Title: Killing Me Softly

Author: holmesfreak1412

Fandom: Naruto-The Hunger Games AU

Pairing: Uchiha Sasuke & Hyuuga Hinata

Genre: Drama, Romance

Rating: T

Summary: They're killing her softly and yet he, who is safe and sound and the one spared from the arena is the one who feels like dying.

Disclaimer: I don't own either of the Naruto and The Hunger Games Franchise.

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Killing Me Softly

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A Hunger Games AU

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In penance for their uprising, each district shall offer up a male and female between the ages of twelve and eighteen at a public "reaping". These shall be delivered to the custody of the Capitol. And then transferred to a public arena, where they will fight to the death until a lone victor remains. Henceforth and forever more, this pageant shall be known as The Hunger Games."

-Treaty of Treason

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The Beginning

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Sasuke

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i. Reaping

"The reaping is a good opportunity for the Capitol to keep tabs on the population as well. Twelve- through eighteen-year-olds are herded into roped areas marked off by ages, the oldest in the front, the young ones, like Prim, toward the back."

―Katniss Everdeen speaking about the reaping

"The time of the year I always dreaded. And seeing you in the same stage as I is when I realize that I can have more valid reasons than plain lethargy."

-Uchiha Sasuke, victor of the Sixty-Eight Hunger Games as he speaks with his tribute, Hinata.

…

When Hyuuga Hanabi's name is called, there is a stunned silence. Quietude hanging heavily over the large gathering, their eyes wide from surprise and their lips set into a thin, contemplating line. The crowd holds their gasps. The spared line of eligible female potential tributes sighs in relief. The breeze flies by ominously, enshrouding the entirety of the Konoha Lumber district in a silence so awed you know that they are already smelling victory from the far future.

But it is not without a carefully veiled satisfaction. They are lucky this year.

Everybody knows of Hyuuga Hanabi. Everybody knows of how old she is. But nobody does anything about it. This is not the first time that a twelve-year old got reaped. This is not the first time a female twelve-year old got reaped. But with the utterance of this year's female tribute's name, there is but no cause for hopeless lamentation this time around. Everybody knows Hyuuga Hanabi—she is after all a household name amongst many of the academy trainers, the gem of the illustrious Hyuuga Clan. The scarily skilled mayor's daughter. The young prodigy. At twelve, she can throw knives and execute kills like nobody's business. At twelve, she can survive in the wild, chop logs, hunt with snares and climb trees. At twelve, she is already a natural-born killing machine with a Career Tribute's mindset.

With this, Sasuke finds himself realizing the reason why the trainers and the other victors are all smiling contentedly to themselves. At twelve, Hyuuga Hanabi could actually win. Like Uchiha Sasuke did, seven years ago.

He was twelve too when he cleverly electrocuted all of the remaining tributes in his arena, despite their inherent industry all but a far cry from that of anything that remotely concerned technology and intelligence. Observing a tree burnt by lightning had been but a scholarly diversion but in the end he did effectively utilize it anyway and made even the most murderous of the Gamemakers fall into their knees when he finally managed to tame their unruly thunder. He was made a legend back then. The young boy who was more than just a face and blunt force.

Before then, he wielded a chokuto and slit throats and stabbed allies and murdered cowering children that were older than him without mercy because if it's not them, it's him. Survival of the fittest. That is the evolution of the world, right? Fifteen days, he lasted in the arena. Seven years, he has been savoring the lifestyle being a victor gave. Ten lives he ended publicly just to live until today. His life he wants to end now too but is unfortunately no longer free to do so. It is possible. Hyuuga Hanabi is just like him. He could see it in her eyes. And she would be like him too when she wins and survives. The one wishing that he was the one who died.

Until… you find someone to actually live for.

Hanabi proudly walks towards where she is meant to, head high. But he can see that she herself doesn't want this. At least not yet. She still has many years ahead of her and she knows as well as everybody that most twelve-year olds don't live past the Bloodbath and see the sun rise to signal the next day of yet another slaughter.

But Hanabi is not most twelve-year olds.

And she is like him too… right?

He casts a glance towards where the seventeen-year olds stood. He couldn't see her. He wishes he could. He would have promised her that he would be performing as the best mentor Hanabi would need.

