We finally get to our plot proper! Or at least mention it somewhat. All Italian is copied straight from the manga.

Tsuna dreams.

He stands under a sky on a plane of mirrors. If it isn't for the echoing steps under his feet, he would have thought he is flying.

"E'la nostra ora incisa sull'anello."

"Our hours engraved into the Rings."

The words sound from nowhere and everywhere all at once. The two voices overlap, and Tsuna almost misses the words.

Hours. Time? Ring?

"To perish or flourish, it is up to you now, Vongola Decimo."

The words are spoken like someone's title. Vongola Decimo. It sounds incredibly important, though Tsuna doesn't understand it. A foreign language?

"I have been waiting for you."

This time the voice doesn't echo or sound from all around Tsuna. The warm tone comes from behind.

Oddly unafraid, he turns around. A man with hair like his stands before him, flames erupting from his forehead. His eyes are warm.

"Who are you?" Tsuna asks. The man feels familiar somehow, though he's never seen him in his life.

The man doesn't answer him. Instead he leans down, kneeling to stand at eye level with Tsuna. An odd, gloved hand reaches out of the man's cloak to lay on top of Tsuna's head. "You are my chosen successor. Know this," the man says firmly. "As Decimo I will choose no other. Though my influence outside this world is limited, I will protect you as I can."

These aren't the kind of promises Iemitsu leaves with them in his increasingly less frequent visits.

The warmth Tsuna feels in the man's eyes, the whole expanse of this sky-plane, blooms in Tsuna's chest. Tsuna thinks of the grandpa who had visited him a few years back, with a similar warm feeling and a pretty blue ring with foreign words engraved in it against an intricate crest.

"Okay," Tsuna agrees. He doesn't know what exactly he's agreeing to, but the man seems to understand. He nods, eyes closing.

"You will be safe here. Until our next meeting, Decimo."

The world fades.

Tsuna wakes.

The steady beeps filling the room scare him. The industrial white ceiling is nothing like the one at home.

Everything hurts. His tongue is heavy in his mouth and he's thirsty.

Tsuna doesn't remember anything or why he's here but.

"My name is Sawada Tsunayoshi," he breathes. He doesn't know what the man with the fire means about successes or foreign languages, but he's Tsuna.

Not a Decimo.

The Ten Year Paradox

Fourth Step: Realignment

Their search on Sawada Iemitsu proves so fruitless (well, not actually – there's a lot of dirt to dig up on the man, as there is on any high ranking Mafioso, but it's not the kind of thing Byakuran is looking for; Shouichi had spluttered, then went off on a short temper tantrum when Byakuran had declared his hard work "useless") that Byakuran decides surely finding Tsunayoshi first would be a better use of their time.

"And you're certain that this Tsunayoshi is not hostile?" Shouichi asks Byakuran once more. "Reviewing the data from the ring signal, it really does look like an over A rank. The only reason it'd show up like that is –"

"Yes, yes. You worry too much, Shou-chan. Tsunayoshi-kun is usually really… fluffy. Kind of like a marshmallow." Byakuran pauses. "Why don't you come with me to meet him? I know you can use the extra sunlight, Shou-chan~"

"Oh, stuff it." Shouichi glares, but starts rummaging through his desks in preparation anyways.

Byakuran smiles. "Tsunayoshi-kun is the kind of guy Shou-chan will like. Don't worry."

Shouichi squints at Byakuran over his glasses and packs a whole bottle of antacids for their trip.

Byakuran and Shouichi collapse onto a park bench, tired.

Well, Shouichi collapses and Byakuran perches himself on the backrest, frowning.

Despite their best attempts, they haven't run into Tsunayoshi at all. Byakuran had thought that surely the boy would have been anticipating their meeting enough to stay visible, but it seemed it wasn't the case. Perhaps Tsunayoshi caught wind of his father's presence in town?

Maybe they just needed a new angle. Byakuran pops a marshmallow into his mouth, thinking. A new… angle. Angle. Angles. Angular – that cloud guy, Hibari Kyoya!

That guy is that crazy obsessed town stalker-kun right? He might know where Tsunayoshi is. "Shou-chan, do you know about a Hibari Kyoya-kun?" Byakuran asks, grin widening as he watches his friend squawk and fumble in between attempting to clean his glasses. "Do you know how we might be able to find him?"

