So this started with me reading KHR x KnB crossovers, and then I thought, "Hey, wasn't Byakuran recruiting trustworthy people he met in parallel worlds?" then I remembered how Kuroko was all down and depressed after the Meiko-Teiko match, and I also remembered the Funeral Wreaths saying something about how Byakuran saved their lives and blah blah blah POOR TEIKO!KURO-CHIN NEEDS A SAVIOR.

There would be angst and feels and crying Kuroko (and this is not OOC, just a rare event for him) and depressing things. I don't know why I like being depressing.

COULD HAVE A SECOND CHAPTER, IF YOU GUYS DEMAND FOR IT AND I GET SMACKED IN THE FACE BY INSPIRATION (I ALREADY HAVE AN IDEA ON HOW TO START THE NEXT ONE).

R & R.

Enjoy~!

The first time they met, it was in a candy store.

He went there to buy sweets for Murasakibara as per Akashi's orders (the giant was suffering from some withdrawal). It was by chance that he saw this teen who appeared to have seen him, despite his lack of presence. Kuroko didn't know what to think of the strange teen with snow-white hair— the color didn't even faze him; it was a lot more common than blue or green or purple.

It wasn't everyday that he met a person who could actually see him.

He didn't know whether to be impressed or feel disturbed. The teen's lilac eyes seemed as if they burned into his soul, passing through the many barriers that hid his emotions from others.

Kuroko pretended that he didn't notice the unnerving stare sent his way and focused on the aisle of sweets instead. It was then that he saw his teammate's favorite brand of marshmallows. Forgetting the other teen's presence for a moment, the blue-haired player tried to reach at the pack on top of the shelf, to no avail.

He inwardly grimaced. It was unfair that he was shor— that the store built shelves for taller people.

The passing specialist snapped out of his stupor and could only blink as another hand reached out towards the marshmallows and the pack was dropped into his arms. He glanced from the side and saw that it was the same person, still with that same stare and a masked smile.

He mentally shuddered. The teen reminded him of Akashi's new take in personality.

"Thank you," Kuroko said, clutching the pack with a deathly pale grip. Normally, he would not be wary of strangers, but if there was anything that he fervently believed in, it would be his instincts. And his instincts were telling him to run.

However, he did not move an inch, and stared back defiantly at the albino. Now that he thought about it, there was something awfully familiar with the other.

The cat-like smile remained on his lips, eyes lighting with amusement like a kid who found a new toy to play with; and something sinister in those orbs. "No problem."

Kuroko broke off his stare, nodded in acknowledgment at the teen, and turned around to go to the counter. He stopped in his tracks and his eyes widened uncharacteristically once he heard the teen's last words to him.

"Besides, it isn't everyday I meet a person with an unnaturally low presence like you. Interesting. My other self's memories weren't exaggerated, after all." The last part was muttered under his breath, and so, Kuroko never heard those words.

He knew that the teen noticed him, but never did he think that the white-haired male figured out that he was almost invisible to the rest of the world.

After Kuroko paid for Murasakibara's pack of marshmallows and went towards the door to leave, he made the mistake of looking back and saw the teen's stare transfixed on his retreating form, with the smile also permanently plastered on his face.

He turned and never looked back.

It was creepy.

The second time they met, it was purely coincidental.

Kuroko was assigned to show Spanner—or at least that's the name he gave; he never revealed what it was—the foreign exchange student, around campus. As it was also Spanner's first time to stay for a long period in Japan, the basketball player offered to show Spanner around the city as well.

Initially, he thought that he and Spanner wouldn't get along so well, since they have far too different interests— he loves basketball and the other loves technology. On the other hand, Spanner was a fan of all things Japanese, both traditional and modern things. Since Kuroko's family was on the traditional side, they found a common ground.

Besides, it may not be obvious, but the blond-haired teen was an avid bookworm. He just liked fiddling with machines more than reading. The blue-haired teen vowed to share good literature with his new, non-athlete friend.

