AN:/ I don't like genderbends. So I wrote one I would like to read.

Technically a oneshot, but it's not done in the least. There's so much to touch on, from Reborn's latent sexism (and yet rather carefree attitude towards trans identities), to the other characters reactions, towards a Tsuna that has had to fight just to exist as she is.

I do have like 10 WIPs already though, so for now this is as complete as it will get.

—

Reborn knocks on the wooden door of the Sawada residence and listens to the soft footsteps on the other side. It's been thirty-two hours of trying to decipher Iemitsu's reports about his family, first on a train and then on a Vongola charter jet, and at this point in time he really just wants to meet his new student and then sleep for fourteen hours.

Sawada Nana, the mother of the new heir of Vongola, opens the door with a vague smile. She's young, with short light brown hair and misty eyes. Her flower-patterned dress flutters around her ankles and brings attention to her thin wrists. She looks, Reborn can't help but think, very delicate.

"Yes?"

Reborn tips his hat down but doesn't bother taking it off. Leon, clinging to the brim with practice, skitters back into place as soon as he straightens.

"Ciao, Sawada-san, I am the home tutor Reborn. We talked on the phone," he says, ignoring the pang of irritation as the woman crouches down and coos at him.

"Oh my, a little genius is it?" she exclaims, clapping her hands. Her gentle smile and cheerful voice should put him at ease, already informed about her supposed obliviousness, but something about the glint in her eyes has hackles rising up.

He pushes it down and nods.

"Well come on in, I'll get you setup. Tsu-chan should be back soon from school," Nana says, turning away.

Reborn feels his eyebrow raise at the cute term of address, and follows the woman into the house. The walls are a soothing blue, with beige trimming and light stained wood. The pictures on the walls showcase a happy family of two, although the son seems to have an unfortunate habit of cringing in front of cameras.

The front hall leads into living room, and there too the house is decorated in an inviting manner, with plush dark couches and warm looking blankets draped over them. The window is curtained by a gauzy blue fabric that doesn't do much to stop the light from streaming in.

Again, the walls are filled with family photos. Reborn notices as he walks by that Tsunayoshi's hair just gets longer the older he gets. Longer, and more unmanageable.

They walk into a tea scented kitchen, where pictures are instead replaced with knives and ladles hung from magnetic boards and small herb pots sitting under windows.

"Tea? Coffee?" Nana asks, before tilting her head in thought, "Although I suppose I shouldn't be giving a baby caffeine…"

"No worries, I have a hardy body. Espresso if you have it, please," Reborn waves off, hopping up onto one of the chairs.

Nana hums in acquiescence and bustles about the room, pulling things down from the cupboards. Reborn takes the opportunity to settle his nerves, getting into the frame of mind to meet his new student. It's difficult, to switch from the assassin mentality to that of a mentor, and he's never been all that great at it. Doesn't need to be, really. Just needs to keep the kid alive and make him powerful enough to survive the trials ahead.

It's a good thing that if there's something he understands, it's power.

The sound of coffee grinding pulls him a little out of his thoughts, but only enough for him to note distantly that Nana has not only a coffee grinder but a french press. A slightly odd purchase for a Japanese family, but one excusable considering who her husband is.

He wishes, yet again, that the Ninth's sons had waited a little bit before dying. He's trying to think if he even has anything non-lethal enough to use on a fourteen year old civilian. Even Dino had some rudimentary training beforehand.

A shuffling of steps, and then a steaming cup is placed by his hand. He looks up to smile charmingly at the woman and murmurs a thank you.

Nana smiles back and takes a seat herself, cup of tea in hand. There's silence as the two sip at their drinks, before Reborn sets down his cup and turns his attention outward once again.

"Your house is lovely, Sawada-san. Have you lived here long?" Small talk is a chore, but a surprisingly informative one.

Nana smiles.

"Oh, it was a wedding present from my husband. We recently renovated though, and it's been awhile since he's seen it."

Reborn nods, having noted the difference in floor plan already. Not just the decor, but a completely different order of rooms. When he gets back to Italy he's going to have a talk with whoever set up the intelligence reports.

No doubt that means insulting Iemitsu for a couple hours, which is always fun.

"Any particular reason for the change?" he asks, instead of commenting on Iemitsu's long absences.

"Oh you know, sometimes you just need a little change in your life. Not to mention Tsu-chan was just entering middle school and I thought it would be a fun way to celebrate," Nana says with a smile, hands wrapped around her cup of tea.

Reborn hums.

"And how is my new student doing? You didn't mention a lot in your phone call besides a general lack of academic strength," he prods, happy to move onto more pertinent matters.

Nana sighs.

"I know most parents want their children to do the best they can in school, and I'm not saying I wouldn't like Tsu-chan to do better academically. But really, I'm not so much worried about the grades then I am about the complete lack of social grace. No friends, no ambition, being bullied in school...I worry for her."

Reborn stops his nodding head and blinks, replaying that last bit in his head, sure for a second that he misheard.

"Her?" he asks slowly.

Nana looks up, surprised, before bringing a hand to her mouth.

"Oh my, I thought I mentioned…?"

Whatever she was about to say is interrupted by the front door opening, heavy footsteps crashing into the hardwood of the entryway.

"I'm home!" a young voice calls out, no doubt Tsunayoshi.

"In the kitchen, Tsu-chan!" Nana calls back, turning from the table. Reborn clutches at his espresso as the son—daughter, walks in.

Tsunayoshi doesn't look all that different from the photos in the files. Longer hair, spiking out in all directions, with a softer face and slightly wider eyes. Despite this, the schoolgirl uniform and the chipped nail polish give a definite answer to the question brewing in his mind.

So. Not a young civilian boy, but instead a young civilian girl. He feels the headache already.

