Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its affiliates, in any form. I do not own the characters. I believe the plot is mine, but you can steal that if you want to.

Ch 7 - Ocean Sunsets

After 6 days of leisurely travel, Ino arrived at Shinwa, a large port city. The journey there had been pleasant. She had passed through a couple towns with tourist traps and managed to avoid almost all of them. The one she could not miss was the small artisan district in Nendo. There were pots and clay sculptures everywhere.

All that was in the past now. What mattered now was that Ino was going to spend a priceless day at the best ocean spot the nation had to offer. She was going to relax, rejuvenate, and leave behind the melancholy that had grabbed at the back of her mind for the past couple days. It was especially bad in the mornings, when she woke from less-then-perfect sleep.

The perfect day any beach begins with a morning stroll. The sun was coming over the horizon in a flurry of evolving colors.

Red, blue, and purple faded into each other and brought out the best in each other. It was the ocean that truly shined, though. Sunbeams gleamed off the top of white-topped waves the same way a dancer's feet float over a marble floor. Anyone who looked past the shiny exterior could see the sea's deep blue coloring. Nature was celebrating another wonderful day.

This was the view that greeted our now well-rested traveler as she ambled through the chilly ankle deep water. Her hair was up in a bun to protect it and her face from the wind. The young maiden had already put on a blue one-piece suit, with a light blue sarong tied around her waist.

Ino returned to her hotel and consumed a small but adequate breakfast before donning a pair of flip-flops and going out into the city. Even this early, shops were open and tourists were walking around. Parents had brought their children, lovers had come on romantic getaways, and exuberant girls were walking around in trios. Ino tried to keep her eyes off the crowd and on the stalls of keepsakes awaiting. Most stores kept the same pier motif, wooden siding painted in pastel colors and white molding. They sold everything from coconut figurines to plush fishes. Ino looked around carefully, buying knickknacks for close friends. So engrossed was she in this quest that she almost didn't notice when she reached for the same Konoha leaf pendant as another person.

Ino pulled her hand back and faced her fellow treasure hunter. He was a tanned, well built man with blue eyes and brown hair tinted blond by constant exposure to ocean water and sun.

"Sorry, I didn't see you there," He said.

Ino responded quickly, "It's ok. I wasn't paying attention either."

"So we're even," He smiled, "By the way, my name's Yuuki."

"I'm Ino. It's nice to meet you."

"The honor is mine."

"Out of curiosity, what do you want with this pendant? Isn't this supposed to be a ninja symbol?"

"Yeah. I figured it might help me. I've had a rough time lately with bad luck, so a symbol of power seemed like something to add to my arsenal," Yuuki's eyes lit up when he talked, Ino noticed.

"I hear that rabbit's feet are supposed to be lucky."

"Nah. I'd feel too bad about killing the rabbit."

"Aww. You're a softie."

"S'pose so. Say, you wanna go hit the beach?"

'Jackpot,' Ino thought as she said, "I'd love too! Just let me leave these bags at my hotel room."

Yuuki and Ino went off, left her bags, shoes, and sarong at the hotel, and went to a secret spot that only local surfers knew about.

"You ever surf before?"

"Nope, but I'd love to learn."

Ino rented a board, and went out into the waves. Yuuki started by showing and telling Ino how to get on her board and let her go at it.

"The best way to learn is through experience," he said.

Ino tried. Ino fell. Ino tried again, did a little better, and fell right back down. The pattern continued until she finally managed to make some good progress. Yuuki would chat with her between dunkings, occasionally going to catch a particularly good wave. Ino liked watching him surf. It was breathtaking to watch the young Adonis conquer Mother Ocean. Yuuki's skin glistened, his muscles coordinated perfectly, and his eyes shone with intensity. It was water ballet, only a million times more interesting.

"Wanna go get lunch?" Yuuki asked after cathing a wave, "You look tired out."

"That sounds great."

Yuuki led Ino to a small ramen stand.

"Naruto would love this," Ino giggled.

"Ah, but there's a catch. Don't judge a book by it's cover around here."

They walked in and sat down. Ino looked at the menu they had taped to a wall.

"It's all fresh seafood!"

"Best ramen ever. All the ingredients are fresh."

"My hometown has a nice ramen place, but this is really good."

They ordered and started eating.

"So why don't you tell me more about this bad luck you were talking about earlier?"

"Sure. See, there's this girl I know called Umi, but she won't talk to me. She won't even give me a glance. All week I've been trying to impress her with my surfing, but every time I try I fall down and make a fool of myself."

'Damn,' Ino cursed to herself, 'he's so cute too.'

"Maybe you should talk to her," she suggested.

"Girls scare me. I always get tongue twisted."

"You talked to me all day."

"That's different. You're just a tourist. If I make a fool of myself in front of you, it won't matter. You'll probably leave soon anyway."

"You have a point, but still-" Ino paused and lowered her voice a bit, "You really should talk to her. Spend a day getting to know her and letting her get to know you. Worst case scenario, she'll hate you."

"But that's what I'm afraid of."

"Anyone who doesn't like a handsome, kind man like you doesn't deserve you."

"You think I'm handsome?" Yuuki blushed a little.

"What girl wouldn't?"

"You know what? You're right. I'm gonna go talk to her."

Yuuki's mood had turned 180. He left some money on the table before leaving.

"Food's on me. Thanks Ino-san."

"Thank you. Good luck!"

He left. Ino waited until he was completely out of range before slumping in her chair.

"Damn it. That's what I get for being a Good Samaritan."

The ramen salesman spoke up, "Come now. You can't tell me that your entire morning was wasted."

"Nope. I learned to surf and met a wonderful guy, even though he didn't like me."

"Well, you haven't seen your competition."

"What's she like?"

"She's lively. Has a lot of friends, but I swear she is the most beautiful woman that ever walked this earth."

"Not true," Ino said and stood up, "I'm the most beautiful woman on earth."

The ramen man chuckled. "You have spunk, lady."

"Well, I'm off!"

"Come again! And bring a better man next time!"

Ino walked out giggling. From the ramen shop, she went back to get a beach towel before going to the main tourist beach. It was about 2 o clock b the time she reapplied her sunscreen and laid down to sunbathe.

After toasting evenly, Ino got up, feeling refreshed. The ocean was too tempting to resist, so off she went. The water was warm, if you hadn't just spent some time in the sun. It cooled Ino down, even though she was moving around, playing in the waves. Eventually, after building a sandcastle, Ino decided to head back in and eat dinner at the hotel before sitting out and watching the sunset.

It had been a wonderful day. Ino had done everything she set out to do and then some, but some thing was still wrong.

'What is wrong with me lately?' she wondered. I can't shake this feeling. What could I possibly be missing?'

Ino searched the regions of her mind, letting scenes from her day fly through her minds eye...

Three girls walking down the pier...

Lovebirds sharing a beach towel...

A small child with a pink bathing suit...

Yuuki...

The way his eyes shone, especially when he was talking about his crush...

The ocean...

A flower in the dunes...

"Sakura," it was a whisper, a secret between her and the setting sun...

Author's notes: Please review, and don't hate me if the next chapter takes a while. I'm really lazy.