Katekyo Hitman Reborn!: Birth Of The Neo-Vongola Era (Muse & Koibito)


"Ngggh ...."

Morning always arrived way too quickly. Without fail, Yukiko always firmly believed in this opinion, and it seemed to be more accurate if she had spent the night before with a fuck buddy. So the moment she felt the sun begin to shine through the window and land upon her skin, she groaned and rolled in protest. Was it a childish gesture? Absolutely. But that wasn't going to stop her from responding in the only way that felt correct, not even with knowing Akio could easily hear her.

In fact, it was precisely because she was expecting him to be awake now ... or soon ... that she would finally speak at all.

"I'll get up in a few more moments to make breakfast. We head out afterwards but before I cook ..."

Yukiko would slide out of her bed and walk towards the bathroom. Before she got too far out of earshot, she quickly added, "If you can behave, you can join. Otherwise, use your own shower."

Regardless of what Akio would choose to do or not do, Yukiko would sneak one last glance at him. After admiring him briefly, she turned away, wearing a very content smirk. At least she had last night to help keep her satisfied long enough, as well as the promise of making up for cutting their session short. For now, she focused on the main task at hand ... which was getting herself presentable first and foremost.

A sigh that just barely avoided sounding akin to a moan resounded as she stepped into the shower and felt the warm water quickly begin greeting every inch and curve of her body. A hot shower was just as good, sometimes better, than a very hard and much needed fuck.



Tsukiko, meanwhile, had been awake. She had always been used to assisting Nana with chores, particularly cooking. This morning was no exception and, thankfully, the talk she'd had with Tsuna at least succeeded in making her less anxious. Or - gods forbid - succumb to even worse emotions. She was certainly still frustrated with him being constantly dragged away, oh hell yes.

But at least she felt more hopeful. And although she hadn't assumed Chrome would be aiding in that fear becoming a reality, hearing her reassure her helped further calm her ... which led to Tsukiko being in a much better mood. There were other factors helping out, like the lunch she'd had and being able to hang out with Yuri and Touma, but being home and able to start over was just as good.

"You going to go get your brother and wake him up?" Nana inquired while Tsukiko helped her place food on each of the plates. A coy grin quickly appeared on Tsukiko's face as she shook her head.

"Chrome will probably be able to help with that. We'll see if I need to in the first place. But unless I'm given any cues to do so, no."

In truth, Chrome had been awake for about ten minutes. She hadn't completely adjusted to the new surroundings. It was weird ... but in a good way. Definitely not bad. Alas, her body and mind were just used to being in the old, abandoned school for living, let alone sleeping. So she had to remind herself upon waking up why she was in her Boss' house, as well as bed.

A quick downward glance revealed that Tsuna was indeed still asleep. Nodding at the sight, she took advantage of the unconscious figure and carefully stepped over him, moving to her small bag. A slight frown appeared; it hadn't dawned on her just how little she'd had until she found herself looking at the small handful of extra outfits. It was something at least ... but it was clear a trip to the mall was something that would need to be arranged, and likely sooner than later.

For now though, she had more than enough to change and get ready for whatever today would bring.

After getting clad in her skirt and top combination, she leaned down and gently shook Tsuna by the shoulders. "Boss. You need to wake up. Breakfast is done. I can smell it from here."
 
Akio was awake only shortly before Yukiko, still groggy when she protested getting up at all. With a silent smirk to Yukiko's conditions, the blonde did indeed follow her into her shower, and did indeed behave.... Mostly. After all it would have been rude not to help wash Yukiko's back after all, while making sure to get every little curve and crease.

Alas Akio did have to get ready as well and so he washed with Yukiko, still edging on good behavior for now.


Tsuna stirred lightly before he woke to Chrome's gentle urging. While he didn't need to get used to the place he woke up in like Chrome did, Tsuna certainly had to get used to waking up to her. To hear the soft way she called to him, her 'Boss', as the first thing he sees is the unique pineapple shape of her dark hair dangling down over him from aside her delicate face - well it wasn't so bad a way to wake up in the morning if he had to be up.

The way she addressed him too... Tsuna certainly, most definitely, without a doubt did NOT want to be a Mafia Boss. Though, when Chrome said it, it was probably the only person he heard it from that wasn't too bad to hear. Maybe even... Pleasant?

Red forming in his cheeks, Tsuna shifted his attention to anything else and smelled the second most wonderful sense he picked up upon waking. His stomach growled in response which only deepened his blush, but at least he had a better excuse for it now.

"Aha... Y-yeah... Let's go eat" Tsuna said awkwardly half awake through the adrenaline as he sat up. Standing up and stretching, Tsuna grabbed the nearest clean white shirt and threw it on, staying in his pajamas for now.

"Good Morning, Tsukiko, Mom" Tsuna greeted politely as they all sat down for breakfast.

In the middle of their meal however, there was a rapid knock at the door. "Teeeeennth- er... Neo Vongola Primooooo" The familiar shouting of an overexcited Gokudera shouted through.

"Geh!!" Tsuna cringed at the sound, 'It's worse when he says that!' he thought to himself.

Upon entering, Hayato stood holding up a flyer of some kind. Surprisingly Reborn was sitting on his shoulder, the two apparently having met up first. "Look! We have to go!" Gokudera declared, handing the flyer to Tsukiko who happened to be closer than Tsuna.

It was some Namimori Paranormal Club flyer asking around for information on reports of mysterious happenings in Namimori Forest: a dense thicket on the outskirts of town that was often the center of all sorts of abnormal anecdotes and ghost stories. Most involved how hard it was to navigate and rumors of people getting lost as well as feeding on the fear of how dark it is at night due to the dense tree population.

"Hayato thinks he has a lead on a U.M.A. out in Namimori Forest" Reborn spoke up, "I thought we could all go help him search" he added.
 

The sensation of Akio cleaning her back was perhaps the only instance of touching that was welcomed and encouraged in the bath. It helped earn content sighs and moans of approval as she enjoyed him guiding the sponge slowly up and down her back. "Mmm, very nice. You make it real tempting to stay here longer than I should, you know?"

Which made it all the more annoying that wasn't an option right at that moment. Her brain quickly reminded her of the mission, making her mutter under her breath, "Yeah, yeah. Deal with that bitch soon, I know."

Granted, she did at least seem interesting and not like a pushover. But she wasn't nearly as hyped about this as Akio was, though ... who knew? Maybe going out with him and seeing this Adelheid would help her out. And that was when another thought came to Yukiko's head, which got voiced as she began to return the favor and wash Akio's back.

"Bother Yuri long enough to see if she's got definite coordinates on this girl. I'd rather catch her outside of that hotel than in it ... mainly in case she is good enough to hold her own. We don't need unwanted attention being drawn to us."

