Welcome back to the second chapter so far of the story! I hope you all enjoy it!
Disclaimer: I don't own "The Hunger Games" or "Naruto," they belong to their respective owners.
Setting the Stage on Fire
Naruto considered himself a confident person at times, but right now, he was feeling anything but.
After getting prodded by his prep team and talking to Portia, they had agreed on using fire to make their grand entrance during the Tribute Parade.
While speaking to Portia in his examination room, he saw the interview with current Head Gamemaker Seneca Crane. While the interview went on for a good while, he zoned most of it out, as he had done with a majority of things relating to the Capitol lately.
They were in a matching pair of slick, black outfits with red outlining. Katniss kept her hair in a ponytail while he was still spiky and unruly.
They had tried nonstop to slick his hair back, but his prep team had given up after multiple tries and gallons of hair gel.
Portia said it made him keep his good looks so perhaps his hair remaining unchanged was a good thing.
Now, he was standing alongside Katniss while Cinna spoke to them both. They were on the ground floor preparing to take part in the Tribute Parade. All of the other carriages were preparing their Tributes while theirs was behind them.
"Now listen," Cinna started, "This isn't real fire that we'll be using. It won't burn or harm you, so don't be afraid."
Cinna then held up the fire that was burning on the end of a stick he held, emphasizing that it was harmless.
"I'm not afraid," blurted back Katniss, feeling she had to explain herself.
Cinna nodded and looked to Naruto, "Don't be afraid to liven it up for the cameras, I know you both have been told, but this is a reality show for the people here. Give them something entertaining and you'll have sponsors lining up to help you."
Naruto took his words very seriously and started thinking about putting his plan into action. He needed to sway over the audience, but how?
While Cinna started speaking to Katniss once more, Naruto took a look at the scenery around them all. They were in a grand stadium with thousands and thousands of people attending. People could be seen for miles, lining up the stands with applause.
"This is just a game show to them… something to laugh at… something to enjoy…" thought the blonde.
While he'd had this thought many times over before, it was seeing it happen before his eyes that resonated with the fighter. Their lives were mere pawns in a game show that the people in the Capitol could enjoy.
Chariots were getting assembled with their respective Tributes boarding. He caught glances at his opponents through the chaos. He needed to ensure someway, somehow, he and Katniss could win this thing.
If he didn't come back alive, then he wanted Katniss to at least come back in one piece. She still had a family to look after.
Breaking free from his thoughts, Naruto brought his attention to the massive screen that played for everyone in attendance. It seems the host had finally arrived and made his presence known.
"Greetings everybody!" the crowd roared back in approval, "My name is Caesar Flickerman and the co-host to my right is Claudius!"
Claudius chose this moment to speak, "Thank you, Caesar! And thank you to the people of Panem for this grand parade!"
"Oh great… another paid of Capitol idiots…." mumbled Naruto in his head, watching the broadcast alongside everybody else.
Caesar acted like he was checking the time on his wrist, "Well it seems the Tribute Parade is moments from commencing! This will be our first look at seeing this year's Tributes!"
Claudius also added, "That's right Caesar! This will also be the first chance for sponsors to meet the Tributes!"
Cinna turned around and addressed the pair, "Now that we have the big screen playing, be prepared for thousands of people to keep their eyes on you. Go and make an impression, give them a reason to like you."
Cinna then departed after giving both Tributes a quick nod of support.
Everyone was getting into their respective carriages as the parade was about to begin, so Katniss and Naruto did the same.
As they stood, side by side, waiting to be announced, they were lost in their thoughts.
"…a reason to like you…I can do that…" thought the blonde, remembering Cinna's words.
He looked down the parade aisle and spotted a white-haired man sitting next to Panem officials. This was the President, Coriolanus Snow.
Everybody knew about this bastard, he played his presentation at every year's Reaping after all.
"Prim… Mom… I promise… I'll come back to you both…" thought Katniss while slightly biting on her lip, clearly nervous. She didn't care about the fashion, the lights, the fame, or the glory, she just wanted her loved ones to be safe.
As she looked over to Naruto, she had her conflicting thoughts, "How can I kill you, Naruto?… You've done so much and I…. I…." she closed her eyes tight, "….I can't kill you…"
The Hunger Games was tearing her apart.
"Attention!" shouted a nearby Panem official, "The parade is about to commence! Please be ready to go!"
With baited breaths, the tributes prepared themselves for the ride. After a few more moments, the first carriage began riding out.
Since they were a part of District 12, they would be going last in the parade. Each carriage was drawn out in chronological order.
"And look at this year's District 1 tributes!" exclaimed Caesar, "They are shining so bright, it's hurting my eyes!"
Cornelius followed up, "That's right! They are just brimming with excitement and glory!"
The carriages carried on.
"Oh my goodness will you just look at these outfits!" shouted Caesar, "You must give the stylists credit, they just know how to embody the District of these tributes!"
"Look at District 4! They show the fishing aspect of their District!" said Caesar with many fake laughs sprinkled in.
"It's very clever, Caesar! These stylists sure know what they're doing!" responded Cornelius.
More and more carriages carried on.
"And would you look at the District behind them!" spoke Caesar with enthusiasm, "We have two power plant workers!"
Cornelius just laughed and agreed.
"Now, look at…." Caesar stumbled on his words for just a moment, "… those tributes in the back. They are just oozing with fire and spirit!"
Cornelius took a second to see what Caesar meant, but when he saw it, he was surprised. The tributes from District 12 were both on fire as they rode through the parade.
"Look, at, that!" cheered Caesar with excitement, "The tributes from District 12 came out in a ball of flames! I love that!"
"You know Caesar," began Cornelius, "These year's District 12 tributes are almost making a statement."
"I agree, they're showing they will NOT be overlooked, and I love it!" gushed Caesar.
Coriolanus Snow took this moment to take a closer look at the announcement being made. As he stared directly ahead, his jaw clenched from anger. It was subtle and nobody noticed it, but it was there.
Katniss was feeling overwhelmed at the moment. The more and more their chariot rode on, the stronger the applause was for them. Thousands of people were cheering for their District, their victory.
As for Naruto, he was feeling slightly disgusted at the attention they were receiving.
"Look at them… we're just some prize for their entertainment…" pondered the blonde.
But, despite how he was personally feeling, he also knew this was the perfect time to garner sponsors. Slightly leaning over to Katniss, he began to speak.
"Let's use this chance to gain sponsors," began Naruto in a whisper, "We've already received a big hype boost from Caesar, so let's use this opportunity. Just follow my lead."
Katniss didn't move her head in his direction, but she understood everything that was said.
With a jolt of surprise, Katniss leaned down and saw that Naruto had softly grabbed her hand. He squeezed twice in support, and she didn't pull away.
She was confused however, what was the angle he was trying to pull?
With a sudden yank, both of their hands were raised into the air. They were clasped firmly within the grasp of each other.
"Wow… for hunting nearly every day… she sure has soft hands…" thought Naruto mentally, keeping his smile and waving for the cameras.
Katniss was much the same, waving and smiling to nearby attendees.
The crowd loved it, they were ecstatic.
"WE LOVE YOU!" shouted a Panem citizen, throwing them both a rose.
Thinking on the spot, Naruto caught the rose and released his hand from Katniss's. He then swiftly offered the rose to his fellow tribute, who grabbed it softly with rosy cheeks.
