Chapter 7: The Strong Devour the Weak
Story: Nine Years
Written by: latenightfangirl
Summary: Life was never kind to Sawada Tsunayoshi. It was one thing after the other, and for nine years Tsuna learned a few new things. Of course no matter what universe, he can never break free of the craziness his life entails. AU, slight Nana bashing, slight Iemitsu bashing
Disclaimer: I don't own Katekyou Hitman Reborn! Amano Akira does!
Warning: There is gore at the end of this chapter. I'm pretty unfazed by gore myself, so I can't tell if it's really bad or not.
People are cruel. Tsuna knew this quite well, since he was constantly kidnapped. Yes, the kidnapping continued. It was a good thing he only got incompetent kidnappers. And it wasn't like it was everyday, no, just every once in a while. A lot more than normal people would be kidnapped, however.
Normal. Tsuna wasn't normal. He was the son of a mafioso. A mafioso who never came home, and when he did, he drunk until he couldn't see straight. Often times he would offer a drink to Tsuna. Tsuna learned the hard way not to accept drinks from strangers. Because in his eyes, his father was a stranger. But he couldn't hate him. He tried to understand. He really did. His father was in the mafia, so Tsuna suspected that maybe he was trying to protect them. By not coming home, enemies couldn't find them. But Tsuna may have been being a little bit optimistic about it, in the end.
Onto the original topic, people are cruel.
Cruelty. Tsuna realized there is more than one type.
There's one for self gain. Like his kidnappings. They all wanted something, and would use him to get it. Even if it hurt him in the process.
Then there's the other cruelty he learned. The cruelty of his peers. Humiliation. Bullying. It's a form of self gain, in a way.
Because Tsuna wasn't good in sports, his studies, or anything really, he was bullied. He was called 'Dame-Tsuna', or 'useless Tsuna'. He was useless. He was clumsy and stupid and just plain useless.
But six year olds couldn't do much harm, unlike his lovely kidnappers. They could trash his notebooks, steal his crayons, break his possessions, and even call him names. Well, the best names children could come up with.
It's not like they were tying him up, drugging him, and interrogating him. Interrogating the best they could with their broken Japanese. Idiots, really.
Back to the bullying.
No one had tried to hit him. Nope, nothing physical. But psychologically he was being maimed. Damn, those six year olds could be mean!
But he wasn't going to cry. No, he was strong. Strong like his mamma.
I won't let them get to me.
"Oi! Dame-Tsuna!" A bully he didn't know the name of came up to him. "Why do you still carry your notes with you? It's not like it'll make a difference! You're Dame-Tsuna after all!" A chorus of laughter erupted from the group.
"That's right," another said, "he's useless! Can't do anything right! I bet his parents hate having such a disappointment in their family!" More laughter.
The original bully spoke up. "That's not true," he said. His friends looked at him quizzically. "Because Dame-Tsuna here, our little disappointment, only has one parent! His father left him because he's so useless!"
This, now this, hit Tsuna hard. Harder than any punch, stab, or physical wound he had ever received. Which were a lot.
But he couldn't cry. He was strong. He-
Was he strong?
He was strong. For his mama, he would be strong. Tsuna couldn't hurt them though. No, he could never hurt anyone. He couldn't say anything back, he couldn't refute their claims…
"T-that's not t-true…"
…
Ah, I couldn't stop myself after all.
One of the bullies sneered at him. "What'd ya say? I couldn't hear ya. Speak up, Dame-Tsuna."
"I said, that's n-not true."
"Oh, so you have some backbone after all." The original bully grinned. "Don't worry Dame-Tsuna," he said. "You won't be in denial for long." Tsuna's grip on his notebook tightened. "Because sooner or later your mama is going to get tired of you, of your uselessness, and you'll be all alone. Like you should be."
I can't cry.
"And when that happens, I'm going to say," he paused for dramatic effect, "I told you so!"
Laughter. So much laughter. Jeering at him, tearing him apart. Piece by piece, little by little, breaking him down.
I can't cry. I'm strong.
His notes lay on the floor in a pile with his other trashed belongings.
I won't cry. I'm strong, I'm strong, I'm-
I'm… strong, right?
"Welcome home, Tsu-kun!"
Tsuna smiled meekly at his mother.
"I'm home," he said. He swiftly bypassed her, heading towards the stairs.
"I heard you had a test today," she said. Tsuna gulped. "Can I see it?"
He nodded, reluctantly. He reached into his bag and pulled out a paper littered with red marks. Nana looked at the paper, the failed test, and smiled at him. But he could see it. He could see the concoction of feelings being tightly held back by her mask.
Disappointment. Pain. Despair.
She smiled at him. At her useless son. "It's okay," she said in her false cheerful voice. "Next time you'll do better! I'm sure of it!"
But what if I don't?
"Maybe if you study a bit harder, then…"
But what if I can't?
"Tsu-kun. Just know that mama isn't disappointed in you."
But you are.
Tsuna smiled. "Thanks mama!" He ran up the stairs to his room. He opened the door, and walked in. Taking out his notes, ruined from the bullies, he sat down at his desk and tried. He really did.
But when your notes were completely trashed, and they weren't taken very well to begin with, it was kind of hard. Scratch that, impossible.
I don't even know how to write notes! Nobody will show me! And they always toss paper balls at me in class, and the teacher won't help me.
And mama… She… She's depending on me. I can't stand to see her so disappointed. So broken.
He was such a useless son.
But he wouldn't cry. Because he was strong.
Probably.
That night Tsuna had a dream. A dream that he was being eaten. The sharp teeth would dig into his skin, ripping it from his bones. His blood pooled around him in beautiful crimson puddles. Disturbing.
But what stood out to him, above all the agonizing pain, was a voice.
"You're weak," it said. "And the strong will devour the weak."
The sounds of his bones crunching under the pressure of the beast's jaws resounded in his head.
Crunch.
Crack.
Snap.
"You're weak." The voice was surprisingly clear above the cacophony of grotesque sound effects.
The jaws of the beast wrapped around his head. The saliva covered his face, as it waited. It was a tormenting type of fun. It was waiting… taking its time. Drilling a hope into him that he could still live. He was still alive.
The voice spoke to him in a chilling tone, close to his ear, "Nobody needs you." It laughed, void of emotion. "You're useless. But you already knew that, didn't you?"
Then the teeth pierced his skull in one swift movement.
Tsuna woke up in a cold sweat, thinking of how true, how fitting, those words were.
He was being devoured for his weakness. And he couldn't do anything about it.
But Tsuna was also strong, so he wouldn't cry.
Author's note:
I hate to ruin the ending with an author's note, but should I change the genre? There's still going to be humor/friendship themes, but the flashbacks will be kind of... depressing for a while. Not for too long though! Things will get better for our little Tsuna! After all, present Tsuna is doing well~
So about 2-3 more angsty chaps I guess. And I updated the pairings~! I already knew who I wanted them to be, but I wanted to introduce them first. So there will be a little romance (VERY little) here and there for R27 (Reborn/Tsuna) and 6927 (Mukuro/Tsuna)!