Hibari-hunting turns out to be extraordinarily easy – aggravate someone from either the local high school or middle school and wa la! One Hibari Kyoya. Just like magic.

Byakuran cheerfully drugs the boy – much to Shouichi's ever-increasing terror – and ties him up for interrogation.

Hibari breaks somewhere around the tenth marshmallow.

Tsuna hears a very familiar, "Tsunayoshi-kun~" from his hideout in the kitchen, and his face blanches. He'd completely forgotten about Byakuran.

Rushing out to the front, Tsuna feels the rest of his soul slip out of his gaping mouth as he watches Byakuran flouncing through the front door, an Irie Shouichi in one hand, and a slightly roughed up Hibari Kyoya in the other.

He rubs his face. Okay. One thing at a time.

"B-Byakuran," Tsuna greets weakly, accepting Byakuran's proffered marshmallow politely and then gesturing to… the boy's friends. Luggage. "Thanks for coming? I didn't expect you here so soon."

"Of course, of course," Byakuran says, smiles and rainbows. "I came here as fast as I can~ Having a Tsunayoshi-kun in debt to me is always a good thing, after all."

Ah. Of course. "I see…"

"Hey, Tsuna, is he a friend of yours?" Takeshi leans in to ask, giving the irate Hibari a nervous glance, and Tsuna remembers where they are.

"Er, sort of?" Tsuna says, glancing at Byakuran. "This is Byakuran. He's… an associate?"

"How mean, Tsunayoshi-kun, I think we can call ourselves friends now, can't we?" Byakuran pouts, and Tsuna rubs the back of his head.

"I guess…?" After the Representative war they hadn't really had the chance to talk much, but moreover this isn't even his world's Byakuran! Where did this guy get this from?

Byakuran prods at Takeshi, smiling. "So you're Yamamoto Takeshi-kun, right? It's nice to meet you~"

"Ah, same!" Takeshi responds, grinning right back. "Who is that behind you? Er, other than Hibari-san."

Byakuran's grin turns slightly mischievous, and Tsuna feels sorry for the Irie Shouichi of this world. Of any world. "Right, right! Shou-chan, come meet everyone! This is that Tsunayoshi-kun I told you about~" he says, gesturing at Tsuna. "And Yamamoto Takeshi-kun, his Ra – er, friend."

He was about to call Takeshi his Rain Guardian, wasn't he? Tsuna grimaces.

Shouichi smiles a grimace right back. "N-nice to meet you. Byakuran-san told me some about you, Sawada-kun." His gaze says, "and I'm so sorry about him," and Tsuna feels a connection.

Irie Shouichi really is a good guy in every universe.

They decide on dinner first, then talking, and Hibari glowers at them all throughout.

"Er, if I may ask –" Tsuna broaches the subject hesitantly, eyes flickering to Byakuran, but focuses on Hibari, "Why is Hibari-san here…?"

Hibari looks away, surly, and Byakuran answers for him.

"Well, since Hibari-kun was so nice to tell us how to find you, Tsunayoshi-kun, I thought we'd treat him to dinner!" the boy says around a mouthful of tuna, and Tsuna leans away.

"Nice" is perhaps the most contradictory word to describe Hibari. Tsuna honestly doesn't want to know what happened between Byakuran and the prefect.

"Hey, Byakuran-san? How did you know my name?" Takeshi asks.

Tsuna slaps a hand on Byakuran's open mouth. Ew. "I-I mentioned you to him! When I was. Talking about elementary friends."

It's better than "sumo wrestling."

"I see!" Takeshi laughs.

Byakuran licks Tsuna's hand, and Tsuna lets go with an unmanly shriek. "Gyaah! Byakuran!"

"That's Tsunayoshi-kun's fault for using such a heavy handedtactic." Byakuran grins, self-satisfied.

Shouichi groans from beside him.

Tsuna does too, but less obviously.

"Hey, Yamamoto-kun, do you mind lending Tsunayoshi-kun and I a room?" Byakuran asks, smiling pleasantly. "I want to talk to him. Alone."

Tsuna grimaces. Mafia Byakuran may be, but does he have to make everything sound so sinister?It's awfully unsettling.

