Genesis - Katekyo Hitman Reborn - Chapter 31

Summary: There was a reason why Reborn got Haru involved with the Mafia. Even if she was useless to them in fights and even if she couldn't provide as much emotional strength as Kyoko, she was vital and without her, there would just be no Vongola. G86/GiottoHaru

My lack of KHR knowledge might make some things untrue or some characters OOC!

I don't own Katekyo Hitman Reborn!

Please forgive any mistakes, both character-wise and grammatically-wise. I don't have time to re-read or edit things.

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Genesis: Chapter 31

HappyFace1886

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“Where's Haru?” Giotto spoke softly, but his voice alone was enough to make most of the men flinch. However, his attention wasn't on any of them. His gaze was solely fixed on Atillio.

“Well then, father?” one of the elders hastily grunted, his eyes flicking back and forth from Giotto to Atillio with obvious anxiety. “Exorcise the dam beast already!”

“What do you hope to gain by finding her, exactly?” Atillio replied carelessly, openly ignoring the elder whose eyes widened. “There's nothing out there for you in this world. Not to mention, a probably amnesiac foreigner? You'd only draw more attention to yourself... and with an exotic young girl by your side, it'll only be a matter of time before she's ripped from your side and forced to-.”

The flames surrounding Giotto flickered and the men shifted nervously, inching closer to where Atillio stood. They were already giving off a comical appearance with how closely all of them were standing beside one another. Still, Atillio did not notice or simply did not care.

“Don't talk of Haru like that.” The displeasure was clean on his face, but he spoke in a gentle tone. Still, the hardness behind them was enough to show an inkling of impatience.

“I'm only telling you for your own good. What future do you plan on holding with that child? Do you think just being by her side is enough?” Atillio sneered. “You have no idea of what cruelty awaits you. If anything, you're better off wasting away in this pathetic village.”

There was a sharp gasp from some of the men, one of them even boldly speaking out. “Father, what are you saying?!”

“The point is, Giotto, it's time you and the girl go your separate ways. I believe you've had enough time to play house and make your cute little memories. However, enough is enough.” Atillio narrowed his eyes. “It's time for you to let her go. For her own good. I'm sure this village will be more than happy to take care of her. I've even heard of possible marriage prospects with some of the boys here.”

Hearing those words were like a slap to a face and Giotto's hand subconsciously tightened. The flames flickered around him, showing the flare of turmoil within him. However, the village elders didn't seem to a notice.

“T-That's right! If you leave us, we'll take good care of the girl. Just get out of our village and out of our lives!” There was a hint of relief in the elder man's voice. Of course, this was what the venerable father was trying to do. He was trying to force the demon's hand to send him away from here!

Atillio almost rolled his eyes at the obvious thought process.

Giotto, on the other hand, remained still.

Leave Haru behind? Leave her here... and go where? He had nothing. Even this very village was all that he had left, but now Haru had become even more than even that.

To leave this village...

To leave her...

No, he had already decided that he'd be with her forever. She had even agreed to be by his side! These people were the ones that were getting in their way!

“Give Haru to me and we'll both leave this place.” He spoke icily, but only Atillio could see his frailty.

“Leave the innocent girl out of this.” He spoke, intentionally choosing his words to rouse the men.

“Y-Yeah, the girl is innocent! Leave her out of your games, demon!” One man shouted.

“See Giotto, even these men are willing to fight you to protect her from you.” Atillio tilted his head slightly, watching Giotto with sharp eyes. “What will you do now?”

Atillio almost smiled at the conflict on Giotto's face. In the past, he would have backed down. Or if angered enough, he might have even retaliated. But now he simply looked stunned, torn from forcing his way through and finding an alternative.

Yes, he needed to be smart about this.

There was no future for someone so cowardly they'd run from confrontation or for someone who simply forced his way through all his obstacles.

So what will young Giotto do?

“What are you all doing?” A voice cried out from the sides. Heads swiveled to the trees beside the pathway where Michael stood panting.

“Michael-,” amongst the village men, Michael's father spoke out in surprise.

“I heard everything and now I'm asking you all, what are you doing?” He demanded again.

