Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Katekyoshi Hitman Reborn! I just wish I did.

Beta: Pure Red Crane. Thank you very much for your help!

Pairing: At this time there is NO pairing for this fic!

WARNINGS: Major Character death!

Chapter 1

Uzushio was a very strange place. Well, the village itself was lovely, sitting on an island not too far from the sea. Honestly, it looked very peaceful, especially for a Shinobi village.

The people who lived there though, they were the strange ones.

Uzushio was a small village. They had only one main Shinobi clan – not like Konoha, who had like... a dozen or something. No, Uzu's main clan were the Uzumaki. And there were lots of them.

People with Uzumaki blood lived long lives. Longer than other people. And they had been around since the beginning of the Shinobi Era. They were the only clan who had any idea of what had come before. Before Shinobi and the great Sage and even Chakra.

Why? Because of their blood.

While their paternal forefather might have been a son of the great Sage, on their maternal side, they were...differently connected.

The exact connection had been lost, or rather, hadn't been reborn yet. Somehow, the strange mix of the first Chakra and Hyper Dying Will Flames had changed something in their family. No one was sure what. No one who had been around at that time was around to tell them now. But every few generations, a generation came along that remembered a previous life. It had never been a whole lot of people at once. Just enough to make outsiders think that the Flames, that represented their resolve to live, were actually a blood line.

Their original ancestor, Vongola Primo, had been one of the first to be reborn, together with his Guardians.

Uzu had been around a long, longer than Konoha. They were simply much smaller, having never found the need to gather other clans to expand their numbers. Allies were fine, and clans who married into the family were more than welcome.

However, the reincarnation thing was clan business, and while they let the world think their Hyper Dying Will Flames were a rare clan bloodline, it was difficult to explain why a toddler could outtalk and out-reason a fully grown adult.

So, no, they were quite happy with their small village.

Not everyone remembered a past life, and no one had been reborn twice in Uzu, not yet anyway. Still those that didn't remember and couldn't use Flames had quickly found a way to keep up. They were all Shinobi, after all. Most of them.

Somewhere along the line, an Uzumaki invented seals. They were seals of all kinds, for all purposes. Most only needed Chakra to activate. Only a select few, a very secret few, needed a combination of Flames and Chakra.

Once other clans and nations started taking notice, Uzu was not a player to underestimate anymore.

And sure, others could use seals as well, but the Uzumaki were the best at it. They were most known for using them in and outside of combat.

It made them dangerous.

No one had ever acted, though.

Until now...

Now, their village was under attack. There was a war going on out there, but Uzu hadn't been involved in it – no matter how much Konoha had insisted.

But then, eight-year-old Uzumaki Tsunayoshi's had been startled from his game with his cousins by a loud explosion. Reborn, who was only a few years older than him now, had grabbed him by the middle, hauled him off the floor and threw them into the main house bunker.

They were underground before any of them had realised what was going on. With the sound of battle above them, all they could do was wait. Reborn had them locked in tight with one of their special chakra/Flame seals. There was also extra precaution to make sure ordinary Shinobi couldn't open the locked door to the underground caves.

Tsunayoshi, or Tsuna for short, huddled between his friends, hands over his ears in hopes of blocking out the screaming and the explosions.

He hated this so much. Feeling this useless… He wasn't used to it anymore.

He was hiding in the caves hidden under their village, like the child he was once again. Reincarnation sure sucked.

It seemed like a strange Uzumaki tradition though. Uzumaki lived longer than average people. It was both a blessing and a curse, because for being such a large clan, there weren't that many children born. The family was big, but a large part of the people in the clan started recognizing each other soon enough. Because they had been born before. And they had known each other before.

Sometimes, people remembered without being part of the main line, or when they were only very distantly related. Kyoya had been born in the village with only a distant relation to an Uzumaki – married into the family a few generations ago.

Even stranger was seeing all these former mafia members and knowing they were shinobi this time around. As in, legally. Everything they did, all the chaos they created, was legal. Well… as legal as you could be with a former Vongola boss as a Kage.

The Kage thing was relatively new, from what he understood. Before other shinobi villages were formed, they had actually just kept the mafia going. They'd kept the numbers, even if the title had changed. In a way. Their current Uzukage was their ninth.

Nothing was for sure though.

Lambo giggled. Tsuna looked up to see Chrome entertain him with Mist butterflies. She was trying to distract their youngest.