Takeshi seems to think so too, swivelling his head back and forth between Tsuna and Byakuran. His eyebrows crease in thought before something seems to click. He stares wide eyed at Tsuna, then Byakuran, and then flushes. "O-oh! Oh. Of course! We have a dojo in the back. I'll go ask Pops if the two of you can use it."

Takeshi shuffles off, fire truck red.

"Is he alright?" Shouichi asks, concerned.

No, probably not, Tsuna thinks, dismayed. It's rather disheartening that this world's Yamamoto is so unnerved by Byakuran's overt mafia-ness, but maybe it's for the best. He sighs deeply, an answer in itself.

Byakuran blinks. Then starts laughing.

Takeshi, still red in the face, though otherwise unaffected, leads Byakuran and Tsuna to talk in the Asarigumi dojo with a promise of privacy from the others.

He leaves them some hand towels from the restaurant, much to Tsuna's confusion and Byakuran's amusement.

The first words out of Byakuran's mouth are, "It really is true: Tsunayoshi-kun doesn't look very extraordinary at all!"

Unsure if that's supposed to be an insult or a compliment, Tsuna laughs awkwardly. "I-I see?"

"But then again, I suppose it depends on which Tsunayoshi-kun you are," Byakuran adds, and Tsuna blinks.

"Eh?" Which?

Byakuran nods, squinting at Tsuna. "Even if Tsunayoshi-kun says he's from another world, it doesn't say which one he'd come from. There are infinite amounts of parallel worlds and a slightly less infinite amount of worlds where a Sawada Tsunayoshi-kun might be missing under unusual circumstance. It doesn't narrow the search criteria at all, see?"

Most of the words go over Tsuna's head, but he nods anyways. "I… see?" What he does get is, "So… do you need a description of my world to find it or…?"

Byakuran hums. "I wonder. I've never had to search for a specific world like this before."

Tsuna deflates. Does this mean he'd never be able to go back or? All he'd done was get hit by a defective bazooka! Surely it shouldn't have made things so complicated?

"But I do have an idea of how to find your world, Tsunayoshi-kun! Don't look so glum," Byakuran chides. "You have your ring with you, don't you? Your Vongola ring?"

The… Vongola ring? "I do," Tsuna says, holding up his right hand. Reborn had instilled into Tsuna: keep your ring on at all times. Even when you're going to school, even when you shower, even when you sleep! Always. Always have your ring on you. Otherwise Reborn would come after him with his Leon hammer and knock him a good one.

It had been one of those lessons.

"Er, how is this going to help you find my world?" Tsuna asks, somewhat apprehensive. It's become something of an automatic reaction with anything to do with the Vongola rings or Tri-Ni-Sette or anything vaguely Italian sounding came up. Italian usually meant mafia these days, and really.

Byakuran grins. "Well, see, since Tsunayoshi-kun brought the Vongola ring from his world, this world has the odd paradox of having twoVongola rings. If we can go get the other Vongola ring, don't you think something interesting would happen?"

"Interesting?" Tsuna gapes. "Byakuran, I don't think that'd really –"

"Also, if Tsunayoshi-kun is missing from his world, surely everyone is searching for you? So something like that would definitely bring that world's me to seek this one out!" The boy looks so proud of his deduction.

Tsuna grasps for words.

"Well, it's the working plan," Byakuran admits, dropping some of his bravado. "For now let's swap stories~ I'll need to know what kind of Tsunayoshi-kun I'm looking at."

That's easier to swallow. "Right," Tsuna agrees.

"I see~ So you came to this world because of an errant Ten Year Bazooka?" Byakuran laughs, finding some kind of abstract humor in Tsuna's misery. "That sounds tough. I guess then that the entire reason this world diverged from yours is all because of Tsunayoshi-kun's actions then!" He giggles again.

Tsuna deflates, his unwanted theory confirmed. "… Does that mean that my world is…?"

"Gone?" Byakuran finishes for Tsuna when he hesitates.

Tsuna winces.

"Hmm. Possibly. If the past you went to was directly linked to your world, then it might have erased your specific world," Byakuran explains, tone light. Tsuna can feel his blood start to drain from his face. "But of course, there is also a chance that your trip just diverged your original world from this one and the parallel event where Tsunayoshi-kun did not come to the past could have continued on to create your world. This is all speculative, of course."

