Exile: ONE MOMENT.

HOW THE HELL IS THIS SO POPULAR. HOW?! Someone please inform me why!

It's just another Singer!Fem!Tsuna fic. I swear! Why are there so many reviews when I finally got around to writing this, why do people like it so much, I am unable to write 18600 words for one chapter. I'd die.

Also, I think it's best to not fulfill the word quota and just drop you guys an update. Happy birthday to cousin Wrath (6/6), you persuaded me into updating so that you could finally go back to using the laptop. I'm joking about his motives , of course. But either way, here is the eight-month later update. Don't kill me, I implore you.

Songs used in this chapter: 5150. Producer: DevilishP. Lyrics: Nano

5150

Schbzzzz-

Tsuna's eyes widened in horror as she just barely rolled off her bed in time to dodge the defibrillators that Reborn was holding above her. "Holy sheetcake!" she exclaimed, tumbling off the bed and scampering away from The Godfather with record time. Reborn smirked.

"Time for school. It's unacceptable for a future Mafia Donna to be late to something as trivial as middle school," he scoffed. Tsuna winced and stood up uneasily. Reborn exited to let her change, and it was reluctantly that she tugged on her Nami-chuu uniform.

Walking downstairs, she witnessed Giotto falling down the stairs. Maybe clumsiness is contagious… She bemoaned as she helped him up. The blond's demeanor perked up immediately upon sight of his sister. "There you are!" and with that she was tackled to the floor. Again. Tsuna could faintly sense the added weight of Fuuta, Lambo, and I-Pin hop into the cuddle mesh as well, and she was red and short of breath when she was finally able to wheeze out for release.

"Let …me …go!" she cried. The other Sawadas rolled off her complacently, and Fuuta kindly helped her into the kitchen. He and the other two always took turns helping her into the kitchen after being tackled every morning. Nana smiled amusedly at the sight of her daughter coming into the kitchen, and put a bowl of fried rice in front of her daughter. "Good morning, okaa-san. Itadakimasu!" Tsuna said after recovering her breath, picking up her chopsticks and clapping her hands together.

Right after she finished her breakfast, Tsuna stood up and quickly washed the few bowls and utensils in the sink, then dashed out the door. "Have a good day!"

As she jogged lightly towards the intersection, Tsuna couldn't help but dart her eyes in the direction of her sensei's house. That place was like a haven for her, a place for her to sing her emotions out.

Clutching her CD player in her bag, she ran headphones under her shirt while walking and turned the machine on, intent of listening to the soundtrack of the instrumental for "5150", "Magenta", and "Twitter". The thing that puzzled her at the moment was that there was also one unidentifiable instrumental track at the end of the disk that had the distinct sound of what was most likely a rage song. Rei-sensei had an odd love for writing rage and encouragement songs. Apparently it was possible for her to write a love song, but Cao-sensei often scornfully stated that Rei-sensei only bothered to write love songs when she was in an extremely good mood; something less likely to happen than catching an Arceus in Pokemon Black or White with a basic Pokeball.

Apparently, Tsuna mused, Rei-sensei has anger management problems. I bet that she's one of those people that would have a lot of scars and likes throwing things when they're really pissed. I do remember her throwing Byakuran-senpai out of the kitchen on Saturday… (Somewhere in Italy, a certain Mafioso sneezed violently after throwing an empty wine bottle at his second-in-command)

As she rounded the corner and Namimori Middle School came in sight, Tsuna had the misfortune of somehow coming face-to-face with one fedora-and-suit-wearing man again. "Reborn?!" she yelped.

He looked at her with scornfully. "Ciaossu, it's your beloved godfather."

"B-Beloved? When did I ever say that? And what are you doing here?"

Reborn bonked her on the head without warning, causing her to grimace. "Well, today you're going to be tested on your ability to defend your title as Vongola Decima. Have fun." And then he wasn't there, leaving one shocked student in front of the gates.

"W-What does he mean by defend my t-title?! I never even agreed to become a Mafia Boss in the first place!" she whispered to herself as she franticly made a mad dash for the school gates before the bell rung. There weren't many students headed into the building now, a sure indicator that she was going to be late if she didn't get the hell in her classroom right now and maybe punished by Hibari which she really didn't want because she valued her life.

But no, Tsuna's inherent genes full of clumsiness decided to throw a party at that moment and, well, caused her to do something really stupid. Which should only happen in manga and anime.

As the glass doors started to swing close, Tsuna's face was introduced to said glass door. It wasn't a nice greeting, it was more of a rapid "Hi door this is Tsuna's face nowcanyouopenupsoI'mnotlate? Okay, thanks, bye!" The door flew inwards at the moment Tsunayuki's body smacked the ground, and as she staggered up and continued sprinting, there was one ominous sound.

