Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It was barely 7 in the morning, and despite being already within the range of rush hours and just at the beginning of the week, the Namimori train station could not boast of a large influx of people rushing through its corridors. A marked contrast with the frenetic pace of the Tokyo train station from which he came, already warning him of the unexciting life of a city-town lost among the mountains, where nothing ever happened, of an aging population that little by little Little would follow the fate of other towns in similar situations, with the inevitable flight of young talent to the big cities in the search for opportunities, which for years had depopulated the country's rural areas.

In his research, before setting foot in Japan he had come across some headlines in the local press that spoke of reports of gang fights there. One more sign of the temporary imbalance that was experienced in the area, since the street gangs were already a species in danger of extinction in the largest cities of the country, strangled by the police, social pressure, and the prohibitions that had been lifted around them.

It was estimated that within a couple of decades, even the mythical yakuza would be nothing more than an old wives' tale of the yesterday, crushed by government pressures.

Although forming and establishing an organized crime organization was surprisingly not an illegal act in itself in the country, and the convictions of the crimes that constituted its usual activities such as gambling, loans, extortion, drugs, money laundering, and local nightlife were not particularly high, between the strict anti-yakuza laws that prevented them from being openly part of Japanese society, the control and freezing of bank accounts, national arrest warrants and brutal police intelligence were slowly draining and ending some of the main Yakuza groups, especially those who liked to stand out in public. The only ones that seemed to survive over time were those families of aristocratic origins who, with their influences and long-standing names, had made their way into the world of politics.

But here, in the small, isolated Namimori, fights still broke out between gangs of bullies from different schools. Little Yakuza wannabes who were trying to build their empire without much success other than gathering five or six idiots and a police force that seemed at best to be tremendously understaffed and at worst to be completely inoperative, having given up the peace of the city to the vigilantes on duty despite the peace could be breathed during the day.

When he got off the train, with only his fedora on his head and a suitcase in hand, everything that Reborn knew until then about the young woman who would be his apprentice came from a file, currently in his possession, that was tremendously outdated - if the photo in it of a little girl said something - A short file, written in a very unobjective way by Iemitsu himself, more full of banal superficialities than any information that could really be useful to him.

Reborn understood that Iemitsu and the Nonno tried their best to keep the blonde's daughter as low profile as possible to keep her safe from any rival family that could had a particularly competent network of contacts. Vongola had not survived for so long merely by relying on their weaponry superiority.

- No one deigned to make the connection out loud, but this had originally also included keeping her away from the eyes and ears of the Ninth's own now-deceased children -

And yet… This was simply too much .

The folder in question contained the only documents in the entire vastness of the Vongola archives that contained any information regarding the mother-daughter duo - He knows this because he personally made sure of it. Who knew that a special authorization letter from the Nonno would open so many doors, even among archivists destined to keep things away from outsiders' eyes. -

The main report described Tsunayoshi Sawada simply as a bubbly and happy girl, who has a bit of trouble in school, quite shy, without many friends or facilities to make them, and a bit clumsy who adores her parents, living in a house of the suburbs only in the company of her mother, and who currently attends Namimori High School.

That was all.

The other information on the file corresponded to her birthday and a physical description that was no longer applicable, beyond the pair of brown eyes and hair like her mother's.

Also attached was a handwritten list by Iemitsu of the agents who had been sent to monitor mother and daughter over the years to ensure their safety. A surprisingly short list - Way too short - for someone who was technically a candidate for the Vongola throne from birth, however small the possibility may have been until before the Nonno's three sons were murdered consecutively within a period of just months. 

- Another security measure, he supposes .-

Reborn always questioned how Iemitsu could be so good at his job and at the same time such an idiot.

For him, the man was a complete mystery of nature. Iemitsu wanted to keep his family safe, and yet he never kept quiet about it. Always bragging about his beautiful and loyal wife and his precious Tuna Fish to whoever would listen. How Iemitsu believed that would do anything to keep them safe was beyond him, but well... This was no time to dwell on the stupidity of an idiot,

He had work to do.

The Sawada residence and Namimori Highschool weren't particularly difficult to find, but considering the activity in the area, Reborn decided to take a couple of days to familiarize himself with his new surroundings before meeting his student.

Who knows, with how busy the nights were in the place, chances are and maybe he could find some candidate element before the new Cielo Di Vongola awakens its flames.

The newly awakened skies are always eager to gobble up any element they can find nearby, and depending on the girl's abilities, he would have to be very careful who he lets her surround herself by, and even more... who she harmonizes with.

- He would be a fool to swallow Iemitsu's report. He would personally judge his new student's abilities.

But if anything it says in it turns out to be true...

Reborn was the first to believe that hard work surpassed talent, but the girl was a teenager... A child. A civilian who had not been exposed to the evils of the world a single day in her life and whose biggest worry in the world would probably be where she was going out that weekend.

Leading a Famiglia was not anything. He can teach her how the business works, teach her how to surround herself with competent and trustworthy people, even help her grow a spine...

But it's one thing to not have a spine... and quite another thing to not have the wood for work.

There wasn't much Reborn could do about that. -

At the end of the day, even if her abilities turned out to be a disappointment, she was still the Vongola's last hope, so right now everyone back in Italy would simply have to settle for whatever Reborn was going to find.

But if the girl doesn't have what it takes... Then probably anything he may find in this godforsaken town wouldn't make the cut, much less be up to what's coming before them.

He will have to get top-quality material. More than truly qualified people. Guardians capable enough to cover the shortcomings of their sky and allow Vongola to remain afloat in the stormy sea that would be a future without a sky whose brightness has the strength and power to illuminate the path.

- Hence he already brought a list of the best candidates that the influence and immense vaults of Vongola could obtain -

If the girl didn't have the guts for the position... if putting up a fight wasn't her thing... Then, her guardians must be the best lineup that Vongola has ever seen in its long history.

The ring already rejected Xanxus - And the rings of elements are not known for changing their minds - Nonno will not live forever, the end of his days is sooner rather than later and Iemitsu as Head of the CEDEF is not eligible for the position.

Someday, that girl will have to sit in the chair... and when that happens... if she's not strong enough to carry the weight, her guardians will have to be.

Reborn blinked away his thoughts before continuing down that useless path of thoughts.

