Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

Influenced by my camp trips from hell, certain teachers, Hating Alison Ashley the movie and Kimi ni Todoke

It was a Sunday night, three weeks after Hinata's incident at the childcare centre, she had continued to go there every Saturday and the two schools continued to have their lessons and sports together every Friday. Kiba and Naruto continued to have their petty fights and Ino and Sakura were still as slutty as ever.

Now it was time for Hinata to go on the school's camping trip. Hinata shoved her kitchen sink into her suitcase, okay that was just a metaphor but Hinata had packed a crazy amount of clothes and other items for the three-day camping trip. This trip was just a practice apparently for the real thing that they were going to be marked on.

Each camp group consisted of 20 people who were broken up into 5 groups of four and Hinata still didn't know how she was landed in a group with Ino, Kiba and Naruto. Was there some god-like being laughing at her from the heavens or was she just pre-destined to suffer?

The trip was to start early in the morning, 5 am at the school for the bus ride to the camping ground. They were all expected to canoe and hike, which Hinata was not looking forward to and to top it all off she had to share a tent with either Naruto, Kiba or Ino and any combination would be awful.

Naruto would be amazing/awful, amazing as she sort of-kind of liked him but awful as she would be a nervous wreck. What happens when she has to change clothes? Hinata felt her face burn up.

Kiba? He was good looking she guessed but in an intimidating sort of way, plus he was…well he was a boy! Hinata groaned at all the awkward possibilities. Not good.

And then there was Ino…the bitchy, bimbo, big-boobed blond; enough said. Way too many bs for her own good.

Hinata groaned and banged her head on her suitcase. Camp equals disaster. The lavender-eyed girl glanced at her alarm clock, 11 pm. Hinata climbed into her bed and tried to forget her troubles as she drifted to sleep.

"Alright camp group 7, there are 10 camping groups. 10 being the hardest in difficulty, one being the easiest," Anko yelled at a volume that should be illegal at 5 am, "Your group is no walk in the park, I can tell you now. So you better get mentally and physically prepared."

Hinata silently died inside at the idea of being in the one of the hardest groups...why, why? She wondered if someone really was watching her in the heavens and laughing.

"You all know your groups of four but I think I should now inform you about how these groups will work. You will be deeply involved with your group, you cook together, help set up stations together and-

"Excuse me, but what are stations?"

Anko smirked and started to chuckle evilly, "I'm glad you asked ranga-

"The names Gaara!"

"I don't care. Anyway each group of four is assigned to a station, an example are the people who will be in charge of digging the toilet," Anko eyed all of the half awake students, "When we get to the camping place you'll be assigned to the jobs. Now the moment you've all been waiting for! You're all going to find out who your tent buddy will be!"

Hinata moaned, she was wedged in between Kiba and Naruto and they were at it again.

"Hope I'm not with you, loser!" Kiba growled.

"Don't worry Hinata, you're not a loser and I'll go with you. Who cares what he thinks," Naruto patted Hinata on the back.

"Don't fuck with me Uzumaki, you know what I mean!" Kiba cracked his knuckles.

"No I don't, what did you mean Inuzuka?"

Hinata shivered as a deadly aura grew around the two. Death! Death! She could smell the death!

"Kiba, Hinata and Naruto! At it again? Why is it that chaos is always surrounding you? I don't know why I was cursed into a group with the three of you. My salary doesn't cover this so just shut up and listen!" Anko screeched.

Kiba and Naruto snapped their heads to look at the teacher having a mental breakdown.

"Thankyou! Now, Ino you're with Kiba. Hinata is with Naruto, Gaara is with Shino-

Hinata froze, she was with Naruto? No, no, no, no, no!

"Ohhh! Kiba-kun, did you hear that? You're with me!" Ino grabbed onto Kiba's leather clad arm.

"Yeah, I heard," Kiba glared at the smug blond.

"Oh, then you must have heard who I'm with," Naruto said, "This girl right here."

Hinata blushed heavily as Naruto placed an arm around her shoulder. A camp trip like this was going to be hell.

"Sit! I said to sit! That means you Naruto Uzumaki and you too ranga!" Anko yelled at the bus full of rowdy teenagers.

"The names Gaara!"

"I DON'T CARE JUST SIT!"

Gaara sat.

