Chapter 3: Training and New Year
The next day, Tsuna is sicken with something called the Skull Disease from getting shot a total of ten times by the dying will bullet and if he isn't cured by the next two hours he will die. Kouga and Ruki runs around the town to look for a doctor called Doctor Shamal, who has the cure for Tsuna, but turns out that he only cures women. After much conviction, Shamal gives the cure to Tsuna by using a mosquito with three prong stingers. Reborn tells the three that Shamal is usually a doctor, but he is also a hitman called 'Trident Shamal' and uses 666 Trident Mosquitoes that each have a fatal illnesses-causing bacterium to make his enemies become ill.
The next couple of days are as crazy. There is the time that Lambo went to deliver Tsuna's lunch but was mixed up with the box of Nitro-glycerin that I-Pin was delivering. With luck, they manage to get the lunch in prevent an explosion. It turns out that when I-Pin is very embarrassed, she would cause an enormous explosion that could destroy the entire city.
Then there is the time that Haru and Kyoko are accidentally poisoned by the Gyoza buns that I-Pin has treated them. Quickly realizing it, Kouga prevents his sister from eating it. Reborn end up shooting Tsuna causing him to enter Dying Will Mode and with his running around the streets looking for I-Pin's master to get the antidote.
And then, Reborn decides to train Gokudera, Yamamoto, Kouga, and Ruki. Shamal also became the school's doctor, causing Ruki to creep out at the fact that Shamal tries to flirt her the first time they met and in the end, Ruki uppercuts the perverted doctor to the sky. First with Yamamoto, he was asked to throw a small ball that suddenly turns into a spike ball that destroys the concrete wall. Later, the baseball fanatic is supposed to avoid the spiked balls fired by a small tank drove by Dino and Romario. Then Kouga and Ruki are forced to take part as both of them dodges swiftly. Not sure what happened with Gokudera whose training is indoors, but left afterwards with a depressed expression on his face.
Later, Yamamoto is supposed to hit the balls fired by the tank with the bat given by Reborn. At first, it was hard for him as he either barely touches the ball or even misses it. A missed shot was accidentally launches towards Kyoko who us being an audience there, invited by Reborn, but Tsuna grabs the ball in Dying Will Mode and throws it at the baseball fanatic. With a fast swing, the bat which was supposed to hit it, sliced in half. Yamamoto lifts it up to reveal a katana in its place. The bat, dubbed Yamamoto's Bat by Reborn, was explained to change from a bat to a katana when it reaches a max speed of 300 miles per hour.
Now it's the New Year as Kouga and Ruki are invited by Reborn to celebrate the New Year. Everyone that Reborn invited are in front of Tsuna's house as Tsuna ended up confused by his friends arriving at his house due to an unknown invitation. The current people there are: Tsuna, Yamamoto, Gokudera, Haru and Kyoko in their New Year's kimono and Kyoko's older brother, Ryohei in a black yukata.
"Why are you guys here?" Tsuna asks them.
"Oi!" They all turn around and in front of them are Kouga and Ruki wearing their New Years' kimono. For Kouga is dressed in a black kimono as Ryohei as for Ruki, she is dressed in beautiful kimono.
"Kouga-san! Ruki-chan!"
"Minna-san, Happy New Year." Ruki greets.
"H-Happy New Year…" Tsuna greets back.
"You two look great!" Haru complements.
"Thank you." Ruki replies.
"Ruki was having trouble putting it on, so our grandma helped her." Kouga informs them.
"Onii-sama!"
"Looks like everyone is here." The ground suddenly opens, revealing Reborn in a weird Japanese costume. "Ciaossu."
"Yet another unreasonable appearance." Tsuna comments.
"Yosh, you have all assembled." Reborn says. "We're about to begin the official Vongola Ceremonial Family New Year's Battle."
"What's that?"
"Hey, your opponents are here."
Everyone turns to see a truck carrying a group of people on it with one of them is Dino."
"Sorry to keep you waiting!" He shouts. "Everyone hop in!"
"Dino-san!" Tsuna and Kouga call aloud.
They board the truck and carry them to the riverside.
"The Cavallone Family has arrived." Dino announces.
"Thanks for coming." Reborn tells him.
Dino takes a look at the people around Tsuna. "So, this is your Family. I see there are new faces. This year's official Vongola Ceremonial Family New Year's Battle will definitely be interesting." Dino says.
"What is this Vongola Ceremony?" Tsuna asks his tutor.
