THE TIGRESS' LANTERN - A HINATA HYUGA FANFICTION

CHAPTER FOURTEEN - MURDERER!!!

[Training Ground Forty-Four - The Tower / Hours Later]

Haku watched with a smile on his face as his wife bottle-fed the orphaned tiger cub while it was wrapped in a light pink blanket with pink roses stretched into it with dark red thread. The two of them were relaxing on the spectator rafters, waiting for the next part of the Chunin Exams to being.

Wait. Allow me to explain what happened that brought to this point.

After arriving at the Tower - Tigress activated the scrolls while Haku held the sleeping cub in his arms to keep her warm; when the seal of the two scrolls was set, Zabuza in all his glory appeared before them, congratulating the two of them for surviving the Forest of Death. So far, only two teams had passed the trial - The Duo of the Mist and the Sibling Trio of the Sand, the youngest of which locked eyes with Tigress as if he was telling her that he had his eyes on her; she merely smirked at the notion. When they settled, Tigress asked Zabuza to go to the Inuzuka Family Clinic and purchase some formula that was best suited for an orphaned tiger cub, a pink blanket, and a baby bottle. Zabuza left and Tigress waited with her husband for the other teams to get there.

Team 8 soon came, somehow managing to collect two scrolls. They locked eyes with Tigress and Haku; Kiba growled at them, Shino sent them a silent glare, and Mori...she didn't do or say anything. She just looked at the ground. 

When Zabuza returned with what Tigress asked for and 2 bento lunches for his students, the married couple settled down to relax until the rest of the teams came and the real fun could begin. While she sat calmly and silently, Tigress was getting excited. This was the moment she planned for - stage one in her Revenge against Konoha. 

"I can feel your blood rushing with excitement, My Cub. This is the moment you have been waiting for, is it not?" - Hantei purred from the depths of Tigress' Mind, causing the girl to smile even wider.

'It is, Lady Hantei. The only way that could make this better is if I face off against Naruto or Neji in my round; I will enjoy giving them the same hell they gave me.' - Tigress purred back.

"I have to say, this...'confession' will truly destroy them." - Hantei said.

'I hope it does.' Tigress said once again as she finished the bottle for the tiger cub.

"Talking to Lady Hantei again, Tigress?" Haku asked as he sat next to his wife with a smile on his face.

"Yes. I'm just excited is all. I've waited a long time to get here and now that I am here, I can hardly wait to see what I shall accomplish." Tigress said as she adjusted her arm to set her palm on the cub's stomach so she could drink comfortably.

Also, what do you think we should name the cub, Love?" Haku asked he looked at the little creature with a paternal expression.

"How about you pick a name, Haku-Kun? You're the one who found her." Tigress smiled back.

Haku thought for a while before he looked at Tigress and said, "How about Kōri (氷 = Ice)?" 

"Kōri? That means 'Ice', right Love? Why that name?" Tigress asked out of curiosity.

"Her eyes remind me of a frozen field and her fur is as white as freshly fallen snow; well, if she was pure white but her stripes are lovely too," Haku explained with a smile, earning him a kiss from his wife.

"I love the name, Haku-Kun." Tigress said as she set down the empty bottle and began patting the back of the newly named Kōri until she gave a tiny burp before she snuggled into the blanket in Tigress's lap. Tigress rested her head on Haku's shoulder and the two of them watched the sleeping cub.