During the time he was in school, people known as career counselors would come, prompting him to answer a couple of questions that would theoretically help in his career choosing. Those dreaded questions were never helpful and they would never be, and the pain and anxiety he had to go through to hide his secret were sometimes too much to bear so the boy had, at one point, simply stopped answering them.
That's why, whenever some school guidance counselor asked: "Where do you see yourself in ten years?", Sawada Tsunayoshi would simply stare back silently. And sweat nervously.
Tsunayoshi Sawada sighed for the nth time as he dutifully scribbled his signature on the piece of paper in front of him, before discarding it to the side and repeating the process all over again. In all honesty, it was a thing he did not want to keep rehearsing but in light of all the events that had happened during this ten year interval, he supposed he could have it a lot worse.
He could be dead for all his efforts. Thankfully, that was not the case and as the most feared man in the Underworld at the moment, his family and tutor considered that the brunette had a duty to live up to his name, thus destroying and spreading as much fear as they could to everything and everyone they could get their hands on and so causing him even more paperwork, which in turn kept him in his office all day.
'How can I be the most feared man when I can't even leave my own damn office?!' The man screeched in his mind before releasing a tired chuckle.
Since when did he even want to have anything to do with the Mafia, more than to go to those dangerous as hell meetings?
He had made it his duty when he had inherited the title of Vongola boss from his predecessor that he would try to keep the Mafia world in line from then on. Key word being -try. Tsuna had learned quickly that mafioso tended to do whatever they wanted, when they wanted, leaving no trail, no way or clue to somehow figure out what's going on in their minds. No sir, they were more unforeseeable than Lambo and this somehow annoyed the young boss even more than his Lightning guardian ever did. Which was on a league of its own.
Deciding to give up on figuring out mysteries that probably had no solution, he opted to concentrate once more on his tasks, figuring that if he endured one more hour and a second pile of papers, he would be finishing the supposed quantity he had for the day thus leaving him some free time. Of course, he knew that wouldn't happen. The mission reports from his Guardians haven't come in yet and he knew without a doubt that there would be another four stacks at least.
He just went and hoped against hope that if he finished this before they came back, he would have some ground to argue, with his tutor mostly, that he deserved his rest and he could handle them tomorrow or any other time -or never. Tsuna would have gladly burned the wretched things if not for Reborn's death threats which were proving more and more masochistic as time wore on. While it was true that his resistance and ability of refusal of said hitman had exponentially grown through time, the ex-Arcobaleno knew, right along with everyone else, that he would only refuse the impossible ideas and whims of the hitman. Which were far more and often than not, so the boss supposed the increasing calamity of his warnings was foreseeable after all. Banging his head on the desk in desperation and screaming silently under his breath, the brunette lifted his head just in time to see said sadistic tutor enter through the now open wide door.
Reborn smirked, doing a once over of his student and his workload, before continuing silently on his way to the desk. Such was their new manner of interacting with each other. Once Tsuna grew out of the whimsy baby he had been in his teen years, along with his intense training to be boss, the boy back then had learned that he did not need to speak until he was spoken to. Such were the privileges of the most powerful man in the Mafia. And Reborn respected that. If only for a little bit. A man -or rather child –of his caliber had to know when and how to have fun. And picking on his student has become a sort of past time for the hitman. It reminded him of the good old days when the boy was good for nothing and his innocence, or what was left of it –which Reborn made sure to brutally murder on the first day of his student in his new home in Italy -was still in a world without a murder per week. The hitman had argued that it was needed in order to truly ascend to the title of Mafia boss, while the others simply continued to look horrified. He had shrugged his shoulders and carried on back then, but thinking about it now, he should have probably embed a bullet in their heads for good measure. Nobody questioned the greatest hitman.
Returning his attention back to his boss who was waiting patiently for him to begin speaking, his palms on top of the other over a couple of papers that were needed to be signed. The boy snorted.
"Dame-Tsuna, if you have time for a break then it means I can bring in the other stacks." He spoke almost indifferently, his tone never betraying the amusement he felt inside as he saw the man behind the desk pale and cringe, abstaining desperately from commenting, lest he would get himself a bullet for his efforts. Reborn liked to test him to see if he would break the rules, or his training whenever he could. And this certainly was another damned test.
Before the brunette could come up with something polite to reply, the hitman was already bored so he decided to get to the subject. Leaning with one hand on the mahogany table, he drawled out, his beady black eyes never leaving the other's face.
"We are going to Mafia Land."
The simple statement did not surprise Tsuna in the slightest, his mind instead going into business mode.
"Tomorrow?" His brows furrowed. "I don't think the cruise ship will be ready until tomorrow, though." Brown eyebrows shot up in what could be perceived as surprise with a hint of eagerness.
"Or you have already booked for the public one?"
Tsuna knew it was a long shot. He had not been permitted, much less allowed to go on public transportation ever since he had taken the seat as family boss. Wherever he was going, it would always be by the means of Vongola's own private transports, which were pretty big and luxurious so he could not complain much. The only thing that he truly missed, was the freedom that emerged from going from one place to another, observing the bustle of people in the city while leaning against the window listening to the sounds of conversation around him. In his mind, at least. He was searching in everything for anything related to freedom these days.
A sudden almost-chuckle from his teacher brought back his mind in the present.
"Should I bring the doctor? I hope you have not forgotten that tomorrow is the supreme Mafia council, which should I remind you, the Vongola family is hosting."
Tsunayoshi slapped himself mentally. He had forgotten. Again. It was truly a wonder how he was still alive to this day. There were so many events that he needed to take part in that his mind had at one point completely lost track of them all. Not that he minded. He was better off without knowing the oncoming calamities. His Family always told him to use an agenda or even a secretary, but the brunette refused either time. He had so many things to do, that he would not waste any of his precious free time to try and organize his busy time. And he did not need a secretary either. His guardians, Reborn, and even Kyoko always kept track and made sure he was on time for everything. The only things that he did keep track of these days were his dates with Kyoko, which were less frequent lately, now that he thought about it. He would have to remedy that.
Looking out the window he realized it was close to dawn, which meant he should hurry if he wanted to make it until tomorrow noon at Mafia Land. Casting one last glance at the mess of papers in front of him, he gladly stood up with an air of forged nonchalance, trying not to betray the happiness he was feeling on the inside.
"Stop grinning, it's unbecoming for a mafia boss." Reborn admonished making Tsuna freeze for a second before he realized it had been another test. Which he failed.
A shot resonated through the spacious room, travelling all the way down the corridor. As the wall near him fumed, Tsuna kept his gaze trained on the Renaissance painting in the hallway, awaiting any other move from his tutor, before silently continuing on to the front foyer. A maid was dutifully awaiting with his black mantle at the large oak doors. She bowed once, handing him the piece of cloth before quickly disappearing down the hall.
Donning his favorite piece of attire, the brunette exited the mansion which served as the main quarters for the Vongola Famiglia. Tsuna would never say it out loud, but he really really, really liked his cloak. Really. It was a gift from Spanner, Shoichi and Giannini on his inheritance. Made from bulletproof and flameproof material that felt like satin, flowing freely, and best of all - it had no weight so it comfortably enveloped the man in a black cocoon.
Despite its outward appearance, the Vongola cruiser was more than a luxurious boat. It was a luxurious boat within a luxurious boat. Yes there were two boats, placed in one another like a Matryoshka doll. And yes, it was all for the safety of the boss and his guardians, of course. While sea attacks, especially on cruisers, from both pirates and rival famiglias were quite common, Tsuna truly disliked being cocooned in here. Only his cloak had that privilege. Although from the inside, as from the outside, nothing seemed like it was in double layer, thanks to the amazing genius of his mechanics, Tsuna still felt claustrophobic. Thankfully, he did not have to stay long on it. He would simply sleep it off until tomorrow when they would arrive. God knows he needed those sleep hours.
Releasing another sigh, he adjusted his crumpled shirt from the long car ride, and proceeded up the grand stairs to the dining room in search of his Family and food.
