Disclaimer : I don't own Katekyo Hitman Reborn! Amano Akira does.

A / N :

YOOOO. (:

Well, this is going to my very first fanfiction on Katekyo Hitman Reborn! It's going to be a HibarixOC one. Don't ask my why-it just is. HAHA. Mm, I'm not sure if I grasped all their characters correctly or well enough. Holy, I almost died while wondering if I got them all right. I was beating myself up about whether they were saying the right kind of things and stuff. Ah, gosh. I guess that it's for you guys to decide, though, so... =P

I hope that y'all like it! ;D

CHAPTER ONE;

"Hello, Hello, Hello Again"

"So it was you after all, Azumi?"

A light breeze danced by, increasing the soft coolness of the morning that seeped deep through my clothes and into my very being. My entire body felt like it was frozen since I had been outside for so long, but somehow, as my eyes scanned over the familiar buildings of the place where so many beautiful memories had been created, I felt warm.

I tore my eyes away from the sun that was just beginning to rise, sending splashes of pale, yet slowly growing more vibrant, colours. I smiled at the Arcobaleno, forcing myself to lift a hand up to represent a wave. "Reborn! It's been a while. You look like you've been doing well."

"Ciaossu," he greeted like he always did. He jumped up onto my shoulder, taking a seat there. He weighed little to nothing, and it was calming to have such a reassuring figure with me. "Where did you spend the night?"

"At Dino's," I answered, my lips tugging higher at the mention of the incredibly handsome and amicable Chiavarone Boss. His hospitality was something that I definitely needed to pay him back for.

A small frown could be heard in Reborn's voice as he said, "You could've just come straight to Tsuna's house. Mama wouldn't mind at all."

My eyes were fixated on the rising star that was very slowly brightening up the drowsy sky. "Yes, that's true, but I felt like if I showed up that late, Tsuna wouldn't get any sleep due to the surprise. After all, it's been two years."

"Was it really necessary for them to send you here?" Reborn inquired, the question half rhetorical, half not. There was grimness in his voice that signified he was deep in thought, trying to plan out every possibility and the best way to come out of it all with an awaiting victory.

"Not really," I laughed, glancing at the most trusted hitman of Vongola the Ninth. I had no doubt that he would become an inerasable, irreplaceable person to Vongola the Tenth as well—in a different way than it was between Reborn and Dino. Although Reborn always had affection hidden deeply in his eyes whenever his students were mentioned, there was something more when it involved Tsuna. "You don't need to worry, Reborn. I'm honestly only here as a precaution. Besides, Squalo didn't want me back at the base for a while."

Reborn made a noncommittal, yet contemplative sound. He didn't need to ask for the reason why Squalo had yelled at me to stay away from the base the minute I had returned to it. I remembered he had said he was "so annoyed with the goddamn attitude and the stupid looks" that I had. It was a cover, because of course, Squalo could never announce his affection and concern in gentle ways. However, with Xanxus defeated by Tsuna and losing the right to succeed Vongola the Ninth due to the rejection of the Vongola Rings, there was no doubt he'd be furious. Even if it'd been two weeks already since the lost, Xanxus would probably be in a foul mood for another week.

Pushing myself up into a standing position, I let my cerulean eyes sweep over the peaceful town once more before I grasped the black handles of my brand new schoolbag and jumped off of the Sawada's rooftop, landing softly on the cement pavement right in front of their gate.

"Where are you going at such an early hour?" Reborn turned and looked at me with those unreadable, unfathomable black eyes. There was no expression on his face except for a neutral one that gave nothing away.

A nervous laugh escaped me, and I smiled at him a bit anxiously. "To be honest, I'm kind of scared to meet Tsuna's Family—not to mention... I haven't been to a school in years. Thinking about being around so many normal, unaware people..." I paused, shaking my head as I thought about it. "I'm going to go early and try to familiarize myself with Namimori Middle School."

"I thought you said you're afraid of meeting Tsuna's Family," Reborn stated. "I'm sure that you know that the Guardian of the Cloud will be there in a while."

My teeth flashed. "You caught me. I genuinely am nervous, but I might as well meet the Guardian that's hardest to warm up to first, right? I'd rather get it over with, so that I won't be in such an anxious state for the rest of the day."

"You must have read his profile." It wasn't a question, but a statement.

The picture that had been paper-clipped to a brief profile on the Cloud Guardian fluttered through my mind, and I nodded with a smile. "Do you think we'll get along?"

"Who knows?" Reborn answered vaguely. He jumped off of my shoulder, landing along the width of the cement fencing that belonged to the Sawada family. He stood with his hands clasped behind his back, Leon still sleeping contentedly along the brim of his large black fedora.

It was just like Reborn—knowing the answer, and yet letting the person suffer while trying to figure out the answer on their own. I had no doubt in my mind that Reborn already had his own vision of how this would all turn out, but it was so incredibly like him to keep it to himself. If this was how he taught Tsuna, I couldn't help but wonder how much Tsuna changed.

"I'll be going now," I told the infant. "I'll see you later today, Reborn."

He nodded. "Take care."

