"Even Shinigami are having a second spring; when will my Home Tutor Simon Arc and Arcobaleno Curse Arc be animated?" our protagonist exclaimed, staring at the screen showing the Shinigami Thousand-Year Blood War Arc.
His name was Tsuna, and his friends called him Tsuna. His greatest hobby was watching anime, with Home Tutor and Shinigami as his two favorites. Both series had been abruptly cut off, never completing their later arcs.
Now, Shinigami had begun its Thousand-Year Blood War Arc, while the subsequent arcs of Home Tutor remained nowhere to be seen.
Tsuna fiddled with the fully unlocked Great Sky Ring in his hand, feeling a sense of wistfulness. He had bought it as a small craft item by chance on his way home.
The ring was primarily black and gold, with the Vongola family crest at its center. The words "Vongola Family" were engraved around the crest, and six colorful gems—red, blue, yellow, green, purple, and indigo—were set around it, symbolizing the six family Guardians.
When Tsuna was younger, driven by his love for Home Tutor, he had tried to collect all the rings and jewelry featured in the anime. However, this unlocked Great Sky Ring hadn't quite matched his aesthetic back then, leaving it as the only ring missing from his complete set.
After purchasing it from a street vendor, Tsuna had intended to rewatch Home Tutor, reliving the nostalgia of his lost youth.
But to his surprise, upon opening his computer, the first thing he saw was a Shinigami update. Excited, Tsuna naturally shouted, "Bankai!" and clicked on the latest episode.
As for the Great Sky Ring he had just bought, it could only be placed in the jewelry box alongside his other rings, amidst his exclamations.
"Oh well, oh well, I'll slowly catch up on Home Tutor later. I'll never regret entering Home Tutor in this life, and I wish to be born in Namimori Town in the next."
With the disappointment of Home Tutor's second season being nowhere in sight, Tsuna closed the jewelry box. But his mood quickly lifted, his eyes sparkling as he admired Shinigami's art style, still cutting-edge and trendsetting.
This was it—the aesthetic, the elegance, the appeal of the anime characters. No matter the angle, they were uniquely compelling, which explained why Tsuna loved Shinigami and Home Tutor.
What Tsuna didn't know was that as he shouted "Bankai!" the Great Sky Ring he had placed in the jewelry box emitted a faint glow.
The screen before him brightened with that shout, gradually engulfing him in light.
...
Waking in a daze, Tsuna found his room far larger than before, and his surroundings completely unfamiliar. Just as he was about to spring up, faint memories surfaced.
They were fragmented: the layout of a home, a gentle mother, a strong father who loved to tease him. Nothing more.
Tsuna probably understood what had happened. If this wasn't a dream, he had transmigrated—reborn as a child just learning to speak. That explained the vagueness of his memories; even minor thoughts made him drowsy. Never mind, he would sleep first.
...
"Little Tsunayoshi, dinner's ready~"
"Coming, Mom."
"Mom, so many dishes! Did Dad come back from Italy?" Little Tsunayoshi asked.
"You're talking nonsense again. Dad came home from the construction site, not Italy," Mom corrected gently, helping set the tableware.
"Nana, is Tsuna spreading rumors about me again?" Dad's strong voice rang out. Dressed in a white tank top and work clothes with a safety helmet, he was clearly a laborer.
"Dad, didn't you bring any Italian friends back?" Little Tsunayoshi peered outside.
"You brat, where would there be Italians at a construction site? Big, rough men only," Dad said, grimacing as he pinched Little Tsunayoshi's cheek.
"Oh, hurry and take a shower; dinner's about to start," Mom pushed the sweaty Dad into the shower room.
Looking at his parents' backs, a hint of regret flashed in Little Tsunayoshi's eyes. Having spent several years in this world already, now in second grade, how could this scoundrel of a father hide it so well, without a single flaw?
His gentle mother, Sawada Nana, his strong father, Sawada Iemitsu, who worked long hours away from home, plus his own name, Sawada Tsunayoshi, and the Namimori Elementary School he now attended, all confirmed for Tsunayoshi that he had transmigrated into the Home Tutor world.
