Tsuna was woken up when his instincts flared up, warning him of an incoming attack. He did a dodge roll out of his bed, completely missing the hammer to his head and got to his feet. Without even a glance at the sadistic hitman, Tsuna quickly got dressed for the day and was about to head out when someone knocked on his front door.

Knowing that his mother wouldn't be awake yet, he quickly ran down the stairs to meet the visitor.

I wonder who would be here so early in the morning?

He opened the door and was met with a delighted, dazzling smile.

"Tenth! Good morning!" Gokudera greeted him enthusiastically and bowed.

"Gokudera! What are you doing here?! Shouldn't you be resting?" Tsuna can't help but exclaim. He just seen Gokudera bleeding and unconscious on a medical bed yesterday and now he's up and moving, acting as though he was never hurt.

"I'm fine! This little injury is nothing." Gokudera grinned. "Besides, I'll never forgive myself if I let you head into the enemy's territory all alone."

Urgh.....Reborn must have told him....

"Are you sure you're really fine?" He asked once more. He couldn't possibly recover so fast with only a day of rest. That's physically impossible. Tsuna sensed his friend was only lying in order to accompany them to the enemy's base.

"I'm perfectly fine. You don't have to worry about me!" He puffed up his chest and hit against it to show that he was alright, though Tsuna caught him wincing as he did.

Idiot.

Tsuna sighed.

There's nothing I can do to stop him from coming. Though I should probably keep a close eye on him just in case...

"Haha~ You guys are early!" A cheerful voice greeted the two and up pops Yamamoto by the gates with his usual baseball bag strapped to his back and a large bag in hand.

"Tsk. Why is he here?" Gokudera scowled.

That question crossed Tsuna's mind too but he could already guess the answer—Reborn.

Though, he couldn't deny that he felt reassured to have someone like Yamamoto accompanying them though that didn't stop Tsuna from feeling bad about getting him involved on this dangerous trip. What's more, it seemed like he got the wrong idea of why they're going there in the first place.

"Huh? It's the mafia game right? The other side is also playing, so we can't lose!" He laughed.

"Damn it Baseball idiot! This isn't a game!" Gokudera started and the two began their bickering while Tsuna walked on ahead.

I just want to get this over and done with...

He sighed as he noticed another figure was waiting on ahead. Apparently Bianchi was also coming along. Her reason being that she wanted payback for what they did to her little brother and to protect him. But her coming along was doing the opposite of that, seeing how Gokudera collapsed the moment she showed up. But Tsuna figured that as an assassin that she claims to be, she should be able to help them in this fight right?

At least Tsuna desperately hoped so. They would need all the help they can get for what's to come.

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

Tsuna stared at the rundown place ahead of them and felt something dark spread across the theme park, as though a dark cloud had hung over the place, casting a dark, unpleasant shadow over it.

The theme park was abandoned years ago and it was just left as it was, letting nature overtake the place as the structures inside slowly get worn down by age and the weather.

There was a large, old building in the distance that Tsuna can see from the entrance which was also partially falling into ruins and that was where the target lies, according to Reborn.

Do we even have a chance of making it out of here in one piece?

He couldn't help that morbid thought and he felt dread raising inside him as he stared at the creepy run-down building.

"Hey Reborn? Just who are we fighting against?" Tsuna asked, realizing that he was still quite clueless about their enemies they were supposedly to face.

Reborn passed a pile of photos over and explained as he did.

"The leader; Rokudo Mukuro, along with his two followers; Ken Joshima and Chikusa Kakimoto." He pointed to them respectively. "There were a few more who escaped when Mukuro destroyed the prison cells but there's no info on them at the moment."

Tsuna glanced at the photos and fought down a shiver. Mukuro looked vicious and absolutely terrifying for a convict. Just looking the photo made Tsuna's throat run dry and something nagged at him from the back of his mind, a warning or a memory of some sort. Though Tsuna couldn't spare the time or moment to entertain that feeling right now.

The other two in the photo looked scary too. Tsuna recognized one of them as the guy who attacked Gokudera yesterday. Hopefully, the damages he received from Gokudera would be enough to keep him down for the count.

Well, no time to wuss out now.

Tsuna blew out a breath and tried to mentally prepare himself for the battle ahead. With his friends by his side, he felt braver to move on to danger even if he was only going to receive more pain ahead. Besides, he couldn't possibly let them off that easily after what they had done to Gokudera and the others now could he?

Here goes nothing. Hope I don't regret this.