Briiiiiiiiing.

Skidding into the room, she leaned on the doorway, panting heavily. Class 1-A's homeroom teacher, Dohachiro Nezu looked at Tsuna with something akin to resignation. "Sawada, you're late. Again."

With shame, Tsuna hurried to her seat, feeling the patronizing stares of her other classmates, hearing the taunting snickers of "how useless Dame-Tsuna was; couldn't even come to class on time." When she got to her desk, her hand wavered between taking off her earbud or not. Casting one last sweeping gaze on the class, she left it in. The instrumentals were on repeat, and it wasn't like anyone cared that Dame-Tsuna was listening to music.

No one cared.

And so it was without care in return that Tsuna simply tuned out what her other classmates were saying, mouthing the words to "5150" with the music. She couldn't wait for lunchtime, couldn't wait to escape this suffocating atmosphere and run somewhere free. Turning toward the window, Tsuna stared at the sky, limitless and free. However, she was rendered unaware of the concerned looks from two certain popular males that were boring into her face.

Seeing the girl next to him shutting off the words floating around her, Gokudera allowed a bit of his caution to wane. If what the world's greatest hitman had told him was true, then it was this female that was abysmally clumsy and "useless" that would be inheriting the power of the Vongola.

Personally, Gokudera hated it. Not her, not out of envy. Because he couldn't hate her or despise her at all, not after those four minutes and thirteen seconds of meeting her yesterday. He hated the fact that someone like that would be forced into the Mafia. At first he had refused, but now he was determined to test her strength.

Sunday had been eventful for him.

"I refuse," Gokudera said politely, looking at Reborn with caution.

The hitman snorted. "Why not? If you win, then you can become the Vongola Decimo. It's an once-in-a-lifetime chance."

Several reasons immediately ran through his mind. "I like my life the way it is right now, Reborn-san. Being undisturbed by the Mafia is a boon. Also, I have no want to get myself involved with the Mafia again at the moment," he also wanted to get to know the rooftop singer better, but he didn't say that one aloud.

Reborn hummed thoughtfully. "Are you sure? Even if the Decima is a teenager around the same age as you?" Gokudera's eyes widened as he processed the information. Continuing, "Or is it merely that you are content with what you have and wish to forever live as a civilian?"

"Did you forget? Once Costra Nostra, forever Costra Nostra."

"Of course I have not forgotten, Reborn-san," was what his mouth said, but on his mind was another subject. The fact that of all people, the Vongola were going to have a female heir – true, Vongola Ottavo had been just as influential and strong as her previous bosses, but to have another female so soon, generationally speaking, was standardly frowned on.

The next Vongola Don is a girl my age? He thought in shock. However, even with the new information, he had to proceed cautiously. He now had an inkling of want to test the future Decimo – Decima, he corrected himself. "But why me?" he questioned, "There are plenty of other connections that you have, Reborn-san, that would be happy to accept your offer."

The bomber was used to his status as a mere "half-breed", an illegitimate child in the hands of the Mafia. He didn't want to be used by a family just to be beaten black and blue to show the strength of their new heir. True, he knew that the Vongola wasn't like that, but one could never be careful. Reborn snorted, walking away now.

"Simply because I can see that you have the traits of an ideal Storm Guardian. Nothing more, nothing less," he called back over his shoulder. "All well, since you aren't interested…"

Gokudera clenched his fist. "Wait!" Reborn merely tilted his head to acknowledge that he had heard. "What is her name?"

In an almost mocking tone, he said, "Sawada Tsunayuki."

Remembering that incident, Gokudera nearly choked on his own spit. Half the class looked at him worriedly, and old Nezu paused his speech. "What are you guys looking at?" he snarled gruffly. The other students quickly turned back to what they had been doing, not wanting to anger him. Sneaking a glance from the corner of his eye, he nearly sighed when he saw that Tsunayuki-san had not moved a single centimeter from her seat, still soundlessly singing words to a song that he didn't know. Right now he really slightly envied her position as mere "Dame-Tsuna". Everyone pretty much ignored her, letting her get away with minor infractions like listening to music during class.

Classes came and went, the teachers going in and out. And somehow, she was still looking out the window, listening to music and mouthing words.

When snack break came, the silverette's first priority was escaping the classroom for some fresh air and a smoke. Of course, with his luck, he ran into his acquaintance, Hibari.

Because they all weren't really "friends", but more like "acquaintances". They didn't know much about each other, but they still associated with each other anyways.

The prefect glared at Gokudera, snatching the unlit cigarette from him and tossing it. "No smoking in Nami-chuu, fool." Gokudera glared back, though half-heartedly.

