-Tsuna's POV-

I woke up frowning deeply. With my mind still fogged with sleep, I vaguely recall having an unpleasant dream where I'm insulted by a talking pineapple.

Am I lower than a fruit?!

But then the fog cleared up and I recalled everything that happened. I sat up straight on my bed with a jolt.

'So that wasn't just a dream! It was real.'

Mukuro had asked me to find a girl for him. His 'other-half' as he said is located in a hospital in a town next to Namimori. He did not give any description of how she looks like, not even her name. He just said that I'll be able to immediately recognize her when I see her. When he said it like that, I could only picture in my head another pineapple head girl in green uniform, smirking evilly like him.

How terrifying. It'll be like having two Mukuros around me. I'm not sure I would want that. But seeing that I already promised Mukuro I would go find her and that I needed as much help as I can, I have no choice but to go.

It was easy finding which hospital she's at because there's only one big hospital in that small town. But here's where the hard part starts. Since I have no idea what she looks like or her name, I have to go around looking for her without looking too suspicious as I wondered around the hall aimlessly.

After walking for what felt like hours to me, I came across a nameplate with only one word on it: 'Nagi'. This caught my attention as most nameplates have their full name on it; the patient's actual name and their family's name (surname). But this only has 'Nagi' printed on it, no second name. It gave me a strange lonely feeling just by staring at the nameplate and I found myself opening the door before I could stop myself.

The room was deathly quiet, with only the rhythmic beeping of the heart monitor in this excruciatingly bright, white room. A lone, petite girl lay on the bed, her skin as pale as the sheets around her. Her arms were covered in bandages as well as her right eye. She looks around the same age as me but I could be wrong because she's so skinny it's obvious she hasn't been fed well for a long time now.

'What the hell are her parents doing?!' I can't help but get angry as I stared at the sick girl. Even though it is visiting hours right now, there was no one here and judging by the state of the room, they haven't been here in ages. Many other patients' room was filled with colorful gift baskets or flowers to brighten up the atmosphere but here, it's all white. Nothing but white. A out-of-place vase with a single, purple flower sticking out of it was the only thing that brought color into the room. My guess is that a sympathetic nurse probably brought that in for her.

I sighed, not liking this but I couldn't do anything about it either. I don't even know I came into a stranger's room. I was about to leave when a voice stopped me.

"M-Mu...kuro......s-sa...ma...." she muttered. I turned and frowned. 'How does she know that name?'

Her eyes slowly flickered open and turned to meet mine. She brightened up visibly when she saw me standing there despite the fact that I was a stranger who intruded into her room.

"B-Bos...su..." she whispered. I came closer to hear her more clearly and she repeated her words.

"Why are you calling me your boss? And how do you know of Mukuro?"

"Mukuro-sama told....me you'd come. He wanted....me to be of.....use to you." She said between heavy breaths. The whole time she spoke, I could see her complexion getting better and better which was strange because she look like death a few minutes ago.

"Are you sure he didn't want me to help you and not the other way round?" I asked, skeptical.

"N-No. I'm.....one with Mukuro-sama so while Mukuro-sama is resting, I'll be your protector as what Mukuro-sama told me to do." She said; her voice barely above a whisper but because there was only the two of us in the quiet room, I can hear her words clearly.

"I don't need any protecting. I can handle myself just fine." I said; feeling a little insulted that Mukuro thinks I need to be protected by a girl.

"Mukuro-sama thinks otherwise and has thus told me to always keep you in my sights at all times." She spoke monotony.

"That damn pineapple...." I growled under my breath. "How dare he underestimate me...."

'But it is true that I'm not doing well lately....' A small voice in my head reasoned.

I saw her get out of bed still wearing her hospital gown and I quickly turned away embarrassed.

"Anyway!" I quickly said to her with my back turned. "Are you sure you're alright to be getting up and moving around? You were so sick just now."

"I'm fine. I've lost a few of my organs due to the accident but Mukuro-sama made illusionary ones for me so I can live on." She said it so causally, as though it didn't bother her. Maybe it really didn't.

"Um....Nagi—"

She flinched and quickly cut me off.

"Chrome."

"Huh?"

"Chrome." She repeated. "That's my name. Don't call me by that other name. I don't want to remember." She said solemnly.

"O-Okay...Chrome." She seems like a quiet girl but it looks like her problems are not so ordinary.

