Chapter Text
“Look, Tsu-kun! Someone put a flyer in the mail. They’re an aspiring young man looking for work as a home tutor, so I called them right away. Isn’t that great? You were just saying the other day you needed some help in English—”
“Wait wait wait wait wAIT—”
Tsuna snatches the paper from his mother.
“Mom. This says ‘Greatest Hitman Reborn tutoring services. Will train your son to be a Mafia Boss. This is my number’. This is the sketchiest thing you could have probably called in, he didn’t even quote any rates—”
“Yeah! He says ‘Greatest Hitman’, so, doesn’t he sound promising?”
“Mom??”
So,
There was a day when everything changed.
A day where the earth shook, and not only did the world shift on its paranormal axis, but everything that had once been hiding in the cracks leapt out into existence for just an instant. Then, they hid away again, and reality went on.
Nowadays, people in the world have put the Great Earthquake behind them, and the world has long moved on to their new normality once more.
But Namimori, the quaint city at the center of its tremors, has never forgotten.
Even today, it masquerades its semblance of simplicity. But all its citizens know that just a closer glance toward the shadows of the streets and its true face glances back.
Tsuna’s gaze remains on the utility pole for a long moment. The flyer for a lost pet dog has been weathered so deeply into the rust, it’s no longer readable. It’s overlaid with a phone number for a mental support group, and overlaid yet again with a civil warning for an increase in robberies in town.
Tsuna tears his eyes away.
The dog in the flyer has eyes that follow his departure.
Tsuna shifts the toast in his mouth to take another bite, and promptly drops the rest on the ground. He doesn’t watch what happens next, but when he turns the corner, he knows the bread is gone.
Well, it’s not his business.
Tsuna looks at his watch. He’ll make it to school early today… That’s a good thing.
“That flyer mom called in wasn’t for real… right?”
He dearly hopes so. But, he never really knows with his mother. She attracts weird things sometimes, and unlike him, it’s not because she’s an easy target. Quite the opposite. Anomalies seem to like her just a bit too much.
At least they won’t hurt her—
“Good morning, Sawada!” A pat on his shoulder makes him jump with an indignant yelp. He tries to ignore the way Sasagawa Ryohei obviously flicks something over his shoulder before grinning. “You’re up and early today again, that’s an extremely good habit for you! Wanna join me on my run?”
Tsuna jerks away, flustered.
“Oh— Kyoko-chan’s big brother,” he addresses, “Uhm… no thanks, I… no thanks.”
“That so? Alright then!” he grins. “See ya around!”
He proceeds on his way, not before stopping once more.
“Oh, and,” Ryohei says, “don’t go out alone at this hour. That’s extremely unsafe! And don’t wear shiny things around your neck, it attracts the magpies.”
Tsuna chuckles at that.
“Thanks for the concern, Kyoko-chan’s big brother,” he says, laying a hand by the silver dove pin at his collar, “but I think I’ll be fine.”
The crescent moon hangs overhead upon the dawning sky.
This year was a strange year for Tsuna, even without considering the town’s abnormalities. Namimori High School— a fairly new, very necessary addition to the roster of Namimori buildings— finally takes in its third cohort of students.
This meant that most teenagers of Tsuna's age, who up until now went to various schools a station or two away, finally converged back in Namimori once more. And that meant a full dish of ‘Namimori uniqueness’ was all finally in one place. And Tsuna had to spend the next three years coping with them.
It never gets any less weird around here, unfortunately.
Hibari Kyouya sleeps upon a tree near the yard again today. There’s a sign nailed to the ground before him: [Disturb at your own risk!]
Tsuna stumbles into the school building— it’s fairly empty, and he hopes it stays that way. Unfortunately, some people will always be earlier than him on any given day.
Even sports clubs haven’t started morning practice yet, but Mochida Kensuke is here at the lockers. Tsuna crosses his row of the lockers to the first year’s—
—and suddenly, there’s a shinai two inches from his head. Tsuna swerves sharply aside to look back— and his shoulders ease.
“The hell? Dame-Tsuna,” Mochida frowns. “You’re not usually here at this time. You wanna die or something?”
Tsuna grimaces at that. “No…”
“Don’t break routine unless you’ve been possessed or some sh*t,” Mochida says. “Consider that a warning.”
“I’ll try…”
Mochida turns away. His bag isn’t on him, and he holds his shinai over his shoulder with a sigh, tucking his free hand back in his pocket.
Tsuna hears him mutter irritably as he goes.
“Walk like a human, at f*cking least. Unbelievable. I’ll kill you next time, I really will.”
(Quite ironic of him to comment on another man’s footsteps…)
He’s such a scary senior. It was pretty okay in the other town because the school was much bigger, but back in home grounds, everyone’s so territorial. He just can’t get used to any of this at all.
“Sawada Tsunayoshi, fifteen, first year in Namimori High, class 1-B. Grades sit just barely in the top fifty in his junior high school finals, but every other record has him below average. He went to— ah,”
Standing upon a tree and watching the classroom from a branch, the Greatest Hitman Reborn peruses the file with amusem*nt.
“—that’s interesting,” Reborn chuckles. “He received the Special Youth Division Military Designation: Emergency Squad E for his services in March.”
Last year, there was a case near central Japan regarding an international terrorist threat— and Vongola Ninth had issued a statement to allied hitmen to stay out of it. The government had been heavily involved, so the big names of the mafia deemed it wiser to not interfere, lest they drag the name of the underworld too far into civilian lights.
And that decision had been right.
It made national television in March this year, and nearly thirty kids (their names never released to the public) were thanked by the military for their work.
So Sawada Tsunayoshi, only remaining eligible heir to the Vongola, just happened to be one of them… it’s a good coincidence, all things considered.
(Maybe this rumoured ‘Dame-Tsuna’ he was here to meet would be fun to train. At the very least, someone who’s dipped his toes in the underworld at least once before wouldn’t be too jarred by the idea of inheriting, right?)
(Though, there’s the problem of all this data gathered over his lifetime no longer being accurate in the slightest. Hard to fault anyone for it– information from Namimori has been hard to get, these few years.)
(That’s fine. Reborn’s always been more of a hands-on guy than a data-centric operator.)
