Pairings: Ino/Kankuro, Temari/Shikamaru, Garra/Sakura and other pairings once I make it down the road.
A/N: I redid this chapter because I would rather have it be in third person instead of first so…sorry.
Summary: With the only cost being that of displaying her talents, the extravagant three week Suna Sun Cruise was all free. And of course with the promise of boys, tans and relaxation who wouldn't jump at the opportunity? But sadly, turns out that seasickness, a psycho captain, a love-struck friend, a deadly redhead, his flirtatious brother and confident sister aren't exactly Sakura's definition of fun in the sun.
Disclaimer: I almost considered not doing this especially since every time I typed in 'disclaimer' it instantly changed to 'Claim Jumper'….yeah not too sure about that one. But, any-who I do not own Naruto or other various Naruto related characters in any way, shape, or form.
XX Monday: Day One XX
"Dammit," Sakura cursed when her foot sank in the sand yet another time. "Ino this is impossible!"
Ino glanced back as her friend fumed over her bad fortune and continually glared at the area of sand in which her foot was submerged in.
God, this place is like one big beach.
Sakura lifted her foot, the same moment as a gust a humid air grazed by her, succeeding in blowing the sand off her foot and into her face. Sputtering and grumbling, Sakura crossed her arms, pursed her lips and stomped her foot –as best as one could while avoiding their foot being consumed by hot, fiery grains of atrocious sand.
"Just take them off." Ino offered as she patted her straight blonde hair, confirming that it did indeed, still looked dazzling.
Sakura groaned and then plopped onto the ground –nearly crushing a pair of feet or two.
Whoever decided that building a village in middle of this 'sand lake' without any decent walking grounds –such as a sidewalk- had to be fucking crazy!
Sakura flung out a string of curses, ones that even she hadn't even known before, and tugged at the offending shoes on her feet. Dammit, she was hot and irritated and if she didn't get her shoes off soon, she was going to make a scene. A damn good one at that.
"Yess!" she cheered (a little too loudly in the opinion of the people passing by her) and then stood with a pair of shoes clutched in her hand.
Sakura's resolve thickened and returned to normal, setting a smile on her face as she waved happily to Ino who was only five steps ahead, looking more than amused as children whispered and pointed at her pink haired friend who had just become the interest of the Suna villagers.
"All good?" Ino asked when Sakura threw her shoes into her already overly stuffed bag, threw that over her shoulder and then joined her.
Sakura beamed. "All good."
"So I've been thinking," Ino claimed only a few minutes later. "Even though about half the people there will remember you as 'the crazy sand girl' I think this is going to be pretty awesome."
"Of course you do pig –it's free."
There's probably a reason why it's free.
From beside her Ino squealed. "This is going to be so awesome!"
Sakura looked up helplessly from her bags to the large ship as they neared the docks.
Months ago, when the opportunity to travel among the seas, relaxing in the sun on the Suna Sun Cruise ship for no extra costs besides the display of their talents, Sakura had jumped at it with no hesitation along with Ino. But after the two hour flight from Konoha, standing near the docks in the bustling viallge of Suna, her feet burning and her height shortening as they sink in the sand and people twice her size trying to squeeze past her to proceed to the dock, she felt uneasy.
With a swirling agitation lying in the pit of her stomach, she threw both of her decent sized bags over her other shoulder and looked to her best friend.
Sakura was a klutz on land, but in water? It was a nightmare. But the ocean was just a larger and sandier version of the community pool, right?
Yeah, keep telling yourself that, hun.
Sakura let her face screw up as she concentrated on her best friend, Ino, instead. Ino looked happy in the least, but that was no surprise. The brochure had said there was a bar. In Ino's eyes, this was the opportunity of a life time.
Yeah a good opportunity to get sea sick, sunburned, witness a sinking ship personally, fall over board or get eaten by shark. I can't wait.
Oh shit, ships this big sink?
How big did you think the Titanic was?
Sakura's eyes widen as she looked at the ship for the first time. Even if she were to crane her neck and look to the sky she wouldn't even know what the top of the ship looked like. That's how beastly the ship was.