Beaming at him one last time, I began making my way towards Nami Middle, feeling the hitman's eyes burn into the back of my skull. I chose to ignore it, however, as I inhaled the crisp, fresh morning air. It was a cold that felt searing as it travelled through my body and reached my lungs.

Quietness and peacefulness blanketed the town, hardly any humans stirring. It was, after all, only five forty-five in the morning. School, as I had read in the pamphlet I had gotten from the principal yesterday after making my transfer official, started at eight fifteen in the mornings, which left me with over two hours of spare time. I could easily still be sleeping in a guest room provided chivalrously by the Chiavarone Famiglia, but I couldn't sleep. The jitteriness that I had felt ever since getting on the plane from Italy wouldn't leave my system.

Birds chirped softly in the sky overhead, trying to get a head start on the day. I was grasping the two thick handles of my schoolbag in front of me with both hands, the bag relatively light due to the lack of textbooks in it.

When I got to Namimori Middle, I noticed how the large, iron black gate was locked shut, unable to open. It didn't necessarily surprise me, as I was pretty confident no staff member in their right minds would arrive to work two hours earlier than the designated time. The school was fairly large, somehow seemingly emitting an aura of tenderness and meaning. Along the wide, vertical path created from the gates towards the front steps of the school were large cherry blossom trees that lined both sides beautifully.

With ease, I half-climbed, half-jumped over the gate, breaking onto the school grounds without authorized permission. I wasn't sure if the staff could actually get angry, though—after all, was it appropriate to punish a student that just happened to be extremely early?

I didn't doubt that the doors leading to the school were locked, so instead of making my way towards the main entrance, I slanted my path towards a certain cluster of cherry blossom trees. The blooming delicate rosette flowers provided a glorious shade from the heat of the sun that would surely be beating down later on in the day. The mornings were still quite chilly, but it was already late spring. About two months had passed since the start of school in April, and I wondered how often they got students transferring at such unusual times.

I sat down on the cool wooden bench beneath the bundle of elegant trees, placing my book bag next to me. As I tilted my head back to stare up at the soft, pink pastel petals, I didn't realize how much I missed seeing them until now.

My thoughts wandered and flew around from one thing to another. At first, they had centered around Tsuna—how was he? Would he be happy to see me? Would he be angry? And then somehow my train of thought had wandered away from the brunette and onto the base back home in Italy—was Squalo doing alright? Was Xanxus still sulking and loathing everything around him silently, abusing the other members mercilessly?

Unable to help it, a smile tugged at my face at the thought of the base. I wasn't sure how everyone would hold up—after all, with both Squalo and Xanxus in horrible moods, I wondered how many of the members had gotten hit. It was a horrible thing to injure your teammates and your Family, but I had gotten so used to it. And after being with them for so long, I knew that no matter how many times they hurt one another and yelled harsh things at each other, they had an unbreakable bond with one another beneath it all. After all, we were all a Family.

Though, I mused thoughtfully, I probably didn't need to worry too much about it anyways. Even if I was gone, Suzu would be taking care of things just fine. With a temper that rivalled Squalo's, there was no way she would back down. Without a doubt, she would be making just as big of a mess as the second-in-command of the squad, despite trying to help. I wondered if Kazuki was there as well; he would definitely know how to handle everything.

Kazuki.

The thought of him made me sigh and clench my hands into fists. It had been so long since I had last seen him—a month? Four? All that I knew was that it had been too long. It didn't feel right with him gone at the base. Many people thought it was strange that we all got along so well, since most siblings fought with one another frequently. With Kazuki, Suzu, and I, though, we were inseparable. The differences in our ages didn't change the fact the three of us were unbelievably close.

I didn't even notice how long I had been absorbed in my own little world until the sound of approaching footsteps snapped me out of my reverie. A soft wind sauntered by, playing with my loosened strands of long hair as I blinked and turned towards who was coming.

The wind tentatively teased his straight locks of onyx, the tips of his bangs obscuring his blue-grey eyes for a brief second or two. When the wind stopped dancing with his hair, I noticed how his bangs were longest in the middle, the sections above his eyes shorter as to not block his vision. His skin was the shade of precious ivory, his lips pulled down into a frown. His eyes were slanted almonds, the scowl in them evident.

There was no doubt that he was very attractive, but from what I knew about him, his personality would be more than enough to scare away many girls. The intimidating aura that surrounded him on a fifty meter radius made sure that nobody got too close to him without cowering.

A smile tugged at my lips as I analyzed him—so this was him.

He stopped when he was a meter away, the scowl still shining in his expression. "Students who break onto school grounds without authorized permission with receive punishment." There was no greeting, no hesitation, no sympathy as his collapsible tonfas fell into his waiting hands. He ran towards me with intent to sincerely hurt me, swinging his right tonfa where my head would've been if I hadn't tilted it to the side to avoid the hit.

"Hi," I told him with a smile, ignoring the way his eyes glowered fiercely at me. "I'm a new student here at Namimori Middle. It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Hibari Kyoya."

