Tsuna was doing homework at the kitchen table under the watchful eyes of a sleeping Reborn when his mother came back home. At the sight of all the groceries in her hand, Tsuna stood, about to help her when he recalled Reborn saying that he didn't want him leaving the table until he was done with everything.
Tsuna snuck a look at Reborn, but although his eyes were freakly open like usual, his sleep bubble was still there, unpopped, by his mouth. Tsuna let out a sigh of relief and tiptoed to his mother's side.
"Ah, Tsu-kun, thank you," Nana said as she handed some of her bags to Tsuna, her voice low as her gaze dropped to Reborn sleeping. She let out a small giggle as she said, "How's your homework coming along?"
"Pretty good," Tsuna said, which once upon a time would have been a lie said to placid his mother. Now he could say that and mean it too, although whether 'pretty good' was up to Reborn's standards was hard to say. Probably not, if Tsuna was being honest with himself.
He resigned himself to another stressful day of Reborn kicking him around for every question he got wrong.
Nana giggled again, probably at Tsuna's expression this time, before dropping a small book she had on the table. She began to put away the groceries and Tsuna would have helped her but she waved him away. After a second of hesitation, Tsuna obeyed.
"Oh, Tsu-kun, let me tell you something funny," Nana said as she slipped fruits and vegetables into the fridge. "I went to the bank to get some money for groceries and I thought that since I was there, I might as well check your account's balance as well. Who knows, I thought maybe Ietmitsu might have given you a little allowance."
Tsuna subconscious let out a small growl at the name of his father. Reborn's sleep bubble twitched. Nana continued her story, oblivious of the interruption. "There's a lot of money there, Tsu-kun, at least eight digits." Tsuna choked. "I was confused, so I asked the teller if he made some kind of mistake, but apparently it was right. I wonder who accidentally wired so much money into your account."
Tsuna finally found the breath to speak. "E-eight digits?!" he exclaimed. He recalled the book that Nana dropped onto the table and grabbed at it, panic making his fingers clumsy. It wasn't until his third try that he finally opened the bank book to the right page, and when he finally did, his eyes bulged out. "No way!"
"Right?" Nana said, her tone still mild and wondering, "Isn't it so strange?"
Tsuna's thoughts headed towards a dark turn as his mind supplied dozens of Mafia related reasons why his account had so much money, including an explanation of for his funeral service after they were done with him. "It's not mine! We have to give it back! Ack - !"
Tsuna flopped on the ground in a heap, his head throbbing from the kick it received.
"Baka-Tsuna," Reborn said, dusting himself off on the table as he turned to face him, "you don't even remember the scholarship you applied for?"
"Scholarship?" both Tsuna and Nana asked, twin looks of confusion appearing on their faces. Tsuna rubbed his head with a frown as he stood.
While Nana continued with "Is that so? My Tsuna is so smart!," already accepting Reborn's explanation, Tsuna leaned in to Reborn's space to hiss, "Since when did I apply for a scholarship?!"
"What kind of scholarship is it?" Nana asked, smile on her face.
With a straight look, Reborn answered, "It's a prestigious international scholarship awarded to students who have shown great leadership abilities." Tsuna relaxed minutely. When described like that, it sound pretty legit and non-Mafia related. "The Vongola Scholarship not only award money" - Reborn slapped Tsuna on the back, hard, when he suddenly developed a fit of coughing. He fell straight back onto the ground. - "but also offers opportunities for international trips to places such as Italy for the summer. If Tsuna keeps up his good work, Vongola might even extend its offers to friends and family as well.
"What do you think, Maman?" Reborn asked, his voice sly. "Would you like a trip to Italy this summer?"
No, no, no, okaa-san, don't believe him, Tsuna desperately plead inside his head as he tried to get up. Reborn casually hopped down from the table to Tsuna's back, and Tsuna suddenly couldn't move. He's so strong!
Nana clapped her hands together. "That sounds so dreamy!" she squealed. "I haven't been on a trip in years!"
