Chapter Text
Chapter One: Crossing Paths in Namimori
“This sucks,” Tsuna muttered under his breath as he walked home, once again he was forced to clean the classroom due to being unable to do anything. He didn’t want to go home, not with Reborn being there, but he also didn’t want the baby hitman tracking him down. That was when the sound of rollerblades caught his attention. His head turned and he saw a girl wearing a Namimori Middle uniform skating straight towards him. At first Tsuna didn’t recognize her until he saw the sakura hairpins in her hair. It was the most hyperactive girl in school, Nigiyaka Haru, and she was headed straight for him shouting. “Baika!”
Tsuna was about to take a step when she moved in front of him, swiping something at his feet causing Tsuna to fall backwards hitting his head. He gritted his teeth, the day already wasn’t going so well and this was just the icing on the cake. Then the sound of the wheels came close before Haru was peering down at him with her pink eyes. A white cat in her arms and Tsuna realized he had almost stepped on the cat.
“Sorry about that, Sawada-san,” Haru said as she held out her hand to help him up. Tsuna blinked for a moment before accepting the offer as she pulled him to his feet then helped him dust off. “I didn’t want you to get attacked by Baika because you stepped on her.”
Haru rolled over to a nearby fence and set the white cat on the surface. “Stay out of trouble, Baika.”
The cat just yawned before walking away, Tsuna rubbed the back of his head. “Either way I was going to get hurt huh?”
“Hey, you free?” Haru asked him and Tsuna looked curious. “I want to treat you to some homemade sweets as an apology.”
“I would love to, but… I have to get home, Reborn is probably waiting for me,” Tsuna said, offering an apology and Haru thought about it before saying. “How about I just make them there! That way this Reborn fellow isn’t mad and I can still apologize!”
“Shouldn’t you get your cat back home?” Tsuna asked, he really didn’t want her to be swept up in whatever Reborn had planned for today. Haru blinked before looking over at the white cat before looking back at Tsuna. “Oh, I name any animal I see. She isn’t mine.”
‘Oh great.’ Tsuna thought before sighing. “Fine.”
“Thanks!” Haru told him before escorting him back to his house, when the door opened Haru called out. “Pardon the intrusion!”
“Ciaossu,” Tsuna groaned, it was Reborn at the door staring up as if waiting for him. Haru was staring down at him before looking at Tsuna then back down at Reborn in confusion. ‘Wait… is Haru normal?’ Tsuna thought as he realized, she was processing the fact that Reborn was just a baby. Haru moved around Reborn as if trying to figure out if he was some kind of doll before removing her skates. Tsuna walked in saying. “Sorry I’m late, mom I brought a friend!”
“Nana-san has gone out shopping,” Reborn replied and Tsuna headed up to his room wanting to just get through the torturous tutoring session. Haru waved him over for a moment before looking at Reborn who was heading up the stairs. Tsuna walked back down and she asked him. “Is that Reborn-san?”
“Yup,” Tsuna sighed, wondering what kind of amazed and awestruck reaction she was going to give that he was being tutored by a baby. Haru stared at him. “Tsuna, he’s a baby wearing a fedora, speaking Italian and your mother and friends don’t find that strange?”
“Nope,” Tsuna groaned and Haru looked up the stairs before back at Tsuna and looked like she was about to say something but Reborn distracted him. Haru’s hands dropped to her side before saying. “I think you need normal friends.”
Haru paused. “I’m not one who should be talking, I’ve got some pretty strange friends. I'll bring up the pastries once they’re done.”
“Thanks,” Tsuna called down to her and Haru fixed her hair into an underbun styling her pins as she took stock of what they had in the house. “Hmm….”
Her eyes flickered to the stairs before stating. “Cream puffs and eclairs will probably do. But if there aren't any ingredients for those, some checker cookies.”
Haru, after placing her bag on the counter, knelt down to grab some bowls when she paused sitting up straight. She wasn’t always the most perceptive but she could tell when someone was watching her. She turned around seeing the tutor sitting right there holding onto one of her sakura hairpins. “Hey careful with that!”
“You seem to know the danger that these pose,” Reborn said as he unsheathed the hair pin revealing a blade that was the same color as the sheath. Haru walked over to it holding out her hand. “Yeah, about two years ago, give it back. It was a present from my brother and I would like to keep them all in one place.”
Reborn merely smiled up at her and Haru’s narrowed as she hissed. “Give it back, please.”
“You will be able to get it back once Dame-Tsuna finishes his homework,” Reborn answered as he leapt down from the stool leaving Haru flabbergasted as he walked back up the stairs. “Oh and eclairs sound nice with some espresso.”
