It's a Mafia Life (5-6)--KHR Fanfic
Title: It's a Mafia Life
Author: Reidluver
Pairing/Characters: Um...pretty much all of them (characters I mean)
Rating: PG-13
Warning: Spoilers for Future Arc
Summary: As Christmas draws near, TYL!Tsuna starts thinking his Guardians would have been better off without him. But would they? Tsuna's about to find out when his Guardian Angel takes him for a ride, but why does he look so much like Reborn?
[1-2] [3-4] [5-6] [7-8] [9-10] [11-12] [13-14] [15]
Chapter 5: Lost Childhood
". . . Lambo?"
The boy's head shot up at the mention of his name. He gave Tsuna a terrified glance over and scrambled out from under the trash bags. He knelt behind them as if they were some sort of protection. "How . . . how do you know my name?" he asked as he peered over his small barrier.
Tsuna ignored the question and merely knelt in front of Lambo and the garbage bags, his mouth still open in shock. Now that he was closer, Tsuna took in Lambo's appearance. He looked like he hadn't been properly fed in a year, like he hadn't slept well in a week, his clothes were clean but they were old, and he was sporting a black eye and split lip that looked fairly recent. Without even thinking, Tsuna reached out to comfort the teen.
Lambo flinched and placed his hands protectively over his head. The brunette drew his hand back carefully when Lambo started whimpering. "Lambo? What's wrong?"
The boy carefully opened one eye. "Please sir-I just need to take out the trash. I don't want any trouble."
"But Lambo . . . why are you letting these guys boss you around? Why are you even here?" Tsuna asked. When Lambo looked down, Tsuna reached out and lifted the garbage bags off the ground and tossed them into the large, dark blue trash bin.
"Um, thanks," Lambo muttered. He stood up and wrapped his arms around himself. After a few seconds of awkward silence Lambo made a mad dash for the door, but Tsuna grabbed his arm. The teen flailed around a moment to get out of Tsuna's grip then looked at him fearfully.
"What do you want from me?" Lambo shrieked. "Just let me go!"
"Why are you with those people, Lambo?" Tsuna asked. His Lambo was one of the most stubborn people he knew and never liked to be bossed around. It was the main reason they had so much trouble with him when he was younger. Tsuna remembered how at times he wished Lambo would behave and not be so obnoxious, but now Tsuna would do anything to exchange him with the frightened child before him. The Decimo had only seen Lambo look at him like that a few times before when Tsuna had lost his temper, and Tsuna never liked it.
"Because I'm weak and worthless so just let me go!" the boy cried.
"Kid?"
Both Tsuna and Lambo froze at the voice coming from behind the door.
"Get yer ass back in here!"
Lambo took advantage of Tsuna's momentary slack in grip and escaped. He slammed the door shut and Tsuna could only stand there stupidly. Why would Lambo go back to those people?
There was a crash that sounded like broken glass from inside the bar, followed by a slap and a shriek.
"You spilled that all over my new suit! You'll pay for that you little brat!" There was a lot of movement from inside and to Tsuna's horror Lambo started screaming. Some people started laughing and cheering as Lambo's screams grew louder.
Suddenly there was a furious pounding in Tsuna's ears and he felt the familiar heat on his hands and forehead as his Dying Will Flames burst to life. He rushed forward but was stopped by two arms that wrapped themselves around his waist. There was that new, familiar tug and the black door disappeared from sight.
Tsuna only wished the screams would disappear along with it.
The moment they landed who knew where, Tsuna lashed out at the angel. "What the hell was that?" he yelled. "Why did you stop me from saving Lambo?" He threw his fist at the angel's face but it merely went right through. Tsuna growled.
"I could have saved him! Why didn't you let me help him?"
"Because it wouldn't do him any good," Reborn said.
"Excuse me?! How the hell can letting Lambo get the shit beaten out of him be a good thing? Huh? You want to explain that to me, oh high and glorious angel?"
Reborn's voice was calm and controlled. "If you went in there and took him away from those people, what would you do then? As I've told you before, you were never born, so you don't really exist. There's no way you could provide for Lambo and give him what he needs. The only way Lambo can truly live a better life is if he makes the decision to get out. If he just relies on other people to take care of him he'll never learn."
