THE TIGRESS' LANTERN - A HINATA HYUGA FANFICTION

CHAPTER THREE - MANOR SHOPPING

A/N: This will be a short chapter. The real action is going on in the next chapter.

Quick Note: 

"Human Speech"

"Tailed Beast/Creature Speech"

'Human Thought'

'Tailed Beast/Creature Thought'

"Human Jutsu"

"Tailed Beast/Creature Jutsu"

- Town In The Hidden Mist Village / Around Midday -

The pelt that was used to make her cloak was rather itchy in her sensitive skin but she knew she could enter the town as she was for she would attract the wrong kind of attention. Hinata's head over covered with her hood as her eyes gazed down at the list in her clawed hand - it was a shopping list for Hantei Manor. The inside of the manor was intact but it was still abandoned for centuries and was in dire need of repair; Hinata used 50 Shadow Clones to repair any damage but it was still too large to manage on her own. She looked at the list and read it off in her mind:

New Garments
Weapon Repair Materials
Food
Buckets
Servants

'Are you certain that servants are needed, Hantei-sama? We can use shadow clones to maintain the village, can't we?' - Hinata thought to the tigress goddess.

'While we can use clones, the Mansion will need constant watch and care; we will not always be home and there is a brighter side to this - there are many people who are bought and sold here as slaves; we can offer them a better life in exchange to their services.' - Hantei explained. While Hinata's eyebrow raised, she knew Hantei was right, if she could gain labor and save some people in the process it was indeed a win-win situation.

Hinata placed the list in her pocket and walked along the road with her hand covered by her cloak before she heard the sound of a man shouting causing her right beast ear to twitch, the word that piqued her interest was 'Sale'. Hinata followed the shouting and sure enough - There was a slaver master with about 50 slaves of all genders and ages packed in cages. Hinata walked over to the man with her hood covering her eyes.

"How much for all of them?" - Hinata asked in a slow and slightly deeper voice, sounding intimidating; the man was slightly shaken by her voice but she came to do business so he straightened up and spoke.

"10,000 Ryo. I doubt that you can afford that, young lady; so why don't you..." - The slave seller was cut off by the sound of stacks of money being placed on the table in front of him. There were five perfectly counted stacks of money, each was marked with 2,000 Ryo markings. The man looked at Hinata, then at the money and was at a loss for words.

"There's your money. Give me the keys to the cells." - Hinata growled out to the man, who shivered and gave Hinata a ring of 9 keys before he grabbed the money and ran off. Hinata scoffed before she walked over to the 1st cage, a scared woman held her newborn baby close to her chest and flinched at Hinata's towering figure; it broke Hinata's heart to see this. Hinata lifted the 1st key but before she placed it into the keyhole; she looked at them all and spoke in her normal voice.

"I cannot even fathom the torment you all have gone through; I will not inflict any more upon you, all I ask is when I release you all, you listen to what I have to say." - Hinata's voice as calming and everyone looked at each other before giving her various 'yes' or 'okay'. Hinata opened all the cages and stepped back from them and watched as all of the slaves walked out on trembling legs, some of them being held by others while some protected frightened children.

"My name is Lady Hantei and I do not wish to enslave any of you but to ask you to come work for me in my manor - I can offer food, warm clothes, protection, and training to those who wish. I will learn your names and treat you with the respect that is deserved of a living creature. If any of you wish to leave, you may do so at any time; I shall not stop you and will even give you a 'going away' starting fund to make sure you have a chance of living a good life. If any of you wish to leave, please do so now." - No one moved. "Then, please follow me." - Hinata turned on her heel and walked away; the sounds of her new servants' footsteps traveled behind her.

What she failed to see was the pair of dark brown eyes watching her since she entered the town.

- Hantei Manor -

Hinata had gotten everyone comfortable - families were together. There were some women and some men who knew how to cook; Hinata was kind enough to order a caravan to deliver meats, vegetables, bread, and dairy produce to the waterfall before she opened to the doorway and allowed her new servants to collect them. Once dinner was served, the servants all took turns taking hot baths and changing in new clothes before retreating to their room to slumber while others walked around the mansion to gain their bearings.

Hinata's requests were simple: Everyone was given light work and any money they asked for under the amount of 500 a week to go into town. There was to be no disrespect against another person. Breakfast was to be served no later an 8:00 in the morning and dinner on the tables around 10:30. Training or any forms of combat were to be handled in the courtyard (They were in a cave, so it didn't rain). If you were seen doing something distasteful, you would have trailed and if convicted, exiled from the compound. Everyone could live with those rules.

As it was now - Hinata had 10 cooks, 15 warriors, the rests were maids or children. Everyone was adjusting to their new life just fine and all of them thanked Hinata for the new life.

At the moment, Hinata was writing down information in a ledger when she felt Hantei stirring in her mind.

'Did you feel that in town? Someone has set their sights on us.' - Hantei said.

'Yes, I felt it. There was no hostility or evil intentions in the aura, rather a curiosity.' - Hinata thought back as she stroked numbers in the ledger with the brush.

'Indeed. I would seem that our other halves have found us rather than us find them. I'm going to guess our meetings will be sooner than later and I cannot wait for it.' - Hantei squealed like a schoolgirl.

'Nor can I.' - Hinata said as she pushed herself from the desk and walked over to the window, looking at the crescent moon that was shining in the sky (The Window is facing an opening in the cave, allowing the moonlight in. 'Who are you and what are you waiting for, My Other Half?' - Hinata wondered to herself before a smirk landed on her face and she walked out of the office while blowing the lights out.

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