We are nearing the end of the story! I hope you all enjoy reading this as much as I enjoy writing it!
As always, please review! They help me a ton! I've responded to a few at the very bottom of this chapter, so read them if you like.
There are a lot of back-and-forth POV switches in this chapter, I hope you all enjoy it.
Disclaimer: I don't own "The Hunger Games" or "Naruto," they belong to their respective owners.
A Killing Machine
Naruto sat with Edwin as they shared drinks in his home. The two were laughing and joking, sharing old memories.
"Can you believe I punched the shit out of Chaff for kissing my fiance?" Naruto said while downing another bottle of alcohol. He was beginning to slur his words, a sign that he had consumed massive amounts of alcohol by this point already.
"Reminds me of the time I smacked this guy for hitting on Ana," Edwin said with a chuckle. "He couldn't walk for days after the beating I gave him."
Both men bantered back and forth, happy to share laughs.
The laughter soon died down. Placing his bottle down, Naruto closed his eyes and asked, "How do you deal with so much pain in this world, Ed?"
Edwin looked over with a smile, "Well that's easy, you endure."
Those last two words set off an alarm in Naruto's brain. These two words were something that struck deep inside him.
Naruto scrunched his eyes in confusion. "Wait… have we had this conversation before?"'
Before he could speak, both individuals heard a knock at the front door.
"You going to answer that son?" Edwin asked. He was looking over at Naruto with a drunken smile, so happy that his eyes were closed.
"Uhh… yeah, yeah I got it." Standing up, Naruto walked over and opened the door. He tried his best to steady his walk, still intoxicated from the booze he drank.
He was then greeted by the sight of Peeta holding up a basket. In the basket, was fresh bread, wine, and fruit.
"What's up bro," Peeta said with a smile, "I came for the get-together you invited me to. You gonna let me in?"
"Y-Yeah, of course, man," Naruto said with a slight stutter and stepped aside. Peeta then walked in and set the basket on the table Edwin was sitting at. Taking a seat across Edwin, Peeta brought out the loaf of bread.
"Okay.. he got comfortable quick…" Naruto thought before closing the door. This was quite odd to him but he put it aside for now.
Sitting down between both men, Naruto grabbed another bottle. He also grabbed an empty glass and poured some wine into it. He would be drinking quite heavily tonight.
"So did you hear?" Peeta said while breaking open the bread.
"Hear what?" Naruto asked in confusion, putting the bottle of wine back down after pouring it into his glass.
"They're planning to use the existing victors as tributes for this upcoming Hunger Games," Peeta answered, "I think it's pretty unfair if you ask me."
"That already happened, Peeta," Naruto said while looking at his best friend. "I was reaped already, I volunteered for Haymitch just like I volunteered for you the year before. You were there man...all of District Twelve was... how do you not remember it?"
"It did?" Peeta said with a grin as he took a bite out of the bread. "It must have slipped my mind," he said with a mouthful.
These comments were slowly getting to the blonde. He didn't understand what was going on, everything felt out of place. These events had already happened.
It then occurred to him, that none of this was real. He felt his stomach sink at this fact, knowing life was never this perfect for him. Life was never as simple as allowing him to relax with his loved ones for this long.
Then, as seconds turned into minutes, Naruto sat there stunned. Peeta and Edwin talked to each other, but their words never registered for the blonde. He heard their muffled conversation, almost as if he was underwater.
Gaining the courage to speak again, Naruto gripped the glass even tighter in his hand.
"…you're dead, aren't you?" Naruto asked while looking over to his mentor. Things were slowly coming to him now, memories that were locked away. "You were murdered in front of me, shot dead by Snow's guards. I was tied up and helpless as they killed you...they forced me to watch your execution"
If Edwin heard him, he didn't show it. Instead, the man lifted his own cup to his lips and took another sip.
"DON'T IGNORE ME ED!" Naruto shouted while throwing his glass to the ground, "YOU DIED IN FRONT OF ME RIGHT? RIGHT!?"
Once again, Edwin simply sipped on his drink and didn't answer. Taking in a few deep breaths, Naruto calmed himself from making a bigger scene.
Craning his head to the other side, Naruto asked another question, "…you're dead too… right?"
Peeta chose this moment to lean back in his chair, staring straight ahead. He too avoided the question.
"I saw the bakery, crushed into rubble," Naruto said with a quivering lip. His eyes were beginning to water, "You were used against me, held hostage so I could be Snow's pawn. I didn't see your dead body directly, but I could piece it together. You died in that rubble with your family, right?"
Peeta took another bit out of his bread, not saying anything in response.
Trying to keep himself from breaking down, Naruto looked at his father figure with sad eyes. "Listen, Ed, I'm sorry for letting you down. I should have done something, anything, to keep you safe. You protected me when I was young and you've been like a father to me...I'm sorry that I couldn't save you...I'm so sorry..."
Turning to his best friend, Naruto let the tears fall freely at this point, "And I'm sorry Peeta, for not being there when you needed me most. I volunteered for you at the Reaping the first time because I wanted to save you and now you're dead because of me." Chuckling, Naruto said, "What a friend I am, huh? I tried to save you only to cause your death in the end."
Clutching his eyes shut, Naruto spoke out loud, "I'm sorry to both of you. I failed you both, I don't deserve to share these moments with you when I've failed so much already. I'm sorry that you both died because of just associating with me..." Naruto laughed but it held no genuine joy in it, "...I should be the one dead instead of you both. I don't deserve to be alive anymore."
Finally, after his piece was said, Edwin then looked directly at the blonde and smiled, "It's important you know something, kid."
"And what's that?" Naruto asked with his eyes closed and a few hiccups. He felt like the world was spinning around him. Tears would not stop coming out of his eyes, no matter how tight he shut them.
"It's not your fault," Peeta said with a smile, "It's not your fault. Take the time to grieve, but it's not your fault."
The blonde's body began to jerk up and down from the sobs he had. This was becoming too real for him. "But how can it not be my fault? You both died because of me…"
He remembered now, he remembered their deaths. He didn't know if he was currently in another hallucination or nightmare, but he remembered their deaths.
"The Capitol killed us," Peeta said while pouring himself a cup of wine.
"Snow killed us," Edwin said while grabbing a piece of bread.
"You didn't," both said at the same time, looking at the blonde with soft eyes.
Naruto slammed his palms onto the table, "I KILLED YOU BOTH! I DESERVE TO DIE!"
Edwin and Peeta then comfortingly placed their hands over the blond. They both gave a comforting squeeze.
"Live. Live for us, promise." they both said in tandem.
Naruto grit his teeth and dug his nails into the table. Now he knew this wasn't real, he didn't feel the pain.
"Promise us," both asked again.
Crying and sobbing, Naruto didn't answer at first. He felt a flurry of emotions build up inside him.
Edwin was dead. Peeta was dead. And he...he was barely living.
"Okay…" He sobbed out, "…I promise."
The two men smiled before fading away. The house around him began to peel away as Naruto felt himself zone out.
He needed to live… for them.
District Thirteen - Medical Center
Katniss sat down while stroking Naruto's palm. The blonde was hooked up to an IV bag, a heartbeat monitor, and other equipment. It broke her heart to see him in such as state.
He was so thin, she could see the outline of his collarbone and ribs. His hands were both wrapped in multiple layers of gauze due to his injuries. The Capitol had plucked out each of his fingernails on both hands.
Besides his fingernails being removed, Naruto also had severe bags under his eyes. It looked like they had kept him awake for hours on end without sleep. Furthermore, there were large bruises on his neck, arms, and legs. They were a deep purple color and swelled due to the inflammation caused.
