And so the prodigy writer returns lmao. Long time no see guys! I'm thinking of maybe rewriting certain chapters bc I used to rush my writing a lot for plot sakes. After a bit of improvement I learned that progress is key. So I'm back to finish what I started.

I've still retained my love for KHR, even now at being an adult. So for those who've been here since 2015ish, I hope you guys are ready to dive back in. I'm rearranging the pairings once again, still thinking who Tsuri should be with later but I'm crossing out Hibari. Giving you guys some content won't be a problem, but just know that this will focus later on G and M since I find that any stories with Gokudera are few, and my plot bunnies connect Mukuro more with Tsuri than Hibari. I hope you guys are okay with that ^^'

Trigger warnings for this CH for mentions of attempts of unaliving and attempt of substance abuse. I never really addressed it since the beginning but the OC's previous life has been dealt with immense neglect and abuse from her mother. There will be some flashbacks in some chapters tlike before that will address Anya's issues and how Tsuri will either learn from them or open up wounds that should be sealed. But I'm revealing too much with this LOL.

Anyways let's goooooo~!

Chapter 18: Static Reminders of Life

Tsuri found it difficult to deal with the pain from her wound. She hated getting hurt. Bruises, cuts, hits, scrapes… she hated every inch of them. Most were induced and others were from the consequences of her actions. The hip wound from before had been somewhat manageable but a pain in the ass because Tsuri had to stay in bed for a while. It didn't help that the area of the wound had been self provoking for Shamal because they were in a place that caused him to get slapped by Tsuna multiple times.

Tsuri rarely talked about her past ones, more like remembered and forgot, because they had been bad. When the woman who trained her before asked if she was sure she wanted to learn some moves, she gave her a warning that she wasn't going to go easy because she was a kid. If she were serious enough to learn that meant going through a short rough of a few months until she left for Italy.

Tsuri thought she'd been joking. Adults always exaggerated when they had conversations with their kids about them making decisions that were stupid. But this woman hadn't lied. It was like army training; for a child! Tsuri's memory was foggy so she couldn't remember anything anymore but she did have a record of a concussion, some really bad cuts, a sprain on her ankle, shoulder, purple eye… it was lucky that Tsuri didn't manage to break a bone until the end of her nightmare. For some reason all those wounds didn't last much long and healed quickly.

Tsuri noticed that with her wounds, it typically did not heal on the average time it should. It did before. Tsuna always joked with her saying she was a bionic super being but after that whole I-can-tell-the-future debate? She was sure maybe that part could be true, as stupid as the speculation sounded.

This shoulder one was going to take a while more to heal since it was so deep. That sword freak's sword was so intricately sharpened that anything he could or has cut with it would die instantly or face an ugly mark on their body. Tsuri earned an x and she would hate how to explain to her mother how she received it. Hiding things from Nana was easy but it wasn't when it came to explaining. Her mother knew how her body looked like the back of her hand; she did raise her after all.

Poor nana. Tsuri hated leaving her in the dark. But letting her know about this life was sure to kill her and make her worry til she died. She hated her father for doing this to her. She swore she'd make him pay for allowing them to get involved. If he was still around that is.

The younger Sawada twin held the note Reborn had left for her with Bianchi. Since she wasn't going to be in school might as well change at home. She had quickly just slipped in why she could find, took some extra bandage wrap for her arm, and dashed off to find him and Tsuna. Her father, from what the rose haired woman told her, was sleeping in the living room like he hadn't rested in days.

She snorted. Typical deadbeat father. Even in his visits he decided to ignore his kids. Who cared. She stopped caring years ago. She didn't need a father if he wasn't going to be involved in their lives. She could bet one hundred percent that he thought his twins' behavior was just another stage of adolescence. He better be buckled up because Tsuri was ready to kill on sight.

~•*•~

Namimori Mountain was bigger than she actually knew. The last time they had been here was with the whole bear incident with Dino and the young girl hoped the area was more controlled. Reborn had connections so the bear probably appeared then because he had asked someone to come by and rile one up for Tsuna's "progress". So if her gut was right, the forest would be a bit calmer now. If Reborn wasn't torturing him with more of that reason.

