After what happened on the rooftop, Tsuna’s reputation slowly began to improve.
Instead of only being known as a delinquent surrounded by bad rumors, many students now saw him as someone who had risked his life to save another person.
Especially since that person was the extremely popular Yamamoto.
Thanks to that incident, more students began greeting Tsuna in the hallways or talking to him normally.
Many gradually realized that beyond the exaggerated rumors, Tsunayoshi Sawada was actually a hardworking and surprisingly nice student.
Little by little, both boys and girls started liking him more.
It was a small yet pleasant change.
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“Yo, Tsuna!”
Yamamoto greeted him energetically.
Tsuna smiled slightly and greeted him back.
“Who’s this?
Your new friend?”
Rekka looked curiously at Yamamoto.
Since Yamamoto belonged to another class and Rekka was missing in action during the rooftop incident, he had no idea what had happened recently.
“Yeah, this is Yamamoto.”
Tsuna introduced his new friend who waved his hand.
“Yo, sup dude!”
“Hey, I’m Rekka!”
Rekka casually pointed at himself before asking interestedly.
“So what do you do?”
Since this is Tsuna… Our new friend won’t probably be normal.
“I do kendo!”
Yamamoto immediately performed several playful swinging motions with an imaginary sword.
Rekka’s eyes instantly lit up.
Kenjutsu was something he knew almost nothing about.
“Teach me sometime!”
He leaned forward excitedly.
“I’m a ninja, so learning some kenjutsu would seriously improve my arsenal.”
He extended his fist.
“Neat, come anytime!”
Yamamoto grinned and bumped fists with him.
Compared to Gokudera, Rekka found Yamamoto way easier to get along with.
Tsuna felt relieved seeing the two immediately connect.
A few days had passed since Yamamoto’s attempted suicidem.
Miraculously, his injured wrist had suddenly healed after waking up, gradually stabilizing things for him.
The distractions clouding his mind lessened, his heart growing calmer and peaceful.
Instead of desperately chasing perfection, Yamamoto now swung his sword with a different resolve.
He accepted his weaknesses, his failures, and now continued training step by step no matter how slow the progress was.
Then Yamamoto noticed the dark circles beneath Tsuna’s eyes.
“Oh?”
He tilted his head.
“You look sleep-deprived.”
Tsuna sighed tiredly.
“I slept late yesterday studying, but I still had to wake up really early for the running session.”
Honestly, he blamed Reborn for the sudden late-night tutoring.
Yamamoto laughed loudly before casually wrapping an arm around Tsuna’s shoulders.
“I thought something serious happened.
You’re seriously hardworking, huh?”
He smiled.
“I don’t even study at all.”
Rekka burst out laughing too.
“Damn, same here.
Before joining Tsuna’s study group, I failed basically everything.”
“So we’re failure buddies?”
Yamamoto immediately swung his other arm around Rekka too.
The two laughed loudly together.
“Yamamoto, you really should study…”
Tsuna looked baffled by their antics.
“Someday.”
Yamamoto suddenly looked extremely serious while saying it.
That somehow made it even funnier.
“But what’s this study group you mentioned before?”
“Oh.”
Tsuna explained casually.
“It’s basically a group where we help each other study.”
“Sounds awesome!”
Yamamoto immediately nodded enthusiastically.
“Alright, I’ve decided.
My grades seriously need help, so I’m joining too.
Can’t miss the fun with you guys.”
Tsuna smiled.
“Glad to have you onboard.”
Yamamoto sheepishly grinned back.
Meanwhile, on the rooftop that remained temporarily closed after the suicide incident, Gokudera angrily crushed the juice box in his hand.
“That guy… he keeps casually getting close to Judaime!”
He snarled.
“And Rekka too!
They’re already acting all friendly!”
Beside him, Reborn calmly sipped coffee.
“Reborn-san, are you really planning to let that guy join the family?”
“I’ve already decided.”
Reborn answered simply.
Gokudera frowned.
He remembered how Yamamoto had nearly dragged Tsuna into danger during the rooftop incident.
“A guy like that…”
His eyes sharpened.
“Please reconsider!
I object to an idiot like him joining!”
But when Gokudera looked closer, he realized Reborn was now sleeping with his eyes open while blowing bubbles.
“…How do you get sleepy from drinking coffee!?”
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After school, Tsuna was about to finish his cleaning duty when Reborn suddenly appeared.
“To satisfy Gokudera’s request, I decided to hold a Family Entrance Test for Yamamoto.”
“What!?”
Tsuna immediately froze.
“I already told you he’s just my friend!
He doesn’t know anything about this world, so don’t drag him into mafia stuff!”
Reborn calmly continued speaking anyway.