His eyes hardened as his name left my lips, and he swung his left tonfa at my head again, his right one simultaneously aiming for my abdomen. I slipped off of the bench, taking a step back to provide a bit more space between us. After all, I had no doubt physical contact with people—unless it was a beating—disgusted him.

"I'm Shimizu Azumi," I introduced, ducking under his arm as he attempted to swing at me again. He switched the way he held his tonfa immediately and brought his arm backward. I took a few steps back to avoid the hit, and he whirled around immediately. Beaming at him, I asked, "Will you help me find my way to my class?"

"Not before I bite you to death," he answered coolly, calmly, before coming at me again. I bit down on my lower lip, my eyebrows furrowing slightly as his movements before faster, sharper. I narrowly missed a blow aimed at my stomach before jumping to evade the leg he had swiped towards me, planning to knock me off my feet.

I had thought something was definitely strange when he had tried to hit me the first time. After all, there was no way that his battle etiquette was of such low calibre. With the title of Cloud Guardian, if he had been so weak, I would've questioned how he managed to survive the battles so far. But now, as I continued dodging his numerous attacks, I knew that he had been holding back.

Ducking and then sidestepping, I noticed how he was forcing me back. Staring into his dark eyes, it was clear that he wasn't even close to using his true potential. A smile made its way onto my face, and I beamed at him even when I felt my back press up against the trunk of a cherry blossom tree, his steel tonfa slamming into the trunk right next to my temple. The tree itself shook, delicate petals peeling off of the flowers and fluttering down softly.

As a petal landed on his shoulder, he slowly, but surely, retreated his tonfas. He took a step back, his expression still full of contempt. It was clear that he no longer wanted to engage in a battle—I supposed that his willpower was lost as he remembered the time he got defeated by Mukuro.

He regarded me with glacial eyes, and I met his gaze squarely with my own. My teeth flashed, and I let out a laugh. "I can definitely see why Dino had so many wounds. Is your right shoulder feeling alright?"

"What are you saying?" he asked, his voice smooth.

"Your right shoulder," I repeated, blinking at him. "You never made any big movements with your right tonfa. Even though you're right-handed, your swings from your right side were slower instead of faster than your left. Is your shoulder okay?"

There was a beat of silence, and then, "It's none of your concern."

"Maybe not," I agreed, "but..." I moved towards my schoolbag, unzipping it and rummaging through it until I found what I was looking for. Beaming, I turned around and faced him, holding the thin cylindrical container in between my thumb and middle finger. "The best of the best made these. They work extremely well." I stretched my arm out towards him, silently offering.

"Completely unnecessary," he responded, already turning away. "You'll receive your punishment for breaking into school grounds later." I watched his back as he walked towards the main entrance of the school, his footsteps unfaltering and his posture straight and dignified.

The hand that held the cylinder of pills fell back to my sides, and I couldn't help but let out a soft chuckle, my eyes bright. To say the least, I was absolutely intrigued and amused. I wasn't expecting anything different, since I had read his profile before coming, and yet—I couldn't imagine how drastically diverse he was.

Hibari Kyoya.

"Come in!"

Hearing those words from the teacher inside, I inhaled once more, the wings of myriads of butterflies tickling my stomach, before I slid open the classroom door. My heart beat loudly and rapidly as I stepped inside the room, feeling numerous eyes burning into me. I didn't look at anyone as I halted next to the teacher, who stood in the middle at the front of the room behind a podium.

Pivoting slightly on my heels to face the curious gaze of students, I bowed. "My name's Shimizu Azumi. I'm pleased to meet everyone, and I hope we get along well." I smiled nervously at the people in the room, my eyes scanning through the faces before picking out ones that I had already seen before making my way to Namimori.

With furrowed eyebrows over narrowed, beautiful pale jade orbs, Gokudera Hayato sat with his hands behind his head and his feet up on his desk. His uniform was messily put on, the strands of silver hair long and straight, barely making it an inch past his chin. His bangs were parted in the middle and blended in with the rest of his hair, an odd strand or two falling out and into his face, though he didn't seem to care. His lips were pulled down into a grimace, his blessed features somehow soft, yet sharp.

Next, my eyes sought out someone who was taller than the rest, despite sitting down. With short, spiky obsidian hair, Yamamoto Takeshi was looking at me with a friendly, warm smile etched onto his handsome face. His skin was slightly tanned, most likely from all the time he spent outside playing baseball, and his eyes were large, round orbs of light coffee. Although his bangs weren't short, they weren't long enough to get remotely close to obscuring his eyes, and they swayed slightly to one side.

The clattering of a chair and a surprised, stuttering voice had heads turning to the person who had caused the noise. "... A-Azumi?"

My heart thudded a bit harder as my dark eyes met his orbs of warm, gentle chocolate. His hair was still a large, spiky mess of chestnut, his skin still as fair as I remembered it being. His bangs threatened to fall into those immensely wide and innocent eyes that hadn't even changed the slightest despite the years and the hardships. His mouth was open wide, disbelief etched onto his face as he stared at me.

A laugh left my lips, and I grinned brightly at him. My eyes were soft as I regarded my childhood friend. Without even being aware of it, my feet carried me hurriedly towards him. Just as I rammed into him with my arms automatically wrapping around his neck, I exclaimed, "Tsuna!"

