I do not own KHR.

Please tell me if there are any mistakes, I was too lazy to edit.

…

"But no cliché would be cliché without public humiliation of the villain!" Especially when the main protagonists are aware of everything that is happening. So, let us direct ourselves to Reborn and Tsuna who are in the middle of trying to solve Tsuna's energy drainage problem. Gokudera had returned from his information endeavours with his sister and further investigations when he overheard that his father had been said to be really tired recently.

"If you want my intake on this, those pills should be absorbing pills. There are few in existence and only one in five Sects would own one pill. However, they are reusable after you absorb the flames from them. What makes them special is that they can be cultivated and can also continue to absorb your flames until you're dry. They're sacred and shouldn't be in the hands of some shabby Sect."

"Are you calling Storm Forest Sect, shabby? What Sect are you from?"

"I'd love to boast and complain but I'm currently on break from my position in Sect so I'd like to leave that topic alone. Those pills are definitely worrying when you know how to use them. I'm assuming that the one who's using them has been taking flames from the highest flame potential. It must have switched its target from your father to Tsuna."

Tsuna frowned. "Why didn't it go to you?" Hayato agreed with Tsuna, finding it equally strange. Reborn stared at the two teenagers.

"I don't know." Both Tsuna and Gokudera took a double take. "Might just be the fact that he has sky flames. They are pretty rare."

"True… how amazing you are, Tsuna! To possess sky flames! I'm honoured to be your friend!" said Hayato. Tsuna laughed awkwardly, carefully shaking off Hayato's radiance to avoid being blinded by it.

"So I guess we have to get those pills to stop them from taking my flames?" said Tsuna.

"Oh I was thinking that we could turn it against the one using them, but that'd be no fun. Leave this to your master and he'll handle this," said Reborn.

"I'm slightly concerned that you're going to do something really bad. You don't usually do things for me…"

"It's only been a few days since we met," commented Reborn.

"True."

"Wear that dress and wig, we need to head out."

"I thought you were going to handle this? Maybe help out your disciple since he's a little tired, you know?" said Tsuna.

"Yeah! Why aren't you helping Tsuna? Forcing him to do things for you!" said Hayato.

"Did I ever force him to do anything? Tsuna is the one complying."

Well maybe it's because I don't usually get a choice in anything… thought Tsuna, exasperated. The topic was soon let go and Tsuna was back in his female attire. After a short discussion of the plan and several complaints after wards, Hayato complied and offered Tsuna a hand. Tsuna quickly declined saying there was no need to start the act so early. Reborn said that the silverette should confront his father, instead, as it was a good chance to mend or cut ties so that whatever the silverette wanted to do in the future, he wouldn't be hindered by his own Sect. The man was also a valuable asset to the success of their plan. If he wasn't willing, Reborn understood, however, Hayato seemed rather motivated to do it.

"I don't like him, but that doesn't mean I'm scared of him," said Hayato.

"If you're uncomfortable, I'll come with you," said Tsuna. He wanted to see what sort of a man the Storm Forest Sect leader was like. To allow his own son to be discriminated against when it was technically his fault that Hayato had been treated as so. He wanted to help his friend in whatever way possible.

"I'd like that." Tsuna smiled and followed the other boy as they went off to find the man. Reborn stared at the pair who left his line of sight. He didn't have any concerns for whether their plan would be a success or not. Being him, he never failed.

…

"So what are we going to do today, Reborn?" The teenager glanced at the younger boy who looked up at him with hopeful eyes. It had only been two months in which he had started tutoring the boy. The boy was 12, almost 13, almost at the fifth domain. It would have been impossible for the boy to get to the second domain if it weren't for Reborn's help. He had specially created these bullets in which he could shoot and automatically bring out the flames that were locked up inside the boy. When he first came across the boy, he wasn't quite sure what made him so attracted to him. Not in the way of love, but rather, interest. He, Reborn, who was said to be the strongest teenager alive, had developed an interest for some measly boy who was never supposed to ever be more than a cast out first domain human.

