"No way!" Sakura snapped.

"But why not Sakura? It's France! Besides, I've already bought the second ticket!" Naruto cried, waving the two pieces of paper in her face. Sakura batted his hand away.

"No means no, Naruto!" Sakura shouted. Naruto stiffened.

"Sakura, is it because of -"

"Yes it is. It is because of him." Sakura interrupted coldly. "Now leave me alone." Naruto sighed and watched her walk away before looking around to see if one of his friends was near. His face lit up as he spotted a familiar face.

"Hinata!"

The dark-haired girl turned and smiled at the boy running towards her.

"N-Naruto!" She stuttered. Her face colored slightly and she looked down at her carefully polished school shoes. "It-it's great that school is out, right?" Naruto grinned.

"Yeah! It's awesome. Hey Hinata - do you want to go on a trip with me?" Hinata looked up, more blood rising to her face.

"Wh-what?" She exclaimed.

"Well...I was thinking you might want to go on a trip with me. I'm going to France to study for the summer. Would you like to come?" Naruto waved the ticket for emphasis. Hinata's face became even redder.

"I-I..." Hinata swallowed. I'd love to Naruto-kun! A whole summer with you in France - it's more than I could ever hope for! She thought. Hinata open her mouth to reply but suddenly her father's stern face jumped into her mind. "I-I..." Naruto began giving her a concerned look.

"Hinata? Are you okay?" He put a hand on her forehead. "Do you have a summer cold?" Hinata took a couple steps back and shook her head.

"N-no it's just - I just -" Hinata turned around. "I need to ask my father!" She cried. Naruto watched her run for a few moments before looking around for someone else.

"Hey! Kiba!" Naruto called.

--

Neji noticed Hinata standing awkwardly in front of a conference room where her father Hiashi was having a meeting. "Miss Hinata?" He called. Hinata jumped, a blush rising to her face.

"N-Neji!" She stuttered. Neji walked over to her.

"What are you doing?" He asked.

"Waiting for my father to come out. I have to ask him something." Hinata murmured.

"He should be out any min-" At that moment the door burst open. Hinata jumped out of the way at the last second. Neji stood very still and tried to look presentable.

"A pleasure doing business with you, gentlemen." Hiashi said calmly, shaking hands with the various businessmen as they filed out of the room. "Please, don't be a stranger to the Hyuuga household." The men grinned and returned his smiles. Hiashi turned around and closed the door behind the last businessman. "Neji? Hinata? What is this?" Hinata clasped her hands and twiddled her thumbs.

"Ah...um...Father, I..." Hiashi glanced at Neji and motioned for him to leave. Neji bowed slightly and exited. "Er, I..." Hinata glanced up at her father and noticed him growing impatient. "Well I - I was hoping maybe I could go to France this summer." Hiashi raised an eyebrow quizzically. "Uzumaki Naruto invited me -"

"No! Unacceptable!" Hiashi bellowed. Hinata froze at his harsh tone. "He is a filthy plebian from a lowly slum!"

"He's not from a slum!" Hinata cried. "And - and he lives in the same prefecture as us and he lives in the city now so -" Hiashi took a step towards Hinata and pierced her with a fierce glare.

"Uzumaki Naruto is a idiotic, overactive peasant and I will not allow my daughter to go traipsing all over the world with him. If it were not for the fact that the high school you go to is one of the finest in the region, I would transfer you somewhere where that tramp was not." Hiashi narrowed his eyes. "Is that clear?" He turned and walked away without waiting for Hinata's answer.

Hinata nodded slowly and walked in the opposite direction.

--

"I can't go." Hinata murmured.

"What?" Naruto cried. "Oh, your father -"

"Yes." Hinata almost dropped the phone, her hands were trembling so much.

"Hinata, if you can come I'll wait for you until the plane starts to board. Flight 327 Gate Four, okay?" Hinata inhaled shakily.

"I'm very sorry, Naruto." She hung up quickly and let the phone fall to the floor. Trying not to cry, Hinata clenched a fist, grabbed her coat and ran outside.

Hinata took a long walk through the city, pausing for a while in front of their high school. She noticed Sakura also staring at the high school from a distance and she smiled, happy to see one of her fellow classmates. "Sakura!" Hinata called. Sakura didn't seem to notice her so Hinata went closer. "Sakura?" She asked. Sakura looked at Hinata, startled.

"Hinata! You surprised me." Hinata didn't say anything. Ever since Uchiha Sasuke disappeared the pink-haired teenager had seemed distant. "I heard that Naruto asked you to go to France with him."

"I can't." Hinata said, the frustration and sorrow welling up inside her. Sakura cocked her head.