As soon as the attack began, Reborn had grabbed them and hurled them into the closest safety bunker. There were multiple all over (or rather under) the city. They had been built by Giotto, their first boss, and hidden by both Flames and Chakra seals. Only someone who had access to both could open and close this secure space.

No invading forces would ever gain access. They were safe here. For a while, at least. They would be fine until the battle fought in the village was won, or they ran out of food. Whichever came first.

Which was a very depressing thought.

He looked around, checking once again that his friends were all here.

Hayato was sitting next to him, face deep in a book. From this close up, Tsuna could see he wasn't actually reading, just staring at the pages. Takeshi sat on his other side, keeping baby Lambo securely in his arms.

Tsuna smiled. Lambo was barely a few months old, but they had all immediately recognized him. And even that small, the Lightning had recognized them. It had been obvious in his Flames.

Chrome was entertaining baby Lambo. Mukuro (her twin in this life) was sitting so close to her, she might as well be sitting in his lap.

Kyoya and Ryohei were missing, but neither had been around when the attack had surprised the village. And there were multiple bunkers like this all over the village. Tsuna could only hope they had made it to safety. He could still feel their bond in place, so that was at least something to hold onto.

Tsuna tried to distract himself.

Reincarnation and ages were weird. Tsuna and his friends were all born the same year (with the exception of Lambo), and his dad was still his dad. Xanxus was only a few years older than him, already lined up to take over Anbu in a few years.

Reborn was about the same age as Xanxus, this time around. His former tutor had risen in the shinobi ranks fast. Yet here he was. Having sworn to be their last line of defence, he was standing by the entrance to the cave. His eyes didn't leave Tsuna, and the young Sky shot him a shaky smile.

Above them they could hear the sounds of battle.

And Tsuna worried. He had always been a worrier, even before Reborn had given him the strength to fight back, to act instead of only watching.

The attack had come out of nowhere. Whoever was attacking them (Kiri, at the very least. Tsuna had seen a headband indicating such.) had managed to hide themselves from Uzu's defences. They had certainly known what they were doing.

Tsuna's breath hitched and he grabbed at his heart. A torrent of emotions gripped him in such a Storm he got dizzy with pain.

Fear.

Fear.

Fear.

Pain.

Fear.

Pain.

PainFearPainFearpainfearpainfear-

Cloud and Sun.

Someone grabbed him close and he was barely aware it happened.

And then there were other Flames.

Rain, Storm, Mist, and Sun.

He recognized them immediately and their feelings off support and comfort helped him snap out of whatever was happening.

When he became aware again, it wasn't because the feelings of pain and fear had dulled, but because the others were shielding him and using him and his Sky Flames to send support to their two Family members in need.

He was cradled in Reborn's lap with the others wrapped around the both of them.

"Something is very wrong with Kyoya and Ryohei."

"I don't think they made it to a shelter." Hayato muttered as he tried to sink in the cuddle nest.

Reborn tightened his grip on Tsuna. The Sky wielder could feel the tension in the teen. The regret hung into the air.

Tsuna squeezed his eyes closed, still very much aware of the panic his Cloud and Sun were feeling.

The pain was getting worse, so was the feeling of panic, but it didn't have such a tight grip on him anymore.

Now that he was aware of where his own feelings started, and where theirs ended, his own fear grew.

When the fighting began, he had tried so hard not to focus on those Flames dying up there. His father was there, so was Nono, and a whole bush of other people. But he couldn't block his own Guardians. He wouldn't.

Suddenly, there was a huge wave of furious Wrath Flames that washed over everything. It was so strong they could all feel it inside the bunker.

Tsuna felt himself relax at the familiar feeling. Even if Xanxus was beyond furious, his presence on the battlefield was reassuring.

"Seems like the Varia just got back." Reborn commented while looking grimly at the ceiling.

And Tsuna allowed himself to hope. Hope that everything would be alright after all. Xanxus and his elements (calling them his Guardians just sounded … so wrong…) had been fast-tracked through Anbu, at their own demand. At fourteen, Xanxus had taken over the entire division, much like he had taken over the Varia a lifetime ago. They were that good.

Nono had only one son, this time around. And no one had wanted Iemitsu to take over. Ever.

So Tsuna had been learning for some while what would be expected from him. But he had to learn this once before, so...

