Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Tsuna hated mornings.
Not because she was lazy, though she knew people said that, but because mornings always reminded her she was just… background. An afterthought. A quiet presence in a house that never truly saw her.

The sunlight filtered through her curtains like it always did. She rolled over in bed, burying her face in the pillow, hoping today would pass just as quietly as every other day.

Downstairs, the house was already alive.

She could hear her mother's voice, cheerful as always, fluttering in the kitchen like birdsong. There was the familiar clink of dishes and the low, confident murmur of him, her older brother, Giotto.

Perfect Giotto.

She sighed, sat up, and reached for her school uniform, which she'd left crumpled over the back of her chair. It didn’t matter how neat she kept it. She’d still trip at least once, spill something on herself, and probably forget her homework. Again.

She was a mess.
And Giotto? Giotto was the golden child. Smart, talented, charismatic. People at school adored him. Teachers sang his praises. And their mother looked at him like he hung the moon.

Tsuna was just... Tsuna. His little sister. The spare.

“Good morning, Tsunayoshi!” her mother chirped when she finally came downstairs, her steps careful, her eyes still half-closed. “Breakfast is on the table!”

“Thanks, Mom…” she murmured, brushing a bit of hair behind her ear and sliding into her seat. Giotto was already dressed in a crisp blazer, sipping coffee like he was twenty-five instead of sixteen. His golden hair caught the sunlight like a halo. He smiled when he saw her.

“Morning, Tsuna.”

She blinked at him.

“Morning,” she muttered.

He passed her the miso soup. “You sleep okay?”

“...Yeah.” Not really. Her dreams had been weird lately, shadows, fire, eyes watching her. But she wasn’t going to tell him that.

Later, she’d walk to Namimori Middle alone. Giotto would take his bike, the sleek black one their uncle gave him from Italy. Kids would wave to him on the way, and he’d wave back, just like always.

She didn’t bother looking up anymore. No one waved at her.

School was the usual disaster. She dropped her books in the hallway. Forgot to bring a worksheet. Got laughed at in gym for tripping over a soccer ball she wasn’t even trying to kick. Classic Tsuna.

But the worst part was when she overheard the girls in Class A whispering about Giotto.

“He’s like, the coolest guy in school, right?”

“Did you hear he’s studying abroad in Italy after graduation?”

“His sister goes here too, right? What was her name again…?”

“Something lame. She’s not like him at all.”

Tsuna didn’t cry. Not right away.

She held it together through lunch, through the final bell, even through the long walk home. But the second she stepped through the door and saw Giotto talking to a baby in a black suit, something inside her stirred. It was weird, yes, almost laughable. But deep in her gut, she knew: something was happening.
And once again, she wasn’t part of it.

Giotto's POV

Giotto had always known their family wasn’t normal.

There were whispers when they were younger, strange visitors in dark suits, coded letters from relatives in Italy, long talks behind closed doors with their father before he disappeared for good. Giotto had learned to keep his questions quiet, to observe instead.

He had a gift for observation.
Maybe that’s why they chose him.

The man, no, the child,(or was it?) currently seated on the kitchen table did not match the description of any mentor Giotto had imagined.

Small. Dressed in a black fedora and matching suit. Big, dark eyes and a pacifier that glowed a faint orange. At first glance, he looked like someone’s toddler in cosplay.

But the moment Giotto met his gaze, he knew.
This was Reborn.

And Reborn was dangerous.

“I thought you’d be taller,” Giotto said slowly, unsure how else to start.

Reborn sipped his espresso, the tiny cup comically balanced in his tiny hands. “And I thought the Vongola candidate wouldn’t be so dramatic.” He set the cup down. “But here we are.”

Giotto stiffened. “You’re here on behalf of the Vongola?”

Reborn gave him a small, sly smile. “I’m here to make sure you don’t die before they hand you the title.”

He let that hang for a beat.

“Congratulations. You’re officially in the running to become the 10th boss of the Vongola Famiglia.”

Giotto sat down, heart hammering.

“…What happens next?”

“I train you,” Reborn said simply. “You learn to fight, to lead and survive. And you’ll need to do all three very, very quickly.”

Giotto nodded. “Understood.”

But Reborn wasn’t done. He tilted his head, eyes narrowing slightly.

“You have family.”

Giotto hesitated. “Yes.”

“Siblings?”

“…A younger sister.”

Reborn’s expression didn’t change, but Giotto could feel the shift in energy. “You haven’t told her.”

“I don’t plan to.”

Reborn raised an eyebrow.

Giotto looked down, then clenched his fists. “She’s not built for this world. She’s soft. Clumsy. Everyone expects her to be like me, and she’s not.” His voice was quiet now. “I don’t want this life to chew her up just to prove a point.”

Reborn’s smirk widened just enough to be sharp. “I’ve read her file.”

Giotto’s heart dropped. “You… what?”

“Clumsy. Failing grades. Zero athletic ability. No social skills. ‘Dame-Tsuna,’ right?” He waved a tiny hand.

Reborn shrugged. “She’s an embarrassment to the Vongola name. Good thing she wasn’t born first.”

Giotto stood suddenly, fists tight at his sides. “Don’t talk about her like that.”

Reborn didn’t flinch. If anything, he looked amused. “Touchy.”

Giotto forced himself to breathe. “She’s just… different. She tries. People just don’t see it.”

“And neither do you,” Reborn said, eyes like razors now. “You’re too busy playing the golden son to notice your sister drowning behind you.”

That struck deep.

Reborn dusted off his tiny suit. “But it doesn’t matter. I have a solution.”

Giotto narrowed his eyes. “What kind of solution?”

“Kunugigaoka Junior High.”

Giotto blinked. “That elite school? The one with the crazy dropout rate?”

Reborn nodded. “Elite, high-security, far from Namimori. She doesn’t belong in this world, so send her to one where she can learn some discipline. Maybe being around actual excellence will rub off on her.”

Giotto hesitated. “She’s… not cut out for a place like that.”

Reborn tilted his head. “Then she’ll fail. But that end is up to her.”

Giotto didn’t respond right away. Eventually, he nodded.

“I’ll talk to her.”

Tsuna's POV

Later that night, after dinner, Giotto knocked on her door.

“Can I come in?”

She was sitting cross-legged on her bed, flipping through an old manga she wasn’t even reading. She didn’t look up. “Sure.”

He stepped inside and shut the door behind him. For once, he looked… uncertain. He didn’t sit.

“So,” he started. “You… probably noticed something weird today.”

She shrugged. “Just a baby in a suit. You’ve got your own life, right?”

Giotto winced. “Tsuna, come on. It’s not like that.”

She stayed quiet.

He sighed. “That baby is named Reborn. He’s… going to be my tutor for a while.”

“Your tutor?” she raised an eyebrow. “Like, for math? But he’s a baby isn’t he? Does he have dwarfism”

“Not exactly.”

There was a long pause.

Then: “It’s about our family. The Sawada bloodline… it’s connected to something big. Something dangerous. Reborn’s here to prepare me for that.”

Of course. Of course, it was him. Always him.

Giotto knelt beside the bed now, his voice softer.

“And that’s why… I think it’s better if you transfer schools.”

Her breath caught. “What?”

“I don’t want you involved in this. You’ve always wanted a fresh start, right? Somewhere you can be yourself, without people comparing you to me.”

She stared at him. Was this mercy? Or exile?

“The school is called Kunugigaoka Junior High. It's a good place. You’ll be safe there.”

That night, Tsuna sat in the dark, her bags half-packed and her chest aching.

She thought she’d feel relieved, getting away from this house, this city, this life of constant comparison. But all she felt was a hollow kind of sadness.

Like she was being erased quietly.

She pressed her forehead to her knees.

“I don’t want to disappear…”

But no one heard her.

Chapter Text

Tsuna’s POV

The train ride felt longer than it was.

Tsuna sat by the window, forehead against the cool glass, watching the scenery blur past like a life she’d already left behind. Namimori disappeared in a mix of grey buildings and cherry blossoms just starting to bloom. Spring had arrived, but she didn’t feel like new life was brought into her world.

Her fingers curled tightly around the transfer packet in her lap. It had everything: her student ID, a school map, and an official letter from Kunugigaoka Junior High.

It felt more like a relocation notice than an opportunity.

The station was quiet when she arrived. No one waited for her on the platform. No welcome sign. No “good luck” text from her brother.

She wasn’t surprised.

Her new apartment was a tiny one-room unit above a bookstore, tucked away between a tea shop and an empty parking lot. The landlord barely said a word as he handed her the keys, clearly more interested in finishing his smoke break than welcoming her to town.

The stairs creaked under her as she climbed up alone.

Inside, it smelled faintly of dust and sun-faded paper. The walls were bare. The floors were clean but old. There was a futon, a small desk by the window, and a narrow kitchenette with a single hotplate.

Tsuna dropped her bag and stood in the center of the room for a long moment, letting the silence settle.

This was her space now.

No, Giotto. No, Mom. No family portraits.
Just her.

She unpacked slowly, folding her clothes into unfamiliar drawers and arranging her toothbrush beside a cracked mirror. It felt strange. Before, she had at least her mother to fall back on, but now? Now she was all alone in a different city. She felt almost alien to the idea of being responsible for herself when before she had just lived into the day with the safety of a warm meal waiting for her at home.

Home… Now she didn’t even have that.

When she finally sat down by the window, the sun was starting to dip below the city skyline. Lights flickered on one by one, and cars passed in low, steady hums. The city didn’t feel like it cared if she was here or not.

And maybe that was a good thing.

Her entrance exam was scheduled the next morning, bright and early; the time was printed in bold on the envelope: 8:00 AM sharp. No exceptions. ‘charming…’

Kunugigaoka was massive, looming over her like a fortress with no way inside. Gates, fences, security cameras… it felt more like entering a government facility than a school.

Tsuna fidgeted in her blazer, the school’s crisp emblem stitched awkwardly onto the lapel. The receptionist met her with a clipboard and a brief smile.

“You must be Miss Sawada. Right this way.”

They walked through quiet, gleaming halls. Every wall boasted a framed award: spelling bee champions, math prodigies, and Olympic hopefuls. Everyone who passed through these halls had been somebody.

And then there was her.

The headmaster’s office was larger than her apartment.

At the center of it sat a wide desk, and behind that, a man with a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. He looked well-groomed, and around him followed an air of authority that let a cold shiver run down Tsunas spine. Like someone who ran an empire of chess pieces and had grown tired of winning.

“Welcome to Kunugigaoka, Miss Sawada.”

Tsuna bowed. “Thank you for… having me.” Standing before the man was already challenging enough. But actually talking was like having her throat sewn shut.

“We don’t typically accept transfers at this time of year,” he said. “But your file came with… special recommendations.”

She said nothing.

He leaned forward slightly. “We expect our students to maintain a certain standard. Academically, behaviorally, socially. Kunugigaoka is a place of excellence. I trust you understand that?”

Tsuna nodded, stiff. “Yes, sir.”

“Good,” he said, smile sharpening. “You’ll take your placement exam shortly. Based on the results, we’ll assign you to the appropriate class before the new school year begins.”

Tsuna bowed again, then followed a staff member to the testing room.

The exam itself was normal.
Math, science, history, a bit of English—nothing unusual, just brutally difficult. She stared at some of the problems like they were written in code. Her pencil moved slowly, her mind slower. Half the time, she didn’t even know if she was getting the right formulas.

But she kept going.
She always kept going.

When she finished and handed it in, the proctor gave her a nod and told her she’d hear back in a day or two.

“Until then,” the woman added with a professional smile, “please enjoy settling in. The semester starts next week. You’ll receive your class assignment then.”

The next few days passed in a blur.

She bought groceries. Burned rice. Got lost twice trying to find the laundromat. The apartment stayed quiet; well, it wasn’t like she had much going on.

She didn’t hear from Giotto. Not even a check-in. The thing that shocked her, though, was that she heard nothing from her mother either. The gentle and very dense woman that raised her for the past 15 years has not once texted or called. Did she forget about Tsuna? Surely not… Or did she?

Tsunayoshi was hopeful that maybe, maybe one of the two would have the decency to check in with her. With their family. But after a week of nothing, she’d stopped hoping for that.

Two nights later, a letter arrived.

Not in the mailbox but slid under her door.

Her name was printed on the envelope. Inside was a neatly folded notice:

"Class Assignment: 3-E"

Location: Building E, Mountain Campus
Welcome to Kunugigaoka Junior High School.

Tsuna stared at it for a long time.

‘A different building? Up the mountain?’
She thought of the awards she’d seen in the main hall, the polished trophies, and the wall of honor students. And this… wasn’t that.

She didn’t know what Class 3-E meant yet.

But she had a feeling she was about to find out.

Chapter Text

Tsuna had always been good at blending into the background. In fact, it was practically a talent of hers. So, as she stepped into the classroom for the first time, she did exactly what she always did: kept her head down and tried to make herself as invisible as possible.

Class 3-E, she had learned from the letter, was located at the farthest end of the school, in a building that was barely mentioned during her tour. She had always heard rumors about the "E" class, but none of them seemed to make sense. Now, standing at the door of this dark, cluttered room, the only thing that was certain was the feeling of sinking into something far deeper than she had expected.

Inside, the room was a far cry from the polished, pristine classrooms she had seen at the main campus. Desks were placed neatly in order, and the few windows were covered by thick blinds that filtered the light into a dull, muted tone. The students were already there, not in groups, not talking much, each one sitting in their individual seat as though they were all just avoiding each other.

Tsuna’s gaze swept over the room, and she realized that none of the students had even glanced at her when she entered. No one smiled, and no one said a word. The atmosphere was strangely quiet, as if they had all long ago given up on trying to reach out.

She hesitated by the door for a moment before walking to the very back of the room, choosing the last seat near the window. She slid into the chair, keeping her gaze low and trying to make herself as small as possible. She wasn’t here to make friends or stand out. This place, this class, was meant to be temporary, a fresh start, or maybe just an escape. The last thing she wanted was to be noticed.

As she settled into the uncomfortable wooden chair, her eyes flickered across the classroom. Most of the students were busy with their own things, doing their best to ignore one another. A boy with messy brown hair was slouching in his chair, idly tapping a pencil on his desk. A girl with a bright, angular face was reading a book without any real interest in it. A few others were chatting quietly, but it didn’t seem like the kind of chatter that held any real meaning.

Tsuna tried to breathe in slowly, but the weight of the class’s indifference pressed down on her. She thought about how she had once felt like she didn’t belong at Namimori, and now… now it seemed like she might not belong anywhere.

The silence in the room stretched on, a kind of heavy, suffocating quiet, until the door suddenly swung open.

A man in a sharp suit walked into the room, his black hair neatly styled, and his posture exuding a quiet authority. Tsuna looked up, startled, as he made his way to the front of the classroom.

The thing to really make this situation more nerve-wracking was the fact that right next to the man was a yellow octopus. It appeared to be around three meters tall, with a large, bulbous head, an enormous grin that stretched across its face, and small, beady eyes.

But this whole creepy atmosphere was crushed by what the yellow octopus said.

“How do you do? I'm the one who destroyed the moon. I intend to destroy the Earth next year. I'll be your homeroom teacher from now on. Nice to meet you!”

Tsuna blinked, trying to make sense of the absurdity of it all. Her heart was pounding. What was happening? What kind of class had she transferred into?

The feeling was unanimous. A mixture of disbelief, confusion, and unease washed over the room. No one said anything for what felt like an eternity.

The man in the suit cleared his throat, and Tsuna’s attention snapped to him as he spoke, his tone deadly serious.

“I'm Karasuma Tadaomi from the Ministry of Defense. Firstly, please keep in mind that what I'm about to say is classified. I'll get straight to the point. I want all of you to kill this creature.”

This was even more baffling for every single student in the room. They exchanged glances, unsure of what was going on, but Tsuna’s gut told her that Karasuma wasn’t kidding. His eyes were sharp and commanding, but there was a weight to them. These weren’t the eyes of someone who told jokes or played pranks.

Her mind screamed at her to trust him.

The defining silence was interrupted by a boy asking the question that was on everyone’s mind.

“What is that? Is it an alien invader?”

But it seemed like the octopus didn’t take kindly to that statement.

“HOW RUDE! I’ll let you know I’m born and raised on Earth!”

No matter how absurd the situation seemed, Tsuna couldn’t help but think that the reaction from the yellow octopus was… kind of funny.

Karasuma continued, his voice now grave.

“I can’t disclose all the details, but he’s telling the truth. This creature, who destroyed the moon, will destroy the Earth in March next year. Only the world’s leaders know about this. If the world finds out, it will fall into a state of panic. That’s why we need to kill him in secret before that happens.”

Tsuna’s heart sank in her chest. What Karasuma was saying was so surreal, so insane. She couldn’t believe this was happening. This much pressure on teenagers was just too much, especially on her.

Karasuma continued,

“But this guy is way too fast. You can’t kill him. Instead, he’ll groom your eyebrows perfectly. His powers are so strong that he made the moon into a crescent shape. His fastest speed can reach up to Mach 20. In short, if he wants to escape, we won’t be able to do anything.”

As if on cue, the octopus shot across the room in a blur, moving too fast for Tsuna’s eyes to even follow. Her heart raced in response to the sheer speed, and before she could blink, Koro-sensei was back in his original spot, smiling brightly.

“But, where’s the fun in that? So, I made a request to the government. Although I don’t want to be killed, I’m willing to be the homeroom teacher of Kunugigaoka High School’s Class 3-E.”

“We don’t know his true motive. But our government had no choice but to agree, on the condition that he won’t harm the students. There are two reasons for this: First, we know his whereabouts on weekdays, so we can keep an eye on him. Most importantly, there are 30 of you here with the chance of killing him from close range. Your success will be rewarded with ten billion yen. It’s only fair. A successful assassination will literally save the Earth. Fortunately, he doesn’t think much of you. Look at him. When he’s looking down on someone, those green stripes will appear.”

“That’s without a doubt. If the government can’t kill me, how could any of you? When they sent their most advanced fighter jet after me, all it got was a good waxing.”

Tsuna blinked. ’What's with all the grooming?’

Karasuma: “I hope you can find a chink in his defenses and kill him then. We’ll distribute these weapons and ammunition that are harmless to humans but effective against him. You must keep this a secret from your families and friends. We don’t have time to waste. If the world ends, we have nowhere to run.”

“That’s about it. Everyone, let’s make the most out of this remaining year.”

Tsuna sat frozen in her seat, her thoughts a chaotic mess. Was this really happening? Was she really supposed to kill that thing? The yellow octopus teacher? She couldn’t even comprehend the absurdity of it all.

But as she looked around, she saw that none of the other students were panicking. They were all… resigned. They were all already accepting that this might be their future. Especially after hearing about that reward.

She really didn’t know what to do.

Chapter Text

Tsuna never thought she'd find herself in a classroom where murder was the lesson plan.

The room was still steeped in disbelief, the kind that clung to the walls even after the initial shock had passed. It was one thing to be told they had to kill their teacher. It was another to have that teacher be a yellow, tentacled creature who destroyed the moon and smiled like he was about to host a kids’ show.

Yet here they were.

Koro-sensei, as he was now called, somehow zipped around the classroom, chatting cheerfully and passing out worksheets like they weren’t all supposed to be trying to assassinate him. The name itself had come from Kayano-san.

Apparently, Korosenai Sensei, “Unkillable Teacher,” had been shortened and stuck. And strangely, the name fit. Tsuna watched him hover over a group of students, giving them tips on calligraphy, while also reminding them which part of his body was most vulnerable to their new anti-sensei weaponry.

It was… a lot.

She remained at the back of the class, pretending to go through the materials in front of her while sneaking glances at the rest of the students. A few of them were talking, some were already brainstorming assassination methods, while others just looked overwhelmed.

She wasn’t the only one who seemed out of place, but she felt it the most.

Until someone spoke to her.

"Hey. You're the new girl, right?" The voice was soft but not unkind.

Tsuna looked up, startled, into the eyes of a girl with teal hair, pinned up to make it shorter, and a charming and friendly smile. Kayano.

Tsuna nodded quickly. "Y-Yeah…"

"I'm Kayano. Don't worry, everyone’s weirded out right now. You get used to it. Kinda."

"Right…" Tsuna ducked her head again, unsure of how to respond. The words felt too big in her mouth.

Another student leaned over from the next desk, Sugino, the sporty-looking one. “Just wait till he grades your homework. He’s faster than a paper shredder and five times more dramatic.”

Despite herself, Tsuna gave a small, shaky laugh. It felt strange but nice to laugh at something here.

The conversation didn’t last long, and she was grateful for that. But the fact that they talked to her at all warmed something in her chest she didn’t expect.

Still, she didn’t know how to talk to people, not really. She tripped over her words almost as often as she tripped over her own feet. Like, literally. She’d nearly fallen trying to return her anti-sensei knife earlier and managed to knock over a chair in the process.

It earned her a chuckle from Koro-sensei himself, who had then gently corrected her stance with one of his tentacles and told her, “Balance, Tsuna-chan. It’s just as important in assassination as it is in life.”

Whatever that meant.

As the day wore on, Tsuna started to settle. A little. The fear didn’t fade, but the absurdity of the situation had started to sink in like secondhand smoke.

Then it happened.

It was the last lesson for the day, and we were tasked to write a poem that involved the word "tentacle." Tsunayoshi couldn’t help but sweat-drop at her unusual teacher’s way of teaching.

Not even 5 minutes later, Nagisa stood up to go to the front.

He looked nervous, holding a folded piece of paper tightly in his hands. Tsuna didn’t think anything of it at first. But then she saw Terasaka and his friends grinning from the back row.

Something was wrong.

Koro-sensei welcomed Nagisa over, cheerfully leaning down to read the “essay” Nagisa had written.

But it never came to that.

A sudden explosion tore through the air, smoke and force rattling the walls, and Tsuna flinched so hard she almost fell out of her seat.

“NAGISA!” someone shouted.

When the smoke cleared, the yellow creature stood there unharmed, his smile still present, but his demeanor darker, his tentacles twitching with something sharper than his usual energy. Nagisa sat on the floor, coughing, but very much alive. He was covered by some sort of see-through and firm material, just like a blanket.

Tsuna stared, wide-eyed. ‘What just—?’

Koro-sensei turned his eyes toward Terasaka and his gang.

His smile didn’t disappear, but it changed. You didn’t even need to look at his face to know. His entire skin has turned pitch black. Koro-sensei was furious.

“I have no problem being targeted,” he said, voice suddenly like steel wrapped in velvet. “But involving another classmate and even going as far as to let them play with their own life…”

The air chilled.

“Do remember that I move at Mach 20. I might not be able to harm you directly. But if you try to use this method of assassination next time,
I can't guarantee the safety of others. Especially your family and friends…”

The threat hung in the air like a guillotine.

Terasaka and his crew paled.

Then, just like that, the moment passed. Koro-sensei turned his attention back to Nagisa, dusting him off with one of his many limbs. “Still, that was quite clever,” he said brightly. “A surprise tactic with a hidden weapon. Ten points for creativity!”