“This isn’t for you!” Haru snapped before muttering under her breath. “He can’t be just a baby.”
Her eyes went to her school bag, walking over to it she opened it up and cursed under her breath. “H-san’s letter, I was going to read that when I got home! I wanted to see if he found our fourth housemate. No… eclairs first, Sawada-san deserves something nice today.”
Reborn listened to her muttering under her breath from the stairs as he fingered the hidden weapon the letter grasped in her other hand. ‘Hmmm, H-san huh, best look into that.’ Reborn thought as he walked into Tsuna’s room seeing him struggling. Reborn smirked before throwing the hairpin onto the table only to watch as the blade slid through the wood like it was butter. Tsuna jumped back as Reborn’s eyes flickered to the door. The corners of his lips curled into a smirk as Reborn moved over to the table. “Don’t let yourself get distracted, Dame-Tsuna, distractions like this….”
Reborn gestured to the hairpin before pulling it out of the table and sliding it back into its sheath. “Can get you killed.”
“I-is that one of Haru’s hairpins?” Tsuna stammered as his breathing hitched. “Is she an assassin?”
“Hmmm,” Reborn answered, not really letting Tsuna in on his thought process. He was still going to look in on her as he opened the letter and read it over. It was a basic checklist for the weeks. Do homework. Buy groceries. Make sure you do the laundry. However one stood out: Practice baking, you might need it to make friends. Reborn moved to the door as he went to watch Haru. Assassin or not there was something strange about the girl and he would need to dig deeper to find out what that was.
Haru busied herself in the kitchen now expecting Reborn to pop up out of nowhere. ‘Like a wild Pokemon in the tall grass.’ her hands paused at the thought as she thought back to her Pokemon. ‘Baika.’ Her heart sank as she remembered her Eevee on her shoulder. She steadied her hands as she worked on the batter for the eclairs. Her mind was starting to go all over the place, she needed her hairpin back. Though she had gotten mad at her adoptive brother and adoptive mother for giving her such dangerous items she still knew why. It pretty much confirmed her theory that they were ninja and ninja always had hidden weapons on them. ‘Kabuto just wanted to keep me safe and thought that if I found out about them we would talk it out.’ Haru put the batter into the pastry bag that she kept stored in her school and began to pipe it out. ‘I don’t think he expected me to find out because one of my housemates is a samurai and has an eye for weapons.’ Her cheeks puffed out as she tried to keep count of how many of the pastries she was making. “What kind of baby drinks espresso? That amount of caffeine, especially with the way Italians make their coffee, can’t be good for babies.”
She was in the middle of making the pastry cream and mixing it with whipped cream when Rebon appeared again. “Haru.”
“Nigiyaka-san,” Haru corrected as she focused on her project. “I call you Reborn-san and I will ask that you should at least call me by my last name, we’re not friends we are basically strangers.”
“Mmmm, Haru, I have a task for you later,” Reborn told her, she kept her focus on the pastry cream. However she knew when he had left because she could finally breathe again. “Wish Sora was here, she would keep Reborn-san entertained. One poker face against the other.”
When the eclairs, and by that Haru had also made espresso for Reborn, were done Haru began to make her way upstairs. Only to nearly step on a trap, her trainer instincts managed to keep her from doing so but still. ‘If these get ruined because of Reborn-san, I am dumping the espresso on his head.’ she griped in her mind as she tried looking for a path she could take. Turning around she saw that he had somehow managed to lay traps down behind her while she was climbing the stairs. Groaning, she began to make her way up the stairs trying her best to look out for the traps, hold onto the tray, and be as careful as possible. ‘This would be better if I HAD MY SKATES! No, that would be rude.’ she told herself, when she finally made it to her room Reborn was sitting there like nothing happened. Tsuna looked up seeing Haru now looking frazzled. Haru walked over to the table in the room and set down the tray before looking at Reborn who smiled up at her. Her fingers twitched at the espresso cup which he quickly took from the tray and took a sip. Haru’s eyes narrowed before she served them up the eclairs on plates, seeing a hole in the table where her hairpin was obviously used. She held out her hand to Reborn. “Reborn-san my hairpin and its sheath, please.”
“Not yet,” Reborn replied, taking a sip before enjoying the eclair. “Dame-Tsuna has yet to finish his homework without distraction.”
“Without distraction?” Haru's eyes widened but she didn’t say anything else. She didn’t want Tsuna to get punished and she wanted her hairpin back. She sat back her cheeks puffing in irritation when she noticed something or someone at the window. Standing up she walked over and there she saw a child wearing a cow printed onesie with fluffy black hair and green eyes. ‘Tauros’ cousin?’ she thought, opening the window before leaning out to address him. Her pink eyes took in the multitude of weapons he had on him then noticed Kenshin, one of her housemates trying to get his attention. “Hey kid!”