“This is none of your concern, child.” The elder chastised harshly. “Go back to the village until the exorcism is completed.”

“What exorcism?” Michael yelled furiously. “Haru wants to be with Giotto. It's so obvious to everyone and it's not something as ridiculous as some evil demon magic doing it!”

“Michael, go home!” His father ordered.

Michael wildly shook his head, his eyes dampening at the ridiculousness of it all. “No! I refuse! Not when I know something like this is going on! I... I can't stand Adelina crying over this anymore. I can't stand by while you guys bully Giotto over something you all are afraid of!  He's not a demon and you all know this!”

“Boy, do you und-!” The rest of the elder's voice was silence when the flames surrounding Giotto grew stronger.

Michael fell silent as well, staring at Giotto in awe. After Adelina had run off, he had felt so powerless... not to mention, so pathetic. Adelina was trying so hard, despite being terrified due to her trauma, in order to make Giotto happy and to right what was wronged. And then when he heard Giotto's solemn plea to return Haru so that they could leave the village together, it was as though he couldn't hold back anymore.

Giotto smiled faintly at Michael, placing a hand on his shoulder out of gratitude. “Thank you Michael.”

“Are the theatrics now over?” Atillio drawled lazily.

This time Giotto ignored him, turning his attention to the villagers instead. “Please return Haru to me. It doesn't matter to me how you feel about all this. You want me away from here, that's fine. However, Haru leaves with me... as she has promised me and as we had originally planned.”

The grave tone and the bold wording... the diplomacy and yet, the thinly veiled warning... Atillio almost smiled at this development, his eyes trailing to where Michael stood. This was not what he had planned, but it was not unwanted. Allies and friends would be vital for someone like Giotto and the path he was to walk.

There was plenty of time for Giotto to grow for this was only the beginning.

“See!” Michael yelled. “You'll all get what you want. Just let Haru leave with him!”

There was a ripple of murmurs amongst the men, especially by the ones who had been looking uncertain this entire time. Kidnapping the girl alone had created a bitter taste in their mouths. Now the source of the problem claimed he was leaving and the girl had agreed to leave with him!

“This is nonsense! Just kill the demon and be done with it!” One of the elders yelled.

“They're willing to leave in peace.” A man feebly protested.

“That's right. He said he'll leave and the girl wants to go with him! Just let the two leave.” Another man added in.

“It's just another one of the demon's tricks! The girl doesn't know what she wants! She doesn't understand the terrible nature of these demons!”

“Then ask Haru what she wants! If Giotto is really speaking the truth, then all we need to do is ask her!” Michael shouted in frustration. Were all the adults and elders really this stupid? For years, he had truly believed that they knew what was best and had followed their word as law. But this... this absurdity! Was this what Adelina had to live with for so many years?

“Yes, let us ask the girl.” Attilio agreed and the eyes of the men and elders turned swiftly towards him. Just what game was the father playing? Was he truly on their side? “And if they speak the truth, then just let them go. There’s no need for us to pursue.”

“And unleash a monster out into the world? Do we dare allow something like that to roam free?” an elder yelled, practically spitting with his words. “I, for one, cannot allow our village to be blamed in the future for spawning such a creature!”

“Then go and deal with it yourself,” Attilio said coldly. “You heard him. That beast is willing to fight you if you’re in his way. With all his supposed magic and heresy, do you truly believe that you stand a chance against him?”

“Giotto is not a monster!”

“Be quiet, Michael!” his father shouted and Michael instinctively flinched, silencing himself through the glare remained. “...but they and the father do bring up a good point. If we truly believe ourselves to be just, we must go about this the proper way. Not... not kidnapping innocent girls and trickery.”

“Then let’s ask the girl. Get one of the men to bring her here. She should still be tied up in the room.”

“Tied up?” this time it was Giotto who spoke icily.

“She’s fine,” was the nonchalant reply from the priest. “Perhaps a little shaken, but we would never do anything to truly harm her.”

Giotto stared at Attilio with a glower, but did not protest any further. Michael noticed the tension between the two and wanted nothing more than to ask what exactly their relationship was like, but refrained himself from doing so. For two years, the two had lived together. The villagers claimed that the father was containing the evil demon, preventing him from doing any more evil... but that didn’t seem to be the case.