"It's a Vongola tradition – a battle between allied families – which shows each other's enthusiasm for the New Year." Reborn explains.
"A battle? We're not going to shoot guns at each other, are we?"
"Not at all." Reborn answers his question. "Representatives compete in New Year's themed events to earn points towards the overall win." He shows the huge scoring board behind them.
"There's a very fancy reward for the victorious family." Dino adds.
"I see, it's just a game." Tsuna says in relief.
"But the losing side has to pay a one hundred million yen fine." Reborn adds.
"It's just as crazy as I thought it was!"
"It can't be helped, it's tradition."
"I hate the way you're talking right now."
"One hundred million yen would be nice, even if it's just a dream." Kyoko says cheerfully.
"It's such an exciting-sounding New Year's event!" Haru adds.
"They all think it's a game." Tsuna sighs.
"I can't help but to agree with you." Kouga sighs.
It's settled then.
"We'll begin! I'm the judge." Reborn announces.
"Win or lose, no grudges, Tsuna." Dino says to Tsuna.
"W-Why did this happened?" Tsuna questions to himself.
Reborn blows a conch shell, signaling the start of the event. "The first round, Omikuji (fortune slips, slips that are pulled from a box in hopes of good fortune)!"
"Omikuji?"
"That's right, there they are." The hitman says, pointing at the river. Tsuna turns around and spots a crocodile in the water.
"A crocodile?! Why is a crocodile here?"
"It's an Omikuji crocodile that I have imported from home."
"Omikuji crocodile?!" Everyone yells as the creature opens its mouth, revealing a bunch of slips in its jaws.
"Draw the slips from the crocodile's mouth." Reborn explains. "But if you don't pull your hand out before its mouth shuts…" He throws a wooden log into its mouth and the crocodile breaks it to bits with a snap of its jaw.
"That's dangerous!" Tsuna yells at him.
"What if someone gets hurt?!" Kouga questions him.
"A game needs thrills."
"Besides, how do you get points with slips?"
"Like this." Reborn shows a board with the known luck slips and the points for each slip. "Very Good Fortune 2 points, Better Fortune 1 point, Good Fortune 0 points, Bad Fortune -1 points, Very Bad Fortune -2 points."
"How sacrilegious…" Tsuna sweatdrops. "Then, having a croc doesn't matter at all!"
"It's tradition." Reborn retorts with a 'it can't be helped' tone.
"The way you say that pisses me off!"
"Yosh, leave this to me!" Ryohei says.
"Eh? Onii-san?" Tsuna says.
"I have this straight punch."
"The battle is between points on the fortune slips." Reborn tells him.
"I don't believe in fortunes. Because you decide your own destiny!"
"Oh, hayai!" Yamamoto comments.
"Expected of Sasagawa-san." Kouga praises.
He shots his hand into the mouth but it closes as his fist enters.
"O-Onii-san?" Tsuna stutters.
"H-Hahi, h-he's been eaten." Haru says, freaked out.
"O-Onii-chan!" Kyoko calls.
"EXTREME!" He yells as Ryohei pulls his hand out with great force and in it are a bunch of paper slips. "This is how I do things!"
"What's with grabbing so many slips?" Tsuna asks the boxer.
"My goal is to gain a great amount of points." He replies. "I'll pulls us ahead with this!"
"Oh!"
"But…" Kouga trails off as Reborn reads out the slips.
"Very Bad Fortune, Very Bad Fortune, Very Bad Fortune, Bad Fortune, Very Bad Fortune, Very Bad Fortune, Very Bad Fortune, Bad Fortune, Very Bad Fortune. -16 points." Reborn announces.
"Ah…"
"You're very unlucky, Sasagawa-san." Kouga says.
"Next, Cavallone."
Dino looks at Romario who nods and takes one slip from the crocodile.
"Better Fortune. 1 point." Reborn reads out the slip. "1 versus -16 points."
"Urh…"
"They pulled way ahead at once…" Tsuna mentally panics.
Reborn blows the shell again, signaling the start of the next match. "Next, Hanetsuki (Japanese Battledores)!" Two metal bats are dropped on the ground of both sides.
"What are these?" Tsuna asks.
"These are the battledores, made from steel and weighing 50 kilos." Reborn explains.
"50 kilos?!"
"And the shuttlecock is 2 kilos."
"Why do we have to play battledore with these?!"
"I told you, it's tradition." Reborn replies with puppy dog's eyes.
"Don't look at me with those puppy dog eyes!" Tsuna yells at him.