“Stupid Reborn,” the child said before looking up and seeing Haru there. “Ah.”
“Hey,” Haru whispered before leaning down and picking him up carefully, seeing that he had in fact been crying. She took off the weapons and brought him inside and he began to struggle when he saw Reborn starting to shout but Haru said. “No shouting, we don’t shout in other people’s houses. How about I bring you downstairs and we don’t distract anyone, alright?”
The kid shouted, something about becoming the best hitman ever, and Haru petted his hair as she took him out into the hallway asking quietly. “Then do you have to disturb them?”
The kid sniffled as Haru took a candy out of her pocket and handing it to him as she knelt down. She was glad she took the time to move the traps. “There, what’s your name?”
“Lambo,” the kid muttered as he accepted the gift sniffling once again. Haru smiled at him. “I’m Nigiyaka Haru.
“Haru,” Lambo muttered and Haru sighed, she knew this was an actual child as she headed downstairs with him. “But Reborn….”
“He can wait,” Haru said as she opened the door as Kenshin walked up. “Hey.”
“Was following your path back home,” Kenshin said, his red eyes sparkling at Lambo as he knelt down. “Hey little guy, saw that you got scared up there.”
“Mind taking him back to our place and keep him entertained?” Haru asked and Kenshin nodded his head before looking at her hairpins as if noticing that one out of the five that she had was missing. “The reason why I can’t leave just yet and there can be no distractions.”
“Ah,” Kenshin uttered before picking up Lambo who began to struggle. “Hey, I know you have something you want to do, but my friend here needs no distractions so she can get something back that is precious to her.”
“But, but Reborn!” Lambo huffed and Kenshin laughed as he carried him across the street to their place. Haru shut the door before turning around and finding Reborn standing there. “Impressive.”
“Don’t you have anything better to do?” Haru asked before turning around. “Like actually doing your job and teaching Sawada-san so he can do better in school?”
“Among many other things,” Reborn replied, earning a scowl from Haru. This was much different from her usual cheerful expression on her face. ‘I have to admit he is good at getting under my skin.’ she thought before walking past him saying. “Next time, stop trying to cause Tsuna to get distracted and actually teach him to focus.”
“I teach in my own way,” Reborn replied, looking at the spotless kitchen and noticing money on the counter. “Who provides you with money?”
“H-san,” Haru replied as she fished through her bag. “You know you can always just ask me these things instead of stealing my stuff. Normal people ask.”
“Normal is different for most people,” Reborn’s voice spoke in her ear. There was a weight on her shoulder and she looked over seeing Reborn sitting there as if her shoulder was a chair. She moved to grab him but he was too quick. “That is not for you to sit on!”
“Reserved for a pet?” Reborn asked and Haru breath hitched as she looked away before saying. “Not just a pet, but a companion, a friend. He’s just not here right now and I don’t need you on my shoulder.”
She glanced back before seeing her notebook for school in his hands and rushed over only for him to move quickly out of her reach and back up the stairs. “HEY!”
Haru ran after him, dodging the remaining traps that were still there as she peered into Tsuna’s room. He was still working on his homework but no Reborn in sight. Gritting her teeth she slowly began to move through the upstairs of the house. ‘This is not polite.’ Haru thought as she looked for Reborn, thinking that she might just have to go home without her stuff.
“This isn’t a game Reborn-san,” Haru spoke, keeping her voice low as she looked around keeping her senses open. “I’m going home once I get my stuff back.”
“You will get them back,” Reborn’s voice spoke, Haru swore that he had speakers all over the house just to pull a stunt like this. “Each time Dame-Tsuna gets an answer right, one of your items will be returned to you. However, each time he gets another wrong I will get to ask my question to you.”
“Should I help him study?” Haru asked her moving her arms as she looked around. “Seriously, I can just get them tomorrow from Sawada-san.”
“But you won’t,” Reborn told her and Haru closed her eyes. “Nigiyaka, Haru. Age fourteen, born in the Kanto region in a small clinic in the Chiba prefecture. Birth certificate, growth chart, residents, even housemates with the same treatment; Himura Kenshin and Akinoki Kousuke. H-san is good at his job. Who is he?”
“I don’t know,” Haru said, knowing that Tsuna must have gotten a question wrong. “None of us know, to us he’s just the guy who gives us weekly tasks and gives us money for bills, groceries, and spending money. Sure he gives us letters but he makes the tasks fun by giving us points to use in getting stuff to improve our living conditions.”
