I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS MOMENT! -dun dun dun!-
Introducing, the Kokuyo Arc, Tsukairi style! Kinda...
Disclaimer: ...Really? I would've pleaded to Kami-sama for a body switch with Amano Akira-san.
2023 fixes have been done~
Chapter 8: Ranking Chaos
There were many graves, many stones on dry, dead grounds. It wasn't called a cemetery for nothing. The sky was gray and cloudy and he immediately knew it was going to rain like the many times it did when he visited. A man in a suit and scarf bent down and touched the smooth stone in front of him.
Anya Marter
Beloved sister
We'll miss you with our hearts
"I can't believe it's been thirteen years already..." the man spoke to no one as he kept his gaze on the stone, running his hands through the letters. "Remember me sis? It's been a while since I visited. It's Emile. You're little brother." Emile smiled sadly as he could recall the times when he was eight years old and laughing crazily with a healthy looking Anya.
'Hiya Emile! How was your day?' Was would she had said to him. But she didn't. She'd been dead for years. How could the dead talk back?
Green eyes started shedding tears. Emile sat on the ground, not caring that his suit was brand new. His hands were on his blonde hair, resisting the urge to scream out to the world. "Just letting you know, they said I have no cure," Emile's nose was red and he sniffed. "The...The doctors said I only have one more month to live. I'm officially going to die."
Emile sniffed again and grabbed a tissue from his pocket and blew his nose. "I'm not scared of dying anymore. I'm still young and people want me to live, but how can I when you're not here watching me grow Anya?"
The boy that was once eight, now twenty one years old closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. "I'll be able to see you again sis. If I die I'll only have one regret, not seeing you again."
Emile coughed and stood up from the floor. "I know you would've wanted me to continue my life, but I can't. Now I understand why mother didn't approve of you and your choices." Emile patted the gravestone one more time, feeling a little better. "This will be my last visit. I'll have to be transported to the hospital first thing in the morning. See you soon, Anya."
Emile Marter then left from the cemetery and was met by an old woman who had on a very grim expression, and two others who were his older sisters. The man then entered a black car with his company and they rode off somewhere else.
The angel above who was asked to watch over Emile stared at the black car in sadness. What could she do? She couldn't break her promise to Anya. Besides, the Higher Up wouldn't let her do anything unless she requested it and have Him the reason why. The angel pulled her long blonde hair and bit on her garment's sleeve. 'Ill just have to wait and see. I made a promise with your sister and I'm not about to break it. Emile, you might just be able to see your older sister again, but she won't remember you. Would you be okay with that...?'
..
..
The days were getting normalized, like Tsuna had said. Normalized that Tsuri just didn't bother to get surprised at every little strange thing crossing their path. Yamamoto and Gokudera were seen everyday, for every day off school, after school and so on. Kyoko and Haru latched themselves onto Tsuri when they found her at her favorite bakery and have been frequenting for sweets when they could. Tsuri tried to avoid them, and sweets weren't something she could eat freely because she gained weight easily. If she did put a pound or two, they'd be lost immediately due to all the running around and agility training Reborn made them do. He disguised them as fun everyday to do things, but she was sure he was having the twins and their friends run around for mafia building.
For some reason, their big brother in mafia-terms Dino, also had extended his stay in Japan after his first visit, which was another thing to question but if they asked, Tsuri knew that he would just say something about it being related to business and studying the twins. So he had passed time with them during the snow days, New Years, and even that dreadful knocked off training session to Death Mountain.
Tsuri shuddered in her blazer and it wasn't because of the cold weather. Just remembering that hospital trip pissed her off. Tsuna had taken a good while to heal with all the mess everyone created for him. Tsuri's was a usual customer for the hospital staff so she was able to get a quick cast and rest at home instead because none of the nurses liked the way she cursed at them when she was in pain. Quite a way to start the new year. Regardless, time went on. Normally.
It was an odd morning. The new term was already starting, and she had gotten up early so she could get a head start on eating breakfast without feeling rushed. Because Tsuna was a heavy sleeper, he never listened to their alarm and always made them late.