Don't worry…

The technicolored escort in eccentric animal fur cardigans and killer heels calls for volunteers among the still deathly silent audience, wondering aloud whether anyone who thought themselves more skilled than Hanabi is willing to take her place as this year's district sighting a few of the academy's trainees at the side—burly, young women who had practiced beating logs to a pulp but more mature eighteen-year olds who now seemed resigned to let the obviously more promising Hanabi to take the place—Sasuke doesn't expect anything. Hanabi is just like him, right? Konoha children know better than to possibly jeopardize their one chance to be spared from starvation for the next year. And when you see someone good enough onstage, you don't try to force yourself on the limelight and volunteer. Konoha wants their tributes to be winners because this is the best you can be.

He was the only one to ever make that mistake.

No, Hanabi is victor quality. And everybody knows that. She would win. That's because Sasuke would help her as best as he could. He didn't manage to save Neji from last year. So he would try his best for this girl. Because… Because… Because…

For… For… For…

That is until; a clear voice rings out amidst the deafening silence, cutting easily through the ice made by the district's whole resolve to let a little girl be their representative in a death pageant. Her tone questioning their ethics. The declaration sounding rather heroic.

From the first step of the stairs leading to the stage, he sees Hanabi's slightly teary eyes widen, as if from horrified recognition. And Sasuke himself doesn't want to believe it. But he knows that voice too… It is.. It is… It is… No… No… This couldn't be happening…

"I volunteer!" it proclaims a tad too hesitantly at first before somehow getting a form of resolution from the people's collective expression of askance. The speaker shouts with dignity this time and it strikes him like when a tribute aimed pebbles to ward him off from being her executioner. He finds himself wanting to laugh, cry, do anything hysterically.

"I volunteer as tribute!"

And just like that, a mouse of a seventeen-year old girl cuts her way through the crowd. She stumbles forward, indigo hair sticking out everywhere and her white, featureless eyes darting around in trembling fidgets. She is shaking. She looks like she's going to cry soon.

The crowd gasps, unbelieving that the words came out from this fearful girl who can't even stand straight and make sense of her previous actions. The trainers are livid. What have they taught them all these time in the academy? Hanabi is more than good enough for this! She can throw her axe like no one could! She's the one! And she-

Meanwhile, Sasuke feels like his world is ending. This couldn't be happening. Not to her. Not to them! Didn't he tell her just this morning that he would like her safe and sound and beautiful as ever once he comes back? He would have kept Hanabi safe no matter what anyway! That girl is made to be a winner! She would win! She would come home and her older sister wouldn't have to take her place in this battle of death. But here she is and if her unwavering stance is of any indication, she wouldn't back away anytime soon.

Hyuuga Hinata straightens herself up and much to all of Konoha's eternal shock, enunciates again. This time, with more determination than she previously played out. "I volunteer as tribute." is her lucid announcement, stance courageously unwavering.

And this is when Uchiha Sasuke knows that the girl who has kept his heart alive in the past seven years—the bestfriend he never knew he still would manage to acquire despite being worse than a criminal for killing children for a fucking television show- is ironically the one who would kill it. Softly. Softly. Softly…

ii. Justice Building Goodbyes

"The Justice Building is a place in each district where official business is conducted and is presumably the seat of the regional government acting as a town hall. Children go to the Justice Building to sign up for tesserae. It is also where tributes are taken once they have been reaped for the Hunger Games. The tributes bid farewell to their loved ones before being taken to the Capitol."

-About the Justice Building (The Hunger Games Wiki)

"This is where I thought I left my heart back. Until it fluttered again in the arena."

—Hyuuga Hinata, victor of the Seventy-Fourth Hunger Games

…

Uzumaki Naruto gets reaped a few minutes later and he shakes Hinata's hand.

Sasuke knows she would have blushed and stuttered and fainted at another time. But this is not the right time for that.

When Sasuke finds her in the waiting room, she is already sobbing, her pitiful misery reverberating around the room and it tears the heart that he doesn't know to still exist inside him into irreparable smithereens.

Hiashi has already come by then and has slapped her. Hard. Because she's being stupid and Hinata, we all know what you just did is suicide! You aren't supposed to go in the Games! You are not ready! You are not strong enough! You are weak! And this is the same man who had once told Hanabi many a time that murdering other children would be as easy as slitting a rooster's throat.