He also had first-degree burns across his chest, shoulders, and thighs. They would heal in time, but she didn't know if they would scar.
His lip was split, likely from blunt force trauma. His forehead also had a few stitches to patch up a gash that had been there before his recovery. There were three small holes in the side of his neck, likely from the insertion of medical needles. They were patched up by the medical professional in District Thirteen.
One thing that Katniss found odd, however, was that Naruto's hair was dyed pure white. It looked almost like Snow's hair, but it was a shade lighter. His hairstyle remained the same, but the color was changed. Even his eyebrows and slight stubble across his jaw remained his natural blonde color. It was only his hair that was dyed.
The most concerning thing about this entire ordeal was the fact that Naruto never moved an inch. If it wasn't for the heart-beating monitor in the background, she would assume he was dead.
When she first walked in, she expected him to be awake and alert. Instead, she saw his beaten form slowly breathing on the bed. The doctors had placed a tube down his throat to assist his breathing. His lips were chapped from a lack of fluid.
He had been unconscious while rescued and remained that way. Some doctors and nurses came by occasionally, but she remained seated.
Haymitch and Gale had both come to visit her earlier, but they only stayed for an hour or two. Even Coin came by with Commander Boggs, saying how she announced to the District their covert mission.
The only person to stay in the room with her was Prim. Their mother was here earlier, but she had to go to work. She worked as a nurse now, helping Prim understand the medical field.
Finnick, Annie, and Johanna all stopped by as well. Annie and Johanna wore looks of guilt and shame, feeling that he was tortured because of them. Finnick had even dropped off a knot he made for Naruto. He said he would be back later and left with both girls.
"I don't even think you know how important you are… to so many people…" Katniss whispered while her tears fell on the man's hand. His gauze getting slightly wet from her crying.
"It's okay Katniss," Prim whispered to her sister while rubbing her back, "He'll get better. He always does."
"Yeah…" Katniss whispered back, "…yeah he will, the Capitol can't break him. No one can." It almost sounded like she was convincing herself more than Prim.
"How can I be so close to him…" Katniss thought, "…yet be so far at the same time…"
It was surreal for the girl on fire at first. Feeling her fiance's cold hand, wrapped in gauze, while he was hooked up to medical machinery. She missed his smile, his laugh, and his touch.
Both girls stayed in silence for a while, watching over the unconscious man. Suddenly, the monitors nearby began to fluctuate and beep rapidly. For the first time since being in the room, Katniss saw a slight twitch in Naruto's bicep.
"He's waking up!" Katniss exclaimed while standing up, "He's waking up, Prim!"
However, Prim didn't share Katniss's excitement. "I don't think he's waking up, Katniss."
Confused, Katniss examined the monitors once more. In the next instant, a multitude of doctors and nurses rushed inside.
Naruto began to thrash in his bed violently. His eyes were still closed but he was foaming at the mouth. His body jerked around, almost like he was being tortured all over again.
"He's going to throw up down the tube," one of the nurses stated while checking his vitals, "We need to stabilize him, NOW!"
"He's out of his target heart rate zone," another nurse said, "Oxygen levels are also dropping dramatically."
"He's going into cardiac arrest," said the lead nurse with a firm voice.
"No… no…I just got him back…" Katniss said mentally. Her thoughts eventually caused her to shout, "NO! DON'T LET HIM DIE! PLEASE!"
One of the male nurses tried to gently pry Katniss away with Prim's help, but the girl struggled. Grabbing her by her legs, the nurse picked up the girl on fire and escorted her out.
"NO! NARUTO! NO!" She screamed while crying, "DON'T LET HIM DIE! DON'T!"
The last thing she saw of him was his violent twitches and multiple medical professionals surrounding him.
Katniss sat at her bunk within her living quarters. She was staring at the wall blankly, hoping her fiance didn't just die. Her thoughts were interrupted by General Boggs, Haymitch, and Plutarch walking inside.
"Hey kid," Haymitch said with a soft tone, "I heard about Naruto. He's in intensive care right now."
Katniss nodded, not feeling like talking at the moment.
Haymitch sat down next to her and placed his arm around her. With a comforting squeeze, he said, "He'll pull through. I've seen how tough he can be, he'll pull through."
"Thank you… Haymitch…" Katniss said in a hollow tone. Turning to the two others, she asked, "So why are you all here anyway?"
"Well," Plutarch began, "We thought you would want to meet somebody special. They're the same person who gave us the reliable tip that Naruto was in the Tribute Center. They spent the last few hours being debriefed by Coin, Boggs, and other military personnel. She's been cleared."
"Okay…" Katniss trailed off, "But why would I want to meet them?" She didn't see the correlation.
"Bring her out," Boggs said. Nodding his head, Plutarch went into the hallway to retrieve the mysterious person.
Walking back in, Plutarch moved aside, "Katniss, meet Karin Uzumaki. Karin, meet Katniss."
Out came a red-haired girl with a few shades darker than Annie's. She wore glasses and a black button-up blouse. She was covered in gray pants, black closed-toed shoes, and a satchel on her waist.
"Nice to meet you Katniss, I'm Karin Uzumaki," Karin then extended her hand out for a handshake.
"Wait, hold up," Katniss took a step back, "Uzumaki? As in Naruto's family?"
Taking her hand back, Karin nodded. "Yes, I am his cousin."
"Surprised me too," Haymitch said from behind Katniss, "Didn't think we'd ever meet anybody directly related to the kid."
Katniss's face snarled up in anger, "So then where were you when Naruto needed his family? When his parents were killed?"
Feeling the tension in the room, Boggs silently grabbed the syringe in his pocket. He was ordered to sedate Katniss in case she got out of control in this meeting, orders from Coin.
Karin thinned her lips, "There's a lot to explain, it's not that simpl-"
"Then explain," Katniss spat out, "We have all day."
Huffing, Karin sat down at an opposing bunk. Katniss chose to remain standing while Plutarch walked out of the room, no longer needed. Boggs and Haymitch remained, both alert in case they needed to separate the two.
Taking in a deep breath, Karin began, "First off, do you know anything about our family?"
Katniss shook her head, "Not much, Naruto didn't talk about his family a lot."
"Then I'll start from the beginning," Karin said while folding her hands in her lap, "Naruto comes from our family, the Uzumakis. We have been around since the Capitol's founding and remained within the city our entire lives. About two decades ago, we started a business dealing with luxurious items."
Katniss nodded, listening to the story.
"Our family's business grew and grew until we had many clients. We didn't work with President Snow directly, but we did supply many of the jewels in his mansion. We were a wealthy family," Karin said.
Katniss nearly snorted, "And with all that wealth you let Naruto starve."
Ignoring her jab, Karin continued, "Naruto's mother, Kushina, was my aunt. She was one of the daughters of our company's CEO at the time. Her father, my grandpa, was the decision maker and executive of the business," Karin chose this time to clear her throat, "When Aunt Kushina decided to run off with Naruto's father in secret, she was disowned from our family's business. The only thing she was able to keep, was the jewel necklace you're wearing."
Katniss looked down at her neck, seeing the dangling jewel. Suddenly, Naruto's heirloom meant much more to her now that she understood the meaning behind it.
"After her departure, my grandpa grew sad. His old age and regret over disowning Aunt Kushina eventually caught up to him. He died feeling sorrow over his decision, but it was too late. He was never able to find where Kushina had run off to, as she didn't say." Karin said while straightening her back out.
"Why did he do it then? Why disown his daughter in the first place?" Katniss asked.
"Because Naruto's father, Minato, was declared a criminal by Snow himself. He believed in distributing information for free while Snow… didn't." Karin answered. "My grandpa didn't like the shame that Aunt Kushina brought on our family for staying with him, so he disowned her. He would come to regret it immensely later on."
