still a little relatively bad. At most it could be counted as invasion of privacy.
"Can you control yourー that ability?" Nono asked, slowly prying to see if the boy had any hidden agendas other than what he had said. It might be because Hikaru was young, but Nono couldn't help but think that the child wasn't lying. Rather his move of acting as mature as possible made him more lovable in the eyes of Timoteo. Like a chick wanting to prove it could already fly when in fact its wings haven't grown big yet.
"Y-Yes! I can choose what I want to see or not. That is well, uhm. You don't have to worry about me prying anymore at what Vongola does. Truly, my only wish is that you help me raid the Estraneo headquarters." Hikaru said as he saw Nono look to be deep in thought.
Timoteo knew that the private dealings of Vongola are very hidden. Not just any information broker would take the risk of being on their bad side. Even any amount of money is not enough to buy information about them, so there was no way that Hikaru had brought those documents. Because Nono saw, he had read, in those documents, written like Hikaru had experienced those events himself.
He had no choice but to believe.
"Then we have a deal, young Hikaru. Tell me about what you have seen concerning the Estraneo Famiglia." Nono said as his smile now held a different feeling.
Hikaru was overwhelmed at what he had heard, because for him, those words of acknowledgement meant so much for him.
Because it meant that, even if it was only a little, he was trusted.
It meant that he was accepted. That he wasn't a threat.
That he was an ally.
And not an enemy.
That was good.
The ideal situation.
"Yes!" And so Hikaru stated his information, down to the very last detail as if he was reading from a textbook. The words kept flowing in his head then out of his mouth.
The dealing of the Estraneo family.
Their purchase of orphaned children from a shady orphanage.
Illegal purchases of weapons and drugs that are forbidden to use.
It was all there, and so was the location of the witnesses they could quickly catch, accompanied with written physical proof the Vongola could use to carry out an entire cleansing and cleaning up of the Estraneo famiglia without any complaints from a certain organization. They had a pact, an agreement that needed to be followed, and Estraneo had broken it. It would be obvious that retribution would come knocking at their doorstep for their arrogance and misstep in the world of mafia.
"That's all I know." Hikaru finished and Nono couldn't help but have a furious expression. To think that the Estraneo's actions had gone this far, they had been really lenient with their investigations. Those scums were surely laughing their asses of as Vongola and the other famiglia's were played on that badly.
"This should make distribution of the information easier." Hikaru said and politely handed a thinner stack of paper to Nono.
Timoteo was surprised since he didn't see the child write or anything. It could have been prepared in advance, but Nono was still suspicious on where there boy had pulled out those stack of papers from. Aside from his umbrella, Hikaru had no other belongings with him. Those sleeves also couldn't possibly hold those papers. He decided to not ask and let the discussion of that mystery for another day.
"You have my gratitude. If it isn't a bother young Hikaru, what would you have done if I haven't agreed? Those secrets you have said to me, if known by, let's say, greedy people,you wouldn't simply be able to up and leave." Nono knew that there are a bunch of those kinds of humans who would grab any opportunity that is presented in front of them, even at the cost of others misery.
"Oh. Uh, I was planning on stealthily cause an uproar in the Estraneo headquarters. The rest could be resolved by the Vindice." Hikaru was quite relaxed knowing that Nono didn't consider him as a threat. Being treated as an ally made him calm down.
"And I also know that Vongola Nono isn't that kind of person. Well, sometimes you did use an iron hand to resolve some things, but I also know that that is just because of your kindness." It was to the point where Hikaru didn't feel any anger even when he had experienced death in the hands of the old man in front of him.
"Ho? Is that so? Hahahaha! An interesting outlook. Yes, yes, an iron hand is needed to resolve some problems. It is not easy being in this side of the world." As Nono said that, a flash of sadness could be seen in his eyes.
Hikaru looked out of the window and stood up, he fixed his clothes and did a respectful bow at Nono.
"Then, we will meet again at the appointed place and time. Please take care." When Hikaru said that, Nono noticed the slight curve in the boy's lips. It was subtle but it was definitely a smile.
"Yes, I appreciate the help young Hikaru. We shall meet again." Nono also stood up and lead the child towards the door.
Li saw Hikaru come out of the room after three hours. It made him worry for a moment, but remembering the determined look that Hikaru had before he went in, he decided to wait patiently.
He saw Hikaru walking side-by-side with who seems to be the owner of the house. It was obvious since the only other person that was left in that room was that person.
Hikaru bid his final greetings and walked towards Li. Though his steps were light and made no sound, Li still noticed that Hikaru's steps were livelier compared to how it was three hours ago. That must mean that what it is that he had to talk about with that Vongola Nono was a success.
"Let's go." Hikaru said to Li, his tone brighter than usual.
"Yes, young master." As usual, Li had asked no questions.
A/N:
If any mentioned character acted OOC then just let it be, that's what makes AU's and fanfic interesting haha.
Also long update, 'tis chapter almost at 5k words. Its been quite long since the last one.
Be grateful since today I got in the mood for writing KHR again hahahah
Extra Info:
•To those who are confused at some sentences where Hikaru mentioned his past lives, if Ch11 is not enough as an explanation, then please go to my Origins book, there are extra info there. You will also see how Hikaru got the ability of a seer there so check it out if your interested in lores so much.
•P.S. that moment when Hikaru was staring at that blank wall is so hmmmnnnnggg like I didn't even notice I wrote that since my hands just kept going. By the time I noticed and re-read it, it was a really sad scene.
Pls comment your thoughts, it feeds me