Objective: Solve the Problem!

Chapter 1

One hundred eighty-nine, one hundred ninety, one hundred ninety-one, one hundred ninety-two-

Yamamoto Takeshi was counting the steps he took. More specifically, the amount of steps he had to take before arriving at Tsuna's house. It was a Monday (May the 22nd since we're being exact) which meant Tsuna would be a few minutes later than he was on other days. Yamamoto only knew this because the little guy would tell them to hurry and go to school with their "dying will" or else they would be late. Then Tsuna would trip, fall out of his clothes and race to school, taking him and Gokudera with him as he did so. Once there, Tsuna would look at the clock above the school entrance and let out a war cry that sounded something like 'Made it!' and then their little group would be standing in the hallway just as the bell rang.

Insert ominous piano music and right on cue, Hibari Kyouya, chairman of the disciplinary committee and head of the prefects would casually stroll their way, glare at Tsuna's state of undress, take out his tonfas and proceed to hunt Tsuna across the school property. That was then the hint for Gokudera to throw well-meant but not so well-aimed dynamite, and that sometimes managed to deflect Hibari's rage.

Monday afternoons were usually spent in either the school infirmary or in detention.

Two hundred fifty-four, two hundred fifty-five, two hundred fifty-six-

'Have fun at school, Tsu-kun!'

-two hundred fifty-eight, two hundred fifty-nine. Yamamoto looked up from the cobblestones and smiled easily at Gokudera and Tsuna. He didn't see the little guy anywhere, but he'd probably appear out of nowhere when they started running late. 'Ohayo!'

'Yamamoto! Ohayo.' Tsuna greeted, smiling. Gokudera glared darkly at him and he grinned back broadly.

'How was your weekend Tsuna, Gokudera? Did Dino-san drop by like he said he would?' Yamamoto asked as the three of them started their walk to school. The short brunet looked a bit exasperated, holding on to the strap of his bag with one hand and staring at the street.

'Yeah, he did…'

Yamamoto gave him a curious look. 'What happened?'

Tsuna was about to open his mouth, but was cut off by Gokudera's outraged shout of 'That's none of your business! Don't stick your nose in the Tenth's business!' Yamamoto laughed while Tsuna almost tripped over his feet by the force of the sound exploding on his right. Gokudera tried to fuss over Tsuna and fume at Yamamoto at the same time, which only freaked Tsuna out and made Takeshi laugh more.

'Maa, maa, relax, Gokudera! Come on, we gotta get to school, we're already late.'

Tsuna paled at the prospect of being late and coming to face Hibari again and, before Gokudera could finish yelling at Yamamoto for implying something was the brunet's fault, started running, calling for the other's to hurry up. His friends did, Yamamoto still airily ignoring Gokudera's glare and grumbled threats as they went.

They arrived at the school gates just as the bell rang, having been slower than usual without Reborn for encouragement. The three felt uneasy as they hastily crossed the thoroughly deserted school yard to the front doors, eyes gazing straight ahead.

It didn't help them.

'You herbivores are late again. For breaking Namimori's rules, I will punish you.'

The friends froze and Tsuna meeped in fear as a familiar cold voice reached them from the double doors. Takeshi started, just a tiny bit, but the others didn't notice. In front of them, arms hanging loosely by his sides, eyes half-closed and giving them a dark, foreboding look, stood Hibari Kyouya.

'Hi-Hibari-san!' Tsuna exclaimed, shrinking away fearfully from the cold stare that was now fixed solely on him.

'Herbivore.' Hibari stated with faux-curiosity, his tone of calm inquiry belied by the hands that drew out his steel, bar-like weapons. Tsuna made another meeping sound and raised his hands in front of his chest, palms outwards.

'W-We're very sorry, Hibari-san! I promise it won't happen again! P-Please don't b-beat us up!'

Hibari's lips curled into a smirk. 'You'll always come late, Sawada Tsunayoshi.'

Gokudera immediately blew up in protective rage, dynamite coming to life in between his fingers as he started shouting obscenities at the head-prefect. Yamamoto quickly darted around Tsuna to grab the bomber's arms and hold him back, casting a worried glance at his shortest friend. Tsuna's head was bowed, brown spikes obscuring his downcast eyes. Shock was evident in the boy's posture.