Thankfully the town was able to build stairs for hikers who didn't want to rock climb all the way up. She could see the mountain probably had more than 100 meters in height. She shuddered. There was no way a regular human being could climb it all in one sitting. They'd have to be insane or really really determined to complete that mission. She mentally prayed that this wouldn't be a part of Reborn's training regime. She began to climb up the steps, breath running out. She paused to catch her breath to read the note again. 'Namimori Mountain. Be there or Tsuna will face my wrath.'She sighed. Typical threat.

She searched around for the teen and baby once she arrived at the top. Her sight caught the rays of the setting sun, the orange and yellow, making the sky look toasty on a winter's day.

"Looks like you made it Baka-Tsuri."

Tsuri turned to follow the high pitched voice. Reborn and Tsuna were sitting by a campfire near the second level of the mountain. Her twin was half naked and had a towel wrapped around him. She could make out traces of remaining water on his bangs. She could feel panic rise in her system. He had definitely fallen from the mountain because of climbing. There was no way she was going to do the same!

"Want to try me?' Reborn smirked from his seat with a curious Leon at his hand just waiting to shape shift into his common form.

"No way," Tsuri waved off with her hands, bothered he read her mind again. What a scary skill he had. "There's no way I'm doing his training too. Tsuna can deal with it."

"You're not. I'm not going to be training you."

"Eh?' Tsuna was still trembling of coldness. "You're training?! Don't tell me you're a guardian too?!" He was all beaten up, scratches adorning his arms.

"She's your star guardian and the half boss Dame-Tsuna. She's helping you take over the Vongola. I should shoot you for not paying attention."

"EHHHH? Tsuri run away while you can! There is no way you and I are going to take over—"

Caramel eyes stared at matching ones in dejection. "I can't run. I have no choice."

Tsuna could tell something was off about the way her body slumped. She only did this when she was backed into a corner. She used to do this as kids whenever she did something wrong. But what could she have possibly done at all?

"If its about you losing to that scary long haired man you don't have to fight! All of this is so twisted its insane!"

She gripped her bandaged arm gently as if it holding it for support could make it easier for what she was about to tell him. She needed to prepare herself to confess now. "Its not that either."

"Then what is it? All of us have a choice, though I know Reborn won't let us choose right now—" he stopped mid sentence when Tsuri bursted out a grunt out of pent up frustration.

"This is stupid," Tsuri glared at Reborn. "This rule is so stupid! Why are you taking my future away from me!"

"Its just the way it is Tsuri."

"It shouldn't be! Why should I accept it so readily? I risk not seeing my own family and friends, lose my whole entire life just for saying no? That's not fair!"

"Reborn?" Tsuna glanced over to their tutor. "What is she talking about?"

"Your twin sister Sawada Tsukairi has been chosen as Vongola Mezza. This role hasn't been enforced in centuries after Vongola Primo retired. The Vongola laws state if a Mezza has been told of their role and has seen the ring, they cannot refuse. If they do, they must cease contact with anyone affiliated with the Family. The code of omertà is forced upon her for life."

"What?! And you just chose her without giving her the choice? That's unfair!"

"She has the choice Dame-Tsuna."

"Yeah, costing me at a high price," Tsuri said angrily. "What possible ties to them could our father have that brings us into this whole mess—" She covered her mouth at the slip up. Shit.

Tsuna's we're shadowed only for a moment before they stared back up at her. She winced. "Wait wait stop for a second," Tsuna lifted a hand. "What does our dad have to do with this?"

Tsuri closed her eyes and took a deep breath in. Here she went. "Tsuna, our dad is a part of the Vongola. He's part of the reason why we're involved."

"What? That is impossible! He's always been a miner! He doesn't seem like he could harm a fly at all! He's not that type… He's flaky! How could he be compromised with something like this? Being a miner fits since he has to fly around and since he's always gone for long periods of time and getting lost while traveling he's very hard to track—" the vongola heir paused. Tsuri could hear the cogs turning in his tiny brain and feel a little bit of his boiling anger beginning to seep out of his system with the way his eyes were narrowing down at her. "You knew."

"T-Tsuna-"

"You knew he was a part of it and didn't bother telling me at all?"

"I couldn't! We were kids! I didn't know what his role is or why our family has been chosen—"

"You hid this for years! If you had told me ahead of time then we could have avoided all of this in the first place!"

Reborn watched the siblings ague seriously back and forth, disregarding the fact that one of them was even half naked and the fact that a certain someone that was a part of the conversation, was lurking behind a tree near the forest. The tutor had hoped maybe Iemitsu explaining himself to his kids would have been a better outcome. The father was the worst one these kids could have.