That was just the worst possible scenario - Leaving aside any in which the girl was actually already dead - He had yet to see a single hair of his student and although it was his job to prepare for the worst, it was too early to start thinking about that curse of action.

He had given Nonno his word. His old friend needed an heir and an heir is what Reborn would give him, after all, the girl was still a direct descendant of Vongola Primo himself. There was still hope for a halfway decent future and like hell Reborn would force her to be up to it. He had more than enough confidence in his abilities as a tutor to be almost certain that he wouldn't leave Namimori with a bad taste in his mouth.

He had dealt with a preteen who fell down the stairs more times than he actually managed to get down them like regular people, and not only had he kept him from wasting his family legacy, but he had turned him into the best head of the family they had seen in generations.

A spoiled girl would not be a challenge for him.

He looked at one of the station's panels to think about what his next move would be. It was already 7:30. Namimori Highschool started its day at 8 o'clock, so probably by the time it takes to get there the school will already be almost full. 

Good. 

It will be good to get to know your student from afar, to see how she developed in her natural state before introducing himself to her. It is what would best give him an idea of how much work there would be ahead of him.

…

From the outside, Namimori Highschool looked like an ordinary high school in any rural town in Japan, but it was enough to simply observe carefully for a few minutes to get out of that mistake. What stood out the most was the so-called Disciplinary Committee lined up at the entrance receiving the other students, who could constantly be seen patrolling the school inside and outside of class hours, calling attention to those students who broke the rules, but who also acted as a kind of militia that fought not only with troublesome students from other schools, but also with criminal gangs in the area. Making Namimori one of the safest towns in Japan, even with the influx of thugs who come from other places to test their strength or try to conquer territory.

Of all the Committee, the one who stands out the most is its mysterious President, who seemed to have the school and all of Namimori completely under his control. A rather quiet and aggressive junior year boy named Hibari Kyoya, apparently the last living member of an ancient family of great renown in the area. The boy did not bother to speak to any student outside the Disciplinary Committee other than to threaten to “ bite them to death ” and then proceed to beat them using a pair of metal tonfas. In the entire city there were only 5 exceptions to that rule:

Kusakabe Tetsuya, the boy's right-hand man.

Yamamoto Takeshi, sophomore year, Mr. Popularity himself. Star of the school's baseball team and apparently someone with no sense of survival, if the aura that Hibari released when he put his arm around his shoulder while having one-sided conversations with the boy had anything to say about it.

The Sasagawa siblings:

Ryohei, the oldest, (a junior year like Hibari, and who in fact turns out to be Hibari's classmate), president of the boxing club, much bigger and stronger than the rest of the children his age and who apparently shares with Yamamoto the null sense of survival by, from time to time, hitting Hibari's shoulder while also carrying out a one-sided conversation with him.

Kyoko, the younger sister, (sophomore student. A rather sweet girl who apparently happens to be the most popular in school), occasionally comes over to have a word or two with him, usually when he's going overboard on it. of the tonfas (presumably this also has to do with her level of popularity), but unlike her brother and her friend Takeshi, she is more respectful of Hibari's personal space, so her presence and the Kurokaga Hana, the fourth and final exception, also a first year and best friend of the younger Sasagawa, is usually much better received or at least, not with an aura of death like the other two.

Apart from the eventual fights in which the tonfa boy was involved late at night during his patrol trips to the city, there was not much more to rescue from the first days of observation - although he will save those observations for later. A little bitty perhaps, but Reborn would bet anything that boy was a cloud... and a pretty powerful one to be in a place like this. Good. That meant this place had potential. -

But right now the raven-haired boy had a problem: Reborn still hadn't seen a single hair of the one who was supposed to be his student, not during class hours when she was supposed to be in her classroom, not even during the time he was watching over the Sawada residence.

Seeing how Nanami Sawada remained calm, following her daily routine without showing any sign of worry - and without his instinct suggesting anything - Reborn decided to wait... but as the days passed and the weekend approached, his concern increased.

There was a reason why Reborn was number one at what he did, not only had he never failed a mission, but he had excelled at each and every one of them, and he definitely wasn't planning on failing this one.

If the girl didn't appear soon he would have to start taking action.

But apparently, there was never any need to alarm, because all that suspense came to an end when on his fourth day in the city, he noticed an abnormal level of commotion inside the school for it being the first hours of the day in an establishment full of sleepy teenagers.

Hallway whispers came and went at a frenetic speed as the Disciplinary Committee reminded everyone who entered the school about the school assembly that would take place that morning.

The reason behind all the fuss?

Namimori High School had won an important regional Jiu-Jitsu tournament that would open the doors to the nationals and the Principal had asked the Team Captain to give a short speech at the assembly.

Now, why all the fuss about it?

Apparently, the origin of all this agitation was not the situation itself but was precisely the triumphant return to school of the winners and particularly, of the aforementioned Team Captain.

Reborn had initially judged that Sasagawa Kyoko was the most popular girl by how everyone in her seemed to know her, how they addressed her, or the type of comments that were made about the younger Sasagawa when she and her best friend weren't around. However, it seems that such a conclusion was too hasty.

While Sasagawa Kyoko's virtues were a common topic of conversation in the hallways among both the female and male population. This paled in comparison to the frantic and excited murmuring raised by the head of the Jiu-Jitsu team.

It took little for Reborn to learn that such a level of admiration wasn't directed at her just for having led the team to victory or for having won first place in the tournament herself.

No

It turns out that the aforementioned team's captain was not only the Captain of the Jiu-Jitsu Team, but she was also none other than the President of the Namimori High School Student Committee.

- An extremely respected and admired figure within the student body -

From what Reborn managed to extrapolate from what the students were saying, it seemed that Namimori High School was under the control of a very delicate balance of powers between Hibari Kyoya, President of the Disciplinary Committee, and the aforementioned President of the Student Committee. Two big fish in a small pond who tolerated each other enough to coexist with each other and who worked together to keep the school and all of Namimori safe and under control.

From what he was able to find out thanks to one or another comment whispered by members of the Disciplinary Committee, these two powers were not only in a truce, but it could be considered that, in fact, they were friends, or at least known people of each other since a long time.

