Well, time for a new story. I know some will complain but I'm kind of getting tired of forcing myself to stick to certain stories when I get so many ideas for others. So this is my latest, a Naruto/Hunger Games crossover. Or rather a fusion since there won't be any Katniss or Peeta or any of them. Rather, it will be all Naruto characters going through struggles. However it draws so heavily on the Hunger Games series for its basic background and outline that not listing it in the crossover section would be completely wrong.
This story is a total AU. No Konoha or Suna or Elemental nations. Rather it's going to be like the Hunger Games in that it takes place in a new country that rose from some sort of apocalypse. There is both technology and chakra so expect some ninjutsu to be thrown around just like bullets from guns. Also, there is an evil capital and twelve districts, just like the books. However, for the sake of my story the districts don't have it as bad as they do in the books. Naruto's Twelve will be a place of struggle but not on the same level as Katniss' Twelve. Rather than starvation and struggles to stay alive, it will be more along the lines of struggles not to piss off the Capital, which has a heavy presence in each district.
There are Hunger Games but they'll be named differently since the hunger situation isn't as bad as the books have it and I want to keep some 'ninja' related events and titles in. Like for example, the Hunger Games are renamed the Shinobi Trials. There will be more similar but different changes as the story goes on but I figured I'd get the main one out of the way first.
The chapters will be easy to follow in that they'll be listed in a 1-2-3 format. Like 1-1-1 would be the equivalent of chapter one of the first part of book one while 3-2-4 will be the fourth chapter of the second part of book three. Each part will have 6-8 chapters with three parts for all three books, just like the actual Hunger Games books are.
The story will also be written entirely in first-person point of view like the books are. This is actually a departure for me as I write completely in third person but I want to both try something new and try to keep true to as much of the Hunger Games as possible while making my own Naruto AU plot. Personally I don't like first-person as while it definitely lets you connect to the main character better, it limits the author on what they can say about surroundings or other characters. Everything written has to fit with either the main characters line of thought or be background info that needs to be known to make sense. While in third-person, the author can expand on everything around the main character without having to draw said person into whatever it is they're writing about; like how although Naruto is the main character in the manga, we see things going on with other characters as well. You can't do that in first-person and I feel its limiting, and I don't like limits. Still, one does not become a better writer without trying different styles so this will be written entirely in first-person from Naruto's point of view.
And finally, updates will be sporadic as I'm going to be working on far more than this one story at a time. I'll write as I get inspiration so please don't beg me for updates. I will however, promise you three chapters to this before I head on to other things as my muse dictates. So enjoy my latest story attempt and please review. No flames please, but constructive criticism is nice, especially on any ways to improve my first-person writing if you all find it lacking. Remember, it's my first story in such a style.
1-1-1
Chosen
A loud ringing is the first thing I notice as my senses start to return. Followed by the fact I'm warm and that the sun is beating down on my face. A slight stretching of my arm to my left leads me to fumbling around for my alarm clock. It isn't long after that the ringing stops as I turn it off. A quick peak from my eye at the clock tells me it's ten, right what I set the alarm to the night before. There's an important event going on in the central plaza today at two and I wanted some time to get my bearings as well as enjoy my possible last day of freedom and life.
God I hate these days.
My thoughts are focused on the possible horrors the next few weeks will bring as I get up and get dressed. Pulling a plain orange t-shirt with a red spiral on the back over my wild and spiky yellow hair. Pulling on a pair of regular blue jeans and lacing up my worn black boots before looking in the mirror. The same blue eyes as yesterday look right back at me while I gently scratch my cheek over one of the three whisker markings on it. I have the same three lines on my other cheek. Some think they're scars but the truth is they're just some rather large and strange birthmarks. They're sensitive too, as my girlfriend can attest to.
I trudge my way downstairs from my room to the kitchen where I find my dad drinking something, likely coffee, and staring out the window. My dad is where I got my eye color and hair from. Bright blue eyes and wild yellow hair. His face on the other hand is a bit more angled than mine, though the resemblance is obvious to everybody that isn't blind. He's wearing a white shirt with some flames on the sleeves and bottom while having a pair of his own jeans on as well. I know he's likely just come in from the store next door we own to take a small break and get his drink. There wouldn't be many customers on a day like today anyways since we're all required to go to the event in the central plaza at two.
Did I mention how much I hate these days?
