Chapter 10: The Awakening Time
The three teens and Reborn are looking at Mukuro's body that has been shot with blood splatter on the head.
"We couldn't capture him alive but there's nothing we can do about it now.
Tsuna suddenly feels a chill down his spine. "What is this feeling?" He thought.
Kouga feels the same chill. "Something's not right." He thought.
"You finally defeated, Mukuro." They tun their heads to find Bianchi slowly getting up.
"Aneki!"
"Thank goodness, Bianchi's woken up!" Tsuna exclaims.
"Don't push yourself," Reborn warns her.
"Will you lend me a hand, Hayato?" Bianchi asks.
"Um… Fine, I guess I don't have a choice." Gokudera replies. "Just for today!"
"! Gokudera/-kun, stay away!" Both teens shout. Gokudera and Reborn look at them confused.
"Is something wrong?" Bianchi asks. "Lend me a hand, Tsuna."
"Eh?" Tsuna scratches his head. "What are we trying to say?"
"You're right. That's weird." Kouga agrees.
Don't worry, Juudaime." Gokudera assures his boss. "I can handle it."
"Thank you, Hayato." Bianchi thanks him.
"Give me your hand…"
Hai…" She then swings the top part of Mukuro's trident at him, cutting his cheek. This shocks everyone in the room.
"W-What are you trying to do?!" The silverette yells at his sister.
"Ah? My hand…" Bianchi replies.
"I was right, something is not right." Tsuna thought. "Bianchi…"
"What's wrong, Bianchi?" Reborn says before jumping towards her and giving her a light tap in the forehead. "Get a hold of yourself, you just tried to skewer your little brother."
"I…" The poison scorpion says. "What a terrible thing I did!" She tries to stab Reborn, but he manages to dodge it and jumps out of the way.
"Ah!"
"Reborn-san!"
"This is troublesome." Reborn states.
"Is it mind control?" The bomber asks.
"No." The infant replies. "It's like she's possessed."
"Is it a curse?"
"Is that possible?" Tsuna asks.
"Regardless, it's a fact." Reborn states.
"What are you saying?" Bianchi asks them. "It's me.
"Something's definitely wrong." Tsuna thought. "That's not Bianchi."
"This sensation, where did I…" Kouga thought deeply and then it hit them.
"Rokudo…" Tsuna stutters.
"Mukuro…?" Kouga finishes the name.
"Kufufufu, we meet again," Bianchi says as she turns around, revealing Mukuro's red eye on her right eye.
"H-He's back!" Tsuna shrieks.
"It's a curse!" Gokudera yells.
"There no such thing as that," Kouga tells Gokudera.
"It's not something that ridiculous," Reborn assures them.
"B-But…" Tsuna looks at Mukuro's body. "He's really dead."
"Kufufufu, I still have something I must do." She says. "So I've returned from the other end of the cycle."
"H-He really is-" Gokudera stops.
"I-Is that…?" Tsuna asks.
"That's shouldn't be…" Kouga says.
"The only thing I can think of is…" Reborn trails off. "It can't be…"
"Who shall I take care of first?" Bianchi(Mukuro) asks.
"Juudaime, let me handle this," Gokudera tells his boss as he stands in front.
"But she's-"
"Rin! Hyo! To! Sha!" He chants as he forms imaginary symbols in the air.
An exorcism?!" Tsuna deadpans as Kouga face-faults.
"That's not how you exorcize a ghost!" Kouga yells at the bomber. "And where did you learn those anyway?!"
"Kai! Jin! Retsu!" He continues to chant and the possessed Bianchi starts to growl in pain.
"I-It's working?!" Tsuna exclaims.
"I don't believe it!" Kouga says and Bianchi then collapses onto the floor.
"B-Bianchi!" Tsuna calls out. "What happened?"
"I don't know." Reborn replies.
Tsuna and Kouga walk up to her. "B-Bianchi?" The brunette about to touch her when he and his friend then notice something wrong about Gokudera.
"Did I do it?" He asks politely."
"Goku… dera… -kun?"
"Mukuro!" Kouga shouts as he pushes Tsuna out of the way as the dagger cuts his side.
"K-Kouga-san!" Tsuna calls out. "Oi, Reborn! Gokudera-kun's…"
"Oh… So it wasn't luck." The silverette says as he turns around to show the red right-eye. "You two are the first to realize that I possess someone after one glance. You're amusing to no end."