Some rumors spoke about “childhood friends” and one or another comment, said in a slight whisper, dared to insinuate that they were “ something more than friends ”, to which another, equally quietly, responded that that was It was impossible because she “ very clearly, already had something with Yamamoto-san ” capturing Reborn's attention.

It seemed that a central piece of the Namimori Highschool puzzle had been missing and if the girl in question was capable of rivaling Hibari Kyoya - and thus possibly another element worthy of consideration - 

Things were about to get interesting.

…

It was early Wednesday morning when Tsunayoshi finally got off the bus back in Namimori. They had stopped at a gas station to have breakfast and clean up a bit. After this, the bus would drop them off at school, and from then on they had been given the day off as a reward, but she didn't have time to rest, she had work to do. Director Yamanaka had sent word through her coach that she was requested to make a short speech at the assembly that morning regarding the championship victory and a couple of administrative-level announcements that needed to be made. Tsuna took a breath, counted to three, and then let go. - “ That old bastard” - she muttered in her mind while clenching her jaw. She comes from being away for days and traveling several hours during the night for him to come and ask her to do his job.

Of course, she could have refused, but she had an image to maintain. She didn't even think about stopping by her house, she drank a double Americano in one gulp and headed to the station bathroom. 

She could be sleep-deprived and exhausted but she still had to look presentable.

Quickly changing into her uniform in a cubicle, she put her hair in a high ponytail, not in a bun because she'll need to give it structure later. She brushed her teeth, and washed her face using a Cleanser. Normally she would have taken her time to follow up with a Toner, followed by a Serum that she kept stored in the mini refrigerator that she keeps on one side of the sink on the second floor of her house, which she has taken as her own, and a Moisturizer before after applying her sunscreen. Exaggerated for her age? Maybe, but she knew that her self in a couple of decades would appreciate it. Although today she didn't have enough time to continue with her therapeutic moment of self-care in the mornings, they had only been given a few minutes of free time while the others were choosing something to eat for breakfast.

She carefully covered her dark circles with her concealer before applying translucent powder and applying her mascara. She used just a little blush to hide the paleness of her face after a bad night's sleep on the road. She scanned her face for any other imperfections to cover and was satisfied when she found none.

She brushed her hair using a straightening brush, applied cream to give her otherwise wild hair the desired shape and topped it off with hairspray to make sure not a single hair in her usual hairstyle was out of place. To finish, to top it all off, she put on some delicate gold and pearl earrings - her favorites - Kyoya usually didn't allow them but after that replenishing cup of strong coffee on an empty stomach, Tsuna found herself running on nothing but coffee and fire in her veins and she was ready to take over the world. She finished her hurried version of her morning ritual as always, running her hands over her uniform as she scrutinized her appearance in the mirror, searching for nonexistent lint and wrinkles in her flawless image. With everything done, Tsuna squared her shoulders and smiled at her reflection, feeling like herself again.

It was show time.

Leaving the bathroom with her head held high, she walked toward where the rest of her teammates and the teacher in charge were waiting for her to board their transportation back to school. 

As soon as the bus arrived at the entrance Tsuna asked to get off, she couldn't wait for it to go all the way around to enter through the parking lot. She said goodbye to her teammates and her coach, again receiving a round of congratulations for her first place interspersed with the goodbyes, bumped fists with Meg, and landed on the sidewalk with a jump. 

The members of the entrance disciplinary committee were still there in their usual formation receiving the latecomers, making sure that they were wearing the uniform properly, complying with the dress code, and making them tremble with their reproachful grimaces, fearful of being bitten to death. 

- “Good morning guys!” - Tsuna greeted them cheerfully. To which they responded by extending their greetings and congratulations, loosening their frowns as she advanced toward the door. Kusakabe Tetsuya, Hibari's second in command, was already waiting for her.

- "Good morning Tetsu-san!” - the brown-haired girl greeted him with a singing voice and widened her smile.

- “Good morning Tsunayoshi-san. The assembly is about to begin, I suggest you hurry up. Kyoya-san is already there and he's going to bite you to death if you're late" - Kusakabe responded, to which Tsuna of course just laughed.

- “Then let's not keep Mr. Carnivore waiting” – She mentioned in a playful tone. Kusakabe just smiled and shook his head as he watched Tsuna advance down the hallway at a quick and cheerful pace, smilingly waving at whoever she passed, with everyone in the hallway waving back with great enthusiasm.

It didn't take long to reach the entrance next to the amphitheater stage, from outside she could hear director Yamanaka already addressing the students.

Kyoko and Hana greeted her with a bear hug at the foot of the stairs, with whispers of congratulations and comments about missing her, checking her from head to toe making sure she was ready to go on stage.

-“Remember the committee meeting tomorrow, okay? You already missed the last one due to training and although I would love to carry out a coup d'état and officially supplant you, but your iron fist is necessary.”- Hana reminds her with a half smile. Now that the championship season was over, she had run out of excuses and it was time to turn her attention back to her other responsibilities.

Kyoko and Hana were also part of the Student Committee - Secretary and Vice President, respectively - So using that as an excuse, they were also allowed to be there behind the scenes. Much to the regret of poor Takeshi, who often had to stay alone in his seat during official events. Although of course, in reality, he was never actually alone because he was always surrounded by his teammates from the baseball team.

- Tsuna would make sure to give him a bear hug too when this is all over -

She soon hears Mr. Yamanaka mention her name followed by a thunderous round of applause. 

Her time has arrived.

Straightening her back and carefully placing a polite smile on her face, Tsuna stepped onto the stage. From the podium, she was able to locate Takeshi, Ryohei, and Kyoya. She made eye contact and waved at them by raising her eyebrows in greeting, Takeshi and Ryohei returned an enthusiastic wave, while Kyoya just narrowed his eyes at her - He hadn't missed the detail that she had barely arrived on time. -  She would appease the beast by giving him a fight after classes.

Tsuna seriously suspects that half of Mr. Carnivore's character problems are purely due to stress, the other half, (which may or may not be related), is due to how emotionally constipated he is. Seriously, Tsuna would give him love if only he would let her. For God's sake, they've known each other since they were kids! Tsuna spent hours hugging Kyoya during the first anniversaries of his family's death in that car accident. She was always there for him, until one day he decided to act tough and push her away and since then every show of affection on his part is received with a death glare and a tonfa.

