Thanks for the reviews, everyone. It may not seem like it, but I do consider everyone's input. Hopefully this chapter will flow better...

Disclaimer: The usual

Introduction:

Interference is the process by which waves interact with one another. This interference may be constructive or destructive, augmenting or diminishing these waves. With consistent interference, a wave may build continuously, reaching enormous magnitudes.

Consider, then, the process of gaining strength. It builds at a an exponential rate. But what if, early in that progression, an additional boost was given to that strength? What effect would that have on the later results of training?

Chapter 4: Wave

Hinata sat fidgeting in Tazuna's home. Naruto had been out training very late each night since they'd started. Thanks to her aptitude at the tree-climbing exercise, Kakashi had assigned Hinata to guard Tazuna during the day while he worked on the bridge. She had mixed feelings about this: at once, it was great praise to be given the task to guard their client. At the same time, however, this not only caused her to train more at night; it also separated her from Naruto. Despite the ever-present danger of Zabuza's return, the day-by-day training alongside Naruto and Sasuke had been enjoyable, even fun, dare she think it.

But duty called as it always did and now she spent the day observing just how terrible the situation in the Wave country really was. Even so, she got in the extra training for her Byakugan. Her progress was good: she could see farther and farther away each day.

"Hinata," said Kakashi from above her. He was doing upside down sit-ups on the ceiling while reading. "Don't worry so much about Naruto. He'll be fine."

She blushed a bit, embarrassed that Kakashi had read her thoughts so clearly. "I know, sensei, it's just..."

"I understand. Still, you should get some sleep. Naruto and Sasuke's duty right now is to train. Yours is to guard Tazuna during the day. Shinobi rarely get good opportunities on missions to sleep. Take this one."

She nodded. "Okay," she said, and headed towards where she'd be sleeping.

It's better this way, thought Kakashi. She cares so much for him, but she needs to take care of herself, too.

As Hinata made her way towards her futon, she passed Tsunami in the kitchen and an idea struck her. Approaching the lady of the household, she asked, "Um, Ts-tsunami-san, would you mind if I used the kitchen? I'd like to make something for Naruto-kun, if that's okay."

"Hm? Oh, yes, go right ahead," said Tsunami, scrubbing a dish. "Take whatever you need." Hinata thanked her and proceeded to assemble various foods in a small box, taking care to note which ones were proper. Tsunami smiled as Hinata worked. "You care for that boy, don't you?"

Hinata blushed. "H-he is my teammate, after all..." she muttered.

"But it's more than that, isn't it?"

"W-we're friends, I think..." Hinata's face resembled a ripe tomato.

Tsunami chuckled. "It's okay. You don't have to say it. Here, let me help you," she said, putting down the plate and grabbing some ingredients.

Once more Hinata thanked her host and as soon as they were finished, Hinata packed up the box. Taking it to Naruto's room, she tied it up with a small bit of rope and wrote, "Naruto-kun – In case you're hungry from your training, please have some. - Hinata." She'd deliberately chosen foods that would keep overnight so as to be flexible for Naruto's arrival.

"There," she said to herself and couldn't help but smile at a job she thought was well done.

The next morning, Hinata awoke bright and early, but Naruto was nowhere to be found. "Kakashi-sensei, is Naruto-kun around?" she asked.

"He hasn't returned yet?" said Tazuna, eyebrow raised.

"I hope he's alright," Tsunami chimed, bringing in plates. "A child all alone in the woods..."

"Don't worry!" said Kakashi cheerfully. "He might not look it, but he's a true ninja. He'll be fine."

Hinata remained unconvinced. "B-but Kakashi-sensei," she said, "What if he's hurt? Zabuza's out there – what if he's been caught?" She clenched her fist. "I'm going after him." She began gathering her gear.

"Hinata, your mission is to guard Tazuna-san," said Kakashi, holding up a hand to stop her. "Naruto will be fine. Stay here."

Something in Hinata burst. Turning towards Kakashi, eyes charged, she said, "Kakashi-sensei, you told us, 'Those who break the rules are trash, but those who would abandon their own comrades are lower than trash.' What kind of person would I be to leave my comrade lying where the enemy could easily get him?"

Kakashi blinked. She's come a long way... he thought, and lowered his hand, nodding his approval.

Hinata bowed and then rushed out the door.