After finishing her toast with jam and helping Lambo and I-pin to their chairs, she spied the familiar suit and chameleon also making their morning way to the table. Nana, who had served everyone apologized to Reborn, as the coffee beans had run out and couldn't serve him coffee. There was a heavy stare on her and Tsuri stopped sipping her water. She glared at Reborn. The baby hitman held the piece of paper he had just scribbled on without even glancing over.
"W-Why do I have to go! Why can't Tsuna do it! You're always sending me!"
Reborn transformed Leon into his usual gun, clicked it and pointed at her forehead. "I'll choose whoever I want. And it's your turn to do it."
"Seriously?"
"I haven't shot you yet. Would you like to try it today?"
Tsuri gulped. There was absolutely in no way she would let herself get shot and let everyone in Namimori label her as a pervert who had no shame in running around their home in their undergarments. Tsuna already had their neighbors turning and staring at their mother weirdly in the grocery store.
She looked at the clock above the stove. Right now, 7:15am. It was still early. She snatched the paper from the little hands and smacked her hands in the table in disbelief. "You want me to go all the way over there to get them?! It'll take me an hour or so to get you that bag. I'll be late to school!"
"Then do it with your dying will."
"N-No way! I already told you I don't wanna run around naked! Don't you get it, N-A-K-E-D!"
Reborn cocked his gun towards her face. "We need to work on your respect. Remember that I'm a hitman Tsukairi."
"Outspoken-ness isn't disrespect," she huffed and dodged a bullet that had been shot. She slipped her shoes on and grabbed her school bag from the floor. "Don't you do anything to Tsuna while I'm gone please." The sound of the door closed behind her and Reborn stood in his place smirking widely.
"Don't tell me things I won't follow Baka-Tsuri."
...
Tsuri could've seriously snapped. She stared hard at the map Reborn had given her at home and turned it upside down countless times.
She'd heard that Kokuyo wasn't really a town someone should enter so casually. Many accidents had occurred on the towns road such as cars set on fire or random trees falling on people. There's be their es, muggers, some gangs on the rundown corners with the ugliest burns and scars. Those are what rumors in Namimori had spread. Probably by someone who wanted to forget.
It was a bunch of rubbish. The place was sane and resembled any other town to Tsuri.
She remembered this path. It was the one that her mother used to take them, a place named Kokuyo Center. She'd come with Tsuna when they were kids and everyone used to have so much fun. It was a beautiful place with an exhibit of flora and fauna, a movie theater and a karaoke bar. There had also been a carousel that appeared once every few days when they went. She loved that memory. It was when they were but toddlers. When their dad was still around.
Tsuri made another turn and found a little shack in the middle of nowhere: with the delivery truck on the road, handing the coffee bean cargo box to the shack owner. Tsuri could feel multiple stress lines appearing on her too tired face.
'Reborn is too much. He could have waited for the cargo to come. And he wonders why I'm failing school.' She walked towards it in a brisk manner, planted her fake polite face and voice and asked the owner for the fresh bag of Italian ground coffee she was specifically there for.
Reborn probably missed Italy and the brand he used to buy over there. It was rash, to have her family chase after a certain type of coffee just to please him, but if Tsuri were him, wanting a piece of home with her, she'd probably do the same thing. She wondered what Italy was like, how the food and culture was; how the mafia blended in there. And if her dad was there too.
'As if. The old man can rot for all I care' Tsuri destroyed her image of the European country and started squishing a can she saw on the ground. The shack owner tried not to freak and scream as he saw a purple aura emit from the girl's body as she payed. Distracted still in her thoughts, Tsuri turned and was suddenly knocked down by the force she crashed with. Not a pole, definitely not a tree so it was a body. And the body above her did not look too pleased about it.
"Oi stupid girl! Watch where you're going pyon~!" The person snapped angrily. Tsuri didn't want to meet eyes, but she was getting pissed off at the other boy's menacing glare.
There were two of them. The first boy had shaggy, not too short blonde hair with hair pins keeping his bangs in place. His hazel eyes pierced dangerously through Tsuri, making her think if she was seeing an animal or a human. She also noticed that he had noticeable scars on his face. Caused by burns… maybe knives… did the Namimori rumors hold some truth to them then? Her knees started to shake.
