AN: This chapter will be snapshots of Hibari's and Tsuna childhoods (so mainly fluff and relationship/character development) before we get back to the main story. Writing fluff without the characters being too OOC is serious business. ^^"

As a reminder: There are no pairings in this story. However, there will probably be hints of pairings here and there and if any of you wish to see the characters as more than friends or family, who I am I to stop you?

Disclaimer: I only hope I can even portray a part of KHR's greatness. I would also like to thank my friend for helping me come up with the story title.

- 5 days later -

"Alright, class, it's lunch time!" A chorus of cheers erupted in response to Nakamura-sensei's proclamation.

Tsuna waited quietly in his seat as his classmates stampeded past him. It was his first day back at school after the...incident...and the brunet did not want to injure himself and further concern his kaa-chan, who was already reluctant in letting him out of her sight. Once most of the students were gone, Tsuna hopped out of his seat and headed towards the door.

He had been entrusted with an important mission and would not fail.

"Tsuna-kun." Pausing in his steps, Tsuna tilted his head to the side enquiringly as Nakamura-sensei crouched down in front of him, giving him a kindly smile. "I know that after...what happened, it can be difficult adjusting back to daily life. If there's anything you need, please don't hesitate to tell me."

Even though Tsuna knew that his teacher meant well, the brunet still couldn't help but tremble slightly at the close proximity between them. Ever since the incident, Tsuna had become better at reading people and telling whether they were sincere or not. However, he still had trouble trusting others and his teacher seemed to realize this and backed off a bit.

Relaxing slightly, Tsuna nodded and gave her a slight smile before leaving. Her smile dropped as soon as he left and she sighed sadly as she returned to her desk. So young and already so troubled...

Tsuna stopped walking once he reached the playground and cradling his precious parcel against his chest, he scanned the playground looking for a certain person. Not spotting the older boy anywhere, Tsuna started wandering around the edges of the playground away from other students.

If he was an anti-social person who hated noise and crowds, he was pretty sure he would go to the most isolated areas. However, before he could make a full circle around the playground, Tsuna stopped in his tracks when he heard a most unwelcome voice.

"Hey, look! It's Dame-Tsuna." Frowning, the smaller brunet turned around to face three boys who loomed over him threateningly. The leader, a bully named Junichi, sneered at him as walked up to Tsuna, swinging an arm around his shoulder. "We've missed you, buddy, where've you been? It's boring during break time without our favorite entertainment." The other two boys with Junichi laughed as they stood in front of Tsuna like guard dogs.

Normally, Tsuna would have shrieked at this point and told them he'd do whatever they wanted as long as they didn't hurt him. However, after being put in the most terrifying situation of his life so far, these bullies no longer seemed menacing and instead of conceding defeat, the smaller brunet stood silently in response to their taunts as he willed them to go away. He was not that fearless as to actually start fighting them.

Frowning petulantly at the silence, Junichi glared at Tsuna. "Oi, we're talking to you. You should be happy that we're even talking to you, it's not like anyone else would bother." Okay, that one actually hurt, but Tsuna refused to follow his demands and shook his head.

Junichi growled, preparing to push Tsuna when he noticed what he was holding in his arms. "Since I'm feeling nice today, I'll forgive you if you give me your lunch. You have two anyway. Friends should share lunch with each other, right guys?"

"Yeah!" One of the guard dogs responded.

Stepping back, Tsuna finally spoke up,"No! It's not yours!" All of them jumped in surprise, even Tsuna. He had never defied his bullies before, much less shout back at them. The incident had changed him more than he initially thought...

"Oh, yeah?" Reaching out his grubby hands, Junichi was about to grab the bento when a cold voice froze him.

"Herbivores, you are disturbing the peace." The group looked around in confusion before they realized that the voice came from above. As one, they all slowly raised their eyes towards the top of the nearby sakura tree to meet a steel-eyed gaze. Hibari glared down at the group from one of the tree branches, yawning slightly. Obviously, they had awoken him from his rest. Squeaking in fear at Hibari's fearsome glare, Junichi scrambled back, bumping into his friends and falling onto his behind.

"W-we were just fooling around, H-Hibari-senpai." An eyebrow raise answered Junichi and he quivered in fear. "Sorry for bothering you!" Junichi scrambled to his feet, dashing away with his two friends running right behind him, telling him to wait up.

