118. Kazane

It was hard to take in.

Takeshi ran around, everywhere, so rushed, so hurried, so busied, he had to get his mind off Rei's condition to even survive. There was no time to be concerned about things like that. 

"I want all of you to fight with me," Tsuna had said after gathering up everyone he knew, everyone that participated in the game and could still move despite losses. He had spent the night contemplating plans, strategies, solutions; all to end the battle.

He had moved on from the situation of the weakened, and put his whole attention on what could be done. He was stronger than Takeshi could ever be-- and for some reason Takeshi felt frustrated by that knowledge.

Tsuna-- Tsuna, always the most reserved of us-- he had become the first to find his resolve. 

To say Takeshi was touched by it was an understatement. He couldn't fathom how much courage it took for Tsuna to call upon everyone personally.

It made him feel useless. Trapped in a hospital bed for a short moment not even able to see Rei, he felt absolutely pathetic. But he couldn't wallow in guilt now. Now wasn't the time. 

"Damn," Gokudera had groaned to himself, "I feel like the Tenth's leaving us behind."

Takeshi made himself smile. "He's so calm," he couldn't help but think of Tsuna as an admiration now, "even though it's the decisive battle now." 

The two of them can't afford to stay down for too long, now can they? 

-

-

Stepping out of the Surgical Unit, Kunomasu tucked his face mask under his chin and slumped to the ground. Holding his head, he breathed like he had never.

The surgery had been a success.

Kunomasu had lost all energy from the relief that washed over him. Leaving Amano to finish the stitches and after work, Kunomasu left the room in the premise of making a phone call.

Tearing off his gloves, he switched his phone on.

He needed to tell someone.

Sae and Sui? No... Kyoko and Haru had them, because they had sobbed themselves unconscious just moments before the operation. What about Kyoko and Haru, then? It would be dangerous if sound were to wake the girls.

Takeshi? Tsuna? It was mid afternoon now, so who knows what they're doing. If they were in the midst of a battle, it could cost them their lives. With difficulty, Kunomasu resisted the urge tot ell Takeshi the news just yet.

Tsuyoshi? He was on the other end. Waiting for Amano's official call. Amano should have told Tsuyoshi the news by now-- 

So who do I call?

Clicking into his contacts, Kunomasu didn't have another doubt. He scrolled, looking only for one number-- clicking to call, he held the phone up to his ear.

"Kazumasa?" a female voice on the other end picked up two seconds into the ringtone, "It's been ages since you've called me, what's the matter?"

Kunomasu bit his lip, wincing a little at the all-too-familiar voice he hadn't heard in... ten years... fuck, why didn't he call sooner? This was a very difficult call to make.

"It's-" he stuttered, "It's been a while, Kazane, are you free to talk?"

-

-

The battle came and went. Takeshi vaguely knew what occurred throughout-- well, if it went according to Tsuna's plans and succeeded-- 

But it was between Tsuna and Bermuda now.

In the background of the scuffle everyone was in mayhem. Gamma and anyone available carried the heavily wounded to hospitals, rushed them through the ER for heavy wounds and ruptured organs. 

It was discouraging to see their strongest few-- Byakuran, Hibari, Mukuro, even Xanxus and Squalo-- it was painful to see them so terribly wounded. It sent a fear into his senses for what could have occurred if Tsuna let his guard down for even a moment--

"Takeshi-kun!" Nurse Fujimiya called out to him. 

Takeshi had just gotten Hibari on a bed-- the prefect was unconscious-- and he was about to run back out when the nurse stopped him.

She was busy too, another girl was dragging her in a direction, but Nurse Fujimiya looked desperate to just say something to Takeshi--

Takeshi swirled around quickly--

"Rei is safe!" Nurse Fujimiya hollered over the chaotic cacophony of the ER, "His surgery was a success!" she was firmly assuring him, "So please... get back soon and go see him, alright?"

Takeshi gave a hurried nod-- a nod so instinctive, it took him another moment to register the information. Freezing up, his mouth hung agape. 

Rei is safe. He's alive. His surgery was a success and--

Rei's going to live longer. Rei's not going to die.

Rei's Alive.

Biting down on his bottom lip quickly, he broke into tears-- A sniffle and a sob escaping him quickly retracted as he remembered the gravity of the situation, he brushed it all away. Pulling into a grin and brimming with a loud voice, he responded. 

"I'll be right back!!"

