From Another World

34. Pursuit

I followed the Ninth to the conference room everyone was waiting at. Tsuna stood up a little when he saw me behind but Ninth raised a hand. Tsuna slowly sat back down.

"Stand beside me, Satsuki-chan." Ninth sat down on his chair at the head of the table. I obeyed his orders and stood at his side, a little behind his chair, with my hands clasped at my front.

Ganauche led the meeting. "We've searched through the old manuscripts and books within the library of the Italian Vongola Base. All data on the Shimon family was discarded after a certain period of time."

This information shocked Nono and Tsuna.

"Just as the Shimon family said," Nono said, looking down, "Vongola must have tried to erase everything related to Shimon from within the family."

I glanced at Tsuna's face; he looked very conflicted.

"How did you find Shimon's base?" Reborn asked.

"Private letters from Shimon to Primo were discovered. However, they were written before either family was created, and stashed in a separate room, which is probably why they were safe. The Shimon boss told of his plans to move abroad in his letters. In one of his letters, he described having been washed along by strong currents and reaching an uninhabited island. He told of how he had taken a liking to that island, and wished to create a family on that holy land."

"I see, an uninhabited island... not bad for a base."

"Where is it?" Nono asked.

"The Pacific Ocean," Ganauche answered, "though, compasses don't work due to the strong magnetic field, Shimon approximated the latitude and longitude. It should be around here..."

He pointed to an area on the map that didn't show an island but they all trusted him.

"It's not too far from Japan." Brabanter Schnitten noted.

"We shouldn't have trouble gathering a team together." Nie Brow Jr. added.

"There's not a second to lose!!" Nono shouted, making me jump a little in surprise. "We only have seven days until Shimon completes the awakening of the ring! Vongola must become more powerful and fight Shimon! Gather up all your strength and weapons!"

"Um..." Tsuna spoke up. "Please, Ninth."

"What is it?"

"Please, let me be the only one to fight."

"What?"

Squalo and a few of Ninth's guardians made a surprised noise. I glanced at Reborn and Nono, studying their expressions.

"Yamamoto and Chrome aren't mafia family to me. They're friends; I want to fight for my friends!"

"Then let us fight alongside you!" Gokudera said.

"Yeah! We have a right to go to the extreme! Because we're friends!" Ryohei grinned.

"You guys..!" Tsuna looked happy before looking down. "And... I have a feeling that Enma is a lot like me. It's not that he wants to kill a lot of people. I think the one he really wants to take down is me."

"Impossible! We cannot just let you fight alone!" Ganauche countered.

"Sawada!!" Squalo shouted. "Wake up already! This is a war amongst mafia!"

"No! The ones waiting for me are my friends!"

"Silence!!" My head turns to the Ninth. "The inheritance ceremony was cancelled, which means that the power still belongs to the Ninth. I hereby entrust the task of subduing Shimon to Vongola Decimo and his guardians."