The word 'ship' didn't scratch the surface of what this monstrous thing looked like. To her point of view it looked more like a giant beached (docked) whale.
Three weeks, only three weeks, she reminded herself. It may be three weeks of pure torture but at least its only three weeks.
If she could go back in time to a month ago when she had decided to accept the offer she would have reminded herself that she was absolutely terrified of ships and she was as good as her cat when she was in water.
Abruptly Sakura's head snapped back to Ino. "Ino, I'm not sure about this anymore."
Ino dropped her bags, ignoring the man that called out when her extremely large designer suitcase smashed onto his toe, and looked up at her weirdly.
"What do you mean? This is going to be the adventure of a life time!" Ino slung her arm around her shoulders and motioned out at sea. Squinting her eyes, Sakura tried to see what exactly the invisible thing Ino was indicating to was.
"Three weeks at sea. Were twenty-one, were single, its summer and its all free!" Ino laughed half crazily, her hands flying up at the word 'free'.
"But, you know how sick I get. And we do have to sing every Friday night, and what about my cat?"
At that thought Sakura clutched her bags to her chest and sucked in a massive amount of air. She was on the edge of hyperventilating and the edge of making another scene.
Ino just rolled her eyes and muttered under her breath before brightening and grabbing hold of her hand, forcing her bags to fall to the ground and join Ino's as they scattered across the dock, tripping different people as they landed.
"You need to stop worrying." Ino commanded and then gave Sakura one last smile before giving her what seemed to be an encouraging push in the direction of the dock. "Go on, I can handle the bags."
Sakura could hardly believe that Ino could handle all their bags when just carrying her own was a difficult task for the blonde. But by thinking about how this was what her friend deserved for dragging her on this crazy trip, Sakura just nodded and wobbled towards the crowded docks.
A few steps away from the plank, which led to the deck of the ship, Sakura paused, and looked behind her. As she did the man in front of her stopped, and she collided into his back.
Papers went flying all around the deck and Sakura fell to the ground.
Rubbing her head a moment later, Sakura looked up into the glare of the sun and right into the glare of the man before her.
Sakura's eyes widened. "Oh gosh I'm so sorry!" She exclaimed, scrambling up and reaching for every paper within her arms distance.
The man grumbled and bent down to pick up the last piece of paper before looking back to Sakura. She blushed red and stood up, pushing his papers out to him. As the man roughly grabbed back at his papers Sakura inspected him.
He was a man around her age, give or take another year, with long gray hair tied back from his angled face. Behind his round glasses she could see his eyes soften and a sigh of relief escape his lips.
"It's alright." He assured. And with a side step he vanished in the wave of people.
Sakura's brow knit together. Well she couldn't exactly say that encounter was pleasant.
"Wow he was pretty hot." Ino gushed from behind her. Sakura jumped and glared at Ino.
"You saw that? Why didn't you –Ino where are our bags!"
Ino waved her off. "My new friend has got it handled." She pointed towards the beginning of the docks and waved at the man struggling to pick up all the bags at once.
Sakura sighed.
"I'll go help him."
Sakura took a step in the direction of the man and froze when a piece of white caught her eye.
Floating on top of the water, swaying from side to side, was a piece of white paper. Kneeling down, Sakura reached out her hand and curled her fingers around the paper. As she brought it up water rained down and the paper instantly slit in two, falling in a bunch of a sopping white mess on the dock.
Sakura blinked and held the left over remains up. She could still make out the scrawled writing on the paper.
"Kankuro Sabaku. Gaara Sabaku. Shikamaru Nara…."
Sakura's eyes flirted down the page, noting that the paper only listed names of males. With a sigh, she let the piece drop to the dock and turned to Ino with a practiced smile.
It must've been that man's paper.
Then with a shrug of her shoulders she set off to the man who was in need of help from the strain Ino's giant bags had.
I just hope that paper wasn't important.
XX
Chapter one is done. Sorry if it was a little (or a lot) shaky. I'm always bad at beginnings because that's where I feel I have to describe things the most….
Well, thanks for reading and reviews are appreciated. Weather they are nice, helpful or just plain old mean I don't care.
Lust-after-the-llama