Please be okay, Hinata hoped, rushing towards their training ground, Byakugan active. She was surprised by how much and how clearly she could see. Her training had paid off more than she'd expected. It was almost enough to detract from the urgency of the situation. Suddenly, she caught sight of Naruto's chakra signature. There! Thank goodness! But wait... one more?

She arrived at their location to find Naruto sitting on the ground next to a young girl. "Naruto-kun!" she called.

"Eh? Hinata?" said Naruto, confused.

"Are you okay?" she asked, then began inspecting him. "Oh, you're hurt!" she squeaked.

"Don't worry, I'm okay, mostly!" said Naruto. "Thanks to this nice girl!"

Unbeknownst to either of them, Haku had sensed her arrival. Behind his back, he began making the seals for his ice needles. The small spears began materializing in his hand, unseen by either of them. Haku's face remained placid.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I'm being rude," said Hinata, looking at the girl. She's beautiful... "I'm Naruto-kun's teammate. Are you his friend?"

The needles melted into nothingness and Haku relaxed imperceptibly. The mist must have camoflaged my identity. "Well, we just met, but I think so," he said, smiling.

"Well, you treated Naruto-kun, at any rate," said Hinata. "Thank you for that."

"It was no trouble. I was glad to help." Hinata nodded and retrieved her medicinal cream. As she uncapped it, Haku went to snatch the container, but stopped himself before he grabbed it. "May I take a look at that, please?"

"S-sure," said Hinata quietly. "Are you well versed in medical salves?"

"Something like that," said Haku, omitting the fact that he'd acquired these skills through a life of assassination and hiding from the authorities. He rubbed a bit of the cream between his thumb and forefinger and sniffed it. "This is good medicine," he said, screwing the cap back on. "If I may make a recommendation, add these herbs to the mix when you make the next batch." Reaching into his basket, he handed Hinata a handful of herbs.

"Oh, thank you," Hinata replied, revealing a smile. "Here, Naruto-kun, let me get those scrapes..." she leaned down and began applying the cream, trying to keep her hands steady while the thought You're touching Naruto-kun pounded in her head continuously.

"Thanks, Hinata!" said Naruto.

"Is she one of the people you want to protect?" Haku asked.

"What?"

"When a person has something to protect... they become truly strong. Do you want to protect her?"

Naruto contemplated this for a moment, then looked to Hinata, who refused to meet his eyes, blushing furiously and thankful for the excuse of treating his remaining wounds to look away. Naruto beamed. "Yeah! I guess she is." Unseen by Naruto, Hinata's face bore a mix of utter surprise and pure elation.

Haku returned Naruto's expression. "You will become strong. Let's meet again somewhere."

"Sure!" said Naruto.

"By the way," said Haku as he walked. "I'm a boy."

Both Naruto and Hinata's faces unmistakably dispalyed shock.

Soon after, Sasuke arrived. "There you are," he said. "Hinata. Kakashi says to return, since you've found Naruto. Naruto, you should get back to work" He brushed by the two of them and resumed training.

When Naruto eventually returned that night, he found a bentou box laid on his futon. Reading the note attached, he smiled. Hinata... She was worried about me. He opened it and to his surprise, the food was still good. As he was about to dig in, he hesitated, quickly closed the lid, and loaded the box into his pack. This'll make a good snack in the middle of training. Closing his bag, he took off out the door and towards the training ground once again.

Hinata, meanwhile, heard his footsteps and smiled. He's going to train more? So should I. After readying her supplies, she too headed out of Tazuna's home to follow Naruto and get back to work.

The next morning, Kakashi wandered out alone towards where he hoped his students would be. Not a single one came home last night. It was enough to actually worry him. He found Hinata on the ground, lying against a tree that bore many cuts, an orange jacket draped over her like a blanket. "Hinata?" he called.

Her eyes opened slowly and she smiled. Naruto-kun's jacket... did he...? she wondered as she inspected the jacket. "Oh... good morning, Kakashi-sensei," she said groggily, and hoisted herself up.

"Good morning. Were you out here all night?" he asked, looking around.

"Yes... though I fell asleep and Naruto-kun and Sasuke-kun were still training," she said with a bit of a frown. "Did I miss my shift with Tazuna-san? What time is it?"

"No, it's still early. Speaking of Naruto and Sasuke, where are those two?"

"I'll check." Just as she formed the seal to activate her Byakugan, a kunai dropped to the ground from above. Kakashi and Hinata looked to its origin and found Naruto chuckling to himself, slung over a tree branch. "He's climbed even higher than last night," said Hinata cheerfully.

