Tsuna was always left with heavy, aching muscles after every exercise session.
This day was no different as he dragged his feet down the empty street on his way home.
He was completely exhausted but the thought of his soft, warm bed gave him the strength to keep going.
Until shadows suddenly began to surround him in the road.
Tsuna stopped on his feet.
Five guys blocked the narrow street, their hands in pockets and their shoulders loose like they owned the place.
One of them cracked a grin the moment their eyes met.
Tsuna’s stomach tightened, cold sweats drenching his back.
He remembered the sensation of bark scraping against his back.
There was laughter echoing around him as he hung from a tree in nothing but his underwear, his bare skin shuddering from the bone-chilling breeze.
The delinquents who placed him in that nightmare…
Yes, they were that older delinquents.
That familiar black uniform—Ishiyama High School.
A school famous for being full of monsters pretending to be students.
“If it isn’t Useless Tsuna.”
The tallest one spread his arms.
“What a coincidence.”
The others laughed softly and closed in around him.
“What great timing, right?”
Another guy said.
“Got money?
We’ll just borrow it.”
“Yeah.”
“We promise to pay it back.”
Tsuna’s fingers twitched around the strap of his bag
Repay them, my ass.
He took a step back when a shoulder bumped against his spine.
“Where are you going?”
Another thug stood behind him, blocking the alley exit with a lazy smile.
His throat dried, Tsuna’s body trembling from trauma.
Tsuna was scared but when he remembered the overwhelming killing intent of the kidnapper, he realized the thugs were just kids in comparison.
Not a cold-blooded killer.
He hated to say it, but he feared Reborn more than them.
“It’s just 10,000 yen.”
The tall one said.
“Why’re you acting scared?”
However, Tsuna realistically couldn’t fight properly, much less against five people.
Should I just give my money…?
While pondering over a solution, Tsuna’s eyes darted around for an escape…
And then landed on Reborn.
The hitman sat atop the brick wall nearby, his eyes calmly fixed on him beneath the brim of his fedora.
He stood there unmoving, watching him wordlessly.
Why is he aura farming over there…?
As he pondered, Tsuna then understood the expression worn by Reborn, even the words the hitman mouthed to him.
“If you run and give up now, what will you change?
No matter what situations, you have to learn how to stand on your own feet.”
This moment was just used as another continuation of Reborn’s lesson.
Tsuna’s fingers curled tighter.
“I know that…”
To stop running.
To stop acting helpless.
To become someone worthy enough to stand beside Mutsumi.
Even if it meant being beaten up, Tsuna steeled his resolve.
“No…”
Tsuna forced the words out.
“I don’t have money on me right now.”
The smiles plastered on the thugs disappeared.
A cold breeze swept across the alley.
The tall thug clicked his tongue.
“Ah, shit.”
He stepped closer until Tsuna could smell cigarette smoke on his breath.
“You think we’re asking?”
The guy growled.
“You wanna get hung up at your school gate again, huh!?”
Tsuna was silent.
“Haha, you scared now?
Just give up your money and we’ll let you go in peace.”
Tsuna shook his head.
“I just couldn’t speak because of your smelly breath…
If I open my mouth, I might pass out if I inhaled more of it.”
Hearing that, the tall guy’s friends couldn’t help but laugh.
Tsuna just said the words they couldn’t do themselves.
“What!?”
The tall guy was flustered before his face soon boiled in fury.
“You think I’m a joke!?”
His fist struck quickly, but Tsuna’s eyes caught the twitch in the guy’s shoulder first.
The tightening of his arm, the shift in his weight.
For a second, everything slowed down and Tsuna could see it.
And as if guided by something, his body moved before his thoughts did.
The punch scraped past his cheek.
“How—!?”
It wasn’t over yet, a shock ran through Tsuna’s body, causing him to slam his own fist forward.
BAM.
Crunch.
The thug staggered backward, both hands flying to his nose as blood spilled between his fingers.
Everyone froze as the thugs looked silently at Tsuna.
Tsuna stared at his own fist.
“…Don’t tell me I’m good at fighting?”
His knuckles trembled; this was his first time punching someone in the face.
His breath smelled so bad I subconsciously had to shut it first….
“Tsuna, don’t get distracted.
The fight’s still not over.”
Reborn’s voice snapped him out of the haze.
The injured thug’s face twisted.
“You bastard!
You really have a death wish!”
Blood dripped down his chin as he pointed.
“Beat him up!”
The alley exploded.
Tsuna saw movement from the side, ducking to avoid a kick sweeping over his head.
Another came from behind.
Tsuna rolled across the pavement, gravel scraping his arms, and then shoved himself against the wall before anyone could get behind him again.
His chest heaved, but his eyes stayed sharp on them.
For some reason, he could read their movements.
But there were just too many of them to avoid all at once.
Worst of all, his exhausted body felt heavy to move even when fueled by an adrenaline boost.
A fist crashed into his ribs, pain immediately bursting through his body.
Tsuna sucked in air through clenched teeth and threw his arms up as a powerful punch smashed against them.
The impact rattled all the way to his bones.
Don’t fall!
A kick struck his thigh before another thug pounded his stomach hard enough to fold him forward.
The alley rang with angry curses.
Reborn watched from above, eyes gleaming beneath the shadow of his hat.
