THE TIGRESS' LANTERN - A HINATA HYUGA FANFICTION

CHAPTER TWO - SEVERING TIES

"Where is Hinata? Why is she not present for breakfast before she has to meet with her squad?" - Hiashi huffed as he gazed his narrowed eyes towards Ko, who just looked around in confusion.

"She is probably still asleep, Lord Hiashi. I shall go to wake her." - Ko said as he rose from his seat and made his way to the hall to reach Hinata's Room to wake her. Ko was worried for the Hyuga Clan Heiress, she seemed different at dinner the night before; her chakra was giving off a different aura compared to how she usually was - it was far...darker. He hoped it was temporary and that the heiress was going to be alright this morning. He reached her room and knocked on the door.

"Hinata-sama? Your breakfast is ready. Are you coming to eat?" - Ko asked but it was silent. He raised his eyebrow; the Heiress always answered him.

'Something is not right.' - Ko thought to himself. He knocked again.

"Lady Hinata, are you decent? I am going to come in." - once again, silence. Ko grabbed the door and slid it open, what he found on the other side caused his heart to stop.

The Heiress' Room was empty.

Her Garments were gone.

Her Mattress was made and empty.

Any indication of someone ever living in that room was gone.

He looked across the room and his eyes began to sting as tears began to form and fall.

Across the room - nailed to the wall by a kunai - was the Heiress' Headband with a deep slash running through the Konoha Insignia.

"Lord Hiashi! The Heiress is gone!" - Ko cried out. 3 sets of footsteps came running from the dining hall and pushed Ko out of the way as the bodies of Hiashi, Neji and Hanabi stood in Hinata's Empty Room with their Byakugans blazing.

Hiashi was never one to show his emotions, nor his interest in his children; especially one as weak as Hinata, but she was still his firstborn daughter - the spitting image of his late wife. To see all of what she was and any indication of her being in that room - apart from the scarred headband - was gone.

"Ko! Go inform the Hokage! Tell the Anbu! Get a search! Find my daughter!" - Hiashi said as he bolted out of the door to look for any sign of Hinata's Chakra Signature in the Hidden Leaf Village.

- Timeskip / 30 minutes / 3rd Hokage's Office -

Teams 7 & 8 stood before the elderly Hokage as he puffed from his pipe with a sorrowful look in his eyes. He looked from his locked hands and faced the people before him.

"I assume you all know why I called you here today." - The Hokage asked. Kiba looked around before he spoke up.

"Lord Hokage, shouldn't we wait for Hinata to get here?" - The Hound Nin asked; this caused the old man to sigh again.

"That is the reason for his meeting, Young Inuzuka. This morning - Ko Hyuga, Hinata's Guardian since Childhood, went to wake for breakfast, instead all he found her her room was this." - The Old Man reached to the side and lifted something from the drawer and placed it on the table before removing his hand - it was the scarred headband. The white hound caught the scent coming from the headband before he whimpered and curled up in his owner's jacket; Kiba's eyes went wide.

"That...That's Hinata's Headband!" - Kiba's accusation caused everyone's eyes to get wide.

"Why is that slash through it?" - the blonde-haired boy asked.

"A Slash through the insignia is the indication of severing ties with one's village - a Rouge Ninja." - Kurenai explained with her li[ trembling and her eyes starting to water. Sakura looked at Kurenai and shook her head violently.