Just what was the relationship between the two?

Michael looked up when he heard the heavy footfalls from within the house as the men came rushing out of the house. Their faces were pale, their hands clutching tightly onto the wooden doorframe. Giotto immediately became alert.

“S-She’s gone!”

Not another word could be uttered as Giotto flew. He leaped over the group of men, easily flying over them before rushing past the two startled men. Without needing direction, his instincts tugged him towards where he knew they would have hold Haru. The moment he entered into the tiny room, he almost stepped on the broken glass... glass and blood splattered all over the room.

He stared, feeling the dread latch onto his heart.

No...

“I-It wasn’t us!” one of the men cried out in terror from outside the room.

“She was here just moments ago! Ask the father! He was the last one to have seen her!” another one frantically added in.

“G-Giotto,” the tentative whisper of his name by Michael was what made Giotto realize that his hand was crushing the door frame of the room. His grip loosened and for a moment, he was equally startled by the fact that he was able to do such a thing. However, the thought passed away quickly as a more urgent thought came to mind.

Where was Haru?

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Adelina looked up startled when he heard the bushes shudder loudly. Her heartbeat quickened and she couldn’t stop the whimper from escaping, memories of the wolf from the past immediately immerging from her mind. Her limbs froze and she fell to the ground, fresh trails of tears falling from her eyes.

However, the fear turned to shock when a familiar small figure immerged from between the foliage.

“H-Haru?”

There was dried blood caked on her hands and clothes and Adelina could see how puffy her eyes were. Then there was the matter of her wrists, so raw and red. The younger girl immediately rushed towards her.

“You’re alright!” she cried out in relief. “I... I thought you were... I...”

“I’m fine...” Haru replied quietly.

Adelina almost cracked a smile, knowing Haru was finally safe and sound. However, the smile was never realized when she saw the weariness in Haru’s eyes. What happened to the strong resolve that had glowed in those brown eyes? Adelina’s hand automatically reached up and touched the side of Haru’s face.

“...what happened?”

“It... It’s nothing,” she quickly whispered in a raspy voice, wiping away the tear marks on her face. What was she doing, making a face like that to a girl younger than her? Adelina had gone through enough. She was in no position to impose anymore on her.

“It’s not nothing,” Adelina snapped sharply. “You went missing and now you’re back covered in blood! What happened? Did... Did they do something to you?”

Haru shook her head. “No... No, it’s not that.”

“Then what is it?” Adelina demanded. “What happened? Giotto is worried sick about you right now!”

At the name, Haru flinched and Adelina looked at her, startled.

“...Haru?”

“I... I don’t know if leaving with Giotto-sama is a good idea.” She murmured quietly.

Adelina’s first reaction was instantaneous fury. She was saying what? After all the heartache and worry, she was trying to back down? It was a betrayal worse than when she had believed that Giotto had turned his back on himself! It was even worse than when she’d believed that she had betrayed herself and him.

However, by now, she had grown to know Haru better. She was no simple girl who had no idea what she was entangling herself with. There was true faith when it came to the trust she had towards Giotto. No simple infatuation would have caused a girl to run out into the dark forest, all alone despite the dangers that roamed out there, just to make it back home in time so that Giotto wouldn’t be alone. No random person would willingly declare that she would go out into the world with a practical stranger just because of the injustice she had witnessed.

And so, Adelina looked calmly at her and spoke gently. “What happened?”

“...it’s not because of what happened.” Haru began and then shook her head. “No... what happened is a part of it, but... but... you don’t understand Adelina. I’m... I can’t be with Giotto-sama. I’ll only get in the way. I-I don’t understand why he’s here in the first place when he should be out there with... with the people he belong with, but I’ll only be a hindrance. Even now, with the whole kidnapping... if I stay with Giotto-sama, I’ll only get kidnapped again and again... I won’t be able to do anything!”

Haru’s stuttering Italian was difficult to decipher at first and Adelina couldn’t really understand what she meant by her words either. Still, she listened and waited for Haru to calm down.

“They tied me up... and I tried to escape. But while I was trying, it made me think. This... This is only the beginning.”