Tsuna lifted his fist as if to try and punch the angel again, then punched the nearby alley wall instead. The brick shattered and clattered on the cement floor. The Dying Will Flame then flickered out and Tsuna buried his face in his hands as he sobbed. Lambo's screams reverberated in his head and he couldn't get rid of them.
"What happened?" he asked, his voice hoarse and mumbled.
Reborn gave a troubled sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Lambo's Family wanted to get rid of him so they sent him on a 'mission' to Japan with one of their hitman. He was given orders to abandon-"
"Wait, what?" Tsuna paused in wiping his eyes and glanced at Reborn with a doubtful expression. "I'm pretty sure that me not being born couldn't have caused that to happen!"
"Well, it did. Do you remember the reason Lambo of your time went to Japan in the first place?"
Tsuna closed his eyes in contemplation. "I remember him saying something about his Boss telling him that he had to defeat a powerful hitman like Reborn if he ever hoped to become Boss of the Bovino Family."
Reborn nodded. "Correct. Do you see anything wrong with that?"
"Well . . . it was impossible for Lambo to even have a change at beating Reborn so-" Tsuna gasped. "Are you saying the Bovino Boss told Lambo that on purpose? I always thought the guy was joking and Lambo misinterpreted him . . ." His voice faltered at the expression on Reborn's face. "So he was trying to kill him?"
"Lambo didn't have a chance against someone like Reborn," the angel said, "and the Bovino Boss probably figured that if Lambo tried to attack him, Reborn would kill the kid without a thought and then their troubles would be taken care of. In your case, the Boss didn't take into consideration that Reborn would spare Lambo and make him a part of your Family. Reborn may have been one of the most powerful hitmen in the world, but he wasn't going to murder a child in cold blood. Mess with him and taunt him certainly, but he wouldn't kill Lambo."
Tsuna frowned. "But from what Reborn said-when the Bovino Boss was told that Lambo was going to be my Thunder Guardian he was really excited."
"That's because he was able to get Lambo out of his hair along with the benefits of having given a member of his own Family to the Vongola," Reborn said. "Things didn't work out the way he thought, but it still worked to his advantage so he wasn't going to complain."
Tsuna closed his eyes. "That's . . . that's so horrible. I had no idea. So then-how did Lambo get with those men back there? How did he get from being abandoned to being with them?"
"Lambo lived on the streets for a while and nearly died. He was taken in by the Momokyokai when the leader realized how useful a kid like Lambo could be."
Tsuna folded his arms and gave the angel a pointed look. "Really? Why would a yakuza boss even think a half-dead child would be useful to him?"
"Because of the loyalty," Reborn answered. At Tsuna's confused look he continued, "The man knew that if he saved Lambo's life, then Lambo would be in his debt. And by getting him at such a young age, the Boss was able to shape him into the boy you just saw. Despite how cruel it was, it was a rather smart move. It's one of the reasons growing mafia are so interested in young, impressionable boys with no family to speak of."
Tsuna hung his head and leaned up against the brick wall. "I'm so sorry, Lambo," he whispered. By now, Tsuna didn't really know what to think. So far he hadn't been pleased with anything he saw and it baffled him. He had been so sure that things would be better without him, but now it looked like whether he was born or not brought destruction on his friends and those he was close to. Tsuna had thought that eliminating himself would be the solution, but he wasn't so sure now. What was the answer?
A loud explosion broke his train of thought and Tsuna glanced all around them in alarm, his hands already in a defensive position. "Reborn? Where did you take us this time?"
The angel shrugged. "We're still in Namimori. I just brought us down a few blocks."
"Well then what's-"
His was interrupted yet again by a second explosion that happened in the street right next to them. Tsuna's eyes widened at the flash of sun flames and he ran to the opening of the alley. There was a lot of smoke everywhere so his vision was obscured, but he could see two figures, one of which was crumpled on the ground unmoving.
"Che. Should do one more just in case." A spark-the smell of gunpowder-then BOOM!