Reborn had to quickly duck away into the foliage as Tsuna, who up until now had been struggling to focus in class, turned in his direction with a frown.
Tsuna turned back toward the board after a moment.
Reborn peeks his head down again, and he doesn’t miss the way Tsuna’s pen stills. He tries to look natural by shifting his elbow to the desk and his palm to rest his chin, but Reborn can tell from the way Tsuna had unconsciously chosen to incline his head in a direction away from the window—
Yeah, Reborn can tell that he’s been spotted.
This is a very interesting kid.
“Haru found a suspicious living thing!”
Reborn looks to the side and, on the branch, crawling toward him like a cat, is a high school girl, leaning closer.
He tries not to make note of the ears on her head or the tail swishing under her skirt, but she looks at him with all the adoring glimmer of an overexcited puppy and—
—yeah, nevermind.
He’s starting to remember why he tended to avoid Namimori.
Tsuna’s having a very… complicated day.
“Morning, Sawada,” Sugaya, the one that sits behind him in class, greets cheerfully. Then, a moment after staring him in the face exasperatedly, “you never change, do you? Fell down the stairs?”
Tsuna nods, miserably. He’s almost ashamed, but there are new purpling bruises around his arms and he’s in the middle of stitching a tear in his pants close. The first aid kit is on the table as Tsuna tries his best not to look too pathetic. But there's nothing to hide the huge bump on his head.
“I swear something always trips me up on the second-to-top step. I swear, okay,” he pleads his case with all the weariness in his heart.
“Leave it to you to find something to trip over even in a normal school building. I thought you grew out of the Dame phase?”
“Some things are chronic, I guess.”
That was really a downer.
Not as much as watching Yamamoto Takeshi come into the classroom, look at Kurokawa Hana, and beam like the sun itself.
“Good morning everyone! Oh, and hi Hana,” he says, “you still not in the man-eating kinda mood, right?”
Takeshi started his day 1 in Namimori High with that exact same greeting and he’s never stopped since. It’s driving Hana crazy.
Hana, who everyone in school very clearly and vividly knows hates his guts with her very soul at this point, raises a middle finger at him.
Beside her, Sasagawa Kyoko giggles.
Takeshi beams brighter. “I’m here if you change your mind!”
Everyone wondered at first, is he volunteering? What the hell? But they then direct their eyes to the shinai holster on his back and unfortunately, experience in this city has taught them it’s probably exactly the opposite. There’s a reason Hibari also scowls (harder than usual) at the sight of Hana, and no one’s looking forward to finding out why.
And then, he saunters the rest of the way in the classroom. “Oh, morning, Tsuna!” completely nonchalant. “What happened to you?! Haha, dude, you look crazy!”
“Stop talking about it!”
Tsuna wails.
He’s lucky, honestly. Here in Namimori, people dismiss the paranormal in the spirit of ‘live and let live’— which is why they don’t ask a single thing about Tsuna’s experiences in Junior High, his alleged military rank, and any relevant bad press.
But they’re definitely not letting him live down the Dame-Tsuna thing. Even making it to national news as a supposed trained combatant didn’t erase the inherent clumsiness in his very soul, which is exactly why it’s so much funnier to everyone.
But, it’s a sign of peace.
(If people can make fun of their clumsy and eccentric classmates every day, then that means Namimori isn’t completely hell on earth just yet.)
Tsuna notices the presence in the trees eventually. It was pure luck and honestly a whole morning of a migraine-like anxiety before he finally connected the dots (it’s very, very good at hiding,) but once Tsuna noticed it, he just didn’t want to do anything. It’s just how it is in Namimori— you learn to ignore the eyes in the bushes, the breaths in the trees, the shadows that hung just a little too far in the sunset—
You just learn to ignore them.
But right now, it’s very specifically watching him.
But why?
(And how does Tsuna get it to stop? He hopes it doesn’t follow him home, Mom would probably invite it in for dinner.)
“Sawada. Read the next passage.”
Ah.
He rises quickly, fumbling over his book. He’d heard where the previous person stopped, but where was it? Why were there so many words on this page? Wait. Calm down. Skim. Nevermind, he’s been staring awkwardly at the page for too long that now it’s obvious he wasn’t paying attention. Where IS IT??
There’s a loud dramatic crash and squeak and everyone in the classroom jumps in surprise as something huge seems to have fallen out of the tree adjacent to their classroom.
A step toward the window identified the problem— Miura Haru had been perched on it, and now she’s toppled and was whining about the fall, clutching her head and her sides and making kicked puppy noises in the bushes.
“Haru-chan?” Kyoko calls out, “shouldn’t you be in school? Midori High is a few stations out.”
There’s a distinct holler of “Haru heard weird footsteps so Haru followed! She found it but now it’s gone!” that was so vague no one quite understood, but there’s a chime of laughter in the classroom, as well as all other classrooms along this side of the building.
“Haru,” a boy hollers from above, “Hibari-san’s incoming, you better go now.”
At that, Haru bounces back up. “Okay, Yuji!” she beams, “Haru will continue her search for the mysterious footsteps!”
“GO TO SCHOOL,” her big brother, Miura Yuji, howls indignantly.
There’s another round of amused laughter as even the teacher joins in on the endearing display. Haru scampers off with HIbari arriving just a second later, and by then, everyone has retreated into the classroom, leaving HIbari obviously miffed by the tree.
Tsuna chuckles, too, still standing awkwardly at his seat. Looks like the thing watching him got watched, too.
“Sit down, Sawada,” the teacher calls, and that’s the cue for class to continue. “Sugaya?”
And Sugaya stands up in a hurry, picking up where the previous person left off.
Tsuna gives him a nervous and apologetic glance, and Sugaya meets his eyes briefly, clearly an indication of no worries.
Tsuna sighs deeply. This is a horrible day already. He’s going to lay awake spamming the regret button in his mind.
But, in a way— he appreciated that he could still be Dame-Tsuna here. Haru could be as eccentric as she wanted to be, too. Despite the jarring differences between everyone in this city, despite the supernatural occurrences and separations— they could all be themselves and still live in harmony. That matters most.
Nevermind.
“Ciaossu! I’m the World’s Greatest Hitman, Reborn, and I’m going to be your private tutor from now on until you inherit the Vongola.”