“Why would it be only the beginning? I mean... you and Giotto are just leaving this place. It’s not like you two will intentionally get in trouble or anything.” Adelina said. “Giotto... Giotto is special, but i-if he’s able to control his powers, then-.”

“That’s not the problem.” Haru rushed the words out, as though the moment she hesitated, she would never be able to say them again. “Giotto-sama is... he’s destined for greatness! I know he’ll become someone powerful and loved by many. If I go with him, I’ll be a weakness. People will use me to get to him and I... I can’t let that happen.”

“Haru-.”

“It’s better for me! I’m already causing him pain! He and Attilio-san were somewhat friends and I ruined that just by being here and giving Giotto-sama weird ideas. I’m sure he would have left this place eventually. It’s his... It’s his destiny.” The last word came out in Japanese, but it didn’t matter. It wasn’t as though Adelina could understand the true extent of what she was saying.

It made Haru want to start crying all over again. Why had Reborn sent her to the past? What was the point? She’d been no help when she and the others had gotten stuck in the future. Even though she had tried to be of some use, to be a form of strength to Tsuna-san, only Kyoko-chan had that ability to do so. Why was she even here? What was the point?

SLAP!

Haru’s head was whipped to the side, her eyes widened while her cheeks burned. She slowly turned her head back to where Adelina was, her hand still raised and her palm flushed red at how hard she had slapped her. “Don’t you dare... don’t you ever dare say that again! Do you understand what you are to Giotto? Do you understand what sort of life he had before you? I’ve never seen him so happy. Even before the... the incident, I’ve never seen him smile like that. Before, even when he smiled around us, it was as though it was only temporary... like just in that moment, he was alright. But he was never truly happy. There was always something so sad about him! And then when the village shunned him, I was so scared that he would break... that... that he’d do something or become something that I didn’t even want to think about.”

Adelina grabbed onto Haru’s hands and the older girl felt her trembling through them.

“But not only that. I haven’t known you for so long, but I can already tell that you’re a good person. Someone who doesn’t hesitate to do what they think is right. When you’re wrong, you always admitted to your mistakes. Even if it meant getting a tongue lashing from Momma for doing a chore wrong, you always told her everything. You stand up to people when you believe what they’re doing is wrong and you always try to be friends with everyone, to make sure everyone does not feel alone.” Adelina continued, her voice cracking slightly with emotion. “You are never in the way and even if it feels like it, I know you’d find a way so that you’re helpful in the end. Because you care. Because you’re Haru. So please... please don’t say stuff like that.”

Haru could only stare at Adelina with widened eyes, her mind slowly digesting her words. Her mouth continued to open and close, but no words would dare come out. Instead, she stiffened when she heard the sound of movement coming from the trees. She turned her head and felt her gaze enveloped in gold and red as a blazing Giotto, surrounded by the Dying Will Flames, stood behind her, his chest heaving with how fast he had run back to the small cottage that they called home.

Such worry and relief in his eyes.

And then he spoke, his words filled with warmth and a sweet caress that reminded her exactly why she was trying so hard to take him out of this village and to where he belonged.

“Haru.”

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::tsuzuku::

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AU: Haha, hopefully there’ll be more fluff in the next chapter! However, this was a very needed chapter. Haru needed a little wake-up call. I’m sure she was affected by the incident from when she was in the future with Tsuna and the others and hasn’t forgotten about the time Tsuna made her cry. I know that even if Tsuna and Haru reconciled, moments like that will linger in one’s mind and it’ll also probably bother her how no matter how hard she tries, Kyoko-chan is the only one who is able to make Tsuna feel better. I’m sure it made her feel somewhat useless and sad at one point, as seen by when she’s crying and Bianchi has to comfort her. It also makes sense since Tsuna has more affection towards Kyoko, but it doesn’t mean it still isn’t a shitty situation. Because of this issue, I believed she needed to hear something like that so that this doesn't become a bigger problem later on in the story. So better earlier than later!

But back to the chapter. Whatever could Attilio be after? D:

Hope you guys enjoyed this longer chapter! It’s not the best chapter (not really happy with it, honestly speaking), but I hope it was somewhat enjoyable!

Chapter 30i
Chapter 32