"Both of you couldn't have avoided this even if you tried," Reborn interrupted them. "You two are affiliated to this powerful mafia group not because it was chosen at random. You two are tied by blood."

"Blood!"

"That's right." Another voice entered the conversation. The three people turned their heads behind them. A strange unfamiliar person was standing there, watching their exchange with her arms crossed. Her whole demeanor screamed intimidation and fright, and yet, the twins could see no animosity in her baby blue colored eyes. Her clothes were foreign and too dark to even tell if she was wearing a suit or a kimono.

She nodded towards the arcobaleno who tipped his fedora in greeting.

"Rosemary. Finalmente sei arrivato. Cosa ci è voluto così tanto?"

The blonde woman brushed her long hair out of her shoulders and shrugged in response. "Il mio cugino idiota mi ha dato indicazioni sbagliate. If I catch him around I'll skin him alive." The woman's violent tone died down the second she eyed the twins. Wow. What an uncanny resemblance they had to each other. And to them.

"Wow. They really are their descendants."

"Of course they are. They are blood relatives after all."

"I hate to interrupt," the woman cleared her throat. "But I don't think you even have time to argue about such non-trivial subjects when you're short of time."

"I don't care if it's trivial. We need to talk about it now."

"Stay out of it please."

There was a really loud click and swish. Tsuri and Tsuna found themselves surrounded by weapons and auras that screamed gruesome death. Reborn's gun was held out again. The lady had also pulled out a black long sword from who the hell knows where. Both turned blue.

"You've got some nerve answering back like that," Reborn's black beady eyes dared them to try him. "Show some respect to your aunt. She came all the way from Italy to help out."

The woman groaned in defeat, as if a secret she'd been wanting to keep tied down had been revealed without her permission. "You couldn't just wait til I said so myself."

"Where's the fun in waiting?"

"Only you think that way Reborn."

There was a long, long pause, as if the silence could magically give the twins answers they sought within it without moving a muscle.

"Wait—"

"SHES OUR AUNT?! HOW?!"

"What is going on today really!"

"Why are you looking at me as if I have the answers! I didn't even know we had an aunt involved too!"

"No one knows actually." The woman put away her sword with an indignant look on her face. "Your failure of a father, Sawada Iemistu, is the only one who knows. My name is Rosemary Solleano." She huffed the minute Reborn jumped to perch at her shoulder, intrigued by the shocked faces of the Sawada twins. He needed this as a picture to show them just how stupid they looked.

"I'm a distant aunt on your father's side. Casa di Solleano has served the Vongola since their founding days. We've been there since the beginning."

"Since the beginning?! How old are you then! You must be ancient if you've lived that long!"

Tsuna's eye twitched. 'You sound stupid right now.'

'I'll give you a black eye. Stop.'

'I'm not going to listen to a liar.'

Tsuri flinched and crossed her arms. Tsuna put his hands in his sweater's pockets, huffing away. Fine. Tsuna wanted to be a jerk? She could become one too. It's not like she wanted to hide the information forever! She wanted to keep her family safe! In the end it didn't even work. How did he not understand that?

"Look, I have no time to explain all the details. Ask me questions later." Rosemary fixed her hair and nodded to the arcobaleno. "I'll be training Tsukairi starting tomorrow."

Tsuri got rid of her glare towards Tsuna and gaped in surprise. "Me? You're training me?"

"Meet me on the other side of the mountain tomorrow afternoon. Take your gloves with you. You're going to need them."

"Wait wait just a minute please—"

"When you pass the first stage, Tsuna and you will eventually merge your lessons," Reborn continued, ignoring his other student's objecting silence. He could feel Tsuna's itch to yell at his sister more. He could let him, but any blooming discord could ruin the potential plan he had for them in their training. If two twin sky flames rejected harmony within one another, there was no way both would progress forward.

"You need to calm down. There's no reason for you to hold this against her now."

"You heard her! She knew! Even probably before you got here! Doesn't that bother you at least a little bit?"

"Of course it does, and I'll shoot her for it when the perfect chance comes. But she had good reason. If Baka Tsuri had told your father she knew before, do you think both of you would have been raised the way you would have been now?"