After finishing washing her hair and the rest of her body up, Yukiko stepped out and began looking through her wardrobe. She was studying each article of clothing carefully. That alone indicated she was in her more serious mode at the moment.

If the tone hadn't hinted how seriously she was taking this mission, her outfit she got clad in would. Skimpier items were for fun. And while some people could argue the top was questionable, it would be the sight of jeans that helped get rid of any doubts. Jeans were only worn during missions like this, when she acknowledged she could get legitimately hurt and was refusing to make it overly simple for her potential targets to cause any dire harm to her.

Wordlessly, she exited her room and went first to the kitchen to cook up breakfast for the Familigia. From what she'd seen and heard, Adelheid had been smart enough not to use any of her Flames in front of the cameras .... which meant one of two things. She couldn't use them ... which wasn't likely in Yukiko's mind, or she could but wasn't showing them off. She was betting on B, and only slightly irked about that.

Mainly because they still didn't know what exactly Enma's were. The gravity effect was the best they'd had to go on, but as far as what Flame it was or what it could have done had they not collared and eliminated his ability to use his Flames? Nope, nothing. Yukiko clicked her tongue as she began setting ingredients down, then grabbing numerous bowls as she got to work.

Yuri, meanwhile, had already woken up. The more accurate wording was she'd been awake since five in the morning, spending a good chunk of her time in front of the monitors. Now, however, she was actually taking Yukiko's spot and visiting Enma ... albeit in a less pleasant manner. With the snow constantly falling and weakening him, it had been stupidly easy to chain his wrists over his head and attach them to the top of his cell.

"Okay, boy," Yuri started after cutting his shirt open so his back was exposed. "You may not believe me, but Yukiko's actually been pretty damn civil with you. Perhaps too nice, so something's gotta give. These secrets ... are they really worth holding your tongue over? We just want the information, but goddamn you're making this so much more tougher on yourself. I'm not sure if it's more foolish or irritating."

Her head shook as she grabbed a bull whip and unfurled it. If he didn't peek over his shoulder to see what exactly had been grabbed and unfolded, he'd soon feel it as the whip mercilessly greeted his back, landing hard enough to threaten to draw blood.

... But whereas he may have expected another lashing within five to ten seconds, it didn't come that fast. If Enma counted, he'd get to thirty before the whip flew threw the air and a second mark was made.

"Really now, we have all the cards against you ... like more time, for example. In fact, the one we're steadily losing ... which is patience ... is now going to work against you instead of for you. And the more of us that get this way with you ... well ... your stay is going to become more and more painful. So ... you're either a huge M and just haven't begged for this yet, or are too stubborn to be smart in knowing what you should do."

An amused grin appeared on her face.

"Honestly, if you wanna keep the 'tough boy' act up ... I suppose you can. I hope your girlfriend is as great as you boasted about, because if she isn't ... this act of defiance will be for nothing. Hope you know and understand that much."

Hopefully, dropping the hint that some of them were intending to find and fight - if not worse - Adelheid would finally get him to panic and start speaking. Granted, it wouldn't change or cancel the mission, but he didn't need to know that. The third and fourth lashes would fall upon his back during the silence.

"So? Got anything to say about that? Or have you become cold and uncaring like the snow surrounding you?"


"See, mom? Chrome's got that covered now."

Nana merely grinned and chuckled, "It does look that way. You're fine with that?"

"Yeah. I wouldn't mind him if he wanted a newer face waking him up. Besides, I'm still doing this much among some other mundane tasks. I can afford to let Chrome take over a few things for me."

Chrome wasn't sure why ... but hearing that sort of thing made her oddly happy and ... blush? Yep, it did, though she wasn't sure why. Either way, she didn't question it and simply sat beside Tsuna, enjoying the breakfast with the Sawada family.

And then ... she supposed it should have been expected when Hayato arrived about half-way through the meal.

Wordlessly, Tsukiko got up and grabbed another plate, setting it down in front of Gokudera before resuming eating her own meal. Her attention quickly went to the flyer ... and she couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. "You'll have to forgive me for saying this, Hayato, but I didn't think you were into paranormal stuff. I actually thought that was something you actively avoided because you were scared and believed a bit too heavily into things like spirits and such?"

Chrome curiously tilted her head as she, too, glanced at the flyer. It seemed a bit odd for a club like the Paranormal one to be meeting over summer break ... but maybe not. A few other clubs did some meet ups over break. Still, she couldn't deny that the topic Hayato had brought over was incredibly intriguing. Almost as much as the idea of him liking these sorts of things was.

After nodding and studying the poster, Chrome first spoke up, "I don't see why not. We should join him."

Tsukiko quickly nodded in agreement, already knowing Tsuna was going to be a bit hesitant because ... well ... it was her twin brother. When it came to things like these? He wasn't exactly known for being the most brave. Thankfully, Tsukiko had come up with some responses meant to reassure him, "In the best case scenario, it won't be anything violent we find. Or, alternatively, we may not find anything at all. But I'm definitely coming along. I don't like staying inside all the time."
 
Akio nodded as the two discussed strategy while bathing one another. "Yeah, if we're really going to see a brilliant flame from her it's best in the open" he agreed if only for his own excitement over the task at hand. Though that didn't mean he wasn't focused on the job, quite the opposite if anything.

Slipping away to his own room the blond dressed in a black pair of jeans and another black tank top. He smirked to himself as he shook out his short wavy blonde hair, Akio was starting to really anticipate the upcoming mission. After breakfast he'd need to bug Yuri like Yukiko suggested.

As for now it was Enma who would see Yuri first today as the first sound different from the white noise around him he'd heard in days came from the door opening, startling him awake from the half sleep he could manage off and on in this place. In a constant state of grogginess, Enma was out of it when he first felt the tug of his cuffs lifting his arms over his head. Simply moving was a heavy task, his arms shaking as much from the minimal food giving him no energy as the cold. He barely registered that he was being turned around until his face was near the wall, Yuri behind him with... Something.

Enma breathed sharply as the cloth was cut open from his back, exposing his skin to the cold. This snow wasn't just that however, it was flames. Yes they were cold but being Dying Will Flames meant they didn't have to behave exactly like ice water. In this case that meant they could leave him there in that cold and while he would feel it to the fullest extent, it wouldn't actually freeze his skin, cause frostbite, or present any other limit to his torture before they would have to stop for any reason. Enma was stuck here, and with each flake that landed against his bare back he felt his own energy evaporate with it only making him endlessly weaker.

Crack! Enma hissed through a loud grunt as the whip slashed against his back with an alarmingly loud noise. He felt so numbly cold he almost didn't feel the initial lash, which only made the sharp pain that followed worse as it was all the more sudden as it surged through sensitive skin.

"Agghhck!" Enma coughed out in pain as he was whipped again for his silence.