Tsuna closed his eyes and put up his hands in front of his face to block the smoke and cinders that came flying at him. Once the onslaught calmed down, Tsuna cracked open an eye and tried to make out the two figures before him. As the smoke dimmed, he could see a burnt and smoldering body on the ground. There was a small spark and Tsuna's attention was then brought to the second figure who was lighting a cigarette.
The man took a deep breath and sighed, expelling a large cloud of smoke. "Wasn't even a challenge," he mumbled. He turned away from the body but stopped when he noticed Tsuna. "Hey-who are you?"
He stepped into the light and Tsuna was unable to keep from covering his mouth in horror. How was . . . why was he-
"Go-Gokudera?"
Chapter 6: Byakuran's Man
His clothes were white.
White with metal shoulder pads bearing a crest with crisscrossing flowers.
Millefiore.
For a moment Tsuna forgot to breathe, the only question running through his mind-
How?
The silver-haired bomber raised an eyebrow, looking a little unsettled at Tsuna's expression and silence. "Uh . . . are you all right? How do you even know my name anyway?"
"Why are you working for Byakuran?" Tsuna blurted out. He had to be dreaming. He had to be!
Gokudera looked confused. "Why wouldn't I?" he asked as if it was something everyone did.
"But . . . but you can't!" Tsuna had a feeling Gokudera would still be in the mafia, but he had never thought it'd be like this! "Byakuran is-"
"Byakuran-sama is the greatest person to have ever lived!" Gokudera said. There was a gleam in his eyes that Tsuna had become so used to that he felt rather jealous to see it directed at someone other than him, especially when it was Byakuran. "He's the greatest Mafia Boss and it is my aim to be his right-hand man! Right now it's Shouichi," Gokudera muttered, almost to himself, "but I'm just as smart as him and I can fight. It's only a matter of time before Byakuran-sama realizes that."
Tsuna's mind was practically screaming about just how wrong this was. Perhaps he was being selfish, but he didn't like hearing Gokudera talk about someone else that way. He was Gokudera's boss and friend! This whole turn of events was just so twisted on so many levels! What had happened to his friend to make him come to this?
"No!"Tsuna took a step forward. "Gokudera, Byakuran is corrupt and evil and what he-" Before he could blink, Tsuna found himself slammed against the brick wall with Gokudera's fingers around his throat. Tsuna had only really been on the receiving end of Gokudera's glares once, and he now realized just how lucky he was.
"Don't you ever talk about Byakuran-sama that way! I don't know how or why you seem to think you know me-but you don't. You know nothing about me!" Gokudera's grip tightened. "Most of my life I've been treated like shit and no one would lift a damn finger to help me! I had no one! No one! I had to fend for myself all the time, because I was the only person I could trust."
His eyes softened. "But then I ran into Byakuran-sama. He told me I had real talent and he wanted that in his Family. He gave me a place to belong and I will never forget his kindness. He's the only one who's ever accepted me and I owe him my life!"
Tsuna felt his eyes grow moist. As time passed and he learned more about his friend's past, Gokudera's nearly fanatical obsession with him started to make sense. But this . . . this was heartbreaking. He just knew Byakuran saw Gokudera's thirst for a place to belong and exploited it. The thought both infuriated and saddened him. His hatred for the man grew even greater. To think that Byakuran could twist someone's feelings like that . . .
"But you do know what he's doing is wrong, right?" Tsuna said softly.
Gokudera gave the barest of flinches. Tsuna would have missed it if he weren't looking for it. But he was and he did. And that made Tsuna feel worse. A few tears fell down his face. He knew Gokudera wasn't entirely pleased with the way things were going, but it seemed his desire to have a place to belong outweighed his sense of morals. And that hurt. More than Tsuna could have imagined.
The silver-haired man seemed bothered by the tears and let go of Tsuna's throat. "Just get out of my sight," he mumbled. "Normally I'd kill you, but I'm in the middle of a mission for Byakuran-sama to kill an assassin who's been targeting Millefiore soldiers. He's supposed to be stationed in Namimori." Gokudera turned around and started walking away.
"I've received intel that a Millefiore White Spell Captain should be in Namimori over the next couple of days. . ."
