Haymitch had come through once again. The little parcel had set down just outside the mouth of the cave and contained a medical foam designed for surgeries and emergency field use. Just as the sun began to set they found themselves back at Naruto's campsite with all their rewards plus that little extra help from their mentor.
Katniss was half inclined to give the man a hug once they got out of there. Or she would have been if the message that came along with their little parcel hadn't been a teasing remark commenting that she and Naruto were cute together. It was an annoying reminder that they were on camera for the whole world to watch.
That just made what was coming next all the more unbearable. Still it had to be done.
"A little teasing in exchange for keeping you alive." Tsunade remarked. "I'd say you're still getting the better end of the deal."
Katniss agreed mentally but still wasn't comfortable with having the whole world watching her every move. "Yeah but getting teased while we can be killed any moment isn't really something someone would like to deal with."
"Imagine being afraid for your life only for your mentor to be commenting on your love life." Naruto chuckled.
"I can do it myself." The blond before argued.
"No you can't. I already had to do your arm up for you again since we got this stuff. Stop acting like a big baby. Besides, I'm not asking you to strip for me." Katniss argued back with a warm blush on her cheeks.
"No, you're just trying to get my pants off." He replied, causing her to roll her eyes at the joke.
"Just…can we get this over with please? I want to help you. Let me do that." Katniss softly pleased.
Haymitch turned to look at the blushing girl with a flat look on his face. "So I leave a teasing note and I get an attitude in return but he teases you and it's all good?"
Feeling the need to defend her fellow woman, Sakura spoke up. "The difference is he's trying to lighten the mood. You were teasing just to tease."
As she, and unknown to her most of their viewers expected, he folded almost immediately. He struggled to his feet, at least until she helped him the rest of the way causing both to avert their eyes from one another.
"Just, like, be quick." Naruto bit out as he fumbled with his belt and pants before slowly peeling them down his legs to reveal a pair of gray boxer briefs and a very painful looking stab wound on his thigh
"That's gotta hurt." Kakashi commented dryly, getting looks from his students.
"What gave you that idea?" Sasuke replied sarcastically.
"Probably the blood and open wound the kids got on his leg." Haymitch finished with a pleased smile.
Naruto tried not to grin at the exchange. It was funny but knowing it was a serious scene he didn't want to laugh.
"I will. Now lay down alright." Katniss urged as she helped him to the bed like outcropping of stone.
Pushing thoughts surrounding Naruto aside to do what she needed to do, Katniss gently pulled the leg of his underwear up higher away from the bloody wound. She had to clean it and stitch it up before applying the foam. It was capable of closing small injuries, but the stab wound from the spearhead was a bit jagged and longer than her hand. It would work a lot faster if she did what she could with the wound first.
Naruto hissed slightly as the small needle pierced through his skin and began pulling the thin line through after it. He remained silent though and did his best to stay still as he let Katniss work. She was focused on the task at hand but she couldn't help the embarrassment at the situation. Only compounded by the knowledge they were no doubt on the screens of every household and business in Panem.
"I'm trying to be fast." Katniss mumbled as she pressed the needle through his skin once again.
"Mhm." Naruto grunted with a sharp nod.
"If the games don't kill them then this probably will." Tsunade murmured to herself. The chance of infection on that stitch job was high but it was all they could do. Assuming they got proper treatment afterward maybe they would be ok.
Sakura blushed slightly from the perspective they had gotten. For the moment all they saw was naruto laying down making groans. Had they not been explicitly told what was happening it was easy to misinterpret.
Soon Katniss had finished the hard part and cleaned up the wound as best as she could. She pulled the container for the medical foam out and carefully unscrewed the carrying case before as gently as possible pressing nozzle into Naruto injury causing him to hiss slightly.
"It says it feels you are going to feel pressure and some discomfort before it becomes numb." She warned.
"That's fine. Just as long as it does its job." Naruto said through gritted teeth.
"Alright." Katniss said before biting her lip in worry and pressing down the applicator button.
The thin gel quickly oozed out of the nozzle and filled the gaps between the crude stitches that Katniss had applied. Soon it began foaming up until it encased the injury in a dense but soft white foam that had been dyed pink from mixing with Naruto's blood.
Katniss quickly covered it with a bandage and helped Naruto to pull his pants back up. He did lightly swat her hands away as he did his belt though causing both to blush as Katniss had realized she was a bit too helpful in that regard.
"Too helpful huh?" Jiraiya muttered with a grin. If he was still alive his next book would be halfway done by now.
His arm was swatted by his old teammate who stared at him with a frown. "Not everyone is as filthy as you. She was just trying to help."
"There is a little left, more than enough for your arm if you want me to apply some to it too." Katniss offered.
"Yeah that sounds good. My leg is already numb." Naruto said in surprise at the speed the medicine worked at.
"It's fast acting, seals and heals wounds in as little as eight hours." Katniss said, reading the packaging.
"Heh, I think that's for smaller cuts."
"Hopefully it still makes a difference. I can't help but feel like the Game makers will force something to happen soon." Katniss said as she put everything away. Careful to save what she could of the medical supplies they had left, after all who knew what else would be thrown their way.
Sakura frowned. "I wouldn't put it past them. They've been doing everything to have them kill each other. I'm telling you, they need to be thrown into a game themselves."
"I hope so as well." Sasuke muttered. "If they do I'll laugh hysterically."
Naruto raised an eyebrow. "I don't think I've ever heard you laugh about something that didn't include murder now that I think about it."
"I laugh all the time."
"You laughed when you declared you were going to kill me." Kakashi pointed out.
"And me." Sakura chimes in.
"Same with me at the valley." Naruto added
Sasuke crossed his arms. "I'm a different man than I was then. I've changed."
No one was buying it.
"I'm sure Cato and Clove got the same kind of help we just did. They'll be in top condition when we meet again." Naruto said.
"We'll figure it out. There's still Thresh and Foxface to worry about too." Katniss said.