Tsunayoshi Sawada cursed his bad luck once again. Despite being forced to bribe somebody, thrown into a deadly vortex in the ocean, and forced to take part into a mafia war at the age of fourteen, the boy truly tried to stay as calm as he could. At which he failed, but what can one do when your sadistic tutor from the deepest circle of hell forced you to put your life in danger without questions asked or things explained. In light of this, he was pretty happy that he was still alive, his family was still alive and his friends were also alive. Looking at it now, it was not that bad after all. Besides being a very life threatening location, Mafia Land was not such a bad place after all. The amount of things you could do on the island was very high, and the beach's calling was irresistible but the brunette wanted nothing more than to go back home. He cringed remembering that he had to board one of those cruisers again. From last time's incidents, the boy did not want to see those things ever again but he somehow resigned himself, if only to go back home. Then he would never want to have anything to do with those vehicles again. What an ironic thing that was.
"Hurry it up Dame- Tsuna or you will remain here forever."
Reborn's words seemed to activate some force from within the boy. With newfound energy, he jogged to catch up with the fast pace of the baby. For somebody who had such short legs it was a wonder he could walk so fast. He suddenly jerked forward, landing on his back, brown eyes staring at the star filled dawn sky in confusion.
"I heard that." His tutor simply continued on, promting him to do the same, lest he'd want to stay in that forest, on that island, forever. He would not put it past Reborn.
"Today was pretty fun, no?" Yamamoto grinned good naturedly, as he crossed his arms behind his head. He was walking on Tsuna's left side, with Gokudera on the boy's right.
"Tch, only a block head like you could say that." The bomber put his hands in his pockets, slouching.
Suddenly he brightened like a Christmas tree. "Of course, today was as glorious day as any for the Tenth. His supremacy was once again recognized by the allied famiglias." The silver haired boy said those words with so much gusto, that Tsuna did not have the heart to retort anymore. Instead he simply opted to look forward, praying they will arrive back in the city soon.
"Make sure you train him well Reborn, kora." Colonello's voice was heard from above, accompanied by the sound of a bird in flight. Reborn barely glanced up at him as he continued on his way. Silence befell the group, though Tsuna didn't mind it in the least. At last, a pause from the craziness that this day had presented. Sighing to himself, the boy busied himself with studying the plant life around them, trying to distract himself from his friends' banter and the steady sound of wings bating the wind from above. The group entered the tunnel Tsuna had passed by in the train earlier, Colonello jumping down to the ground to avoid getting hit by the cement and taking his place alongside Reborn. The blonde baby was looking around nonchalantly, his sky blue eyes darting from one side of the tunnel to the other before they suddenly widened.
Tsuna caught the motion, but before he could say anything on the matter the lights went out darkening the tunnel to almost black and the future boss knew that it could only mean one thing. His screams were drowned out, though, by the electric charge bypassing the cables that wound around the stone structure, transforming all blackness to a blinding white.
"Tsuna-kun!" The bubbly voice could only belong to one person. Kyoko almost threw herself on him when her caramel eyes landed on his form. Her happy aura already made his day much better. He returned her smile, savoring the little time he had in her warm embrace. All too soon, the woman let go, giving him a quick peck on the cheek before she withdrew. Tsuna felt himself blush and cursed. Even after all this time, she still managed to make him react like this. Feeling his grin grow, he said.
"Sorry I've been so busy lately. I promise we'll go somewhere nice next time."
His fingers found the back of his head more from reflex and his smile tightening a bit.
"Hmm you better be!" The woman placed her hands on her hips looking like a mother scolding her child."And you better bring me somewhere very nice next week, okay?" Her tone was so sweet you could taste it, and her smile -the warm smile that could melt Tsuna and all the icebergs in the world -was radiating. Still, the man gulped as he clearly felt and heard the undertone of warning and a shot of fear passed right through him. Yes, he should definitely start looking up some nice places.
And, 'Next week?!'
Reborn smiled from the shadow of a nearby alleyway observing the exchange. Yes, Kyoko was truly an asset for the Vongola famiglia and would, in the future, be the perfect wife for a Mafia boss. He was surprised at first when she had come to him with the request to teach her the ways of the mafia. He would never forget her disappointed face when her answer had been a resounding no and a 'The mafia is no place for women.' But what truly decided it for Reborn was her adamant tone and her attitude towards his words.
'I cannot even begin to consider your bad argument, Reborn-san. To me, it looks like you and all mafia men are truly afraid of us women.'
The hitman's smirk grew wider. Taking her under his wing had been the right decision after all. Lal Mirch would have done a good job too, but he did not want the happy blonde to become an army soldier for all it was worth. Instead, he had simply shown her the threads and ways of becoming a useful member of the famiglia, along with a discreet amount of guidance in family business, politics and acting. She will have to lead a whole Mafia famiglia in the near future, after all. Of course, that was if only his pansy student would make the move already, which did not look like it, unfortunately. Reborn would have to remedy that.
Vongola Decimo took a step forward, inspecting himself in the mirror. All soft traces of the kind person he was were gone, replaced by a cold, blank expression that served to further accentuate his authority. The man smoothed his suit jacket again, shifting uncomfortably from one foot to the other.
Hayato was late. Not surprising, but unnerving. His right hand man must have encountered Haru or Bianchi along the way if he permitted himself to run so late. Not that Tsuna minded. He had the time to sort his thoughts for the upcoming event. Despite being the most renowed mafia council in the underworld, not so many famiglias were allowed to join. Most were either allies of the Vongola, or on the way of becoming one, the council acting to further increase their ranks and connections. Famiglias from around the world, not only Italy were joining this event, and even if there would not be many in the conference room, the streets of the island will be full until late morning. Curious onlookers and mafia fanatics would not lose this event, not to mention the crowd of other famiglias that simply come because they are allies of their allies, or allies of their allies of their allies, or just because this is such a great up class event that the food almost overflows from the tables.
In one word, this sacred event has become from long ago a tradition. And the Mafia truly lived up to its namesake of keeping them. No one was allowed to launch an attack tonight, or cause any harm lest it risked being annihilated. And why would they throw away their chances of winning more connections and allies. Mafia men were not stupid. Everyone knew what was truly at stake here: power .And on such night, the famous Vongola famiglia will once again remind everyone of its true power.
As per custom, the boss was supposed to keep a speech regarding the events in the past year, money dealings, politics, keep a moment of silence if an ally was dead and in the final minutes, express the family's intention of not only remaining the most powerful, but the most influential as well.
Tsuna sighed tiredly. Ironically, he was extenuated even if he had slept in today. This was how this whole mafia business kept eating away at him. One more council, one more meeting and then you wake up and find out that your guardians demolished a shopping mall again. Thankfully, when they are with him they try and reduce the number of casualties since their boss would then shoot them his best 'I am disappointed in you son, you are grounded.' look. Surprisingly, it works.
Heaving another tired exhale, Tsuna decided that even if he did not smoke regularly, he needed a cigarette.
A caramel brown eye cracked open just in time to see a small foot collide with his face. Screaming in agony, the boy rolled to face the ground, nursing his abused nose.
"How long are you going to make us wait Dame-Tsuna?"
Tsuna looked up then, shooting a questioning look at his mentor.
"Tenth are you okay?" Gokudera asked crouching down to help his boss. Tsuna barely registered being helped up, before his brain finally made the right connections, zeroing in on a certain point some time ago.
"W-wait! What h-happened?! REBORN!" By the end he was screaming the other's name, accusing chocolate gaze locking with indifferent onyx ones. Reborn raised an eyebrow at the display, before deciding he did not have the time.
"That tunnel did something to us, kora." Colonello crossed his arms.
"Hm, what makes you think that kid?" Yamamoto smiled at the baby. Ignoring the kid part, the soldier answered, gesturing with his chin at the line of trees surrounding them.
"Don't you idiots hear it, kora?"
The boys strained their ears, trying to catch any strange sounds. It did not take them long. The soft notes of music and chatter could be heard from the other side of the treeline. Releasing a relieved breath, Tsuna started excitedly towards the source of light before Reborn cut him off.
"And where are you going?"