"It's... S-s-s-stalling... You guys... Isn't it?..." Enma spoke up through weak, shaky breath as he mustered a small smirk. Whatever they wanted they almost had. It was obvious they could get to or at least go after Adelheid or his Famiglia without his cooperation, which meant what they needed from Enma was nothing more than a missing puzzle piece. Giving up information about the others or not, reacting to their threats or not, none of that made the situation any less convenient for this enemy.

No matter the promises, an enemy of his Famiglia... They had to be stalled by any means. All he could do would be to not tell them about his flames, keep whatever they needed as long as possible. It was the only way he was sure they would be slowed down in some way, which to Enma was the only way to preserve his Family regardless of their threats.



Gokudera was taken aback by the assumption, "what?! Are you kidding?!" Hayato gasped. "It's my DREAM to meet a U.M.A.!" He declared proudly with a fist held up, his eyes literally obscured by twinkles of light with how excited he was.

"Aha... Yeah it's kinda a big hobby of his" Tsuna backed him up, face slightly flushed as a sweat drop beaded his brow. "How did you even find this poster?" Tsuna asked.

"It was right outside my house!" Hayato answered eagerly.

"Who would deliver it right to-" Tsuna looked over to Reborn but was cut off by everyone else's interest.

"Chrome?" Tsuna asked rhetorically as he hadn't expected her to be into the idea. "Tsukiko?" He'd answered the same way when she tried to assure him, showing her own interest as well. He was outnumbered. Tsuna hung his head drastically, somehow it always ended up like this.

"C'mon Tsuna" Reborn said encouragingly at first, "don't wuss out on everyone, a Boss should support his Famiglia's hobbies" he added backhandedly through his always deceptively innocent expression.

"You don't have to say it like that..." Tsuna grumbled at Reborn. "I guess I can go, sure" Tsuna nodded, "but we still gotta be careful out in the woods okay?" He said, perhaps trying to sound protective though it came out sounding more scared than anything.

"Great! I'll get my gear and we'll meet up just off-" Hayato gave them the road and coordinates he would set up at before speeding off.

Later after breakfast and some time to get ready, the three of them would find Gokudera geared up and ready with Reborn likewise on his shoulder. Reborn was decked out in a safari hat and matching bush jacket, backpack and all. Hayato on the other hand was in more normal wear of jeans and a white t-shirt with designs on the front, but with a contrasting tan sleeveless safari vest over it, as well as a hat matching Reborn's complete with binoculars around his neck.

"W-woah... You're decked out Gokudera-Kun..." Tsuna said with a usual mixed sense of impressed and disbelief, noticing the large backpack he carried along with a side bag in his left hand.

"Of course!" Hayato was a glow, face lightly flushed with excitement at the possibilities of what they might find.
 

Tsukiko rose an eyebrow. She'd sworn she heard something about him being scared of the supernatural, but ... at this rate? Even if that were true, it was easy to see his excitement was all but shoving aside any fears and uncertainties Hayato may have had. Tsukiko nodded, flashing him a small smile as she focused on finishing up her breakfast .... only to soon hear she wasn't the only one willing to accompany Gokudera. Thank goodness she was in the midst of chewing, otherwise she would have chuckled then and there.

This was indeed how Tsuna's luck - or lack of some would argue - almost always tended to go. Without much, if any, fail. At the same time though, it was also the best chance Tsuna could have had with someone siding on him. Mainly just because Chrome was a wild card and much harder to predict compared to the other guys, but ... nope. She wanted in on this too, it seemed.

Ah well. Kinda works out better.

Chrome's head tilted slightly, indicating she'd heard as much. This time, however, Tsukiko was careful not to say too much. There was a very specific reason why ... and she wasn't gonna say it here or now.

After everyone finished up, Tsukiko started to grab the dishes before Nana shook her head. "Go on and get dressed. I'll grab all of these for once."

"A-alright. Thanks, mom!"

A quick jog up the stairs ... and soon she would find Chrome already in her room, looking something in between sheepish and nervous. "So ... umm .... mind if I borrow some of your clothes?"

" .... I suppose that trip does need to be arranged pretty quick, huh? Ummm ... there's only one real issue I have with it. I think a lot of mine may be a bit large."

"I can alter them as needed."

" ... I suppose you could, huh?" Tsukiko mused after hearing those words, nodding slowly at the thought. "Okay. Sure. What kind of outfit do you want?"

"Something close to what I'd usually wear."

Within moments, a skirt and blouse combo was tossed over towards Chrome. Tsukiko dug a bit more before grabbing a jeans and top combo for herself.

"Forgive me for asking, but are you trying to seduce someone with that outfit?"

"W-what? Why do you ask?"

"That's a lot of shoulders you're exposing."

Tsukiko quickly shook her head, blush already adorning her cheeks. "N-no. Definitely not my intentions. I give Tsuna somewhat of a troublesome joke, but it does seem to be at least partly true. But Hayato seems a lot more invested in him than me ... or any girl at that rate."

" .... Do you really think he's like that?"

Tsukiko shrugged. "I'm not gonna judge. He is half-Italian. Europeans in general ... well, a lot do support, if not partake, in non-hetero relationships, so ..."

"I suppose that is true," Chrome softly agreed, unable to argue with Tsukiko's logic.

"Besides," Tsukiko added, "Neither of them are the right guy."

"So you could have been ... if someone else were here?"

Tsukiko nodded, taking a moment to look long and hard over at Chrome. A soft sigh passed her lips before she forced herself to voice her thoughts, " ... Be honest with me. Am I really just that easy to read? Even without your Mist Flames."

Chrome grabbed some socks and shoes before dwelling on her answer while getting dressed. "Hmmm ... I don't think so. You're probably around older people who are used to reading other individuals more than much else. But especially if you want me to gauge you without my Flames? No, you're not too simple to read. You can be sometimes, but that's not the same as all the time. I just used common sense, really. You and Boss are both sixteen. Hormones are probably strong in you, so it wouldn't be too weird to think you may have a crush on someone."

"Okay. I'll accept that answer. Thank you. Just ... it is kind of annoying to think I'm too open of a book, per se. I don't want to be for all of my life, you know?"

"It's not necessarily the worst thing though, particularly if you do end up with someone. They can help you however they need to."

"True enough," Tsukiko replied as she grabbed her own pair of socks and shoes. Tsukiko shook her head and the thoughts away. Now wasn't the time to be focusing on such things. "Go on and meet up with my brother. I'll be down in a bit."

Sure enough, a few minutes after Chrome descended the stairs, Tsukiko would arrive with a backpack of her own. Inside were a few items ... just in case they were needed. A few flashlights with spare batteries should they stay out till dark, insect spray, her own cell phone, and in case it got too warm ... sunscreen.