"Tsu-chan, this is your new home tutor, Reborn-sensei."

Girl and hitman eye each other suspiciously.

"That's a baby," Tsunayoshi says slowly, lowering her backpack by the table. Reborn doesn't grind his teeth, although he dearly wants to.

"And you're a girl, even though your father informed me I was training a son," he retorts.

Tsunayoshi's eyes narrow and a steely look settles upon her face.

"Well, he hasn't been home for seven years, so he gets no say in what I am," she says, before turning towards her mother, "I'll be in my room, once you're done with your home ec experiment."

Reborn feels his hackles rise, and his hand goes towards Leon before he forces himself to calm. He watches the girl stomp towards the stairs.

"Ah, I'm sorry about that. I'm afraid I wasn't always...the most supportive. She's still bitter about it," Nana says with a sigh, before standing up and going towards the fridge.

A package of meat and some veggies go onto the counter and she tugs down one of the knives from the magnetic racks.

"Still, that wasn't the most tactful thing to say, Reborn-sensei. My daughter has had a hard time, and I am sure it will take many years before she can think back on her years as a boy with any joy."

Nana turns around, knife still in hand. There's a steely glint in her eye that has Reborn's instincts flaring up. He is sure, for a second, that the civilian woman is leaking killing intent his way.

"Of course, that was inappropriate of me," he says, instead of asking her about her suddenly suspicious amount of knives. "I was understandably confused. Perhaps you could explain it to me, so that I might not say something offensive?"

The glint of steel vanishes, and the woman smiles.

"Oh of course, it's quite simple really. Tsu-chan has always been a girl, but her body has always been that of a boy's. It took a few years for me to understand this myself, since Tsu-chan's never been all that great at explaining things, but with the help of some very nice doctor's we've managed to figure it out. She's on puberty blockers right now and will be starting estrogen treatments once she hits sixteen," Nana says, turning back to her food preparation.

"And h—she still goes by Tsunayoshi?" Reborn asks, turning the new information around in his head. Vongola has had female bosses before, or at least, they've had one, but they've never had a transexual one before. Is transexual even the proper word for it?

"Just Tsuna nowadays," is the reply. He's silent for a few seconds in thought.

He can spin this, he's sure. From all reports Tsunayo—Tsuna, he's going to have to remember that, Tsuna is a shy and meek child. As a boy, this would be considered a weakness. As a girl however, this could be considered an advantage. Her guardians will already be predisposed to wanting to protect her.

He has a brief moment of panic when he tries to think how he's going to explain to the Ninth that the bloodline is dead. He's not sure exactly what the fertility chances will be in the future, but even if she is still able to father children they wouldn't be legitimate, since gay marriage isn't recognised in Italy.

Would Tsuna's future marriage even be gay? Whether it's a male or a female partner, there would still be those who would oppose it.

He takes a sip of his—now cold—coffee and restrains himself from sighing. Not his job to worry about, he only has to train and keep her alive. Something that has only gotten more difficult now.

"I assume that's part of the reason she has such a hard time socially?" he finally asks, pushing his thoughts away.

"Yes, although she never really had any friends even before. Children are so cruel to those they consider to be different, I suppose. It does not help that she struggles so much with self worth, and if you could do anything at all, I would hope you can help with that," Nana says.

Reborn tips his hat, shadowing his eyes.

"Of course, you are talking to the best, after all."

—

Reborn lets his student have the night off, figures he can tackle the hard truths and denials later. Right now he has to re-evaluate all the intel he was previously working with, has to talk to the Ninth about the situation, has to figure out how he is going to train a girl.

His experience with women has always been limited to those he was seducing or else targets he got close to in order to complete a mission. He has no real idea what they are like outside of the bedroom.

He figures he should speed up the guardianship process, so that he can start developing their protective instincts. Tsuna will still need to train of course, but he can already tell that Vongola's desire will be to keep her safe while the others fight.

He opens his phone and dials the direct line to the Ninth. Some part of him is almost looking forward to this conversation, knowing that it is not him that the blame will fall down on. Some sense of schadenfreude keeps him cheerful enough as he waits for the man to pick up.

"You're calling early, Reborn," Timoteo says, sounding like he's already preparing himself for the worst.

"Hn. I've made contact with the Sawada household," Reborn drawls, leaning against the wall of the house.

"...Yes?"

"Sawada Nana is, mostly, as expected," he continues, looking at his nails, "but you might have an issue with the child."

"...go on."

"It seems that with Iemitsu not having any contact with his family for all these years, he's missed the fact that his son is actually a daughter."

"...I see."

Reborn smirks, before the seriousness of the situation pulls him down again.

—

Nana finishes cutting up the meat for dinner and sways in time to the melody she's humming. She has one eye on the food and the other on the form of Reborn in the backyard.

She can't hear what he's saying, but that doesn't matter all that much. She can imagine. Perhaps she should have talked to her husband before he sent 'tutors' for Tsuna, but she knows already what sort of reaction he would have. He was already so harsh towards Tsu-chan, always pushing for her to be more manly. Nana could see no way for that conversation to be a help for her already struggling child.

She's not about to let anyone look down on her daughter any longer. Not the school, not her husband, not her husband's company, not strange tutors in too-small bodies. She's already failed once by not noticing what was going on behind her back. By not believing her own flesh and blood. She will do anything to make up for it.

She dumps the meat in a skillet and turns the heat on, letting the fat sizzle. Soya and pepper go on top, and soon the kitchen smells like cooking meat. She rinses her knife and gets to chopping veggies. The rice cooker is already plugged in and steaming, so dinner should ready in only be a few more minutes.

She's determined to watch the interactions between student and teacher very closely during it.

If Reborn thinks that he can treat her daughter differently because of who she is, he'll have to deal with a pissed off housewife in her home territory.