This information blew Katniss' mind. It seemed the parents of her fiance had much bigger roles in the Capitol than she thought. It made her slightly sad, however, as Naruto didn't talk much about his parents.
"Why did so many people hate his decision?" Katniss wondered with crossed arms.
"Because in our family, we have a motto," Karin answered, "Our personal beliefs and values place family ties over everything else. My grandpa unfortunately died with regret."
"Then how do you come into this?"
Karin gained a sad look, "Snow wanted to use our wealth to fund his Peacekeeper program. This was around the time the third Quarter Quell ended when riots were appearing in every District. He also wanted to use our company to stop manufacturing jewels and instead manufacture weapons."
"Then what happened?" Katniss asked in a whisper.
"We refused…" Karin wiped a tear away under her glasses, "…you can guess what happened next."
Katniss nodded, understanding the girl's pain. She knew of Snow's threats all too well.
"I was the only survivor of his cruelness, he massacred our entire family. My siblings, mother, father, and other relatives were gunned down by his men. I managed to escape by hiding underneath the bodies of my loved ones."
Haymitch looked away at hearing this, feeling sorrow at this girl's situation. He could also relate to Snow's cruelness.
"That's when I decided to do what I could to support the rebels. Seeing my cousin's appearance while giving the interviews with Caesar… I knew I needed to help. So I liquidated all of our assets, withdrew all the wealth I could, and fled the Capitol."
"Is that how you found us?" Katniss said while sitting down in her bunk next to Haymitch. She finally felt comfortable enough to drop her guard.
"Sorta," Karin said, "Our family had connections all over from the previous twenty years of being in business. One of them led me to District Thirteen and I was able to link with Plutarch. After some talking, I was able to relay to him the information that Naruto was transported to the Tribute Center."
"So why not help him directly?" Katniss said, "Why not rescue Naruto yourself?"
Karin let out a humorless chuckle, "How? By myself? I had no one to help me at that point, all I could do was provide information. Besides, Naruto was locked up tightly and surrounded by constant guards from what my sources in the mansion told me."
Taking off her glasses, Karin wiped her eyes, "I did try to help him the best I could. I don't know if you remember, but I sent a few sponsor packages in the 75th Hunger Games. I signed it off with a 'U' to represent Uzumaki."
Katniss looked like she had an epiphany, "Yeah, you're right. I do remember getting those packages."
Putting her glasses back on, Karin smiled, "I planned on meeting him after the arena if he survived but… then… everything with the rebels happened and he was captured. I couldn't do anything after that."
Katniss winced at this, feeling guilty. She didn't think her arrow being lodged into the arena would have such a ripple effect.
"But then why not help him in the 74th Hunger Games? Or when he was on Victor Tour? Or any of the times in between?" Haymitch piped up.
"I didn't know he existed then," Karin said with a frown, "My mother kept me very sheltered from the outside world. She didn't want me to meet somebody else and run off like my aunt had. I wasn't allowed to watch any Hunger Games, see any tributes, or bet on anybody. The only reason I was able to help in the 75th Hunger Games was because my mother had been sick the day of the tribute interviews. I sneaked off to watch them in private and saw his announcement of your twin babies."
Katniss had a look of embarrassment on her face and a blush slowly crept on her cheeks.
"That's when I found out he existed, so I tried my best to help afterward… now I'm here, and I want to help," she said with conviction.
"No offense, sweetheart," Haymitch began, "But what exactly can you do to help?"
"I can provide information," She said in response, "I still have many informants on the inside of the Capitol. With their help, we can end this war quickly. Also, I have acquired nearly the entirety of my family's wealth, which I could use to help District Thirteen. Distribute supplies, fuel hovercrafts, anything that needs money I can help with."
"Alright…" Katniss said after a few seconds of examination, "I believe you. But we'll have to wait for Naruto to wake up, he's in critical condition right now."
"Don't worry," Karin said while reaching into her satchel. She pulled out a few medical notebooks, "My family also traded a lot in the medical field. I have a few things I can show the doctors here to help him feel better."
Katniss smiled, she was already liking this girl.
"Ms. Everdeen," called out a voice.
Snapping awake from her slumber, Katniss saw a nurse dressed in her medical outfit.
"Your fiance is awakening, I thought you should be notified. We stabilized him."
Thanking the nurse, Katniss rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. It was late at night and her sister was asleep. Her mother snuggled right next to Prim, snoring lightly.
Putting on her shoes, Katniss walked straight into the Medical Center.
Standing outside the room were two guards, fully armed.
"Is something wrong?" Katniss asked with hesitation. She was confused as to why two guards stood outside Naruto's room.
"Nothing to worry about, Ms. Everdeen," one of the men said, "We're on orders from Coin to guard Naruto until he recovers. Only high-security individuals or those with clearance can enter. Thankfully for you, you are one of them."
Nodding her head, Katniss took a deep breath. Pushing the door aside, she walked in. There, in the bed, lay Naruto. However, he looked to be in a slightly better state.
The tube had been taken out of his throat, showing he could breathe on his own again. His hands had fresh bandages around them. He also wasn't hooked up to as many machines anymore, only having one needle in an IV bag.
She stood and watched as Naruto stirred in his sleep. He would awake soon, she could feel it.
Finally, after waiting for about three straight minutes, she saw his eyes slowly open. His vibrant, blue eyes looked to be dazed.
"Ruto…" Katniss whispered out in shock, happy to see him awake once more. "…Ruto, it's me."
"Kat..niss…" Naruto garbled out. His vision was slowly becoming clearer and clearer. "It's you… I missed you…my beautiful Kat…"
Katniss choked back tears and reached a hand out to touch his face. Just when she was mere inches away, Naruto snapped.
"DON'T TOUCH ME!" He yelled out. "YOU MUTT!"
Bringing her hand back right away, Katniss looked on in confusion. He was fine just a moment ago.
"Katniss… listen to me…" Naruto said while gripping the sides of his bed tightly, "The Capitol did many bad things to me. I need to be restrained until I can control myself."
"But…but…"
"You need to restrain me, Kat," Naruto said with a sad smile, "For our safety."
Thankfully, both guards walked inside as they were alerted by the shouting earlier.
"Everything okay?" one of them asked.
"No," Naruto shook his head, "I need restraints on me, NOW!"
The guard stood there confused at first as nobody ever willingly asked for restraints, but he did so nonetheless. Multiple doctors came in with leather straps. They placed them securely around the blonde as he twitched and jerked occasionally.
Katniss saw Naruto's leg shake up and down nonstop as they strapped him in. He had developed a tremor.
Once done, the medical professionals left while the guards chose to stay in the room instead of outside this time.
"What happened, Ruto?" Katniss asked in a whisper.
Naruto choked back some tears, "They messed with my head, Kat. They… they programmed me to kill you."
Katniss's heart dropped at this revelation.
"I tried to fight back their brainwashing, I really tried…" Naruto let out a small laugh while tears started streaming down his face, "But I couldn't. They implanted memories in my head that don't exist, but I don't know which ones they are. They made you out to be a demon, a threat, a mutt to be killed…"
Katniss placed her hand on her mouth in shock at hearing this. She was openly sobbing at this point.
Naruto's fingers twitched under his bandages, "I can sometimes fight it… like right now…" he pointed out, "… but other times, I can't. I get flooded with images of you killing my loved ones, and I go berserk. I'm too unstable to be around you right now… Kat…" He chuckled, "They even dyed my hair white, they said it was to remove my 'Golden Boy' nickname from back home. Something about stripping down my identity."