How pitiable.

"I think it's about time we have a good talk about my training. What is your will? What drives you to live, more specifically?" asked Reborn. He sat up from his previous position, resting on a tree branch.

"Um… I don't really understand. I guess to protect the ones I love?" The boy said. He thought about anything that could come to mind, but nothing really popped up.

"Why did you want me to train you?"

"So that I could be stronger to protect." Reborn paused. No matter what the boy's existence was to him, Reborn refused that he had changed. He was someone who grew up not hesitating for a moment, as that moment would have costed his life. He achieved everything with his own hands and continued to grow under that philosophy. 'What makes you stronger is your own effort.'

"Do you know why I am training you?" asked Reborn. The boy laughed saying there really wasn't a point to the questions but diligently answered.

"I guess it's because I begged you?" The teen snorted and told the boy that not everything was because of the boy. "Then it's because you pitied me."

"A part of the reason is that. But I wanted to change you."

"In what way?"

"You said you wanted to train to become stronger and protect those you love. However, I want to train you so that you are able to guide yourself and those around you to support each other."

"That's… interesting coming from you."

"And that's a bit cocky coming from a small brat like you," said Reborn.

"O-oi! I'm nearly 13 and I'm still growing. Besides, no one but you is even at the ninth domain at your age… you're not even human, or any of the other races!" said the boy. After some light banter, Reborn returned to his question asking.

"Okay, returning back to the questions, why do you think I want to be stronger?"

"I don't know. Do you even want to be stronger?"

"Nice try. The tenth domain is still… a bit far for me," said Reborn. "But, in the end, I do want to be stronger."

"Huh. Why do you ask?"

"I want to teach you what I can. Whether what I say will help is up to you," said Reborn. "You've broken the records, and no one has ever managed to go from the first to almost the fifth domain in just a few weeks. However, I hope that you will be able to break the fifth domain by the time I leave."

"Wa-wait… leave? When are you leaving? Will I ever see you again?"

"Already missing me?" smirked Reborn. The boy shut up and frowned, genuinely worried and not giving a damn about Reborn's jokes. "I can't get you higher than this domain. After the fifth domain, it's up to yourself." The boy nodded. "We'll meet again, and it won't be the last you'll see me, unless that's what you're aiming for? No more hellish training, I suppose?" The boy scratched his cheek, a small habit that many people had when they were troubled or exposed.

"But why are you leaving?" asked the boy. Instead of replying, Reborn asked another question.

"What do you think, is everyone afraid of?"

"Suffering?" suggested the boy.

"A good answer but not quite." The direction of the conversation allowed the boy to realise the actual answer. "It's war. It has the power to induce suffering, death, famine, injustice and anxiety. It affects both the living and non-living and there is no benefit without a loss. Now, what's worse than a war?"

"… I'm not sure…" The boy was baffled. Of course, wars were uncommon and the only war known in history was the Great War that affected most of the population. But many were able to recover after it and the war only lasted five years, rather than the expected eight. Although it did cause a lot of unrest between the races, it was sorted out. It was the worst thing that anyone could have been caught up on. And yet, here was Reborn, speaking of something that would be worse than that.

"It's a war that you don't know about. You don't know how it came to existence and you have no idea when it will strike. It comes through when you're least expecting it and it causes enough damage to ruin life for people and their several generations after."

"D-do you mean to say there's a war that's going to begin right now?" Reborn smiled.

"No. This war started long before we were born. Long before the Great War. "

"Then why haven't we known about it- oh…" The boy finally figured it out. "The war has not ended, has it? No one knows about it and yet there are people suffering from it? We can't do anything to help all because no one knows about it?"

"No, the war has ended for the sake of everyone's children and children to come."

"…You've told me such an impossible thing and yet you've continuously proved the impossible, possible when I was under your tutelage. I believe what you say. Master, why are you leaving?"