"Ken..." the person with glasses and a beanie warned. He had a...barcode on his cheek? Was he human merchandise or something? Tsuri held her gaze with those emotionless purple eyes of his as he moved some of his dark blue hair away from his face.
She raised herself up and tried not to make any unnecessary movements as she picked up her bag. She glanced at their clothing. 'Kokuyo Middle students? All the way over here?'
"Urasai Kakipi! Oi, baka onna! Are you going to apologize or what?!" Ken brushed off his companion, gaze turning menacing and mean. Tsuri winced. Nope, she could pick a fight with boys like Gokudera. Not them. Better to save her ass than get it handed.
"E-Erm... Sorry. I wasn't looking..." she apologized with a bow.
The one named Ken snorted, muttered something about being pathetic and went past her to get something from the shack.
Tsuri shivered and left leaving smoke after her. Hibari would not let her slide for being so extremely late!
A lightbulb turned on the minute the girl with the glare dashed off and Ken tilted his head to see the left side of the road. "Ne Kakipi! Isn't that stupid girl one of Mukuro-san's main targets?!"
Chikusa pushed up his glasses and watched the said target vanishing from sight. "Looks like it. She's wearing their uniform."
"Then let's go hunt her down pyon~!"
"That's Mukuro-san's prey, Ken."
The blonde growled under his breath and handed the shack owner his change. "We'll just have to wait then! I can't wait to beat people to a pulp pyon~!" Ken snickered as he stuck out his tongue.
Chikusa sighed again.
In a week, their plan would commence. They were going to make the mafia wish they regretted ever messing with them.
Hibari didn't punish her when she got there in the morning. Instead, he made sure to chase her all around Namimori Middle School as soon as school ended. Which meant that she wouldn't have a chance to even slip inside the gym nor the lockers and hide. So Tsuri decided to be wise and hope her legs wouldn't break. She didn't even give Tsuna time to say goodbye properly to Kyoko and he complained the whole way home.
Tsuri asked Nana about the room change. She had hoped her mom would've listened and complied to her daughters request. Instead, it warped into Reborn's hands and now to conserve room and give more "privacy", the twins found themselves with wooden bunk beds stacked up on each other like it were camp. Tsuri asked Reborn why the hell she couldn't move out from the room to which he replied "Not yet."
They were fourteen. FOURTEEN. Puberty was hitting them harder than usual, especially for a boy like Tsuna. He was considerate in keeping himself private too, but Tsuri knew that their hormones were changing and that was not something they should be bonding over. If she'd been born a boy instead maybe.
The older twin opened their door, and yawned. He threw his bag somewhere nearby, irking Tsuri. She wanted to pull his collar and demand him to pick it up but his hands were now occupied by smaller ones. It was a little boy, maybe ten or eleven at most, with light brownish blonde hair. He wore a striped muffler over him. Foreign. She put a palm to her face. Not another one. The house was already stocked up with enough strays.
"Hooray! I'm finally meeting you! Nice to meet you Tsuna-nii!" He said with cheer.
Tsuri held in a laugh. She hadn't heard that in years. She rarely ever called Tsuna 'big brother' anymore. It was a weaponized calling whenever she wanted to get her way.
"Tsuna-nii?" Tsuna said thinking if they had a long lost little brother coming home to reveal himself. "Who are you?"
The little boy then approached her and also shook her hands. Something inside Tsuri melted immediately. She didn't know where it was coming from, but she had this little familiar itch within her that made her want to squeeze this little boy's cheeks and hug him to death.
"Nice to meet you Tsuri-nee!"
"Same here...?" Tsuri looked back and forth from Reborn to her brother to the little boy again and again.
"He wanted to ask both of you a favor," Reborn hopped off of Tsuna's head and went behind the little boy who looked very troubled.
"My name is Futa. The mafia's after me."
Tsuna sweat dropped. "Ha? The mafia?"
Tsuri heard an amused sound coming from Reborn. "You're serious?!"
They let Fuuta explain his piece, talking about his predicament. He was apparently a big part of the mafia world. He was an informant dealer that took record of every mafia related person and their ranking based on their abilities, tastes, you name it, and it was 100% accurate. They couldn't believe it until he took out a heavy, massive looking book to prove he wasn't lying. He even ranked Tsuna out of 872 people, saying he was in the lowest mark due to his lack of ability. Tsuri snorted and earned a kick from a pissed off Tsuna.