Yawning again, Hibari jumped down from the tree branch and made to leave when Tsuna called out, "Hibari-senpai!"

Turning around, Hibari blinked when a bento box was shoved into his line of vision. Tsuna fidgeted nervously when a pair of grey eyes turned to him, but he refused to back down. "Tsu-kun..." No...that didn't feel right. "Um, I...I wanted to thank you for saving me a few days ago." Misunderstanding Hibari's bewildered look as an expression of disgust, Tsuna hurried to explain. "I-I made it myself this morning with kaa-chan's help! She wanted to thank you too, by the way, but didn't know how to find you. I know it's not much, but you usually don't eat lunch, so I, well...-"

"Herbivore..." Tsuna cut off his rambling. "Why are you thanking me?" Tsuna stared at Hibari to see if he was joking, but the confused expression told him otherwise. Hibari would never willingly show that kind of expression to anyone.

"For...saving my life...?" Was this a trick question?

"I was biting that herbivore to death." Okay, maybe Hibari really didn't see what Tsuna was thanking him for.

"But you saved my life along the way." Hibari looked off to the side in a rare show of discomfort. This was not a situation he was used to and he couldn't really bite Sawada Tsunayoshi to death for thanking him.

"It was nothing..."

A beat of silence passed.

"...I don't think it was nothing." Hibari's eyes widened in slight surprise when an orange glint entered Tsuna's eyes. So he wasn't seeing things the other day. "Hibari-senpai risks his life every day to protect Namimori from evil men like that guy. Kaa-chan told me that you didn't only save my life, but other kids' too. So, thank you."

Hibari stared at him as the orange glint faded from Tsuna's eyes, the herbivore once again replacing the carnivore he just saw. For a moment, the two just stared each other down before Hibari slowly reached out to take the bento; the smile he received in response was blinding. Not knowing what else to do, Hibari sat himself against the tree and watched as Tsuna fidgeted in place, clearly not knowing what he was supposed to do now. In a rare moment of inner struggle, Hibari also debated on what to do before coming to an abrupt decision.

Sighing resignedly, Hibari peered up at the younger boy. "Well? Are you just going to stand there or eat your lunch?"

The brunet gave him a surprised look, but Hibari steadfastly ignored him as Tsuna pulled out his own bento and began to eat, sitting down on the other side of the tree. Hibari didn't know what he was doing. He had never reached out to anyone before and had ignored anyone who tried to reach out to him until they gave up. Well, most people, Hibari thought disgruntledly when he remembered that policeman.

Still...there was something about Sawada Tsunayoshi that screamed he was not like other herbivores and no one had ever thanked him before. Unlike the others, he didn't run away screaming at the sight of him or threaten him.

Though he was alone most of the time, he'd never thought of himself as lonely before, but...

"Next time, try not to overcook the yakitori." Instead of being offended like most people, Tsuna beamed as he leaned back against the tree, realizing the comment for what it really was.

"Okay!"

Maybe just this once, it was fine to let someone else in.

The next week continued in the same manner until one Friday afternoon. After the school bell rang, Hibari was about to leave on his daily patrol of Namimori when he was almost bowled over by a brown blur.

"Hibari-senpai!" Barely managing to stop himself from running straight into the gates, Tsuna gasped for air as he leaned on his knees. "I was worried I wouldn't catch you in time."

Hearing muttered whispers, Hibari sent a glare towards some curious students who all scurried off. He didn't know who started the rumor, but apparently half the school now believed that Hibari had made Tsuna into an errand boy, which was utterly ridiculous.

Not noticing Hibari's irritated aura, Tsuna fidgeted nervously, knowing that he was going to be crossing a border today. He just hoped it didn't end in disaster. Taking a deep breath, he hesitantly asked, "Since today is Christmas Eve...would you liked to come over for dinner?"

If Hibari was anyone else, he would've gaped, but instead he merely crossed his arms and gave him an odd look. The brunet took this to be a good sign, noting the slight confusion in Hibari's otherwise aloof demeanor. Several seconds of silence passed before Hibari finally spoke.

"I normally don't crowd around with other herbivores."

Tsuna immediately deflated. He should've known that before he asked. He guessed he was asking for too much -

"I will come over after patrol when everyone else has left." Hibari immediately turned and walked away. Tsuna gaped after him before breaking out into a smile, a warmth growing in his heart that fought off the cold, winter air.