"I've decided that I should ascend to the tenth domain." The boy was confused. He wasn't sure what was so bad about that. Reborn only shook his head, saying that he would one day tell him what his true intentions were.

"Although I've told you that you should be stronger to guide, your own reason to protect is just as good. However, this master of yours wishes for power that is not for the sake of others. I hope that you will never become like me, Dino."

"I… Reborn… I don't-"

The day that Reborn told the boy what his intentions of ascending into the tenth domain, never came.

…

Hayato knocked on the door a few times and then came the call, 'enter.'

Tsuna looked at the other boy who showed no sign of backing out. A determination that he wished he had when he looked at his weak and pathetic self.

The moment that the silverette entered, the man stood up, stunned by the sudden appearance of his son. The man had sat behind a large desk, piled with paperwork, with some space in the centre for some flexibility and a cup of some sort of drink. Some of the papers flew off from the man's movement.

"You- I mean, I want to talk to you," said Hayato. The man stood agape, almost crying.

"I- I thought that the day I would talk to my son would never come again…"

"Neither did I think so too," grumbled Hayato. "I want to cut our relationship. I'm leaving the Storm Forest Sect." The man hardened his look, strained. The father son relation was already tense. But… if it truly would make the boy happier, the man would take that chance. The boy had blamed everything on him and it made sense so. It wasn't long ago that the boy's half-sister had come in to discuss their familial matters. If it weren't for that girl, he would have reconsidered what he was going to say.

"That's fine," he said. "Just know that… if you ever feel the need to return, you can come back to me as my son. I'll call off those who dislike you for the fact you are half human, considering your girlfriend here is human. Thank you, young woman."

Tsuna, at first was unsure what to think of the man's words but, nonetheless, the words were of genuine gratefulness. He turned to Hayato who was a bit red in the face, flustered from the use of Tsuna being addressed as his 'girlfriend.' But he neither denied nor admitted it, having other matters on his hand.

"If that's so then… can I ask you some questions?"

"Go ahead."

"Are you aware of flame absorbing pills? Perhaps, have you been feeling really tired out recently?"

"Funny you say that, Bianchi asked the same thing, earlier," said the man. "I've been feeling much better however… I believe that your sister said something the assistant vice chief being the cause of this? I'm already having it investigated. And so far… it looks like the matter stands true…"

"Ah…" Hayato frowned. His sister helped him? He wasn't sure what to think about it, but ignored the matter for the time being. "… That's all…" The teen turned to leave. Tsuna was about to call him back, saying that he should have at least farewelled the man, but Hayato's father stopped the brunet.

"He never once had someone help him. You could say that I was the blame of that. If you ever asked me whether I regretted him being my son, I would have said never. His mother was an amazing woman and I was always turned down. No matter what any of the Sect said, I continued to love her, despite having a wife already," the man said. He directed his attention back to Tsuna who stood, listening. "I am truly, truly grateful for you. How you stumbled across our Sect, is perhaps, a miracle to both Hayato and I. I don't mind you being his girlfriend, and, his future wife." He winked at Tsuna. Tsuna smiled back at him.

"I'm actually here to help you expose the assistant vice chief. I believe that the following should work. It's completely harmless."

"Oh? I'd like to hear this." Tsuna told the man of their plan; the man approved of it. As Tsuna left to leave, he grinned once more.

"I'm a boy by the way." He quickly exited the room, leaving the man, once again, stunned.

…

He lay the box of pills inside a bag. He wasn't sure how, but there were already rumours flying about. It was said that he was dealing in some illegal businesses, which he technically was, and was stealing from the Sect leader, which he was also technically doing. He was offered the box of pills by a stranger who claimed that he would be able to flawlessly pull off the business with the other Sect. It wasn't ever said what Sect it was, but they gave him riches that he only ever dreamt of.