Hinata leant her head on the window; Ino had made sure to sit next to Kiba and now Hinata was stuck with Naruto for the whole eight hours of the bus ride.

"So, how was your weekend?" Naruto asked.

"Good."

Naruto nodded, "Tell me Hinata, are you nervous around all boys or is it just me?"

Hinata's heart jumped, "I-I-I'm tired! Good day."

Hinata shut her eyes and desperately tried to fall asleep but it wasn't working.

"Um, Hinata? Are you sleeping?"

Hinata pried open one eye to see a confused blond an inch away from her face. She quickly scrunched the eye back together again.

"Yes I'm sleeping."

Naruto shrugged and leant back in his chair, "You're funny, you know that?"

Hinata inwardly moaned, how was her awkwardness and suffering amusing to anyone?

"Huh? Naruto, if you think Hinata is funny then you would think me hilarious. I know Kiba thinks so," Ino leant across the aisle and placed a hand on Naruto's arm, "Want to here a joke of mine?"

Naruto looked at Ino and smiled, a very polite yet sub zero smile, "No thanks!"

Ino fumed and clasped onto Kiba's arm, "Did you hear that Kiba! He just rejected me…"

"What the hell Ino? I thought you said you were interested in me," Kiba said.

"Oh, well. I am, I just was making fun. Just taking a piss, 'course you're the one that I want!" Ino then grabbed Kiba's head and pulled his down to meet hers.

Hinata turned her head and tried to make it seem as if she was tossing in her sleep, she then peaked at what Ino and Kiba were doing, but again she was met by Naruto.

"AHH!" Hinata jumped back in her seat.

"Are you really that scared of me?" Naruto asked with a weird expression.

"Oh, no, I um, I just-

"Don't worry about it, just go to sleep like you planned."

The two stayed silent for the rest of the trip.

"Right, finally we're unloaded and ready to canoe to the camping ground, it is 1.30 pm," Anko glanced at her watch as she spoke, "And I'm absolutely buggered but we can't stop here. First things first. Who has what station?

Uzumaki's group is on toilet duty, here is Dug,"Anko handed a shovel to Naruto, "And here is Loo-Loo."

Hinata grimaced as a bag filled with toilet paper and other necessary things was placed in her hands.

"You guys figure out which one of you will canoe with that stuff and don't capsize please! I rather like having toilet paper. Now next-

"Ew! Bags not having that in our canoe! That is so gross Kiba," Ino clasped onto Kiba's brown muscled arm that was exposed as his ever constant leather jacket had been removed, due to the suffocating heat of the bush.

Kiba looked down at Ino in slight disgust, "Yeah, we're in the bush now Ino. There won't be any powerpoints here."

"Nor use for leather jacks," Naruto muttered, "and obnoxious egos."

"Want to repeat that idiot?"Kiba grabbed Naruto's shirt, a fly buzzed around the two, oblivious to the tension.

"You. Are. Obnoxious. And. Your. Ego. Is. Amazingly. Unbearable," Naruto spoke in a cool and calm voice.

A vein in Kiba's forehead began to pulse and his face began to colour a crude shade of purple, "Your face is unbearable!"

"Ooh, witty comeback."

"Comeback this you piece of shit!" Kiba pulled back a clenched fist and was surprised to find small and soft hands wrap around it.

Kiba immediately loosened his grip on Naruto's shirt and turned to face Hinata, opened mouth.

Hinata surprised herself with her brave move, she looked Kiba straight in the eye and managed to say, "Please Kiba, don't hurt Naruto. Can't we all get along?"

Kiba lowered his arm and engulfed both of Hinata's hands in one of his. Hinata noted how rough and strong they felt, she blushed lightly. It was hard to believe he was only her age.

Naruto fumed as he looked on at the pair, what, where they going out now or something?

"Please, Kiba?" Hinata whispered into the ground.

Before Kiba could say anything Naruto had firmly placed himself in between them and Anko had come to talk/yell at them again.

"Okay here in front of me are three piles, food, trangias and tents. Grab a tent and food per pair, and trangia per four. Now listen for instructions on how to canoe. I want to get to the grounds as soon as possible and it would be amazing if everyone could get there dry and able bodied."

"Come on Hinata, you are my camp parter, so lets go grab the stuff," Naruto spoke in a strange voice.