Tsuna paused, thinking. Though their upbringing wasn't all sunshine and rainbows, with a dad missing every year or so, they did have a peaceful living. Their mother who stayed home raising her kids who went to school normally. They normally walked the streets of Namimori with no worry about any other basic dangers. They went to school, had an everyday life that no one could disturb but the little inconveniences in life. And he should just thank Tsuri for that? Keeping a secret this big?

"Look, I know you're pissed with me. You have every right to," Tsuri's eyes were watering. "But Tsuna… the kidnapping… I- I didn't want that to happen again. I really didn't." She stared at the ground with her thoughts trying to organize what she was going say without getting too emotional. "Reborn is right. If I had said anything, people like that would have come back! They would've killed us. So I stayed quiet, hating our dad for not even having the decency to be home to take care of us."

She smiled sadly. "We're twins, you're my older brother. You wanted to take care of me your own way, even now you do. But I wanted to do the same Tsuna. So please… don't hate me."

Tsuna put a hand to his face and sighed out loud. 'Baka. I could never hate you. But you shouldn't have hid this from me.'

Two pairs of caramel eyes stared at each other, then one of them patted the head of the one who almost started crying.

"You've been on crybaby mode since the hospital. Are you okay? Need me to give you a hug like we used to do as kids?"

Tsuri blushed in embarrassment at just remembering her childhood self. Nana would always coo on how Tsuri was always clinging onto Tsuna since the day they were born. She swatted his hand away to tell him to be careful of her wound. "Don't push it stupid."

"Good, now that you've made up it makes my job easier." Their newly found aunt sighed inaudibly. "Honestly, dealing with teenagers is not in my job description."

"Make sure to listen to Rosemary, Tsuri. You have a lot to learn from her."

"Make sure you take some painkillers with you. You'll need them with that battered arm of yours."

Tsuri eyed the woman while nodding in slight hesitation. The woman did look different, Italian of course. She couldn't shake the feeling that she felt familiar somehow. As if she'd seen her before. But there was no way right? This was the first time they'd met. Rosemary then said her goodbyes and disappeared into the trees and went her way.

"Huh. We have an aunt now. Look at that. I wonder if she met Kaasan yet."

"Who knows. Anyways, you two better get it together. That means no more fighting."

"Hai hai, I got it."

"Wait before this conversation moves on, you still haven't told me who else has rings," Tsuna pointed out. "Shouldn't we know?"

"The Lightning and Mist rings? You'll both find out soon enough."

'I wonder if it's that Basil kid…'

Tsuri shook her head. 'There's not way. He's injured right now.'

Before more vocal words could be exchanged , there was a high shriek coming from the second mountain's cliff. Apparently Haru thought it was genius to climb off the mountain without taking the stairs, showing off under her skirt and all and falling on Tsuna soon after.

"You need to be more careful Haru-chan!" Tsuri scolded as she helped dust dirt off her clothes. She frowned at a red faced Tsuna. "You better not have seen anything or I'll punch your lights out."

"I-I-I didn't! I swear I didn't!" He groaned. "Honestly, Haru why are you here? You know it's dangerous out here."

"I'm so sorry!. I heard that you were training in the mountains so I wanted to bring you some lunch!" Haru shoved a large bento box made for an army on his chest. Tsuri hid the blue color coming back to her face. 'I swear she gets more infatuated by the day' she told Tsuna.

'Don't remind me! I have other things to stress about!'

"Alright Tsuna wrap up. It's almost time to start training again."

"Oh! That's right! Speaking of training, I ran into Gokudera-san on my way here!"

Tsuri's ears perked up at the mention of the storm guardian. "Gokudera? He's here too?"

"Yes on the other side of the bridge. I called out to him but he ignored me. He looked pretty beat up."

"Beat up?" Tsuna's hold on the lunch box was getting tighter.

"Was anyone with him?" Reborn asked.

"He was by himself and looked lonely."

Tsuri clicked her tongue. "That idiot! What the hell is he doing?!"

"You know something Tsuri-san?"

"Doesn't he have a tutor?"

The girl sweat dropped. "I ran into him in the nurse's office…" she began to explain.

"Stupid Gokudera. Shamal must've turned him down."

"Shamal is his tutor?!"

"He wouldn't push him so hard. He's probably doing the wrong kind of training on his own."

"He did ask but…" Tsuri remembered the words coming out from the pervert nurse's mouth. 'You don't see it. You don't value it. So no.'

"Isn't that bad? I'll go take a look!"

"Stop right there. You don't have time for that."