"No…" Katniss whispered while gazing at her fiance, "…what did they do to you?…." she let the question hang in the air. This was despicable.
She felt the hot tears streaming down her face, "They'll never be able to break you. You're still the same Naruto that defended Johanna and Annie back in the Capitol. You'll always be Naruto, they can't take that away from you!"
Just as Naruto was about to respond, he saw Katniss's image shift. Her eyes grew slits down the middle and her mouth contorted to show an evil grin. Her hair grew in size while surrounding her face, showing him an image of horror.
"GET AWAY FROM ME!" Naruto screamed out in fear, "I'LL KILL YOU IF YOU GET ANY CLOSER!" The blonde began thrashing in his restraints, eager to tear the girl on fire's throat out.
That's when both guards started holding the blonde down. This is when Haymitch came in with Boggs, Plutarch, and Finnick.
"Naruto!" Haymitch said in shock at seeing his student awake and alert. They were all notified of Naruto's responsiveness, so the three decided to come as a group. They were expecting a welcome surprise, but instead, they were greeted by a horror show.
"GET OFF OF ME!" Naruto yelled so loudly the veins in his neck began showing, "I'LL KILL HER! I SWEAR I'll KILL HER!"
More guards barged into the room while another nurse grabbed a sedative. Injecting it into his neck, the blonde ceased to struggle in a matter of seconds. They had some really powerful stuff.
Finnick and Boggs looked on in horror, shocked to see the fighter in such a state. Finnick however, was more distraught. He blamed himself for leaving Naruto behind, to have to endure such torture. He almost felt like he was watching a completely different person being wheeled away.
"Haymitch…"
Looking over to see Katniss's silent tears, Haymitch gained a hardened expression.
"… I'm going to kill President Snow."
And just like that, Naruto was transported into a more secure area.
District Thirteen – Containment Area
Katniss walked towards the secured containment area where her fiance was being held in. He was strapped to his medical bag with an IV bag, and constantly monitored. He was surrounded by a steel room with small glass windows peeking in. It was a one-way mirror, meaning he couldn't see who was looking in at him.
As Katniss walked, she thought about the disgust she felt with Gale and Beetee. Both men had been working on a new trap to kill more Capitol people. It was based off of Gale's hunting trap in which a delayed trigger would cause a second trap to spring.
Beetee explained the contraption to her. If an explosion occurred, people would attend to the wounded. Once more people were rounded up, a second explosion would happen in the same area ensuring more deaths.
It was a sickening idea to Katniss, and it was even worse when she saw the smiles on both men's faces. They looked proud of themselves like they were marking the invention of something great.
She had told Gale something that Naruto told her long ago. "If you become your enemy to win, then you have won nothing." It was the same reason Naruto showed kindness in the arena instead of constant slaughter, he didn't want to turn into his enemies.
She stood by that, and the look on Gale's face when she left showed that he was contemplating her words.
"What's the status update?" Katniss demanded and she walked into Naruto's containment area.
Plutarch, Haymitch, Boggs, and Prim were all there already. They had been viewing inside.
Turning around, Plutarch answered first, "We decided to send in his cousin, Karin, first. We wanted to gauge his response to her as he was programmed to kill you."
Katniss nodded at this fact, feeling her chest tighten. The group had explained to Katniss earlier that Naruto had gone through something called "Hijacking" which meant he was implanted with false memories of her. Memories that were meant to trigger his kill response every time he saw her.
It only made her love for him grow, knowing that he must have been under extreme stress when he first saw her face. And yet, despite his countless hours of torture, he was able to fight it long enough to warn her. They used tracker jacker venom and other forms of torture to beat him into submission.
"And how's she holding up?" Katniss questioned while crossing her arms under her jacket. She was feeling slightly cold.
"Surprisingly well," Haymitch answered, "He's had no outburst the entire time they've been talking. He was shocked to find out he had a living relative all this time, but after she explained her situation, he calmed down."
Haymitch nodded to Plutarch's words, "The only sign of trouble is when he occasionally groans and holds his head. They've implanted themselves deep into his mind."
Katniss frowned at hearing this. "How long have they been talking for?"
"One hour," Boggs said.
This filled Katniss with hope. Hope that they could reverse-engineer whatever they did to her lover. Hope that he will be his old self again soon.
"Send me in," Prim spoke up, "I want to see him."
"Prim, I don't think that's a very good idea right now," Katniss spoke in a soft tone. She loved her fiance, but it was too risky now that he had been hijacked. It did tear her heart to say that, given that Prim and Naruto got along rather well.
"You're not the only one who cares about him," Prim responded, "He's been through enough…I want to help him…"
Plutarch sighed at hearing this, "Are you sure about this, Prim?"
The girl nodded.
"I'll accompany her," Boggs said, "For her safety."
"No," Prim said while shaking her head, "He needs to know we trust him. I'll go in alone."
"Stubborn just like your sister," Haymitch joked.
Katniss bit her lip in anxiousness, not sure if Prim would be safe. It hurt her heart to think that her partner would attack her sister… but the Capitol had done its worst to her lover.
Prim looked over at Katniss for her approval. It took some time, but Katniss gave a slow nod.
Plutarch then buzzed the radio on Karin's body, signaling that her time was up. They had discussed this previously before she went into the room.
Karin felt the buzz in her pocket and stopped mid-sentence. Standing off of the medical bed, she said, "I'm sorry to cut our conversation so short, but I promise I'll be back."
Naruto nodded with a half-smile, happy he could speak with his cousin. It was shocking for him at first, but after her explanation, he was able to piece it together. He didn't have much trouble speaking to her, likely because he didn't have any memories of her to manipulate.
Walking out, Karin looked annoyed, "Why did you take me out? I was making good progress!"
Plutarch nodded, "You were, but we need to test others. Prim decided to go in."
Seeing that her outburst was unnecessary, Karin looked over at the young girl before giving a soft smile, "Good luck, I'm sure you'll do great."
With a nod, Prim readied herself before walking into the room. As she paced in, Naruto kept a careful gaze on her.
"Hey…" Prim said in a small voice.
"… hey Prim…" Naruto said with tired eyes. "How are you doing?"
"I'm doing good…" Prim said while fiddling with her hair.
Naruto chuckled, "How's life been treating you here?"
"Pretty good," Prim said softly, "I was promoted here in District Thirteen. I'm training to be a doctor now."
Naruto sunk into his bed, "I'm sure you'll do great. You're a very smart girl."
Prim felt a little more at ease, seeing as the blonde hadn't had an outburst since walking in. Honestly, if she didn't know he was brainwashed, she would assume he was normal.
"Yeah, I'm pretty smart," Prim bragged with a smile, "Just like my sister."
This gave Naruto a pounding headache and he groaned while clutching his head. This startled Prim as she jumped a little from seeing his reaction. Plutarch had warned about this.
"Please…" Naruto whispered, "…please don't mention your sister for now. It brings up some bad memories…"
"Okay," Prim promised, "I won't."
The two then talked for twenty minutes with calm demeanors. Throughout this entire conversation, Prim never mentioned her sister once. Deep into their conversation, Prim taught Naruto how to make a makeshift tourniquet for injuries. It took some time to figure it out, as Naruto's hands shook whenever he would demonstrate himself, but they got there.
Prim never saw Katniss leaning on the window, sobbing silently. It was hard seeing the love of her life not being able to even mention her name.
The duo stopped talking when Naruto suddenly snapped and jerked. His mind was flooded with whispers about how Katniss sent Prim to kill him. He had to calmly ask Prim to leave, which she did without fail. Once the door shut behind her, Naruto screamed aloud to himself. The memories were painful to go through, as they often showed him the deaths of those close to him.
They still had a long way to go.