"Maa, it's fine." Yamamoto replies. "This kind of battledore seems fun."
"Huh?"
Yamamoto picks up the metal racket. "This is about the same as the bats that I used for swing practice."
"So-Sonata?" Yamamoto then swings the bat a few times with ease. "As expected of the sportsman Yamamoto." Tsuna's face lightens up. "I'm counting on you!"
"Then on our side…" Dino looks back. "Brutus!"
A giant man walks in front. "Okay, boss." Everyone looks shock of the tall man appearance. "Don't run away, boy."
Yamamoto smiles and they stand in a makeshift battledore field.
"If you drop the shuttlecock or hit it outside the court, you lose." Reborn announces.
"So it's like badminton."
"We're counting on you, Yamamoto." Tsuna tells him.
"The game is three points, and the winner will receive 20 points." The hitman adds. "Let's start!" He blows the whistle, starting the match.
Brutus serves, and Yamamoto hits it back, but the battledore knocks right out of his hand.
"Yamamoto!" Tsuna calls out.
"Amazing…" Yamamoto walks towards his fallen racket. "Now this is interesting."
"Are you all right?" The brunette asks.
"Yeah." Yamamoto assures him. "This is where the real right starts! Come on!"
"Matte." Reborn pauses the match and comes down from his seat. "Tsuna, come here."
"What is it, Reborn?" Tsuna asks and a black circle is painted on around his right eye. "Eh?! W-What are you doing?!"
"It's battledore. If you lose, you get your face inked." The hitman explains.
"Why me?!"
"The subordinate's mistake is the Boss' responsibility."
Sonna…"
Reborn blows the whistle and the second match start. Brutus serves again, and Yamamoto manages to hit back.
Yata!" Tsuna cheers.
No, it's no good." Gokudera says as Brutus smashes the shuttlecock at the baseball fanatic, knocking him backwards to the ground causing the Italian to smirk.
"Y-Yamamoto…"
However, he gets up. "Yosh. I've got it now."
"Is he invulnerable?" Brutus says in shock.
"Such hard game of battledore." Haru comments.
"Do your best, Yamamoto-kun!" Kyoko cheers.
"Yokatta…" Tsuna sighs.
Though Reborn paints another circle around his other eye and a black nose causing Tsuna to sob in defeat.
The third match goes on and Brutus serves yet again, and Yamamoto hits it yet again. Brutus gets ready to smash, but the baseball fanatic smirks.
Baseball gets interesting after two strikes!" He says as Yamamoto takes a baseball striking stance. Dino sees this and remembers that Yamamoto can slice the spike ball back during Reborn's training.
"Matte, Brutus!"
"Smash!" Brutus smashes the ball back towards Yamamoto who is ready to hit it. He swings his racket and the shuttlecock goes flying towards the large Italian causing him to duck as it continues to fly towards the sky.
"Hahaha, an out of the park homerun!" Yamamoto laughs.
*Whistle sound* "Out. Cavallone wins." Reborn announces.
"Gah…"
"Why did you hit out of the court?!" Gokudera yells at him.
"Oh yeah." The baseball fanatic apologizes. "Sorry, Tsuna."
"If things keep going this way, you'll be paying the one hundred million yen." Reborn tells Tsuna as he continues to paint his face, ending it up with one lens look and a painted scar.
"S-Sonna…"
"Vongola Family: -16 points. Cavallone Family: 21 points." Reborn announces the score. "The next battle is over karuta."
This time, Haru, Lambo, and I-Pin are taking part.
"Tsuna-san, I'm going to do my best!" Haru says.
"U-Um." Tsuna replies.
"No problem! During kindergarten, Haru was calls the karuta master by many relatives!"
"Oh… Really…" Tsuna sweatdrops.
"The age difference between kindergarten and middle school is really wide though…" Kouga points out.
"I'll read the cards." Reborn announces. "If you win, it will be 30 points.
"Let's do this!"
"Before we start, let's have a cup of tea."
"Hahi?!"
Reborn takes his time, enjoying the scenery and sipping his tea.
"So, let's start."
"Wait!" Everyone turns to see Ruki has her hand up. "I want to substitute with Haru-san."
"EH?! Are you sure, Ruki-chan?" Tsuna asks and Ruki turns to him.
"It's all right. I've played karuta before with our grandma."
"All right." Reborn accepts and Ruki switches Haru's place.
"Hey you three!" Gokudera yells at them. "If you lose, I won't let you get off easy."