Tsuna took his first step into the long forgotten land and into enemy territory with the others following closely behind him.

For a moment, there was nothing but silence surrounding them. They walked on through the overgrown place with nothing but greenery and no living creature in sight. Tsuna took the time to look around and felt a nostalgic memory came to mind. He remembered a time when he was younger, a time when his father was still around. The three of them would come to this amusement park—back when the place was still functioning and filled with life. They would visit, play and make a stop to every attraction, enjoying each other's company. Those were simpler times when just the thought of having his parents by his side was enough for happiness for him.

How could I have forgotten this precious memory?

He felt saddened by this thought as he walked on. But there was no time for sentiments when his senses pick up on something coming their way.

"Wait guys." Tsuna stopped the others from moving ahead and noticed Reborn giving him a pleased grin.

The others noticed Tsuna's behavior and tensed. The two took out their weapons while Bianchi has her poison cooking in her hands. (Just how in the world does she hides that?)

For a moment, everything was still. But that only lasted for a second before something moved to their left.

"Watch out Yamamoto!" Tsuna yelled out a warning but it was too late. Whatever that thing was, it moved fast—like lightning fast. It struck Yamamoto right in the chest and bounced back. Luckily, Yamamoto wasn't your average person. The moment it struck, Yamamoto moved back so that the impact was minimized. However, the force was enough to throw him back a few feet.

When Yamamoto landed, the ground beneath him gave way and he quickly fell through a hole. The thing that attacked also jumped in after him.

"Yamamoto! Be careful!" Tsuna shouted another warning down the hole where Yamamoto was lying on the ground, groaning as he got up. There was barely any light except for the small opening—illuminating what little light it could into the hole. However, that didn't stop Yamamoto from figuring out where his enemy was. His natural instincts was impressive, just as Reborn speculated.

Whipping out his trusty bat, he swung just in time for it to turn into a katana and blocked the attack coming for him. Something heavy pressed against the back of Yamamoto's katana and pushed strongly back at him. Under the dim lights admitted from the tiny hole, Tsuna finally got to see a glimpse of the attacker. He was wearing a familiar green uniform, similar to the guy who attacked Gokudera before, which Tsuna now recognized as Kokuyo Middle's. His blonde hair was wild and unkept, poking out all over the place and a large horizontal scar ran across his face, from one cheek to another, crossing the bridge of his nose.

Tsuna immediately recognized him as Ken Joshima from the photo.

One thing however, that surprises him was the fangs the other displayed and the claws he's using to fend off Yamamoto's katana.

His behavior resembled an animal, seeing how wild and ferocious he was. Additionally, Tsuna observed that the male's eyes were slits and it glimmers with an eerie glow, just as how a cat's eyes glow in the dark. He growled; a deep sound that echoed around the small hole they were trapped in, further confirming Tsuna's suspicions that he might be a were-animal or some sort of mystical creature. Plus, there was a picture of a spotted cat on his cheek.

A cheetah, perhaps? Tsuna wondered.

With one forceful push, he jumped away from Yamamoto and blended in with the shadows. Yamamoto didn't panic though but stayed calm as he carefully observed his surroundings, taking a fighting stance so he'll be ready for the next attack.

"We should go down and help him." Tsuna said frantically but was quickly stopped by Reborn.

"No. You'll only be of a hindrance to him if you go. Yamamoto can take care of himself. I know because I'm the one who chose him to be your guardian."

Guardian? Yamamoto's my friend! I can't leave him down there alone to face an unknown enemy. Tsuna wanted to protest but at Reborn's warning glare he shut up.

On second thought, Reborn's words do make sense though. Me going down there will only break his concentration. It's best if I stayed out of his way.

Tsuna thought worriedly as he glanced down the hole and wished there was something he could do to help. He was fully prepared to jump in if there were any signs of Yamamoto in trouble but for now, he'll have to trust in Reborn's words and his friend's skills.

As Tsuna watched on from above, the battle below was starting to heat up. Tsuna could see that Yamamoto was having trouble keeping up with the animal-like male. His speed was too quick for Yamamoto and with him in the dark, it was difficult to pinpoint his location. Ken kept hitting Yamamoto with a hit-and-run tactic, each time only dealing shallow damage to Yamamoto and all Yamamoto could do was to take it head-on as he could find no opportunities to strike back. It was obvious to those watching that Ken was only playing around with his prey and that frustrated Tsuna greatly to see his friend being stuck in this predicament.

"Hahahaha! You came here with this kind of skills? You're pathetic byon!"

