Chapter 30

(December 12nd, 1982)

Assistant, as Verde calls him, he's learned is just a glorifying way to say slave, as that's what Tsuna feels he is at the moment. With encyclopedias sprawled on his left and a notebook on his right, back aching from being in the same position for so long and fingers painfully tense from continued writing. There's an old computer at the back of the table, but it's not turned on and it won't be until he finishes. His phone is next to the keyboard, his own encyclopedia and dictionary apps open for him to read and compare with the books Verde gave him. His first work is to search for the words on his phone not found in the books and write the definition down in an attempt to discover differences between… well.

He only knows he's not looking forward to finishing this job since he knows Verde will then ask to organize the information afterward by typing it all on the computer.

Another thing he doesn't know whether to feel glad or not is that Verde remembered that tests on bodies worked better when they were fresh. On one hand, he got his phone back and had something to do that didn't include touching dead people. On the other, he's ninety percent sure Verde knows he's from the future and has already made plans for a way to milk all the information he can from him if his current job is anything to go by.

It's weird. No one has ever told him to keep it a secret; he just did it for the sake of caution and because no one would believe him. Also, he's seen enough movies to know how wrong it can go. He doesn't know if every action he takes can destroy his future timeline or if his little time-traveling trip has always meant to happen and he's just following some sort of script. Not that it matters, he's paranoid enough to not make big waves. Though most times it's easier said than done. His intuition has already led him into Vongola's clutches and half of the future Arcobaleno's. Ottavia is the only one who knows of him being from the future. With everything going on, he's a little unsure if he should continue walking on eggshells around every one or just throw caution through the window and do everything in his power to fix things.

The latter option is appealing as saving the Arcobaleno is what he's here for, but… the future. If he prevents the curse from happening, Reborn may not be the one to end as his tutor. The Byakugan fiasco probably wouldn't happen but the same could be said for every good thing he achieved and the friends he gained.

Can he do that?

He came here because there was a chance to help his friends from being the new Arcobaleno and help the Arcobaleno themselves, but Tsuna is not one to think things through. When Kawahira-san told him of a way there wasn't time to think. He was the only one capable to do it, Kawahira-san said, with the Vongola Rings connection to the past and him being a Sky… Only No-Good Tsuna could do it.

No one was happy to hear it, there were protests, bullets, and chaos. Tsuna didn't care. He saw a clear option and took it. Kawahira must have seen the determination in his eyes because he opened the portal and before more could be said, Tsuna jumped.

Even with the months that have passed, he still remembers the pain he felt after going through that portal, he remembers the feeling of falling in multiple directions at the same time, everything becoming lost in a frenzy of motion and pure chaos, gut-wrenching pulls that threw all concept of gravity through the window. Then, a second later, gravity seemed to make up its mind to point in a single direction again and, as if there was a small ring the size of his finger he needed to go through, his body stretched, thin as a yarn, pulling and pulling until his bones felt like dust and his skin like goo.

His first reaction was to scream, but it came in too late. Everything was over in one next moment. The next, he simply came to the realization that he was sprawled out on his stomach with moist grass touching his cheek. Pins and needles ran across his body as he stayed in that position across the ground, just trying to breathe. There was the distinctive smell of the sea close by, the sounds of boats and people going through their day-to-day. He couldn't understand what they were speaking about, too tired to process it, but he knew it was Japanese. He wanted to scream for help, for someone to see him through the tall grass, but his mind was sluggish and soon it didn't matter as it went dark and everything got less noisy, then totally quiet. No one was around to hear him say his first words, more of an exhalation, soft and tired. It passed a day and he still couldn't move, nor talk—no one noticed him.

He slept for days, his skin now too tight and his flames chaotic. He was hungry.

Then long fingers were running across his hair. They were gentle but he could detect some Mist flames in them, studying.

"You're not supposed to be here, are you?" the man murmured in the scratchy voice of those who talk after long with doing without it.