He turned to the rest of the class. “But next time, no human sacrifices, okay? Let’s make assassination fun and responsible, everyone!”

The students all gave varying degrees of stunned nods.

Tsuna couldn’t take her eyes off Nagisa. He looked shaken but also weirdly proud. Like he’d actually accomplished something.

She just couldn’t understand it. He was in danger; he could have died. And he is proud?

It was strange to think about. Assassination slowly became a common part of everyday life for them.

and she wasn’t going to be excluded from that.

Chapter Text

There were a lot of things Tsuna didn’t expect from her new life in Class 3-E.

Baseball was definitely one of them.

The sound of a fastball cutting through the air echoed across the field, followed by the slap of it hitting the glove.

Tsuna winced as she watched Sugino wind up for another throw. His brow furrowed, focus sharp. The baseball in his hand wasn’t ordinary; it was embedded with anti-sensei BB pellets. But no matter how fast or how precise his throws were, the result was always the same.

Miss.

Koro-sensei zipped around the batter’s box like a hummingbird on a sugar high, grinning the whole time. “Nice try, Sugino-kun! But your shoulder dipped on the release. Also, your curve needs more bite!”

Tsuna, watching from the sidelines, glanced toward Sugino, who was now scowling at the dirt.

They were supposed to be assassins. And yet here they were, practicing baseball with their teacher, who also happened to be their target.

Her life was getting stranger by the day.

After practice, she found herself lingering behind while most of the students wandered off to plan their next assassination scheme. Sugino sat alone on the stairs, tossing the baseball from hand to hand with a frustrated look on his face.

She hesitated, then slowly walked over and stood a few feet away, hugging her notebook awkwardly to her chest.

“…You were really fast,” she said quietly.

Sugino blinked up at her, surprised. “Huh? Oh—uh, thanks. Doesn’t matter though. I couldn’t even get close to hitting him.”

Tsuna shifted, unsure if she should say more. “Still… you tried something that only you could do. That counts, right?”

It sounded kind of lame in her head, but Sugino gave her a small smile anyway.

“I guess. But what’s the point if it doesn’t work? I used to be the ace on the baseball team. Now I’m here, with the rest of the failures.”

Tsuna flinched at the word. Failures. It stuck in her head and went right to her heart stabbing deeply into it.

“That’s not fair,” she murmured. “You’re not a failure just because you got put in this class.”

Sugino looked at her curiously, but she quickly ducked her head, pretending to fuss with her notebook.

“I mean… I think you’re really cool. For still trying.”

Her face turned bright red halfway through saying it. She immediately wanted to vanish into the grass.

But Sugino just laughed, not mockingly, just surprised. “Thanks, Tsuna.”

She risked a peek up. He looked a little less weighed down.

And from a few feet away, Koro-sensei gave a soft nod before zipping off, gone in a blur of yellow.

The next morning, Koro-sensei burst into class with a flourish, wearing a baseball cap and carrying what looked like a ridiculous stack of signed memorabilia.

“I’ve just returned from New York!” he declared, voice full of pride. “Saw a live game, interviewed Rodriguez himself, and even bought snacks!”

He handed a hot dog to Sugino, who stared at it in disbelief.

“I studied his pitch, especially his wrist control,” Koro-sensei continued. “You’ve been trying to copy his exact form, but your arms and shoulders are different. You need to throw like you.”

The yellow octopus stood beside Sugino, adjusting his grip on the ball with a tentacle.

“Your strength isn’t raw speed. It’s unpredictability. Use that. Put a weird spin on it. Curve it like your future depends on it!”

Sugino’s eyes lit up with something that looked a lot like hope.

Tsuna watched silently, amazed. She hadn’t expected Koro-sensei to take it seriously. But he had in the most ridiculous, over-the-top, sincere way possible.

And somehow, it made all the difference.

——————

It all went down during lunch break, after Koro-sensei made the unforgivable mistake of trimming the schoolyard garden.

Specifically: the class’s flower patch.

He hadn’t meant harm; he said he was “just replacing dangerous weapons with beautiful flowers,” but the flattened flowerbeds told a different story.

And for once, every single student agreed on something: revenge.

To appease them, Koro-sensei, ever the showman, offered a compromise. “How about a little assassination tournament?” he proposed, beaming. “I’ll even give myself a handicap!”

That handicap? Being tied up and suspended from a tree.

The students wasted no time. Within minutes, he was dangling midair like a yellow piñata, limbs bound in ropes and fluttering in the breeze like cursed streamers.

The game was on.

One by one, the students tried to land a hit. Knives and BBs flew, but even tied up, Koro-sensei was too fast. He swayed, twisted, flexed, and dodged in midair, his laughter echoing through the trees.

But then—crack.

The branch snapped.

Koro-sensei hit the ground in a chaotic heap of ropes, dust, and flailing tentacles.

For a split second, silence.

Then—

“GET HIM!”

He managed to wriggle free and zip away in the next instant, fleeing from the blood-hungry group of teenagers.

In the end he found refuge on the roof of the school building and doubled the homework— ‘so petty.’

But that didn’t really interest the students. They were ecstatic, excited, and happy to almost get a hit on the unkillable teacher.

The atmosphere was lively.

Nagisa was writing more information into his notebook, making plans for future attempts. Sugino threw his fist in the air like he’d just won the championship. And Tsuna, without even realizing it, was grinning. A wide, unguarded, honest smile as she stood in the golden afternoon light.

For the first time, the tension in the classroom had lifted completely.

They weren’t just a bunch of castaways thrown into a bizarre situation.

They were in this together now.

And somehow… that changed everything.

Excited chatter filled the air, with assassination strategies and wild ideas and trap blueprints scribbled on napkins. To an outsider, it might’ve looked morbid.

But to Tsuna, it looked like life.

Not fear. Not shame. Not quiet resignation.

But hope.

For the first time in a long time, she didn’t feel like a ghost in the back of the room.

She felt like she belonged.

Up on the hillside, a man in a sharp suit watched the scene unfold with a raised brow.

Karasuma Tadaomi had seen a lot in his line of work. But a group of so-called "problem students" shouting gleefully about murdering their homeroom teacher was… new.

Still, there was something about it that caught his attention.

They were lively.

Far more than the pristine, emotionless classrooms down in the main building.

He straightened his tie, adjusted the papers in his hand, and prepared himself to, from now on, also stay in this classroom for a while.

Chapter Text

Living alone sounded cooler than it actually was.

Tsuna had imagined independence would feel like freedom. Like silence on her own terms, space that belonged only to her, and the ability to do what she wanted without someone hovering behind her every second.

But reality?

Reality was standing in the middle of a grocery store aisle, frozen in front of a wall of soy sauce bottles, completely unsure which one was for cooking and which one was for dipping.

Her hand hovered uncertainly. She had a tiny basket tucked against her side, containing a pack of instant noodles, two eggs, and something she thought was rice. Her stomach growled. Loudly.

‘Why is food so complicated?’

She sighed, eyes scanning the label with growing confusion. “This one has a fish on it... Does that mean it’s... fish-flavored?” she mumbled, barely audible.

“Actually, that one’s for sashimi,” a cheerful voice piped up beside her.

Tsuna jumped, turning to find a familiar face beaming down at her.

“K-Koro-sensei?!”

He was wearing a mustache. A fake mustache. A tiny chef’s hat perched comically on top of his head. And his formerly yellow skin has been changed to a more pale beige.

"Call me Chef Koro!” he said proudly, waggling his tentacles like he was about to host a cooking show. “I'm on my weekly grocery run! Didn’t expect to bump into a student!”

Tsuna felt her face go red. She immediately tried to hide her basket behind her back.

“You live around here?” he asked curiously, glancing at her half-empty basket.

“Um… yeah,” she muttered. “I have a small place up over the bookstore down the street. It’s… just me.”

Koro-sensei blinked. His usual smile didn’t falter, but there was a flicker of something thoughtful behind it.

“All by yourself?” he asked gently.

Tsuna nodded. “I’m used to it,” she added quickly, almost defensively.

He didn’t press. Instead, his eyes sparkled.

“Then it’s settled! We’re going shopping together. I simply can’t allow one of my students to survive off cup noodles and eggs!”

Before she could protest, he zipped off in a blur of yellow.

Within ten minutes, her basket had transformed into a carefully curated selection of actual food: fresh vegetables, rice, simple seasonings, a small bottle of proper soy sauce, and ingredients she recognized from her childhood but hadn’t dared to try cooking herself.

By the time they reached the checkout line, she was too overwhelmed to argue anymore.

“Why… why are you even here?” she asked finally, as the cashier stared at them in stunned silence.

“Why does anyone grocery shop?” Koro-sensei replied, stacking their bags at Mach speed. “Even world-ending monsters need a balanced diet!”

———————

Her apartment was tiny, barely a room and a half, but clean. Neat, in the way you clean when you’re lonely and trying not to think about it.

Koro-sensei floated over the stove, inspecting it with a level of seriousness she hadn’t expected.

“We’ll start simple,” he announced. “Stir-fry. Rice. Tamagoyaki if you're feeling adventurous.”

Tsuna tried not to laugh at the way he flared a tiny apron around his midsection. She watched him cut vegetables with inhuman precision, his tentacles blurring as they danced from pan to bowl.

Then he handed the knife to her.

Her hands shook a little as she chopped. Not from fear, just from being watched.

But he didn’t criticize. He just hummed softly and gave her tips like it was the most natural thing in the world. Eventually, she relaxed. She started asking questions. Started laughing when her egg roll collapsed into a scrambled mess. Started enjoying it.

By the end of the evening, her little kitchen smelled amazing, and her stomach hurt more from smiling than from hunger.

She took a bite and lit up.

“This is fun,” she admitted quietly. “I didn’t think it would be, but…”

Koro-sensei hovered nearby, watching her with quiet pride. “Cooking is a kind of self-care, Tsuna-chan. You put something together with your own hands. You feed yourself. You learn your own rhythm.”

She glanced up at him, suddenly shy. “Thank you, sensei. I never cooked on my own.”

Tsuna looked down at her plate. The food didn’t feel like survival anymore. It felt like something warmer.

Koro-sensei’s voice gently interrupted her thoughts. “If you don’t mind me asking… why are you living alone?”

Her chopsticks froze.

He didn’t push and patiently waited for an answer. So with no pressure to worry about, Tsunayoshi slowly found the courage to open up, at least a little, to someone else about her family situation.

“…My brother sent me here because of some family stuff,” she said at last. “I don’t know myself what it is exactly, but I think it was for the best. I wasn’t that popular back in my old school and didn’t have any friends. My brother said it could be a new start for me.”

She didn’t say I’m used to being forgotten. She didn’t have to.

Koro-sensei said nothing. But his expression stayed on her a little longer than usual.

“Well then,” he said at last, clapping his hands. “You’ve officially survived your first real dinner. I expect nothing but culinary excellence from now on!”

Tsuna gave him a small, genuine smile. “Thanks… for helping.”

“Anytime,” he said, and for once, there was no joke in his voice.

That night, after she’d packed away leftovers and washed the dishes in a rhythm that didn’t feel like a chore, Tsuna stood by her tiny window, looking out at the streetlights below.

Alone.

But a little less so than before.

And in the silence of her apartment, she decided:

She’d cook again tomorrow.

Chapter Text

“One! Two! Three! Four! Five! Six!”

“Ah~ I love the sound of exercise.” Korosensei said, holding a flower as he watched the students. “However, I would have preferred it without the knives.”

“I’ll be taking physical education from now on.” Karasuma told the octopus next to him.

”I am feeling a little left out.” Korosensei stated sadly.

Karasuma sighed. “Didn’t I tell you to make yourself scarce during this period?” He said, pointing behind him with his thumb and without looking.

“Go play in the sandpit or something," he ordered.

Korosensei found himself in the sandpit, making a mountain while crying, “You’re so mean, Karasuma-sensei! I’ll have you know that my students happen to like my P.E. activities!”

“Yeah, right.” Sugaya sighed, “Your physical abilities are far too out there.”

“Don’t you remember what happened last time?” Sugino asked with a shiver.

Koro-sensei was definitely asking too much from his students.

“I’d rather have a human P.E. teacher, thanks.” That gave Koro-sensei the last hit, and he continued to sulk and cry his feelings away quietly in his sandpit.

Tsuna patted his shoulder gently, trying to cheer him up. “It’s for the best.”

“But is there any point to all this training, Karasuma-sensei?” Maehara asked, “And should we really be doing it right under our target’s nose?”

“Assassination follows the same principle as studying: drill the basics and they’ll serve you well.”

He spoke and called Isogai and Maehara up to him. “Try to strike me with those knives.” The two looked surprised. “Are you sure?” Isogai asked.

“As a team?” Maehara followed up. "Those knives won't hurt us humans." Karasuma reminded, loosening his tie slightly, "If they give me so much as a scratch, you can go home for the day."

The two boys looked at each other. "Uh...well, er...okay, then." Isogai agreed in an uncertain manner. He bent his knees before going in to strike Karasuma, who easily dodged the attack. "Come on,” Karasuma glances over at Maehara, who had yet to attack him. Maehara leapt in to attack but was pushed away by Karasuma, and Isogai got back to strike again, but Karasuma dodged again. One strike after the other was followed by the two, but Karasuma didn’t receive any hits. "As you see, with a little knowledge, even I can handle the knives of two amateurs." Karasuma says. Maehara and Isogai once again try to attack him, which ended in both of them landing on their backs.

"If you can't hit me, your chance of hitting him at Mach 20 is slim to none." He glances back at where Koro-sensei was. "See? While we were sparring, he built Osaka Castle in the sandbox, changed clothes, and is brewing some tea!"

‘Impressive’

He helps Isogai and Maehara up. "Once the whole class is capable of hitting me, your chance of success will increase by leaps and bounds. During gym class, I'll be teaching you stabbing, shooting, and all the assassination basics. That's all for today." All the students bowed and thanked Karasuma. Tsuna went up to Kurahashi, Hayami, and Yada; she made it her goal to talk to at least two people in the class. So that’s exactly what she was trying to do. She manages to timidly start a conversation.

“Ka-karasuma-sensei is pretty cool, huh?”

Yada was the first one to respond. “You’re right, Sawada-san! Karasuma-sensei’s kinda scary, but he sure is cool!” She was beaming at her with a bright smile; it seemed like she was very happy the class’ shy member was trying to make conversation. And the other two girls follow that sentiment.

Kurahashi nodded with a smile, “I know, right? You think he’ll pat us on the head if we hit him?” She asked. ”I wonder.” Hayami agreed.

Overhearing their conversation, Korosensei jolted and started to chew on a cloth and side-glared at Karasuma, “You’re trying to steal my popularity from my students, aren’t you?!” He asked.

”Don’t be stupid.” Karasuma responded. “If the school desires, it may assign an additional teacher to the E class.’ It’s right there in your employment contract, I believe.” He threw a knife to Korosensei, who caught it, of course.

“My duty is to provide on-site monitoring of our assassins, all in the name of killing you.”

“I have a name, you know.” Korosensei said.

“The one that my students gave me. Please call me ‘Korosensei.’” The bell chimed, meaning it was the end of gym class, and everyone began to walk back.

Tsuna stayed with the girls, and they were about to walk back into the school building when there was a new face standing in front of it.

It was a male with red hair, about their age, who was standing at the top of the stairs, wearing the uniform and holding a strawberry milk carton. “Hey, Nagisa-kun. It’s been a while.”

“Karma-kun...you’re back?” Nagisa exclaimed, which earned a smile from the boy known as Karma. Tsuna could tell just from one look that that Karma person was no good.

“So this is the infamous Korosensei! He really does look like an octopus.” Karma reached where Korosensei was, and all eyes were still fixated on him. “Akabane Karma-kun...right?” Korosensei assumed, “I heard your suspension was up today, but that’s no excuse to be late on your first day.” His face turned purple with a darker purple 'X' in the middle.

The redhead laughed, “It’s hard to get back into the swing of things. And feel free to call me by my first name; nice to meet you, sensei.” He held his hand out for Korosensei to shake. “Likewise. Let’s make it a good year.” He raised a tentacle, but as soon as he and Karma made contact, his tentacle exploded into yellow goo. He was slightly taken aback as he dodged the knife that Karma was hiding under his sleeve. He moved further away from the boy. Karma turned to face him. “Wow, you’re as fast as they say.” He said, looking down at his hand, “And these knives are really as effective as they say. I cut one into tiny little pieces and stuck them into my hand.” He showed his hand to the teacher, “But to think you would fall for such a simple move. You jumped back pretty far; what are you, a scaredy cat?”

“I heard ‘Korosensei’ came from ‘korosenai,’ or ‘unkillable.’” He leaned his head forward before tilting it at an angle, giving a taunting expression to Korosensei. "But what's this? Are you a pushover after all?" Korosensei’s face turned red, and veins started to pop up, which signalled his anger. "Nagisa, just who exactly is Karma?" Kayano asks him. "Well..." Nagisa starts, "We were in the same class our first and second years, but then his continued violent behavior earned him an expulsion, and those students end up here in the E Class, too. But...here he might just be a star student." "A star student?" Kayano repeats, "What do you mean?" "When it comes to deadly weapons and foul play, Karma-kun’s got us all beat." Nagisa stated.

‘Now I definitely don’t want to get involved with him.’

His desk ended up right next to Tsuna’s.

She tried not to make eye contact. Really, she did. But Karma had a way of drawing attention like a fire in the middle of a quiet street.

"Yo," he said, sliding into his seat and leaning sideways toward her. "Do you always look this nervous, or is it just me?"

Tsuna nearly dropped her pen.

“I—I’m not nervous,” she muttered, eyes locked firmly on her notebook.

“Sure you’re not,” Karma said, smirking. “Hey, do you think if I stabbed Koro-sensei through your desk, he’d dodge or use you as a shield?”

She stared at him in horror. He looked delighted.

“No? Okay, okay. Bad icebreaker.” He leaned back in his chair like nothing had happened. “Don’t worry. I don’t bite.”

Then he added with a grin, “Unless it’s funny.”

Tsuna didn’t respond. She couldn’t. Her brain was too busy spiraling through a thousand emergency exit plans.

Talking to people was hard. Talking to Karma Akabane felt like juggling knives over a minefield.

The rest of the day didn’t get any easier. Karma didn’t try to talk to Terasaka, except for the occasional taunt like, “Wow, you call that a plan?” or “You really give morons a bad name, huh?” but for some reason, he kept glancing back at Tsuna.

Sometimes he’d whisper something just loud enough for her to hear.

Sometimes it was about Koro-sensei.

Sometimes it was about her.

“You take notes for every subject?” he asked one afternoon, flipping her notebook open without asking. “Even P.E.? Damn, you are the nervous type.”

“Please don’t touch that,” she said, barely audible.

Karma just chuckled. “Relax. I’m just curious. You’re kind of hard to read, y’know?”

Tsuna didn't know what to say to that. So, like always, she said nothing.

But she watched.

She watched as he stole Koro-sensei’s favorite imported gelato from the faculty freezer and replaced it with something that smelled suspiciously like garlic and betrayal.

And when Koro-sensei turned a dead octopus left on his desk into takoyaki and served it with a flourish. She watched as Karma got more annoyed.

When Koro-sensei gave him a manicure or dressed him up in a cute pink apron.

She watched as Karma turned frustrated.

After class ended, most of the students filtered back toward the school building, their chatter fading into the trees. Tsuna stayed back, her eyes trailing after Karma as he walked further into the woods, hands stuffed in his pockets, shoulders a little too tense.

He wasn’t smirking like usual.

‘Weird,’ she thought.

He moved with a kind of aimlessness that felt… unlike him. And despite every part of her brain yelling, Don’t get involved, Tsuna’s feet started to move.

The forest was quiet except for the occasional birdcall and crunch of her shoes on twigs. Eventually, she reached the clearing. A cliff.

And there he was, Karma Akabane, sitting on the edge like it was a park bench, legs dangling, eyes lost in the sky.

Tsuna stood frozen for a second, unsure what she was even doing here.

But something about the way he sat, like the edge wasn’t just beneath his feet, made her move.

She walked over and sat down next to him. Not close, not far.

He didn’t look at her.

“So,” he said eventually, voice low. “You do follow people.”

Tsuna flinched. “No—! I mean— you looked weird.”

“Gee, thanks.”

“I meant… not like that. Just—not like you.” She wrapped her arms around her knees.

Karma let out a short laugh. “You’re bad at this.”

“Yeah. I know.”

They sat in silence for a moment.

The wind tugged at the trees behind them. From here, the view of the mountains stretched far, with rolling green and soft clouds above and sunlight breaking through.

Karma leaned back on his hands.

“I used to come here a lot,” he said casually. “Before I got suspended. When things felt… pointless.”

Tsuna glanced at him, surprised.

He shrugged. “School’s always been a joke. Teachers too scared to say anything, classmates too scared to be anything. I got bored.”

She didn’t say anything, but he must’ve felt her eyes on him.

“I don’t like fake people,” he added, voice just above a whisper. “People who smile because they’re told to. Teachers who give up pretending to care.”

Tsuna looked away. “I… I think I used to be one of those people.”

“Used to be?”

She nodded. “Still trying.”

“I just don’t understand! Teachers are all the same. They use you, and if they don’t favor you, then they leave you behind in the mud. There is not a teacher I couldn’t kill.” Karma started to rant when suddenly Nagisa joined us as well. He was standing a bit further away from us.

“Koro-sensei isn’t like other teachers,” he said to Karma. But the redhead wasn’t having it. His eyes were dazed, muttering something under his breath.

“Karma. I took good care of you today, didn't I? Try your best to kill me as usual. I'll polish you until you sparkle.” Koro-sensei also appeared out of nowhere. The green strips in his face indicate his cockiness.

“I want to reconfirm with you. You're a teacher, aren't you? Isn't a teacher supposed to risk his life to protect his students?” Tsuna was getting the feeling that what was about to happen wasn’t good. No, not good at all.

“Of course. I'm a teacher after all.” And that was all Karma needed to hear from the teacher before letting himself fall down the cliff with his gun pointed, ready to shoot the unkillable teacher. Would he try to save the redhead?

Nagisa and Tsuna both looked after Karma in distress and shouted his name in horror.

“KARMA!!”

Koro-sensei jumps after him and avoids any of Karma's bullets and forms a sticky safety net underneath Karma to safely catch him. Seeing as Karma was ok, both teens on top of the cliff take a breath of relief.

With Karma back on top of the cliff. They all witness a very unusual scene. Which was Tsuna, the normally quiet and reserved student, lecturing Karma.

Tsuna’s mind was racing, her body still tense with the aftermath of the near-disaster.

But then, something snapped inside her.

