Cross-posted on Ao3 (account: Death-cloud)


ARC II

CHAPTER 12

1

Usopp was enjoying himself. He brilliantly passed all tests that the clan had demanded of him as well as providing some information about his original world. It had been quite a surprise to learn that he wasn't the first person to cross dimensions.

It wasn't common, but it wasn't rare either. One single person had integrated the Akatsuki clan in the following days of its founding, forever bringing mysterious knowledge about the universe. That kind of information brought him hope. He appreciated it, so did Lù, Raisin, and Mukuru — he had been shocked when his adopted little brother had introduced them to him because the last two were notorious pirates of the Big Mom pirates and siblings of Lù. However, there wasn't anything about traveling back to one's dimension. There was little information about it. Thanks to Nana, the clan librarians promised to look into it. Usopp felt that even without the brown-haired woman, the librarians would still have done it because they were really excited to hear from him about his world.

The Dfräk festival began in the glory of the ancient Gods. Usopp performed his usual ritual of honor to the Great Demons before joining the celebration. He smiled softly knowing that his captain would have loved it because of the food that was available for the clan, the folks, and the rare guests. Zoro would have ended all sake in one go and he would have competed against the heavy drinkers. Just like Nami, that alcoholic that was obsessed with money. Chopper was too young for alcohol. The rest of the crew drank it normally, all except Franky that preferred cola over sake. Usopp missed the chaos of his crew and the singing that always carried everyone. But the festival was fine.

Tsunayoshi was nowhere to be seen. The teenager had been introduced to the clan in the proper manner and had been ever since their arrival to the compound learning all kinds of things.

"I was looking for you, young man," the elderly voice of Louisa, one of the notorious guards of the clan.

Usopp turned around to face the fifty year old woman wearing the traditional clothes of the clan. He recognized the crest on her chest of the Akatsuki clan. There was also the crest of the defense division of the clan.

"Madam Louisa," he respectfully said, a bit wary of the woman as he put down his glass of alcohol on the nearest table.

"I've been looking forward to speaking with you ever since you arrived here. It is not everyday that we meet a traveler after all."

He narrowed his eyes at her wondering where she wanted to go with that. He knew that there were so many people interested in him for that particular reason. It didn't reassure him at all. If some were quite innocent in their questions, others were disturbing.

"We have something in common, young man."

"Ah?" Usopp was confused despite noticing the glee in the woman's eyes.

"We are cousins."

He froze. Louisa smiled while she arranged her tied blond haired hair behind her shoulders, she adjusted her clothes and slowly sat on a wooden chair while still watching him. Her hair almost seemed like it was glowing. He gasped. It was glowing so strongly. Louisa's aura was golden.

"Of the sun?" he promptly asked, wondering how lucky it was for him to just find another cousin hanging around Nanako's compound.

"Of course, son of the Wine. I have Seen your arrival in my world. I have Seen the arrivals of the others too. Whatever is coming, it's already there." That was the confirmation that the sniper needed. It was still rather a school that Yasopp and Banchina weren't his only parents, but somehow he could now understand what her mother had meant by miracle.

"I have Seen your past," Louisa said with a hint of sadness coloring her voice, "and the future might not be pleasant for you."

"Ah."

The woman gave him a surprised look as she added, "I'm glad you are not asking me what I saw."

"I don't think it is worth knowing what happens next when the future is not linear."

"That's right," Louisa agreed with him.

"Do you know anything about the Oracle?" He shortly found himself asking the one billion question that Lù and him had to get the answer to.

Unfortunately for him, she shook her head.

"I'm not privy to such information, young man."

"Shame then."

"You need to know, Usopp, that your presence is a real blessing for the young Tsunayoshi. I fear what could have been if you weren't there. So, thank you."

The pirate didn't say anything. Louisa rose from her seat and approached him. She leant against him, wrapping her arms around his neck and then she whispered reassuring words in his ears. The pair stayed together in this position for a long time. It felt like a mother holding her child. Usopp somehow felt the burning presence of his mother hanging around him as if smothering the worries plaguing him at night.

"I hope Louisa that you ain't falling for a youngster!" an amused male voice interrupted prompting the older woman to stop hugging the pirate.

"Idiot!" Louisa, however, gently smiled at the light brown-haired man wearing the same traditional clothes of the clan. He grinned as he shook Usopp's hand.

"Shall we dance, dear?"

Usopp was left alone. He pondered about the discussion. It was a bit weird to speak with a seer although it gave him a lot of information even though it was vague. The pirate wondered if coming back home would be possible. Louisa sounded terrified of whatever would happen in the future. And there was a prophecy involved. It was never something easy.


He was terrified.

But Tsunayoshi tried to show the fear that was eating him up. He wore the traditional kimono of the clan as he stood between his uncles and aunts waiting to be officially introduced to the rest of the island.

"Straighten your posture, Tsunayoshi," the sharp remark came shortly after one of his uncles, Izuna, turned to face him, "don't slouch."