The girl he saw, who had arrived at the Sect a few days ago or so, had, unexpectedly, the largest source of flames he had ever seen. He had reason to believe that the man beside her would have been the same but the girl was a sky flame user, a rarity that few ever witnessed. After he started extorting the girl's flames, he noticed how the girl continuously went out of his sight when he tried to capture her. He wasn't sure how, but it was definitely the doing of someone else. And that was when the rumours started to come about.

As he gave the bag to a servant to deliver, he turned away, only to be stopped by the shouts of pain. He found the servant unconscious and tied up. Something darted out from the shadows and suddenly the servant disappeared. Scared, he ran away, back to the safe confinements of the Sect village centre. When he arrived, he was met by the girl who he had gathered flames from. She asked him whether he was okay, looking as white as a sheet. He responded with a weak nod and decided to take that chance to capture her.

"Would you like to rest? It's getting quite late."

"Oh no, I couldn't trouble you with that…" she said.

"I'm sure it would be fine, or is your husband concerned for you?" he said.

"H-husband?" Tsuna was a bit unsure of what the man was talking about but soon realised when he was referring to Reborn, as the person who arrived at the village so dramatically with him. "Oh, I'm sure he won't miss me for a night." The assistant chief smiled, thinking that he was victorious.

As he led the girl back, he was met with the bustling crowds of the village. It was unusual and it was rather late for everyone to be awake.

"Did you forget? It soon marks the leader's birthday!" said one person.

"Oh, yes!" said the man. He had completely forgotten, but it was a good chance to get the approval of keeping the girl by offering her to him. Forget about the man the girl came with, this was the time for profit with the pills. This was the thought process of any common person dealing in illegal businesses, especially when they don't know what they had delved into. The crowds started to gather into one, awaiting their Sect leader to appear and open up celebrations for the man's birthday.

The assistant vice chief made his way to the front with the girl, slipping sly glances at the girl as well as a hand that went a bit below Tsuna's waist.

"I-I don't believe that I should be here… I am not a part of this sect, after all… Take me somewhere else," said Tsuna, almost cringing at his own words and at the feel of the hand on his body. The assistant chief looked at 'her' with a devilish grin. Just as he was about to enter a building, someone shouted at him. He turned around but couldn't pinpoint on who it was that shouted, but, because of the person, he was able to hear the following.

"So the rumour that the assistant vice chief is preying on young boys is true…" A woman hushed the person who said that.

"How… revolting. Whoever even allowed him in the position of assistant vice chief? Even a murderer is better than someone like that."

The man started to sweat, clearly hearing every word, but then realised that they said 'young boys.' He turned towards Tsuna who was minding his own business, humming a song to suit to his mood.

"Y-you are a boy?"

"Did I never say?" replied Tsuna, feigning innocence. Before the man knew it, a horde of men and women alike, crowded around him, demanding for answers about why he was with the 'beautiful young maiden like boy.'

"He is the leader's treasured son's friend! How dare you think those dirty thoughts about him!" said one.

"How despicable!"

"That man's half human brat? I don't see why you are defending him now of all times when you have all collectively disliked the boy!" refuted the man, disliking the attention. He wanted to remain calm but his knees knocked together like a new born foal.

"And you dare to offend him? It was only you who ever thought so. We pity the boy but we at least respect him." Oh really? Thought Tsuna. It was something he really wanted to say, but for the sake of the success of the plan, he kept quiet.

"I-I mean… wh-" The man stuttered and failed to come back with a retort. It was true that he had always loathed the boy who was half human but was still accepted in the Sect, a Sect that prided on their elven race. He pushed through the crowd, dragging Tsuna with him, in attempts to escape. He was powerful enough to force his way through the people and leapt over a wall. Tsuna, unentertained, went with the flow, deeming that there wasn't really anything he could do. When the man finally stopped he shouted at Tsuna.

"This is all because of you!"

"Oh? Who was to say that I just happened to befriend someone?" said Tsuna, ditching his previous persona of an innocent maiden. "You blame me and yet you should be blaming yourself for taking my flames."

