Chapter 3 – And wash out the salt from my hands
For some reason, Takeshi knows Reborn will be a Spartan tutor but somehow... He’s milder than the alternate timeline. For instance, Reborn woke him up by jumping on his stomach and pointing Leon at him and yet he laughed it off easily, waking up immediately and looking at the time. Thankfully he’s woken up just a few minutes by his usual alarm so he immediately got to stretching and then going outside for a jog with Ryohei-senpai at 4am, his dad is already awake and just got home with the fishes they’ll fillet for sushi later.
Takeshi waved him goodbye as he sprints around the darkened neighborhood. Seeing Kyoya-senpai already beating up some thugs in the street and Ryohei-senpai telling him an extreme good morning as they both do their exercises. He’s panting lightly 30 minutes in and he frowned, knowing he’ll need to stop by the 45 minutes mark.
“My limit’s 45 minutes as of now. I’ve been aiming to make it into an hour but so far, the progress is saddening to me.” He said to Reborn as he sits on the bench, intending to catch up with his breath. His heart is beating quite fast even after he’s done his cooldown exercise and he’s kind of worried to be seen as a burden.
“That’s a lot of progress for someone of your stature. With time, your progress will reach your favored hour mark. Though I saw something in you, you intend to kill, haven’t you?” Reborn inquired despite the praise.
“I have killed already, back in my kidnapped days. I burnt a man, then sliced the throat of another before help arrived. In my mind, if I’ll die at least I’ll take those murderers of my mom with me. And now, in my head, if I kill or incapacitate them fast enough, I’d have more time for a break.” He started after drinking from his water bottle.
“However, I have trauma with blood. My hands, they’ve felt my mom’s blood. My trauma response is to get violent, that when Tsuna got bullied by the bullies in 8th grade, they accidentally bled his nose and I just... I almost got expelled from beating them up to a pulp. Kyoya-senpai managed to stop me as the teachers try and save the beaten-up bullies. They said I was crying, screaming for them to stop killing my mom, to not take Tsuna away from me. Tsuna got traumatized too, I think. He doesn’t let me see blood anymore especially when it’s unexpected. And he joined mine and dad’s kendo for Shigure Soen Ryu, so he can protect himself and me. Ryohei-senpai makes sure the blood I see on his wounds are little ones, not enough to upset me. Kyoya-senpai however, allows me to have an outlet for my bloodlust. I know in the mafia, blood will be prevalent so I need your help for me to manage it, Reborn.” He continued, looking at the infant as Leon turned into a gun and he didn’t have any time to dodge.
“So, this is Hyper Dying Will.” Takeshi laughed as flames dance in his palms, a flame on his forehead also appearing.
“It feels, like I’m reborn with a purpose. Is that what it is? Me regretting the blood on my hands and then having a bullet in my head wants me to act on my regret?” He asked Reborn as the kid have a contemplative expression.
“Basically, yes. But you don’t seem surprised by it.” Reborn replied as Takeshi’s flames went out, but his eyes remained orange.
“I have my memories. You’re holding back a bit, aren’t you?” Takeshi asked as he started to stretch again.
“Clearly, not because of your heart condition but more of your... amiable lackluster.” Reborn replied as he sits on Takeshi’s back during one hand push ups.
“Meaning me laughing at your cute attempts to bully me into submission isn’t your style at all? What a shame for the world’s greatest hitman’s sadistic tendencies, finding a willing masochistic student isn’t as fun as an unwilling one, isn’t it?” Takeshi laughed as he finished his set and goes back to their home.
Takeshi giggled as Hayato kicked his deck despite the reprimanding of the teacher. Tsuna’s staring daggers at Gokudera while Takeshi rights his table. Tsuna’s in a mood it seems, what with him only brightening up at their morning hug before school and yet wears an indifferent mask to others. Takeshi knows that Tsuna just wants answers, answers he’ll get later after school especially when he gets Nagi because she’s connected to Mukuro.
The door opened again as another transfer student stepped in and he got excited to see Chrome.
‘Reborn sure works fast.’ He thought as Chrome timidly introduced herself and got seated between him and Kyoko. Gokudera however sits behind Tsuna, both have the window seats. He looked at them with a soft smile, but his heart beats in excitement and then trepidation.
He’s becoming the Vongola Decimo of the most bloody and powerful famiglia and he’s going to be in danger and he’ll put his loved ones in danger and oh god it’s getting harder to breathe.
He felt the coldness seep in his bones, his oranges eye turning into red and indigo. He was about to laugh but the orange comes back in a flash.
‘Oya, how interesting. I almost had you under my control, Vongola Decimo.’ Mukuro chuckled in his head as Takeshi smiled again softly. Though he has the tact to appear busy and taking notes to not appear like he just almost had a mental breakdown.
‘Welcome home, Mukuro. I need you in my ‘make the mafia into a corporate giant that runs the government and eradicate it after’ plan. You in at destroying it in both bloody and non-bloody sense?’ He asked seriously in his head.
‘Kufufufu. I’m in. When can I possess your body though?’ Mukuro sneered.