Now while this would normally be enough to garner some attention, Naruto wanted to hammer in the point that they were not to be forgotten.
Grabbing Katniss's hand gently, he raised it to his lips and gave it a soft kiss on the knuckles.
The crowd nearly got out of their seat in support of the tributes. They were eating everything up with gusto.
"Would you look at that Cornelius!" exclaimed an excited Caesar, "It seems we have some fiery District 12 tributes this year! And there may be more between both fighters this year as well!"
"I can't say I've ever seen anything like this before Caesar!" responded Cornelius, "But I'll tell you what, I am LOVING IT!"
President Snow then heard a call coming from his earpiece, it was Seneca Crane. The Head Gamemaker was in charge of the behind-the-scenes action so he needed to be on top of his game.
"You're live, President Snow," said Seneca Crane through his earpiece.
Without responding, President Snow stood up and made his way to the podium. He had a speech to give.
As he stood tall in front of the Capitol, the chariots carrying all of the tributes slowly made their way to the finishing point. They were all lined up in front of the president and prepared to hear his message.
"Well, that was a little much…." pondered Katniss, as she still had a slight blush on her cheeks. "I guess he's just doing it for the sponsors, but still…."
After having her knuckles kissed, she promptly shut down internally and allowed for the rest of the ride to be no contact. They stood, smiling and waving, but not touching.
The flame trailing behind their outfits suddenly went out just as Snow began speaking.
Once President Snow had finished congratulating them on being chosen for this year's Hunger Games, each tribute was led back into a secure area.
The carriages led them into a concrete tunnel that allowed for them to dismount.
As both tributes stepped off the carriage, they were approached by their entourage.
Cinna, Haymitch, Effie, and Portia all came with a stride in their step.
Cinna was the first to speak. "That was amazing. They are not going to be forgetting about you two any time soon."
Effie joined in, "It was splendid! We are going to be the talk of the town for a while!"
"That was a wise decision you made back there with the rose, lover boy," teased Haymitch who looked at Naruto.
Naruto could only blush in embarrassment for being called out.
Cinna nodded, "It was, that was exactly what we needed to spark some buzz around both of your names."
Katniss stayed silent throughout, conflicted about her feelings.
"Does he truly care about me in… that way? Or is it all for the show?" she thought.
"It was a success, now all we have to do is-" Haymitch cut himself off when he stared over Katniss's shoulder.
Turning around, both tributes noticed the boy from District 2 was looking at them with contempt.
"How about we take this conversation somewhere else, huh?" asked Haymitch as he began leading them both out of the tunnel.
The rest tagged along as well.
Walking upstairs, each member of the group slowly got settled in. Cinna, Haymitch, Naruto, and Katniss sat around a table speaking to each other while Effie and Portia had a private conversation to the side.
"Eat, rest, and prepare yourselves for tomorrow," said Haymitch as he leaned back in his chair, arms crossed.
"Why, what's tomorrow?" asked Katniss.
"Tomorrow," emphasized Haymitch, "Is when you'll be in the Training Center with all the other tributes. You'll get to train, practice, learn, and polish any skills you want to before you enter the arena. You'll also get a score from 1 to 12 depending on how well they asses your skill level."
Cinna added, "The training takes course for three days, so you'll have a lot of time to perfect what you need."
Naruto and Katniss both nodded, digesting the information given.
As they spoke, a red-haired girl came out with some refreshments for the group. After thanking the girl, Katniss noticed something peculiar about her.
"What, have I seen you somewhere before?" asked Katniss, looking straight into her eyes.
The girl silently shook her head.
"I swear I have, you look so familiar," Katniss carried on.
"That impossible!" stated Effie from across the room, "She's an Avox! You can't possibly know an Avox!"
Seeing her confused look, Haymitch decided to explain what Effie was referencing. "An Avox is a criminal against the Capitol. They have their tongues ripped out and are slaves to Panem."
This bit of information horrified Naruto and Katniss.
Not wanting to see his fellow tribute get into any kind of trouble, Naruto covered up for Katniss, "I think she's remembering this girl that used to go to school in District 12. Right Katniss?"
Katniss didn't trust her voice, but just nodded instead, happy to have a way out of the conversation.
After the red-haired girl left, everyone resumed speaking to each other. However, deep down, Katniss couldn't shake the feelings of dread she had.
Looking out and seeing it was close to being night, Haymitch interjected, "It's getting dark out, so let's call it a night here. Rest as much as you can, you both have a busy day tomorrow."
Each member within the room slowly went back to their bedroom for the night.
Once again, Katniss found that she couldn't sleep.
As she lay in her bed, Katniss could only think of the girl who served their drinks earlier, what they called an "Avox."
The more she thought about it, memories slowly began popping into her mind. After a few more minutes, she remembered where that girl was from.
Feeling horrified at finally remembering the girl's past, she abruptly got out of her bed and walked to her bedroom door. She needed a moment to think about everything, it was all too much for her to handle.
Funny enough, after opening her door, she was greeted by the sight of Naruto slumped over on the couch. He was in his night clothes and was just staring at the ground, devoid of emotion.
Looking over, Naruto sported a small smile that didn't have much enthusiasm behind it, "We gotta stop meeting like this…" he joked.
Seeing her fellow tribute look so… defeated left a bad taste in Katniss's mouth. She was only concerned with her image, her life, and her family. Never once did she account for how Naruto's well-being was doing, but she could see that now.
While he was a pillar of strength in their District and even comforted her, Naruto didn't have anyone to do that for him while he was here.
He was much stronger emotionally than she realized.
"Sorry for bothering…" muttered Katniss, ready to close her door once again.
Naruto decided to speak up before she could, "Don't worry about it. Besides, I can see that something's on your mind. Want to talk about it?"
Normally Katniss would deny such a suggestion, but lately, Naruto had proven to be a reliable friend.
She winced at the thought, that she shouldn't be making friends with people who would soon be dead.
"You know what… Yeah, I think I would like that…" said Katniss softly, in the dead of night.
Seeing that his fellow Tribute was in a much more vulnerable state than usual, Naruto brought forward a suggestion.
"Then how about we speak where no one can hear us?" he stood up from the couch, "I know a spot upstairs, follow me."
Katniss then noticed Naruto go upstairs and disappear around the corner. Not wanting to be left behind, she quickly followed.
As she walked behind the blonde, Katniss realized they had stumbled upon a beautiful sight. After opening a door, she was greeted by a garden on the roof of where they resided. Wind chimes were being noisy and fresh air passing through, something she missed.
Flowers lined the garden from side to side, showing a healthy scenery. "There's even dandelions…" thought the girl, happy to see her favorite flower.
While these thoughts crossed the girl's mind, Naruto noticed something else, "There's an electric barrier around…. they didn't want us running off…"
Taking the lead, the blonde sat down on a nearby bench and patted the spot next to him. Taking the invite, Katniss sat down next to Naruto in comfortable silence.
A few minutes went by of silence, but it was anything but awkward. Both people were enjoying the scenery before them, reminiscing about home.
Deciding to speak first, Naruto began, "So, what's wrong? It looks like you have something eating at you."
Katniss had completely forgotten about why she came up here in the first place. It seemed something about being in Naruto's presence just put her at ease, where she could forget her problems.
Responding, she started with, "Back in District 12, I used to hunt a lot more when I was younger."
Naruto listened closely to her story.
"One day, when I was hunting with a friend named Gale, we noticed something…. strange…." she let the end of the sentence hang.