Yamamoto frowned, ignoring Gokudera's explicit demand to be let go of, and studied Hibari's face. True, the teen was probably sadistic, but not usually verbally so and this was really a whole new level of mean. He hadn't thought it was like the prefect to get personal. Maybe he was still pissed off about the damage done to Namimori in the Ring Battles? But still, he would have just beaten them up for that…

Hibari caught him staring and his steel-blue eyes narrowed dangerously. Yamamoto was surprised to find what seemed like frustration coiling in those eyes, glaring at him with a kind of vexation he didn't understand the source of. It couldn't possibly be him, right? He didn't break any of the school's windows lately, he was making extra sure to be careful during training since that revelation a couple of weeks ago.

'LET GO OF ME, YOU BASEBALL NUT! I'M GONNA BLOW THAT BASTARD INTO-'

'Gokudera-kun.'

The silver-haired teen stopped trying to break though Takeshi's arms, his expression morphing into one of worry at the quiet voice of his beloved boss.

'Tenth?'

Yamamoto released Gokudera as all the rage promptly left him and stood next to him, his eyes not leaving Hibari's.

'Let's go to class, okay guys?' Tsuna didn't meet their eyes and kept his gaze on the ground even as he walked past Hibari. Gokudera followed him hurriedly, shooting Hibari a venomous glare in passing. Yamamoto made no move to follow them.

Hibari returned his look now in a disinterested, yet vaguely menacing manner.

'Are you waiting for me to punish you, herbivore?' His voice mirrored his gaze.

'I eat meat.' Yamamoto supplied without a pause. Hibari's eyes narrowed slightly, the tonfas were raised.

'Loitering on-'

'Why did you say that to Tsuna?' Yamamoto interrupted, an unpleasant chill gliding down his spine at the glare on Hibari's face. He ploughed on regardless. 'You don't usually get personal. Actually, I don't think you've ever. You just beat people up while reciting the rules they broke or calling them a weak herbivore, so I'm wondering what made you do that to Tsuna.'

During his little speech Hibari had gotten noticeably closer to him, a slow, imminent gait making it difficult for Yamamoto to keep from starting back every time he took a step forward. Yamamoto's easy smile slid off his face.

'You have a problem with the way I work?'

His voice sounded coldly amused, as if he was enjoying being given what was in his eyes probably an excuse. Takeshi stopped blinking when Hibari's last step positioned him maybe ten inches away from himself, the perfect range to slam his tonfa up and against his jaw. Yamamoto's limbs were starting to tingle with adrenaline and another something, that had naught to do with danger and everything with that revelation that threw part of his world around. The part that had to do with the prefect threatening him in front of him.

Hibari was probably amused about the change of actually having an excuse for once.

'Not usually.' Yamamoto replied flippantly. 'But you really shouldn't get personal with my friends.' His smile returned and gained a rare sharpness about it as he met Hibari's steel-blue gaze squarely. Hibari's lips quirked, his eyes holding a spark Yamamoto couldn't place right then.

'Are you threatening me, herbivore?' Hibari's voice still held that cold amusement, but it had lowered in volume and pitch, sending another shiver down Takeshi's spine.

'No.' He said calmly. 'Just warning you.'

Hibari was a couple of inches shorter than him, and as such Yamamoto had to look slightly down. He'd thought this would annoy him, but nothing on his features showed irritation. Which, given the fact that this was Hibari Kyouya, was a seldom seen and rather unsettling sight.

A touch of steel against his bare throat, the tip of one of his tonfas. He only felt it because the steel was so cold, the pressure was so light it was barely tangible. Yamamoto tensed the muscles of his upper body while relaxing the ones of his legs, keeping his smile intact. Hibari smirked.

'Take this as a warning.'

Yamamoto let himself fall backwards a split second before Hibari drove his tonfa upwards, the tip grazing his chin and leaving a burning sensation behind. He twisted his body and jumped to the side, watching Hibari warily as he lowered his weapons, still smirking. The prefect copied his movements when he straightened his back, but Takeshi didn't yet dare move his weight back onto his heels.

'I decide when I get personal with your little herbivorous friends, Yamamoto Takeshi.'

He promptly strode through the double doors into the school and Yamamoto turned on the balls of his feet to keep him in his line of sight.

Yamamoto made no move to enter until Hibari had disappeared in the hallways. Only then did he relax, the sharp glint fading from his chocolate eyes. He strutted toward the doors, following the head-prefect inside but going right where he'd taken a left.

