And here's chapter seven! Please, review!
Disclaimer: I don't own "The Hunger Games" or "Naruto," they belong to their respective owners.
Taking Fire
Katniss and Naruto sat at the dining room table in the train car, listening to Haymitch.
This year, he would take his mentoring duties much more seriously. He was actually in the process of introducing each tribute to the duo.
"Now," Haymitch began while holding the remote in his hand. "Everything you think you know about the Games, forget it."
Haymitch paced back and forth while speaking, "This year is different, now, you're facing killers. People who wouldn't hesitate in taking your life."
"So what do we do then?" Katniss asked.
"What you do," Haymitch announced, "Is make allies."
He then turned his gaze to Naruto, "I know you're pretty good at this, making people like you. Do it again, but amp it up to ten."
"Do we need to?" Katniss huffed out. Seeing this, Naruto placed his hand on her knee for comfort. It did help loosen the girl up.
"You are starting with no help, nothing. On the other hand, some of these victors have known each other for years. Right now, you both are on their kill list. See why you need allies now?" Haymitch said sarcastically.
"How do you know this?" Naruto asked while rubbing Katniss's knee.
"Because I've also known them for years."
Sometimes the pair forgot that Haymitch had been a victor for nearly twenty-five years now.
Turning on the screen behind him with the remote in his hands, Haymitch began. Naruto and Katniss stood up straight in their chairs, ready to learn.
"Gloss and Cashmere are first up from District One. They're brother and sister, won back-to-back games. They have tons of sponsors and are loved in the Capitol."
"Brother and sister… they're gonna stay together for sure…" Thought the blonde with analytical eyes.
With the click of the button on the remote, the screen shifted to another image.
"From District Two, we have Brutus and Enobaria."
"What's up with her teeth?" Asked Katniss with a raised eyebrow.
"She had them filed so she could rip out the other tribute's throats."
"Keep an eye out for her," Katniss mentally noted.
Haymitch clicked his button again.
"Wiress and Beetee from District Three. Both are brilliant tacticians, but not fighters. Beetee in particular won his games by electrocuting six people at once, really tech-savvy."
Haymitch flashed towards the next image.
"Morphlings from District Six. They don't speak a lot and keep to themselves. They won by camouflaging themselves the entire Game until everyone else was dead."
Haymitch clicked his remote once more.
"From District Four, we have-"
"Finnick Odair, right?" Katniss blurted out, recognizing the person on screen.
Haymitch nodded, "Yep. He was the youngest ever to win his Games at fourteen years old. A Capitol sweetheart and darling. He's very charming, smart, and deadly in combat, especially in the water."
He then looked into Naruto's eyes, "This one may give you the most trouble when competing for favor, so think of something that will sway more sponsors to your side."
Naruto nodded while contemplating Haymitch's words.
"As for Finnick's tribute partner, that honor falls onto Mags," Haymitch pointed out, "Mags raised Finnick and volunteered for Annie, the girl that was Reaped. She's a wonderful lady but can expose Finnick if needed. He'll be protecting her one hundred percent throughout the Games."
The rest of the time was spent going through the remaining tributes.
Later that day, Katniss stood surrounded by her prep team once more. She was getting ready to be exposed to the Capitol again, going through the Tribute Parade.
Funny enough, Katniss didn't feel scared this time. Even the prep team that disturbed her when she first came to the Capitol felt like second nature to her.
She was soon ready to go out. Cinna had picked out a black dress for her that sparkled with light flecks of white.
Being escorted to her chariot, Katniss noticed she was the first to arrive. Deciding to wait on Naruto and Cinna, she just began quietly petting her chariot horse while humming to herself.
Hearing someone approaching from her right, she looked over.
"Hi, Katniss," Spoke a gentle, smooth voice.
"Hi Finnick," Katniss responded curtly.
"I must say," Finnick said with a smile, "Your outfit is deadly. No more little girl dresses now?"
"No, I outgrew them," Katniss said sharply with cautious eyes. She didn't like the feeling she got from the arrogant tribute.
Finnick raised his hands in a surrender motion, "No need for the hostility, I'm just here to make some small talk before we ride out and wave like idiots."
Katniss just looked at Finnick while continuously stroking the horse's mane.
"I have to say, it's such a shame you're back here after just winning. You could have been popular in the Capitol, and made tons of money."
Not liking the implication, Katniss asked, "Really? And how would I do that?"
"Simple," Finnick said with a smile, "You just have to warm the beds of others."
Having enough, Katniss let her hand fall off the horse and stepped up to Finnick. She looked at him directly in the eyes, "You may enjoy doing those things, Finnick, but I have somebody I love."
"I never said you both couldn't do it together," Finnick responded cheekily.
Before their conversation could continue, Naruto walked around the corner with Cinna in tow. It seemed both men were deep in conversation about something.
Finnick looked over his shoulder for a quick second, before looking back at Katniss, "I guess that's my cue to leave."
"Yeah, I think it is," Katniss said with a frown. She really didn't like Finnick so far.
Before departing, the tribute from District Four leaned in to whisper, "I'm sorry you had to cancel whatever wedding arrangements you had. I'm sure you must feel devastated."
With that said, Finnick passed Cinna and Naruto without looking at either.
The duo then made their way over to Katniss.
"What was that about?" Naruto asked, not knowing why Finnick ignored him or was talking to Katniss in the first place.
"Just another asshole produced by the Capitol," Katniss huffed out.
"Let's get our heads in the game here," Cinna interrupted, "I wanted to share some new things with you both."
Similar to Katniss's outfit, Naruto's outfit was black and had sparkles of silver intertwined.