Where am I? he thought and as if he had heard him, the man answered, "You're in Onomichi."

"Wo—wonomichi?" he breathed out, the name familiar.

"Onomichi. In Japan. Not that it matters, the important thing to know is what are you doing here?" He grabbed his hand, the one with the Vongola rings on it. "And with these?"

Tsuna tried to move his hand away, but he couldn't. His fingers twitched and no more.

"I'm not surprised you're attached to them. Do you know they're the only thing keeping you alive?"

He didn't know and he didn't care.

"There aren't supposed to exist two. Though it clearly chose you; I haven't seen this version in long time." He left his hand to cradle his head, still gentle. He turned it until Tsuna could see him. "Do you know me, little anomaly?"

His eyes widened. Kneeled in front of him was the man with the Iron Hat, Kawahira-san. He didn't have his glasses and was wearing that strange suit, but it was him, he knew.

"I guess you do. Now the question is what I should do with you?"

He opened his mouth, wanting explanations or to explain, he didn't know. What it came out was, "My f—friends… Curse. Arc—baleno."

"Hm. It seems you can't communicate. It's no problem, don't fret." Then the hand came again, covered in indigo flames. "I'll get all the answers from you and then decide what it must be done."

Luckily, it didn't hurt that much. Or maybe it did and he didn't notice thanks to pain still lingering after the little trip he took. Kawahira-san read his mind or something. He knew because it was obvious as he didn't ask anything from him about his reasons to be there. He didn't answer his questions either, but he just took his mask off and told him how he knew a way he could live without the Vongola ring. Apparently, while the Vongola ring was keeping him alive, it was also causing him pain. With its job already done, it didn't know what to do next. It grew more confused when it felt the other Vongola rings as two can't exist for too long without the balance of Earth disrupting.

So it needed to be sealed. However, to keep his body from reality trying to implode him, he needed something else to keep him in this time. Something that was a fixed point in time.

Like the Arcobaleno curse.

So he took it away from him and sealed it. Then, seeing as his body started burning from the inside, he gave him the Sky pacifier. It cursed him for a while but it kept him alive. However, how the Sky pacifier can't be active without the others, he got a pacifier mark on his hand to tap off some of the power going through the pacifier, which was really painful.

Then Kawahira-san decided he knew enough to survive and threw him off to Palermo, Italy, saying something about needing to make some plans and how Tsuna had his own mission to accomplish that he couldn't help with.

A kid being thrown in the middle of a city he barely knew the language of, with a power he couldn't yet control.

He may hold a grudge for it.

From unable to move from pain to being burned from inside to being drunk on Sky flames too powerful for his tiny body. All in two weeks. So halfway delirious with too many flames, he started his traveling across Palermo with only a handful of money in his pocket (courtesy of Kawahira-san) and a not-so-decent Italian with a Japanese accent.

It's a wonder he survived, actually. Those first days were Hell and while Kawahira-san explained some things, he didn't answer everything he worried about. At the time it didn't seem important with all the problems he had, but now that he's able to think things calmly, well… He's worried.

'Will I be able to return to the future?' is one question he constantly asks himself and couldn't voice before, followed by 'can I change the future - my future?' and 'should I?'

Before, the answers were clearer. The jars Talbot created couldn't work because the Arcobaleno weren't harmonized with Yuni. The only option available was to curse another seven people who were harmonized and then break the curse instantly. It would leave those with a baby body and the need to regrown, which wasn't too bad, but it would kill the current Arcobaleno and Tsuna couldn't let it happen. He was going to search for a cure, as Kawahira-san said only one could be found in this time, and then he would return to the future with the mystery cure and everything would be fine.

However, now that he knows Fong, Renato, Verde, and Viper—things are different. Thinking of them getting cursed makes his stomach twist, especially knowing how much they will suffer from it.

Again, the question is if he can do that. If he can turn off his heart and just throw them knowingly to the wolves.

(He doesn't think he can. And that scares him)