Where, on earth, should Tsuna begin with unpacking the absolutely confusing situation before him? Somehow, the fact that it’s a toddler in a suit is the least jarring thing about it all right now.
“I can’t,” Tsuna says.
“Refusal is not an option.”
“Do I at least get a billion dollars out of this?”
“No, but you get the entire Vongola Conglomerate, which has a net worth of more.”
“It’s the exact same situation but worse!” Tsuna wails, head dropping heavily onto the table with a loud clunk, “can’t I have a year of normality without assassins and hitmen coming after my head? Just one year??”
“Oh, so you already know exactly what you’re in for,” Reborn says, “great, that makes it all go faster. So, first, let me explain to you exactly why this is going to last for the rest of your life. It starts with your family tree…”
“Let me go through my stages of grief before you go on! PLEASE!”
So apparently, his great great great grandfather is the founder of the esteemed Vongola Mafia Conglomerate. The recent moon incident has left the mafia world in disarray, especially when it’s been deemed that it was caused by the government trying to stick their hands into the underworld— saying the Vindice are enraged would be an understatement.
There was a big rebellion and culling and pretty much a minor underworld war, and now, Tsuna was just about the only legitimate successor left.
“...what about, you know,” Tsuna begins hesitantly, “I’m pretty sure I have a dad.”
“Your father’s situation is… complicated,” Reborn says. “Technically you’re only legitimate by factor that you were born in this world. You’re a very unique case.”
Tsuna had to take a moment, but Reborn’s already moving onward.
“We have to pull some strings here, honestly, but you also look exactly like Primo, so— what?” Reborn pauses when Tsuna promptly descends into freak-out-session of the day part five.
“W-W-W-Wuh?! What do you mean, because I was born into this world?”
Reborn’s head tilts in a way that definitely means he’s just f*cking messing with Tsuna at this point. “Did you not know that your parents are legally aliens?”
Tsuna stares in stilted silence.
Then, “MOM?”
From downstairs, a very cheerful, “yes, dear?”
His father— super an alien, very much alien— received Vongola blood artificially in order to survive in this world. And since his original blood is recessive to the atmosphere, and Nana’s blood is also incapable of being passed down for some reason, by theory Tsuna is very legitimately Vongola because that’s all he’s inherited from them, biologically speaking.
This is a very weird way to find out you're an alien.
“You’re asking for people to target me,” Tsuna pleads, “everything you just told me just reeks of a ‘he’s not REALLY legitimate I don’t acknowledge the new boss’ type of coup d'etat scenario within the mafia world. And you know I’m also unwillingly affiliated with the government which you say is another big reason the underworld is really angry right now. Why would you put me in this situation?”
“They say struggle breeds character,” Reborn shrugs.
“And you’re bringing this all into Namimori…” Tsuna moans into his hands and curls up into a fetal position so he may ignore the world a little longer. “I just got threatened for breaking routine just this morning. You’re going to turn the entire town of secret affiliations against me. Have I mentioned the Hibaris yet?”
“Oh, someone threatened you? That can’t do,” Reborn says, putting down the family tree to pick up a gun, “let’s go establish dominance.”
“No!”
“Then die.”
Tsuna has to abruptly straighten so the shot, which was uncomfortably aimed for his lowered head and would have plunged into his chest if he did anything less— soars right past and drills itself into a spot deep in the far wall.
“...That’s a REAL bullet?!”
“You thought it would be fake?”
“Why is the gun GREEN then?”
“Oh, meet Leon.”
“What the f–!!”
“Sugaya.”
“Well,” his seatmate chuckles, “you come at me with that look on your face and you immediately drop a book on my table. What do you need me for, Sawada?”
“I need you to draw this logo I saw yesterday. The key design is a crest with a bullet shell in the center, and a clam with wings—”
“La Famiglia Vongola, yeah, I know how to draw that. Why do you need it?”
“...should I be surprised you know instantly?”
“Did you skip the class on— ah, right. This was a field trip exclusive class, and you spent it hurling up your organs. I’m pretty sure Nee-san can tell you everything to know about it,” Sugaya is already starting on the sketch, “if you need an in, though, we already have all the tools necessary to infiltrate. What’s the occasion?”
“...no, no infiltration necessary. Just promise me you won’t make fun of me for what I’m about to tell you.”
He made fun of him. A lot.
But at the very least, Tsuna gets to enjoy Reborn’s baffled silence as Tsuna levels him with an exhausted look.
“The Vongola, currently the most influential and similarly most infamous mafia syndicate in the entirety of the underworld,” Tsuna says, deeply concerned, “they have allies and offshoots that range from similarly light-inclined communities like the Cavallone, to their personal squadra killer automata, VARIA.”
Reborn is very silent.
Then, “well, I’m glad you’re independent enough to do our own homework.”
“Reborn! What makes you think I want any part of this?! I’m fifteen!” Tsuna throws his hands into the air in exasperation. “Are you telling me you’re going to throw all this responsibility onto the shoulders of a fifteen-year-old just because there are no blood relatives left?”
“Hey now,” Reborn says, “you’ll be eighteen when you succeed, at least. Even then, the youngest ever recorded was about ten when he had to succeed. Because everyone in his family was killed except for him. He’s about your age now, so you guys can be besties when the time comes.”
Yes, that is clearly not a screaming red flag.
“Reborn,” Tsuna says, “I dearly, dearly hope the Mafia know that children should not be leading terrifyingly influential underworld powers. First of all, they’re very easy to target.”
Reborn brightens right up.
“Then you better get to training, yeah?”
Tsuna cries into his pillow.
Very soon after arriving, Reborn knew that Namimori would be full of surprises.
Tsuna was an enigma of its own, and the town he’d only ever glimpsed before. The disciplinary committee being the local ruling is a good host for future allies, and the girl who’s treating him like a cat with her newest favourite toy is absolutely jarring, but the most prominent surprise had to be Sawada Nana.
“I did learn that you had married Iemitsu from Vongola Ninth, but I was still rather surprised to see you here,” he says. “Rather, I didn’t believe it was you from the rumours, but seeing the garden, I had to stop doubting.”
Nana giggles.
“I’m flattered, Reborn-kun,” she says. “I’d ask if you want flowers to go, but I always place flowers around the house, so you’d have to see more of them than you’d ever know what to do with.”