"W-What's going on?" Tsuna asks.
"There's no mistake." Reborn states. "You made it look like suicide, but you used that bullet." Gokudera (Mukuro) looks at the Arcobaleno. "The use of the Possession Bullet is forbidden. Where did you get it?"
"Kufufufu, so you noticed," He states as well. "that this is a possession caused by a special bullet?"
"What?!" Tsuna shrieks.
"Special… Bullet…?" Kouga hisses as he covers his wound.
"Like the Dying Will Bullet?"
"That's right." Reborn replies. "As the name says, the Possession Bullet is a bullet that allows you to take control of another person's body."
"What?!" Tsuna shouts. "That's why Bianchi and Gokudera-kun have been…"
"It was a special bullet created by the Estraneo Family." The hitman tutor continues. "Not only do you need a strong spirit, but you must also be suited for the bullet."
"Kufufufu, it suits me perfectly." Gokudera(Mukuro) states.
"Long ago," Reborn adds, "the cold-blooded use of the Possession Bullet caused it to be forbidden. The bullet and the knowledge used to create them should have been destroyed back then."
"This is nothing like mind control." The possessed silverette states. "I don't control them; I take over them. Which means," he cuts his own neck, "this body is mine."
"S-Stop that!" Tsuna shouts.
"The bullet must have been what you used to take control of men like Lancia," Reborn says. "But, why do you have them?"
"Let me just say…" He tells them." It's because they are mine. Now…" He looks at the brunette. "I'll possess you next Vongola Juudaime."
"H-Huh?! ME?!"
"I knew it." The infant realizes. "Your goal is to…"
"Kufufufu, it's not my goal; it is my means. My revenge can only begin after taking control of a young mafia boss."
"W-What are you saying?!" Tsuna shouts as the possessed bomber walks towards him. "S-Sonna?! Possessing me would be useless, and nothing will come out of it!"
"Be careful of his weapon," Reborn warns him. "If you're wounded by that blade, he'll be able to possess you.
"I'm impressed that you know." Gokudera(Mukuro) says as he throws his weapon, just missing Tsuna's head and passing it to Bianchi who has gotten up as Gokudera collapses. "Exactly."
"B-Bianchi!"
"But I called this ritual a 'contract'." She states as she slices Hibari's cheek. She then collapses, and then Hibari's body starts to fidget.
"H-He couldn't have," The brunette shutters, "gotten inside Hibari-san, too?!" Hibari gets up and swings his tonfa at him, knocking him back. "Ite!"
Hibari then collapses. "Oya? This body isn't much use…" He says. "Fighting in a body like this… What a fearsome man, Hibari Kyoya." He then falls to the floor with a thud.
"Ah! Hibari-san!" Tsuna shouts as he runs towards his body. "Mukuro's presence is gone."
"Be careful." The hitman tutor warns his student. "He'll possess either Bianchi or Gokudera. Kouga is a possibility too."
"HIEEE! Kouga-san too?! S-Sonna?!" Gokudera's body then starts to stand up. "G-Gokudera-kun?" He then notices that Bianchi starts to get up as well. "Eh? Bianchi too?! Two at the same time?!"
"That's not all of it." Reborn tells him as the doors are slam open, revealing Ken and Chikusa." There are them as well."
"Uwa! Four Mukuros?!" Tsuna screams.
"Possessing four people at once…" The hitman says. "It's unheard of."
"That's," Gokudera(Mukuro) says as his red eye spins till it stops at the kanji of two, "not all!" And he throws dynamites at him.
"Ah!" Tsuna screams as he runs from the explosion. "Dynamites!"
"He can use the abilities of those he possesses as well." Reborn states before he dodges an attack from the possessed blonde student.
"You should worry about your own life," he turns around to find Chikusa(Mukuro), "Arcobaleno!" he shouts as he spins the yo-yo and fires the needles at the infant, who blocks it with his coat. Meanwhile, Gokudera(Mukuro) has thrown the dynamites at the brunette and injuring him with the explosion.
"The Second Path, Path of Hungry Ghost, is the skill used to steal the enemy's abilities." The possessed bomber explains.
"This is really bad." Reborn states. "He's possessed them, plus he can use the skills he's stolen."