Tsuna gasped. "Yamamoto?" He had meant it to be a whisper, but Gokudera obviously heard him. He whipped around and rushed up to Tsuna, looking excited.
"So you know this swordsman? Where can I find him? Have you seen him recently?"
"But . . . but you can't-" Tsuna could only stare at this Gokudera in fear as images of Gokudera and Yamamoto killing each other played before his eyes. True, they bickered back and forth often enough (well, it was generally more or less one-sided) but once Gokudera had grown up a bit there wasn't too much malice behind their words. It was more friendly banter than anything, despite their differences in opinions over pretty much anything. Yet Tsuna knew that in this time, there would be no holding back and they wouldn't stop until they were both dead.
"Tell me!" Gokudera snarled, grabbing Tsuna's coat. He shook him slightly. "Tell me and I'll let you live!"
It took a few seconds for the shock to wear off, and when it did Tsuna's gaze hardened with resolve. "No. I'm not going to sit by and let my two best friends kill each other!"
Gokudera frowned. "Look, I really have no idea what you're talking about, but it's obvious you won't cooperate." He let go of Tsuna and stepped back. "The only option I have is to beat the answer out of you, and if that doesn't work I'm taking you to Byakuran-sama. Prepare yourself." A Storm Ring lit up on his finger and he inserted it into a familiar-looking box weapon. A flash of light and suddenly Gokudera had a string of identical boxes around his waist with Uri on the ground beside him. The box animal snarled and hissed at Tsuna.
The silver-haired man grinned. "Prepare to meet Sistema C.A.I.! The most feared weapon of the Millefiore White Spell Captains!" A flash and a second later he was surrounded by the all too familiar shields. When Tsuna merely stood there, Gokudera sighed in exasperation.
"Look, are you going to fight or what? There's no point in acting like you can't. I know a good fighter when I see one. I'm prepared to go all out on you so the least you could do is try to fight back!" Gokudera called out angrily, aiming his weapon at Tsuna.
The Vongola Decimo wiped his eyes and glanced back at Gokudera with determination. "I don't want to fight you, Gokudera," he said, the Dying Will Flame shining brightly atop his head. "But I will stop you."
Gokudera gaped at Tsuna. "How in the hell . . . who are you? That's something only a Vongola descendant can have, how can you have it? They were supposed to be wiped out!"
"Great job exposing yourself to the enemy," Reborn muttered, coming up behind Tsuna. "Looks like it's time to go."
"Go? Wait-what? Reborn!"
"Oh, no you don't!" Gokudera put some ammo into his weapon. "There's no way I'm letting you leave." And without further ado, he fired.
"Let's go," Reborn said. He grasped Tsuna's arm and the two of them disappeared just seconds before the flame bullets hit them. The corner of the building they were in front of exploded from the impact, sending a shower of brick and debris into the air. Gokudera growled at the sight, having seen the two disappear in time. He quickly did a sweep of the surrounding area just to be sure, but they were gone.
"Do you sense them, Uri?" Gokudera asked. The box weapon sniffed the air then his ears folded down and he mewed softly. "That's okay," Gokudera muttered. He withdrew his flames and everything returned to their proper box.
Gokudera took a long drag on his cigarette and just stood there a moment, staring at the area the two men had just suddenly disappeared from. Under Byakuran-sama's orders, the Millefiore Captains had eliminated all of those of the Vongola bloodline, with the last being the CEDEF member Iemitsu. No one could really understand why, but they obeyed without question. To think that one of them survived . . .
And what was up with that second man? For some reason he reminded Gokudera of the Sun Arcobaleno, but that was impossible. He wasn't responsible, but Gokudera definitely witnessed the death of the supposed "greatest hitman ever." What secrets did this brown-haired man hold? The Captain pulled out a cellphone and spoke in rapid Italian.
"Hayato Gokudera of the White Spell, reporting in Lord Byakuran. . . I was following the trail of Takeshi Yamamoto and ran into someone who knew of his whereabouts, but he suddenly disappeared . . . I am well aware of how that sounds and I understand Lord Byakuran-but there was something about this stranger I think you'd like to know . . ."