While Tsuna is off at school, they share a cup of coffee as they reminisce on old times.
“It’s very nice to see you haven’t changed.”
“You as well.”
Reborn had thought that ‘Sawada Nana’ would be a name kept behind closed doors, an unsuspecting Madame of the soon-to-be Vongola base in Namimori. Harmless, docile, and loving— the keeper of the home base. No one would ever see her as a threat, but she’ll always be protected.
Unfortunately, Sawada Nana— formerly Yuuri Nana, owner of Sevenlilies, the daytime florist; nighttime underworld rest stop— would be far more of an asset than he could’ve ever fathomed.
(No one could ever dare antagonize her or put her in harm’s way.)
(Unless they wanted the entirety of the underworld coming for their heads, no one would ever dare treat her with anything but the highest honour and respect.)
Definitely, the best possible asset Vongola could have ever taken in.
(Though, it would be naive to think Vongola managed to get her through any whim but her own.)
“Tsuna-kun!”
“K-Kyoko-chan?!” Tsuna flusters immediately upon Sasagawa Kyoko being in his vicinity. The stack of books in his hands (mild punishment for being unfocused in class) disallowed him an immediate escape route.
Kyoko giggles, but doesn’t offer to help carry them.
“Hi, Tsuna-kun,” she greets, sweetly, fiddling with her fingers and hiding them behind her. “Is it okay if I take some of the stuff from the first aid kit on your desk? It’s nearer than the nurse’s office…”
“Oh! That, uh, o- of course,” Tsuna bumbles through his speech, clearly averting his eyes like his eyeballs are birds that have never learned how to perch in their lives, “uhm. Take it, of course, go ahead!”
“Thank you!” she beams. “I’ll make sure not to mess it up, thanks!”
“R- Right! It’s okay even if you do—!!”
Reborn watches from a distance. The lovestruck types are always the most hopeless, and it’s just his luck that Tsuna already has such a glaring weakness. Get a cute girl to assassinate him and he’ll probably be too flustered to do anything.
On the other hand, though, Kyoko seems to know exactly what she’s doing. She’s clearly cultivating an army of boys who will die for her on command. What a vixen. Reborn wants her in the Family like, right now.
Reborn suspected nothing, at first.
Even when Tsuna had a military title, it was obligatory, and the result of a group effort, and not many people fully understood the End Class situation beyond ‘some alien dragged these kids into the underworld to seek death, and if the children didn’t kill them first, the Vindice would have done it anyways’.
So, Reborn expected little from Tsuna.
Little, as in ‘just enough to not be completely hopeless’. He may be clumsy, but he had reflexes, he had training, and he had the wariness and well-honed expectations hardened by life in Namimori.
He expected something similar to Dino. Someone with the exposure, but generally unpolished.
It’s rather fascinating how easily Tsuna dodges or deflects any attempt of being shot by Reborn, whether it be by madly scrambling for his life, quickly ducking under tables, or lifting something up— like a book— to block it with.
He stops doing the latterest when he realizes Reborn’s bullets go clean through paper shields, though.
More than a few times Tsuna lunges for the gun, even knowing the natural human reaction to jumping a gun is to either shoot or flinch— so Tsuna jumps at an angle and gets halfway into the action of twisting a wrist before he realizes Reborn’s body is way too damn small for that manoeuvre. Every time, Reborn promptly grabs his sleeve before hurling him out of the window for his insolence.
(Who the hell taught him the first reaction to a gunman was to disarm? Damn it, military, this kid’s going to get killed at his first bank robbery.)
Reborn also notes the way Tsuna always lands, as safely as he can, no matter which way he’s thrown.
“There’s quite extensive self-defense ingrained into him,” Reborn murmurs, “but his personality leaves much to be desired in a Boss.”
He’ll eat his own words very quickly.
Reborn honestly, sincerely didn’t expect this, but he’ll never say that out loud.
Tsuna is ‘Dame-Tsuna’ to the town, but it’s almost alarmingly affectionate. Reborn initially thought it was an indicator of just how much of a pushover Tsuna was, that he’d simply allow that nickname to spread, how he’d simply let his friend tease him one-sidedly, and how he’d simply say yes to any favour or heel to every threat.
Upon review of Tsuna’s capabilities— he’s unremarkable. Slightly above average grades, slightly around average in sports, no real motivational drive to do more, and no particular extracurriculars of note.
And then, well, and then, he does stuff like this.
“Sawada Tsunayoshi!”
Kurokawa Hana kicks his desk and demands a battle. For some reason.
It’s lunchtime and half the class is out, but the other half has turned to watch. This includes Sugaya, who is sketching at his desk, completely oblivious to Tsuna’s plight.
“Eep! What– I’m sorry?” Tsuna clutches his book tightly. He glances down, Hana has her leg planted on the edge of his desk, it’s very risen, she can see the stockings and immediately averts his eyes, unable to hide the red bursting onto his face, “w-w-what?!”
And Hana clicks her tongue in disgust.
She does not put her leg down.
“Why is Kyoko wearing bandages completely smothered in your scent, you feral mongrel?” she threatens. “How dare you claim your territory under my watch. You wanna die, huh?”
Huh.
“Huh— huh?!” Tsuna winds his gaze to her, then to Kyoko, who’s peeking out cheekily behind Hana, and then back to Hana again. “HUH?”
Kyoko’s hands are wrapped in orange kinesiology tape, and that’s normal, her hands are really delicate and chap easily, she’s always got the tape on and that must be what she borrowed from Tsuna’s first aid kit.
But huh?
She giggles.
And Tsuna’s mind goes three miles a minute.
“Kyoko-chan?”
“Do not address her!” Hana snarls, and Tsuna almost thinks her hair rises like its alive, ready to snatch her up like a hair monster and— “explain yourself right this instant.”
There’s nothing to explain.
Kyoko sticks her tongue out and mouths a ‘sorry’ in his direction.
“Kyoko-chan…” Tsuna is near tears at this point.
The next thing Kyoko mouths is, ‘good luck, Tsuna-kun!’ with some excitable light punches to the air like she’s a cheerleader.
