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Although Tsuna was filled with countless complaints and frustrations, he didn't put the Vongola ring back into the box.
Unlike before, he didn't refuse to wear the Vongola ring as he once might have.
After facing several battles, Tsuna had come to realize one thing…
The enemy won't back down just because of your weakness or surrender.
In fact, they'll see it as an opportunity to bully you further, making the situation even worse.
Seeing Squalo's confused look earlier, Tsuna didn't believe that a mere defeat would stop him from causing trouble in the future.
Next time, who knows how many people he'll bring with him?
In that case…
Instead of waiting around, vulnerable and unprepared for when the enemy inevitably returns to hurt those close to him…
It's better to take the initiative and uncover the truth behind all this!!
At the moment, Basil had no more useful information to offer, and Reborn wasn't with him.
This was shaping up to be a major challenge for Tsuna.
But that didn't matter.
Tsuna wasn't the same person he used to be.
After all, in his circle of acquaintances…
There were people like Bianchi, the Poison Scorpion; Dr. Shamal, the Trident; and even Colonello, the Arcobaleno who trained them—all of whom held significant status within the Mafia world.
Tsuna was confident that they would have access to some vital information.
However…
As Tsuna mulled things over, Takeshi and Hayato's attention shifted toward the ornate box Basil had opened.
Without overthinking it, Takeshi casually reached out, picked up one of the half Vongola rings that caught his eye, and immediately slipped it onto his finger.
"So, this is the symbol of the Guardian? This mafia game is getting more and more interesting~"
Takeshi laughed heartily.
It was hard to tell whether he was genuinely confused or just playing along, but his carefree attitude instantly set Hayato off.
"Hey! You idiot!!!"
"How dare you take a ring without permission from the Tenth!?"
Hayato shouted at Takeshi, clearly furious.
But despite his loud protests, the way his eyes kept darting toward the ring showed what he was really thinking.
Tsuna quickly intervened, waving his hand to diffuse the tension.
"Alright, alright, stop arguing."
"Hayato, both you and Takeshi are my Guardians, so it's only right that you have a ring too."
"Since Takeshi and I have already chosen, you should pick one as well."
Though Tsuna's intelligence wasn't always on point, his emotional awareness was impeccable.
As the only "normal" person in the entire Vongola family, he could clearly read Hayato's feelings.
"Really!? Jūdaime!?"
Sure enough, upon hearing Tsuna's approval, Hayato's eyes lit up with excitement and joy.
After all…
This meant his efforts had been recognized by Tsuna!
Without hesitation, Hayato turned his attention to the box, eagerly picking out his Vongola ring.
Interestingly enough…
Even though Basil hadn't explained the specific meanings behind the different Vongola rings or their corresponding Guardians...
Takeshi and Hayato still managed to instinctively choose the Rain and Storm rings that matched their attributes.
And Tsuna, of course, put on the only half of the Sky Ring, as if it was meant to be.
Perhaps this was fate.
...
...
"I'm home!" Tsuna called out as he entered the house.
Just as he was about to explain to his mother, Nana, that they'd be having guests today, an unexpected figure caught his eye.
Standing in the entryway was a disheveled blond man wearing a white vest. He'd already changed into slippers and was about to walk inside.
Hearing Tsuna's voice, the man stopped and turned around.
"Tsuna!?"
A wide, goofy grin spread across the man's face the moment he saw his eldest son. He immediately reached out for a hug.
"Dad?!"
It took Tsuna a moment to process who the strange man before him was. But then it hit him—this was his long-lost father.
What shocked Tsuna even more was…
"Reborn?! You're back?!"
Tsuna swiftly dodged his father's attempted hug, his eyes locking onto the small figure standing beside him—a baby dressed in black.
The baby slowly turned around, flashing Tsuna a familiar smile that filled him with relief.
"Yep, I'm back, useless Tsuna!"
"Hey, Tsuna! Am I invisible to you?! Why are you ignoring me?!"
Sawada Iemitsu let out a loud, indignant cry as he watched Tsuna completely overlook him and focus on Reborn instead.
However…
Tsuna paid him no mind.
He had too many memories of being tricked by his unreliable father.
Like the time his dad led him to stand in front of a bull, only to get drenched in its spit...
Or when he thought Tsuna liked Chihuahuas, so he left him alone to "play" with one, even though it terrified him…
Not to mention the time his dad left him hanging on the edge of a wall for hours because he forgot to help him down…
And then, there was the fact that Iemitsu had been on a two-year business trip, with no word from him, leaving Tsuna to believe all of his mother's made-up stories…
For Tsuna, it was hard to acknowledge this man as his father.
And with so much happening regarding the Vongola, he really wanted to discuss the situation with Reborn as soon as possible.
But…
Before Tsuna could say a word, Basil, who had entered the room behind him, stepped forward and addressed Sawada Iemitsu respectfully:
"My Lord! I've completed the mission you entrusted to me!"
"The Vongola rings have been successfully delivered to Lord Tsunayoshi Sawada!"
...
...
For a moment, the entire entryway fell silent.
Tsuna, who was about to speak with Reborn, suddenly froze as if someone had hit pause.
After a long, stunned silence, he slowly turned to face his father, eyes wide with shock.
"Your… Your Lord?!"
Now that Tsuna knew Basil's true identity, he also understood the status of the person whom Basil had just addressed as "My Lord."
And that realization left him completely floored.
At that moment, Reborn suddenly leaped high into the air, landing on Iemitsu's shoulder. He immediately said:
"Let me introduce you, Tsuna..."
"Sawada Iemitsu, your father, is the BOSS of Vongola's external advisory organization!"
"He holds the authority to control all of Vongola's operations in times of crisis!"
