THE TIGRESS' LANTERN - A HINATA HYUGA FANFICTION

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE: THE AFTERMATH

[Over The Forest - Heading Back To The Hidden Leaf Village.]

[Sakura's POV]

The slow flow of the sky's breeze blew in my face - making my hair slowly dance in the wind but I didn't care about that. I didn't care about the boy I loved trying to get my attention. I didn't care that I was riding on the back of a dragon that was made of crystal-like ice. All I cared about was the Tiger-Hybrid Girl that had her back to me with her tail wrapped around her waist like a belt, her ears darted back, and her arms folded as she looked forward. Judging by how tightly she was gripping her forearms, I could tell that she was not pleased with being around me or Sasuke.

'I really hurt you with my words, didn't I, Hinata-chan?' I questioned myself as l looked at the hand I used to touch Hinata's cheek - her skin still smooth like fine china - but she knocked my hand away, regretting my touch...Rejecting me...

'You rejected my touch, Hinata-chan... You rejected me.' I thought as I held y hand and looked at her - I can hear her growling under her breathe and the dragon was growling too, 'Were they talking?'

"Of course they are talking!" The voice of my inner self roared out, "This chunk of flying ice we are riding on is Hinata-chan's so-called husband! He's the one who took our Hinata-chan away from us and made her turn her back on us!"

'I know he took our Hinata-chan away and changed her. She stabbed Naruto in the heart - I'm almost certain she was going to kill him if she didn't want us to suffer...' I look at my hands on the dragon's back, 'To make up reap what we have sown against her. If I was a real friend and defended her instead of agreeing with Sasuke-kun and Naruto...she may have never left us.' 

"That doesn't matter now - we need to focus on getting our Hinata-chan back before she leaves us again with this flying icepick and his psycho father figure." Inner Me roared in confindence.

Yes. I know. I look up at Hinata's back as the village comes into view. 'I will get you back, Hinata-chan; and when I do, I won't let anyone take you away from me again.' I promised under my breath.

[Hidden Leaf Village - The Hokage's Office]

"So, Hinata gave you a shard containing a fragment of my soul from her lantern to bring me back from the dead, correct, Lord Zabuza?" Hiruzen asked as he sat in his seat.

"Yes - the rule of the lantern is that it can bring anyone back from the dead but it can only bring them back once - if Hinata was to bring back someone more than once, it would come out of her own soul." Zabuza said as he leaned against the wall with his arms folded.

"I see." The Old Man exhaled before leaning back, "As much as I don't approve of your past, you did care for Hinata while she was away and I have no choice but to be grateful for that." He said.

"Why do you make it sound like Hinata has any intention of coming back here?" Zabuza asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Does she not?" Asked the Hokage.

"Not a chance in frozen hell. Hinata hates the village and everyone in it - the only reason she is here is because of Orochimaru; she hates him more than anyone to my knowledge. Her Spy Network found information in Orochimaru's Channels that he was planning this attack as a chance to take the village and capture Sasuke for his Sharingan; as much as she hates this place, she didn't want that snake to get any more power than he already had." Zabuza said.

"Well, we won't have to worry about him anymore." Hiruzen said as he placed his hand on his stomach - on the seal holding Orochimaru's Chakra Control in his arms.

"That's not entirely true." Zabuza said as he placed his eyes on the door, "3...2...1"

The moment he said '1', the doors burst open and a stunned Kurenai and Asuma came marching into the office.

"Father, we heard you were brought back from the dead." Asuma said as he looked at Hiruzen.

"Yes, my son. Lord Zabuza Momochi revived me with Hinata's Power." He explained.

"You...." Kurenai snarled at Zabuza, who didn't look interested in her pitiful display of aggression, "What did you do to my student?" She demanded to know.

"I didn't do anything to your students; I haven't touched them since I've been here." He smirked - knowing who she was talking about but was enjoying this.

"Don't play dumb with me! I'm talking about Hinata!" She yelled, pointing at the masked man.

"Once again, I have done nothing to her - that was all your doing for being a horrible teacher and casting her away, not defending her when she was talked about behind her back, and agreeing with them when you thought she wasn't around." Zabuza smirked.

"Shut your damn mouth! I regret what I did and I'll do whatever I have to do make earn her forgiveness." She said.

"Too bad. So sad. She hates your fucking guts." He stopped for a while before lifting himself off the wall, "She's back." 

Hinata and Haku walked into the room at that moment with tired looks on their faces.

"Hinata..." Kunerai tried but she was silenced by Hinata's glare before the girl turned her glare towards the leader of the village, much softer this time.

"Lord Third, it's good to see that you are well." Hinata said as her tail waved.

"All thanks to you, Lady Hantei; if I am correct to say." The Old Man smiled, earning a nod and smile from Hinata.

"Good. If all is well, we better get to the carriage to get back to our village; I have work to do." Hinata said.

"That would be an issue, kid." Zabuza said, making Hinata and Haku look at him.

"What do you mean, Zabuza-sama?" Haku asked.

"That big ass snake destroyed all the carriages, so all the foreign villagers are stuck here for a week." Zabuza said.

"Are you serious...?" Hinata groaned at Zabuza's nod, "Just much fucking luck..."

"Hinata Hyuga, no cussing." Kurenai said.

"Shut up, bitch. You're not my teacher and you damn sure aren't my mother." Hinata snarled as she and her family turned on their heels and walked out of the room.