Chapter 3
The Inevitable Fate

Sawada Tsunayoshi started to space out in his class, thinking about the past- how he met his spartan assassin home tutor Reborn and his guardians. All the fights, the despondency and the happiness they experienced together.

Would it be alright if he just opted for...

"Sawada!"

"Hey! Sawada!"
The teacher's voice drew him out of his daydreaming. As usual, everybody laughed at this kind of awkward moment.
"I'm deeply sorry, sir."
"Sawada, I won't punish you as you are already a senior high schooler. But you are going to take an admission exam soon, so stay tune with studying!"
"Yes, sir!"
Unnoticed by the others except Gokudera and Yamamoto, who showed an expression of deep concern, Tsuna actually had a far more serious and decisive decision to make.

That evening after Tsuna had dinner with his family, a sleek black limousine pulled up in front of his house. Soon a bell rang. Sawada Nana answered the door.
"Good evening, Mrs Sawada. I'm your husband's boss' assistant. I have come here to pick Mr Sawada up as previously appointed, " said a man in a black suit with white and black hair courteously.
"I see, I'll call him now. Tsuna! They've been here to pick you up!"
"Alright!"

Tsuna,still in his (high school) uniform, ran down the stairs and reached the entrance.

"It's pleasure to meet you, Swada-sama. My name is Ganauche, the ninth's lightning do you do?"
"I'm Sawada Tsunayoshi."
"Right, before we depart, may I ask where is Reborn-sama now?," asked the lightning guardian.

"I'm here," said Reborn, popping out of nowhere.

So out they went, getting into the sleek black limo.

As they were reaching the hotel, dark smoke could be seen rising from afar.
But, to everyone's horror, it was revealed when the got to their destination that the fume was actually caused by the flames devouring the premise at that very moment!

"Ninth! No! No!," Ganauche cried understandably hysterically.
Tsuna flashed a great concern in his eyes but still kept his composure and said," Anyway, we must search for and rescue him first!"
So into the building they went, ignoring the cautions and warnings of the crowd behind.

"Zero Point Breakthrough : First Edition!"

Suddenly, some of the flame inside was turned into ice. Tsuna emerged from the smoke in his HDW mode (that he could now access at will), coughing.
"Well done, Decimo," praised Ganauche.
"We don't have much time left, sir," reminded Tsuna.
Ganauche and Reborn quickly continued their search while Tsuna pensively pondered,"why my Zero Point Breakthrough is less effective than usual. It's my power weakening or the flame abnormally strong? Or just my imagination?"

"Hey, Tsuna! Dame-Tsuna! What are you spacing out for?"
Tsuna regained his sense of reality, got out of HDWM and approached Reborn.

"Reborn..," he whispered.
"huh, what? Dame-Tsuna?"
"Don't you feel it's strange..."
But before Tsuna could finish his sentence, he was cut shot by Ganauche's scream.

"Ninth!"

The other two quickly followed him to the site and was faced with a horrible sight.
In the ninth's room, blood was plastered everywhere with all the bodyguards and guardians' corpses lying all over the place.

"What the...!?," uttered Reborn in disbelief.
"No! No! No! Everyone! My family!," cried Ganauche frantically.
Tsuna, still keeping his composure, responded to the terrible scene by tightening his right fist.

"Ahahaha...," a laughing sound emerged from the dark.
"Who the heck are you!," shouted Ganauche defensively.
"hahaha... Calm down, the real game hasn't started yet."
"The real GAME, you say?," asked Reborn quite curiously.
"yes, a game,"
The figure then appeared from the darkness and the smoke. Tsuna could make out that he was a very tall man with white spiky (spikier than his) hair.
"Hi, it's nice to meet you all Vongola..."
Then he disappeared and suddenly turned up again at a tremendously and threateningly unhuman speed just before Tsuna's nose (intimidatingly close as well).
"particularly you, Tsunayoshi-kun"
Tsuna quickly retreated as his reflex and intuition guided.
'This man is dangerous..," he thought to himself.
Byakuran went on to introduce him self with the brightest grin he could make," my name is Byakuran."

"Are you an ally or an enemy!" asked Ganauche harshly and bluntly.
"Well, what would you think if I have to tell you I'm an enemy who killed all of your family here..." Byakuran's grin widened hideously.
"You...," Ganauched barked and was on the point of storming to rip that Byakuran into pieces.
"Stop, Ganauche. I am convinced it's better to talk this out," Tsuna, being a staunch believer in settling things in peaceful rather than violent means, stopped him.
"But, decimo... I can't leave the man who ki-"
"I know. Actually I feel the same."
Tsuna turned to face the beaming Byakuran.

"So Byakuran. Could you tell us your intention for doing this."
Byakuran gave a sinister smirk which immediately morphed into his usual innocent smile, saying
"Just for fun."

"But actually," Byakuran's expression darkened,"as a warning that we Gesso family..."