"Yeah, yeah, I got," he snapped, walking away angrily. Indecision and popularity. How he hated them.

A whack on his head made him turn around and snarl at his acquaintance. "You. Make sure to take the baseball player up to the roof with you at lunch." Before the bomber could protest or argue, Hibari added, "You will hear something interesting if you do. If you do not show up, then I will bite you to death."

Gokudera rolled his eyes. "Yeah, sure, whatever." And he walked off.

When the lunch bell rang, Tsuna walked out of the classroom with a sigh, heading off towards the rooftop. True, she usually had a bad memory concerning things that she had been told, but when it came to Hibari Kyouya, no one was able to forget anything that he said, on pain of death. Turning a corner, she froze at several infamous voices, the loudest one being from a girl known as M.M. With her was a posse of other girls, but it was M. M.'s reputation that was the worst of them all. She had transferred in from Kokuyo Middle, a few months after the Rokudo twins had, and already had built up quite a name with her mean streak. But rather than freeze up and try to escape, Tsuna's eyes narrowed as she listened in on the conversation. Her blood nearly boiled.

Contrary to popular belief, Dame-Tsuna was not a spineless wimp twenty-four-seven. She was able to stand up for herself (Rei-sensei had insisted on flat-out refusing on giving her any songs unless she learned at least some basics of hand-to-hand combat. To quote her words directly, "I don't teach weaklings, shrimp.") but no matter what, Tsuna hated violence.

But if it was to protect someone, she would fight back. Taking a shuddering, quiet breath, she stood up straight, turning the corner and coming face to face with M.M. and her posse, looking at them with disappointment. "What are you doing?" she asked in a level voice. Her eyes narrowed fractionally as she caught sight of who the clique was picking on: one violet-haired girl by the name of Chrome Dokuro.

The redhead that was directly in front of Chrome tossed a glance at her, scoffing, "Oh, look, if it isn't Dame-Tsuna. What are you looking at, bitch?"

A pencil flew past M.M.'s ear with deadly precision. Mouth set in a line, Tsuna went up to her, and stated in a calm voice, "What did Dokuro-san ever do to you? How dare you do something to someone who has done no wrong to you."

The girl stepped back before drawing herself up to stare down at the brunet. Chrome was looking at Tsuna with a wide eye, and the two mooks backed up their leader. "Why do you care? Are you trying to get on Mukuro-chan's good side by befriending his lit-"

"Silence." A single word resonated from her lips, echoing down the hall. "You have no right to do this! Who are you to judge?"

M.M. glared down at her, but before she could utter a word, Tsuna lunged for Chrome's arm and dragged her away, sprinting down the hallway to get away from the posse. The three were left standing there, and their leader scowled, not going to bother chasing after the two girls. "Self-righteous bitch," M.M. snarled. "I'm not going to forget this, Dame-Tsuna."

"How can she do something like this?" Tsuna whispered indignantly, looking at the faint red handprint on Chrome's arm where they had slapped her to push her around. "No one has the right to do something like this."

"... Thank you, Sawada-san," Chrome uttered quietly. "That was very kind of you."

She smiled a bit, "It's okay, Dokuro-san. They had no right to do anything like that." I know what's it's like. I'm Dame-Tsuna.

There was a moment of silence, and Chrome stammered, "C-can - Are you going to sing today?" she flushed brought red, crossing her hands over her mouth in embarrassment. Tsuna blinked in alarm, thought process halting for a minute. "Ah- I didn't mean to say any-thing!" Chrome cried hurriedly, thinking she had offended the other girl somehow.

Tsuna barely managed to stutter, "Wait-t. Y-you actually l-liked my singing?" It was the first time ever that someone she knew on an everyday basis, even considering her family, had complimented the hobby she held dear to her heart.

Chrome nodded emphatically, not wanting to say anything out of her overwhelming shyness manifesting. The brunette blinked at the affirmation, then smiled brightly, taking Chrome's hands and tugging her in the direction of the roof. "I- Hibari-san demanded that I sing at the roof today," she explained quietly. "I think you will like this song..."

Chrome felt happiness bubbling inside of her. She was going to hear another song! And this person didn't have any bad motives, either! She had saved her from M.M., and... "Thank you, Sawada-san," the violet-haired girl murmured meekly.

Caught by surprise at the thanks, Tsunayuki tilted her head, "Hm? No need to thank me, I love singing!" Love, not just like.

When they reached the rooftop door, Tsuna opened it and her nerves clammed up at the sight of all four Guardians on the roof, and Hibari staring at her impatiently. She made a small noise at the back of her throat, and Chrome ran to sit next to her brother eagerly, excited to hear another song.