"Foxface…" He chuckled faintly, pointedly ignoring the thought of facing off with Thresh.
The two sat in silence for a while before Naruto slid over a bit and beckoned Katniss to lay down next to him. It was late after all and they both needed some sleep.
"I'm sure the people of the capitol are leaning forward right about now." Haymitch said.
Tsunade nodded. "A bit of romance in a death game adds a bit of a change of pace I suppose."
Haymitch agreed but still shook his head. "No, they're mostly waiting until they're the last two so they can watch them fight to the death. One of them will be broken beyond repair, that's what they're waiting for."
Naruto grit his teeth. If only it was him in the game, he'd give them something they'd never forget.
"What if they just kill themselves at the end?" Kakashi asked. "Can't do much to dead people."
"Not sure. It's never happened. And for the kids' sake I hope it doesn't happen here either."
"I'll stand watch-" Katniss began to say.
"No, you're exhausted." Naruto said as he snatched her wrist with his good hand.
"We can't both sleep, what if-" Katniss weakly argued.
"The traps will at the least alert us to someone coming if they don't just kill them. We both need the sleep, badly." He insisted, tugging light at her arm.
The girl gave in and crawled onto the makeshift bed beside him, stiffening for a moment when he pulled her closer to him. She didn't take long to wrap her own arms around him as well as they lay side by side, a mere few inches between their faces.
"I think laying like this blocks the cameras pretty well. If we keep our voices to a whisper we might have some privacy." Naruto said, causing Katniss' eyes to widen before she smiled slightly.
"Good thinking." She whispered.
"Uh oh." Jiraiya said with a grin. There was only one reason two teenagers would want privacy.
Naruto rolled his eyes but kept his eyes on the image in front of them. Even though it wasn't him, he was really hoping he would get lucky. That Naruto had been through enough in his life, the least he could do was have a few minutes of bliss.
Katniss could feel the blood rushing to her cheeks at what she was reading. She wondered if her future self would actually go for it. They were in a life or death game, this wasn't the time to let her hormones make decisions for her.
Naruto just smiled at her, clearly pretty tired both from normal exhaustion and as a small side effect of the medicine used on his injuries. Both remained silent for a bit, growing more comfortable with the close proximity to one another.
"We could actually be going home soon." Katniss quietly said as she locked eyes with him.
"We could. Heh, it is messed up but I'm glad I'm here with you Katniss. We will both be getting home soon, we just have to be ruthless for a little longer." Naruto said.
"I…I think I'm glad too." Katniss said as she leaned her head forward and pressed it against his.
Tsunade raised an eyebrow and glanced at the blond. Would he be as dense in that world as he was in their real one?
"There's no way he's actually gonna make out with her now is there?" Sakura whispered to Hinata before freezing. She of course knew of the woman's feelings regarding her teammate and she did not look happy.
"I think he will." Sasuke replied without any regards to the Hyuga princess. "He always does things when he's not supposed to."
"So…think you will let me kiss you again?" Naruto muttered almost silently.
"Are you willing to try an-" She teased only to be cut off as he pressed forward to kiss her followed by her doing the same.
"Couldn't hold out even a little bit?" Tsunade asked the blushing woman. "You have to at least have him know he'll have to work for it."
"I'll keep that in mind." Katniss mumbled.
It was short but far from an innocent little peck. It was clear what he felt at the moment. She felt it too. A warmth that she wasn't exactly used to filled her as they continued to kiss for a short while.
"I wish we could do that more without an audience." He said as they stopped.
"We will when we win." Katniss said as they both slowly drifted to sleep.
"That's one way to motivate someone I guess." Sakura muttered. She knew that wouldn't work on someone like Sasuke.
Naruto nodded. He himself would definitely be pumped up to win. What kind of man wouldn't?
District Twelve
Across the country the citizens of Panem watched the Hunger Games continue. Thoughts surrounding the losses suffered by the games had gradually sputtered out as attention turned to the romance between the District Twelve tributes.
Cato and Clove had begun their own romance it seemed. Though they were far less camera shy than Naruto and Katniss or perhaps they were simply shameless as they soon began rutting like animals for the entire nation to see. Most preferred the tender moments between the outer district competitors to the lust of the careers.
"Wait, they just got it on? No regard for people watching?" Kakashi asked.
Tsunade snorted in amusement causing the man to look her way. "Do you have regard for people watching when you're on the job?"
Kakashi shrugged. "I just read. Not as bad."
"I've gotten complaints from several of your neighbors in case you weren't aware. Maybe you and Anko should think about that the next time she visits you. Have some regard for others."
"Wait, you're shacking up with the crazy snake lady?" Naruto asked, shuddering as he recalled their encounter during the chunin exams.
"The one with the freakishly long tongue?" Sakura asked for clarification.
Kakashi smiled behind his mask and preened at the pat on the back he got from Jiraiya. "That's the one."
Sakura closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. The image of her teacher getting dirty with Anko was not something she wanted or needed.
Especially the rest of the Everdeen household. Katniss' mother and little sister had been watching every moment of the games. They never expected to watch Katniss and a boy fall in love with one another on television.
Not that it bothered them. With the new rule about same district survivors and the fact that they had watched the boy stick his neck out for Katniss already, they felt more and more confident in getting Katniss back home.
He had practically already won over Katniss' mother and sister. Not that Prim didn't plan to give her big sister plenty of a hard time about her and Naruto.
Unfortunately not all of the people Katniss cared for in District Twelve were as enthusiastic about the situation.
Gale had been released along with the others and his fighting spirit had been snuffed out as he watched the games alongside his and Katniss' family. They watched Katniss play nurse for Naruto and the close embrace the two shared afterward. Despite Naruto and Katniss blocking the faces from the cameras and whispering, every word they spoke to one another was heard across the nation.
"So much for privacy." Sasuke muttered.
"They really want to capture everything? These people are shameless." Naruto said with a frown.
