Hello, everyone! How's 2018 treating you so far? Here's a shorter update so that we can close the beach segment and move on to another setting in the following updates. I'm happy to say that I finished writing this! Yes! All of it! Personally, I like the ending; dare I say it's a bit humurous. Also, Sasuke. Well, I'm not saying anything else lest I spoil some things. I read every review I get and, although I don't always reply to them as I always say I will, I cherish them all deeply.

Thank you for your continued support!

Enjoy!

iii

Sand dunes. Quad bikes. Two things that she did not think could go along together, but when paired up, resulted in one of the most adventurous things to do in this part of the coast. Sakura herself did not know how to ride a motorcycle although she knew how to drive a car. It was something that did not require walking and that she could do with her friends today; she was not looking forward to it, though. Sometimes, Sakura had her moments when she enjoyed the adrenalin rush, but most of the times, she would rather engage in calmer activities.

She had no say in this, though. They had already paid for her to go and none of the adults was willing to take her place. They were just a bunch of old men, but not Kurenai. She was an angel and she was pregnant, so Sakura had nothing against her.

Ino was quick to jump behind Choji on the blue quad bike he had claimed and wrapped around her arms arounds his torso. Dressed in her two piece bikini and a simple jean shorts, she looked twice as good as Sakura even though they were wearing pretty much the same thing. She never got around to asking, but she was sure that Ino had a part-time job as a model or something like that. How was it possible for someone to be blessed with so many good genes?

Naruto sat atop a bright red quad bike and Sakura considered her options of risking her life with him on charge of the vehicle or dying of embarrassment by hugging Shikamaru on top of the forest green quad bike. "Forehead, let Sai go with Naruto!" Ino shouted as Choji turned on the ignition. "He'll be more comfortable around him than with Shika."

Sakura doubted that. Sai did not really feel uncomfortable around anyone. She shot her friend a mild glare and slowly climbed on top of the quad bike behind Shikamaru, placing her hands on her thighs. Naruto shot her a bright grin and his vehicle roared to life. Soon, he and Choji were following the trail on the sand grass with Ino cheering loudly and laughing.

"Maybe you should hold onto me." He seemed very nonchalant about it and her fingers twitched nervously as contrast. "We can only follow this path, but it will be a bumpy ride."

She nodded slowly, clasping her hands together before his chest and squeezing her eyes tight. She was being silly, Sakura knew that. He had carried her on his back the other day; this was nothing compared to that. As they went forward and her hair was blown back by the wind, Sakura slowly began to enjoy the ride and pressed closer to him to peek over his shoulders at the scenery ahead. Ino had twisted her torso around to look at them and stuck her tongue out at Sakura when she caught her gaze; not that she knew if she had, anyway, because the mirrored lenses of Sakura's sunglasses were doing their job for once.

Naruto's laughter easily reached them and she hoped Sai was enjoying it just as much as they were. It was hard to know if he really liked something or not; his smile was still a bit fake and forced, but day by day, it got a little more real and convincing. From the corner of her eyes, she saw a light smirk playing on Shikamaru's lips. He revved up the bike to catch up to their friends. He was so damn aloof about everything that even Kakashi managed to show more emotion in this trip than him, and that was saying something.

They were on the beginner's course, or on the trail that tourists were allowed to roam freely. The real sand dunes that brought that extra pinch of adventure and adrenaline was far to their left and she could see dark spots gliding through it as professional, licensed drivers were paid to take tourists on a ride of a lifetime. Sakura was very content where she was, though she could feel a little something inside her that wanted to feel that rush in her veins.

Shikamaru and she were the last to arrive to the end of a branch on the road to a cliff that provided a beautiful view of the ocean. Peeling herself away from him, she waited for him so they could walk towards their friends together. By the time they reached the group at a slower pace thanks to her injured foot, Sai had already set up the tripod and his camera and was instructing them to stand together for a group picture. Setting the timer, he ran over and stopped beside Naruto, and flashed a good smile at the camera.

Their days were coming to an end. They had saved money since day one of university to afford this trip, but all good things came to an end, as did their money. Sakura was just glad that she could enjoy the last three days properly because the gash on the arch of her foot had healed just enough so that she could walk without any problems and could even swim without wincing in pain.