Tsuna makes a sound akin to a cry as he leaps out of his seat, ducks right under Hana’s leg, and takes advantage of her disbalance to snatch her right up by the waist and deposit her in his chair.
He then ducks behind Kyoko and covers his ears.
Right on time for Hana to realize she’s been moved and start incoherently screeching out a “you f*cking MONGREL—!!” only to sharply stop once she realizes she’s yelling right in Kyoko’s face.
Kyoko is still beaming unfalteringly brightly.
Tsuna ducks behind Kyoko, holding onto Kyoko’s shoulder and using her as a shield.
“I mean, w- w- we’re friends, right?” Tsuna squeaks, looking at Kyoko and back, genuinely terrified of Hana at this point, “Kyoko-chan lent me bandages before too. It’s like, an exchange thing! Right?”
“Riiiight~” Kyoko sings along, swaying as she teeters in that sugary demeanor of hers.
“Who let you become friends with HER, huh?!” Hana growls, “and since when were you two ever close? Kyoko, I’ve seen mongrels who seize girls for less, and that’s a piece of cloth with his spirit all over it! You’re basically signing ownership to him, take them off!”
“I mean,” Kyoko pouts, “I don’t really understand, Hana, but, it’d be such a waste. I can be Tsuna-kun’s for one day, right?” She looks at Tsuna. “As long as you give me back by curfew my brother won’t mind.”
“Please don’t,” Tsuna pleads. What is she even trying to imply?
“Absolutely not!” Hana slams a fist on the table.
Kyoko now puffs up her cheek, “you never let me do what I want!”
“If you had an ounce of self-preservation in your life I would.”
Clearly, this has something to do with Hana’s side of the world. But Kyoko is feigning ignorance because her main sustenance in life is orchestrated chaos, and she’s absolutely using Tsuna as the unwilling wrench to get her way.
Reborn watches this all from the window.
He doesn’t know what’s more impressive— Hana’s assertion, Kyoko’s crafty nature, or— well, he’ll focus on Tsuna, since he’s the main client. He’d never shown that amount of capability anytime else, and he’d swapped between it and his no-good nature so seamlessly, it was weaved into his personality perfectly.
Much more, no one in class had been even the least bit surprised by that sudden boost in prowess. Impressed, maybe, but not taken aback the same way Reborn was.
Everyone in class knew he could do it. Kyoko even knew how to make use of it.
Tsuna, too, was part of the Namimori abnormality, and no one thought it strange. (Maybe Reborn’s the one that still needs to adapt. This is such a weird position for him.)
Reborn’s very spoiled for choices in Guardian candidates.
At the end of the day it’ll most likely come down to how they interact with Tsuna, but there are many people that could become interesting assets to the Famiglia even without being Guardians.
Of course, there’s Sasagawa Kyoko, first of all. Not Guardian material, but her antics would definitely be something Lal Mirch would adore. CEDEF would crave her in their ranks.
The same could be said for Miura Haru, who, honestly, Reborn’s annoyance for her impressive stalking is starting to turn into admiration. How is she doing this, and how does Reborn immediately sign her up for Varia without making it too obvious he just wants her ten thousand miles away from him ASAP?
Kurokawa Hana is also an interesting choice. The burning territorial instincts of a Cloud roars within her, but her loyalties are too frayed for Tsuna.
If he’s choosing a Cloud, though, there’s nothing that can beat the roaring cumulonimbus up top. Reborn finds Hibari Kyouya a rather fascinating adversary— the face he wears raised expectations, and everything about him is just as advertised, too. But Clouds are fickle and hard to control, and Reborn has a headache imagining that face with that flame coexisting. He hates dealing with them individually, much less in coalition.
Sugaya Sousuke. Clearly Tsuna’s best friend in the classroom, not really remarkable in much except artistic capabilities. He’s a reliable supporter in many situations, and he doesn’t ask too many questions— but he’s more a guy in the chair than anything else. Reborn half-suspects he’s the source of Tsuna’s information on the Vongola.
That’s about it for Reborn’s immediate field of view. Haru’s the oddball in the equation, but if Reborn were to scope out anymore in the classroom—
—Yamamoto Takeshi.
Tsuna’s struck gold with this one.
Yamamoto Takeshi spends the early mornings at either the Kendo Club or the Baseball Club. He’s only a temporary member of the former, but he attends the practices often because he’s maintaining good terms with Mochida Kensuke. There are whispers of Takeshi becoming the Captain after Mochida graduates, but he clearly doesn’t have the drive. He’s much more a baseball guy.
If he’s at neither of those locations, he’s helping his father with morning prep for TakeSushi, the local go-to for Japanese cuisine.
“You’re always so busy, Yamamoto,” Tsuna sighs as they wander back to class after tidying up the supplies for the volleyball game, “don’t you ever take a break?”
And Takeshi’s smile doesn’t fade.
“I’m just trying to live as much of my life to the fullest, as much as I can,” Takeshi says. “I aspire to treasure all the time I have left.”
It’s a solemn thing for a teenager to say.
“I honestly think it’s fine to take it easy sometimes,” Tsuna sighs.
“No,” Reborn interrupts with a sharp kick to Tsuna’s jugular, sending him hacking and hurtling to the ground, “you take things TOO easy! You’re wasting so much time every day just staring into walls. Very unbecoming of a mafia boss.”
“I said I’m not gonna be a mafia bossss!!” Tsuna wails, laying bonelessly on the ground as if Reborn was a child and they were playing godzilla and Tsuna just dearly wanted to be defeated already.
Takeshi has shifted to hold his shinai bag like a kendo sword, facing them both— and he takes pause— Reborn simply stands on Tsuna’s forehead, very disappointed in how Tsuna hasn’t bothered to recover and assume a defensive stance yet.
Tsuna has so much prowess when threatened by his peers, and yet, when Reborn does it, he just goes limp.
He must be treating Reborn like a child. Reborn wants to shoot him dead.
“What the— oh, you’re the kid,” Takeshi says, returning his weapon to hang on his back as his shoulders immediately ease with a laugh. “Nice to see you again!”
“You KNOW him?!” Tsuna jumps up so quickly. Reborn has to hop off.
“Oh? Uh, yeah?” Takeshi chuckles, hand unconsciously resting at the gnarly scar at his neck, “I’ve seen him around, I guess.”