Katniss took note of where the angles came from for the capitol. They had cameras and microphones all over the place. If their whispering was caught, then chances were nothing they said would be safe. They'd need to devise a way to communicate silently.
The naughtier part of her also made note of what blind spots the cameras had. If things played out the same, she would make sure they had an iota of privacy.
As was the makeout session they had.
As amused as both Prim and her mother were by Katniss romantic situations with Naruto, they knew it was hard for Gale. The boy still seemed adamant that it was all a show for support. However, Prim had quietly pointed out that Naruto had tried to tell the capital off publicly. He didn't really care for looking good for them, even if it meant he would die.
Gale had quietly left to hunt in the woods after that. Things would be difficult when Katniss and Naruto returned.
"Some competition maybe?" Jiraiya asked.
"That kids in for a bad time." Haymitch commented. "Look at them, if gale thinks he's got a shot he's crazier than naruto was when he told everyone off."
When.
Prim actually smiled up at the screen as the two talking heads chattered about the remaining members of the games. She was certain her sister would come home now. It was so close.
As Naruto awoke he noticed the dull ache where his wounds had been. It was obvious that the effects of the foam had faded but the pain he would normally feel was practically gone. Just some remaining soreness lingered.
Tsunade whistled. That was some strong ointment. Naruto's leg was badly cut and if he could barely feel it, there must be some pretty strong numbing agents. Her concern now was in regards to what would happen when it wore off? Would the effects double? Would his activity slowly make it worse until it was incurable?
"The capitol will treat them after the games. Leave them good as new." The former hunger games winner said as if reading her mind.
Slowly, and carefully so as not to wake Katniss he pulled his arm around to look at the bandaged wound. After unwinding the bandages carefully so as not to jostle the girl who was pressed up against his chest with her head tucked under his chin, he took stock of his wound.
Besides the dull aching throb that remained all that showed for the injury was a jagged scar and a dark bruise. Even the makeshift stitches had been forced out of the injury.
"That's amazing." He muttered.
This kind of thing was limited to the capitol and the wealthier districts. Ironic being as he expected they would have the least need to use such a product.
Sakura agreed with the statement. They were safe and sound in the capitol, what did they need those for? "I can tell you when they'll need them."
"We know, Sakura." Tsunade murmured. "When they get thrown into the games."
"Tell me it isn't a good idea. Those people deserve it." The pink haired woman defended herself.
Sasuke stared at the image in front of him and wondered just how well that would do against wounds that were much more severe. They knew Naruto would need to fight Cato again and he was still injured. The chances of the wound getting worse were high. Would that medicine hold up then?
With a content sigh he laid back down and enjoyed the semi-comfortable position he was in. Even laying on rock with little more than dirt and pine needles as padding he found it hard to now be comfortable with the weight of Katniss on his chest. It took his mind out of the games for a while and for the first time in a long time he felt his attention drift to thoughts about the future.
He didn't honestly have any. Prior to the games he had been so focused in his day to day and on eventually getting in front of a camera to bellow about his anger that he hadn't thought of anything else.
Maybe he had privately thought he would die very soon after voicing any of his thoughts. He felt like he was probably supposed to be dead, having found himself in the arena. He wasn't though. What was more was he suddenly had more to think about. A bit of a harrowing thought after so long stuck in his one track mentality.
His moment of contentment and reflection faded as Katniss shifted and her eyes began to flutter open. She yawned slightly as she brought her hands up to rub at her eyes before waking fully. Her smile was small and soft, but a very pleasant sight for Naruto.
"That's cute." Jiraiya teased. "Girl has you smitten."
Naruto shrugged. "I'm pretty sure that would happen to anyone in my…his position. Can you blame him?"
"Good morning." She managed to say tiredly.
"Good morning." He replied, waiting for her to realize that they had pressed even closer to one another as they slept. Once she had she blushed but rather than push away and make some space as he expected her to do she seemed to nuzzle further into her position.
He almost wanted to just let her, unfortunately he both needed to check his leg wound and relieve a fluid situation that had built up overnight.
"We should really get around. We'll need to start making some plans for what to do, plus I need to check on my leg and handle some morning business." Naruto said while averting eye contact.
Katniss was out of the way in an instant, intently staring at his leg before gripping his arm lightly and checking over the wound there.
"Well no one can say you don't prioritize." Sasuke complimented.
"He'll have to fight again. It would be stupid of me to not look it over, no matter how comfortable it might have been." The young woman replied.
Katniss definitely moved up in both Sakura and Tsunade's books. Being able to quickly get serious was something that was highly valued in their world and although Katniss wasn't a part of it, they liked that she could do it.
"You're a hell of a doctor." He joked as he gently pried his arm free and dropped his trousers just enough for Katniss to check the larger of his two injuries.
"That foam stuff is amazing." Katniss said as she undid the bandages and found an almost entirely healed wound.
"Still a bit scabbed over but it's definitely good to move and fight on." Naruto commented as he pulled his pants up and headed for the entry to the cave. He stopped when he saw one of their traps that had clearly been disabled.
Someone had been trying to get in but had given up for some reason. Maybe because Naruto was waking up when they were coming in. He wasn't certain but after relieving himself he returned to the cave with a much more serious expression than he'd had before. Katniss' own soft smile fell away at the sight and she moved to grab her bow.
"Relax, nobody is here now, but they were while we were sleeping. Got through most of the traps without getting caught and disabled them." Naruto explained.
"So why would they stop?" Naruto wondered out loud. "They could have had us eliminated."
"Maybe they made noise." Sakura guessed. "Not enough to wake you up but enough to think that any more and you'd be awake."
That was a strong possibility but they all knew they'd caught a lucky break. Naruto had still been somewhat injured and while he was still a threat, he was definitely at a disadvantage.
"Maybe they saw that it was two people and the chance of it turning into a two on one was likely. Better to retreat and try to pick you off one by one." Jiraiya said as he rubbed his chin.
