The Exchange Student"

By Uchiha-Griffin

Hi! Your favorite author is in a predicament. A few nights ago I was walking around and dropped my personal laptop, damaging the motherboard. That means my computer is pretty much shot. I'll have to get a new one. One of my mom's comp. whiz friends is working on saving my files. Please pray that it will all still be intact!! I have lots of half-finished things on there, as well as my in-progress novel.

So I'm reporting from my parent's computer. Sorry for unloading my troubles on you… ENJOI.

Hinata was sitting alone under one of her school's many front-yard trees, reading her latest shoujo manga. It was the first day of second semester at the modern-looking Konoha High, which sat smack-dab in the middle of Tokyo. The year always went to slow from her point of view. Hinata was a shy girl who didn't have many friends, but the ones she did have were very dear to her.

Speaking of people dear to her… there was one she had in mind. He was courageous, loud, not afraid to take chances, funny, handsome… everything Hinata was not. The only problem was… he was a foreign exchange student. He would only be at the school for this year, and then would go back home. Hinata tried not to think about that. There was even a rumor he had a girlfriend back home.

Naruto Uzumaki. She'd liked him since the first day of school, and he never left her thoughts.

She shook her head, trying to refocus on her manga, not to much avail. She ultimately just set the book down and got out her notebook. "Maybe…" she thought, her signature blush appearing, "I should confess to him. With just half a year left, it wouldn't hurt right? She found a pen and began to think. What to say?

She began scribbling down random phrases she might want to use.

- Dear Naruto, please consider making me yours…

- Your smile makes my heart sing.

- You make me blush all over.

- I love you. Please date me.

After one look at the paper, she scribbled out everything she had written. "HOW STUPID CAN I GET?" She grumbled, chewing on her pen cap in thought. Suddenly, she heard a familiar voice. "Heya, Hinata! Whatcha up to?!" Hinata's head whipped up, only to see none other than Naruto standing there. "O-oh! Na-Naruto!" she stuttered, her blush darkening as she quickly closed her notebook.

"That's my name, don't wear it out," he joked, ever patient with her shyness. "You writing love letters?" Hinata's opal eyes widened. "W-what?! Why w-would I do that!" she looked down, embarrassed. Naruto grinned. "Well, who's the lucky guy receiving the letter?" Hinata noticed the slight kink in his eyebrow. Possible jealousy…?

Ha. Yeah, as if.

"Well, it's someone you know. Like, really well." She explained lamely, still blushing. Naruto looked horrified. "IT'S SASUKE ISN'T IT?! YOU DO KNOW HE'S WITH THAT HARUNO GIRL RIGHT?! OH POOR HINATA!!! YOUR DREAMS!! I MUST HAVE JUST CRUSHED THEM!!" Naruto looked terrified with himself. "N-no! It's not Sasuke!" Hinata face palmed.

Naruto calmed down instantly. "Oh. Then… Gaara? Kiba? Shino? Shikamaru? Who is it, Hinata?!" "W-well… how crazy would you say I was if I told you… it was…" Hinata stopped, looking down, mortified. She just couldn't say it! But this was her one chance! If she didn't say it now, she would never get another opportunity!!

"What if I told you… it was YOU, Naruto?!" She finally managed, not raising her head. She was afraid to see his expression, the smirk he probably had for her foolishness. "I-it's me?" She heard his quivering voice. She glanced up, nervous to his reaction. When she saw it, she blushed darker than she ever had. He was grinning ear to ear, the happiest he'd ever looked.

"What would you say if… I said I felt the same toward you?" Naruto said, still grinning. Hinata's eyes widened again before she smiled, too. "I would say… Naruto, I love you so much!" Naruto pulled her toward him, hugging her close. "I would say, I love you so much too, Hinata."

Naruto pulled back, suddenly looking worried. "But… what happens when I go back home? I don't want to leave you… there's only half a year left." "Let's just take the year as it comes. Let's be happy… we found each other now." "Yeah." Naruto replied, smiling. He held out his hand for her and she took it, blushing. 'I hope… this year goes slowly.' Hinata thought, glancing up at Naruto.

This was the first year… she ever really wished for it.

Fin. Review please!!