She did not think herself higher but Hanabi fared no better than her livid father From what Sasuke could see, what Hanabi is most upset on is the reality that Hinata didn't even regret any word that she has said in the reaping. And that the older sister she loves the most in the world didn't even have the audacity to promise that she would come back.

But Hinata still has regrets.

And hell, if she doesn't want to return home as badly as they all want her to as well.

"It hurts. This is killing me." She sniffles out on his shirt, her face buried on his chest as it instantly burrowed itself in once he came in and embraced her for dear life. Because that's what best friends do. Because that's what he wants to do so badly that it hurts. He wants to kiss her so bad. And it is killing him. Softly… softly.. softly… "It pains me that Naruto-kun might have to kill me in order to come home. He has to, right? His… family is waiting for him and Sakura-san might just finally accept him when he comes home a victor, right? And he really wants to be a hero. It's really bad. I feel really bad. I mean, I'm glad Hanabi is safe and because her name is already called, she wouldn't likely be reaped again. And once I die, she would be too afraid to volunteer again. But Naruto-kun… He might just kill me. And I don't want that. Not until I tell him what I feel…"

That I love him.

And Hinata is never afraid to die for those she loves.

Tears come out from her eyes and she wails.

His arms tighten around her and he tells her, in a soft, soothing voice that he suspects is not from the bloodthirsty victor the Games made him to be but actually from the Uchiha Sasuke who loves an oblivious woman for so long and feels himself dying every second she thinks she would. He puts his lips on her ear, breath ghosting because he is just about to tell her about something important.

That I love you too.

And Uchiha Sasuke does everything for those he loves.

"Naruto wouldn't kill you." He assures her and he kisses the top of her head because that's as far as him being her platonic niisan could allow him. He took that place ever since he failed to save Neji last year. She didn't blame him. She never did. He tries not to stare at her lips, those red temptations he can't seem to look away from. He fights the urge to just claim her now that he might lose her forever. He draws her close instead because this just feels so damn right.. "Naruto wouldn't kill you. He wouldn't. He never will so don't worry, okay?" He kisses her hair again. And again. And again. And again. She is letting him because she is hugging him even closer than before. "I'd make sure of it."

"It wouldn't be painful then?" she asks. When you talk of your death so casually like it is just a trek to the woods, you know there is something wrong with you already. "Sasuke-kun I'd prefer to have it be—"

"Hush. Listen to me. For the last time, I wouldn't let Naruto kill you." He sounds exasperated. He says this with finality. And he is still yet to pull away from her strong, deathly hold. "Nor would I let anyone else try."

And she doesn't dare argue because she hears a desparate promise—a declaration even—made only for her.

iii. Train Ride

"Most of Panem's citizens are not authorized to travel by train unless they are reaped for the Hunger Games, as travel between the districts is forbidden except for officially sanctioned duties."

-About the Train Ride (The Hunger Games Wiki)

"I think that was where I realized that I could never kill you. And that perhaps, this is going to be the last time I board this but hell will come before I let that be the truth for you. You're coming home Hinata. And that's because you will make me an eternal promise, believe it."

-Last Day in the Arena. Uzumaki Naruto to Hyuuga Hinata.

The train ride to the Capitol—to death, as Hinata whispers glumly to herself, much to Sasuke's inner despair— theoretically lasts for three long days, and that's already them running an unbelievable two hundred fifty miles an hour. By ordinary standards- like the steam train the few in the Merchant side of Konoha can still afford to embark, the trip would have taken two weeks at least. And by ship, a month. Oftentimes, Sasuke finds himself wondering whether some of the more pessimistic souls who were forcefully carted in the Games by sheer misfortune had at one point wished that things were more primitive. That it would take more than those measly, fast, short three days for them to reach their destination. Advancement could be a foe and in the case of a dystopian world that couldn't allow the majority the advantageous benefit of being born to the 22nd century of knowledge and power, that just hits the mark. The Train Ride is a dreadful affair, a bitter prelude to the Game of Death that would invariably ensue once they are finally delivered. They know they wouldn't arrive safely. Tributes and victors alike never do. That established fact—for it is already proven roughly seventy-four times already—is what that is that kills you softly in the meantime.