"We should pack up and get nomadic. Harder for the others to pin us down that way." Katniss pointed out.
"Hold on. We need to think about this for a second. We know it wasn't Thresh. He knows the path to here. The new trap I set on it wasn't touched so it wasn't him." Naruto explained.
"And if it was the careers why would they stop if they pretty much got through to us while we were defenseless. They wouldn't stop until they slit our throats." Katniss added in.
"That only leaves one tribute."
Katniss stared at him before nodding. "What are you thinking?"
"That we need to move but we don't really need to worry about her ambushing us. From what you told me about the times you have seen her and the fact that she booked it when I started to wake up, she is just a thief, not a fighter."
Everyone felt a small weight off of their shoulders even though they weren't in the games. Katniss mentally added that to her profile of the tributes in the games. That didn't mean that she wouldn't take her seriously but it was one less person who was ready to kill.
"So we just head out and try to find the careers or what?" Katniss asked.
"Actually…you can track right?" Naruto asked.
"I'm alright. Better than you." She said with a smirk.
"That's fair." He said with a chuckle before angling his head toward the path their nighttime visitor has used.
"You want me to track down Foxface?" She asked, surprised.
"It's the final days of the games. Maybe final hours. We can't be merciful. If we stay ruthless, cold, well we could go home together." He said while not looking back toward her.
"She's hardly a threat to us." Katniss weakly commented.
Naruto glanced at Katniss to see she also understood the situation. The finals days were upon them and they would have to put the others down. It wasn't easy to take a life, hell he was still against it. But they had no choice, they couldn't wait for the others to kill themselves first. It was now or never.
The blond knew Cato would be his but Katniss would also need to deal with the other tribute. She would do it though, he knew she would. She had a family to return to and she had a certain look in her eye that promised she would return.
"Feeling bad for the enemy will only lead to disaster." Haymitch said to her. "Just get it over with and eventually the memory will go away."
"Did yours go away?" She asked.
"It did." He lied.
"You're right but if we want to go home we have to play the game, Katniss." Naruto pointed out.
The girl was clearly displeased by the idea of hunting one of their fellow tributes down but he had a point. They couldn't go home as long as the other girl was alive.
"Follow me." She said.
"Lead the way, I can forage as you track as well." Naruto said.
A few hours later and the pair had quietly taken a break to eat, Katniss slipped up to lean against Naruto. At first he had thought it was merely a show of affection but as she leaned up to kiss his cheek she briefly whispered into his ear.
"She's following us. I think we are near her camp. She's been leading us in a circle to try and keep an eye on our moves and lose us at the same time." She said before pressing her lips to his cheek.
"Good observation skills." Naruto said following a whistle. There had been nothing on the screen to show them being followed but he supposed it was different out on the field.
"You pick a thing or two up when you spend years doing it." Katniss replied.
"It's not like you would need to be alert." Sasuke commented. "No one would try to sneak up on you."
Katniss glanced at the two men and gave the blond another appraising look. He seemed harmless but for no one to sneak up on him had to mean he was far stronger. So much so that it didn't matter if they got the drop on him.
Naruto plastered a smile on his face as he pulled their last ration bars out and shared them before setting a small cloth filled with berries to the side.
"I foraged some berries for dessert." He chuckled before pulling the same tactic Katniss had and leaned into her ear while kissing her cheek.
"Go use the bathroom and make sure it's in her direction. I'll set a trap and we will leave the berries as bait."
"Will they actually kill her?" Jiraiya asked with a frown.
Haymitch nodded. "They'll have to."
She nodded slightly before finishing her bit of food and making a small show of heading to pee. She made sure to walk directly toward Foxface's hidden position forcing the other girl back and allowing Naruto a short window to work.
He didn't waste it as he crudely rigged up a trap that would stable it's prey with a sharpened stick. Thankfully he already had a handful of such stakes he had made for general use in his pack. Otherwise he would never have had enough time.
When Katniss returned they both headed out, leaving the berries as if forgotten. Just as planned.
Once Katniss was pretty sure they weren't being followed anymore they both circled back around to find the trap had been disabled and the berries were gone.
"She got away." Sakura said with mild surprise.
Katniss narrowed her eyes at the screen in front of her. There had to be something more that she had missed.
"Shit. I can track her again." Katniss said.
"No need." Naruto said blankly.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean the trap wasn't the real trap. These are the same kind of berries that were in the little pouch she took." Naruto said as he tossed her another smaller pouch of berries.
Katniss unraveled the bag and was shocked by its contents. Nightlock, extremely poisonous if ingested. She looked back at Naruto who nodded before taking the berries back and tightly wrapping them up.
After all, the sudden sound of a cannon marking the death of a tribute made it clear that a bit of poison could come in very handy.
Sasuke whistled at the display. This version of Naruto was far more dangerous than the one he'd come to know. He wondered what Naruto would be like if he bothered to plan ahead instead of on the fly.
"Somehow I doubt that will work on the others." Tsunade said.
Kakashi agreed. "It saved you the burden of killing her for now, but the other tributes will need to be put down by your own hands."
"We should find somewhere to get a vantage point. Might be able to plan a bit better that way." Katniss commented.
"You lead, I'll follow." Naruto said with a smile.
As they hiked through the forest the artificial sun began to set sooner than it normally should. It wasn't the only sharp change either. Temperatures dropped sharply and both Naruto and Katniss could suddenly see their breath misting in the air.
"So the beginning of the end then?" Naruto asked no one.
As if to respond an unnatural howl echoed over the arena followed by another and another till over a dozen monstrous howls called out together.
"That's not good." Katniss shuddered both at the sound and the temperature drop.
"They're setting wild animals loose on them?" Hinata asked in shock. How much action could the capitol want to see?
Naruto shook his head. "I don't think so. Something tells me those people wouldn't be satisfied if it wasn't humans tearing each other apart."