Before anyone could say anything else, she turned to face Karma. Her face flushed, her voice trembling but fierce.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?! You could’ve died! Is that really how you want to live, throwing your life away for some stupid—”

Karma’s eyes flickered, and he finally looked at her, really looked at her. Tsuna was usually the quiet one, always tucked away in her own corner of the room. But now, her voice was loud, her anger flaring in a way that felt almost foreign to her. She didn’t know where this surge of emotion came from, but the sight of him risking everything so recklessly hit a nerve she hadn’t realized she had.

“You—” Tsuna choked back the words for a second, then forced herself to keep going. “What do you think you’re trying to prove? You want to push everyone away, but you can’t keep doing that! You’re just... throwing yourself into danger because you’re bored?”

Karma stood silent, his gaze unreadable. It was like he was in a daze, but not a surprise, really. He took Tsunayoshi to be the shy and quiet one. So to be lectured by that exact person was a shock.

Tsuna continued, her voice gaining strength with each word. “You think it’s cool to act like you don’t care about anything, but it’s not! You’re not invincible; you can’t just walk around like this—” Her voice cracked. “You can’t just throw yourself away and expect everyone to think it’s okay!”

Her words hung in the air, thick with tension. Tsuna didn’t know if she was trying to convince him or herself, but she couldn’t stop now.

“I—I don’t know what you’ve been through or what makes you so angry at everyone,” she added quietly, softer now. “But I don’t think it’s worth it. You deserve more than this.”

Karma blinked at her, his expression unreadable for a long moment. Then, a slow, almost imperceptible smirk tugged at his lips, though there was no mocking in it, only a strange mix of acknowledgment and something else.

"Well, aren't you full of surprises?" Karma said finally, his tone a little gentler but still tinged with that playful edge.

Tsuna’s chest tightened, but she couldn’t back down. “It’s not a surprise. It’s just… me, trying to make sure you don’t get yourself killed. I don’t think you really want that.”

Karma’s eyes softened for a brief moment. "Maybe," he said quietly, "but sometimes, it's easier to just... not care."

Tsuna shook her head, her voice growing firm again. “Not caring is the easy way out. Caring… hurts, yeah. But it’s better than pretending you don’t feel anything at all.”

For a moment, Karma didn’t respond. Then, after a long pause, he stood up and shrugged, still smirking, but there was something different in his eyes.

“Maybe. But that’s not how I do things.”

Tsuna just stared at him, her heart still pounding from the intensity of the moment. But she also felt... a small sense of relief.

Karma, for all his bravado, wasn’t as unreachable as she thought.

“Next time,” she said softly, “don’t make me chase after you. I won’t be so nice.”

He chuckled, a real, genuine laugh this time. “Don’t worry, Sawada. You’ve got guts. I’ll give you that.”

Nagisa, who had been watching quietly, stepped forward. “You know, Tsuna, you’re not bad at this whole ‘being firm’ thing.”

Tsuna flushed, suddenly embarrassed by the attention, but she didn’t back down. “I just… didn’t want him to die.”

Karma gave her a sideways glance and then turned his attention back to the sky.

“Guess I’ll have to make sure you get your chance to lecture me again.” His grin was back, but this time, it felt different. Less like a challenge and more like a promise.

“And you, Sensei, be careful. I'll kill you tomorrow.” He shot him a bright smile, but this time not as sinister but more playful.

Koro-sensei was really pleased with the development of his students.

Chapter Text

The week after Karma’s stunt off the cliff, the class was almost back to normal;well, as normal as things got when your teacher was a yellow octopus with a smiley face.

That changed when she walked in.

High heels clicked across the wooden floor, and the door swung open like something out of a spy movie. Standing there, framed by the sunlight, was a woman none of them had ever seen before. Blonde, curvy, confident. Lips curled into a smirk that said I know exactly what I’m doing.

And the weirdest think of them all was, that she was practically all over Koro-sensei.

“Allow me to introduce your brand-new temporary foreign-language theacher.” Karasuma-sensei started off to explain the situation.

“I'm Irina Jelavic. Nice to meet you all!” The newest addition to the staff was practicaly beaning with excitement, and Tsuna could have sworn there were hearts popping up around her as she was pressing her breasts against the octopus.

Tsuna felt something was off with the new teacher, and sofar she learned to listen to her intuition.

There was a collective pause.

Then every boy in the room straightened in their chairs like someone had yanked them up with strings.

Tsuna leaned toward Nagisa and whispered, “She doesn’t look like a teacher.”

Nagisa nodded faintly, still staring.

“She looks like she belongs in a movie,” another student mumbled.

But Karma? He just narrowed his eyes and leaned back with a knowing smirk. “Something’s off,” he muttered.

He wasn’t wrong.

And Koro-sensei… You would assume he would be bewildered. But just one look into his face made it clear that he was absolutly smitten. His normaly yellow skin turned a pastel pink and the smile he donned was ever so wider than usual.

(Koro-sensei’s Weak Point: Boobs)

Break- time

The class was outside with Koro-sensei passing footballs back and forth while atempting to land a hit on the teacher.

Karma passed it to Tsuna after failing to shoot Koro-sensei. Over the month she had spend with the E-class she had turned significantly less clumbs. It’s very rare for her to trip these days, but you still can’t say that her body control is top notch.

Even so she managed to kick the ball to the next person before storming off to try and stab Koro-sensei. “Hup! K-Kill!”

Everyone was having a good time and the game was going fast until our unkillable teacher was snapped out of the game by the voice of the new blond teacher.

“Hey! Koro-sensei!Koro-senei, I heard from Mr. Karasuma that you're very fast. Is that true?”

She ran up to the yellow creature while getting uncompftably close to him.

It’s safet to say that Koro-sensei folded in seconds.
“What? Actually, I'm not that fast.”

“I have a favor. I'd love to try some authentic Vietnamese coffee.
Could you bring one for me during English class?”

“That would be a piece of cake. I happen to know a great cafe in Vietnam.” And with that he was up and away to Vietnam, still blushing like a middel-school girl having her very first crush.

The ringing of the bell indicated the next lesson begin. But the foreign language teacher didn’t make any moves to get to the school building. Isogai was the first to remind her of the lesson.

“Excuse me, Ms. Irina? The class is starting. Shall we go back to class?”

But the respond they got was entierly diffrent from the ditzy, lovestruck woman they had come to see. Instead her voice was more cold. Her postiur and register gave off an air of suberiority.
“Class? Oh, right. Just make it a study hall or something.”

“Also, don't call me by my first name. I won't be acting like a teacher unless the octopus is around, so you are to call me Ms. Jelavich.”

The students were speachless, it was all just so unexpected to see.

“What are you up to, Ms. Bitch?” Of coures Karma wasn’t that effected by the new revelation.

“Watch your mouth!”

But the red head didn’t let his cocky smile leave his face and continued talking.
“Aren't you an assassin? The entire class couldn't even take down that creature.
Do you think you can kill him by yourself?”

“Let me tell you something, you brat. Grown-ups have their way of doing things. You're Nagisa Shiota, aren't you?”

She went up to him and suddenly kissed him. To say everyone was shocked is an understatement, though Karma seemed to find the situation rather ammusing.

What Tsuna wasn’t expecting though was for the blond to turn to her aswell and kiss her.

The timid girl was ready to passout. Not only from embarresment but mainly because of how good the kiss was. Both her and the blue-haired boy sank to the ground, their knees weak.
“Come to the staff room later. I'd like to see what you have on him. The rest as well. Whoever has information, please come. I'll reward you.”

‘Why meee?!’ Tsuna was close to crying.

“For the girls, you can have one of my men. A professional assassin requires skills and connections to live up to the name.
You brats just stay out of the way and watch. Right, there's one more thing.
If you get in the way of my assassination,

I will kill you.”

Irina went away to go plan her assassination with her henchmen, while the rest of the class stayed behind thinking the same exact thing: We hated her

Tsuna hadn’t moved in minutes.

Her face was still bright red, eyes wide, lips slightly parted in stunned disbelief. She was ninety percent sure her soul had left her body the moment Irina Jelavic’s lips touched hers and the remaining ten percent was praying for a lightning bolt to strike her down and end her embarrassment.

Nagisa was sitting beside her on the ground, equally dazed.

Karma stood a few feet away, hands in his pockets, smirking like it was the best entertainment he’d had all week. “Wow,” he drawled. “You two okay? Should I call the nurse? Or maybe a priest?”

Tsuna made a strangled sound. “Wh-why—WHY did she kiss me?! I’m just—I wasn’t even—!!”

“You looked like you needed some affection,” Karma teased.

“Shut up!”

A few of the other students were still gawking, while some just groaned, already resigned to the chaos this new “teacher” brought with her. Isogai rubbed his temples. Maehara was muttering something about never trusting a hot teacher again. Kayano handed Tsuna a bottle of water and patted her back sympathetically.

“She’s the worst,” Yada said flatly.

“I second that,” Kanzaki added. “And that whole ‘come to the staff room, I’ll reward you’ thing? Ew.”

“She's not even trying to hide that she doesn't care about teaching,” Okuda pointed out, pouting. “Even Koro-sensei tries.”

“She kissed Nagisa,” Sugino said, still stuck on that part. “She kissed Tsuna. In front of everyone. Is that even legal?!”

“I don’t know,” Nagisa mumbled, finally coming back to life. “But I feel… violated.”

Karma gave a small chuckle, then crouched next to Tsuna, watching her with that same amused glint in his eye. “Hey.”

He was going to tease her but stopped when he saw tears forming in her eyes.

Tsuna was so overwelmed and sad to have had her first kiss stolen by an adult woman.

Karma blinked. “Wait—hey, Tsuna…”

She shook her head quickly and tried to hide her face behind her knees. But it was too late he saw the tears welling in her eyes, the way she bit her lip like she was trying to hold them in.

“I didn’t want it to be like that,” she muttered. “My first kiss. It was supposed to be… I don’t know. Someone I liked. Someone my age. Not part of some creepy tactic from a stranger who doesn’t even care.”

The class grew quiet.

Karma slowly stood back up, running a hand through his hair, suddenly looking very unsure of what to do. It was rare,very rare, for him to look anything but smug.

Even Nagisa, who still looked a little shell-shocked, nodded solemnly. “I don’t think she even considered how we’d feel. It was just… manipulation.”

Karma let out a slow breath, staring off toward the trees like he was trying to process something. Then, in a moment that surprised even him, he reached into his pocket and pulled out one of those silly caramel candies he sometimes carried.

He knelt down next to Tsuna again and held it out. “Here. It’s not a reset button, but it’s sweet. You like sweet stuff, right?”

Tsuna blinked at the candy. Then at him. “You… had this in your pocket?”

“Don’t ask questions,” he muttered, shoving it into her hand before standing back up.

Tsuna gave a tiny laugh through her tears. Just a little one. But it was enough to make the weight in the air feel lighter.

The bell rang in the distance.

“Guess we should get back,” Isogai said gently.

Tsuna stood slowly, dusting herself off, caramel still clutched in her hand.

Karma didn’t say anything else. But as they started walking back to the classroom, he lingered just behind her, hands in his pockets, eyes sharp and watchful—like maybe he was looking out for something.

Or someone.

And for once, he didn’t look like he was smirking just for the fun of it.

Later that day…

Tsuna knew something weird was happening when Koro-sensei didn’t return from his break on time. And then the gunfire started.

Real bullets.

The supply shed next to the building echoed with sharp cracks of machine guns. It wasn’t long before the sound of gunfire died down and was replaced by moaning?

some went to investigat and found Koro-sensei comming out the shed as if nothing happend. Irina on the otherhand looked dazed and was wearing a retro PE outfit.

“I can't believe he did all that in just a minute. He massaged my stiff shoulders and back and gave me a lymphatic facial massage with essential oils.
He even helped me change my clothes.
After that, he did all those slithery things with his tentacles.”

She passed out.

Study Hall

To everyone’s surprise (and some disappointment), Irina Jelavic sat at the front of the class again, looking frustrated while planning her next assassination.

“Ms. Jelavic! If you're not willing to teach us, could we have Mr. Koro?
We're taking the entrance exam this year.”

“Ha! you want to be taught by that vicious creature? Do you think your exam matters when the world is at stake here? It must feel good to be carefree brats!
By the way, I heard Class E are the failures of this school. It's pointless for you all to study, isn't it?
I know, how about this? If I manage to kill him, I'll give you five million yen each. Isn't it better than studying? So, shut your mouth and listen to me.”

She was talking down at them, insulting them, mocking them.

The class definitly didn’t let that slide.

“Get out!”
students threw anything that they could find at her and telling the blond to leave.
“Get out, you bitch!”
“We want Koro-sensei!”

“What's with your attitude? I'll kill all of you.”

“Try if you dare!”

“That's right! We don't need big breasts!”

The supposet quiet Study Hall has been turned into a dumpsterfire. And Tsuna just wanted to go home at this point.

The next day…

Karasuma wasn’t smiling.

He listend to Irina’s complains about the dissobidient students.

Sighing he stood up from his desk and ordert her to follow him.

Their stop was a clearing beween trees where the octopus sat.

“What's the guy doing?”

“He's writing test questions. He does it every Wednesday, during the sixth period.”

“It looks like he's taking his sweet time. With Mach 20, wouldn't he finish it in a jiffy?”

“it's because every student has different questions. He takes into account each student's weak and strong subjects. Then, he writes out different questions for each of them.” It took the blond assassin by surprise.

“He's a dangerous creature with superhuman intelligence who wants to destroy the Earth.When it comes to being a teacher, he's perfect at it.”

“Now, look at the students.” He pointed at a few of the students on the training ground playing some kind of game.

“They are just fooling around.”

“It's a training to strike a moving target with precision. It's called assassination badminton and I taught them that.”

“The target is a teacher. The assassins are students. This unusual classroom exists because of that creature. Everyone has two roles to play. You claimed to be a professional assassin. If you can't even be both an assassin and a teacher at the same time, then you must be the most incompetent professional here.”

For a long moment, Irina didn’t respond. Then she looked back at the lights of the classroom. Her jaw tightened.

English class

The students were sitting all over theplace not expecting any teaching to happen, but to their surprise Irina slammed the door open and started writing something on the board.

“You are incredible in bed.Repeat.” Tsuna and her classmates were surprised and slightly dazed as they all sat down properly and hesitantly reapeated the sentence even though it sounded very sloppy in comparresen to Irinas non-accented voice.

“When I assassinated a VIP in America, the first thing I did was seduce his bodyguard.
At that time, he said that to me. It means ‘you're good at sex’.”

‘is it really ok to teach junior-high students something like that?’ Tsuna was blushing from embarresment.

“They often say the easiest way to learn a foreign language is by finding a local lover. You want to know what they are thinking. So, you tried your best to learn their language.
When it's necessary, I'll use this method to learn a new language.
I'll teach you all how to seduce foreigners during my class. The basics of engaging in conversations as well,straight from a professional assassin like me.”

It was unexpected but she really started to sound like a teacher.

“Master this technique and it'll be useful when meeting foreigners. Let that octopus teach you what you need to know for the exam. I can only teach you some practical conversational skills.
If you still can't think of me as a teacher, I'll give up my mission and leave.
You're okay with that, right?

Also, I'm sorry about everything else.”

Tsuna, who was at first didn’t think too highly of the woman, started to giggle. And her classmates didn’t take long to start laughing aswell.

“What are you afraid of? You were threatening to kill us just now.”

“She's totally like a teacher now.”

“We can't call you Ms. bitch anymore.”

“Actually, it's quite rude to call a teacher that. We need another name.”

“How about Bitch-sensei?”

“Well, is it possible to let go
of the word ‘bitch’? Why don't you call me by my first name?”

“But, we're so used to calling you that.”

“Compared to Irina-sensei, Bitch-sensei suits you better.”

“We are in your care, Bitch-sensei.”

“Let's begin class, Bitch-sensei.”

“I hate you all so much!”

Yup, she fits in just fine.

Chapter Text

Tsuna’s POV

It was raining outside.

A light, steady drizzle tapped against the windowpane as Tsuna sat hunched over her desk, pencil smudged between her fingers, a thick workbook open in front of her. The title read:
“Specialized Independent Learning Packet: Week 4 — Kunugigaoka Class 3-E”
In the corner, a cartoon doodle of an octopus beamed up at her. Koro-sensei’s voice still echoed in her mind: “I made this one just for you, Tsuna-chan~! Let’s make studying fun, even if you’re falling behind in literally every subject!”

Somehow, it had been fun. Annoying. Challenging. But fun.

She was halfway through solving a math puzzle shaped like a stealth mission when her phone buzzed.

The screen lit up.

MOM
Her heart stuttered.

She stared at the name for a second, unsure if she’d imagined it. Her finger hovered. She hadn’t heard from anyone back home in a month. Not a text. Not a call. Not even a wrong number.

Slowly, she picked up.

“...Hello?”

A soft voice answered on the other end. “Tsunayoshi?”

Her throat tightened. No one here called her that anymore. Just Tsuna.

“Yeah,” she said, voice quiet. “Hi, Mom.”

“Oh, thank goodness.” Her mother sounded relieved, too much so, like someone who hadn’t been brave enough to call until now. “I wasn’t sure you’d still have the same number…”

Tsuna blinked. “It’s only been a month.”

“I know, I know, I just…” A nervous little laugh. “I was cleaning the kitchen today and I found your favorite mug. You know, the one with the cracked handle? And I realized… I hadn’t heard your voice in so long.”

Tsuna didn’t answer right away. She stared at the rain outside, watched a drop slide down the glass like a tear she hadn’t let fall.

Her mom’s voice softened. “How are you, sweetie? Are you eating well? Is the school treating you kindly? Do you like your new room?”

Tsuna swallowed. “It’s… okay.”

“You sound tired.”

“I’m always tired,” she said, and instantly regretted how bitter it sounded.

But Nana didn’t comment on it. She just gave another soft laugh, tinged with something Tsuna couldn’t name.

“I miss you,” her mother said after a long pause. “The house is so quiet without you.”

Tsuna blinked slowly.

You mean without Giotto’s shadow over me? Or without me tripping down the stairs, spilling tea, or being late to breakfast?

“I didn’t think anyone would notice,” Tsuna said.

“Oh, Tsunayoshi…” her mom sighed. “That’s not true.”

But Tsuna didn’t know if she believed that.

“Is Giotto okay?” she asked, because she knew she had to.

“He’s… busy,” Nana said carefully. “Working hard. He sends his love, of course.”

Of course.

There was a silence after that. A long and heavy silence. Then:

“Why now?” Tsuna asked quietly. “Why call today?”

“I was just thinking about you,” Nana said. “And I wanted to hear your voice. That’s all.”

Tsuna stared down at her homework; Koro-sensei’s doodled encouragements and messy arrows. In the margins, someone had scribbled a joke in blue ink. She thought it might’ve been Karma’s.

She was starting to make… connections here. She was making freinds. Real friends, somethig she never had before. People who saw her trip and didn’t laugh. Teachers who helped instead of sighed and belittled her. Classmates who called her name, even if it was just to borrow a pencil.

“…I’m doing okay, Mom,” she said finally.

“Oh,” Nana sounded surprised. “That’s… wonderful. I’m glad.”

Tsuna nodded, even though her mother couldn’t see her.

“I should get back to my work,” she said gently. “It’s getting late.”

“Of course, sweetie. I won’t keep you. Just… call me if you need anything, okay?”

“I will.”

The line clicked off. Silence filled the room again.

Tsuna stared at the screen for a moment, then set the phone down.

Outside, the rain fell harder.

Inside, she picked up her pencil and kept going.

Chapter Text

POV: Giotto Sawada

There were stories about the First Generation Vongola, not just of the man who founded the Family, but of the people who chose to follow him.

People said they were monsters. Sinners turned saints. Enemies turned blood-bound brothers.

Giotto liked to think they were simply people who found each other at the right time, in a world that needed them to fight.

Much like his own.

Reborn called them the new generation. A "reawakening" of the bloodline.

Giotto hated the idea of replacing anyone.

They weren’t replacements.

They were his Guardians.

Each of them dangerous. Brilliant. A little crazy in their own way. And yet, around him, something about them shifted, they weren’t just his guardians.

They were his family.

Alaudi Hibari,Asari Yamamoto, Knuckle Sasagawa, G Gokudera,Demon Rokudo,Lampow Bovino.

They weren’t just assigned to him.
They’d chosen him.

And Giotto, young as he was, chose them back.

They fought together, trained together, lived together. Not as subordinates. Not as parts of a machine. But as equals standing under a shared sky.

When Giotto gave orders, they listened.
When Giotto faltered, they steadied him.
When Giotto rose, with flames burning orange, they rose with him.

And still, there were moments when he thought of his sister.

Tsuna.

He hadn’t heard from her since she left Namimori.

It was for the best.

She was safer there.

away from the dangers of the mafia world.

But sometimes, when he lit his Sky Flame and felt the others close in around him, their flames resonating, he wondered if she had ever felt something like this.

Belonging.

Sawada Household, Namimori — Early Evening

The house was quiet, for once.
Which meant trouble.

Giotto had just barely sat down with a mug of tea when the front door clicked open, uninvited as always, followed by the telltale shuffle of combat boots and the soft creak of wood as someone scaled the bannister instead of using the stairs like a civilized person.

Alaudi was the first to appear, sharp-eyed and silent as ever, arms crossed as he leaned in the doorway like a judgmental gargoyle. “Your perimeter’s sloppy,” he said, by way of greeting. “Three blind spots around the south-facing windows.”

“Good evening to you too, Alaudi,” Giotto replied, sipping his tea.

Behind him, Lampow crashed into the living room with a bag of chips already open and crumbs down the front of his hoodie. “Oi, boss! Got anything to eat that isn’t, y’know… green?”

“You raided the fridge last night,” Giotto said.

“Yeah, and?” Lampow grinned, flopping onto the couch with zero regard for personal space or gravity. “I burn calories. Fast metabolism. You should try it sometime.”

Asari wandered in next, quietly humming a tune and carrying his sheathed katana like a sleeping pet. Knuckle followed close behind, ducking his head politely. “Sorry for intruding, Giotto. Lampow said we were ‘invited.’”

“I said invited ourselves,” Lampow called from the couch.

G. Gokudera and Demon Rokudo arrived together, still mid-argument. Giotto heard the tail end of something about “irresponsible use of explosives” and “the artistic merit of chaos.”

By now, the living room looked like a mafia clubhouse, boots kicked off, weapons leaning against walls, and a battle for control of the TV remote already underway.

Giotto didn’t mind.
Not really.

This was… his life now.

But it wasn’t until Demon Rokudo moved toward the bookshelf, lazily scanning for anything not mind-numbingly dull, that it happened.

“Oi,” Rokudo said, plucking a small frame off the shelf. “Who’s this?”

Giotto looked up.

It was an old photo; from before everything. Before Vongola, before Reborn, before the flames.

A simple family snapshot: him, standing awkwardly in his middle school uniform; their mother smiling radiantly in the center; and beside her, a smaller figure with unruly brown hair and the faintest shadow of a forced smile.

Tsunayoshi.

His sister.

Rokudo tilted the frame toward the others. “Didn’t know the Golden Boy had a twin.”