Spanner often told him of what he liked to do in the future— building robots, hovercars and hoverbikes, and machines that defied the laws of the universe. Maybe it was because of that optimism and determination to do better that Kuroko could think of him as a close friend, even though only a couple of months had passed since their meeting.

Eventually, the blond-haired male introduced him to Irie Shoichi, the other teen's fellow technological enthusiast and friendly rival. Spanner told him of how he and Shoichi weren't all buddy-buddies at first, but became very close when they had the opportunity to talk and indulge about the technical stuff. Kuroko wouldn't understand a single word from his technobabble, but he did understand that Spanner probably saw himself in the ginger-haired boy.

"He's my best friend, you know," Spanner once confessed. "Back in England, the others always saw me as 'that science geek' or the 'weird robot maniac'. Shoichi only saw me as 'Spanner', a fellow science lover."

Kuroko nodded, knowing how it felt like to have someone acknowledge you. Being born with a low presence didn't give him a lot of opportunities to make friends, and that is why he treasured his friendship with Ogiwara very much.

To his credit, Irie Shoichi was a pleasant person to be with. The ginger-haired boy was a bit on the shy department and has a very low self-esteem (as the boy seemed to be the typical target of school bullying), yet when it came to talking about what he loved, he shone through. There was no denying that he was brilliant, and he would go far in the future.

It wasn't long before Kuroko, Shoichi, and Spanner started hanging out, even when they couldn't see the meek boy because of the distance of the city to the quaint town of Namimori.

One day, during a robot convention, the two prodigies invited him to attend and watch the contest. As a good friend, of course he wouldn't pass this up. Unfortunately, he was torn between being happy or sad. Akashi had dismissed him and approved of his short leave without a single query. If it had been before, the red-haired captain would've asked.

It hurts when you didn't matter to people who mattered to you.

During his stay at the convention in Tokyo while looking for his two friends, he collided onto someone's back. He was about to land on the floor if it weren't for someone grabbing him and pulling him into an upright position. Kuroko's eyes widened when realized who was it that helped him up.

It was the strange male from the candy store.

"Fancy meeting you again, and here of all places, phantom-kun~," The teen said in a sing-song manner. Kuroko blinked and answered. "Ah, it's you."

The white-haired teen had a mocked hurt expression on his face. "That's it? That's your only reaction? 'Ah, it's you', how boring."

He raised an eyebrow at that statement. "I don't even know you."

The albino snorted, still keeping that grin on his face. How does his face not get tired after all this time?, Kuroko idly wondered.

The male saw that the blue-haired teen wasn't paying attention to him, rather, he was looking around: obviously searching for someone or something.

He sighed and placed his hands in his pockets. For a brief moment, Kuroko thought the other's smile morphed into a bemused smirk. In the blink of an eye, it was back to the default expression. "It's kinda sad watching you wander around like a lost kid. They're at the contest in the east wing."

"Thank you," The athlete replied, instantly heading towards the aforementioned place. The man did not lie. The robotics tournament was being held there. As he expected, Shoichi and Spanner's combined genius pulled through and they won with their joint robot project. The three went home, with the two prodigies feeling high because of their victory, and the last being very proud of them.

It wasn't until Kuroko arrived at his house that he realized something very crucial.

How did the white-haired boy know who he was looking for?

The third time they met, it was when he was at his lowest.

How could his teammates do that to his childhood friend and his own team? How far had he been left behind? How could the people he once admired and respected do something so horrible?

After the game, Kuroko cried for himself, not being able to stop his team. For Ogiwara, whose efforts were tossed aside and dreams torn asunder. For his team, who fell more and more apart as time passed. For basketball, as it had ruined everything he cherished.

What was the point of playing if you can't even enjoy the game anymore? When you can't even enjoy it with your friends? When it drove your friend into pieces?