"I can't just ignore him!"

Tsuri sensed another itch that her tutor would lift his gun once again and shoot this time but Tsuri stopped him with a wave under where he was. There was a small smile, one that he hadn't seen on her in a while. It was a calm one, as if she were the one reassuring him that everything would be fine. It pissed him off of course but he could tell her budding sky flames were the ones leaking out right now.

"He's right you know. He's our friend."

Reborn followed his students on their way. 'A friend? What I see doesn't deceive me Baka-Tsuri. I hope Tsuna doesn't know or you'll have a case on your back.'

~•*•~

When the twins got there the whole place was a mess. Trees were singed, rustled with empty branches due to lost leaves. Smoke was erupting everywhere with each launch of dynamite the silver head lit. It was really hard to see the spot where he stood on since he was being thrown like a rag doll in mid air.

"He's overdoing it!" Tsuna was about to run in, with Tsuri in tow but an arm stopped them in their tracks.

"Let him continue. It's what he wants anyways."

"Shamal!"

"You have some nerve watching him like this," Tsuri almost wanted to make his nose bleed. "Are you happy? He's going to get himself killed at this rate!" Tsuri took another step but Shamal stopped her again.

"Leave him be."

"We can't possibly do that."

"Guys who don't want to grow up don't deserve to live."

'You need to grow up kid. The world is harsh. I know it's been one hell of a ride for you, but you need to see the bigger picture here.'

Tsuri hit her head with her palms. That weird static imaging was back in her mind. What the heck was it and why did it come back when it wanted to? Was it related to that Anya person again? She blinked out the weird sandy feeling it linger in her ears and mouth. Blink it out, blink it out. This didn't need to happen again.

"Come to think of it, why did he ask you to be his tutor?"

"I'm the one who suggested dynamite to him."

"EH?! You taught him how to use it?! YOURE HIS TEACHER?!"

"Don't ever call me his teacher! That's gross!" Shamal shuddered in disgust. "If I ever take on a student it'll be a nice girl who will let me kiss her!"

"I'll give you a fist to kiss as your last wish if you don't do something," Tsuri readied her fists by hitting one on her palm. The scary expression in her eyes did not lie and the man gulped.

Tsuna tried to wave off Tsuri's aggressiveness. "Why did you say no to him after how far he's come?"

"Because he still doesn't see it."

Tsuri lowered her hostility. There was that phrase again. The same one with that same tone. "What do you mean by that?"

Shamal scratched his head and watched more smoke go up again and again. "As long as he doesn't see it, I don't care if he dies out here."

'Go ahead kid. You want to touch that stuff away and blind yourself until you're drunk, that fine with me.' Irritation. There was a spike of irritation coming up from the back of her mind to the nerves in her finger tips. 'Get it together!'

"How are your cryptic messages going to help in this case if you won't explain! It shouldn't be this hard!"

Tsuna and Shamal gaped are Tsuri's unexpected and honest outburst. Almost as if the words Shamal had uttered were for her and not for their friend. There was an unknown glimmer of color in Tsuri's eyes that Tsuna saw but didn't say anything as it faded away. As if her trance broke or whatever control she lost showed in own eyes. They were wide open, stunned.

"Eh? Ah um… my mouth moved on its own…" Tsuri tried to explain her behavior but it didn't help shove the pool of vexation and static filling in her mind.

"Your killing aura is off the roof. You must really care for Hayato," Shamal answered smugly, not at all affected by the outburst.

There was another round of dynamite being it, with Gokudera being caught under it this time. Before Tsuna could go in and try to help him evade another hit and Tsuri could curse the doctor, Shamal sensed movement and stopped them before they could get hurt too.

When the smoke cleared, a hole had been created in the bottom where Gokudera should have been blown. In it was the bomber himself, Reborn in some emergency getup with a helmet adorned in a green cross and a blond man in an orange mining suit….

"DAD?!"

"Great, another wacko."

Tsuri let her impulse take over. Thank goodness for this strange agitation in her body because she needed an outlet. "OH PERFECT TIMING LET ME AT HIM I CAN TAKE HIM ON ILL KILL HIM MOM CAN LIVE WITHOUT HIM ILL DO IT WITH THAT DAMN SHITTY PICKAXE OF HIS HE WONT EVEN SEE IT COMING-"

Tsuna pulled her sisters torso with his arms as best as he could. "Not now Tsuri! Calm down!"

