A/N This is so that you all are appeased. I need to get this out now before I forget.

Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto, chill out.

*x*17:03

Hm... That's strange.

'WHAT? I ONLY SENSE ZABUZA AND SOME FEM- WAIT A MINUTE, WASN'T HAKU MALE?'

'Yep. That's it, I'm in an alternate universe. There's no other way this could be possible.'

*x* Scene Break. Hyuuga Clan Compound: 11:24

It had been a long day at the Hyuuga Estate, what with the mission the heiress to the Hyuuga clan had gone on.

"It's going to take forever for me to catch up to Hinata-sama, Hiashi-sama" The young prodigy Neji Hyuuga stated, with an air of laziness around him.

"Obviously. Now listen, I've checked this in with the Hokage. This counts as a B rank mission, with C-rank pay and a bonus if completed flawlessly. Go now, watch over my daughter Neji. I can only trust you with this, other branch members may take this as a chance to let her die, but I know you two are close." Hiashi said, with an air of nervousness and haste about him.

"Yes Hiashi-sama." 'I will protect you Hinata-sama.'

"Neji.. Do you remember what happened with her mother's Byakugan? I want you to watch out for it, in case she shows the second stage as well."

"Of course Hiashi-sama. I will report all my findings and my mission to you upon my return." 'You can trust me in this, I won't fail you Uncle.'

"Thank you. Go now!"

*x* Scene break, back with the main plot...

The fight with Zabuza, had gone... interesting to say the least. As with the last time around, I had played the fool, simply needing it to stay roughly the same. What I didn't expect, was for Haku to fall out of the tree after seeing me. It had all been planned in my mind, to try and keep it the same so that I could catch them and save Haku this time. However, I don't think what happened will change anything much, I can't help but wonder if Haku had hit her face when she fell.. That nosebleed had looked awfully painful.

I was roused from my thoughts by a quiet, yet bold "Naruto-kun? Are you out here?"

We had arrived at Tazuna's house much the way the first life I lived had happened, except for the fight being different with Zabuza of course. I couldn't help but wonder how I missed Hinata's feelings in my, what I have decided to call "Past life". It was ridiculously obvious now that I look back on it, but somehow I missed it. I guess I was pretty dense back then.. but living long as I had in the Shinobi world I'd gotten a bit smarter.. Quietly, I muttered a simple "Over here, Hina-chan.."

She shuffled over, timid at first but with reckless abandon attacked me into a hug. She was crying, I realized, but I couldn't understand why. I thought on it for a moment, and realized with a start that she must've been terrified seeing a missing-nin that was A-rank attacking us.

"Shh... It's ok Hinata-chan, it's all gunna be ok.. We're safe now, Kakashi-sensei won't let anything happen to us." Back in the fight, Zabuza had made a water clone go directly for her, and surrounded by 20 I couldn't get to her as quickly as I wanted to, and she was terrified at the massive KI already from Zabuza and Kakashi.

She continued crying for a moment, but the moment I spoke again she stopped and listened."Hinata-chan.. I will never let that happen again. Next time I will protect you-"

She quickly yelled, out of her normal range of volume"No! I.." I didn't quite understand why she had yelled, it seemed odd, but like she needed to say something incredibly important to me, so I stopped and gave her a reassuring look and began to listen. " I.. I want to protect myself Naruto-kun! I want to learn to do that! Can.. Can you help me?"

I was.. startled to say the least. She barely had a single moment of nervousness. I decided then and there, to teach her a technique I knew, one that while it was chakra taxing, would easily help her if she learned to use it correctly.

"Naruto-kun!" I realized I had pondered a bit too long and decided I must teach her, if not so that I can know she'd be safe.

"Hinata-chan... How would you like to learn the Rasengan?"

*x* Scene break, four days later.

Kakashi-sensei had told us that Zabuza probably wasn't dead, and I knew that as well. It was time for her to perfect her own version of the Rasengan. She called it Aura Release: Rasengan spike. The technique started out the way her Twin Lion Fists technique started, except a clone helped create a rasengan in her hand. She then, used the Jyuuken to manipulate it into having spikes, spread all across it. The moment it made contact a chakra spike would shoot out, impaling whatever it hit. needless to say Wave country had lost many trees during the process, with me channeling chakra after each one to prevent chakra exhaustion on her part. She could probably perform two Rasengan's at full capacity, one Rasengan spike at full before she felt fatigue from the loss of chakra.