"Morning dad." I call out while pouring myself a glass of milk. He sighs and nods his own greeting back, letting me know he likely hasn't had any customers at all rather than a simple lighter load. It wouldn't surprise me in the least if he actually decided to just keep the place closed today.
"Morning Naruto." Naruto, my name. In full it's Naruto Uzumaki Namikaze, but I usually drop the Uzumaki part since my mom died. The only reason it wasn't dropped from my mother's name upon marriage is because she was one of the last few survivors of the Uzumaki clan. My dad, Minato Namikaze, never cared about that though and simply loved my mother, Kushina Uzumaki, because of who she was. "You know that's not going to cut it for the selection." My dad points to my clothes as he cuts my thoughts off. I look down slightly before shrugging.
"I could say the same to you." He nods. "Besides, I've got time to change. I just don't want to get all dressed up for my possible death right now." It's a testament to how true that statement is when the only reaction on from him is to nod in agreement. At sixteen years old, I've gone through the selection four times already. Only this year and next before I'm finally too old to be in the running. "I'll be back later dad. I'm gonna spend a bit of time with my friends."
"Say hi for me." I hear before I walk out the door and into the sun. I squint for a second before my eyes adjust to the bright light and I can see clearly again. With a slight sigh I start walking at a slow pace down the street. My thoughts though go back to just what today is. And why it's important.
I live in District Twelve, the last stop if one were to tour the country. There's the Capital and another eleven districts just like this one before us. There used to be a thirteenth district, but it was wiped off the map in the war. This country all came out of what was once a much larger government and world. Nobody knows what it was exactly as practically nothing survived it but something happened to the old world. Some kind of Armageddon. And we, the country of the current time, are what rose from that bleak and desolate land. For a while the districts worked together with the Capital and things were great. And then the Capital got greedy, at least that's what really happened. If you believe their propaganda that's shoved down our throat in schools it was the districts that decided a capital was no longer needed and revolted. Regardless of who started it, war broke out between the thirteen districts and the Capital. The Capital had the power of the best technology of the country as well as small portions of each districts' specialty. Each district on the other hand only had a few specially trained warriors called shinobi that could actually fight back. The Capital had a few of their own shinobi as well; it was just that they had more fighters using technology to back them up. The end result was the Capital completely wiping district Thirteen off the map. There were a few survivors but they all scattered to the other twelve districts to stay alive.
My mother draws her lineage from a couple of these survivors incidentally.
After Thirteen fell the other districts were terrified and immediately surrendered to the Capital. Said Capital immediately set up some rather cruel and vicious new laws to make sure another rebellion couldn't happen. One such law created the very reason I may be marked for death later today, the Shinobi Trials.
Since our fighters were called shinobi and a warrior's true skill is only discovered and made through life and death combat, the Trials were named as such. To keep the districts discouraged as well as forcibly remind them of the Capitals' power, once a year two people between the ages of twelve and eighteen, one boy and one girl, are forced to compete in a free-for-all battle to the death for the Capitals' entertainment. To further demoralize the districts, we are forced to celebrate the Trials as if they were a great sporting event and as if participating in them was some great honor. We're even forced to watch them on TV and then celebrate when the champion makes there scheduled tour, even if that champion happened to kill the people from our district.
The Trials begin every June 1rst and go until July 31rst if they must before the Capital forces the competitors into a harder challenge designed to quickly kill them off within a couple hours. To the best of my knowledge, this sudden death round has only been needed once. Every child's name is entered once when they're twelve. Then a second time the next year until they're entered six times on their eighteenth and final year. Although if things are hard for you or your family you can agree to take something called the Trial Boost. Essentially it's just getting your name thrown in an extra time in exchange for food and oil. I've only had to do this once when I was thirteen so my name is currently going to be in the pickings six times when it should be five.
I'm drawn out of my thoughts when I reach the door I was heading for. A quick knock and it's opened by an older woman with red triangles on her cheeks and wild brown hair. "Morning Tsume-san. Kiba here?" Tsume just gives me a small grin before stepping aside to let me in.
"Kiba! Naruto's here so hurry your ass up!" She shouts out as I walk in. I hear some grumbling as well as small footsteps before looking to the side and seeing a large white dog trotting up to me. I reach out and pet the beast as I know it to be Akamaru, Kiba's pet. Kiba and I found the dog when we were six and with Tsume's help since she was a vet, we brought it back to full health. My dad didn't want a dog so Kiba begged his mother to let him keep it and she just couldn't say no. Since then Akamaru has been a regular part of the Inuzuka clan and has more than earned his keep by driving away a few burglars and making sure their house is pest free. It also helped that Kiba's sister Hana adored the pup the moment we brought him in and was helping Kiba beg their mother for him.