District Thirteen – Command Room
"I want to kill Snow, send me to the Capitol."
Coin sighed at hearing Katniss's request. The girl on fire was standing near the table she was sitting at.
"I can't do that," Coin said, "It's too risky. If you die trying to kill Snow, this entire revolution loses its symbol."
"Snow needs to PAY for what he's done!" Katniss snapped, "He's killed too many people and now he's broken Naruto. I need to kill him!"
"You don't understand," Coin said, "I also have to worry about District Two. We can't get into the Capitol until we have control of District Two."
"Then send me there instead," Katniss said, "Send me to District Two."
"And what could you do there?" Coin asked while leaning back in her seat.
"I can raise morale, call out for unity. You've seen what I can do, send me to District Two." Katniss said in a flat tone.
Coin sighed before giving out her final decision.
District Two – Rebel Base
Katniss landed on the ground of District Two for the very first time since her Victory Tour. With her stood Commander Boggs, Gale, Haymitch, and Beetee. Karin and Plutarch stayed behind with Naruto.
"Nice to finally meet you," said a military official from District Two, "Let's get you inside and ready."
Nodding their heads, the group followed the man inside for cover. Once there, they met with other rebels and a few familiar faces as well.
"Greetings Ms. Everdeen, I am Commander Lyme here in District Two," said a tall woman with blonde hair.
Katniss shook the woman's hand and noticed that Commander Paylor was also among the group. Just then, the hologram in the middle of the table they stood around lit up. Flashing a few times, President Alma Coin flared on screen.
"Commander Lyme," Coin said, "It's a pleasure to see you once again."
"Likewise," responded the woman, "But let's get down to business."
Waving her hand, the hologram shifted to show a mountain with underground facilities. There were armored trucks, supply tunnels, and weapon caches.
"I appreciate the support, President Coin," Lyme said, "But here in Two, we've dealt with a much different war. Loyalty to the Capitol is rampant here, people have had their families raised on the Capitol's generosity. It won't be easy to fight against."
"That's why I sent you the Mockingjay," Coin responded, "She can work wonders."
"Well let's hope she can work miracles as well," Lyme said before focusing on the hologram in the middle, "This right here, is called the Nut. It is a fortified bunker deep in the mountain here in Two. It's the main offensive operations of the Capitol and controls much of their weaponry."
Pointing at the mountain, Lyme continued, "It has tunnels that reach so far down, it hits bedrock and below. The Nut is manned by both civilians and military officials," Taking a deep breath, Lyme said, "We attempted to attack their Eastern gate yesterday but we were gunned down from above. We were forced to retreat and suffered massive losses."
"What if we attempt a diversion?" Haymitch asked, "Send in a decoy team from one end, and enter through the other?"
"And who would we send in as a decoy?" Commander Paylor asked, "Your troops? My troops?"
"Commander Paylor," Coin interrupted, "These weapons are necessary to our rebellion. Even with all of the Districts together, we are still outgunned one to three. The Nut is housing the biggest payload of weaponry Panem has."
"I will not condone a suicide mission just to grab weapons," Paylor responded firmly.
"No sacrifice is too great in this war," Coin rebutted, "We need those weapons."
"Then you can sacrifice your Mockingjay," Paylor spat out, "After all, no sacrifice is too great."
Seeing the tension in the room, Gale spoke up, "What if we had another strategy instead?"
All eyes turned to her. Eventually, Lyme spoke up first, "I'm listening."
"What if we collapsed the tunnels around the mountain instead of going inside," Gale offered, "Sure we would lose the weapons, but the Capitol would lose their biggest offensive headquarters they have. It's a better win for us ultimately."
Beetee agreed with Gale and said, "We could use hovercraft bombings at certain weak spots around the mountain."
"Exactly," Gale nodded, "We trap them inside, choke them of oxygen. Eventually, they all die out."
Katniss felt horrified at hearing these words come out of his mouth. However, before she could say anything, Commander Paylor spoke up. "And what about the civilians inside? Do we doom them to their fate as well?"
Boggs added to this, "There are supply tunnels that lead out of the Nut, I say we allow the civilians to evacuate before bombing the mountain."
Katniss nodded, "I think we should keep the tunnel open as well. We don't need to become our enemy to win this war."
"And what about when they bombed Twelve?" Gale asked with a frown, "They didn't allow civilians to evacuate then, why should we be any different?"
Everyone stayed silent for a moment, letting the tension in the area build up. Finally, after moments of contemplation, Coin spoke out, "Let's go with the bombing of the mountain, trigger those avalanches, and block off the exits. No one gets out but leave the tunnels open for civilians. That's my suggestion."
"What if they don't surrender?" Lyme asked.
"Then we have the rebellion's voice here with us," Coin responded with a smirk.
Katniss felt Coin's stare, obviously insinuating her.
Looking around the table, Lyme said, "Do we all agree on this?"
Nodding her head, Paylor spoke up, "I do."
"I do," Haymitch said while crossing his arms.
"I do," Boggs answered while looking over at Coin.
"I do," Katniss said with a gaze of confidence and conviction.
"I do," Beetee said while cleaning his glasses.
"…" Gale sighed, "I do."
Katniss noted that his demeanor was slowly shifting. He was becoming more…cynical as this war raged on.
District Thirteen – Containment Area
It had been hours since Naruto had last spoken to somebody. Everybody had gone back to their respective daily lives, occasionally dropping in to see how he was doing.
"How's he holding up?" Prim asked while looking through the small glass window into Naruto's room.
Plutarch let out a long sigh, "He's getting better, but he mumbles in his sleep. He constantly mentions how he's sorry and twitches violently. It's going to be a while before he's okay again."
Prim nodded, "I heard from Katniss that he had PTSD after the first Hunger Games he was in. I'm guessing the treatment under the Capitol only amplified it."
"Hijacking is a horrible thing," Plutarch mentioned, "It's the stripping of one's identity, breaking them down into something primal."
Turning his head over to Prim, Plutarch spoke, "It's quite surprising actually. For as long as they tortured him, he put up a hell of a fight. His mind should be mush right now, nothing but wishing for Katniss's death. Yet, just like always, he finds a way to protect her."
"Wait," Prim said in shock, "He's supposed to be worse than this?"
"Oh yeah," Plutarch nodded, "Most people break under a few hours of being hijacked. Even after multiple days, they still couldn't break Naruto down completely. They did a good job, but they couldn't erase everything."
Looking through the glass, Prim placed her hand atop the cool structure, "Even when you're at your lowest… you still try to protect my sister…"
It truly pained her heart to see Naruto in such a state. From somebody who could bring out a giggle in her normally stoic sister to being this mess, she felt horrible for him. That's why she came to check up on him whenever she had a break from the hospital.
Glancing a gaze over to Plutarch, Prim asked, "So if you don't mind me asking, why do you care so much? What makes you so invested in his condition?"
Plutarch chuckled but it didn't have any humor behind it. "I guess one part of me, the Gamemaker side, wants to see the results of the Capitol's work… but…" he let out a sigh, "…I mainly feel guilty for leaving him behind. He didn't deserve the fate handed to him. I didn't mean for him to stay back there, but it happened nonetheless."
Hearing the man's viewpoint on the subject, Prim stated, "You know what Plutarch?" Looking over at him, she said, "Maybe you're not such a bad guy after all."
The man laughed in amusement at hearing this. It was refreshing hearing those words come out of a young girl's mouth. As he stared into Naruto's room, Plutarch said one final thing that had been bugging him lately.
Turning over to Prim, he said, "Although he does mumble something in his sleep that I haven't quite deciphered yet."
"Hmm?" Prim hummed, "And what's that?"
