It was the fifth night in a row he noticed her going away. He always had a light sleep, which was praised during dangerous mission, but which he cursed every time he came back home. Just a quiet sound could wake him up leaving him looking at the selling not being able to go back to sleep. Strange thoughts always came to his mind when looking at the white surface. Images of the past would move before his eyes bringing back memories and scenes he wished to forget. His father, the day he got the curse mark, the Chunin Exam, Hinata, Naruto and Lord Hiashi would come back to life before his eyes, reinstating the events which made his life what it was now.

After the dreadful experience during the exam he promised himself he would be nicer to the family that he will try to make it up to Hinata, but first time in his life he discovered he had no courage to face the mistakes he made.

When Lord Hiashi asked him to watch over Hinata, and when she came home after her mission he decided it was time to act. But easier said then done.

Every time she sneaked out of the house he wondered where she was going. And what she was doing, and most important with who is was doing it….

"This time" he said to himself "it's time to find out!"

He got up and quickly got dressed and went out.

Following her was easy; she was careless when it came to walking around the forest, never noticing any danger. "Sometimes" he thought "she behaves like there is nothing to fear, how careless can she be?" It was his duty to protect her, so he just had to do it.

He was surprised with the roaring sound he heard, just like thousands of liters of water where fighting against the rocks. He was even more shocked when he noticed his little cousin standing right under the water. "What the hell is she doing?" he murmured. "It's like she's trying to make the waterfall stop its flow!"

And indeed that was what she was doing. She was carefully and diligently bouncing off ever drop of water that came near her. Making it look like a mystical ritual dance, gently moving her body and waving her arms around herself. He stared in amazement, not being able to logically interpret what he saw in front of his eyes.

Then a sudden thought hit him, a flashback of what he overheard several days ago, the day Hinata came back from her mission.

"Hey Hinata what was the technique you used yesterday? It was amazing, just like some kind of magic!" Naruto yelled at the top of his lungs when coming into the village.

Neji who was standing near the gate suddenly stopped to listen on. Everything concerning Hinata was now his concern as well since he had been appointed her protector.

"Be quiet Naruto!" replied Shino "That's none of your business. You're making Hinata embarrassed with all that noise!"

As Neji imagined her face in his he assumed it must have been all red as always when Hinata got nervous.

"Oh Sorry Hinata" said Naruto "but why make a secret of something that cool?"

"Drop it and leave it Naruto, she knows what she is doing, end of topic!" replied firmly Kiba.

"A secret technique?" Neji thought," I wonder what it could be…"

Suddenly everything made sense. She was here not to dance, but to train, and this must have been what that bum Naruto was talking about.

He decided to stay longer and watch her. Her technique was a lot like Juken at first sight but then he realized it was nothing like it at all. He had never seen anything like it. And he had a feeling that imitating this technique was impossible even for him, the Hyuga family protégée and genius.

"Why is she keeping this from the family?" He thought. Then he had a second flashback. When she came home after the mission she said it was a complete failure, but at the same time she was smiling as if her whole life was a success. She even smiled at him, and she spoke without stumbling to her own father, who she normally avoided at all cost. He remembered the feelings that smile gave him, a feeling of joy filling his soul. He wished she would smile more often, even not to him, but just to the world around. Or maybe she did – but he was never there to notice it…

That night he promised himself that it was time to change everything.

He silently walked away back to the house feeling as if a great burden had been taken away from him. He finally knew what he wanted and he knew he would succeed no matter what. He had to see Hinata's smile again…