"What!?"
Tsuna was left in shock.
His father... was part of the mafia?
And here he was, thinking all along that his father was just a hardworking coal miner.
Turns out, he had been deceived the whole time!
Tsuna stood in stunned silence. After a long pause, he sighed deeply.
Oh well.
When you think about it, at least now it makes sense why the Ninth Vongola insists on making him the Tenth.
It must be, in part... connected to his father's scheming ways, not just his lineage from the First Vongola Boss.
Just as Tsuna was about to say something more, his mother, Nana, called out from the kitchen:
"Tsuna, are you back?"
"Hurry and wash your hands, dinner's ready."
"Your father is always so...!"
Nana's voice trailed off as she stepped out of the kitchen with a spatula in hand, only to freeze when she saw Iemitsu.
Her eyes widened, and the spatula fell from her grasp.
In the blink of an eye, she turned into a woman overwhelmed with affection, rushing forward to embrace Iemitsu.
"Dear!!!"
Just like that, a serious mafia meeting was derailed by Nana's heartwarming reunion.
Seeing this, Tsuna sighed deeply.
Here we go again. Everything's back to the way it was.
That familiar feeling of being the third wheel had returned.
But at least this time, he wasn't the only one feeling out of place.
...
With Nana's thoughtful preparation, dinner felt more like a party.
At some point, Ace appeared out of nowhere, holding a beer and clinking glasses with Iemitsu.
They feasted on meat and drank merrily.
But as the clock ticked past 10:30 PM, Tsuna had no choice but to see Takeshi and Hayato off, reminding them to meet at school the next day to plan their next steps.
...
The sound of water swirling down the toilet filled the air as Tsuna quietly watched.
"When will this madness end?" he muttered.
"Whatever, I should just go to bed."
It was almost morning, and with school the next day, Tsuna decided to put his mafia concerns aside and focus on being a good student.
As he walked to his bedroom and opened the door, he was startled to find Ace and Iemitsu, both drunk but sitting on the floor with serious expressions.
Reborn, who had supposedly gone to bed early, was now wide awake, sitting on Tsuna's desk.
"You..."
Tsuna stood there, dumbfounded.
Iemitsu, with a serious look, spoke first:
"You're late, Tsuna."
"..."
Tsuna fell silent.
Do they not realize I was cleaning up the mess they made with Mom earlier?
Though he wanted to complain about his father's reckless behavior, Tsuna sensed this was an important moment. He closed the door, sat down on the floor, and extended his right hand.
The half of the Vongola Sky Ring he wore caught the moonlight, casting a dim white glow.
Suddenly, Reborn, Iemitsu, and Ace all showed subtle changes in expression.
So, he's wearing it after all.
Iemitsu stared at Tsuna, feeling a strange sense of unfamiliarity. He had always thought Tsuna would do anything to avoid becoming the Vongola Decimo.
But it seemed his son had changed a lot during his absence.
The only question was whether this change was for the better or worse.
Iemitsu glanced over at Ace, but Ace wasn't paying attention.
Instead, the moment Tsuna raised his right hand, Ace felt something unexpectedly familiar about his aura...
It was the same aura Ace had—a kingly presence!
Of course, it was impossible for Tsuna, from the world of Reborn!, to have awakened the Conqueror Haki from the One Piece verse.
But still, it showed... Tsuna had the potential to become a [King]!!!
Among them, only Reborn appeared unaffected, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly as he watched Tsuna's growth with quiet satisfaction.
Tsuna, unaware of the others' reactions, suddenly spoke up:
"I was going to ask Reborn..."
"But since you're Vongola's external advisor, Dad, you must know what's going on, right?"
"..."
Iemitsu's eyes flickered under Tsuna's serious gaze.
After a brief pause, Iemitsu took a deep breath and answered:
"To be honest, I haven't completely figured things out."
"Just a few days ago, the Ninth suddenly issued an order, declaring his son XANXUS as the next boss of Vongola."
"This went completely against what he had previously discussed with me..."
"So I had to act quickly, using all the resources of the external advisors to bring half of the Vongola Rings back to Japan."
"Right now, we're still investigating what's really going on with the help of other members of the external advisory board."
"But..."
At this, Iemitsu looked at Tsuna and then at Reborn.
After Reborn gave a nod, Iemitsu continued:
"During the investigation, I unexpectedly ran into Reborn, who had returned from Italy."
"He realized that the current Ninth is actually an imposter, and the real Ninth has vanished without a trace."
"So, Reborn and I decided to organize the Ring Battle here in Japan, following Vongola's tradition."
"You and your guardians will face off against XANXUS and his guardians in a fair battle."
"The winner of this battle will become Vongola's true Decimo!"
A shaft of moonlight filtered through the window, casting a glow on the Vongola Ring in Tsuna's hand.
The room fell silent once more.
After a long pause, Tsuna quietly asked:
"The Ring Battle?"
"Vongola Decimo?"
"Why does everything always have to come down to pointless fighting?"
Tsuna raised his head, his eyes calm and steady.
He turned to Reborn and asked:
"Reborn, you know where XANXUS and his guardians are, don't you?"
Reborn paused for a moment, then nodded.
"Varia's base is no secret among Vongola's upper ranks."
"In that case..."
Tsuna suddenly stood up, a bright flame igniting on his forehead.
The fierce light illuminated the entire room.
With his right hand stretched out, Tsuna stared at the Vongola Ring on his finger and declared:
"I've made up my mind."
"We're going to Italy."
"This time, I won't let the enemy hurt innocent people again."
"I won't let those who stir up conflict harm my friends anymore."
"This time..."
"I'll crush all danger before it can even take root."