"Yo, s'up Naruto?" Turning to my right shows me my best friend since five years old. With brown spiky hair in a style just like mine and the same red triangles on his cheeks as his mother. Kiba was wearing his usual outfit of a black shirt and black jeans with a furred grey coat over it. "I figured you'd be spending the time before selection with your girlfriend." Kiba, being sixteen, was up for selection like I was. The only difference is he's never had to get his name entered in an extra time since up until last year his sister did it for him.
"I've got almost four hours. What's wrong with hanging with you and Akamaru for a couple?"
"Touché." He admitted before practically shoving me out the door with the dog following. "See ya later mom!" He called back before letting me walk on my own and heading down the street. I shake my head clear of the confusion before walking up next to him with Akamaru between us.
"Why did you just push me out of your house?"
"'Cause Hana-nee-chan is feeling really upset about my chances of getting pulled without her there to volunteer to go in and help me. She's getting like this about all my friends, you especially since she knows you so well." 'Yeah that sounds like her.' I think in my head. Hana is no longer eligible but when she was, she promised me and Kiba that if either of us were chosen then she'd volunteer to take the girls place so that we'd have an ally to trust in the Trials. She would've fought alongside us before letting herself die so that we could come home. It was touching really, how much she cared for the people close to her. Ironically, not once did her name get called and neither did anybody she'd sacrifice herself for. Even when she and others like myself have taken extra entries for food. "She's been crying all morning about how if we're grabbed then she won't be there to protect us and we'll be 'all alone' in the arena." Kiba quoted all alone with his fingers before snorting as I laughed with him.
All alone, yeah right. The Trials are televised at all times with hundreds if not thousands of cameras. We'd be alone physically but never entirely as the whole nation could watch us from home.
"If she's this bad now then how bad do you think she'll get at the selection? Hell, how much do you wanna bet that if either of us are chosen she'll go and try to storm the building and volunteer even though she's too old?" Kiba snorted and shook his head.
"I don't take sucker bets Naruto."
"Strange, you said that same thing right before you lost all your money gambling with me."
"Shut up!" I break out laughing as we walk towards the small wooded area on the edge of the district. Surrounding the entire district is a fence that's supposed to be electrified but in reality is only for around four hours a day around noon. People have gone past the fence into the wilderness to hunt and forage for food before by simply climbing over or going under the fence when the power was off. Kiba and I have done it ourselves before actually and are even pretty skilled hunters, though his sister Hana is about five times better than either of us.
While we don't go outside today, we spend a bit of time relaxing in the area and playing around with Akamaru. At least for an hour or so before I notice someone coming up near us. I grin before motioning for Kiba to keep quiet as I climb up a tree. Kiba sees the person walking up and shoots me a quick smile before acting like I'm not hovering over his head in the trees.
"Hey what's up?" He greets before a feminine voice answers.
"Hi Kiba. I heard you were hanging around with Naruto-kun. Do you know where he is?" She asks. Kiba hides his grin by turning away.
"I don't actually. He said he just remembered something important and vanished on me before I could ask what. I'll let him know you're looking if I see him though." She thanked him and started walking away before I realize it's the perfect time to strike. With a practiced ease I leap out of the tree and wrap her in a hug as I pull her to the ground on top of me, her back to my chest. She lets out a high pitched squeal before laughing as she realizes what just happened.
"Gotcha!"
"Let me go Naruto-kun!"
"Nope! I'm gonna keep a hold of you forever Sakura-chan." Sakura Haruno, my girlfriend and a girl I've loved since I first laid eyes on her. She has light pink hair that goes down to her mid back and beautiful emerald eyes. Right now she's wearing a red short sleeved shirt with a white circle on the back as well as a pair of skinny jeans. She's also sixteen, like Kiba and I. I bury my face into her neck and plant a kiss on it before inhaling her scent deeply. Fresh strawberries, the same as the shampoo she always uses.
"No fair Naruto-kun. You know I don't have any of that chakra training like you! Let me up!" She gasps out between her giggles. I do this with her so often that she knows it's just a fun game and that I'll let her up eventually. I just want a certain something first.
