Authors note at the end along with review replies!
Disclaimer is the same as always. -sigh-
Edited 6/5/24
Chapter 17: Eighth Guardian
Iemitsu expected the call to go through mailbox instead, since he knew his dear co-worker never answered her phone during her job. Although happy she was obeying orders, it was ticking him off a little that she couldn't at least answer once. The phone was still ringing and ringing, and going into voicemail once again. The blond man sighed in frustration before deciding to try again one more time.
It actually went through.
There was an aggressive pant. "WILL YOU STOP BUGGING ME?! CANT YOU SEE IM THE MIDDLE OF AN IMPORTANT JOB COLO-"
Iemitsu cleared his voice, making the other one pause. "...This isn't Colonello, is it?"
"Lal, why aren't you answering your phone?"
"I-Iemitsu! I'm in the middle of a job! What the hell do you want!" The voice snapped angrily.
"That can wait. I've just come home to Japan, and I found out some information that might interest you."
"Like what? I don't wanna hear about how your reunion with your wife and your 'adorable kids' went-"
"I know Lal."
Lal Mirch was a tough person, not taking anyone's shit lightly. She didn't flinch nor fear at any given moment and her boss, Iemitsu, was someone she admired and respected greatly. He couldn't scare her one bit unless he were beyond angry. This could be one of those rare moments. She gulped at the question. "What the hell are you going on about?"
"My daughter just confessed to be about an hour ago that she knew about the mafia! The MAFIA Lal!"
A groan from the other line. "They were bound to know sooner or later..."
"She also told me she met a co-worker of mine and gave her more juicy details about me. I wonder who that is..." Iemitsu said darkly.
"Maybe it was someone else."
"Mhm... Care to explain how you know my daughter?"
"... Okay fine," the other voice sighed in defeat. "Yes I know your kid. Tsukairi was it? She saw me keeping watch on your house when you called in about her kidnapping."
Iemitsu sighed too. "So the great Lal Mirch failed on being incognito in front of a ten year old. How amusing."
"And how amusing it is that the father didn't know how to explain to his son why he had a gun hidden in his room," Lal retorted. "You shot it towards the tree I was in. You have yourself to blame for blowing my cover."
Iemitsu cried silent tears of guilt. "So youre saying this is my fault?!"
"Obviously. So, did she finally snap at you?"
The father shrunk. "…She even cursed in front of me."
The other line snorted. "You had that coming Iemitsu. You've always been given permission from the Ninth himself to go back home and you've declined them all. I told you too. Kids at that age tend to develop grudges for absent parents. So guess what? You caused this, you fix it."
"How?"
"How the hell should I know? I'm not the one with kids."
"You know, I expected some good detailed advice from my fellow work partner."
"Then you should have called Oregano instead you idiot. Ah shit!" A sound of an explosion sounded through the phone, making Iemitsu raise an eyebrow. "We can talk later Iemitsu! I'm gonna kill that new intern you brought! Get over here you bastard-!"
"Lal! I'm not-" the call suddenly cut off and the blond was left talking with himself. He ruffled his hair in frustration, putting his cell back in his pocket and opening the closet's door, with Nana looking at him questioningly in the hallway, holding a tray of cookies and some tea. "Dear, why are you in the closet?"
Iemitsu felt bullets of sweat run down behind his back. "I-I was just checking for termites! Ahaha, you know how houses these days tend to get destroyed by that cursed pest!"
Nana blinked, then smiled, giving Iemitsu the notion that his lie was bought. One of these days, he thought, he'd run out of lies to excuse himself from impending doom.
...
...
Tsuri stared at the black box she held with curiosity. "So these are the Vongola Rings?" She asked. "What are they for? Accessorize mafia men and make them look cool for murder?"
Dino laughed nervously at the small unintended jab. "Proof of inheritance. When Tsuna wears it he is officially a candidate for the tenth generation boss of Vongola ," Dino explained, putting his hands behind his head. "Man, I wish our family had heirlooms like those."
