The Promised Tree

Epilogue

1827

In this fic, Tsuna is a youkai, which is basically a Japanese spirit. He's not human.

Also: Ayakashi: It means the same thing as a youkai.

So, this is a short conclusion to what happens after Tsuna gets his name back. Thank you to all of you guys who read this and supported my other fanfics as well! I adore this story very much, because it focuses on valuable things in life such as friendship, which is a very evident trait in both KHR and Natsume Yuujinchou. It shows that there's more to life than money, status, or objects. And that, in a very simple way, is probably the most important thing of all.

Disclaimer: I do not own Katekyo Hitman Reborn. Any similarities in events or characters living or dead are entirely coincidental.

Enjoy!

The Promised Tree

Epilogue

It was evening when Tsuna happened to pass by. He had been walking along the sidewalk, taking in the new developments that had occurred while he hadn't visited the town for many years. There were many new shops, food stands, a new school and several new roads leading out in to city as well. The normally sleepy and quiet town had become busier with tourists visiting the countryside and new occupants that had moved in since transportation routes opened up.

What made him stop at that new house, though, was the fact that a huge, pudgy white cat had suddenly jumped at him when he was walking past the fence. Yelping in terror, Tsuna had scrambled around for about a minute or so, trying to avoid the vicious animal's claws. Finally, the little youkai had been saved when the front door opened and a small boy of around five or six came out.

"Nyan-nyan! What are you doing?" the boy cried, running to the cat and grabbing for his pet. The cat hissed and swiped at Tsuna, but it was no longer trying to attack the youkai. The animal snuggled against its owner, purring loudly now. Tsuna huffed a little and tried to calm down his frantically beating heart.

"I'm sorry," the boy apologized. "I don't know why Nyan-nyan was so bad today."

"It's okay," Tsuan replied, sweatdropping. "Maybe he just doesn't like me."

"Hm," the boy said, hugging his kitty. "Maybe. Or maybe it's just because he doesn't know you. I haven't seen you around before, onii-san. Where are you from?"

"Eh?" Tsuna blinked, eyes going wide. "Er, well—"

"Kou-kun!"

Both the human and youkai jumped when a woman appeared on the porch. Tsuna's eyes widened when he saw her. She was about thirty years old, wearing a sweater, a blue dress and slippers. Her hair that was a curious mixture of grey and silver that was tied in a loose ponytail at her shoulder. Her eyes, however, instead of the familiar ice blue Tsuna remembered, was a warm, chocolate brown.

"Kou-kun, who are you talking to?" the woman asked the small boy.

Kou blinked, looking from Tsuna to his cat, then called back to the woman, "Nobody, kaa-san! Just Nyan-nyan!"

"Alright," Kou's mother replied, walking back into the house. "Don't wander off!"

"Hai!" the little boy replied, and then turned back to Tsuna. "You're…not human?"

Tsuna shook his head a little sadly. "I'm not."

Kou stared at Tsuna for a moment, and then broke into a smile. "But you're nice. I like you!"

Now it was Tsuna's turn to stare in shock. He recovered, and reached out to ruffle Kou's hair. "You're a kind boy. I bet you have a lot of friends, right?"

Kou giggled. "Hai!" he replied, smiling.

Suddenly, the front door opened again. Several adults came out, talking animatedly and carrying a fold-up table, plates of food and chairs. "Kou-kun!" his mother called out. "Come help Grandpa carry the salad!"

"Hai, kaa-san!" Kou called back. "Well, I have to go now, oii-san—onii-san?"

The spot in front of the boy where the youkai had been moments ago was now mysteriously empty. Blinking, Kou looked around with Nyan-nyan still tucked in his arms. "Onii-san? Where did you go?"

"What's the matter, Kou?"

And older man came forwards to the young boy standing by the gate of their house. Kou looked up, confused. "My friend was just here, Grandpa. But now he's gone."

"Is he now?" Kou's grandfather asked, running a hand though his silvery grey hair. "Well, maybe he had other friends to meet."

"Really?" Kou asked, grabbing his grandfather's hand. The old man smiled a small smile. "Perhaps."

The wind ruffled the tree leaves and sent the multi-coloured leaves sprawling over the yard. Kou laughed in delight and ran back to the lawn to catch them. The old man cast a curious glance over his shoulder. For a moment, he thought he'd heard a familiar laugh in the wind of an old friend he once knew.

Then, turning back towards his grandson, he walked back into the yard as well.

The Promised Tree

End

Well, that's it~ Did you guys like the story? :D In the end, we saw some pretty interesting people~ I guess here's how the timeline went:

Hibari, Alaude, Alaude's daughter, and then Kou.

If you haven't guessed already, the old man was Alaude. His daughter is Kou's mother. Time sure passes by fast, doesn't it? And Tsuna's still around. Hopefully he'll continue to meet all the upcoming generations of Hibari's and still find the spirit of his first human friend in the family tree.

Once again, thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed this story!

-BlackStar