Land of Waves

Hinata didn't mind the D-ranks. They were safe. Comfortable. Even familiar. Cleaning gardens, catching run-away pets and finding lost items, but soon got a little tedious. Watching Naruto go overboard because he wanted to be better than Sasuke was funny at times, or even Sasuke fighting off a stray cat that jumped on his head was something that made her snort in a very unladylike manner.

The new C-ranked mission made her stomach churn. It can't be that bad, can it? All they had to do was protect the builder. Add a rogue ninja, corrupt billionaire and an assassination squad, the C-ranked mission was turning to an A-ranked. And now their were ninjas from the Mist trying to kill them as well as a mafia gang watching their every step. Hinata sighed, remembering the good old days of picking weed from someone's garden for a few coins.

"Zabuza's still alive," Kakashi announced. He leaned against the wall, a threadbare blanket draped over him.

Tazuna's home was bare. An old table and three wooden chairs. The kitchen appliances turned off at random times. There was an old generator in the basement, the reason why there was running water and electricity while other homes went without. The dusty floorboards creaked under their weight and wallpaper peeled off the room walls, blotched with grey mould in the corners. Mattresses were a luxury in the village. Tazuna explained how he had to sell his bed to afford another meal for him, Inari and his mother. Crime was rampant in the poverty-stricken island, with old and youth alike hopeless of the future. Except Tazuna; his bridge to connect the isolated island to the bustling mainland was their only hope.

"But we saw his body!" Naruto spluttered, shaking his head in disbelief.

"And how are we supposed to beat him when you can barely move?" Sasuke added cynically.

"I can still train you," Kakashi said as if was the most logical thing.

"Will that really h-help us, Kakashi-Sensei?" Hinata asked, glancing at the leg plastered with bandages. Her tone hardly showing a speck of confidence.

Sasuke glanced at her. Seriously, with something as coveted as the Byakugan, she ought to be less nervous. And adding to the fact that her taijutsu wasn't half-bad, her self-doubt was starting to vex him. He couldn't wait to unlock his own clan's dojutsu, the Sharingan.

"Things are going to get better from now on. Believe it!" Naruto exclaimed.

"I don't believe it," a newcomer said.

Sasuke, Hinata and Naruto turned around. A scrawney, short boy stood in the doorways, his cheekbones protruding, his empty eyes on Naruto. The blond squinted his eyes in silent rage. Who the hell was this pipsqueak?

"Welcome back, grandfather!" the boy threw his arms around Tazuna, squeezing tightly.

"Inari, that was very rude," Tsunami scolded her son, "these ninja helped your grandpa and brought him here safely."

"Mom, they going to die," Inari's voice sounded so certain, Naruto clenched his fists. Did the boy think they were that weak? "Gato's men are gonna wipe them out!"

"What did you say brat!" Naruto interrupted, smirking "I'm gonna be hokage one day and this Blatto or whatever he's called is no match for a hero like me!"

"There no such as a hero. You're just full of stupid ideas-"

"-WHAT DID YOU SAY?"

Hinata grasped Naruto arm as he marched towards the small boy. "N-Naruto, I don't getting into a fight w-with Inari is a good idea."

"If you wanna stay alive, you better go back where you came from." Team Seven exchanged looks, perturbed by Inari's pessimism.

Kakashi's impromptu lesson that was supposedly going to help them work together and beat the notorious rogue ninja of the Mist, one of the deadliest ninjas recorded... was tree-climbing. Hinata inwardly face-palmed,but didn't have it in her to express it out loud. They stood a small clearing of the forest, not far off from Tazuna's home.

"We will begin with a review of chakra," Kakashi stated.

"Right, katrah," Naruto grinned.

"We know this," Sasuke said, his mouth carried a smirk as he stretched his arms.

"Chakra," Kakashi corrected with a sigh, "and none you have mastered this particular skill. Focus the chakra towards the soles of your feet. If you can master this, you can master any jutsu."