At those last words, Tsuna froze. Of course, how could he forget that his mother hadn't had time to enjoy herself because she had to take care of her No-Good son for the past years? Tsuna bowed his head until his bangs created a shadow over his eyes. Even now, Tsuna didn't have anything to give back to her. What kind of son is he?
Reborn jumped off Tsuna's back as Nana walked closer, tilting her head to the side questioningly as she said, "Tsu-kun? Are you okay?"
Tsuna stood without saying a word.
"Tsu-kun?"
"Okaa-san," Tsuna said at last. He lifted his head with a smile on his face. "I'm going to work hard so we can go travel this summer, alright?"
Nana blinked, bemused for a second, before abruptly launching herself at Tsuna.
"Wahh!" Tsuna exclaimed as he was enveloped into a hug. His face warmed. "Okaa-san!"
"My Tsu-kun's all grown up," she giggled, hugging him closer to her chest. "So manly." Tsuna stopped struggling and hugged her back. His mother was always so warm. "You remind me so much of your father, Tsu-kun." Tsuna froze, although Nana didn't notice. Instead, she sighed, giddy slipping out of her voice as she finished, almost wistfully, "It'll be nice if he could come with us."
Tsuna nearly pushed his mother away, outraged as the topic fell upon his forever absent father. Tsuna bitterly thought that he could barely even remember how he looked like, although Nana didn't seem to have any trouble with that.
"Tsu-kun?" Nana asked, because even oblivious she would have had to notice Tsuna's change in mood.
"I'm going upstairs, okaa-san," Tsuna shouted, quickly grabbing his homework, pencil case, and the bank book before running up the stairs. He only tripped once before making it into his room. Once he did, he tossed his stuff to the side and flopped down onto the bed. His blood burned.
"I hate him!" Tsuna recalled himself shouting, back at the restaurant with Yusuke on his mother's birthday. Tsuna didn't have much feeling towards his father and was pretty much indifferent to him after he passed the age where he kept on asking for his father and learned that no matter how many times he asked, his father was never going to be home.
Tsuna guessed that his feeling towards his father stopped being indifference the moment he missed his mother's birthday after promising that he would be home for that day. The disappointed look on his mother's face, followed by her trying to put on a happy front, Tsuna would never be able to forget. Nor could he forgive that man for putting it there.
"Reborn," Tsuna called out, somehow knowing that he was there despite the fact that he did not see or hear the hitman follow him up. He stared up at the ceiling instead of trying to spot Reborn. "Was what you said before true?"
Tsuna turned to the side as Reborn jumped on his bed. "I told you to be specific when asking questions, didn't I? Asking general questions only results in - "
"General answer, and they're no use to anyone," Tsuna finished with a sigh. "I meant, with the trip to Italy. Will Vongola" - the name sounded strange on his tongue, when he had always so diligently avoided bringing up anything related to the Mafia - "really sponsor it?"
"Vongola will do more than that, if it's their future Vongola Decimo who's asking," Reborn said quietly.
"And if I ask Vongola's Outside Advisor to accompany us?"
Tsuna could feel Reborn's gaze on him, heavy and contemplating, before he finally said, "Depends on if it'll please its Vongola Decimo."
Tsuna let out a breath. "It'll please the Vongola Decimo's mother," he said, and that was an answer in itself, "and that will please the Decimo very much." Tsuna swallowed. "That will have to be enough."
"Tsuna," Reborn said, feeling obligated to warn his student, "I know I told you that you can use some of Vongola's power to see if you're really not willing to be part of it at all, but -"
Tsuna sat up. "But the more I use it, the more it shows that I'm accepting it and the more deeply involved I will be with Vongola."
Reborn didn't rebuke Tsuna for his interruption and that was almost enough to make him smile if they weren't on this topic. "Despite knowing that, you'll use your influence over Vongola for something minor like this."