"This here," Cinna pulled a control with one button, "Will release the flames of your outfits. I coordinated with Portia to do something special for you as well, Naruto."
The blonde nodded.
"Now, don't smile or wave this year. Stay stone-faced, strong, and confident. I want you both to act as if the audience doesn't matter."
"I can do that," Katniss chuckled.
Cinna smiled before handing the remote to Katniss, "Remember, once you press this, both of your outfits will be aflame. Use it when you're ready." With a wink, Cinna disappeared backstage.
"Well, it looks like we'll be taking a different approach this year," joked Naruto while climbing onto their chariot.
Helping Katniss up with one hand, she also responded, "I guess Cinna wanted us to give off a different appearance this year. I'm not complaining though."
Looking into each other eyes, the couple shared a quick kiss before their chariots would be called on stage.
"We have so many promising tributes this year, Caesar!" spoke Cornelius with excitement.
"Indeed we do! It's going to be an interesting sight to see!" replied the hose with enthusiasm.
As the tributes slowly made their way out of the tunnel concealing them, both men cheered with smiles.
"They they are!" Caesar pointed out while zooming in on Katniss and Naruto, "My favorite tributes!"
Naruto stared straight ahead while avoiding eye contact with everybody in sight. This year's tribute parade was nearly triple in size compared to their first Games.
The stadium was massive, drums were being played, and it looked like nearly every citizen in the Capitol was there. The Capitol wanted this year's Hunger Games to stand out in importance.
It wasn't until they were a few seconds into the parade that Naruto's ears caught something.
"-ARUTO! NARUTO! NARUTO! NARUTO!" squealed the voices of thousands of women. It was quite flattering to the blonde who didn't expect such fanfare.
Of course, there were chants for the other tributes as well as Katniss, but he felt as if his name was being chanted throughout the stadium.
Keeping to Cinna's advice, he stayed looking ahead.
Katniss, while not showing it outwardly, didn't like all the eyes on her fiance. Call it jealousy or protectiveness, but she didn't want anybody else staring at her partner like that.
Just as the tributes from District Twelve were in sight of President Snow, Katniss pressed the button on her remote.
Instantly, both outfits lit up in a dark red flame. It flowed beautifully while soaring through the air.
This just made the crowd roar even louder, with some women even throwing jewels at the pair.
The pair of tributes looked majestic in a sense. Their stoic appearance with flames dancing behind them gave an aura of assertiveness. To the duo's surprise, the flames then changed colors.
Katniss's flames then erupted into a show of blue while Naruto's outfit emitted green flames.
"It's the same color as my jewel necklace!" Naruto thought in surprise, not knowing that Portia and Cinna put that much thought into his outfit.
As for Katniss, the blue represented the color of the Mockinjay that she proudly wore.
The flames wore on, enhancing the beauty of the pair to the Capitol. If Katniss was seeing things right, it also looked like a majority of women were looking at her fiance with bedroom eyes.
This made her own eyes narrow, she wasn't going to let anybody lay a hand on her partner.
Finally, all of the tributes arrived before President Snow. Just like the year before, he gave his speech. And just like the year before, the duo zoned him out.
Getting off their chariot, the duo laughed at the parade's atmosphere. They were just happy to be over it.
As they walked together, they ran into Haymitch who was walking towards them. He was also with the two tributes from District Eleven.
"Katniss, Naruto, please meet Seeder and Chaff from District Eleven," Haymitch said while presenting both people.
Seeder walked up and hugged Katniss suddenly, making her tense. After a few seconds of being held, she returned the hug albeit with hesitance. After separating, Seeder spoke.
"Thank you for what you did for Rue," she then turned to Naruto and hugged him as well.
She then let go before nodding at them, happy they cared for the girl from her District.
"Of course," Naruto nodded, "She deserved better."
As for Chaff, his introduction was much different. Without a moment's notice, he grabbed Katniss by the back of her head and kissed her. He then let go a moment later, but Katniss gave a disoriented look as she had technically just been assaulted.
SMACK
Chaff fell on his ass, reeling in from the punch that Naruto had given him. It was rightist on his jaw and he was feeling woozy from the one punch.
He was rolling his jaw and clenching it over and over. His vision was blurry and his lip was busted.
"Sorry, my hand must have slipped," Naruto cheekily replied with a fake grin. If he was being honest, it felt amazing to do that.
Knowing that fighting between tributes was prohibited and not wanting a bigger confrontation, Haymitch intervened. "We'll be seeing you both later, Seeder, Chaff. We have some things to do."
With a nod of his head, both tributes from District Twelve followed behind the man.
"What an asshat," Naruto snorted under his breath as they walked away.
"Was that necessary?" Haymitch huffed out, "What if he fought back?"
"He shouldn't have touched Katniss in the first place. Frankly, he got off light if you ask me," Naruto shrugged, not embarrassed for defending his fiance.
Katniss then wrapped her hands around Naruto's arm as they walked, hoping to calm him down. It did.
The three then walked into an elevator that would take them to their resting quarters. Just before the elevator door shut, a hand got in the way. A woman dressed in a green outfit with fake branches attached then walked in.
"Sorry to bother you," said the unknown woman, "But I'm hoping I could tag along?"
Not seeing a reason to say no, the three just nodded.
The elevator door then closed. As they were riding up, the woman began undressing. She started by putting down her hair, then removing her bracelets, then kicking off her shoes.
"So, how do you feel now that everybody in the world wants to bang you?" Asked the woman while stripping off her socks.
"Oh, I don't think everybody wants to sleep with m-" Katniss began.
The lady turned around with an annoyed expression, "I wasn't talking about you. I was talking about him," she then looked at Naruto.
"Okay…." Katniss trailed off.