“He’s showing signs of Vongola Primo’s talent already…”
He murmured.
“…even though his blood’s still dormant.”
Tsuna’s vision blurred at the edges.
His ears rang so loudly the voices around him sounded underwater.
He was constantly getting pummeled without being able to resist.
Damn that Reborn… why isn’t he helping me?
Tsuna stumbled against the wall as another punch narrowly grazed his face.
No…
why should I rely on him in the first place?
His knees buckled, wobbling from exhaustion and pain.
If there’s anyone to help me, it’s my own myself!
But you’re No Good Tsuna.
I know that better than anyone!
You can’t even save yourself from a bunch of thugs…
and you want to protect Mutsumi?
But even so… is it wrong to yearn for someone I love?
A kick slammed into his side.
Tsuna coughed hard, saliva hitting the pavement.
His legs finally gave up, falling exhausted to the ground.
Tsuna could barely lift his arms to defend himself.
I hit my limit…
The tall guy gazed from above Tsuna, sneering mockingly.
“You’re done, Useless Tsuna!”
Tsuna weakly gazed at him, but didn’t felt any fear.
Because he wasn’t alone.
Atop the wall.
“Good job learning how to stand on your own feet, Tsuna.”
Reborn said softly with a smile, raising a pistol.
“Now beat them up.”
Bang.
A bullet struck Tsuna’s forehead, his body collapsing face-first onto the pavement.
Dead still.
The thugs jumped back in fear and horror.
“What the!?
Did he just die..?”
For half a second, the alley went silent and cold.
But for Tsuna, that half a second stretched into eternity for him.
At the door of death, intense regret boiled throughout his body.
He remembered his humiliation from them.
All of his stolen money and dignity.
Not yet…!
They still haven’t repaid what they did to me back then!
I don’t want to die yet without making them repay!
Yellowish-orange flames suddenly erupted from Tsuna’s forehead.
WHOOSH.
His clothes disintegrated instantly.
“REBORN!”
Tsuna shot upright wearing nothing except his underwear, flames blazing on his head.
The thugs stared at him in shock.
Tsuna pointed straight at them, veins bulging on his forehead.
“EVEN IF I DIE!”
He roared.
“I’LL DEFEAT YOU ALL AND MAKE SURE YOU REPAY EVERYTHING WITH INTEREST!”
The alley became chaotic as Tsuna grabbed the nearest thug by the hair.
“GYAAAH—!”
RIIIIP.
A chunk of hair came clean off.
Another thug swung at him, but Tsuna caught his fist barehanded and headbutted him straight into the pavement.
“MY MONEY!”
RIIIIP.
“MY DIGNITY!”
RIIIIP.
Hair flew everywhere.
The thugs screamed as Tsuna rampaged with monstrous strength that made no sense at all.
Within minutes, every single thug was bald, bruised, and crying.
“W-We’re…
s-sorry..!”
Tsuna grabbed each of them by their underwear waistbands and sprinted through the streets.
“WHY ARE THOSE MEN IN UNDERWEAR?!”
“Kyaaaah!
Pervert!”
“Bald guys in briefs… is this some new gang?”
Tsuna ignored them all.
His eyes burned with terrifying focus as he dragged the sobbing delinquents straight toward their school—Ishiyama High.
The school gate loomed ahead.
“No…!
Wait!
Please forgive us!”
One thug clawed at the pavement.
Tsuna didn’t even slow down.
A few seconds later.
FWIP.
FWIP.
FWIP.
The thugs dangled from the trees outside the school gate in their underwear, swaying in the evening breeze.
Students gathered immediately as their laughters erupted.
Tsuna pointed at the hanging gang.
“DON’T EVER DO THIS AGAIN!”
After saying that, the flames on his forehead sputtered out.
His body froze as the madness drained from his face.
“…Huh?”
Tsuna blinked slowly while feeling the cool air brushing against his skin.
“…”
He looked down and saw he was left in his blue boxer.
Damn, again!
I swear I don’t have infinite clothes!
“Police!”
Reborn suddenly called innocently from besides him.
“There’s a naked pervert here!”
This snapped Tsuna out from his misery, his soul nearly leaving his body.
“Damn you, Reborn!”
His hands shot down to cover himself while dozens of eyes turned toward him.
“You pervert!”
A police officer was luckily patrolling nearby.
“I’ll put you into jail!”
“I’m innocent!”
Tsuna bolted down the street at full speed while the guard chased after him.
It felt like he bursted with Hysterical Strength just to escape.
Behind them, the bald delinquents swung helplessly from the trees while students pointed and laughed.
That night became legendary.
The Tree Hangers Gang disappeared forever.
From then on, they were known as the Tree Flashers Gang.
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Later that night, Tsuna laid flat on his bed.
His entire body twitched every few seconds.
“Agh… guh…”
Pain pulsed through every bruised muscle that got beaten up by both his exercises and the thugs.
The aftereffects of Dying Will Mode only made it worse.
His muscles throughout his body were cramping and twitching intensely.
He stared blankly at the ceiling while another spasm shot through his leg.
Tsuna smiled.
“I never expect I can take a beating…”
Despite his extremely heavy, aching body, his heart felt light like he was freed from a long nightmare.
…
If I’m correct…?
Extra chapters when we reach 500 pw!