'Tsuri, we can't! I told you I don't want to be apart of the mafia!' Tsuna complained.
Tsuri kicked him on his knees in return. ''He's just a kid!'
'We're putting ourselves on the spot. We'll be on their line of sight!'
"Oh stop with all your grumbling!" Tsuri yelled.
"Tenth Generation Vongola Twins!" Futa pleaded and put on his best cute and adorable face. "Please hide me! I promise I won't bring you too much trouble!"
"But my house is already full! Don't expect me to accept by making a cute face!" Tsuna exclaimed loudly.
"He can be a bit stubborn…" Tsuri mentioned, side eyeing him badly.
" Tsuna-nii will accept. I know he will!"
"Futa… you're cute and I want to hug you but, that's not possible."
"Tsuna-nii has the number one ranking for someone who would never refuse a proposal or request!"
"I take it back. You're absolutely right," Tsuri hummed in agreement.
"That doesn't mean you can take advantage and ask me!"
Futa and Reborn looked at each other and shook their heads at the Vongola boss. "That's not the only reason. You are also ranked as the number one boss that has no ambition! Therefore I don't need to worry about you taking away my ranking book!"
Tsuna took a slipper in his hands and threw it at his sister's face when she burst into laughter.
"Hey, it won't be so bad having one more kid in the house," Tsuri dried her tears and picked Futa into her lap. There was a twinkle, a gentleness in her eyes that no one had ever seen before. It was peculiar. To Tsuna and to Reborn.
Tsuri wasn't an openly affectionate person, and if she wanted to show it, it was rare. Tsuna and Nana received some nuzzles or hugs, because they were family No one else really knew Tsuri at her best, or were deserving of it just yet. She was a hit or miss person when it came to kids too. When Lambo arrived, all she wanted to do was hammer him onto a wall because he was massively annoying. I-pin was a girl and the minimal thing she did was pat her on the head or pick her up to help her get some cookies from their pantry.
Futa was new. Of course Tsuna had to admit, he was also weak for cute things, but he wasn't the type to pick kids up all of a sudden and squish them into a hug. She was acting weird. Maybe she had some of their mother's maternal instincts within the inner most parts where her aggressive spikes couldn't reach? Tsuna shook his head.
'You're hugging him.'
Tsuri patted Futa's hair gently, eyebrows raised at Tsuna's scrutinizing. 'So?'
'You never hug me that way.'
Tsuri let Futa go, and extended her arms towards Tsuna as an overly sweet smile appeared over her lips. "Are you jealous Tsu-nii?"
"Not in a million years!" Tsuna shot her down. "So I see you've already agreed to keep him here."
"Like I said. He's just a kid. We're not that cruel enough to send him back and get himself killed."
Futa had on a puppy face that he wished he could erase from his vision. Reborn was adding to the pressure since he suggested that Futa rank them and see where they fall in the book.
Curiosity and pressure fell into his mind. Tsuna took a long sigh. "Fine."
"Stop sighing. You're acting like an old man."
It was an afternoon full of laughter for Tsuri. One she knew never came often and hoped it could stay.
...
A week later….
Nana handed the twins a letter that had been left on the kitchen table.
'I'll be visiting some known friends. I won't be back anytime soon. Thank you and take care Tsuna-nii, Tsuri-nee.'
-Fuuta
Agitation was the first word that crossed Tsuri's mind. After all the trouble they went to keep him safe and sound from harm, he left without even saying goodbye? That wasn't like him at stared at the note suspiciously but instead decided to give up on the whole thing. She prayed he could stay safe. She felt her whole mind reel with different scenarios of danger he'd be put in and she felt like she was going to cry.
Fuuta was a good kid, and he fit into their family mold easily just as Dino had. He was cute, very intelligent and gave good, honest ranks that came randomly. He was like a little brother, and it oddly reminded her of someone she couldn't quite recall. It was like gum stuck into her brain, and even though she was pulling hard it, she just could not think of anyone they knew that fit. It felt nice to feel like an older sibling though. Tsuna and he were twins but he was born first, therefore he was actually the older of the two.