"I was hoping for a five against one scenario but," Bianchi(Mukuro) states as she looks at Kouga, still haven't moved from his spot and still conscious, "for some reason, I can't possess him."
"It's simple," Kouga smirks as he tells her. "When half of my hair turns yellow, the Mako inside of me protects my body from intruders getting in."
"Oh? That's interesting." She says as her red eye spins and stops at the kanji of one. The ground around Tsuna starts to glow red and bubbles as a pillar of fire is shot around from it.
"HIEEE!" The brunette shrieks as another two fire pillar shoot out from the floor. "Taskete (Save me)!"
"If possible," Ken(Mukuro) tells him, "I'd like to take you without harming you."
"You can surrender, you know." Chikusa(Mukuro) adds.
"I can't take any more!"
"You haven't learnt a thing." Reborn comments as he jumps at the possessed silverette. "This is an illusion!"
"Oh my." Gokudera(Mukuro) spins around and throws a few sticks of dynamite at the infant. "You better worry about yourself!" and they explode at him.
"Ah! R-Reborn!" Tsuna cries.
"That shouldn't have killed you, Arcobaleno!" Bianchi(Mukuro) says as the hitman's hat is visible moving from the smoke. "Found you!" Ken(Mukuro) says as he jumps and stabs it. He lands but then notices that it was just a hat. "Ah?"
Reborn jumps and retrieves his hat and dusts the dirt off it. "I haven't felt the air of real combat in a while." He comments.
"Reborn…" Tsuna calls.
"I can't help." He adds. "Tsuna, do something quickly."
"D-Don't be reasonable!" The brunette cries as he runs away from the explosions from the silverette thrown dynamites. "This is beyond what I can handle!"
"If you're my student-" He cuts short to dodge the incoming needles. "If you're my student, you can overcome this."
"It's unfair to use unreasonable logic like that!" He shouts.
"Kufufufu, your teacher's panicking." Bianchi(Mukruo) chuckles as she walks to the hitman tutor." He's falling into chaos over his student's crisis."
Reborn dodges the poison shortcakes in her hand. "I'm not lying." He says. "Your aniki, Dino overcame it too."
"D-Dino-san?" Tsuna asks.
"When Dino was my student, he faced with a life or death situation," Reborn explains. "He overcame that and transforms himself. From weakling Dino, he became the Bucking Bronco Dino."
"Became?" Tsuna looks at his tutor in confusion. "I don't get it! Dino-san and I are-"
"Above you." He looks up from Reborn's words and sees dynamites falling down at him and explodes, sending him tumbling to the floor.
"That's enough talk;" Chikusa(Mukuro) says, "let's bring this to an end." He readies the dagger and a violet flame appears on his red-eye before he runs towards the brunette. Tsuna shrieks but then he suddenly collapses and the possessed blond then picks the dagger.
"What? It happens sometimes." He states. "Even if I take over someone's body, when that body breaks, there's nothing I can do."
"You mean… You're forcing them to move even though their wounds shouldn't allow it?" Tsuna says.
"That's why you didn't possess Hibari." Reborn understands.
Chikusa's body starts to get up. "Ah. Chikusa can go a little further."
"Stop it!" Kouga yells out. "If they keep moving, their wounds will-"
"I'm fine." He says. "I don't feel pain."
"W-What do you mean!" Tsuna shouts. "Aren't they your friends' bodies?!"
"That's incorrect. Once I possess them, it's my body. It's my right to decide whether it breaks or dies."
"Wha… That's wrong…" Tsuna says.
"Don't you have time to be concerned about others," Bianchi(Mukuro) asks as she and Gokudera(Mukuro) slowly walk up to the brunette, "when you're about to get killed?"
"You're an amusing man." Gokudera(Mukuro) adds. "You're not suited for the mafia."
"Ah! Blood is flowing out of their wounds…" Tsuna thought.
"Their wounds are too severe." Kouga thought. "Plus their muscles are strained from all the fighting they had done."
"Please stop this!" The brunette yells. "They'll die!"
"Kufufufu, I remember now." The possessed bomber says, "When you were fighting Birds, you were about to stab yourself to save your girlfriends."
"Eh?"
"Let's do it this way." He concludes. "Because of your softness, you will be possessed by me."
"Listen well." The possessed Bianchi states. "If you don't want any further damage done to your friends," The possessed silverette continues, "make a contract with me without trying to run away."