Kuroko hated it, but he hated basketball even more. Just thinking about the game lead to the painful memories of the championship. Ogiwara, whom he saw at the entrance and tried to chase after, didn't spare him a glance; too broken by the cruelty that Teiko bestowed upon him.

It was unfair.

Basketball was supposed to be an enjoyable game, right?

Since when did it come to this?

The blue-haired boy sat down on the sidewalk, too tired to stand up. It wasn't long before he felt something wet drop onto his hair. He stared upwards and saw the darkened sky. It started to rain. How fitting. He bitterly thought. Rain was supposed to wash away his problems, though it seems even the weather was against him, pouring down heavily onto the earth.

Spanner wasn't even around anymore since the exchange student program was over.

Kuroko buried his head into his hands. He didn't know where to start. He wanted to track Ogiwara down and apologize, but he knew his childhood friend needed time and some space from any Teiko player— including him. The other Meiko players didn't sugarcoat the situation one bit. One even threw a water bottle at him and the near-invisible teen didn't blame him.

His teammates didn't look for him. Momoi could have searched for him. But Aomine-kun needs her more than I do. She's one of the few things that tie him to the sport, were the unspoken words. His manager was a good friend, though with her two precious friends standing on different sides, it was hard. He didn't want to make it hard for her.

Kuroko chose to walk away, not making her choose between her friends.

As the heavy rainfall continued, the boy heard a soft pitter-patter on the concrete floor and suddenly, he stopped feeling raindrops pour on his hair. He raised his head and saw the same white-haired teen from before, holding an umbrella over him.

"It's just you."

Kuroko expected a cheery reply or even a joking one, not the serious, solemn words that came out from the other's mouth.

"You have nothing left."

Reality is too cruel.

"I know."

It was simply too much to bear at times.

"They were going to leave you behind eventually."

There was never a team, and what little friendship they had was swept under the rug.

"I know."

It hurts.

"You knew, but you didn't do anything. Now, it's too late."

Sometimes, it's even painful for him to breathe.

"I know."

The other teen sighed before sitting beside him on the wet sidewalk. "Why didn't you do anything? You saw it coming." He sighed. "That's what I don't understand about people sometimes. They're very much aware of problems that are happening or could be happening, yet they won't act."

"I hoped they would realize their mistakes on their own," He said, voice slightly hoarse and soft. "Obviously, I was clearly wrong."

He didn't know why he was pouring out his heart to a stranger, but he could not shake off the feeling that maybe, in another life, he knew this boy. Maybe, in a different world… or an alternate reality…

"It's not entirely your fault, you know," He answered, and now that Kuroko looked at him, it was as if he was several years older and wiser. "If they weren't blinded by the beauty of the flower of victory, they would have seen what the smaller, meeker, unassuming seedling could grow into."

And boy would that seedling grow; grow into a sturdy, prosperous, bountiful tree.

And those Miracles missed the extent of his potential, his loyalty… The teen thought. This was the perfect chance to make his move. He stood up from the sidewalk and offered a hand to the athlete who remained staring at him.

"It would be nice to forget everything and leave it all behind, yes?" He smiled, hiding the sinister ambition underneath a smile. "Wouldn't it be nice to start on a blank, clean slate?"

The teen's eyes widened.

Would it be really that easy? Forget everything and walk away without a care?

It was not the best option, and it was the coward's way out, but… but…

He couldn't help but wish for the ache to stop.

Kuroko took the hand offered to him, effectively sealing the deal.

"I am Kuroko."

Byakuran smiled; oh, how he smiled.

You know what they say, "Third time's the charm, indeed."

It wasn't immediate, though surely but slowly, Kuroko was coming out of his shell of memories. Starting from being unable to sleep because of the memories that plagued him, he could now rest once he managed to get over those days.

Perhaps meeting the strange white-haired boy, Byakuran, was the best decision of his life.

After the entire fiasco during the championship, the blue-haired teen passed his resignation letter. He did not wait for Akashi's consent nor his frien— team— clubmates' reactions. Heck, he didn't even bother to tell Momoi. The only reason why she knew was because all the resignation letters go through her first, then Akashi, then their coach.

