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Naruto hadn’t put in any tesserae. Mostly because he doesn’t know how to go about doing that sort of thing, but also because, contrary to popular belief, Naruto wasn’t an idiot. So Naruto was far from surprised when he wasn’t reaped. Relieved, sure, but he hadn’t put in tesserae and he was only twelve, so Naruto was pretty bad at math, but even he knew the odds literally were in his favor.
It was a surprise when Sasuke Uchiha got reaped. Again contrary to popular belief, Sasuke was an idiot. But he was also a rich bastard, so he probably wouldn’t risk his life for a little food. Sasuke’s family was really unlucky when it came to the Games, though, so maybe it wasn’t so surprising.
It’s weird. Naruto’s hated Sasuke his whole life, but seeing him get reaped is just. Wrong. There’s something off, and it takes a second for Naruto to realize what it is. Every time there is a kid gets reaped there are gasps. Friends and family looking on in shock as someone they care about walks toward almost certain death. But Sasuke has no one. If anything, a few kids look excited. Like they think this is just a game. Like they expect him to win or something. Fangirls, Naruto realizes suddenly, are not the same thing as friends. It’s not right.
In that moment, Naruto had one of those ideas. The kind that are just instinct, without any real thought behind it. Pure feelings and empathy and need. The kind of idea that had gotten Naruto into trouble countless times before, though admittedly never quite this much. Sasuke Uchiha was annoying and rich and stuck up, but Naruto wasn’t going to let him participate in the Games when no one cared .
“I volunteer as tribute!” Naruto said.