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At the same time...
While Ace was stirring up trouble at Kokuyo Junior High School, Takeshi's injuries were rapidly healing under the care of Shamal, a renowned underground doctor.
In just one day, Takeshi had regained full mobility, despite being covered in scars. Judging from his cheerful demeanor, it seemed that the effects of his injuries would soon vanish entirely.
"What an incredible recovery rate!" Shamal exclaimed, visibly astonished as he examined Takeshi.
Though he'd practiced medicine for years, this was the first time Shamal had witnessed someone with such remarkable healing abilities. He subconsciously glanced at Reborn, who stood nearby.
"To be under Reborn's protection, it's no wonder Vongola found such a capable guardian so quickly," Shamal thought. He now understood why Vongola Ninth trusted Reborn so deeply.
After composing himself, Shamal reported Takeshi's condition to Tsuna and the others who had come to visit.
"That's great!" Tsuna said with a sigh of relief after hearing that Takeshi would make a full recovery. His heart, which had been in his throat all day, finally settled as he sat down on a nearby chair, patting his chest.
However, Tsuna barely had time to relax for more than three seconds before Reborn suddenly jumped onto the table in front of him. His large eyes gleamed as they fixed intently on Tsuna.
"So, when are you going to handle that matter?" Reborn asked.
"Huh?" Tsuna blinked in confusion, taken aback. "What matter?"
"Obviously, I'm talking about the mission given to you by the Ninth! You idiot!" 'Bang!' Reborn kicked Tsuna out of his chair, sending him sprawling across the floor.
After landing, Reborn pulled out the Ninth's order once again and held it up to Tsuna.
"Don't forget, if you don't deal with the escaped prisoners before things escalate, you'll face judgment from the Vongola!" Reborn scolded. "Or... do you want to see more people get hurt?"
"I..." Tsuna looked at Takeshi, who was already up and moving around despite the doctors' advice, with a pained expression.
"But..." Tsuna mumbled, lowering his head. "With my strength, I can't defeat those guys..."
Though he wanted to protect his friends and avenge Takeshi, his own weakness felt like a heavy burden, limiting his actions.
Suddenly, a familiar voice called out from behind him.
"You still have my strength, Judaime-sama!"
"Hayato-kun!?" Tsuna spun around and saw Hayato standing in the doorway with flowers in hand.
Hayato walked into the room, placed the flowers beside Takeshi's bed, and then confidently approached Tsuna, pointing a thumb at his chest.
"Juudaime, you don't need to worry! I overheard what Reborn said!"
"It's a mission from the Ninth, right? That's awesome!" Hayato declared excitedly. "Once you complete this task, your position as Jūdaime will be set in stone!"
Hayato's enthusiasm was palpable. Before Tsuna could say anything, Hayato was already firing off like a machine gun.
To Hayato, the Ninth's mission was proof that Tsuna was the rightful heir to the Vongola family. It also reaffirmed his own decision to follow Tsuna.
With a fierce expression, Hayato suddenly vowed, "Don't worry, Juudaime! I'll blow away any enemy that stands in your path!"
As a man determined to be Tsuna's right-hand, Hayato had always prepared himself. Even though Ace hadn't called for training the day before, Hayato had gone to the river and trained alone, following Ace's previous regimen.
Under Ace's "borrowed" Navy training plan, Hayato's physical abilities had improved dramatically. He was confident that no matter who the enemy was, he could defeat them!
"Hayato-kun, you..." Tsuna, who had been trying to find the right words, was left speechless by Hayato's resolve. Seeing his friend's excitement reignited a fire in Tsuna's heart as well.
He realized that retreat was no longer an option. Even if he didn't pursue the escaped prisoners, they would eventually come after him.
Rather than wait helplessly, it was better to take action!
Emboldened by Hayato's passion, Tsuna clenched his fists and looked at both Reborn and Hayato.
"Alright! Let's go after those escaped prisoners!" he declared.
Tsuna wasn't entirely without hope. After all, with Reborn's Dying Will Bullet, his strength increased dramatically, to the point of making him nearly invincible.
That was the only reason a weakling like him could even think about facing the escaped prisoners.
However, just as Tsuna made his decision, an unexpected voice interrupted:
"Is this a mafia game to hunt escaped prisoners? You can't leave without me!!!"
"Takeshi-kun!?" Tsuna turned around, astonished to see Takeshi standing, despite being tightly wrapped in bandages.
"Why are you out of bed!?"
"It's fine!" Takeshi reassured him, as Tsuna rushed over to help him. But before Tsuna could reach him, Shamal stepped forward.
"I gave him a special injection," Shamal explained. "Even with his injuries, moving around for the next day or two won't cause any harm."
After that, Shamal turned to Reborn with a smile. "Is that alright with you, Reborn?"
Reborn nodded with a smile and glanced at the trio standing together—Takeshi, Hayato, and Tsuna.
"It looks like the Vongola Revenge Team is complete," Reborn declared. "Let's not waste any more time. It's time to set out, loser Tsuna!"
"Huh? What is going on here?" Tsuna asked, looking at the people around him, who seemed to be far more informed than he was.
Suddenly, it dawned on him.
"Wait... did you plan all of this yesterday!? Reborn!?"
Tsuna realized that Reborn hadn't invited him to visit Takeshi as a mere hospital visit—it was all a pretext to gather them for the mission.
"No wonder neither Ace-sensei nor Reborn went home yesterday... you've been planning this all along!" Tsuna grumbled, feeling once again like he'd been left in the dark as everything had been arranged without his knowledge.