Ahh, in which classroom was his first class again? Monday, first period… ah, math in six.

He pushed open the door to the classroom, one hand already on the back of his head, and smiled apologetically at his teacher- wait, who was this little guy? A substitute for Mr. Mochizuki or something? He sure looked funny with those sideburns.

'Yamamoto Takeshi, 2nd year student of Namimori Middle School and star player of the Namimori baseball team.' The short substitute teacher rattled in a squeaky, nasal voice. Yamamoto smiled. 'That's me!'

'You're late.'

Takeshi narrowly dodged the piece of chalk fired at his head.

'Detention. Go to the Reception Room after school.'

He blinked, a frown briefly tugging at his features. 'Ah, alright sensei.' He moved past the rows of desks to the empty one beside Tsuna and plonked down. Many of the girls were whispering, worry lacing the hushed sound stringing through the classroom.

'…where has he…is he late…What happened to his chin?'

Hmm? His chin? He leant forward and rested his chin in the palm of his hand, inconspicuously feeling the smooth skin with his fingertips. The graze Hibari left stung hotly as he passed over it.

'Y-Yamamoto?' Tsuna timidly asked, leaning sideways in his seat and giving him a worried look.

'Hmm?'

'Did-Did Hibari-san…,' Tsuna bit his lip, 'do that?' Was what the short boy settled for. Yamamoto just smiled easily. 'I guess he was in a bit of a bad mood.' Tsuna stared at him wordlessly before nodding hesitantly, looking back at the teacher just in time to be hit in the face with an eraser.

'Sawada Tsunayoshi. You will have detention with me after school.'

'HIIIIII!'

Yamamoto looked at Tsuna in amazement. Surely he wasn't that upset about getting detention? He got clean-up duty all the time, you'd think he was used to it by now. Maybe he was worried about having detention with the new guy?

Yamamoto took a closer look at the supposed substitute teacher.

Nope. He didn't recognize him at all.

Class continued, but apart from being a bit stern and rather fond of throwing chalk, he didn't see anything weird about the new teacher. He may look a bit young, but he was probably just gifted.

The bell rang, signalling the end of the first period, and Yamamoto didn't think he'd ever seen his classmates that eager to go to History class before.

Yamamoto stuffed his books in his bag, smiling happily.

Lunch break!

Gokudera was already standing next to Tsuna, glaring at any- and everyone who dared so much as look at their friend. Two girls who were really just trying to get past them to the front of the class ran off crying. Gokudera was saying something about making homework together after Tsuna's detention.

'Good idea! We'll do it together!'

'You're not invited!' Gokudera yelled, giving him the funny twitchy-eyebrows look. Yamamoto laughed and the twitching increased. Tsuna waved his hands around, his light-brown eyes large and panicked.

'I-It's alright! Yamamoto can come too!' He hastily interjected. Gokudera was obviously displeased about this, but as he would never go against something Tsuna said, he agreed reluctantly.

The three climbed the stairs to their usual spot on the school's roof, accompanied by the sound of Gokudera and Yamamoto's usual one-sided bickering and Tsuna's attempts at calming Gokudera down. Yamamoto flopped down onto the sun-warmed concrete, watching his friends do the same. He took the sakura-patterned box his father gave him this morning out of his bag and grinned. The hungry stares were almost palpable.

Yamamoto's father, Yamamoto Tsuyoshi, was the owner of the sushi-restaurant Takesushi and, according to the locals, the best sushi-chef on Japan's northern island. Yamamoto took the lid off the box. Mouth-watering scents lured the boys closer to the contents, inhaling deeply.

'Do you want some?' He asked brightly. Tsuna went red and quickly backed away while Gokudera huffed and turned his nose in the air. Yamamoto's grin didn't leave his face while he wordlessly deposited half of his sushi in their lunchboxes. Gokudera's 'thanks' was like always firm yet practically inaudible, but Yamamoto withstood the temptation of asking him to repeat himself. Tsuna smiled gratefully, thanking him at regular speech volume, a bit shy as he focussed on eating.

It was becoming a hot day and soon ties were loosened while students all over the school grounds tried to stay in the shadows as much as possible. The bell rang again and everyone reluctantly but hastily gathered their things and went inside. Yamamoto, Tsuna and Gokudera fastened their ties as they walked down the stairs, minds on their next period.