"So they're like a crown?"
"Not technically but along those lines, yeah."
Tsuri glared at the box. "So because of these stupid heirlooms, we were attacked by that long haired guy?"
Dino laughed a little. "I wouldn't necessarily call them stupid..."
"But they are stupid!" Tsuri pointed at the box accusingly. "If "they're passing the lines down to people like this then all it does is cause trouble! Why did my dad put us at risk now!"
"Your dad brought them because Tsuna's family was chosen to take on the roles as his guardians. It's inevitable, Tsuri." The brunette wanted to throw the box out the nearest window and sensing a spike of irritation, the blonde quickly rushed to her seat and took the rings from her lap. Dino sighed in relief. Reborn would have killed both of them if he found them lying around somewhere.
"I just don't get it... Why do we have to be apart of this?" Tsuri murmured, her free hand gently touching her injury on her left arm. Dino sat on the chair next to her and patted her head again.
"I've wondered the same thing when I was your age, before I took over the Cavallone Family. I was exactly like Tsuna, always running away from my position and saying I wasn't going to take over as boss," he said, remembering his younger days. "But then my dad died, and my family was put in danger, so I had to chose. I felt like I was being cornered into a wall."
Dino grinned, and it was a smile that told Tsuri that their older brother figure was being honest with his feelings. "My father had left me this mafia family, one that he had struggled to restore, for one sole reason. To learn how to be strong and protect. Not only myself and those within the circle, but those outside it too."
Tsuri glanced at the floor gloomily. "So you chose to give up your personal desires?" She asked, somewhat bothered that he gave up the chance to build his own life. "You could've chosen to be selfish and left it up to another person. Why sacrifice that part of yourself?"
"Keeping my loved ones safe from harm was my personal desire. And I won't lie, I wanted to be selfish, and run farther that anyone to chase another life for myself. But my dad was counting on me. His memory. So to fulfill that, I followed Reborn's advice. I took the job. He may be a devil Spartan and showed me hell, but he's made me who I am today."
Tsuri pursed her lips in thought. Reborn was a pain in the ass for them too since he came. Being a mafia boss was the least thing they'd expect to choose as their career. "You're saying Tsuna and I should just accept this easily like one two three? Just like you did? I',m sorry Dino-san, but this is different," Tsuri shook her head. "Tsuna was left with this legacy. So why should I suck it up top and take on my role as well? I'm not needed."
Dino tilted his head in curiousity. "You have a role too?"
Tsuri put a hand to her throbbing forehead. "He says I'm fit to become Vongola Mezza or something like that..."
Dino choked on his saliva and Tsuri had to tap his back to get him back to earth. "W-What? Is he serious? That position hasn't been filled in since Vongola Primo's time! It could cause a major drift between your family!" Dino shouted, not noticing that the loud noise was causing Basil to stir in his sleep. The two bodies sitting down beside the bed winced and decided that it was best to whisper.
"For an alliance family, you sure do know your stuff about the Vongola."
"Reborn forced me to learn Mafia History when I was in high school..." Dino confessed, his body slouching significantly. "It was the worst year of my entire life."
Tsuri giggled, recognizing the face of terror the Cavallone boss wore. Maybe she shouldn't have asked since the boy was lost in his memories and shivering. "You're really a lot like Tsuna and I. Are you sure we aren't related?" She pointed out teasingly.
Dino noticed her soft smile come back and laughed. "I mean who knows, maybe." As the duo laughed silently Reborn stood by the doorway, waiting to inform Tsuri the serious side of the situation at hand.
The next day
While Reborn explained the information of the rings to Tsuna and her friends inside the hospital lobby, Tsuri decided to leave without a word and make a head start for Nami Chuu to resume working. Her mind was too stressed, and she needed something to take her mind off the conversation she'd had with the baby hitman. It was a weekend, and review classes were going on, but at least being in the reception room would let her focus on something else for a while...