"Alright. I'm ... pretty sure I grabbed enough. I'm ready."

"As am I," Chrome added.
 
Tsuna was still in his white T-shirt but had changed out of his pajamas into dark green cargo shorts. With that they had left to meet up with Hayato.

"You too, Te-... Neo Vongola Primo!" Gokudera commented as he noted the very large pack Tsuna happened to be carrying on his back.

"Tenth is fine!" Tsuna comically retorted sharply. "Uh... Yeah... Reborn made me carry a lot of stuff..." His legs were shaking because of the weight and long walk. Apparently before he'd left with Gokudera, Reborn had left the huge backpack in his room with a note basically ordering him to transport it here.

"Oh good you brought it" Reborn said all too casually for the importance his note seemed to place on it.

"I've already set up a few cameras" Hayato explained, one tripod set up behind him pointed into the forest, with a couple more around the perimeter as well.

"So what is all this stuff, Reborn?" Asked Tsuna.

"Let's head in first before getting it all out" Reborn replied shortly.

Tsuna supposed that made sense, it felt like a lot. It was definitely a hassle to bring it all, but Reborn always with the vague answers made Tsuna groan tiredly nonetheless. With that the group made their way in.

About twenty minutes of walking had gone by before Reborn stopped them, with Hayato setting up a camera or two on the way. "We can stop here a second" Reborn noted.

"Thank god..." Tsuna grunted as he tried to gently let the large pack down where he sat. "Whew..." He breathed out a sigh of relief letting off the heavy burden.

"Hey guys look!" Gokudera pointed out into the woods. When peering in through the light fog a small, thin shape could be made out. His eyes started to sparkle, "could that be it?!" He asked in an excited whisper.

"Tread carefully" Reborn warned.

Gokudera nodded and stepped ahead of the others with Reborn in tow. It wasn't far away enough to lose sight of them so Tsuna, and likely the others, waited back to let him investigate.

"WHAAAAAAAT?!" Hayato belted out in a shocked but disappointed tone.

"Gokudera!" Tsuna called out, huffing as he picked back up the pack, steadying himself before hurrying over to Hayato. "You okay?!" Tsuna asked worriedly as they approached to see that what they had seen was... A camera? The shape they had seen in the fog was another tripod camera set up.

"H-huh?" Tsuna scratched his head when they saw it. "Does... That mean others are out here too?" He asked.

"Gaaaaaah if we got a bunch of tourists around it'll be harder to-" Gokudera cut himself off as he eyed the camera. "Wait..." He peeked around, darting from side to side to behind the camera, checking it out suddenly very carefully.

"This...." Hayato looked a bit perplexed, "this is my camera... Did we get turned around?" he asked.

Reborn smirked subtly.

"We couldn't have" Tsuna proposed, "we've been walking in a straight line since you put the last camera up ten minutes ago" he remembered.

"How did we end up back at this one? I marked it and everything!" Gokudera protested their own apparent mistake, he really had thought ahead of everything as per usual, "so I know this is the one I just put up!" He revealed. "Could this..." Hayato loomed over the camera, "could this be the weird power of the forest the sightings have been talking about?!" He theorized with concern.

"I think this is the perfect spot" Reborn finally spoke up.

"Eh?" Tsuna looked worried, he knew Reborn had to have something to do with this!

"Let's begin" Reborn said. "This will now be the 'Storm Trial of the Neo Vongola Primo'" Reborn announced.

"WHAAAAAAAT?!" Tsuna replied in the same shock and volume as Gokudera when discovering the camera.

"First thing's first" Reborn ignored Tsuna's anxiousness. "No Vongola Gear" he told them, "you're only allowed to use what's in the pack" revealed Reborn about the purpose of the bag.

"You knew this would happen!" Tsuna accused as he set down the backpack.

"To be honest it was just rumors" Reborn replied, "but it's the perfect opportunity, now open the pack" he told them.

Undoing the top flap there would be a bunch of metal contraptions. Some seemed to be lures of some sort, a couple looked almost like bear traps but they had no spikes and looked like they folded a bit more complicatedly. "What even is all this?" Tsuna asked.

"Special traps I had commissioned" Reborn answered.
 

"Shouldn't we have mom drive us at least to the halfway point?"

Unfortunately, the question didn't click to Tsukiko until the group had walked about said distance. It hadn't clicked beforehand just exactly how far of a walk this would be ... something she scolded herself for. They'd even said they were going to the forest for crying out loud! Most of those were near, if not in, the outskirts of Namimori!

A long, frustrated groan echoed in her head. She damn well nearly jumped, however, when Chrome 'spoke' up.

At least you were able to join us.

A faint grin appeared on Tsukiko's face as she nodded in agreement.

Yeah, I do appreciate that much. But holy crap, did it have to be so far?

Chrome internally giggled and nodded.

Yeah, it is a lot further than I expected.

That response, however, made perfect sense to Tsukiko. She and Tsuna had been here their entire lives. Chrome had arrived not too long after Mukuro's arrest. Despite having two years to better improve herself or learn more about Namimori, you'd need to be incredibly devoted to learn about areas just barely outside of the actual city. And there were very, very, very few people Tsukiko could even guess may bother doing such a thing. Not that Chrome was stupid or anything, but she just didn't come off as that type of individual.

After what felt like forever, they were finally allowed to stop walking. Tsukiko slumped against a nearby tree, panting slightly. Chrome started to sit beside her ... up until Hayato started to move.

Couldn't it have been longer than a single second? Tsukiko internally whined.

I ... I agree with this ... Chrome replied, helping Tsukiko up to her feet before the two girls hurried to stay caught up with Hayato.

"How .. the hell are your legs moving? Aren't they burning by now? I didn't think you did track also." It was a jest meant to lighten up the mood. If nothing else, when this was completely finished, Tsukiko could definitely check off her daily work out. It was something she tried to get in even during the school breaks.

Suffice to say, Tsukiko was grateful for the bits of fog. It allowed her to roll her eyes safely. They'd really come here to find a camera of all things? That was stupid ... or so she thought at first. Then it got weird ... as Hayato revealed it was his that got set down.

"But ... I saw it back there too?"

She glanced over to Chrome, who replied with a confused but affirmative nod. "Okay, so then you didn't move it? With Mist Flames or anything?"

"N-no! There'd be no point in doing that, particularly without Hayato's permission."

"Didn't think so. Just making sure."

So ... what the hell was going on? It was seeming like they had found something alright, even if not a UMA. Ghosts and spirits didn't necessarily scare her ... not as bad as they did her brother. It depended on the nature and, hopefully, the moving of the camera was meant to come off as something pranky or at least more friendly than violent.

