Hey all! This is my first attempt at a Naruto fan fiction! I was having a really hard time coming up with a topic! It took me forever, but I finally thought of something. Basically Naruto and the gang are all high school seniors. During the last school year Sakura participated in the school's travel abroad program, and spent her junior year studying in the United States. Naruto missed her sorely while she was gone, and is determined to make Sakura his girlfriend now that she's come back. But does Sakura still like Sasuke? And what about Hinata who was vowed to get Naruto to notice her? Romance is defiantly in the air, especially since Sakura brings back a cute girl from the States who has come to study abroad in Japan. I'm unsure of the parings right now, but it will probably become clearer as the chapters go on. Anyway, I hope you like it, and please leave a review! Oh and I switch POV a few times. Switches are indicted by a dashed line!
Naruto paced back and forth anxiously, looking up periodically to see if the plane he was awaiting had arrived. "Oi Naruto!" Shikamaru called. "Sit down! You're starting to annoy me!"
"Fine!" Naruto shouted. "But I'm just so excited that it's hard to sit still for a long period of time!"
"We're all excited Naruto, but we've all managed to stay sitting down, and I think you can too," Ino said in an exasperated tone. Naruto plopped down in one of the small, uncomfortable airport seats, and began to intently gaze out the window. Sakura was finally coming home. She had been gone for almost one year. She had spent that year as an exchange student in America. Studying abroad had been something Sakura had wanted to do for quite some time, so Naruto was really glad she had gotten the chance to make her dreams come true, but he would certainly be glad to have her back. He'd heard the saying "Absence makes the heart grow fonder," but he didn't know how true it was until Sakura had left for the States. He missed her more every day; it felt like his heart was constantly aching.
Part of the reason Naruto was so excited that Sakura was home was due to the fact that in his eyes he had matured a lot in the past year. While he would always be the kind of person that others would describe as "noisy", Naruto had learned to hold his tongue when necessary. He had also started to get more serious about school, and was now doing quite well. He had joined the basketball team, and had now become rather physically fit. He wouldn't go as far as to say that he had done it all to impress Sakura, he really hoped that she could notice how much he had changed. He had talked to Sakura on the phone numerous times while she was out of the country, and it had seemed to him that she was slowly growing out of her Sasuke obsessed phase. As the months went by she talked of him less frequently, and his raised the blond teen's spirits. He was determined to make Sakura his, and he figured now was his best chance.
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Hinata glanced over at Naruto. He was unwearyingly staring out the large airport window, obviously lost in his own thoughts. He was tightly clutching a dozen roses, which Hinata knew were for Sakura. She let out a small sigh. Sakura had been in the United States for a year, and it was obvious that Naruto's feeling for her had only grown stronger over this duration of time. She had tried to catch Naruto's attention the whole school year, but he didn't really notice her. She had begun to wear more make-up, let her hair grow out, and had even stopped wearing baggy clothes that hid her figure. None of this worked though. Naruto never seemed to notice her, no matter what she did. At one point Hinata tried to shelf her feelings for Naruto, but to no avail. Naruto had gotten so much more handsome, hardworking, and mature during the year that it Hinata found it impossible not to like him. She exhaled loudly, which caught Kiba's attention.
"Something the matter Hinata-chan?" he inquired. Against her will, Hinata's eyes darted over to Naruto. Kiba nodded his head knowingly. "If you want my opinion, Naruto's the one missing out. You are a great person and if Naruto's too much of a baka to see that then he doesn't deserve you," he told her.
"Kiba-kun...," Hinata trailed off, turning bright red. "Arrigato. That is the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me."
"Yeah well I don't get mushy that often, so don't expect to hear that from me again," Kiba said gruffly. Hinata smiled and gave a small nod. The two fell back into silence, and Hinata was once again left with her thoughts. Hinata wished she didn't have such strong feelings for Naruto, but the fact remained that she did. Hinata clenched her first and resolved to make her crush notice her. She would not let Haruno Sakura have Naruto. She didn't know how she would steal his attention, but she vowed to do whatever it would take.