“She’s not my twin,” Giotto said, standing slowly. His voice was calm, but a little too even. “That’s my little sister. Tsunayoshi.”

The room quieted, like they all felt the shift in his tone. A name none of them had heard before.

“She doesn’t live here anymore,” Giotto added, carefully returning the photo to its place. “She transferred out of Namimori a while back.”

“Why?” Asari asked gently.

Giotto paused.

He could’ve said a thousand things; that she wasn’t suited for this life, that she deserved better than the shadows of mafiosi and flames. That he’d chosen this path so she wouldn’t have to.

Instead, he just said, “She needed a fresh start.”

Lampow whistled low. “Tch. Lucky.”

Knuckle frowned. “Do you miss her?”

Giotto didn’t answer immediately.

He thought of the way Tsuna never quite met his eyes, the weight she carried even when she smiled. He remembered her silence in the mornings, how small she’d looked curled up in the corner seat at breakfast.

He thought of the last thing she’d said before she left:

“I don’t want to disappear…”

His jaw tightened. “Yeah,” he said quietly. “I do.”

The Guardians exchanged glances.

“We’ll meet her someday, right?” G said casually, leaning back on one elbow. “She’s family.”

Giotto looked around at them, his chosen ones, loud and strange and unwavering.

And then he nodded.

“Yeah,” he said, this time with a smile. “Someday.”

Chapter Text

“Tell us, Kunudon!”

“Hello, everybody. I am Kunudon.”

“Kunudon!”

“In order not to let Class E students affect other students in their studies, they were sent to a special school building far from the main campus.”

“That's cool!”
___________

“Usually, 3-E students are banned from stepping foot into the main campus. The only exception
is during the school assembly. That is when they'll come down from the mountain during their lunch break, of course!”

Cut to Okajima, Chiba and Mimura going down the mountain but the shortcut they took was anything but helpful. Just when they were about to pass the bridge it broke down beneath their feet. Chiba and Mimura just managed to save themself, but Okajima was lost to the river.

“!The bridge collapsed!! Who said this is a shortcut?”

“OKAJIMA!”
___________

“To maintain order, the students of Class 3-E will need to assemble at the gym before other students.
Good luck!”

___________

“AHH!Snakes!”

“OKAJIMA!”

“Falling boulders!”

“O-OKAJIMA!”

“Who was the one who messed with the hive?!”

“OKAJIMA!”

Poor guy, he's been through a lot.
Is he all right?

___________

This was her life now.

By the time Class E reached the main campus, bruised and battered , they assembled ahead of the other students as required. She stood beside Okajima, who to be honest looked like he was ready to pass on to another life. She helped him get the snakes off, which he appreciated a lot.

“Wait up!” the familiar voice of their english teacher echoed through the mountains as she arrived at the main campus in record time.

“No one told me about a class trip during lunch break.”

“You're really hopeless, Bitch-sensei.”

“I'm running in heels!” While she was on all fours trying to catch her breath, Tsuna crouched down next to her. After the blond assassin apologized to the class as a whole, she called Tsuna aside after class to apologize separately. And they got a lot closer and she helps Tsuna to communicate better.

As a thanks, Tsuna made sure to bake her teacher some cookies as well as call her Irina-sensei instead of Bitch-sensei. This actually got her the favorite student title in Irina’s book.

“Here Irina-sensei, have some.” she hands her a bottle of water.

“You are an angle sent from heaven; your brats for classmates don’t deserve to be in your presence”

“Mr. Karasuma, where's Mr. Koro?”

“Since he's not able to appear in front of other students, I've asked him to wait in the old campus.”
And our brunette protagonist could already imagine her yellow teacher staring into nothingness while feeling left behind.

__________

“I'm the only one left behind.
I'm a lonely teacher.”

__________

This thought alone already made her feel bad.

“Everyone, please assemble.” the class representative (handsome boy Isogai) called everyone together to go into the gymnasium.

‘For every monthly school assembly,
Class E is always being mocked at,
yet all we can do is to endure.’

To be honest, Tsuna didn’t really listen to what was said in the assembly. All it was was boring information highlighted by mockery directed towards the E-class. And to be frank, the young Sawada hated it. But it also was nothing new to her. Back in Namimori she was made fun of and ridiculed constantly. It was in the name already…

Dame-Tsuna

Good-for-nothing-Tsuna

“To put it in simple words, all of you are elites chosen by the country.

This is what I can guarantee you all. However, we shouldn't be careless or we will be like some useless people.
Hey, now we shouldn’t be laughing too loudly.”

Her attention shifted back to her classmates, specifically Sugino and Nagisa, who were just talking.

“Nagisa. Where is Karma?”

“He skipped.”

“Is he all by himself?”

“He said even if he got punished for it,
he won't care anymore.

His result may be good,
but his character is bad.

I really envy him right now.”

“I don’t blame him. I just want this assembly to be over.” The two boys agree with the brunette and all sigh simultaneously.

A hushed whisper goes to the rows of students as a familiar government official walks into the assembly hall.
“Who is that teacher?”

“He's so strapping and handsome!”

Karasuma was just introducing himself to another main-building teacher when his attention was caught by two of his female students showing off their newly decorated knife cases.
“Look!”

“Look at this!”

“Mr. Karasuma. We decorated our knife sheaths.”

“Aren't they cute?”

The black-haired teacher rushed over to them to remind them again that their assassination operation was, in fact, very confidential.
“It's cute, but please don't show it here! To other classes, assassination is a secret.”

“O-Okay.”
Tsunayoshi made a mental note to ask both Nakamura and Kurahashi if they could decorate hers as well.

And of course the other classes noticed this.
“Who is that? Is he a teacher from Class E? They seem really close.”

“I kind of envy them. Our teachers and classmates are all ugly.”

And it appears not only the male teacher was a sight to behold to the entire student body, because our dear foreign-language teacher just loves to make an entrance.
“Who is that sexy lady?”

“Bitch-sensei? I thought she was too exhausted to move just now.”
“She really enjoys the attention.”

“Is she a teacher from Class E too? She's beautiful!”
She stood next to Karasuma. Tsuna didn’t really give her that much attention until she approached them, specifically Nagisa and Tsuna.

“Oh Right. Nagisa. This is my chance, since that octopus isn't here. You’ve been keeping track of all his weaknesses, right? Let me borrow your notebook.”

“What? But i already told you all his weaknesses.”

“Oh you! You’re just trying to hide the really big stuff, don’t you?”

“No, I've already...” she forcefully pulled his head into her breasts.
“All right, just give it to me or I'll suffocate you to death.”
“I can’t breathe! Your boobs are too much, Bitch-sensei!”

She doesn’t let go of Nagisa but still turns to the young Sawada’s direction.

“And what about you, Tsu-chan? I saw you writing stuff into your notebook, too.”

Tsuna, not really planning on telling her she was writing depressing poetry and song lyrics, just smiles innocently.

“Oh, I don’t think it would be that useful. Nagisa’s notes are more detailed and beneficial.”

That just got her a look of betrayal from her blue-haired friend.

_________

A boy with greenish hair and glasses now stood up on the podium. He seemed like a student council member, but to Tsuna he wasn’t that remarkable. In fact, every person in this school except for her class was rather boring to look at. She never thought of herself as a very superficial person, but it just occurred to her that her class was the most good-looking. It wasn’t that special or crucial, but it gave her a sense of pride.

“We have just passed the details about the student council events.”

Confusion runs through the E-class row, as they didn’t receive any documents.
“What? Why don't we have it?”

“Excuse me! Class E didn't receive any material.” The 3E class representative took the lead to ask the obvious question.

The student council member up top didn’t even try to hide his condescending smirk. And without missing a beat he responded.
“You didn't? That's weird. I'm sorry. It seems like I've forgotten to print copies for Class E.
I guess you’ll just have to memorize it all before you leave! I guess it's a chance to sharpen
memory skills for the students of Class E.”

Roaring laughter filled the halls once again. And the E-Class could do nothing but stand there and endure. Tsunas shoulders tensed greatly as dread filled up her mind.

And it also wasn’t long until doubt occupied her thoughts.

‘Nothing has changed. Not here and not in Namimori. I will always be a reject…’

But before those thoughts could consume her completely, a gust of wind went through the students, and in the blink of an eye, a piece of paper was placed in her hands.

“This should be fine, I suppose. Everyone has a handwritten copy now.”

The familiar voice of Koro-sensei was heard, and they saw the octopus teacher wearing a disguise while spinning a pencil on his gloved tentacle.

“Yes. We've received our materials, so please continue.” Isogai announced, and the council member with the glasses looked like he had just bitten into a lemon.
“What? How? Who killed the joke? Never mind! I'll continue with my report!
Let me explain the schedule for student council events. Our student council...”

All of the students of the main building looked awkward or frustrated. But the air around class 3E was clearer and more breathable. They felt more confident and reassured because they didn’t have to go through this without support.

“Didn't I tell you not to appear in front of the whole school? Your presence is a state secret.”

“What's the issue? My disguise is perfect. No one will know.”

‘Do people really not think Koro-sensei is a normal human? His arms wiggle’

“Koro-sensei must have gotten lonely.” Nagisa said laughing awkwardly.

“I wouldn’t want to be alone at the school building either”

And for the third time of this assembly. Students began whispering to one another, wondering over the new arrival.
“Isn't it weird? I don't remember seeing that teacher earlier. He is huge and his joints are wriggly.”

“The other teacher is attacking him. Is she trying to stab him with a knife?” yes.

Karasuma’s face showed great irritation, and it appears like his two colleagues didn’t help in that department. So he swiftly restrained the blond and escorted her out. “It's painful! That hurts!”

“The female teacher was escorted out.”

The scene was so absurd for everyone watching. Their students couldn’t help but laugh. And the before dreaded assembly wasn’t as unbearable as they first thought.
“That's Bitch-sensei for you!”

__________

“We'll leave first, Nagisa! Are you coming Tsuna?” It was after the assembly and the E-class students had to make their way back up to their mountain building. Sugino and Kaede were about to go back up but turned back to their two friends that stayed a bit behind.

“Okay. I'll catch up once I get my juice.” Nagisa said as a response.

“I also wanted something to drink. Nagisa and I will be just right behind.” The brunette announced with a smile.

Their friends nodded and went ahead.

The drink machine wasn’t that well stocked, but it would suffice. ‘Oh, strawberry milk.’

The two 3E students just paid for their drinks and were just about to leave when a condescending voice called out to Nagisa specifically.
“Hey, Nagisa. Aren't you guys getting a little carried away?”
Both look up to see two boys. One was lanky and tall, with glasses, and the other one was slightly shorter and had a wider build than his friend right next to him. Both looked rather irritated.

“Laughing loudly at the assembly and having fun. You guys better not affect everyone else.”
“Class E students should just shut up and keep their heads down. After all, your life is already over.”
Tsuna didn’t need too long to know that these guys were out for trouble.

She looked a bit troubled and turned to Nagisa hoping that he might know what to do. But Nagisa just had the same expression on his face and just stayed quiet.
“What kind of unpleased look is that? You think you’re better than us?!”

“And what’s with your friend over there? She’s also an E-Class, right? Shame, but I mean, her looks are decent, so if academics don’t help her, she can still go and work on the streets.”

Tsuna was disgusted, and so was Nagisa, but they both knew better than to get mad over something an immature bully was saying.

But it was the last thing he said that got to them.

The shorter of the two boys grabbed Nagisa by the shirt and the tall one just towered over Tsuna trying to intimidate her.
“Speak up, Class E or I'll kill you!”

‘kill me?

kill.

kill someone?’

“Have you guys even tried killing someone before?” a chill ran over the backs of the bullies and took an brupt step back from the E-calss students.

And without another word they left towards the mountail as if nothing happend.

“What was that?”

“W-was that Bloodlust?”

Chapter Text

The sun shone brightly across the cerulean sky, draping the forested hills in a warm, golden light. Birds chirped overhead, their melodies drifting down through the open windows of the remote Class 3-E building. Inside, the students were settling into their seats, half-alert, half-drowsy, expecting yet another unpredictable day of "assassination education."

“All right, everyone! Let’s begin!”

The booming, unnaturally cheerful voice of Koro-sensei echoed through the room.

Before them stood… not one, but what looked like multiple versions of their yellow, tentacled teacher. He was moving so fast he seemed to be in five places at once, his outline blurring with each motion.

“Begin with what?”

The entire class blinked in confusion, a collective cloud of uncertainty hanging over their heads. Even Tsuna, who had learned to expect the unexpected, stared blankly. Her pencil, which she hadn’t even picked up yet, rolled gently off her desk.

“Midterms are around the corner!” Koro-sensei announced. “So today’s lesson is a special high-speed revision mode! I’ll be dividing myself up to hold personalized, one-on-one review sessions with each of you on your weakest subject!”

And the yellow teacher didn’t wait long before scattering all around to have a one-on-one with each and every student.

“This is ridiculous. He'd even customized different headbands for different subjects.
Why did you put on a Naruto headband just for me?”

Sure enough, another "Naruto-Koro" was standing in front of her, complete with whiskers drawn on his cheeks and a comically oversized scroll on his back.

She sighed softly. “...Not just you, Terasaka-san.”

Tsuna gave a sheepish smile but quickly lowered her gaze. It stung a little, honestly. The fact that she needed help in multiple subjects was a bit disheartening, especially when others only had one or two areas of weakness. She glanced at her open notebook.

But then again, so what? She wasn’t alone.

Across the room, Koro-sensei read a math book at breakneck speed while simultaneously handing out English flashcards, science quizzes, and scribbled jokes on whiteboards; all without breaking a sweat.

Six students on Japanese.
Eight students on mathematics.
Three students on Social Studies.
Four students on science.
Four students on English and
two students on Naruto.

‘It’s kind of incredible,’ Tsuna thought, trying not to smile, ‘that he can do all this and read a magazine at the same time…’

A loud thunk snapped her out of her thoughts.

Across the room, Karma sat at his desk, completely relaxed, one hand lazily holding a practice knife just inches from Koro-sensei’s blurred face.

“Karma-kun, no surprise assassinations during review! You distorted half my clones dodging that one!”
Our Tsunayoshi just giggled nervously while looking at the red-haired boy sitting relaxed at his table holding a knife to Koro-sensei's face.

“Hey,” came a whisper.

Tsuna turned to see Okuda giving her a small smile. “Want to trade science notes after class? I think I finally got the chemical formulas down.”

Tsuna nodded gratefully. “Thanks… that’d help a lot.”

Even though things still felt strange and awkward sometimes, this class was… kind. Not perfect. But you don’t see Tsuna complaining.

And as the lesson continued in its absurd, high-speed chaos, Tsuna finally picked up her pencil and began to write.

‘This is going to be a long lesson.’

__________

As the sun rose on the next day, Tsuna could already feel the weight of exhaustion in her limbs. Yesterday had been intense, but today? It was on an entirely different level.

The classroom buzzed with activity. Not only were they studying and reviewing nonstop, but writing exercises had been added to the mix. It felt like her brain was doing somersaults trying to keep up.

What made it even more overwhelming was their teacher.

Koro-sensei was everywhere. Literally.

Where there had once been one yellow blur per student, now there were three. Triple the Koro-senseis, each one juggling explanations, quizzes, worksheets, and commentary all at once.

He zipped from table to table; one clone quizzing Tsuna on grammar, the second drilling her on science formulas, and the third correcting her math worksheet while humming cheerfully.

It wasn’t clear what had sparked this new level of hyper-productivity, but Koro-sensei was clearly in very high spirits. His speed had doubled, his enthusiasm was through the roof, and he somehow had time to change outfits for each subject.

Despite the chaos, Tsuna found herself smiling faintly.

She was tired. Her head hurt. Her hand was cramping from writing kanji for the third time in a row. But somehow, watching her ridiculous, overpowered teacher give it his all made her want to do the same.

She sat up straighter, adjusted her pencil grip, and leaned in closer to the notes in front of her.

If Koro-sensei was willing to split himself into three just to help her improve, the least she could do was try her best.

___________

After the relentless hours of hyperspeed tutoring, the classroom had finally fallen quiet—except for the soft whir of a fan and the sound of Koro-sensei wheezing dramatically at his desk.

He slumped across the surface like a wet towel, fanning himself with one of his tentacles, his yellow skin flushed with a faint pink hue. Sweat dripped down his smooth head as he groaned in theatrical exhaustion.

A small group of students stood nearby, observing their overworked teacher with amused expressions.

Maehara raised an eyebrow. “He really is exhausted.”

Nakamura smirked. “Maybe now’s our chance. Should we try to kill him?”

Okajima, crouching near the desk, frowned. “Why does he even go this hard as a teacher?”

Koro-sensei lifted his head, his voice weak but full of passion.
“These... are all to improve your examination results... As long as I do this... I’ll be spared... from assassination...!”

And then he trailed off, sighing dreamily as a sparkly fantasy sequence played out in his mind.

_____________

Fantasy Koro-vision™:

A crowd of cheering students gathered around him.

Student A: “Koro-sensei! Thanks to you, I achieved excellent results!”

Student B: “I could never assassinate such a dedicated teacher!”

Random busty woman: “Sir, can you teach us too?!”

Koro-sensei (in fantasy): “I’ll be spared from death! I’ll be adored by students everywhere! I’ll be rolling in educational glory!”

_____________

Back in reality, his tentacle flopped limply onto the desk.

Mimura blinked. “I mean… I don’t really care about exam scores.”

Yada shrugged. “Yeah. I can get ten billion yen if I manage to assassinate him. That’s way more motivating.”

“Exactly. With that kind of money, I could fail every test and still live the dream.”

Koro-sensei’s face darkened. “...Is that what all of you are thinking?”

“C’mon, Mr. Koro. We’re in Class E,the dumping ground. What do you expect?”

“Exams? Whatever. Assassination is more practical for people like us.”

There was a pause. Even Tsuna, sitting at her desk quietly packing up her things, looked up in surprise at how blunt they were being.

Koro-sensei stood tall suddenly, arms folded, tentacles twitching like a stern father figure. His usual silly smile was gone, replaced with a frown and a big X on his face. His entire skin changed to a dark purple color, normally indicating a wrong answer.

“Ah. I see how it is.”

Koro looked around the room, making sure every student was watching.

“As of now... all of you are not qualified to be assassins.”

The room fell completely silent.

Even Karma, who had been pretending to nap, cracked one eye open.

Tsuna’s heart skipped. There was something in Koro-sensei’s voice that sent a chill down her spine. Not anger… but disappointment.

"Everyone, meet me at the field.”

_____________

A few whispered voices broke through the quiet:

“Why are we being called out here like this?”

“What’s wrong with Mr. Koro? He seems... different.”

“He looks kind of serious...”

Tsuna stood a little to the back, fidgeting with the hem of her sleeve. The strange tightness in her chest hadn’t eased since the tutoring lesson ended. Something was coming and she could feel it.

Koro-sensei stood before them in his usual yellow form, though his face was unusually composed.

“The clever thing about the Class E system lies in the remedial measure it offers. If any of you manage to place within the top 50 out of the 186 students in tomorrow’s midterms, and with your homeroom teacher’s approval, you’re permitted to return to your original class. Back to the main building. Away from the label of ‘failure.’”

The class murmured louder now. Tsuna's eyes widened slightly. ‘That’s… possible?’ She hadn’t realized anyone could leave Class E.

“However, since your results are already very bad and with such a poor learning environment, it would be tough for you to meet the criteria.
Almost every Class E student is feeling helpless and hopeless with the situation even if they are faced
with discrimination.”

Just then, Irina-sensei approached from the side, heels tapping against the field stones.

“Irina-sensei . As a professional assassin, may I ask, do you ever go into a mission with just one plan?”

The blond beauty looked a bit taken aback by the sudden question but quickly composed herself. “Please. Of course not. The first plan never goes exactly how you want. You always need backup plans, contingencies. It’s basic assassination 101.”

Koro-sensei nodded.
“Thank you. Then, allow me to ask Karasuma-sensei the next question. When you teach the students to attack with knives, is the first strike the only important one?”

The tall man crossed his arms. “The first strike is indeed important, but the follow-up strikes
are vital as well. When faced with a strong opponent, the first strike will always be dodged.
Hence, the key to victory is to accurately launch the second and third strikes.”

“Exactly. Those with real skill plan beyond the first move. But you... You’ve made assassination your only blade, your only strategy. And ignored your studies. Ignored the reason you were cast into this class in the first place.”

His words cut deeper than any knife training. Several students averted their gaze. Tsuna felt heat rise in her cheeks from shame.

“What if I vanish tomorrow? What if someone else kills me first?”
“Once your target is gone, all you'll have left is the weight of failure, of being in Class E, with nothing to show for it. No plan. No future.”

“To all of you… who are stuck in this crisis… I offer you this advice:
A person who doesn’t have a contingency plan does not deserve to call themselves an assassin.”

Then, as if on cue, he gestured to the wide, evened-out field beneath their feet.

“This yard was a mess. So I cleaned it. I'm a superorganism who can destroy the earth. Evening out this area
is a piece of cake for me.”

He glanced over his shoulder, voice now sharp:

“But if none of you show me your second blade, then I’ll flatten more than this yard. I’ll flatten this entire classroom... and leave.”

Gasps echoed through the crowd.

Isogai: “W-What do you mean?”

“Tomorrow, for the midterms, every single one of you must make it into the top 50.”

“What?!”

“I’ve trained you. I’ve taught you better than any teacher on the main campus. Your second blade is ready. You only have to wield it.”

His eyes scanned each face until they landed gently on Tsuna, who flinched in response and straightened her back. His voice softened:

“Don’t be ashamed of who you are. Be proud. Raise your heads. Stick out your chests.
Be proud of being assassins… and proud of being members of Class E.”

____________

The sun had already begun its descent behind the mountain ridge, painting the sky in hues of gold and violet. The once-lively sounds of students rustling through the woods on their way down the hill had faded, leaving behind a strange, peaceful silence over the old school building.

Class 3-E had long since emptied.

Except for one girl still seated at her desk.

Tsuna sat motionless, clutching her open textbook like it was a lifeline. Her eyes scanned the same sentence multiple times without registering any of it. Her head dropped with a quiet sigh.

She could still hear Koro-sensei’s words from earlier echoing in her chest.

"Show me your second blade."

That’s what she wanted, didn’t she? Not just to survive, but to stand on her own. To matter. Even if she wasn’t an assassin. Even if she’d been sent here just to stay safe and out of the way.

But maybe she didn’t want to just be hidden anymore.

Her hands clenched the edges of the page.

Outside, the warm air was tinged with the scent of forest moss and late-summer breeze. She hurried down the dirt path and spotted a familiar figure leaning against the tree just before the steep descent.

Karma.

He was still in his uniform, jacket slung over one shoulder, red hair catching the fading sunlight. He hadn’t gone home yet, which was rare for him. He didn’t look surprised to see her.

Just smirked.

“Following me again, huh?”