The girl pulled out the speakers from her backpack and unplugged the CD player from her earbuds, connecting the two and deciding to forgo greeting them. She was only here because she had to or get bitten to death, and because Dokuro-san looked like she needed a song to be sung.

With a deep breath, she started the instrumental track, and ten seconds later, Tsuna began singing.

Another day slips by
I feel the wind, the sky is crying
I'm standing alone, for an endlessly long night
The beat of my heart is echoing around me

When her mouth opened and Tsuna began singing at her cue, Gokudera could have sworn he felt the breeze going by, the sky responding to her voice.

And now the perfect world you pray for
I see it in your eyes
You watch the beauty fall to pieces
As darkness surrounds you

There was something different about her voice. It was stronger, more serious, and less carefree. It was the voice of someone's burdens; someone crying out loud. It was almost like 'No Logic', with its similar message, but. . .

Every single answer inside
turns into a lie
You fight the pain that's threatening,
as you hopelessly cry

Gokudera remembered it now, as clear as day. The day that he had found out he was merely an illegitimate son and that his mother had died in a car crash. The day all the answers turned into lies. Like a knife through his thoughts, those two words resounded.

⌠Carry on⌡

"Carry on," Yamamoto whispered to himself. "How ironically fitting." He immediately found himself on the receiving end of the glares telling him to shut up.

Every one of us
every soul inside is bleeding
Finally the broken silence
begins to slip away

Every pain every tear every breath I take
Stolen by the darkness
but I'm hanging on
For morning that will never dawn

SO

take a look above at the heavens overhead
just like the way the night embraces all the stars
I'll always be right here, arms open wide
If you would let me in your broken heart

Here, Hibari couldn't help but raise an arm up, tracing a star shape in the sky. On second thought, he compared the night and stars to the sky and clouds.

Nearer to the singer, Chrome was also staring at the sky, eye flitting back and forth between Tsuna, her brother, and the sky, so welcome and opening and kind, the first person to be like that to her, other than Mukuro. True, she was accepted by the other males in the group, but not as welcomed openly like this.

Beneath the shining stars
and the heavens overhead
I'll stand until I've shed
every tear that I can cry

Through the endless night,
you'll find a way
I close my eyes and hear
A gentle voice within there…

A smirk stretched across Mukuro's lips. You have already managed to wriggle your way into our broken hearts, so what will you do next, Sawada Tsunayuki?

As the vocals died down, Tsuna closed her eyes and let a tear trickle down her face, letting the wind dry it away.

I look into your eyes and see
there's a dream you've long forgotten
And the days you thought were over
its what's holding you back now

If you only look inside yourself
for the strength to let go
You'll finally see
the night fade away

'5150' was really an emotional song. It screamed her feelings. 'No Logic' was passive. '5150' was active; an indicator of change.

⌠Carry on⌡

Every one of us
every soul inside is praying
Trying to spread our broken wings
as we struggle to fly

Opening her eyes once more at her cue, Tsuna started out with a serious voice, emphasizing each word with a weary, tired tone.

Tracing stars just beyond our fingertips
In the relentless rain
our screams are softly killed
And so I sing this song

Chrome couldn't help but open her mouth to say those two precious words as well.

⌠Carry on⌡

Here, Mukuro couldn't help but envision Tsuna as an angel, trying to open their wings.

Every one of us
every soul inside is living
A dream we abandoned in the past,
together again

It was true, Gokudera recalled, whenever he tried to express his feelings properly, his frustrations. It was the same with his idiotic baseball friend, having to kill his true emotions and wear that sickening fake smile all the time. And now, though, they would 'carry on' with their lifestyles, but now with her by their side, the song sang in their hearts and in their memories.

Even if it should never come true
In the relentless rain, I pray that you will hear
This song I sing for you

Take a look above
at the heavens overhead
Just like the way the night
embraces all the stars

I'll always be right here,
arms open wide
If you would let me in your broken heart

"We hear it; I hear it," Chrome wept.

Beneath the shining stars and the heavens overhead
I'll stand until I've shed
every tear that I can

"Through the endless night, you'll find a way"
I close my eyes and hear

A gentle voice within there
Within there…

Chrome was weeping openly now, Mukuro next to her, hand on her shoulder. Tsuna, coming off her 'singing high', looked at them worriedly. Yamamoto was staring at the sky with glazed eyes. Gokudera's head was bowed, clenching his fists with unreadable eyes. On the higher roof, Hibari laid flat on his back, arm raised as he traced the outline of a cloud in the sky.