Tsuna gets back up to his feet so quickly it’s a parkour maneuver, and he grabs at Takeshi’s front collar like he’s very, very desperate— he doesn’t notice the way Takeshi tries to back away only for Tsuna to clutch harder—
And then Tsuna hisses in the sincerest tone in the world, “how do I get rid of him?!”
Takeshi bluescreens.
“I’m the worst person to ask,” right out.
“Noooo!”
Well, wasn’t that fascinatingly fearless of Tsuna. Reborn is going to start making him wake up at three in the morning for runs around town from now on.
The first thing Reborn looked out for when he arrived was the worst bits.
To assess the state of a kingdom, go first to the slums. To assess the quality of the talent in a town, first discover the scars they try to hide.
Reborn’s more the kind to believe scars are a sign of weakness to be ashamed of, rather than boasted about and shown off. Unless you’re using it as a show of bravado, they’re pretty much a sign that you’re weak enough to get that close to death to begin with.
(There’s a reason Reborn didn’t get along with Viper at all.)
There are exceptions, though. This town is mostly filled with exceptions.
Tsuna hides the worst of his physical scars, a deep burning passage of what must have been a rather large bullet through his shoulder. But the lichtenberg figures that plagued his upper arms in what clearly are fairly recent lacerations— he doesn’t hide them, because hiding them would only make them stand out more.
He falters up stairs and things jump out of his hands when he isn’t focusing— most of it isn’t just clumsiness at work. He doesn’t wear the school blazer for sleeves, opting for the comfortable sleeveless vest over the button-up and taping down the worst of the shaking. He’s clumsy enough that the surplus of medical supplies aren’t a weird sight on him, and he’s even the class’ go-to for an accessible first-aid kit.
And Tsuna’s among the tamer ones around.
Sasagawa Kyoko keeps her hands bandaged at all times, and it’s easy to see why. Her nails are soft and broken and just barely grown back, all short and stubby and unbecoming of the ‘perfect school madonna’ she is in all other ways. Reborn has never seen any other scars on her, but then again, Sasagawa Kyoko doesn’t let anyone see much of her at all.
“Geez, Onii-chan, you’re always like this,” she whines, snaking up her brother’s arm as he yelps, because he’s sweaty and gross, “it’s like you love spending time with the sandbag more than you do me.”
And Sasagawa Ryohei balks. “Of course not, Kyoko! Never, ever! You’re my extreme first priority, I would never leave you even if the sky were falling!”
Kyoko giggles. “You always exaggerate.”
“I’m extremely serious!”
Brother and sister are intimate and dear, almost too lovely a sight in what Reborn understands of reality. And yet, they’re just that— a perfect pair of siblings that care deeply for each other, two teenagers living alone in a reality where they only have each other. No parents in sight, and no authority to come and question that missing guardianship.
(They’ll be a package deal no matter what, and that may be more a liability than an asset in the long run.)
Reborn will really have to choose wisely.
Sasagawa Ryohei is straightforward, headstrong, and burns brightly. In every Famiglia there’s always a necessity for a simple, straightforward heavy hitter, especially one with as radiant a sense of protection and dedication as this one. He’s earnest to a fault, and he looks out for everyone. He prioritizes Kyoko, of course, but Reborn hasn’t missed the way he keeps an eye out for Takeshi’s limp when he descends stairs, and of course—
—the signboard.
[Disturb at your own risk!]
Hibari Kyouya wakes up, finds it by him, and promptly kicks it into the dirt with magnificently pissed vigour.
Kusakabe Tetsuya, the vice president, simply stares in defeat as Kyouya leaves the area with an angry lift in his march. Tetsuya then picks up the pillow he’s left behind— also something Kyouya didn’t initially start out sleeping with, how is Ryohei getting these? There’s a kitten on it still sleeping soundly, and Tetsuya decides to rest it on his shoulder before following the Disciplinary Committee president on his way.
Ryohei likes to make Kyouya comfortable— as a prank is what everyone hopes, but there’s the terrifying possibility this may be Ryohei’s innocent attempt at genuinely caring for their resident narcoleptic grump— all it’s managed to achieve is compel Kyouya on a warpath to ‘how the hell do you get close to me while I’m sleeping without me noticing, f*cking fight me’ and that’s the daytime routine here.
Speaking of scars, Hibari Kyouya has quite an ensemble himself.
There was a time people thought he wouldn’t wake up again, but years ago he survived being in the hypocenter of an earthquake and made a full recovery. And then, he never let anyone know a single one of his weaknesses ever again. So, Reborn has difficulty finding any loose seams.
He’s barely seventeen and he’s already walking with the gait of a soldier.
(But then again, who in this town didn’t?)
“Haru found Reborn-chan agaiiiiin!!”
Damn it, she caught him. Reborn would rather die than admit it but the girl’s cornered him. He walks with the steps of more than just a hitman with decades of experience, he’s walking with all the breath of an expert shadow, and still, Haru finds him.
“Haru loves your footsteps! They’re small, but they’re powerful, and they’re warm and toasty, like the sun! Haru loves it!”
“Wha— Haru!”
Oh, there’s a possible saving grace. Miura Haru is on an errand with her older brother, Miura Yuji, and he is definitely against the idea of his sister serenading her adoration for an infant in a weird tiny suit today.
(Miura Yuji: unremarkable, quiet, unassuming, an average boy with no achievements or pasts of note. End analysis.)
“Haru, put him down.”
Haru is cradling Reborn like a toy. “No!”
“Let go.”
“Don’t wanna.”
“If you put him down, I’ll get you cake.”
Haru frowns, and deeply, deeply considers this. Finally, she gives in, putting Reborn down like an apprehensive child then lunging for her brother, clinging to his shirt and running golden retriever circles around him.
“Alright, cake! Yuji promised Haru cake, so Haru wants a Mont Blanc! Mont Blanc, Mont Blanc!”
“Okay, okay, settle down! Sit!” he urges, still holding the groceries they went out to pick up, He reaches out a hand and Haru clutches it obediently, promising not to go stray.
Ah, distract the puppy with something else if they don’t want to let go of the first toy. Classic dog manipulating behaviour. Splendid. Haru isn’t human even to her own older brother. Fascinating. What the actual hell?