“Gokudera already called him out to the abandoned building.”
Tsuna’s eyes widened.
That building again!?
He immediately sprinted out of the classroom.
Tsuna panicked internally.
“I need to save Yamamoto!”
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At the abandoned building, the Three Musketeers were already gathered.
“Uh… what’s up, Gokudera?”
Yamamoto awkwardly smiled at the silver-haired boy glaring at him intensely.
“Did you call me here just to have some kind of staring contest?”
He joked lightly.
Gokudera silently assessed him.
There’s no way someone like him can protect Judaime…
What exactly does Reborn-san see in this guy?
Rekka stood beside Gokudera with crossed arms.
“Don’t mind this guy.
He was born with a short fuse.
Just like his favorite dynamites.”
Yamamoto laughed while Gokudera glared murderously at Rekka.
“Hey!”
Tsuna finally arrived while breathing quite hard.
“Thank God… nothing happened yet.”
He sighed in relief.
“Tsuna!”
“Judaime!”
Yamamoto and Gokudera immediately brightened at his arrival.
Then Yamamoto noticed the small child riding behind Tsuna on a skateboard, holding a rope tied around him.
“Oh?”
He blinked.
“Is that your little brother, Tsuna?”
“Ciaosu.”
Reborn greeted casually.
Tsuna’s eyes twitched when he turned around.
No wonder I felt heavy while running….
When did I became a human carriage…?
“I’m not his brother.”
Reborn jumped out of the skateboard and adjusted his fedora.
“I’m Reborn, the strongest hitman of the Vongola Family.”
Tsuna was surprised.
He said it so casually… shouldn’t he be more secretive?
Yamamoto simply crouched down in front of Reborn and laughed.
“Must be rough being a hitman at your age.”
“I’m older than your grandmother.”
Reborn replied flatly before he suddenly pointed at Yamamoto.
“You’re joining the Vongola Family too.”
“Reborn!”
Tsuna shouted at him.
I literally just explained before that I didn’t want Yamamoto involved!
But Yamamoto merely laughed.
“It’s okay, Tsuna.
He’s just a kid playing mafia.”
Then he looked toward Reborn.
“Didn’t you do this too when you were younger?
Playing mafia games?”
Tsuna was dumbfounded.
He thinks this is a game?
Well, it must’ve felt that way to him…
“You see, Tsuna is the next boss of the Vongola Family.”
“Ohhh.”
Yamamoto nodded seriously.
“Good choice.”
He looked at Tsuna with complete trust.
“Then let me join too!”
Tsuna panicked.
“Reborn, stop misleading him!”
Yamamoto blinked at Tsuna’s unusually desperate tone.
Tsuna clenched his fists.
He knew he couldn’t keep hiding things from his friend anymore.
Even if it changed how Yamamoto saw him, he didn’t want to lie.
And more importantly…
I genuinely don’t want Yamamoto to be dragged into danger.
“Yamamoto…”
Tsuna spoke seriously.
“The truth is… this isn’t a game.”
He took a deep breath.
“I’m really the successor to an actual mafia family.
I’m still learning about it myself… And honestly, I haven’t even fully accepted it yet.
But if you really choose to join us…”
His expression tightened.
“You’ll become part of the dangers surrounding this world too.”
For the first time, Yamamoto’s expression turned completely serious.
“So you really weren’t joking…”
After a brief pause, he spoke seriously.
“But even then, I still want to join.”
Tsuna froze.
“When you saved me that day… and gave my life a new meaning…”
Yamamoto looked straight at him, his expression firm and sincere.
“That’s when I realized you’re someone I can trust with my life.
A real friend.
And real friends help each other.”
He then let out a small laugh.
“I don’t know anything about the mafia yet.
But I’ll learn alongside you… so someday, I can help you too, Tsuna.”
Tsuna stared at him stunned.
“…Yamamoto.”
Even Gokudera looked slightly moved despite his dislike for him.
“Then what am I supposed to do now?”
Yamamoto asked excitedly.
“First comes the Family Entrance Test.”
Reborn answered calmly.
“If you fail, you don’t get accepted.”
“Bring it on!”
Yamamoto grinned eagerly.
“The test is simple.”
Reborn suddenly produced several knives.
“Survive.”
FWISH!
He instantly threw them toward Yamamoto.
“—!”
Yamamoto’s eyes widened.
But his natural athletic talent and years of kendo training allowed him to dodge cleanly.
“Stop, Reborn!”
Tsuna jumped in front.
“Are you seriously trying to kill him!?”
Knowing Reborn, there was no way this would stay simple.
Reborn immediately pointed a gun toward Tsuna.
“As a boss…”
He smirked.
“Set an example for your subordinates.”
BANG!