This is just the beginning people. It'll get a whole lot worse. :(
Previous | Next
Author: Reidluver
Pairing/Characters: Um...pretty much all of them (characters I mean)
Rating: PG-13
Warning: Spoilers for Future Arc
Summary: As Christmas draws near, TYL!Tsuna starts thinking his Guardians would have been better off without him. But would they? Tsuna's about to find out when his Guardian Angel takes him for a ride, but why does he look so much like Reborn?
[1-2] [3-4] [5-6] [7-8] [9-10] [11-12] [13-14] [15]
Chapter 5: Lost Childhood
". . . Lambo?"
The boy's head shot up at the mention of his name. He gave Tsuna a terrified glance over and scrambled out from under the trash bags. He knelt behind them as if they were some sort of protection. "How . . . how do you know my name?" he asked as he peered over his small barrier.
Tsuna ignored the question and merely knelt in front of Lambo and the garbage bags, his mouth still open in shock. Now that he was closer, Tsuna took in Lambo's appearance. He looked like he hadn't been properly fed in a year, like he hadn't slept well in a week, his clothes were clean but they were old, and he was sporting a black eye and split lip that looked fairly recent. Without even thinking, Tsuna reached out to comfort the teen.
Lambo flinched and placed his hands protectively over his head. The brunette drew his hand back carefully when Lambo started whimpering. "Lambo? What's wrong?"
The boy carefully opened one eye. "Please sir-I just need to take out the trash. I don't want any trouble."
"But Lambo . . . why are you letting these guys boss you around? Why are you even here?" Tsuna asked. When Lambo looked down, Tsuna reached out and lifted the garbage bags off the ground and tossed them into the large, dark blue trash bin.
"Um, thanks," Lambo muttered. He stood up and wrapped his arms around himself. After a few seconds of awkward silence Lambo made a mad dash for the door, but Tsuna grabbed his arm. The teen flailed around a moment to get out of Tsuna's grip then looked at him fearfully.
"What do you want from me?" Lambo shrieked. "Just let me go!"
"Why are you with those people, Lambo?" Tsuna asked. His Lambo was one of the most stubborn people he knew and never liked to be bossed around. It was the main reason they had so much trouble with him when he was younger. Tsuna remembered how at times he wished Lambo would behave and not be so obnoxious, but now Tsuna would do anything to exchange him with the frightened child before him. The Decimo had only seen Lambo look at him like that a few times before when Tsuna had lost his temper, and Tsuna never liked it.
"Because I'm weak and worthless so just let me go!" the boy cried.
"Kid?"
Both Tsuna and Lambo froze at the voice coming from behind the door.
"Get yer ass back in here!"
Lambo took advantage of Tsuna's momentary slack in grip and escaped. He slammed the door shut and Tsuna could only stand there stupidly. Why would Lambo go back to those people?
There was a crash that sounded like broken glass from inside the bar, followed by a slap and a shriek.
"You spilled that all over my new suit! You'll pay for that you little brat!" There was a lot of movement from inside and to Tsuna's horror Lambo started screaming. Some people started laughing and cheering as Lambo's screams grew louder.
Suddenly there was a furious pounding in Tsuna's ears and he felt the familiar heat on his hands and forehead as his Dying Will Flames burst to life. He rushed forward but was stopped by two arms that wrapped themselves around his waist. There was that new, familiar tug and the black door disappeared from sight.
Tsuna only wished the screams would disappear along with it.
The moment they landed who knew where, Tsuna lashed out at the angel. "What the hell was that?" he yelled. "Why did you stop me from saving Lambo?" He threw his fist at the angel's face but it merely went right through. Tsuna growled.
"I could have saved him! Why didn't you let me help him?"
"Because it wouldn't do him any good," Reborn said.
"Excuse me?! How the hell can letting Lambo get the shit beaten out of him be a good thing? Huh? You want to explain that to me, oh high and glorious angel?"
Reborn's voice was calm and controlled. "If you went in there and took him away from those people, what would you do then? As I've told you before, you were never born, so you don't really exist. There's no way you could provide for Lambo and give him what he needs. The only way Lambo can truly live a better life is if he makes the decision to get out. If he just relies on other people to take care of him he'll never learn."
