A/N: I have no excuse for why I didn't update except that real life swamped and drowned me with stress. This chapter has been sitting on my drive since ages ago so I decided to tweak it so here you go! Mind you, its a good thing this chapter existed on my laptop because my phone died on me last year and I can't find some of my unpublished snippets/plots/outline of fic ideas that I also know included the pre-written future chapters of this story so I am starting from scratch for next chapter. Also I dont know when I will update because I still am not in the correct headspace to create any content at all.

To everyone, keep living! Don't give up!

Seven

Bang.

A trigger was pulled. The resounding sound echoed loudly on his ears and now the deed was done. His source of problem eradicated. The Vindice might go after him, however considering his involvement on the removal of the pacifiers from Kawahira's hold a month ago and the evidence he could present to them. Tsuna knew the Vindice would give him a lee-way. Still Vindice aside, it didn't change the fact that there was blood on his hands. Tsuna was tainted with crimson red that he wouldn't be rid of; here nor there.

He didn't want to take a life, as much as possible he want to give a second chance but these scums… The brunet wanted them gone.

Now his heart was thrumming with relief. He succeeded, they were dead again, and they pose no threat any more.

"It's over…"

Shaky on his legs after the exertion and the relief coursing his veins, he clutched his knees to steady himself before straightening himself with another deep breath.

Now he had to clean up.

Hot flames lit on his right hand and it burn the metal the brunet held. Soon the gun melted into a distinguishable form and slid off his hand. It dropped and sizzled upon landing on the ground.

Tsuna glanced at the body warily, thinking on what he should do to rid of it. He glanced at his hand then shook his head. Perhaps, he could ask Mukuro or Hibari instead to erase this batch too?

Before he could grasp the handheld on his back pocket, a spiky electric tingling ran over his skin that he immediately turned towards the direction were his hyper intuition guided him.

Caramel brown eyes widened as his heart plummeted at his tutor's sudden appearance then he was opening his mouth, to say anything even as his eyes darted from the direction of the corpses, to the melted remains then to Reborn looking at him with unreadable black eyes.

"I-I… I…" he stuttered, to voice out something along the lines of, it's not what you're thinking, or there's a misunderstanding.

Despite the excuses swimming at the forefront of his mind, he choose to close his mouth with a shut. Tsunayoshi's shoulder sagged in defeat, gaze pointedly choosing to not look at Reborn's eyes. There should be no excuses as there was no denying what had transpired. Tsuna was caught red-handed.

Tsuna's heart thudded, an erratic thump-thump, it grew louder that he was starting to go deaf from everything else except his own heartbeat.

What does...Reborn think of…this?

The brunet didn't want to see the disappointed eyes, hear the questions and accusations, then finally to the hurt and betrayal in those beautiful obsidian eyes.

Right now in this muddy pavement, with the dark cloud looming on the horizon and with newly uncursed Reborn who would no doubt question him. He didn't want to be here. He didn't want to deal with this right now, maybe never.

Tsuna wanted to run away.

With his mind and heart set on that decision, he dashed away, desperately calling out his flames even if he was mentally exhausted and when it finally ignited, he took towards the dark sky without looking back.

.

.

.

"Tsu–"

Before Reborn could even utter the name of his student, the brunet flew towards the sky.

Reborn believed that he knew his student. There might be sudden disturbing changes, but he knew his student at his core. He knew where the other was heading. Cursing his small form he made use of the secret passages in Namimori so he could catch up quickly.

He had to help his student, and failing wasn't an option.

.

.

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A/N: This chapter is actually the 8th but the original 7th is just Reborn musing of Tsuna's changes after his return so I deemed it uninteresting so you all get this instead.