Came a mocking laugh from somewhere within the darkness.

"Shut up! Stop hiding and fight!" Gokudera yelled from above. "Baseball idiot! You better teach him a lesson to why he shouldn't mess with Vongola!"

Yamamoto looked up to give them with an assuring smile and a thumbs-up before turning his attention back to his opponent. His eyes narrowed as he became serious and focused.

Everything became stilled as they watched Yamamoto awaiting the next move.

Then without warning, Yamamoto swung his sword towards his right, seemingly swiping at thin air but a loud howl of pain was heard.

"Found ya." Yamamoto smiled. Ken lay on the ground clutching his stomach but quickly got up and blended in with the shadows again but Yamamoto was not losing him this time. Quickly, Yamamoto picked up a piece of rock from the debris lying around them and threw it hard at where he last saw him. The rock seemed to have grazed him as he yelped and bounced away, right into the light.

Tsuna noticed that the image on his cheek had changed from a cat into a dog. A wolf? Why does it keep changing? He wondered. He had observed that his facial features changed too. Ken's eyes were no longer slits but more rounded, his fangs were shorter but still sharp and deadly. And his nose was pointier too.

"Don't get too cocky just because you got a hit byon!" He growled and went in for the kill. Tsuna bit his lips worriedly, hoping that Yamamoto would be alright.

Yamamoto turned to him as Ken rushed towards him and lifted an arm to block the attack. And just like an animal, Ken opened his mouth and clomped down hard onto Yamamoto's arm. His fangs pierced through skin and blood began to leak out through the wounds.

"Yamamoto!" Tsuna exclaimed. He was about to jump in the hole but the calm expression on Yamamoto's face stopped him.

"Gotcha." Yamamoto smiled. Then, he quickly raised the back of his katana and slammed it down hard against Ken's head, immediately rendering him unconscious.

Ken's body slumped onto the floor and after a second of waiting, they all collectively breathed out a sigh of relief, glad that the battle was finally over.

Bianchi found a nearby rope and they helped to get Yamamoto out from the hole with it. Once he was out, Tsuna couldn't help but rushed forward and grabbed his arm. The bite wasn't deep and there seemed to be no internal damage. There might be scarring once it's healed but Yamamoto was not concerned about that.

"Seriously! What were you thinking?!" Tsuna chided him for his reckless action while bandaging his arm with the first-aid kit Bianchi brought along.

"Since he's so fast, I couldn't manage to hit him so I thought I would catch him first. Good thing it worked out." Yamamoto laughed.

"This is not a good thing!" Tsuna exclaimed. "Look at your arm! Don't you have a baseball tournament coming up soon? How are you going to play like this?!"

"Thanks for worrying about me Tsuna but it's alright. The injury isn't too serious and it will heal by then." Yamamoto reassured him with a bright smile that made him feel a little upset that he worried so much for him while he didn't seem to mind.

But that's just how Yamamoto is I guess..... He sighed.

"Just don't do that again. Please take better care of your body." He grumbled.

"Sorry for worrying you Tsuna. I'll try to not get hurt next time." Yamamoto patted his shoulder for comfort and Tsuna can't help but not stay mad at him.

I just hope there won't be a next time.... He thought but knew that it was just wishful thinking on his part. Being with Reborn means that his peaceful days were over. Back then he only had to worry about Death coming for him but now he had to worry about mafia stuff and convicts too.

"Quit wasting time and let's move on." The Hitman said and kicked him in the rear. Tsuna scowled in response but moved on as instructed, they came here for a reason after all.

Reborn hopped onto Yamamoto's shoulder and settled there as we walked. From the front, he overheard Reborn talking to him.

"Good job on your first debut battle." Reborn praised.

"Thanks kid." Yamamoto laughed.

Don't go encouraging him for something so dangerous.....Tsuna sighed and shook his head. As proud as he was for his friend's strength and wits, he still got hurt and it was because Tsuna brought him here. The guilt for that was growing and he didn't know what to do with it. He had let Yamamoto fight his battles and even though Yamamoto had insisted, Tsuna cannot let it go.

One thought filled his mind and he held it firmly with conviction.

I need to get stronger....

←----------------------------------->

They encountered no other interruptions throughout their journey towards the building where the enemy awaits. But right as they were about to head in, a hand clamp onto Tsuna's shoulder, stopping him.

"Why don't we take a break?" Yamamoto suggested.