"Towards civilization, of course." The brunette frowned seeing his tutor not react. It was strange. Usually, Reborn had many things to say. And they usually included some chosen words at his expense.
"The castle should be closed at this hour, much less populated." The hitman's explanation made Tsuna's blood turn to ice.
What? Now they were in some other world or something.
"Maybe you are wrong and there's some new event held here." The boy argued, turning back around to continue walking and his friends followed.
Colonello eyed Reborn with a critical eye. "What do you think had happened, kora?"
The hitman took a moment to gather himself, before answering. "Whatever it was, something is wrong here."
As the group of five emerged from behind the bushes, their first immediate point of interest was the huge banner that hung overhead displaying the words 'SUPREME MAFIA COUNCIL 2K1X' which struck Reborn as the first strange thing, since the council had passed quite a while ago. Then the hitman re-read it again and it dawned on him.
"Oh, this is such an awesome event! It brings you ten years into the future!" Being the usual clueless one, Yamamoto laughed good naturedly.
Next to him Gokudera froze, his green eyes staring at the advertisement in disbelief. Tsuna's mouth was open wide enough to catch flies, while Colonello simply looked around cautiously, taking in their surroundings.
Reborn took a step forward.
"W-Where are you going, Reborn?!" His student's screech was enough to abuse his ears. He turned his head, glaring at the boy scathingly enough to make him cower.
"To gather information. This is the first thing a mafia boss in your situation should do."
Tsuna pulled at his hair in desperation and denial. "But I am not a mafia boss!"
"Ah Reborn-san!" A voice called his attention. The baby turned around slowly, Leon carefully clutched in his right hand. To his surprise, the mafioso simply bowed and spoke in an admiring tone. "It is rare to see you around here and away from all the agitation of the council."
Deciding to play along, the hitman answered. "I needed a pause."
The older man seemed to agree, as he nodded fervently in return. His smile started to irritate Reborn. "I understand wholeheartedly! After all, rumors say that Decimo will make a big announcement today."
Black eyebrows raised in honest surprise, but abstained from blowing his cover. "Is that so? I can neither confirm nor deny that statement, though."
The man's face seemed to drop a little but he quickly recovered."Ah, I see. Then we, the Aringarosa Famiglia, will be awaiting with bathed breath for the Capo di tutti capi to appear on stage. Nay, the whole mafia world is, already. You should have seen them Reborn-san, those rumors were flying faster than Vongola's own 'Il Cielo'."
Becoming more and more confused by now, the hitman decided to cut the conversation short, though he had one last question for the man. "When will the festivities begin?"
The mafioso looked surprised for a moment, but answered anyway. "Soon. The Decimo will be walking along the main boulevard, as per tradition, before descending to Sala conferenze."
"Good job." The baby nodded, not in the least disturbed by the searching look from the other. "I was testing you to see if the Aringarosa famiglia knew where they needed to be when the time came."
The man seemed to buy his words as he smiled once more before departing with another low bow. Turning around himself, the greatest hitman in the world knew where they had to be. But first they would need a new look.
"Tenth, I am very sorry for my late arrival." Hayato bowed as low as humanly possible, thus succeeding in gathering everyone's attention. The brunette smiled with an air of amusement. After all this time, his right hand man still did not want to let go of old habits.
"It's all right. You are just in time."
"Kufufu, quite disappointing to see you so late, actually. You are quite the failure as a right hand man." A silky voice admonished playfully, making the bomber even more aggravated.
"Now, now, Mukuro, it's good that Hayato came after all." Yamamoto laughed, rearranging the sword on his back more out of habit.
The pineapple haired man only snorted and returned to his conversation with Chrome now that his fun was over.
"Tsuna," Lambo tugged at his cloak, demanding attention, "I wanna go to the Arcades later, okay?"
With an apologetic look, Tsuna answered. "Not today Lambo. This event lasts quite a while. I promise we'll go tomorrow, though."
The teen's eyes grew wide as he asked with the most hopeful look Tsuna has ever seen. "All of us?"
The boss twitched, already feeling the smoldering glares mainly coming from his Mist and Cloud guardians. Those anti-social assholes. "Yes." He answered smoothly.
The word seemed to work like a charm that had the Lightning guardian grinning from his head to his toes. With a quick "Ok." the teen departed, almost skipping happily, making Tsuna in turn release a smile.
When Lambo was out of hearing range, the smile dropped at once as he turned around to face his two unhappy friends. As per usual, Mukuro had his trident at the ready, while Kyoya's tonfas gleamed in the lamp light ominously. Rolling his eyes at their antics, he spoke. "Please, you should get out of the house once in a while."
"Kufufu, says the one who stays all day in his office." The Mist chuckled. "I'll get my revenge soon."
Before Tsuna could retort that his staying locked up in his office was their fault, the guardian had already departed, leaving him to deal with his Cloud. Suddenly, a tonfa collided with his head.
"Ow."
"Hn, you are not at full power today. I'll have to bite you to death tomorrow, herbivore."
Tsuna continued nursing his abused head as he gazed at Kyoya's retreating back. So much for not fighting anymore. Before he could do anything else, the people in charge came in, announcing that everything was ready. It's show time.
"Coast is clear, Tenth." Gokudera whispered loudly, his silver head darting from left to right from behind the restaurant menu advertisement they chose as their hiding spot.
Reborn had informed them that they were indeed in the future. Ten years to be exact. How they had gotten there, it was anyone's guess. It was worse that Lambo was not with them, so the cow could not get any blame for what happened. Tsuna's biggest fears materialized when the hitman further told them that tonight was supposed to take place the biggest conference in the mafia world. He almost screamed in agony, when his tutor declared, with an evil smile on his baby face, that they would obviously be participating in the ceremonies because it was a very good chance for a certain future mafia boss to know everything about the underworld's traditions. The boy was, speaking uncensoredly, scared shitless, not to mention traumatized that he would have to not only observe from a distance, but to actually walk and talk with 'mafia people'.
'I am going to die. They will kill us all. Oh God why?!'
The only ray of hope for the boy was Reborn's plan to make use of a couple of caps and hats to mask their identities, arguing that this way they could observe everything better.
At the moment they were trying to find a way to blend into the crowd and lose their pursuers at the same time. After a masterful robbery courtesy of none other than Reborn, the baby had forced an unprepared and clumsy Tsuna to do the same, thus resulting in a short race across the neighborhood. Thankfully, the owners have given up on their goods.
The group exited the cramped space behind the advertisement and, after donning their stolen 'Mafia Land, land of dreams' caps and straw sunhats, in Gokudera and Colonello's cases, they started towards the main boulevard where the uproar was at its highest.
"Woah, there's so many people!" Yamamoto whistled, looking around with suprise evident on his features.
"Good that we could catch good places." Reborn commented from Tsuna's shoulder. The boy sweat dropped. 'After threatening those guys like that, I am surprised they did not start shooting at us.'
Reborn barely glanced at him, as his tiny fist collided with his student's face. "They cannot shoot anyone. On this day, an unspoken pact is active. No one shoots and fights."
Tsuna felt he Fates were finally turning in his favor.
"We did not come here to do that either." His teacher continued.
"Yes, yes, we are here to learn about this event." The brunette interrupted. Reborn smacked him across the head again before he said. "That too. But I've heard some rumors. I need to see if they are true or not."
Tsuna raised an eyebrow. "What are those rumors about?"
The hitman stared back unblinkingly. "You."
The boy was even more confused and scared by what could the baby mean, but he did not have any more time to ask since the crowd began cheering and screaming, and generally being loud. His caramel eyes caught his tutor smirk before his gaze returned on the street in front of them.
The boy could not imagine how the crowd could grow even louder, but it was happening. And their shouts did not help, more like they scared him. A woman in her mid-twenties caught his attention as she screamed so loud, he did not know it was humanly possible.
"THE DECIMO IS HERE!"
As if controlled by someone, the crowd began to whisper fervently, heads turning right and left, everyone gossiping with everyone, a sea of bodies colliding with each other for a better look.