It was funny. He remembered his last childhood and teen years so clearly, but his adult years, how he had died... He couldn't recall any off that... Not clearly. Not beyond a vague sense of deja-vu.

He and his Guardians had all been born the same year, except for Lambo, who was barely a few int sold now.

The moment they had remembered, lessons had started. In fighting, Flame use, Chakra control... just basic things. To get them used to it again. They had a whole bunch of teachers. Mainly Reborn, but anyone who gad some free time and the will to try was welcome.

Personally, after Reborn, Tsuna enjoyed learning from Xanxus the most.

Having Reborn and the other Arcobaleno being reincarnated in Uzu had apparently been a big surprise to the clan. Luche had been first, then Aria, and then the strongest Flames, with Reborn following first, of course. Tsuna hadn't been born yet, so he only knew what he was told. But until they had shown up, the only people who had been reincarnated had Vongola ties. No one had an explanation for it, and maybe they never would.

But they had long since learned to go with the flow.

The Flames above them died down and so did the screaming.

They sat in anxious silence for what felt like an eternity.

Just waiting, waiting…

It was very possible only a few minutes had passed, but it sure felt like hours. None of them said a word.

They heard someone approach their bunker. Reborn straightened as he stood before the door, blocking the children as much from view as he could.

It was Xanxus who ripped their bunker open a second later.

"Anyone still alive in there?" He snarled, clearly still in a rage.

They spilled out of the room, so relieved someone was still alive.

Tsuna only watched him with wide eyes, wordlessly asking a question.

Xanxus nodded his head, a grim look overtaking his face. "Follow me, all of you. You should hurry, if you want to say goodbye."

Tsuna would never recall how long it took him to reach the scene. He ran, like he never had before. Still, the way there seemed endless. On and on it went. More and more turns, more corners to take after every turn.

Run, run and run.

His mind was blank, he was running, but not thinking.

All he did was hope.

Panic set in as he took the final corner and saw.

Blood.

That was the first thing he saw. Or noticed anyway.

He had died himself, had seen others die.

Yet, every time again, the amount of blood...

It was overwhelming.

There was a body on the ground.

Lussuria was kneeling next to it, his Sun Flames active and trying to save the person.

Kyoya stood a bit further in, raging. Cloud Flames were visible and surrounding him like he were the eye of the storm. He was beating up what was left of a corpse.

Tsuna reached for his flames immediately, sending a soothing a vibe across them and his Cloud stopped, turning around.

Those eyes. Those desperate eyes.

Tsuna shot him a look just as desperate.

He couldn't though. He couldn't comfort his Cloud any more than that – not with his Sun dying just a few feet further. Who knew how long Ryohei still had left? He couldn't risk not saying good-

No, he wouldn't risk it.

They could comfort each other later.

Reborn reached Ryohei just before Tsuna did.

"I'm trying to keep him here long enough to say goodbye. He'll be gone as soon as I let go." Lussuria said.

No.

Tsuna fell to his knees, his hands coming up to clutch at Ryohei's clothes.

"Tsuna." the loud boy said softly. "There you are. I am glad you aren't hurt."

Blood spilled from Ryohei's mouth, but it didn't stop him from talking. Tsuna watched him with wide eyes. Someone had tried to cleave his Sun in two. Ryohei was barely clinging to life.

He knew what this meant. He knew it.

But in that moment, he refused to believe it.

"You'll be fine." he tried to say.

"Ha." Ryohei laughed. "Yeah, I will be. You all look after each other, you hear me."

Storm, Rain, Mists, Cloud and even Lightning (still being carried, but silently crying) gathered around their Sky and dying Sun.

They nodded, said their farewells, but Tsuna couldn't hear what they said. His entire being was focused on Ryohei and the bond they shared. The bond that was slipping through his fingers, no matter how hard he tried to hold on.

"You'll all be fine." Ryohei said after he had talked to them all. As he turned back to Tsuna, he continued. "And so, will I. I will see you all in the next life."

Tsuna laughed briefly, tears finally falling. "Of course, we will."

He could only hope they would get a third chance.

"Find a new Sun – someone for me to meet next time." Ryohei smiled brightly.

Everything inside Tsuna rebelled at the idea. He couldn't talk though. Between silent sobs, he could only shake his head.

"You will." Ryohei grabbed his hand, Flames flaring for one last time. "Goodbye, my Sky."

"Farewell, my Sun."

