128 Common Ground (1/2)

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Inside the Kurogane mansion, Shishio was summoned to Kurogane Tenma's office.

”You called for me father?” Shishio greeted his father who sat solemnly behind his desk.

It has relatively been a peaceful past three years despite their clan's expectations to be involved in another war against the Kouzuki family who called in Nagato Tsuna early. Thanks to Shishio's early intervention however, things did not go as they expected and their clan once again had the hope of reaching greater heights because of the existence of Shishio's once considered mistake in the past.

”How is the boy?” Tenma asked.

”Kazuya? He's at the shooting range on the east side of the mansion” Shisho replied. ”He has taken quite an interest in your firearm collection father”

”Oh?” Tenma was pleased to hear this. To be honest, he didn't have a good impression when Kazuya first entered the Kurogane mansion. Not only did Kazuya not pay any respects towards any of the elders of the family, he even thrashed Kurogane Suzaku who tried to mark his own territory.

It happened about two years ago when Kazuya had just entered middle school. He was taken to the Kurogane mansion by Kurogane Shishio but when he went to report to Tenma, Kazuya encountered Suzaku who thought that he had the upper hand because they were in the Kurogane mansion.

”So you really did dare to show yourself in my place” Suzaku grinned as he approached Kazuya who waited patiently for Shishio's return. He was accompanied by some of the elders who were quite curious about Kazuya so he showed quite the attitude.

”…” Kazuya glanced at him only for a second before ignoring him and focused on the tea that was served.

*SLAP* Suzaku slapped the tea from Kazuya's hand wanting to let the boy get scalded but how could Kazuya let things go as this brat wanted? The elders were quite disturbed by Suzaku's behavior but they kept quiet and didn't reprimand him which made Kazuya displeased. What were they here for then? It was no wonder the children from the Kuroganes have been so arrogant and stupid.

”Listen up, you're in the territory of the Kurogane clan now so I want you to pay your respects to me and the elders. Didn't you come here because you're supposed to be uncle Shishio's 'illegitimate son?'” he grinned while making sure to make it clear by pronouncing the word 'illegitimate' slowly.

”I see…” Kazuya looked at the elders directly in the eye but they avoided his gaze feigning ignorance of whatever they witnessed.

Kazuya felt the presence of Shishio along with the presence of another man who he assumed to be Tenma so he decided to make his move.

*GRAB* Kazuya used a hand to hold Suzaku by the neck and raised him from the ground whilst slowly choking him.

”You Kuroganes sure have a unique way of treating your guests” he made sure that both Shishio and Tenma could hear him as he pretended not to see them enter the room from behind. ”I only came here because of my father's persistence but this is the welcome I get? Elders who turn a blind eye to this dumb kid's stupidity once again? Do you really want to start a war with the Kouzuki clan so badly?” he slowly tightened his grip on Suzaku's neck who struggled to breathe.

”You… dare…” Suzaku already saw Tenma and Shishio who were surprised by what was happening the moment they entered and thought that Kazuya was done for this time.

”Looks like the truce my father convinced me of was only on the surface? You still dare keep grudges for the problems you yourself created for yourself despite the numerous warnings I've given you to not mess with me?”Kazuya took out a knife from his pocket and instead of pointing it at Suzaku, he pointed it at himself.

”Do you dare see what would happen if I came out of this place bleeding or unconscious?” Kazuya smiled as he pushed the tip of the blade towards his arm.

”Stop” out of everyone's expectations, it was Tenma who grabbed Kazuya's arm and prevented the blade from reaching the boy's skin. ”You don't need to remind us because all of us know the consequences after Nagato Tsuna paid us a visit” Tenma looked at the determined face of Kazuya and immediately judged that the boy wasn't kidding. This gave him quite the impression as it was very unusual for a boy his age to have this sort of expression.

”And you are?” Kazuya let go of the idiot who tried to catch his breath as soon as he crashed on the ground miserably.

”Your grandfather, Kurogane Tenma” he introduced himself.

”I see… I wished we could have met in better circumstances but as you can see, this house lacks quite a lot of discipline. If I knew that I would receive this kind of treatment here then I wouldn't have bothered to visit” Kazuya sighed as he pretended to have not known who or what the head of the Kurogane family looked like while trying to tell him how unkept his own clan was.

”You sure don't hold back don't you?” Tenma scoffed. Shishio on the other hand was feeling quite nervous because even he couldn't talk to his father that way. He felt that all of his plans will fall apart if these two came into bad terms with each other but he could only keep silent he watched because he couldn't take a side. There was one side who was going to be displeased if he took a side and he needed to be amicable with both of them.

”Why would I hold back? I came here because of my father's persistence despite my mother's warnings. If I take a look at the situation now, my mother was right and my father didn't take measures to ensure my safety” he used Tenma to scold Shishio who was keeping quiet from the side. Even though Suzaku approaching him was indeed an unexpected event, what about the elders who did nothing and pretended nothing was happening?

This was the first meeting of Kazuya and Tenma. Ever since that time, the elders were instructed to treat him as if he was Shishio's first born. Nagisa had already passed away and since Shishio had yet to announce any plans of remarrying, his heir was indeed Kazuya who he had brought to meet with the head of the Kurogane clan.

”From his reputation, I assume that shooting is not an exception?” Tenma turned to Shishio who smiled after hearing the question.

”Indeed. It only took him a little time before he was able to get used to shooting the guns from your collection father” Shishio noticed Tenma's enthusiasm towards the topic since he made Kazuya try out shooting to impress Tenma who had a hobby of shooting and collecting firearms.

Three years have already passed and each year, Kazuya would have been given a new nickname. It started out with Tennis. This was the first sport he tried out and competed in together with kendo. What happened after that was the assurance that Sacred Forest Academy would have at least another sport in which they would bring home the championship. This was all thanks to the monster who would completely dominate any sport he deemed worthy of trying out.

”Is that so? I would like to see it for myself then” Tenma stood and asked Shishio to lead him to where Kazuya was.