The Hunger Games: Mashup

Chapter Thirty

District One

“Are you okay?” asked Naruto. Natsumi was sitting solemnly on the couch, doing everything in her power to hold in her tears. He reached out to touch her shoulder, but she slapped away his hand.

“How am I?! How can I be?!” she screamed at him. “What can I tell my mom—my little brother?! He's too young to lose me like this!!”

“He's thirteen,” pointed out Naruto uneasily. “He's already qualified for the Games.”

“Shut up, Naruto! Just shut up!” she screamed at him, her fists balled. “I can't stand you! Get out of here!!”

“We're here for an hour, Natsumi. To say our goodbyes, remember?” he said to her, his anger growing.

“Goddammit, Uzumaki—don't remind me!!” she cried. She looked about ready to flip over the table when the door burst open. She looked over and saw Fuyuki running towards her, tears in his eyes.

“Natsumi!” he said desperately, launching into her arms. Her rage faded and the tears spilled out.

“Fuyuki!” she returned, taking him into her arms. She held him to her, whispering things to him.

“It's okay, Fuyuki. I've got you,” she murmured. He pulled away from her just as their mother, Aki, stepped into the room.

“Yeah, you're here for now. What am I going to do without you?” he asked her. She shook her head at him.

“I can't tell you that,” she told him.

“But your my big sister! You can't leave me and mom alone!” he told her angrily.

“Fuyuki, I don't have any choice,” she told him. He shook his head back and forth, refusing to believe it.

“Natsumi, we fought a lot, and we argued constantly. You were always the smart one, refusing to give up. You're always so good at sports and people. I'm just a kid who loves the occult. It's not like I have much going for myself. I just don't know what I can do without you to help me with my homework,” he said to her sadly.

“Fuyuki, you've got a bit heart, and you're really, really smart. You just have to apply yourself,” she told him.

Fuyuki gave a small nod, sniffled a little bit, and then reached into his back pocket. He pulled out a small, velvet pouch and handed it to her. Natsumi undid the small rope holding it together and poured the contents into her hands. Small, dark, seed-like objects pooled into the palm of her hand.

“They're Black Chirmi Beads, Natsumi. They ward off physical harm and bring you good luck! I want you to have them!” he said desperately. Natsumi shook her head, knowing how much Fuyuki treasured his occult things. She tried to hand the pouch back to him but he denied her attempts and her reasons.

“Please, Natsumi! I need you to come home! I don't want to be alone,” he whispered to her, his eyes misty. She gave him a small smile.

“Alright, then I'll come home. I'll make us a big dinner when I return,” she promised.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

After the Hinata family left, Natsumi went into the bathroom. Naruto could hear her sniffling and her sobs, but he refused to acknowledge them. He knew that the Hunger Games weren't all glamor and glitz. It would be unlike his training had ever prepared him for. He would be forced to take a human life. A human life! It wasn't whether he could handle it or not, he had to. If he was going to earn the respect he deserved, he had to do this. He would even have to watch Natsumi die, maybe even kill her himself.

He didn't want to think like that. Not now.

Still, it was too late to change anything. He went into the Games expecting to win, and he couldn't—wouldn't let that change.

The next visitor came to the door. Naruto already knew who it was and opened it without a second thought. Standing in the doorway was his teacher—young, tall, masked, and surprisingly dry-eyed.

“Master Kakashi,” he siaid with an eager grin. Kakashi nodded at him, and then sighed.

“What am I going to do without my star apprentice on hand?” he asked him with a small smile. Naruto grinned at Kakashi. “Aww, Master, you don't need me for your business. You're worth three of me, even with my shadow dopple-gangers.”

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

The two males exchanged a good laugh. Natsumi could hear Naruto and Kakashi laughing from her hiding place in the bathroom. She felt immense disgust at Naruto's simpleness. How could he laugh in the face of his own death—her death?! Her brother had just rushed in here, sobbing about her sudden departure, and he could stand there and laugh. Her mother would work double time now that she couldn't bring them a steady source of income, and Fuyuki would be more alone than ever. The Capitol even took away Fuyuki's best friends for their own devices. Fuyuki wouldn't have a friend in the world to keep him company, and Fuyuki would lose it without anyone to play with him, one way or another. Naruto completely overlooked all of that and jokes about it now. How dare he. The nerve. The bastard. She wasn't going to take that crap from him.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

Kakashi gave Naruto another smile and patted his head.

“Come home alive, Naruto.”

“Believe it,” said Naruto, smirking. Kakashi nodded to him, gave him one last glance, and walked out. It's always been hard to tell what Kakashi was thinking. It was unknown if he honestly believed that Naruto would come home to him alive, or if he was going to go home and cry out his sorrows then.

Naruto let out a breath of air after the door shut behind Master Kakashi. He could see something that no one else could. His knowledge came from spending three years at the side of his master.

I have to come home. Not just for myself, but for Master. I will win the Games for the both of us. No matter what.

Naruto's resolve was almost immediately broken the moment Natsumi returned from the bathroom. Naruto made a step towards her, caught her glare, and then flinched away from her.

“I don't care if I've known you since I was five,” said Natsumi. “I don't care if I walked to school with you every day of my life. I don't care if we've fought like brother and sister and if you've treated me better than any other upper classman I've ever met.”

Natsumi stepped towards Naruto so that they were nose to nose, facing him down with every ounce of anger she had in her body.

“If you make one move towards me, one reason I might suspect you for trying to end me, I won't hold back. I'll kill you Naruto. I will. My family needs you. The only person who wants you home is you, you stupid, ugly monster!”

That made Naruto snap.

“Don't talk to me that way, Natsumi. This isn't easy for me either!!”

“But you chose this,” she spat furiously. “You chose to be in the Games!! I didn't! My family might as well starve for all of the help I can give them six feet under in the District cemetery!”

Natsumi took her fist and smashed it into the side of Naruto's face and stomped off, making sure to step on his chest as she went. Naruto tried not to see it, but his fury could do nothing to disguise the tears that were clawing their way into her eyes and down Natsumi's cheeks.