"is going to start an exciting all-out battle with you!," Byakuran finished the sentence with a childlike grin again.
"Can I ask another question?"
"Yup!"
"Is it you who had those men kidnaping and tormenting Kyoko!," Tsuna said with fiery rage, his eyes turning to amber and his hands exploding with great flame.
"Oh, what an impressive flame! Kyoko,you say?If it's that Sasagawa Kyoko, I might as well say yes!," replied Byakuran blissfully.
"Why are you doing all this!" asked Tsuna threateningly, having lost his temper.
But Byakuran brought up new topic instead,"by the way, I also have another present for you," said Byakuran who suddenly appeared in another corner of the room his hand picking up something... no, someone...
As the mist dissolved, it turned out to be, to all Vongola's terror, ...

the ninth Vongola boss.
"You must thank me for recovering the body for you for the memorial service!"
"You... ^#\!," cursed Ganauche.
Tsuna frowned and held his fist as tightly as he could. He could not...
"I cannot take this any longer," said Reborn solemnly.
"Aha...It's the sun arcobaleno, isn't it?"
"What is your real purpose! Spit it out!" bursted out Reborn who couldn't bear seeing his comrade's unsightly death.
"If you wanna know that much, I will tell you~ It's..."

Before he could finish his sentence, the supposedly dead man started coughing.

Byakuran looked at the said person in the grip of his hand, grinning, " how resilient could you be!"

"Ninth! Are you still alive?"Ganauche cried.
"Ninth!" also cried Tsuna.

"Tsu-na-yo-shi-kun" stuttered the old man exhaustedly.
"Yes"
"Be strong. I would like to entrust Vongola onto your hand. But I am also obliged to respect your will. If in any case you agree to succeed me...," the ninth said with all the remaining energy with panting and coarse voice, " please protect Vongola from this person."
".. ninth..."
"His real motive is..."
Before the ninth could have done his moving farewell speech, his heart was thrusted by an unidentifiable object before anyone could wink.
"Enough for the drama... It would be no fun if it is revealed"
"Byakuran, you!" Tsuna ranted.
"Now then, I shall take my leave from the stage. See you later...
Vongola Decimo..."

Byakuran's presence just vanished from the scene.

Tsuna got out of his HDWM and looked broodingly on the floor.
Ganauche cried like a mad man, punching the floor and striking his head. Reborn still maintained his calmness but obviously provoked.
Then the fiery fire leaked into the room.
Reborn came down to earth again and called at the other two tormented men.
"Hey, guys! You have to flee from this place!"

Tsuna gained his sense and was about to jump from the window (he had learned his stunt in these past few years) but realised Ganauche was still there, crying "let me die with my family, oh God! Take me with them!"
Reborn approached Ganauche, " you must stay strong! The ninth still left you here to finish his final mission in his place."

"That is, to make sure Tsuna will be the tenth."
As a result, Ganauche regained his reason, and down they jumped, narrowly escaping the burning building.

The next morning, Tsuna's world was going to be completely different. He was not going to be a candidate for the boss of the strongest family or just the candidate itself.

That morning, Tsuna and his guardians were absent from the lesson.

In a secluded mansion on the remote outskirt of Namimori, a group of men in black suits gathered.
The inheritance ceremony was abruptly held clandestinely to avoid the attention from the feared enemy.
It was poles apart from the usual ostentatious and grandiose ceremony. Only some Vongola officials and close Allies families were allowed.

This roused suspicion from everyone about the present strength and stability of the family .

"Now, I shall officially declare you, Sawada Tsunayoshi, the boss of all Vongola and all his comrades the new guardians of Vongola,"Ganauche announced solemly handing a black box to Tsuna.

The crowd applauded and hailed, showing their acknowledgement of the new boss.
However, some whispered maliciously
"He's so young."
"Just a high schooler, so I hear"
"Just an inexperienced brat"
"I even hear that the Vongola is now facing a threat from a new family which is also the cause of the Ninth's death"
"How could such a kid lead us to survive that?"
"Oh no! It's the decline of Vongola"
"I know! Let's make alliance with the Gesso instead!"

Ganauche continued, " So, Vongola Decimo, would you like to say something for this occasion?"
"yes"

Thereby, the newly appointed tenth boss took the place in the middle of the hall.
"Dear every noble member from all the respectable families of the world. I, Sawada Tsunayoshi, your humble servant, am pleased to have your all support for these hard years to come..." Tsuna paused here before going on," I am going to be frank with you all, my dear comrades and allies, that we are going to face a seemingly insurmountable threat from the newly established family. True, they have killed our people mercilessly and declared a war with us. We may have to sacrifice our blood and suffer the most horrible years ever."
At this point, murmurs and voice of panic arose.

"BUT" said Tsuna firmly and commandingly, muting everyone.
"My dear fellows, I am no better than or different from you all. We all have someone precious to protect even it might cost you life. I believe to weather this crisis, we need to stand for each other and unite. Hence, please at least allow me to serve you. I value you all as my most loyal and valuable followers and fellows. Let's fight this out together!"

Silence filled the room before a single clapping emerged. Then a few more people followed suit. Gradually the entire crowd applauded.

A small grin was plastered on Tsuna's face who said humbly in response " thank you."
He stepped down and join his guardians along with the former lightning guardian who proudly proclaimed

"Now, I am glad to officially appoint Sawada Tsunayoshi lord of Vongola and allies of the hundred families of the world"