Summary : Happy Birthday to Hibari, enjoy this longer chapter of the storm guardian battle. This chapter explores the difference of how Sakura was raised verses Tsunayoshi's beliefs.
It wasn't fair. Well life isn't fair to begin with but as of right now Yakumo Sakura was going to selfishly skip school so she too could train. As promised Kai set her all up with a specialized training room. Concerned about the princess, he asked once more, "Are you sure you want to do this?" She glanced at him then back in the room filled with different weapons and random everyday objects lying about. "Yes. I'm sure." she told him. He let out a deep sigh and nodded his head. "I'll go ahead and bring the trainer," he said bowing to her. She nodded her head and headed back to her office.
The princess went ahead and messaged Hibari letting him know that she wasn't going to be at school that day. She used the excuse of feeling tired and wished for his understanding. The girl ended up being disappointed when he texted her a single word... "Excused". Here she had hoped he'd call her or at least leave a message wishing she'd feel better but apparently he was too busy with Dino-san.
The girl headed back downstairs once she was caught up on the reports that had been sitting on her desk for quite some time. Kai was expecting her so when he saw her he slightly bowed and said, "The trainer is here your highness. Whenever you're ready." she nodded her head and headed back to the room filled with all the weapons.
She slid open the door only to be greeted by someone who looked western. Her eyes narrowed at him. "Good day, your highness. I am your trainer. Please call me Kanamori," he said bowing to her. "You're half Japanese?" she questioned him, lowering her guard. This man was hand picked by Kai after all. She could trust him. He nodded his head. "I had this set up as you requested." he explained as she entered the room. "I will teach you each weapon along with fighting against you so you may master them." he told her his role.
The Princess smirked. Yes, this is exactly what she wanted. "Perfect." she said, shutting the door. "Shall we begin?" she asked him. He nodded his head and they went at it. She rushed at him expecting hand to hand combat but he shoved her near a short metal rod. The girl picked it up while Kanamori picked up a sword.
They continued to battle. Kanamori showed her the basics with all the weapons that were spread out through the large room. He showed her how to properly shoot a gun and how to disarm and take the gun apart. Then he showed her how to properly grip a sword. There were different sword styles but all that mattered was a good grip since she would simply use it as a weapon of defense. Then moved onto brass knuckles which she was fond of and mastered rather quickly. He then showed her how to use tonfas but Sakura quickly explained that she would need no instruction on that and about her crush's name Hibari Kyoya.
The next weapons were all common in Japan like wooden bats. Or knives. There were small daggers. A club. Various guns. All these weapons were things she knew of, but now she knew how to use them. He then taught her how to choke someone with rope and explained that this was possible with something like a scarf. He also taught her how to find the best locations for breaking bones, including one's neck. By the time they were done the sun had long set and she was starving. Her trainer agreed that they did a lot and that they should take a break.
As they headed to the kitchen, he asked, "Princess, have you ever thought about grappling?" She raised an eyebrow at him. "Well you do track and field, plus dance right? That means you have great core strength and excellent balance. Grappling would be something very beneficial for you." "I don't know about that." she said as they entered the kitchen. "I'm strong physically, yeah, but to be able to choke someone out by using just my legs? Or even trying to reverse fighting someone by using their strength against them is difficult no matter how you try." She shared her honest feelings.
She sat at the small two seat table. The princess gestured to the seat across from her offering him to join her. Kanamori nodded his head, thanked her and sat across from her. "I think you can do it. In fact I think you're the only person who can." She snapped her fingers and her personal chef showed up asking what she liked, "Something light. I'm not too hungry." she explained. Kanamori asked for the same thing, after all they had been training all day. "I'll think about it." she promised him.
Day two of training was another skip day of school. Today, Kanamori worked on Sakura's hand to hand combat with the addition of some weapons. He showed her how to flip, grab a weapon, throw it and follow after it to land a hit. She adapted well so then he showed her some basic moves that involved grappling. He explained to her how these moves were simply used for opponents who were taller than her. The man would start her in an unfavorable position then show her how to get out of it. The girl struggled at first but once she got the hang of it, Kanamori implemented it into an actual sparring match.