Not too far from the hotel, to the left, it was possible to find natural pools in the shallow part of the sea in the morning thanks to natural corals and rock formations there and the low tide. Mindful of where she was stepping, she and Naruto wandered about while Sai was being extra careful with his camera. Even inside a waterproof case, he worried it still would get wet, even though they had tested it out by sticking a napkin inside and shoving the case into the pool. Choji was already floating in one of the pools that the three were trying to reach.

Ino had accompanied Kurenai to town and the rest of the group was doing whatever. Sakura hurried ahead while Naruto stalled and called for Sai, and sunk into the warm water with a sigh. "There's a lot of fish here!"

Choji swam over and glanced at the little animals hiding between the rocks, pointing at one in particular. "The stripped one looks like that fish from that movie."

"Oh, it does! I never thought I'd see one of those in the sea."

There was a loud splash of water behind them that disturbed the fish. Naruto was giggling madly while Sai carefully maneuvered towards the duo, keeping the camera above his head. As slowly as he was walking, he seemed to be trying to get to them as quickly as possible. The blonde behind him snorted loudly and jumped into the hip-deep water, patting him on the back as he passed by and joined the two to look at the fish. Finally, Sai was beside them, adjusting the camera to take a shot. At first, she had thought she would get annoyed and tired of being with both Naruto and Sai all day long, but now she could say that she would miss this.

"Ready to go?"

She turned away from the end of a conversation she had been having and nodded at Sai who was sitting beside her, not minding the gentle touch of his fingers on her arm to get her attention, and excused herself as they prepared to leave the restaurant. Ino began laughing loudly before they had even walked away as much as a couple of steps, and giving in to her curiosity, Sakura looked at them from over her shoulder to see Choji snickering behind a fist and Shikamaru glaring down at his plate. Naruto looked confused, and she wondered what sparked that reaction on them.

Taxis were parked outside the entrance of the hotel all day long, waiting for tourists that wanted to go somewhere. The driver was an old man that was actually very nice and even managed to keep up with Sai's unusual questions that he sometimes asked without even thinking if they were appropriate or not. Thankfully, the man seemed to find some humor in them.

He parked by the main street and offered to wait for them if their business was quick. With a pat on his front pocket, Sai reassured him and led Sakura around to wherever he wanted to go. It was not very wise of them to wander about right after lunch when the sun was nearly unbearable. She was starting to sweat and already it felt like she had not drank anything in hours. Sai perked up a bit when he spotted the shop he wanted. Immediately, she understood what he planned to do and offered to meet him back here with something cold for the both of them. He seemed to like the idea.

Sakura headed by herself to the beach where most restaurants and food joints were located, buying a fan for herself on the way and sighing in relief when it managed to make her feel less hot. She would like to have some ice cream, but by the time she got back, it would be melting already. A juice, then, but not any kind of juice. They had many local fruits here that were delicious and she was going to make good use of her last hours here to drink at least one last glass of those.

Stepping into the line, she observed her surroundings until it was time for her to order. Sai mentioned that he liked the juice made from a little yellow fruit, and while it was good, she personally preferred another one. The texture was creamier and it was naturally sweeter, so of course it was her favorite.

Going back, she found Sai waiting underneath an awning across the street. Sakura peeked at the contents he was slipping back inside a white envelope and smiled slightly whilst passing him his plastic glass of juice. With a grateful nod, they went back to the spot they had been dropped off, finding the taxi driver waiting for them as he had promised.

That afternoon, the hotel staff had installed some outdoor beds by the pool area, and they were so popular it was hard to secure a place in them, but after dinner when most people were tired after a long day, Sakura sunk easily into the thin mattress and looked up at the stars. The beds were scenic at best, with curtains blowing in the wind, except for the mattress inside a waterproof plastic case and the thin pillow concealed inside the same material. Still, it was nice and she was not complaining. Away from the city lights, it was so easy to see the stars, and the breeze coming from the ocean helped keep the temperature just right.

She could not believe it was nearly time to leave. Most of her stuff was packed and ready to go. Naruto had tried to bargain to stay some more, but it was not possible. Sakura was going to miss this, the easy routine and the friends they made.

With a sigh, she readied to leave, but stopped short when she saw Shikamaru approaching. Wordlessly, he claimed the space beside hers and laid down, the both of them so close on the little bed that she stopped breathing altogether. Sakura chose not to say anything, and as the minutes stretched by, she assumed he was going to stay quiet. His side touching hers provided some warmth that could easily lull her to sleep. Her eyes kept searching the stars, if only to keep awake and refrain from looking at him from the corner of her eyes.