Turning back around, she asked a simple question, "Could you please unzip? It's tight on me."
Looking at his fiance beside him, Naruto decided to play it safe. He just had Katniss unzip it for him, saving him from getting in trouble.
Katniss unzipped the dress with a roll of her eyes.
Now fully naked by stripping off the rest of her clothes, the naked lady turned around to look at all three.
Haymitch stared uncaringly, taking in the entire view with a grin.
Katniss clenched her jaw and aimed her eyes up.
Naruto just stared at the wall of the elevator, thinking about how interesting the paint was.
Hearing the door ding open, the lady turned back around and walked out. She swayed her hips with each step taken.
"Let's keep in touch!" she shouted from down the hall.
"That was Johanna Mason, the female tribute from District Seven," said Haymitch with a toothy grin.
"I don't like her," Katniss said with a deadpan tone.
"I do." grinned Haymitch.
Naruto wisely decided to stay silent.
A day later, Katniss and Naruto looked around the training center, viewing their opponents. They had spoken with Haymitch earlier in the day and spoke about their strategy in the arena.
They decided on two things. The first was that they had to keep up their love. While it may be genuine, it needed to stay that way for the camera. That could always attract more sponsors.
The second thing they decided on was that they needed allies in the arena. This year's Games would be tremendously harder, requiring people they could rely on to survive.
That was the point of this opportunity, they needed to scout out allies for the arena while they were in the training center.
"Who should we ask?" Katniss asked her fiance while scanning around.
"I say we go based on what we know. Career Districts are probably already allied. Let's look for outliers, people who usually get passed on. We should also look for people who are skilled in what they do," the blonde responded.
Agreeing with his assessment, the two split off.
Katniss scoured around the training center. She noticed Brutus spearing two virtual targets. She also noticed Enobaria sparring with a guard, a snarl on her face.
They wouldn't do as allies, they would be to eager to rip her throat out.
Walking over, she noticed Wiress and Beetee were trying to start a fire with a stick. She could use this as a way to talk to them.
Beetee was trying to spin his stick around in the palms of his hand against a log. She gave a few tips after seeing his form, "Aim your hands lower and spin it faster. A lot faster."
Beetee looked over and saw Katniss. He took her advice and soon enough, smoke began erupting from the friction.
"Fire!" Wiress gasped out excitedly.
Beetee nodded with a smile, "Thank you."
"A force field! By the table!" Wiress blurted while looking at the head Gamemaker.
Glancing over at Plutarch, Katniss asked, "How do you know?"
"It's simple," Beetee began, "Look at the upper left-hand corner. The shimmering gives it away, it looks like glass."
Narrowing her eyes to get a better look, Katniss did see what the duo was talking about. It blew her mind how they could assess it so quickly in her mind.
The trio then spoke for a long while, making small talk.
Eventually, Katniss thanked them for their time and walked over to Mags. She was at a table and focused on making the tail end of an arrow.
"That looks beautiful," Katniss spoke out, "You have really good weaving skills."
Mags looked over and smiled. The sweet old lady felt complimented and happy. She didn't speak but instead motioned with her hands.
"I saw you volunteer for the girl back in your District," Katniss said while looking at Mag's handwork, "That was noble."
Mags shook her head as if saying she did it to spare the girl the fate instead of trying to be a hero.
"If you'd like, I could teach you how to hunt. Would you like that?" Katniss asked softly while looking into Mag's eyes. The old lady simply smiled and nodded.
Leading the woman over to the archery section, Katniss loaded up a quiver and bow. Turning to Mags, she asked, "Would you like to try with me?"
Mags shook her head and pointed at Katniss instead. Katniss chuckled at this, "Okay, I'll go first then."
Taking a deep breath, Katniss entered the simulation before her. After entering, the lights dimmed and multiple virtual targets appeared. Some ran by her, others attacked her, and others hid behind cover.
She proceeded to shoot each target one by one, keeping her eyes focused on her. She launched every arrow with precision and power, hitting each virtual target in the head.
She did this over and over until each arrow in her quiver was used. It looks like she just had enough arrows for each target. This meant that if she had missed one, she wouldn't have been able to finish this simulation.
Glancing back over at the glass doors separating her from Mags, Katniss was surprised to see the entire training center looking at her.
They all had looks of amazement and shock.
Naruto was also among the crowd, happily clapping and smiling at his partner. Katniss's face lit up when she saw his support for her.
Putting the bow and quiver away, Katniss walked over to her fiance.
"That was amazing, Kat," spoke Naruto with admiration in his eyes.
"Thanks," she said gently, "It was second nature."
She then saw his hair was slightly wet, "What were you doing?" she asked curiously.
"I was just training in different landscapes, they have a climate changer over there," he pointed over his shoulder. "Learned how to fight in the mud, rain, heat, cold, and water. Want to be prepared for any arena they throw us in."
Katniss nodded, seeing how smart of a decision that was.
"My swimming could use some work, but it's way better after training in there," he said while scratching the back of his head.
Noticing that the crowd that initially surrounded her began to dissipate, Katniss whispered under her breath, "So how did finding allies go?"
Naruto got a firm look at this question, "I was able to talk to Cecelia, Seeder, and the Morphlings. They all seemed eager to join an alliance, so I didn't have to do much convincing. But it was hard to talk to the Morphlings given they speak very little."
"Remind me, who's Cecelia again?" asked a confused Katniss.
Naruto snapped his fingers, "Oh right, my bad. She was the female tribute from District Eight."
Katniss nodded, it wasn't a bad start at all. If everything went according to plan, they would have quite a great deal of allies in the Games.
"Well, good news," Haymitch said while walking into the living room of their resting quarters.