Staggering upright, Chrome rushed to Tsuna, saying something incoherently as she buried her face into Tsuna's shoulder. Tsuna had no idea how to comfort someone. "Dokuro-san?" she said shyly to the weeping purple-haired girl. Patting her hair, Tsuna thought to the song and opened her mouth. "Carry on," she sang, rubbing Chrome's back.

Unexpectedly, before she could continue, Gokudera raised his head and his voice joined hers, a gruff tenor. "Every one of us every soul inside is living, a dream we abandoned in the past, together again."

Chrome cut her off with one last sob. "My dream is here. My dream is true," she wept. "I have an other person to be there now, with Mukuro-nii and I."

"What's the name of that song?" Gokudera asked quietly.

"5150," Tsuna replied simply. "My. . . someone I know composed it."

"It's brilliant," he breathed. All of a sudden, he was on his knees. "Take me as your apprentice, Jyuuhime!"

"EH!?" Tsuna shrieked in alarm. "Jyuu-Jyuuhime!? What!?"

"Because you are the Vo-" Rethinking on where he was, the bomber exclaimed, "Because you are the tenth person I have actually come to accept! Please take me as your apprentice so I can sing as well as you someday, Jyuuhime!"

As his goddaughter freaked out on the school roof, Reborn put his Leon-binoculars away and frowned. True, the encounter between her and Smokin' Bomb Hayato had gone off extremely well, but too well. And the fact that she was singing that well and obviously enjoyed it was going to make her resist the Decima even more, with her ideal career already set up. He scowled in realization. Those cousins must have made contact with her. That song had to stem from Ryuukei's work. Reborn leapt off to give the cousins a 'little chat'.

Back on the roof, Hibari leapt down from the higher roof and left the area, ruffling Tsuna's hair impassively. "Thank you, herbivore," he muttered, just barely audible.

"Tsuna! Who wrote that song?" Yamamoto asked curiously.

She hesitated, then decided to answer vaguely again. "Uhh. . . someone I know. A tutor of sorts," she replied. He nodded, as if contemplating something.

Mukuro smiled at Tsuna, who couldn't help but shudder. "Kufufu~ Thank you for the song, Tsunayuki," he purred. "If you don't mind, may I possess your body and that lovely voice?"

"HIIIE!" she shrieked, not having heard over the end of lunch bell. As she fled, Yamamoto gave Mukuro a cheeky smile, to which he scowled in return.

Chrome smiled through her tears. "Let us carry on!"

Reborn stood at the front door of the cousins' house, eye twitching slightly. If his suspicions were to be true, then he and them would be having a 'nice talk' about proper contact regarding their contracts. Knocking the door, it was almost immediately opened by one weary bodyguard. "Reborn. What brings you here?" she asked evenly.

"Did you two make contact with your contract?" he promptly questioned. "And if you did, then we have a problem."

Hitoride stared at him. "Give me a moment," she said briefly, going inside the house. "Sen! The Sun Arcobaleno is here."

From out of nowhere, Cao Cai Sen popped into the front hallway. "Sun Arcobaleno. An honor," the Chinese greeted with a mocking sort of half-bow. "What brings your presence to our modest doors?"

"The Vongola Decima is Sawada Tsunayuki," Reborn said abruptly.

They exchanged glances. "Excuse me!?"

"It's best that I come in," he said impatiently, shoe tapping against the concrete.

They backed away from the door immediately, leading the way into the living room. "Please explain, Arcobaleno-san. We were informed that we were watching over the family of the leader of CEDEF, not the Vongola Decima," Sen requested, taking a seat on a couch next to his cousin.

Reborn clicked his tongue in disappointment. "You were supposed to be taking care of Iemitsu's family, yes. But due to certain... circumstances, that girl has been approved by Nono to become the Decima."

"And so why are you contacting us now, Arcobaleno-san?" Hitoride asked cautiously.

"You made contact with your contract. It changes everything," the hitman stated stiffly. "Her heart is into singing and... those things. Such a mindset will prove resistance to becoming Decima, something that we cannot have at this time. Thus, we have a problem."

"So Tsuna is no longer able to pursue her dreams of voice acting?" she asked quietly.

He shook his head.

"Then what do you want us to do?" Sen inquired. "She already has an interest in it; she is participating in one of our upcoming projects, we have already been deciding to debut her to the industry after she graduated from middle school. Everything has been set."

Reborn snorted, tilting his fedora forward. "Being a voice actress will interfere with her duties as the Decima." When Rei moved to protest, he added, "As the acting mentor to the future Decima, you two are commanded to sever all ties with Sawada Tsunayuki or be forcibly removed as safety risks to the Vongola Famiglia."

The Arcobaleno left the house without another word.