Naruto took the first shot, his eyes fixated on the tree trunk. One step... two steps... and that was how far he climbed until gravity pulled him back down to the earth. He clutched the back of his head, soothing the bump that grew from the impact.

Sasuke was next. He sprinted straight ahead, feeling his chakra pool in the bottom of his feet. One step... two steps... three steps. On his fourth step, he broke into the wood, losing his balance. He scraped the tree with his kunai as he fell back towards the ground. It wan't as easy as he initially thought it looked.

Hinata closed her eyes. Focussing her chakra was second-nature. She was trained in chakra control since she had first began to use her Byakugan. She felt her chackra pool in the soles of her feet, and keeping it there was easy. Her eyes flared open as her legs raced up the tree effortlessly. He legs kept going until she reached the final branch. A grin blossomed as she saw Naruto, Sasuke and Kakashi as small specks.

"It seems like Hinata has the best chakra control," Kakashi said, watching the girl smile confidently as she sat atop, swinging her legs. As expected from a Hyuga.

"Way to go, Hinata!" Naruto cried, looking up at her, "how did you do that?"

Sasuke muttered under his breath. It seems like she is more skilled than she letting on.

"We spoke about someone becoming hokage one day didn't we?" Kakashi said. Naruto's eyes squinted, and expression he usually did when he was unhappy. Kakashi looked at Sasuke, looking at the trees with a brooding stare. "And great Uchiha clan might not be so great after all."

"Why did you stop?" Sasuke asked curiously. The tree trunk was scratched with his kunai knife, each line higher than the one before. Naruto's mark on the tree was stuck on the same scratch for the last fifteen minutes.

"Hinata's training too," he said, a mischievous smile growing on his face. "I'm gonna ask her for some tips!"

The thudding sound echoed in the stillness of the night. Under the pale moonlight, Naruto watched Hinata repeatedly strike the trunk of the tree with lethal force. Sweat dripped down her face, Naruto realised she was training just as hard as he was. He jumped down the tree, startling her.

"Your chakra control is amazing, Hinata" he smiled, "why are you up so late?"

She blushed, hating how tongue-tied she got when Naruto did something as simple as speaking to her. She looked at her bruised palms.

"I-I still need to get stronger. You saw how useless I was when w-were were fighting Zabuza-"

"Wait, did Sasuke say that to you?" he asked, anger rising up inside him.

Hinata shook her head. "I-I know I should have done more."

"If it wasn't for you, we would have been lost in that mist when Zabuza first attacked! And thanks to you, we prepared for the ambush. I could've been poisoned by those mist ninjas!"

"B-but I-I could barely defend myself- if only I-"

"You gotta give yourself more credit," Naruto interjected, "I think you were amazing, especially with your Byakugan."

"T-thanks N-Naruto," Hinata said, her rosy cheeks dimmed by the darkness of the night.

"And don't worry, we'll all get stronger together...right?"

"O-of course!"

Naruto scratched the back of his head with a nervous laugh. "So... can you give me more tips on how to control my chakra?"

Hinata nodded. "The p-problem is you need to maintain the chakra in the sole of y-your feet. Your c-chakra travels too quickly to the upper p-pathways where your arms are and that's why you lose control, and Sasuke p-pushes too much chakra towards his soles in an instant, like he does when he f-fights. He needs focus on keeping it t-there."

"Chakra pathways? What do you mean?"

"Everyone has pathways in their body where c-chakra flows," she said, "I can see it with my Byakugan and that's what I-I see when you try to climb the tree."

"Wow," Naruto whispered, "you're pretty amazing, you know?"

Hinata's blush deepened with the compliment. "I-I hope that helps."

"Sure does," he grinned. "I'm gonna head back and keep practicing!"

Sasuke looked at Naruto curiously. Since his talk with Hinata, there was victorious glint in his eyes. He mouth gaped open as he watched Naruto overtake his high score by a single step, his kunai mark an inch higher than his own.

"Hey," Sasuke called out, "what did Hinata tell you?"

Naruto smirked. "I'm not telling!"

Sasuke left eye twitched in annoyance.