This startled both Naruto and Katniss as they were napping on the couch.
"More than half of the tributes want to ally with you," He looked at Katniss, "They were all surprised at your archery display. Have anybody in mind?"
Katniss instantly fired back, "I want Beetee and Wiress. Mags also."
Haymitch looked at the girl for a second in disbelief.
Seeing her mentor's expression, Katniss huffed out, "Okay then I don't want anybody then."
Shaking his head, Haymitch walked out of the room while saying, "I'll let them know you're still making up your mind."
Naruto kissed the top of Katniss's head, "I think they were a great choice love."
Katniss smiled under the affection, happy to always have someone in her corner.
Katniss's leg shook up and down, looking around the room she was in. Every tribute was waiting for their assessment.
To her, this year's Games went by much more rapidly when compared to last year. She supposed it was because she knew what to expect now.
Trying to calm Katniss's shaking leg, Naruto placed his hand on it. She looked over and smiled her thanks.
Honestly, Katniss felt like she would be a mess without her life partner with her. Who willingly goes into a death game, twice, just because you love the other person that much?
"Ruto…" Katniss whispered.
Naruto looked over with concern.
"…how are we going to kill these people?…"
It felt odd to Katniss, she would have to eventually kill her allies in this year's Games. How would she do it? It was a different approach than she was used to.
Naruto gave a kiss on her head, "We don't have to kill them Kat, we just need to survive."
"Beetee Latier from District Three, please arrive for individual assessment."
Beetee raised his head up from his knees and looked around. Knowing what to do next, Beetee walked into the room for his assessment and disappeared into the hallway.
One by one, each tribute was taken into the room and walked out once done.
"Finnick Odair from District Four, please arrive for individual assessment."
Finnick stopped his conversation with Mags and gave her a small kiss on her cheek. Grinning in excitement, he walked down the hallway.
The room was slowly draining of the tributes.
"Johanna Mason from District Seven, please arrive for individual assessment."
Johanna opened her closed eyes and smiled. Standing up without saying anything, she walked into the room.
Eventually, it came down to the last two tributes in the room.
"Katniss Everdeen from District Twelve, please arrive for individual assessment."
Katniss jerked her head up in alarm. Calming herself down, she stood up and prepared for her assessment. Giving her hand one last kiss in support, Naruto gave her a look of love.
Katniss smiled and walked down the hallway, feeling more confident than ever. As she entered, she noticed the difference between this year and last year's Hunger Games.
While Seneca Crane and his buddies were laughing at her previous assessment, Plutarch stood at the ready with his staff. They were watching her anxiously, keen on seeing her performance.
Katniss paced until she stood in front of all the Gamemakers this year, holding an unreadable expression. After looking around the room, she made her move.
Katniss grabbed a nearby mannequin which was meant for training purposes, and slammed it onto a nearby metal table. She then dashed over to the table holding many different paints and grabbed a pot.
Stirring it with one finger, she then began writing on the chest of the mannequin. She dipped her finger in once more and wrote again, leaving a black ink written across.
Finishing her work, she put the pot down and grabbed some rope at another station. Throwing one end of the rope through a ceiling beam, she attached the other end to the mannequin's neck.
Giving it a pull and yank, she tied it to the table's leg once the mannequin was off the ground. Looking at the Gamemakers, she gave a mocking bow.
Without saying anything, she left the room with only her footsteps giving off the noise.
Written across the mannequin's chest were the words, "Seneca Crane," obviously referencing the previous Head Gamemaker. Katniss let the dummy swing from side to side in the air with only the rope suspending it.
"I like her spirit!" Plutarch thought with a hefty smile, nodding his head at the display.
She had made her statement. She didn't want Plutarch to forget what happened to the previous Head Gamemaker.
Exiting the room, Katniss heard the announcer speak.
"Naruto Uzumaki from District Twelve, please arrive for individual assessment."
As Naruto stood up, he kissed Katniss. It was light, but it was full of love.
"I'll be back," Naruto said as he began to walk down the hallway.
"Go see the surprise I left them," Katniss smirked back.
Wondering what she meant, Naruto was surprised to see a hanging dummy in the middle of the room. Moving around it, he realized the words sprawled across its chest.
"Oh, that's funny," Naruto thought with a chuckle, "But I can make it even better."
Wanting to play into Katniss's message, the blonde prepared for his assessment.
"If you need to move the mannequin out of the way or cut it down, please do so Mr. Uzumaki," Plutarch announced with a firm voice.
"No need," Naruto waved off, "It's perfect for what I have in mind."
Seeing that there were metal discs, most likely for throwing purposes, Naruto set them up around the mannequin. He set some on top of the metal tables, some on the legs of the tables, and others upon weapon racks. It was twelve discs in total.
Gathering a few throwing knives, Naruto stood behind the mannequin with a grin. He had also attached a small note to the end of one of his knives, the writing being to small to see for Plutarch.
He held six throwing knives in each hand, spread out like a deck of cards.
After walking backward, Naruto sprinted and gave a jump. He flipped himself upside down similar to his first training assessment the year before.
However, this time, each blade bounced off the metal discs he moved beforehand. Some blades hit others in mid-air to get their trajectory just right.
After many 'clangs,' the knives finally embedded themselves in their final resting place. Landing on his feet, Naruto gave a cheeky grin before walking out.
There, in front of all the Gamemakers, were twelve throwing knives embedded into the mannequin's skin. They were in the most lethal places for the human body. The lungs, heart, brain, kidneys, liver, and other fatal organs were punctured. Or at least, they would have been if it was a real person.
"Interesting, so he knew where the body's most lethal points are at…." Plutarch examined, "…and he even threw six knives at once from each hand, each landing perfectly where he wanted."