Even with these moves and lessons, the Princess still felt like she wasn't able to keep up with the Vongola familia. Still she wasn't ready to give up and Kanamori was more than willing to teach her everything he could so that he could help become even stronger than before.
Once again night began to fall and Kanamori excused himself for the night. Sakura on the other hand had already missed the second fight. She wanted to show her support to the Vongola. Quickly she changed into a button up top and short skirt before grabbing her heels and making her way to Namimori Middle School.
When she arrived on campus she saw that one building had lights on still. "That's where they must be!" She said excitedly and ran over there. When she got there, she was thankful to see that the door was unlocked so she entered the building and headed to the third floor seeing that it was the only floor with lights on. Up to the third floor where she ran into Tsunayoshi, Yamamoto, Ryohei, and another brown-haired boy.
"Senpai!" Tsunayoshi said excitedly. "Good evening Tsunayoshi." She greeted him as she joined the group. "Welcome!" Ryohei said. She smiled at him. The Princess arrived just in time to hear the weird twins say, "Once that clock strikes 11 Gokudera Hayato will be disqualified. Belphegor will win by default." The young group turned their attention to the clock for time seemed to be moving too slow and Gokudera still wasn't there. Before the clock striked 11, it blew up. Entering in style was none other than Gokudera Hayato.
"Sorry for making you wait, Juudaime. Gokudera Hayato present." he said. "Gokudera-kun!" Tsunayoshi said happy. "Octopus Head!" Ryohei greeted him. Sakura nodded to him which he gave a small nod back. "Since you have arrived at the designated time..." One of the twins said, "You will be permitted to participate in the match." the other finished. "Alright!" Ryohei cheered. "You scared me. Did you tire yourself out and oversleep?" Yamamoto teased. "That's not it!" Gokudera countered. The group exchanged a few words but Sakura took a step back.
She turned her attention to the Varia member named: Belphegor. There was something about him. The Princess couldn't place it but she was certainly interested in this man. "Maybe I should start wearing a tiara." she pondered to herself. She could already hear Hibari lecturing her about how it was against school code and how silly she looked. A small giggle escaped her frame and then she frowned. She really did miss him a lot.
"Tonight's battlefield will be..." one of the twins explained, "The entire third floor of the school building." the other finished. Sakura frowned. Hibari wouldn't like to see his precious school damaged. "Of course, this includes the buildings connected to this one." they continued. "Not only the corridors, but all the classrooms on this floor are also part of the battlefield." Sakura shook her head. Oh yeah Hibari really wasn't going to like this at all. "However..." The cherry blossom felt it. Something shifted in the air and she quickly turned towards Gokudera in time to see an entire classroom be blown out the side of the building.
Only the Varia wasn't shaken by this new development. "At various points in the battlefield." They started to explain the twist for this battle. "We have installed these Hurricane turbines." the other twin said, pushing the turbine on a cart for them to see. They continued to explain the time limit and more about the turbines including how if there was no clear winner by the end of the 15 minute time limit both potential guardians would die.
"No...No way?! Then if there is no winner both of them will..." Tsunayoshi was in disbelief of what was explained. "Of course, they will die." the twin said a little too calm for Sakura's comfort. "It would mean neither of them is worthy of becoming the guardian of the storm." the other twin finished. The group was shaken to their core minus Sakura and Gokudera. Reborn noticed this and could help but wonder if that was because of who and how Sakura grew up or if there was something else. Gokudera on the other hand was calm and ready to fight.
Out of nowhere the perverted Doctor appeared. He shamelessly grabbed the twins' breasts. They simply responded by punching him but he seemed satisfied. The Varia arcobaleno commented on how Shamal was offered a position for the Varia two generations ago and turned it down. Sakura scoffed. She wasn't fond of this man and honestly she didn't like him too much. "Heeh, Shamal is with them," Mammon said. "Dino, Colonello, The Yakuza Princess, and now Shamal... Why is that kind of talent all lined up on their side... just what is going on?" Squalo questioned. "Can it be that it's that chibi's doing again?"
