Chapter 72
"Tenth Generation, did you see me ten years later?" Gokudera Hayato looked at Sawada Tsunayoshi with bright, sparkling eyes.
Sawada Tsunayoshi was still completely disoriented. He gave an awkward laugh, "...No, I just saw someone I didn't recognize..."
Thinking of that person from earlier, constantly addressing him as "Lord Sawada," Sawada Tsunayoshi couldn't help but grit his teeth. And then there was that heavily guarded castle he'd just seen; a sense of unease crept into his heart: ...Could he really become the Tenth Vongola Boss? No way...
But he couldn't help but wonder: "...What will I be like ten years from now?"
Dino gave him a thumbs up and flashed him a bright smile: "Very handsome!" Especially that pinch on Reborn, his junior brother suddenly became two meters and eighty centimeters tall!
Hayato Gokudera: "The Tenth Boss's bravery and handsomeness have remained unchanged for ten years. He truly lives up to his title!"
Even Reborn smirked, "Tsuna, you're quite presentable ten years from now~"
Sawada Tsunayoshi scratched his head somewhat sheepishly, secretly delighted. It seemed that he would definitely become an outstanding person ten years later. He just wondered about him and Kyoko... Ah, he shouldn't think about such things...
Rokudo Mukuro pulled out his precious camera from who-knows-where, immediately attracting the attention of everyone present.
After all, this was a camera that Sawada Tsunayoshi specifically mentioned ten years later.
Gokudera Hayato: "What are you doing?" Ten years later, the Tenth Generation seems to dislike Rokudo Mukuro's camera.
Rokudo Mukuro completely ignored Gokudera Hayato's question and instead said to Sawada Tsunayoshi, "My hobby is photography. Tsuna-kun, how about we all take a group photo?"
A group photo? Sawada Tsunayoshi's eyes lit up. He cherished his friends, even though they sometimes caused him countless troubles, he was still both in pain and happy.
Hayato Gokudera also shut his mouth; he wanted to take a picture with the Tenth Boss!
Sawada Tsunayoshi glanced at the people around him and, seeing that no one objected and they all looked expectant, quickly nodded: "Yes!"
"But nobody's taking pictures of us."
"Kufufufu~ What's so difficult about this?" No sooner had he spoken than a hideous monster appeared beside Sawada Tsunayoshi. It had hands and feet, and looked strangely familiar. He recoiled abruptly, clutching his wildly pounding heart. Had he seen this thing last night?
Sawada Tsunayoshi's eye twitched. So, he was scared unconscious last night entirely because of Mukuro! When he first met Mukuro, he was so refined and gentle. Is he becoming more and more unrestrained now?
"...Can it take pictures?"
"It's controlled by my illusion magic; it can do anything."
"……All right."
Everyone stood in front of the woods with smiles on their faces. Rokudo Mukuro stood lazily in a corner, his eyes noticing a glimpse of a sleeve peeking out from the tree behind them. "One, two, three..."
"ah--"
Sawada Tsunayoshi was kicked to the ground by Reborn, falling headfirst into the air, leaving only his upright legs in the photo.
"Reborn, what are you doing?" Sawada Tsunayoshi looked at him with a face full of grief and indignation.
"Hmph, you idiot Tsuna."
Rokudo Mukuro smiled without saying a word. Ten years later, Sawada Tsunayoshi offended Reborn, and now he has to apologize on his own.
Sawada Tsunayoshi turned to look at Rokudo Mukuro, wanting to ask him to let the camera monster take another picture of them, but the scene before him made him open his eyes wide in horror.
A massive black horse-like monster was crouching behind them. One of its eyes was covered by pinkish-white hair, and it had bells adorning its ears and a pair of horns. Upon noticing their gaze, it grinned menacingly and then extended its sharp claws.
Sawada Tsunayoshi's expression changed drastically, and he hurriedly shouted to everyone, "There's a monster! Danger!"
The moment he spoke, Rokudo Mukuro shoved Sawada Tsunayoshi away, but he himself was grabbed by the monster.
"Lord Mukuro!" Chigusa, Inu, and Chrome exclaimed hastily.
The monster swung its other claw down fiercely, and everyone dodged. The once flat land became a mess. After a cloud of dust, the monster and Rokudo Mukuro had disappeared before their eyes.
Sawada Tsunayoshi stared intently at the direction where Rokudo Mukuro had disappeared, his heart filled with fear and unease. "Reborn, fire a Dying Will Bullet at me right now! Mukuro has been captured by a demon! I have to save him!"
Reborn's expression also turned serious. "Calm down, Tsuna, we don't know where that youkai took Rokudo Mukuro!"
"Then let's go find them. We can't just stay here and wait." Sawada Tsunayoshi remembered Natsume Takashi's words that there were some ferocious monsters here that would hurt people and even eat them.
He could feel it just now; the monster clearly wanted to grab him, but it was Mukuro who pushed him away, causing him to be captured.
He squeezed his eyes shut. It was because he was too weak and incompetent that he was protected by Mukuro, which led to Mukuro being captured by the demon. He couldn't even imagine what kind of torture Mukuro would suffer after being captured by the demon.
"What...what happened here?" Just as everyone was filled with fear and unease, Natsume Takashi reappeared, carrying Nyanko-sensei once again.