Yuji glances at Reborn and, to Reborn’s surprise, bows out an apology.
“I’m very sorry about her,” he says. “I hope you find it in yourself to forgive her impulses.”
Reborn glances up, curious. Usually people treat him like a normal infant, cooing and baby-talk and all. Underestimation is the most common reaction, they all think he’s a cosplaying child playing a mafia game.
(Of course, in Namimori, only Tsuna is brave enough to point out how discrepant Reborn’s appearance is to his experience and actions. This is all part of the Namimori code to look and gawk but never take action if it doesn’t involve them.)
Tsuna’s seen Reborn as an annoying threat the second he’d arrived. Then there’s Nana and Yamamoto, who’s always known him anyways, and Kyoko, who treats him just like she treats anyone else.
But Miura Yuji treats him like someone to be respected.
Even though he’s no one at all, and he hardly has the same doglike senses as his sister— he instinctively understands that despite Reborn’s size, he must be someone of strength and note, and he positions himself very scarcely.
Yuji acts entirely humble and amiable, ensuring nothing he does offends.
As if he’s used to facing creatures stronger than him, and coming out alive on wit alone.
He positions very subtly, way too naturally as if he’d done similar plenty of times— keeping his dominant hand free to clutch something in his pocket. And when he turns to leave, he makes sure his body covers Haru from view as they go.
It’s like he’s wary of Reborn attacking. He doesn’t think it will happen, but he can never be too careful.
Ah, there’s not a single normal kid in this place.
Reborn is so distracted by everything around Tsuna, but he hasn’t lost sight of the goal just yet.
“Where have you been, Reborn?” Tsuna groans when Reborn shows up after dinner. “At least tell Mom if you’re not eating with us.”
“Oh? Sorry, Maman.”
“It’s okay, Reborn-kun,” Nana sings, “have you eaten?”
It’s homely. Namimori is so abnormal, that normality blends right in and beocmes part of the hodgepodge. It’s a place any and everything may thrive, and Reborn honestly thinks he’s going to have so much fun here.
Reborn sits down for supper and Tsuna sighs deeply.
“I’ve told you many times, I’m not becoming a mafia boss,” Tsuna says, ignoring the fact his mother is in the room. And there’s a weird way he intones ‘mafia boss’, as if there’s a word that should fit there better, but it just hasn’t crossed Reborn’s mind yet. “Just— you can find so many more capable candidates out there. Who cares about blood?”
“Blood is important, for the Vongola,” Reborn says. “We’ll need to have that lesson soon.”
“Reborn, I don’t care.”
Tsuna’s hand remains on the table, His gaze remains on Reborn.
And Reborn doesn’t lift his head to meet it.
The air had turned so abruptly frigid, Reborn paused, instinctively turning inward to assess the yet unseen threat. Is there a sniper? Is there someone hiding out, about to ambush?
This bloodlust is so palpable, so cutthroat, it’s refined, yet juvenile.
And Reborn quickly realizes that it’s not hiding at all. There is no sniper, no enemy, and it isn’t even Nana, showing her rare anger.
This sharp, baby lion’s blade has been in front of him this whole time.
He finally lifts his head to meet burning amber eyes, and Tsuna taps slowly on the table, one hand folded over his wrist.
Tsuna is staring down at Reborn with all the murderous desire of a trained killer, and his declaration of I am not becoming a mafia boss, and I do not care if my blood matters ringing out deeply through the searing gaze.
Reborn stares back.
And his lips curl into a smile.
Has he been hiding this? Is everything— from the clumsiness in his movements, to the smile on his face, to the meekness in his steps. His kindly nature, his friendships, his crush on the school madonna— were they all lies?
No. They’re all part of him, genuinely, but he’s found a way to use even his chronic anxiety as a mask. His heartbeat is a tool, his chronically shaking hands a perfect shield against expectations. Every bit of him is real, but every bit of him is a step towards making other people underestimate him.
Reborn’s fallen for it too. Tsuna’s just so natural to feel at ease around. And now, Tsuna had even made use of Nana’s presence to lure Reborn into a sense of security. All to drop this bomb on him.
Nothing he does is useless. Everything sets him up for the minute he peels away into the kill, and by then, Reborn’s too far into the game to escape.
(That’s the missing word—)
(Tsuna is not a mafia boss. That word doesn’t fit him, not yet at least.)
(That’s because right now, Sawada Tsunayoshi is one thing that Reborn has spent his life embleming the antithesis to. Reborn is the Sun that stands in the spotlight and throws his name as the Greatest Hitman in the World.)
(Sawada Tsunayoshi is the antithesis of that— someone that walks under the glow of the moonlight. Someone who looks up to that permanent crescent in the sky and lets it guide him to success.)
(An assassin.)
And Reborn laughs. He laughs, loud and sharp and boisterous, and Leon morphs into a gun right as Tsuna backs up, flipping Reborn’s teaspoon right off the desk— but Reborn shoots it out of the way before it can be seized.
“That’s perfect!” Reborn declares.
The smoking bullet hole gouges into the far wall.
“I’ll make you a Mafia Boss. Whether you like it or not,” Reborn says. “Drag you out into the light, and you’re getting on that damn throne.”
Sawada Tsunayoshi had hidden his bloodlust so well, Reborn took far too long to understand exactly why the Special Youth Division Military Designation: Emergency Squad E had to be shoved under so many wraps and raised confusingly up a pedestal with that convoluted name. It was buried like a mummy in a pyramid.
Of course the government would never openly admit this.
How could the f*cking country tell the world they raised a group of teenagers to become professional assassins on that mountain? And then they so naturally, carelessly released them all back into the wild society, just like that? It’s madness!
Reborn’s lucked out.
Reborn’s lucked out so, so much. He gets to turn one of those child assassins into a first-rate Don.
The key difference between hitmen and assassins are the ‘missions’ they’ve set out to do. Hitmen clean up a location, extract information, rinse out a kink in their workings so no obstructions get in the way again. An assassin simply kills with no strings attached.
“My mission is to make you a Leader,” Reborn says.
“I don’t get paid to do this, and I’m not stupid enough to think I can take you in a head-on challenge,” Tsuna says, “would it make a difference if I prove I’d rather kill you than do any of that?”