"Don't worry, there's no one else but me and kaa-chan!" A quiet 'hn' answered him as Hibari turned around the corner.

At exactly 8, Tsuna heard a soft knock from the hallway. He just realized that he completely forgot to tell Hibari where his house was, but it seemed he had no problem finding it anyway.

"I'll be right back kaa-chan," Tsuna said, jumping down from the stool he was using to help his mother prepare the food. Opening the door, he winced when a gust of freezing wind blew into the house. "Sorry, we're almost done. Come on in."

Hibari stood unsurely on the doorstep for a moment before stepping in. "Sorry for disturbing," Hibari muttered as he entered. Turning the corner into the kitchen, Hibari walked in just as Nana finished placing the last dish on the table.

"Ara, you must be the elusive Hibari Kyoya that I heard so much about from my son." The raven-haired boy refused to look at Tsuna, not sure that he could maintain his cool expression.

"Kaa-chan!" Tsuna yelped in embarrassment, his face burning. Smiling, Nana patted Tsuna on the head.

"It's alright, Tsu-kun, it's good to be proud of the friends you have."

Wiping her hands on her apron, Nana suddenly strode forward and tightly hugged Hibari, who stiffened in shock. "I never got to thank you personally for saving my son. It's a pleasure to have you at my home."

The eight-year old stood frozen like a statue, his arms remaining stiffly by his side as a strong sense of nostalgia overcame him. A blurry memory of a slender, beautiful raven-haired woman entered his mind. She turned to him, her pure smile, so similar to Sawada Tsunayoshi's, striking a long forgotten chord within his heart.

'Kyoya-kun.'

Shaking himself out of his thoughts, Hibari took a calming breath as Nana released him and smiled at him warmly. Looking away, Hibari said uncomfortably, "It was no problem, Sawada-san."

That made her frown as she stood up. "Mou, Sawada-san makes me sound so old. Call me mama!"

Hibari stared back at her defiantly. "Nana-san...then..."

Nana blinked at him before giggling, joining Tsuna at the dinner table. "That's good enough, I suppose. Now, don't be shy, come over here and sit down with us. It may be Christmas Eve, but that doesn't mean we should eat cold food."

Bristling slightly at being called shy, Hibari stiffly walked over and sat down in one of the chairs.

"Itadakimasu!" Nana and Tsuna said before digging into the feast.

"Wow, this is delicious, Kaa-chan!"

"Why thank you, Tsu-kun! I couldn't have done it without your help."

Hibari quietly watched the mother and son interact with each other before starting to eat with a quiet "Itadakimasu."

The raven-haired boy expected to feel awkward or uncomfortable during the feast, but the Sawada family didn't even give him a a moment to start feeling uncomfortable. Either Tsuna or Nana would engage him in conversation, asking about his patrols for the former, or about his classes for the latter.

It felt unusual being given someone's undivided attention without it being due to fear or grudging respect; the Sawada family genuinely wanted to hear what he had to say. He supposed having conversations was something normal families did...and it felt surreal to say the least.

His father was generally too busy with work to come home often, much less for dinner, and when he did, their conversations were limited to short questions and equally short responses. Even though he cared for his father and he knew his father cared for him, it just wasn't the Hibari way to be so open with affection.

Still...he supposed this wasn't so bad.

It was 10:34 P.M. when the celebration finally ended. After finishing dinner, so intent was Nana in learning about her son's first friend - Eh? Kyoya-kun learned martial arts when he was 4? - that they all lost track of the time. Feeling peculiarly warm and slightly overwhelmed, Hibari was shrugging on his jacket and preparing to leave when Nana exclaimed in surprise.

"Oh! That's right, didn't you have a gift for Kyoya-kun, Tsu-kun?" Nana asked as she headed back into the kitchen to do some last-minute cleaning.

A gift...?

"Ah! I almost forgot! Thanks, Kaa-chan! Wait a moment, Hibari-senpai." Hibari nearly rolled his eyes. Once Tsuna realized that Hibari wasn't going to bite him to death for hanging around, he got bolder pretty quickly, now even issuing demands to him. He still waited anyway and a few seconds later, Tsuna appeared at the top of the staircase.