And in the middle of all this, fourteen year old Sawada Tsunayoshi tried to keep his balance and his sanity as the chanting of 'Decimo' and 'Vongola' grew louder with each second, along with his nightmares. He knew it wasn't possible, and he would not let it be, but he could not tear his gaze away from the street either. He did not want to know, to see, to even think about it, but the louder than ever screams and the shadows appearing on the pavement did not let him avert his innocent gaze.
"Reborn!" Voices from the crowd yelled, waving their arms, bowing in respect, literally hailing the black haired kid that was walking at a relaxed pace, with his chin up, clearly indicating his superior rank. Tsuna had to blink as he saw him: the same fedora, same suit, even his Pacifier was in place. But the height and age were not. This was Reborn from the future.
He felt Colonello shift from his place on Yamamoto's shoulder to stare at his comrade with an incredulous look on his face and his sky blue eyes demanded an explanation for all this. Reborn -from the past -only shrugged in return, beady black eyes never leaving his future self.
Then they came; it was another reaction altogether. The screams got louder, the bows went as far as the ground. People were waving, cheering, chanting.
From the middle of it all, emerged a man with chocolate brown hair that spiked wildly, reaching the nape of his neck in a stylized mess, longer bangs shadowing his equally warm brown gaze that gazed at the crowd around him with amusement. A smile was dancing on his lips as his handsome face shifted from left to right, taking it all in. His strides were long and purposeful, the black cloak trailing after him like a shadow, the ornament displaying the roman number X on both sides were connected together by a golden chain clasping the opposite sides of the garment. It glinted in the lamp light as he moved, light as a feather.
Then more people followed, people Tsuna knew, has seen, people that still haunted his nightmares and his best dreams, dangerous people, kind people, friends. His friends.
Gokudera's hair was shorter, but stylized as well. He had piercings and his azure eyes were much sharper than his friend's ones. He still wore many rings on his fingers and a strange buckle at his belt, his suit and red shirt with a tie contrasting with the biker appearance. He was walking on the man's right side, his eyes never leaving his back as he scanned the crowd purposefully.
Another man he recognized as Yamamoto was walking on the other side. He was so unbelievably tall, his skin was even tanner and a scar ran down his chin. His eyes were a sharp hazel, scanning faces with trained accuracy. He looked pretty awesome with the suit, blue shirt and tie. Something like a necklace was hanging from his neck and it seemed he was carrying a baseball bat on his back, though Tsuna knew it was a long shot considering they were in the middle of a mafia festivity. The sudden thought arose another round of nausea from the pit of his stomach.
His eyes spied Lambo, walking with a slouch, looking not at all uncomfortable to be the center of attention. He looked exactly like 'Adult Lambo' he and his friends kept encountering due to the amount of times the Ten year bazooka was used. Per day.
Next came somebody he recognized immediately and he was in short, shocked. Reborn had pronounced his intention of making Sasagawa Ryohei a guardian, but Tsuna had hoped against hope that the upperclassman would be left out of the whole mess. In the future, his crush's brother looked all grown up, his hair a little shorter, spiked up his head. He looked even more fierce and extreme now. Tsuna waited for the moment he would suddenly stop and scream his trademark 'EXTREME', but it was improbable as the man in front of him looked too serious to do such a thing now. His formal suit, yellow shirt and black tie, along with a golden bangle on his upper right arm gave him an air of extreme, though.
The people that followed made his breath stop in his throat. He did not know the girl, but their matching hairstyles were enough indication of who they were. Rokudo Mukuro was walking casually with the same air of superiority Reborn had displayed earlier. His mismatched eyes were looking ahead, not even bothering to acknowledge the people calling his name, an amused smirk dancing on his lips. He was not wearing a suit, Tsuna realized. Instead, he donned a long black coat, high boots, white pants and white shirt along with a supposed tie. What shocked the boy though, was the longer hair swishing after the man with each move. Next to him, the pretty girl with the eye patch had an almost shy expression on her face as she walked with her head bowed a little, longer black bangs shadowing her face. Each of them, Tsuna realized, had Mukuro's trident clutched in their hands and a long earring.
Hibari Kyoya looked the same as he'd always had. Steely grey eyes glared threateningly at everyone around him, daring them to invade his personal space, lest they wanted a tonfa in the face. Though his hair was shorter now, still framing his face, but neatly arranged. The black suit with purple shirt and tie made him look even more dangerous now. Tsuna spied a glint on his right arm that looked like a bracelet, but it only lasted a second before the man moved on, bringing up the rear of the group, but still maintaining his distance. Obviously, the prefect had not changed.
Fourteen year old Tsunayoshi was confused and scared at what he had seen. But most of all, he was shocked. He had known that Reborn was trying -in their time -to bring them more together -minus Mukuro. Tsuna did not want to have anything to do with him anymore but it seemed the Fates were not kind this time around either.
The hitman's reasoning had eluded the boy, up until now. At this very moment, it was very clear to Tsuna what his tutor's strategy was and by the looks of it, he succeeded. Not anymore if he had any say in it.
Vongola Decimo exhaled in relief once his family safely entered the building that would house the Conferenza. He was tired. And the night had only begun. Caramel brown scanned the crowd at the main entrance, looking for his tutor but coming up empty. Wasn't he supposed to be here as well?
"You need to work on your observational skills, Dame-Tsuna."
The man in question almost jumped, turning around abruptly. The hitman stood there, arms crossed, an eyebrow raised under his fedora. Tsuna chuckled, scratching the back of his head in embarrassment.
"Yeah, you seem extremely out of it Sawada. Something happened?" Ryohei's eyes displayed concern, but the brunette waved it off.
"No, nothing. I'm just tired."
"Tenth, they said it will be a few minutes." Hayato informed his boss upon returning from his previous errand.
Nodding to signal that he had heard, the man stared contemplatively at his guardians. As he considered his possibilities, he remembered he did not have time, so with another sigh, he spoke. "Actually, something did happen. And I want to ask you, Onii-san, and Lambo to investigate it after the opening."
The Sun guardian blinked while Lambo only yawned.
"Hm, so you realized it as well." Reborn's fedora was hiding his smirk. Instead of being amused, the Decimo was more like exasperated. Quite expectedly, it happened on such an important day. Because that's how Fate works.
"All right, here's what you have to do..."
Fourteen year old Tsuna could not feel his brain anymore due to the amount of information it had to process. And the boy sympathized with it. A lot.
After their future selves had departed, other famiglias came and went, all heading towards the building at the very east of the island. They have seen Dino with his subordinates and some other strange people. One with white hair was flying, another girl with hair only covering her forehead was riding some kind of strange bicycle and had balloons around her. What kind of allies did his future self have?!
He had expected his friends to react pretty badly when seeing this. But then he remembered who was with him. Gokudera had, of course, been almost in tears at seeing his future self 'Protect the Tenth while looking so cool!' and Yamamoto was still in high spirits, taking everything around him in stride and not breaking a sweat in the least, the exact opposite of how Tsuna was faring.
The bomber was not so happy at seeing Mukuro and Hibari and even Ryohei part of the group and would have made a big deal out of it had the brunette not interfered. He did not want more people on their tails. Risking a look on his shoulder, he was surprised to see Reborn deep in thought, not even sparing him a glance. Beside him, Colonello was also silent.
Tsuna lifted his covered head to glance at the enormous black screen on the building in front of them. The group had been unwillingly dragged along with the throng of people that migrated in the direction their future selves have gone in. Suddenly, the screen came to life signaling that the conference had begun. The crowd released a breath as one, everybody's eyes transfixed on the screen as the whole Mafia world waited with baited breath the speech of the year.
Decimo hoped nothing bad would happen. He only asked one thing, and that was for nothing to go wrong. Despite having the attention of the whole Underworld on him, the man did not feel anxious in the least. What he felt anxious about was the high probability that something might go wrong with Lambo and Ryohei's mission and that would be bad. Very. Deciding not to dwell on it any longer, lest he'd worry for -hopefully -nothing, the mafia boss took his seat at the table facing the amphitheatre packed with allied famiglias. He spotted Dino giving him a thumbs up and tried not to laugh. He closed his eyes and inhaled in preparation, mentally recounting everything from the mundane to his big announcement, before caramel cracked open and he began speaking.