Dino opened the box she had almost thrown out the window, revealing 7 strange looking rings. Each had a different drawing symbol in the middle, but the one in the middle of them was much, much different in appearance. "These are the Vongola Half Rings," he explained, noticing how Tsuri looked at the rings weirdly. "And your ring is right here..."
Dino carefully placed the black box on the table in front of them and lifted the platform with the rings, revealing a hollow bottom. The Cavallone boss then entered his hand and pushed a little door with the Vongola insignia inside the hollow space and took out two things; a necklace with a shield shaped pendant, and a black silver and thinner version of the middle ring she saw recently, except the difference was that the one Dino was holding had seven colorless gems surrounding the middle insignia shield and that it was whole. He handed them to Tsuri, who hesitantly held out her palm to grab them. She traced the spikey star shape on the pendant and looked at Reborn, waiting for his explanation.
"Each ring was based on the personalities and characteristics the first generation had. While the others include rain, storm lightning, cloud, mist and sun, yours and Tsuna's rings are entirely different. They're the rings of the Boss."
Tsuri almost dropped the jewelry on the floor.
"The diamond in the night sky that leads the troubled to their haven and illuminates their path, the Ring of the Star and Starry Sky Pendant. You are the second boss of the Vongola, Vongola Mezza."
Tsuri's occupied hand began to feel extremely heavy.
"You will aid Tsuna to run the family. Your ring is not a Half, because your position is not one that can be fought for," Dino explained, making the tutor pull his fedora in annoyance. If Reborn hated anything, it was mostly being interrupted. Reborn sent a kick to Dino's face and getting the message, Dino backed away. "Okay okay fine! I'm sorry!"
The only female present sweat dropped.
"The eighth ring is said to be a myth among the Vongola Family, and hasn't been seen nor used since Primo's time. It's actually real. It was created to help the first boss carry the purpose of the group and to lessen the burden he had to hold by himself, the position was split into two. Mezza means half in Italian."
Tsuri nodded, letting her tutor know she was keeping up despite the overwhelming sensation in her chest she couldn't control.
"There was a problem with the existence of Vongola Mezza. Afterr their death, and Primo declaring his retirement and a deadly dispute of having two bosses controlling the family was sparked. Having a two way affair of power, especially if they were with siblings, only meant preference and abuse of power. Many would choose sides and become disloyal to the main boss. Once Vongola Secondo came into power, he banished this rule and hid the ring and the pendant so no one could find it and enforce the role again."
Tsuri lifted the chain higher where the two object were dangling from. "Then why has it come back again if it'll only cause problems for Tsuna?"
"Nono chose you to help Tsuna. He thought he needed all the help he can get, especially a guide. Who better than his twin sister?" Reborn crossed his arms, emitting a serious aura. "The first Vongola Mezza helped Primo as boss and as a guardian to build the family into the strong one that exists today. Just because you are declared second in authority does not mean that you will be in front. Tsuna will, and you'll be the light to show him the path he must follow. The guardians as well."
Tsur groaned. "Then doesn't that mean I'm technically his literal right hand man woman? This actually sounds better since Tsuna always shoves me to the front in certain situations…" Tsuri did a double take. "Wait, why the hell am I making it sound like I'm accepting this! I don't want to be responsible to such an objected role! Take this back, I don't want it!"
Reborn sighed. "Shut up and listen Baka-Tsuri. You only need to wear it around your neck until Nono informs and announces this to the others so the rule can be enforced again. After this, it's official. When Tsuna becomes boss then he will have the choice whether to or not to reveal the existence of the eighth position to the next generation."
The brunette sighed, hiding the necklace under her shirt. "I'll wear it for now but I meant what I said. I will not accept it."
"You have to. Secondo placed another rule saying if it is revealed to the eighth guardian candidate that the star ring exists and has seen it, they are permanently chosen without consent. If they refuse, they need to cut off all relations with the people involved in the mafia and never interact with them again. That includes family."
Present Tsuri felt dead. If she refused to become the star guardian and Vongola Mezza, she would never see her family or her friends again. She would never see Tsuna ever again. Or Yamamoto, Gokudera and the others. Stupid Secondo. Stupid lineage. Stupid mafia!