The morning sun shone over the ocean, glistening waves rolling in the distance. It was a habit of Hinata's to wake up early. Everyone was still fast asleep. Naruto came back late at night, completely exhausted. She smiled, feeling a sense of admiration. He got carried away with his chakra training, no doubt because he wanted to surpass Sasuke. As Hinata stepped outside, a chilly breeze flew past her. She zipped her coat up, taking a deep breath of the salty ocean air. She spotted Inari curled up on the dock. He stared blankly at the water.

"It's Inari, isn't it? I'm Hinata." Hinata sat beside him. Inari made no acknowledgement of her presence.

"You and Naruto don't get along, but trust me, he isn't a bad person at all," she said, "your grandfather told us what happened to your father. N-Naruto didn't know his parents either," he voice went quieter, a guilty expression on her face, "he didn't have anyone, not a s-single friend."

"Really?" Inari looked at her for the first time since she started talking.

"N-Naruto never lets that make him sad. He's always t-trying his best and never gives up, even if he's having a difficult time. He's really helped me become confident too. I think he r-realised that there's no point to crying and decided to do something about it. I guess I'm the s-same as well. You can't keep crying over the same thing all the time. It t-took me a long time to realise that.

"Naruto knows what it means to be s-strong, like your father. I think y-you can be just as strong as your father, Inari," Hinata said, the young boy looking at her with newfound strength.

"He's on you're left, Kakashi-Sensei!" Hinata cried, her Byakugan piercing through the thick mist with ease.

Kakashi appreciated her help, but he couldn't carry on fighting blind. And he had the perfect strategy for it.

"Troublesome girl," Haku said, fear tangible in his voice, "her kekkei genkai sees though the mist."

Inside the gilded icicle torture chamber, Haku's unique kekkei genkai that trapped Sasuke and Naruto. Thousands of needles flew from the mirrors, reflecting the boy's image. Sasuke, his Sharingan glowing brightly, leaped in front of Naruto, bearing the brunt of the attack. He collapsed, his eyes closing.

"Is this the first time you have seen a friend die in battle?" Haku asked expressionlessly, "this is part of what it mean to be a ninja."

"Shut up." Naruto hated Sasuke, but during the mission, they were more than petty rivals. They were helping each other get stronger, pushing one another to the limits. A rage stormed within Naruto, one he couldn't control.

An orange aura encapsulated Naruto, swirling around him like ropes of fire. Chakra rushed through his body, enlarging the pathways as power surged at frightening levels. It didn't make any sense to Hinata. Naruto's chakra was stronger than hers, but it was never monstrous, not like this. Not even Zabuza or Kakashi possessed this amount of power. One thing Hinata was certain of was that this chakra was not entirely his own. It made no logical sense, but as she watched him with her Byakugan, it was obvious Naruto had something within him.

A small smile bloomed on her face.

"What are you smiling about, little lady?" Tazuna yelled, beads of sweat rolling down his face, "your friends are trapped in those mirrors and your sensei can't even see Zabuza!"

"Naruto's stronger than you think," -stronger than anyone imagined, Hinata added inwardly- "and Sasuke's still breathing."

He laid in an unceremonious heap on the groud, hundreds of needles protruding from his limbs. His breathing was shallow, small gasps drowned by the noise of the fight. The needles missed his vital organs, and Hinata didn't know if that was done on purpose to torture Sasuke, or if Haku's aim was oddly poor. She decided to go with the former. It was no surprise if Haku had a penchant for savagery with a father-figure like Zabuza.

Her attention diverted to other fight. "Kakashi-Sensei, Zabuza is ten feet in front of you!" she yelled.

"Has the seal been broken?" Kakashi said under his breath, his eyes glancing at the icicle trap, "this puts everyone in danger!"

"I'm going to kill you!" Naruto roared, his canines turning into fangs.

Haku's attention darted to Naruto, his shock hidden by his mask. The boy's eyes were a bloodthirsty red, the marking on his face growing bold. He threw his needles with expert prrecisioun to put down the rabid animal. His attacks were repelled quickly by Naruto's blazing aura. His only chance to end the fight was to take his out from behind. Haku jumped out of the ice mirror, aiming his kunai at the boy.