"This is no time for that!" Gokudera yelled and Tsuna can't help but agree. He wanted this to be over. He kept having bad vibes about this place and didn't want to stay here any longer than necessary.

"Good idea Yamamoto. We must be ready to fight when we enter so it's better to rest now." Reborn agreed.

"If Reborn-san says so...." Gokudera mumbled unhappily.

Well, a few minutes of rest won't hurt.... Tsuna sighed and gave in.

They settled on a nearby grass patch and Yamamoto took out the bag that he had been carrying around. Inside were bentos filled with his shop's famous sushi. Tsuna can't believe he bought all this along for a fight as though he was going on a field trip but the sight of the delicacy made Tsuna salivate and his stomach let out a soft growl.

The group started to eat but it was not long before something set Tsuna's instincts off. And right before their eyes, the food Yamamoto brought--along with some of Bianchi's poison cooking--explodes violently.

"What's going on?!" Tsuna exclaimed as he stepped away from the food. Food doesn't happen to explode for no good reason. Well, except if it's made by Bianchi, but that's not the point.

"There's someone here." Bianchi warned and immediately the group got ready and alert.

"If you're here, that means you managed to defeat that brainless hairball. I knew it. Ken's down and Kakipii's useless. Can't depend on the boys to do any work around here. Oh! Except Mukuro-chan, he's the only man in my eyes."

Their eyes widened at the female's voice but saw no one in their surroundings.

"Up here dolts."

At the direction of the voice, they looked up and saw a red-haired girl sitting on a branch in a tree wearing the same uniform as the other two. She hopped down the tree with ease and Tsuna noticed that she held a clarinet in her hand.

"This just shows that you can't send a boy to do a woman's job." She sighed dramatically and looked at the group with an annoyed expression. "Well, I better do some cleaning around here otherwise I won't get paid." She giggled. "Oh! I wonder how much Mukuro-chan will pay me if I get rid of you lot?!"

"Hey! Quit blabbering on and on by yourself damn woman! Who the hell are you?!" Gokudera demanded and threw a dynamite at her with no hesitation at all.

She gracefully hopped away from the dynamite and landed in a safe spot next to it with ease.

"Such lame-ass weapons." She sighed dramatically with a small shake of her head. "And such crude words. That's why uncivilized males like you should all die. In the end, only Mukuro-chan suits me the best." She smiled innocently and proceeded to attack them.

Taking a deep breath, she raised the clarinet to her mouth and blew heavily into it. For a moment, nothing happened and then suddenly, the food beside them exploded again.

"Wahhhh!!" Tsuna yelped and fell down due to the shock of the explosion and got laughed at by Bianchi. Bianchi looked at Tsuna with a smirk on her lips and pushed him back when he got up to his feet.

"Let me do this." Tsuna was surprised that Bianchi would step up to fight since she does not seem like a person who would start meaningless fights without reason. It didn't seem like she was doing this to protect him either.

"You mentioned that money is the most important thing in the world?" She questioned the clarinet girl.

"Yeah. What could be more important than money?" She scoffed.

"Love." Bianchi answered back hotly, leaving everyone flabbergasted, including the girl.

After a moment of silence, she overcame her surprise and began laughing.

"Love?! What the heck? How stupid." She laughed hysterically and Tsuna wanted to laugh too if not for the fear of invoking Bianchi's wrath.

Bianchi, however, didn't think it was funny at all but she was not fazed by her mockery. Instead, she kept a straight face and gave a small smile. "I'll show you. Love will prevail."

And so begins the epic battle of poison cooking versus sound waves. Love versus money(?). Redhead versus pink head.

All the while, Tsuna and the other two hid behind the trees, taking cover from all the purple sludge flying about. He took a glance around to find Reborn at the other side of the battlefield, sound asleep with a snort bubble flying out from his nose.

How in the world can he sleep with all the destruction flying around?! He stared in awe at the sleeping baby. By his side, Gokudera started groaning a little while clutching his stomach.

"Are you alright?" Tsuna asked. He had noticed the other was starting to sweat and his expression looked as though he was in pain.

"I'm alright Tenth!" He said, but not as loud and energetic as he usually was. "It's just that seeing Aneki and her cooking is bringing back some bad memories." He explained and grimaced.

Tsuna immediately understood the pain he was talking about as he himself felt sick from seeing Bianchi's cooking and it has been only a few months since knowing her. He couldn't imagine how Gokudera had survived living with her for years since young.

But Tsuna wasn't entirely convinced that that was the only reason why he was looking so pale and in pain.