Finally ... Reborn dropped the shoe that everyone - well, Tsukiko at least - had been waiting to be dropped. This was indeed a trial. Her head shook as she heard the words. Honestly, this meeting had seemed a bit too perfect. She hadn't thought Hayato lied, made this up, or anything; but the timing was far too impeccable. And it'd been so quickly after Reborn had that meeting, so ... it made sense to Tsukiko this was the first of many more encounters she should expect.

After taking a somewhat shaky and nervous breath, Tsukiko moved forward with Chrome and found the contents of the pack Tsuna had been carrying. "Are ... these really going to work? I've never exactly seen a bear trap without spikes function before, so ... "

On the plus side, they would allow anyone to set them without hurting themselves nearly as bad if the spikes had still existed. That was definitely a plus, and not at all something Tsukiko would question. She carefully grabbed a few of the traps before glancing over at the camera. While keeping her eyes glued on it, her next words would be directed at Hayato, "Does ... that have any way to see if you can find out who or what may have moved it, by chance? Just ... so we can make have an idea on where exactly to start moving?"
 
It was something that crossed Tsuna's mind as well but he knew better by now that no doubt Reborn planned it that way. It was typical for Reborn to make things slightly less convenient or more of an ordeal if only to force him through more exercise. This time it seemed that included the others however and not just him. A negligible difference Tsuna didn't register at the moment. Though this little workout was revealed to be the first Trial that Reborn had spoke of.

Just Tsuna's luck...

"Mm" Reborn nodded to Tsukiko, "we don't want to hurt whatever we catch after all" he explained. "These special devices wont let go of something that easily" the tiny hitman added.

"What makes it so special?" Tsuna hesitantly questioned.

"I'm glad you asked" Reborn pointed up a finger, "first of all, these traps are set and activated by Dying Will Flames" he explained.

"So that's why we can't use our Vongola Gear..." Hayato had been taken aback like the rest of them but as usual he was quickly catching on.

"Yep" Reborn answered, "more specifically... Tsuna, you are only allowed to light the traps, with your Dying Will Flames" he pointed to Tsuna who gulped at the prospect of the rules Reborn was about to set for this supposed Trial. "Hayato, you are only allowed to set up the traps and instruct Tsuna on lighting them once you figure them out, but you're not allowed to pick where" Reborn instructed. He turned to Chrome and Tsukiko with a smile, "you two get to tell Gokudera where to place his traps - but no Flames or Gear either, Chrome" he told them. It seemed Reborn really didn't intend to leave Tsukiko out of this anymore, for better or worse.

"Wouldn't Gokudera know best where to place them?" Tsuna asked, he could sort of understand the cooperation lesson Reborn was likely trying to teach but dividing up the tasks so thinly seemed more counterproductive than an efficient team effort.

"Exactly" Reborn answered, "don't complain. You can't always use your best assets at all times, or even the skills and teamwork one usually prepares for" replied Reborn. "A Boss needs to help draw out his subordinates' strengths, but also needs to listen to them and let them bring out his own strengths" Reborn cryptically told them.

"But I'm not gonna be in the Mafia!" Tsuna protested, but as usual it fell on deaf ears as they all continued.

Hayato perked up when Tsukiko had asked about his camera, he hadn't thought of that. "Right!" He answered as he hurried over the camera. Tsukiko was right, if he could look through the footage they could see if anything had moved in front of the camera to grab it, or at least see how it moved from here to there. Gokudera started to clip back through the playback of what had been set up so far.

For a moment it seemed normal, he played the video from when they left and fast forwarded through here and there. For a while nothing was coming up, the camera as still as it was expected to be. Soon however something could be seen moving through the fog, closer and closer until the shadowy grouping was revealed to be them, the group of five coming back to the camera with nothing weird in between. That in of itself was odd... As by the looks of it, it seemed as if the camera wasn't moved but that they themselves had come back around to it.

"Did... Did we really get lost?" Tsuna asked, given that clearly the camera wasn't moved.

"Hmm... Well what if we try to back out of the woods and regroup?" Gokudera suggested. If they really were back where he first placed that camera, then they couldn't be too far from the edge of the forest itself.

"That sounds like the best idea..." Tsuna suggested hopefully, any excuse to get out of here even if he knew Reborn would make them just go back in.

Heading back the way they came however, the trip seemed to take longer without any break in the trees. That would be confirmed as in the fog a familiar shape could be seen that upon closer inspection was, once again, Gokudera's same camera.

"Whaaaaa?!" Tsuna shivered, were they caught in whatever the legends were about? Would they disappear without a trace like the rumors said?

"How?!" Hayato was frustrated in his own way, darting around the camera to look for any tampering but even the indents in the grass showed that the camera had indeed stayed exactly where he had originally placed it. The video of course showed the same thing; that, despite heading back the way they came away from the camera, they had somehow ended up back in the same place.

"It seems just like the others... We're lost in Namimori Forest" Reborn said purposefully eerily as he shone a flashlight under his face.

"AAAAAHHHH Don't say that!" Tsuna protested as he covered his ears almost as if not hearing it would make it untrue.

"It's okay, Neo Vongola Primo!" Hayato tried to bring his spirits up, "all the more reason to catch this U.M.A. and figure out how it's doing all this!" He offered.

"Right" Reborn agreed, "let's get started" he told them. "Besides, if we place more traps up we'll have landmarks to get us a bit less stuck by the camera" reasoned Reborn. "Tsukiko and Chrome, why don't you pick out the first spot for us?" He asked politely. They did have some options, along with the ground bear-trap looking objects there were some that were meant to be mounted on trees, some with rope to be slung over, as well as some extra provisions like regular rope, flags, hooks, and the like.
 

We don't?

The implication that whatever they were about to run into needed to be unharmed definitely grabbed Tsukiko's attention. Words like that hinted Reborn knew well enough whatever they would find. Or at least that it wouldn't be anything overly violent ... which, prior till hearing his words, was not anything that any of them had a guarantee on. Sure, they could all hope for a peaceful encounter, but that was a chance ... or it was supposed to be. But going off the way Reborn was speaking ... he sounded extremely confident they would be fine.

In the end, Tsukiko merely nodded and tucked the knowledge away. As chaotic as Reborn and his 'trials' tended to be, there was at least one major point that Tsukiko had always noticed, and it was that he truly did have good intentions when all was said and done. So if only for that reason, she'd put her trust into him rather than question him. The gesture of being included certainly helped her faith in Reborn.

However, even if he tried to keep her away, she'd at least have enough trust in the Arcobaleno to ensure her brother returned safe enough.

Finally, he began explaining how exactly this trial was going to go. And when the girls heard their role .... they both looked at one another, clearly a bit anxious. While Tsukiko did know how to use her Flames, it wouldn't have done her any good in picking out a good spot. Chrome's would have though ... and now the realization that they were going to have to use pure instincts was a bit intimidating.