Tsuna lifted his fist as if to try and punch the angel again, then punched the nearby alley wall instead. The brick shattered and clattered on the cement floor. The Dying Will Flame then flickered out and Tsuna buried his face in his hands as he sobbed. Lambo's screams reverberated in his head and he couldn't get rid of them.
"What happened?" he asked, his voice hoarse and mumbled.
Reborn gave a troubled sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Lambo's Family wanted to get rid of him so they sent him on a 'mission' to Japan with one of their hitman. He was given orders to abandon-"
"Wait, what?" Tsuna paused in wiping his eyes and glanced at Reborn with a doubtful expression. "I'm pretty sure that me not being born couldn't have caused that to happen!"
"Well, it did. Do you remember the reason Lambo of your time went to Japan in the first place?"
Tsuna closed his eyes in contemplation. "I remember him saying something about his Boss telling him that he had to defeat a powerful hitman like Reborn if he ever hoped to become Boss of the Bovino Family."
Reborn nodded. "Correct. Do you see anything wrong with that?"
"Well . . . it was impossible for Lambo to even have a change at beating Reborn so-" Tsuna gasped. "Are you saying the Bovino Boss told Lambo that on purpose? I always thought the guy was joking and Lambo misinterpreted him . . ." His voice faltered at the expression on Reborn's face. "So he was trying to kill him?"
"Lambo didn't have a chance against someone like Reborn," the angel said, "and the Bovino Boss probably figured that if Lambo tried to attack him, Reborn would kill the kid without a thought and then their troubles would be taken care of. In your case, the Boss didn't take into consideration that Reborn would spare Lambo and make him a part of your Family. Reborn may have been one of the most powerful hitmen in the world, but he wasn't going to murder a child in cold blood. Mess with him and taunt him certainly, but he wouldn't kill Lambo."
Tsuna frowned. "But from what Reborn said-when the Bovino Boss was told that Lambo was going to be my Thunder Guardian he was really excited."
"That's because he was able to get Lambo out of his hair along with the benefits of having given a member of his own Family to the Vongola," Reborn said. "Things didn't work out the way he thought, but it still worked to his advantage so he wasn't going to complain."
Tsuna closed his eyes. "That's . . . that's so horrible. I had no idea. So then-how did Lambo get with those men back there? How did he get from being abandoned to being with them?"
"Lambo lived on the streets for a while and nearly died. He was taken in by the Momokyokai when the leader realized how useful a kid like Lambo could be."
Tsuna folded his arms and gave the angel a pointed look. "Really? Why would a yakuza boss even think a half-dead child would be useful to him?"
"Because of the loyalty," Reborn answered. At Tsuna's confused look he continued, "The man knew that if he saved Lambo's life, then Lambo would be in his debt. And by getting him at such a young age, the Boss was able to shape him into the boy you just saw. Despite how cruel it was, it was a rather smart move. It's one of the reasons growing mafia are so interested in young, impressionable boys with no family to speak of."
Tsuna hung his head and leaned up against the brick wall. "I'm so sorry, Lambo," he whispered. By now, Tsuna didn't really know what to think. So far he hadn't been pleased with anything he saw and it baffled him. He had been so sure that things would be better without him, but now it looked like whether he was born or not brought destruction on his friends and those he was close to. Tsuna had thought that eliminating himself would be the solution, but he wasn't so sure now. What was the answer?
A loud explosion broke his train of thought and Tsuna glanced all around them in alarm, his hands already in a defensive position. "Reborn? Where did you take us this time?"
The angel shrugged. "We're still in Namimori. I just brought us down a few blocks."
"Well then what's-"
His was interrupted yet again by a second explosion that happened in the street right next to them. Tsuna's eyes widened at the flash of sun flames and he ran to the opening of the alley. There was a lot of smoke everywhere so his vision was obscured, but he could see two figures, one of which was crumpled on the ground unmoving.
"Che. Should do one more just in case." A spark-the smell of gunpowder-then BOOM!