Tsuna’s pupils shrank.
There wasn’t enough time to dodge.
“Tsuna!”
Yamamoto immediately yanked Tsuna backward by his shirt
The bullet narrowly missed him.
“Thanks…”
Tsuna sighed before glaring at Reborn.
He seriously shot at me without hesitation!?
Meanwhile, Reborn continued throwing knives nonstop while the two boys sprinted across the ruined building and hid behind things inside.
“Next—crossbows.”
He casually took out a crossbow and placed an arrow.
Then another.
And another.
Five arrows fired simultaneously.
Again and again.
Soon, a rain of arrows descended toward them.
“This is insane!”
Yamamoto shouted while dodging desperately.
Tsuna quickly observed the arrow trajectories.
“Hide behind the pillars!”
The remaining support pillars blocked the incoming arrows.
As the barrage finally stopped, Yamamoto grabbed a metal pipe from the floor and held it like a sword.
His eyes sharpened.
“Looks like I can’t take it easy… or I seriously won’t pass.”
He pointed the pipe toward Reborn dramatically.
“Come at me, baby hitman!”
Reborn silently pulled out a submachine gun.
“Next.”
He aimed calmly.
“The level of a trainee hitman.”
Yamamoto gulped.
Both him and Tsuna immediately ran for their lives.
BRRRRTT!!
Bullets chased after their feet.
“When does this end!?”
Tsuna shouted desperately while sprinting.
“Gokudera.”
Reborn calmly spoke.
“You can join too.
Think about killing Yamamoto.”
Gokudera hesitated briefly before sighing.
“…Sorry.”
He lit multiple dynamites simultaneously.
“But if you don’t have strength…”
His eyes sharpened seriously.
“Then don’t dream about protecting Judaime.”
He hurled the dynamites toward Yamamoto.
Fortunately, Tsuna was far enough behind.
At least, that was supposed to happen.
But then—
BANG!
BANG!
Reborn shot the dynamites midair using Sun Flame-infused bullets.
The bullets altered their trajectory, causing the dynamites to accelerate directly toward Tsuna instead.
“JUDAIME!?”
Gokudera panicked immediately.
Tsuna’s eyes rapidly searched for an escape route.
But suddenly, a figure stepped in front of him.
Yamamoto.
While tightly gripping the metal pipe, an old memory resurfaced inside his mind.
That’s right….
My pops used to breathe strangely whenever he held a sword…
Yamamoto inhaled deeply, the atmosphere around him quickly sharpening.
Then, his pipe moved.
FWISH!
FWISH!
FWISH!
With terrifying precision, Yamamoto rapidly struck every incoming dynamite midair, redirecting all of them away.
BOOOOM!!
The explosions detonated harmlessly in the air above them.
Only the shockwave reached the boys.
“Phew…”
Yamamoto wiped sweat from his forehead.
“That was close.”
Gokudera stared in complete shock, relief washing over him.
“Congratulations.
You demonstrated the will to protect Tsuna.”
Reborn approached Yamamoto calmly.
“You pass.
You’re now officially part of Tsuna’s Family.”
Rekka immediately walked over laughing.
“Man, that was awesome!”
He grinned brightly.
“Congratulations, Yamamoto!”
“Thanks!”
Yamamoto smiled proudly.
Then suddenly, Gokudera grabbed Yamamoto’s shirt.
But despite the aggression, he was smiling fiercely.
“Good job.
You protected Judaime, so I acknowledge you.”
He then narrowed his eyes.
“But remember this.
I am Judaime’s right hand man.
You’re merely his shoulder blade.”
“…Shoulder blade?”
Yamamoto immediately burst out laughing before casually slinging an arm around Gokudera.
“You’re hilarious!”
Suddenly, his expression became competitive.
“But I’m not losing the position of Tsuna’s right hand.
So you can be his… pinky toe.”
“The hell are you talking about!?”
Gokudera exploded instantly.
“Then YOU’RE his nose hair!”
“You’re Tsuna’s snot!”
“WHAT!?”
Gokudera was pissed.
“Why are you guys fighting over my body parts!?”
Tsuna looked horrified but then started laughing.
Nevermind.
At least, they’re finally getting along…
Meanwhile, Rekka was laughing so hard he nearly collapsed.
Gokudera had finally met someone of his match.
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That night, Tsuna had a horrifying dream.
His body had been chopped into pieces while his subordinates violently argued over which body parts belonged to them.
As for the mystery behind how Yamamoto healed from his injury….
Well, while he was sleeping, Reborn sneaked inside his room and secretly gave him a gift for becoming Tsuna’s future Rain Guardian.
…
I’m excited for the next chapter!
After all, the guy who’ll bite you to death like a top predator will appear!