Tsuna understands, Kyoya was the heir to a long-standing family legacy. When his parents and older brother died, he had to grow up a decade in a single day. So Tsuna doesn't pressure him and takes it with humor, taking advantage of teasing him at the same time. But beyond the surly words, she knows that he still appreciates her beyond the respect he may show her as someone whose strength he perceives as comparable to his own. And if sometimes the fearsome Hibari Kyoya has his soft moments, well, that is a secret that only belongs between him and her... and maybe Takeshi.

But no one else.

- It's not like anyone else is going to believe her anyway. Or as if Tsuna wanted to share it, those moments, that side of Kyoka, were only hers to see. -

And… she was lost in thought again. Tsuna blinks and smiles at everyone as the applause ends.

She begins her little speech by happily greeting everyone with a simple “Hello” to which the entire audience responds back with giggles, matching her cheerful energy.

Yep, she was in her element.

-“Well, first of all, I would love to announce, in case anyone hasn't heard yet, that the Namimori High School Jiu Jitsu team has won the regionals and is going directly to the nationals” - Tsuna pauses to receive the acclaim of the attendees.

- “Taking advantage of the opportunity that the director has given me, I would like to congratulate my incredible team that fought tooth and claw to win that final. I know better than anyone how many tears, sweat, and blood it cost us, but I warn you that we are going for more.” - Tsuna blurted out with a biting smile that triggered an even more excited reaction from the audience.

 - “Leaving that aside, Principal Yamanaka also asked me, this time as President of the Student Committee, to make a couple of public utility announcements for this new school year: For this year's alliance season, the rules of conduct will be changed and there will be much harsher punishment for those who start food fights in the cafeteria. Yes, I'm looking at you Hajime ” - Tsuna pursed her lips to avoid joining the giggles that were heard among the crowd of those who had witnessed the spectacle.

- “As well the use of megaphones and musical instruments in general during class hours will also be prohibited” - To which this time none of those present could avoid breaking into laughter.

Okay, it was very likely that the implementation of this last rule was Tsuna's fault. From where she was she could very clearly see Takeshi breaking down out of laughter in his seat.

As if he hadn't helped, the damn bastard.

- “Those are all the announcements, Thank you very much for… Ah! and… the nurse sent word that if someone has a stomachache in the morning and knows they are sick, to please NOT come to class to avoid incidents like last year, that's all” -

Of course, the whole school remembered that incident, having someone vomiting in the cafeteria in the middle of lunchtime was definitely not a pleasant moment for anyone, but now that it was all in the past, half the school was laughing their heads off remembering the incident, 

poor Takeo.

Amidst the laughter and applause of the crowd, Tsuna walked off the stage feeling satisfied. Kyoko was laughing too and Hana just shook her head at her with a smile as the principal went up to dismiss everyone back to their respective classes. 

With everyone up and moving, Takeshi and Ryohei took the opportunity to get closer to where they were, catching up with them as they left.

-“Hey Tsuna! Nice speech and congratulations on the tournament." - Takeshi said with a smile as he put his arm around Tsuna's shoulder as they continued walking. The brunette only laughed, leaning on the other, more than used to her best friend's gesture. - "Hello to you too Take, Ryohei-san" - Tsuna greeted them, to which of course the white-haired man responded by shouting with an enthusiast - "You went to the extreme in that championship. That's how is done, Sawada!" - As if it could be in any other way. Kyoko couldn't do anything but smile at her brother's excitement and Hana just mumbled something about “ monkeys ” under her breath while following them.

As they arrived at their respective classrooms to continue with a normal day of classes, Tsuna couldn't help but sigh after finally leaving behind the frenetic pace of the last few days, she stretched her limbs and let out a long and heartfelt sigh, but nevertheless, She surprised herself still feeling tense…

She had the feeling of being observed .

Well, more than usual at least.

Her intuition told her that there was something out of place, and  her intuition had never failed her.

She had already felt her intuition slightly more active than usual in the last couple of days, humming in a dull sound, warning that something was approaching, and it seemed that with the vibration of her intuition going from a dull one to an active one in the whole rule, that whatever her intuition had been alerting her to had finally arrived at her door.

— Mmmh… She will ask Mr. Carnivore about the changes that have occurred at school during her absence after the fight, but she will still warn him to be alert. —

…

From one of his secret hiding places, Reborn had carefully observed every movement made by the girl since the old man in charge of the school had announced the name of the brown-haired girl to go on stage.

None other than his missing future student, who apparently was the center of all the murmurings in the hallway.

Finally, the wait seems to have happily paid off.

He had found his student.

It was time to introduce himself.

Chapter Text

The next morning, as usual, Tsuna got up before the sun began to rise, and headed to the gym to start the day off right after such a busy week.

As she went down the stairs still fresh out of bed to get her first coffee of the morning, she was stopped dead halfway when she noticed her mother working down in the kitchen.

Already up.

Cooking.

- "Good morning, Tsu-chan!”- Nana greeted her enthusiastically. Tsuna blinked a few times and decided that she hadn't drunk enough coffee yet to deal with this, opting for simply smiling at her mother.

She knew there was only one thing that could put her mother in such a good mood so early in the morning and she really didn't want to know anything about it.

but...  for her disgrace, she was a good daughter.

So she was basically obligated to ask.

- “Good morning Mom, what are you doing up so early?” - She asked her mother lightly as she headed to the kitchen for a cup of her precious black gold.

- “Ara Tsu-chan, you see, a couple of days ago a letter arrived from a private tutor sent directly from Italy. One of your father's postcards also arrived recommending him! He says that this tutor is an acquaintance of his and has helped several of his friends' children, It will be very good for you! Your dad mentioned that he would be arriving this morning!" - Her mother mentioned happily while showing her an envelope that until then had been innocently placed on the entrance table - And Yep, as always, her intuition was correct.

Tsuna definitely did not have enough caffeine in her system to deal with this.

- "If you say so, but Mom, don't you think I'm doing well enough in school already?" - Tsuna asked her mother softly.

- "Yes honey, but a little help never hurts”- Nana responded with a smile. Tsuna blinked again, downed her coffee in one gulp, and immediately poured herself another one.

She had perfect grades and had just won first place in a tournament that would be her ticket to the big leagues. How her mother believed that this… tutor could help her in any way was beyond her.

A letter of recommendation from The Mister himself, eh?