"N-No way…"
"So you do hesitate. In the end, a person like you can't survive in this kind of world. You're not suited to be Vongola Tenth." Ken(Mukuro) shows his dagger. "Now give me your body."
"What should I do…?" Tsuna cries. "Reborn, what should I do?!"
"I can't do anything for you." The infant tells him. "Pull it off on your own."
"Sonna… You always help me out! Don't abandon me, Reborn!" The hitman hears enough and kicks him in the chin.
Reborn lands on him. "Don't sound so pathetic," Reborn tells the brunette.
"B-But…" Tsuna cries. "W-What can I do?" Reborn grabs his shirt and pulls his head up. "Listen, Tsuna. You're the Vongola Tenth more than anyone else!"
"E-Eh?"
"If you shout out your feelings, that would be the answer a Vongola would give!"
"My… feelings…?"
"Kufufufu, so the home tutor has given up in despair." Ken(Mukuro) mocks. "What he really feels is that he want to run away from this place. Or, you won't run for the sake of your friends?"
"I want to win."
"Huh?"
Both Kouga and Reborn grins. "I want to beat Mukuro," Tsuna replies.
Unknown to them, Leon starts to shake.
"Oh? That was unexpected." He says. "I'll hear the rest of the story after I possess you… After you've killed your friends with your own hands."
"I don't want," The brunette says, "to lose to such a terrible person. I want to beat this guy!"
"This is the end!" Mukuro says but then, a light shines with shining strings are stuck throughout the room. "Vongola! What did you do?!"
"I didn't do anything," Tsuna says.
"Tsuna, look up!" Kouga says and the brunette looks up as well to find Leon on the ceiling. "Ah, Leon!"
"He finally emerged." Reborn states.
"Emerged?" Tsuna and Kouga ask.
"Like 'that' time." Reborn smirks. "Like when Dino became the Bucking Bronco."
"Sokka… It is your doing, Arcobaleno." The possessed blond student says.
"You're wrong. This is the shape-shifting chameleon, Leon, my partner." Reborn explains. "For some reason, he becomes a cocoon when my students are given a trial."
"I-Is that what it was?" Tsuna asks.
"And when the student grows, he emerges." He adds.
"E-Eh?!"
"That's amusing." Ken(Mukuro) says.
"I wondered what he'd show us in the end…" Gokudera(Mukuro adds, "his ped emergence."
"You two are certainly unique." Bianchi(Mukuro) comments and laughs.
"He's laughing at us!" Tsuna cries. "What is this?! How is this related to Dino-san becoming the Bucking Bronco?!"
"Just watch."
"Eh?" Both teens look up.
"There's something in his mouth?" Kouga wonders.
"He's about to spit out a new item," Reborn tells him. "Just for you, my student."
"Eh? New item?" The brunette asks.
"In Dino case," The hitman tutor adds, "he spat out the Bucking Bronco Whip and Enzo."
"Eh?! Enzo is Leon's baby?!" Both of them shout.
"But, if something like Enzo appeared, it would help." Tsuna thought.
"I cannot put up with your playtime forever." Ken(Mukuro) states. "Let's call an end to this break," He runs towards the Leon-cocoon, "and finish this!" Reborn kicks his student out of the way. "This is in the way…" He slices the strings along with Leon, "So I'll take care of it!"
"Two green blobs land in front of Tsuna. "Ah! Leon!" He cries.
"Don't worry." Reborn assures him as the green blobs merge together to for a smile-looking Leon." Leon is a shape-shifting chameleon. More importantly, something was shot upwards." They look up to notice two glowing objects above them and falling. "It looks like it's safe. That's the new Item."
"T-That's…" Tsuna looks up at the twin objects land on his hands. "Huh? These are…" He holds up two wool mittens with the number 27 behind each of it. "Wool mittens?! How do I fight with these?! Wasn't Enzo or some kind of weapon supposed to pop out?! What's the point of giving my hands good circulation?!"
"Who knows? Just put 'em on." Reborn tells him.
"Wha-!"
"Just do it, Tsuna!" Kouga shouts at him. "If they were made for you, then they have some kind of purpose!"
"What are you saying, Kouga-san?! These can't be used for fighting?!" He yells at his friend.
"You were amusing to the end." They turn around, noticing the possessed blonde student is striking at Tsuna but he surprisingly blocks it with his mitten, that didn't knock off the dagger but pushes him back. "You deflected my attack?"