"I can't believe Kaasan insists we take these," Tsuna mumbled and held up the posters and sign up advertisements Nana showed them after breakfast.
"Nanmimori hasn't been the safest neighborhood as of late," Reborn pointed out again. "You two could use some extra strength training by picking up self defense."
"I don't need it," Tsuri said bluntly, looking straight at the road and not at the questioning faces Reborn and Tsuna were sharing. "I can take care of myself."
"The hospital bills on your name say otherwise," Reborn took out a long list out from his suit pocket. Tsuri took it, feeling shame.
She didnt want to admit it, but just the thought of more serious danger spiked up anxiety. Just like she said, murder was lurking through the shadows. She didn't know where it was coming from, maybe the back of her mind or some invisible whisper in her ear, but she knew that they were going to cross paths with danger.
She didnt want to. She wasn't prepared. She wasn't trained enough like Tsuna, or had any other skills that could help her defend her family.
'We're vulnerable… What if its the same people that tried to take me before? What if they find where we live? What if they hold mom hostage? What if Tsuna is put into the hospital? What if…'
"Tsuri."
She picked her head up and looked up at Tsuna. There was that knowing worry in hiss features. How she hated to see it. It made her feel weak.
"We'll be okay. Nothing's going to happen to us."
"You don't know that," she said.
"Baka-Tsuri. There's no need to get so anxious. Let's assess the situation and go from there."
Was Reborn able to sense her fear? All she was used to hearing from him were nags, and direct jabs at undermining her confidence. Was this his way of caring? She hoped so. Having Reborn around was more reassuring.
She took a deep breath. They were safe now. Better to think about that before overthinking. "Maybe taking aikido won't be so bad.."
"You're actually going to listen to Kaasan…"
"Yikes! They look scary!" The twins heard a classmate shout. By the gates, was a great amount of bodies, and if it weren't for the obvious uniform and arm bands on them, anyone would have mistaken them for a yankee gang taking over their middle school.
"The Disciplinary Committee? Why are there so much of them?"
"Since there was that kind of incident last weekend, it's natural that they would be tense," Reborn explained. Tsuna was the one shaking this time as he shook in his shoes.
"I wonder if it really is someone who has something against the Disciplinary Commitee..."
"Maybe. They can be pretty frightening..." Tsuri continued. "Hibari"-san does control most of the town's safety. Maybe they're trying to get back at him or something."
"That's not it."
The twins jumped in surprise at the new voice present and faced the leader of the commitee itself, Hibari Kyoya.
"H-Hibari-san!"
"W-We were just on out way to school and..." Tsuna waved his hands in front of him in defense. "I'm not bad mouthing you or anything."
"But she is", Reborn pointed at the blue faced teen hiding behind Tsuna.
"I'm not bad mouthing anybody!" Tsuri defended herself before the prefect could even lay a tonfa much less a hand on her. She swore she wouldn't let herself he touched by the prefect. Not after he stole her first kiss a few months ago.
"We'll be on our way Hibari-san. I'm sorry."
Before she could even begin to reclaim at Reborn, Hibari looked behind the small Sawada crowd. He swiftly took Tsuri's wrist in his hands to move her aside, and a body tumbled on the floor. A man in his late 30s the most, wearing a doctor's coat and a most disgusting look on his face.
"Dr. Shamal!"
"Man that hurt", the hitman doctor rubbed his head soothingly from the hard hit. "Why'd you do that?"
"I felt malicious intent," Hibari narrowed his eyes at the doctor.
"Oi, Tsuri. You should thank Hibari-san!" Tsuna waved a hand over her face. "Huh?"
Reborn frowned. Tsuri wasn't budging an inch, glued in place. His eyes widened slightly before reverting back to his secretive look.
It was happening again. She couldn't feel her legs. They felt as if a ton of bulldozers had rolled over them, rendering them unmoveable. She knelt down to numb the feeling but it just made it worse. Tsuna watched as she angled her head toward the sky. Her eyes… they were blank, and blinded. Almost like Futa's did when he was in his ranking mode.