Tsuna closed his eyes and put up his hands in front of his face to block the smoke and cinders that came flying at him. Once the onslaught calmed down, Tsuna cracked open an eye and tried to make out the two figures before him. As the smoke dimmed, he could see a burnt and smoldering body on the ground. There was a small spark and Tsuna's attention was then brought to the second figure who was lighting a cigarette.
The man took a deep breath and sighed, expelling a large cloud of smoke. "Wasn't even a challenge," he mumbled. He turned away from the body but stopped when he noticed Tsuna. "Hey-who are you?"
He stepped into the light and Tsuna was unable to keep from covering his mouth in horror. How was . . . why was he-
"Go-Gokudera?"
Chapter 6: Byakuran's Man
His clothes were white.
White with metal shoulder pads bearing a crest with crisscrossing flowers.
Millefiore.
For a moment Tsuna forgot to breathe, the only question running through his mind-
How?
The silver-haired bomber raised an eyebrow, looking a little unsettled at Tsuna's expression and silence. "Uh . . . are you all right? How do you even know my name anyway?"
"Why are you working for Byakuran?" Tsuna blurted out. He had to be dreaming. He had to be!
Gokudera looked confused. "Why wouldn't I?" he asked as if it was something everyone did.
"But . . . but you can't!" Tsuna had a feeling Gokudera would still be in the mafia, but he had never thought it'd be like this! "Byakuran is-"
"Byakuran-sama is the greatest person to have ever lived!" Gokudera said. There was a gleam in his eyes that Tsuna had become so used to that he felt rather jealous to see it directed at someone other than him, especially when it was Byakuran. "He's the greatest Mafia Boss and it is my aim to be his right-hand man! Right now it's Shouichi," Gokudera muttered, almost to himself, "but I'm just as smart as him and I can fight. It's only a matter of time before Byakuran-sama realizes that."
Tsuna's mind was practically screaming about just how wrong this was. Perhaps he was being selfish, but he didn't like hearing Gokudera talk about someone else that way. He was Gokudera's boss and friend! This whole turn of events was just so twisted on so many levels! What had happened to his friend to make him come to this?
"No!"Tsuna took a step forward. "Gokudera, Byakuran is corrupt and evil and what he-" Before he could blink, Tsuna found himself slammed against the brick wall with Gokudera's fingers around his throat. Tsuna had only really been on the receiving end of Gokudera's glares once, and he now realized just how lucky he was.
"Don't you ever talk about Byakuran-sama that way! I don't know how or why you seem to think you know me-but you don't. You know nothing about me!" Gokudera's grip tightened. "Most of my life I've been treated like shit and no one would lift a damn finger to help me! I had no one! No one! I had to fend for myself all the time, because I was the only person I could trust."
His eyes softened. "But then I ran into Byakuran-sama. He told me I had real talent and he wanted that in his Family. He gave me a place to belong and I will never forget his kindness. He's the only one who's ever accepted me and I owe him my life!"
Tsuna felt his eyes grow moist. As time passed and he learned more about his friend's past, Gokudera's nearly fanatical obsession with him started to make sense. But this . . . this was heartbreaking. He just knew Byakuran saw Gokudera's thirst for a place to belong and exploited it. The thought both infuriated and saddened him. His hatred for the man grew even greater. To think that Byakuran could twist someone's feelings like that . . .
"But you do know what he's doing is wrong, right?" Tsuna said softly.
Gokudera gave the barest of flinches. Tsuna would have missed it if he weren't looking for it. But he was and he did. And that made Tsuna feel worse. A few tears fell down his face. He knew Gokudera wasn't entirely pleased with the way things were going, but it seemed his desire to have a place to belong outweighed his sense of morals. And that hurt. More than Tsuna could have imagined.
The silver-haired man seemed bothered by the tears and let go of Tsuna's throat. "Just get out of my sight," he mumbled. "Normally I'd kill you, but I'm in the middle of a mission for Byakuran-sama to kill an assassin who's been targeting Millefiore soldiers. He's supposed to be stationed in Namimori." Gokudera turned around and started walking away.
"I've received intel that a Millefiore White Spell Captain should be in Namimori over the next couple of days. . ."