"Whaddya think?" Naruto called. "Look at how high I can climb!" As he stood up on the branch, he stumbled and began to teeter backwards.

"Naruto-kun, watch out!" cried Hinata.

"Oh no," said Kakashi, "If you fall from that height-!"

Naruto slipped off the branch. Hinata screamed and Kakashi looked panicked until Naruto caught himself on the branch with his feet. "Just kidding!" he said, laughing as he swung back and forth. "You guys fell for it!" As Hinata began to breathe a sigh of relief, however, Naruto's grip on the tree loosened and he began to plummet, prompting another shriek from Hinata and Naruto, before being caught by the ankle by Sasuke.

"You moron," said Sasuke coolly as Naruto panted his relief.

Kakashi glanced around at his students; at Naruto, who had resumed his place on the tree, at Sasuke, who stood smirking at his teammate's ridiculousness, and at Hinata, who was cheering for her friends' success while silently celebrating her own. Only a short while ago, Kakashi had made fools of each of them during the bell test. Now, it seemed they were so much more than they were before. They've all grown so well, he thought, and smiled wide.

The next night, Naruto and Sasuke stood atop the very peaks of the trees, swaying in the wind as the moonlight washed over them. Both of them bore wide grins, even if Naruto's was formed through some heavy breathing. "Want to go back?" Sasuke asked casually.

"Yeah!" said Naruto. He turned to look at Hinata, who herself was clinging to a slightly shorter tree. "You coming with, Hinata?"

She nodded and smiled. It had cost her quite a lot of sleep to make up the training time while maintaining her schedule of guarding Tazuna. She had had to create little methods of mini-training to compensate while she tended her duties. There had been times she thought she would give up, but whenever fatigue encroached of the edges of her vision, she would remember the promise Naruto swore on his hand and would push back the exhaustion. At last, she realized, it was all worth it.

Sasuke's foot pushed the door to Tazuna's home open. Team 7 entered triumphantly but wearily. Sasuke supported Naruto and Hinata found herself clinging to Naruto's arm. Some part of her was amazed that she wasn't hyperventilating at this level of physical contact and was certain she would freak out twice as much to make up for it the next day.

"You're finally back," said Tazuna. "What's this? You look super dirty and worn out."

"We made it... to the top..." said Naruto. "All three of us."

"All right!" said Kakashi promptly. "Starting tomorrow, Naruto, you and Sasuke will help Hinata protect Tazuna-san." Hearing this, Hinata closed her eyes, gave a pleasant smile, and leisurely collapsed on the floor, fast asleep. Kakashi laughed awkwardly. "Let's... get her upstairs, shall we?"

"Naruto-kun?" Hinata lightly prodded Naruto's shoulder as he lay unconscious. He responded by snoring loudly and rolling away. The morning had come and Hinata had somehow managed to wake up (albeit still a little dizzy) thanks to the thermos of tea from which she took periodic sips, but Naruto seemed determined to protest the very idea of not being asleep.

"Leave him, Hinata," said Kakashi. "He's pushed his body to the limit. It's best to let him rest."

"Okay," she replied, her voice tinged with a bit of regret.

"Right then! Let's super go!" said Tazuna.

The group had arrived to the sight of mutilated bodies strewn across the bridge. One of the wounded soldiers had claimed a monster had attacked them. Now, a familiar mist descended upon them. None of them had any question as to what it meant.

"Here they come!" shouted Kakashi. The team readied their weapons. He's come at last...

"Kakashi-sensei," said Hinata. "This is kirigakure no jutsu (Hiding in Mist Technique), right?"Without waiting for his confirmation, Hinata activated her Byakugan.

"Long time no see Kakashi," came a voice from the mist. "Still babysitting those brats, huh? Poor kid – he's shaking again."

With little movement, Hinata gave a series of hand signals to Sasuke, who grinned. Kakashi gave his mark. "I'm shaking from excitement," Sasuke clarified and sped off. The sound of blades slashing through flesh echoed from the mist and five Zabuza bunshin dropped to the floor before exploding into water. Sasuke smoothly landed back in his original spot.

"He defeated my bunshin... but how did he see them?" asked Zabuza. "Ah. That girl – she can see through it now, can't she?" Zabuza gave a low chuckle. "Your brats have grown, Kakashi." The real Zabuza and Haku emerged into view. "Looks like some rivals have appeared, eh Haku?"