"He says the same phrase over and over again," Plutarch said with confusion, "Something about 'I endured' and then he jerks in his sleep."
"I endured, huh?" Prim said to herself. She was wondering what significance it held.
As for the blonde, he tried his best to enjoy his slumber. Being restrained to a bed wasn't helping, but he was trying.
"I endured… I endured… I endured…" he whispered as he slept.
It would be a long night for him. Even at rest, he was tortured with his memories.
District Two – Supply Tunnel
"Just got word from Plutarch," Haymitch said as he walked over to Katniss. "They showed Naruto your 'Hanging Tree' song and he recognized your voice without going…berserk," he said.
"That's wonderful!" Katniss cheered. That was a milestone so far in his recovery.
"Yeah the kid's still going through it," Haymitch sighed, "But it's a step in the right direction."
Both individuals were sitting on a bench towards the entrance of a supply tunnel from the Nut. It was dark out as the evening had been spent bombing the mountain. They were successful and just awaited the evacuation of the civilians.
Many of the rebels were waiting around for the train to appear in the tunnel. They had been waiting for about twenty minutes now. Each rebel was armed with a firearm and stayed on alert. This was still a highly contested area.
Coin had reminded Katniss to make sure the civilians lay down their arms when they arrived. She wanted the Mockinjay's persuasion to be seen by everybody.
Cressida and her camera crew had joined in a few hours ago. They were ready to film anything needed for the rebellion.
Hearing a train screech in the distance, everybody stood up. They readied their weapons and aimed steadily. "Prepare yourselves!" Boggs yelled out to everybody, "Don't fire unless needed!"
The train screeched to a halt, making everybody tense up. Finally, civilians poured out in droves. Some had weapons while others cowered in fear. The rebels yelled out orders to drop their weapons.
Boggs came up next to Katniss, determined to protect her just in case. As Katniss looked on, she could only see wounded people. People who had been manipulated by the Capitol to fight in this war… people who were just trying to survive. They were no different from them.
A dirty, bleeding man hopped off the front of the train. He wobbled around while holding his neck with one hand. He came closer and closer to Katniss.
"Drop your weapon!" Yelled Boggs while raising his rifle, "DROP IT NOW!"
Before anything else could be said, a gunshot was heard in the back. This caused multiple rebels to begin firing at the District Two civilians.
"WAIT! STOP!" Katniss yelled out while rushing forward to the man who had ducked for cover when the gunshots rang out. He was the same man that had been approaching her and Boggs.
"Fuck…" Boggs whispered to himself, Katniss had just put herself in the line of fire, "EVERYBODY, HOLD YOUR FIRE!"
Kneeling to check on the man, Katniss was surprised to feel the cold steel of a barrel bury itself into her neck. The man who she checked on was holding a gun to her neck with a sinister smile.
"PUT DOWN YOUR WEAPON!" Boggs yelled while aiming his rifle at the man. Others aimed but didn't shoot at the risk of hitting Katniss.
"You feel this, huh?" The man taunted, "What's stopping me from pulling the trigger?"
Katniss glanced her eyes down at the deranged man, "…nothing. Nothing's stopping you."
This answer took the man aback as his eyes widened in confusion. Seeing his state of shock, Katniss continued, "You fight for the Capitol, and I fight for the rebellion. We've been at each other's necks for so long, we've forgotten what peace is like…"
The man blinked a few times. Katniss continued, "If you want to kill me, then do it. I'm tired of doing Snow a favor by killing his servants! His slaves!"
"I'm nobody's slave!" The man retorted while jamming the gun deeper into her neck.
"Then stop acting like one," The girl on fire said, "This constant cycle of hate and pain is what Snow wants. We kill each other and he ends up on top in the end. I've played his little game before, and it's ruined my life. Don't let it ruin yours."
The man glanced around while feeling his grip loosen.
"Why do you fight the rebellion?" Katniss asked, "I'm from District Twelve, and you're from Two. We've always been under the Capitol's rule, don't let Snow win again, not this time."
Hearing enough, the man dropped the gun to his side. It clattered onto the gravel with a small thud. It took a few seconds before he let go of Katniss altogether, falling back on his butt. His expression was that of a defeated man.
Feeling herself set free, Katniss took a few seconds to process the situation. She had nearly been killed, but she was able to convey the feelings of the uprising to prevent further bloodshed.
Standing up all the way, Katniss looked around at all the District Two civilians and guards alike. They were all staring at her, wondering what she would do.
"People of District Two, hear me when I sa-" Before Katniss could continue, she heard a gunshot ring out. Covering her ears from the ringing, she looked to see that Gale had shot the man who held her at gunpoint previously. It was a single shot between his eyes.
"He was going to shoot you!" Gale defended himself at seeing Katniss's gaze, "I saw him reach for his gun!"
This set off a chain of events as many citizens in District Two began firing their weapons. This caused a firefight between the rebels and the civilians.
Katniss was ultimately shot twice in her chest before she fell backward onto the train tracks. The last thing she remembered was the smell of smoke and somebody dragging her body to safety.
District Thirteen – Containment Area
Naruto lay in his bed as he stared at the ceiling. He was reeling in from hearing Katniss's voice after Plutarch had played her 'Hanging Tree' ballad. It pained him to hear her voice, with every instinct in his body aiming to kill her. But he held back those impulses as best he could.
After hearing her voice, Naruto asked for a guitar. Some hesitation was heard in Plutarch's voice, but he allowed it nonetheless. An hour passed before he was given an acoustic guitar, which allowed the Golden Boy to get lost in the music. He tuned, strummed, and hummed along for a while to distract himself from the mental pain.
Hearing a buzz at the door, he was surprised to see that Finnick had visited him along with Annie. Both victors were holding hands when walking in. He supposed that somebody gave him clearance to enter with his partner.
Putting the guitar to the side on the floor, Naruto returned his attention to the duo.
Walking over to the restrained man, they stood nearby with soft smiles. Annie bit her lip in anxiety while Finnick spoke up.
"You look like crap," the man joked, hoping to break the tension.
"I feel like it too," Naruto responded with his cheeky grin.
Instantly, everybody felt the tension in the room leave. The trio spoke for a while, with Annie thanking Naruto for saving her back then. Finnick also thanked the man, claiming he was indebted to him for life. It was a nice conversation for all three.
Eventually, they dropped a bombshell on him.
Nudging Annie in her side, Finnick waited for his partner to announce the news. Clearing her throat, Annie announced, "We would like to invite you to our wedding. You've been a friend to me and Finnick for a while now, and we would love it if you could attend."
Naruto stared in shock, not expecting the news. Shaking off his surprise, he said, "Yes, of course! I would love to attend."
"Great!" Annie clapped her hands.
"However…" Naruto said with a tired smile, "I'm not in the best shape right now. I can't promise I can go, but I appreciate the invitation. I'll try my best to attend."
Finnick, who expected as much, nodded. "It's okay if you can't make it, we understand. We just personally wanted to give you the invite."
Naruto smiled, "Thank you, I appreciate it."
Whispering into Annie's ear, the girl nodded and gave him a peck on the cheek. With one final look at Naruto, she walked out of the room. This left Finnick and Naruto behind.
"What's up?" Naruto asked, clearly seeing that Finnick wanted to talk privately.
"I'm…" Clearing his throat, Finnick said, "I'm sorry. I failed you as a friend. I shouldn't have left you behind back there… but when that electricity flew around, I couldn't move. I could have saved you if I just-"
"Finnick," Naruto interrupted, "It's okay, I forgive you."
This made the man stop and look on in shock. He was surprised at Naruto's nonchalant attitude. The man who should hate him was giving him forgiveness. Just another debt he would never be able to repay.