He knows what they all say.

They will never get off this train.

When he was in the Sixty-eight Hunger Games Uchiha Sasuke had never felt any of these —what was he but a cocky kid who didn't even have an ounce of an idea that in the Hunger Games, there never is a winner? Conceit had been a predominant emotion then. He knew he could do it. His mentor made sure about that too. And when he really did it and saw exactly what he shall be afterwards, there was no backing out. Guilt isn't even the most foremost thing. They were going to kill him too so it was only right to beat them to that as. But there was fear, that smoldering feeling that threatens to incinerate your chest into bits and yet never could kill you quite enough. More often than not, he always found it wishing that he was the one who died, impaled by swords and mauled by the hawk mutations. He wishes it wasn't him who won. He wishes he wasn't that arrogant, ignorant twelve-year old boy who foolishly thought he could best his elder brother by volunteering. He wishes he had never met Hinata… And that resolve alone, was what he is afraid of the most.

The burnt husk of his childhood home… His parents' dead body… Itachi drowning amongst the mysteries of the Nakano river… Hanabi getting reaped… Hinata volunteering… Naruto having better chances… The cannon booms… Hinata's corpse carted by the hovercraft…

This is his life as a victor. This is bound to happen.

Experiencing luxury in the Hunger Games is by no means extraordinary. The more resigned Tributes genuinely appreciate it as most of them have probably starved all their lives and maybe death wouldn't be so bad if you get to eat, be dressed and live as someone you only dreamed to be even for a little while. Some of the more rebellious souls resent the pretentious Capitol for it. Others are just already too much of a walking dead to preoccupy themselves with such triviality. Stereotypes they may be, but nevertheless they give him what to expect each year. That's not to say they are used to it though. Victors never would be. Sasuke, bitter, pragmatic, Sasuke, certainly isn't.

Beautifying Tributes with all these efforts is only a blatant allusion to fattening sheep before the lethal trip to the butchery, such an inside joke between victors that they know would never make any tribute laugh. But nevertheless Uzumaki Naruto is currently enjoying it, completely ignoring a disdainful Sasuke, an amused Kurenai and a taciturn Hinata while he slurps a bowl of deliciously-made ramen in one go. All this while noisily munching a few desserts here and there, a taste of the appetizer and a spoonful of the entree with no apparent regard of any such thing as order or manners. He invites everyone else to devour the array of catering with him. They all decline.

The prep talk is probably the only thing that made train ride rather worthwhile. It is tradition and even if you are but an inebriated mentor who could care less whether your Tributes die, one has to do it in order to fulfill your lifelong obligation of saving your district from the annual draught. The moment you won you already are their hero. The moment you emerged a victor, you already are their slave. It is here that the Tributes have their stats of survival determined early on and their weakness be distinguished in order to eradicate it as much as they can. In his Games, Sasuke has had the advantage of being an enough looker at twelve to win over the more pedophiliac sponsors with a smile and a touch of daredevil deadliness. It helped in the arena , especially when the unavoidable thirst in the tropics they have for a battlefield is making him delirious. Neji had had several sponsors last year too but unfortunately, the GameMakers had to kill him off for a reason they never did disclose.

Naruto can hunt, make snares and evade pursuers like he's made for it. Reportedly, he's also quite the axe-wielder who the Peacekeepers somewhat had no way of convicting as an illegal logger, as tenacious as he proved to be. He is Konoha's urchin, a destitute, dirty, vagrant boy from the Seams who stole anything that is of use in the Merchant's Square, anything to feed his family for the night. He was an orphan, his parents executed early in his infancy by the Peacekeepers because they smuggled too much firewood in their home and the only family he could ever call were other kids and irregulars who found themselves in the same shoes as him. But he is a survivor, despite never having been trained in the Academy and otherwise universally hated. And Konoha knows of that. Naruto actually had that chance to win too and had he been paired with Hanabi, they would have made such a particularly intimidating Career tandem.

Kurenai takes him in because she sort of won her own Games by being smart and if there was anything that made Naruto vaguely flawed as a tribute, it is his impetuousness. Sasuke is left with Hinata because as far as his fellow mentor could tell, he wouldn't let anyone else handle the safety of who most likely is the most important person to him.