Ha.

Those letters could as well be lined with gold and diamonds with of how much her mother clung to every word written on them.

But It was fine. Her mother loved him - for some reason - and if those letters made her mother's whole week when they arrived, well, she was not going to complain.

- But Tsuna wasn't blinded by the rose-colored glasses that seemed to keep her mother tied up. -

Her dear daddy had not appeared at home in a record time of almost 3 years. If it weren't for the generous amount of money deposited into the bank account for household expenses religiously every month on the same date, Tsuna would be convinced that the man had finally decided to abandon them and play "little house" in another place.

- No way would she consider those postcards that he deigned to send every so often as if they were actually something -

- "Well, if you say so…”- she mentioned, giving in as she began to climb the stairs to get ready.

-"Sweetie! Aren't you going to have breakfast?" Tsuna looked at the scrambled eggs for a moment and then decided to sit at the table and grab some toast so her mother's efforts wouldn't be wasted. - Someone had to appreciate them - So happy, Nana turned around to continue cooking.

Tsuna just watched her mother while she ate her toast and drank her coffee, deciding if perhaps she finally had enough energy to touch this even with a three-meter stick.

-"Mom, what are you cooking?” - She finally asked the older brunette, choosing to ignore the elephant in the room.

-“Lunch Tsu-chan! I'll prepare your bento!”- And again, Tsuna blinked.

Okay… This was officially weird.

But soon with enough caffeine in her system, Tsuna decided she could live with it.

She finished eating her toast, drank the last of her coffee, and stood up from her seat thanking her for the food, slowly heading upstairs to change. But not before stopping at the entrance to look at the happy letter that had been returned to its place of honor on the entrance table.

This was too specific to be a scam and the postcard indeed had the handwriting of Iemitsu, who had decided to show signs of life for the first time in months and just to fuck with her life.

Tsuna no longer knew whether to laugh or cry

Now she really needed that punching bag.

…

With the sun already halfway over the horizon, after a particularly exhausting hour in the gym, Tsunayoshi was ready in her immaculate uniform and was checking the last details of her appearance, from the bathroom upstairs, still with the door closed she could hear the doorbell ringing and her Mother happily greeting someone.

She checked the time on her phone twice before deciding if it was worth going downstairs to check who it was.

It was still 15 minutes too early for the girls to get through, leaving the very real possibility that the third party at the door was a stranger.

- A stranger who found it very pertinent to stop and ring their doorbell during the school day's travel period and in the middle of a weekday. And considering that Tsunayoshi lived in a typical suburban house where the average tenant was a family with at least one school-age child, the stranger either lacked the social awareness or lacked the manners to not realize that he would most likely be interrupting the middle of the very busy morning routine of a young family with a whole day ahead of them. Deeply inconsiderate.  -

Tsuna took a breath, counted to three, and let go. She straightened her clothes once again and looked at herself in the mirror one last time, smoothing a non-existent stray hair back into place, as she finally made a decision.

There was not a single blemish in her appearance.

She looked at the clock one last time before opening the door.

There were less than 10 minutes left for the girls to come for her.

It would be fine.

She squared her shoulders and went down the stairs with a smile already drawn on her lips ready to greet the guest to, again, just like earlier that same morning, see herself stopping dead in the middle of the descent.

In the doorway next to her Mother was what could only be described as a baby. In a suit. Hat and all. Talking casually to her Mother as if it were any Tuesday and they were both a pair of grown-ups.

Tsunayoshi watched the exchange for just a few moments with a frozen smile on her face before forcing herself to continue forward to hide her bewilderment from the stranger.

Honestly, she would almost find the whole situation hilarious, if it weren't for the fact that this was most likely Iemitsu's doing.

That… and the fact that her intuition had begun to buzz like crazy, as only a few times in her entire life, warning her about not letting her guard down with the newcomer.

Tsunayoshi would be a fool to ignore her now simply due to appearances, but while she could tell that the stranger was dangerous, her intuition didn't seem to consider him posing any immediate danger to her or her mother. That is to say, she could tell that the stranger had no intention of harming them directly, what's more, Tsunayoshi could tell that the stranger did not seem to have any interest in her mother at all, so he did not represent a problem to her at all.

His attention seemed to be rather directed towards her. 

Good. She could work with that.

She resolved to treat the baby-man as cordially as possible while she measured him and saw what this was all about.

She was very interested to know what all the fuss was about.

She and her almost non-existent sense of conservation - Hana's words, not hers - were very curious.

-"Oh, Tsu-chan! Here you are! Please attend to our guest while I go get the tea.”-

Her mother said without bothering to explain further before disappearing through the kitchen door, leaving her alone with the stranger.

Well, let's see what this is about.

-"Ciaossu! Are you Tsuna?” - A pair of onyx eyes looked at her revealing nothing more than what she could identify as a slight curiosity, like a wild cat looking at a newcomer. -More like a scientist looking at their new experiment rat. - Her intuition supplied-

- "Indeed” - She agreed, stretching her smile.

- "From now on, I will be taking care of you.” - The infant stated. Something in his tone made her notice that he was not saying it lightly, it was more of a mere courtesy, he said it as if it were an absolute fact.

Interesting.

- "Is that so?” - Tsuna asked, raising her eyebrows, without missing a beat - “So, to what do I owe the pleasure?” -

- “Don't worry, Miss Student Council President. I hear congratulations are in order” - Is that your way of telling me you've been keeping an eye on me?

- “You are very well informed” - I hope you know I don't find a single fucking funny thing on being watched.

- "Of course. Obtaining information is a basic skill in my field of work, Tsuna” - And he didn't even bother to deny it.

- "You already seem to know who I am, but education comes first, I am Tsunayoshi Sawada, charmed. You may call me Tsunayoshi” - Tsunayoshi added scathingly but without leaving aside her polite tone. I don't care who you think you are, I don't know you yet enough to come up taking such trust.

She knew perfectly well that her interlocutor did this to weigh and measure her in the same way she was currently doing with him. Tsuna was more than capable of playing along, but she wasn't going to waste an opportunity handed to her on a silver platter like this to set some boundaries.

- “And you still haven't told me yours” - Tsunayoshi pointed out, while she crouched slightly, resting her hands on her knees to approach her interlocutor.