"You need to test her," Reborn stated calmly, his gun aimed at Gokudera's forehead, unwavering. "All you have is mindless adoration for no-one. A singer. In the world of the Mafia, a singer is useless. They have no status, only useful maybe as a cover up. So you have to test her, Gokudera Hayato, or else."

The silver-haired boy spat blood from his mouth. "What happened?! I thought you said-"

"I said to test her," he stressed. "Meaning that you are to engage in combat with the Decima."

"I'd rather die."

"That can be arranged."

Leaving the boy in the alley, Reborn walked away, mood darker than ever. Damn it, Nono. Why do you have to do this to your own granddaughter?

He had received his orders a few hours earlier: Train Tsunayuki into a viable Vongola heir candidate and remove all obstacles, whether directly or indirectly influencing her against the position. Then to also have her undergo combat trials and gather her Guardians.

As a godfather, this whole fiasco was horrible.

As a hitman, these things were necessary to have a strong Vongola.

"Jyuuhime... I'm sorry," Gokudera muttered, ambushing Tsuna on the less crowded part of the school the next day. "I'm... I don't want to do this."

The girl was understandably confused, but the moment he threw the first dynamite (praying let her be safe please let her be safe) she had hit the ground and rolled out of the way. He continued his assault, and her expression and lack of words broke him.

Finally there had been someone that he might have had just a chance to remain with, as a friend, associate, or lover, and that someone he had to try to kill to... test (he choked at the thought of the word) whether they would make a fitting Boss or not.

But her expression, her expression- it was resigned. Despairing. As if she had somewhat known that his was going to happen, and did not judge him.

Hayato didn't deserve that. "Double Bomb!" he yelled, tossing out twice as many dynamites as before. Tsunayuki evaded, stomping out ones that landed close to her. Inwardly, she wondered how this Trial was going unnoticed by the normal population, but knew it was for the best.

Because of her blood, her stupid heritage, she was being dragged into the Mafia, whether she liked it or not. Preferably, she'd rather not drag anyone else with her.

But fate doesn't work that way. "Triple Bomb!" he yelled, the dynamites producing themselves from wherever he had them hidden. But before he could throw and she could dodge, a tonfa had knocked him back, and there was a hand on his throat shoving him against the concrete wall, and Hayato just wished he had been born normal so then maybe, in that other life, he wouldn't have had to do his to the singer that was like a sky to his life.

"Explain," Hibari said curtly, keeping his eyes on Gokudera. "Why are you attacking a fellow student on campus with intent to kill?"

He made a move to answer, but then Rokudo was there too, his heterochromatic eyes more frightening than usual. The baseball-idiot next to him, a distraught and confused expression wrought on his face. "Hayato... Why would you do this? And to her of all people?"

They would never understand.

They would never be involved with her and him and the truth.

But they had been his friends once, and so he owed them a truthful reaction.

He laughed weakly, a hard feat considering his throat was still in Hibari's grasp. "You know... You guys would never understand. Ever. Not even if a brick flew from the heavens and clocked you on the head with the facts written on it." The hitman choked, Hibari's grip having tightened marginally.

"Don't talk riddles, herbivore," he snarled.

"Don't hurt him!" the Decima had stood up from where she had been resting on the ground. "It's not his fault."

"Kufufu... How can you say that when he was openly throwing dynamite at you, clearly intending to kill or maim you?" Mukuro asked, eyes glinting.

"You wouldn't understand," Tsuna's voice lost its emotions. "You wouldn't understand."

"Why don't you guys try to explain it to us, then?" Yamamoto tried.

She didn't answer, but Gokudera simply barked, "Because you wouldn't understand, idiots! We're involved with the goddamned Italian Mafia, and she's the future Boss of the most important Mafia Famiglia, and her demon of a mentor ordered me, former Smokin' Bomb Hayato, to test her. I didn't fucking want to, but... once Costra Nostra, forever." He wheezed for air, and Hibari dropped him to the dirt.

"What..."

"It's true. It's all true. I didn't know that he was in the Mafia, though. Just that someone would test me," Tsuna spoke up. The group fell silent, and she took the opportunity to move through them and sling one of Gokudera's arms over her shoulder. "Come along, Gokudera-kun. I know someone that can fix us up," she murmured, and he fell in step with her compliantly, having lost his fight already. Both of them had burns from explosions, and a hand-shaped bruise was appearing on his throat.

They left the campus without a single word from the shocked witnesses.

"This is horrible. I never wanted to be Decima," she confessed. Gokudera grunted to indicate that he was listening. "You know how you guys caught me singing last week? That was a song one of my seiyuu teachers wrote so I could sing for a project that they are doing. I wanted to become a singer or voice actor or both. And then Reborn comes back and drops the bomb that I have to become the Vongola Decima. I... I never wanted this."