However, Byakuran seemed to have pulled some strings. Once he passed the letter and Momoi found out, their coach promptly approved it and thus, his resignation was effective in a short time. The pink-haired manager cried, but Kuroko couldn't find it in himself to comfort her. He was just as broken inside as she was. He didn't know how to handle it when he couldn't piece himself together again.

"Please don't hate them, Tetsu-kun. And please, don't give up."

"I don't hate them." He never did, but that doesn't mean he can't be bitter about it. "But I can't promise you anything about playing. I… I hate basketball…"

He left her dumbstruck in the middle of the gym. He couldn't blame her. Here he was, the diligent one, the one who never ceased practicing, hating basketball. Ask him two years ago about his opinion and he would instantaneously answer that he loved the game so much.

It was hard, hating something you once loved with all your heart.

This fresh new start with Byakuran looked promising. He can't be sure on whether or not he'd have a shining future ahead of him, but he was heck sure it was a lot better than whatever could've happened if he had endured everything by himself. Again.

Months passed by and it was finally their graduation.

He safely managed to attend the ceremony, seeing as he was unnoticeable, but he knew it was inevitable that they'd find him, as every student's name was called onto the stage. The bluenet discreetly shifted in his seat in nervousness.

True to his assumption, when his name was called out, he felt numerous heavy stares boring onto the back of his head as he ascended the stage. He put every inch of his effort to keep his pokerface intact. It was not the time to break down and show his raw emotions for the entire school to see.

However, he didn't know whether to feel relieved or disappointed that none of the others seeked him out.

When the graduation ceremony was over, Kuroko couldn't stop himself from observing the other students. Some were cheering, some were grumbling, and some were crying. It was a no-brainer that they were enthusiastic and excited to finally leave middle school behind, even the grumpy ones.

The athlete felt something wet trickling down his cheek. He rubbed it off with a single swipe from his arm. Funny… when he first entered Teiko, he expected his graduation to be exactly like this. No one to celebrate with, whilst being surrounded by people who enjoyed theirs with their friends. Ogiwara was in a different school and he hardly had other people to be with. He had never thought solitude would be this unbearable.

When he was acknowledged as a player, one by one, he begun to be surrounded by people he could consider as friends. Little by little, he had become dependent on them. And when they left, they took everything with them.

Kuroko convinced himself that it was going to be fine. The team may not be with him and his two science-loving friends were still close to him, and Byakuran offered him a second chance, but it just wasn't the same. He was better than before and they never bothered him in his dreams anymore.

Why won't the tears stop?

After a while, Kuroko had recomposed himself and walked away from his school. When he was about to completely leave the premises, a hand tapped his shoulder. He turned slightly and saw it was Momoi, who was clutching her own diploma.

Only seconds passed and to him, it was as if hours had gone by.

He appreciated that she doesn't seem to want to talk about that game or his former team.

"Tetsu-kun, am I… ever going to see you again?"

He never answered her.

Italy wasn't as different to Japan as he thought it would be.

Sure, there was a great cultural difference—Italians appeared to be more affectionate and open about their feelings compared to Japanese—but that was it. Like them, Italians have closely-knit ties with their family, if not more so than his own kin. They can be cheerful, they can be sad, and they can be whatever the Japanese can be.

When they first arrived in Sicily, more specifically, in the Gesso mansion, Kuroko didn't know what to expect. Would Byakuran's family welcome him with open arms? Would they accept this broken, fragile little thing as their son or brother or nephew's friend?

Once he stepped into the mansion, he saw that a mix of both Italian and Japanese adornments covered the walls.

When he asked, Byakuran had answered that he had a minute Japanese blood in him via his mother's lineage. The former player also couldn't stop himself from noticing how cold, dark, and empty Byakuran's abode was. There were people, yes, but they were so distant from others that you would think only one person stayed in the entire mansion.