Tsuna flinched. “N-No, I mean—well—not following, just...”

She swallowed her nerves and fidgeted with the edge of her sleeve. “I... I wanted to ask you something.”

He tilted his head lazily. “Oh? Gonna confess your undying love? I’m touched.”

Tsuna’s face went scarlet. “N-No!! I—That’s not—!”

Karma laughed softly, the teasing edge in his voice still there but not as sharp.

“Relax. I’m listening.”

Tsuna’s fingers gripped her schoolbag tighter. She couldn’t believe she was doing this.

“Will you... help me study?”

Karma blinked.

For a second, there was silence. Even the breeze seemed to still.

Then his smirk returned, softer this time. Not mocking. Almost… impressed.

“Huh. Didn’t think you’d ask me.”

Tsuna glanced down, her voice barely a whisper now. “You’re smart. You always rank high. I… I want to do better too.”

Karma’s gaze lingered on her, unusually serious.

He knew she was anxious around him. Knew she wasn’t used to asking for help. But here she was; standing straight despite her shaking hands, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment, but her eyes steady.

“Sure. Why not? I’ve got nothing better to do.”

Tsuna blinked. “R-Really?”

“Yeah. But fair warning, my tutoring style might be more intense than Koro-sensei’s.”

Tsuna gave a nervous laugh. “I-I’ll take my chances.”

Tsuna’s flat was small but tidy, tucked away in a quiet part of town downhill from the school. A few potted plants sat in the window, and a small kotatsu sat at the center of the living room. She’d clearly done a quick sweep before inviting him, but a few signs of her daily life remained; half-folded laundry, a cup with a cracked rim, a small bookshelf full of manga.

Karma kicked off his shoes and looked around curiously. “This is kinda cute. Feels like you.”

Tsuna muttered something under her breath and gestured for him to sit.

The two of them settled under the kotatsu, textbooks spread out between them. She had already marked the subjects she was struggling with; math, mostly, and parts of science. Her handwriting was small and neat, her notes extensive but scattered.

“Wow. You actually tried studying already.” Karma took the notes and flipped through them while nodding absentmindedly.
The brunette, on the other hand, just got embarrassed in response: “It’s not enough, though…”
“Relax. You’ve got good notes. You just need someone who knows how to connect the dots.”

And with that, the study session began.

As the night wore on, the world outside faded. Inside, only the rustle of paper, the scratch of pens and the occasional muttered comment filled the room.

Karma was surprisingly patient. He explained concepts from multiple angles, scribbled examples in the margins of her books, and tested her on key points again and again, sometimes with teasing questions that made her fluster, but never in a mean-spirited way.

“What’s the atomic weight of someone who’s trying too hard to impress their tutor?”
“That’s not even a real question!”
“You didn’t answer it, though.”

They ate instant noodles halfway through the night, slurping quietly on the tatami floor. Tsuna offered him a can of coffee from the fridge, and he accepted with a soft “Thanks.”

As midnight neared, she was nodding off, her cheek pressed to her notebook.

Karma reached over and gently tapped her forehead with his pen.

“Oi. Don’t die yet. You’re almost there.”
“I can’t feel my brain anymore…”
“That means it’s working.”

They both laughed softly. The kind of laugh that only happens at midnight, when the world is quiet and time feels suspended.

At some point, Tsuna’s head drooped again, but this time she didn’t lift it.

Karma noticed. She had fallen asleep, chin resting on her open book, pencil still clutched between her fingers.

He leaned back, looking at her quietly for a moment.

“You really are stubborn, you know?”

He gathered their papers and straightened the books silently. Then, without waking her, he pulled a spare blanket from the nearby couch and draped it over her shoulders.

The next morning, Tsuna would wake with ink on her cheek, a full page of solved problems beside her and a sticky note in Karma’s handwriting:

“You’re ready. Don’t mess it up, Tuna-fish.” —Karma.

She smiled to herself, folded the note carefully, and tucked it into her textbook.

Today was the midterm.

And for once… she didn’t feel afraid.

_____________

The exam room was silent. The only sound was the scratch of pens and the soft ticking of the clock mounted high above the blackboard.

Tsuna sat near the window, a soft breeze fluttering the edge of her exam paper. Her hands trembled slightly as she clutched her mechanical pencil.

‘This is it,’ she thought.

Her heart thumped in her ears.

She’d slept barely four hours, and her brain still felt foggy despite the canned coffee she’d gulped down before class. Her hand hovered over the first question.

Math.

Of course.

She chewed her lip for a second. Her eyes scanned the problem again.

She could feel her confidence unraveling already.

Then her eyes shifted, just slightly, to the corner of her desk.

Tucked discreetly inside her pencil case was a small, folded sticky note.

Karma’s slanted, slightly lazy handwriting.

‘You’re ready. Don’t mess it up, Tuna-fish.’

She let out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding.

Her fingers tightened around her pencil. She remembered the way Karma explained it to her.

‘Focus on what you do know. Solve from the inside out.’

Tsuna straightened in her seat, exhaled, and started to write.

Minutes passed. Then an hour.

Her hand moved steadily now. Not fast, but with certainty. Some questions still tripped her up, and doubt would creep in occasionally, but she pushed it back with determination.

‘Don’t give up halfway. You've already made it this far.’

When the science section arrived, she found herself smiling faintly.

“The chemical formula for carbon dioxide—”

She had gone over that twice with Karma, who threatened to write it on her forehead if she forgot it again.

Her smile widened. She wrote down the answer quickly.

When she finally turned to the final page, her fingers ached and her neck was stiff. But her eyes didn’t blur with panic the way they had in the past.

This time, she kept writing.

_____________

At the end of the day she felt relieved; sure, there was no way she got everything right, but she felt like she actually understood what was written there.

A quick look around the room made her stomach drop, though. Her other classmates don’t seem to have had the same good feeling about the midterms as she did.

_____________

The atmosphere in Class 3-E was suffocating.

Gone was the usual lively bickering, the odd assassination attempt, or the strange joy brought by their bizarre teacher. Instead, the room was still. Like the disappointment had sunk into the very floorboards.

Everyone sat quietly, hunched over their exam papers.

The school board had rigged the midterms. It wasn’t just difficult, it was deliberately unfair. More material had been added to the tests without informing Class E. The goal was obvious: make sure they failed. Put them back in their place.

And it worked.

No one made it into the top 50.

No one except for two students.

Tsuna stared at her score with wide eyes.

Rank 50 out of 186.

She just barely made it in.

A sharp, trembling breath left her lips. She felt like screaming, crying, laughing; but the crushing mood of the classroom pressed those feelings deep down. Everyone else looked devastated. Some were visibly angry, some just numb.

So she stayed quiet. Folded her hands on her desk. Let her long bangs hide her expression.

But inside?

Inside she was glowing.

Behind the teacher’s desk, Koro-sensei stood with his back to the class. His usually vibrant yellow face had dulled to a sickly shade of gray.

“I’m responsible for this,” he said quietly. “It seems I underestimated just how corrupt this school system really is. I’m too ashamed to face you all.”

No one responded.

Not until Karma leaned sideways, nudging Tsuna with his elbow. She turned her head, blinking at him. He gave her a familiar smirk, then gestured casually toward her desk drawer where her practice handgun rested.

Then he nodded at Koro-sensei’s back.

Tsuna didn’t need an explanation.

They moved in perfect sync, Karma throwing a knife, Tsuna firing a shot.

But Koro-sensei dodged them both easily, tentacles blurring.

“Isn’t that good?” Karma said coolly, standing up and stretching as if this were a game. “If you can’t even face us... how are you going to see us coming when we try to kill you?”

A few of the students chuckled bitterly. Tsuna followed Karma up to the front of the class, her papers held tightly in both hands.

Karma dropped his exam results on the desk with a smug thud.
Tsuna laid hers beside his gently.

Koro-sensei turned, tentacles twitching slightly.

“Karma… full marks in mathematics?”

Karma shrugged. “Yeah. You kept tossing in bonus material for me, remember? Turns out that ‘extra’ was just what I needed when the school pulled this little trick. And the little Tuna-fish here”—he nudged Tsuna’s shoulder—“got serious and asked me to help her. Guess who kept up?”

Tsuna flushed but held her ground. “I didn’t want your effort to be wasted, Koro-sensei,” she said softly. “I wanted to prove I could do it.”

Koro-sensei’s face shifted to a rosy pink, glimmering with sparkly tears. “My precious students…”

“But,” Karma continued, “I’m not going back to the main building. Why would I? The assassination mission’s way more fun.”

Tsuna nodded faintly beside him. “I’m not leaving either.”

A beat of silence passed.

Then Karma smirked, his eyes narrowing playfully.

“So, what now? Gonna say that since the whole class didn’t make the cut, you’re heading out anyway? Gonna use that as your excuse to bail on us?”

Tsuna giggled a little and got a bit more confident. ”Maybe Koro-sensei was just scared we would kill him in the end.”

The rest of the class began to stir, catching on to their tone.

“Yeah... What is this?”

“So Mr. Koro is afraid?”

“You scared we’ll finally land a hit?”

“Come on, just admit it.”

Koro-sensei’s face flushed red now comically angry.

“WHO says I’m running away?! I never run from a challenge!”

Karma crossed his arms. “Then what are you going to do about it?”

Koro-sensei straightened dramatically, regaining his usual flair.

“In your final exams... we’ll have our revenge. And we’ll show them.”

Tsuna blinked, surprised by the sudden shift in tone.

“What’s so funny?!” Koro-sensei shouted, flailing a tentacle. “I’m being very serious! I’ll train you all until you hate the very sight of pencils!”

The class finally cracked.

Snorts, giggles, even a few relieved laughs.

Chapter Text

Just a few days had passed since Class E had survived the brutal gauntlet of the midterm exams.

But there was no time to rest.

Because next on the agenda?

A school trip to Kyoto.

For once in her life, Tsunayoshi Sawada was actually excited about a field trip.

Back in Namimori, class trips had always been her personal nightmares. With no friends to talk to and her notorious clumsiness to fall back on, every excursion was just another chance to get laughed at, forgotten, or pitied. The humiliation was inevitable.

But this time it was going to be different.

Class E wasn’t like Namimori. She had people now, some more chaotic than others, but people who accepted her in their weird little dysfunctional assassin family. And with an unlikely friend like Karma at her side (well, mostly teasing her, but still there), it felt like she might finally get to experience something normal.

Of course, nothing was truly normal in Class E.

Which was why they were all gathered that afternoon in the school courtyard. The sky was clear, but the air felt heavy with anticipation.

Karasuma stood in front of them, arms crossed, eyes sharp like always. When he spoke, his tone was crisp, clipped, and unmistakably military.

“As you all know, next week is our Kyoto trip. Three days, two nights.”

He paused for effect, letting the students soak in the rare sense of normalcy.

“However, this isn’t just a vacation. This is a mission.”

Of course it wasn’t just sightseeing.

“So we’re trying to assassinate him while we’re there?” Okano asked.

“That’s correct,” Karasuma replied, his voice steady. “Kyoto is much bigger and more complex than the school grounds. It offers more opportunity, but also more cover for him. He will be accompanying your groups at all times. It’ll be up to you to plan smart and look for your shot.”

Tsuna swallowed hard. She could already picture it Koro-sensei, bouncing around temples and alleyways at Mach 20 while sipping matcha and reading travel guides upside down.

“The government has already arranged for sharpshooters to join you. Upon a successful assassination, each of you will be paid from the ten-billion-yen reward, based on your contribution.”

Karasuma’s gaze swept the group. No one dared look away.

“So, in addition to enjoying your trip, plan your route with the assassination in mind.”

There was a beat of silence, then a collective:

“Yes, sir!”

_____________

Back in the classroom, the time had come to form groups for the upcoming trip. Most groups had already formed naturally, friends sticking together, classmates gravitating toward familiar faces.

Tsuna, however, lingered awkwardly near her desk, unsure of who to ask or where she’d even fit in.

The decision, however, was quickly taken out of her hands.

Without warning, Karma walked over, slipped his arms under her armpits, and lifted her off the floor like she weighed nothing.

“Huh—!?”

With zero hesitation, he plopped her down beside him, as if she were just another school bag to carry. Flustered and red in the face, Tsuna blinked up at him in shock, but Karma simply grinned, already turning away like nothing had happened.

Apparently, she was now in Nagisa’s group.

The others at the table, Nagisa, Sugino, Kaede, Kanzaki and Okuda, didn’t even look surprised. If anything, they looked like they expected this.

“Welcome aboard,” Nagisa said with a warm smile.

“Glad to have you with us,” added Kaede.

Tsuna let out a small laugh and smiled gratefully. “Thank you for having me.”

With their group of seven now complete, they moved on to the next stage of preparation.

___________

“All right!” Sugino clapped his hands. “Let’s figure out our route!”

The group huddled around their designated table, tossing around suggestions for sightseeing, food stops, and, of course, assassination attempts. But before they could get too far—

THUD

Each student suddenly found themselves holding a thick, heavy book.

Tsuna nearly dropped hers from the surprise. “Wha—?”

Nagisa flipped his open and blinked. “Wait, this is...”

“It’s a school trip handbook,” Karma explained, flipping casually through his like he’d seen this coming.

“Looks more like a weapon,” Okuda muttered.

“This is heavier than my math textbook,” Kanzaki added.

“It’s a dictionary!” Sugino laughed as he turned a page.

Tsuna peeked into hers, eyes wide. It was hand-written, with colorful diagrams and meticulous notes. Not only did it cover every sightseeing spot in Kyoto and a list of popular souvenirs, but it also included pages on self-defense—everything from basic holds to advanced techniques.

“I stayed up the entire night compiling this!” Koro-sensei chirped proudly from behind them. “The first edition even comes with a paper craft model of Kinkaku-ji!”

Tsuna stared at the little pop-up temple that had unfolded itself in the back of the book.

“…Cool,” she mumbled under her breath, genuinely impressed.

___________

A week later, the day had finally come.

The members of Class E stood gathered at the train station, suitcases and bags in hand, buzzing with excitement. Tsuna could barely keep her hands still.

Across the platform, the elite students of Classes A through D boarded the luxurious first-class cabins reserved just for them.

“Of course,” Suguya muttered under his breath.

“Class A to D are using first-class,” Nakamura said aloud, watching them board. “We’re stuck with the regular ones. As usual.”

Tsuna glanced down the tracks, feeling the sting of inequality. It was always like this.

As if on cue, one of the teachers from the main building passed by, sneering down his nose at them.

“That’s just the rule,” he said smugly. “You should’ve expected this when you joined the E-Class.”

“Students with excellent grades get first priority for school funds,” added a Class D student, just loud enough for them to hear.

“Is that the stench of poverty I smell?” a student from Class B sneered.

Tsuna’s grip on her bag tightened, but before anyone could respond—

“Sorry to keep you waiting~!”

All heads turned.

There she was. Their foreign language teacher, making a dramatic entrance in heels, pearls, and sunglasses that looked like they came from a Hollywood film set. Her long blonde hair sparkled in the sunlight.

“Irina-sensei?” Tsuna blinked.

“Why are you dressed like a movie star?” Maehara asked.

“This,” she said, spinning once to show off her outfit, “is essential for a beautiful assassin. A perfect lady must dress up for a trip!”

“It’s too flashy,” Karasuma cut in, stepping up beside her. “You need to change. A teacher can’t dress like this around students.”

“Oh, come on, Karasuma!” she pouted. “These kids are going on a grown-up trip—”

“Take those off,” Karasuma deadpanned. “Get changed.”

Tsuna couldn’t help it. She laughed softly behind her hand.

The trip hadn’t even started yet, and already, it was so very Class E.

__________

Finally inside the train, the members of Class E settled into their regular (but cozy) seats. Luggage was tucked away, snacks were already being passed around, and the low rumble of the train pulling out of the station added a layer of excitement to the air.

Tsuna, having found her assigned seat, plopped down beside someone who was definitely not in high spirits.

Irina Jelavić, more commonly (and not-so-affectionately) known as Bitch-sensei, was sulking beside her, arms crossed, sunglasses perched on her head, and a dramatic pout on her face. Gone were the designer heels, flashy accessories, and sparkling dress. Instead, she wore something more appropriate: a modest blouse, jeans, and a light jacket.

To say she looked unimpressed would be putting it mildly.

Tsuna glanced at her, hesitant at first. Then, with a tiny smile, she reached out and patted the older woman gently on the arm.

“There, there, Irina-sensei… Maybe another time?”

The blonde assassin let out a long, theatrical sigh and leaned her head back against the seat. “Do you have any idea how long it took me to curl my hair this morning?”

Tsuna giggled softly. “It still looks nice.”

Irina peeked at her from the corner of her eye, clearly trying to stay annoyed, but Tsuna’s soft voice and earnest compliment chipped away at her mood.

“…Hmph. This class really doesn’t deserve a sweet girl like you, Tsuna-chan. These brats don’t know anything about respect!”

Meanwhile, across the aisle, Karma watched them with mild amusement. “Making friends with the enemy now, Tsuna?” he teased.

“She’s not the enemy,” Tsuna replied, glancing over. “Just… dramatic.”

“Hey!” Irina barked, sitting up straighter. “I heard that!”

Nagisa chuckled from a few rows down. “Well, it is true.”

“Brats! All of you!”

Laughter rippled through the cabin as the train started to pull out of the station.

Tsuna smiled again and looked out the window as the scenery began to blur past them. This might be a mission, yes but for once, it still felt like a real school trip.

Even if she was sitting next to a sulking assassin in disguise.

__________

Meanwhile, in another train car…

Kaede, Kanzaki, and Okuda hurried down the narrow aisle, chatting quietly about the sightseeing plans when—thud—they accidentally bumped into a group of rough-looking older guys loitering by the restroom area.

“S-sorry!” Okuda stammered, bowing quickly.

Kaede gently pulled the other two along as they bowed and scurried past the group. None of them noticed the small notebook that slipped from Kanzaki’s side pocket, falling silently to the floor.

The tallest of the delinquents bent down and picked it up, flipping it open lazily.

“Huh? What’s this?”

“Looks like some kind of schedule.”

“Kunugigaoka… isn’t that the fancy school full of rich brats and know-it-alls?”

“But that girl…” One of them grinned. “The one with the black hair—pretty cute, huh?”

“Real cute. Let’s keep an eye out for them in Kyoto. Teach ‘em a little lesson.”

The group shared a grin, the kind that spelled nothing good.

__________

Arrival in Kyoto – Later That Day

The Kyoto train station was bustling as Class E finally disembarked, gathering outside the hotel for check-in. They were tired but buzzing with anticipation.

Inside the hotel lobby, Koro-sensei slumped dramatically on one of the couches, face oddly sagging and skin visibly pale (well, for a bright yellow octopus).

“I never thought he’d get carsick from bullet trains and buses,” Mimura muttered, scratching his head awkwardly.

“He looks like a sad puddle,” Hayami commented flatly.

“Perfect time to strike,” Isogai grinned, while Okano and Kataoka lined up beside him, holding rubber knives.

They lunged—shwing!—and missed. Even in his weakened state, Koro-sensei blurred out of the way, now gripping a barf bag.

“Are you okay?” Tsuna asked gently, standing nearby. “Should you go lie down for a bit?”

“No, no. I’m fine,” Koro-sensei waved a flimsy tentacle dramatically. “But I will need to return to Tokyo for a moment.”

“Huh? Why?”

“I forgot… my pillow,” he said solemnly.

“You packed a whole suitcase and still forgot your pillow?” Sugaya deadpanned.

Koro-sensei nodded miserably. “It’s memory-foam. Tailored to my unique cranial shape.”

On another couch, Kanzaki and Kaede were rifling through their bags.

“Well? Can you find the schedule, Kanzaki?” Kaede asked.

Kanzaki shook her head. “No. It’s gone.”

Kanzaki sat back, brow furrowed. “I swear I put it in my bag. Did I drop it somewhere…?”

__________

Cut to A shady alleyway near the train station

The delinquent group was huddled around the notebook, flipping through pages filled with tidy handwriting and neatly planned Kyoto routes.

“Looks like they’ll be around Gion on Day Two,” one of them muttered.

“Perfect. Let’s pay them a little visit.”

__________

After the Fiasco with Koro-sensei...

With their teacher off to Tokyo (in pursuit of his memory-foam pillow), the E-Class was left to enjoy their first day in Kyoto on their own, sort of.

In the heart of the historic city, Group Nagisa strolled through the bustling streets, eyes flicking between majestic shrines, ancient wooden houses, and... potential assassination points.

“Nagisa,” Karma called out casually, pointing up toward a nearby clock tower nestled among traditional rooftops. “This place should be suitable for the assassination.”

Nagisa squinted against the sun. “Can the sniper see from there?”

“This school trip is so weird,” Kanzaki sighed, rubbing the back of her neck.

“True,” Nagisa chuckled, “but it’s pretty fun.”

“Since we’re in Kyoto, I want green tea mochi!” Kayano pouted, tugging on Nagisa’s sleeve like a child in a candy store.

“Should we put poison in it?” Okuda asked, perfectly serious.

“What for?!” Sugino gasped.

“Because Mr. Koro loves desserts,” Okuda replied earnestly, already scribbling notes in her chemistry pad.

Karma gave a thoughtful nod. “Good idea. We can use a local product to kill him.”

“What a waste of the delicious green tea mochi!” Tsuna cried out in horror, holding her hands protectively over the bag she had just bought.

“If only there was a poison that actually worked on him,” Kanzaki muttered, staring off into the distance like a tragic war veteran.

Sugino sighed. “Then again, it would be great if we could just stop thinking about assassinating him. The scenery is so beautiful… It’s hard to relate it to murder.”

“You’d be surprised,” Karma said with a small smirk.

They wandered deeper into the cultural district, their footsteps echoing over stone paths as they reached a narrow street with a wooden plaque.

“‘Ryoma Sakamoto.’ Is he the guy?” Tsuna asked, tilting her head.

“Yeah,” Kanzaki confirmed. “This is where Ryoma was assassinated in 1867, near the inn Omiya.”

“If you walk a little further, you’ll reach Honnoji Temple,” added Nagisa. “Though the original site shifted.”

“Right, that’s where Nobunaga Oda was killed,” Karma said thoughtfully. “A warlord brought down by betrayal. Classic.”

Kaede tapped her lip. “In this area, less than one kilometer apart, two assassinations changed the course of Japanese history.”

“The city that used to be the heart of Japan,” Sugino added, “is also a holy ground for assassins.”

“I see…” Tsuna said softly, staring at the plaque with quiet awe. “Now that you mention it, this is kind of the perfect city for us.”

The group fell into an oddly reflective silence. Surrounded by ancient shrines and the distant ringing of temple bells, the weight of their mission pressed just a little more deeply.

“Next up is Yasaka Shrine, right?” Kaede broke the mood.

“Come on, let’s take a break,” Sugino suggested. “How about some sweet Kyoto coffee?”

“Yes!” Kayano cheered, raising both fists in the air.