"How did you-" Just as the man was about to lash out on him, a quick blow was dealt to the back of his head, done by no other but Reborn himself.

"Good job."

"That was… unexpectedly less eventful than I thought."

"Oh no, we still have much more to do. Did that man not grope you?"

"… You didn't need to remind me."

"Well, we still haven't executed the last part of the plan."

"You mean that part?"

"Of course what else? He groped you."

"Did you expect that to happen?" asked Tsuna, slightly disgusted. Reborn shrugged, stripping the clothes of the man except his underwear, and hauled the body over his shoulder and carried it towards the town centre. He tied up the man and propped him up on a make shift stake, admiring his work.

"Is this some sort of fantasy of yours? Binding naked people and then looking down at them in contempt?" said Hayato, coming out from where he was previously hiding.

"Oh? Would you like to try it out?" The silverette shut up and simply averted his eyes away from the scene.

…

It had happened quickly and ended quickly. The more curious had inspected the person who lay asleep in the town centre with little to no clothes on. He had words painted on his body ranging from 'young boy molester' to 'dirty scum.' Strangely, it was painted in red and looked as though he were bleeding. At first glance, Hayato had expected it to be the handy work of Reborn, when he considered the man's tastes, but it was in fact Tsuna's more 'artistic' side. He found nothing wrong with it when he realised it was Tsuna's work, since it added to Tsuna's 'interesting skills' besides the strange determination the other teen had, and admired it.

Reborn, being the superior being he was, had managed to get the pills back, effectively taking out the person who was carrying it off. After some interrogation, he person had taken his own life to prevent any crucial information to spill from his mouth. Reborn had searched the body for any evidence of an involved Sect besides the Storm Forest Sect but found nothing. Annoyed, he simply took the pills and burned the body.

"I feel like that happened all too fast. It's not even satisfying," said Hayato, still peeved from the incident. He had watched his friend get groped by the man and was unable to do anything. It was a plan that he had originally agreed to but then soon regretted when the part of the assistant vice chief's and Tsuna's interaction came about.

"Now you know how I feel like every day," said Reborn.

"Do you find us boring?" asked Tsuna. The man stared at the younger male and never responded, simply falling asleep. Tsuna frowned, disliking the lack of response but sighed, knowing that the topic would bring itself up another day and time.

As Reborn slept and Hayato rested, Tsuna couldn't help but hear some words that the man mumbled in his sleep. It didn't seem like the man was having a nightmare but judging from the disgruntled look on the man's face, it was more of a sad reminiscence. He wondered if this 'Luce' person was the man's first disciple.

…

"Wake up." Reborn slapped the two sleeping boys, who both woke up on the instance of impact. Both rubbed at their foreheads, saying that was completely unnecessary to slap them awake in which Reborn responded with the fact that it was always good to start early in the morning. The two looked outside, seeing the sun rise and grudgingly got up from their previous laid down position. Hayato had left the Storm Forest Sect after stocking up on his explosives supply without another word to the Sect. He admitted that there was a sense of release when he left the town and its confined estates.

Tsuna, Hayato and Reborn had rested in a faraway forest with the help of Reborn's floating tent, the ever so magical ability of levitation that Tsuna admired. Tsuna stood up and reached for the trusty short sword he has used for his initial adventure. Just as he was about to strap it onto his belt, Reborn grabbed both the hilt and sheath, yanking it away from the younger male in one swift movement. The tent's entrance opened and the sword was then thrown out of the tent. Hayato was the first to react.

"Bastard, why did you do that?" he growled. Tsuna stared at the entrance of the tent where the weapon had been thrown through to plunge down the heights that the floating tent presented.

"It's useless. You should know that," said Reborn. Hayato was about to retort but backed down, knowing that the man was correct. Tsuna still remained silent. "To ascend to the third domain, you must not rely on a weapon but rather, your own inner strength. Even a five year old can achieve this."