Hinata frowned, why was Naruto acting so differently today? Hinata decided it was all because Naruto was tired. That had to be it.

Hinata nodded to herself as she bent down to pick up the water barrel. She felt beads of sweat gather on her neck and under her arms. She scrunched her nose in disgust as the sweat trickled down her back and sides, it was way too hot and this barrel still wasn't budging. Hinata shooed away a fly that was annoyingly hovering around her.

Hinata stood up to look for Naruto, he was packing the food in the canoe. Hinata sat on the barrel and while she waited for her partner she thought of what was going to happen that night. A whole night with...Naruto...sleeping so close to her that she would be able to feel his body heat. Hinata reddened, she shook her head.

"Indecent thoughts! Indecent thoughts!"

"Hm? What's indecent?" Naruto asked.

Hinata stared blankly at Naruto who was crouched in front of her. Damn, he must have snuck up while she was...what had she been doing?

"Hello, anyone home?"Naruto smiled brightly.

"Oh Naruto, you aren't tired?"Hinata changed the subject.

"What?"

"Uh, can you help me take...the...the...um..."

"Water tank?"Naruto suggested helpfully.

"Yes! The water tank!"

"Uh...you might want to get up first, unless you want me to carry you to the canoe as well."

Hinata blushed heavily and leapt onto her feet, she then looked the other way as the two carried the tank down to their canoe.

"Kiba!! You idiot, where are you steering?" Ino screeched at the front of the boat.

"Maybe we would go somewhere if you actually paddled. I've been pulling us along the whole time,"Kiba slapped his paddle onto the water, then he seemed struck with an idea.

"I'm a GIRL! Uh hello! Sweating is only what guys do!" Ino sniffed.

Hinata watched subtlety while she paddled next to them, her and Naruto hadn't really said anything the whole time but at least they weren't fighting like those two. Then Hinata's lavender eyes widened as Kiba dumped a paddle full of water onto Ino's straightened blond hair.

Ino screamed at a decibel Hinata didn't know was possible for human kind.

"You ruined my hair!"Ino whipped around to glare at Kiba.

"Bite me!"

Ino (now with blond hair curled up in an almost afro) pursed her lips together so tightly that they went white. She then grabbed her water bottle and squirted Kiba in the face.

Kiba shook the water out of his hair, "Heh, is that all you g-got oh, Ino, no. No!"

Ino smirked as she poured the whole 10 litres of the water tank onto Kiba and Hinata wondered how on earth Ino managed to lift it. She then realised that un-straightening a psming bitch's hair equalled death...

Kiba looked up at the girl standing above him and he decided that she deserved ultimate payback. The whole of group 7 watched in horror as Kiba began to rock the canoe. Anko began to yell furiously but it was too late. Soon the whole canoe was upside down and their bags began to sink to the bottom of the river.

"I fucking hate you, you, you senseless PRICK!"Ino splashed water at Kiba who had managed to save only one thing, his leather jacket.

Kiba turned his head to the side to avoid Ino thrashing the water about and spouted off a list of swear words to describe his dislike for the girl floating next to him.

"I can't believe you did that! You stupid idiot, now what are we going to sleep in? Now what are we going to eat!? More importantly what am I going to wear?"Ino's questions became increasingly higher in volume.

"Shut up bitch, and sort out your priorities. I could care less what you wore, you could wear a fucking paper sack for all I fucking care!"Kiba splashed water in Ino's open mouth to prevent her from speaking.

Ino spluttered and everyone in the group enjoyed the temporary calm/silence.

"Okay Kiba, grab your paddles and turn the canoe over. Then both of you can get in and paddle SILENTLY to the camp ground," Anko ordered as she began to paddle off to their destination.

"You two can sleep under the tarp then, it won't be the most comfortable experience but I think you can survive," Anko handed a tarp to Kiba.

"How do we set it up?"

"Figure it out yourself, now Hinata and Naruto. Thank god you took the toilet pack, now go find a place where we can go without anyone seeing and dig a hole as wide as half a shovel and as deep as a shovel."

Hinata and Naruto then set off in search of the most private place possible and once they had found it they began to dig. Hinata hung "Loo-Loo"on a nearby branch and quietly admired Naruto's toned back. His broad shoulders rippled as he shovelled out the dirt.