It wasn't a question, and Reborn knew as well as Tsuna that to him, his mother's happiness wasn't something minor at all. Reborn just wanted Tsuna to say it aloud.
Tsuna's heart beat and trembled against his chest. It was just words, spoken words that would leave no trace or record after its sound waves dissipated, and yet Tsuna shook. It felt game changing, monumental, like an earthquake or tsunami that if it cannot leave a visible mark on the earth, it will at least change the composition of his very being.
"I," Tsuna started, only for the words to stick inside his throat. Fearful. Afraid of change. He took a deep breath. He was afraid of many things, Tsuna knew and accepted, but he refused to be afraid of this. That was because, "I'll do anything for the sake of my friends and family," he said, voice clear, "and that includes considering to become the Vongola Decimo."
Reborn smiled at him, and pride swelled through him, down to even Tsuna's toes.
Imperceptibly, some of Reborn's inner dread slipped away as well.
After all, the news of Tsuna's defeating Mukuro had spread across the Mafia the second it occurred, as intended by Vongola. After this incident, no one will challenge Tsuna's claim to the Vongola Decimo position for a long time to come. It would save Vongola and Timoteo tons of trouble.
It also made Tsuna backing out of becoming Vongola Decimo no longer an option, not when the Underground now recognized Tsuna as a worthy candidate. Or even, a threat.
How many people were now rallying behind his student, Reborn wondered, and how many were quietly plotting his demise? More importantly, how long would this peace continue to last, before enemies and allies alike found their way here to Namimori?
Reborn couldn't accurately predict answers to those questions yet, but he did know this: Tsuna refusing to enter the Mafia world was no longer an option. Even if he shout on top of his lung in the midst of the entire Mafia that he didn't intend to inherit Vongola, it would be ineffectual. After all, who would believe that there exist a person who would willingly abandon such prestigious position of power?
No, the only way that the Mafia would ever believe Tsuna was if he was dead and Reborn would never let that happen if he could help it. And as long as Tsuna was alive, he would be involved with the Mafia. If he wasn't willing to enter the Mafia, the Mafia would just come to him in forms of ingratiating allies and malicious enemies.
It was good that Tsuna was beginning to willingly consider the Vongola Decimo position.
"But Reborn," Tsuna called out, not yet finished, "I may choose to use Vongola for Mukuro and even okaa-san, but the money…"
"Don't worry about that," Reborn said, meaning every word he spoke. "Vongola Nono promised it to you and you deserve it."
Tsuna's eyebrows furrowed. "When did he…?"
"Remember the letter he sent you?"
"Ahh!" Tsuna cried as he recalled.
"Dear Vongola Decimo,
I have heard of your development from your home tutor. Well, you are a successor of the Boss, after all. Within the next three days, you are to capture Mukuro Rokudo and his gang of escaped convicts. You are also to rescue the hostage at the same time.
Best of Luck, Vongola Nono.
P.S.If you are successful, I will send you a prize worthy and beneficial of my successor. If you fail or refuse to undertake this mission… well, it's best for you to ask Reborn in person."
"That is the surprise he was talking about?!" Tsuna exclaimed. Reborn nodded, an amused smirk on his face. "But it's still too much money! I can't possibly accept it."
"Timoteo is a caring man," Reborn started, "but he never knew what to buy for those he want to dote on, both for his sons and the boy that he always regarded as his own grandson."
"He… sees me as his grandson...?" Tsuna said, unable to reconcile his image of a Boss of a Mafia Family with this kind, doting elderly man that Reborn was describing. Reborn didn't answer, and instead, gave him a look that clearly said he didn't answer stupid questions. "Then why choose me as Vongola Decimo?! That position - "
"Possess incredible power that will draw danger to you and, at the same time, keep you safe and fulfil any want you might have in life." Reborn looked at him. "You experienced both side of the spectrum by now, Tsuna."
