Target 06: Nura Clan – Where in Tsuna found out the truth about his new family and the Nura Clan had finally seen their young master cry.
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The young four year old Rikuo sat in front of his parents and grandfather with most of the Nura Clan yōkai milling around them, staying within hearing vicinity and staring at the family of four with eager eyes.
Rikuo (Never Tsuna, he would live for the child; and this means that he won't use his former name anymore) sensing the tense atmosphere surrounding his parents and grandfather, although Jii-chan looks more amused and exasperated than tense; the young child decided to take the initiative to talk instead of his fidgeting father (and wasn't that amusing? Seeing this usually carefree and good nurtured man fidgeting.)
"What's wrong; kaa-chan, tou-chan and jii-chan?"
He asks innocently, mask of a naïve and pure child sliding into place (He ignores the knowing look shared between everyone. A look that shows that no matter how much he tried to act like a little boy, Tsuna fails. He's thankful that no one asked him yet.)
The moment his father grimaced, dread fills Rikuo. His hyper intuition giving him a hint that whatever this is, Rikuo's life won't ever be the same.
"W-Well, you see…" His father trailed off, molten gold eyes glancing at his grandfather hesitantly.
Rikuo struggles to keep his face straight the moment he heard his father stutter. For all that this man likes to express his emotions, (aside from those times when he would look pensive, when he grieves for someone,) he does not stutter.
Rikuo's sense of the incoming trouble honed from his previous life as Sawada Tsunayoshi made him want to bolt out of the room and avoid this conversation; the boy didn't though. He still holds onto the last vestige of his crumbling hope that this is just some weird and bizarre conversation.
"Rihan-san, Rikuo could handle this." His mother murmurs softly, patting his father's hand in comfort; her bright smile at his direction unnerves Rikuo though. Why does it remind him of those times when his daughter would smile that angelic smile and then a few moments later, Tsuna had to deal with the trouble his little princess caused?
"I could handle what?" Rikuo asks. (Later on, the young boy would forever deny that he squeaked when asking that.)
This as his mother termed it, wouldn't have something to do with how the family operates like that of a yakuza, right? One where the members just so happened to be on the non-human spectrum?
His father stares at him, scrutinizing him as though trying to guess what his reaction would be after telling him this piece of information.
"Well," Rihan began speaking. Anxiety building up within him, the hanyō couldn't help but think of how many ways this could go wrong.
Rihan sees it after all. He sees how his son would always have that pensive look (the same look Rihan has whenever he thinks of Yamabuki Otome) that spoke of regret whenever the young boy was reminded of somethings. Rihan sees how his son would sometimes flinch whenever he stumbled upon the battered and wounded form the lesser yōkais after a fight. He sees how much his son despise fighting; and as his father, Rihan hopes to shield his son from this even for a little bit.
Unfortunately, this can no longer wait. He fears for the time when he had to step down, when his boy would have to step up as the Third and fight. He fears that this will break his son.
"You're the third heir of the Nura Clan," Nurarihyon speaks up upon noticing his son's far away and worried gaze; and the impatient and bored glances the surrounding yōkai shared with each other.
He understands his son's worries, but Nurarihyon lives longer than his son did and sees more to his grandson than his son did. Rikuo may be a weary and broken soul burned with the knowledge of his past life (And wasn't that a shock, to guess the peculiarity surrounding this oddly mature child; this still wasn't one of the weirdest thing he had seen though.) but said soul still has that spark.
A small flickering spark of resolution and it relieves to still see that in his grandson's eyes. Just a little push, that spark would flare and burn brightly; and he looks forward to see it.
"N-Nura Clan?" Everyone watches as their heir suddenly turns ashen white, his usual smiling face cracking from the shock. The young boy looks ready to bolt out of the room.
"That's right." Rihan continues, throwing his father an accusing glare before he smiles comfortingly at his child who looks ready to double over and faint.
"The Nura Clan is the greatest yōkai clan in the Kanto region and is led by the Supreme Commander of Yōkai, your father and when he retires, it will be you who will inherit that mantle." Nurarihyon interjects before Rihan can start sugar coating his words and make the child misunderstand the gravity of his responsibilities.
He loves his grandson, but he does not want the child to think that the position he would have to inherit in the future is child's play. Being the Supreme Commander has responsibilities and duties that he must understand.
Nurarihyon eyes the shocked child in appreciation, so far, Rikuo seems to be taking it well.
He regrets it immensely the moment the child bursts out crying.
...
A few days after that eventful talk, and a couple more as Rikuo spent hinding from anyone present in that talk; too horrified at the fact that he actually cried before everyone, the former Mafia Don finally decided to embrace his new destiny this time around without having to be forced (mandhandled) to take up the position.
Besides, it's just being the head of a family. He had a lifetime of experience being one.
Well, on the bright side, Rikuo thought to himself. At least this time around there won't be something as insane a time travel, cursed babies and magical jewelries that are actually the items that sustains the existence of the universe.
In hindsight, Rikuo shouldn't have thought of that. This concerns yōkai after all, there are weirder things than that, he thought to himself as he fought his way through the tower to prevent a pregnant fox spirit from giving birth to a baby that she carried for centuries. And that said baby was actually an adult man who returned for his mother's womb to be reborn again.
And so, the former Mafia Don starts his reluctant aspiration to be the next head of a yōkai yakuza clan.