Knuckle didn't know what to do at first.
The last memories that he had was that of his family members that stood by his bedside as he took in his last breath.
Then,when he opened his eyes again,he saw that....he was in a new world.
It was...weird to be alive again:he's been living here in this world for seven years of his life,and yes--he was aware of what was happening around him as he came out of his mother's womb.
No,no,he wasn't exactly embarrassed at all at remembering how he came out!
In fact,he was...happy.
Though he wished that he could have received his past lives memories when he was older,but well...who was he to complain?
He actually enjoyed his new life:a bit guiltily,if he might say so,but if Primo was in his place he would have liked it too if the said man enjoyed his new life as well.
...Yes,even if that meant forgetting one's past life.
Sure,it was hard,but what else could anyone have done?It was the only way...
Knuckle--now known as Akimichi Choza--didn't want to lose his current family by dwelling in the past and letting it control his future decisions.
So he did what Primo would have wanted him to do.
He lived.
He went on with his life and made friends...went to school...he had a family,unlike his past life.
Everything seemed to go well at first...
Then,suddenly,his perfect life was turned upside down again and everything went downhill.
The cause?
It was the one and only Namikaze Minato,the blond who was aspiring to be a Hokage someday,the eternal rival of Uzumaki Kushina.
(Or so she thought--Knuckle knew that there was a high chance that Uzumaki and Namikaze would end up together judging from how they started off as rivals...that's usually how love stories start too,from what he can see from two of his fellow comrades in his past life.)
It started off as normal.
...But pretty soon,he noticed the weird behavioural patterns and the way the other spoke that seemed all too(achingly) familiar to him and he couldn't help hoping for just who exactly he thinks it is.
He knew he should have given up on the hope that the others might be in the same world/universe as him the moment he realized that he got reincarnated;but he just couldn't.
The broken and lost bonds of a missing Sky and his fellow Elements hurt too much for him to think it all of as a dream!
....It was all to beautiful to dismiss it as a mere figment of imagination...those fleeting,but touching moments,the camaraderie that he felt whenever the familgia's boss and fellow guardians bantered...the fierce protectiveness that they felt for one another and the feeling of betrayal from Daemon Spade.
It was all too realistic to be called a dream.
Try as he might,he couldn't ignore the fact that there was that burningly passionate yellow flame that he knew all too well...his Sun flames that he used to heal the sick with as a priest or to help others around.
The special power that helped build Vongola as a clam that protected the weak,which was its' pearl.
So he waited.
He hoped against all odds.
He observed the blond for a few months...
...And his hard-earned efforts were rewarded.
He noticed the slightly intimate(no,not the romantic type,but the familial one) friendship between the said Namikaze and Uchiha and they way they always snuck off to lunch.
He saw the all-knowing look in one of his bestfriend's,Shikaku's eyes and the amusement that danced in Inoichi's.
He questioned himself at times if he was simply imagining all of this.
Then he realized it.
He was scared.
Choza was scared to approach them and the possibility that they might get mad at him for enjoying his new life when the majority of them might be suffering.
He was scared--terrified even--of being thrown away to the side and not accepted by his Sky again so he kept his distance and kept quiet.
He didn't kept quiet as Choza though...he kept quiet as Knuckle to prevent the others from identifiying him.
He really did miss them...honestly,he also wanted to greet Primo/Giotto;he still wasn't sure if said blond Namikaze was Primo or not--after all,he wasn't exactly the brightest/smartest of the guardians.
He wasn't stupid or dumb,but its just that he was more of focused on the healing/support department instead something that has to do with Daemon or Alaude's department which is information gathering and interrogation--though sometimes he joins from time to time to help them with a task that Primo gave him.
Knuckle clenched his fist tightly and breathed in deeply.
...He has to do this.
He has to confront them again and be with them again.
His flames had been screaming at him in agony of the lack of bonds.
So he made his choice.
And this time...this time,he will not regret his decision.
...It was time to face the past and to see them again.
"Hey,Shikaku?" He tentatively called out to the ravenet across him as they ate in a nearby shop.