Not wanting to push her unless she was ready, Naruto just patiently waited for her to continue. After a few more moments, she did.
"We saw two kids, a boy and a girl. They were running in the woods, close to where we were perched. After a few seconds of running… they were… stopped…"
Katniss began choking on her words, clearly remembering the memory at hand. It seemed she still hadn't fully recovered from the event.
Naruto didn't want her to feel uncomfortable, but he also wanted to help her. This caused him to place his hand on her shoulder and squeeze her, letting her know she was okay.
This calmed down the girl momentarily and she continued, "The girl was snatched up by a net that came from the sky. Before she was dragged upwards… we locked eyes. I felt horrible that I couldn't help her, as me and Gale were hiding so we wouldn't be spotted either…"
This brought a grimace to Naruto's face. He could tell what happened later on.
"The boy was also killed with a spear, they dragged his body away too…" she finished.
She then let out a hollow chuckle, "I'm sure she'll enjoy seeing me die in the Games. After all, I deserve it for being a coward."
Naruto did not let her talk about herself that way, interjecting with, "No way, you're not a coward at all Katniss."
She looked over at the blonde.
"You are one of the bravest people I know. I mean, you volunteered for your SISTER," emphasized the blonde, "You tried your best to feed your family, even when hunting is illegal in our District. You couldn't have stopped them from what happened."
Katniss closed her eyes, digesting everything the blonde was saying.
Naruto continued, "You and Gale were both defenseless against the Capitol. You wouldn't have been able to stop them. They have the manpower, machinery, and weaponry needed to take down whoever they want. You couldn't have done anything, it's not your fault Katniss…" finished the blonde with soft eyes.
Deep inside, down to her core, Katniss felt a strange warmth in her heart. Having Naruto reassure her made it feel like she was safe, almost like nothing bad would happen as long as he was there.
"Thank you, Naruto…" whispered back the girl, "Thank you for doing so much…"
Naruto gave a cheesy grin, "Don't worry about it, but if you keep needing my advice, I'll probably have to start charging you."
Knowing he was joking, Katniss let out a small giggle.
Looking around them, Naruto spoke up, "Hey Katniss, we're out there, in the Games…" Katniss gave her full attention, "… I don't want to… fight you. I don't think I could bear it."
This brought a surprised look to her face. While she had the same thoughts, it was the first time they were audible, from either party.
Katniss responded with a small smile, "Yeah, I don't want to fight you either…. Probably because you would crush me but also because you're my…. Friend…"
Naruto laughed, happy to hear that his fellow tribute also didn't want to fight to the death.
But, he also caught what Katniss said at the end even though it was a whisper. She considered them friends, he was happy with that.
With the air cleared between them on not wanting to fight each other, both fighters felt much more at ease with one another. Looking at the sky one last time, both resigned to their bedrooms for the night. They needed to be well rested for tomorrow, they had three days of training ahead.
The Next Day
"Listen to me because I'll only be saying this once," spoke the woman within the Training Center.
It felt like a flash for both tributes, but they were now standing in the Training Center alongside their opponents. Currently, they were all facing the lady speaking as she was explaining some rules.
"First off, there is no fighting in here with one another, save it for the arena." she then paced back and forth, "In two weeks, the 74th Hunger Games will commence and only one of you will come back alive…"
She then stood tall in front of all the tributes, "There will be four exercises, while the rest of the time spent will be used for individual training. You all have the next three days to practice what you want or… what you need." she smirked.
"Now," she began, "My advice is to not overlook the skills you need to survive. Learning how to start a fire, find shelter, heal a wound, and other elements can save you from death in the arena. Everybody wants to swing a spear, but nobody remembers how to stitch a gash."
"She's got a point…I'm taking her up on that…" pondered the blonde.
"Most of you will die from natural causes, do remember, use your time wisely here…" the woman then left to join the rest of her staff.
The Training Center was a facility that housed multiple different stations. Each station focused on a specific survival trait.
As Katniss looked around, she could see racks of weapons at a certain station, while another was focused on learning how to spot different plant life.
Glancing over, she locked eyes with the tribute from District 2. He was a big guy with blonde hair and a stern expression. Guessing by the way he looked at her, he was not a fan.
Their staring contest was then interrupted when Naruto tapped her arm.
"Hey, let's get in line for these four mandatory exercises," spoke Naruto softly.
Katniss nodded her head and walked towards a line that was beginning to form. As they passed the boy from District 12, he kept his eyes locked on her head. This didn't go unnoticed by Naruto who made a mental note of it.
The day went by quickly in Katniss's eyes. After doing the four exercises required by the Training Center, they were able to choose whatever stations they wanted afterward.
Deciding to stick together, they both went from station to station as the day went on. They first went to learn about tying knots, then learning how to start a fire, and ending with learning about different types of edible plants. It was an exhausting experience overall.
As they went through the day, Naruto kept his eyes on the tributes from Districts 1 and 2. These tributes instantly went to the weapon-focused stations and had deadly accuracy.
When he noticed the girl from District 2 throw her training knives, he wondered who had the better accuracy between them both. Soon enough, time would tell and he would have his answer.
Besides going from station to station, there wasn't much eventful news that happened. The only other exciting thing that happened was when the boy from District 2 accused another tribute of stealing their favorite knife.
While both boys fought and were separated by guards, Katniss looked up to see the girl from District 11 in the rafters by the ceiling. She had the knife in her hands and was softly giggling in her hand. The boy from District 11 also knew this, as he had his smile at the scene.
Tapping Naruto's shoulder and pointing to where Rue was, the blonde couldn't help but smile as well.
"Looks like she's sneaky…" thought the young warrior, grinning at her behavior.
After the day was over, every tribute went to their respective resting quarters as they had two more days of training ahead of them.
Soon enough, both tributes joined Haymitch, Effie, Cinna, and Portia at the dinner table. As they all ate and made conversation, Katniss decided to speak up.
"So, now that we're through with the first day of training, what happens the next two days?" she wondered.
Haymitch answered, "Well, tomorrow will be like today in the aspect that you'll get to train freely. However, the day after will be dedicated to your skill assessment and you'll be personally examined by the Gamemaker."
Katniss nodded and gulped, swallowing the piece of chicken she had in her throat.
"I did also want to ask the both of you," spoke Haymitch in a rare serious tone, "Do you both want to continue training together or separately? If you have a skill you don't want the other to know about, consider going at it alone."
Katniss thought about this question long and hard, "Should we continue to train together? Logically, it makes no sense why I should share my battle secrets with my opponents but…" she glanced at the blonde, "… I don't see him as one…"
As for the blonde, he didn't hesitate for a single second, "I'm fine with either, it's up to Katniss. I'm more than happy to train together if she still wants to."
This made Haymitch laugh, "Well either you really like this girl, or you have no survival instinct."
Naruto restrained himself from strangling the man.
Seeing that Naruto didn't have a problem with the hit, Katniss made up her mind, "Well stay together, I don't have an issue with that."
Realizing that would be their final answer, Haymitch nodded and dropped the subject.
After a few more moments of everyone eating, Naruto then spoke up and changed the conversation, "Can you tell us why the people from Districts 1 and 2 seemed to want us dead?"
He really wanted to know why the boy from District 2 kept giving Katniss dirty looks and he even noticed the boy from District 1 gave him occasional dirty glances.