Dashing down the stairs with thunderous steps, Tsuna lost his balance, and the gift flew out of his hand as he rushed to grab onto the staircase. Throwing up his hands reflexively, Hibari caught the flying object as it arced towards his face. An indignant squawk sounded and Hibari nearly dropped the gift - a cage? - in shock.

Holding the cage up for inspection, Hibari couldn't help but gape in surprise, closing his mouth quickly before anyone could see his undignified expression. Staring back at him was a curious, golden cockatiel. Whistling softly, it nibbled at his fingers as he absentmindedly stroked its head.

"I wasn't sure what to get you for Christmas since most of the good gifts were bought already. But, I was passing by the pet store the other day and saw her, and you like birds right? She's pretty smart and I heard that cockatiels can whistle songs so if your house ever gets quiet, um, I mean..."

Tsuna really needed to stop rambling when he was nervous about something. And Hibari-senpai wasn't even saying anything or looking at him so he had no idea what was going through his head. "...Do you like her?"

A moment of silence passed before Hibari shifted the cage to one arm, the other one reaching out to ruffle Tsuna's soft locks. The brunet's eyes widened in astonishment and he was still standing frozen in the same spot even after Hibari had left, shutting the door quietly behind him.

Hibari-senpai had said nothing, but somehow that one action conveyed everything it needed to convey. She's beautiful. I will cherish her. I don't know what to say, but...

Thank you.

Nana poked her head out the kitchen door. Smiling, she questioned, "Did he like the bird?"

Tsuna's lips stretched into a soft, fond smile as he stared at the door. Quietly, he replied, "Yeah."

A week later, Tsuna couldn't say he was too surprised when Hibari walked up to him, shoved a beautifully gift-wrapped parcel in his startled hands, and then walked away, not one for dealing with heartfelt emotions.

Not wanting to open it in front of the school where one of the braver bullies might try to steal it since Hibari was out-of-sight, Tsuna carefully put the gift in his backpack and waited impatiently as he walked home with his kaa-chan, who still was a bit nervous about letting him walk alone.

As soon as they hit the front doors, Tsuna rushed up to his room, placing his backpack on the bed. Excitedly, he pulled out the gift and placed it on his desk, sitting down on the swivel chair. But now that he was finally able to open the gift, the small brunet found himself hesitating to open it, still marveling at the fact that he even received one and wanting to engrave this moment in his mind. Hibari-senpai didn't like owing anyone anything, but Tsuna doubted that the older boy was treating this as a debt.

Untying the silver bow, Tsuna slowly reached out to open the box; then, he dropped the lid in shock. There were no words to describe it other than...

A present fit for a king.

Inside was an intricately made pocket watch, its silver finish shimmering in the rays of the setting sun. Delicate vines curled around the edges and copper gears turned gently, glinting in the light. Golden roman numerals circled the pocket watch and the hands, resembling a crown and a sword, ticked softly. Flipping the pocket watch over, Tsuna was met with the intense gaze of a fierce, proud lion. He stared at it for a moment before popping open the latch and then froze when he saw the inside.

It took him a moment to figure out the elegant kanji, but engraved along the outer edges of the inside cover was: Time is short, but friendship is eternal.

The warm glow of the sun put the message into slight relief and Tsuna continued staring at it even as the kanji started to blur.

Tsuna laughed as he teared up from pure joy. It was so uncharacteristically sentimental of Hibari-senpai - no wonder why he left as soon as he could. But, Tsuna understood - he understood what he meant. Even though they've only known each other for a little more than 2 weeks, it felt as if they've known each other for forever, an unknown bond bringing them both together.

In another life, in another time, Tsuna couldn't say for sure whether they both would have been friends. But if there was one thing Tsuna would forever be thankful for, despite almost getting kidnapped, it would be that the incident allowed for two otherwise opposite souls to cross paths. It was all a matter of chance, but once a bond is forged, no matter how weak it is, be it a shred of memory, a feeling, or a thread, the connection between two people will always remain.

And for that special moment when a true bond is formed, that connection will only grow more powerful with time.

Friendship is eternal, indeed.

- 7 Years Old -

The first time Tsuna met Kurokawa Hana it was...unexpected...to say the least.

"I know you like to deal with personal matters yourself, so, just to let you know, some stupid, upperclassmen monkeys are planning to set fire to the gym later today," Hana revealed as she appeared in front of them out of nowhere. There was a scowl on her face as she tapped her foot irritably, her dark eyes narrowing at them. "Don't ask me why, I heard they wanted to get rid of gym class or something. Apparently, reason is not a word in their dictionary."