He stumbled back at my unexpected move. I could feel his gaze on the side of my face, both confused and surprised. I wondered briefly if his face was tinged with a delicate pink due to the display of affection in front of his classmates.

After a moment, though, his arms encircled me, and I smiled into his shoulder. "You're back," he stated, stunned.

"I really missed you," I told him honestly, hugging him tighter for another moment before I loosened my hold on him. He followed my lead, allowing me to take a step back. My hands were gripping both of his shoulders gently and his hands rested faintly on my waist. I let out a laugh as I saw the blush that stained his face, a look of embarrassment crossing his soft features.

At my words, however, he let out a vibrant smile that shone in his eyes as well, mirroring the look on my face. "Me, too."

"Even though it's been so long, you're still exactly as I remember," I informed him. My heart was still beating faster than normal, but it was due to the excitement of seeing him again. I couldn't help but feel ecstatic he hadn't forgotten me or that he wasn't angry.

"You're exactly how I remember, too," he said, the smile still curling at his lips. "Ah—welcome back."

If possible, I beamed at him brighter. He had never failed to welcome me back whenever I visited—somehow, it never really felt like I was allowed back here if he didn't say it. "I'm back, Tsuna."

"Sawada, Shimizu!" the teacher barked out, startling both of us. I looked over my shoulder at the scowling man, and he narrowed his eyes. "You two can have your lovely reunion later. I have a class to teach, if you don't mind. Shimizu, take a seat in front of Yamamoto."

I felt myself flush slightly, but the smile wouldn't leave my lips as I apologized, "Sorry, sensei." My eyes flickered to meet Tsuna's, and he was obviously self-conscious. I squeezed his shoulders reassuringly, and his eyes met mine for a brief moment before I looked away, heading towards the empty seat in front of the talented baseball player.

As I sat down, a cheerful and carefree voice said warmly, "Welcome to Namimori Middle. I'm Yamamoto Takeshi—let's get along well, okay?"

Twisting around, I met his brilliant smile, the openness in his eyes something that drew people in. I couldn't help but let out a soft laugh, smiling at him. "Thank you. I'm Shimizu Azumi—it's a nice to finally meet you, Yamamoto. I hope you'll treat me well."

"Shimizu," the teacher growled.

"Sorry, sorry!" I exclaimed sincerely, whirling around to face the front. My face turned a shade redder at being scolded twice. The snickers from my classmates didn't really help either, and I forced myself to pay attention to what was going on through the rest of the class.

"How dare you!" A hand slammed down on my desk, and startled, I looked up at angry narrowed orbs. "Embarrassing the Tenth like that in front of everyone! You even got him in trouble. Who do you think you are?"

"G-Gokudera-kun!" Tsuna hurried over, pulling at the taller male's free arm. "It's okay."

"Now, now," Yamamoto let out a contagious laugh. "Tsuna's right, Gokudera. After all, it seems that they're close friends."

Staring into his jade eyes, I let myself smile. "It's nice to meet you as well, Gokudera. Reborn's told me a lot about you."

"What?" Gokudera asked, pulling back slightly in surprise. He blinked his eyes for a moment.

"R-Reborn?" Tsuna stammered, eyes just as wide.

Yamamoto blinked at me curiously. "You know the kid?"

Nodding, my smile was slight. "Can we all talk somewhere more private? I promise I won't take up too much of your lunch time." I couldn't possibly tell them with so many students in the classroom, eating their lunches with their friends cheerfully. I couldn't tell them all alone, without the help of Reborn.

Shaking his head, Tsuna smiled hesitantly at me. It was clear that he was wary after the name of the Sun Arcobaleno had left my tongue. "It's okay. I was wondering if you wanted to have lunch with us anyway."

My heart warmed at his words, the smile curling onto my face genuine and tender as I stared into his eyes. He would never change, would he? "Thank you, Tsuna." I glanced at Yamamoto and Gokudera, and continued, "But I can't possible intrude on your time together."

Yamamoto let out a chuckle, before his lips pulled into a small grin. "What are you saying, Azumi? It's not an intrusion if we want you there." I was taken aback when I heard my given name leave his lips easily, and was even more surprised when I heard the words that followed.

I concluded that Yamamoto and I would definitely get along very well. His light and free character was just something that was magnetic. He was so cheerful; it was like you couldn't help but smile along with him. The fact that he had called me by my first name with such ease gave me the impression that we were closer, and it warmed me to the tip of my toes.

Faintly blushing, I smiled at him. "Are you sure it's okay?"

Gokudera looked like he was in slight pain as he muttered reluctantly, "Well, if the Tenth says so..."

"Then it's decided," Yamamoto declared, rising from his seat. "Let's all have lunch together, yeah?"

"But the question is; where?" Tsuna pondered aloud. He turned to me, "You said you wanted to speak with us somewhere private, but I'm not sure of an area where people won't be."

Gokudera suggested, "How about the rooftop, Tenth?"

Tsuna's astonishment at his words wore off as soon as it came, and he smiled admiring at the silver-haired male. "I didn't even think about that, Gokudera-kun!"