"Which is why I'm saying…" Sakura began only for everyone to cut her off with a simple "we know"
"Our best bet is to continue forward. We'll get a vantage point and figure out the best course of action from there." Naruto said.
"Right, let's go." She replied.
As they traveled through the woods the pair of tributes couldn't help but notice the stalking presences just out of sight. Every now and then they caught a glimpse of the bestial forms that seemed to be trailing them.
They were always there, just in the periphery of the two teens' vision. Hunting them. Naruto had at first thought they were wolves but they were too large to be a normal wolf. They varied in size but the smallest was still taller than Naruto's waist when on all fours.
It took all they had to not break out into a run as they neared the hill that rose up from the woods surrounding it. Thankfully it would also provide some protection as it had a sheer cliff and the river on two of the sides.
They were not the only ones to think so too as the large form of Thresh stood ahead of them staring at them as they approached.
"I had forgotten about him." Sasuke commented.
Naruto smiled. Thresh was a good enough guy. At least they would be able to team up with someone. Hopefully. "I had too. If they're smart they'll…"
"Team up/kill him" naruto and sasuke stared at each other blank faced.
"There's some after you too, huh?" He said grimly as he turned and moved away from one of the dog-like monsters. Its face sported a deep cut and it was missing an eye. Clearly Thresh had already had his own run in with it.
"Mutts. Just like the war stories, the capitol made mutations to wreck everything." Naruto growled.
"If they were just supposed to attack us, they would. The game makers are herding the remaining tributes together." Katniss said as she kept her bow ready for one of the monsters to grow too bold.
"I knew it." Naruto said, punching his open hand. "Round them up and get them close to one another in order to make them fight."
Naruto kept most of his attention on Thresh. There was no alliance there anymore. They could very well get stabbed in the back if they tried to work with him against the mutts. Then again things were not looking good. As far as they knew the careers weren't facing the pack like they were.
"This hill isn't gunna keep them at bay for long. We need something to climb up." Thresh said.
He left out the obvious solution being to end the games as quickly as possible by wiping out the competition.
"We'll never make it all the way to the cliff area. Even if we did, the game makers won't let us get that far away from the center of the arena." Naruto said as he watched the beasts slowly begin to emerge from the brush.
They were wrong. That was the best way to describe them. Wrong. They were canine in most of their appearance though bulging with muscle and with paws and claws that looked more at home on a lion. What's more, their faces had a distinctly human touch that made Naruto uncomfortable just looking at them.
"What kind of Orochimaru type of shit is the capitol doing?" Jiraiya muttered angrily. Stuff like this was what he expected of his estranged teammate, not these strange looking people.
Tsunade shook her head but her thought process was similar. Those animals were disturbing to look at. Anything to make the games interesting she supposed.
"Now that you know they're coming, you can plan for them." Naruto told Katniss.
"How? They have cameras all over the place."
He smiled. "You've been studying the angles haven't you? I'm sure you'll find a blind spot or a way to get around it soon enough."
"You've been watching her instead of the screen?" Sasuke asked. "Kinda creepy."
Before Naruto could respond, Sakura smacked both of them. If they got out of control now they would likely miss the best parts.
"Wait. The center of the arena. That must be where the Game Makers want to punch us toward." Katniss said as she pointed out toward the silhouette of the cornucopia at the central plain of the arena.
"So they are pushing the other two there as well. We-" Naruto began to formulate a plane only to be interrupted as the mutts had grown impatient and begun their assault.
They let loose a grotesque sound somewhere between a snarl and a scream and hurled themselves from the treeline up the slope of the hill toward the three waiting tributes.
Katniss was the first to react as she put an arrow into the leading creature. It stumbled momentarily before yelping and snatching up the arrow in its mouth and snapping its shaft with ease. The entire process took a single moment before it had rejoined the others in their charge.
"Good way to piss it off." Haymitch commented much to Katniss' chagrin.
The archer didn't hold back and let loose another arrow that struck the next animal in its throat. It attempted to make some sound but simply gurgled as it tripped and rolled to a standstill quickly breathing its last breath as the arrow had lodged itself in its airway.
The others paid it no mind and continued their charge quickly shortening the distance between themselves and the tributes.
"Use the river!" Thresh bellowed as he led them to the edge and jumped over to escape the advancing monsters.
"Come on!" Naruto shouted as he grabbed Katniss and practically hauled her over the side with him.
The fall was short and the water was even colder than they had expected. The temperatures had evidently continued to drop and by now the water felt as though the three tributes had dumped themselves into an ice bath.
"Hopefully they don't run into a tribute now." Kakashi said, fully immersed in the action. His mind had already formulated plans on how to possibly deal with the situation but then again, he had the ability to create lightning and clones. This version of Naruto couldn't.
"They might actually have a decent chance." Sakura replied. "Adrenaline is pumping through their bodies right now. If they were to be cornered it would be when they are at their most dangerous."
All three broke the surface as the slow moving water began taking them away from the hill back toward the center of the arena. They turned to look at the hill they had just escaped as the ten monsters stood watching them before turning around and bolting toward some other destination.
"We'll be seeing them a-" Naruto began only to stare wide eyed as the mutts had returned at full speed and hurled themselves over the edge into the river after their prey.
It only grew worse as it became clear the beasts had no sense of self preservation and an abnormal skill at swimming.
"Swim!" Thresh shouted causing the teens to all begin struggling through the waters away from their pursuers. Despite all of them being above average athletically the animals closed in on them and things grew ever more desperate.
"Damn those things." Naruto cursed. "Honestly at this point I might be on board with your idea, Sakura."
The pink haired woman smirked, it was a good idea. It just took time for everyone to see it. She really hoped they would be able to visit that world after this, the capitol really didn't want to see her.
A sliver of hope remained though. The bank nearest the cornucopia neared and if they could get to it they still had a chance of making it to the cornucopia.
Thresh was the first onshore followed by Naruto and finally Katniss as Naruto pulled her from the current and they waded ashore as quickly as possible.