It was then that Cinna spoke up, "It's because you outshined everyone else during the Tribute Parade. All eyes were on you and Katniss, thanks to us of course," he finished cheekily.
Portia then nodded, agreeing with her male counterpart.
"All because we drew attention in the Tribute Parade… means they want us killed?" pondered Katniss, being rhetorical.
All those dirty looks from the District Two male tribute made more sense now. They had essentially taken the attention of the sponsors away from them.
Haymitch then interrupted while setting down his wine glass, "Districts One, Two, and Four are all that we call Career Districts."
Both Naruto and Katniss stayed silent, following along with his explanation.
"As Career Districts, they are favored by the Capitol due to their contributions. Because of that, they get special training from a young age to fight in the Hunger Games and often volunteer for a chance to fight in the arena," said the man.
Effie then spoke up, "But don't worry!" she proclaimed, "They don't get any other special treatment!"
Haymitch snorted at this, "Yeah they don't get any special treatment besides being fed well and learning how to kill in an academy."
Effie stayed silent at this, having nothing to say in return.
"Anyways," said Haymitch, "Since their District glorifies the Hunger Games, they often want to do the best. However, because you and lover boy-" Haymitch gestured at Naruto, "-blew them out of the water, they want you both dead."
"Oh great," spoke Naruto as he dragged his hand down his face, "We've made enemies before we've even set foot in the arena."
Haymitch shrugged in response as he filled another wine glass with his flask, "That's the thing about the Hunger Games, you've already made enemies without trying."
"Do be careful however," spoke up Portia, catching everyone's attention, "The Career Districts often have their tributes ally in the Games, so keep an eye out for that as well…" she let the statement hang in the air.
"Oh yeah!" Haymitch snapped his fingers, "I forgot to tell you that!"
Katniss and Naruto sweat dropped at their "mentor."
The second day of training came around much quicker than Naruto would have liked. For the first time in a while, he had gotten a good night of sleep only to awake in his hell.
After getting dressed and having a light breakfast, both he and Katniss were once again in the Training Center.
Since they had already visited three stations yesterday, they decided to learn new skills today. After visiting a station about camouflage and making drinkable water, they decided to split off.
Katniss was adamant about visiting the crafted traps station while Naruto wanted to work on his calisthenics.
Giving a quick goodbye, both tributes split off for the first time in the Training Center.
As Katniss loaded up creating a snare trap, Naruto got into his rhythm.
Finding a pull-up bar, he stretched and prepared his exercise. His logic revolved around the idea that if he had no weapon, he had to rely on his body as a weapon. This means he had to train his body as much as he could before the Games began.
"Really? A pull-up bar?" scoffed Marvel mentally, "This guy is not focusing on the right stuff…"
Marvel was the male tribute from District One and had been keeping tabs on the blonde. Something in his gut was telling him that he would prove to be a threat later on. However, he was now doubting himself after watching the blonde for a day now.
Seeing as he had visited only three stations yesterday and two more today that had nothing to do with combat, Marvel was feeling confident in his chance against the male District Twelve tribute.
After doing a few more stretches, Naruto jumped onto the pull-up bar and began doing pull-ups.
While this was not exciting for anybody, it was what happened after that caught some attention.
Once he could feel his muscles straining, that's when Naruto dropped his left arm off of the bar and pulled himself up with only his right arm.
He was doing one-handed pull-ups.
"Okay…that's not bad…" thought Thresh, the male tribute from District Eleven. He too had been watching the blonde in secret and he could admit that took some strength.
Thresh was a massive guy himself so he could respect someone that showed strength, even if they were his opponent.
"Twenty-one… twenty-two… twenty-three…" Gritted the blonde through his teeth, feeling the burn. After counting to forty pull-ups, the blonde switched arms and did thirty more on his left hand only.
"This dude's stamina is insane!" thought Marvel in surprise, secretly watching Naruto's pull-ups from a distance.
Once he had accomplished forty pull-ups on each arm, Naruto grabbed the bar with both hands and pulled himself up. Afterward, once he was settled, he pushed down on the bar with his feet aimed at the sky.
He was doing a handstand on the bar, all supported by the strength in his arms. He would hold this position for two minutes before he slowly brought himself back down and plopped onto the ground.
Looking over, he could tell that Katniss was doing fine as well. She had practiced making many different kinds of traps. Some were meant to ensnare an opponent while others were meant for dragging them upwards.
"That was a good warm-up," thought the blonde as he wiped the sweat off his forehead, "Now let's get down to business."
Pistol squats, chin-ups, push-ups, and even ab crunches while hanging from the bar were all exercises Naruto did for the next two hours. He wanted to ensure his stamina was still there and work on strengthening his body. He mentally thanked Edwin for showing him these exercises as they were paying off now.
Katniss would occasionally look over and see Naruto working out, being amazed that he could do so much with his body weight. He was throwing himself around like he weighed nothing, which Katniss knew was not the case as he was well-fed.
While not big, Naruto did have muscle on his body. Constantly hunting for his food and training with Edwin had led him to have a healthy lifestyle. When he stood, he would reach his full height of 6'0. Naruto was not small by any means.
Once he was finished with his workouts, Naruto looked at a certain area of the Training Center. As he gazed over, he realized the station was open.
Walking over, many of the Gamemakers and other tributes had their eyes on him. While he was initially ignored at first, it looked like he was slowly gaining attention.
The station he walked over to was one where there was a guard. This station was a combat practice scenario in which you could choose how many guards to attack you. You could decide if they wielded weapons or not, and if you wanted them to attack you at once or not.
Of course, any weapons wielded by the guards were dull and blunt as they didn't want to cause any fatal injuries. They also wore protective armor themselves just in case an accident did occur while training.
After reaching the station, Naruto spoke with the guard there.
"Excuse me," began the blonde, "I was wondering if I could have a few guards spar with me?"
The guard nodded, "Of course, how many do you need? Do you also need any weapons or wish us to wield any in specific?"
The blonde smiled at this, "I just need three people to surround me and attack me at once, with weapons of your choosing. All I need is a handkerchief."
While this request was surprising, the guard obliged and called over two more people. He then handed Naruto a black handkerchief.
Getting into position, they slowly began to surround the blonde. One guard had a dulled spear, another had a dulled scythe, and the final one had a baton. Naruto himself tied the handkerchief around his eyes, effectively blinding him from the fight.
"Take a deep breath… relax… this is situational awareness training…" thought Naruto to himself, remembering what Edwin taught him.
Hearing that they were slowly pacing around him, Naruto realized they were waiting for the perfect time to strike. Thankfully, he didn't have to wait long.
With a jerk to the side, Naruto narrowly dodged the point of a spear as it was mere inches from his face. Of course, being blindfolded, he didn't know this at all. He was going off instinct, sounds, audio clues, feel, and every other sense besides his sight.
He loved this, it made him feel alive.
After jerking his body to the side, he delivered a hard elbow strike into the gut of the person holding the spear. This caused him to grunt in pain as the air was knocked out of him and dropped him to the ground. Without wasting a moment, he shot another elbow strike into the guard's jaw when he was hunched over.
The spear rattled on the floor as it fell.
Hearing footsteps rushing him at two different sides, Naruto made his choice. He didn't know which guard held the baton or which held the scythe, but he made a decision.
Ducking and grabbing the spear that fell earlier, Naruto swung it around himself 360 degrees above his head. This caused it to hook the scythe and smack the baton out of the other guard's hand.