Reborn grins.
“Then, try.”
Leon returns to being a chameleon on his fedora. Tsuna stands aside, wary, but his shoulders at ease. His hands are in his pockets, and Reborn knows there are hidden weapons in there.
What an impatient child.
“Try. You don’t need to face me head on— you’re an assassin, fight like one. Kill like one. Try your best,” Reborn challenges, returning to his seat as Nana casually hands him new cutlery like nothing’s even happening around her. “But if you become a great Mafia Boss first, then I win.”
Tsuna sighs deeply.
“Sure, I’ll take that bet. When did you say I’d inherit— eighteen? Three years then, that’s the deadline,” he relents. “But if I kill you or your desire to make me a boss before then… you’ll disappear and we’ll pretend nothing ever happened. Deal?”
A single hand lifts for an agreement, and Tsuna takes it.
“Of course. On my name as the Greatest Hitman in the world.”
And so the game begins.
-
-
[EXTRA #1] Chat name: E7 Dinner at the Sawadas?
SAWADA:
My life sucks
SUGAYA:
Obligatory: that’s rough buddy
KARMA:
HASHAHAHAKSLASLaksljasldead
SAWADA:
I hate you Karma
KARMA:
Nice! Double entendre
SAWADA:
I hope Hibari exiles you forever
KARMA:
leGASP
MIMURA:
And here we witness the rare
appearance of angry Tsunaemon-sama
KURAHASHI:
Sawada-kuuuunnnn!!! ❤ (ɔˆз(ˆ⌣ˆc)
Is someone bullying you???
Whut’s wrong? ( : ౦ ‸ ౦ : )
You can call me if you need to talk!
SAWADA:
Karma passed by
Laughed in my face
KURAHASHI:
୧((#Φ益Φ#))୨ KARMA!!!
KARMA:
What was I supposed to do!?
Kusakabe updates me about everything
How do I NOT laugh my ass off
SUGAYA:
Karma has a point
SAWADA:
You’re disowned as bff
SUGAYA:
Devastating
KATAOKA:
??? what? Something happen
In Namimori without us?
SAWADA:
How’s dorm school, Kataoka-san?
Is it better than hell?
KATAOKA:
You’ve seen the light, alright then
MIMURA:
Lmao peace lasted two months ig
Update us commuters pls
SAWADA:
I wish to perish
KURAHASHI:
That rhymes!ヽ(>∀<☆)ノ
SAWADA:
Please bury me beside Korosensei
MIMURA:
Uh?? But we didn’t bury him?
There’s no grave either??
OKANO:
Are you sure, dude?
You’re gonna be thirdwheeling
In Soul Society I hope you know
SUGAYA:
So remember when I posted
The Vongola crest in the 3-E chat
And asked about it?
KURAHASHI:
Yep. Super not subtle
What happens in Nami stays in Nami
MIMURA:
Fuwa was conspiracy theory-ing
The hell out of you
I had to listen to her the whole time
KATAOKA:
You really should keep that
Stuff to this chat.
OKANO:
So I think I can guess, but,
Who’s the lucky bastard?
SAWADA:
I wish I was a lucky -bastard-
KURAHASHI:
What does that mean???
KARMA:
It means that our Lord & Saviour
Tsunaemon-sama is a pureblood!!
°˖✧◝(⁰▿⁰)◜✧˖°
No illegitimacy to worry about!
Congrats you have no escape.
KURAHASHI:
Wait what? I don’t get it
But Run boy RUN
SAWADA:
Mafia
KATAOKA:
Mafia???
I’m so sorry Sawada
MIMURA:
How do you find this out
EXACTLY two months
After you intensively finished
Training to be an assassin?
OKANO:
Like, deadass?
Our baby fluffy Tsunaemon-sama??
Deadass??
SAWADA:
Please don’t call me a baby anymore
I wish that word meant the same
Thing to me as it did 24 hours ago
SUGAYA:
He gained a tiny hitman stalker
KARMA:
Hear this
He’s the Greatest HITMAN
MIMURA:
Achievement unlocked!
Get taught how to kill by living legends
In the killing industry while staying
The local cinnamon roll (2/?)
SAWADA:
I sure HOPE it’s 2/2
What ELSE is coming??
SUGAYA:
Oh hey, you share the
Achievement with Nagisa+Okuda!
Nice
SAWADA:
I’ve never wanted an
Achievement less
KURAHASHI:
Pretty sure Bitch-sensei also counts
For her four favourite students.
So I’m sorry Sawada it’s 3/3 for you
SAWADA:
I hope all of you know that
I’m sobbing into my pillow
OKANO:
I’m buying lotto tickets
With your birth date.
This is some sign from god
SAWADA:
50/50
OKANO:
60/40 cinnamon roll tax
SAWADA:
30/70 being mean to me tax
OKANO:
Ok. fair
MIMURA:
Would it be the weirdest thing
We’ve seen in Namimori though?
KARMA:
So, funny story,
Kusakabe had no idea that babies
With advanced speech weren’t normal
I don’t even wanna ask
KATAOKA:
I thought he was the sane one
In the Hibari hierarchy?
KARMA:
He is
KATAOKA:
I am no longer accepting answers
KURAHASHI:
Is that why Haru was quarrelling with
Me about if stalking stalkers would
make you a stalker too?
KARMA:
Please tell her never to stop.
She drives the tiny hitman crazy amd
It’s the funniest f*cking thing to witness
At 5am every morning on the dot.
KATAOKA:
There are three concerning
things in that statement, Karma
SAWADA:
Bitch-sensei is going to
Hold this against me forever
KURAHASHI:
Oh! Wasn’t Okuda’s Nee-sama
Part of the Vongola??
SUGAYA:
She is!
KATAOKA:
I suppose you should expect
assassination attempts soon
MIMURA:
Oh how the turntables…
KARMA:
If you see my buddy Grip
Tell him I said hi!
OKANO:
HahahAHAAA I see
No legitimacy problems?
Yes coup d’tat problems!
You can’t catch a break
SAWADA:
I hope Karma laughs
himself nto a seizure
KARMA:
Rest in Peace! Don’t worry
I’ll build your shrine for you <3
SAWADA:
Karma you live in a temple
Isn’t that blasphemous