Tsuna thought back to all the injuries and suffering his friends had gone through, then he thought about Mukuro and okaa-san. "It's not worth it," he said, except his mind kept straying to Mukuro. What would have happened to Mukuro if Tsuna didn't ask Vongola to interfere? Tsuna thought he was an idiot for thinking that way when he didn't even know if Vongola successfully managed to bargain for Mukuro yet.
"You can do many things with power, Tsuna," Reborn said, "including the incredible ability to change whatever you don't like."
"And if I don't like the ways of Mafia itself?" Tsuna asked, no, challenged. He didn't know where he found the guts to challenge Reborn's words and even raise his gaze to meet his. The words just slipped out and the meeting of their gaze, automatic. Tsuna should feel anxious right now, but he didn't. He felt right and he knew that those words had been waiting to be spoken since the first moment he had witnessed the brutality that the Mafia was capable of.
Reborn met his eyes that Tsuna knew had to be orange, and smirked. "Then change it."
Tsuna let out a breath and the strange feeling slipped away. "That was weird," he said, blinking.
"It wasn't bad," Reborn said. "You said what you wanted to say, although in the future, it would be better for you not to rely on Hyper Will Mode so much to express yourself. Learn to assert yourself without its help in everyday life first."
"It just slipped out!" Tsuna protested.
"Well, more training on controlling it then," Reborn said, his tone conveying just how gleeful he was at the opportunity to torture his student even more, and Tsuna groaned.
"That doesn't solve the issue about the money though!" Tsuna said.
Reborn turned away, clearly done with the conversation. "The Ninth won't take a gift back. You can spend it on whatever you like, but if it bothers you so much, why don't you spend it on somewhere that deserves and need it?"
"A charity?" Tsuna ventured, and Reborn arched an eyebrow at him.
"You're going to donate to the charity when your friends and family need it?" Reborn asked. Tsuna's eyebrows furrowed, not understanding. "Think about it."
Tsuna didn't have time to ask Reborn what he meant, before two wails screeched out. Tsuna instinctively turned in that direction, before sighing when he realized it came from the bedroom next door. He rubbed his forehead, wondering what argument I-Pin and Lambo got into now.
Even without Reborn's pointed look, Tsuna would have said, "I'll be right back," and moved in that direction.
Tsuna slipped down the hallway until he was in the doorway of I-Pin and Lambo's room. The door was opened, and their argument about how I-Pin kicked Lambo in her nap filtered out. I-Pin was protesting that she didn't, but Tsuna wouldn't be surprised if she accidentally did. The bed that they shared wasn't that big, after all.
At the thought of the kids, his mind drifted to Fuuta, who would be released from Vendicare after he testified for Mukuro's trial, and then interestingly, to Gokudera's living conditions that he was strangely evasive about.
After breaking up the fight, Tsuna returned to his own room, oddly pensive. Reborn was there on the table, waiting for him.
"Well," he prompted.
Tsuna told him what he was thinking, and received Reborn's approving nod as a result. "It can be done. Talk to Mama, the kids, and Gokudera to make sure they're willing, and I'll show you how to take care of the rest."
At the long list of people he had to talk to, followed by the all-compassing phrase 'the rest,' Tsuna wondered what exactly he had signed up for.
Nevertheless, Tsuna nodded and was about to end the conversation when it occurred to him that the convenience of the argument's timing was strange. "Reborn…" Tsuna said slowly, haltingly, "did you cause that argument between I-Pin and Lambo?"
Reborn gave him an innocent 'why, me?' look, completed with wide cherubic eyes, but Tsuna didn't budge, even though it was a little strange to see how easily Reborn switched roles. After another moment, Reborn tugged his fedora down, but not before Tsuna caught a glimpse of his smirk. "It wasn't me," Reborn said, and something within Tsuna deflated, either from his tutor not being honest with him or because he overestimated how much Reborn did to guide him. Reborn looked up, and the hint of smirk that Tsuna caught before was in full bloom under the afternoon sunlight streaming in from the open window. "It was Leon."
Tsuna stared for a moment, stunned, before he just couldn't stop laughing.