The festival had been happening for three whole hours, and he still had to make an appearance. He straightened his back until Izuna was satisfied. The man was strict and in charge of educating on the most important matters of the clan. Finding out that he was selected as the next Vongola boss wasn't pleasant for him since his uncle had been delighted to teach an heir as if he hadn't had enough tutors in his life. He loved Usopp the most since the man was the funnier one while Reborn was a hitman and Izuna… He was Izuna. Between the latter and Reborn, it was Izuna the worst of the two.

"Don't be afraid, Tsunayoshi," Makoto, the eldest son and current heir of the clan, said, ruffling his hair while his younger brother, Izuna, scowled at him for ruining his world, "Izuna is a bit too… nervous."

"I'm not! This is so exciting to teach him."

"You're scaring him," Rin commented as she longed to be elsewhere than with them, looking from a distance her son wrestling with his friends.

"Why do I have to be there?" Reina softly growled as she watched through the curtain if the audience was done with the claps.

"To show we are united," Naomi said as she adjusted the teenager's clothes.

"Kenshi and Nana ain't here."

"They're coming," Makoto assured his siblings as he stepped ahead of the group as his father's speech was coming to an end.

"Sorry, we're late," the familiar voice of Tsunayoshi's other uncle was heard as he stepped into the chamber with his mother in tow.

It was a bit weird to see her after so many days apart. He broke Izuna's hold and hugged the woman while the others stared. Izuna muttered some words he didn't quite understand, however the teenager didn't care as he was enjoying his mother's presence.


2

Reborn thought that the current Don of Vongola was out of his mind.

Xanxus was drinking while his officers were just bickering. Mammon was floating next to him as he thought of the new information he had gotten from them. It was clear that the Varia boss had no desire to get the boss position of the Vongola, so why would the current boss want Varia to fight a bunch of teenagers? There was something fishy. Mammon agreed with him.

"It's a bit like a vacation, don't you think Reborn?" the mist Arcobaleno asked as the other took a sip of coffee.

"Tsuna is having fun with his guardians, he's receiving extra training from the travelers. I don't have to do anything besides the most basic stuff," the hitman revealed to the assassins.

"Did he find all his guardians?" Squalo asked as he was taking care of his sword.

The hitman frowned as he recalled all the people that were gravitating around his student.

"He has a cloud and a mist, the first he found. There are the older travelers, Mukuru and Raisin, the storm and lightning. Takeshi, a young swordsman, is the rain. We still need a sun, but I'm not too worried."

"Now, we just have solve our current pro—"

"Let's just kill the old man and the problem is solved," Levi offered as a solution, earning a smack from his sky and a flat 'no'.

"Why does the old man want us to fight a bunch of teens?" Belphegor asked as he threw his knives at Levi that dodged and eased the attacks.

"I thought that he was pleased with how things were going," Reborn wondered aloud, "it might be because of the chaos a few weeks back."

"What do you mean?"

"Rokudo and his minions. Vongola doesn't like how things have been handled."

"Fuck them," Xanxus commented, not particularly interested in the conversation as he was looking forward of meeting Tsunayoshi that had yet to arrive.

"— I want that too."

Reborn perked up at Usopp's voice sounding through the house. The cloud officer was then heard complaining about her nap being interrupted for a useless meeting. Xanxus drank the rest of his alcohol, waited for his cloud to enter the room before throwing the bottle at her head. It exploded against a wall while the officer gave him the finger.

"Great, now we're all here," Squalo said, sending a pointing look at the two late assassins as they took a seat around the table.

"Boring," Lù commented, earning a few glares mainly from the rain, sky, and storm officers while the others just gave her looks.

For no reason, the old man wanted them to go through the rings' battle even though Xanxus had no interest. And for that particular reason, it made the entire situation odd. The meeting lasted two hours, in which all the assassins and Reborn discussed if they could instead. Tasks to fill were proposed along with a series of trials. Others spoke of an official announcement to make or of a single dual, but the latter was discarded by Xanxus that didn't want to fight a kid. In the end, however, nothing was decided.


Usopp sat on the path of stones watching the teenagers training under the watchful eyes of the notorious Raisin and Mukuru.

He had come back with only Tsunayoshi two weeks ago just after the festival ended to his own relief. His adopted brother was relieved to not have to face any of his aunts and uncles anymore because of his rank as Vongola heir, however, he was getting weekly zoom calls from Izuna to ensure he was still remembering his lessons. Nana had been left at the compound and wasn't allowed to leave at the moment. It was only agreed that Nana would be allowed to leave if there was an emergency.

Learning that Vongola wanted a bunch of teenagers to fight the best assassins in the world was bad, but the situation was manageable. They were still looking for solutions. If Tsunayoshi and Xanxus both refused to fight, it might be enough. Mammon was working with Lal Mitch to see if there was something odd within Vongola. Sawada was reported to be arriving in Namimori in a few days to everybody's dismay, under the cover of meeting the heir as it was proper for the head of CEDEF. Tsunayoshi, especially, was angry and just wanted to punch the man.