Tsuna dropped the book he was reading in shock, "What?"

Hibari, on the other hand, just growled in disgruntlement as he rested against a tree. "Who?"

"Fuijuwara Daichi, Asahi Ryo, Kazama Shinji, all 12 years old, in class 2B headed by Ayuzawa-sensei. They plan to meet up around 7 or 8 P.M. when everyone has left. If I calculated them correctly, they're probably going to get through that tear in the fence behind the school. I suggest you get them around that time to really teach them a lesson."

"Hn."

Tsuna looked back and forth between the two as if he was watching a tennis match, feeling as if he suddenly stepped into a parallel universe. Trying to think of what to say, he managed an eloquent, "What?"

"She's my cousin." Tsuna gaped, briefly thinking that another 'what' would not be appreciated. Instead, he turned pleadingly to Hana hoping for some explanation.

The dark-haired girl rolled her eyes and huffed, pushing back a strand of hair that got into her face. "I guess I'll tell you since you're not like the other monkeys around here," She muttered. Tsuna twitched when she suddenly thrusted a finger into his face.

"First of all, how do you think Hibari knows everything that goes on around the school?"

"..." Tsuna could probably guess the truth now, but he always assumed that it was just Hibari-senpai being well, himself.

"Sure, he knows most of the stuff around here without my help, but the smarter monkeys are better at hiding themselves. While they're scared of him, no one is scared of me." Actually, Tsuna wanted to add that there was one person who was now. "So a lot of them end up talking about whatever stupid things they plan on doing even when I'm around. That, or I just listen to the gossip, they do hold some truths."

"...Okay...but why?" Hibari was remaining unhelpfully silent.

Hana tsk-ed, turning her head up into the air. "It's not cause he's family or anything, but our ideals coincide, I guess. I don't like dealing with the mess idiots leave behind and Hibari doesn't like - detests - people ruining the peace of Namimori." Hana finished with a shrug and turned to leave, apparently thinking that this was enough to explain everything.

"Oh, and I owe you one for thawing the ice prince's frozen heart. I'm hearing less breaking bones and more screams of pain, which I think is a notch better." Hana waved, running back to her friend, Sasagawa Kyoko, who was waiting patiently by the swings.

The wind rustled the tree branches, causing some leaves to fall to the ground.

"...Hibari-senpai...your family is really scary." Tsuna could have sworn he heard Hibari laugh.

oOo

"Tighten your fist - no - with your thumb outside, you could break your hand like that." Tsuna attempted a clumsy punch, which Hibari easily dodged. With lightning speed, the older boy swept Tsuna's legs out from underneath him. Aching all over, Tsuna was by now convinced Hibari was some kind of devil incarnate as he gasped for air.

Hibari frowned down at him, "You pulled your punch at the last moment. Why?"

Tsuna sighed, stating for the umpteenth time, "I told you, I don't like fighting. I don't get why I need to know how to fight."

"...You get beaten up almost daily." After a while, the bullies wizened up and started to attack Tsuna when he wasn't around Hibari. Hana personally thought that the bullies should have been grateful that Hibari was being a smidge less bloodthirsty thanks to Tsuna being around, but "actual monkeys are smarter than these boneheads are". Really, he understood, but...

"Then, why can't I just learn how to defend myself?" Tsuna asked, sitting up gingerly. "That way I don't have to hurt others. I don't really need to fight back do I?"

The raven-haired boy stared at him incredulously. "Tsunayoshi, your punches right now resemble flailing noodles. You aren't going to hurt anyone."

The younger brunet blushed, "T-that's not what I meant!" He sighed, wondering how he was going to explain this in Hibari terms so that he understood. Sitting cross-legged, he frowned down at his hands. "It's just...I can't imagine using these hands to hurt others just to protect myself. I hate the feeling of being weak and getting beaten up because of that...but at the same time I don't want others to feel that same pain, even if they deserve it. I-I guess I'm just that useles-" A tonfa slammed none too gently down on his head. Tsuna yelped in pain.

"Herbivore, if you finish that sentence I will bite you to death." Tsuna shrunk under the glare Hibari sent him; he hadn't called him herbivore in a while either.