"Destroying the misfortune that attacks the famigilia with their own body, they become the Sun that brightly shines on the area. You did your duty to your family, Uzumaki Ryohei." Kyoya said with a strange look on his face. "Goodbye."

His Guardians muttered their agreement, but Tsuna didn't hear it.

Because Ryohei had sighed. And stopped breathing.

He was gone.

His family stood around them as Tsuna clutched his dead Sun's body to himself, and wailed, and cried.

They stood vigil. Hayato hugged him from behind and gently pulled him away from the body after a while.

Tsuna was distracted. He only had eyes for Ryohei, but he could feel his Storm shake with tears.

The added grief he felt from his remaining Guardians both helped and didn't. It reminded him that, regardless of his loss, he was not alone. They grieved with him.

Kyoya's Flames were coursing through their bonds with a protectiveness that was known from Clouds. But he was also clearly grieving and feeling guilty.

It took a while, but Tsuna pushed his grief to the side.

They weren't safe just yet. There was time to properly grieve later.

He took a deep breath and released Ryohei. The boy looked peaceful, strangely enough. Tsuna stood up, rubbed his tears away and cleared his throaty.

"Who is left?" he asked Xanxus, who was waiting patiently.

"The Arcobaleno are doing a search. They'll evacuate all civilians, as per protocol, to a nearby village, where safe houses and essentials have been stocked. We, on the other hand, should grab who and what we can and prepare to go."

"What? Go? Go where?" Tsuna asked, trying to stay calm. He was not at all comfortable with leaving this quickly.

"I don't want to die again." Xanxus snarled. "Whoever attacked us, at least two of the major shinobi villages were involved. We only arrived when most had already retreated. If they come back, we are sitting ducks. No matter how strong we are, they will overwhelm us. I will not die today. So, we leave, we regroup, we rebuild."

"We gain information and exterminate their entire village." Marmon muttered, ever the teen in cloak and hood snarled fiercely.

"Who...?" Tsuna asked scared. For the Mist, who usually kept themselves so tightly under control, to slip like that...

"Aria is dead." They snarled.

Tsuna's stomach turned to ice. No. Not Aria as well.

That was...a double blow – for the Arcobaleno especially. Because it greatly reduced the chance of Yuni ever being born now. She might never be reborn now, depending how much survivors there were today.

Reincarnation could only happen to those of Uzumaki blood. If there were none left...

Tsuna closed his eyes, feeling the invisible explosion of Reborn's Flames as he raged. Reborn had especially been close to the three generations of Sky Arcobaleno's. Having already lost Luche a second time, and now loosing Aria and maybe never meeting Yuni again...

"We will take care of Kiri and... Who else?" Reborn gritted out.

"It was very unlike you, Reborn. I had expected you on the battlefield." Verde commented as he joined them.

"Keeping Tsuna and the Uzumaki line safe was my priority. I would have been their last line of defence if anything had gotten wrong. It was a hard decision to make, but I made it in a heartbeat and I would do so again." Reborn said with steal in his voice.

Verde looked thoughtful. "Smart. They somehow got through every security we had in place. We might just be dealing with a traitor."

Reborn grinned evilly. "I can't wait to find out."

"We're burning daylight. Let's get going!" Xanxus snarled.

"You'll come with us?" Reborn asked.

Xanxus shook his head. "You get them there safely. I'll take care of stuff here."

"Wait, where are we going?" Tsuna asked. "Why are we going?"

"Don't be stupid, Tsuna. Until a more thorough search is done, we can assume everyone else in the village is dead." Reborn said sternly. "The attack on the village has stopped, for now. There is no telling when they'll be back to make sure they did their job of killing everyone. You and your Guardians are still just kids. You are the future of this family."

"But, Reborn..."

"No, the Arcobaleno is right. You will be Uzukage one day, Decimo." Xanxus said with a look in his eyes. "You are the only Uzukage I will accept. But you are too small for now. And revenge against the family needs to be had. I'll take care of that. You keep your Guardians safe, and grow up to rebuild this place."

"Alright. You'll take care of them." He looked at Ryohei's body, his throat tight.

"I will. I'll come get you when the time is right. You'll stay put until then, got it."

Tsuna nodded reluctantly. "And where are we going?"

"Konoha." Xanxus said with a sneer.

TBC.

So, What do you think? Is this worth continuing? ^^