"Yeah?" The other replied,lazily looking up at him.
His other friend also turned his attention to him,quietly waitng for what he was about to say.
"...Uhm,you wouldn't happen to know..." Choza gulped,his heart seemed to beat loudly in his chest as he struggled how to say it.
"Whoa,calm down,Choza.Whatever that is that you're about to say,calm down first." Inoichi finally spoke up,his eyebrows furrowed with worry.
Choza blinked,chuckling nervously as he nodded at them.
"...You're right,sorry about that!"
Then he dropped his smile and replaced a bright grin with it.
"Sorry for worrying you guys and for the late appearance now--"
--To which the two gave him confused looks--
"--But you wouldn't happen to know where Giotto Extremely is now,right?" He finally asked.
Shikaku shot up,spilling his green tea on himself on the floor,with eyes widened in shock as he stared at him.
Inoichi dropped his chopsticks and sputtered at his words as he choked on a dumpling.
A deafening silence surrounded the three:it was so quiet that you could even hear a pin drop.
Silence...
"KNUCKLE?!"
~~
"Seriously,what took you so long?When did you arrive?!We were seriously worried that you would take too long to appear even though Byakuran already confirmed that you will!I mean..you were waaay too quiet.Which is a miracle in itself and its something that you wouldn't do too!" Shikaku exclaimed,waving his arms around and almost hitting the Yamanaka heir in his excitement.
"Hey,watch it!You almost hit me!" Inoichi snapped,gaining an apology from the sheepish ravenet as he huffed.
"Nufufu~,you were really way too different for us to suspect that it was you."
This what was Choza dreaded to hear.
He can practically hear their unsaid words.
*Where were you?What happened?Is something wrong?Why didn't you show up sooner when you guessed that it was us?*
Choza sighed,nervously glancing at them before he began to explain.
"Well,I was going to reveal myself eventually.I've been here since the moment I gained awareness in my mother's womb...I was three months at that time,I guess?And then I've been living here in this world for a while.I wasn't sure if the people that I met was really you guys or not...I didn't...know if I should confront you guys.I've been living my life pleasantly whilse thinking about you guys and the life we had back in our past lives most of the time.I didn't want to have my hopes broken when one day,I would discover that it wasn't you guys.I felt...guilty.For having a peaceful life,when there's a chance that you guys may be suffering.So I gave up.It was about to be fine then,but then I noticed the weirdness in Namikaze's action this past few months." He sorrowfully explained,his hand gripping on the part where his heart was.
"...You were scared." Inoichi voiced out his realization.
Choza gave a bitter laugh.
"...Yes.Yes,I was.But there was a part of me that kept hoping...that maybe--just maybe--you guys really got reincarnated like me.My core,my source of life force and resolve of my flames...felt dull and empty:it ached at the lost bonds and it really hurt me.I couldn't explain it,but suddenly,my flames that had been dormant for the past 7 years of my life...began burning passionately again.I was filled with hope and light again.That's when I knew...he's here.That you guys were also here.So I approached you two when I heard your hushed conversation..." Choza turned to face the two and grinned.
"...That's when I knew that he's back and you guys are here too."
The two stared at him,before smiles began blossoming in their lips.
"...Yeah.You're right.We're slowly beginning to feel his Active Sky flames unconciously reaching out to us."
Choza laughed,wiping a tear away.
"Yeah,well,Primo has always been Extremely too clingy for his own good."
"...It's Minato."
"Huh?"
Choza blinked in confusion,staring at Shikaku in disbelief.
Inoicho yawned,waving his hand as he began explaining.
"Primo is Namikaze Minato.He awakened on his birthday...and we're going to gather information until the others start to approach him."
Choza nodded,laughing as his eyes glimmered with unshed tears.
"Really?!I can't believe it...I was right all along!Well,I have a feeling that the others will be approaching him now!"
The three wrapped their arms around each other,laughing all the way as they went to Choza's house for the promised sleepover.
"...Its good to be back to the MAXIMUM!"
"Yare yare...you better help us with the mission,okay?"