For Tsukiko, she had a pretty decent hunch that Hayato knew the 'right' answers already. Chrome? It was rare for her to not use her Flames. She didn't use them nearly as often or in as large of an amount to keep her organs in decent shape, but she did still have to invest some power in keeping herself from abruptly dying of something failing on her.

"Okay then," Tsukiko finally said, giving Chrome a reassuring nod as she then turned her head and began to look around with the Mist user. They at least seemed to decide one smart thing from the get-go; since they were both helping determine where these traps went, they'd split up. Chrome would pick spots behind the camera and guys while Tsukiko would do so from in front of them.

"If you don't mind," Tsukiko finally called out, the words clearly addressed to Reborn despite her gaze remaining firmly focused on the ground whilst still looking for a good place, "Since me and Chrome are both in charge of the same task, can we pick out our own places? It makes sense and we can get more traps prepared quicker."

After seeing an affirmative nod, both women continued their search, seeming to double their concentration and efforts on their tasks at hand.

"I think I got mine," Chrome would state. When Hayato turned, he'd see she was three steps behind him, albeit slightly to the right of the camera. He wouldn't need to wait long, however, for Tsukiko to speak up.

"I've got mine also."

She had also taken three paces. The other difference, aside from being in front versus behind the group, was she was right in front of the camera. There was no angle. She had noticed when Hayato reviewed the footage that whatever had moved seemed to go very directly at the camera. She was taking advantage of noting what she'd seen and hoping to use that to help them. It made sense that if this thing - whatever it may or may not be - truly was curious about the camera, it would want to try to approach it again.

So it made sense to place at least one trap in the same path towards the camera.

Both women would stay put, allowing Gokudera to come forward and set each trap down. While Tsuna would begin activating each device, they then began looking for different places to put the new traps down at. If anyone paid close enough attention, they could see a ghost of a smirk appearing on Tsukiko's face.

Okay ... so maybe this training was a bit fun. Definitely not as horrible as she'd originally thought.

If they're like this ... maybe I can get better used to participating and encouraging Tsuna to take over ...

That last part would need work. She'd seen and heard as much over the past two years. But maybe displays like this would also help Tsuna feel better? Time would tell. For now, her focus went back to looking for another good spot.
 
"Of course" Reborn nodded back to Tsukiko.

"Right! That's good..." Hayato eyed between Chrome and the camera before Tsukiko called her’s out too. “Perfect…” he noted as he headed to Chrome’s spot first.

“Okay let’s see this…” Gokudera started out with one of the flat bear trap looking ones. It was a circular platform that he placed on the ground, a small open hole was in the top assumedly wherever their prey would be caught. There was a small space in the circular top showing that the trap opened outwards and closed in, as opposed to a set of jaws closing upwards. A metal bar was extended around the edge possibly for holding, and the weight and feel of it hinted that there were more mechanics inside than a simple spring trap.

It was Hayato's job now to fiddle with the machine to figure out how it worked. He poked and prodded into the top feeling a sort of funnel under the trapping mechanic, maybe a fuel dispense of some sort. It wasn't so complicated, other than the fact that Hayato had to press it down against the ground to turn it by holding the outer bar - on top of how long it took him to figure that out.

"G-got it!" He told them. As he pushed his weight on it some sort of suction, magnetic, or sticking effect fastened it to the ground, while turning it drove the funnel up through the top hole so that it was exposed. "This... This thing's a bastard to hold!" He grumbled, trying to hold it steady but only succeeding momentarily before the pressure didn't hold and the trap snapped back into place under him giving no time to figure out how to light the thing. "I think... You gotta put your flame to that?" Hayato pointed to the now retracted funnel.

Tsuna looked down to the twin rings on his right hand. His Vongola Gear, it wasn't using it if the Gear was deactivated. Without the aid of bullets or Gear made to manipulate Dying Will Flames, they manifested within one's body only by sheer force of... Well, 'Will', like big brother Ryohei did. In full it resulted in a pure flame that resonated through the body long before it could actually burn outside of it. That's what the original Vongola Rings, and so many others that followed, were for. Tsuna knew what Reborn and Gokudera meant.

Clenching a fist, Tsuna focused for a moment. It was much more difficult but he didn't need to be in Dying Will Mode to run his Sky Flame waves through his body and into the ring to ignite a Dying Will Flame. The blue jewel glowed before it seared orange, a flicker sparking into a Dying Will Flame from it. It was a smooth but firm orange flame that danced about in front of his fist. "Okay... Try again I'll try and light it" Tsuna coordinated.

"Right" Hayato leaned into the trap again, pressing down and turning it with a hefty motion. Once again it stuck to the ground, the top panel opening by expanding outward as the torch funnel rose up through the opening. "Ngh... Okay okay hurry, Boss..." Hayato grunted as he held open the trap.

Tsuna nodded and leaned in, hovering his fist over the funnel as he tried to get the flame to spill into it.

....

Nothing.

"Am... am I doing something wrong?" Tsuna asked.

Gokudera chose to slowly let the trap close while he could instead of wearing his arms out. It snapped shut, spooking Tsuna who jumped back with a yelp when it did. "Hmm... Maybe we have to shoot the flames through a port of some kind..." Hayato poked around the side of the circular panel until he felt something familiar that reminded him not entirely but slightly of the Box Weapons of the future. It was a small open hole with a ring pattern around it which gave him an idea.

"Hmm... One more time, here" Hayato pointed to the hole on the side before he got on the opposite side and once more pressed down to turn the trap.

Open again, Tsuna put his ring to the hole on the side of the trap as he fed his Sky Flames to it. This time the flames were sucked in, the funnel on top lit up with orange splendor as the flame poured from it like a torch. "Woah..." Tsuna watched as he pulled away, the flame successfully lit and no longer needing his ring.

Hayato felt the trap click, and he turned it the other way slowly. Now it was an effort to pull it the other way as the funnel torch sank back into the opening where the orange flame was concealed, and the top opening that would spring shut on it's prey opened wider. With another loud click, Gokudera was able to let go carefully, the trap set.

"Whew... Okay, not the worst thing ever" Hayato wiped his brow as he grabbed the next trap and dragged it over to Tsukiko's spot. The next trap was easier to set knowing what they were doing.

"I think the next traps should go up on some tree-HmPk!" Gokudera was cut off by Reborn who slapped a cross hatch of tape strongly over his mouth.

"I said no instructing them" Reborn reiterated firmly.

"Mmm mmm mmm! Mmh mmm! MhMM!" He futilely tugged at the tape that wouldn't come off.

"You two can follow his advice if you want this time" he told the girls, leaving it up to them to figure out where and how far best to set the other traps.
 