A worn-down shoulder-bag lay forgotten on the warm concrete.

The boys slid into their seats, Tsuna quickly taking out the needed books and pencils while Gokudera didn't bother and obstinately kicked his feet up on his desk. Yamamoto reached for his own bag, leaning toward the floor, only to find dust and footprints. He blinked, looking on the other side of his chair, before standing up to look beneath it.

'What're you doing, baseball freak?' Gokudera grumbled, following his movements closely. Yamamoto scratched his head sheepishly. Right. Heh, he may have forgotten his book bag… Gokudera scoffed at him, stretching in his chair, a certain smugness in the air around him. Tsuna tilted his head at his older friend inquiringly. 'Did you forget you bag at the roof?' He asked, his hands already going back into his bag to retrieve a spare pencil and paper. Yamamoto grinned and nodded wordlessly. Tsuna handed him the spare materials and he set them down on his desk, clapping his thanks on the short brunet's shoulder, ignoring the storm of protest coming from behind him.

'I'll go get it anyway,' he said, glancing at the teacher's desk, which was still vacant, 'teach' isn't here yet, so I think I'll get away with it.' Tsuna looked like he wanted to question that but Yamamoto interrupted cheerily, waving his hands around to support his point.

'Just a quick run up the stairs, I'll be back before you know it!'

Yamamoto quickly darted out of the stuffy classroom, not waiting to hear his friends' replies since he knew he really had to hurry if he wanted to get back without receiving more detention. His sneakers hit the floors of the abandoned hallways louder than he would've liked, what with the prefects on the prowl, so he dashed on in a hurry.

Haha, silly to forget my bag until the last moment!

The door to the roof was already in sight and Yamamoto reached it with a final leap, darting up the shadowy staircase. Halfway up, he got a funny feeling in the pit of stomach, some sense of foreboding, but he wanted to escape the notice of the Disciplinary Committee so he paid it no attention. Yamamoto paused at the last door between him and the dizzying heat of the sun to catch a quick breath. If he stumbled outside after that quick sprint, the warmth would probably not do him any good.

The metal door creaked quietly in its hinges, protesting against the minimum amount of force Yamamoto used to open it. As expected, hot air billowed into the relatively cool stairwell, stealing his breath for a moment. When he stepped out onto the concrete that was even hotter than before and looked around for the familiar sights of his shoulder-bag, he suddenly strongly wished he'd just not forgotten to take it with him the first time.

About 15 feet from Yamamoto's worn sneakers lay his trusty school bag, it's cotton threads toasty warm from the sun. Comfortably resting on top of it, heedlessly using it as a vicarious pillow, was the person he wanted to see the least right then. Not only was he a prefect…

…he was also a napping Hibari Kyouya.

Dundunduuuuuun~

A/N: Sooo, first cliffie (kinda) ever! :3 So proud xD I have another 6 pages written out, but I'm not entirely satisfied with those yet, so yeah, you'll have to wait a bit longer for those :D Please tell me whether you liked it, or if you think it could be better please tell me how! I always apreciate constructive feedback :D

...nobody kill me o.o

For those wondering, the next chapter of Tsuna to Italy is in the works, 4 pages and counting. :) See ya later!

And, sorry but it gets longer:

IMPORTANT FUN NOTICE :D:D:D :

I'M GOING TO COSPLAY HARU from khr SOMEWHERE IN THE NEAR FUTURE (NEARNEARNEAR!:D) AND I'M GOING TO A COSPLAY CON IN LONDON SOMETIME that I have the money for it cough SO I WANT TO MEET AWESOME PEOPLE SO COME ON PEOPLE! :D I don't yet know which con, where, when, etc, I'm waiting 'till I have some certainty on when I'll have my outfit before I do that (which should be soon). But I want to meet people who are just as awesomely insane as I am (those who do not feel like omgoshi'-) and enjoy mangas/animes as much as I do. Basically,

I WANNA HAVE FUN AND MEET NEW PEOPLE WHO ARE FUN AND FUN-LOVING TOO!

Since I know this applies to all of you, PM me if you would really like to meet up with me and friends of mine at an as of yet undetermined cosplay con in London (probably London, anyways). I think it would be a lot of fun :D

END OF IMPORTANT NOTICE XD