"*In Chinese* I-Pin understand!"
"Nuahahahaha! Leave it to Lambo-san!" Lambo boasts. "Here I go!" He jumps onto one of the cards and it explodes.
"I haven't to read the card yet." Reborn tells him. "If you make a mistake, the card will explode."
"U-Unbelievable…"
"What a shame, Haru-chan." Kyoko says to Haru. "It looks like fun.
"I-I guess so." Haru hesitantly answers.
"Gotta… stay… calm…" Lambo chants as he slides back to his seat.
"Let's get started, the law of steel…"
"Ah! Got it!" Lambo jumps onto a card, but it explodes yet again.
"But he got the right card!" Tsuna shouts.
"Wait until I'm done reading before going for the cards." Reborn retorts causing Tsuna dead-panned.
"Gotta… stay… calm…"
"The law of steel, the Vongola is very close-" Lambo jumps onto the card with Tsuna's picture. "-but the boss isn't very reliable, he is Sawada Tsuna." The card explodes and sends the cow kid into the sky.
"Vongola, first member out."
"What do we do?" Tsuna panics.
"W-We still have Ruki and I-Pin!" Gokudera tells him.
"D-Demo…"
I-Pin kneels there, looking at the cards in front of her with Ruki.
"What are they doing?"
"It'll be okay." Yamamoto says cheerfully.
Ryohei nods in agreement. "A true master does not move around meaninglessly."
"Ah, I see! We're counting on you!" I-Pin nods as Ruki doesn't do anything.
"The next one is easy. My name is Katekyo Hitman Reborn!"
"There!" Ruki shouts as she swipes the card fast making it stab into Reborn's previous seat.
"H-Hayai…" Tsuna stutters.
"Your little sister is amazing." Yamamoto complements Kouga.
"This is nothin'." Ruki says in a different accent causing the Vongola team to look at her.
"It came." Kouga mutters.
"Compare to de matches with grandma, this is to easy."
"What is she saying?" Gokudera questions.
"Kansai accent?" Tsuna says.
"Looks like she's in her Kansai mode." Kouga says.
"What do you mean, Kouga-san?"
"Ever since Baa-chan gave lessons on karuta, Ruki looked into its history and somehow picked up kansai accent."
"Haruka-san played karuta?" Yamamoto asks.
"Yeah. Our back in her days, Baa-chan was called Karuta Queen from winning many competitions."
"Uwa!"
"Sugoi-desu." Both Kyoko and Haru are amaze at Kouga and Ruki's grandma.
As Reborn recites the card, Ruki immediately swipes each card before team Cavallone reached for them.
*Whistle sound* "Vongola win." Reborn announces.
"Yosh!" Ryohei shouts.
"Thanks to Ruki-chan we're saved." Yamamoto says.
As Ruki walks back to the group, Kouga has his hand up towards his sister.
"Otskare." Kouga says and Ruki claps her hand with his. "Did you get tired?"
"No." Ruki shakes her head. "I want to see this through." She says in a normal accent.
"Okay."
"Cavallone Family: 21 points. Vongola Family: 14 points." Reborn announces.
"Even though we won, we still haven't catch up. At this rate, we're going to lose." Tsuna panics.
"I'll go next!" Gokudera volunteers. "And I will definitely reverse the situation and meet your expectations!"
"I-I'm counting on you." The brunette says with some doubt.
"Leave it to me! So, what's next? Intelligence? Stamina?"
"The next battle is Fuku-warai." Reborn announces.
"Eh?"
Gokudera finishes the face however, it turns out horribly.
"You lost in such a weird way!"
"In its own way, it's art…" Haru comments.
"Gokudera-kun, sugoi!" Kyoko congratulates him.
"Cavallone Family: 51 points. Vongola Family: 14 points." Reborn announces.
"It's no good! At this rate, I'll be in debt by one hundred million yen!" Tsuna cries." I'll be in debt for one hundred million for the rest of my life!"
"Suminasen, Juudaime." Gokudera apologizes." It's because we were so worthless."
"Except for Ruki." Kouga comments.
"Shut up! You didn't even join in!"
"Tsuna, don't worry too much. We'll get this battle no matter what."
"Kouga's right." Yamamoto adds.
"We will extremely turn things around!" Ryohei shouts.
"Minna…"
"Tsuna." Dino walks up to him. "It may have been too hard for you, putting adults against kids. We could give you a handicap."
"Dino-san!"
"You have a point." Reborn discusses. "So let's discount everything so far."