"We have to hurry, I guess our alliance is temporarily ba-" Thresh began to say reaching out to help them only to scream in pain as a knife suddenly planted itself in his back.
He fell to his knees and tried to reach for the blade but it was in a hard to reach spot. Naruto and Katniss glared up at Clove as she and Cato began to draw near only to freeze at the sight of the mutts in the water.
"Guess the capitol will get that rematch they've been wanting." Naruto said seriously.
"More of them, get to the cornucopia. We can just wait for the end of the games." Cato said as he and Clove turned and bolted for the cornucopia.
"Shit…Katniss help me get him up, we gotta move." Naruto said as he put arm around his friend.
He stopped his efforts as he realized Katniss wasn't helping him.
"What's wrong?" Naruto asked.
Katniss looked as worried there as she did on the screen. It was likely she'd come to a similar conclusion as the one they were watching.
"Katniss." He said with a sterner tone but his eyes were more begging than demanding.
"He's from eleven, Naruto. We can't help him." She said while averting her eyes.
"Wh-...we can cross that bridge later. We can't leave him to get eaten by those things." Naruto growled.
"Stop. She's right." Thresh said softly.
Naruto turned his eyes to the other boy. The resigned and determined look on his face caught Naruto off guard.
"You would never make it to the end with me dragging you down. Cato and Clove are both there waiting for you." Thresh said as he grimaced from the pain of the blade in his back.
"Damn. Gotta say though, kid definitely earned my respect." Jiraiya said, raising an imaginary glass.
Haymitch sighed, no matter how much death he'd seen, it was harder as a grown adult. Watching kids die always put him in a bad mood. It was why he drank so much. At least Thresh was going down on his own terms and was helping his team.
"If only there was a way to save him. He seems like a good guy." Hinata muttered.
"It wouldn't matter if they did." Naruto said sadly. "They would only be prolonging his death. He would die by their hand or the others shortly after."
"I can't leave you to be ripped apart by those things. Anything else but that." Naruto practically whispered. Thresh was his friend. He couldn't deny that. There was no way he would leave him to a death like that. It would be cruel.
"You will. I'll buy you two a minute at most so make it count." The older boy said as he gently pushed Naruto away.
"No, I-" He began to argue.
"I couldn't save Rue. I can give you a chance to save yourself though, my friend." Thresh said before her slowly stood and prepared himself for the encroaching animals.
"Naruto we have to go. They'll overrun him in no time, we have to go!" Katniss practically begged as she pulled at his wrist.
The blond nodded weakly and followed her as they both raced toward the Cornucopia and a final showdown with the tributes of district two. Already they could see the other tributes scaling the metallic shell themselves taking the high ground.
"Damn. He was a real one." Sasuke complimented.
"Sacrificed himself for the greater good. He's kind of like your brother in a way." Naruto said, complimenting the late Uchiha.
Sasuke nodded. "Yeah, except Itachi sacrificed everyone else and made me relive that moment over and over."
"Oh. Yeah, forgot about that part."
Katniss didn't miss a beat as she stopped, notched an arrow and took a shot at the pair. She had hoped to put it through the back of Clove's skull but missed and instead pierced her hand with the arrow causing her to scream and fall from Cato's shoulders as he boosted her up toward the top of the structure.
"Nice shot." Haymitch said excitedly.
It gave them a little bit of time, but not much.
As they ran they heard the feral howls and roars of the creatures seem to multiply before Thresh screamed in pain and the howls turned to elated yips and barks followed by a single cannon shot.
Naruto ignored it as they closed in on the Cornucopia. Cato hurled Clove up onto the roof of the structure before he began scaling it himself. Naruto didn't plan to let them group back up though.
Putting on an extra burst of speed fueled almost solely from his intent to kill Cato, Naruto closed the gap and tackled his fellow blond to the ground before they both began a vicious struggle to kill one another.
"I told you. Vengeance is a good motivator." Sasuke said, feeling somewhat validated.
"Yeah but he has no choice. And he's not doing it because he's gone insane. If he doesn't he won't be able to go home." Naruto shot back.
Kakashi looked over at his students. "Naruto's right. You were just misguided and became a terrorist. If Naruto decides to go on a killing spree after the games are over I'll eat my headband."
Sakura just shook her head as the men began to mutter amongst themselves. In a sense vengeance was a good way to motivate someone, but only when directed at the right people. But Naruto in the story wasn't doing it for personal reasons but for preservation.
With a surprise kick to the chest though, Cato was sent sprawling, letting Naruto to drop to a knee just in time for his own partner to use him as a springboard and join Clove on the roof of the cornucopia.
Immediately both district two tributes engaged their counterparts and the fights turned brutal and dirty from the outset.
Katniss and Clove dove after one another but the true show was the fight between Naruto and Cato. The long awaited rematch between the two most dangerous males in this year's games. They charged one another across the grass just past the cornucopia despite the pack of beasts closing in. Luckily for them the mutts were made to keep their distance, circling the cornucopia as Naruto and Cato battled one another.
Naruto slid beneath the taller boy's guard but as he drug his knife across the other boy's chest it didn't cut into his flesh. Instead it tore through his shirt before sparking against the flexible but extremely durable shirt of armor beneath.
"Damn. That could have been it." Jiraiya said nervously.
Haymitch tapped Katniss' shoulder and silently told her to watch closely. This was the best chance to figure out the weaknesses in their opponents. With this, they could probably take Cato and Clove out earlier and secure victory without the tribulation they'd gone through already.
"You can tell they have good sponsors. With that kind of armor much of the damage they've taken could have been minimized." Sakura said.
It didn't fit perfectly, clearly meant for the now dead District One tribute, but it still provided Cato some protection that Naruto simply lacked. It also allowed Cato the chance to respond to Naruto's attack faster than he normally would have, being as he hadn't needed to avoid the blow.
"I stand corrected." She amended.