"Nice going, Gokudera," Yamamoto praised, smiling.

We gathered our necessary belongings—especially our lunches—and began making our way out of the classroom. I could feel many people staring at us curiously, but neither Yamamoto nor Gokudera seemed to notice, both of them absorbed in their own little world where the shorter of the two would insult and scold the taller one, who laughed it off easily.

I couldn't detect any real venom and hatred underneath Gokudera's tone though, and absentmindedly, my lips pulled upwards as I watched their two backs.

We were just starting to climb the stairs leading towards the rooftop when a loud male voice yelled, "Sawada!"

All four of us halted in our steps and shifted our bodies to look at who it was. The sight that greeted me was a guy with extremely short silver hair, his bangs short enough to expose most of his forehead. His skin, like Yamamoto's, was lightly tanned, most likely from doing sports in hot weather. His eyes were the colour of steel, and white bandages were wrapped along both of his hands, ending just past the knuckles, before his fingers started.

"Onii-san!" Tsuna exclaimed, watching as the male stopped in front of us.

"Where are you guys going?" the male I noted as Sasagawa Ryohei, questioned. His eyes then fell and rested on me, and he blinked, his lips tilting into a slight frown before asking, "Who're you?"

Smiling, I bowed and introduced, "I'm Shimizu Azumi. I'm new to Namimori Middle, and it's nice to finally meet you, Ryohei."

"Oh, is that so?" his frown turned into a wide grin. "Welcome to Nami Middle, to the extreme!"

"Thank you," I told him brightly. "We were heading up towards the rooftop. Do you have a moment to spare?"

"Of course!" he agreed enthusiastically.

Gokudera's eyebrow twitched, and his hands were clenched into fists. "Oi, don't just go inviting whoever you damn well please."

"Well, it's fine, isn't it?" Yamamoto grinned. "Besides, the more the merrier."

"Yamamoto's right, Gokudera-kun," Tsuna intervened. "Besides," his eyes darted to meet mine, "I think that what Azumi wants to say will need everyone to be there."

Nodding, I confirmed Tsuna's thoughts. "Please."

"If that's what the Tenth says," Gokudera ground out. He whirled around stiffly and began heading up the stairs again, Yamamoto following suit, and then the last three of us mimicking their actions.

As we made our way up the stairs, Ryohei questioned, "Where did you transfer from?"

"Actually," I started, "I was homeschooled."

"Really?" Ryohei asked, surprised. "That's kind of sad. Public schools are pretty awesome—especially Nami Middle. The boxing club is the best, to the extreme!"

I chortled, "Really? Would you mind if I dropped by to watch a practice sometime, then?"

"Not at all!" Ryohei shouted excitedly, looking riled up. "We're all practicing hard to the extreme! Did you know Sawada's part of the club?"

Amused, I switched my attention to the male a step before me. "Tsuna? You're in the boxing club?"

"A-About that," he let out a nervous laugh. "I actually didn't say I'd—"

"What are you talking about, Sawada?" Ryohei shouted loudly, hands clenched into fists. He stared at Tsuna with a fierce fire burning in his eyes. "Don't be modest now! You helped us out a lot, to the extreme!"

Tsuna looked a tad bit uncomfortable as he protested weakly, "I didn't really do anything."

"Sawada!" Ryohei roared. "You need to have more self-confidence. Feel proud to be the boxing club!"

I let out a laugh at the two as we finally reached the door that led to the rooftop. Gokudera opened it up, and we all filed outside. Since it was noon, the sun had peaked out. It wasn't cold, but it wasn't burning hot either. It was a pretty warm day. The sky overhead was a baby blue that was tainted with light grey. Large clouds drifted lazily along, the sun poking out behind them.

"Oh," Yamamoto said quietly, stopping in his footsteps.

"Damn it," Gokudera growled. "What's he doing here?"

"Why'd you stop so suddenly, Octopus Head?" Ryohei demanded, making his way around the two figures that had suddenly stopped a few steps onto the rooftop.

"What's wrong, Gokudera-kun, Yamamoto?" Tsuna questioned worriedly. The two of us shared a look, and then made our way to stand beside the tallest of our group. Our eyes all stared at the figure that lay leisurely on the cement pavement of the rooftop.

With his arms behind his head acting as a pillow, an obsidian-haired male had his eyes shuttered. One of his legs were pulled up slightly, so his knee was pointing up towards the sky, while the other lay straight and flat on the ground. The black jacket given to the Disciplinary Committee hung off of his shoulders, the unoccupied sleeves crumpled and at odd angles. An adorable small bird with light yellow feathers stood on his chest, his beak clamping on one of the folds of Hibari's white dress shirt and pulling lightly.

"Hibari!" he chiriped. "Hibari!"

"No, shh!" Tsuna whispered desperately, a look of fear entering his face. "Hibird, please be quiet or else Hibari-san will wake up!"

Yamamoto let out a quiet laugh. "I guess being the Disciplinary Committee Chairman is hard work."

"Tch," Gokudera scowled. "It wouldn't be as much work if he didn't enforce discipline by beating everyone up."