"Nufufufu~!This will be fun...things are getting more interesting~!"
~~(Extra 1)~~
Few days later...
"What.The.Fuck.Is.That." A disgusted voice sneered.
"Now,now,Inoichi,calm down." The chubby boy in their group placated.
"Yare,yare....Choza,what did you do?" A ravenet tiredly drawled out as he and Inoichi loomed over a strange creature.
Their other friend was introducing said creature to them as he stood beside it,ignoring the fact that this thing was positively dangerous.
Choza chuckled nervously,rubbing the back of his neck.
"Uhm...a giant snake?" He weakly tried to explain.
"Dumbass.That's not a snake,that's a freaking centipede!Furthermore,this one is extremely poisonous!" The blond snorted as he finally exploded,crossing his arms.
"...Aren't I supposed to be the one to say 'extreme' here...?" The one who was once known as Knuckle sweatdropped.
"Bah,who cares!You're not the only one that says that,idiot!" The Yamanaka snorted.
Shikaku frowned at him in disapproval,before turning back to the creature before them.
...It wasn't like the said insect was that large--it was actually just the size of their arm:then again,that was still big for a centipede.
"Should we be worried...?I mean,this IS a centipede that we're talking about. I think it was the kind that was placed inside the Tokyo Ghoul main character's ear." Shikaku furrowed his brows,shooting worried glances at his two bestfriends.
"Was that the anime or the manga?" Choza couldn't help but to curiously ask.
(And yes,he and the rest of the Primo family watched anime and other movies/series from time to time with their descendants.)
"Both." Inoichi supplied.
Shikaku crouched down in front of the said creature, a good distance away to avoid the possibility of getting attacked.
"...Why isn't it attacking?I mean--not that I want it to attack,but weird creatures like this are usually pretty...aggressive." He nervously explained,poking it gently with a stick in hand.
"Maybe because its still a baby?" The blond of the group rolled his eyes.
Then he smacked the back of said ravenet.
"Seriously--why are you afraid of a small insect?We're former mafioso and we're the former 'First Family' of the Vongola Familgia,the most feared,respected,and the most powerful flame users and mafiosi...we shouldn't be afraid of something like this."
"Hey,we don't know much about this world,so its a given to be cautious of our new lives' surroundings!"
"Guys,let's not argue and just go eat somewhere to the MAXIMUM!!"
"Oh wow,he sure is energetic...when did he become a food addict,Inoichi?"
"Its in their clan,Shikaku."
"Right.Anyway,we should just follow him...we both know that our friend--yes,as both Knuckle and Choza--are directionless idiots.If we don't lead him or something,he'll just get himself lost in a forest."
"Nufufufu~for once you are right.Come,let's get this over with...this creature is not worth our time."
"That's mean,Daemon."
"Does it look like I care,Lampo?"
"No,obviously not."
With an obvious dismissal of their playful banter,the ravenet turned on his heel and proceeded to run after the brunet.
"Hey,Choza!Wait up!"
Following closely behind was the blond Yamanaka heir.
~~(Extra 2)~~
"Urgh,I'm gonna puke..." A certain Nara groaned,covering his mouth with one hand and wrapping an arm around his stomach in another.
"I can't take it anymore...any further into this place and I'm gonna die!" He whined,trembling as he shakily took another step.
"Gods,just please kill me now...!" He gasped,seemingly out of breath from the uphill hike.
"Are we there yet?Can we just turn back and laze around in our compounds or in each others' homes?" Shikaku complained before gulping nervously,almost slipping down the steep slope.
Inoichi's eyebrow twitched dangerously,his hand turning white at its tight grip on his hiking staff.
'Just hold it in.Don't let him get to you.Don't blow a fuse.You've known him for a long time in both lives,the past and the present.Just carry on and ignore his annoying complains...even Choza is losing it,so at least be the sane and logical person by holding on your patience.' The blond gave himself pep talks to avoid blowing up on the ravenet trudging tiredly behind him.