He heard two more rattles on the ground, confirming that both guards had been disarmed in one fell swoop.
He then crouched low and swung his foot around again at a 360-degree angle. This time, he only managed to drop one guard as the other was just out of range from his attack.
Not feeling discouraged in the slightest, Naruto pushed onto the guard that fell from his leg sweep and delivered a throat punch. This made the guard gasp and get out of the fight. As the guard gasped for air, Naruto hovered over his fallen form.
A battle cry was heard as footsteps were rushing him, this made the blonde smile. The last person had gotten frustrated they were getting beaten and charged him without thinking.
Feeling a baton smack into his side, Naruto just kept his guard up and let the baton smack into him a few more times. Timing the pattern, he ducked under the swipe and lifted the final guard. With a quick shove, he threw them back onto the ground.
The final guard groaned as they had effectively been body slammed.
Taking off his blindfold, Naruto was greeted by the sight of many shocked tributes and the satisfied looks of the Gamemakers. They found his performance to be entertaining for them.
Even Katniss who had stopped practicing her trap-making minutes before could only look at Naruto in surprise. "I didn't know he had that much skill…."
"Thank you, gentleman, sorry for being a little rougher than I wanted to," spoke Naruto with a sweat-drop as he scratched the back of his head.
"You're telling me this guy is from District Twelve and he's pulling off moves like that!" cried Marvel in his head, "Bullshit!"
Unintentionally, Naruto had made his presence officially known in the Hunger Games.
The final day of training went by much the same as the first two days. After Naruto had his little performance, Katniss was struggling with some confidence issues.
The more she thought about it, the more it made sense that Naruto would beat her in any fight. He was bigger, faster, stronger, more skilled, and had greater stamina than her. Even with her bow, she didn't feel confident in facing the blonde.
Putting those feelings to the side at the moment, Katniss held her breath. Currently, she and Naruto were waiting for their time to be called into the individual assessment area.
They had been able to polish some of their skills and visit a few last stations, but that was it. They now get their assessment rating from the head Gamemaker.
Naruto did feel worried, however, as this last day of training had made Katniss seem distant from him. Just when he felt like they were making true progress as friends, she had backed away.
They did not visit any stations today as a team nor had she spoken much to him, making him feel saddened.
He could openly admit to himself that he had a crush on the girl.
It might be sudden, it may be too soon, but he was slowly developing feelings for Katniss. It had started with their small interactions while back at District Twelve and it slowly blossomed from there. The act at the Tribute Parade was fueled to get sponsors, but it was also fueled by his feelings.
He just didn't know how to go about it, given that they would be fighting to the death soon. It was all so confusing to the blonde.
Over the time they had spent at the Capitol, Naruto had gotten to know Katniss much better than before. The times they would talk at night, just the two of them, felt amazing. They may not have been the best of subjects, but he felt at peace with her around.
"Katniss Everdeen, please come for individual assessment." spoke a voice over the intercom.
Shaking off her nerves, Katniss stood up and began to walk for the door.
"Good luck," spoke Naruto from behind, hoping to repair whatever damage he may have unintentionally caused.
Katniss just hesitated for a moment before giving a small nod and entering. This made Naruto sigh once again, wondering what he had done wrong.
As she paced into the room, Katniss realized the room was set up to impress the Gamemakers in any fashion. Weapons lined the racks and the Gamemakers were all set up above the area. They were going to be overlooking her every action.
Taking a bow and arrow, she fastened it around her back and prepared herself. Gathering the courage to perform, she let loose an arrow into a target that was 70 meters away. It hid dead center, a bullseye.
She repeated this action for three more targets, all hitting their mark without miss.
She smiled after looking at her work, happy that she still had the skill needed with a bow. As she turned her head to see the Gamemakers, the view angered her.
Instead of paying attention to her craft, they had all been talking amongst themselves while a fresh roasted pig arrived at their table.
"My life is in the balance here, and they care more about their pig…" thought Katniss as she was livid.
Deciding to make a statement, she pulled back another arrow and let it fly, which shattered through the glass of Seneca Crane. A purple-looking liquid then spilled everywhere, most likely an expensive wine.
Seeing the shards of glass going everywhere, Seneca Crane turned over to look at Katniss.
Now that she had their attention, Katniss gave a bow, "Thank you,"
Putting back her equipment on the rack, Katniss walked out without saying another word.
Brushing past Naruto, Katniss disappeared into the hallway.
"Woah… I wonder what pissed her off…" thought the blonde.
"Naruto Uzumaki, please come for individual assessment," spoke the same voice over the intercom.
Getting up, Naruto dusted off his pants before walking into the same room that Katniss had previously left.
As he walked in, Naruto could see that everyone was abuzz with news. They were speaking with one another as Seneca Crane held a white cloth over his hand. After a closer look, Naruto spotted a small red circle widening underneath the cloth.
"He's bleeding… but why?…" thought Naruto with squinted eyes.
Seneca Crane then spoke, "Ahh, Mr. Uzumaki, please continue with your skill for us." He was clutching his bleeding hand quite tight, almost with ferocity.
Shrugging his shoulders in compliance, Naruto gathered a few throwing blades from a nearby weapons rack. He then walked over to a part of the room that had targets arranged in a circle.
Getting in the middle of all the targets, Naruto took a deep breath. "Remember, just like I practiced in the forest…don't tense up, stay loose…."
Closing his eyes, Naruto made his move.
Flipping into the air with his eyes closed, Naruto grabbed each of the five throwing knives in each hand. As he flew upside down for just a second, each throwing knife was thrown with perfect accuracy.
Gravity then took its course which made the blonde have to land on his feet. Hearing ten "thunks", he opened his to see that each blade landed directly in the center of the target's head.
"Incredible!" whispered Seneca while holding a smile.
"This year's Games is going to be interesting!" said another Gamemaker to another in the background.
Turning around, Naruto spoke, "That's what I got, I'll see myself out now."
Walking back into the hallway, Naruto wondered what his score would be. He remembered when Haymitch told him that a higher score would attract more sponsors, so he hoped he did just that.
Anything to attract more sponsors….after all….it would increase the chance of him helping Katniss in the arena.
The next morning was a surprise for everyone.
"No way!" shouted Haymitch in amusement, "You shot an arrow through Crane's glass? While it was in his hand!?"
Katniss chuckled, "Yeah, I did."
"It even managed the cut his hand, the bastard was clutching it when I went in for my assessment," Naruto added with a grin, drinking down some water he had.
"That's rich!" hollered Haymitch, "I wish I could have been a fly on the wall in that room! Seeing it with my own eyes would have been perfect!"
"No it's not!" complained Effie, "What if they use it to make their lives worse!"
Haymitch looked to her, "Calm down sweetheart, there's nothing else the Capitol can do to mess with them. After all, they're going to the Hunger Games," Haymitch made the last few words pop in his mouth.
Effie humphed in anger nonetheless.
"And you, lover boy-" Haymitch looked at the blonde, "Are going to get some eyes on you from what I've heard in the training room. Taking on three guards blindfolded is no easy task, now you have a target on your back."
Naruto responded swiftly, "It's better to have a target on my back-" he gulped down the rest of his water, "-because now more eyes have been taken off Katniss."
Katniss stayed silent, not knowing what to say.
"I can't tell if you care about your survival sometimes, you know that?" questioned Haymitch with a chuckle.
"Attention citizens of the Capitol," spoke the voice over the television, "We now have the results of the individual skill assessment."