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Sasuke sat in silence, arms folded, surveying the herd of people who had shown up to welcome Sakura back home. Sasuke didn't particularly want to be here, but Ino had forced him to come. In all actuality he hadn't missed Sakura much. Quite to the contrary, he had enjoyed the nice little break from her constant calls of "Sasuke-kun!", and having her practically attached to her side. He prayed she had grown out of that. It looked like Naruto was praying for the same thing, because in his hand he held flowers, which were obviously for Sakura. Sasuke wished Naruto luck. His life would be much easier if Sakura and Naruto started dating. His thoughts were interrupted by Ino's loud voice. "I wonder what the exchange student will be like?" she wondered aloud. Since Sasuke was sitting right next to her, he assumed Ino was speaking to him.
"What are you talking about?" he asked, more because it was polite, and not because he was actually curious.
"Baka!" Ino exclaimed. "Did you already forget that as part of the travel abroad program Sakura is required to bring a student from the U.S. back to Japan with her?"
Sasuke shrugged. "Guess it slipped my mind," he answered coolly. "He'll probably be like all Americans: loud, rude, ignorant, and annoying."
"First of all you shouldn't stereotype people," Ino lectured. "And second of all, the exchange student is a girl."
Whatever," was all Sasuke said in reply. He wished that Sakura's plane would hurry up and arrive. He had better things to do than sit around the airport all day. As if on cue, Naruto shot out of his seat and ran to the window. "That plane coming this way!" he cried, pointing to the large aircraft that was now rolling towards them.
"Yup looks like it's going to dock here!" Lee exclaimed. Sure enough the plane pulled up to the docking station. All of his friend stood up and flocked towards the entry gate, but Sasuke remained seated. He thought his lack enthusiasm had gone unnoticed when a voice called his name.
"Oi, Sasuke!" screamed Naruto. "Get your ass up here and come greet Sakura-chan with us!" Reluctantly Sasuke heaved himself from the chair, and made his way over to the others. He was taller than most of his comrades, and could easily see over their heads. He didn't have to wait long before he saw a girl with cherry blossom hair and green eyes making her way out of the tunnel towards them.
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The first person Sakura caught sight of was Sasuke. He had grown a lot since the last time she had seen him. He now stood at least a half a foot taller than the rest of her companions. She was taking in Sasuke's solid, muscular body when a familiar voice cried, "Sakura-chan!" Her attention turned to the attractive, blonde teen waving wildly at her, grinning from ear to ear.
"Na…Na…Naruto," Sakura stammered out. She was somewhat aback taken with how good-looking Naruto had become. He was much taller, and it was obvious that basketball had whipped him into shape. "Konichiwa Naruto!" she greeted. The boy ran up to Sakura and wrapped her in a hug.
"I missed you Sakura-chan," he whispered into her ear. Sakura was a bit surprised at Naruto's forwardness, but she simply replied, "I missed you too." Naruto pulled away from their embrace and held out roses for Sakura.
"Here," he said. "These are for you."
"For me?" Sakura asked blushing. Naruto gave an enthusiastic nod.
"Domo arrigato Naruto," Sakura gushed. "That's so sweet of you." She could hardly believe this was the same annoying Naruto she had known before she went to America. Naruto grinned, and told Sakura that the flowers were really no big deal. Sakura didn't have much more of a chance to speak with Naruto because the remainder of her friend rushed towards her. She was showered with hugs, and choruses of "How are you? How was the United States?"
Sakura had an excellent time as an exchange student, but she was happy to be back in Japan, and ecstatic to see her friends. She got so caught up in her happy reunion that she almost forgot something very important.
"Hey everyone!" she called, trying to get her friend's attention. "I have someone I want to introduce to you," she stepped to the side to revel a cute American girl standing behind her. "This is our new exchange student, Alyson Taylor."
Thanks for reading! Please review if you would like me to continue!