"Even Bleach has gotten a second wind… When are the Simon Arc and the Curse of the Rainbow Arc from Katekyo Hitman Reborn ever going to get animated?"
Our protagonist sighed while watching Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War on his screen.
His name was Tian Gang, though his friends usually called him Ah Gang. His biggest hobby was watching anime. Among all the series he liked, his two favorites were Katekyo Hitman Reborn and Bleach. Both anime had once ended abruptly without fully adapting their later story arcs.
Now Bleach had returned with the Thousand-Year Blood War Arc, while the continuation of Reborn! still seemed hopelessly far away.
Ah Gang absent mindedly played with the fully-awakened Sky Ring in his hand, feeling rather sentimental. It was a small craft item he had bought by chance from a roadside stall on his way home.
The ring itself was primarily black and gold. At its center was the Vongola family crest, surrounded by the engraved words of the Vongola Family. Around the crest were six embedded gemstones in different colors—red, blue, yellow, green, purple, and indigo—symbolizing the six Vongola Guardians.
Back when Ah Gang was younger and deeply obsessed with Reborn!, he had tried to collect the complete set of rings that appeared in the anime. However, since this unlocked version of the Sky Ring didn't quite match his aesthetic preferences at the time, it ended up being the only one missing from his collection.
After buying the ring at the stall, Ah Gang originally planned to rewatch Katekyo Hitman Reborn! to reminisce about his youth.
But when he turned on his computer, the first thing he saw was the newest episode of Bleach.
Since he loved Bleach just as much, Ah Gang immediately shouted, "Bankai!" and opened the latest episode.
As for the newly bought Sky Ring, it could only be placed—along with a sigh—into the jewelry box where he kept the rest of his rings.
"Forget it, forget it. I'll rewatch Reborn! later. No regrets about entering the Reborn! fandom in this life—"
"—in my next life, I wish to be born in Namimori Town."
With lingering regret about the nonexistent second season of Reborn!, Ah Gang closed the jewelry box. Still, his mood quickly improved. Looking at the stylish character designs of Bleach, which were still as cutting-edge as ever, he felt a surge of excitement.
Yes, this was it.
The aesthetic of anime characters—distinctive, stylish, cool from every angle. That was exactly why he loved both Bleach and Reborn!.
What Ah Gang didn't know was that at the moment he excitedly shouted "Bankai," the Sky Ring inside the jewelry box flickered faintly with a small flame.
At the same time, the screen in front of him grew brighter and brighter after that shout of "Bankai," until it gradually swallowed him whole.
…
When Ah Gang woke up groggily, he noticed that his room seemed larger than before.
The surroundings were extremely unfamiliar.
Just as he was about to spring up, fragments of faint memories surfaced in his mind.
There weren't any detailed scenes—only vague impressions: the layout of a home, a gentle mother, and a strong father who loved teasing him.
That was all.
Ah Gang roughly understood what had happened.
If this wasn't a dream, then he had transmigrated—into the body of a small child who had only recently learned to speak. That was why there were no clear memories. Even thinking a little made him feel drowsy.
Forget it. Sleep first.
…
"Tsuna, dinner's ready~"
"I'm coming, Mom!"
"Mom, there are so many dishes today. Did Dad come back from Italy?" Tsuna asked.
"Talking nonsense again. Your father came home from the construction site, not Italy," his mother gently corrected while setting out his utensils.
"Nana, is Tsuna spreading rumors about me again?"
His father's rough voice sounded out. He wore a white tank top under work clothes and a safety helmet—completely dressed like a construction worker.
"Dad, didn't you bring any Italian friends back?" Tsuna asked, peeking toward the doorway.
"You brat! Where would Italians come from on a construction site? It's all burly men," his father grinned as he pinched Tsuna's cheek.
"Alright, hurry and take a shower. Dinner's ready," Nana said, pushing the sweat-covered father toward the bathroom.
Watching his parents' backs, Tsuna's eyes flashed with a hint of regret.
He had been in this world for several years already and had even reached second grade in elementary school.
Yet this damned old man of his had hidden things so well that Tsuna hadn't found the slightest flaw.
His gentle mother Sawada Nana, his strong father Sawada Iemitsu, who often worked away from home, his own name Sawada Tsunayoshi, and the fact that he attended Namimori Elementary School—
All of these made Tsuna certain that he had transmigrated into the world of Katekyo Hitman Reborn!.
Ever since then, Tsuna had constantly tried to probe his father in subtle ways, wondering whether he was the legendary Vongola External Advisor. He had even hoped to come into contact with the Vongola early—or maybe learn how to use the Dying Will Flames in advance.
The reason he kept asking whether his father had Italian friends was because Tsuna remembered that the Ninth Vongola Boss once visited the protagonist during his childhood in the story.
But for some reason, even though Tsuna was already in second grade, the old man still hadn't appeared.
In a few more years, when he entered middle school, the original plot should begin.