She felt icky. This was definitely not what she asked for. She'd never have a peaceful, danger free future she'd been hoping to have. She'd hope that for her future she'd graduate, fall in love and settle down, have a family and deal with life as it came. It'd be safe, loving, secure… so why the hell was it being squashed underneath the Vongola's shoes? This wasn't fair at all. They were just kids. She had dreams too!
Tsuri passed the main gate of her school, her sulking body passing near a window before suddenly feeling something cold splash all over her. She sucked in her breath, the winter air hitting her all at once.
"Oh my god!" The culprit near the window, holding a water bucket cried. Tsuri's eyes traveled up to the second floor of her school to see the girl sticking her head out the window.
"I'm so sorry Sawada-san! I didn't see you there! I was trying to get Kotari-san! Honest!" The girl apologized over and over with the bucket in hand. Tsuri recognized her as one of the people inside her class whom always pulled low key pranks and never got caught by the teachers. The thing about her pranks, she always ended up catching someone else instead of the designated person. She sighed. Could her day get any worse?
The flames dancing around her body only made the girl feel worse about herself, thinking that she probably ruined the poor girl's day. Tsuri squeezed some water out of her skirt and shared a tired smile at the person who threw water down at her. "Sawada-san! Are you alright! I am so so sorry!"
"It's fine! Don't worry about it!" 'Like hell its okay! Hibari-san won't let me live if he sees me like this...' She sighed. 'Maybe I should stop by the nurse's office instead and get some pain killers from Shamal... Maybe my clothes will dry before I get to the reception room." Tsuri made her way inside the school, water going here and there but she didn't care. What she didn't notice were a bunch of boys and girls behind her in the locker room. Some of the males looked like they were about to die of blood loss while the girls blushed too heavily to let their female classmate know what they saw.
Shamal's eyes looked like they were going to bulge out of their sockets. Literally. Tsuri gave him an irritated expression at how his face looked. Was that blood under his nose? And was he drunk again?
"Um... Something wrong?"
"T-Tsuri-chan, you're still too young for this..." The doctor held his nose and looked away towards the wall. "I refuse the offer!"
"What the hell are you going on about now?"
Shamal pointed without turning at her chest, where her shirt was soaked wet... revealing something that shouldn't be seen.
Tsuri blushed and quickly grabbed a sheet from the nearest bed in the room. "Y-You are sick! I wasn't even- I didn't even- Mou!" She shouted angrily. "I came to get some painkillers! If I knew I looked like this I wouldn't even have bothered coming in here!"
"Painkillers?" Shamal trailed off as he saw the damp bandages on her left upper arm, the pattern of the wound clearly visible. "Should I even ask how a middle school female student got such a foul injury?"
She titled her head. "You're in the mafia. Isn't it obvious?"
Shamal sighed, grabbing the first aid kid and an extra uniform he had stored in one of his desk drawers. Tsuri didn't even want to ask how he got it or why he had it.
"Give me your arm. I'll re-bandage it."
Tsuri lowered the sheet covering her and used it as a temporary towel. "You and your brother need to seriously stay out of trouble," the doctor muttered, finishing the said touches on the bandage and leaving the little bag with aspirin pills on the bed. "Especially you. You're a girl. You shouldn't be scarring your body like this." Tsuri rolled her eyes.
"After you're done changing, take the pills."
"I'll change when you get out of the room."
"Now that's a request I'd gladly refuse."
The door of the nurse's office quickly swung open, a young teen wearing his signature scowl standing in place. "Oi Shamal I need to talk to you-" His forest green orbs were glued to Tsuri's soaked see through shirt. He could feel his whole vision going pink and a wet sensation trickling down his nose…
Smack!
"OW! What the hell is wrong with you!" Gokudera rubbed his stinging cheek. She glared at the two male figures, agitation and something else bubbling up inside her stomach.
"Who knew you could be such a pervert! The brunette bellowed. "Have the decency to turn!"