"Don't be threatened, most people don't get to the third domain until they're at least 18," said Hayato – he wanted to do his best in reassuring his friend. Especially when Tsuna had reassured him so many times before and pulled through with him.

"That's because they're stupid. Half of them are not even mature at that age. 14 may be what you call an adult but it is, but, a baby in the world," said Reborn. "Besides, a sword never suited you. Someone with your agility is more suited towards hand to hand combat. A short sword may have been your go to, but nothing is sharper than a well-trained body in our case."

"I- I don't know… I'm just used to having that sword. It was the only one I ever had," said Tsuna. Those who saw him with the sword back at his old village had shunned him, often saying how someone scrawny like him would probably not be able to even hold up a sword. It annoyed him about how thin he was and he aspired to be someone who had sculpted muscles and high endurance, both of which he had always thought he was never able to get towards. His diet was little in the right nutrients and he was naturally shorter than the other boys in the village. It put him at a disadvantage although his mother would cook up a hearty meal with what they had. Thinking back to his mother, he really didn't feel in the mood for anything else.

"There's no use moping about it. Was it a gift?" Tsuna shook his head. "Then that should be fine. It's not good to be emotionally connected to an object. You can believe it to be forever existing, but anyone from the fifth domain and above can easily pulverise the both of you, weapon or not."

Tsuna sat back down, not sure what to think of it. When he questioned himself about the value of the sword, he wasn't able to put it into words. It wasn't like he was sad that it was gone or relieved from it, but more so that he lost one path. But when he seriously thought about it he wasn't quite sure whether a swordsman really suited him. Reborn was right in a way.

"So hand to hand combat, right? I'm not really strong so how can it help?" asked Tsuna, returning his attention back to Reborn.

"As you know, there is something called cultivating. Many dislike this method as it is long and tedious, often going without sleep, but I personally find it the most effective, especially in harsher conditions," said Reborn. "You may be physically weak but cultivating can easily boost your flame output and strength. You also seem to naturally have a large flame capacity. We can begin your training now. During the day we will train your body and at night, cultivation. Silver boy can join if he wishes to. It won't hurt and you will ascend to the fourth domain sooner than you would have."

"Wait, without sleeping?"

"Of course, how did you expect I got my student to the fifth domain in a few weeks?" said Reborn. "Or, we can negotiate. You can go three days with this training and then spend the next day sleeping and cultivating. We also have those pills." Tsuna frowned.

"Won't the pills take flames away from people?"

"I have them sealed, so they shouldn't do anything. Besides, we can always collect flames from a large source of people rather than one individual. No one will feel a thing," shrugged Reborn. Although Tsuna and Hayato found the plan suspicious, they had no complaints. After some more discussion of their training, they had arrived on the ground, next to a cliff and waterfall.

Tsuna had always cowered from heights, loathing the discomfort the sight gave him, but for once, he felt rather refreshed, as though he had always liked heights.

"Since you love it so much, you should be airborne." Before Tsuna realised what the man meant, he was kicked off the cliff and sent down the waterfall and to the depths below.

He wasn't sure whether he was screaming since the roar of the waterfall overpowered his shrieks and, thankfully, he had stopped falling due to Reborn's help, but was dropped into the water. He thrashed about in the water, new to swimming, and wasn't able to hold his breath any longer. Just as he was about to pass out, a strong arm dragged him out of the water.

"You should have said you didn't know how to swim." After spluttering and coughing a few times, Tsuna responded with, "You never asked."

…

Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed.

So it was revealed that it was 'Dino' who was the first disciple of Reborn. Some of you have assumed that it was Giotto (who I originally was going to choose as the first disciple, so you're not exactly wrong) but he now has an important and different role in this story (which will be revealed another time.)

You're free to ask any questions and I will answer them to the best of my ability without giving away spoilers.

Zaira Swift.

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Uploaded: 4th February 2017