Tsuna touched the Sky Ring hanging around his neck.
After transmigrating, he had discovered it beneath his pillow.
Originally, he thought he could ignite the Dying Will Flame through determination like in the anime.
But no matter how hard he tried, the ring showed no reaction at all.
Of course, that made sense.
This was the unlocked Sky Ring, clearly the same craft item he had bought before transmigrating. The real Vongola Rings were still sealed at this time and didn't look like this at all.
In the end, Tsuna could only keep it as a keepsake, wearing it around his neck.
After all, it was the only thing that had accompanied him across worlds.
Even though he couldn't ignite the Dying Will Flame yet, Tsuna still believed he should prepare for future battles. So after entering elementary school, he joined the sports club, training his body to become stronger.
That way, when battles eventually came, he would have a little more insurance.
Over the years, Tsuna had repeatedly tried to probe his mysterious father.
Yet after careful observation, that supposedly mysterious father didn't seem mysterious at all.
He really did appear to be just an ordinary construction worker.
The smell of sawdust and dirt on him couldn't be faked.
Surely he wasn't deliberately covering himself in construction materials every time before coming home?
While Tsuna was lost in thought, his father finished showering, and Nana placed all the dishes on the table.
"Ahem. Before we start eating, I have something to announce," Sawada Iemitsu said, clearing his throat and putting on a serious expression.
"What is it?" Tsuna asked cooperatively. "Don't tell me you're taking us on a trip to Italy?"
"Is Italy the only thing inside that head of yours?" Iemitsu said irritably while ruffling Tsuna's spiky hair even more. "You're half right, though. But it's not a trip—it's a move."
"Moving to Italy?"
Tsuna immediately became interested.
At Namimori Elementary, he hadn't seen any familiar characters from Reborn! at all. That had once made him doubt whether he had really entered that world.
If they moved to Italy, maybe he could finally confirm whether this was truly the mafia world.
"Not Italy."
Resting his chin on his hand, Iemitsu looked at Tsuna with a doting smile.
"It's all because of you, kid. You're always bragging about how amazing your old man is."
"So to live up to your expectations, I had to work my hardest."
"After years of effort, the higher-ups in the company finally recognized me."
"According to the company's plan, I'll soon become the president of a newly established branch office. When that happens, I won't have much time to come home anymore."
"So I'm planning for the whole family to move there together."
Iemitsu puffed out his chest proudly.
"Well? I lived up to your expectations. Now you're the son of a company president! Isn't that better than the 'advisor' you keep talking about? Once I get to the new company, I'll even hire a few advisors so you can see what they're like."
Tsuna was stunned.
Completely stunned.
For a moment, he couldn't react at all and could only turn stiffly to Nana to confirm whether this was real.
"It's true, Tsuna," Nana said gently while smoothing his messy hair. "You don't know how much motivation you gave your father. Your father's promotion is partly thanks to you."
"…Heh."
Sawada Tsunayoshi forced an awkward laugh.
No matter how he thought about it, he never imagined that his attempts to probe his father had actually motivated him to work harder—indirectly leading to his promotion.
Didn't that basically confirm that his father really was just a construction worker?
If that were true, then things like the Italian Mafia and the Vongola Family didn't exist at all?
No wonder Tsuna couldn't find Sasagawa Kyoko, Sasagawa Ryohei, or Yamamoto Takeshi anywhere in Namimori Elementary.
There was only one explanation.
This wasn't the world of Katekyo Hitman Reborn! at all.
What a pity. He had originally wanted to see whether the Arcobaleno were as cute in real life as they were in the anime.
Tsuna sighed softly.
"What's wrong, Tsuna? Is the food not to your liking?" Nana asked.
"No, Mom. The food is great," Tsuna replied.
He was just lamenting that his future as a Mafia Boss seemed to be drifting farther and farther away.
Soon, however, Tsuna recovered his cheerful mood.
Even if this wasn't the world of Reborn!, it didn't seem so bad. After all, he had a gentle mother and a father who was a company president.
He could just treat this as living a new life.
"Oh right, Dad—where are we moving?" Tsuna suddenly remembered the important question, chewing on a chicken drumstick as he looked at his father.
"Do you even know the names of all the streets around here yet?" Iemitsu replied. "Anywhere we move will be a new environment for you. Instead of worrying about that, you should think about saying goodbye to your classmates."
"Just tell me… maybe… I know the place…" Tsuna mumbled with his mouth full.
In truth, he wasn't that concerned. Like Iemitsu said, he had never left Namimori Town, so aside from Italy, moving anywhere didn't make much difference.
"Alright then," Iemitsu said.
"Remember this carefully. The place our family will be living from now on is called—"
"Karakura Town."
Clang.
The chicken drumstick fell onto the table.
Tsuna's mouth hung wide open.
There was no way he could forget what Karakura Town was.
Wasn't that the hometown of the protagonist from the anime he had been watching before transmigrating?
Could it be…?