There was a pulling sensation on her hair and a metallic smell of blood wafted through her breathing passage making her almost gag. Tsuna flinched and experienced uneasiness when a line of blood visibly trailed down from her mouth.
Hibari wasn't concerned, but he was clearly taken aback. He hadn't made any violent movements to cause her to collapse and bleed. What was going on?
"Tsuri! Are you okay?! You're bleeding!" Tsuna picked her up and supported her right arm above his shoulders.
'Please tell me this isn't another one!'
"Sakura petals..." the girl murmured. "They're stained with blood."
It took a slap from Reborn to bring her back to earth. Her blank pupils now had light in them, and Tsuri was no longer in her trance. Tsuna prepared to catch her in case she did pass out again, but weirdly enough she didnt. She blinked, took her surroundings, rubbed her cheek angrily and asked them what had just happened.
Dr. Shamal exchanged a knowing glance with the baby hitman but the doctor only shook his head. "It was an impulse, sorry. There's no sakura around during this season, so he should be alright."
"Yeah."
'But Baka-Tsuri's prediction somehow gives me a bad feeling.'
"What are you doing here?" Tsuna asked the trident assassin as he rubbed Tsuri's back reassuringly. Tsuri responded quite well to the warm rubs, but she couldn't help but feel fear at the pit of her stomach. Did she pass out again? Why was everyone but Tsuna distressed? Did that happen again? If so, she should be knocked out or something. Why was she standing, and why was her head pulsing a million times per minute?
"I heard the rumors," Shamal said. "I thought I'd protect the girls from them. Especially you, Tsuri-chan.~ "
Tsuri wiped her mouth with a tissue she randomly found inside her bag and wrinkled her nose. "No thank you. I can take care of myself and if you touch me I'll aim for your crotch."
Shamal tried to get closer despite the threat. She hated this doctor in more ways than one, and his despicable impulsive perverted things. She punched him straight in the gut, kicked where she said she would and onto the pole he had hit earlier.
Hibari noticed their crowd was "growing" and was going to swing a tonga for them to get out of his space when his cell phone rang.
"Midori tanabiku~ Namimori no~ Dai naku shou naku-" the twins turned their heads to Hibari's back and their school anthem ceased playing.
Hibari glanced at Tsuna. "You're both friends with Sasagawa Ryohei, correct?"
Tsuna paled. "Y-Yes?"
"He's been attacked."
Seeing Ryohei in various casts was a sight. The boy was reckless, impulsive and loud, but he was capable of seeing himself away from getting extremely hurt. On a hospital bed and rendered bedridden was upsetting.
Tsuri took back the unintended pun when they left his room. She held in a gasp when she saw that the hospital was full of Nami-chuu students, afraid of even being near the campus and get targeted by whatever or whoever was harming students.. Their parents didn't know and she prayed that Nana didn't check up on their attendance today or watched the news. She made sure to text Gokudera that they wouldn't be coming to school. They had all planned to meet at the shopping district. Maybe he'd stay put if she read her text.
Reborn wasn't full of smirks and remarks today either. His whole face was serious and it worsened when Leon's tail fell off signaling a bad omen. He checked on the Vice President of the Disciplinary Committee. He had been fine earlier. Now he was on a gurney, bleeding and suffering broken bones.
Reborn showed the twins a pair of pocket watches as Kusakabe was led to nearest emergency room.
"There's no mistake. They're trying to pick a fight with you two."
He then showed them how the minute hand and the hour hand were stuck on numbers, one from the watch that Kusakabe had, and the one Sasagawa Ryohei was found with. Marked 5 and 4 with the hour hand.
"This is a countdown. Look at this list."
"What list?"
"This is a ranking of the strongest people in Namimori."
Ranking? Tsuri's face began to lose all color and felt dread on the pit of her stomach come back full force.
Tsuna took it in his hands, lost as to what it meant.
Tsuri wanted to smack him on the face for being an idiot. Tsuna was panicking, she couldn't blame him for overseeing something so simple.
Futa made it. He would never disclose important information like this; accurate enough for the enemy to track down. Unless…
He was being held hostage.
She knew it. The note was a lie. Futa would never leave, especially since he had grown so fond of their home. She would have never let him leave.