Kyoya was doing his Kyoya-thing, therefore terrorizing the entire school and making them respect the rules, especially the rules concerning bullying. Chrome and Tsunayoshi were doing well in their online schooling. Takeshi was taking some time off school for the moment, concentrating on his far less great grades while getting some help from tutors hired by his father. The children in the Yamada's household had all been sent to the Akatsuki clan. At the very least, Fuuta would be protected.

His search for the Oracle wasn't going well. Lù was torn apart between her duties as the cloud officer, spending time with her siblings that mostly sermoned her when she ran off with him exploring trails, and spending time with him brainwashing everything they already knew.

He often exchanged with Louisa. Despite the rules that all seers must agree to, he often got information he never thought he would have in the first place. It was disturbing and yet rather welcome to know that his crew was doing well, training in hidden places while wondering where he had gone. He often pondered the worry he caused to his friends and family. He wished he could reassure them, see them, touch them, hug them.

Usopp fell asleep; his thoughts driven away by the sudden need to sleep.

He found himself standing on the deck of a very much familiar ship. It was empty except for one individual that he immediately recognized.

"Vista?" his voice sounded through the dream as he took control of it, stepping forward the older pirate that didn't react to his name.

Morpheus, or Hypnos as others said, appeared not often during his dreams. Although when the Sandman was present, Usopp spent the whole time training his dream ability. The young man couldn't feel him anywhere inside the dream. He wondered if it were his wish that pushed his ability to reach his uncle. Alas, he had yet to speak with the man.

"Vista?"

No response. Usopp arrived near the man and stood beside him, staring at the calm waters of the New World and listening to the sweet and familiar humming ringing through his head.

"Vista?" he called again leaning towards the man in order to see his face.

"It's a dream," Usopp barely heard the words coming from his uncle's mouth as the image of the latter appeared sitting on the prow of the ship.

"Uncle Vista!" the sniper tried again, this time raising his voice in hope to be heard.

"That's weird…"

No reaction no matter how many times he called his uncle. Usopp frowned thinking about his options as he used his ability to change the scenery. It wasn't easy to walk as his legs felt heavier with each step. The Moby Dick disappeared and was replaced with a familiar and empty auction house. The commander abruptly started looking around him, having not expected the change of decor.

"Vista!"

Still nothing. His uncle was too stubborn. The sniper sighed and just used his ability, changing the scenery every once in a while. From the auction to the weird island he had fallen on, he even showed Namimori and scenes of his past.

"Vista!"

"You are still too weak to be heard by him," Morpheus spoke, metamorphosing in the last scene Usopp made, still wearing the odd plague mask on his face.

"Damn it."

"Fear not, child of Dionysus. In a few nights, you'll be able to communicate through dreams. It is still impressive for you to be able to reach people. One of your friends is looking for you. He's the child of Hades."

"Who?" So far, he didn't know any other demigods even though he didn't know all his friends well.

"It would not be funny if I tell you."

With those last words, the dream faded to Usopp's dismay. He was still outside, sitting on the path of stone, as the teenagers were messing around in the training ground while Raisin and Mukuru were approaching him.


3

Akatsuki Hoshi wasn't kind to his enemies.

The gates of the Vongola headquarters slowly opened. His guards tensed beside him while Makoto sat emotionless as he kept an eye on their surroundings. Hoshi didn't take kindly to Vongola messing with his daughter and his grandson. His daughter was safe within the compound of the clan. Vongola had been quite demanding on the reason why the mother of their heir wasn't in Namimori with her son, and Hoshi had kindly reminded them that they had no right of knowing what's good for his daughter. Those Italians needed to be put in their places. Vongola wasn't older than the Akatsuki clan after all.

He only wanted one thing. As the car stopped in front of the mansion, he stepped out of the vehicle with his eldest son and his guards. Top fighters that didn't care of the usual flame bullshit spread by the Italians.

"Don Akatsuki."

Vongola ninth, Timeteo di Vongola.

"Don Vongola, pleasure to meet you."

The path was cleared. The agents of Vongola stood on one side and the servants of the same clan on another side as the two bosses walked towards the doors. They settled in one large meeting room with their chosen guards after walking through a handful of corridors in total silence.

Silence was broken by the head of Vongola starting to do small talks. Hoshi was polite enough, sharing non useful information as he did so. The old man spoke of his late sons and his adopted son that was recently freed from ice — he heard of that one from his daughter actually that got her information through her son — while the Japanese man listened. They went back and forth for a few minutes.

"Don Vongola," he started, having practiced his Italian for a while ever since he heard of what happened to two members of his family, "for your crimes against my clan, I want your and Sawada's heads."

Shocking silence followed. Makoto almost sniggered, but he restrained himself while the old man's guardians' faces were blanched.

After all, sealing was forbidden and led the offenders to suffer in the cells of Vindici for the rest of their pathetic lives.