Even though it didn't look like it, Hibari was actually quite surprised by what Tsuna said. He had never thought of fighting the way the brunet did. If someone broke the rules, he bit them to death. If someone disturbed the peace of Namimori, he bit them to death. If someone tried to attack him, he also beat them to death. It was a policy ingrained into his mind ever since he could remember: fight for your honor, your pride, your comrades.

He didn't quite get that last one, but he definitely fought for his honor and his pride, Namimori. But instead of fighting...

"...What if you fought to protect?"

Tsuna looked at him inquisitively, still rubbing his head as he got to his feet. "What do you mean...?"

"Think Tsunayoshi, I know you have a brain. I don't only fight to defend myself, but also to protect Namimori from foolish herbivores. If you're not strong enough, you won't be able to fight for what you want to protect." Steel gray eyes bore into wide, brown ones. "What do you have to protect?"

Tsuna's eyes widened in surprise. Fighting to protect...? What do I have to protect? My books? My home? No... Tsuna's bangs shadowed his eyes as he stood quietly in thought. Then, unhesitatingly, he raised his eyes to meet Hibari's, saying,"You and kaa-chan."

An immediate silence cloaked the training dojo.

For once, Hibari was speechless. He opened his mouth to speak, then shut it again, his eyebrow twitching slightly in irritation. For someone who claimed he didn't like attacking people, Tsuna sure knew how to take people off guard with his words alone. His sincerity and honesty were weapons themselves.

Tsuna jumped back when a tonfa almost grazed his face. Hibari stepped back into a defensive stance, his slightly awkward aura being the only sign of his embarrassment and irritation. "Then show me your resolve."

Taking a deep breath, the smaller brunet focused for the first time in finding his resolve to fight - to protect. A warm fire flickered in his heart and closed eyes snapped open to reveal orange orbs. Hibari smirked in anticipation, his grip unconsciously tightening on his tonfas as the carnivorous side of Tsuna appeared once more.

Neither knew who moved first.

oOo

Ever since Hibari came to school one time with a bandaged head due to a lucky hit with a baseball bat, Tsuna had attached himself to Hibari's side during patrols whenever he could, much to Hibari's exasperation. It was amazing how much trust Nana had in Hibari that she allowed him to go with the raven-haired boy, though Tsuna secretly thought it was also because Nana was concerned too. Besides, though he hadn't beat Hibari even once yet, he could hold his own for a short time now. So, he was confident he could defeat weaker opponents if needed.

He and Hibari were walking down a quiet, neighborhood street when a yell suddenly pierced the silence, ruining the peaceful morning mood.

"HIBARRRRIIII KYOYYYA!"

The yell startled Tsuna so much that he would have tripped face first into a lamp post if Hibari had not grabbed the back of his hoodie. Scowling in irritation, Hibari turned to confront the herbivore that dared to yell his name so loudly. Standing proudly before them was an older boy with tan skin, gelled-back black hair, and an angular face. He wore a brown leather jacket over a white T-shirt, torn up jeans, and old sneakers.

Haughty, blue eyes looked down at the two as the boy declared,"My name is Kusakabe Tetsuya and I challenge you, Hibari Kyoya, to a fight! I heard rumors of a kid who's trying to protect the citizens of Namimori by attacking criminals and troublemakers who destroy the peace."

He pointed a finger at Hibari's face, ignoring the raven-haired boy's glacier glare. "Well, I don't believe you have what it takes to protect this town! I'm the strongest fighter at my school so I should be the sole protector. If I win, you stop enacting justice around town, and if I lose, I will never question your right to protect this town ever again!" He got into a fighting stance. "Come on! I'll even let you have the first move." Hibari's eyes flashed with anger, and Tsuna didn't even attempt to calm him down as the 9-year old charged at the other boy.

"I will bite you to death."

The brunet facepalmed, knowing that whoever insulted Hibari's strength or questioned his right to patrol Namimori would be quickly and painfully bitten to death. And considering this guy did both, Tsuna just hoped that Hibari wouldn't cripple him or something.

Surprisingly, Kusakabe held his own against Hibari pretty well for the first few minutes. Despite having received some cuts and bruises, he actually managed to land some hits on Hibari. However, after a while, Kusakabe began to tire and one misstep was all it took for Hibari to break through his defenses and slam a tonfa into his stomach. With a pained gasp, the older boy flew back and landed on his back with a grunt of pain. Regardless, Hibari did not ease up his attack and with the ferocity of a hungry wolf, he pounced forward and side-kicked Kusakabe in the face as he attempted to get up.