"Why not? I though you liked Naruto." Hinata gave a small squeak and looked around to see if anyone had heard. Sakura grinned. "It's a bit obvious." Hinata bowed her head, ashamed.

"My father told me -"

"Your father?" Sakura shouted. Hinata jumped back, not expecting such an outburst. Sakura drew herself up to her full height. "If you love someone, no one should get in your way of being with that person." Sakura's eyes softened. "No one." She repeated, her hand closing on the small piece of paper in she held. Hinata stared at Sakura for a few minutes in silence.

"Y-yes..." Hinata whispered.

--

Hinata shoved another pair of shorts into the suitcase. Her father had only been slightly suspicious when she'd told him she was going to stay at the summer house for the vacation. After a short lecture about Naruto, being obedient and her duties as the heir to the Hyuuga throne he left her to pack. Hinata sighed as she yanked the zippers on the suitcase together. She checked her carry-on bag on more time and nodded, pushing some hair out of her face. Please Naruto, Hinata thought desperately, wait for me.

--

Naruto groaned, still unhappy that he had wasted money on an extra ticket. "Crap." He moaned. After Sakura's denial and Hinata's acceptance-of-sorts he had refunded the ticket and gotten one for Hinata after everyone had refused.

Over the loudspeaker a female voice announced "Flight 327 leaving for Paris is now boarding."

Hinata glanced up at the large black board showing the flights. No! She thought. The security guard looked at her. "You're not going to make that, you know." He said. Hinata shook her head.

"I have to!" She cried. Hinata grabbed her bag and shoes as soon as they appeared from behind the veil of rubber flaps and ran.

Naruto looked around and sighed. I wonder if she was even telling the truth about her father not letting her go.

"Naruto!" He turned and grinned.

"Hinata!" She ran to him and bent over panting. Naruto put a hand on her shoulder. "I'm glad you're here." He said warmly. Hinata gasped for air, her face growing hot. A flight attendant tapped Naruto on the shoulder.

"Sir? The plane is boarding now." She said. Naruto nodded and gripped Hinata's arm.

"Come on!" He tugged her along. Hinata stumbled and bumped into him.

"S-sorry." She whispered. Naruto grinned.

"It's okay." He let go of her arm so they could board the plane. Hinata looked around the room one last time. She knew Hiashi wasn't there but she had never disobeyed him like this. Her whole body was on edge. When they sat down, Naruto looked at her. Hinata noticed him staring and met his eyes slowly.

"Wh-what is it?" She asked, her voice quiet. Naruto put a hand on her forehead.

"Calm down." He said softly. "It's okay." Hinata bowed her head.

"R-right." She stammered. The tension ebbed away as the plane took off. Hinata felt herself smiling.

Naruto...

--

Hinata stared up at the hotel. With a sharp crack, a green tile fell from the roof to her feet. Its white-washed walls, which were now more brownish than white, had spidery cracks snaking along their surface. Dying vines clung to it. The wooden door's iron handle was more rust than metal. Hinata frowned. "N-naruto..." She sighed. Naruto grabbed her arm.

"It's okay! The place is cheap and it's really great inside! I promise!" He cried. Naruto half-dragged her up the stairs after pausing briefly to sign in at the reception desk. Finally he opened the door to their room. The wallpaper was torn and underneath the once white walls were now beige from dirt and wear. Water damage had caused fingers of mildew to creep out of the molding and onto the ceiling. But Hinata barely noticed these things. She ran to the window. The frame was rusty and the reddish-brown bars made curling designs on the glass.

"The Eiffel Tower." She whispered excitedly. She whirled around to face Naruto. "It's the Eiffel Tower Naruto!" Naruto grinned and leaned out the window.

"That's why I chose this place - the view is killer." He turned to face Hinata. "Well?" Hinata's face colored but from excitement, not shy embarrassment.

"It's great Naruto!" Hinata clasped her hands. "It's absolutely amazing."

The room was small and it only had two sections: the main room and a small curtained nook that held a shower, toilet and sink which survived as a bathroom. The furnishings including a bed, a black and white antenna television, a hot plate, a table, a dresser and a coat hanger. Hinata took the bed and Naruto slept near the bathroom on the other side of the room. The trip was largely so Naruto could get better at his foreign language, French. He did odd jobs to keep up the rent and get travel money. Hinata took up work in a local flower shop to keep herself busy. The trip was relatively quiet and occasionally Naruto and Hinata would go to a nearby restaurant which, as Hinata would try to tell herself, was not date. Things were quiet and carefree. Naruto was beginning to feel something growing between them; something stronger than mere friendship...