Wiping the tears that were beginning to form, Finnick chuckled, "You know, those were the same words Katniss said to me when I asked for forgiveness from her."
Instantly, Finnick kicked himself mentally at mentioning the Girl on Fire's name. He was warned by Plutarch multiple times to not mention her name, and he dropped it without thinking.
"Katniss?" Naruto said before beginning to hyperventilate, "Is she here?" Looking around frantically, Naruto darted his eyes around the mainly empty room.
"Naruto, calm down," Finnick said while attempting to speak with his friend, "Katniss isn't here. She isn't a threat to you, she loves you." The victor then placed his hand on Naruto's shoulder in comfort.
In turn, Naruto grabbed Finnick's shirt with both hands and yanked him close. Face to face, Naruto whispered seriously, "You can't trust her Finnick! She is a threat! She'll kill you, me, and everyone else here! SHE'LL KILL US ALL!"
Hearing the door buzz, multiple guards rushed in with sedatives. One of them managed to pull Finnick out of Naruto's grasp. Stumbling back, Finnick caught himself and looked on as they tried to restrain his friend.
"It's best you leave, Mr. Odair." Said one of the guards while escorting him out of the room.
"KILL HER FINNICK!" Naruto shouted over the guards surrounding him, "SHE'S GOING TO BE THE DEATH OF EVERYONE! YOU HAVE TO KILL HER, FOR ME!"
That was the last thing he could hear before the door slammed shut, leaving him outside of the room.
Finnick clutched his hand into a fist while thinking about his friend's words, "I'll help you, Naruto. You've done so much for me, it's time I repay the favor."
With a renewed effort, Finnick made his choice. He wouldn't leave Naruto behind, he would be there every step of the way as much as he could.
He knew Naruto would do the same for him.
District Thirteen – Medical Center
Katniss sat awake in her medical bed with a frown on her face. She had been awake for an hour now and was told what happened. After Gale killed the man who she found out was named Pugnax, the civilians fired back. It ended in many deaths on both sides but she was able to get transported out in time.
A doctor had stopped by to update her on her injuries, which resulted in a bruised lung, ruptured spleen, and bruised ribs. It was difficult to move around at the moment, but they had hooked her up to some morphing to numb the pain.
She sat in bed, contemplating everything that had happened. She wasn't allowed to leave just yet as the doctors had to return to conduct a few final examinations.
As she lay in bed, she heard her privacy curtain being pushed aside. Walking in was Johanna, who sat on the bed with Katniss.
"Hey Katniss," Johanna said in a mocking tone, "I'm cut off from my morphing supply, so I'll just grab this real quick. I hope you don't mind." Reaching over, she pulled the needle out of Katniss's arm and shoved it into her own. Giving the IV bag a few taps, Johanna sat back with a satisfied smile as the liquid poured in. She was slowly getting addicted to the substance.
"You know it's funny," Johanna continued, "They set me up with a therapist here, and at least forty times in a session, they'll remind me that I'm safe. They go on and on about being safe from the Capitol, from Snow," looking over at Katniss she smiled, "But we both know that isn't true. We're never truly safe from them, are we?"
Katniss stared back with a cautious gaze, wondering why Johanna was acting so abrupt around her. Sitting up slightly in her bed, Katniss responded, "Well I felt safe until I got shot."
Johanna scoffed, "Oh c'mon, those bullets never hit your skin. All you felt was the impact of the shot because Cinna made your suit bulletproof. After all, we can't have our precious Mockingjay get hurt," Johanna mocked with a grin, "Isn't that right? You're too important to lose, but everyone else is expendable. I mean, you go on about how you love Naruto so much and you left him behind."
"Don't go there, Johanna," Katniss warned in a serious tone, "I can tolerate you, but don't push it."
"Oh? So the girl on fire does bite back," Johanna smirked. Leaning forward, Johanna continued with a sharp gaze, "You don't deserve him at all. Period."
"Watch it," Katniss said with daggers in her stare, "Final warning."
"Or what? You'll tell on me and get me killed?" Johanna laughed, "I don't care about death anymore, so you don't scare me."
Johanna looked Katniss dead in the eyes, "Do you remember what I said about love? Back in the arena?"
Katniss took a moment at the shift in the conversation, but she did recall. "Yes, you talked about how you didn't understand it."
Johanna nodded, "You're right, I didn't…but then when I spent time with your fiance… I could start to understand. He loves you so much… and I can see that now. His dedication to you is…is… well I can't even put it into words."
Taking in a deep breath, Johanna held back tears, "He loves you so much… and I was jealous. Back in the Capitol, when we were getting tortured, he saved me multiple times. He even helped Annie out too. He forfeited his escape just so we could keep our lives… and I wasn't even dating him."
"Yeah… that sounds like him," Katniss said softly. She began to understand the woman next to her. She wasn't necessarily a negative person, but instead, she was broken.
Wiping her tears, Johanna chuckled, "I almost fell in love with the idiot. His charming personality and behavior make it hard to not like him…" At this point, Johanna gave up on stopping the tears as they flowed freely. "I…I understood love in that moment. The things that love makes you do…it makes sense to me now."
Katniss felt nothing but sorrow for the girl. It was clear that Johanna was sad inside, as she didn't have anybody to love her as Naruto did for her.
"That's why, if you ever break his heart," Johanna joked, "I'll be the first one after him."
"I'll keep that in mind," Katniss smiled back.
"I felt so much jealousy… and hate… for the things you had," Johanna confessed, "I didn't even realize it myself until my therapy sessions. The love you have, the people surrounding you, all things I don't have. Even your possessions symbolize your love, I don't have that." Johanna placed her fingers around Katniss's wedding band, slowly turning it.
"I'm sorry… Johanna," Katniss said very gently, "In my opinion, you should have been the Mockingjay instead."
Johanna shook her head, "No, I couldn't have been. I don't have people that like me, and that's important."
In a surprise display of affection for the girl, Katniss gently brought the girl in for a hug like she would her sister. At first, Johanna stiffened at the contact, but she eventually returned the gesture. The two hugged there while Katniss could feel teardrops hit her shoulder. Johanna wasn't sobbing, shaking, or giving any indication that she was crying, but she could feel it. She knew that Johanna had to survive so long on her own, and now it was taking its toll on her.
"I didn't peg you for somebody that's mushy," Johanna mumbled over Katniss's shoulder.
"I wasn't," Katniss admitted, "But my idiot fiance changed that about me. Something that I learned from him."
Johanna chuckled, "That sounds like him."
Both girls stayed that way for a while, healing wounds through a hug.
Katniss walked with a slight wince at every step, feeling her ribs hurt. She was officially discharged from her hospital room and her injuries were wrapped. The doctors claimed she would be fine in about a day or two from her injuries, given they had pumped some strong medication into her system.
Coming across a familiar sight, Katniss looked into Naruto's room. There, inside, was the white-haired individual with a guitar. He was strumming it slowly as he sat up in his bed.
"A guitar?" Katniss wondered, "When did he get that?"
"He requested it earlier this morning," Plutarch said, "Coin was able to find an old acoustic one, which was perfect for him. He's been strumming and playing it since he's awoken. Says it helps keep the memories away."
"…can I see him?" Katniss asked in a small voice.
Plutarch sighed, "You could, but it would be best to keep him restrained. He is still prone to outbursts."
"That's fine," Katniss nodded, "I just want to speak with him. But please, only restrain his legs. I want his hands to stay playing the guitar."
"Okay… I can do that…" Plutarch said before ordering a guard to go in and restrain his legs only. "Are you sure you don't want somebody else in there? What if he hits you with the guitar or tries to strangle you with his hands?"