The battle needed to begin so the group did their cheer and they got into position. The creepy twins explained how they, the audience, could watch the battle from the monitors that were projecting the battle all around the floor. Belphegor and Gokudera exchanged words and then the battle began.
The group gathered around one of the monitors and watched Gokudera take on the Prince. With the triple bomb launched at Belphegor, Sakura noticed how he didn't try to dodge. If she was in the battlefield she would have sensed it but this time she saw Belphegor's movement which is what gave away one of turbines going off stopping the bomber's attack. "The guardian of storm naturally has a keen instinct for wind movements." Belphegor told Gokudera. The turbines kept going off. Belphegor on the other hand was calm as he nearly nailed Gokudera. The bomber was forced to be on his toes struggling to find his footing in this battle. Belphegor then joined Gokudera in the classroom and explained how he used wind currents from the turbines to carry the knives and strike Gokudera.
"Do you know the purpose of the guardian of the storm?" Reborn perked up. Sakura too leaned in a little closer to hear this answer. She couldn't help but wonder what he was about to say is what caught her attention. "Continuously at the heart of attack. The storm of raging waves that never rests." Belphegor explained. Reborn looked at Sakura. "Sakura-hime?" She turned and looked at the baby. Reborn was waiting for Sakura to say something but she turned her attention back to the screen. But the thoughts of what Belphegor said were still ringing in her head. Being at the heart of the battle releasing relenting attacks... that for sure is something Sakura does. Being a member of the storm class was something she could relate to.
The battle continued. It was three minutes in and the poor bomber was still struggling to find some kind of footing in this battle. He would dodge and try to move to different classrooms only to be discouraged by either the turbines or Belphegor somehow stopping his bombs. Gokudera was struggling. He would dodge the attacks but there was no stop to them. He was beginning to feel overwhelmed. Everyone could hear the panic in his voice. He ran to another classroom hoping to build some distance between himself and Belphegor.
The only thing it did was encourage the Varia prince to play with the bomber. The game of hide and seek had begun. Even Tsuna was starting to get upset for Gokudera. The bomber was hiding in the classroom but somehow Belphegor knew where he was and put out more of his dynamite sticks. Belphegor continued to walk through the hallway and attacked Gokudera only this time... He nailed him.
"Gokudera-kun!" Tsunayoshi yelled out seeing Belphegor's knives go through the bomber's left shoulder and left abdomen. The prince began to taunt him by mentioning Gokudera's boss, Tsuna. Instead of the taunt throwing Gokudera off it only encouraged him to work harder. With new found footing and more resolve than before the bomber was ready for his counter attack.
His counter attack included analyzing everything that had happened in the fight so far, including how odd it was for the Varia member to touch his shoulder at the beginning of the match. Sakura could see it. Gokudera had come up with a plan. Belphegor launched what should have been his final attack except it wasn't Gokudera that his knives hit. "A model of a human body!" the other brown hair boy said. The Vongola kids were quite surprised by this development.
The bomber approached the model lifting its head by... "This is your technique's true nature" If one looked closely they would be able to see a very fine thread wrapped around the model's head. Suddenly it all clicked for them. Even the cherry blossom was surprised by the thread. "Woah" she commented, impressed by this technique. They all listened intensely while Gokudera explained it. Belphegor wasn't impressed though. In fact it really seemed like he didn't care that Gokudera figured out the secret of his knives. He even went as far as taunting the bomber as another turbine went off.
Sakura wasn't amused though. In fact she had taken a step back and was watching from behind the group. She was sitting on a desk shaking her head as Gokudera pulled out another set of bombs. He launched them much to Tsunayoshi and the other brown-haired boy's disappointment. Even the Varia member laughed at him. Sakura saw the look in Gokudera's eyes on the camera. She sat up suddenly interested again. Even the knife user noticed something different about this set of bombs. The other Varia members too perked up a little. "Thats!" Tsunayoshi yelled.