"You're lucky you fell into this hole, kiddo."

Gokudera turned to see his Juudaime's worried expression and Tsuri on full rage mode from afar. He turned away, not ready to face the unleashed fury his boss would have for sure. He could imagine Tsuna chewing him out heavily. "W-Who the hell are you?"

"That's no way to talk to the man who saved your life ya know! I'm just a guy from the neighborhood. I have a cute wife and twins.

"?"

"You're still young, so I can understand you not being afraid of death."

Tsuri paused her chewing on Tsuna's gloved hand and turned to their father and his oddly weird speech. She rolled her eyes. What would that serve coming from him, that advice. He never really had nothing good to do other than just talk. She scoffed.

"But you've gotta remember that some people hurt and some people heal. From the latter's perspective, they wouldn't want you to undermine the things they treasure. And what's more, a person who can't protect themselves, can't protect anyone else."

The playful but obvious jab struck a cord in Gokudera's shot nerves. The aggression he had held onto since the morning at the nurse's office began to go down a couple notches.

"Anyways, I gotta go to work. See ya kiddo!"

Tsuri was blinded by a light at seeing her father's retreating figure. The static feeling had grown stronger and had now taken over her sight and hearing as the setting around her changed drastically, like spreading spots of white.

It was inside a big old looking mansion, with a furnished piano, and the plushiest red couches ever seen. In the corner of all the magnificence of the chandelier, and outer nightly view of the moon and city, was a girl with ash blond hair standing near a bar.

The bar wasn't like the ones that were usually filled with people drinking and having a fun time out in the dark alleyways. It was a more personal one in the room, with fancy cocktail and champagne glasses sitting in a rack. Her blue eyes were showing exhaustion, light contempt but a softness to it that meant she didn't want to feel that way. And it was towards another body, blurred out by visible static lines, sitting in that bar holding a big unopened bottle of alcohol. Tsuri didn't know the kind or much of that since her dad only drank sake when he was going for a good time, but the brand was foreign and in plain English.

"Don't tell me you're going to pick up her habit? You're going to open a whole world full of hurt you know that right?"

Strange. They were speaking a different language and Tsuri could understand them.

"Don't tell me what to do Lillian. I'll do as I please."

"You're going to drink that. You're 14 Anya. There's no reason to touch it."

"It is if you've been accused of hurting someone at prep. There's no substantial evidence and they say it was me. Mom isn't even defending me."

"Then let us handle it."

"No. You've already had enough scandals. That'll risk that engagement to that man you have and mom won't allow it—"

"Shut up and listen to me kid. I know the world hasn't been kind to you, and we've witnessed and helped you. But you need to start seeing the bigger picture."

"What picture? The bloody picture of a body taking knives in every part of her body? Give me more I'll take them!" The blurred person was going to open the bottle forcibly but the Lillian girl took it away.

"You need to start moving on from this Anya. You're hurting and that's okay. You need to talk to us instead of relying on something that could kill you."

"I've been dying since a long time ago. What's a bit of alcohol going to do to me but let me forget?"

The blond girl sighed in defeat, leaving the bottle in the counter for the other to grab. "Go ahead kid. You want to touch that stuff away and blind yourself until you're drunk, that's fine with me. But you still aren't seeing it."

"Then tell me dammit! How are your cryptic messages going to help in this case if you won't explain! It shouldn't be this hard!"

Lillian laughed at the blurred person's expression as she threw the bottle to the wall. She was never going to touch it anyway. Tsuri knew somewhere in her soul that the girl in all her dreams and visions, Anya, just had pent up frustration and scars in her heart that needed to bleed and be clogged at the same time.

"Your life Anya. Remember since that day we saved you. It matters. If you can't take care of yourself, what makes you think you can take care of Emile?"

"Tsuri! Tsuri! You there?"

Tsuri blinked once again. She was now back in the forest where her tutor and others were to begin with. She was back to reality and the sandy feeling she had experienced earlier dissipated like air. She could hear the air, the trees of the forest again. The images she saw floated away, but not the message Anya had wanted her to know. Tsuri wanted to cut herself open so where she didn't even know. Why her? Why was Tsuri watching the journey of a sad scarred girl like Anya and what was the reason for seeing her life in these moments? What purpose does it serve?

