THE TIGRESS' LANTERN - A HINATA HYUGA FANFICTION

CHAPTER NINETEEN - THE HYUGA HEIRESS'S TRUTH

[In The Forest - Near Tigress's Home]

Tigress strolled down the forest path to her cabin home with her hands in her pockets, her tail swaying with every step, and a long smile across her face. Once the trees broke away from her line of sight and the open field became clear with her home at the very end, she stopped once her shoes it the center to the grass field and opened her mouth to speak.

"You can come out now. I caught your scent the moment you saw me in the village." TIgress called out. There was a few moments of silence before a figure leaped from the bushes behind the masked girl and landed a few feet away from her; Tigress turned to face her 'guest' and her smile became a full Cheshire Cat Grin. "Well, it would seem royalty came to see me. What can I do for you, Heiress Hanabi Hyuga?" 

The brown long-haired heiress of the Hyuga Clan rose to her feet from her crouching position - as she rose, her hair moved from in front of her face and the obvious tear streaks were present on her cheeks. The Hyuga girl stood there - facing the one who took her sister away from her with her fists balled tightly and a scowl that would have killed Tigress were she stood if looks could kill. 

"It was you - you're the one who killed my big sister." Hanabi snarled.

"News seems to travel fast here - I'm also the one who crippled your cousin and put him in a coma. Are you mad about that too, Little Princess?" TIgress asked with a curious tilt of her head. Her words make Hanabi grind her teeth in anger.

"Why?" That was all the Hyuga asked.

"Why what?" Tigress countered with a raised eyebrow.

"What did you kill my sister?!" Hanabi yelled again, tears once again running down her face. For days, since she received the news that her sister would no longer be about to be returned to her, that she would no longer tell her stories about the Shinobi World or tales about their mother, it hurt her; but what hurt her the most was that the one who took her elder sister away from her was walking around the village as if she belonged there without any punishment...it sent the heiress over the edge.

You know," Tigress began as she looked at her claws with an uninterested expression on her face. "You're not the first person who asked me that, Little Princess; those bastards at the Exams asked me the same thing and I'll tell you what I told them - Me killing Hinata Hyuga was the greatest mercy I could have given her." Tigress was cut off.

"What do you mean 'killing her was the greatest mercy you could have given her'?! My sister was one of the nicest people you could have met! She was good and kind, and sweet! She was the kind of person that would throw herself on the blade for those she loved! She was one of the only purest souls  that ever existed in this world!!" Hanabi continued to cry.

"I KNOW THAT!" Tigress roared, making the Hyuga Heiress take a sudden step back. "That girl was too pure for this damn and she was being hurt by the ones she held in the highest regard: Her mother - dead! Her father and clan - verbally and emotionally abusive! Her friends - doubtful and talked about her behind her back! The one she loved - overlooked her and called her a freak! And you - you ungrateful, entitled brat! You have no idea what your sister did for you to make sure you wouldn't have to suffer!" Tigress roared at Hanabi, making the youngest girl's voice gets caught in her throat.

"What...What do you mean?" Hanabi asked.

"Do you really think you were born with that kind of power? That you were naturally gifted the Hyuga Clan Fighting Style? No, child! You were weak! Weaker than anyone when your first came into this world because you were born too early and it cost your mother her life to save you. Before she died - she begged Hinata to keep you safe - safe from the world and safe from the Hyuga Clan Branch Family Seal. Hinata knew she couldn't be with you all the time so she did the only thing that could have costed her life and save yours." Tigress explained as she pointed at Hanabi's chest.