"Won't he catch a cold?" I asked, concerned. I began walking towards where he laid, his eyes still closed. Despite being in an unconscious state, his lips still had a downward tilt to them.

"A-Azumi!" Tsuna urgently murmured. "No, don't go there! Hibari-san is—he's—" at a loss for words, Tsuna could only make these large hand movements as if I knew what he was speaking about.

In a way, I did, but not because I could actually understand what those motions meant. It was simply because I had already encountered the male, and already had a grasp on his personality. Still, it didn't stop me from making my way towards the sleeping figure, smiling at the group of people who could only watch in disbelief and horrified anticipation.

"Hibari!" Hibird exclaimed once more before unfurling his small, delicate wings and jumping off of the tonfa-wielding male, flapping his wings as he flew up into the air.

I stopped when I reached his shoulder, and I crouched down beside him. Before my fingers could even graze his shoulder, he had whipped out a tonfa, his eyes snapping open. He had been so quick, and my guard had been down. If he hadn't stopped the steel weapon, which was only a mere hair's breath away from my neck, I had no doubt I would've been sent flying.

"Don't you know," he muttered as he began to push himself up into a sitting position, "what happens to those who disturb my naps?"

"H-Hibari-san!" Tsuna rushed over, concern and franticness etched onto his features. "Please, Hibari-san, put away your—"

His slanted gray eyes shifted to pierce into Tsuna's gentle orbs, silencing him, before moving to see the other three that had rushed over. "What are you herbivores doing, crowding in this area? I'll bite you all to death."

"You'll catch a cold if you sleep out here," I told the prefect quietly, offering an upward tilt of my lips. "What would've happened if it rained?"

He remained silent, observing me with cold eyes, before he removed the tonfa from my neck. Unfortunately, I had been relieved a little too early, as his tonfa then slammed down on my knee before swiping at my abdomen. I landed ungracefully a few feet away from his casually poised body, wincing just slightly as the pain reverberated through my body.

"A-Azumi!" Tsuna ran over, crouching beside me. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," I reassured him, smiling evenly even though with every pulse of my heart, the spots he had hit throbbed painfully. It was surprising how much damage he had done, even without using any strength at all. "It was a good hit."

Tsuna looked mystified. "What are you talking about? You're hurt!" Whirling around to face the nonchalant male who had Hibird perched on an outstretched finger, Tsuna's disapproval could be heard in his tone. "Hibari-san! You can't just hit people like that!"

"Sawada's right to the extreme!" Ryohei shouted his agreement. "You're never supposed to hurt a lady, Hibari! That's rude!"

"It's punishment," his silky baritone voice answered carelessly. His eyes didn't look at any of us, but were instead staring into the eyes of Hibird, who seemed extremely affectionate towards the male.

"Punishment?" Yamamoto repeated, confused. He was crouching on my other side, his hand lightly touching my arm as if to reassure me it would be okay. "For what?"

Gokudera's hostility seemed to rise up a notch. "To make such a look appear on the Tenth's face, how can you call yourself a Guardian?"

"Don't associate me with that title," Hibari asserted. "If you continue to crowd around here, I'll—"

"Ciaossu, Hibari." The cement floor suddenly opened up, revealing Reborn, who was sitting on a chair sipping some coffee.

"Wow," Yamamoto laughed. "That's an amazing toy, kid."

"How did that happen?" Ryohei inquired, confused. His eyebrows pulled together. "Is that some sort of magic trick?"

Agitated and unable to comprehend the denseness of the first two males, Gokudera blew up. "You stupid muscle-heads! What will it take for it to get through to you?"

"What did you say, Octopus Head?" Ryohei demanded angrily, riled up at Gokudera's words.

"Now, now, let's all calm down," Yamamoto said, trying to pacify the two. He had left my side to stand in between the two males that had similar hair colour, a hand resting lightly on the back of his head as he looked between the two arguing men.

"R-Reborn!" Tsuna greeted. "Don't just pop out like that! Besides, how did you even manage to—" he stopped himself short, shaking his head. He let out a soft sigh, obviously having been through this conversation before.

Hibari's eyes narrowed just slightly as they landed on Reborn. "Infant."

"Before you beat up No-Good Tsuna," Reborn said, ignoring the flabbergasted look on Tsuna's face, "I think that something more important needs to take place. After all, you were surprised when you realize Azumi knew your name, despite never having met you before, aren't you?"

Gokudera broke off his argument with Ryohei to agree. "Actually, yes." He narrowed his eyes at me. "I noticed it when Turf Head met us at the stairs. When you introduced yourself, you said, 'It's nice to finally meet you, Ryohei' but he had never mentioned his name."

"Now that you mention it..." Tsuna murmured, his eyebrows knitting together slightly.

"Azumi," Reborn turned towards me. "You're still leaving your guard down too often. That was pathetic."

Nothing I said would have been a legit excuse, because he was right. It had been pitiable. "Yeah," I let out a soft sigh as I stood up from the floor, helping Tsuna up as well.

