Varia preparing for the coup d'état
Vongola HQ burning
The Cradle Affair was a coup d'état staged by Xanxus and his Varia underlings to overthrow Vongola Nono at the Vongola Headquarters eight years prior to the Varia Arc. Though the Varia managed to almost completely destroy the base, they were stopped when the Ninth froze Xanxus with the Zero Point Breakthrough. Just before he was frozen, Xanxus told the Ninth that he knew the secret of his adoption, and it was just then when Squalo first heard about it. When frozen by the Zero Point Breakthrough, Xanxus was inflicted with the signature scars on his face and body. In a Reborn! extra, it was revealed that the former vice-captain of Varia, Ottabio, had secretly told the Ninth of Xanxus's plans to stage a coup beforehand.