Perhaps he and Byakuran aren't as different as he originally thought.

Days turned into weeks, and weeks turned into months as summer came to a close. Kuroko became a permanent member of the household by then.

He wasn't doing anything productive at all. During his time in Italy, all he did was read, read, and read. To his defense, you couldn't blame him. The Gesso family had such a wide and extensive library that it took a dozen or so people to pry him away from it, and that was simply the number of people assigned to look for him, not counting the ones that were supposed to convince him to take a break or two.

When summer was officially over, Byakuran came into his room, flanked by two, muscular men in sharp suits. Normally, he wouldn't be bothered by their presence. The family had bodyguards everywhere. However, their current aura and Byakuran's own mood were… unsettling. It was as if he had passed some sort of test and they were letting him see a bit of their darkness as a reward.

He didn't know if the shiver down his spine was due to anticipation or fear.

"I know it sounds a bit sudden," Byakuran said, approaching him with a box in tow. The men who flanked his side stayed by the doorway. "but I think it's the right time for you."

"Right time for me?" He parroted, closing and placing down the book he was currently reading on the side table.

"Yes, it's the right time for this." He opened the box and showed the contents to the player. His eyes widened when he saw a simple (yet ornately carved) pistol and one golden bullet offered to him.

"What is this for…?"

Byakuran ignored his inquiry.

The few times his ugly and dark side were showing, when his darker shades were being flaunted… he personally couldn't find it in himself to like this side of his white-haired friend— oh, his sentiments were far from tolerating it. The bluenet loathed it with every fiber of his being. It was horrying, he won't deny it. It jolted the shackles that bound him to his morals and conscience.

It made him feel less human, less grounded— more detached from the world as he knew it.

Nevertheless, the darkness that enticed him to drown in it was simply so…

"Ne, Tetsuya-kun, how would you like to experience holding another person's life in your hands?"

Tempting.

That had been the first time he killed.

Killing people always left a bad taste in his mouth, but he couldn't deny the thrill he felt during the hunt.

Sensing the fear and urgency from his prey, taking in their expression when they think there's still a way out, and seeing them give up after realizing their efforts were futile— he can't shrug off the feeling of adrenaline coursing through his veins whenever he was faced with a life-and-death situation with his next hit.

Killing is like a second nature to him now.

It was different from b— that game, and the feeling of blood splattering over his clothes was enough to make him forget and be distracted from reminiscing about the past. He had never regretted his life choices, but he couldn't help but think of the what-could've-beens if he never accepted joining the mafia of all things.

It wasn't long before he became an official member of the Gesso Family, instead of just family.

If you ask Kuroko what he would see himself as in the next decade or so, he never thought he would answer 'mafioso'. It had never been in his resume. It was unplanned and entirely unprecedented. And currently, he is very proud of that fact.

Byakuran had assigned tutors to him, both legal and underground ones, to teach him on the ropes of the business and the mafia world. Truth to be told, it wasn't that hard. He had always been a tough nut to crack and too perceptive for his own good—something that he inherited from his deceased parents—and being stealthy was not a problem; people rarely, if never, spotted him.

Even now, as a prominent grand assassin-in-the-making, the enemies were having difficulties finding him. And that is what made him very infamous. Mostly, other Families only think of his as an urban mafia legend, but what's left of the Families he helped massacre could attest otherwise.

"Ah, Tetsuya, I fixed your gun," A blond-haired man with a lollipop in his mouth had said, handing a pistol with ornate carvings on it. It was the same gun that he used on his first kill. Well, it was far from the simple pistol it used to be, seeing as their mechanics loved tinkering with anything metallic.

"Thank you, Spanner," He replied.

Contrary to popular belief, it was he and not Irie Shoichi (who became Byakuran's right-hand man sometime during college), who recruited Spanner into the Family. Shoichi may have been Spanner's closest friend, but he had been hesitant to let the blond-haired male into the bloody mafia. Kuroko was, too, until the mechanic confronted him about it when the ginger-haired male was being stubborn and could not be asked.