Tsuna gasped. "Yamamoto?" He had meant it to be a whisper, but Gokudera obviously heard him. He whipped around and rushed up to Tsuna, looking excited.
"So you know this swordsman? Where can I find him? Have you seen him recently?"
"But . . . but you can't-" Tsuna could only stare at this Gokudera in fear as images of Gokudera and Yamamoto killing each other played before his eyes. True, they bickered back and forth often enough (well, it was generally more or less one-sided) but once Gokudera had grown up a bit there wasn't too much malice behind their words. It was more friendly banter than anything, despite their differences in opinions over pretty much anything. Yet Tsuna knew that in this time, there would be no holding back and they wouldn't stop until they were both dead.
"Tell me!" Gokudera snarled, grabbing Tsuna's coat. He shook him slightly. "Tell me and I'll let you live!"
It took a few seconds for the shock to wear off, and when it did Tsuna's gaze hardened with resolve. "No. I'm not going to sit by and let my two best friends kill each other!"
Gokudera frowned. "Look, I really have no idea what you're talking about, but it's obvious you won't cooperate." He let go of Tsuna and stepped back. "The only option I have is to beat the answer out of you, and if that doesn't work I'm taking you to Byakuran-sama. Prepare yourself." A Storm Ring lit up on his finger and he inserted it into a familiar-looking box weapon. A flash of light and suddenly Gokudera had a string of identical boxes around his waist with Uri on the ground beside him. The box animal snarled and hissed at Tsuna.
The silver-haired man grinned. "Prepare to meet Sistema C.A.I.! The most feared weapon of the Millefiore White Spell Captains!" A flash and a second later he was surrounded by the all too familiar shields. When Tsuna merely stood there, Gokudera sighed in exasperation.
"Look, are you going to fight or what? There's no point in acting like you can't. I know a good fighter when I see one. I'm prepared to go all out on you so the least you could do is try to fight back!" Gokudera called out angrily, aiming his weapon at Tsuna.
The Vongola Decimo wiped his eyes and glanced back at Gokudera with determination. "I don't want to fight you, Gokudera," he said, the Dying Will Flame shining brightly atop his head. "But I will stop you."
Gokudera gaped at Tsuna. "How in the hell . . . who are you? That's something only a Vongola descendant can have, how can you have it? They were supposed to be wiped out!"
"Great job exposing yourself to the enemy," Reborn muttered, coming up behind Tsuna. "Looks like it's time to go."
"Go? Wait-what? Reborn!"
"Oh, no you don't!" Gokudera put some ammo into his weapon. "There's no way I'm letting you leave." And without further ado, he fired.
"Let's go," Reborn said. He grasped Tsuna's arm and the two of them disappeared just seconds before the flame bullets hit them. The corner of the building they were in front of exploded from the impact, sending a shower of brick and debris into the air. Gokudera growled at the sight, having seen the two disappear in time. He quickly did a sweep of the surrounding area just to be sure, but they were gone.
"Do you sense them, Uri?" Gokudera asked. The box weapon sniffed the air then his ears folded down and he mewed softly. "That's okay," Gokudera muttered. He withdrew his flames and everything returned to their proper box.
Gokudera took a long drag on his cigarette and just stood there a moment, staring at the area the two men had just suddenly disappeared from. Under Byakuran-sama's orders, the Millefiore Captains had eliminated all of those of the Vongola bloodline, with the last being the CEDEF member Iemitsu. No one could really understand why, but they obeyed without question. To think that one of them survived . . .
And what was up with that second man? For some reason he reminded Gokudera of the Sun Arcobaleno, but that was impossible. He wasn't responsible, but Gokudera definitely witnessed the death of the supposed "greatest hitman ever." What secrets did this brown-haired man hold? The Captain pulled out a cellphone and spoke in rapid Italian.
"Hayato Gokudera of the White Spell, reporting in Lord Byakuran. . . I was following the trail of Takeshi Yamamoto and ran into someone who knew of his whereabouts, but he suddenly disappeared . . . I am well aware of how that sounds and I understand Lord Byakuran-but there was something about this stranger I think you'd like to know . . ."
This is just the beginning people. It'll get a whole lot worse. :(
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