- "I am your private tutor, Reborn” - Of course he was… as if not. Her dear daddy would never cease to amaze her, wouldn't he?

-"Is that the case? So tell me, Mr. Reborn, at the risk of sounding superficial, How can someone of your… age be a tutor?"-

- “Simple, I am a super-developed genius. I may be a baby but my mind works like that of an adult."-

- "Fascinating! And what brought someone so extraordinary to my door?"-

- "To give you tutoring of course!… your father is an old friend of mine and I mentioned, I think my help would serve you well."-

- "Now… Excuse me, Mr. Reborn, there seems to be some kind of misunderstanding here. I have impeccable grades. I don't think there's much you can help me with..."-

Tsuna mentioned innocently and for a few seconds, she and Reborn maintained a staring contest before Reborn broke his mask leaving out a smile.

- "Okay, I will reveal my true identity to you.

I am the assassin tutor Reborn;  The world's No.1 hitman.

And I'm here to make a mafia boss out of you.” -

He mentioned casually while taking out a presentation card from his jacket to hand it to her and his pet chameleon transformed into a gun in his hand.

You have to be fucking kidding me.

Such a blatant introduction had Tsuna raising her eyebrows again, she had controlled her expression but decided that a lack of reaction to the title would raise questions.

-To anyone else, he might be clearly just a baby who could pass for a gifted child, what's more, if Tsuna were anyone else she herself would have laughed in his face at such a statement. She might have even considered it adorable. -

But Tsuna isn't just anyone, and that presentation that could have passed as an imaginative comment made by a child to anyone else, Tsuna saw for what it really was: 

The little bastard was talking seriously.

Tsuna could be bothered to do the tap dance of pretending not to know that the killer is serious and that he's just joking because of his childish appearance.

It's a risky move, she knows, but she decided that showing the hitman that she at least knew how to play wouldn't be a bad idea. Not if you want this relationship to start off on the right foot at least.

- "Mafia boss, huh? And what mafia would that be?"-

Reborn's smile stretched even further.

After his discoveries the day before he had scavenged through the school archives and walked around undercover asking questions to the passing Namimori's students.

- Perfect grades, and multiple decorations in competitions organized by both the school itself and the district, all of them ranging from sports competitions, passing by art and poetry contests, to mathematics Olympiads. -

A true marvel both physically and intellectually.

Right now he could say that the mockery behind the girl's words was not born out of disbelief. But it didn't seem to be a mockery directed particularly at him either.

Fascinating.

Anyone else might think that the girl was simply playing along, but Reborn had way too many years of experience reading people to not be able to see the truth.

The girl knew he was serious and didn't seem particularly surprised by his announcement.

Whether the girl had any knowledge of the underworld enough to know who he was before showing up, or whether if it was a budding hyper intuition that was already latently making an appearance, was something that Reborn was not yet able to determine, but with all his years of experience in the underworld, Reborn already believed he could tell with certainty at least one thing about the girl in front of him:

The girl had the wood.

- Looks like we wouldn't be feeding pearls to pigs after all -

He still lacked information. It would take him longer than he expected to determine which method would be appropriate to use with her...

but in the meantime...

Reborn pointed his gun at the girl and fired.

The bullet passed close to her but without even leaving a scratch on her cheek.

Oh?

Not only was the girl not scared by the shot, but she stayed still in her place, without even shaking a single hair.

It was not paralysis in the face of fear.

No.

The girl didn't even flinch at the shot and simply raised an eyebrow in his direction without losing her polite smile or batting an eye.

Reborn could almost feel the challenge that now was openly displayed in her gaze.

- Every second he liked the brat more -

- " So tell me Tsunayoshi, Are you used to not dodging bullets?”

- "Under normal conditions? Of course, but you're here to train me as a mafia boss, right? So beyond the damage you could cause me, I suppose that anything that produces a permanent deterioration in any of my abilities or my death is off the table, right?

After all, I'm worth more alive and in one piece than dead.

Besides, I'm just a civilian, so there was no way you could count on the fact that I was going to dodge the Bullet and well... I guess they don't give you the title of the best hitman in the world by having a bad aim, don't they?"

Tsunayoshi finished her reasoning with a shit-eating smile.

And Reborn matched her smile.

Screw Iemitsu's report.

He had found a diamond in the rough.

The doorbell rang behind them.

- Saved by the Bell -

- “Well Mr. Reborn, I'm sorry for the rudeness, but my friends have come for me. I would love to stay and keep chatting but if I don't leave now, I will be late for school.

It will be a pleasure to continue this conversation after class” - Tsuna decided to end the conversation as she straightened up.

- “Go ahead, I won't keep interrupting you. I still have a couple of details to talk out with your Mother” - Reborn turned, acknowledging the time out.

- "It will be a pleasure to continue this in the afternoon.

Have a nice day little Mister” - Tsuna said with a little jeer in her tone as a goodbye while she grabbed her bag and walked out the door.

Now she was definitely having that conversation with Kyoya.

Kyoko and Hana were waiting for her at the door, they only gave a quick greeting to her mother before leaving for school. Takeshi, who was conspicuous by his absence like Ryohei, could only accompany them twice a week since the rest of the days they went to school very early to train, so he would only join them back in the classroom.

Of course Tsuna also has her training with the Jiu-Jitsu club, but all of these are in the afternoon.

During the entire trip to school, Tsuna continued to review fragment by fragment her previous encounter, carefully analyzing whether, in the middle of the moment, she had not missed anything that could come to bite her in the butt later while she recapitulated.

- Okay, this is what we got so far:

1. Right now there is a hitman - who also happens to be a baby- in my house.
2. He knows her sperm donor. Which is no guarantee of anything really.
3. He came all the way back from Italy to train me as a mafia boss. From the Vongola family, the same one Iemitsu works for, to be precise. Which brings us to point four:
4. He poses no direct threat to her or her mother. Well, that's not counting her peace of mind. So for now we'll just stay alert.
5. You can tell from miles away that guy has the ego up to fucking space. Although assuming that if what he says about being N1 is true, he probably has reasons to have it, but that doesn't take away point six:
6. It's going to be a real pain in the ovaries to put up with him.