Kuroko gave in, introducing Spanner to Byakuran. Up to this day, he can't figure out if that was one of the best or worst decisions he made in his life. The robot army-in-making he caught a glimpse of in the basement is convincing him it's more of the latter.

The white-haired man seemed to have recognized Spanner, and he was left remembering what happened all those years ago, when his boss appeared to have known who he had been looking for.

When he confronted Byakuran about it, his only answer was a mischievous smile.

The blue-haired assassin inspected the weapon. "Did you add another modification?"

A couple of years ago, Spanner would have been surprised as to how he noticed the changes effective instantly, but now, the science-lover was used to Kuroko's superhuman observational capabilities. The mechanic only nodded. "Yes, I reinforced the entire body of the gun with the strange metal that Byakuran provided me. He told me that he'd explain later."

That was another no-no in the business. Their white-haired man and their ginger-haired friend were still hiding a few things in their closet. He caught them talking about flames—or was it fire?—one time, but he didn't know enough to understand what they meant.

"Signor Kuroko, the boss is calling for you," A scratchy, chappy voice came out from the speakers discreetly hidden above them. Shoichi and Spanner were still working on that, as they were busy with planning the security system, moreso for the former who was also working on some headquarters on the other side of Italy.

He and Spanner nodded at each other before the phantom-like male left for Byakuran's office. What the other told him was something that was beyond his wildest imagination. It was like something out of a shounen manga.

"These are Dying Will flames. They're the physical manifestation of a person's regrets," The man happily explained as his hands instantly lit up in orange flames. "There are seven types, named after the sky and the weather patterns: Sky, Storm, Rain, Sun, Lightning, Mist, and Cloud, with Sky being the rarest among them. It's possible for one person to have many types of flames. Anyways, each one has a different property."

And the man continued his lecture on them. Kuroko didn't understand the whole concept of how and where exactly did those flames come from, but he was not complaining, seeing as these… flames were beneficiary, even though it took him half a day to light one up. Now he understood why Byakuran mostly gave him assassination missions, yes, but he was only allowed to go on a killing spree after the Gesso had weakened them with an ambush.

Besides, his Lightning and Mist flames were not only efficient, they also looked badass.

"Byakuran-sama," Kuroko murmured as he stared at his new, pristine white uniform. "what's with the sudden change in outfits?"

He swore his boss was bipolar. Sometimes, he was happy-go-lucky, as if he wasn't a mafioso. Sometimes, he was a bumbling idiot what with his obsessive tendencies towards marshmallows. And sometimes, he's the intimidating head of the Family. To his dismay, Byakuran was usually more of the 'hyperactive overgrown child' one most of the time.

"We~ell, the negotiations with the Giglionero Family went smoothly, and Yuni-chan has agreed to not just ally with us, but actually become a subordinate family!" Kuroko knew that prior to this agreement, Giglionero was known for its neutrality. He figured some foul play was involved to make them agree. The bluenet felt a bit sorry for them. He knew how pushy his boss could be when he wanted something.

"And?"

"And now the Gesso division is now known as the White spell, the upper echelon, you could say. The Giglionero division is now known as the Black spell." He spread his arms. With his back against the sunlight penetrating the glass walls, the assassin pondered on how foreboding his boss's posture looked. "Together, we are the Millefiore Family."

Millefiore.

A thousand flowers.

A thousand bloody flowers blooming in the rotten field of the mafia.

His boss always did have a penchant for theatrics.

"Kufufufu…"

Kuroko blinked as he heard that weird laugh again. The same laugh had been echoing along the corridors of Melone base for the past two weeks already. Leonardo Lippi often convinced him that it was probably a ghost, but he didn't believe that it was a mere product of his imagination.

When he reported it, Byakuran's smile widened. And subsequently ordered pineapple-flavored marshmallows.