Tsuna's head spins. What he gets is, "Then there's a chance my world is alright…?"

Byakuran hums. "I suppose so. Don't be too gloomy, Tsunayoshi-kun. The thing about parallel worlds is that there is always a chance of anything happening."

'Anything', huh? Tsuna frowns. "There's something bothering me though, Byakuran. I don't remember ever being attacked when I was younger," he admits, the thought weighing on him. "Considering I was already in the thick of it when I arrived… I couldn't have affected this world even before I arrived, right? The Ten Year Bazooka doesn't quite work like that…?"

But the Ten Year Bazooka had definitely hit him. Though considering the, er, special treatment it'd received before it hit Tsuna, he supposed anything could have happened.

"That certainly is odd," Byakuran agrees. He opens his mouth to say something else, but pauses. "Hmm… Ten years ago, huh? I suppose a lot of interesting things happened around then with the Vongola?"

Tsuna thinks. "The Shimon-Daemon incident and Xanxus…?" He can't quite remember the fancy titles for the tragedies, but rather, the people involved.

Byakuran shrugs. "Something of the sort. Either way, there was a large opening for your father's enemies to do untoward things around that time. I'm not surprised younger-you was attacked. How confident are you of your memories?" The boy pauses, taking in how uncertain Tsuna looks. "Things may go wrong when you cross worlds, Tsunayoshi-kun. I wonder, have you met Ghost?"

Tsuna certainly had. He shivers a bit. That could have been him? "Uh, I don't really feel any different though. Besides, didn't I just cross time rather than dimensions?" The whole business with the Ten Year Bazooka still has Tsuna's brains scrambling. This add-on of "divergent timelines" and "parallel worlds" certainly doesn't help his comprehension of the subject.

"I wonder about that," Byakuran says lightly, but doesn't expand on his words. "At any rate, we'd best get you caught up on this present. It seems a lot has gone differently from Tsunayoshi-kun's world."

Ominous words.

"Er, how exactly…?" Tsuna asks, prodding the subject when Byakuran doesn't continue, instead staring at Tsuna rather expectantly.

Byakuran brightens, the cheerful harbinger of bad news. "To put things simply, the Vongola is still fighting over who gets to be Decimo. I suppose since Tsunayoshi-kun was supposed dead, Tsunayoshi-kun's father ran out of candidates he approved of."

"They're still…?" Tsuna says, hesitantly. It made sense. Kind of. If all the other candidates had died like they had in Tsuna's original time, and with Xanxus not able to actually take over because of his heritage and lack thereof, Vongola would be in a tight spot with no available heirs. "I guess they don't have any candidates for the Tenth anymore, right?"

"Oh they have enough, I think," Byakuran says. Tsuna blinks. Who? "Xanxus is already calling himself Vongola Decimo anyways. The only thing keeping him from officially being Decimo is the Vongola CEDEF's approval." The boy waves an unconcerned hand. "Apparently, Vongola traditions are absolute with these guys. There are rumors about the CEDEF having its own boss candidate though. CEDEF and the Varia factions have been fighting over this stuff for, oh, the past three years or so?" Byakuran pauses to count the years with his hands. He nods, satisfied his numbers are correct. "Yeah, three years."

So ever since Xanxus woke up, Tsuna figures by his own count of years he's spent avoiding his own title. He frowns. "What about Gra – er, Nono? Isn't he in charge of Vongola? Does he support Xanxus?" How else would Vongola be split? Tsuna recalls there was a plot about replacing Nono and using him as the Gola Mosca's power source, but since there were no other people to fight over the rings, perhaps that didn't happen?

"The previous boss died during the initial struggle," Byakuran states plainly.

It feels a little like ripping off a band-aid. "Oh," Tsuna says, voice faint.