"It does indeed," answered Haku.

"That masked one was an ally after all," said Kakashi.

"I'll fight him," Sasuke declared. "Trying to trick us with that stupid act – I hate bastards like him the most."

"Be careful, Sasuke-kun," said Hinata, focusing on Zabuza and Haku. "They have strong chakra." She felt something familiar about them, but couldn't place it.

"I'll be fine," Sasuke replied with confidence. "Thanks to your help, I've been able to get much stronger."

"An impressive young man," said Haku. "Even though the mizubunshin have only a tenth of the strength of the original, it is still rather impressive."

"We've got the advantage," said Zabuza. "Go!"

"Yes," said Haku, who disappeared in a vortex of water before quickly appearing right in front of Sasuke, swiping at him with a needle. Sasuke repelled it with his kunai.

"Hinata! Stay with Tazuna and keep watch with your Byakugan. We'll let Sasuke handle him."

"Right!" Hinata replied, channeling more chakra to her eyes. She watched as Sasuke was able to keep up with Haku, feeling an unfamiliar rush as she realized just how far they'd come. We can do this! she thought excitedly as Sasuke delivered a sharp blow right to Haku's face.

"I can't have you disparaging my team by calling them brats," Kakashi said calmly. "Sasuke is the number one rookie in the village. Hinata is the heir to the most noble clan of Konoha." She blushed from the praise. "And the other one is the number one unpredictable ninja of them all."

Zabuza began to laugh, and the battle took a dark turn.

Hinata's efforts to break Haku's ice mirrors had been in vain. Even with her newly augmented Byakugan, she couldn't hit Haku with shuriken without him blocking them. Her confidence began dwindling. This is bad... Sasuke-kun is going to- Just then, she noticed something on the edge of her vision. Her grin returned. Yes! He's here!

Naruto arrived in a burst of smoke. "Uzumaki Naruto has finally arrived!" he announced. "Now that I'm here, everything's gonna be fine! The main character of a story usually shows up just in the nick of time to kick the enemy's ass!"

Hinata felt renewed strength from Naruto's arrival. We can win this.

Suddenly, Zabuza threw some Shuriken at Naruto, only to be blocked by an equal amount of needles from Haku. "Haku, what is this?" asked Zabuza.

"Zabuza-san... please let me fight these children my way," Haku answered.

"So you don't want me to interfere? You're as soft as always," said Zabuza.

With a quick jolt of worry, Hinata watched as Naruto leaped through the air into the very circle in which Sasuke had been trapped. "Oh no!" she squeaked as Naruto and Sasuke began to argue about the former's decision. This made Naruto's timely arrival now thoroughly untimely. With both of them trapped and Kakashi engaging Zabuza... "We're doomed," Hinata whispered, unaware that she was saying it out loud.

"Don't worry, Hinata!" called Kakashi. "Protect Tazuna-san, follow my orders, and everything will be okay. You can see through the mist now. You've come along way." He used his kunai to swat several shuriken which had suddenly appeared out of the air.

Stirred by Kakashi's words, she resumed focus, watching for movement. "Watch your six, sensei!" she yelled.

Kakashi turned and for a brief second his hand crackled with energy as he swiped at Zabuza, who wasn't able to completely dodge the Lightning Blade and took a small blow to the shoulder before retreating. "I've underestimated your brats, Kakashi," said Zabuza. "I've underestimated you as well. To think that I would see the Copy Ninja's one-and-only original jutsu... I'm honored."

Hinata's blood pumped rapidly from her success in assisting Kakashi. Maybe they would make it through this after all. I just have to believe in Naruto-kun and Sasuke-kun. "Kakashi-sensei! Three o'clock!" she called and Kakashi ducked the giant blade swing.

While Kakashi's battle raged on in their favor, Naruto and Sasuke were not faring so well. Haku had stepped up his game and even though Hinata had noticed a change in Sasuke's chakra flow, particularly around his eyes, they were only barely managing to dodge the deadly needles flying through the air. Hinata told herself that it would be okay, that all she had to do was concentrate on aiding Kakashi, even though she couldn't shake the feeling of familiarity that hit her whenever she focused on Haku's chakra.

Until she saw Sasuke hit the floor, that is.