"Impossible!" he cried as Naruto spun out the way.

He had to get back into the glass, it was too much of a risk to tackle him head on! As Haku leaped to the glass, a hand grabbed his, pulling him down to the ground. Haku attempted to pull it away, but the iron-grip and the amount of chakra exterting from Naruto made it an impossible task. The crystal-mirrors cracked into splinters, shattering piece by piece as if it was raining ice. Haku had no more chakra to sustain his fight against Naruto. He only prayed Zabuza may forgive him for his weakness. With that single thought, Haku closed his eyes and waited for Naruto's fist. The force launched him in the air, tumbling and falling like a lifeless rag doll.

And just as the mirrors smashed, Haku's mask split in half.

His fist stopped inches away from his face. "You're that person I met earlier-"

Haku didn't care. He had failed. He had failed Zabuza and deserved no reason to live on. "I want you to kill me."

"The fog is starting to clear up!" Tazuna exclaimed.

Hinata breathed a sigh of relief. Kakashi-Sensei's plan was working out. It was his job to deal with Zabuza, and Sasuke and Naruto to deal with Haku. Her responsibility was to defend Tazuna from any stray attacks. She wondered why Naruto stopped his assault on Haku. They were so close to winning!

Kakashi powered the Chidori, blue lightening crackling in the fog. His pack of hounds rendered Zabuza immobile, at the mercy of Kakashi Hatake, the Copy Ninja. Haku's eyes grew wide. He swiftly dodged Naruto kunai, disappearing into the fading fog. He cannot die just yet; there was still one thing his pathetic existence was capable of.

A massive surge of power exploded on the ground. Hinata shielded her face, the sheer force almost toppling her over.

"What was that?" Tazuna yelled behind her.

Everyone froze.

Kakashi's attack that was intended for Zabuza was blocked by Haku, the young boy sacrificing his life to save the monster that gave his life purpose.

What happened after was a whirlwind. Hinata tried to keep up, but there were blanks her mind couldn't fill in. Gato's thugs showed up, outnumbering them all. She held her kunai higher, moving in closer to Tazuna. The mission was to protect the bridge builder. They were too close to completing the mision to give up now. Hinata was amazed at Naruto's impassioned speech. His words seemed to echo in the Demon of the Hidden Mist's heart. Gasps of shocks escaped her as she watched Gato's thugs stabs swords into Zabuza's back as sprinted at Gato. Kakashi, Naruto and Tazuna watched the scene unfold in front of them, ending with Gato falling to his death in the rive below and Zabuza's dying body beside Haku's corpse.

Fresh snow fell from the clouds. It was the first sign of calm in the tumultuous week.

The night sky glittered with countless stars, their beauty outshone by the crescent moon beaming through the dark. The air was quiet, save for the occasional hoot of owls. It was the last night of camping before they made it back to the Leaf Village as genins who unknowingly, miraculously completed an S-ranked mission.

Hinata rolled over to her side for what seemed that the tenth time in the past five minutes. A frustrated sigh escaped her lips. How could she sleep peacefully after everything that happened? To think someone the same age as her did not care that his life was used as a disposable tool, as nothing more than a mere object as his life's purpose.

Was she also a disposable tool as all ninjas?

Hinata shook her head as if it would make the dreadful thoughts flee. Unlike Haku, she had a bigger purpose in life. She was supposed to be the heiress to the Hyuga; a kunoichi that protected the people she loved. She had friends and family, but Haku had no one but Zabuza. One thing she agreed on was that she too would not hesitate to step in and save someone precious to her, no matter the cost.

But that wasn't the only thing on her mind.

She rolled to her right side once more, alarmed to see Naruto looking directly at her, the small fire between then showing his pensive expression.

"Can't sleep?" he asked quietly, sitting up from his sleep bag. He took her rumination as a silent confirmation. "Me neither."