There was a pause as Haru listened, trying to figure out where Reborn was at when another question was spoken. “Where are you from?”
“Honestly… the Kanto region,” Haru admitted before rubbing the back of her neck. “Specifically Pallet Town, I’m from Kanto just not this place’s Kanto. I think I’m from a different universe entirely because there is a game out there called Pokemon and in the very first game there is my hometown.”
There was a knock on the door before she heard it open and Kenshin’s voice asking. “Hey….”
“Caiosu,” Reborn’s voice called from down the stairs. Haru ran to the stairs seeing it loaded with traps and no apparent way down. She flung herself over the banister rolling herself forward so she wouldn’t get hurt hitting the ground. However it seemed like Reborn had expected that and had place a simple rope trap which caught her leg and dragged her into the air. Haru was glad that she wore shorts under her uniform skirt, still miffed that they didn’t let her wear her fluffy shorts. There was Kenshin and Kousuke staring down at Reborn. Kousuke, with his long purple hair and green eyes, was the first to speak. “We’re sorry for interrupting but is Haru here? It’s time for dinner and she needs to get back.”
Kenshin was still staring before he noticed Haru hanging by one ankle in the trap, but Haru knew both of them well. They wouldn’t be impolite by barging in.
Kenshin wasn’t sure what he was looking at. The baby in the fedora was still the weirdest thing by far, Haru hanging from a trap by her ankle was actually pretty normal in comparison to the Italian speaking, fedora wearing baby who had an unreadable expression on his face as he spoke. “Haru is helping Dame-Tsuna learn a lesson.”
Kenshin sighed before kneeling down to look into the baby’s eyes as he said. “Look, you're taking things too far. Haru has to eat and she likes her hair pins with her.”
His hand twitched to his practice sword but he made no other move as Kousuke place a hand on his shoulder to stop him. Haru snapped. “Oi! Let me down, Reborn-san please!”
Then with a flick of the wrist Haru was released and she dropped to the floor. Reborn standing to the side to let the other two trainers in shutting the door behind them. They both had the sense to remove their shoes quickly before their feet even touched the floors of the house. Haru sat up rubbing her head as Kousuke immediately started to check for any injuries.
“Haru,” Reborn’s voice spoke out and the three looked towards him. “You are perceptive and resourceful, but that alone will not keep you alive in our world.”
“We aren’t a part of your world though,” Kousuke said and Reborn looked at him saying. “The moment you stepped beyond that threshold you already entered our world.”
Reborn held out the hairpin to Haru who took it as he warned her. “Whether you become enemies or allies, that remains to be seen.”
“Unless you hurt one of us, we will not stop or intend to get in your way,” Kousuke told him and Reborn looked at him with that mysterious smile on his face. Then Reborn looked at him addressing him. “I can make no promises, however I would like to get an espresso with you Akinoki Kousuke.”
“I prefer tea myself,” Kousuke chuckled, Haru wondered what kind of bond was formed between the two.
‘He is much older than he appears.’ both Kousuke and Reborn thought as they analyzed each other with ease.
As the group left Reborn watched from the upstairs window seeing where they headed. Tsuna having completed his homework, Nana having come back to see the group there and was delighted that Tsuna had more friends over. This meant that Haru and her friends had a way to escape. ‘Nigiyaka Haru, Himura Kenshin, Akinoki Kousuke… Haru mentioned a fourth, one that is missing.’ Reborn thought to himself as Kousuke came back with a sleeping Lambo in his arms. ‘This last one will be the wild card. I will need to find out who it is.’ Reborn said before moving away from the window, he needed to see who seemingly came into existence four years ago.
Screams rang through the air as a battle occurred far from the lands of Japan and in the lands of Italy. A man with silver hair stood in front of a group of teenage girls, his sword glistening. “Boss’ order ladies, no witnesses.”
One girl hid her face as he swung only for it to be blocked by a naginata blade. The silver haired man looked over silver eyes meeting teal eyes. A blank expression on the face of a teenage girl, around the age of fourteen, white hair curling around her face. “We are not required to listen to thy boss’ orders.”
Teeth clenched before the man shouted. “VOOOOI!”
The girls began to run away as Squalo got out of the parry backing away, the teenage girl repositioned herself. Her facial expression remained passive and blank, as if she was a porcelain doll. She moved into front before her eyes went upwards and she slashed into the air blocking the knives that were sent flying towards the girls. Squalo didn’t turn to look at who threw them, he already knew, however he was being blocked from his prey.