"They've stopped fighting since the first bout – Vongola's doing this kind of cold war stand-off for the moment," Byakuran says, after a pause. "Vongola CEDEF versus Vongola Varia. A lot of mafia Families have a stake in it." An unsettling grin stretches over the boy's face, and Byakuran leans in uncomfortably close, as though entrusting Tsuna with a juicy secret. "The next time they start fighting, the whole mafia world might go down with them, you know? Tsunayoshi-kun's come at an interesting time. I'd give them a year at max before the Vongola breaks out into outright fighting by this point." Byakuran leans back, giggling. "Speaking of, did you know your father is in Namimori, Tsunayoshi-kun? CEDEF without its leader – if the Varia finds out, I don't doubt fighting might start within the week."

Tsuna swallows thickly. He hadn't been expecting the Mafia world to be so fragile. With how peaceful everything else looks – well. Of course nothing would be as he anticipated it.

And Byakuran wants Tsuna to retrieve the Vongola rings of this world when it's in this kind of condition. Yikes.

"Uhm," Tsuna says. "Byakuran, if the Vongola is so precariously balanced right now, who has the rings?" And. "… Is it really okay if we borrow them? Wouldn't something like that hurt this situation? A lot?"

Once upon a time, Tsuna vowed to destroy the Vongola itself. This really isn't the way he'd expected it to go.

"I don't know who has the rings exactly. Probably Xanxus. I think I've seen him with it at some point or another. They guard those things jealously, you know. I hardly see any Vongola outside of meetings anyways and even then," Byakuran says. "I don't doubt taking the rings would cause them a lot of trouble." He laughs. "Though of course, it might stop the fighting too. Just imagine." The boy brightens, his amusement starting to lift him off his seating cushion. "The rightful Vongola Decimo appearing out of nowhere between the fighting! They might just stop to gawk."

Tsuna imagines the next scene would be Xanxus firing Tsuna into the nearest vertical wall. He winces. "I really rather not, Byakuran. Isn't there a better way to go about this?" A less violent way?

Byakuran pouts. "I suppose we can always wait out the war. Or help out a side. The two of us combined would flatten any opposition anyways. They still haven't figured out boxes here."

Tsuna frowns at the suggestion – why was the answer always fighting? – but nods about the box technology. His own world had a ten-year boost from the transferred memories, so it was no wonder other worlds might not quite be up to speed.

"… Is there no way we might be able to stop them from fighting?" Tsuna tries.

"I suppose there might be, but if there is, I don't know it," Byakuran says, eyeing Tsuna expectantly. "I've never been particularly interested in stopping them. The Vongola of now doesn't really have anyone I'm interested in anyways," the boy says blithely.

Tsuna deflates. Of course. So much trouble over a set of rings.

Wait. The rings.

"Say, Byakuran?" Tsuna starts. "Is the CEDEF's Decimo candidate legitimate?" If the CEDEF candidate is related to one of the Vongola bosses by blood, then the rings might accept them rather than Xanxus – the strongly traditional Vongola would surely accept the rings' decision right? Decimo succession solved!

Byakuran blinks at Tsuna. "Legitimate? I suppose so. Wouldn't be much of a candidate if they weren't."

Tsuna nods. Surely his dad wouldn't support a person who had no chance of becoming the next boss in the first place? He's not entirely certain where they managed to find another candidate, but that's an issue to agonize about to himself later. For now….

Tsuna smiles at Byakuran. "I think I have a plan."

"By the way, Tsunayoshi-kun, you might want to clear things up with Yamamoto-kun." Byakuran grins.

"About what?" Tsuna asks, apprehensive. Please don't tell him Byakuran is going to make him come clean about this whole mafia and time slash parallel universe traveling issue to civilian Takeshi.

"Well," Byakuran starts. He leans in to whisper the rest into Tsuna's ear.

Tsuna flushes violently, stepping away from the taller boy. "He thinks we're what?!"

"T-Takeshi-kun, can I talk to you…?" Tsuna asks, watching the other boy dig through his closet for an extra pair of pajamas on loan. (Tsuna is not braving going outside at the moment. The thought of having to watch out for his dad is really not appealing.)

Takeshi pauses in his rummaging to smile at Tsuna. "What's up?"

"Er. About Byakuran," Tsuna starts.

"It's okay!" Takeshi interrupts quickly. "He's from afar, right? The two of you are completely entitled to –"

"No! No that's not it at all!" Tsuna yelps, stemming the other boy's descent into embarrassing territory. "He's a really shady character. He sounds really suspicious, I know, but it's not like that! Honest."