-

-

"I think I've gotten the situation," Kazane chuckled from the other end of the phone, "Man, a lot's happening, eh. Kinda sad I wasn't there to be a part of it."

"Kazane," Kunomasu spoke sternly, gripping his phone in irritation. "It's been ten years, don't you think that's a long enough hiatus?"

The girl giggled. "Wow, Kazumasa, you've grown some balls."

"Listen to me, Kazane, I know you've tried so hard to keep your family out of Mafia business." Kunomasu sighed, "The only reason I'm here like this today, able to live in the open, is because you burned our birth papers to cut ties."

"Kazumasa, I'm quite sure we've gotten over that ages ago." Kazane said, "We're twins by birth and blood, throwing a few papers into fire isn't going to change that."

"It worked for me, Kazane," Kunomasu spoke lowly, "but please, it didn't work for Yuu. It didn't work for Rei and it's not going to work for Sae and Sui too."

"You're being really hard on me, Kazu," Kazane's chuckle was a little dry now, "Are you accusing me of abandoning my children for my own selfish dreams? Was that how it seemed to you?"

And she sounded hurt. She wasn't crying-- but that was a very pained voice.

"Just--" Kunomasu held his head, "please, come back, Kazane." 

Kunomasu didn't know why he was begging to this extent. Would anything change if he called her to come back? Would anything have changed if she were here?

Was what she did a bad choice to begin with?

"Nothing matters now except the fact that your children need you." Kunomasu spoke meaningfully, each word a weight he didn't want to hold; each tone a burden he was making his twin sister shoulder with guilt-- "Yuuichirou's already gone, so when are you going to tell him you're sorry for leaving him behind?"

"...Come back?" Kazane sounded sarcastic now, a disbelieving tone lacing her voice, "And who am I supposed to be? Coming back into their lives all of a sudden-- I was never there for them. So what if Yuuichirou's gone? Yuuichirou was all they had and they lost him. What makes you think I can be their family anymore, what makes you believe I have the right?"

"It doesn't matter," Kunomasu spoke softly, "it's doesn't matter, sis, just-- you just need to come back as Ninomiya Kazane, and that's going to be enough. Trust me, please."

-

-

Takeshi went back with a smile on his face. 

This time, they were going to fight-- they were going to pick them up. News reached them that Tsuna won-- news passed around and now it was just the curse to settle. 

Haru and Kyoko came with baskets ready to visit everyone in the hospital. Right away they made a beeline to the Hospital. Tsuna and Reborn headed up first due to the visitor limit, whilst everyone stayed at the reception area.

But this was where grim news came to Takeshi.

"It's about Sae and Sui," Kyoko was quick about it, "They're really depressed, and they're not telling me why. Sui hasn't stopped crying since-- and the only thing Sae wants to talk about is if Rei has woken up."

She was heartbroken about it. Sae and Sui-- as childhood friends with Rei, Kyoko felt utterly devastated that she couldn't bring Sae and Sui to open up to her now. Takeshi saw her feelings clearly, and with fists gripped he went to the employee resting area where Sae and Sui spent the night.

"Sae, Sui?" Takeshi went in alone at first.

They were cuddled closely together. Sui's face was buried deep into Sae's chest, not a hint of budging even when Takeshi came close. Sae was holding her sister close and comfortingly, her face stuck in a glare as Takeshi tried to take a step forward.

Takeshi's smile faded from the sight. He inevitably sulked at the shattering sight.

"I've heard from Nurse Fujimiya," he spoke softly, his voice as calm as he could manage, "that Rei's surgery was a success. He's alive."

He took a step forward, but Sae flinched away. "Please," her voice was hoarse-- and just a single sound made Takeshi's heart wrench painfully, "Just leave us alone!"

Sui was clinging to Sae for dear life.

Takeshi's eyes widened.

Was he-- was he being seen as a stranger now? the twins had closed themselves off from everything and everyone. Even though Takeshi was loved dearly by the twins-- Now they saw him as a nuisance, something that would just tear them from each other.

Sae glared at him with eyes of a beast-- 

Takeshi could only turn away and leave the room with a stale apology.

-

-

"We'll need the all of you to keep a secret."

Tsuna, Takeshi, Gokudera, Ryohei. These four were present here as Amano called to talk. 

Amano looked horrible. Eye bags, red eyes, pale face, he's got it all. He looked exhausted from the earlier fuss of emergencies, but he was toughing it out for this piece of news.

