Tenth Year Reunion

The Solution

It was cold. And wet. And Tsuna was miserable. No matter how many times Tsuna had staked out on a mission, he still couldn't get used to the cold slowly seeping into his bones, leeching all the warmth from his body. He still couldn't get used to the feeling that he would never be warm again.

The last time he had staked out he swore he would never do it again. When he found Mochida's captors they would pay dearly for what they had made the Vongloa go through. He sniffed. Then he sneezed. He barely cut an intimidating figure at the moment, and he was pretty sure he had caught a cold. He hoped that they would find Mochida quickly, because as cold as he was, apparently Lambo was colder still, as he made perfectly clear by his incessant whining. Cold weather and Lambo were not a good combination for anyone.

What he didn't know was that less than half a mile away, a certain Mochida Kensuke was just as miserable as Tsuna was. His thoughts were wandering down violent tracks. 'Those damn Mafioso, lazing around in their tent. If only I wasn't tied to a tree, I'd show them a thing or two'. 

He started to struggle against his bonds again for what felt like the millionth time that day. Suddenly he stopped trying to get free of his bonds and sat very still. He cocked his head, as though listening to something, for he could hear the bushes rustling. He continued to sit motionlessly, barely breathing, and was rewarded by broken whispers reaching his ears:

"But Hibari, shouldn't we signal Tsuna like we said we would?" The man sounded terrified.

"Shut up Herbivore. I don't want to share my prey. If you don't shut up I'll bite you to death along with the idiots in the tent."

Mochida was now sure they were here for the men in the tent, but what were their intentions for him? Were the enemies of his enemies his friends? Or would they just kill him regardless? Not to speak of the fact that he only knew one Hibari, and if this one was the one he knew, he had absolutely no chance of survival. The bushes rustled a bit more and Mochida was confused. Were they signaling someone like they said they would? Or were they perhaps preparing to attack? They couldn't possibly be serious about this; they were badly outnumbered after all.

Then again, if the Hibari in the bushes was the same Hibari he knew in middle school, they might actually stand a chance. He just hoped they would leave him alive and relatively uninjured.

Hibari was pissed off. Despite what everybody else seemed to think, he wasn't superhuman. He could get cold, and tired, and at the moment he was both, and that made him very grumpy, though he would never admit it. He blamed Mochida for the whole escapade. As a consequence, the men now unconscious in front of the tent were slightly more bruised than his usual victims. Of course, Mochida didn't escape the situation unharmed either.

Hibari had decided to knock Mochida out, just out of spite. That, ladies and gentlemen, is the story of how Mochida got knocked out twice in two days. His vision blurred and slowly faded out. He saw only black.

When his eyes opened, the first thing he noticed was the light. It was blinding. He squeezed his eyes shut again. The next thing he noticed was his pounding headache. Also, he was tied to a terribly uncomfortable chair. Great. Just fantastic. Still, it was a big improvement over the tree and he was thankful for at least that. He cracked one eye open but quickly closed it again. There was a person sitting in the chair before him.

"I know you're awake," a familiar voice said. Mochida opened his eyes hesitantly. "At least you didn't lie. I always know when people are lying to me." He said it in a calm voice, but it was the kind of calm that could turn on you in a moment. Mochida felt like he was a gazelle in a grassy field, being slowly closed in on by a lion. And still, Mochida couldn't help himself and fired back.