Gokudera's bombs had launched with mini rockets on the other end making their distance longer than before. Belphegor stood there. He did dodge or try to move instead he took the hit from the looks of it. The boys cheered excitedly. The perverted doctor went ahead and explained what the bomber had been learning and mastering in the last six days. "When all is said and done, in a moment of life-and-death, that guy mastered this skill. His persistence allowed him to achieve this technique, Rocket bomb" he finished.
The smoke began to clear and the Vongola children really thought Gokudera was going to be declared the winner. The Varia on the other hand didn't seem to be bothered and had no doubt that Belphegor wasn't defeated. The clearing of the smoke began to clear more and a single silhouette was standing there. A sinister laugh began to fill the speakers and hallway of the school. Belphegor stood there bleeding and laughing maniacally. "It's flowing out...The blood of the royal clan" he chuckled out. Sakura felt the hair on the back of her neck stand up. She sat up straight. Gokudera was shaken and confused as to what was going on. "Once he sees his own blood, it begins...Prince the Ripper's true skills." the smallest Varia member said.
Belphegor dodged Gokudera's next rocket bomb attack in the weirdest stance possible. He continued to charge at the bomber fearlessly. Sakura got off the desk and watched the knife user carefully. If she had to compare him to something it would be a rapid animal. He threw a set of knives at Gokudera. Calmly the bomber didn't try to dodge so he was quite surprised when his whole face ended up being cut up. Gokudera wasn't the only one confused, the Vongola and Yakuza Princess too were confused on how that happened.
But Gokudera wasn't paying attention. He didn't see Belphegor come straight at him, launching himself in the air with a knife in hand ready to slice Gokudera open. Fear filled the bomber's body. A moment of clear thinking he launched a small bomb between them creating some distance between them. Although it was painful it was better than having the Varia member kill him. Even Squalo pointed it out saying, "Protecting your life at the expense of a few injuries. Excellent decision, bomb brat."
Belphegor on the other hand lost it. Bleeding out on the floor the Prince laughed even more as his royal blood spilled out. Tsunayoshi was fearful for his friend as he tried to limp away from the crazy man. Belphegor continued his attack while Gokudera tried to escape.
"The hurricane turbines' self destruction will occur in six minutes" the twins announced. Gokudera was now shaken by the overwhelming mania of Belphegor and the time limit creeping up on him. The bomber made his way to the library to corner and finish the fight once and for all.
Belphegor came flying in excited. Gokudera was ready as he launched another rocket bomb attack but Belphegor was prepared as he too launched his knives cutting the dynamite in half halting the attack. Sakura frowned. It was over in her eyes and she returned to sitting in the back of the room.
The Varia member was toying with him. Launching attack after attack not only overwhelming the kid but also purposely avoiding any vital spots but Sakura could tell. This battle was over and Gokudera had lost in her eyes. By the time Gokudera gained his footing he realized he couldn't move. Sakura scoffed. His friend cheered for him to move but Sakura and Varia already knew what had happened. "It's not that he doesn't want to run. It's that he can't. It's difficult to see it on the monitor, however his surroundings have already been... completely swathed in razor-sharp wire." the smallest Varia member explained. His friends were confused but the Princess had seen it and it was only because she and Hibari had spared so much that she had such a keen sense of battle now.
The perverted doctor explained it in more detail while the chibi Varia member nodded in agreement. Belphegor let out one more laugh before saying, "Checkmate." Gokudera frowned... because he had one more move up his sleeve. "Gunpowder?" Sakura said, surprised seeing the ant trail of the material. The trail blew and all of Belphegor's wire grew slack, no longer able to cut the bomber. He launched one more bomb attack using the wire as a way to knife user. "This is the guardian of storm's attack of raging waves." he said just before he blew the whole entrance of the library and Belphegor.