"It's about Yuuichirou," Amano said.

Takeshi raised an eyebrow-- now that he thought about it, where was he? Takeshi had been so accustomed to not having him around he had forgotten Yuuichirou was even here.

"You may have noticed, but he's not here right now." Amano's voice was stale and cold, as if he had gotten tired of saying this at all, "Approximately last night-- right after he left the hospital with his daughters, he had... an unfortunate encounter, and..."

Last night... Yuuichirou, Sae and Sui?

"You're not telling me..." Tsuna spoke up first, "he's--"

Takeshi's eyes widened at Tsuna's presumption, "The Vindice?"

This made Ryohei and Gokudera hiss in realisation. 

Amano looked down. "He was..." he couldn't say the word, so he let the sentence fade out to speak its own, "and Sae and Sui were there firsthand to witness the scene."

Takeshi felt his world freeze over.

Uncle Yuuichirou... is gone?

But something else clicked in him right after. Everyone here was there to listen when Amano explained Rei's blood condition. That marked the doom of Rei's life for Takeshi-- he had thrown off everything now to be a miracle, but now it just seemed to fit in much better.

"Amano-sensei..." Takeshi was trying his best, but his gripped fist told no lies. He was fuming, in pure rage-- "Who..." his words seeped like curses, "Who was Rei's donor?"

Tsuna took a step back at the note-- "No way..." he was in denial-- but no, he didn't think Takeshi was wrong. Losing strength in his limbs he fell to his knees.

Ryohei wanted to run up to Amano now and grasp him by the collar, lifting his up, demand explanations in raised tones-- but he couldn't. What Amano did was definitely not easy for the man himself. Amano and Yuuichirou were best friends, after all. 

"What did Sae and Sui think?" It was all Ryohei could do to muster that soft question.

Amano bowed lowly. "I've done something terrible," he choked out the words-- now, the tears he held back forever began to fall, "I'm not expecting forgiveness, and I can't bring myself to dish out apologies that won't do any good."

At this point, Gokudera turned around and walked away. 

"So please..." Amano sobbed, "I don't care about me, just-- just help the girls, please. Help them, and help Rei, I beg of you." 

Takeshi bit his lip hard-- and held back everything he wanted to say.  

"No," he choked out, "I won't help you."

Takeshi didn't cry. His eyes held firm, his fists clenched with resolve-- he looked the doctor in the eye with the purest form of determination he could muster at the moment.

"If you think you've done something wrong," Takeshi said, "Go up to them and do all you can to make up for it. What do you think Sae and Sui need now? It's not us."

Amano, lifting his head, could only sob in silence.

He didn't know what he could do. He made the girls go through something like that and now they didn't even want to speak to him. He was ready to face this-- Sae and Sui were strong, but they were young. It was hard for Amano to do anything that could help them through it. 

Sae and Sui needed their time to mourn-- but they couldn't do that when Amano, the reason for their mourning, was beside them. It was pointless if Amano weren't the one to approach the girls-- but the girls couldn't cope with him around.

What should he do?

Hey, what should I do, Yuuichirou? he ran to his thought. You always knew what to do.

But Yuuichirou was not here anymore.

And it's all Amano's fault.

-

-

"Amano, what's with that pathetic face?" 

All eyes shot to a woman's voice behind them.

She was not a tall woman. Her hair was long and brown-- a faded, sandy shade; to Takeshi that was a very familiar colour-- it was wavy, stretching to the middle of her back. She wore a red bike jacket, made of leather and a very crude, old-fashioned design imprinted on it.

"You--" Amano's voice was stuck in her throat, "What are you doing here?"

She dressed like a man, pants and sneakers, as if she feigned to be younger than she was. A cherry-coloured lollipop hung in her mouth, her fingers-- long, sharp and bright red nails-- removed the lollipop for a vulgar grin.  

"I ran straight here, y'know!" she sounded hurt, "halfway through an infiltration job and everything. Now my mission's a bust and I'm making a terrible first impression!"

She trotted up to Amano-- although she stood shorter than the doctor, the doctor grew more mortified with each step closer she took-- 

"I came all the way here because my darling twin brother pleaded for me, crying and all, begging for me to come by. I was kinda lucky I was in Japan at all," she chuckled, "but hey, I think I deserve a better welcome than your disgusting face, eh?"

Amano gulped. "Is this really the time, Kazane?"