Oh no! Sasuke had been the one dodging everything and had taken a load of needles for Naruto. Is Sasuke-kun...? She focused further on his body and managed to catch a steady, though weakened chakra flow. Thank goodness, she thought in relief. She still worried about how Naruto would now handle the battle. She desperately wanted to go help him, but if she left Tazuna alone, Zabuza would surely kill him. She began shaking, her mind split between her duty and her desire to assist Naruto.

Naruto's sudden change in chakra flow changed her mind. The color of his chakra changed dramatically, from a serene blue to a bright, blazing red, emanating from his abdomen. What is this? The chakra began manifesting itself physically above Naruto, forming the shape of an awful face, almost like a dog or even a fox. His numerous wounds instantly healed themselves. Hinata had never seen anything like it. It was as though he had two chakra sources, but that was impossible. She focused further on its source, trying to gauge its true nature, but the more she looked, the more she became frightened.

Suddenly, as she gazed upon it, she felt it look back at her. A horrible sensation overwhelmed her: she felt as though her a monster's claws were crushing her throat. She screamed, deactivating her Byakugan out of reflex and the sensation dissipated.

Kakashi, having apparently noticed Naruto's chakra as well, had brought out a scroll and drew a line of his blood on it, intending to swiftly end the fight with Zabuza.

Hinata panted, still shaking from the fear. The sound of a hard impact and the sharp cracking of some object snapped her out of it and the feeling of the demonic chakra vanished. Her worry for Naruto returned to her and she reactivated her Byakugan. Naruto's chakra had returned to normal and her nerves relaxed. Just then, the feeling of familiarity from earlier made sense to her. Since Haku had stopped molding his ice-release chakra, Hinata could analyze his chakra: she recognized it as the chakra of the boy she had met briefly while searching for Naruto.

As Hinata tried to comprehend what she had witnessed, Kakashi called, "Hinata! Thanks for your help, but I'm ending this now. Kuchiyose: doton: tsuiga no jutsu (summoning: earth release: tracking fang technique)!" He planted his hands in the ground and next to Zabuza the ninken erupted from the earth, each one clamping their jaws around one of his body parts. "That's what happens when you have your eyes closed in the mist," Kakashi explained. "This summoning is especially useful for tracking down an enemy. Thanks to Hinata, I was able to mark you early on in the battle with a special seal."

Zabuza looked towards where Kakashi had swiped him. It had been a minor wound, so Zabuza had dismissed it, but there it was: a seal hidden amongst the scratches on the flesh. He let out a bitter chuckle. "I truly did underestimate your brats," he muttered.

"The seal emits their favorite scent, imperceptible to most humans. These dogs' noses are more powerful than any other. You're trapped in my jutsu." Kakashi focused his Sharingan on Zabuza. "The mist has cleared. Your future is death." Lightning Blade in hand, he rushed towards Zabuza...

Hinata felt a troubling mix of emotions as she and her team stood at Haku and Zabuza's graves, two weeks later. After all their struggles, the end had been so abrupt, yet so intense. At once, Hinata was happy that they had won the battle and that the village and Team 7 was safe. Yet after everything Haku and Zabuza had said about being shinobi...

"Kakashi-sensei," she piped up, frowning as she faced the ground. "Were these two... right about being shinobi?"

"A shinobi isn't supposed to pursue his own goals. Becoming the country's tool is the most important. It's the same for Konoha," Kakashi answered.

"Is that what it really means to become a ninja?" said Naruto, bitter expression upon his face. "You know what? I don't like it!"

"You think so too?" said Sasuke.

"Well, each and every ninja has to live their lives dealing with that issue, just like Zabuza and this boy," Kakashi explained.

"Okay! I just decided! I'm going to be a ninja in my own way!" declared Naruto. Kakashi and Hinata smiled.

After they said their goodbyes to Tazuna, Tsunami and Inari, Team 7 departed from the village. "Yay! Let's get home fast so I can have Iruka-sensei treat me to ramen! Oh yeah, and I totally have to tell Konohamaru of my legendary feats!"

"C-can I c-come along?" asked Hinata timidly.

"Sure! You can help me tell the story!" Naruto replied enthusiastic. Her heart swelled and she smiled. "We should do another A-rank mission!" he told Kakashi. Hinata stumbled a bit at the prospect.

"No," said Kakashi. "Zabuza and Haku... it's a miracle that we all survived a battle at that level." Naruto let out a noise of disappointment. "Well, you can do another A-rank mission when you train and get stronger."