"Then I'll die happy," Katniss admitted, "I've waited too long to avoid him now, I need to see him."
Before Plutarch could say anything else, the guard came back out with his thumb up. Seeing that he was done restraining Naruto, Katniss let out a deep breath.
Katniss looked over before grabbing a small chair. She stayed by the door for a few moments. Once ready, she walked inside Naruto's room.
Looking up from his guitar, Naruto was shocked to see Katniss appear. He didn't expect to see her so soon, especially after he admitted they programmed him to kill her.
"Kat…" Naruto whispered in shock, "…what are you doing here?"
Katniss smiled, "To see you."
There they looked at each other. Naruto sat frozen while Katniss held a small chair dangling in her hand, both unmoving.
Placing the chair down with a soft thud, Katniss asked, "May I sit?"
This made the fighter unfreeze and chuckle, "Even if I said no, you'd still ignore me."
Katniss sat down and smiled, "You're right, I'd still sit down anyway."
Frowning, Naruto spoke, "Kat, I don't think it would be a good idea if you staye-"
"Please," Katniss whispered, "Just let me see you."
Sighing, Naruto nodded and looked at his fiance. It broke his heart that he had to be restrained to speak with her. Deciding to try and break the ice, Katniss started the conversation.
"You look a lot better," Katniss said, "You gave me a scare when you first arrived here."
It was true, as Katniss had believed he had died after his medical scare. She was lucky he pulled through after everything he went through.
Naruto chuckled, "Yeah, sorry about that." He ran his thumb over the stitched-up wound near his forehead. "They patched me up pretty good here. My lip is healing and my bruises are slowly going away. Even had my burns healed up, just waiting to see if they'll scar now."
Katniss nodded with a smile, happy to see he was slowly being put together again. "I noticed the gauze on your hands is off now?"
"Yeah," Naruto chuckled, "The pain went away and thankfully, I had no risk of infection. Doctors told me my fingernails would grow back eventually, but Karin stopped by and gave me an injection. It lets my nails grow back in a week, compared to six months."
"Really?" Katniss asked in shock, "That quickly?"
"That's what I said too," Naruto nodded, "But I'll guess we'll see how it turns out. Still have a week to go now."
Katniss accepted his answer. "And your hair? What do you plan to do with that?"
Grasping a white lock of hair, Naruto gave a grin, "I'm not a fan of the new look either, so I'm hoping I can dye it blonde again. I'll have to wait on that though, didn't have it as a top priority until now."
"Well change it," Katniss huffed, "I miss your blonde hair."
"Okay," Naruto laughed, "I'll be right on it."
It felt nice for both of them, to be able to carry on a normal conversation. It felt too long since they had the opportunity to do so. Naruto then leaned back into his bed and continued.
"You know," he said, "Finnick and Annie came by earlier. They invited me to their wedding."
Reeling in from the shock, Katniss said, "Really? Did you accept?"
Naruto shook his head, "I wanted to go, but I think we all know I can't. I'm just not fit for socializing right now."
Katniss placed her hand on Naruto's, making the man jolt in shock. "You'll get better Naruto, I promise."
"Kat, you shouldn't be so close to me," Naruto begged, "I don't want to see you hurt, especially by me."
Wanting to respect his wishes while also not pushing them further than she should, Katniss retracted her hand. She pondered on what to talk about before something popped into her head.
"How's your guitar playing going?" Katniss asked, "I heard you've been playing it all day."
Naruto chuckled, "I have. It's been much of the same repetition over and over, but it's helping keep my mind calm."
Returning to his actions, Naruto began to slowly strum his guitar. He played while Katniss hummed along, both trying to fall into a rhythm. Neither said anything, but neither needed to. It was a comfortable moment for both.
Eventually, it was Naruto who spoke up first, breaking their little music session.
"You know…" the victor began, "When I was back in the Capitol, they showed me something that made my heart break…"
"Hmm?" Katniss hummed in response. "What was it?"
"…they showed me a video of you kissing Gale, back in District Twelve."
Katniss's heart dropped at the confession, fearing what Naruto thought about her. Before she could explain herself, he continued.
"That's when I was at my lowest… Kat…" Naruto said while tears fell down his face. He acted like everything was fine while strumming the guitar, "…That's the closest they got to me giving up. I thought you had used me and I was being played for a fool…"
"Ruto, I-" Katniss began.
"Please… just let me finish," The victor begged. After seeing Katniss nod, he continued, "I saw you kissing Gale and they replayed it over and over again. I was at my breaking point after seeing that so many times, it really did get to me… but…"
Looking up from strumming his guitar, Naruto smiled while tears went down his face, "They messed up one time. Out of the hundreds of times they played that video for me, they let it play one second too long one time. I was able to see you slap Gale away before the video replayed again."
The fighter chuckled, "One second, that's all it took. One second of the Capitol messing up once and never again, but it was just enough for me. At first, I thought it was the tracker jacker venom that messed with my head, making me see that. But then I remembered what Rue told me… and that was that tracker jacker venom never makes you see positive things, only negative. That's when I knew our love was true."
"Ruto…" Katniss whispered in her mind,
"I love you, Katniss." Ignoring his head throbbing painfully, Naruto continued, "I love you so much. So please, for now, let's just play some music. I want to spend as long as I can with you before I snap again." Smiling, he asked, "Can we play the 'Hanging Tree' song? I thought it was beautiful when you sang it."
Wiping away her tears, Katniss nodded, "Okay, okay, I can do that."
Gathering her confidence and clearing her throat, she began to sing slowly. It started in a small voice before it grew into a confident noise.
Letting his tears fall while he strummed his guitar, Naruto followed along. He didn't sing along with Katniss, instead, he played to the rhythm.
Both of them carried on, playing throughout the entire song. What neither knew, was that the other thought deeply about this song. Both individuals applied the lyrics to their own lives, about how they could have been free if they left this all behind.
They were bonding in a way that only music could heal. It was beautiful for them both.
For the first time, Naruto didn't have an outburst.
Coming closer and closer to the end of the story!
I wanted to point out some things. I've had a certain commentator review and ask why I don't respond to some reviews publicly like other authors. The answer is that I enjoy reading the reviews, and seeing how I can adjust accordingly if needed. I like to use them as constructive criticism and feedback. But I decided to respond this time!
First off, the same reviewer asked about a discord. I don't have one but if enough people want one to chat, speak, and talk, I'm open to the idea. It's been tossed around before but I've never seen strong commitment for it.
RWV3N: Thank you for placing your faith in me! I hope you enjoy the direction it's going so far.
DigitallyAdmiringHumanity: I answered your comments about the reviews above, but I'm still confused about why you're reading this story. In earlier reviews, you said how this 'isn't even worth a read' but you're still commenting which I don't mind. I hope I was able to change your mind about it so far.
Here are some special reviewers I wanted to personally point out, as they've been reading this story since I published it.
A special thanks to:
Aizakku: Always glad to see your reviews! I would enjoy any specific details you like!
Paulagustin101: I'm happy to see you enjoyed this story, it's great to be compared to the 'golden era' of fanfics.
WindyCitySlayer1: I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I know you were waiting for more!
Alexander4443: Glad you love these chapters! Next time, tell me your favorite part!
If I left out anybody, please don't feel offended! I love having others comment! If you like this style of responding to reviewers, let me know. I'll do it more often if enough people want it.
Also, if you're tired of including more "Narutoverse" characters into the mix, this was the last introduction! Karin was something that I had been planning for a while now and I hope you enjoyed the insight into how her family played into the Capitol.
Anyhow, I hope you all enjoyed it! Please review, it means a lot to me!
Take care and happy 2024!
Cheers!