‘I’m afraid you can’t really possess me because I cringe at myself. I’ll answer more later, come by Take-Sushi after Kokuyo High lessons. Bring Ken, Chikusa and M.M. I want to feed you four. No buts.’ Takeshi replied as he writes down some senseless notes. If his memory is right, Mukuro isn’t in Vindice yet. He smirked viciously at the thought of fighting Vindice for his Mist. He won’t let anyone of his guardians away from him anymore.
He felt Mukuro retreat in his mind, probably back to whatever Kokuyo High teaches. He glanced at the clock, sighing as it only gave them 20 minutes in when he wants to go home with all of his guardians.
“You airhead! I’m here to challenge you for the Vongola Boss position. You’re not fit to be the Tenth!” Gokudera yelled during their lunch at the rooftop. Tsuna and Kyoya-senpai both scowled as the girls settled with Ryohei, said Sun helping Chrome with some of his meat. Reborn popped out of the wall, explaining that if Takeshi won then Gokudera Hayato will be his subordinate while if he loses then the other will be the Vongola Boss.
“Bring it on then.” He said with a wink, catching Shigure Kintoki and not transforming it from it’s shinai form as he bats the bombs away.
It went on for awhile with Takeshi batting away the bombs and it going off in the sky, making him cheer as it’s fun like in baseball. But when Hayato lit the last batch of dynamites and it all scattered on his feet accidentally, Takeshi moved with Hyper Dying Will slashing the bombs fuse away with precision. His heart sped up in adrenaline in order not to have a bombed Storm away, and thankfully he managed to stop all the fuse as the unlit dynamites scattered all over them.
“You! You... You saved me! Even if I am your opponent?” Gokudera flustered as Takeshi clutched his chest and started coughing.
“Cough... I don’t need you to die, I only needed to win. Cough!” Takeshi replied as Gokudera looked like he might cry and beat up Takeshi. Tsuna went and put a cooling hand on Takeshi’s back, it’s covered in Rain flames and tranquility settled into Takeshi’s heart as he leans back on the smaller teen.
“I lost... to someone who saved me. I AM SORRY FOR MY TRANSGRESSIONS, YOU’RE SO MUCH BETTER AS THE TENTH, I’LL FOREVER BE BY YOUR SIDE.” Gokudera announces as he bowed to Takeshi and looks happy.
“You’re my friend now, no take backs, Hayato.” Takeshi said as he walked to Hayato and hugged him. Hayato seems to glow in pride even if he’s mostly surprised by the contact.
They went to the others, the girls sharing cakes as Hibari and Ryohei mildly comments from time to time.
“Everyone. There’s something you all need to know.” Takeshi said once he’s seated on the floor, Hayato to his right and Tsuna by his left. Everyone turned to him to listen.
“I’m going to be Vongola Famiglia’s Decimo, the Tenth Boss of a mafia family. I have to have guardians, friends who will protect me and live for me. I’m planning to make Vongola a tool for me to dominate Italy, Japan, and Norway for some selfish entrepreneurial reasons like eradicating poverty and hunger. I need social change for that to happen and for that to happen I need people to want me in power. Of course it will be bloody, especially to those wanting to oppose me and cling to traditions. But I really want to fix the crime rates and poverty and basic living conditions. Like have 1960s economic stability of cents but still have modern benefits of having water, shelter, electricity, Wi-Fi, food and water, etc. Those things. Oh, and here’s Reborn, my Sun Arcobaleno tutor and the World’s Strongest Hitman.” He explained as he munches on his tonkatsu, Reborn by his side.
“And I’m going to be the Tenth’s Right Hand Man as well as Storm Guardian!” Hayato announced after chewing on his bento.
“You all have a choice to back out. That’s non-negotiable because all of you will always have that choice.” He seriously stated, meeting all of their eyes, even Kyoko’s and Hana’s.
“You’ll always be my choice. Although I’m hoping I won’t have to inherit CEDEF.” Tsuna calmly responded while the others are taken aback.
“Tsuna- how?” Takeshi asked as Tsuna smiled back at him.
“Remember the day you were kidnapped? Dad came home and he had a fight with Maman and so he’s forced to tell why. They didn’t know I heard all of it but all I wanted to do is to protect you.” Tsuna stated, taking Takeshi’s hand and squeezing in comfort as they looked at each other’s eyes.
“Wherever the most fights are, I’ll be there. You’ll need a disciplinarian for them.” Kyoya stated as he finished his hamburger steak and drinking green tea.
“I’m EXTREMELY COMING too to make sure you all aren’t hurt.” Ryohei screamed in determination.
“I’ll be a policewoman after I become a prima ballerina so expect me to be in the legal sides to help.” Kyoko stated as she finished her cake.
“I’ll bail you guys out.” Hana finished,
“I- I want to have a better world where children won’t be abandoned by their parents anymore.” Chrome said timidly and Takeshi knows she’s in.
‘As long as I get to destroy the mafia.’ Mukuro echoed in his head.
Reborn smirked. Everything is in place, now only for the Lightning to come and for the day to end.