However, after hearing Tsuna's words, a strange smile crept across Reborn's face, sending a chill down Tsuna's spine.
Whenever Reborn smiled like that, Tsuna knew trouble was coming.
And, sure enough...
Reborn turned to Tsuna and warned, "Don't mistake me for Ace."
"When you find out what that guy did, I wonder if you'll still feel so calm."
To be honest, even Reborn, the world's strongest hitman who rarely showed emotion, was shocked when he learned what Ace had pulled at Kokuyo Junior High School the previous day.
All he could think was... Tsuna and the others would have to brace themselves for the storm coming their way from Mukuro and his group.
——
Later that afternoon
At the entrance of Kokuyo Junior High School, Tsuna and his group stood in front of the ruined campus, exchanging bewildered looks.
Tsuna gestured to the wreckage in front of him, confusion clear on his face.
In his memory, there had been a small, quiet park in this area a few years ago. Now, it looked like a battlefield—reduced to rubble, as if a missile had just hit.
"If we hadn't seen the news, we might've thought someone had dropped another bomb here!" Tsuna muttered.
"Are those guys really hiding in there?" Hayato asked, eyeing Reborn skeptically.
Unlike the original timeline, Reborn hadn't called in reinforcements like Bianchi this time, per Ace's request. Only Tsuna, Hayato, and Takeshi had come along. After all, Ace had set up just three opponents for them. Any more people would've been unnecessary.
'Creak—'
A rusty sound broke the silence as the gates of Kokuyo Junior High School slowly swung open. The group cautiously stepped inside, their senses on high alert.
——
Meanwhile, within the ruins of Kokuyo Junior High School...
Ace, who had been waiting for this moment, suddenly stood up. Smiling at Mukuros before him, he said, "Looks like Tsuna and the others have arrived."
"Time to start the show!"
"I'll leave the rest to you."
The three bowed respectfully. "Rest assured, Sir Ace!" they replied in unison.
After gaining their newfound power, their loyalty to Ace intensified to near fanatical devotion. No matter how friendly Ace seemed, to them, he was a god-like figure, far beyond an equal. If not for Ace insisting they call him "Sir," they would have addressed him as "Lord."
After receiving their orders, Mukuro raised his trident. The number on the Eye of Six Paths shifted to [One], representing the realm of hell.
With a gust of wind, the trio's bodies dissolved into smoke, vanishing into the ruins.
Watching the scene unfold, Ace stretched leisurely, a smile of anticipation on his face. "Now, let's enjoy the show~"
——
"Reborn, are you sure this intel is correct?" Tsuna asked, his voice tinged with disbelief as he surveyed the ruins around him.
"Don't doubt my abilities, useless Tsuna!" Reborn snapped, leaping high into the air. He formed an "OK" sign with his fingers and flicked Tsuna's forehead in one swift motion.
"Ouch! That hurts..." Tsuna groaned, stumbling back while clutching his head.
But just then, something strange caught his eye. A glint of light flashed in the grass nearby, and a split second later, sharp claws lunged toward Takeshi's back.
"Watch out, Takeshi-kun!" Tsuna shouted.
Takeshi, whose back had become sensitive from his injuries, instinctively ducked and, without even looking, swung his baseball bat behind him.
'Clang!'
The sound of metal clashing echoed through the air. Emerging from the shadows behind Takeshi was a beastly figure.
"Impressive. You managed to block my attack," said the figure, Ken, his expression now serious.
But in his mind, he thought with a sharp edge, 'Let's see what makes you so special, the reason Sir Ace speaks so highly of you!'
Without wasting a moment, Ken shifted into a battle stance. He lifted one leg and swung it like a crescent moon toward Takeshi.
"Huh?" Takeshi, sensing danger, immediately used his full strength to deflect the attack with his bat. Then, in one powerful leap, he jumped into the air.
At that instant, an invisible air slash shot out from beneath Takeshi, slicing straight toward a crumbling wall behind him.
'Bam!'
The air slash struck the wall, causing it to tremble before it split in two and collapsed to the ground. Tsuna and the others watched in stunned silence.
"You've got to be kidding me!" Tsuna gasped, staring at Ken in disbelief. He had just unleashed an attack straight out of an anime—barehanded!
At that moment, Tsuna's entire worldview shattered.
Little did he know... under Ace's training plan, in less than half a year, nearly every member of the Vongola family, save for Lambo, would master the Navy Six-Style techniques.
It would soon become a standard skill for Vongola guardians.
But for now, this Tempest Kick technique was something only Ken and Chikusa, the two who had fully mastered the Navy Six-Style, could use.
"Impressive," Ken remarked with a hint of admiration. "You actually dodged my attack."
As Takeshi soared through the air, a flicker of surprise crossed Ken's beast-like face.
But in the next moment, a more violent and savage gleam ignited in his eyes.
"In that case, try this move again!"
"Six-Style Finger Gun – Beast Claw!"
A menacing black aura, thick with blood energy, erupted from Ken's body, enveloping his outstretched claws. This dark force was none other than the Armament Haki that Mukuro had bestowed upon him.
The precision of the Finger Gun technique, enhanced by the power of the Haki—this was Ken's most devastating attack!
Clang!
*Shred!*
The clash of metal and the sickening sound of flesh being pierced echoed together.
Ken recoiled, pulling his hand back as a mist of blood filled the air.
His face grew pale. His bloodied hand instinctively reached for the spot between his shoulder and neck.
Across from him, Takeshi stood, gripping a sword that gleamed coldly. His chest bled from five puncture wounds, the marks of Ken's savage strike.