Each member in the room looked at the television with their utmost attention now, it was time to see the fruits of their labor.
"Let's listen in," spoke Haymitch as he took a swig from his flask, "All sponsors are going to be keeping their eyes peeled with this."
Caesar Flickerman then flashed onto the screen, holding a series of note cards with a microphone.
"Greetings citizens of Panem!" he began, "I have with me here the final results of this year's tributes skill assessment."
"As you may know," he shuffled the cards in his hand, "Each tribute was individually assessed and is rated on a score from one to twelve."
The silence in the room was deafening, everybody was on the edge of their seat.
"In this case, being rated a one is considered the lowest while twelve is the highest," Caesar explained, "Now, let us look at these ratings!"
One by one, Caesar announced the skill ratings of every tribute.
"Marvel from District One comes out with a score of nine!" Caesar said, "Glimmer from District One joins him with a nine as well."
Seeing the pictures of said tributes pop up on the screen, Naruto thought to himself, "So that's the guy who keeps looking at me…" He would have to keep his eye on Marvel.
"Cato from District Two-" began Caesar as he adjusted the note cards, "-landed himself a score of 10."
"Great…" thought Katniss, "… the bastard got a ten…" If she wasn't worried before, she was now. The same guy who had been giving her dirty looks was rated the highest so far.
"Clove from District Two also came in with a whopping ten!" exclaimed Caesar with a smile.
The world began to get slower as Katniss dazed out. She was still reeling in from Cato's high score and the fact that nobody had gotten close to it yet so far.
"….From District Four comes in at a score of eight!" said Caesar.
Katniss realized she had zoned out to the point that she didn't catch his name.
"…From District Five breaks in with a score of 5," said Caesar rather grimly, quickly glancing over the tribute.
"Huh...Her face kinda looks like a fox… Fox-Face…" muttered Katniss in her head after seeing the tribute's picture flash briefly.
"Thresh from District Eleven-" began Caesar.
Naruto perked up at seeing the person's picture. Thresh was one of the people he was worried about in the arena, so he wanted to pay close attention.
"-has a score of ten."
"Fuck…" thought Naruto, "That guy is going to be tough…"
"Rue from District Eleven-" this time it was Katniss who perked up. "-has a score of seven."
Finally, it was the scores that both had been waiting for. Haymitch, Cinna, Effie, and Portia were all awaiting what their District's score would be.
"Katniss Everdeen from District Twelve-" announced Caesar, "-has a score of…"
You could cut the tension in the room with a knife.
"Eleven."
"YES!" shouted Haymitch with excitement.
Effie cheered as well, congratulating the girl who sat on the couch. Cinna did the same, glad that she received such as high score.
Naruto even congratulated her, which made her give a small smile in return.
"Naruto Uzumaki from District Twelve…" said Caesar while he squinted at the cards, "Well… this can't be right…" muttered Caesar under his breath.
Everybody was confused by the action, wondering what had gone wrong.
"Sorry folks," announced Caesar while clearing his throat, "Naruto Uzumaki from District Twelve joins his tribute partner with another resounded eleven. Both tributes from District Twelve end at the same score."
"FUCK YES!" cheered Haymitch even louder this time. He was happy to have two solid candidates this year.
"This causes for celebration!" yelled Effie in excitement. She came back with a tray of refreshments that everyone grabbed, "To Katniss, the Girl on Fire!" she cheered.
She then aimed her glass at Naruto, "And to Naruto as well, the Golden Boy of District Twelve!"
"The Golden Boy huh?" teased Portia, "Didn't know they called you that back home."
Naruto felt a blush creep up the back of his neck, "…How did Effie even find out about that nickname?…" he thought in embarrassment.
After her small toast, everybody clinked their drinks together and downed them in one fell swoop.
Putting away his glass, Haymitch looked at both tributes. "Now that you've both singlehandedly shown up every other tribute twice now, prepare to get some push-back in the arena."
Cinna then spoke up, "But you've both also gained the attention of sponsors, which is going to be critical."
Naruto and Katniss could only hope the sponsors would be worth it because they now had every other tribute gunning after their head.
As Naruto went to tap Katniss on the shoulder and congratulate her himself, she almost jerked away at his touch. Not knowing what had garnered such a reaction from her lately, Naruto dropped it.
Katniss apologized for the knee-jerk reaction, which Naruto waved off with a false smile. He didn't know what he did for the girl he likes to react so negatively to him, but he wouldn't push it.
Excusing herself for the time, Katniss put her glass away and walked into her room. Seeing her walk away, Naruto stared at her back and decided to make his decision. If Katniss wanted space from him, then he would oblige her request.
As Katniss awoke, she could only think about her dream last night.
She dreamt of the times that she first met Gale and how they would do everything together. The times he would hunt with her, eat with her, and laugh with her. It was a paradise if she was being honest with herself.
However, as the dream went on, Gale's image began to be replaced with Naruto's smile. The warmth, security, and happiness that Naruto excluded was something that Katniss yearned for in her dream.
After waking up, Katniss didn't know what her dream meant.
Was she slowly developing feelings for Naruto? Did she still feel the same for Gale as she once did? Was it fair to Gale that she had these thoughts at all?
"Katniss!" announced Effie from the dining room, "Breakfast is ready! Please come down!"
Grumbling at the lady's cheeriness this early in the morning, Katniss slowly got ready for the day. After dressing and brushing her teeth, she made her way down.
As she came upon the dinner table, she only saw Haymitch and Effie eating breakfast. Without thinking, Katniss blurted out the first thought she had, "Where's Naruto?"
Haymitch grimaced at the question, "Change in plans…" he said, "Naruto requested to train separately last night. He's already eaten breakfast and is in his room right now."
Katniss reeled in from the words she just heard. Naruto, the person who had been with her this whole time, was now going to go solo?
As she thought about it, she also began to feel slightly guilty. She wasn't oblivious, she knew that she had been acting rather harsh and cold to the blonde after seeing his skill with hand-to-hand combat in the Training Center.
She didn't mean to cut him off, but she felt scared seeing him so dominant knowing that they would have to fight at some point.
Effie noticed that Katniss seemed to be sad and spoke up, "But don't worry!" she said, "You'll both still be seeing each other a lot!"
Katniss just nodded in appreciation at Effie's kind words and sat down to eat.
As for our favorite blonde, he was currently meditating on his bedroom floor. He was calming his mind and assessing what he should do as soon as they entered the arena.
"Would it be best to rush the cornucopia right away? Get in and get out?…" pondered the blonde, "...no, that would result in the lowest chance at survival…"
He needed to find a good strategy to implement right away. This meditating thing was going to take a while.
Later that night, both Naruto and Katniss stood next to each other on a large stage.
Earlier in the day, Haymitch, Cinna, Portia, and Effie had coached them both on how to present themselves on stage for their tribute interview.
Every year, each tribute was interviewed by Caesar Flickerman on stage, for thousands to see. They needed to do everything right to get people to like them.
Effie and Portia coached Katniss while Cinna and Haymitch spoke to Naruto.
"Keep your posture straight, don't slouch, and wear high heels! You want to use your feminine charm!" explained Effie while Portia fixed her hair.
Cinna had given her a dress that sparkled with jewels and could light on fire if she wanted to. She planned to follow through with his instructions.
