Everyone's attention shifted to Korosensei, eager to hear what he had to say.
Meanwhile...
"Karasuma! He's lying, right?"
Irina's voice was almost frantic as she leaned toward Karasuma, trying to make sense of Tsuna's outrageous claim.
Karasuma responded tiredly, "...That's not the issue right now!"
"What!? Are you saying he's telling the truth?"
Irina pressed, her disbelief turning into irritation.
Karasuma remained silent, not wanting to engage further, which only fueled Irina's frustration.
She continued to pester him, trying to confirm whether Tsuna was being paid that much per session. Karasuma, on the other hand, was fighting off a headache from her relentless questioning.
Thankfully, most of the students ignored the bickering pair.
With a conflicted expression, Nagisa spoke, "Korosensei... about Kaede... Why does she seem to hate you so much? Do you know each other from before? And what did she mean by 'murderer'?"
His questions echoed the confusion shared by everyone else.
"...Sigh," Korosensei exhaled while shaking his head, "I'll explain everything once Kayano-san is here."
His students—Kaede included—deserved the truth.
Korosensei realized that it was finally time to reveal a part of his past, the part he'd been keeping hidden. They needed to understand who he was and what he had done.
"I guess it can't be helped..."
The class nodded, though the air was thick with disappointment as they swallowed their burning questions.
Even so, they respected Korosensei's decision to wait.
However, Karma was eyeing the phone in Korosensei's hand.
"Did she just send you the location and time?"
Korosensei nodded, confirming Karma's suspicion, "Yes, she sent me both the location and the time..."
"Where is it, Korosensei?"
"And what time?"
"Could you please tell us?"
Nagisa's soft plea carried the weight of everyone's unease.
Korosensei hesitated, the worry in his large, expressive eyes betraying his internal conflict.
He didn't want to drag his students into this dangerous situation. Kaede's hatred was intense, and with those unstable tentacles, there was no telling what could happen.
If she lost control, they could all be in serious danger.
"Korosensei, this isn't just your problem. Since it involves one of us, it's our problem too," Isogai, the male representative of Class E, spoke up, his voice steady and resolute. His eyes were firm, reflecting the shared determination of his classmates.
As if on cue, Rio chimed in, "Isogai-kun is right. Hmph, she's been fooling us the whole time! She owes us an explanation!"
The united front of the students left Korosensei no choice. His tentacles squirmed slowly, a sign of his internal hesitation.
After a brief pause, he sighed and nodded, "Alright then..."
"But," he added, his tone turning serious, "you must follow my instructions the whole time. It could get dangerous."
The weight of his words settled over them, but there was a hint of relief in the air.
The students exchanged determined glances, silently agreeing to stand by their teacher and classmate, no matter what.
Yet, the situation was more complicated than they realized.
Recalling how she controlled her tentacles, Korosensei knew that Kaede's mastery of the tentacles far surpassed Itona's. Even. with all his experience, he knew that removing those tentacles without harming Kaede would be incredibly difficult.
However...
"..."
Korosensei's beady eyes flashed with a thoughtful gleam as he shifted his gaze towards Tsuna.
Leaving the crowd to their discussions, Tsuna crouched near the crumbled remains of the warehouse, his face unreadable as he gazed at the splattered kimchi.
A look of disappointment flickered across his expression as he mumbled to himself, "This is so unfortunate... I could've taken a box to my restaurant. It's like throwing away free money..."
Korosensei felt his tentacles twitch at Tsuna's words.
Still, the octopus teacher couldn't help but approach, feeling a mix of irritation and...
...a slight hope...
"Ito-kun, could you come with us to help?"
"Huh? Me?"
Tsuna blinked in confusion, and so did the rest of the students. Korosensei's request seemed unexpected, even out of place.
Tsuna shook his head, his expression serious. "That kid's got tentacles like yours. Do you really think I can help at all?"
If Kaede could wield her tentacles as skillfully as Korosensei, Tsuna knew the risks were enormous—equivalent to downing two bottles of whiskey in one go.
Even with his ability to move at incredible speeds using chakra, the odds of getting hurt were high.
He barely knew Kaede, and their relationship had been strictly professional so far. While he respected Korosensei, Tsuna was always pragmatic.
He prioritized his own safety above all else, especially in situations that didn't directly concern him.
"..."
Korosensei fell silent for a moment, his gaze lingering on Tsuna's casual expression.
It was as if this situation held no real importance to him.
Yet, Korosensei's instincts told him that having Tsuna along could be invaluable. Struggling with the words, he finally began, "I'll pay you twice the amount of your sess—"
"Kayano-san is indeed a precious student of mine. It would be unfortunate if something were to happen to her..."
Before Korosensei could finish, Tsuna's figure suddenly appeared right in front of him, his hand gripping one of Korosensei's tentacles in a firm handshake.
"..."
The silence that followed was loud.
The students collectively rolled their eyes, fully understanding now what Tsuna truly meant when he referred to them as "customers."
The gentle smile and kind expression on Tsuna's at the moment was enough explanation.
"...He's a psycho."
"A broke one..."
"Yeah..."
The students murmured among themselves as they watched the scene unfold, a mix of exasperation and disbelief coloring their voices.
Tsuna simply shrugged off the students' murmurs or perhaps just chose to ignore them, despite hearing every word clearly.
Sure, the money was a factor, but there was another, equally compelling reason for his sudden change in attitude.
Ding!
A loud system notification, one he had long forgotten about, suddenly appeared before his eyes once more.
[Mission: Help Korosensei Remove Kayano Kaede's Tentacles!]
[Reward: Limit Breaker (A Clue)]
[Description: Gain information on rare ingredients that can help anyone break through their limitations!]
This was exactly what he needed at that moment!
For the past few weeks, Tsuna had felt stagnant.
His progress had slowed, especially when it came to increasing the weight on his training buckles—a stark contrast to the rapid improvements he had seen when he first started using them.
"Maybe I've hit my limit," Tsuna quietly mused, considering the possibility. He knew that getting stronger would take time, especially since he was still young and had room for growth.
But this mission... this might be the breakthrough he was searching for.
A way to accelerate his growth!
"Wait a minute..."
Tsuna blinked, suddenly recalling something important, "I thought you were broke? How did you even save up 8 million?"
"Ohoho..."
Korosensei's expression brightened, his tentacles squirming mischievously as he responded, "I don't have 8 million."
"Huh?"
Tsuna's previously cheerful demeanor instantly crumbled. His brows knitted together in confusion and frustration. "Are you pulling my legs?"
"Well, it's true that I don't have it," Korosensei admitted, his smile slowly curling into a sly smirk. His expression darkened as he added with a menacing undertone, "But who said the government doesn't?"
He had threatened them before; he could do it again!
"...."
The students exchanged glances, their faces all displaying a deadpan expression. Korosensei's words seemed oddly inappropriate, given the situation.
Even Karasuma couldn't help but feel slightly speechless, mumbling under his breath, "...Lucky you."
It seemed like he had been wanting to do the same for quite some time now.
Back to Tsuna, his eyes lit up with understanding as he nodded, "Alright, I don't care where the money comes from. As long as I get paid, that's all that matters."
Mission activated and the commission accepted!