“Who are you brats?” Squalo barked and the girl just continued to stare. “What family are you from?”
“I am by myself,” the teen answered and Squalo ran forward, his sword biting into the polearm as she blocked. “I made a promise that those girls will get home alive. Thou almost made me break that promise.”
Squalo’s eyes caught a collar around her neck with a chain that seemed to have been broken. ‘Scum will be scum.’ he thought, referring to the family who had decided to become the enemies of the Varia. However, orders were orders and apparently this girl was the only witness left.
“I am Chiba Sora,” the girl spoke as she nodded her head. “It would be recalcitrant if thou doth not introduce thyself to thy opponent.”
“Chiba Sora huh?” Squalo sneered, gripping his sword tighter. “You’ve got guts, I’ll give you that.”
With a burst of speed Squalo swiftly moved his sword into an arc knocking the naginata away from the teen who just blinked. He pointed his sword at her. “But interfering with the Varia’s business? That is a death wish.”
“I interfered with hooligans who had no interest in returning those girls home,” Sora answered and Squalo pushed the sword closer. “They had been here for years longer than my own four, I had given them my word.”
“You keep talking about promises,” Squalo growled in irritation. “But do you even understand what you have gotten yourself into? This isn’t child’s play. This is the mafia world, and I am not just any opponent. I’m Superbia Squalo, the sword emperor!”
Sqalo swung his sword and Sora ducked with great elegance and speed. She moved forward to grab her own weapon when she was bound by wires. ‘That cheeky little….’ Squalo thought before shouting. “BEL! YOU DAMNED PRINCE! STOP INTERFERING IN MY BATTLE!”
“Shishishi, boss says to leave it,” Sora’s eyes flickered to the young man in the shadows. “Although, having the birdy might prove to be entertaining.”
“A bird flies in the sky, a cage can only contain it for so long,” Sora spoke back, Squalo was getting frustrated by the unreadable expression on her face. It was as though she had no care in the world. Belphegor walked up to her placing a knife under her chin and tilting her head up asking. “Is that why your chain was broken? They kept you locked away birdy?”
Sora did not respond as she stared at Bel before saying. “It was to sing songs to the man’s friends and audience, your highness. However thou hast provided an adequate distraction for me to release myself and uphold the promise I had made.”
Squalo’s face morphed into an angry grin, she had just said that this attack was an adequate distraction. He swung his sword and Sora seemed to noticed, her foot lifted up and she kicked against Bel which pushed both himself and Sora backwards. The blade cut through the wires releasing Sora from their binding effect. She reached across Squalo and grabbed her naginata. “I am Chiba Sora, heir to the Chiba family and trainer of Kanto born in Pallet Town, and lover of the skies. I will not allow thou to kill me here as it is home I desire to return to.”
“Shishishi,” Belphegor laughed as he sat up and climbed to his feet. Squalo moving back quickly as the Ripper Prince glanced over to him. “She would be much more interesting to break than to kill you know.”
Squalo saw her eyes flicker between the two as if calculating the chances of her winning. His grin widened knowing that she might flee leaving her open. Then she dropped the naginata, a sign of surrender.
“Do you really think you are going to live just because you surrendered?!” Squalo yelled charging forward but Sora merely replied. “To surrender thine life or to retreat and have that life taken away. There is no right option as the battle is no longer against a single opponent but many.”
Her eyes flickered behind her where Squalo could make out Mammon and Lussuria standing there. Then Xanxus’ voice spoke out from the shadows in a growl. “I told you to leave it.”
“Shishishi, boss the dead man’s song bird knows how to fight back,” Bel spoke as he walked up behind Sora and poked at her face. “She got in our way of killing the witnesses. However she might know where the dead man kept those files.”
“So the brat can be useful, huh?” Xanxus asked before was silence as if he was thinking. “Bring her and rip the information from her head if she doesn’t give it up willingly.”
“YES BOSS!” the group said loudly. Sora sighed before looking out one of the massive windows they were by towards the sky. ‘It will be another long time before my eyes can gaze upon the beauty of the sky beyond that of a mere window.’ she thought, before returning her gaze forward as her arms were grabbed and she was taken out of the mansion that had once been her prison. Shortly afterwards it was set ablaze, to no care of Sora. Her only hope is that the girls got home safely and then one day she will find those that she was sent with. She had a feeling who it was, but she was not sure if she could see her spring again. ‘Haru, wait for me.’ Sora’s eyes flickered to the members of the Varia, she knew exactly the files they had spoken of. She had taken them one night and memorized every last word on the page before burning them. The man had never noticed that they were gone, now the only copy was burned in her memory. ‘I will find my way back to you.’