"Smile, smile, and don't forget to smile!" Haymitch spoke while Cinna looked over Naruto's outfit. Despite the fact he wasn't technically Naruto's stylist, he wanted to make sure the blonde looked good on stage. "Be charismatic, make the people laugh and they'll love you!"
Once they were done receiving their respective outfits and advice, both tributes stood backstage on Caesar Flickerman's stage. They were waiting until it was their chance to go up there.
As the tributes from District One to District Eleven were interviewed, Katniss began to sweat.
"What if they don't like me? What if I screw up all the hard work we've done so far?" she pondered.
As she looked over to Naruto, he could be seen staring straight ahead at the program playing.
"… What if I just lost one of the few friends I have left?" she thought sadly, seeing as Naruto was not talking to her as much lately.
As District Eleven's final interview ended, a Capitol official came and retrieved Katniss for her interview. She was up next and needed to be ready.
As she walked out, she heard two simple words from the blonde behind her, "Good luck."
Who would have thought that two simple words made her smile and filled her with warmth? It also made her realize how much she missed hearing Naruto's voice.
As for Caesar Flickerman, he was getting ready to introduce Katniss on stage.
"Now please welcome the girl from District Twelve, Katniss Everdeen, the Girl on Fire!" he shouted into his microphone.
As Katniss walked the stage, she smiled until she reached her seat. Once everybody had settled on their applause, it was time to begin the interview.
"Welcome Katniss! I'm glad to have you here tonight!" Caesar greeted.
"It's not like I had a choice…" she muttered.
Caesar laughed at this as well as did the audience. Despite not trying to get them to laugh, it seemed she had already done so.
"Now Katniss, I did want to ask you," he began, "How did you manage to come out in a blaze of glory during that tribute parade?"
People from the crowd also cheered, wanting to know the same thing.
"Oh, that's simple," she said, "It was all due to my stylist having the perfect idea. He just needed to find someone brave enough to wear fire."
"Hahahah!" laughed Caesar, "And of course he found the right person!"
"Thank you, Caesar," Katniss began, "I'm glad you liked our entrance."
"Liked it?" he said sarcastically, "We LOVED it!"
The audience roared as well, clapping and cheering. It was clear to see that they adored this year's District Twelve's tributes more than usual.
"Well, do you want to see the flames in person?" Katniss asked with a smirk, "I'm wearing them after all."
Caesar took a second as he pondered the idea. Without wasting another moment, he broke out into laughter, "Of course, we'd love to see! Please, show us!"
Smiling and standing up, Katniss gave a twirl of her dress as it slowly caught fire at the bottom. This made the crowd cheer with more approval, happy to see the sight firsthand.
As she sat down, Caesar applauded her performance. He loved the interaction from Katniss, it was much better than some of the other tributes he had interviewed earlier.
"Now Katniss, I did have one question I wanted to ask you," spoke Caesar seriously.
Katniss, feeling the high of getting the people's approval wear off, nodded in readiness.
Caesar then softly grabbed her hand and squeezed it, "We all saw you volunteer for who we assume was your sister, correct?"
Seeing where this conversation may go, Katniss got serious and nodded.
Caesar gave an extra squeeze of Katniss's hand, "Did she come to see you before you left?" he asked.
Katniss nodded, "She did."
"And could you please tell us what that was like? What did she ask? What did she say?" Caesar seemed to be genuinely curious.
"Damn… he's a good host…" thought Naruto while looking at the interview backstage.
Katniss gulped slightly before answering, "It was hard Caesar, but I knew I had to be strong for her."
A collective chorus of "aww" could be heard throughout the crowd, finding this detail to be touching.
She continued, "She asked me if I would win this before I left…"
Caesar gestured with his other hand, "Go on, what did you say?"
"I told her I would try to win this and come back… for her…" she responded, trying to hold back the tears.
Thinking about the vulnerability of her sister always made her soft but right now, she needed to stand strong in front of thousands of people.
"That's very noble of you," he spoke as he gently dropped her hand that he had been squeezing, "Please give it up for Katniss Everdeen, the Girl on FIRE!" he shouted with pizzazz.
Just like a switch had been flipped, everyone in the crowd went from feeling sad to cheering her name. Taking one last glance at the audience, Katniss smiled before walking backstage. She kept a brisk pace as she passed by Naruto, not looking at him once.
Seeing that he was the last tribute left to be interviewed, Caesar decided to take his time with Naruto. After all, everyone remembered the ending of a show so he wanted to ensure the audience would love it.
"Now we have one final tribute left to interview-" began Caesar, "-but fear not! We have saved the best for last!"
Being escorted onto stage, Naruto thanked the official before walking onstage. As he emerged from the curtains, he squinted at the bright light and thousands of faces looking back at him.
"Please welcome our final tribute of the night, Naruto Uzumaki!"
Knowing he needed to make the best impression right now, he breathed in deeply and smiled. Suddenly, women and men alike were cheering for his name.
Naruto kept his pace in his seat while also smiling large for the cameras. His teeth were shining and he kept his smile. Waving and grinning seemed to have an effect on the woman in the crowd who blushed at his appearance.
Taking his seat, Caesar joined him by sitting in his chair.
"So Naruto-" began the host, "-can you please start us off by telling us why your name is so unique?"
"I wouldn't say it's unique, Caesar," responded the blonde, "I would say it's more hard to pronounce than anything else."
This made Caesar give out a genuine laugh, it was rare to find a tribute that could mock themselves.
Once he reeled his laughter back in, Naruto continued, "Jokes aside, I don't know why I got my name. My parents never told me the reason behind it besides that it was an old word that meant maelstrom."
"Hmm, that is indeed interesting," spoke the host. "I'm assuming your parents are proud of your choice to volunteer?"
Naruto played a hurt look for the camera, showing a face full of sadness, "That's the thing, Caesar, they've both been dead for a while now."
While Naruto did genuinely miss his parents, he knew he had to play up his sadness for the cameras. He felt sick doing so, almost like he was disgracing his parents.
"Oh my," spoke Caesar with a hand over his mouth, "I'm so sorry to hear that, truly."
Naruto waved him off, "Don't worry about it, you didn't know. But I plan on doing my best in the arena, for them."
"Well that is certainly quite commendable, is it not folks?" said Caesar as he looked into the crowd.
The crowd agreed by cheering.
"However, I did want to ask you something that's been on everyone's minds…" began Caesar with a sly grin.
"Of course, what is it?" responded Naruto coolly, keeping his smile to show his pearly whites.
Suddenly, the screen behind them showed the Tribute Parade. Upon closer look, it showed the exact moments that Naruto caught the rose, handed it to Katniss, and gave a kiss to her knuckles.
Not expecting to get called out so quickly in front of thousands, Naruto released an atomic blush on his face.
"We are DYING to know!" Caesar started, "Are you fond of Katniss?"
Naruto could hear the crowd backing up Caesar's question with things such as:
"Yeah, we want to know!"
"Tell us!"
"You both make such a cute couple!"
All of this was slightly overwhelming for the blonde, but he decided to answer Caesar's question with his honest feelings. While part of it was to play it up for the sponsors, he could also use this as an excuse to show his raw feelings.
"I'm not fond of Katniss, Caesar," spoke Naruto.
Caesar visibly deflated, obviously missing his chance to spice up this year's drama in the arena.
"I'm falling in love with Katniss, Caesar."
The crowd erupted with applause as a majority of people stood up in approval. Caesar himself was laughing like a fool, not used to having a tribute outwit like that in an interview before.