Naruto hmm'd in thought. ""Well, I wanna do that, but first I've gotta find the strength to fight for the things I want to protect!" At Kakashi's confused look, he explained, "Just like Haku said, when people want to protect something, they can become as strong as they need to be!"

"I see," said Kakashi after a pause. "So you think that way as well, then?"

"Yeah! I realized it after seeing Zabuza and Haku."

"M-me too," Hinata said quietly. "I want to become strong so I can protect what's important to me."

Kakashi smiled. "I'm proud of you guys," he said, generating expressions of surprise on Naruto and Hinata's face.

After a few more minutes of walking, Hinata said, "It's strange, but... saying goodbye to Zabuza and Haku... it feels like we're leaving some friends behind."

"You too, Hinata?" said Naruto, to her surprise. "Even if they were our enemies, I really liked them." He turned to Kakashi. "Is that weird?"

Kakashi chuckled, shaking his head. "No," he said. "I liked them too."

Eventually, they returned to the village and Kakashi separated from them to deliver their report. Soon after, Sasuke and Naruto exchanged awkward looks before the former left with a wave and a minor goodbye. Hinata's heart pumped harder as she was left alone with Naruto. "W-well, I'd b-better get going," she said awkwardly. Naruto murmured a noise of confirmation. Stupid! No! This is your chance to be with him for a while and you're blowing it! "Um, N-Naruto-kun?"

"Yeah?"

"Are you... feeling okay?"

"What do you mean?"

I mean do you know what happened with that awful chakra that overtook you when you thought Sasuke-kun was dead? she desperately wanted to ask. The question had been weighing on her mind for the last two weeks. "I mean... do your wounds from the battle still hurt?" Coward!

Naruto shook his head. "Nope. After a good night's sleep, I always feel great in the morning. Plus, your medicine's been a real help!" He smiled at her. "You know, Hinata, when you and I were put on the same team, I thought..."

"What?" she asked, barely hiding her eagerness to hear his answer.

"I thought you'd be a complete drag and that I'd never have any fun." Hinata's heart stopped for a second. "But after this mission... I'm really glad you're on Team 7!" he said cheerfully, patting her on the shoulder.

The weight of his hand felt like a million tons and she was surprised that she did not immediately collapse. Her heart resumed its beat, a thousand times its original pace. Don't just stand there, stupid! Say something! "Th... thank you," she managed weakly.

"No problem. Anyway, I'm gonna get going. See you later!" He waved over his head and ran off towards his apartment.

A good twenty minutes passed before Hinata was able to move.

"Naruto-kun, why did you want to meet with me?" asked Hinata. She didn't quite know where she was.

"Well, you really helped me with my training in the Wave country, so I thought we could train some more together," said Naruto.

"Oh, of course," said Hinata, smiling. "I'd be glad to help."

"Plus... I just want to spend some more time with you," he added softly.

"Naruto-kun?"

"Hinata..." He moved towards her, arms outstretched, ready to embrace her. She felt her pulse quicken.

Closing her eyes, she leaned into it, letting herself be swept up by his arms. "Oh, Naruto-kun," she said. But instead of his hands wrapped around her, she felt two sets of claws digging into her back. "N-Naruto-kun?" Her eyes opened.

It was not Naruto holding her – at least, not the Naruto she knew. It was a horrible fox demon, covered in flames, grinning maliciously at her. "Naruto isn't here," the demon growled. "It's just me now."

Hinata practically jumped out of bed as she woke from the dream. She was covered in sweat and hyperventilating. It had all seemed so real. She still shook from the remnants of terror. She couldn't shake that feeling, that terrible feeling that had overtaken her when she had tried to look to the source of the red chakra all those weeks ago. It had looked at her. It was alive. But it didn't make any sense and Naruto didn't seem to know anything about it. Maybe Kakashi-sensei knows what it was, she thought. He seemed to take notice of it too, after all. She decided that she would talk to him about it in the morning and attempted to go back to sleep.

This attempt would prove to be a failure.

Aaand that's the Wave country arc done. I hope y'all liked it. I tried to put as much as I could in there, but Sakura had a pretty passive role for this part of the story, so it was a little difficult. The timeline's gonna start splitting more and more, though, so buckle up. I'll start a list of major changes to the timeline with this chapter.

Changes:

-Due to Hinata's Byakugan, Naruto, Sasuke, and Hinata all gained more strength than normal from the tree-climbing exercise.

Anyway, as always, leave a review! Next up is the chuunin exam!