The man on the screen, Tsuna concluded, could not be his future self. He did things the current Tsuna would adamantly say no to with a grace and self-assurance that made the boy think it was natural. The brown haired man on the screen spoke words of little interest to the boy, something about the black market of famous art pieces. What captured the boy's attention was the sheer casual but commanding tone he commanded. You could not simply refuse such a man's orders. Murmurs did not take long to break out, but his voice easily covered them.
Suddenly the man stopped speaking, prompting the crowd to go silent as well.
"Lastly, I would like to make an announcement." The man began after a moment, but paused again to make sure the whole Underworld was asphyxiating itself in anxiety."I would like to officially thank the Settera famiglia for their offer, but we will have to refuse. The Vongola famiglia will not enter the Alliance of Seven."
Those simple sentences were enough to startle the crowd into murmurs that gradually transformed into furious talks and yells. People left and right were either too shocked to say anything, or too furious to do something else besides punching objects -since they could not punch people, the poor mafiosos.
"W-what's happening?" Tsuna could feel his voice tremble, but even he didn't know what scared him more now. The prospect of a conflict breaking in the crowd or being dragged into one.
After a few moments, the man on the screen began talking again.
"I understand that this might seem unexpected to many of you, but me and my Guardians have been considering the offer ever since its proposal and we have taken what we think is the best action for the future of the Vongola famiglia."
Somebody in the room talked, interrupting the man. A few seconds later the guy stopped when future Tsuna's eyes suddenly narrowed, orange sparks dancing on a dull brown background.
"As Vongola Decimo my decision is final. I will not tolerate further discussion on this matter." To any outsider, it did not look like an order, but even somebody as inexperienced in the mafia world as Tsuna was, the tone of the man's voice turned his blood cold and made his flee reflexes kick in.
"Well then, now that this matter was taken care of, I will conclude my speech here. My apologies for the longer length than usual. I wish everyone on the island a very nice evening and may the Cosa Nostra prosper in the upcoming year. Thank you."
With those parting words, the screen turned again to black. It did not take the crowd long to pick up from where they left off. Some people were still angry. And some were becoming even more.
Tsuna gulped, suddenly all too aware of their surroundings. He felt a hand grasp his other shoulder and his head snapped to his left more from reflex. Caramel brown found tired green as the boy gazed at Adult Lambo.
The teen held his stare for a few moments, before his hand lifted from his side and Tsuna felt something hard hitting his back, then a soft click. The boy stared in horror at Lambo, but decided not to scream. It would make matters worse. From the corner of his eye, he spied future Ryohei grasp Yamamoto and a protesting Gokudera's shoulders, his firm hold keeping them in line as he began walking away. He felt Lambo press the gun further into his back, causing him to winch.
"If you don't want a hole in your back, I suggest you move." The voice drawled. Tsuna nodded and followed the Sun guardian.
He was surprised when they entered the building through a back door. The interior, as the exterior, looked very modern. The halls were wide and high, black linoleum muffling their steps and what looked like expensive tapestry adorned the walls. They entered a large room that housed a set of stairs which served to climb towards the next level. In the middle of the wall on the first level was a huge crest of the Vongola famiglia, its golden surface shining in the artificial light from the crystal chandelier overhead. The group advanced up the stairs, then down another hall, before stopping at a pair of double black wooden doors. They opened just as they arrived in front of them, revealing another spacious room, fully decorated as a small conference office.
Lambo pulled him in, followed by Ryohei and his hostages.
"Only you people could land yourselves in a situation like this." A familiar high pitched voice sounded from their right. Turning his head towards the sound, Tsuna came face to face with none other than future Reborn. He was sprawled on a black leather couch, looking at them from under his fedora, beady black eyes shining with amusement. The boy could not imagine what would be so funny.
"It's strange seeing my future self." Baby Reborn commented from his perch on Tsuna's shoulder. The two shared a tense staring contest for a couple of moments before smirking at each other.
"How did you grow up, kora?" Colonello did not have the patience left for flimsy small talk.
The child shrugged. "You will know when the time comes." He answered, but then an idea seemed to spark in his head. "Or," he drawled pointedly, "if you pay me enough money, I can maybe divulge such secret."
Colonello seemed to truly consider it.
"Come now kid, stop messing with them." Ryohei laughed, leaning against the table.
"Mhm, yeah, you should better not do that. These guys trust easily." Lambo yawned from his lounging spot on the opposite couch from Reborn's. Tsuna almost did a double take. He did not even feel the teen slip away from him.
"Though this is a good idea for future reference." The Lightning grinned, a plan already forming in his head. Ryohei was about to admonish the teen, when the door was opened once again.
Mukuro strode in, looking like he had all the time in the world with the shy girl trailing after him. He stopped when he spotted the group from the past huddled in front of the couch.
"Oya, oya," the man's eyes crinkled with unhidden sadism, "fresh meat?" His smirk clearly indicated he was not joking. He continued on his way to a chair next to the window at the head of the table and slouched in it, bringing his boot clad feet up and resting them on the wooden surface.
"Chrome-chan~" Lambo was suddenly very energic, waving his arms wildly to catch the girl's attention. Chrome released a small smile as she made her way to the boy and seated herself next to him. The two began chatting -more like Lambo did all the talking and the girl smiled and nodded, occasionally responding.
Tsuna found her strange, but sweet at the same time. She did not look like a bad person at all. And his intuition did not go wrong, usually.
Silence descended around the room, neither party eager to talk. The only sounds were coming from Lambo, who was telling the girl some sort of funny story.
"Come now, surely this can't be all you'll be doing." Mukuro deadpanned, leaning on his chair and crossing his arms.
"We've got nothing to say to you, pineapple freak." Gokudera replied hotly. Tsuna almost face palmed. Ryohei actually did that.
Mukuro chuckled and stood up, taking slow, purposeful steps towards them. Now the brunette was sure they were going to die.
Not moved at all by this, his self proclaimed right hand man continued to glare daggers at him.
"You come to the future and you are not even a little curious about anything?"
Mismatched eyes glinted dangerously, still moving mockingly slow towards them.
"Yeah, I got a good one." The bomber was on the roll. "Why is a freak like you one of Tenth's guardians?"
The Mist guardian grinned haughtily. "Of course, to haunt your longest dreams, hand ma-"
"Now, now Mukuro. You should know better than to pick on kids." A cheery voice spoke from behind the man, effectively interrupting him. Future Yamamoto slung an arm around the Mist's shoulders as the door closed behind them. His grin was the most friendly thing Tsuna had seen all evening and all too soon he allowed himself to finally relax a little. If Yamamoto was there, then they were safe. For now.
"I was simply having a conversation." Mukuro sniffed, removing the offending limb from his personal space. He walked back to his previous seat, brooding quietly.
The Rain guardian's grin widened as he faced the kids.
"It's really strange, but it's awesome to see you." His happy tone let Tsuna further relax. He smiled back.
"Yea-ah, it's pretty strange." Thankfully his voice did not stutter much.
Yamamoto nodded, his smile becoming impossibly more wide.
"So, who wants some Snickers?"
Vongola Decimo exhaled in relief as the last boss from the allied families finally bid his goodbyes. The man was almost exhausted and he still had the party to go to.
He could not miss that. He had promised Kyoko they'd go together and he feared he would not live another day if he did not keep his promise this time. He would just have to make it work with a good strong coffee.
But for now, he had to go see if Ryohei and Lambo succeeded. He had a nagging feeling they did and this served to further unnerve him.
The boss proceeded on his way back to the designated conference room where they'd agreed to meet with slow steps. He liked to have a little time for himself at last. But not for long. His Hyper Intuition picked on a set of familiar flames following behind quietly.
The man did not even make a sound when he moved. Such were the skills of his strongest guardian. Ever since his second year of attending this event, Kyoya had made it his personal mission to accompany him at any time. While he argued that it was fine now and that incident will not repeat, both of them agreed that it had been pretty bad. That, and his Cloud guardian could easily be the most stubborn of them all. So he did not bother to argue with him anymore. Instead, he let his mind wander to past events and the position the famiglia held, now that he had rejected the newly formed Seven alliance.