Continuing like a professional, Caesar spoke, "So then why did you volunteer to be here? Surely you know only one person can come back out of that arena?"
Naruto nodded, "I knew that, but I volunteered for two reasons," he then looked to the crowd as if speaking to them, "I wanted to spare my best friend, Peeta, from having to go into the arena. The second reason was because I didn't care if I died in that arena as long as I could personally protect Katniss."
"Wow," began Caesar with a shocked face, "I don't think we've ever seen a tribute so willing to throw their life away to save another! Am I right folks?"
The applause from the crowd was deafening.
"And what attracted you to Katniss, if I may ask?" questioned Caesar.
This was the time Naruto could drop all the acting and speak from his heart, "Katniss fills me with… joy and freedom. She makes everything feel bright with her around and she's very headstrong. I couldn't imagine living the rest of my life without her in it."
The people in the audience were tearing their hearts out at the confession, finding it pure and beautiful. Once the people were quiet once more, the host decided to speak again.
"Well Naruto, I do wish that whatever happens in the arena, you find a desirable outcome." finished the host in a calm tone.
"Me too Caesar, me too."
Standing up with the host, Caesar placed his hand on Naruto's back while he spoke to the crowd, "Now please give it up for Naruto Uzumaki, the Golden Boy of District Twelve!"
"Seriously, again with this!" cried Naruto mentally as he waved to the crowd with a smile, "Who keeps telling these people my unofficial nickname?"
Staying cool, calm, and collected, Naruto walked backstage to get ready for bed. As he pushed past the curtains, Naruto was instantly sideswiped by Katniss in a rage.
She grabbed him by his shirt and slammed him into a nearby wall. Even for Naruto who trained his reflexes to be razor-sharp, it all happened too quickly. He wasn't in fight mode so he was caught off guard rather easily.
"What the fuck was that, huh!" Katniss shouted, "Just when I thought we could be friends, you go and tell everybody that you're falling in love with me!"
Naruto was too stunned to speak, just taking it all in.
"And what's with all this training alone crap anyway!" she dug her hands deeper into his chest, "Is that how you want to play it? Have you just been using me to lower my guard this whole time!"
This was where Naruto finally had enough, he talked back in anger, "You're the one who started ignoring me! I gave you space where you needed it and now you're giving me shit for it?!"
Haymitch finally came upon the two and separated them right away.
"Enough sweetheart! Lover boy here just did you a favor!"
"Bullshit!" she fired back, "He made me look defenseless out there, like some weak little girl who needed a protector!"
"He-" Haymitch pointed at Naruto, "-made you look captivating. Irresistible. Alluring. Whatever you want to call it, he just gave you both another reason for sponsors to care about you!"
Cinna then butted in as he arrived with Haymitch, "He's right Katniss, it's a show for them at the end of the day."
"Thank you!" cried out an exasperated Haymitch, "At least someone else understands!"
Katniss realized they were both right, it was a show at the end of the day for the Capitol.
After thinking about it, Katniss understood why she reacted so violently. She was angry because deep down… she was also beginning to form feelings for the blonde. She just didn't want his admission to be because of the Hunger Games, it felt like it was a mockery of her feelings.
It was all confusing for the young teenager.
"Listen," Naruto broke the silence as all eyes looked at him, "I don't care if you hate me, but I needed to get some things off my chest as well as help get sponsors. I'll see you tomorrow."
Without speaking to anybody else, Naruto rushed to his room and aimed to go to bed.
"Shit… I didn't know he might've had feelings for the girl…" thought Haymitch while biting his lip in frustration.
"Wait… did he mean what he said?" Katniss pondered in confusion.
Wanting to get back on track, Haymitch spoke up, "We'll play the star-crossed lovers act for now and see how it goes," he then let out a sigh, "Just go to bed and prepare for tomorrow. You'll both be in the arena by tomorrow afternoon, so get one last good night of sleep."
It was finally here, the 74th Annual Hunger Games would commence shortly. Caesar Flickerman was with his co-host Cornelius as they awaited for the bloodbath to begin.
Katniss was in an underground room with Cinna, speaking over some final things. She had received a tracker in her arm along with the other tributes earlier.
Throughout the morning, Naruto had not spoken to her or even looked in her direction, something she hated.
Earlier in the day, Haymitch spoke strategy to both her and Naruto during breakfast. He explained that it would be best to not engage at the Cornucopia right away. Haymitch also advised them to not step off their platforms early, unless they wanted to explode that is. Neither she nor Naruto said anything at that, preferring to stay silent.
In just a few minutes, she would be fighting for her life.
"Here," spoke Cinna softly as he placed a gold Mockingjay pin on her shirt, "Keep this on you, Girl on Fire."
He then handed her a black jacket that she put on swiftly, obviously meant to hide the pin before they entered the arena.
Katniss whispered back, "Where did you get this?"
Cinna winked back, "Don't worry about that, just go out there and kick some ass."
As Katniss got her jacket zipped up, she was wondering why the room looked fuzzy. After a second, she realized it was because she was shaking violently. Her lip was quivering and her hands were rocking… she was scared for her life.
Almost like a comforting father figure, Cinna hugged Katniss to calm her nerves. They stayed that way for a while.
"Thirty seconds until departure," spoke a voice into the room.
Looking back at the cylinder she would have to be placed in, she spoke, "I gotta go…"
Cinna nodded, "I know…"
Giving one final goodbye hug, Katniss entered the tube wearily. It latched shut, then slowly lifted her upwards.
"Game face people!" shouted Seneca Crane as he walked around his staff, "I want to make sure everything goes off without a problem!"
"Everybody's online and in their tubes," spoke another person.
"We have ten seconds until launch," said another.
"Perfect!" Seneca Crane said as he clasped his hands and looked at the screen monitoring the fighters, "Let's get this show on the road!"
That was what the Capitol saw this death match as, a show.
Feeling the brightness of the sun assault her eyes momentarily, Katniss squinted until her eyes adjusted. Once they did, she looked around to see all of her fellow tributes on their platforms. There were twenty-four platforms and only one person would make it out alive.
"Fourteen… thirteen…twelve…eleven…" spoke the announcer. They were counting down until the tributes could leave their platforms.
Each District had its monitoring systems as they viewed this year's games. They were all awaiting the match, hoping their tributes would not die.
Capitol citizens also lined up to spend money, bet, and watch the matches live in public. It was their glamorous show after all.
"Ten…nine… eight… seven…" Katniss glanced over to her right and spotted Naruto. He seemed ready, confident, and sure of what he was doing. At that moment, she felt slightly jealous that she couldn't do the same.
Seeing her glance, Naruto stared back into Katniss's eyes. Despite their recent difference, he did truly want to save her life. Deciding to give one last piece of advice, he pointed at the Cornucopia and shook his head, showing that he believed she shouldn't go for it.
"Six… five… four… three…"
"The Games have almost started folks! We are all waiting at the edge of our seats for this moment!" shouted Caesar on his show.
"Two… one…"
A loud horn signified the start of the 74th Annual Hunger Games.
Katniss did the first thing that came to mind.
She ran to the Cornucopia.
AND SCENE!
That's the end of this chapter! Hope you all don't hate me too much for how it ended!
I'm hoping that Katniss and Naruto's relationship was more fleshed out in this chapter. The drama, suspense, and romance are all going to be important later on.
As always, please review!
Cheers!