As Tsuna and Hayato went to work on getting the first trap set up, both Chrome and Tsukiko grimaced and watched. It was a shame they were restricted to finding spots ... well, it was for Tsukiko, anyway. Admittedly, Chrome may struggle a bit with that sort of task. With her being forced to hide away during the past fights came knowledge. So Tsukiko did know about Chrome's background ... and that included the fact she was always keeping herself alive due to 60% of her stomach technically being gone.

In that right, it was amazing to watch. If she was ever having trouble, then she didn't voice any troubles.

Soon, though, Tsukiko found herself accidentally staring ... and quickly averted her gaze, focusing on her spot where she wanted Hayato to put her trap down. Thankfully, as Gokudera started working, he hinted the first trap had indeed been the most difficult. It made her feel better about being stuck to only picking spots as opposed to helping out.

But then as Hayato tried to offer some advice ... maybe it was for the best she stuck to her role. She definitely wouldn't wanna be gagged with tape.

Fortunately for Tsukiko, she had a way to hide her desire to chuckle at the way Hayato looked, and it came in the form of moving closer to Chrome and having a pep talk about what he was in the midst of trying to say. Since Flames were out of the question, that applied to either of them using telepathy. "What do you think? It didn't look like it resorted to using the trees is my main worry."

"True," Chrome replied, "But that doesn't mean whatever creature this is can't do such a feat. Just that the camera didn't catch it going upward."

"Hmmm ..... " Admittedly, that was a fair point. Nodding and briefly looking up towards the nearby trees, Tsukiko nodded slowly, taking Chrome's words into consideration. "If you wanna stay to the ground, I can get that covered."

"Thank you. Much appreciated. Since I can't use my Flames, well ... climbing isn't my forte. Never has been."

A ghost of a grin appeared on Tsukiko's face as she jumped up ... and rather easily grabbed onto a branch before beginning to ascend it. Most of everything Tsuna lacked were traits or gifts that Tsukiko had in spades. From her academic grades to being able to do sports. He wasn't saying or revealing as much at the moment, but she knew that when she was a lot younger, she actively annoyed him a lot ... particularly if they played games like Hide and Seek or anything of the like. She'd always found ways to remain hidden too well, and climbing had been one of the few ways to accomplish such a thing.

Bragging wasn't usually something Tsukiko liked doing ... but she felt best being able to do so here and now. Mainly because it was in a more subtle way, and something that you had to actively look for in order to know exactly what she was doing. Which would likely be mainly Reborn ... but she doubted he'd speak up on that matter.

"Alrighty. Go on and get Chrome's first. I need to arrange myself slightly first."

Hayato would see that Tsukiko had meant exactly that; she reached up to pull herself up to her feet after getting up on top of the branch. She then started walking around ... moving so she wouldn't be in Hayato or Tsuna's way, but also making sure all the way that Tsukiko wouldn't fall out of the tree, either.

Chrome, meanwhile, had indeed finished choosing her spot. It was diagonally to the lower left of the camera, about five paces away from her first trap. If Tsukiko was going to deal with the trees, fine. But keeping the camera surrounded seemed like a sound idea to Chrome. So she was going to focus on that now that Tsukiko agreed to assist with any traps being put in the trees.
 
“Hmm mmhmm” Hayato’s nodded under his taped mouth as he and Tsuna hurried over to chrome to set another ground based trap. They were getting more of a wide perimeter around the camera but it seemed as long as the camera was still in sight, they weren’t being turned around. It also unfortunately meant they weren’t that deep in the forest yet, but at least they were finally getting somewhere.

Once again Gokudera set up another trap, pressing it down right at Chrome's feet. Tsuna crouched down near Chrome's legs to light it's socket when it was twisted into place. The Mist Guardian's legs were pale and dainty, like the rest of her they could be described as scrawny even, but Tsuna happened to like scrawny. He was just lucky Chrome couldn't read minds right now as his face reddened from the thought. Tsuna's flames clearly also responded as the trap didn't lock and instead sprang up, spooking the two boys.

"Focus, Tsuna" Reborn reminded.

"R-right..." Tsuna chuckled nervously as they tried again and locked the trap in place this time.

Next was Tsukiko again. Unlike her, Tsuna had no atheletic ability but with the help of both her from above and Hayato from below he was able to scramble up into the tree. Gokudera shortly followed with a different trap in tow, this one was longer and meant to be mounted up on the trunks of trees. It had spokes that drove into the tree easy enough and was open in the front with rods poking out of it. This time the socket for Tsuna's Sky Flames was on top, meaning he had to balance as he reached over it to insert his ring and pump flames into the contraption. On the bottom there was an inward dial Hayato had to navigate.

This trap required Tsuna to fuel the trap with his flames to a certain degree that let Hayato turn the dial. As he did, each rod cocked back into place and loaded, the rods to be fired out as sorts of trackers. It was trickier with this one to get the fine tuning right but it wasn't as if Tsuna didn't have skill in adjusting his flames, that was something he did have practice in - even if it was usually in Dying Will Mode.

It was starting to get easier though as the four of them got used to placing, setting, and arming respectively. What's more, the more traps they laid out the easier it was to keep track of where they were. Another kind of trap involved what was almost like a trip wire with two parts spread out only linked via Tsuna's flame at the end of each piece, while another seemed to work similar to a snare trap.

The fog thickened making it impossible to see the camera anymore but they could all still keep an eye on the last trap they set away from the others. Finally far enough in to justify it, Hayato excitedly set up another camera, this time pointing in a different direction. Their first real step was taken, it was just a matter of waiting now for a signal that the traps went off while setting up more as far in as they could.

"Whew..." Tsuna plopped down by a tree setting down the bag that was lighter now but still a burden he needed to rest from. More than that was the usage of his flames so often outside of Dying Will Mode, it was taking it out of him.

"Good a time as any to eat I'd say" Reborn casually hopped down from Gokudera's shoulder. A little picnic spread was set out for them all after a few minutes. It wasn't anything big or fancy, a small blanket they could pick up quick and sandwiches and the sort.

"Hmhmmm!" Hayato pointed blankly to his face where an 'X' of tape still covered his mouth. Reborn leaned up towards Hayato and ripped the tape off in one swift swipe.

"AAHH-mmph?!" Gokudera went to scream from the sharp pain but Reborn had leaped up and with a skillful hand shoved a sandwich in his mouth.

"You don't wanna scare anything off shouting like that" Reborn told him matter of factly, "or call anything to us" he added ominously. To which Tsuna perked up with a pale expression of fear.

"Hmph..." Gokudera bit his sandwich and chewed behind a pout, "c'mon, nothing's gonna come out at us just because-" Hayato was cut off by a rustling deep in the trees.

A large shape burst through the fog and screeched a loud unsightly sound. It was a big, round thing with sharp claws that upon closer inspection looked like a racoon, or maybe a huge dog....