Tsuna frowned, remembering the gruesome terms. The Settera famiglia had always been an influential family, but it had risen to power in the recent years thanks to its new heir. And, as all powerful groups, they decided to get themselves an established set of alliances. The only problem was that they only settled to invite the most powerful famiglias in the Underworld, Vongola included. Their choice of allies had been curious at first, but after he met Settera Rittoro he had understood everything.
The man was too eccentric and on a dangerous path in search of power. His first proposal for the bosses at the meeting had been the annihilation of a little town north of Sienna just because of a few small debts. Not only did Tsuna profoundly disagree of such methods, he found himself with the obligation of lending man power from his own troups. Which he did not like. At all.
He had his quest of bringing Vongola back to its original track and he was not going to regress after all this time because of some flimsy, shadowy alliance. It was obviously a scam and the brunette knew better than to fall for it. Many, though, did not and were now a new reason for Tsuna's constant headache.
Thankfully, the Vongola famiglia was not in need of making any more alliances, the Decimo having enough work with his current ones as it was. The don was also relieved to know that the bosses of his closest allies have chosen not to sign the alliance with Settera as well, following their trusted Decimo dei Vongola's example. Dino had assured him no one was planning to take part if they did not. And he also assured him that he had made the right decision. It would have been an act of weakness to accept and would have proven the Vongola unworthy of the title of the strongest mafia famiglia. Settera Rittoro was a cunning man indeed. Tsunayoshi did not think that far, but his intuition had blasted alarms at him from the moment he locked eyes with the guy, so he supposed he had to thank it after all.
His musings were interrupted by Hayato's voice.
"Tenth, just in time." The man waved, coming to walk alongside him. "Our contacts in Florence have called in. It seems there was another problem with the shippment from Venice."
Tsuna scowled, clearly feeling the oncoming headache. "You should know how to deal with them, Hayato."
The silver haired man looked startled for a second before recovering. "I do, but I wanted to suggest a change of strategy. This is the second time this month."
The three turned a corner and continued down another corridor, stopping at a pair of double doors.
"Well it would be fine, but we have to consider all the cargo we have lost."
Tsuna grasped the handle and pushed the wooden doors open, entering mechanically without looking at anything in particular as his mind reeled in solving the situation.
"The people from Venice should be more careful. I don't want any more of that expensive cargo lost." The Decimo declared to no one in particular.
"Well that would be a while considering that the government has dispatched a new squad there. It's getting increasingly difficult to deal with them." Hayato continued from behind him.
Tsuna rolled his eyes. He bit his lower lip, gazing through the window but not seeing anything. He let his fingers trail on the table's surface as he pronounced his orders.
"Tell our contacts from Venice to be ready for the next cargo. Kyoya will deal with those new headaches."
He could feel the Cloud's predatory smirk. The boss sighed.
"As for the guys in Florence, I will personally be going there next week. I have to discuss with Maurizio the plans for the new tax fares at Palazzo Vecchio anyways."
Raking his mind for any other points he might have missed, Tsuna did not hear Yamamoto shift to lean on the table next to him. Only when he spoke, did the Decimo realize he had arrived.
"Boss, I think we have another problem to take care of for now." The assassin's voice was laced with an undertone of urgency and Tsuna knew at once that his fears have been confirmed. Slowly, he turned around, caramel brown eyes meeting their younger twins.
Fourteen year old Tsunayoshi was startled when the doors flew open once again and the man that had been on the screen sometime ago marched in. He did not even glance in their direction, going straight towards the table. He was speaking something about Venice that the boy did not quite catch. He saw future Gokudera come in after him and future Hibari as well. The Cloud guardian stood by the doors, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed.
And now the man stood there, looking out the window, lost in thought.
'What?'
"Tell our contacts from Venice to be ready for the next cargo. Kyoya will deal with those new headaches."
Tsuna gulped seeing the dangerous smirk that was playing on his lips, clearly promising bloodshed. Even future Gokudera threw him a cautious look.
"Well if you want the load of paperwork to sky rocket then it's all right." He mumbled to himself, putting his hands in his pockets.
"As for the guys in Florence," the man continued, clearly not having heard him, "I will personally be going there next week. I have to discuss with Maurizio the plans for the new tax fares at Palazzo Vecchio anyways."
A deep silence permeated the room for a couple of moments before Yamamoto moved to lean against the table near the man. He said something to him that Tsuna did not quite catch, but it seemed to finally awaken him from his musings.
His heart skipped a beat when he realized the man was turning around, towards them, his black cloak swishing with the movement. Then his caramel brown eyes locked with their twins.
They stood like that for a while, neither making a move, just gazing into each other's identical eyes. And in that moment, fourteen year old Tsuna knew that the man could only be his future self, no matter how improbable it sounded. He broke first from the staring contest, looking the man up and down. Dressed to the nines with a complete suit, tie, white shirt, with the cloak around his shoulders giving him an air of supremacy. But then he remembered, he had the highest rank.
The man smiled, catching Tsuna by surprise as he watched the other's caramel gaze stop and inspect his friends. The man lifted his right hand up to his chest as he spoke.
"It is certainly strange to be meeting under such circumstances, but either way I would like to welcome you into the future. I hope nothing bad has happened during your stay here." His voice was warm and caressing, instantly giving Tsuna the feeling he was safe. Which the younger boy brushed off as fast as it came. Tsuna's gaze stopped on the intricate rings on the man's hand. It was a bigger one on his middle finger that had lots of details and reliefs. The little one on his little finger had a black X on it and was connected to another bigger ring by a chain. All in all, the rings looked pretty heavy and the boy wondered what they were for.
"It was ok." Reborn answered, still perched on Tsuna's shoulder. "But we'd like to go back."
His future self's smile could not be more sympathetic and it made Tsuna's stomach turn.
"Unfortunately, my mechanics are back in Palermo, but they'll be informed immediately about the situation."
Decimo did not mention that, in fact, Spanner was on his way to Palermo from his trip to London, and Shoichi was supposed to stay at the base in Rome for another few weeks, or that Giannini was at a conference in Geneva. Oh well, it'll work.
Locking his gaze with confused azure ones that clearly questioned: 'What the hell, Tenth, I thought I informed you about their locations long ago.' ,he tried to convey a message through his eyes for his right hand man. He supposed it worked, since Gokudera had immediately excused himself to make a few phone calls.
Sighing, the Decimo looked back at his past's self scared face and fought back the urge to sigh again.
"Until they arrive here, I suggest you join us at the party on the island. It's always fun and has lots of food."
The offer was tempting, but something was keeping Tsuna from accepting. He supposed his worries were legit, so he said.
"B-but there will be too many mafia people." The brunette cringed at his words, swearing in his head. He could have phrased it more politely, or at least with bigger words. Now he looked like a kid that wanted chocolate not candy. He heard Hibari snort and his future self chuckled.
"Well yes, that might be a problem. But since I'm sure you are hungry," at this, Tsuna felt his traitorous stomach give a growl in protest, "we will think of something."
True to his promise, the Decimo did seat them at a table so concealed, even they had to sit up to see clearly on the other side. They were seated next to a line of trees and bushes on one side, while on the other side was a small wooden fence with high flowerpots and all kinds of flowers that completely hid them. The place was perfect for not getting close to mafia men, and it was also close enough that if they screamed, their future selves will hear.
On the other side of the street, future Tsuna and his guardians stood at a table outside a fancy restaurant, talking. The boy was surprised they were all willing to be near each other-mostly meaning Mukuro and Hibari- but even those two were quietly sipping their tea and cocktail, occasionally joining the conversation. It gave Tsuna a funny feeling in his chest and he smiled, thinking that it was pretty awesome everyone could talk like normal people once in a while.
Their table was quiet, the three boys staring curiously at their future selves. Reborn had to sigh. These kids were a handful. At least they did not argue. While Reborn knew staring was not a deeming quality for a mafia boss, the baby supposed he could let this one slide. He could see how curious his student was, and not only him. They were too. And besides, it was not staring if they could not see you. Their hiding spot provided the best spot for watching them in turn.