Hinata has never trained in her life, dainty hands meant only to press flowers and not to choke out the living daylights out of another human being. The farthest she got into the logging operation is probably the trimming of weeds at the backyard of their mansion, hands so gentle in her craft that she could never make even the most menacing of shovels a lethal weapon. She is the darling of the main house, the precious princess of the Hyuuga Clan that both Hanabi and Neji was born to protect. One who possessed the innocence Sasuke realizes that what has drawn him to her in the first place. She is never made for the Hunger Games and perhaps that is what the entire district is disappointed with and the reason why her father has slapped her when he should be tearfully saying his farewells.

The reason why Sasuke who thinks the world is too much grimly realizes that beautiful things like her indeed never lasts in their ugly, ugly world.

Hinata could heal though and somehow that makes Kurenai's inference more believable. Naruto and Hinata would make a good enough team. Her ointment to his brawl. Her calming personality to his hotheaded demeanor. Hinata would be quiet when he's being far from stealthy. Hinata would want to escape when he's dense enough to try to bring it on. Theoretically, they are the perfect balance. "Who knows…" the red-eyed mentor tells him at the end of the day when both tributes are already snug asleep inside their bunks. Kurenai's crimson orbs are fixed on the digital clock, counting some dreadful hours. "… maybe they would be the last two in the arena and Konoha would have the best chances…"

You mean Naruto would have the best chances?

"Maybe Konoha would have a victor this year."

And she is not talking about Hinata. Not at all.

"That boy… He is a survivor…"

What about Hinata though?

He doesn't say the thought out loud because from what he can already see about Hinata, that's something he definitely can't deny. She is never of winner quality. And those that are not ready for the Games, never come back whole.

So his only chance is to make those bastards audience see what he has seen.

"I'm confident." He responds, taking a quick swig from his drink. Kurenai's red orbs are trained at him carefully, reading his soul. "I'm confident that I can make them like her."

Hinata is attractive enough. And with a few designs, Sasuke knows that they would love her. He just have to let her live long enough and when the time comes… when the time comes… when the time comes…

"You seriously don't want to repeat history, don't you?" Kurenai tries in vain to make sense of his selfish resolve. "I mean, Sasuke-kun—"

"I know what I am doing." He cuts in and there is determination in his voice that not even the promise of a miserable future can contend with. "I want my charge to live."

He just has to decide whether he would let her live long enough to see the Hell he is doomed to live for herself.

The Train Ride, is all but Charon's ferry because whatever angle you try to peruse it with, you know you never would come home safely. Because in the Games, there never is a winner.

And he sees how Hinata knows this because when in the third day he reminded her to stay alive, she laughs and it is broken and hell, she already sounds like how he did when he was informed on how he should live from now on when everything else he loves has perished. "Tell me that again Sasuke-kun…" she breathes in slowly and his hold in her involuntarily tightens. He just wants to cry. "Tell me that again when the odds are finally on my favor. Tell me that again when I don't have to die. Tell me that again when the person I love is not there to kill me anytime. Tell me that again when I can actually do something already. Tell me-"

"Hinata." He mutters and she stops to listen. She always does. "I'm your mentor. I can do something."

"You can't even save Neji-niisan." She whispers but she succeeds on keeping the clear accusation her words are inflected with away from her sullen, defeated tone. "What makes me any different?"

That I love you, he wants to scream but that is something she is never ready to hear. Not now. Not now. Not now. Not now that Naruto is within earshot of what she herself wants to confess. "That you can actually win." He consoles instead, as if that is something obvious enough. "And you know there's hell to pay if I didn't make sure of that. Neji wouldn't like it and you know I made a promise."

"But I don't want to win." She counters but it is hollow. Half-hearted. Her eyes are closed and he realizes in that leakage of tears that Hinata thinks too that nobody is ever the winner. The one who would win in this is the true loser, things she probably learned from the rebellious Neji who saw more than the naivete Sasuke once had.. She doesn't say that aloud though because it's him she is talking to. Hinata just prefers to die and Sasuke wonders whether she just doesn't care how much she meant to him as long as she is spared from the pain she must have realized already that he is agonizing from.

She breaks away from his embrace. He lets her. And somehow for the second time in this hellish week, he knows this wouldn't be the last time that she would slink away.

…

(TBC)