The Tale of Rinato

Ch. 2 The Traitor of Vongola IX

La Memoria del Terminale

"I don't read Italian," Tsuna protested.

"Yes you do, Tsuna-kun."

"No I don–" Tsuna frowned abruptly. For some reason, the words on the page made perfect sense to him.

"LOMBARDI FAMIGLA BREAKS ENGAGEMENT BETWEEN GIOTTO VONGOLA ANDOLINI & ELENA LOMBARDI. ELENA LOMBARDI TRAVELS TO BOLOGNA" August 8 1880

"REGGIO DE CALABRIA CELEBRATES THE MATRIMONY OF ALAUDE GIGLIO & CIARA DA LUCA" August 7 1880

"Why… am I able to read Italian?" Tsuna asked slowly, looking at Yuni, Byakuran, and Timeoto in turn. From outside an owl hooted.

"Do you really not remember Tsuna?" Timeoto frowned. "When you were young..."

"No! Is this something to do withe the mafia? I told you I wanted OUT!"

"Tsuna-kun..." Yuni frowned thoughtfully. "What is your earliest memory."

"My what?"

"Your earliest memory. Think back, from what age can you remember?"

"I d-don't know..." Tsuna looked down, then sighed. "I remember a pile of blood, in a large room. A woman collapsed face down in front of me. My mother told me I was five then, and I was shot in the lung. I wasn't allowed to run or go out and play for years. She told me it was a terrorist attack, at a airport."

"Thats it?

"Thats it? But don't you remember ░░░░░░░░" Yuni's mouth seemed to mouth the last word.

"What?"

Yuni seemed to mouth the word again.

"I can't hear, what did you say?"

"She said ░░░░░░░░ Boss. Can you remember ░░░░░░░░?" Chrome muttered.

"I can't hear it! You aren't saying it!"

Byakuran conjured a pen and paper and quickly scribbled a word. "This name, can you read it?"

Tsuna stared at the paper. "You didn't write anything! It's blank!"

Timeoto looked worriedly at Yuni. "She was the one who escorted him to the airport. Do you think She did something to Tsuna?"

"But I thought she was finished before she had the chance to do anything?" Yuni replied looking at Tsuna.

Timeoto's face turned stony. "I've always underestimated her. Both her will and her capabilities..."

"Who are you talking about?!" Tsuna bursted out. "This meeting is completely ridiculous!"

"Only the most infamous traitor of the Vongola family," Timeoto said slowly. "My eldest daughter and only child of my first wife Apolline... Isabel G. Lombar–"

"ARRGH!" Tsuna clutched his head in a sudden jagged pain at the sound of the name. Colors seared before his eyes as images flashed in and out in a distorted manner. The last thing he saw was the slowly approaching carpet of Timeoto's office.

What is this? A flashback? What happened?

Tsuna felt the chocolate bar in his right overall pocket slowly melting. His hands and feet were not moving to his own conscious effort. And they seemed much shorter. He clutched the hand of a tall woman with his other hand and half trotted half ran to keep up with her.

"Where are we going auntie?" Tsuna felt himself say in a higher voice. The large room they were walking in was jammed packed with people pulling colored suitcases, large glass windows emanated the driest heat. They passed a sign saying

Aeroporto Falcone e Borsellino,
Palermo Airport

"You're going back to Japan, mio caro," the woman said in a low soothing voice. Tsuna knew, the woman was speaking in rapid Italian, and so was he. "To your papà and mamma"

"Are you coming with me zietta Isabel?" Tsuna craned his neck to see the woman's face, but she was always a step in front and her head was heavily wrapped in a shawl.

"No. I can't, I have to take care of ░░░░░░░░." The woman mouthed the same word Yuni Chrome and Byakuran did.

"Is _ going to be alright?" Tsuna felt himself mouth the word he cannot hear. "Is ░░░░░░░░... going to die?"

"No," the woman replied curtly quickening her pace, Tsuna felt his small legs cramp. His backpack was too heavily laden with toy cars and planes. "I won't allow it... Wait here Tsuna."

Tsuna watched as the woman approached the gate attendent and indicated him. The attendant nodded as the woman slipped her a roll of cash.

The woman's eyes were covered in large sunglasses and her lips were uncolored. The little bit of stray hair that escaped the shawl was a soft wavy brown. The rest of her face was suddenly blurry. Tsuna felt an incontrollable sorrow as tears streamed out his eyes.

The woman was going to die.

As if sensing Tsuna knew her fate. The woman hurried back and bent down, pulling Tsuna into her arms.

"Why?"

"Such a smart boy. Just like your ancestor Giotto," the woman was softly crying too. "It's the only way to save ░░░░░░░░."

"B-but I don't want either of you..."

"Oh, mio caro. A mother would do anything for her child. Just like your parents would die for you," the woman held Tsuna tightly. "The only thing I fear is that I will not have time to truly save her. I feel ashamed to be thrusting this responsibility on a five year old but only you can do it."