Tsuna watched his future self sip his coffee, grinning at a joke Yamamoto said. He never thought that he would end up taking the position Reborn was pushing him into, and he still did not want to inherit it. But seeing his future self having fun with his friends, friends that he had in his time, too -well, mostly. He supposed bonds take time to grow. And ten years were lots of time. For once, he was glad the future was this way too. Even if not ideal for him, the fact that he could be with his family was enough for the boy.
"Sorry for being so late!" Kyoko chirped as she, Haru, Chrome and Hana arrived at the boys' table. They ran a little late because Chrome's arrival from the conference. Which, she supposed, was her Tsuna's fault, but she would not keep it against him... this time.
The Decimo smiled, gesturing to the seat next to him. Behind his girlfriend's back, the man saw his past self stand up, his face red and looking like he was having a seizure. Before he could open his mouth, Gokudera and Yamamoto each clasped a hand over it and dragged him down and out of view. Tsunayoshi could not help but burst out laughing, clutching at his stomach. Everyone at the table looked at him in confusion, some faces betraying worry as well.
"The herbivore's lost it." Kyoya drawled, rolling his eyes.
"Kufufu, and I did not even have time to posses him." Mukuro said in all seriousness, earning a few laughs. Everyone knew that after all this time, Mukuro's trademark threats were just empty words. Hopefully.
After another few minutes of incessant laughter coming from the brunette, he stopped, willing himself to calm down. Kyoko stood beside him, an amused expression on her face, though it was clear that she was confused. Making a split second decision, the Decimo decided not to tell them yet. It would do no good and he doubted that his younger self would be able to handle this after the earlier display.
Instead he shook his head and saw his guardians understand the meaning behind his actions as everyone launched in other subjects of discussion. He accepted Hayato's offer of a smoke, tapping his foot impatiently as they waited for the food.
Suddenly a thought struck him and he turned to his right hand man. "Verde is?"
The silver haired man shrugged, clearly not his business where the green scientist's whereabouts were.
"I was thinking he would be able to help us better." The boss explained. "Or that maybe he would have an idea, at least."
"But think about it Tsuna," Yamamoto interrupted, "if somebody would have wanted to bring them harm, they would obviously not be here."
The 'They would be dead already' part went unspoken.
"It was probably an accident," Mukuro offered sipping his drink.
"What kind of accident lands you in the future?" Gokudera asked sarcastically, but closed his mouth at once when he remembered such case. The others' incredulous gazes did not help.
"It turned out that it was not an accident." The man defended, scowling.
"Octopus head, I suggest you take another drink and relax, they'll get back."
Ryohei threw his hands in the air. "All this talk about bad scenarios is getting to me."
"Aww," Hana cooed, "the big boy is getting worried as well."
"Ten years ago I never thought Onii-san would become the mother hen of the family." Kyoko laughed while her brother grimaced, clearly not liking his nickname.
"Ah!" Lambo's yelp turned all heads in his direction. A dawning realization turned his face a shade paler. Before anyone could ask what happened, the teen spoke. "Those guys were going to Mafia Land the last time I accidentally went to the future. So something's gotta have happened there."
The people around the table blinked. Tsuna almost banged his head on the piece of furniture.
Of course, none of them had thought to ask those kids how they got here. If it wasn't for his youngest guardian, they would have racked their brains for nothing. They were all idiots, himself included.
"Hm, I don't remember anything that could have been really dangerous from our first time here." Yamamoto scratched his chin, brows furrowed in concentration.
Tsuna's eye twitched. He could think of a few occasions their life was put in danger the first time they came here. Finishing his cigarette, he tried to think how exactly those kids managed to land themselves here but his brain came up blank. Ironically, his Rain guardian was right. There was not anything that life threatening.
"You would do good to bring them back already, herbivore." Hibari crossed his arms, glaring at his boss. "Those past herbivores are nothing but dead weight, especially now."
The Decimo understood his reasoning. But he could not simply press a button and be done with it-
Caramel eyes widened and he stood up abruptly. Taking out his mobile phone, he dialed the first number on speed dial while walking away from the table, ignoring the rain of questions from his friends.
The person on the other line picked at the second ring. "What is it now, Dame-Tsuna?"
"Reborn," Tsuna began, ignoring the irritating nickname, "bring me Verde."
"Where do you want me to get him out from? My ass?" The hitman bit back. Tsuna scowled.
"No, but you could be at least a little helpful." The man smiled in victory as the line went immediately dead. He knew the scientist will be on the island in maximum two hours, whether he wanted it or not.
"Hmm, so this is little Tsunayoshi-kun?" Byakuran smiled, circling the obviously scared boy and his friends like a predator. It did not help that he was levitating, his legs crossed in a yoga position. The small white wings on his back bated the air every time he moved.
"Tsunayoshi-kun, are you sure they are the real deal?" Enma Kozato turned his head slightly to glance at his best friend. The man's eyebrows were scrunched up in desperation as he gazed at his past self.
"Yes, unfortunately my Hyper Intuition is not wrong this time either."
"So they appeared on your radar?" The red haired man turned around fully to face him. They once joked that Tsuna's intuition was literally acting like a radar for danger and the name stuck.
"From the moment they came here." The clipped tone suggested no further will to discuss this subject.
The man tapped his foot impatiently on the pavement, crossing his arms in exasperation. He didn't know what could take Reborn so much time. Usually the hitman could find someone in under two hours. Either Verde came up with a really good stealth device or his tutor was not even trying. Either choice made Tsuna bristle. He did not have time for this. That man could come at any time. He did not want another set of rumors to spread around already.
"Decimo!" An obnoxious, sly voice sounded from behind.
He saw Kikyo and Blue Bell drape the caps and some sunglasses on each of their past selves' heads, Byakuran promptly moving to stay in front of them, blocking the view.
Smiling inwardly, the man made a mental note to thank his friends later, as he turned around to face the approaching Settera Rittoro. The tanned man looked as he always did. Dressed in casual, but very expensive clothing, not lacking the golden chain around his neck and earring. He was walking with a self imposed gait that made Tsuna cringe.
Rittoro opened his arms, bowing once gracefully when he arrived in front of him.
"How are you on this fine evening?"
Tsuna's smile was tight, yet polite. "Very good. It's a very nice evening."
The black haired mafioso seemed to agree as he nodded once, before deciding to get on to the point.
"Decimo, I've come here tonight to discuss about your earlier announcement. Surely, you may want to reconsider my offer one last time."
Tsuna's smile shrank. "I do think I have expressed my opinion on this matter already, Don Rittoro."
"Well, as a matter of fact I do think your mind can be changed, Don Vongola. Were the conditions not to your liking?"
"That is but one of many reasons."
Seeing the man open his mouth again, the Decimo felt his eye twitch dangerously. The guy was dead set on making him reconsider and his patience was thin to begin with. Subconsciously, his eyes narrowed, orange sparks dancing in his irises.
Rittoro closed his mouth seeing this. Vongola Decimo's message was clearly conveyed. Cursing him inside his mind, Rittoro allowed his amiable expression to drop, deciding to screw him and his famiglia.
"Don Vongola," he began, an undertone of warning in his voice, "I understand your refusal. But with the position you are in now, I cannot guarantee any no-fire safety for anyone associated with the Vongola famiglia."
In that moment, Tsuna had heard enough. The guy had stepped enough lines today. His eyes glowed a bright orange, as the Cielo flame lit on his forehead.
Rittoro landed on his butt, cowering under Natsu's growling form. The little lion had grown up along with his master, now being the size of a real lion, his flaming mane dancing around his head gracefully and the gear on his legs and head glinting in the lamp light. The lion continued to bare his teeth, while Tsuna stood behind him, his persona illuminated by the flame on his head and flaming black cloak swishing behind him.
"I suggest you to reconsider the position you are currently in, Don Settera." The don's voice suddenly seemed to become more deep, resonating in the other man's chest as he spoke. "The Vongola famiglia will not bow to anyone. The Underworld is ours for the taking."