The bomber was silent for a moment. "Grieve for the life you'll never have, Decima. Once the Mafia is in a person, there is no escape except death."

"I just don't know how to tell my teachers. 'Oh, I'm sorry sensei, but my family wants me to become the next boss of a Mafia Famiglia, so I can't attend voice lessons anymore.' I can't say that! Rei-sensei and Cao-sensei have done too much for me to be lied to, too."

They were now nearing the Cousin's neighborhood, and Tsuna focused on what to do. She wanted to participate in Zero Project, but what were the chances of her getting to keep singing and voice acting with the Famiglia to take care of in the future?

"I... My father was the Don of a Famiglia. I was his second child, but his only son. I thought that someday I would inherit, but it turned out that I was just his bastard child that no one wanted and people wouldn't hesitate to try to kill," his smile was sharp, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "I ran. Took odd jobs as a hitman, made a name for myself, somehow ended up here one day, and decided to try to escape the damn Mafia."

They went around a corner, and four houses later, they were in the front of a black and white house that was purposely painted to look like it was from an old, old photograph. "This is Rei-sensei and Cao-sensei's house," Tsuna said quietly. They stumbled up the path, and she raised a hand to knock at the door.

There was no answer.

Knock again.

Nothing.

"Are you sure they're home?" Gokudera rasped.

Tsuna frowned. "They're always at home. They hate socializing." They stepped away from the door and she gestured to him to lean against the wall. "I'm going to try the window."

"What-"

"I know for a fact that Rei-sensei always leaves the fourth grey window of the second story unlocked. I'll sneak in and take the medical kit and leave them a note to know it was me," she proposed.

He spluttered in shock. "But you'll fall! And I'm fine, really, you don't have to do this for me- I tried to kill you!"

Tsuna turned her eyes to him, expression gentle. "Well, you didn't want to attack me. I could tell. And I want some kind of friend to help me survive reconciling the Mafia with my current life."

Hayato couldn't utter a word of protest, too stunned by her acceptance and the fact that she wanted to be friends. Befriending a person that had just tried to kill her, voluntarily or not... he slumped down. "She really is Vongola material."

Tsuna went to pinpoint her target window, the one which was only about ten feet from the nearest tree. The trick was to climb the walls of the house to get to the window. Ladders didn't work, as the gravel ensured that leaning anything that big against the house would cause it to slide down and make anyone on it be severely injured as well. Fortunately, she had been taught the handholds and footholds how to climb the house (read: forced to climb until she memorized the way and stopped falling).

Scaling it took her a good couple of minutes, until she was under the sash of the window and managed to yank it open, enough room for her to shimmy through. Tsuna landed on the bathroom tiles, going for the cupboard where the first aid kit was. She jotted a quick note on some toilet paper and left it there, dropping back out through the window. Going through the front door would activate alarms that she'd rather avoid.

Rei-sensei was always oddly paranoid about break-ins.

When she got down to the earth again, it was simple to take care of hers and Gokudera-san's wounds from explosion burns. He also needed the healing salve to make the bruise around his neck fade by tomorrow. "Thank you, Jyuuhime," Gokudera mumbled, unused to kindness.

The girl sweatdropped. "Could you call me by my name? I don't want to be the Tenth of anything, and it is way too formal. Aren't we going to be friends, after all?"

Hayato's heart jumped off a cliff into a sea of feels.

The next day, she woke up to the usual chaos, pointedly ignoring her godfather throughout breakfast. Okay, maybe she was being childish, but today she had no wish to remotely even interact with him. Or undergo Boss training. Or have any conflicts. Yesterday was bad enough, and now everything was crashing down. Some sick feeling in her stomach whispered that the absence of her teachers yesterday was connected to her being Decima, too. Tsuna shook those off.

It's not like everyone surrounding her was somehow connected to the Mafia, right?

By the time she was out the door, waving goodbye to her family (Giotto-nii would be joining her at school in a few days time after he got all the transferring paperwork sorted out), she was too caught up in her thoughts to sidestep around the person that had planted himself firmly outside her front gate.

They crashed painfully, head meeting chest. "Oof! I'm sorry- Gokudera-san?" Tsunayuki apologized, then realized exactly who it was. The other teen didn't look disgruntled, just gave a half-hearted smile before lending her a hand.

"Good morning, Tsunayuki-sama," he greeted formally, nodding.

Tsuna flinched at the formality. "Err... do you need the -sama honorific?"

The bomber regarded her with a raised eyebrow. "You deserve it," he explained flatly, "I know you deserve it."