“Let’s go!” Tsuna laughed, already slipping her green tea mochi into her backpack for later.

As they headed off toward a cozy-looking café tucked between old stone lanterns, their conversation turned toward everything but killing. For once, it felt like they were just ordinary students on an ordinary trip.

Almost.

___________

The group had been happily wandering Kyoto for hours, but the further they went into the old streets of Gion, the quieter it became.

A cold breeze swept down a narrow alleyway lined with shuttered tea houses and shadowed lanterns.

“Gion is really deserted as you explore deeper,” Kanzaki commented, her eyes scanning the dim surroundings.

“That’s because many shops refuse to serve foreign customers,” she added, her voice calm and collected. “Since no one will be walking through here, there’s no need for a nice view. That’s why I included this area in our schedule.”

She paused, glancing back at her group. “I believe it’s a good place for the assassination.”

Kaede gave an impressed whistle. “That’s our Kanzaki! You’ve done your research well.”

Karma’s eyes glinted mischievously. “Looks like this’ll be our kill zone, then.”

But just as the group started moving forward, shadows shifted.

From both ends of the alley, a dozen guys emerged rough, sneering delinquents with cocky grins and bad intentions.

One of them chuckled darkly. “What a perfect plan. Why’d you kids choose to walk into a place perfect for kidnapping?”

The group froze.

Karma was the first to react, stepping forward slowly, cracking his neck with a smirk. “What’s up, boys? Doesn’t seem like you’re here for sightseeing.”

“We ain’t here for you,” the apparent leader spat. “Hand over the girls, and get lo—”

Before he could finish the sentence, CRACK—Karma slammed his head into the pavement with brutal efficiency.

“See, Nagisa?” Karma said, casually shaking blood off his knuckles. “No issue with fighting in a place where there are no witnesses.”

“Damn it! I’m gonna kill you!” another thug roared, drawing a knife.

Karma didn’t even flinch. He ducked low, swept the guy’s legs out from under him, and smashed a kick into his ribs. The guy didn’t get back up.

“Kill me?” Karma scoffed. “You don’t even dare to blink properly.”

But then—

More of them rushed in.

From behind, several delinquents surged forward, separating the group and closing in fast.

They grabbed Kaede, Kanzaki, and Tsuna.

“Stop it—!” Kaede hissed, twisting in their grip.

“What are you doing?!” Kanzaki shouted, trying to kick one of them away.

“Stop touching me!” Tsuna cried out, panic rising in her voice as two guys restrained her arms.

Karma turned just in time to see Tsuna struggling, fear in her wide brown eyes but before he could move, a metal pipe slammed into his back, sending him crashing to the ground.

“Karma!” Nagisa shouted, but then he was tackled, pinned to the concrete, knocked out cold with a blow to the head.

Sugino tried to jump in, but he didn’t stand a chance either.

With the three boys on the ground, barely conscious, the delinquents dragged the three girls away.

“Hurry and get the car!” one of them barked.

“You junior high students shouldn’t mess with us,” another sneered, spitting on the ground as he passed Karma’s fallen body.

The girls were forced into the shadows, muffled cries echoing down the alley.

__________

"Nagisa! Sugino! Are you guys all right?!" Okuda’s voice shook as she dropped beside them, her hands fumbling to check for injuries.

Sugino groaned, slowly pushing himself up on an elbow, face bruised but eyes alert. “Ow... my head...”

Nagisa sat up, eyes wide as memory returned in a flood. “The girls—! Where are they?!”

Okuda bit her lip. “I-I hid when they rushed us. I’m sorry... I couldn’t do anything...”

Karma interjected . “You did the right thing. You’re safe. That matters.”

His gaze darkened. “They’re no strangers to crime, those guys. Even if we called the police now, they'd never get there in time…”

His fists clenched. “Although... I’d like to handle their execution myself.”

__________

An old warehouse sat silent in the outskirts of Gion.

Inside, the three girls, Kaede, Kanzaki, and Tsuna, were sat on an old, worn couch. Zip ties dug into their wrists, and a flickering overhead light buzzed above them.

The air was thick with fear.

Their kidnappers laughed, puffing cheap cigarettes and taking pictures on dusty flip phones.

The leader stepped forward, smug and slow. He held out his phone and showed Kanzaki a grainy photo , her younger self in ripped jeans and heavy eyeliner, laughing in front of an arcade.

“You. I thought I recognized that pretty face.”

Kanzaki’s breath caught. Her eyes widened in horror before she looked away, ashamed of that version of herself.

“It was taken last summer,” the guy went on, his voice low and mocking. “My friends and I? We keep track of girls like you. We were gonna grab you back then, but you disappeared.”

He stepped closer, licking his lips.

“I get it, though. The better a girl behaves, the more she secretly wants to be corrupted. Don’t worry. I’ll teach you.”

Kaede let out a growl through gritted teeth. “Don’t you dare touch her.”

“Oh, don’t worry,” he sneered. “We’ve got plans for all of you.”

But then he turned to Tsuna.

The brunette froze, her heart hammering in her chest as the guy roughly grabbed her by the hair and yanked her forward.

She let out a quiet gasp, her body stiff with fear.

“You though...” he grinned cruelly, face inches from hers. “You're a special case. Some real classy guys asked for you specifically. Shame. I was lookin’ forward to playing with you too, cutie.”

He waved over two others.

“Take her to the van. They're paying extra for her. Keep her quiet.”

“No! Let me go!” Tsuna kicked, struggling, her voice rising in panic as they dragged her away.

Kaede screamed her name.

“TSUNA!”

Kanzaki thrashed in her bonds, shouting, “Leave her alone!”

But it was no use.

The heavy door slammed shut behind Tsuna and the van’s engine roared to life, taking her deeper into Kyoto’s night... and away from the others.

__________

The heavy metal door clanged shut behind Tsuna as she was dragged into the depths of the underground facility. The stale air smelled of damp concrete and rust.

Her wrists were raw from the ropes as they forced her into a hard wooden chair and tied her tightly.

Blinking against the shadows, she tried to adjust to the gloom and then she noticed she wasn’t alone.

Tsuna’s eyes adjusted to the dark, revealing a scrawny boy with messy red hair sitting nearby, also tied to a chair. His pale face was marked with bruises.

He glanced at her nervously. “Uh... Hi. I’m Enma .”

Tsuna blinked. “Enma?”

“Yeah. You’re Tsunayoshi Sawada, right? The Vongola boss’s little sister…”

She nodded, unsure how to respond.

Enma swallowed hard. “Look, I know this sucks. And I’m not some tough guy or anything. I get scared too.”

His voice cracked slightly, but he forced a small smile. “But... since my brother’s Simon Famiglia’s boss. So, I guess that makes me ‘qualified’ to say this: we’re in big trouble.”

Tsuna bit her lip. “I didn’t even know about any of this. I don’t understand. A-and what do you mean with mafia? My brother is a mafia boss? W-who are Vongo- whatever and Simon? ”

Enma shrugged, looking down. “Ok so you have no clue, huh? It’s complicated... There are these rivalries, politics, power struggles. And yeah, us being family to the Decimos means we’re pawns.”

He fidgeted. “I don’t really have a great plan yet, but maybe... if we keep our heads cool, we can figure out how to get out of here.”

Tsuna looked at him, seeing his uncertainty, but also his willingness to try.

“We’ll think of something. Please tell me everything” she said softly.

Enma gave a small, hopeful nod.

__________

Cut back to the four that were not kidnapped

‘WHAT DO I DO WHEN A GROUP MEMBER IS KIDNAPPED’

The four were all crouched around one of the thick guidebooks that Koro-sensei made for them. It was fortunate that Nagisa took one with him.

"There's a page on what to do if someone gets kidnapped? A normal handbook wouldn't have predicted a scenario like this.” though useful Sugino was a bit weirded out by the guidebook.

"Koro-sensei is paranoid about everything. So he puts everything in.

Such as ‘How to cheer yourself up when you find out that the local product bought from Kyoto is being sold in Tokyo?’“

"Just how detailed does he plan to be? “

"Also, ‘How to console your lonely self after seeing lovebirds on the bank of Kamo River?’“

"That's too much! “

"Well, it does help me calm down. He wrote down the things that we should do now.”

Chapter Text

The dim light flickered overhead as Tsuna and Enma sat tied to their chairs, the distant echoes of footsteps making the underground base feel even more foreboding.

Enma shifted uncomfortably, rubbing his bruised arm. “Okay, so... first things first. We need to figure out how to get these robes off.”

Tsuna wrinkled her nose. “I don’t know much about knots or anything, but maybe if we work together… like, if one of us wiggles, the other can try to pull?”

Enma nodded eagerly. “Yeah! Also, I overheard something about this place being a former storage facility, there might be tools or equipment lying around somewhere. If we can get free, we can look for something to help.”

She swallowed hard. “But what if someone comes back? I’m really scared, Enma.”

He gave a small, shaky smile. “Me too. But... if we panic, it’s game over. So, deep breaths, okay? We get out of here together.”

Tsuna felt a flicker of courage. “Together.”

Suddenly, a faint noise came from the hallway outside, a pair of footsteps approaching.

They both froze, holding their breath, hoping for a chance to turn their fragile plan into action.

Suddenly, the heavy metal door screeched open. A lanky figure stepped inside, his face twisted into a cruel smirk.

“Well, well, what do we have here? Two little brats from the big mafia families.” His voice dripped with mockery as he strode closer.

He kicked Enma roughly in the ribs. “Don’t get too comfortable, kid. You’re nothing but leverage.”

Tsuna flinched as the man grabbed a handful of her tangled hair, yanking her head back painfully. “You think your brother’s power will save you? You’re just a bargaining chip. Tomorrow, we’re sending videos to your precious Simon and Vongola families. Let them know what happens to their pets when they cross us.”

Enma tried to keep his voice steady despite the bruises and fear. “W-why? Who are you? What do you want from us?”

The kidnapper laughed darkly. “You really don’t get it, huh? You’re caught in a war bigger than you can imagine. Your families, the Vongola and the Simon, they’ve made enemies. And we’re here to remind them exactly what they’re risking.”

Tsuna’s heart pounded painfully. She was terrified, but also desperate for answers.

“Please… just tell me… why me? Why us?”

The kidnapper leaned in close, cold eyes glinting. “Because you’re the weaknesses they keep hidden. And tomorrow, the whole world will see it.”

He gave one last shove before turning on his heel and stomping out, the door slamming behind him.

Silence returned, heavy and suffocating.

Tsuna trembled, her breath coming out in short, uneven gasps. Her scalp burned from where the man had yanked her hair, and her wrists throbbed against the ropes binding her to the chair. But worse than the pain was the confusion, the suffocating fear of not understanding why this was happening.

“I don’t get it…” she whispered shakily, tears welling in her eyes. “Why are they doing this? I-I don’t know anything… I didn’t even know my brother was part of this mafia stuff. I’m just a normal student (well as normal as an assassin student gets).”

Across from her, Enma sat slumped forward in his chair, face pale and battered, but his eyes were steady. “I know… I know how that feels,” he said quietly. “When I found out about my brother, I didn’t understand either. It’s like waking up and realizing the world isn’t what you thought it was.”

He gave a weak, bitter smile. “families like the Vongola and Simon, they’re at the top of that world. So their enemies… they go for what hurts most.”

He looked at her seriously. “That means us.”

Tsuna’s throat tightened. “But I didn’t do anything…”

“You didn’t have to,” Enma said softly. “Just being who you are is enough.”

There was a long pause. The hum of fluorescent lights and the distant clang of footsteps in the facility echoed around them like ghosts.

“I’m scared,” Tsuna admitted, her voice small. “I don’t know what they’ll do to us. I don’t know how to get out of here.”

“…Me too,” Enma said after a moment, his voice barely above a whisper. “I’m scared all the time.”

He looked down at his bruised arms. “But… if we panic, they win. We have to think. These guys are criminals, but they’re not untouchable.”

Tsuna wiped her cheek on her shoulder, blinking back tears. “…You really believe we can escape?”

Enma nodded slowly. “Yeah. I do. Maybe we’re not mafia fighters like our brothers… but we’re not useless either.”

He gave her the faintest of smiles. “We’ll find a way out, Tsuna.”

The room was quiet again. Just the faint buzz of the flickering overhead light.

Tsuna turned her head slightly toward Enma, her voice hushed. “Hey… Enma.”

“Yeah?” he whispered back, voice scratchy.

“Can I… ask you some things? About this mafia stuff? I don’t get any of it.”

He hesitated, then nodded. “Yeah. I’ll tell you what I know.”

“…So what even is the mafia? I mean, I thought it was just gangsters and stuff. Like movies.”

Enma sighed. “It’s not exactly like the movies, but… the mafia is real. Especially in Italy, and Japan too. They’ve been around for a long time. It’s not just street thugs, it’s organizations and family businesses over many generations”

He looked over at her. “The Vongola Family, your brother’s, is one of the oldest and strongest. They’ve got territory, connections, influence… Even legit businesses.”

Tsuna stared at him. “And the Simon Famiglia?”

“…We were allies once. A long time ago. My family. The Simons. But things… went bad. There was betrayal. A whole history of blood between them.” He looked down at his lap, eyes shadowed. “It’s complicated. My brother Simon, he's the current boss, he's been trying to fix that relationship, but not everyone wants peace.”

Tsuna was quiet for a moment, taking it in. “So people hate the Vongola? And the Simons?”

“Yeah. Some do. Some because of power. Some because of revenge. Some just because they want to control what the Vongola has.” Enma leaned back slightly. “That’s why you and I are targets. Even if we’re not in the business.”

Tsuna’s breath caught. “…My brother. Does he, kill people?”

Enma didn’t answer right away. “He protects people. That’s what the Vongola claim to do. Protecting the weak, punishing those who go too far. But yeah… sometimes that means killing. That’s the world they live in.”

She swallowed hard.

“I didn’t want to be involved in any of this,” she murmured.

Enma nodded. “Neither did I.”

“But here we are,” she added softly.

“…Yeah.”

Another long silence fell between them. Then Enma leaned forward a bit, eyes sharp despite the bruise swelling one of them shut.

“We need to start figuring out how to loosen the ropes. And we need to be ready. I’m guessing those videos they want to send tomorrow… they’ll come back for us tonight.”

Tsuna looked at her raw wrists. “Do you think we can really get out?”

“I think we can try,” Enma said. “And that’s more than just waiting to be rescued.”

He offered her a crooked little smile.

“Besides… we’re mafia brats now. Might as well live up to it.”

___________

Back with Kanzaki and Kaede…

“That photo…” Kaede muttered, eyes flicking to Kanzaki. “Never thought a straight-laced girl like you had a rebellious phase. Kind of surprised me.”

Kanzaki looked down. “It was because of my dad… He’s really strict. Always expected perfect grades, a perfect future. I felt like I was suffocating.”

She paused, her voice growing softer. “So I ran off sometimes. Went where no one knew me. Changed how I looked… tried to live a little. I thought it was freedom.”

Her fingers clenched behind her back. “But in the end, all I got was Class E, the ‘dumping ground.’ Now I don’t even know where I belong.”

The delinquent crouched in front of the girls, his expression unreadable. “You’re not alone. We get it. We’re against the same crap people obsessed with status, titles, image. That’s why we help them drop the act. Help them find who they really are.” He grinned. “That’s how we have fun.”

Kaede’s glare was sharp. “Disgusting.”

The boy’s smile faded. He grabbed her by the collar and yanked her off the couch, lifting her partway off the ground.

“Oh? Looks like we’ve got a snobby little elite here. Maybe you need a lesson in humility. I’ll break that attitude and show you how to really enjoy yourself.”

Kaede kicked and struggled. “Let go of me!”

He finally released her, shoving her roughly back onto the couch.

“Listen up. When you get back to the hotel, you’re going to say we just went out for karaoke. Had a little fun, nothing else. Smile for the camera, play along. No one gets hurt.”

He turned toward the door, grinning. “And speak of the devil our photographers have arrived…”

But the grin died as the door creaked open and Karma, Nagisa, Sugino, and Okuda stepped inside instead.

Nagisa held up the bulky school trip handbook and began reading calmly:

“Page 1243: When a group member has been kidnapped and leaves behind no evidence, listen for local accents or lack thereof. If the perpetrators wear uniforms, cross-reference with school profiles on page 1344.”

The delinquents blinked in confusion.

Nagisa continued, tone even: “Conclusion: our kidnappers are students, likely also on a school trip. Cowards who play tough when no one’s watching.”

“Kanzaki! Kaede!” Sugino rushed forward. The two girls lit up with relief.

The delinquents scrambled to regroup. “How the hell did you even find us?!”

Karma stepped forward, his hands casually in his pockets. “Well, the handbook says: Those unfamiliar with the area won’t hide far. Search nearby abandoned spots. Appendix page 134: likely hideouts mapped at Mach 20 by Koro-sensei.”

Sugino nodded. “This book is unreal. It even has anti-kidnapping strategy plans.”

“Which is why you should always bring your school trip handbook,” Karma added smoothly.

One of the delinquents stammered, “What kind of school even has a handbook like that?!”

Karma’s expression turned cold. “So. What are you going to do now? You had the guts to pull this, but I hope you’ve got the stamina to finish the trip from a hospital bed.”

The leader of the kidnappers scoffed when he heard footsteps echoing down the hall. A crooked grin crept onto his face.

“Heh. Stop bragging, you junior high punks. Those footsteps? That’s my backup. The baddest bastards you’re ever gonna—”

His words died in his throat as the hallway came into view.

“Th-the w-worst... W-WHAAAAAAT?!”

What entered the room wasn’t backup.

It was Koro-sensei, hovering with ease, holding four unconscious guys wrapped tightly in his glowing yellow tentacles.

“No ‘badasses’ here,” the octopus said calmly. “I cleaned them all up.”

“Koro-sensei!” the students chorused, visibly relieved.

“Apologies for being late,” Koro-sensei said, floating into the room. “I figured I’d let you handle things yourselves... so I went ahead and cleaned out the rest of their hideouts first.”

“But… why are you covering your face like that?” Nagisa asked, eyeing the sheer veil that now draped over Koro-sensei’s head like a stagehand’s scarf.

The teacher sighed dramatically. “This is still an act of violence, you know. I don’t want my lovely face associated with brutality it might hurt my reputation as a proper educator.”

Nagisa raised a brow. “You really think that’s what’ll do it?”

“I’d also like to thank Nagisa for keeping the handbook with him,” Koro-sensei added, pointing. “Thanks to that, he could contact me immediately!”

One of the kidnappers snarled. “You’re seriously trying to tell me you’re a teacher? Bullshit!”

“‘Bullshit’? That’s my line,” Koro-sensei snapped.

In a blur of motion, he struck. Tentacles whipped forward and took down several of the kidnappers at once before they could even react.

“What the hell—?! What did he do?!” one thug shouted. “He’s too fast—I can’t even see him!”

Koro-sensei’s tone turned deadly calm. “You don’t lay filthy hands on my students.”

His bright yellow skin shifted ominously to pitch black, his sharp eyes glowing with fury.

The leader growled. “What a joke. So a teacher from some elite school thinks he’s special? You just look down on guys like us, on real people. You’re all the same…”

Koro-sensei’s voice cut through like a blade.

“No. You’ve got it backward.”

He floated slowly forward, eyes locked on the leader. “Yes, my students are from a top school… but they’re the lowest-ranked class. The outcasts. Bullied, mocked, isolated even their class name is used as an insult.”

His voice softened for a moment.

“But instead of sinking into despair, they face every day with courage. They fight for themselves. They grow.”

He gestured toward the thugs. “You? You prey on others to feel strong. You don’t stand for anything. You call it ‘corruption’ I call it cowardice.”

Koro-sensei smiled behind the veil. “Whether you're in clear water or dirty, anyone who stays hopeful can still shine. Even you. Though right now, you’re not quite there.”

He turned to his students. “All right, class. I’ll leave the rest to you. Time for a practical lesson.”

Nagisa, Okuda, Karma, and Sugino stepped forward, each holding their thick school trip handbooks like weapons.

“With pleasure,” Karma said darkly.

The kidnappers barely had time to turn around before the students struck from behind, using a combination of quick footwork and stunning blows, guidebooks smacking down on pressure points with surgical precision.

One thug spun wildly. “W-When did they get behind us?!”

As the last thug hit the floor with a satisfying thud, the room finally fell quiet.

Kanzaki and Kaede ran to the others, relief flooding their faces. Okuda threw her arms around them both.

“We were so worried!” she exclaimed, half-laughing, half-crying.

Nagisa lowered the guidebook and exhaled deeply. “That went better than expected…”

Sugino rubbed his shoulder. “Still, we really need to not make a habit of brawling with criminals during field trips.”

“Agreed,” said Kanzaki, wincing as she examined her bruised wrists. “But thank you… all of you.”

Kaede nodded, brushing dust off her skirt. “Yeah. I didn’t think anyone was coming…”

Karma grinned smugly, stretching out his arms like a champion. “Please, no need to thank us. Your heroic savior is happy to—” He stopped abruptly, mid-stretch.

His sharp red eyes scanned the room.

“…Wait. Where’s Tsuna?”

Everyone froze.

The relief that had settled like warm fog suddenly turned ice cold.

“What…?” Okuda looked around in alarm. “Wasn’t she with you two?”

“No,” Kanzaki said slowly, her face draining of color. “They… they took her somewhere else.”

“They said she was already ‘sold off’…” Kaede whispered, remembering the terrifying words. “That some other group wanted her.”

Karma’s fists clenched. “Damn it.”

Nagisa’s face grew serious. “Then this isn’t over.”

Koro-sensei, who had been quietly gathering the unconscious bodies with his tentacles, looked up, his face solemn behind the veil.

“…Tsuna is still in danger.”

Sugino swore under his breath. “Where would they take her? If she was sold off… this goes way beyond just local punks looking for trouble.”

Nagisa flipped through the handbook again, frantic now. “There’s no page on double kidnappings!”

Koro-sensei nodded grimly. “Then we’ll have to write that page ourselves.”

Karma cracked his knuckles, a cold fire burning in his eyes.

“Whoever bought her… they’re going to regret it.”

The sound of groaning echoed off the warehouse walls as the battered kidnappers began to regain consciousness, bound tightly with rope and duct tape courtesy of Koro-sensei’s tentacles.

Karma crouched in front of the ringleader, his usual smirk nowhere in sight.

“Where is she?” he asked coolly, but his voice held a razor edge.

The delinquent glared up, lip split and swollen. “The hell you talkin’ about?”

“The girl you sold off,” Karma said, grabbing the guy by the collar. “Brown hair. Big eyes. About this tall.” His grip tightened. “You said someone paid for her. Who?”

“I don’t know! Some guys contacted us through a burner phone. Told us to hand her over at the south side tunnel and walk away. We just did what we were told.”

“Did you see their faces?” Nagisa stepped forward, brows drawn.

“No. They stayed in the van. Glass was tinted. Voices were filtered through a speaker. They tossed us a wad of cash and drove off.”