"Oi!"
"Yay!" Tsuna cheers.
"This is taking a while, so whoever wins the next round, wins the game." The hitman announces. "If you lose, pay the one hundred million.
"Eh? Don't be unreasonable!"
"I guess. He doesn't change his mind so easily." Dino sighs.
"Eh?! You're just going to accept this?!"
"I'll add a bonus to this game too." Reborn adds. "The winner will take anyone from the other side."
"Reborn…"
"Then…" Dino looks around the group. "Alright, I have decided."
"Let's get this started." Reborn announces.
"Why did you make that rule?!" Tsuna tells at Reborn. "Think of all the trouble you're causing Kyoko-chan and the others!"
"Then just protect them."
"Eh?"
"It's the boss' job to protect his allies."
"Eh…"
~Later~
"All the team members are to participate in making rice cakes." Reborn announces. "The winner is whoever makes the best sweet bean rice cake for me."
"If we lose…" Tsuna says, picturing Kyoko with Dino on boat sailing away to Italy. "Kyoko-chan…"
"Juudaime! Let's win this!" Gokudera tells Tsuna.
"Eh?"
"Tsuna, look at Dino's team." Kouga tells the brunette. He looks at them, who are currently confused on what the equipment is supposed to do.
"I see! They are raised in Italy. So they wouldn't know how to make rice cakes!" Tsuna thought.
He turns around and sees Gokudera and Yamamoto crushing the rice with Ryohei cheering them on. The two kids cover the process from the other team. The girls are helping to make the sweat beans. "We might win this."
One of the men goes and asks Lambo and he goes on a rampage, throwing all the grenades. One accidentally rolls to the wooden barrel and it blows sending the rice cake flying.
"Oh no!"
"The rice cake that everyone did their best to make!" Tsuna thought.
"Even though this is cheating…" The chameleon named Leon, shape-shifts into a pistol and Reborn shoots the brunette. He falls back on the ground and a flame appears on his forehead. "REBORN!" Tsuna yells as he rips out his clothes. "I'LL PROTECT THE RICE CAKE WITH MY DYING WILL!" He jumps into the air and grabs the rice cake. As he is about to drop into the river, the crocodile from before rises from the water with its jaw wide open. "DON'T BOTHER US!" He steps the jaw and leaps back onto the shore, just in time.
A few moments later, time is up.
"Now we'll have a taste test, so bring it here." Reborn announces.
"We tried to make it, but…" Dino walks up and presents a badly made rice cake. "This is best we could do with what we know."
Reborn takes a bite. "It's flakey and it tastes bad."
"I thought as much…" Dino sighs. "And here was my chance to take Leon."
Tsuna smiles, relieved that Dino was looking at the lizard and not Kyoko.
"What are you grinning about?" Tsuna snaps out of his thoughts. "It's the Vongola's turn next."
He nods and opens the box, and purple fumes starts to come out of it.
"W-What the heck is this?!"
"I start to help out halfway." The brunette turns around and sees Bianchi in a purple kimono with Gokudera crouching on one corner, hugging his stomach.
"Bianchi!"
"You're… Poison Scorpion!" Dino cries.
"It's been a while." Bianchi greets Dino. "I guess the last time was when you were Reborn's student."
"We're definitely gonna lose now!" Tsuna cries.
"Eh? Why?" Kouga asks.
"Bianchi has the ability to turn anything she cooks poisonous." Tsuna tells him.
"EH?! Does that mean that the rice cake-"
"What do you mean by that? What matters is cooking is love." Bianchi retorts. "As long as there is love, a little poison is nothing."
"Even so…" Ruki trails off.
"Here you go, Reborn."
"Eh? For real?!" Tsuna shouts.
"Are you gonna eat that, Reborn?!" Dino asks.
For a moment later, three bubbles appear from his nose.
"He's fallen into his deepest sleep ever!" Tsuna cries.
"Silly Reborn, this part of you is cute too." Bianchi giggles. "We went to the trouble of making this, so you guys eat it."
"Eh? /Ah?!"
"Zzz… The side that can't eat it loses." Reborn sleep talks. "Pay one million… Zzz…"
"Don't say insane things in your sleep!"
"Don't be gracious. Now…" Bianchi offers the cake in front of them. Dino look at each other and they turn tail and run.
"I don't want it! /Stay away!" They scream as the poison cook chases them.
"Looks like this year will be crazy as the last one." Kouga comments.
"Yeah." Ruki agrees.