Hibari was stepping forward purposefully with the intent to continue the fight when a hand grabbed his arm. Looking back with a glare, Hibari met the stern eyes of Tsuna. Speaking as calmly as he could, he said, "Hibari-senpai, I think that's enough. You've already beat him." With any other person, Hibari probably would have bitten the other person to death for even getting involved, but with Tsuna, he merely paused for a moment before putting away his tonfas.

Turning sharply, Hibari stormed away angrily and continued patrol as if nothing happened. Sighing exasperatedly at Hibari's antics, Tsuna rushed to Kusakabe's side. Tsuna instinctively knew that Kusakabe wasn't a bad person, and if he was, Hibari wouldn't have left the younger boy alone with him.

The older boy laughed bitterly as he stared up at the clear blue sky, watching a crow fly over his head. "I have met my match, but he was a worthy man to lose to." Tsuna didn't even bother commenting that Hibari wasn't even a teen yet, much less a man, as he pulled out his first aid kit out of his backpack.

Kusakabe stared at the smaller brunet weirdly as he helped the injured boy up. Clearing his throat awkwardly he asked,"Why are you helping me?" as he watched the boy pull out disinfectant and a roll of bandage.

"Because you're injured," Tsuna stated as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"But...aren't you Hibari's friend...? Shouldn't you worry about him instead of worrying about a stranger who tried to beat him up?"

Kusakabe blinked in confusion when Tsuna laughed slightly. Noticing the odd look he received, Tsuna replied,"Sorry, I wasn't laughing at you. But you don't have worry, Hibari-senpai can take care of himself. Compared to him, you're pretty beat up though and I can't just leave you laying around here like that. What if you got mugged or something?"

"...I think any mugger would think I've already got mugged and leave me alone." Kusakabe deadpanned, then hissed slightly when Tsuna sprayed some disinfectant on his arms. When he received no reply, Kusakabe sat there resignedly as the younger brunet continued treating his injuries.

A few minutes later, Tsuna had just finished wrapping a bandage around Kusakabe's head when he suddenly spoke up. "Why were you trying to keep Hibari from getting hurt?"

"...Did you not see us fighting just now?"

"That's not what I meant. You were trying to defeat Hibari so that he'd be forced to stop patrolling Namimori. That way he won't accidentally get hurt or killed by facing an opponent stronger than him."

Kusakabe spluttered."W-What're you talking about!?" Tsuna gave him a blank stare and the blue-eyed boy sighed in defeat. "...How did you know that?"

Tsuna shrugged,"Intuition? I just got the impression from the way you fought. You weren't swinging your fists with the intent of taking Hibari-senpai's place, but more like trying to prevent him from continuing his, um, job?"

Kusakabe didn't know what to say to that so instead he replied, "...It's complicated, but I guess since you helped me out, you might as well know the reason." Kusakabe's eyes took on a faraway gaze.

"Do you remember the shooting that happened a few months ago? At the central plaza?"

"...Yes, it was all over the news."

"My older brother was killed in that shooting." The statement rung in the air and Tsuna's eyes widened in shock. "He didn't have any kind of weapon and had nothing to protect himself with. There were like, what, five maniacs with guns? But like the stupid blockhead he was, he decided that even if it was dangerous, he had to help other people and ended up getting killed himself. The police-they found him draped over a little girl who he managed to save at the cost of his own life. One bullet was all it took."

Kusakabe glared at nothing in particular as he clenched his fists. "Ever since that day, I swore to become stronger so that I could defend Namimori in his memory, and when I heard that there was a kid younger than me who was attacking troublemakers and criminals for disturbing the peace, I guess I just got reminded of my brother. I didn't know how strong Hibari was and assumed he was just another brave - or stupid, depending on how you look at it - hero wannabe who didn't know the dangers."

Tsuna listened quietly hmm-ing in thought before saying, "You're wrong."

Kusakabe snapped his head towards Tsuna in anger,"Are you mocking -"

Tsuna quickly shook his head and refuted his statement before the older boy misunderstood. "No, no, sorry, that's not what I meant either. Sometimes I don't think about what I say." The brunet rubbed his head sheepishly as he turned to Kusakabe with a sad, but warm smile. Kusakabe stared back at him intently, sitting cross-legged in the middle of the street and not knowing what to make of this strange kid.