…He didn't want to know.

According to their intel, there was a rat amongst their ranks. Yuni was emotionless and Byakuran was smiling perpetually as always, but the blue-haired man knew the fury and rage bottled underneath that facade. He shivered at the fate of whoever dared to cross him. Probably someone from the Vongola, the Millefiore's most prominent rival.

He wasn't wrong. The rat was confirmed to be a legitimate member of Vongola, more specifically, a member of one of the three independent divisions: the Foundation headed by the current generation's Cloud Guardian, Hibari Kyoya.

Naturally, it was assigned to one of Byakuran's most trusted assassins— him.

It was supposed to be a simple mission: follow the rat to spy on the Foundation and dispose of the rat afterwards.

He didn't account for Hibari Kyoya's involvement himself.

It was due to his own carelessness, though. If he had been more careful, he wouldn't have accidentally rustled the leaves when he moved and the Guardian wouldn't have been able to pinpoint his location. Well, it was too late to back out now.

The two stoic men stared impassively at each other, sizing the enemy up. It was akin to two predators (with one of them pretending to be some kind of herding herbivore) observing the competition. In the blink of an eye, they both lunged in for the kill.

"For trespassing in private property and attempted murder on my subordinate, I will bite you to death."

"For Byakuran-sama."

Hibari swung his tonfas left and right, which Kuroko parried with his handgun and a short metal rod on his other hand. The bluenet delivered a kick towards the ex-prefect's midsection, with the man blocking it with his arm. The assassin used that momentum to backflip and gain some distance apart from his enemy. He fired rapidly, his aim ever so true, not missing a beat.

Unfortunately for Kuroko, all Hibari did was press some sort of hidden button on his tonfas, which caused the ends to collapse and reveal one short chain each. He twirled the chains on the end to deflect the bullets and swiftly went in for the strike. He managed to land a hit on the bluenet, with a chain wrapped around his forearm.

Kuroko pulled on the chain, hard, making the raven-haired male stumble a bit and that gave the Millefiore assassin an opening. He shot at the Guardian, who tilted his head to the side. However, the bullet managed to graze his cheek. When he was distracted by the gun, the ex-athlete managed to break free from the chain and give a deadlier, meant for bodily harm version of Ignite Pass to Hibari's torso. Hibari, as he wheezed, hit Kuroko's temple with his tonfa.

Both men hopped a few steps apart. Kuroko inwardly grimaced as he noticed that he sustained more injuries compared to the other. The only major damage he did to Hibari was that one torso strike, and it was getting hard for him to go on because he suffered a minor concussion from that one tonfa attack.

As for Hibari's side, well, it has been a while since he had a thrilling enemy. Most of the people he bit to death were cannon fodders and the omnivore (Tsunayoshi) and his obnoxious band of herbivores he called the other Guardians were all the way back in Italy. Which was more than a thousand miles away from Namimori.

Muttering a small 'tsk', the phantom-like assassin lit up his Lightning ring, wrapping the metal rod on his other hand with green-colored flames. Coupled with a few illusion tricks, he tossed the rod straight onto the ceiling, causing it to go down with a small explosion.

Smoke covered the entire room and Kuroko used that moment to escape.

When it cleared, the ex-prefect was a bit ticked off that the enemy ran away, especially since his enemy was a Mist-user, evidenced by the hint of indigo flames on the ground.

'Illusionists,' He darkly thought, being reminded of the pineapple-haired convict in Vindice.

When Byakuran saw how much damage Kuroko sustained, he became furious.

How dare that insolent Cloud Guardian harm his toy! Tetsuya-kun was one of his favorite ones, too! Those injuries weren't mere flesh wounds that could be overlooked. He had planned to let the Vongola live longer, but if they dare touch his precious pawns, he would not let them live any longer.

The Millefiore boss's eyes landed on the Mare Sky ring on his finger. A smile bloomed from his lips.