We left the hospital together with Chrome quietly following behind me.
'Am I supposed to take care of her now? But I can't possibly bring a girl home and ask Kaa-san to let her stay.'

As carefree as she is, Kaa-san will definitely say no to having a girl the same age as me living under the same roof.

<~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~>

"Why of course she can stay!" Kaa-san exclaimed with joy.

I stand corrected. Kaa-san's overjoyed to have another person in the household that it doesn't matter if it's a cow, dog or even a fruit. She welcomes all.

"But make sure to inform your parents first so they won't worry about you." She chided.

"I have no parents." Chrome whispered and I saw Kaa-san's face went immediately sympathetic.

"Oh you poor girl. Come, let me show you your room that you'll be staying in from now on." She patted her back and led her away. I smiled at her flustered expression due to my overly excited mom and proceeded to head up to my room. I entered my room absentmindedly which was a mistake on my part when I remembered I was living with a sadist.

"So, who's that?"

I jump at the sound of that voice and let out a small yelp. I knew I shouldn't do that because the next thing I knew, I was on the ground. The ground seems to be my favorite place to be recently....

"Ittteeee....." I groaned.

"Dame-Tsuna, a boss should be alert at all times and shouldn't scream like a girl." He chided.

"Yes Yes....." I blurted but then found a barrel to my face. "Yes Reborn-san!"

He huffed and put away his gun with a satisfying smirk. "Now, don't make me repeat myself. Explain." He demanded.

"S-She's just a girl I happened to meet when I was out."

"Hmm....You seem to meet a lot of strange people lately." He mused. "So why did you bring her back here? And why does she look so much alike to a certain someone we met yesterday?"

I gulped but readily answered. "I met her when I was out shopping at Namimori district. She was homeless and injured so I couldn't leave her there. I figured I help her out..." I shrugged. "As for why she looks so much like a certain someone....." My eyes slowly wandered away from Reborn's oppressing stare. "That's just a coincidence....."

"Hmmm.....A coincidence huh? You fought Mukuro yesterday and just a day later, you brought back a Mukuro-look-alike. You call that a coincidence?" Reborn questioned.

"Y-Yes...." I tried to sound confident but it came out like a question.

"Give me a better excuse Dame-Tsuna. Your lies are so transparent that it's pathetic."

'Ouch....I'm painfully aware of that too but what can I say? He'll never believe the truth. Besides, he'll kill me if he knew I made a deal with the Vindice....'

"I-I'm Sorry Reborn....." I apologized and he sighed.

"It seems all you do lately is apologize. As your tutor, I thought you'd have a little trust in me over the time we've spent together but I guess I was the only one thinking that way."

"Reborn...." I reached out, intending to comfort him but froze when I saw his expression.

It was blank. As expected from the world's greatest Hitman but somehow, it stung me. I thought the occasional glimpse of emotions that I saw from Reborn means he was starting to let his guard down around me but now we were back to square one.

His poker face was unreadable and his eyes were hard and icy cold.

I miss the old Reborn. But this is what I get. It's my fault for keeping so many secrets from others, from the very same people who put their trust in me and now I betrayed their trust. I'm lying to them even though they gave me so much. And the thought that I'm going to have to lie even more in the future makes my heart clutch.

But I have to do it. I have to steel my resolve in order to do it otherwise it'll be another repeat of what happened in my previous lives. I don't want that to happen. This is one life I'm not willing to give up so easily without a fight.

I heaved a sigh and turned away.

"One day." I whispered but knew he heard me.

"What?"

"One day I'll be able to tell you everything but today's not the day..." I muttered.

Reborn didn't reply but acknowledged that he heard me with a small grunt. I could tell he was thinking. Debating whether he should put his trust in me once more and wait. Or he could end everything by putting a gun to my head and make me spill but that'll just ruin everything we've built between us for the past months. Though I suspect I've already partially destroyed a section of it.

I went downstairs, unable to face Reborn anymore and met up with Chrome at the living room.

"Na—Chrome. Are you sure you should be up?" I asked. I'm still in awe seeing how her injuries on her arm slowly healed overtime and her missing organs are sustained through Mukuro's illusions.