"I-I'm safe…" The brunette sighs. "Oh? Something's inside." He removes one of the mittens and a silver bullet comes out from inside. "A-A bullet!"
"A special bullet!" Ken(Mukuro) Thought in shock.
"So that's what it is." Reborn smirks. "Tsuna, toss that over."
"I won't let you!" Ken(Mukuro) yells as he swings his weapon at him, and he jumps to avoid, and then Bianchi(Mukuro) takes his arm but it tears off and reveals to be Leon. The Arcobaleno jumps towards Tsuna and grabs the bullet.
"I've never seen a bullet like this before." He says. "We'll just have to give it a try."
"Eh?! G-Give it a try?!" Tsuna shouts.
"I won't let you!" He looks to his side and notices dynamites flying towards him.
"S-Sonna!"
"I've given up on obtaining your body without harming it." Gokudera(Mukuro) says while Leon turns into Reborn's trusty green pistol and the hitman loads it with the bullet. "You won't make it in time!" An explosion blows up the area closest to Tsuna.
"Tsuna!" Kouga cries out.
"He took the full brunt of the bombs." Bianchi(Mukuro) says. "Oya oya, this is going to be a severe wound." Ken(Mukuro) says. The smoke clears and Tsuna is lying on the floor, motionless. "It seems that it have no effect." Chikusa(Mukuro) says. "So the special bullet was useless too. Now you're out of options. What an anti-climactic ending. Now," He takes out his dagger, "let me take over your near-death body from you."
"Sonna… Tsuna…" Kouga looks at his friends with a shocked look.
"It hurts…" Tsuna thought. "My entire body hurts… Am I going to die now? It's enough, right? I did well, right? Minna, Gomen. This is it for me… I had enough of being hurt… I had enough of being scared…"
"Ah! These clothes!"
"Huh?"
"Tsuna went out again after making a mess!" Nana says in his room. "I keep telling him to take care of his things on his own."
"Eh…? Kaa-san…? Is this a dream?"
"What' s this?!" Hana says while flipping through the class file. "Sawada's test is in with the daytime duty journal. And only scored two points."
"My language test…"
"He really is Dame-Tsuna." She adds. "He really needs to try harder if he wants to get Kyoko."
"Why am I hearing Kurokawa bad-mouthing me?"
"It seems like it's the effects of the special bullet."
"Reborn…"
"What your hearing is real-time rebukes to you from others." He tells the brunette.
"Rebukes?" Tsuna thought. "Why do I hear rebukes at a time like this? Am I going to be told I'm Dame-Tsuna to the very end?"
"Hahi! What is he doing?! Charging into the enemy headquarters isn't the rational thing to do!"
"Geh, that's Haru!"
"Gyahahahaha!" Lambo laughs. "Haru's crying!"
"I-I'm not!" Haru retorts as she wipes her tears. "Haru is going to be mafia boss' wife. I wouldn't cry over something like this! Tsuna-san, do your best!"
"H-Haru…"
"Calm down, Kyoko." Ryohei calms his sister.
"But Shamal-sensei said that Tsuna-kun charged in!" Kyoko says.
"Don't worry."
"But!"
"He is the strongest man I've ever crossed fists with." The older Sasagawa assures her. "I won't forgive him if he comes back defeated."
"Y-You're right," Kyoko says. "He'll be all right. Tsuna-kun, come home safely."
"Kyoko… -chan…"
"Don't make the same mistake I made." Lancia's voice says. "Protect your friends. Protect your family with your own hands."
"Tsuna." Kouga's voice calls. "Stand up! You have to beat him since we have people waiting for us!"
Tsuna grits his teeth.
"I don't think I need to voice out my rebuke," Reborn says.
With that Tsuna opens his eyes, with a new determination burning in them.
"Oh? You're looking at me like that?" Chikusa(Mukuro) says. "But let put down the curtains now. I can't have you dying yet." he stabs at him but Tsuna's hand grabs the dagger, shocking the possessed beanie student. The mitten starts to glow, surprising him and Kouga as it transforms into black metal gloves with white fingers and breaks the spike on it. He steps back in shock as Tsuna gets up.
"Mukuro…" Tsuna speaks. "If I don't defeat you, I can't die in peace!" He voices out as an orange flame ignites on his forehead and his eyes turn orange.