Xxx
After Yamamoto went off to baseball practice, saying that even if one of his arm was broken, he could still train his other arm and run laps with his teammates, Juudaime and Hayato began heading towards Juudaime's home as always.
That damn Yusuke, Hayato thought in annoyance, he been actually in the apartment recently. He left dirty laundry in the washing machine, and the dirty dishes in the sink. The ramen he made was pretty good, but it doesn't excuse his nasty manners.
Hayato resolved to have a talk with his roommate soon, because that behavior was absolutely unacceptable. He didn't clean up after others!
"Gokudera-kun?" Juudaime called. Hayato snapped his head in his direction. "We're here."
"Oh, sorry, Juudaime," he said. "Let's go then…" His voice trailed off when he looked up and saw that they weren't standing in front of Juudaime's house, although the house they were in front of did look very familiar. Hayato glanced at his surrounding, trying to decide why, when he spotted Juudaime's house next door.
Of course it looks familiar, Hayato thought, we pass by it everyday.
Hayato was plotting how was he supposed to politely and tactfully point out to Juudaime that they were at the wrong house, when the chihuahua that was behind the fence linked to the house barked. Hayato instinctively whipped out his dynamites. Juudaime let out a "Hiie!" and fell to the ground.
"Juudaime!" Hayato exclaimed, helping him up with hands still full of dynamites. "Are you alright? That damn dog!"
"Gokudera-kun, you should put those dynamites away," Juudaime said, eyes intently on the dynamites. Hayato wondered if Juudaime had an interest in them, because he would always be glad to tell him all about his weapon, but of course, he didn't dare presume. "And the dog is alright. It just… er, startle me."
"If Juudaime say so," Hayato said, slipping his many dynamites away after one last glare at the chihuahua. He saw Juudaime staring "Juudaime?"
Juudaime jumped, before quickly shaking his head. "Let's go inside, should we?" he said, walking up to the house's door. As he passed him, Hayato thought he heard Juudaime murmur something about just how he managed to hide so many dynamites under his clothes.
The chihuahua barked again, louder, repeatedly, as they approached. It was probably the epitome of the idiom 'all bark no bite,' but it was nonetheless impressive that it dared bark at them so fiercely when both Juudaime and Hayato towered over it and were many times its size and weight.
"Juudaime, is something wrong?" Hayato asked. As they walk closer to the entrance of the house and consequently, closer to the dog house that the chihuahua was tied to in the front garden, Juudaime's walking speed slowed until it almost halted completely. Hayato wondered if Juudaime finally realized that his house was actually down next door.
Juudaime's lips parted, but nothing came out. He closed them and swallowed, then opened them again. "I," he said, and Hayato followed Juudaime's gaze to the still barking chihuahua. It had pulled its leash taut to the maximum length, trying to get to them.
"Is the mutt bothering you?" Hayato questioned. His eyes narrowed at the dog, as his voice deepened to a threat. "Should I eliminate it?" His dynamites were already sparked and in his hands, ready to be thrown.
"No!" Juudaime exclaimed, and quickly swat at the sparks with a mitten until all of them were unlit. Hayato eyed at the mitten in interest, recalling that Juudaime said that those mittens helped him fight against Mukuro when they transformed into gloves. They were the same weapons that Primo himself used decades ago, it was said. From what Hayato saw, it seemed like there were some truths in those words. After all, the mitten wasn't even singed from coming in contact with the sparks.
"Just," Juudaime said, after he prompting-ly pushed the dynamites away. Hayato obligingly slipped them back into the secret pockets along his clothes again. Juudaime stared at the chihuahua that was still barking on top of its lungs, before he finally shook his head. "Let's go," he said, squaring his shoulders and tearing his eyes away from the chihuahua to look straight ahead.
Somehow awed, Hayato followed. When Juudaime reached the house's doorstep, he rang the bell. Almost an entire minute passed before the door finally opened, revealing an elderly woman. At the sight of Juudaime, she smiled.