With a small sigh, she gave up on the argument. "Well, fine then, Gokudera-san-"

"Can you not address me so formally?" he requested, both of them falling in step as they headed towards the school. "I lost the match, so I have to serve you, after all. It seems improper."

She gawked. "L- Like you have any right to complain!" Tsuna protested. "If I call Gokudera-san something less formal, will you just please call me Tsuna?"

He was taken aback. That had been happening to him a lot these days, being taken by surprise. His new friends was full of spontaneity. She was hard to predict, and she was just... interesting. And warm. And comforting.

The Storm was caught in the Sky's embrace.

"Then... could you call me by my first name? Like friends?" he stammered, formal demeanor slipping for a moment. Tsuna stopped in her tracks, eyes wide with disbelief. Had he done something to offend her? "Well, only i-"

Her face split with a bright grin. "Oh, yeah! We're friends, aren't we!" Tsunayuki exclaimed. "I can't believe I finally have a friend!"

Friend. Not servant like he was supposed to be to the Decima who defeated him. Friend. "I will be your right-hand man, Tsuna-sama!" he declared excitedly.

Tsuna put her palm to her forehead. "Will you please drop the honorific, Gok- Hayato-san?" she begged.

All of a sudden, there was that fearsome Mafioso glare on his face. "Tsuna-sama is Tsuna-sama," he insisted.

She just gave up in general.

When they got to the school after fifteen minutes of talking and chattering and revelling in actually having someone they could call a friend, Tsuna froze a little bit before the main gates. Hayato noticed immediately. "Tsuna-sama?"

"Rei-sensei! Cao-sensei!" the brunette exclaimed, bolting for two adults leaning against the wall. One was a woman (hard to tell her sexl if you weren't observant) with long hair in a ponytail, and the other was a spiky-haired man lazily dressed in a white shirt and jeans. Seeing as Tsuna-sama was familiar with them (he supposed they were the ones' whose house she had broken into yesterday) Hayato simply followed her and stood a little ways behind. "Where were you two yesterday?"

"We're leaving," Rei said abruptly. "Moving."

Tsuna flinched. "What? Why?" she asked. "Why so suddenly? What about Zero Project?"

Cao answered this time. "Our backers retracted their funding. Our seiyuus were suddenly swamped with work. Only a few are available, but you know how big the cast is."

"But why are you moving?" she stressed the last word, afraid of the answer.

Cao looked at her, some sadness in his eyes. "You were a brilliant student, Sawada Tsunayuki."

Ryuukei slumped over. ''Your father- you know what his job is, right?"

Oh no. The girl felt her entire world beginning to fracture. "Don't tell me-"

"We were bodyguards. Assigned to protect your family from any danger. So I thought it was perfectly fine taking you in that day you showed up on our doorstep running from bulles. You needed self-confidence, like all kids, so we decided to help you uncover your talents," she took a shuddering sigh, "But as it turns out you are the to-be Vongola Decima, your interest in voice-acting and music lowers any encouragement to learn to take your role. So..." the woman fell silent.

Cao-sensei cleared his throat. "Your mentor is taking us out of the picture," he completed. With that being said, the cousins straightened up and walked away, ruffling her hair in the process. Moments later, they were gone.

Hayato did the only thing he could think of doing as her new friend: help her up after she had collapsed crying and take her up to the rooftop to mourn the loss of her life.

The chapter could also be named: In Which Reborn is an Evil Godfather.

Pray pardon don't kill me, please! Hitoride and Cao are not leaving the story. Tsuna will not give up her dreams. She might be Dame-Tsuna, but she's not entirely a defeatist.

About Gokudera's term of address for Tsuna: He doesn't call her Jyuuhime or any of the like anymore because she's forced him to not see her as just a dazzling figure on a pedestal. She's just another person undergoing a struggle like his, trying not to slip into the Mafia and have their dreams destroyed. He can empathize with her, and he knows that the last things she needs is for someone to constantly remind her about her fate. So he settles for Tsuna-sama instead. Because she DOES deserve that honorific, because the type of person she is. He's found his Sky.

Anyway, I have a question for all of you. That unknown track that sounded like a rage song near the beginning of the chapter? It's up to you guys to choose what song it is! I have a Vocaloid song in mind. However, if you guys would like, instead the song with be one of my originals, again. I'm not asking for suggestions, just whether you guys would prefer another chapter with my original lyrics or not.

Also, Wrath and I have a tumblr (url is exile-wrath), though he is the one that is on it most of the time. If you'd ever like to ask me something, feel free to drop it in my askbox, and do address it to "Exile", or he'll answer it. I'll make sure to answer any actual questions.

Reviews = encouragement to update.

The next update should theoretically take less time than this one. Much less time.