He didn't realize the twelve knives represented his home, District Twelve.
There was a single, lone blade that was in between the mannequin's eyes. It held that note Naruto attached earlier. After telling one of his staff members to retrieve it, the official came back with it in hand.
"Here you are, sir," the Gamemaker said while handing Plutarch the note.
Plutarch then read the note. It said three simple words.
"That's for Rue."
Haymitch was cheering loudly as he drank from his flask.
The reason for his joy? It was simple, Caesar Flickerman had announced everybody's training scores this year.
Both Katniss and Naruto had received a twelve, the highest rating possible. It was quite funny in a way, both tributes scoring the same score, two years in a row.
"How do you do it?" Haymitch questioned with a drunken smile, "I mean c'mon! Two scores of twelve! That's never been heard of before!"
It was a big deal for all of them.
"He's right!" Effie added in, "It's a tremendous achievement!"
"Well, I hung up a dummy by the neck and wrote 'Seneca Crane' over its chest," Katniss said nonchalantly, leaning back into the embrace of her fiance.
"Katniss Everdeen!" Effie huffed, "How could you do such a thing? What if-"
Interrupting Effie, Haymitch spoke up, "And you Naruto? What did you do?"
Effie just stomped in frustration at being ignored.
"I embedded twelve throwing knives into the dummy that Katniss hung up. I also attached a note on one of them saying 'That's for Rue'
The tone of the room then took a somber turn for a second, each person in the room reeling in from the revelation. This was especially true for Katniss, who had a close connection to the girl.
"Can I ask why you both did such a dangerous thing?" Effie asked in concern while clasping her hands.
"I wanted to show the Capitol that I'm willing to die fighting, I'm no longer a piece in their Games," Katniss spat out.
"I didn't want them to forget their crimes," added Naruto, "Despite how countless they may be."
Surprisingly, it was Cinna who nodded at their comments. "I agree with them both Effie, it's about time the Capitol remembered who they were hurting in these death games."
"Well," Haymitch interrupted, wanting to change the conversation, "I wanted to let you both know your upcoming training sessions have been canceled. Do whatever you want for the rest of the day, just don't cause any trouble."
The duo nodded, deciding to take a quick nap together before getting back up.
Katniss laughed as she lay on the blanket with her finace. They were currently having a picnic on the roof of where they were staying. After ordering some food, they were just enjoying each other's company.
They had visited the Training Center earlier and touched up on some final things. Naruto focused on counterattacking, evasiveness, and hand-to-hand combat.
As for Katniss, she touched up on her archery, camouflaging skills, and trap-making techniques.
They were spending the rest of the day on the roof with smiles and laughs.
Deciding to ask a question on his mind, the blonde said, "So Kat, when we have our interviews with Caesar, what should we say? Should we spark the rebellion? Say something outlandish?"
Katniss hummed in thought while looking at the sky, "I think we should say whatever we want. This year's Hunger Games are bullshit anyway, I mean we won? Why do we have to go back?"
Seeing her temper flare, Naruto reached over and squeezed her hand softly.
"I say we go all out," Naruto said, "The more of us that show we're against these Games, the more the Capitol will have to acknowledge it."
The two then talked back and forth about their intentions. The sun soon went down as their conversations continued.
"You know…" Naruto began while closing his eyes, "I'm sad we had to cancel our wedding, I would have loved to get married."
Katniss nodded with a solemn look, "Me too, I think it would have been amazing…"
Turning over to look at his fiance, Naruto spoke, "In another life, without any of this chaos… I would have liked to have a family."
It was true for the blonde as well, as he had always wanted a family. It was difficult growing up as an orphan, so he wanted to be able to experience having a family as an adult.
Katniss glanced over with soft eyes and said, "I would too. I couldn't bring any kids into this world… but in another life, I would have loved to."
The two then spent the rest of the night like that, embracing, kissing, and laughing. It was a moment they could enjoy before being thrown back into the Games.
Katniss stood with Cinna as they admired the beauty of the dress on her. Snow had made her wear an approved wedding dress that he chose.
While she normally would have loved to wear a wedding dress, she didn't feel like this was the occasion. It wasn't the time or place to display the love she had. But once again, she was forced to.
"How do I look?" Katniss asked sarcastically while looking in the mirror.
It was a beautiful wedding dress, but Snow had picked it personally. It was as good as poison to her.
"Like a stunning bride-to-be," said Cinna while going over some final adjustments, "But remember to twirl, a surprise will happen once you do."
Raising an eyebrow, Katniss asked, "What do you mean?"
"Let's just say I've made some….modifications to the dress. Give it a twirl on stage and watch the magic happen."
Confused but agreeing, Katniss nodded her head.
As Cinna continued examining the dress, Katniss thought about the previous Tribute interviews that had happened.
They were both getting ready before going on stage themselves. Naruto would be going after her and he was getting ready through his prep team.
Gloss and Cashmere had both played out their love for the Capitol in their interview. They had decided to express their sincerest faith in Panem, earning them some cheers from the crowd.
Caesar joked with Beetee about his contributions to Panem. The two bantered about how his intellect would be missed if he lost his life in the Hunger Games.
Finnick expressed his love for his partner while on stage with Caesar. He expressed how if he died, his last thoughts would be of being with her. The Capitol cheered for his name, being very popular among the crowd.
As for Johanna, she was the most vocal out of anybody on stage. She screamed, ranted, and yelled about the unfairness of this year's Hunger Games.
She expressed the unfairness of this year's Quarter Quell, claiming that it violated what she had been told previously. She exclaimed that once you had won the Hunger Games, one of the promises was that you could not be Reaped again.