Her Byukugan had been.. flickering to something different during training, though I wasn't sure what it was. All I knew was her chakra capacity hit Jonin level once, while it had flickered before disappearing and disrupting her Rasengan Spike. It wasn't a problem, as she learned to keep the attack held through those chakra capacity spikes, but I think the chakra I'd been channeling was causing a mutation in her Byakugan, but didn't have the evidence to support it. My Sharingan, also, had been feeling very different lately, as if it was on the brink of something it almost had, but couldn't quite reach.

"Naruto?" I was surprised to find Kakashi looking at me. Then I saw the serious look he had. shit. He suspects something. Ah well, I knew I'd have had to tell him eventually anyway.

"Kakashi-sensei.. we should talk somewhere more private. Hinata, keep it up. I'll give a Kage Bunshin some extra chakra to transfer to you so you can keep training."She seemed to be gaining a capacity for chakra, she was now low chuunin level instead of high genin. The training seemed to be helping her a lot.

After a few minutes of walking, safely out of earshot and Byakugan level sight, Kakashi got serious."What the HELL is going on with this? You know things you shouldn't, Jiyaiya and I are the only ones who know the Rasengan and it can't be copied. Talk!" I raised my hands in a submissive gesture to calm him and said,

"I'll tell you everything.. but wait until I'm done talking first, ok?" He nodded, but seemed very irate. That was understandable, all things considered.

So I told him. I told him about the war with Madara, Sasuke's revenge attempt, every single bit of what happened. And the funniest part of all, is that he honest to god believed me. Of course being that my father would never have taught someone the Rasengan that he didn't trust, even if I was lying that meant I could be trusted to have a good reason for doing so. He believed everything I said, but he asked me one thing. "Why haven't you told the Sandaime this?"

"You think he'd believe me? Besides, this doesn't need to get out to anyone. It would cause problems. If something big changes, then the whole future changes. I need to stop Orochimaru. Once I've done that, everything else is simplicity. Sasuke won't be drawn to power and I can win over his friendship. The whole future can be saved. But let's say the Sandaime gets worried for me and won't let me participate in the exams, the only time I can honestly stop Orochi-teme. Then what? My whole plan is ruined."

"You've a point there Naruto. I will trust you but you must tell him after the second stage that you know about the invasion in the event that Orochimaru survives your encounter." That was acceptable. It didn't cause any real problems. I could save Hayate too. I could save them all! Believe it!

Later we were eating dinner with Tsunami, Tazuna, and Inari. Hinata, had talked to Inari and comforted him more than I ever could, though for some reason he still clung to me as if I were his older brother. We ate in comfortable silence, having nothing to talk about anyway. I spoke up as Tsunami cleared the plates. "We need a battle plan for Zabuza. As strong as we are, he has a friend we need to worry about and we haven't seen her fight." I had avoided meeting her this time around in the woods, as I simply didn't want to think about having to kill someone like that. It was better to stay anonymous. It helped me when I had to finally end the person's life.

"Well, Naruto, since Hinata has a wide range of vision I think she should guard Tazuna, she could see attacks from behind, front, or even above or below. Kakashi-sensei could take on Zabuza, and you and I can take on that Hunter-nin."

"Sasuke, I want to do that but, we need a contingency plan. What if he brings someone else?"

A knock, on the door interrupted us. I felt the chakra outside and was incredibly surprised by who it was. Neji... "Come on in Neji-san. It's alright, we aren't gunna bite."

I could easily see his surprise, he seemed.. different this time. "Yosh! Your Flames of Youth must burn brightly for you to know me before I even enter the door! You are Naruto, Yes?"

Oh. My. God. No!

"Yes..." Outwardly I showed no sign of surprise, but inside I screamed bloody murder at the unbearable torture I would be cursed to endure. "So someone sent you for backup I assume?"

"Yosh! You are knowingly right again Naruto-kun!" Oh god, this seems like I'm going to have a headache.

"Neji-nii-san? Did Tou-san send you to watch over me?" Hinata said, with a slightly irate look on her face.

"Why of course! He simply said to provide Youthful backup in the event that you are in trouble!" Neji said, still not even noticing Hinata's irritation in the slightest.

*x*

Alrighty, that's a wrap for now. I am uploading this to appease you all, and a simple teaser for DarkAlice. Read and Review, more will come, probably next Friday the 10k chapter will be out.