THE TIGRESS' LANTERN - A HINATA HYUGA FANFICTION

CHAPTER SIXTEEN - MURDERER!!! PT.3 (TIGRESS VS NEJI)

[AFTER THE JUTSU WAS DISPELLED]

The memory cloth of the Dark Memory Recall began to burn away from the light of the Chunin Exam Ring, leaving everyone in the places they were before - but never the same. Kurenai gripped the railing as her head dangled, her long black covering her face but the clear drops of water could be seen falling from her pale face, falling upon the rail or on her back of her balled fists.

Naruto looked down at the ground, his fists balled up and shaking, his teeth locked in anger but not a single word was roared from his lips. Since birth - he's never known true love, only compassion, then to find out someone he cared for loved him all along. He began realizing the kind of person Hinata was, the times she could smile at him or blush when he looked into her eyes; the small things she would do for him, only she would do for him. He was so consumed in gaining Sakura's affection that he was blind to see the sweet pale-eyed girl who wanted to be with him. If he wasn't so blind...if she could feel her heart...he would have kept her beside him no matter what but now...it was too late...this masked bitch took away his chance at love.

Sakura's heart was ice cold, it felt hallow. The realization was something she never thought she would deal with - Her Hinata-chan was gone...dead...departed from his world and this horrible ...thing...was responsible. Sakura's eyes narrowed at the Tigress - or rather, the Pendant in Tigress' Fist - it belonged to Hinata's Mother. It belonged to Hinata-chan. And Sakura was going to get it back.

The emptiness was the word that described Kurenai Yuhi's Heart as she fell to her knees with hands hiding her face, sobbing like a mother who just heard her child was killed. Hinata was the sweetest soul and now she was gone.

The Pendant in Tigress' hand sparkled as she yanked it up by the chain and closed it in her hand before pocketing the pendant. A smile snaked across the face of the masked girl she looked upon the faces that greeted her - Naruto's Anger, Sakura's Sadness, Kurenai's Devastation, but when her gaze fell upon Neji's...she saw nothing. His face was hung low as he looked to the ground with his fists balled up. 

"What's wrong, Hyuga? Cat got your tongue?" Tigress purred with a Cheshire cat grin and that was all it took for Neji's last nerve to snap. His head shot forward - showing his Byakugan flooding with tears as he charged at his cousin's murderer with a newfound hatred.

"I'LL KILL YOU!!!" Neji roared as he raised his hands up in the fabled Hyuga Style but that just made Tigress smile wider as she mimicked him. Neji got close and aimed for Tigress' Mask but his palm was met with her forearm in a guarding defense. 

"Come on, Neji! Put that bitch down!" Naruto shouted from the spectators' position.

"Avenge Hinata-chan!" Sakura cheered on.

The cheers of his comrades filled him with a power he didn't know and his open palm clenched into a fist that found its way through Tigress' Defence and into her cheek with a brutal force, causing her to fly back, landing on the ground with a pained grunt.

"Yeah! Take that, your murderous bitch!" Naruto cheered but it was cut short when Tigress began laughing. "What's so funny?!" Naruto yelled. 

"Has anyone ever told you that your yelping is annoying as hell?" Tigress asked as she sat up but once she did, Neji noticed small fragments of crystals falling from the spot where he punched her. "It's hilarious that you think that kitten punch was enough to even do me any damage, it's pathetic really; is this all the Legendary Hyuga Clan can bring to the table?" She asked as she rose to her feet and looked at Neji and the other, shocking them to see Tigress's cheek was creaked like glass.

"What...What is that?" Neji asked. Through his Byakugan, he could see chakra coursing through the cracks in Tigress's face but nowhere else; a few moments later, the crack was gone and the chakra signature faded from the Byakugan.