Once the task had been finished he took "Dug" and "Loo-Loo"and the two of them made their way back to camp. Naruto leaving the shovel and the toiletry bag to mark the entrance to the makeshift toilet.

"Um...Naruto?"

Naruto looked up in surprise at Hinata. Was he imagining it or did she actually speak to him?

"....Naruto?"

Naruto managed to form a word, "Yes?"

"I never got to thank you...or say sorry."

"Huh?" Naruto wasn't following.

"I was thinking a lot when we were paddling. I want to first say thank you for always going out of your way to be kind to me and I know you are like that to everyone but I felt special when you went out of your way to talk to me,"Hinata began.

"Hinata I-

"Wait, it took me all afternoon to say this, please let me finish,"Hinata felt scared that her moment of courage would suddenly vanish to wherever it had come from.

"...Go ahead."

"You are always so happy and I'm extremely grateful for you being so encouraging. You're a popular person and to talk to the likes of me was very kind and generous of you."

Naruto furrowed his brow, and fidgeted slightly, he didn't understand where this was going.

"Now I want to say sorry. I don't know what I have done but you seem to be acting strange. Ever since the bus ride you haven't spoken more than a few sentences and...whatever I've done I'm truly sorry for it."

Naruto stopped walking and stared at Hinata's red face. He smiled brightly and lifted up her chin so that her pale eyes met his deep blue.

"Hinata."

Hinata couldn't help but shiver when his deep voice vibrated through her.

"You haven't done anything wrong, I was just acting strangely because...because. Oh crap...I don't know if I can say it,"Naruto dropped his hand and turned away.

Hinata touched her chin that was burning from where Naruto's hand had been, "You can tell me Naruto..."

"Hinata, do you really see me as this person who is above you? As someone who wants to talk to you out of pity?"Naruto didn't turn around.

"Of course you're above me, everyone likes you. I only have one friend..."Hinata trailed off and she absolutely hated herself for sounding like such a loser.

"But don't you get it Hinata?" Naruto turned around this time, he grabbed Hinata's delicate shoulders and his big eyes seemed to burn holes into Hinata's face.

"Eep,"Hinata squeaked as she felt the heat in her body rise up past her ears.

"I WANT to be friends with you, I LIKE you Hinata. Is is that hard to believe? You don't need to thank me. I don't want to be thanked, all I want to know is if you like me back..."Naruto loosened his hold on her.

Hinata tried to breathe evenly but her heart was racing, she was surprised that Naruto couldn't hear it's rapid beating. Hinata let her arms hang limply by her sides and she tried to kick start her brain action. He was still waiting for an answer.

"Y-you want to be friends with me?"Hinata managed to reply in disbelief.

"Yes or no Hinata. Do you like me or not?"

Hinata was desperately confused, what did he mean? Of course she liked him but why was he being so forceful about it. Did he mean like in another way... Hinata had never been asked a question like that outright and she didn't do well under pressure.

"Um, c-can I have a few minutes Naruto? I feel a bit faint..."Hinata whispered.

Naruto let go of her and Hinata wondered if it was just her imagination but she could of sworn his voice was strained when he said, "Of course."

"Oh, Hinata?"

Hinata looked up to see Ino coming towards her with a bucket.

"Why are you pacing?"Ino asked.

Hinata frowned, "Why are you talking to me? You've never had a proper conversation with me."

Ino waved a hand, "We're on camp. What happens in camp stays in camp."

Hinata's mouth made an 'o' shape and then she continued to pace by the river.

Ino bent down and filled her bucket up with water, "So, what happened?"

Hinata wondered if she could trust Ino or not and decided she had nothing to lose so she recounted what had happened.

Ino put a hand around Hinata's shoulder and led her away from the river and back towards camp, "You have no experience in boys but I do. Since I'm the nice person I am I'll give you some advice..."

As Ino walked off with Hinata she couldn't help but let an evil smirk distort her doll-like face, some people believe anything you say...

Review?

I know it took me AGES but here it is

and woohoo, next chapter should get interesting. You have NO IDEA how hard it was to get this chapter out. Hope it was interesting enough. I sort of want Hinata to be really frustrating? Is that coming across...?

Anyway review!!!

Crack.