She grew angry, the pocket watch's front glass breaking as her grip tightened around it.
"Who's next on the list?"
Tsuna scanned the numbers. Passing 10, 6, 5…
"Gokudera Hayato Number 3."
"Gokudera-kun is the next target!"
At Kokuyo Land
"Ne, Mukuro-san? Did you beat the crap out that Nami-chuu boss?"
"Well he wouldn't be unconscious now in the other room if wasn't."
Joshima Ken, the only blonde in the room started to laugh. So much for looking tough, that leader from Namimori.
"By the way, where's Chikusa?"
"He went off to hunt down target number three. He's probably thinking how troublesome it is and all that."
The blue haired boy relaxing on a chair in the middle of the bowling room chuckled slightly. "I understand how he feels, not to get a 'hit'. By the way Ken, you said you saw her not too long ago?"
Ken turned to Mukuro and nodded. "She bumped into me carrying some coffee for who knows what, wearing her Namimori uniform."
A silence ensued the room for a little while. "Mukuro-san, how exactly did you know about the cherry blossoms -pyon?"
"Our dear little hostage, Ranking Fuuta just so happened to spy on Sawada Tsukairi when her Vongola Augury intuition was activated by the skylark. It was very useful indeed."
"You sound very interested in this runt..."
"Well of course I am. She has abilities we don't know of Ken. The little Vongola's aren't only going to be my vessels, but my toys as well."
"They're going to help me destroy the mafia from the inside."
...
...
...
Tsuri tapped her foot angrily. Reborn broke her cell phone with Leon. Not even a sorry, just an "His shapeshifting is out of control." She wanted to scream. How else was she supposed to contact the bomber? Tsuna had suggested a pay phone but that wasn't helping either.
"What the hell?! Is his phone dead or something?!" Tsuri banged the pay phone back in its place. "I swear the next time I see Haru I'm going to tie her to a post!"
Haru, Lambo and I-pin had showed up with a net earlier to catch Tsuna and Tsuri as they headed towards the shopping district. Though Tsuna was trying to soften his urgency, Tsuri was sure that she had said some unfriendly things for how rushed her nerves were.
"You said the shopping district isn't far from here right?" Tsuna began running again. Clues. He needed clues. Someone was targeting them. Then he remembered what Tsuri had said months ago.
Something about shops and… was it needles?
It was a stretch, but there were no other hints of what to expect except believe her words.
"Tsuri, do you really not remember what you told Gokudera-kun when you fainted?"
"Here we go again. I've ben repeating the same thing over and over!" she yelled. "How will that even help us right now!"
"It does if it'll help him when we get there!" Tsuna paused every second, running out of breath. "You said something about shops and poisoned needles making it hard for you to breathe."
Tsuri's brain run at the last part, triggering her memory 'Its hard to breathe. My chest hurts…'
"I said WHAT?"
"If Kusakabe came back injured that must mean something happened to Hibari-san. You also said things to him. You didn't faint this time, so now you believe me?" Tsuna continued, his pace getting a little slower. He wasn't really good at running laps at school, but this wasn't even school and he felt as if he had signed up for track and field.
"Stop it! I can't tell the future!" Her feet started slowing down as the realization downed.
''He does have a point. I said some mysterious things to Hibari-san back there... if 'he didnt come back then just maybe…'
'Sakura petals… they're stained with blood.'
It wasn't even spring yet. No cherry blossoms were around right now. Tsuna was being absurd.
A faint sound of explosions resounded in the background. Tsuna' and Tsuri picked up their pace. "This is bad. Very bad! Oi, run faster!"
She hoped she wasn't right. She hoped with all her might they they'd get there on time and save him before he ended up just like she said.
'Gokudera, please be okay when we get there!'
To be continued...
REVIEW RESPONSES! :3
CresentFlame: Why thank you c: I will continue it with my dying will!
My Name Is Alice: Glad you think my story is interesring and thank you for your review. I'll try to slow down on it. Practice makes perfect right?
As of Emile, yep he's gonna die D: ;_; But you guys'll take a surprise during the Varia Arc so don't think I'm being cruel. You'll see our little Emile again, or hear...or read... You get my point ;3
Til the battle!
Ciao~!