Tsuna nodded.

Who? Who?

"Signora, the gate is closing," the attendant rushed over and began to pry Tsuna away from the woman.

The woman held onto Tsuna's hands and whispered, "I want you to have a normal life, so accept this gift at least. Let me seal your memory for a while. If you are truly of Giotto's blood, when the time comes, you should be able to–"

Gunshot cracks set the entire waiting hall into chaos. The woman looked down two see the three sniper bullet holes that shot straight into her chest. The gate attendent whose leg was also shot by one of the bullet that shot through the woman's chest screamed and writhed on the ground in agony. The woman's sunglasses fell off, but Tsuna's eyes were too blurred by the woman's blood to see clearly. Her eyes were a tired but still beautiful grey-green, but her irises were flashing a pale, pale silver.

"Tsuna, you... must save her..."

The fourth bullet shot straight through the woman's forehead. A searing pain tore through Tsuna's chest. He was bleeding, he couldn't breathe.

My first memory...

Tsuna's eyes fluttered open. He was back in Timeoto's study, lying face up on the sofa. Chrome sat at his side.

"Boss? Are you alright boss?"

Timeoto, Yuni, and Byakuran hurried over to the conscious Tsuna.

"I saw," Tsuna gasped, breathing heavily. "Her. I saw Isabel. She was the dying woman in my first memory. She was murdered."

"It was a terrorist attack, at Palermo airport," Yuni said soothingly. "Your mother told you before rght…"

"NO IT WASN'T. SHE WAS KILLED! BY THE MAFIA," Tsuna pointed furiously at Timeoto. "She KNEW she was going to die. She just wanted to save her daughter."

"Isabel Lombardi, betrayed and hurt the Vongola family recklessly for a improbable reason. She let her grief of that dying child impair her judgement," Timeoto said curtly. "Her death was necessary."

"YOU KILLED YOUR OWN DAUGHTER! THAT DYING CHILD IS YOUR GRANDDAUGHTER."

"She is no daughter of mine," Timeoto snapped. "Anyone who would betray–"

"You place an organization of murderers, drug-dealers, gamblers, and thief above your own child?" The outburst took Timeoto by shock and he sunk into his chair, shaking. Byakuran hurriedly flipped through the drawers for medicine while supporting Timeoto with his flame.

"It wasn't Vongola Nono's fault Tsuna-kun!" Yuni said softly. "At the time Vongola Ottavo, Timeoto's mother just passed away and at the time of power transition, a small council votes on the judgement of the traitor."

"Where is she?" Tsuna asked angrily.

"Where is who?"

"Isabel's daughter? Why can't I hear her name."

"I guess Isabel didn't have time to set the seal properly," Yuni sighed. "Tsuna... is dead. She died ten years ago."

Tsuna sat, dumb struck.

Being a Vongola Boss, Timeoto-san had the power to nearly control the entire Mediterranean.

But he did not have the power to save his own family.

"You couldn't save anyone you cared about," Tsuna said slowly. "That is not the position I want."

Taking of his Vongola Ring he placed it onto Timeoto's desk. "I relinquish my position as the Vongola Sky Guardi–"

The Vongola ring on the table began to shine, simultaneously the Mare Ring on Byakuran's finger and Yuni's Pacifier shone. Brighter and brighter until it was blinding. The whole room stood dumbstruck by the light. Then suddenly, Yuni seemed to be floating in mid-air, her figure so encompassed by light.

"YUNI!" Tsuna shouted, trying to pull her down. Squinting he saw a pair of ocean-like eyes, Yuni's eyes. He took hold of a hand and pulled. "Yuni, Yuni, please be alright."

It was not Yuni. It was a young woman who was wearing a Sky Arcobaleno uniform.

It was not Aria either.

"Tsunayoshi Sawada, son of Iemitsu, Reincarnation of Giotto Vongola Andolini," the woman said softly. "I'm Luce Giglio-Nero."

To Be Continued

Note from the author:

I'm so thrilled and grateful people actually read this fanfic. I will do my best to keep posting interesting new Chapters so please keep reading. I swear all the other characters are coming up.

Hints and Reminders

1. The Giglio-Nero Family is based in Vibo Valentia, Calabria.

2. Luce, Aria, and Yuni look extremely like Sepira Andolini (Giotto's sickly sister.)

3. Flashing silver eyes? First chapter had a character with flashing silver eyes.

4. Tsuna had been to Italy when he was young, but can't remember anything about Isabel (other than the airport) or , who according to Yuni is dead.

5. Tsuna's awkwardness could be attributed to his traumatic first memory and his weak body is probably because of the bullet wound in his lung when he was young.

6. Is this why Iemitsu and Nana Sawada decided to hide their son, the active reincarnation of Vongola Primo, in Japan?

7. Who killed Isabel? Who changed Tsuna's fate by injuring him?

Zietta = Auntie
Mio Caro = My Dear