"Then cover up dammit!" The bomber answered shutting his eyes at once. The images in his head wouldn't disappear, causing him to turn very pink.
"Oi Oi Hayato, " The nurse worriedly glanced towards Gokudera. "Control yourself."
'You're one to talk' Tsuri inwardly muttered.
"You're acting as if you've never seen one."
"I haven't you pervert! I'm not like you!" The silver head declared, opening his eyes and looking away instantly. "Why is the stupid woman even here?!"
Tsuri grabbed the extra blouse and skirt the nurse handed to her earlier and began unbuttoning her shirt. "I came for some aspirin. My arms been killing me." The two men froze at the action, one anticipating it while the other brought his hands up in protest. Tsuri paused. "Why are you flinging your arms all around like an idiot!"
"P-Pull the curtain and get dressed behind it you idiot!"
"You guys already saw. So why should I have to cover up now?" Tsuri laughed creepily, scaring the bomber and doctor. "Now I won't be able to get married. It's better that way... Hahaha..."
Gokudera pushed Shamal away with force, shoved Tsuri to the nearest corner and pulled the blue curtain harshly to shield her. "As if you have anything to show."
A very loud growl was heard behind the curtain. "Say that again. I'll tear your eyes out." Tsuri slid the curtain back and dusted her new dry uniform. The silver head could see that her face looked unusually irritated more than usual. His eyes traveled and caught glimpse of a silver chain carrying two objects, one that looked like the ring his boss was wearing and a pendant that resembled his own.
"You say that, and yet you couldn't help but blush like a little school girl in love," Shamal mumbled under his breath and smirked.
Gokudera did his best and brushed Shamal off, running his hands over his hair in frustration. He focused his attention to Tsuri, who had a stunned expression on her features. "Gokudera, you have one of those rings too?" She said, pointing at his left hand.
The silver head stared at his finger. "Of course! Why wouldn't I have one? I was chosen by Juudaime himself!" He said proudly while showing it off.
"Let me see it." Tsuri jumped and stretched her good arm, pulling his hand towards her to get a better glimpse. Gokudera, clearly caught off guard, blushed at the contact and tried pulling his hand away. Shamal raised an eyebrow. Was it possible that his ex-student had something other than hate for the female Sawada?
"H-Hey!"
"Stop moving! Ah it looks exactly like my pendant! Except yours has a..." She brought the hand closer. "A tornado." She examined the design. "Hm, so your our storm guardian?"
Gokudera was trying to keep a nonchalant face despite the tip of his ears and his cheeks turning red, but Shamal knew him for many years to know when he was embarrassed about something. "Our? I've never accepted to be your storm guardian, stupid woman! I'm Juudaime's and his only!" He fumed. "And how were you chosen as a guardian too!"
Tsuri's eye twitched in annoyance. "Not only a guardian, but also as boss. Have you forgotten octopus head?"
Shamal busied himself by staring at his hands in curiousity, purposely eavesdropping in the conversation.
"B-B-Boss!? NO WAY AM I SERVING YOU!"
Tsuri rolled her eyes and huffed. "I'm not asking you to. All I need is to be next to my brother… Huh, it almost sounds like I'm his right hand man," She stuck out her tongue and smirked at his infuriated scowl.
His cheeks were blazing with anger now. "Like hell you're stealing my position!"
Tsuri forgot about her current mental turmoil on the Mezza role and hadn't even noticed herself already accepting. "Already have! See this around my neck? It's already been decided! Looks like I win." The silver head growled at the same time the brunette did, giving Shamal the cue to intervene before things got ugly.
"Maa maa you two. Respect each other. I know being in a relationship is hard when you have priorities..."
"Hah?!" The two shouted at the doctor. "What makes you think we're together!?"
Shamal gave one of his cheesy grins he saved when he was either drunk or trying to hit on girls and pointed somewhere. "You two like to bicker like a married couple." The two teens rolled their eyes at each other. "It's one of the first proving signs."