From that point, Tsunayoshi constantly probed his father, wanting to see if he was the legendary Vongola External Advisor, hoping to contact Vongola early, or learn to use Dying Will Flame in advance.
The reason he asked about Italian friends was that he remembered the Ninth Generation Vongola meeting the protagonist in his childhood. He didn't know why the Ninth Generation hadn't appeared yet, though he was already in second grade. The plot would begin in a few years when he entered junior high.
Tsunayoshi touched the Great Sky Ring around his neck, found under his pillow after transmigrating. He had originally thought he could ignite the Dying Will Flame as in the anime.
However, no matter how hard he tried, the Great Sky Ring remained unchanged. After all, it was just the unlocked craft item he had bought. The actual Vongola Rings were still sealed and looked nothing like this ring.
In the end, Tsunayoshi hung it around his neck as a memento, the only object accompanying him through transmigration, a constant reminder.
Regardless of whether he could ignite the Dying Will Flame, he still felt the need to prepare for future battles. Joining the elementary school sports club, he trained to strengthen his body—a small insurance for battles to come.
Over the years, Tsunayoshi subtly observed his mysterious father. But after careful examination, his father didn't seem mysterious at all. He appeared to be a genuine, ordinary construction worker.
The smell of sawdust and dirt on his father was genuine. Surely, he wouldn't fake it each time before coming home, would he?
While lost in thought, his father finished showering, and his mother brought all the dishes to the table.
"Cough, cough, before we eat, I have something to announce," Sawada Iemitsu said, clearing his throat.
"What?" Tsunayoshi asked playfully, "Don't tell me we're going to Italy, Dad?"
"Can't anything else occupy your head besides Italy?" Iemitsu ruffled Tsunayoshi's spiky hair. "Your guess is close, but it's not a trip. It's moving."
"Moving to Italy?" Tsunayoshi perked up. He hadn't encountered any familiar characters from Home Tutor in Namimori Elementary School, so moving to Italy might confirm the mafia world theory.
"Not Italy," Iemitsu said, resting his chin on his hand with a doting expression. "Thanks to you, kid. You've motivated me."
"To meet your expectations, your old man worked his hardest. The company recognized that effort."
"The plan is for me to become president of a new branch. I won't have time to return home, so we'll move the whole family."
"How about it? Your old man fulfilled your expectations. Now you can be called the son of a president. Isn't that better than the advisor you talk about? When I take over, I'll even hire advisors to open your eyes," Iemitsu said proudly.
Tsuna's mouth hung open in shock. Nana confirmed, "It's true, Little Tsunayoshi. You helped motivate Dad. You share in his credit."
Hehe… Tsunayoshi chuckled awkwardly. Probing his father had indirectly led to Dad's promotion.
So his father was just an ordinary construction worker? Then Italian mafia and Vongola don't exist here.
No wonder Tsunayoshi hadn't found the Sasagawa siblings or Takeashi Yamamoto. Only one reason: this wasn't the Home Tutor world. Fine, he had hoped to see if Arcobaleno were as cute as in the anime.
Tsunayoshi sighed softly. Nana asked, "What's wrong, Little Tsunayoshi? Not liking the food?"
"No, Mom, it's delicious," he replied, lamenting his drifting mafia boss script.
Quickly recovering, he smiled. A gentle mother and president father didn't seem a bad fate. He would treat this as another life.
"Oh, right, Dad, where are we moving?" he suddenly remembered, chicken leg halfway to his mouth.
"Have you memorized all street names here, kid? Moving means a new environment. Instead of worrying, say proper goodbyes to classmates," Iemitsu said.
"Alright… but I just want to know," Tsunayoshi mumbled.
"The next place is called Karakura Town."
With a clatter, his chicken leg dropped. Tsunayoshi's mouth hung wide open. He would never forget Karakura Town—base of the anime protagonist he had watched. Could it be…?