"Tsuna, you're here," she said. She looked up and squinted at the sky through her glasses. "Oh my, it's afternoon already. Time pass by so fast nowadays. Come in, oh, do come in."
For the first time since their arrival, Hayato wondered if maybe Juudaime wasn't mistaken when he stepped onto this plot of land.
He stepped into the house, closed the door behind him, and then was overcome with a feeling of just how empty the house was as he gazed around. It wasn't like the house was bare of everything but the bare necessities like Yusuke's apartment, and there wasn't anything overtly wrong with it, but still, something felt off.
Hayato's gaze dropped to the elderly woman and then at the elderly man that was ambling over with a walking stick, and he suddenly wondered if anyone else lived here. This was a house with two floor and probably at least four bedrooms. It was bigger than Juudaime's house.
"This young man the one who's going to be living here?" the elderly man asked, squinting up at him.
Hayato's eyebrows furrowed. "What did you just say?"
He looked towards Juudaime in askance to see him rapidly waving his arms about. "Ojii-chan, I didn't tell my friend about it yet," Juudaime said, sounding a little panicked.
"What did you say?" the elderly man said in a loud voice, cupping a hand over his ear. "Speak louder, Tsuna."
"He said," the elderly woman pique in, leaning so close to the elderly man that she was speaking directly into his ear, "that he didn't talk to his friend about it yet. Honestly, you ruined the surprise, Akio!"
Akio let out a decidedly childish hmph! "I didn't know that. He should have said so. I told him I wanted to see the one who's going to live here."
"Alright, alright," the elderly woman said, lightly tugging her husband by the arm. "Let's just sit down and watch some TV, alright, and give them some time to look around."
"Fine," Akio said, and went to the couch with the elderly woman's guidance. As he leaned the walking stick against the couch and slowly sat down, he asked, "What do you want to watch today, Sango?"
"Well," Sango started. She looked in their direction, her eyes kind, and winked at them. One of her hand was waving them off, while the other was holding the remote and flipping through the channels. "How about this one?"
Juudaime tugged Hayato down the hallway and he went, although he had never been so confused in his life. Live here, Akio said. What did he mean?
"Juudaime, what that old man said before…" Hayato started.
Juudaime scratched the back of his head, looking sheepish. "I meant to have you look around first before telling you," he said. "Umm…I don't really know how to explain this, so why don't we look around?" Juudaime looked so hopeful that Hayato couldn't find it within him to refuse.
They toured through the house, starting from the first floor and then moving up to the second. The first floor had a kitchen, a living room, a bathroom and two bedrooms, while the upper level had three bedrooms. There was a front garden and a back garden to the house. Of the bedrooms downstairs, one were the elders' and the other was empty. On the second floor, two of them were seemed to be teenager rooms that have long been abandoned, full of old posters, video games, and manga. The third room was converted into a storage room, stuffed with random mattresses, a shelf of books, and boxes of unknown items.
"What do you think?" Juudaime asked, when they finally finished touring the entire house.
"It's not bad," Hayato ventured carefully, wondering what answer Juudaime wanted to hear. "Juudaime, this house… you intend for me to live here?" he asked as he recalled what Akio said before. Hayato didn't know how to feel about that. On one hand, it was closer to Juudaime and the house itself was pretty nice. On the other, he wasn't sure how much he wanted to cohabit with two elderlies downstairs. What if he scared them when he was leaving for or coming back from his work at the bar?
"Yeah, along with Lambo, I-Pin, Fuuta and maybe Binachi if she wants to."
Hayato paled at Binachi's name and already, felt an uncomfortable feeling in his stomach. His head jerked up as he registered fully what Juudaime really said. "Juudaime… you want to get the kids out of your hair?"
Understandable, Hayato thought, since the kids, especially that stupid cow, can be very annoying.