"That did it" the brown-haired boy yelled. "Amazing" Tsunayoshi praised. "Impossible" weird facial hair said. "Having been hit by that kind of attack, even Bel..." The smallest Varia member doubted. "He's fallen," Squalo confirmed. "He actually did it...Isn't that something?"Shamal praised. "That guy as the guardian of storm." Sakura frowned because Gokudera had two choices now. Which one he made would forever define him as the type of mafia person to Sakura.
Gokudera made his way over to Belphegor's limp body. "It's over." he finally said. "Incorrect, until the complete ring of storm is obtained, a win cannot be recognized." one of the twins said, "Please reunite both halves of the ring and create the complete ring of storm" the other continued. "Keh, so annoying" the bomber said and trudged his way over to the body but he was now feeling the effects of the battle. His body was heavy and he had lost too much blood.
Gokudera made some remarks to the body as he lifted up the other half of the storm ring. Just then Belphegor reached up and grabbed Gokudera's ring around his neck. A struggle for the ring began. Gokudera had lost too much blood and Belphegor wasn't going to give up the ring so easily. "Finish him." Sakura yelled at Gokudera.
Tsunayoshi turned and looked at her. "Senpai, he can't kill someone." he tried to reason with her. "Why not?" she asked the boy. "What is holding you guys back from killing someone who is trying to kill you? These are members of an elite assassin group. They have every intention of killing you for your rings. Do you not understand that?" Tsunayoshi was surprised by this but that's when he realized it. His upperclassmen was a member of a Yakuza. That means she most likely gave orders to kill or even killed someone herself. "Senpai...how many people have you killed?" he asked, scared. Reborn and Shamal looked away. They knew who she was and what she had done. "Why does that matter?" Squalo yelled. "She's more of a member of the Vongola compared to you pathetic children."
The argument was cut short though because the twins had exchanged words and informed them that the appointed time had arrived. The turbines started their self-destruct sequence. The two storm guardian's continue to brawl while trying to reunite the rings. Sakura walked towards the exit. This is what separated her and Tsunayoshi. She was willing to kill. He wasn't.
Sakura snapped out her thoughts when she heard Tsunayoshi yelled at Gokudera. "Stop joking around!" She glanced at the monitor. "Have you thought about what you're fighting for?!" he continued. In the end Tsunayoshi was once again trying to save his friend. Sakura couldn't relate. She knew everyone in the Yakuza would take any weapon and kill themselves if she asked for it. Miki for one would do anything for her and had proven that over and over. Kai and Bai, although her legal guardians, would without a doubt shoot themselves if it meant keeping her alive. How lucky she thought. As to who was lucky...her or Tsunayoshi...she didn't know.
The monitors went blank. "Gokudera-kun..." Tsunayoshi called his friend. "Gokudera-kun!" he tried again. "Gokudera!" Yamamoto chimed in. "That idiot..." The perverted doctor mumbled. Sakura looked away as Tsunayoshi fell to his knees. "Look over there." Reborn pointed out. Emerging out of the smoke was their friend. "The infrared sensors have been turned off." Shamal pointed out. Sakura moved out of the way while the Vongola familia ran over to their friend who was lying face first on the ground. Sakura walked towards them slowly.
The twins announced the winners but Sakura only arrived within earshot hearing the next match. "The battle between the rain guardians." Squalo and Yamamoto exchanged some banter. But what caught Sakura's attention was another different Varia member appearing and saying, "Please excuse the intrusion, Captain Levi" This member dropped to one knee. "Someone has breached the perimeter of the school building. The Levi Thunder Unit is being picked off one by one." "What?" Levi said surprised.
"Didn't I say so? All of the guardians will come together in due time." Reborn reminded Tsunayoshi. "What do you think you're doing in my school?" Sakura knew that voice and she turned to look at the boy she was in love with. "Kyoya?" she said, surprised by her heart pounding in her ears. The last time she saw him and heard his voice had been two days. She didn't realize how much she missed him until that moment.