Ultimately, Johanna screamed at the audience before rushing backstage, leaving a stuttering Caesar behind, trying to explain her actions.
This year's tribute interviews were almost comical, and amusing to Katniss.
"Oh!" Cried out Effie, walking into the room with Cinna and Katniss.
The girl on fire turned her head to see the woman with her mouth covered by one hand.
"You would have made the most beautiful of brides, dear," Expressed Effie with tears in her eyes.
"Thank you, Effie," Katniss said with a smile, knowing that the woman was being genuine in her sentiments.
If it wasn't for the circumstances placed around them, Katniss would have loved to wear a real wedding dress and attend her real wedding.
"Let's go," Cinna said while looking at the girl, "We're almost on stage."
Nodding her head, the duo then walked out of their prep room and into the backstage area. She would be called up soon.
As Katniss stood behind the doors leading into Caesar's show, she noticed Johanna standing there as well. She was biting her lip in frustration and had eyes of ice.
"Really? A wedding dress?," Johanna said mockingly.
Katniss wasn't bothered by this comment and answered accordingly. "Snow picked it out. I had to wear it."
This piece of information seemed to lighten up Johanna's mood, understanding now what the reason was.
Johanna had a devious smirk on her face. "Go make him pay for it."
"I present to you, Katniss Everdeen! The GIRL ON FIRE!" Shouted Caesar from the other side of the doors.
"I will," thought Katniss while walking on stage.
The bright lights is something that Katniss thought she would get used to after having to endure it so many times. She realized in that moment that she never would.
After adjusting her eyesight, she noticed Caesar waiting for her with a smile on his face. He was gesturing for her to come over.
Standing next to Caesar, the duo waited for the audience's applause to end.
"Now, Katniss," began Caesar, "I must begin by saying that you look fabulous!"
Putting on a smile for the crowd, Katniss thanked the host.
"I know this must be a very emotional time for you. But all of Panem, myself included, have a burning question that we must ask."
"Then go ahead and ask," Said Katniss in a soft tone.
"Straight to the point! I love her!" Caesar roared back.
The audience gave a small laugh.
Getting back on track, Caesar spoke once more. "I believe we're all a little…disheartened to find out that a certain wedding wouldn't be taking place. Aren't we folks?"
Some murmurs from the crowd were heard, backing up Caesar's claims.
"But, am I right in stating that this dress is the same gown you would have worn as a bride in your wedding?"
Everyone in attendance leaned forward in their seats, anticipating the answer.
"It is, President Snow wanted me to show it off."
"And that's why President Snow, is the President! Because he is always right!" Laughed out, Caesar.
The citizens of Panem were clapping, agreeing with the host wholeheartedly.
"Would you do us the honor of giving us a small twirl? Just so we could admire its beauty?" asked Caesar while the crowd was still roaring.
Nodding her head, Katniss looked out into the crowd. There, in the distance, was Cinna with his eyes looking back.
Cinna nodded as if telling her to go ahead and twirl. This would be the moment everyone could see his work.
Walking two steps forward, Katniss began to slowly spin while her dress flung in the air. Flames started to appear from the bottom of her gown.
Slowly but surely, the flames reached the top of her shoulder straps until her entire gown was engulfed in fire.
The flames then instantly vanished, leaving behind a dark navy blue dress instead of the white that had been there before.
The real shocker that surprised everybody was the two feather wings that popped out of Katniss's back. She spread her arms out wide, supporting the wings behind her. She truly looked like the Mockingjay.
It was also symbolic in a way, the dress as white as Snow had been replaced by the image of the Mockingjay.
"Would you look at the beauty of this design? It has the feathers and color to look like a… a…"
Seeing Caesar struggle to find the right words, Katniss decided to help him. "It looks like the Mockingjay."
Caesar nodded, "Yes indeed it does. We must give props to your stylist, Cinna! Where is he at?"
Caesar scanned the crowd until he spotted the stylist in the crowd. Cinna soon noticed the cameras directed at him so he stood, gave a small smile, and waved. He took ownership of his work.
"Please give another round of applause for Katniss Everdeen!" Shouted Caesar while letting Katniss walk to the other tributes. It seemed the previous tributes who had already been interviewed were standing at the back of the stage. They stood next to each other, Katniss even noticed Johanna in the mix. She assumed Johanna must have returned on stage sometime after her entrance.
"Now, we have our final tribute of the night arriving. Fear not because he is also one my personal favorites, sorry!" Caesar joked with the crowd, "Let's give it up for Naruto Uzumaki, the Golden Boy of District Twelve!"
Turning her head to catch a glimpse of her fiance, Katniss wasn't disappointed. Entering through the same doors she had, Naruto stood tall and strong.
He was dressed in a white tuxedo with a gold outline. His shoes were dark black with a matching belt. He walked out with a smile and waved to the crowd.
This earned him many cheers from the women in the crowd, making Naruto nervous that Johanna's claims about everyone wanting him may have some validity.
Shaking Caesar's hand, the blonde gave one final bow to the crowd. They were loving it as they clapped for him.
Eventually, Caesar spoke through the noise, "Nice to see you again, Naruto!"
The blonde smiled back, "Likewise Caesar, you look great by the way. Did you lose a few pounds?" Naruto always liked to have some light banter with Caesar, as he found him to be more bearable than most Capitol citizens.
"Did you hear him, folks? Did I lose a few pounds?" Caesar repeated in a light tone, "I love his wittiness!"
The host chuckled at the blonde's comments. The crowd eventually died down from its cheers.
"Now Mr. Uzumaki," Caesar began with a stern tone, "I must ask, is this also the outfit you would have worn on your wedding day?"
Caesar wanted to see if both tributes from District Twelve were wearing their matching wedding outfits.