"Well?" Gokudera demanded. "Stop stalling! Who the hell are you, and what do you want? How are you connected with the Tenth?"

My eyes fell on Reborn, and upon reading the expression on my face, he turned towards the dynamite user and asked in an almost reprimanding tone, "Don't you know? Azumi is part of Vongola."

"W-What?" Tsuna and Gokudera both burst out.

"Oh?" Yamamoto let out an amused laugh. "You play the mafia game as well? That's great! We can all have fun together, then." Looking at Yamamoto, I wondered when Reborn or Tsuna would tell him the truth and set him clean. Watching him, it made me feel a bit of pity. He was being used—used for dangerous and life-threatening reasons—and yet, he didn't even know it.

Ryohei looked slightly perplexed. "Vongola?"

"It's true," Reborn stated. He jumped up onto my shoulder, resting there easily. "The Shimizu has a long history with the Vongola. They're one of the few clans that have stuck with us since numerous generations ago. Since the moment she was born, Azumi has been part of the Vongola Famiglia. She has been taught how to live the life of a Mafioso for her whole life."

"B-But—" Tsuna started to object, but then he let himself stop short. Understanding dawned on his face as he whispered, "That's why you only ever come when Dad comes back."

"Sorry, Tsuna," I apologized quietly, sincerely. "I wanted to tell you, but—back then, you didn't have any idea of the mafia. You didn't understand what was going on—who you are, what you're capable of. If I had told you back then, would you have believed me?"

"Yes, I would have belie—"

"Don't lie to yourself, No-Good Tsuna," Reborn interrupted, his lips tugging into a slight frown. "You wouldn't have believed her at all." Tsuna looked like he wanted to protest, but when he opened his mouth, he snapped it shut just as quickly. His eyes were resigned, knowing what Reborn said was true.

"What's going on? I'm confused to the extreme!" Ryohei exclaimed, frustrated. He snapped his head between Tsuna and I, trying to follow the flow of the conversation. I had to ask Reborn about the situation about Ryohei as well afterwards. Wouldn't it be more convenient if they were actually aware of what was going on?

Reborn spoke, "Besides, Azumi was under strict orders to not reveal anything to you until the time was right."

"I don't like the sound of that," Gokudera grumbled, eyeing Reborn and I warily. He wasn't scared of what we'd do, but more of what Reborn was about to say. After all, in situations like these, when words like that were spoken, something was bound to happen.

Hesitantly, I smiled at them, my eyes skimming over each and every one of their faces. "Actually, I have a reason for being here. I'm not here just because I'm visiting." When all of them turned their eyes to be expectantly, I continued, "A few days ago, Vongola Headquarters heard a rumour about an attack."

"An attack?" Tsuna echoed, his eyes widening. "But the Ninth still isn't—"

Shaking my head, I interrupted him gently. "No, it's not an attack on the Ninth, Tsuna. Actually, it's an attack here. On you. All of you. Vongola the Tenth and his Guardians." I was just slightly shocked at Tsuna's obvious concern over the current Boss. It didn't seem as if the thought that it might be him that was in danger had even crossed his mind.

A moment of silence settled itself between everyone, the tension instantly shooting up and increasing tenfold. I watched as their faces became more solemn—even Yamamoto's and Ryohei's. Even though those two weren't quite sure about the severity of the entire situation, they still knew that it was something they couldn't shake off easily.

"They're aiming for us?" Tsuna repeated, his eyes wide.

"Don't worry, Tenth!" Gokudera spoke through clenched teeth. "I won't let anyone touch you." The conviction and resolution he had in his hardened emerald orbs blazed brightly, his loyalty to Tsuna shining immensely bright. I felt like he could've blinded me if his eyes met mine, with the level of brilliance that shone in them.

"Gokudera-kun," Tsuna murmured, his eyes soft as they met the irises of the Storm Guardian.

Ryohei's tone held a frown that matched his lips. "But why? We already beat those other guys just two weeks ago. Why are we being targeted again? This is confusing to the extreme!"

Yamamoto switched his attention from Ryohei to me. "He's got a point. Why are we being targeted if we won?"

Shaking my head slightly, I notified them, "It's because you won." Seeing the baffled looks crossing their features, I elaborated, "The fact you won means you have inherited the full Vongola Rings. There are many people out there who want the Ring's powers. Of course, many are aware that the Vongola Rings won't work well with anyone who isn't their rightful owner, least of all people who aren't in the Vongola Famiglia, but..."

"But?" Tsuna prompted. It was clear that he wasn't happy upon hearing the news, but the look in his eyes showed that he knew he had to understand the situation fully. After all, it was a problem that was surrounding him and his friends.

"But that doesn't mean having them in their possession won't benefit them," Reborn explained. "The Vongola Rings are an extremely important part of us. They're engraved into the Vongola Famiglia's history, and if we were to ever lose possession of them, we'd do anything to get them back. With such leverage, they could make unreasonable commands that we'd have no choice but to comply to. With a mafia organization as big and powerful as the Vongola Famiglia, being put in such a situation will cause more than just chaos."

Gokudera continued gruffly, "So they sent you to protect us."