“License plate?” Sugino asked.

“It was fake,” another thug grumbled. “Wasn’t even from Kyoto. Probably stolen.”

Karma stared the leader down for another second, then shoved him back against the floor with a sneer of disgust. “So you handed her over without asking questions?”

“Look, man, they paid a ton,” the ringleader spat. “Said they’d give double if she was delivered untouched. Like hell we were gonna argue. We just wanted the money!”

“You really are trash,” Okuda muttered.

Kaede’s fists trembled at her sides. Kanzaki looked like she wanted to cry again.

“So,” Karma said, standing upright, voice flat, “we’re back at square one.”

“No,” Koro-sensei said quietly, placing a heavy tentacle on Karma’s shoulder. “This narrows it down. Whoever took Tsuna was organized, had money, and wanted her specifically.”

Nagisa nodded. “This wasn’t a random act. She was targeted.”

“But why her?” Sugino asked. “She’s just a transfer student.”

There was a tense silence.

Then Koro-sensei turned toward the door. “We need to return to the hotel. The longer we stay here, the colder her trail gets. We’ll ask Karasuma for help.”

Karma didn’t move right away. His voice was quiet. “We’re going to find her.”

Nagisa nodded. “We will.”

Kaede, her voice firm despite the fear in her eyes, added, “We have to.”

Chapter Text

Tsuna's wrists ached as she shifted in the chair, the ropes cutting into her skin. The dim, flickering light cast long shadows across the concrete walls, and the air felt colder now.

"Just how are we going to escape?" she asked quietly, trying to sound braver than she felt. "Even if we get these ropes off… how do we get past those goons without getting caught again?"

She glanced toward Enma. His head was down, reddish bangs falling over one bruised eye. Blood stained the collar of his shirt, and his breathing was shallow.

“Enma…”

He slowly looked up, forcing a tired smile. “We’ll figure it out. I mean… we have to, right?”

Tsuna swallowed hard. “You’re hurt. Badly. Maybe we should wait for someone to come. My classmates, maybe they’ll find me—”

Enma shook his head gently. “If they were going to save us… they’d be here by now. These guys knew what they were doing. Whoever took us isn’t just some gang of punks. They knew your name. They knew who you were related to.”

He looked away for a moment, eyes clouded with something between guilt and fear. “And they definitely knew who I was.”

Tsuna fell silent, letting the weight of his words settle in. She didn’t ask to be part of any of this. But now, caught in the middle of something she barely understood, she didn’t have a choice.

“I hate this,” she muttered. “But I don’t want to just sit here and wait to be rescued.”

Enma smiled faintly, wincing from a bruised rib. “Good. Because I think I can loosen your ropes if I tilt the chair far enough…”

He began to shift carefully, and Tsuna leaned toward him as much as her bindings allowed.

“Careful,” she whispered. “If you fall, you’ll break something.”

“Already feels like I did,” he groaned. “But one more bruise won’t matter if it means getting out of here.”

Enma shifted the chair slowly, testing the balance. The wooden legs scraped softly against the concrete floor.

“Okay, here goes nothing,” he muttered.

Tsuna held her breath as he leaned back just enough to loosen the ropes binding her wrists to the chair. The coarse fibers started to fray with a quiet scrape.

“Almost there… just a little more,” Enma whispered.

Suddenly, a sharp crack echoed as one strand of the rope snapped.

Tsuna’s heart jumped. “You did it?”

Enma nodded, a spark of hope lighting his tired eyes. “Yeah, but we’ve got to be faster now.”

Before she could ask, a heavy footstep sounded outside their door.

“Shit,” Enma hissed. “Someone’s coming.”

Tsuna’s stomach twisted into knots. “What do we do?”

Enma’s voice dropped low, shaky but determined. “Help me with my robes.”

Tsuna’s fingers trembled as she tried to loosen the knot .

The footsteps grew closer, then paused just outside their door.

“Stay quiet,” Enma whispered.

The door creaked open.

A shadowy figure stepped in. Tsuna hasn’t yet undone the knot and just started biting on the robes, desperately hoping that her efforts are worth something.

The man that stepped in screamed and had a strong hold on her, attempting to drag her off of the ropes, but our dear main character’s bite on those restraints was too strong. Or maybe she was just too stubborn to just give up when they were so close to getting out.

With a final snap, the rope snapped, scraping against her cheek roughly.

Tsuna gasped, and Enma lunged forward, grabbing the man’s wrist.

“Get out of here!” he hissed, yanking the intruder away from the door.

The kidnapper struggled, but Enma’s grip was fierce despite his weakness.

Tsuna’s heart pounded. This was their chance. So Enma pushed the guy into a few boxes.

“Now, Tsuna! We run!”

She nodded, adrenaline surging as they dashed toward the door.

The cold corridors echoed with the frantic slaps of bare feet on concrete as Tsuna and Enma tore through the underground base. Harsh fluorescent lights flickered above them, painting everything in sickly green tones.

“We’ve got to find a way out before they regroup!” Enma wheezed beside her, holding his side.

“Just keep running!” Tsuna gasped, scanning the branching hallways. A left turn, then a sharp right, none of it looked familiar. But anything was better than going back.

A shout echoed behind them. Heavy boots pounded against the floor.

“They’re coming!”

Two men rounded the corner up ahead, blocking their path. One reached for his belt, a baton in hand.

Tsuna didn’t hesitate.

Karasuma-sensei’s words rang in her ears:

“Disarm. Redirect. Disable. Don’t rely on strength. Rely on precision.”

As the first thug lunged, Tsuna ducked low and drove her elbow into his ribs, pivoting sharply to twist his arm. The baton clattered to the floor. She grabbed it mid-motion and turned, swinging it hard into the second man’s shin.

He howled and collapsed.

Enma blinked, frozen for a second. “You—You took them down!”

“I-i did? I did!” Tsuna huffed, adrenaline surging through her veins like fire. “Let’s go!”

They vaulted over the fallen men, feet slapping against the floor as they kept moving. The halls were a maze, but Tsuna’s instincts screamed to follow the cooler air.

Another pair of guards turned the corner above them.

No time to think.

Tsuna launched forward again this time sweeping one man’s legs from under him with the baton. He tumbled down the stairs, taking the second guard with him.

They crashed into a heap.

Enma stared. “You’re… seriously scary right now.”

Tsuna panted, gripping the baton with both hands. “I’m kinda scared too.”

A loud alarm suddenly blared.

Red lights flashed. Sirens wailed.

“oh man… That’s definitely not good.”

They ducked into a narrow side door, Tsuna pulling it shut behind them just before a squad of footsteps thundered past in the hall.

Darkness swallowed them in the cramped space. It smelled of bleach, dust, and metal polish. A single sliver of red light from the corridor blinked through the crack under the door, flickering like a warning.

Tsuna pressed her back against the wall, clutching the stolen baton close to her chest. Her breath came in short bursts, and her heart was pounding so loud she was sure someone could hear it.

Enma slumped beside her, one arm across his ribs.

“Do you think they saw us?” she whispered.

“No… not yet,” he murmured, wincing. Then he paused. “Wait.”

He reached slowly into his jacket pocket, frowning.

There was a soft glow.

Tsuna blinked, leaning closer as he pulled out a small bundle, a velvet pouch, barely big enough to fit in his palm. Its contents shimmered faintly with a strange, organic light.

Inside were two cocoon-like forms.

Tsuna whispered, “What… are those?”

Enma stared at them, recognition dawning like a cold drop of water on the back of his neck. “I’d forgotten all about these…”

He sat up straighter, adrenaline sharpening his voice.

“Reborn… gave them to me.”

“Who the heck is Reborn?”

“the No.1 Hitman in the world. He came to the Simon estate a while ago. I think he was visiting my brother to talk about alliances or something. But while he was there, his chameleon, Leon, started acting weird. It curled up and… transformed. Went into this weird deep sleep.”

Tsuna’s eyes widened. “Are we just gonna ignore the ‘No.1 Hitman in the world’ part or?”

“After a couple of days, Reborn handed me these cocoons. I asked what they were for, and he just smiled like he always does and said, ‘You’ll know when you need them.’”

He gave a dry laugh, low and disbelieving. “I didn’t think he meant this kind of emergency.”

The cocoons pulsed again, brighter this time.

Tsuna’s voice trembled. “Do you think… they’ll help us get out?”

“I don’t know,” Enma admitted. “But… Reborn doesn’t give things out for no reason.”

As they stared at the glow between them, a faint crack began to form on one cocoon.

The hairline crack widened with a soft click, and then—crack—the first cocoon split open completely.

Nestled inside the velvet pouch was a single, ornate ring. Silver and black, it shimmered with a quiet, intimidating presence. At its center was a stone etched with a bold, ancient crest, the Simon Famiglia symbol.

Enma inhaled sharply. “No way…”

Before Tsuna could ask, the second cocoon broke open with a quieter sound, like silk tearing. Lying beside the ring was a pair of fingerless gloves. Sleek, reinforced with dark leather and tiny grooves for movement—but it was the crest stitched into the knuckles that made Tsuna freeze.

A golden, stylized “V” surrounded by intricate flame patterns.

“…Is that…?” she began.

Enma’s eyes were wide now, his earlier exhaustion drowned by awe and disbelief. “That’s the Vongola crest.”

Tsuna picked them up slowly. The leather felt strangely warm against her fingers, like it recognized her. “How would his Chameleon know that this would happen…?”

“Because it knew,” Enma murmured. “It somehow always knows.”

He held the ring in his palm reverently. “This is a Flame ring, like a real one. And those gloves… maybe they're your personalized weapon? They probably only activate through flames that were passed down through the Vongola blood.”

Tsuna looked down at the gloves, her voice shaky. “I-I’m not a mafia heir…”

“Maybe not,” Enma said softly. “But you’re still part of the family. And clearly, that’s enough.”

The ring in his hand pulsed faintly, reacting to his touch.

“Tsuna, I think we just got our escape plan.”

Tsuna held up the gloves again, like they might bite her.

“But… okay, wait. Let’s go at it one at a time,” she whispered, her voice barely steady. “You’re saying they’re special. Like… really special. How so? You don’t mean the mafia is secretly filled with magical powers.”

Enma gave a breathy laugh, but there was no humor in it. “Not magic exactly. It’s called Dying Will Flames.”

Tsuna blinked. “I’m sorry, it’s called what now?”

“Dying Will Flames,” he repeated, more seriously this time. “It’s… hard to explain. But in the mafia, especially in families like ours, some people can manifest their life force into a flame. A very powerful one. Each flame type reflects something about your heart. Your will i guess.”

He lifted the ring, watching as the stone pulsed again with a soft, amber glow.

“The Simon Rings react to Dying Will Flames of the Earth. That’s what our family specializes in. They’re tied to ancient elements: things like gravity, hardening, and manipulation of matter itself.”

Tsuna looked down at the gloves. “And these?”

“Vongola uses Dying Will Flames of the Sky.”

She stared at the crest again, something inside her chest pulling taut, like a thread being drawn through her very bones. The moment she touched the gloves again, they gave off a click, like something inside them had just recognized her presence.

Tsuna clenched the gloves in her hands. “This is crazy. All I wanted was a normal school trip.”

“I wanted a normal life too,” he said quietly, leaning back against the wall. “But here we are.”

The silence sat between them for a beat.

Then Tsuna slowly slid one glove onto her right hand. It molded to her perfectly, as if it had been waiting for her all along. A faint orange flicker sparked from the stitching and then fizzled.

She gasped. “Was that—?!”

Enma nodded, his voice steady now. “That’s your Dying Will Flame. It’s weak right now. But it’s there.”

He slipped the ring onto his finger. As it slid into place, the pulse of energy from the stone surged outward in a short burst and the bruised boy’s eyes sharpened with something that hadn't been there before.

Tsuna flexed her fingers inside the glove, feeling the faint flicker of flame, but it felt strange.

“It’s... there,” she said, voice uncertain. “But I don’t know how to make it do anything. Or even if I’m supposed to.”

Enma looked down at the ring on his finger, his brow furrowed in frustration. “I’ve heard about this stuff for years. The Dying Will Flames, the Gear, the Rings… but I’ve never actually used them.”

He let out a bitter laugh, rubbing the bruises on his ribs.

That small flicker of warmth sparked something deeper inside both of them.

Tsuna’s jaw set firmly, eyes narrowing with newfound determination. The uncertainty, the fear, the aching doubt, they all faded into the background, replaced by a fierce will to survive.

Enma’s bruised face tightened, his fingers curling around the Simon ring as if drawing strength from it. The pain from his injuries dulled beneath a growing fire in his chest.

Neither of them spoke, but their shared gaze said it all: We will get out of here. Alive.

That dying will became their silent promise. No matter what waited outside that door, they wouldn’t let it break them.

Tsuna exhaled slowly, her voice steady. “Let’s do this.”

Enma nodded, a rare spark of hope lighting his eyes. “Together.”

They crept down the hallway, quiet as shadows.

The glow of the gloves and the ring had faded, leaving them with only the dim emergency lights that flickered weakly overhead. Each step echoed slightly against the cracked concrete, and every distant noise made Tsuna flinch.

"This place feels like a maze," she whispered.

They tried backtracking, but each hallway seemed to twist and fold into another, leading them downward like the base itself was swallowing them whole. Eventually, the narrow corridor opened up, and they stepped into a large room.

It was wide and circular, with rusted scaffolding lining the walls and old, broken-down machinery littered across the floor. Half of the ceiling had caved in, and light filtered down in dull shafts through a shattered grate. Dust hung in the air like mist.

“What is this place?” Tsuna murmured, eyes darting around.

Enma stepped forward cautiously, limping slightly. “Looks like an old warehouse. Maybe used by whoever’s running this base. Doesn’t look active anymore…”

But there was something unsettling about the room. A sharp pain hit Tsuna like a train, it was telling her ‘Something’s off’.

They both turned at the sound of a heavy clank echoing from behind.

“Run,” Enma said immediately.

But it was too late. A steel door slammed shut behind them.

They were trapped.

Again.

A mechanical hiss echoed through the vast room as vents above began to whir to life, pushing out stale air and dust. The remaining shafts of light vanished as shutters slammed shut over the broken grate in the ceiling, plunging the room into an eerie, artificial gloom.

Tsuna’s grip on the baton tightened instinctively. Enma moved in front of her protectively, though the tremble in his legs betrayed how little strength he had left.

Then, from all around them footsteps could be heard. Dozens of them echoing from every dark corridor leading into the chamber.

Men in dark uniforms and masks stepped into view, encircling them from all sides. Some carried blunt weapons, others firearms. None of them said a word. They didn’t need to.

Tsuna's heart was hammering in her chest. “They planned this,” she whispered. “They herded us here…”

Enma nodded grimly, fists clenched, his ring faintly pulsing on his finger.

Then, the crowd parted. A figure walked through the middle with deliberate, echoing steps.

He was tall, wearing a tailored black coat with silver clasps. His dark hair was slicked back, his sharp face unreadable. A jagged scar ran across his left brow, and an unfamiliar mafia crest pinned to his chest it seemed to shimmer unnaturally in the light.

“Well,” he said, voice low but commanding. “So these are the little mafia pets.”

He stopped a few paces from them, folding his hands behind his back. “The Simon and Vongola’s baby siblings. I have to admit, you two were more resourceful than expected.”

Tsuna swallowed hard. “Who… who are you?”

The man’s eyes narrowed slightly. “That depends. You can call me ‘Sir’,if you want to keep your bones intact.”

Enma took a shaky step forward, shielding Tsuna again. “What do you want?”

“What I want,” the man said smoothly, “is leverage. You two? You’re bargaining chips in a very expensive game. But the real fun begins tomorrow, when the Vongola and Simon are forced to watch their precious siblings beg for help on camera.”

Tsuna’s breath caught.

The circle of enemies tightened.

Tsuna and Enma were outnumbered, surrounded, and outmatched. But as her heartbeat thundered in her ears and her knees threatened to give out, she could feel something inside,something small and fierce burning in her chest.

Dying will.

She glanced at Enma. He looked scared. Just like her. But in his eyes was that same spark.

They weren’t giving up yet.

Back-to-back, two kids facing down an army.

Tsuna didn’t look away from the tightening ring of enemies. “I don’t want Giotto to save me,” she said, her grip on the baton tightening. “I don’t want to be the weak little sister he has to rescue. If I give up here, I’ll regret it. I want to fight to make it out of this.”

She glanced back at him. “What about you? Enma?”

For a moment, Enma’s breath caught. His body hurt and he felt like passing out any minute. But that fire she spoke of it started catching inside him, too.

“…I don’t want to be pitied anymore,” he muttered. “I’m tired of everyone thinking I’m just this quiet, useless little brother.”

The Simon ring pulsed on his finger. A dull flicker of orange-red light curled at its edge.

“I want to prove I can stand on my own,” he whispered. Then louder—firmer: “I want to get out of here alive too.”

Tsuna smiled, despite the fear.

“Then let’s do it together.”

The masked men began to move in.

Back at the inn,

The paper doors of the traditional inn slid open with a bang as Koro-sensei went inside. Behind him, Karma, Nagisa, Okuda, Sugino, Kanzaki, and Kaede rushed through the entrance, breathless and disheveled.

“Karasuma-sensei!” Nagisa shouted, scanning the quiet hallways.

Their teacher appeared in the corridor almost immediately, towel slung over his shoulder and eyes narrowing at the sight of them. “What happened?”

“We found the kidnappers,” Karma said grimly. “But… Tsuna’s gone.”

Karasuma’s posture stiffened. “What do you mean ‘gone’?”

“They sold her off,” Okuda said quietly, her voice trembling. “Before we even got there. Some strangers came in a van and paid for her.”

Nagisa nodded. “They didn’t see faces, didn’t get names. The guys just said they dropped her off like cargo.”

Karasuma was already pulling out his phone. “Did you get a vehicle description? Anything?”

“They said the plates were fake. Probably stolen,” Sugino said. “The windows were blacked out.”

Koro-sensei stepped closer, unusually quiet. “I scouted the area and found no trace of where the van went.”

“But why her?” Kaede asked, hugging herself. “Why would someone go to so much trouble just to take her?”

No one had an answer.

Karasuma exhaled sharply. “We don’t know yet. So until we do, we don’t make assumptions. Don’t think this is something bigger until we have proof.”

Karma clenched his jaw. “But we are going to find her, right?”

Karasuma’s eyes locked with his. “Of course.”

Koro-sensei nodded, his usual cheer replaced by grim determination. “Our class doesn’t leave anyone behind. Especially not a student on her first school trip.”

Nagisa’s hands tightened at his sides. “We’ll find her.”

Karasuma retreated to the corner of the inn’s small lobby, phone pressed tightly to his ear.

“...Yes. Female student, mid-teens, brown hair, last seen at the old warehouse near the southern district. Possible hand-off to unknown parties. No confirmed leads.”

He paused, listening, then continued. “Right. I need eyes on every major exit from the city. Highways, train stations, airports. Check for any security footage between 5 and 8 p.m. Have the local precinct flag anything unusual.”

He hung up and immediately started dialing another number.

The students sat scattered around the room, tension hanging thick in the air. Kaede clutched a pillow to her chest. Karma paced restlessly across the tatami floor. Nagisa stared at his hands, jaw clenched.

“They’ll find her, right?” Okuda asked quietly, breaking the silence.

Koro-sensei gave a small nod. “Karasuma-sensei is doing everything he can. Right now, gathering information is our best weapon.”

“We should be doing something too,” Karma muttered. “Waiting around isn’t helping anyone.”

“And we will,” Koro-sensei said. “But charging in blindly could hurt her more. If these people are dangerous, one mistake could make things worse.”

Karasuma returned a moment later, slipping his phone into his jacket pocket. His expression was hard.

“I’ve contacted local authorities and a few other contacts. A search team’s being assembled as we speak,”

“But until they find something…” Nagisa began.

Karasuma gave a sharp nod. “We wait.”

And somewhere out there, Tsuna was still missing.

Tsuna’s lungs burned as she ducked another swing, her legs barely carrying her weight. Beside her, Enma staggered from a hit to his side, blood dripping from his mouth. The room around them was a blur of shouts and movement.

They had fought tooth and nail just to survive, but it wasn’t enough.

Back to back now, Tsuna gritted her teeth. Her arms trembled under the strain of holding her stance, the baton she formerly held was long abandoned.

“I’m not going to let my family bail me out of this,” she said, voice ragged but firm. “Not again. I’m getting out of here alive… we are. What about you, Enma?”

Enma coughed, his vision swimming. But when he looked up at her, he smiled through the pain.

“Yeah. We’re not dying here.”

With a shared breath, they pushed off the ground and charged. One final attack. One last burst of desperate resolve.

And in that instant something answered.

Enma’s ring flared with a fiery crack, a burst of pale red-orange flame that surged up his arm like liquid light. The air rippled as the energy coiled around him, hardening into glowing, jagged gauntlets. The very ground beneath his feet shivered, the floor cracking with seismic intensity as the Earth Flame awakened at last.

Tsuna’s gloves responded in kind, her breath hitched as heat bloomed through her veins. A brilliant orange flame erupted on her forehead, small at first, then flaring outward like a comet as Sky Flames engulfed her fists. The gloves shimmered as the power settled into her skin, the very atmosphere bending to her will.

The room went silent for a split second.

A shockwave blasted outward as their flames fully ignited, knocking several of the nearest enemies clean off their feet.

The boss, watching from a shadowed corner, stiffened. “What the hell…?!”

Enma dropped into a low stance, gauntlets gleaming. “Looks like I can use the ring after all…”

Tsuna’s eyes narrowed as she raised her fists. The flame on her forehead danced brighter than ever.

Their pain didn’t vanish. Their bodies still ached, and their muscles screamed. But now they had the power to fight.

And this time, they weren’t going down.

The enemy force surged toward them with renewed fury, but it was already too late.

Tsuna’s flame flared violently as she ducked under a wild swing and rocketed forward, a Sky Flame-propelled punch colliding with a man’s chest and launching him across the room. The air cracked with pressure every time she moved, each strike guided by instinct and sharpened by desperation.

Across the room, Enma slammed his gauntlets into the ground, and a shockwave rippled outward. The floor buckled, knocking enemies off balance as jagged stone shot up from beneath, pinning and disarming multiple goons in a single move. He twisted, flame swirling around his arms as he delivered a devastating uppercut to one attacker, sending him spinning through the air.

Despite never training together, the two moved in sync. Tsuna leapt over Enma as he crouched, launching herself off his back to deliver a powerful midair kick, knocking three attackers into the wall. Enma followed up by raising a wall of earth to shield her from incoming fire, then charged through it with fists glowing, flattening two more opponents in a blur.

The glow of Sky and Earth Flames cast eerie shadows across the broken walls. And one by one, the enemy fell.

Groaning bodies lay scattered across the room like fallen dominoes, stacked in heaps of unconscious limbs and broken weapons. The leader of the operation, once smug and untouchable, had long since fled, his confidence shattered the moment he saw the flames awaken.