"It is, Caesar," Spoke Naruto in a calm tone, "It's something that we wanted to show everybody."
Caesar smiled, "Well, it was a good choice, you look great in that tuxedo!"
"Thank you, Caesar," the blonde said with a grin. "I was happy when I wore it at my wedding."
This took Caesar by surprise and he reeled back. With a curious gaze, he asked, "A wedding? But we were under the impression it was canceled?"
The blonde shook his head, "There wasn't a public wedding, but we got married in secret back in District Twelve. We had our families, friends, and loved ones there. It was beautiful." The blonde spoke with such sincerity that many believed his story.
"A secret wedding?" Caesar said with shock, "That is rather quite shocking, but I love the passion! The strength of young love! I love it all!"
"Thank you," Naruto said with appreciative eyes, "I just wish we didn't have our one regret."
"Regret?" Caesar spoke out with confusion, "Please do tell, what is it?"
"Well…" Naruto began getting choked up while speaking, "…It would have been fine if… if…"
Caesar was getting invested by this point as shown in his face. The eagerness he had was astounding.
"If what?" he asked.
"…if it wasn't for the babies."
You could hear a pin drop in the room as the crowd went deadly silent. Even the tributes in the back were shocked by such as revelation. Katniss herself almost believed the lie, despite knowing that the two had never slept together before.
"I'm sorry, did my ears deceive me or did I hear babies? Did I hear an extra 's' onto the word?" Caesar spoke into his microphone, aiming it back to the blonde for his answer.
Naruto looked into the crowd and tried his best for his eyes to get teary. It worked, "That's right Caesar, we're expecting twins."
If he was going to sell a lie, he was going to play it up as much as he could.
Almost like a domino effect, one person in the crowd stood up and shouted, "STOP THE GAMES! SHE'S PREGNANT!"
Soon another joined in, and another, and another. Eventually, the entire audience was on their feet and protesting this year's Hunger Games.
"Let's calm down folks, this is news to us all! Please… please…" Seeing that his voice was being ignored over the constant shouting, Caesar whispered into Naruto's ear.
"Go ahead and head on stage with the other tributes," he said softly.
Nodding, Naruto walked to the tributes and up to his fiance. Walking up and kissing her finger with the wedding band, he spoke, "How did I do?"
Katniss chuckled, "Way better than I ever could. You almost made me believe I was pregnant."
This earned a laugh out of the blonde.
As each tribute stood on stage, side by side, Caesar tried his best to calm the raging crowd. He wasn't proving to be successful in such a task.
Looking around at each other, Naruto decided to grab Katniss's hand. She in turn grabbed the person next to her who then grabbed the person next to them. All tributes were then holding hands in solidarity, choosing their stance against this year's Games.
This had never happened before, so when Caesar turned around and saw the sight, his eyes nearly bulged out of his head.
Realizing that the crowd was getting more and more rowdy, he gave up. Looking at the people directing the lights and footage, he gestured for them to cut the feed.
They did end up cutting the lights on stage and ending the interviews, but it was too late. The citizens had seen it, Caesar had seen it, the tributes had seen it….
And Snow had seen it as well.
"So what's the verdict?" Naruto asked while holding hands with Katniss, both still dressed in their outfits.
"The Games are still on, unfortunately," Haymitch huffed out, "People are causing a scene outside, but it's not enough to derail the schedule.
The trio were disappointed, even after their show of unity and Naruto's announcement, the Games would still happen.
"But don't fret, I'm trying everything I can do to see what we can do about it," Haymitch said, "The emotions are high right now, let's ride them before they lose steam."
Naruto and Katniss glanced at each other, hoping something would come out of it.
"Now this is the part I hate the most," Haymitch said in a serious tone, "I won't see either of you again before the Games start. Now I'm not dumb so if you both sleep in the same bed again, just be sure to separate early in the morning. Can't risk anything getting you both in trouble."
The couple nodded. The duo then pulled Haymitch into a group hug that he reluctantly returned, not used to public shows of affection.
"Just remember who the real enemy is," he whispered into their ears, "And I'll give you a hint, it's not the other tributes."
They understood what he meant, the Capitol, or more specifically Snow, is their enemy. As long as he was in power, they could do little.
Giving his goodbyes, Haymitch disappeared into the long hallway.
"So," began the blonde with a soft tone, "Want to spend the last night together? Before we're forced to fight to the death again?"
Katniss nodded, not feeling like talking at the moment. The two then walked hand-in-hand to Katniss's bedroom and shut it close with a soft click.
They stayed up for about an hour, just talking to one another. Just as Naruto was about to leave and go to his room for the night, Katniss held onto him.
"Please… don't go…" she whispered while clutching him tightly. His presence always kept the nightmares away, the nightmares of the Hunger Games.
Nodding his head, he lay back down with his fiance.
Looking into his partner's eyes, Naruto couldn't help himself. He planted a soft kiss on her lips which she reciprocated.
The two then slowly began shedding their clothes. First Naruto's tuxedo went, leaving him shirtless. Then with some help, Katniss was able to get her gown off leaving only her under-clothing.
They kissed the entire time they were undressing. The passion and ferocity fueling their love. Naruto kicked off his shoes and undid his belt. Katniss on the other hand unstrapped her high heels.
Pushing Katniss into the bed, Naruto began kissing and licking the side of her neck. This produced some low moans from the girl.
If it was going to be their last night together before the Games, they would make it a memorable one.
"Please…" Katniss whispered with closed eyes. Understanding what she wanted, Naruto reached around her back and unhooked her bra. Pushing it to the side, he then made his move.
Slowly kissing down from his neck to the parting between her legs, Naruto gently removes Katniss's panties.