The question that haunted her mind materialized again. The flickering flames cast grey, dancing shadows on Naruto's face. Kakashi was keeping watch for the night, patrolling the perimeter of the camp site. On the far side, Sasuke's back faced them, low snores heard coming from his direction. Hinata sat up, pulling the blanket with her. She had a terrible habit of fidgeting because of her nerves.

"C-can I ask you a question?" Hinata asked softly, twiddling the edge of the blanket.

"Sure, what is it?"

"When you were fighting Haku, y-your chakra changed color."

Naruto's body seized up, avoiding her eyes. His stare darted to the small fire that kept them warm, trepidation brewing in the pit of his stomach.

"It w-wasn't your chakra, was it?" she continued, noticing how his eyes were clouded with an emotion she couldn't fathom, "it was like a m-monster possessed y-you."

"A monster, huh?"

Hinata's eyes widened at the implication. She back-tracked, realising how cruel she sounded. "N-no, no! I-I didn't mean you're one."

"Why not? Everyone else does." Naruto said, his voice uncharacteristically bitter.

"I couldn't stop thinking about it. It was unlike you and I... I got scared."

Naruto gaze flicked to Hinata, his jaw hardening. He didn't have a single friend growing up and since becoming a genin, it looked as though those lonely days were left in the dark for good. He no longer hated Sasuke, finally understanding him like a bother. And Hinata, a girl he once thought of as a weird classmate was in fact one of the strongest and kindest people he knew. And Naruto didn't know many people like that. Iruka-Sensei, the Third-Hokage and maybe Kakashi-Sensei. Naruto couldn't bear the thought of losing his friendship with Hinata.

"You know I'd never hurt you, right?" Naruto meant it with all his heart, yet he was terrified of her response.

"Of course," Hinata smiled, instantly eradicating Naruto's fears, "b-but I'm scared that whatever it is will hurt you one day."

Naruto took a deep breath. "I have the Nine-Tailed beast sealed inside me," he said, his voice barely above a whisper, "I guess it was an easy choice to trap the beast that killed the Fourth Hokage in an orphan baby that no one cared about."

"I'm sorry, N-Naruto," Hinata whispered. She didn't know when, but somewhere along their conversation, they shuffled closer together, their shoulders touching each other. She absent-mindedly placed a hand over his, "I saw how the everyone treated you badly and I didn't know how to help."

Naruto's eyes fell to her hand that was on top of his. He shot her a grin. "That's all in the past. Anyways, you're helping me now. I thought you'd hate me like everyone else."

Hinata did her best to hide her repulsion, but she ended up making a face like she suddenly sniffed a foul smell. Did Naruto really believe she'd hate him for something that wasn't his fault? But he trusted her enough to tell her his darkest secret. Hinata retracted her hand away slowly, putting them in her lap. "Don't worry, your secrets safe with me."

"Thanks, Hinata." He missed her comforting touch.

"O-One more thing..."

"Yeah?"

"Your nindo that you mentioned at Haku's and Zabuza's grave, about how you never go back on your word," Hinata said, twiddling her fingers as he face tinged pink. "I think I'm going to make that my ninja-way too."

Naruto's mouth fell ajar, surprised by her revelation. Her nervous eyes met his and he tossed her his signature fox-like grin. "That's awesome!" He paused, studying her face, "It looks like your getting a fever!" He put his hand on her forehead, her warm skin confirming his thoughts. "We gotta get you to the hospital as soon as we get back!"

"I'm f-fine," Hinata squeaked, pulling her head away. She scrambled back to her sleeping bag and tucked herself in. "G-Goodnight, N-Naruto!"

A/N: I've seen similar re-telling with gargantuan word counts. I'm going to avoid writing more than 5K per chapter because I don't think it's necessary to go into lengthy detail of things that occurred in the anime. It also prevents the story from being dragged out too long. I rushed this chapter a bit mainly because I was really ill these past couple of days, but feeling much better now. Not looking forward to going back to work though.

Please leave a review for more! Don't be shy to drop your speculation or ideas. Thank you all who have reviewed thus far!