And finally, the chaos quieted.

The only sound left was their breathing.

Tsuna stumbled back and dropped to the floor with a thud, her shoulders heaving. Enma followed suit, collapsing next to her with an exhausted grunt. They sat back to back, silent for a long moment, surrounded by the wreckage of their own power.

“…We actually did it,” Tsuna whispered.

Enma gave a short, breathless laugh. “Somehow.”

Tsuna tilted her head back, the faint glow of her dying Sky Flame still flickering on her forehead. “Was that… the mafia stuff you were talking about?”

Enma nodded. “That was just the beginning.”

Tsuna let out a long breath. “I didn’t want to be part of any of this. But… if I have to be, I’m glad I wasn’t alone.”

“…Same.”

They sat there, two kids thrown into a world of violence and legacies they never asked for, resting on top of a pile of enemies they’d just taken down together.

Enma shifted slightly, still breathing heavily. He turned his head just enough to glance at Tsuna over his shoulder.

Her voice had been calm, the kind that came when someone had already made up their mind, no matter how much it hurt.

“Enma,” she said again, softer. “Can you tell your brother you did this alone? Make the Vongola believe I wasn’t involved at all?”

There was a long pause.

Enma didn’t answer right away.

Instead, he let the silence stretch between them. The only sound was the groaning of metal beams and the occasional unconscious mutter from the mountain of fallen enemies beneath their feet.

Finally, he sighed.

“…Why?” he asked.

“Because,” she said, hands clenched in her lap. “If they find out I used Sky Flames… if Giotto knows I fought, that I have this—” she looked down at the gloves still warm around her fists “—he’ll drag me into that world. I don’t want that.”

Enma’s fingers curled slowly, his ring still faintly glowing.

“I didn’t want it either,” he murmured. “But sometimes the world finds you anyway.”

“I know,” Tsuna said. “That’s why I’m asking you to help me step away from it. Just a little longer. Let me be normal a little longer.”

Enma looked down, his expression unreadable. There was a part of him that wanted to argue, to say that she had earned the right to be proud of what they did here, that without her, they never would have made it out alive.

But he also saw the fear in her eyes.

“…I’ll tell him I fought alone,” he said quietly. “I’ll leave your name out of it.”

Tsuna exhaled, long and shaky. “Thank you.”

“But Tsuna,” he added, “whether they know it or not… you were incredible today. You saved both of us. That flame of yours, it’s not going to disappear just because you pretend it’s not there.”

She looked away. “I know.”

They sat in silence again, side by side amidst the rubble, burdened with a secret they now shared.

And far away from the eyes of the Vongola or Simon, in a broken room beneath a forgotten base, Tsunayoshi Sawada took her first step toward becoming someone she never thought she’d have to be.

Tsuna wrapped her arms tightly around Enma, the hug brief but full of unspoken gratitude and understanding.

Pulling back just enough to catch his eye, she whispered, “Here.” She bit her thumb enough to draw blood and wrote something down on Enmas forearm.

“Don’t smudge it,” she said softly, a faint smile tugging at her lips. “If you ever need help… or just someone to talk to.”

Enma looked down at the phonenumber, then back at her, a rare, genuine smile breaking through his weariness.

“I won’t.”

Without another word, Tsuna slipped away into the shadows, careful to stay unseen by anyone who might still be lurking nearby.

As she disappeared down the hallway, Enma stayed seated for a moment, smiling down at his arm.

The old wooden floor of the inn creaked softly under Tsuna’s steps as she pushed the front door open. Her clothes were scuffed, her knees scraped, and her gloves stuffed deep into her jacket pocket. But still she somehow made it back.

Inside the lobby, the lights were dim but still on. Koro-sensei hovered near the front desk in a worried blur, flipping through files and maps faster than any normal person could track. Karasuma was on his phone at the far end of the room. Nagisa, Kaede, Karma, and the others were gathered on the worn couches, eyes wide, faces pale, leaning forward at every sound.

No one noticed the girl slipping through the entrance.

“I’ve checked all possible exits from Sector B. Still nothing,” Karasuma muttered.

“There are no updates from the local police, either,” Koro-sensei added. “And I’ve swept the outer perimeter twice. How far could she have—”

“T-Tsuna?!”

Nagisa’s voice cut through the stillness like a shot.

The room turned as one.

Karma was on his feet in an instant. “What the hell—?!”

Kaede gasped, her hands flying to her mouth. Sugino nearly tripped over the coffee table.

And there Tsuna stood,mud-streaked, bloody and bruised.

“T-Tsuna!!”

The entire class surged toward her. Kaede was the first to reach her, throwing her arms around her without hesitation. Karma and Sugino were close behind, followed by an avalanche of questions and overlapping voices.

“Where were you?!”

“Are you hurt?!”

“Did someone take you?!”

“I thought—!”

Tsuna laughed softly, “I’m okay. I made it back.”

Koro-sensei appeared in front of her in an instant, but stopped short. For once, he didn’t engulf her in a dramatic embrace or start crying cartoon tears. He just looked at her and gave a slow, relieved nod.

Karasuma’s voice was quieter. “We’ll talk later. For now… welcome back.”

The tension in the room, wound tight like a spring, finally loosened. One by one, her classmates let out their breaths, tears brimming in some eyes, exhausted relief in others.

And in the middle of it all,stood Tsunayoshi Sawada .

She had made it through. On her own.

And for the first time in a long while, she felt like she had taken a step toward something only she could walk.

Chapter Text

Once the chaos of the kidnapping was behind them, the class slowly returned to normal. Or at least, as normal as a group of trained assassins on a school trip could be. No one talked about it much anymore, either out of respect, discomfort, or just a desperate need to move on.

Now, with a bit of peace restored, the boys turned their attention to more typical school trip activities. Like, for example, ranking the girls in their sleeping quarters.

Maehara grinned as he flopped back on his futon. “No surprise here, Yukiko took the top spot. She’s pretty much everyone’s favorite.”

Mimura smirked. “Smooth move getting her into your group, Sugino.”

Sugino rubbed the back of his neck. “Didn’t really have time for moves… Not with everything that happened.”

Maehara nodded. “Yeah. You guys definitely had the roughest time.”

Mimura leaned forward. “I just wanna know who likes who. That’s the real intel.”

Okajima sighed dramatically. “How am I supposed to pick just one?”

Mimura rolled his eyes. “Besides you, Okajima. You don’t count.”

Maehara looked over. “What about you, Nagisa? Got anyone in mind?”

Nagisa blinked. “I… uh…”

Sugino grinned. “C’mon, Maehara. Spill. You crushing on anyone?”

Maehara shrugged, a teasing glint in his eyes. “Me? That’s classified.”

Mimura groaned. “Ugh, that’s so annoying! Guys like you get all the attention and act all mysterious about it, just makes it worse!”

A voice cut in from the doorway. “Sounds like I came in at the right time.”

The boys turned to see Karma casually leaning against the frame, smirking.

Maehara brightened. “Karma! Perfect timing. We’re sharing crushes. You got a favorite girl?”

“Oh, a favorite girl?” he echoed, pretending to think. “Yeah. Tsuna.”

The room went quiet for a second.

Maehara blinked. “Wait—what?”

Mimura choked on his drink. “Seriously?!”

Karma plopped down on a spare futon, stretching like he had just announced the weather. “Yep. I like Tsuna.”

Okajima gawked. “You mean like, like-like?!”

Karma nodded. “Mmhm.”

Nagisa looked completely thrown. “You’ve never even said anything about her!”

Mimura leaned forward, squinting like Karma had grown a second head. “You're kidding.”

Karma stretched out, hands behind his head. “Nope. She’s cute. Kinda like a startled deer most of the time, but I find it endearing.”

Maehara groaned. “Dude, she barely says two words in class!”

“That’s part of the charm,” Karma said with a shrug. “Mysterious. Quiet. Possibly plotting our doom silently.”

Nagisa gave him a flat look. “You realize she went missing for like a day and showed back up looking like she hadn’t slept in a week, right?”

“Exactly,” Karma said, as if that confirmed his point. “She’s got depth.”

Okajima snorted. “You just want to mess with her.”

“Maybe,” Karma said, grinning wider. “But it’s only fun because she reacts like a surprised squirrel.”

Mimura sighed. “Man, you’re impossible.”

“Mm, thanks,” Karma said, clearly proud of himself. “It’s one of my more lovable qualities.”

Maehara rolled his eyes. “Well, at least now we know you’ve got a type.”

Karma smirked. “Shy, awkward, possibly terrified of me? Yeah. Adorable.”

The boys burst into laughter, shaking their heads at him while Karma just looked supremely pleased with himself.

Isogai took the list with the rankings on it “Anyway, the result of our votes is a secret between us. Many of us wish to remain anonymous, so don't let the girls or any of the teachers know ab—.”

He cut off mid-sentence when he caught sight of their octopus teacher peeking around the doorframe. His face was bright pink, and he was giggling softly while scribbling something furiously into a notebook before closing the door again.
“Evening, all.Mm-hmm. I see.”

The boys stared, stunned.
“He took notes and left.”
“kill him!”

The room erupted instantly. Boys sprang up, knives and guns ready to hunt down their teacher for spying on their secret rankings.

“The purpose of my speed is to eavesdrop on these gossips!”

Over in the girls’ room, the conversation was following a similar direction.

Kataoka leaned in, lowering her voice with a conspiratorial smile. “So… most favorite guy?”

Nakamura grinned. “Finally! Now’s the perfect time to talk about it.”

Kurahashi raised her hand playfully. “I’ll go first. I like Karasuma-sensei.”

A round of nods and stifled giggles followed.

“Well, yeah,” Nakamura said, waving it off. “That’s a given. But I meant among the boys in our class.”

“Hmm, I guess Isogai and Maehara are pretty all right,” she added casually.

Kataoka raised an eyebrow. “Really? Maehara?”

“Sure,” Nakamura shrugged. “Though let’s be honest—Maehara’s too much of a flirt. Isogai feels like the safer bet.”

Yada smiled. “If we’re just talking looks… I think Karma’s pretty good-looking.”

Okano rolled her eyes. “If only he didn’t act like he was raised by wolves.”

“You’re right,” two girls chimed at once.

Then, unexpectedly, Tsuna mumbled from her corner, “He’s… not that bad.”

Everyone turned.

Kayano tilted her head. “He is usually kind of quiet… when he’s not being scary.”

Hayami quipped, “Right. Quiet like a wild animal in tall grass.”

The group giggled again before Kayano turned to Kanzaki with a mischievous grin. “How about you, Kanzaki? Come on, you’ve got someone, right?”

Kanzaki shook her head calmly. “No one in particular.”

Nakamura narrowed her eyes. “Liar.”

“Spill it!” Kayano demanded, already lunging at her with tickling fingers.

Kanzaki tried to keep a straight face, but laughter eventually spilled out as they wrestled her onto a futon.

“I told you, I’m being honest!” she gasped between laughs.

Nakamura pouted dramatically. “You’re no fun. All the boys like you anyway.”

Unfortunately, the girls' fun was short-lived.

The door slid open with a thud, and Irina Jelavić, a six pack of beer in hand and a yukata tied loosely at her waist, stepped in with a smirk.

Irina: “All right, ladies, that’s enough. Time to sleep—well, more or less.”

Nakamura raised an eyebrow. “More or less?”

Irina shrugged with practiced elegance. “We all know you’re going to stay up chatting. Just try to keep the volume down, alright?”

Kurahashi pouted. “But why do you get to stay up and drink? That’s not fair.”

Irina gave a smug smile. “Because I’m an adult. Obviously.”

Kurahashi grinned. “Then share some of those adult stories with us. Bet they’re more interesting than your usual language class.”

Irina: “I heard that!”

Yada waved her in. “Come on, sit with us.”

Everyone shuffled over to make space.

Kurahashi leaned in with a grin. “By the way, is it true that Bitch-sensei is only twenty?”

Kataoka blinked. “Really? I always thought she was older. Y’know, more experienced.”

Okano nodded. “She does have that whole ‘black widow’ aura going.”

Irina raised a brow. “Exactly. For someone who uses their looks this effectively—wait, who just called me a black widow?!”

Tsuna muttered dryly, “Isn’t that reaction a little delayed?”

Irina waved her glass dramatically. “Listen up, girls. A woman’s prime doesn’t last forever. You were born in a safe, peaceful country. Be grateful and take good care of yourselves.”

Okano blinked. “Wow… Bitch-sensei has serious moments too.”

Nakamura grinned. “Though, it still sounds kinda cheeky coming from her.”

Irina smirked. “Don’t toy with me, you brats.”

Yada leaned forward. “Then tell us something juicy. What about all the guys you’ve seduced?”

Kurahashi: “Yeah! Share your best story!”

Irina gave a proud, dangerous smile. “Sure, but I warn you, it might be a little too spicy for your innocent ears.”

She took a dramatic pause. “When I was seventeen—”

But before she could continue, she suddenly pointed to the corner of the room.

“Hey! You there! Don’t just sneak into our girl talk like that!”

All heads whipped around to see Koro-sensei hovering at the door, notebook in hand.

Koro-sensei: “Don’t mind me. I simply wanted to hear a love story too~”

Nakamura pounced. “Oh no, you don’t! What about you? You've never told us anything about your love life!”

Kurahashi crossed her arms. “Right! You’re always eavesdropping but never share your own stories. That’s so unfair.”

Yada added, “And you clearly have a thing for big boobs. So spill it. Have you ever been in love?”

Koro-sensei began to sweat bullets, figuratively and literally, as the girls closed in.

“Uwah! Questions too dangerous for a humble educator!” he shouted, zipping away at Mach 20.

Kayano blinked. “He ran.”

Irina cracked her knuckles with a dangerous grin. “Get him. Drag the truth out of him. Then kill him!”

The girls leapt to their feet, grabbing various weapons from their bags before racing out in pursuit.

“Found him!”

“Kill him!!”

“He’s over there!!”

The hallway thundered with footsteps as both girls and boys charged in from opposite ends, cornering Koro-sensei like a wild animal.

Koro’s eyes darted back and forth, tentacles twitching. “C-Crap! I’m trapped!”

He tried to make a break for it, only to skid to a halt at the sight of Irina leading the girls with glowing eyes and makeshift torches, while Maehara, Sugino, and Okajima had somehow produced nets, baseball bats, and suspiciously sharp-looking kitchen knives.

“Accept your fate, pervy octopus!”

Koro-sensei wailed. “I was just curious about love!”

Meanwhile, a bit further down the hall, Karma, Nagisa, and Tsuna stood silently off to the side, watching the chaos unfold with deadpan expressions.

Karma gave a lazy shrug. “In the end… we’re still trying to assassinate him.”

Nagisa nodded, deadpan. “Yeah…”

Tsuna blinked, still holding a cup of tea she had snuck from the inn’s lounge. “...Are pillow fights always this violent?”

Karma smirked, hands in his pockets. “Only when you're in Class 3-E.”

With a scream of “FOR LOVE AND HONOR!” someone launched their knife tied to the end of a broom like a spear, and the chase resumed full force, Koro-sensei zipping around the corner with a dozen students right behind him.

After a long, winding sprint through the inn's corridors, Koro-sensei finally darted into a room and gently clicked the door shut behind him.

He sighed in relief. “That was a close one…”

Karasuma looked up from the stack of reports he was reviewing on the desk. “What was that racket about?”

Koro-sensei slumped against the wall, wiping his non-existent brow. “I was nearly forced to talk about my love life!”

Karasuma raised a brow. “Love life?”

“Oh yes.” Koro-sensei puffed up slightly, tentacles folding like crossed arms. “My past is packed with eventful love stories. So many that I couldn’t count them with my hands and feet.”

Karasuma’s eyes narrowed, curiosity briefly overtaking his usual calm. “That was… back when you had just two hands and legs, right?”

The air stilled.

Koro-sensei didn’t answer. His cheerful grin wavered just slightly.

Karasuma caught it and looked away. “…Never mind. I won’t go there. You wouldn’t say it anyway.”

The silence returned.

Koro-sensei finally said, “Karasuma-sensei, you’re a wise man. Even during a class trip, you choose your words carefully… even when it comes to the number of appendages I have.”

Karasuma gave a slight nod, unreadable. “Someone has to.”

A soft knock broke the quiet. Both men turned toward the door.

It slid open just a crack, revealing Tsuna’s careful, slightly hesitant face.

“Karasuma-sensei… you wanted to speak with me?”

Her voice was soft, almost too quiet to hear over the ticking clock. She stepped inside with her usual gentle demeanor.

Karasuma straightened slightly, offering her a calm nod.

“Yes, Tsuna. Come in.”

Karasuma gestured to the seat across from him. “Sit down. I just want to talk.”

Tsuna stepped further into the room, sliding the door closed behind her with a soft click. She moved quietly and sat across from Karasuma, her gaze fixed on her lap.

Karasuma watched her carefully, his expression firm but not unkind.

“…Where were you, Tsunayoshi?”

She flinched slightly at the sound of her full name. Her hands fidgeted in her lap, twisting the hem of her yukata.

Koro-sensei hovered silently in the corner, unusually subdued.

Karasuma’s voice didn’t waver. “You were kidnapped, on top of being kidnapped. You vanished without a trace, and now you're back with no explanation. I need answers. Who took you? What did they want?”

The room felt heavy, the walls pressing in with the weight of expectation.

Tsuna's lips parted, as if she were about to respond, but then closed again. Her eyes lifted briefly to Karasuma’s, full of conflict, then quickly dropped.

She tried again, but something deep in her gut told her to stop. It was her gut telling her she should stay quiet, that if she said anything bad things would happen. And so far the weird alien in her head was always right.

So she stayed quiet.

Karasuma leaned forward slightly. “Tsuna?”

Still, she said nothing.

“…I can’t say,” she whispered finally, voice soft and low. “I’m sorry.”

Karasuma leaned back, folding his arms across his chest. “Can’t… or won’t?”

Tsuna shook her head slowly. “I don’t want to lie. But I also don’t think telling the truth would be safe.”

He stared at her for a moment longer. Then, surprisingly, he gave a short exhale, somewhere between frustration and reluctant understanding.

Koro-sensei floated forward gently. “Did anyone hurt you?”

Tsuna hesitated, “I’m okay now.”

A pause. Then, almost like an afterthought, she reached into her pocket and pulled something out, her fingerless gloves.

She placed them on the table between them, backhand facing up. In the low light, the Vongola crest shimmered faintly on the metal plates.

“I won’t explain what happened,” she said quietly. “But… this is the only thing I’ll show you.”

She looked up at them at last, her gaze steady. “It’s up to you if you recognize this crest or not.”

Silence followed.

Karasuma stared at the gloves, his expression unreadable.

Koro-sensei tilted his head, the glint in his eye sharper than usual. “Hoooh… now that’s interesting.”

Tsuna stood up without another word, gently taking back the gloves. She gave a shallow bow, then turned on her heel and quietly slipped out of the room, the sliding door clicking softly shut behind her.

Silence lingered.

Karasuma didn’t move. His eyes remained fixed on the space Tsuna had just vacated, arms crossed, jaw set in a tight line.

“…That wasn’t a normal kidnapping,” Karasuma said at last, his voice low.

“No,” Koro-sensei agreed, folding his tentacles behind his back. “And she’s no ordinary girl. That much we can confirm.”

Karasuma exhaled through his nose. “Vongola. It was unmistakable.”

“I’d hoped those kinds of names were nothing more than stories,” Koro-sensei said. “But it seems we’ve been hosting someone from the eye of a very old storm.”

Karasuma went silent again. The revelation clearly didn’t sit well with him. “She’s trying to protect us.”

Koro-sensei gave a small nod. “Yes. And she’s afraid, more of dragging us into her world than for her own safety.”

Karasuma rubbed his thumb against his jaw. “I can’t report this. Not with so little to go on, and not if it puts her at risk.”

Koro-sensei gave a rare, grim smile. “You’re so soft, Karasuma-san.”

“I’m being careful.”

“And yet you’ll keep an eye on her.”

“Of course I will.” Karasuma’s tone was flat, decisive. “If anything like this happens again, I will intervene. Vongola or not.”

Koro-sensei nodded slowly, looking out the window and peering at the moonlit skyline. “Still… what an interesting student.”

Karasuma glanced at the door again, the quiet hallway beyond.

Chapter Text

The black car pulled into the Simon estate just as the sky began to blush with the early glow of dawn. The gates creaked open with familiar weight, and the household buzzed into motion at the sound of tires crunching over gravel.

Before the engine even stopped, the front doors of the estate flew open.

“ENMA!!”

Simon Kozato burst down the steps in his slippers and robe, his usually well-groomed hair a wild mess of sleep and worry. “Is he okay?! Where is—Enma!”

The rear door opened slowly, and Enma stepped out, bandages along his cheek and one arm still in a sling. He looked up just in time to be completely smothered by his older brother’s iron-clad hug.

“YOU’RE ALIVE!” Simon shouted, voice cracking. “You look like hell! You’re scrawnier than before! What did they feed you? Did they even feed you?!”

“I’m fine, nii-san,” Enma grunted into his brother’s chest, trying not to be completely crushed.

Simon pulled back, grabbing Enma by the shoulders to look him over properly. “Bandages, bruises—look at you! They’ll pay for this. I’ll find every last one of them and—!”

“I handled it,” Enma said quickly, eyes shifting away.

Simon blinked. “You… handled it?”

“I escaped on my own.” His voice was calm, low. “They tried to use me for leverage. Former associates, probably trying to dig for influence.”

Simon narrowed his eyes. “Did they hurt you? Like—really hurt you?”

“Not more than I could handle.”

Simon paused, expression caught somewhere between proud big brother and ready-to-burn-down-every-mafia-hideout-in-the-country. He exhaled through his nose, then pulled Enma into another quick, fierce hug.

“You scared the crap out of me, you little twig.”

“I’m not a twig…”

“You are a twig,” Simon muttered, finally letting go. “But you’re my twig. And if anything had happened to you—”

“I’m okay,” Enma reassured, softer this time. “I mean it.”

Simon stepped back, running a hand through his hair. “You know, I was ready to mobilize half the family. Reborn even offered to help track you down. But then you just show up in a car like nothing.”

Enma smiled faintly. “Sorry for the trouble.”

“You’re lucky I don’t stuff you in a panic room for the next month.”

Enma gave a tired chuckle. “You’d try.”

“You bet your bruised butt I’d try.” Simon ruffled his little brother’s hair, but more gently this time. “Come on. Everyone’s waiting to see you.”

They walked into the estate together, but Enma’s steps were just a little slower.

Because he wasn’t entirely okay. Not in the way his brother thought. And he hadn’t escaped alone.

When he reached his room, he closed the door behind him with a soft click, leaned back against it, and pulled out his phone.

And typed in the number he had written on his forearm. He still had to find the courage to text her but until then, he knew he had someone to have his back.

“Thanks, Tsuna.”