Title: Language Barriers

Summary: Snippets of Tsuna's time in China as he travels with seven other people and their rather colourful personalities.

Tsuna stumbled into the overnight train as he half carried/half dragged his luggage in front of him and tried to not stub his toe on it. The corridors were narrow, one wall interrupted by windows and the occasional fold-up seat while the other had gaps that lead to four-bed open cabins.

Not ten shuffled steps in, Tsuna is forced to a complete halt, despite the hand of his travelling companion that pressed rather insistently against his back.

"I can't go any further, Hibari-san." Tsuna dropped his luggage at that declaration and tried to peek over everyone's head on his toes.

There was a line forming in front and thanks to the corridor width, it was completely blocked up. People looked annoyed.

Kyoya -a rather terrifying man if Tsuna used the past two days experience as an expected normality- pushed past Tsuna and a few other people with his luggage as a shield, and slid into their compartment.

He reappeared soon after and called out his usual derogatory term of endearment, 'Small Animal.'

It showed just how well trained Tsuna had been, even with the two day limit, that his head immediately snapped up when he heard the words.

Despite not knowing for sure, Tsuna was correct: It was clearly meant to address him, seeing as Kyoya then grabbed the poor man and dragged him down the hallway, liberal use of elbow getting the black haired man angry mutters.

Tsuna squeaked out apologies as he was squished between people, luggage and the cabins' wall from being pulled after Kyoya. Tsuna got a particularly foul look when his suitcase almost sent someone to the floor.

He stumbled into the cabin, taking in the thin bunk beds on both sides and all of the white paint and panelling. Kyoya then made use of his grip, still tight around Tsuna's wrist, to get the Vongola heir's attention before pointing him to the top left bed, waving the ticket as evidence.

Tsuna quickly found the palm-sized plastic rectangle that folded down from the edge of the doorway. It took a bit longer to register that it was a step to climb up.

"Oh, right," he laughed sheepishly, shrinking under the Foundation boss' glare.

A flash of tonfa silver from under Kyoya's coat and Tsuna was sent scrambling onto the upper bunk. Kyoya passed up both suitcases and Tsuna slid them onto the shelf above the door.

The brunet sighed and slumped down onto the thin sheets and crinkling pillow. The only coloured thing in the room caught his eye, and as he stared in curiosity at the small bark blue netting drilled into the wall. A peek across the cabin and the empty bottle of water there made him realise it was storage.

Tsuna rolled on to his stomach, rather surprised that the shelf holding him didn't creak, and peered out of the window at the station platforms.

"Hey, Hibari-san, why aren't people allowed on the platform unless a train is there? It would cut costs on building the waiting lounges in the first place." Tsuna craned his neck to try and find the stairs leading to the waiting lounges but was restricted by how lazy he was feeling.

Kyoya berated him to be quiet with a disgruntled mutter.

"Ah, right. V.I.P lounges get money from customers and so do the stores that are inside." Tsuna nodded, feeling wiser. He knew this trip was a good thing.

A threat to climb up comes from his travelling companion.

Tsuna sighed at the expected reply and planted his face in the cool pillow. He had a break until Reborn came back to Vongola and realized Tsuna had left. Then it would be back to twenty-four/seven Vongola Style Catch-up where the vicious advisor would cram Tsuna's head full of how to run a business. Really, it was getting oppressive, and even Timeoto signed off on this trip with a sympathetic smile.

When Reborn did come back, hopefully the punishment will be lessened considering this trip was actually a way to strengthen ties between Vongola and it ally, the Foundation. Or, that's the excuse.

Tsuna slithered to the edge of the bed and pressed up against the safety bar to peer down at Kyoya's bowed head; the man too tall to sit up properly in case he hit Tsuna's bed. It was rather odd that the boss of the Foundation himself would agree to take Tsuna on a trip around China just to see the man's business ventures.

Shrill chirps sounded from Kyoya's phone and he seemed to take great pleasure in hanging up on the caller. Maybe Kyoya needed a break as well.

A loud bang caused Tsuna to smack his head on the safety bar when he tried to turn. He whimpered and clutched at his head as he rolled away. In his periphery he saw Kyoya who emerged from the bottom bunk and rolled his eyes when he registered Tsuna curled into a foetal position.

A distinctly male voice, heavy with irritation, rang out in the relatively quiet train carriage. The order to move out of his way was met with a mocking silence.

The ache had dissipated to a dull roar, enough that Tsuna could sit up and watch a silver haired man stomp into the cabin. Tsuna vaguely remembered the man's name to be Gokudera Hayato, a short-tempered Italian. The brunet shuffled forwards, allowing his feet to dangle off the side of the bunk when he saw the familiar face.

Hayato crouched to tuck his bag under the bed opposite Kyoya before straightening with a huff and soon caught sight of Tsuna. His face immediately lit up with happiness (and no small amount of hero worship), before he grinned up Tsuna.

"That's pretty lucky, huh, Gokudera-san? Getting the same cabin." Tsuna grinned back, happy to spend more time with the strange man.

Tsuna had been walking beside the silver haired man who slipped off the side of the platform in between carriages and almost fell completely, but Tsuna managed to catch him. Tsuna probably wouldn't have been able to pull the man up without Kyoya's grip around Tsuna's waist, but to Hayato that wasn't important.

Hayato nodded happily in wordless glee, which caused Kyoya to turn and stare at Tsuna accusingly.

"What?" Tsuna asked hesitantly, but a pointed cough interrupted the conversation.

A man with spiked hair dyed purple was standing at the doorway. He took one look at Tsuna and smiled like a predator who found prey with a limp. Tsuna pulled up his legs onto the bed and leaned away - he could almost feel the aura from the strangely coloured man. That was dye, right?

"H-hello," Tsuna stuttered out.

That shark's grin only widened. The purple man introduces himself as Mukuro with his patent manipulative flare, kindly asking if Tsuna would mind terribly if he swapped cabins. 'I want to be in the same room as my sister,' Mukuro said, explaining that he was only a few doors down. With an earnest look on his face, Mukuro claimed, 'It's Chrome's first time on a sleeping train so she might be scared.'

Hayato refused immediately and screamed at the newcomer to leave his Tsuna alone.

Kyoya snapped in rapid fire for Hayato and Mukuro to, 'Both shut up and leave.' He brandished his tonfa and both men puffed up, reaching for hidden somethings that Tsuna really hoped weren't weapons.

A purple haired woman poked her head into the cabin then and told Mukuro she would be fine. Mukuro glanced back at her she repeated herself slower. He nodded and they both left.

Kyoya and Hayato started simmering down but still glared at each other.

Tsuna just sat there, really confused as to what was happening. After all, he didn't understand any language other than Japanese.

A/N:

They all speak different languages, which are;

Tsuna- Japanese

Kyoya- Chinese

Hayato- Italian

Mukuro- Afrikaans

Chrome- Dutch

Depending on the point of view, all other languages will be shown 'like this'.

It isn't a one-shot and all of these stories will be rather random, all connected and chronological unless specified otherwise. It'll span quite a few chapters (twenty and counting) but they'll be short (as in: don't ever expect this length again).