"Come on Sakura-chan. You know what I want."
"Never!"
"Then we're going to be on the ground for a while."
"But we can't."
"Then just let me get it."
"No!" I happened to look up at Kiba who's just standing off to the side with his dog grinning down at us. Sakura glances back and sees that I'm grinning and am now nudging my head towards her with a silent sign for Kiba. "Naruto-kun, no. I mean it." She starts as Kiba just laughs and walks forward. "I'm not joking Naruto-kun!" Her voice is starting to get a bit distressed but the smile never leaves my face, even as Kiba comes up. Kiba bends down and reaches for the girls hands and she starts struggling in my grip. I'm about to laugh before suddenly Kiba switches and rips my arms off Sakura, allowing her to scramble to her feet. She's panting but she still has a smile on her face as I sit up and pout. "Thank you Kiba."
"No problem Sakura."
"Aw, come on. I was just gonna have him hold you down while I tickled you Sakura-chan."
"Not today Naruto-kun."
"But I was gonna keep going until you promised me some of your mom's cookies!" I jump to my feet before wrapping Sakura in a one armed embrace. She leans her head on my shoulder as we start walking back home.
"She refuses to make them on selection day until after it's clear we're safe for another year." Sakura lectures me with the same line I hear every year around this time as I keep up my pout. It's not my fault her mom makes the best damn cookies I've ever had. "Besides," She starts before playfully shoving me a bit. "You took all of them last time, you glutton."
"What can I say? Your mom is an awesome cook."
"And you're not." Kiba chimed in. Sakura sighed before elbowing the Inuzuka in the chest as I laughed. It was really the only thing Sakura tried to learn and could fail at. She was one of the smartest girls in school, while she didn't bother learning any type of chakra exercise outside of the basics she was still fit, and she was popular. In fact cooking was the only thing she couldn't seem to do no matter how hard she tried. Anything more complex than a sandwich and things tended to get burned. Usually her as well.
The three of us make small talk before Kiba breaks off to head home and prepare for the selection later. I just keep walking with Sakura, knowing full well that I'll likely end up running home in about half an hour to get ready myself. But I don't really care. Today could be the beginning of the end for me, Sakura, or both of us if we're chosen for the Trial. I want to spend as much time with her as possible before it could happen.
"It's nice to see you Naruto-kun."
"You two Masaki-kaa-san." Sakura's mother looks almost exactly like the girl. The only true differences being she's taller and has a more filled out figure than her daughter. The woman has also been a second mother to me after my own died when I was four. Just as my dad has been a second father to Sakura since her father died when she was six.
"Come on Naruto-kun." Sakura sighs out as she pulls me by the arm to her room. I flash her mother a quick smile before following the girl. A few steps down the hall and I'm in here room sitting with her on her bed. The room is the same as it always is, mostly a light pink with a few clothes or books lying on the floor and her desk respectively. Sakura's studying to be a doctor while I just plan on taking over my dad's shop eventually.
If either of us live that long at least.
I wrap my arms around Sakura and hold her close as she cups my face with her hands and kisses me. Her lips are soft and conform perfectly to my own as I kiss back. The two of us blot out the rest of the world as we focus on only the other. I fall onto my back and pull Sakura down on top of me as we keep our lips together. It's only when air becomes a necessity that we break apart. "I'm going to need to get ready soon."
"Yeah, me too." I mutter in response. Neither of us want to go to the selection but it's required by law. Running from it would get not only us killed, but our families as well. All to serve as a message to the rest of Twelve to obey the law. Neither of us want to think about the possible fate of the other either. If one of us is chosen, it's highly unlikely that we'd come back. Twelve hasn't had a victor in over thirty years. "You know I love you right?"
"I love you too."
"Then I want you to promise me something." Sakura tilts her head up to face me as she had been resting it on my chest for the past few minutes. "If I'm called and I die, I want you to move on."
"Naruto-kun…"
"Your happiness is all I really care about here Sakura-chan. If you can find it with another then I want you to. Even if I'm dead, the last thing I'd ever want is for you to lose your smile." A smile she now gives me before leaning up and kissing me again.
"You don't have to worry Naruto-kun, since you'll still be right here with me the entire time. Neither of us will be selected so what's there to worry about?" She kisses me again before I can answer so I just drop my argument and go with it. I love this girl and that'll never change.