He then saw his partner, naked as the day she was born. It was beautiful in Naruto's eyes, seeing the love of his life in this state.
Deciding to join her, he kicked off whatever remaining clothing he had. Jumping back into bed, the two then began to have one of the most passionate nights of their lives.
The bed creaking and the moans heard would leave an impression in their minds forever. They had given themselves to the other for the first time, and they had no regrets about it.
The morning had come far too quickly for the tributes from District Twelve. After sharing their first night of passion, they were tired and sore, but it was worth it.
Being sore could result in a death sentence in the Hunger Games, but they wanted to enjoy what little time they may have left. They wouldn't waste any more moments together.
Naruto had to leave early in the morning, as he had to get ready for the Games as well. This left Katniss alone to get ready until Cinna came to retrieve her. Both tributes had to give up their respective jewelry to Haymitch before they walked out.
The couple also shared a goodbye kiss before they departed to their respective pods
As Katniss walked to her pod, she thought about the things she had spoken about earlier.
Both she and Naruto agreed to team up from the beginning, a clear contrast to the year before. Furthermore, they wanted to make allies in the arena and planned to go after others in search of alliances.
Cinna walked Katniss to her pod at a deliberately slow pace, wanting the girl on fire to digest she was about to go into the Games.
Stopping a few feet away, Katniss turned to look at her stylist.
Reaching into his pocket, Cinna retrieved the signature Mockingjay pin that Katniss loved. Placing it on her arm, he covered it up with the outfit's sleeve.
"Cinna, how did you-"
Cinna cut off the girl on fire by shushing her and hugging her. Just like last year's Hunger Games, he attached the pin to her once more.
They stayed like that for a while, finding comfort in the hug. In a way, Katniss felt like Cinna was a protector, somebody with too good of a heart to live in the Capitol. He was part of her support system.
Separating from the hug, Cinna whispered into Katniss's ear, "Go get them, girl on fire."
Nodding her head, Katniss gave one last hug before walking into the pod behind her. The cylinder-shaped glass structure was big enough to hold her. As she walked in, she heard the announcer overhead.
"One minute until commencement."
This was happening, she was going back to the arena. The past few days had gone by extremely quickly for Katniss. But now, alone in the pod, she could only digest that she was going to be fighting for her life again.
Her glass pod shut with an audible hiss and 'click.' She took in a deep breath while staring at Cinna, who looked at her with a fatherly smile.
Suddenly, the double doors behind Cinna burst open with five Peacekeepers barging in. They extended their shock batons and charged at Cinna.
With a hard hook to his face, Cinna spun around before dropping to the floor. His head had flung so violently from the hit, it sprayed light blood drops on Katniss's glass pod.
Seeing the violence happening in front of her very eyes, Katniss tried to open the pod. However, it was locked shut and wouldn't budge. The blood flecks from Cinna's mouth were sprayed right in front of her view.
She punched the glass, slammed into it with her shoulder, and even kicked it to no avail. It was not going to budge or break.
Those Peacekeeper bastards had waited outside until her pod was shut. This was a coordinated attack on Cinna.
"NO, CINNA! NO!" cried out the girl on fire as her stylist was being brutally beaten in front of her.
Cinna was slammed into the ground from a shock baton hitting him behind the head. He was then kicked and stomped on multiple times. Cinna could only gargle on his blood while trying to defend himself.
"LEAVE HIM ALONE! CINNA! NO! CINNA!" cried out Katniss as tears streamed down her face.
The beating inflicted on the man would eventually cause him to pass out from the blows. Having enough, two of the Peacekeepers dragged him up by his elbows. They dragged the unconscious Cinna down the hall until the doors closed behind them.
The last image Katniss would ever see of her stylist was a bruised, beaten, and bloody version of him.
"CINNA!" Katniss clawed at the glass, seeing her protector get taken away behind closed doors.
The platform she was standing on then began being raised upwards. She tried one last time to break free but it was no use, her pod was moving.
Seconds felt like an eternity for Katniss but she eventually reached the top of the structure. Opening up, she was presented to the manufactured sunlight of the arena. Glancing around, she recognized the vast difference in the arena.
The sky was a vibrant blue with sunlight being poured in. There was a beach surrounding their pedestals with forest life beyond.
"Twenty-eight…twenty-seven… twenty-six…" the announcer kept the countdown.
The platforms they stood on connected to long lines of rock structures which led to the Cornucopia. This year, the Cornucopia seemed to be massive, almost triple the size of last year's.
There was also water everywhere. There was water between the rock formations they stood on as well as underneath the Cornucopia. One wrong slip and someone could easily fall in below.
"Fourteen… thirteen…twelve… "
Wiping her tears away, Katniss looked to her left and right. Beside her stood two career Tributes, ready for action. She wouldn't let them see her tears.
"Where's Naruto?" Katniss frantically thought, seeking her fiance. She looked around but couldn't see the blonde. He must have been placed on the other side of the arena, away from her.
"Eight…seven…six…"
Blinking a few times to wash away the tears, Katniss focused on the Games for now. She would have time to grieve later, now was the time for action.
Hearing the announcer reach zero, Katniss readied her body. She planned to find her fiance, find her allies, and survive the intial bloodbath that happens every year.
"Three…two…one…"
A loud boom signified the beginning of the 75th Annual Hunger Games.
Katniss, the girl on fire, dived deep below into the water.
WE ARE DONE!
So sorry for the long wait, but here's the long-awaited chapter!
As always, please review! I enjoy reading them and seeing what others think.
Let me know what you think!
We still haven't hit the most anticipated part of this story yet, which I'm excited for.
Hope you enjoyed it!
Cheers!