A red gloved hand lifted in warning, the famiglia seal displayed proudly in the center. The Guardians were immediately at their boss's side, armed and ready to fight, but Don Rittoro did not come to fight tonight. He came to make a statement, and it seemed the Vongola was adamant on making one as well.
Smiling politely, despite the glowers and sneers directed his way, he stood up, dusting his Calvin Klein pants and shook his head.
"We'll see about that, Decimo. We'll see." His grey eyes glared right back into his orange ones. "Well then gentlemen, I wish you a good evening."
The Don turned around the way he came, never once glancing back.
Tsuna extinguished his flames and disabled his Vongola Gear, rearranging his crumpled suit. He glanced up to his partner who was sniffing his past self with new found curiosity. The boy looked ready to faint, but held his ground as he looked with an alarmed expression at the Decimo.
The man smiled, allowing a chuckle to escape his lips.
"Don't worry, he doesn't bite. Much."
The boy did not look convinced in the least, but the man supposed he could not do much in this situation.
"Come now Natsu, it's time you go back."
The feline whined, but entered the ring willingly. The accessory glowed bright orange for a second before returning back to normal.
At that moment, his tutor turned the corner, followed by the very man Tsuna was waiting for.
"Why is everyone looking tense all of a sudden?" The hitman inquired with a raised eyebrow. The don decided to not comment on it as he turned his attention towards the green scientist.
Apparently, Verde had spotted the kids earlier and was staring at them with a rare, horrified expression on his face that on any other ocassion would have been priceless.
"I suppose you've got something to tell us, Verde?" Tsuna urged, his foot returning to tap impatiently on the ground.
Verde gulped once before answering. "In my defense, I was not aware there was someone in that tunnel."
"What! You brought us here?" His past self almost strangled the green haired boy.
"I was simply doing an experiment in that tunnel on the island." Verde explained. "It was so late that I did not think anyone would venture into that jungle."
"Wait, what do you mean you were doing the experiment?" Past Gokudera asked.
"I know exactly what I was doing." Green eyes narrowed behind steel glasses. "Time is theoretical. Its true value can only be measured by experience, not by space. The only way to evolve is to constantly be in touch with your past."
"In short," Reborn rolled his eyes, already used to his antics, "this guy was talking to his past self and they were doing a time travel experiment together, probably the thing that got you guys here." The boy explained. Everyone nodded, finally understanding the main idea.
Both past and future right hand man turned to glare at the scientist, who was taken aback by the intensity of their gazes.
"So you can take us back?" The 'or else' was clearly understood as well.
Verde nodded, pursing his lips."Of course! Who do you think I am?"
The question was intended to be rhetorical, but fourteen year old Tsuna was not sure how to answer.
The substantial group of people now followed the scientist back towards the tunnel.
"Wait, so it's going to be that easy..." Lambo mumbled to himself, slouching as he followed his boss.
Fourteen year old Tsunayoshi Sawada was conflicted in light of past events.
First, the white haired floating guy and some other red head that proved to be one of his best friends -which he did not mind at all, the guy seemed nice -had appeared. Byakuran swiftly proceeded to study them like a scientist discovering a new species. Then the mainstream mafia guy appeared and it seemed that his future self had made a couple of enemies -which caused Tsuna to shudder. He truly did not want to go there. He had been scared, admittedly, it was not easy to see your future self react like that. But then he wanted to scream that he was really cool with those freaky flames on his forehead and flaming cloak and the awesome lion, that had been pretty friendly with him. He couldn't see very good from behind Byakuran, so he was not sure what else had transpired between this and his future self's declaration.
"The Vongola famiglia will not bow to anyone. The Underworld is ours for the taking."
The boy's fists clenched subconsciously and he frowned. He had swore long ago that he would not become a mafia boss. And after everything that had happened he was more convinced than ever. Reborn had made it clear that the Vongola famiglia was a very powerful entity in the mafia world, but he hesitated to think what else could be hidden behind closed doors.
A sudden feeling of hopelessness sparked in the boy's chest and he almost despaired to think what would be waiting for him in the future.
"Don't worry, it will work out okay in the end." The Decimo whispered and Tsuna almost jumped. He did not feel the man come closer. They were walking side by side on the forest path, their friends being more or less loud.
Tsuna snorted. "If my assumption is correct and everyone in the mafia is like that guy back there, then I'm sure it's not going to be all right." His tone came out more biting than he had wanted it to, but he could not pretend anymore.
His older self shrugged, looking like they were talking about the weather.
"Sure, eighty five percent of people are like that in the mafia," Tsuna cringed hearing the high percentage, but the man paid no mind, a small smile playing on his lips as he continued speaking, "but it's that other fifteen percent of people that truly matter. You will find kindness and goodness in this world, however tainted. But most of all, you will find true loyalty and friendships that will last a lifetime."
Tsuna's breath hitched in his throat as he listened. Loyalty and lifetime friendships seemed as far a dream as going to the moon for him. He had never had many friends to begin with, and even now, the random people that entered his life were sometimes too extreme for the boy to really feel like they were real friends. He had always lived in fear that everyone will just one day stop coming to his house every morning, or talk to him, and no matter how much he wanted to be able to enjoy their friendships, he could never let himself go with the flow. It was just part of his nature to be cautious of things that could hurt him. Useless hope was still hope after all.
The older man seemed to know what he was thinking as he said. "Sometimes it's good to go with the flow. I was just as scared as you are. But challenges never stop to appear and you all have to learn to trust each other to be able to go through them." He said it loudly, obviously wanting Gokudera and Yamamoto to hear.
Both Reborns smirked, the past one wondering when did his student become so wise while his future self questioned why didn't he start talking like this long ago.
Yamamoto laughed good naturedly agreeing with the Decimo while Gokudera nodded, scratching his head in embarrassment and vowing that he would never let the Tenth go through hard times alone.
Decimo smiled knowing that his past self was now more reconciled with the thought of what was to come. Deciding he did lots of good today, he supposed one more warning would suffice.
"And remember, you should learn to find happiness in little things. Between assassins trying to kill you and paperwork, free time is hard to come by these days."
Vongola Decimo laughed at his past self's horrified face.
"You should prepare yourself, Dame-Tsuna. The lessons will only get harder." Reborn quipped happily from the front of the group prompting Tsuna to yell desperately.
"I said I'm not becoming a mafia boss!"
Vongola Decimo sighed tiredly, deciding to call it a day. Since the events from yesterday, he was more than ready for his much deserved sleep. After they had sent their past selves successfully back, the don and his guardians returned to the party and celebrated until well into the morning. After that he managed to catch a few hours of sleep before departing for a morning meeting on the island.
Now back in Italy, he was preparing his luggage for the next morning's flight to Florence. As he had promised, he would be overseeing matters with the lost cargo and the new tax fares himself.
A sudden knock snapped him out of his reverie. Brown bangs entered his eyes at the sudden turn of his head. Through the curtain of hair, he saw Kyoko leaning against the doorway, a small smile gracing her lips. Gulping, for he knew that keeping his promise to her this week was a little far-fetched, he returned her smile with a nervous one of his own.
"Make sure you come back quickly, ok?"
Her melancholic voice made him blink but he nodded anyway. "Sure."
He didn't know what else to say. A few moments passed, before the blonde haired woman lifted her gaze from his and quickly gave him a peck on the cheek.
"If you want more, you better come back quickly." She exited the room, giggling.
Tsuna scowled. Damn, he would have to solve this at light speed.
"Am I to assume everything is ready?" The sly voice inquired, its owner shifting in his seat.
On the other side of the large mahogany table, a lone spy stood straight, relaying the report of his mission.
"Yes, don Rittoro. All according to your orders, sir." The mechanical voice answered, not moving any other muscle.
"Good. Tomorrow, Vongola will fall." The same man behind the desk boomed.
"And with it, the Mafia underworld they reign over with such good care."
a/n: hi, this is the first story I publish on this site.
Please excuse any grammar mistake or otherwise(I either didn't notice or didn't know).Please message me so I can correct it
Reviews and feedback are always appreciated!