"Choke yourself."
"Shamal!" Gokudera shouted.
"Did one of you come to ask for relationship advice?" The doctor waved the two students off and reached out for his beer, taking another swing. "My first tip is to grope them first."
Tsuri's mouth twitched. 'Kamisama I beg you, please send Hibari-san to the nurses office. Please.'
Gokudera blushed. "That's not it! I came to see if..." Gokudera turned to the doctor, his face looking slightly hesitant and afraid. "You want to make me your student?"
Student? Tsuri killed her animosity and replaced it with shock. Shamal, the pervert doctor, train Gokudera the hothead?
The doctor's playful drunk expression instantly and turned to the door. "No thanks. I don't have time to babysit brats."
Gokudera's fists balled up. "I'll do anything! Just a little bit of practice everyday, just like before! Please!"
"Don't you remember what I told you the day I left? You don't see it. You don't value it. So no." The doctor said seriously and shook his head in disappointment. "I'm already sick of you. If that's what you want, go home." The doctor's gaze made Tsuri stare at the bomber in concern.
"Gokudera..." She extended a hand out but all he did was ignore it and turn away.
"..." He stayed quiet, and left without a word.
As if the conversations they had never happened, Tsuri was now left alone in the nurse's office, staring at her hand while trying to figure out why Shamal's sentence sounded strangely familiar to her. As if she'd heard it, in his voice. But how could she?
So many things to stress out about now and school wasn't even one of them. She smacked her cheeks twice to snap out of it and gulped down the medication the trident mosquito assassin left for her. She'd ditch the reception room for today. Hibari could live without seeing her.
'I need to find Reborn.' She held the chain where her cursed objects were. 'If I want to get even with that sword freak, then I'm going to need to make some improvements.'
...
...
Along the sidewalk of Nami-Chuu, a girl stood, her body leaning onto a nearby wall, waiting. She gripped her Kokuyo jacket tightly, feeling a bit insecure. She had followed his orders to come and check on the person he wanted to see. But what if they got the wrong place? Or what if they already left for home? Her violet eyes scanned the area once more, her urge, or well the other person's urge, growing more antsy as the seconds passed by.
'Mukuro-sama?' She pointed out inwardly. The person inside her head chuckled, though she could hint out the slight desperation he was feeling. And how he was masking his slight excitement too. Huh. That was funny actually, Mukuro-sama. Being excited.
'Kufufufu...it's nothing, my cute little Chrome.I'm not excited at all.'
She blinked, her eyes filling with curiosity at the source of it. 'Who might it be, Mukuro-sama?' She asked. There was silence. Chrome Dokuro, a new addition to the newly prision escapee Kokuyo gang stared at the ring on her finger, and turned to check the gates once more. Someone was exiting the school, and the conscious in her mind spiked up at once.
Chrome studied the girl and blinked in surprise. She looked just like the photo that strange man brought to her and Mukuro-sama a month before enrolling to Kokuyo, except the figure wasn't male. She was female. And she looked like she was in a hurry.
'This is Sawada Tsunayoshi's twin sister. Sawada Tsukairi. Keep an eye on her and the other Vongola in my stead, Chrome.'
'Of course Mukuro-sama, but shouldn't you say hello? I can sense that you have been anticipating to greet her...'
The young girl felt the pineapple head's excitement die down rapidly. 'The timing isn't right. I will see her soon, that I know for sure.'
'And when I do, I'm never letting her out of my sight again.'
Review Replies from 2015ish:
Images of the Lost: You went ahead of me my friend. There's something like that included in my plot. But I won't spoil it. •3•
Nezumi-chwan: No no don't slap yourself! It's completely okay! At first I was a little confused haha ^^' About the plot, it will mainly stick to canon but there will be some twists here and there to fit in the plot bunny I have for Tsuri. Thanks for the encouragement I really appreciate it! Much love!
Thank you again for your support and love~ Don't forget to tell me what you think~! College has begun and I need some motivation! Reviews are a good start~
-BLU