'Are flames this powerful?!' I had a glimpse of it when I went into my Hyper Dying Will Mode—as Reborn graciously explained to me—and the power I felt was nothing I've ever experienced before. If I master using my flames, I might have a high chance of defeating Death! But the problem is getting my flames to come out. I haven't tried it yet but I don't think Reborn has any more special bullets to shoot me with like he did on that day.

I wonder if Leon could make another bullet but seeing how tried Leon was after making my mittens, I can't help but feel sorry for the little creature. Reborn's currently keeping it inside his fedora to rest.

"Yes....I'm fine..." she spoke softly. I smiled at her. 'I thought she would be like Mukuro; creepy and weird, but now I see that she's just a shy, reserved girl.'

"B-Bossu...."

"You don't have to call me your boss! Just call me Tsuna like my friends do." I blushed, a little flustered by that title.

"No. Bossu is Bossu." She said firmly, without stuttering like she always do.

I sighed exasperatingly at her stubbornness.

"Bossu, c-could you bring me to meet Mukuro-sama?"

I jumped alert as she said Mukuro's name and quickly looked around for any sign of Reborn.

"He should be still in his comatose state. I don't think he would be waking up anytime soon." I said in hush whispers, fearing that someone would overhear our conversation.

"I know. But Mukuro-sama told me to find him the moment I met up with Bossu. Mukuro-sama says he can't stay there any longer, people will know."

"Then where did he want me to leave him?" I sighed, a little irritated. "He was severely weak, I couldn't just leave him in some corner, he'll die!"

"Mukuro-sama is stronger than you think. He'll be fine." Chrome smiled at me reassuringly.

"Right....Fine then." I gave up. This Mukuro-look-alike girl may have a better understanding of that pineapple head than I do so I'll leave it up to her. "It's late now so I'll take you to him tomorrow after school." I promised. "You should go rest, you had a rough day." I gave her a small smile and led her to her room by her shoulders.

She looks reluctant but I wasn't giving her a chance to protest. She just got out of the hospital and her face looks as pale as a sheet. I better give her a whole load of food to eat tomorrow or she look like she might faint anytime.

<~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~>

That night when I entered my room, I noticed Reborn already in his little hammock, getting ready for bed. However, he had a slight frown on his face as he stared out through the window into the night sky.

"What's wrong Reborn?" I asked, not liking the small bit of tension I felt when I entered the room.

"Again. It's that feeling...." He muttered, more to himself than to me.

"What feeling?" I stuck my head out of the window and looked around. I didn't feel anything except for the occasional chilly breeze in the air.

"Hm...That bad feeling I got right before Mukuro attacked the students, its back."

"What! But I thought we dealt with that already!" I exclaimed. 'And the culprit should still be asleep. Is something else going to happen again?'

"Hm..." Reborn looks deep in thought as he ignored my shout. After a while, he turned towards me with a serious expression. "I have something important to discuss with Nono, so I'll be away for the week. I expect you to behave and keep to the training schedule I made for you. Understand?"

It was hard trying to meet Reborn's eyes as he bore into mine. "Yes Reborn." I mumbled.

He sighed and shook his head. "I don't know what you're trying to settle in your head, but I hope you'll manage to find a solution to it soon. Take too long, and you might find yourself missing out more than you know. People can be patient, but even that has a limit."

'Huh?' I wanted to ask Reborn what he meant by that but he'd already closed his eyes and a snort bubble is blowing out from his nose.

I do want to to find a solution soon too. I want to stay here with everyone. But in order to do so, I have to keep secrets from them because there's a chance I may die. I'd never want to hurt them in any way because of Death.

So I'll do this alone.

<~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~>

-??? POV-

This is amusing. Too amusing.

I clapped my hands together and rubbed them in glee.

"Hehe~ It never gets boring around you. And this time, you're now involved with the mafia."

The mafia! How fun is that?! Think of the number of means and methods I could carry out your death! It'll be the most fun I'll have yet.

As I thought, you're interesting. The most interesting find I've found in decades.

I'm not going to let you off that easily. I'm going to have my fun.

Over and over again till I'm satisfied.

Over and over again till you completely give up.

Over and over again till you wallow in despair over living.

Yes, I can't wait to see you again.

Not now, but soon. I'm not going to sit on the sidelines and watch on anymore.

I won't let you forget what you did.

I know that the dateline isn't up yet, but still I'm coming to meet you.

.

.

.

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.

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.

I just hope I'm not too late.