'They serve for you to understand your friends and your life, Sawada Tsukairi,'something told her. It was like a warmth, a tiny little flame in her body whispering to her. Who the hell are you? She voiced in shock. The voice sounded close very close. She turned this way and that but nothing was in sight but Tsuna and the rest. Her skin prickled with chills sweeping up and down.

'I'll come back when you need me.'

"Ah Tsuri you know what, you look okay. I'll go check on Gokudera-kun. Stay here."

"No no," Tsuri breathed deeply to save her sanity. She was going crazy alright. "I'll go with you."

They both approached the hole, with the silver head soon bowing and hitting his forehead on the dented ground, bombarding Tsuna with a trail of apologies for worrying him, seeing him in a pitiful state and so on.

"As long as you're okay Gokudera-kun but don't do this again! It's not safe!" Tsuna scolded lightly.

"You damn well know, don't you?" Shamal also said from behind, expression so serious the twins were weirded out by it. "You were pathetic. Next time you pull off something this dangerous, I'll finish you off myself."

The silver head didn't react though he got the message loud and clear. "Shamal…"

"Heal your own damn wounds."

"Then…"

"What the hell are you doing? Get out of that hole already. We got work to do."

Tsuri grabbed a rock from the floor and was going to hit the doctor from the back but Tsuna was able to take it from her hands before she could. Cold hearted idiot, she didn't like his reckless behavior either but come on! A little sympathy couldn't hurt once in a while! Instead of letting her tackle Shamal in vengeance Tsuna forced her to help the bomber up from the hole their father had made. They'd ask their old man about that later if they let him breathe.

"Here. Grab my hand."

He clicked his tongue, resisting the urge to stray h his possibly infected cuts on his forehead. "I don't need your help idiot woman. I can do it myself."

"No, you do, you stupid moron."

"Hah?! Call me that again stupid copy and I'll—" Gokudera stopped mid sentence. Tsuri's face was dead serious in that moment that all his comebacks and anger were swallowed in a millisecond. It was exactly like Tsuna's own when he saw his recklessness on a daily basis. He really overdid it today, didn't he..?

"Yes. You overdid it. Good that you finally noticed," Tsuri rolled her eyes at the obvious reading on his scowl. "So. Did you finally see it?"

"S-See what?"

"Your life moron. Will you learn to value your life now?" She pulled him out with a force that came from who knew where because Gokudera did not expect someone so small and petite looking to dwell that much strength within. He gawked awkwardly.

"Why? Do you care for me that much?"

"Okay, I already have one friend that tried to pull a stunt like this and you know him well. I don't want to do this again. You're our friend Bakadera. I don't know how many times I have to repeat it to you. You told me you care, despite your loose mouth. My hate doesn't win from how much I do care about you."

Cheeks went on fire as soon as the words hit his ears and Gokudera let go of his boss' twin sister's hand before she could feel it on his palms. "W-What the hell are you saying you stupid copy! I don't believe you!"

"You better believe me because if you pull this stunt again I'll be the one to send you to hell and back Gokudera Hayato! Get your shit together!"

Behind the scenes as usual, Tsuna could feel more dark waves of his brotherly instincts beginning to form into a huge purple monster. Eyes went as low as slits could go. "They better not be doing what I think they're doing."

Shamal laughed, enjoying the rare sight of a blushing bomber too embarrassed to admit the obvious. "Ah don't you see it young Vongola? It's the buds of love im telling you. Love~!"

"There's no way I'm letting that happen. Over my dead body."

There was a big spike of danger Shamal picked up from the older Sawada twin and to avoid being burned to a crisp by his own hands, and his value on his life he kept his mouth shut and sealed until they left the forest.

There were two people not happy about this play in progression. One was of course Tsuna being the protective older brother who would die before letting her sister date a person and in the mafia no less.

And there was the lurker in the distance whose messenger trembled in her shoes with the report she gave him for the day. Mist hid in plain sight. And Rokudo Mukuro was not going to let this vermin take his only possession away.

They all had ten days to start training. Everyone thought it too long of a time to deal with bodily pain while this hidden man thought it was too many days to stay away. But thankfully time would tick and tick until they faded away. Ten pain-staking days until he got to see his little mouse again, back fiercer with more bite and burn than heel.

I can't promise I'll update frequently as I'm still fixing chapters here and there BUT I'll do my best~! My mission is to finish this story and I WILL SUCCEED. JOIN ME IF YOU DARE.

-BLU