It was a monstrous Tanuki! It was a towering beast as tall as two or three times either of them and it was rampaging wildly damaging trees as it came through now face to face with the group.

"AAAACK WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?!" Tsuna cried out in shock.
"IS THAT A BAKE-DANUKI?!" Hayato cried out at the same exact time in a much more excited tone even if he was just as fearful of it's immense size.
 

It was only mere minutes, but they felt like an eternity. Finally, though, they passed and the last of the traps had been set. Tsukiko let out a sigh of relief as she let herself drop from the branch. Thankfully, she hadn't gone too high upward in any of the trees; just enough to keep it from immediate sight. The fog, hopefully, would help keep the traps hidden. But on the off-chance they ran into something with decent sight ... they could still get it stuck in at least one of the devices.

For now, Tsukiko and Chrome were both glad that they were done. Helping the guys out had been rewarding, of course, but also a bit tiring.

"Please!" Tsukiko eagerly replied, Chrome nodding with a smile on her own face. "Lunch does indeed sound good." Each took a seat on the ground, as well as the meals they were given. They bowed their heads politely before beginning to dig into their sandwiches.

I should have brought water bottles or something, Tsukiko lamented as she otherwise silently ate her meal. Only when Reborn told Hayato to be silent lest he gained the attention of a creature did Tsukiko raise an eyebrow. It wasn't that she doubted anything with good hearing was around. But did that apply with the exact types of creatures Hayato was hoping to find? That was the million yen question more than much else.

... Did he know something they didn't? Like that something indeed was around or not?

Whether it was a coincidence or not was anyone's guess. But soon, both Chrome and Tsukiko would be staring at ... what even was it, exactly?!

"Huh? That's ... you know what that thing is?" Chrome inquired.

"So ... how do we deal with this, then?" Tsukiko added. "Any ideas ... or even things to avoid doing to this? That ... would also help out."

Fortunately, Tsukiko had finished the last of her lunch. Even more luckily, she had a pretty strong stomach; otherwise she may feel the urge to vomit were she weaker. She was definitely nervous to actually behold such a sight. There was no doubt about that, not one bit. But she was doing her best to avoid outright panicking.

Probably is aggressive, huh? Tsukiko deduced, taking note of the creature easily hurling trees aside. Chrome, meanwhile, slowly stood up and tried to think of an illusion to use. Or something else, should her Mist Flames not even work to start with. Which meant waiting to hear Hayato's response to her and Tsukiko's inquiries.

Until they got a response, she kept her muscles ready, be it to dodge, run, or do something else entirely. Whatever was deemed necessary for this situation.
 
Even Reborn wasn't sure what exactly was out here. Like most things he gave as advice however, it was a smart hunting tip at least whether it was a scared prey that would know they were in wait or a predator that would know where they are. That fact would prove itself, apparently with the latter as the group was attacked by the giant mythical Tanuki.

Tsuna's eyes widened in frightened shock but danger wasn't as new to him anymore and instinct took over as he reached for a Dying Will Pill. Surely with Hyper Dying Will Mode would make it easy to scare off even this big an animal.

However a gunshot cracked through the air and Tsuna's pill had disappeared from between his fingers. "Ehck?!?!" Tsuna snapped his hand away as he felt the pop between his fingers of the pill being shot out of his hand. "What the?!" Looking over to the direction it came, Reborn stood, Leon's green gun form in hand with a thin smoke trail briefly snaking out from the barrel.

"I said no gear, and only the flames you can produce on your own with your ring" Reborn reiterated swiftly.

"But it's dangerous!" Tsuna protested.

"It's a Trial" Reborn noted casually.

"Tch.. Okay!" Hayato lit up a cigarette as he faced the beast. He pulled out his usual modified sticks of dynamite, holding a few by merit of gripping many between his fingers. "I don't wanna hurt ya' big guy, so fall nice into one of those traps for a bit" Hayato warned with a smirk as he lifted the dynamite towards his lit cigarette.

"Gokudera" Reborn calmly called to him. "Let Tsuna light them" he instructed.

"Eh?" Hayato picked up what he meant fairly quickly, only weighing the danger of ignoring Reborn for a second before he pointed the wick end of one to Tsuna. "10th, hurry!" Gokudera urged quickly.

"But!... Ngh... Okay okay!" Tsuna shakily held up his closed ring fist to the wick and pushed out the tiny orange flame from the ring's jewel. Holding it to the wick for a second it quickly ignited and Hayato backed up a step before skillfully throwing it at a curve towards the side of it's head, hoping the flash and loud noise would scare it off.

However the trajectory suddenly went off. The throw was fine and as the dynamite spun it's secondary bottom rocket bombs went off as planned, the tiny explosions carried it off course, the flame seeming to have been a bit unpredictable to Hayato. The stick bounced in air harmlessly behind the creature far enough that the explosion didn't phase it.

Everyone's face deadpanned...

Until the Bake-Danuki raised a heavy paw and swiped at them. Tsuna dove out of the way ungracefully with a yelp as Hayato jumped back both barely evading the hit, luckily it was slow enough that everyone should have been able to get out of the way. The paw thudded against the grass and dirt, reverberating through the ground underneath their feet.

"Gaaah I've never used Sky Flames in my bombs before!" Hayato cried out in realization of the different feeling that threw off his aim as they ran from the beast, while Reborn kept up near Chrome and Tsukiko. "H-here try again" Gokudera quickly fumbled another stick over to Tsuna, who mid run struggled to but successfully lit the next bomb.

Skidding as he spun on his heel, Hayato reared back and with a second to breathe he tossed his next bomb. Expecting it now, the giant Tanuki swung an enormous arm to try and bat it away.

This time when the second blasts went off though, the bomb successfully curved in a rather soft arc over the arm and went off far enough from it's face that the brightness and sound would hopefully only incapacitate it a bit.

The orange flash seemed to have an effect. The huge racoon-dog covered it's eyes and cried out as it turned heel and ran, crashing through trees back and forth as it clumsily ran off.

Hayato and Tsuna stood dumbfounded, Tsuna falling back on his butt with a breath of relief.

"You two did good" Reborn admitted, "it's not over yet though" he added.

"How do you expect us to catch something like that!" Tsuna demanded, "this is crazy as ever!" He complained.

"Well..." Reborn reached into his pocket and pulled out a small screened device. "You guys got lucky enough" he waved the small rectangular device that looked like a thicker or industrial smart phone, "because that Tanuki ran right back through one of the tracker dart traps" Reborn revealed as he turned the device on. The screen flashed with a dark grid of the area and a couple of little gathered orange dots blipped across the screen. "Now we'll know where it is first" he explained.

"Tsukiko" Reborn tossed her the tracker, "could you lead the way for us?" he asked.
 
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