I'm standing next to Kiba as we wait in the central plaza of the district for the selection to start. Both of us are wearing plain white button-up shirts with black dress pants. They're nice clothes that we only ever wear for funerals or selections, which are essentially the same thing. We're in a small penned in area for sixteen year old boys while the older kids are behind us and the younger in front. To our right are the girls in pretty dresses, sorted the same way by age as the boys are. Across from us are two sides, one being the adults and those too young for the selection sitting in a crowd while the other is a large stage in front of the mayors' house.
The stage is decorated with the Capital insignia and colors while a few people are hooking up the microphones and cameras for the broadcast that will be starting soon. Sitting on the stage are the mayor, some old guy I never bothered learning the name of, and the person from the Capital meant to be the spokesperson of Twelve. A tall white haired man named Mizuki. Nobody's ever really liked Mizuki, and it's obvious he doesn't like us either. Our district hasn't had a winner in so long; we're usually counted out of the Trials before they even begin. Not only that but the other districts have won at least twice more than we have so he feels he's stuck with the worst district and lets us know it too. Before and after the cameras are on he does nothing but scowl at us and refer to us as weaklings and failures. When the cameras are broadcasting though he's all smiles as if he loves us. We hate him and don't even bother hiding it.
Pretty soon we're given the signal to start so the mayor steps up and reads the customary speech about how the Trials came about, how they're a great honor, and how we all should show our respect and adoration to the mighty Capital for sparing the districts after the war. It's bullshit and we all know it. Just as we know we're powerless to stop it. He finishes up before turning to the side and welcoming the past victors to the stage. In Twelve's entire history we've had four, however only two are left now. One is a man with long and spiky white hair as well as red tear tracks running down his cheeks. He wears a red shirt and blue jeans and gives the crowd a slight and sad smile as he knows we hate this. He hates it too, but rules are rules. His name is Jiraiya.
Following him is a woman with blond hair styled into two ponytails down her back and a purple diamond mark on her forehead. She's wearing a tan shirt with a green jacket over it and some pants with high heels. Unlike Jiraiya, she doesn't bother smiling to the crowd or even acknowledging them. She just takes a long drink out of a bottle in her hand and scowls at everything. Her name is Tsunade Senju.
Jiraiya won the Trials around forty years ago when he was seventeen. Since then he returned and lived off his winnings like other victors, though he also took up writing books. I don't know what the books are about but they're apparently famous across the entire country.
Tsunade won the year after Jiraiya when she was eighteen; however she took up drinking and seclusion when she got back. The reason why was simple and well known too. She had been sent to the Trials with the love of her life and had been forced to watch him die in front of her by a chosen from district Three. She's hated the Capital and that district ever since.
The mayor gives out a few more words about the Trials before stepping aside and letting Mizuki take the stage. The man has a large grin plastered on his face that's actually quite convincing. "Welcome one and all to the selection of the district Twelve chosen!" He calls out. He pulls out two clear bowls filled with name slips of the eligible kids before setting one down. "Let's start with the ladies, shall we?" He then plunges his hand into the bowl and digs around for a bit before pulling out a white sheet and setting the bowl down. "Our girl chosen is none other than Kin Tsuchi!"
Kin Tsuchi. I know her a little as she's one of Sakura's friends. She steps up to the stage and reveals herself to the world with a slightly scared look on her face. Kin has long dark hair and fair skin while she's currently wearing a dull grey dress that hugs her budding figure. I know she loves music and can make some nice melodies out of bells and chimes but I have absolutely no idea about any combat skill she may have. I don't think Twelve is likely to have a female winner this year. I idly notice in the crowd of spectators that one girl is barely holding herself back from breaking out into either a string of curses or running up to take Kin's place. Of course that would be Tayuya, Kin's best friend who turn nineteen only a month ago. As quickly as the red headed girl would volunteer for Kin, she knows she can't.
I let out a sigh of relief at Sakura not being chosen before looking over to the girls section to find her. It doesn't take long since her hair is easily noticeable among the crowd. We find the others and I give her a light smile she returns. She's safe for another year. I mouth out that I love her and she smiles and is about to do the same before Mizuki speaks up again. Apparently I hadn't noticed that he grabbed the other bowl and dug out the males' name.
"Joining Kin in the Trials will be Naruto Namikaze!" My face freezes and pales in fear even as it's still locked on Sakura's.