Timidly, Tsuna said,"I-I think your brother was a cool guy...Not many people have the guts to put others' lives before their own, much less for strangers who he didn't even know. It's good to know there aren't just bad people out there in the world... A-and I think you're a great guy too, wanting to honor your brother's sacrifice. And Hibari-senpai also, risking his life every day to keep Namimori safe for people like us."

Tsuna wrapped his arms around his legs bitterly. "As for me, I'm pretty weak and useless...kids at school always call me Dame-Tsuna because I'm no good at anything."

Kusakabe's eyes widened in incredulity and was about to speak up when Tsuna unintentionally cut him off. "But I can't be that person anymore. I'd be insulting Hibari-senpai if I continued being clumsy and no good after all he did for me. And besides, I have no right to stand by Hibari-senapi's side if I act like a 'foolish herbivore'."

"When I said you're wrong...I meant that Hibari isn't a hero. He doesn't do what he does because he wants to protect people, save lives, or anything selfless like that - It's complicated, but...the best way I can phrase it is that he wants to prevent Namimori from being ruined by bad people and if he saves people along the way, it's just an unintended bonus."

The two sat in companionable silence. It felt strange to Kusakabe to be sitting with a friend of someone who he just tried to beat, but Tsuna just gave off a serene aura that made it hard for him to feel apprehensive around the boy. Kusakabe rubbed his chin in bemusement. "I...don't quite understand, but is it really okay to have someone like that watching over Namimori?" He paused when he heard stifled laughter.

Tsuna gave him a confident look that allowed no room for arguments. "Of course."

Kusakabe rubbed his face in exasperation, wondering just what kind of person he decided to challenge. "Man, how do you even put up with a guy like that?"

"That's because...he's my hero." Tsuna smiled softly, not noticing Kusakabe's astonished expression.

Kusakabe still sat there in shock even as Tsuna started packing up his first aid kit, putting it back in his backpack. "Anyway, I should get going now. Hibari-senpai is strong, but even he's not invincible and I'd rather not find him with a head injury again. For your sake, I hope we don't cross paths again."

Scrambling to his feet and ignoring the twinge of pain, Kusakabe grabbed the boy's shoulder before he could leave.

"Wait!" Tsuna halted in his tracks, turning around enquiringly. "What's your name?"

"Ah, it's Sawada Tsunayoshi, pleased to meet you."

Kusakabe grinned as he watched Tsuna walk away. "It's nice to know there are still good people like him in this world..."

"Wait...where exactly did Hibari-senpai go!?"

Though he hoped they weren't all as absent-minded as his brother and Tsuna were.

oOo

The next day, the citizens of Namimori were treated to a very odd sight, one that had people gossiping for weeks about a new gang.

"...Tsunayoshi...did you have something to do with this?"

"...No..."

The pair stared down with blank eyes at Kusakabe Tetsuya who was kneeling in a dogeza position before them.

"For proving to me your strength and sparing my life, I vow to follow you two in your endeavors and follow your every orders if it's within my ability to do so!"

There was a silence, and then:

"I will bite him to death."

"NO! WAIT, HIBARI-SENPAI!"

"I-I am sorry for insulting you yesterday! But please don't kill me!"

And thus a new friendship was born.

AN: If anyone's curious as to what the pocket watch looks like, this is the pocket watch I designed it after though I changed some things. I didn't realize that I referenced the 1st generation's pocket watches until after I finished writing this haha.

amazon . com (slash) Tirio-Steampunk-Pocket-Pendant-Number/dp/B00GT6B92W

Also, I am aware that in Japan, most elementary schools have lunch programs, but for the sake of this story, Namimori elementary is one of the few schools that don't. I can't think of how else Tsuna would thank Hibari, and if any of you know about Japanese lunch programs, I can't imagine Tsuna visiting the upperclassmen classes just to give Hibari a school lunch. That'd be so weird.

Japanese terms/customs:

Yakitori: mini-kebabs, usually made with chicken and scallions

"O-jama shimasu" (sorry for disturbing): is usually said when entering someone's house

"Itadakimasu" (Let's eat): usually said before eating a meal