Choza was silent and had a deadpan look on his face--which is a nerve-wracking thing to the blond because Choza rarely becomes silent or deadpans,or both and if he does,shit happens--and was just behind Shikaku,ignoring the other's complains.
"I don't think I will be alive by the time we make it there..."
"Oh no...I ran out of water;what are we gonna do--?!--Oh.Uh,thanks Choza." Shikaku panicked,waving his arms everywhere before a silent Choza gave him another water pouch,making him accept this and smiling sheepishly.
Then...
"I am sooo done with this hiking!I wanna quit!"
"Damn it,its way too hot!I thought that the shinobi weather forecasts had said that it would either be cloudy or rainy today!Not sunny!"
(Shinobi Weather Forecasts:Are shinobi who predict and interpret the skies for signs of rain,storm,and other calamities:though they are pretty rare.)
"Why did I even agree to this?!I told you guys before,but I'm not in the right condition to go hiking!I have a cold right now,a headache, and I barely had sleep last night due to Choza's snoring!We really shouldn't have slept in my room and we really should each have their own room!"
"We've been walking for hours!HOURS,I TELL YOU!!!"
"You guys can just go on ahead,I'll catch up later...ooor,I can just stay here and wait for you guys to come back down."
"Dead.I'm dead.I can't go on any further..." The Nara heir gasped,desperatedly gulping for air as they crawled to a shade under a tree.
Choza shot him an unimpressed stare and crossed his arms in disappointment;though his face still remained in a deadpan.
"Shikaku.Shut your trap.Nobody wants to hear your pathetic whines or complains:we're doing this for your own good." The Yamanaka heir irritably snapped.
And Choza--bless his soul--intervened to point out the Nara's over-exaggeration.
"...We've only been walking for 30 minutes." He deadpanned,before sighing.
Inoichi nodded in agreement.
"Yeah.So suck it up like a man and stop whining like a big baby...its annoying."
"But I'm literally dying here!I feel like I'm being cooked slowly by the sun!And yes,it's that hot!How can you guys endure this torture?!"
By then,the blond of the group had a dangerous look on his face,his staff nearing closer and closer to snapping in half.
"Choza." He gritted out with full on restraint.
Choza's face paled slightly,gulping at the malicious aura surrounding his friend.
"Uh,Shikaku?You should probably--no.You should extremely shut up to the MAXIMUM!" He urged the ravenet,but was ignored as the other kept dronning on and on.
"And just look at the state of my knees?They're trembling from exhaustion already--"
"--Oh,look at the time!Mother must be looking for me,I'm sure I'm not needed for this dreadful hike of yours!--"
"--Or you can just leave me here,I'll just take a nap at this wonderful shade under the tree and watch the clouds go by while you go on that adventure of yours--"
Finally,after so much complains and whines,Inoichi's staff broke in half--due to the monsterous force of his hand--and he turned to glower on the ravenet.
Forget being the only sane and logical person today!Its not like he had it in him in the first place!
Not in his past life,not now,not ever.
"N a ra S h i k a k u ~!"
Having noticed an aura filles with killing intent and malice,the ravenet slowly looked up behind him,his face going pallid with fear:his expression was that of an 'oh shit I messed up'.
"N u f u f u f u ~!I hope you're prepared for the concequences of incuring my wrath and ire...because I sure as hell won't forgive you for doing so~!"
"H-hey,no need to be all m-mad now,l-let's talk about t-this!"
"Nope~.You brought this on yourself."
"Choza!Help!" He screamed in a high pitched voice.
Choza shivered,shaking his head at him in a silent refusal of his plea for help.
"Sorry,Shikaku.You DID bring this upon yourself.I'd rather not be on the receiving end of that." He sheepishly stated,waving a hand in farewell as his blond friend dragged the ravenet away.
"N u f u f u f u f u~ heads will be rolling on the ground,screaming bloody murder all around~!" Inoichi sang,his voice low and full of forebonding.
"NOOOOOOOO!!!!" A screech of doom and despair echoed in the forest.
"...I shall pray for your soul,brother." Choza solemly stated,bowing his head with a white handkerchief clasped in his hands in a praying position.