Well, it was about time he took the Vongola rings and assemble the Tri-ni-sette, anyway.

Kuroko was confused as to why Byakuran would agree to a peace treaty meeting with the Vongola. Weren't they the enemies? The obstacles to Millefiore's goals? Why were they patronizing with the enemy?

He watched the events proceed with a bated breath. Byakuran was now handshaking with Sawada Tsunayoshi, the current head of their rival Family. The brunet was done signing the document. The paper was passed to the albino. Once he signs it, the two Families would be allies. Just what was their boss planning?

He got his answer soon enough when the Millefiore boss crumpled the paper in his hand and burn it with intense Sky flames, his normally playful lilac eyes cold and merciless. Meanwhile, from his peripheral view, he saw something metallic glint from Shoichi's robes. He blinked. Is that—

A shot rang into the room and everyone was shocked sans Byakuran—who was smiling cruelly—as they watched the brunet boss of the Vongola fall down to the ground. It was quiet for a few seconds until each one of the enemies shouted at the boss to Wake up, please wake up. We can't continue without you!

Kuroko was thankful that he wore a mask most of the time or else his boss could've seen his disapproval. It may not be the best choice, but somehow shitty or not, he owed this second chance to the strange white-haired man. He would not let him down by showing his vulnerability to the enemy.

From the corner of his eye, he saw something red headed straight towards his boss. His eyes widened. Byakuran-sama!

He hurriedly ran and shielded his boss from the assault. The pale-haired assassin, having been born with a naturally weak body, immediately went down as he felt the burning sensation on his back.

He never did see the look of pure shock and rage that flitted Byakuran's face at that event.

The room burst in orange.

The blue-haired assassin sat on the wheelchair, bandages wrapped around his chest and torso, extending to his back. There were hints of his past burn marks visible above the wraps. Beside his chair was a wooden doll complete with a dark cloak and a small white box embedded on its chest.

He readjusted the doll's limbs and placed a grade-A Mist ring on one of its fingers. He wheeled his chair back a bit to inspect his doll. His concentration was broken when a knock resounded from the door. It opened to reveal Byakuran carrying something covered by a scrap of cloth. The white-haired male handed it to him and he unwrapped it.

"Are you ready for Choice, Tetsuya-kun?"

Kuroko placed the mask on the doll's face and he wore the Mare Mist ring. Lighting up his Mist flames, the doll responded to it. First, the fingers moved, followed by the jointed limbs, until the main body could move.

"Or should I say… Torikabuto?"

Byakuran had a pleased grin on his face. He couldn't have asked for a better toy.

"I am ready to serve you, Byakuran-sama."

And as they say, the rest is history. *wink wink nudge nudge* I STOPPED JUST BEFORE CHOICE (OBVIOUSLY) BECAUSE ME THINKS EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENS IS OBVIOUS AND DOES ADHERE TO CANON. There's no need to narrate that part.

I REPEAT: COULD HAVE A SECOND CHAPTER, IF YOU GUYS DEMAND FOR IT AND I GET SMACKED IN THE FACE BY MORE INSPIRATION (I ALREADY HAVE AN IDEA ON HOW TO START THE NEXT ONE).

I THINK I REMEMBER TORIKABUTO BEING A DOLL SOMETIME AGO. SOOOO INJURED KUROKO = NO FIGHTING = DOLL SUBSTITUTE = TORIKABUTO.

And I remember that his Funeral Wreaths were the same people all throughout the parallel worlds, meaning, the familiarity Kuroko felt around him was a result of another version of Byakuran and Kuroko meeting.

AND CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, BUT ONLY THE MAIN CHARACTERS KNOW BYAKURAN CAN SEE THE PARALLEL WORLDS AND THAT'S ONLY BECAUSE OF SHOICHI (THE ONLY PERSON WHO DISCOVERED IT BY HIMSELF), RIGHT?

I hope you like my idea.

Ciao ciao~! -Flonne.