You see, Tsunayoshi is a person who really appreciates her freedom. And it's not like she hasn't earned it of course, between her grades and people singing her and her mother's praises for raising her at parent-teacher conferences, her mom has never asked her major questions about her business. - None really - she assumes it's because she trusts that she is smart and responsible enough to know how to make her own decisions.

Whether or not her mother knows about her sneaking through in - or out - the window late at night to sneak into Takeshi's house or simply to relieve some stress by accompanying Kyoya on his patrols as a form of light night walk is beyond her.

But that's how things have always been between them. It's a kind of mutual understanding that the two have always had.

- She doesn't tell her and her mother doesn't ask and so the latter can feign blissful oblivion. -

A question from Hana directed at her brought her out of her thoughts. Of course, as lost as she was, Kyoko and Hana quickly noticed that she had something on her mind.

Tsuna didn't even bother to pretend that wasn't the case, that would have been an insult to her friends' capabilities, they were too perceptive not to notice. - Tsuna knew better. There was a reason those two were her best friends after all. - But beyond the initial question of rigor, given her refusal to respond by deflecting the question, both were quick to understand and neither of them delved deeper into the topic, resuming their previous conversation as nothing to tell her about some of the relevant events of the week.

It was times like these that she loved Hana and Kyoko.

Despite having gone to the same school together all their lives, it was not until their last year of middle school that the three became friends. Kyoko and Hana had been best friends for as long as they could remember and towards the end of middle school they had basically adopted Tsunayoshi into their group and since then the three of them had been inseparable.

 - Tsuna loved the ease that both had to take her mind away from the problems and complications of real life and immerse her in a bunch of shameless gossip.

She loved how they could both tell when she simply had too much on her mind and needed help distracting herself.

When she wasn't ready to talk things out yet and they simply trusted her to tell them later, without pressuring her.

Or when she just needed space.

They had always been like that.

Respecting Tsuna's own boundaries even before Tsunayoshi herself learned how to enforce them.-

Thus, the walk to school passed by between some new students, a fight between the Disciplinary Committee and a rival school, a couple of embarrassing love confessions, and a few pranks on some unfortunate student.

Tsuna wasn't going to fill them in on the situation until, well… she herself knew exactly what the situation was.

...

The morning classes moved quickly. Although Tsuna didn't have a hard time with school, after her prolonged absence due to the championship, now she had to make the effort to pay attention in class to pick up the thread.

She didn't even notice when the bell rang for lunch.

As soon as she walked out the door of her homeroom, an arm was put over her shoulders. Tsunayoshi didn't even need to look to know who that familiar weight came from.

-“Hey”- She greeted with a half smile, turning to see Takeshi, leaning against him and clasping his hands, not bothering to recognize the side-eye looks that people crossing the hallway were giving them.

-“Hey.”- Takeshi answered back, matching her smile while both stopped for a second to turn around to wait for the others to gather their lunches and follow them.

-“Roof?”- Tsunayoshi asked.

-“Roof it is.”- Takeshi answered, directing their march while having a pleasant chat telling her everything about his practices and the situation at his father's restaurant. - Dad asks when are you coming to celebrate that first place with us! It's on the house. He misses having you around after class. -

-"And… this is exactly why people think you guys hook up” – Hana pointed out with mockery with Kyoko scolding her for using such language with a very obviously exaggerated scandalized note without any real reprimand in her words dragging her brother behind her. Takeshi and Tsuna simply let out a snort without even bothering to separate before leading the way to the rooftop.

.

.

.

As Tsuna and her friends made their way down the hallway talking, laughing, and responding to everyone's greetings and smiles, to the rest of the simple teenagers who saw them pass, they were definitely quite a spectacle.

Not only because of the variety of its individuals, but above all because it was made up of the most popular people in the school.

If we were in the typical clichéd American high school, it could be said that they were the classic group of the popular.

All of them fine-looking

Untouchables

Always the talk of the hallways.

Everyone stops when they see them passing, everyone wants to talk to them. Everyone wants their attention. Everyone wants to sit at their table.

Everyone wants to be like them.

It was almost as if they existed in another world parallel to their own, living the real-life teenage dream.

If we had to classify them solely based on stereotypes, they would be: Ryohei as the brainless jock, Takeshi as the attractive and popular boy, Kyoko as the pretty face of the group, Hana as the girl who wasn't that pretty but had a brain and finally Tsunayoshi, as The Queen Bee herself.

The Mythic Bitch.

- If the school were an ecosystem, she would undoubtedly be The Apex Predator. -

You see, 

Many Things were said about Sawada Tsunayoshi:

They say she is Namimori High School's Sweetheart. The boys, The girls, They all like Tsunayoshi. She gives them butterflies when she bats her siren siren eyes.

They say it is alarming honestly, how charming she can be. She laughs like God, her mind is like a diamond.

They say when she walks by, you want to be her.

They say she will go far.

They say she has the brightest future ahead.

They say she will be someone.

They say she is undefeated.  Only fifteen but she walks the streets so mean.

They say her daddy is not around.  And her mommy is on her own.

They say she joins Hibari’s rounds for the thrill of the kill.  Every person in school is aware of her stare, when she tosses her hair they get perfectly still. 

They say she can smell your fear. Like a lioness, only with less fur, Do not mess with her, She is the apex predator.

But

Not everything was just appearances.

Namimori Highschool prides itself on the lack of bullying in its classrooms and hallways, not only because of the incessant patrolling of the Disciplinary Committee, but because of the influence of Tsunayoshi herself with her - already legendary at this point - no-nonsense policy.

She has never allowed any type of harassment whatsoever in what she considers to be her domain. A lesson that newcomers were always quick to learn.

If they wanted to last.

Her affable but always protective nature towards the other girls at school and her somewhat brusque but open disposition to help have made most girls see her as some kind of older sister to turn to if needed, no matter how superficial or serious the situation was.

- Needless to say, the school's female population is her main electoral base -

But her popularity was not limited only among girls.

As a prominent member of the school's athletic community - and champion for two consecutive years in the sports day as the representative of her grade alongside with Takeshi - Her particular sense of humor is particularly well received among the varied school athlete teams.

- Another of her important electoral bases -

It also helps that Takeshi makes sure to always make it clear to the boys at school - both athletes and not - that they can't just talk freely about her. Always with the enthusiastic support of the baseball team behind him to help with the lesson, of course. Completely outraged at whoever dared to disrespect such a respected figure of their school.