He must've not recovered from yesterday. He thought grimly.

And yet he still came with us. I should've forced him to stay back and rest.....

He didn't know if it's something on his face or he was just really bad at hiding his thoughts because Gokudera quickly added. "But I'm perfectly fine! I will not forgive myself if I didn't accompany you here! I'm your right-hand man so you can depend on me Tenth!" He exclaimed.

What else could Tsuna say to that but to nod and give him a strained smile in thanks. He knew Gokudera was trying not to worry him but he couldn't help it. His friend was in pain and he couldn't do anything to stop it. Plus bringing him here was definitely not helping no matter how much he says he wanted to come.

As they were having their little conversation, the battle in front of them ended with Bianchi's victory. They came out of hiding to a landfilled mess of purple goo and destroyed ground. Bianchi was standing triumphantly over the girl who was now unconscious with purple sludge filling her mouth.

Yikes...What a cruel way to lose a battle. I bet she'll never get that taste out of her mouth... Tsuna couldn't help but feel bad for the girl for suffering Bianchi's cooking but reminded himself that she was part of the group that attacked his classmates and friends.

Now that two enemies were down, it was time to move on as they spent too much time here already.

From the moment Tsuna stepped into the worn down building, he immediately felt the ominous air surrounding them. The place was dark and eerie, collapsed walls and debris laying all over the place. They carefully made their way around the place cautiously in case they encountered any enemies. While walking around, they found that all the staircases leading towards the upper floors were all destroyed.

"Hm. Clever." Reborn remarked. "Mukuro is likely on the upper floors." He deduced and went on to explain. "It's easier to defend the base if he narrows down all possible attack routes right? But in this case, he destroyed all possible escape routes for himself. He must be really confident in winning."

Urgh.....This does not sound good at all... Tsuna gulped.

"Then how are we going to get to him?"

"Dame-Tsuna, use your brain." Reborn scolded and kicked him hard in the head. "He's doing all this in order to lure you here, so of course he's going to provide a way for you to get there. And stop whining and go look for it!" Another kick on his back got him running to search for the supposed stairway.

It took some time but in the end they found one just like Reborn said. It was an emergency ladder but they all knew it was a trap.

He was still examining the ladder when suddenly, numerous spikes came flying out of nowhere at him. Before he could react, he was once again saved by Yamamoto who pulled the collar of his shirt backwards, letting the spikes narrowly miss him.

"Thanks Yamamoto...." Tsuna huffed a breath of relief at the close save.

"No problem Tsuna!"

"Damn bas*ard! He's still alive!" Gokudera growled as he took out his dynamite.

"And you're still alive too. What a pain...." The yo-yo guy—now known as Chikusa—sighed.

"Tenth! Please leave this guy to me and go on ahead!"

"What are you saying Hayato!" His sister shouted. "You're still injured! The effects of the trident mosquito Shamal gave you won't last long. The side effects will be painful! Knowing that, will you still continue?"

Tsuna didn't understand the part about the mosquito but what he did know was that Gokudera's injuries were worse than he thought even though he kept denying it.

"That goes without saying." Gokudera said softly but his voice was full of determination. "That's the reason why I'm here."

"Then I'm staying too." Yamamoto said, preparing to pull out his bat before Gokudera yelled at him.

"I don't need your help idiot! You'll only hold me back!"

There was a flash of hurt across Yamamoto's face before it was quickly wipe away with a frown. He opened his mouth to protest but was immediately shut down by Gokudera once more.

"Go. I'm counting on you to protect the Tenth in my place."

The change in expression was immediate and the smile on Yamamoto's face was bright.

"You can count on me." Yamamoto said with steady resolve in his tone.

Bianchi took one look at her brother and nodded, acknowledging his resolve. She turned to Tsuna and took his arm, pulling him ahead. Tsuna couldn't say a word protest because he saw the expression on both their faces. Gokudera was determined to do this and nothing he could say will change his mind. Bianchi saw this too and respected his wishes to do this alone. As much as it hurts, Tsuna would have to leave him here and move on ahead just as Gokudera wished. 

"Be careful Gokudera. Once this is over, let's all hang out again together."

"Of course Tenth!" He happily grinned back at him.

It hurts for Tsuna to pull away from his friend but he did it and reluctantly followed Bianchi and the rest up the ladder and onto the next floor. As he climbed, the sound of explosions and debris falling were heard below as the battle started.

Please make it out alright Gokudera.... He silently prayed as they reached the next floor.