He brought his sword down in a plunging motion but Naruto lunged back out of the way. Sadly the momentum had decidedly shifted into Cato's favor as he smoothly transferred his attack into a wide slash that sent Naruto stumbling as he struggled to avoid it as well. Even though he managed to get some distance from Cato, Naruto had to roll back toward his opponent to avoid the waiting mutts still circling them.
It seemed the game makers were very intent on an epic finale.
While Naruto did his best to avoid the larger boy's blade, on the roof of the Cornucopia Katniss and Clove rolled over one another in a desperate attempt to get a good position to kill the other. They had already both broken each other's noses and Katniss could feel her left eye throbbing and starting to swell from the blows both rained down on each other's face. Both had already disarmed one another, not that Katniss would have much use of her bow in this grappling match.
Slowly the fact that Katniss was slightly larger and more muscular began to give her the advantage as she began to pin the smaller girl beneath her. Straddling her chest with one arm pinched beneath her knee against the metal of the cornucopia, Katniss wrapped her hands around the other girl's throat and squeezed as she pressed down with as much of her weight as she could bring to bear without letting Clove loose from the waist.
Katniss couldn't look away no matter how much she wanted to. Even though there was no big secret to killing the woman she still felt the need to make sure she was dead.
"Make sure you don't stop even after the body stops moving." Sasuke instructed. "It could be a fake to make you drop your guard."
"Kids right. It happened to me once." Haymitch replied, remembering one tribute who had gotten creative in his approach to killing him.
Clove struggled beneath her with the savagery only someone on the brink of death could. Even as her life was literally choked out of her, she fought on. She managed to pull her pinned hand free, though it took breaking two of her fingers to do it. Clove barely felt that in her frantic state as her vision grew blurry and darker. She clawed at Katniss' hands and then at her face.
The district twelve tribute screamed as Clove's fingernails dug into her cheeks and raked jagged bloody lines down her face, narrowly missing her eyes and leaving bloody tears down her face.
Slowly though the fight left her. Her panicked clawing and swinging of her hands died down. It became weaker and weaker. And tears obscured what little vision she still had as her complexion turned red then purple then slowly an inhuman looking blue.
Katniss felt her own tears building up as the girl in her grip tried silently to beg for mercy. They stung the wounds on her face as they ran down, but she didn't release her grip. Instead she pressed even harder. The girl underneath her couldn't fight back now so she didn't need to keep her pinned down any longer. So she pushed her thumbs into the hollow of Clove's throat and put all her weight behind it as her arms shook from the strain of the pressure she applied.
"Brutal."
It was, even for shinobi. Usually their problems were solved via jutsu. It was a rare occurrence to kill someone by choking the life out of them.
"You ok?" Tsunade asked the girl. She knew it hadn't happened yet but knowing what was to come wasn't any better.
Katniss nodded. "Yeah, I'll make sure it doesn't come to that. I'll use my bow most likely."
"If you need help with that I can help. I'm something of a bow user myself." Sasuke offered.
"Since when?" Kakashi asked. "Do you really know how to use one?"
"Ask Danzo if I know how. I hit him more than five times."
She only let up once the cannon had sounded and she slid off of the body of her former opponent before hearing the continued struggle of Naruto and Cato down below. Racing to grab her bow and an arrow she paused briefly at the sight below her.
Naruto was no longer on the defensive but a thin bloody line crossed his chest where the very tip of Cato's blade had bit into his skin. He had disarmed the other boy, but unfortunately neither now had a weapon and they were fist fighting one another similar to how she and Clove had moments earlier.
Unlike she and Clove though, Cato and Naruto were both much more familiar with a fistfight. They looked almost like boxers as they circled one another and planted blows wherever they could find a gap in the other's guard. They were both bloodied and exhausted but determined to defeat the other.
Katniss felt perfectly happy to intervene. She drew back her bowstring and let a shot loose only to stare in shock as the arrow glanced harmlessly off of Cato's back without issue.
"He has armor of some kind!" Naruto barked out before lunging forward to grab hold of Cato and begin planting punches to his face. Cato didn't miss his chance to do the same and soon both boys stood locked together with one arm each while their free arms pummeled one another, further breaking their faces and splattering blood across the grass around them.
"I know the capitol is eating this up." Hinata said angrily.
Katniss picked up another arrow and let it loose with a marksmanship none of the others in the games could have competed with. It found its place in Cato's arm that was locked onto Naruto's shoulder, just below the elbow.
The boy howled as he managed to break free of Naruto and backpedal while clutching at his arm. Naruto didn't give him a moment of respite though as he snatched up the first arrow Katniss had shot and charged his enemy. Cato wasn't ready for the attack and Naruto tackled him to the ground just within the invisible perimeter that the game makers were keeping the mutts behind.
The two boys struggled as Cato tried to keep Naruto from driving the arrow down into his throat. Slowly though it was clear Naruto was winning out in their bout of strength and endurance.
"I volunteered for this. I can't believe I volunteered for-" Cato began to whimper only to be silenced as the arrowhead stabbed into his throat and his words were replaced with blood filled gurgling.
"Pretty sure in his mind it didn't end like this? He went out sad." Haymitch said stoically.
"They were the most brutal. It's fitting that they go out in such a fashion." Katniss replied sternly. She wouldn't have volunteered if her sister hadn't been picked.
Volunteering in the games meant you had something to gain, or nothing to lose. In Naruto's case it was both. That's what made him the most dangerous and why he would be one of the two leaving the arena.
Naruto didn't say anything as he stared back into the blue eyes that looked back at him. The two of them could almost have looked like brothers. They were both fighters and tough bastards. In the end though Naruto could see his own fear at the thought of death reflected in the other boy's eyes and he couldn't help but think about how easily he could be the one quickly dying.
Thankfully the mutts withdrew as another cannon sound echoed across the arena and slowly the sun began to rise once more as it was a beautiful morning.