Takeshi blinks. And stares up at Tsuna, flushing. "Er, really? You don't need to cover for anything. I'm really okay with it –"

"Really," Tsuna says firmly.

"Oh. Okay," Takeshi says. He rubs the back of his head sheepishly. "I guess I jumped the gun, huh?"

"It's okay," Tsuna sighs. This is just the kind of way his life tends to crash. "And, uh, actually I have something else to talk to you about," Tsuna adds, getting to the actual point of his conversation. "Uh. It's about my dad." He pauses, hesitant about encroaching the topic, but he doesn't really know whom else to talk about this with. Byakuran would be singularly unhelpful considering his… human interaction skills, and Tsuna doesn't actually know anyone else in this world.

So. Takeshi.

"Ah," Takeshi says, pulling his hands out of his closet. He turns to give Tsuna his full, undivided attention. "What's up?"

Tsuna smiles wanly, warmed by Takeshi's support. "I've been thinking. I need to talk to my dad properly at some point, you know? I, uh, do kind of feel bad for avoiding him, but I don't." Tsuna hesitates. "I don't know what I'd say to him. How I'd prove to him I'm really me, you know?"

Tsuna is not sure if it's Mafioso Iemitsu searching for him or Loser-Dad Iemitsu searching for him, and especially with what he learned from Byakuran, the distinction might be the difference between a dangerous encounter and a slightly annoying one. (Years of working with his dad as a Mafioso and Tsuna is still uncertain how to gauge the man. He's just never spent enough time with his dad to know – and frankly he doesn't really want to. It's a headache dealing with Iemitsu's flip switch-like manner changes every meeting.)

Takeshi hums thoughtfully. "Hmm. I guess being away from home does make things like that a little hard. Maybe you can reminisce about something with your dad? A good memory or something. Or if you have a birthmark somewhere? I think I saw a daytime drama like that." Takeshi smiles.

Tsuna thinks he's seen his mom watch something like that too. "I don't. Uh. Have any particular birth marks, I think," he admits. "And the less I say about memories with my dad the better." All his experiences with Iemitsu tended to end with Tsuna in tears until he was about ten. Hey, Dad, remember the time you took me to the zoo and held me over the railing of one of the cages and I cried the rest of the day? Yeah no.

Takeshi frowns. "Tsuna, I've been thinking, but what kind of person is your dad?" The boy eyes Tsuna critically. "I know maybe I've only really known you for a little while, but you don't seem to like your old man much." Takeshi bites his lip. "It's just my opinion, but do you absolutely have to meet your dad, Tsuna? Pops keeps tensing up whenever I mention your dad to him, and Dad's really not the type to dislike people much, you know?"

Tsuna blinks at Takeshi, stunned. "Er, does he really seem that bad to Yamamoto-san?" This world's Iemitsu isn't terrible or more evil than Tsuna's own world's, is he? Maybe the Vongola civil war changed his dad…? For some reason Tsuna had never even considered how different people may be here compared to his own world. Perhaps he should have.

Tsuna frowns. "To be frank, I'm not really very fond of my dad. The Dad I remember was never at home, always drank a lot, and was really pushy," he admits. "He's a no good father. But..." Tsuna straightens. "This kind of situation – it really is best I talk to him. There's something I absolutely have to do, and I need to talk to my dad to do it." Tsuna needs to meet the CEDEF's Decimo candidate. It is troublesome, but Tsuna really does need to get between the Vongola somehow.

"I don't really understand," Takeshi says, expression troubled. "But if you think so." The boy smiles at Tsuna. "Just know you have my full support, Tsuna."

"Thanks, Takeshi-kun," Tsuna says with feeling. He really doesn't deserve such a good friend.

"Anytime." Takeshi grins back. "… Also about your dad… Do you have anything with you? A distinguishing item might also help."

"A distinguishing item…?" Tsuna frowns, thinking. The chains on his Vongola gear jingle as he fiddles with the rings, and Tsuna blinks. He looks down at his right hand. Actually…"I think I might," Tsuna says, a small smile spreading over his face as he considers the idea.

The light glints off the words "Vongola Famiglia" engraved in the ring.

Sorry. This was a bit of a word grind kind of chapter.

If you have questions feel free to ask.