“Natsume-kun.” Sawada Tsunayoshi walked over quickly. “Mukuro has been captured by a monster. It’s a huge monster, like a black horse, with pinkish-white hair. Have you seen this monster?” He looked at Natsume Takashi with hopeful eyes, hoping to get some information from him.
Takashi Natsume looked worried, and after seemingly thinking seriously for a moment, he said earnestly, "I do know."
Sawada Tsunayoshi's eyes lit up.
"This monster is deep in this forest. He is very powerful and is a well-known monster in this area."
"Do you know where it is?" Sawada Tsunayoshi asked anxiously.
Takashi Natsume looked at him apologetically. "I didn't know. I only know that it's deep in this forest."
“Tenth Boss, let’s split up and search.” Gokudera Hayato was the first to speak. “Although Rokudo Mukuro isn’t much of a deal, he’s still a member of the Vongola Family.”
Dog: "Huh? How come I didn't know that Master Mukuro became a member of your Vongola family?"
Takeshi Yamamoto: "Yeah, let's hurry and find Mukuro. That monster looks dangerous." He gripped his baseball bat tightly in his hand.
"Girls, go back to the hotel first to avoid danger. You guys split into three groups and search separately." Reborn gave the instructions directly. He lowered the brim of his hat, his voice heavy with the impending storm. "The monsters are dangerous. You must be careful to protect yourselves."
The group split up and entered the forest. The trees in the forest were lush and tall, blocking out the sun, and when one was alone, it gave one a gloomy feeling.
Normally, Sawada Tsunayoshi would have been trembling with fear, but at this moment, he didn't stop for a moment, constantly moving through the dark forest, searching for the figure of the monster who had captured Rokudo Mukuro.
He couldn't be afraid, nor could he stop. Time was of the essence; Mukuro was waiting for him to save him. If he arrived even a moment too late, he would see Mukuro's blood-soaked body, or a skeleton—no, he didn't even want to think about such a scene.
If such a thing were to actually happen, he might suffer for the rest of his life.
Skeleton... wait for me!
...
"Um, is it really okay to deceive Sawada-kun and the others like this?" The kind and gentle Natsume Takashi watched the group's figures disappear into the forest, his conscience constantly condemning him, despite his strong sense of morality.
"Actually, it's quite interesting." The black horse-shaped monster, namely Sansho, flew back through the air with Rokudo Mukuro under the cover of Rokudo Mukuro's illusion. "Remember to call me next time something like this happens. I think I'm quite suited to be a villain." A slight smile appeared on its face.
Rokudo Mukuro jumped off its palm, pouting somewhat disgruntled. "Reborn, why did you have to let me get captured by a monster? Shouldn't this princess-like image, captured by an evil dragon, be more suitable for Sawada Tsunayoshi?"
According to his original script, Sawada Tsunayoshi should have been captured, his guardians should have gone to rescue him, encountered danger, and finally, Sawada Tsunayoshi, the "princess," should have unleashed his full potential and turned the tide. He should have been playing the "evil dragon" at least.
"Tsuna may be a bit silly at times, but it's still quite difficult to fool him. So far, the only person I've met who can perfectly deceive him is you." Even he himself couldn't do it. It has to be said that the Vongola's inherited Hyper Intuition is quite powerful, and Rokudo Mukuro's illusions are even more impressive.
Rokudo Mukuro: ...If he doesn't put his decades of experience to good use, then he's lived in vain.
Nyanko-sensei couldn't help but feel sorry for Sawada Tsunayoshi, "The heir to the Shell is truly blessed to have teachers and companions like you..."
Reborn and Rokudo Mukuro nodded naturally, agreeing with what Nyanko-sensei said. They were so amazing, and Sawada Tsunayoshi should certainly feel honored to have them around.
"Have the traps been set up along the roads?"
"Kufufufu~ Of course it's all set up, my illusion is ready at any time." As for him, he can naturally follow along and film, capturing the wonderful moments belonging to Sawada Tsunayoshi and Gokudera Hayato.
"And there's also the final boss..."
“I’ll go, I’ll go!” Sanxiao responded enthusiastically. “I’ve done it once before, so I’ll definitely be able to play the villain role with ease.”
Reborn nodded in satisfaction, then looked at Rokudo Mukuro, "Mukuro, play your role as the spoils of war well."
Rokudo Mukuro raised an eyebrow slightly. "And what about you?"
Reborn's attire changed, and a kind smile appeared on his face. "Of course I'll play the role of the cheat code in Tsuna's growth."
"..."
The two humans present were speechless. A golden thumb-shaped garment was on Reborn's body, making him a true "golden finger".
...
"You two don't seem to be in a hurry at all." Dino, who was in a group with Chigusa and Inu, looked at the two with a smile.
The dog snorted coldly. Of course, they weren't in a hurry. Lord Mukuro had told them last night that they should cooperate with him in putting on a show today. Their Lord Mukuro was so strong; how could he be captured by a monster so easily?
“I know without you saying it.” Dino walked through the forest. “It must be Reborn and Mukuro working together to do something.” He had been taught by Reborn for many years and was already used to it.
Chigusa pushed up his glasses, and a white light reflected off the lenses. "Lord Mukuro just wants them to increase their strength."
"That's right, we'll have them properly thank Lord Mukuro afterwards!"
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