As if to counter the rising sun, Naruto collapsed and laid on the blood splattered grass as he gasped for breath and tried to take a moment to recuperate. He had expected the fight with Cato to be even more difficult than it had but as he lay there Katniss joined him and he could only nod thanks toward her.
She had made the fight much easier on him than he had been prepared for.
The pair sat silently on the grass as the sun quickly rose and light filtered across the field. They didn't even need to put the thought of Cato and Clove's corpses so close to themselves out of their mind. After all, they won.
"Something doesn't seem right here." Naruto commented.
All eyes turned to him.
"What do you mean?" Sasuke asked.
"They won but no announcement has been made. No fireworks or anything like that. Why?"
The shinobi and even the two hunger games participants pondered the question themselves. By now the capitol would be going crazy announcing the end of the games but that hadn't happened.
It was over, finally. What's more, they would both be going home.
As if the capitol could simply leave it at that.
"There it is." Katniss said bitterly.
"Attention, attention tributes." The voice broke out across the arena.
Katniss and Naruto were on their feet instantly, Naruto quickly reclaiming a knife from the grass and Katniss notching an arrow. The pair of them were anxious and ready for some last minute attack from the mutts or some other kind of attack. Just not for the next words of the announcer.
"There has been a slight rule change. The previous revision, allowing for two victors from the same district has been…revoked."
"I knew it." Naruto growled.
"Those fucking pricks." Haymitch added angrily. He should have seen this coming. Once he went back he would do everything in his power to make life for them hell. He didn't know how but he would.
Naruto and Katniss both froze at those words. A cold feeling ran through them as they slowly turned to lock eyes with one another.
"Only one victor may be crowned. Good Luck, and may the odds be ever in your favor."
The pair continued to stare at one another until in a burst of action Naruto wrenched the bow from Katniss' hands and pressed his knife against her throat. The two stared at one another while Naruto's breath became increasingly ragged and his eyes became ever more dilated.
He didn't move though. Couldn't. Instead his hands began to slowly shake until he lowered the blade and instead pressed the handle into her palm before leaning forward and kissing her. Slowly he stepped back and turned away from her, letting his hands fall to his sides and waiting for her to kill him.
She couldn't either though. Even as she stood there with the knife in her hand she couldn't. Naruto slowly lost his patience with her as she continued to stand there.
"She won't do it." Sakura told him. "Not after everything."
"Won't the capitol just make the animals attack?" Kakashi asked.
Tsunade shook her head. "After the show they've just gotten, they wouldn't want it to end like that. Right?" She asked, looking over at Haymitch.
He nodded. "No. To them nothing is better than seeing hope in someone's eyes only to take it away after."
"You have people at home Katniss. Think of them. You promised your sister, right?" Naruto asked as he turned to look at her once again.
The girl just continued to stare at him.
"Do it. I won't kill myself, so do it." He urged her on. Trying to ignore the tears mixing with the fresh blood on her cheeks.
"You won't do it yourself?" She asked quietly.
Naruto felt himself shiver at the thought. He couldn't though. As much as he would like to bring that much more of the burden off of her shoulders, he couldn't kill himself.
"I always thought if anyone was going to kill me it would be me." Naruto said softly.
"Or me." Sasuke added.
"Shut up."
"What if we did it together?" She continued.
He stared at her now, more in confusion than grimm acceptance. Slowly she stepped over to him and her arms slid up around his side. For a brief moment he thought she was going to give him one last embrace before planting the blade in the base of his head like he had done to show mercy to others over their time in the arena.
Instead she retrieved the small bundle of berries and held them up between them.
"No victor, just you and me together." Katniss said with a water smile.
"Together…are you sure?" He asked her, his jaw set as he tried to fight back his own tears of frustration and fear of the inevitable oncoming death.
"More than I thought I would be." She said before leaning forward to catch him in another kiss. Much deeper and longing than the one he had given her a moment before.
Still slowly they separated and divided up the berries into their hands. A single mouthful was more than enough to kill them.
"It can't end like this." Katniss whispered. Her eyes followed the berries closely. She hoped there was a plan that she couldn't see about to play out. She couldn't leave her family, but she also didn't want to kill her friend…boyfriend, whatever he was.
Before they could lift them to their mouths though the voice of the lead Game Maker broke out over the arena.
"Stop! Stop!" A few muffled sounds of the speaker being adjusted created a brief pause before the Seneca Crane began speaking once again.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, may I present the winners of the Seventy-Fourth Annual Hunger games."
With that silence returned for a moment as the pair of tributes allowed the berries to roll free from their hands. Another moment later and they practically collapsed into one another holding each other tight as they could, ignoring the multitude of injuries they both wore and trying not to break down as relief suddenly swept through their beings.
It really was over now. Finally over for both of them.
They had won.
"That was fucking intense." Naruto said as he sat back and took a deep breath.
Katniss agreed and rubbed the bit of sweat off of her forehead. At least she now knew that double suicide would dissway the game makers. It was a way out if they tried that again. The book disappeared from her hand and reappeared in the center of the room.
"Think that means we can take a bit of a break?" Sakura asked.
"I could definitely use one." Haymitch said now with a much lighter tone. "And a drink honestly."
"I hear you." Tsunade replied. "There's still more pages in that book. Wonder what comes next."
Naruto looked at the cover and felt a sense of trepidation flow through him. Something told him the games weren't over just yet. Maybe this one had ended, but a bigger plot would likely unravel itself. Not wanting to think it over too much, he glanced at Katniss who was looking back at him and gave her a warm smile.
"Good job."
"Thank you. I was kind of nervous honestly." She admitted.
"Well we have a break. If you want I could teach you a bit of fighting techniques, it could really help you against future fights you'll be in."
Katniss smiled at the offer and stood up. "I'd like that."
No one knew how long they had but soon, everyone began chatting amongst themselves while the other two went over various techniques. It was a welcome change of pace from the tense chapters they'd had to sit through, but eventually it was time to read once more.
The book flew toward Kakashi who took a deep breath and began to read the next chapter.