"Almost," I told him with a smile. "I was sent here, but I'm really actually here as a precaution. Since you're the official successor and Guardians of the Vongola Famiglia, everyone back at headquarters believe you can all take care of yourselves just fine. They have faith in your power—especially since you defeated Varia. In a way, I guess you can say that I'm here just to watch."

"They sent you?" Tsuna sounded incredulous. "Even if it's just watching, it's dangerous! What happens if you get involved? If we're battling it out and you get hurt, I don't know what I'd—"

Reborn flew from my shoulder and kicked Tsuna in the face. The brunette male toppled over back onto the floor, landing on his elbows. Reborn stood on his knee, which was pulled halfway up to his chest. "Stupid, No-Good Tsuna!"

"Reborn!" Tsuna whined, sounding slightly frustrated. "What was that for?"

"Are you okay, Tsuna?" I offered a hand to help him up, but before he could clasp it with his own, Reborn knocked my hand away with a cane that Leon had transformed into. I stared at Reborn, bewildered at his actions.

Seeing the expression on my face, Reborn scolded me. "Where is your pride, Azumi?"

"But Tsuna doesn't know—" I started, only to have him intervene again.

"Then it's about time he finds out." Reborn turned back to Tsuna, who was rubbing the cheek that Reborn had hit. "Listen up, Tsuna. You don't have time to worry about Azumi. We have no idea who the enemy is or when they'll attack. You need to stay on guard and worry about protecting yourself and protecting the Ring."

Tsuna objected, "But Reborn!"

"The Tenth is right," Gokudera voiced aloud his opinion. His eyes slid over to me. "It'll be troublesome for everyone if we have to protect her."

"Azumi doesn't need your protection," Reborn said seriously. "Having been in Varia for two years, she's the person you need to worry about least."

"V-Varia?" Tsuna stammered, looking up at me with plate-sized eyes.

Smiling at him slightly, I said, "Don't worry about me, Tsuna. Please take care of yourself. Everyone else, too."

"Someone like you is in Vongola's independant elite assassination squad?" Gokudera's voice made it sound preposterous.

Yamamoto blinked his eyes at me, and then he let a melodious sound escape his lips. "Wow! That's amazing!"

"Varia?" Ryohei repeated, frowning slightly as he thought about the word. "Oh, you mean those people we just defeated? You're with them? You must work hard to the extreme!"

I let out a small laugh, but I felt my face flushing slightly. My hands unconsciously clenched into tight fists, the smile on my face just slightly strained. "Thank you." I opened my mouth to say more, but the warning bell signifying that class was about to start rang.

"Get to class, herbivores." It was the first time that Hibari had spoken ever since Reborn showed up. The expression that was on his face wasn't welcoming, and his eyes narrowed dangerously. As if to make his threat more clear, he held up the same tonfa he had used on me, since he hadn't put it away after he had hit me.

"Tch," Gokudera scowled. "At such an important time, we have to drag ourselves back to stupid class."

"Now, now," Yamamoto beamed. "It's alright, isn't it? We should all meet up at Tsuna's after to discuss it a little more."

Ryohei nodded his concurrence. "That sounds like a good plan, Yamamoto! See, Octopus Head, there's no need to get so worked up over everything."

"Who gets worked up over everything?" Gokudera hissed, turning so his back faced us and yanking the door open. When he looked at us again, his expression was gentler. "Tenth, let's get to class before we're late."

"You're right, Gokudera-kun." Stretching out my hand again, Tsuna took it. Helping him as he hoisted himself up back onto his feet, he glanced around at everyone. "We should get to class. We can discuss it more at my house after. Hibari-san, will you be joining—"

His gaze was piercing. "If you decide to crowd around, don't do it within my presence."

"It's okay, Tsuna," I reassured him. Smiling, I said, "I'll tell Hibari about it afterwards, so he doesn't need to be there."

"B-But—" his eyes stated he was clearly worried about my life.

I let out a laugh, not letting him voice his concerns out loud. "Let's go. Sensei's going to get mad at us again. I don't think I can handle a detention on my very first day."
As we made our way towards the door, ready to get back to sitting down and listening to lectures, I couldn't help but notice how Hibari didn't move a single millimetre away from his position on the rooftop.

A / N :

Soo, yeah! That's the very first chapter of this story. I hope that you guys liked it, and that the chapter wasn't all too boring. Trust me, I fell asleep while writing the very first draft of this story. No jokes. I was so bored with it, and then I eventually just deleted it and started all over again. This is what I came up with in the end. You know, eventually. HAHA.

I apologize if any of the characters are OOC. I hope that if you guys think so, you'll give me some tips and advice on how to improve their characters, as well as what I did that made them OOC. It'll be greatly appreciated! (:

I hope that you guys all liked it! =P

If you liked it, hated it, or have any criticisms to give, then please say so! Drop me a review, or maybe private message me on your opinions and etc. I'd absolutely love to hear from everyone! (:

So, yup~ Review if you guys think this beginning chapter deserves it, or if you want to help me get the ball rollin' on this story. ;D

Hopefully, I'll see you guys all soon!

Ja ne,
-EverlastingxSong-