Juudaime flustered and quickly waved his hands in front of him. "No, no, no. It's just… It's just that Lambo and I-Pin are sharing a room already and occasionally they argue about not having enough space. Fuuta's going to join us later, and I rarely see Binachi because she has to live in the next town down since Namimori is too small and out of the way to have a hotel."
Juudaime looked at Hayato. "I wanted you guys to live comfortably, but at the same time, I… I'm selfish and want you all by my side, so I thought of this idea." Juudaime gestured to the house around him. His face turned sheepish the next second. "Well, Reborn helped me think of this idea. Do you not like it?"
Hayato made a face at the thought of living with his sister and the kids. It sound exhausting.
Juudaime probably saw his expression, because he began to speak very quickly as though making a business pitch, "Okaa-san promise to come over to take care of the kids when you or Binachi is busy. She said she'll miss them too much to not. I know it's a lot of work, but…" Juudaime's panicked voice lowered and calmed as he finished sincerely, "Know that we're here to help. You're living with them, but we're not asking you to raise them by yourself. Everyone will be help, and it'll means a lot to me if you guys can live a little closer." Juudaime's voice picked up again as something occurred to him. "Of course, if you really, really don't want to live here, then don't force yourself."
How could Hayato refuse such a heartfelt speech, especially when it came from Juudaime himself? Despite his misgiving, Hayato found himself saying, "If Juudaime thinks I can do it, then I'll give it a try."
Juudaime's face brightened. "I'm sure you can do it, Gokudera-kun, and if you ever need anything, tell us. We'll be right next door."
Hayato nodded. "Alright. How much is the rent?"
Hayato was already reevaluating his living expense when Juudaime's eyebrows furrowed. "What rent?" he asked. "Reborn and I are planning to buy this house."
Air refused to go into his lungs. "B-Buy!?" Hayato exclaimed.
Juudaime nodded, amazingly still calm. Hayato looked around the house in a new light and tried to estimate a cost of it, but found it impossible. The mind that he always relied on, for the first time, had failed him.
"The Ninth gave me some money for defeating Mukuro," Juudaime started, the shy look he casted at Hayato said that the 'some money' that he mentioned was probably a small fortune, "and then I thought about you, Binachi, and the kids. I knew that Akio-san and Sango-san was thinking about selling their home after their children moved out some time ago, so I asked if if they were willing to sell the house to me. They said they trusted me to look after it, but said they wanted to meet the people who are actually going to live here, so I brought you over."
"That…" Hayato said, "is a lot to take in. Juudaime, do you really want to spend the money that way? I don't know how much this house costs, but it's going to be a lot. You won't have much of the Ninth's money after you buy it."
Juudaime smiled. "There's no other way I want to spend it, Gokudera-kun," he said, without even having to considered, and that warmed Hayato's heart more than he was willing to admit. "Let's go talk to Akio-san and Sango-san, alright? If you would like, you can also help me with the paperwork for buying the house. Reborn's teaching me, but it's very confusing."
"Of course, Juudaime," Hayato exclaimed, a wide grin on his face. "I'll help."
Juudaime let out a huge sigh of relief. "Thank goodness," he said, before looking Hayato in the eyes. "And of course, thank you, Gokudera."
No, Hayato thought as he watched Juudaime head back to where they last saw the two elderlies, thank you.
Akio and Sango agreed to sell the house for the sake of buying another one closer to where their youngest child was now living. They needed time to pack up their stuff and move, and the house need to be renovated and repainted according to the kids' liking, but even with those delays, Hayato, Binachi and the kids would soon be able to move in within three weeks. Lambo and I-Pin cheered when they found out.
As he worked side by side with Juudaime and Reborn to buy the house, Hayato thought it was amazing what money could buy you and how fast it could speed things up.
This was one of the scenes that I've been wanting to do ever since the issue of Gokudera's apartment/financial issue came up. I like the idea of Gokudera and the kids living next door to Tsuna, and Gokudera trying to herd them day in and out, actually. Poor Gokudera, though, he never gets a break XD