- especially when it comes to their captain's girlfriend-

You see, Tsunayoshi is pretty .

You would need to have no eyes for not seeing it.

As a child, Tsunayoshi and her relentless desire to not shy away from boy's games, although they turned her into a true social butterfly from an early age, never made her particularly feminine. In fact, she perfectly remembers that on more than one occasion, when she was covered in dirt and leaves after her adventure of the day, even some adults mistook her for a boy.

And then puberty hit her

and it hit her hard .

Thanks to her foreign heritage, being taller than most of the boys at school - which in Japan wasn't particularly difficult to say - and having developed earlier than several of the girls in her grade, Tsunayoshi was still in the later stages of her childhood when she began to attract the attention of the opposite sex.

The response from her classmates wasn't anything particularly remarkable, they used to make jokes to tease her about it, knowing that at the end of the day, Tsunayoshi wouldn't take it very seriously, after all, Tsunayoshi was their friend.

It was the attention from the older boys that made her begin to feel self-conscious about her new look.

Of course Tsunayoshi was too prideful to allow herself to look self-conscious about the unexpected new share of attention.

Tsunayoshi was tough, she didn't shy away from fights with boys. She could fight on equal terms with Kyoya who was already beating kids at least a couple of grades above him.

Tsunayoshi knew she didn't have much to worry about, but she did not like that feeling of self-consciousness under alien scrutiny.

That's how she ended up getting into the world of martial arts

And that's how she reconnected, after years of distance during her childhood with Takeshi.

Ah, Takeshi.

What might be said about Takeshi.

Always the shining knight in golden armor, ready to save the day.

- Although he knew very well that the damsel in question would not hesitate to blow out anyone's teeth -

Takeshi and Tsunayoshi have always been purely platonic, but even so, the entire school was completely convinced that they were together. Their close friends knew better of course…

But it's not like it was difficult to understand why.

They could always be seen chatting next to each other, how their shoulders always touched each other when walking through the hallways, how Takeshi always put his arm over her shoulders, or how Tsunayoshi had few qualms about his personal space, never Hesitating to lean against him and the constant touches of her hands that always ended up on his clothes or even to rearrange a nonexistent hair out of place on the black-haired man's head.

But despite their absolute comfort in each other's personal space, they both knew it had never gone beyond that, of superficial touches, tight hugs, and entire conversations about everything and nothing held in shared whispers in the privacy of their rooms late at night.

No matter what the others thought - Or what they never bothered to deny - they both knew how things worked. There was no need for names or labels, and that was what they were both comfortable with.

A label would put their relationship in a box, depriving it of the much-needed abstraction, the diluted limits that they both needed.

Although they knew well that as long as they kept what they had only between the two of them nothing would change, they both sensed that a name would have made things different.

Unnecessarily… complicated.

And what Takeshi and Tsuna loved most about their relationship was precisely that while the world seemed to be coarser every day and life itself seemed to be more complex every day, it was simple.

Easy.

An island of peace and calmness in the sea of storms that was teenage life.

It was their home. Their temple.

And that was the quintessential of their bond.

Tsunayoshi had been there when Takeshi's mother's illness was eating her alive.

Takeshi had been there when Tsuna's father hadn't come home in months and her mom wasn't doing well.

They were each other's rock and safe place.

That's why Tsunayoshi didn't give a damn if half the world thought they were together, even if the entire world tried to put whatever they had in a box to make it more understandable, mode digestible.

Go ahead and criticize her.

For not giving Takeshi his freedom. For not allowing him to open up to the world and find someone who loved him.

For not giving him space. For wanting to be the owner of his time. For not setting limits. For monopolizing him completely.

Tsunayoshi didn't give a fuck.

If wanting to have the one who was her pillar, her float in an ocean of stormy waters completely for her, was selfish.

Then Tsunayoshi was the most fucking selfish person on the planet.

but you know what? Let me tell you a little secret...

He is not interested in asking for his freedom either.

Do you know why?

Because he was hers.

Since a long time ago, and way far from where any words nor reason could save him.

That's why she loved him the most.

She could tell him what to believe, what gods to worship, when to pray, what bridge to jump off.

She could say horrible things.

Do questionable things.

Commit unspeakable acts.

The whole world could be against her.

But he would always be there to hold her hand.

Because at the end of the day...

He was Tsuna's Takeshi.

In a way that words were not enough to describe.

In a way that no one outside of them will ever understand.

And at the hour of truth, that's all that once upon a time has ever actually mattered to her.

Final Notes:

Did you notice the amount of Heathers and Mean Girl references? Yeah, my middle school me would be so proud.

One little thing:

I forgot to talk about it in the previous chapter, but I love to title my chapters by the names of songs that represent what’s inside the mind or heart of that chapter's main character(s), so the chapter titles are basically a spoiler of the plot and general tone of the chapter itself. xp

(Of course, you can always use them as the chapter's soundtrack and listen to them while reading. That’s actually what I do to write some parts of them when I need inspiration for a particular scene lol)

The lyrics of the songs that appeared in this chapter scratch out are from; Carmen - Lana Del Rey and Apex Predator - Mean Girls Musical. (I thought at 3 am that it was a good idea to include song lyrics on that part but now while I’m checking this I realize it might be a little bit too cringey. I’m sorry, that was my middle school-me coming back from death to make me include that. please skip that part if it is too much for you. - Or I might regret my life choices and just delete it myself, idk - )

If anyone is interested in knowing exactly why I chose the song, you can ask me in the comments, I would love to tell you :) I know that info-dumping is not everyone's tea, and that's why I choose to leave these lengthy notes with some rambling and/or explanations for some things in the chapter at the end of the chapter itself and not the proper final notes. I prefer to leave those notes for more important stuff, like extra warning tags that might be a big spoiler so you can choose to read them or ignore them and not be spoiled. (Of course, the most important stuff like triggering content is going to be properly tagged)

Freak Fact:

If you notice, Reborn did not use the dying will bullets on this Tsuna. I have the whole idea that Rebon used them in the canon to be able to break the seal that Nonno had placed on Tsuna's Flames and well, since our Tsuna's Flames here were never sealed (I will deal with that topic later in the story), It wasn't necessary for Reborn to get the bullets out so quickly.