"I'm not good with words." He said eventually, shifting to lie on his side with his elbow supporting the weight of his upper body. Her heart rate increased immediately as her mind supplied her with ideas and images of what he could do now. Her fingers were trembling on top of her stomach and air seemed to be lacking in her lungs. Shikamaru stared at her expectantly and it took her much longer than necessary to realize what she was supposed to do.

Silently, Sakura nodded.

Slowly, his face descended upon hers.

It was a simple kiss, a press of the lips that lingered for long enough to make her melt. If only this was enough to get to that point, imagine what else she would feel when he decided to give her a serious, real kiss. He pulled away to look into her eyes, which were still closed and savoring the moment that had just passed. Shikamaru let out a breathless chuckle and cupped her cheek gently, observing her face until her eyelids parted and her green eyes were visible. Sakura lifted a hand and placed it on the nape of his neck, applying enough pressure to let him know that he should continue.

This time around, his lips were more forceful, still moving languidly against her own until she was humming in pleasure and trying to mold herself into him. Her hands gripped his shoulders, his leg hooked around both of hers, his tongue touched her own and her head was spinning. He was a good kisser and knew exactly how to mix gentleness and aggressiveness, creating the perfect blend that made Sakura realize she enjoyed being overpowered in this sense.

She would gladly spend the rest of the night here, kissing and feeling him, letting him squeeze the curve of her hip and make her back arch whenever he kissed her neck. This, she realized, was the moment she would remember the most.

Shikamaru woke up and noticed a few things. Choji was snoring lightly on the bed next to his. The muffled sound of the television on the living room area. The sound of the shower running. The pleasant dream he was having in which they had gone a little further that night. He wanted to get right back into it, rubbing his cheek against the soft cotton of the pillow and sighing in contentment as his body relaxed and prepared to return to dreamland. Return to a pink haired woman with creamy skin that he took under the stars.

He jolted upwards abruptly.

"Shit." Frantically, he searched for his cell phone on the bedside table, only to remember that they were not allowed to bring their phones on the trip. "No, no, no, no."

Gracelessly, Shikamaru stumbled out of bed, struggling to untangle the sheet around his limbs and awakening Choji in the process. His best friend rubbed his eyes and asked what was going on in a sleepy voice, but could only watch as the man battled to reach the door and throw it open. Asuma and Kurenai who were cuddling on the couch turned to look at the frantic man as his eyes desperately searched for a clock. There was a watch by the tv and he moved quickly towards it, finally freeing himself from the thin sheet and discarding it halfway to his destination.

He picked it up and brought it to his face, squinting his eyes as if he had troubles seeing without glasses. Choji leaned against the doorframe and tried to blink sleep away. Kurenai cast a worried glance to her husband's profile and saw his face lit up with realization. The water running from the showerhead ceased.

"Why didn't you wake me up!?" Shikamaru questioned in a voice that did not sound like his own, for once letting the agitation he felt show outwardly. "It's ten thirty! They were to leave hours ago!"

Kurenai's red eyes widened and Choji's mouth fell open. The door of the bathroom opened and Ino shoved her head out, a towel wrapped around her blond hair. The watch was dropped to the surface below and Shikamaru raced to the balcony doors to peer at the neighboring balcony. Nothing. Rushing to the door, he flung it open and stepped out into the hallway to see a cart stopped outside the door of the apartment they once occupied. He banged his forehead on the doorjamb and groaned.

"Yours and Kakashi's idea to not bring phones on this trip really helped Shikamaru not get a girlfriend." Ino supplied dryly and shut the door of the bathroom again.

Asuma rubbed the nape of his neck uneasily. None of them had brought any means to annotate phone numbers, and usually when they were in any kind of room with at least one pen and a sheet of paper, namely the entrance lobby, they were often too busy or distracted to remember. That was a pretty stupid move for all them: demand they leave phones at home to enjoy the trip and forget the traditional way to write something down.

Shikamaru was sitting rather dejectedly on the floor when Kurenai approached him with a while envelope in her hands. "This was on the floor when we woke up."

He took it from her hands and flipped it over before opening the flap and taking out the contents. Three copies of pictures were there, the photograph they had taken that day when they went out for a ride on quad bikes. Naruto had draped an arm on Sai's shoulder in a similar way that he had done to the girl beside him. Sakura was using the blonde for support and had her arm wrapped Ino's waist, her friend doing the same. Choji sported the same pose as Naruto, his arms slung around her shoulders and Shikamaru's who had his hands inside the pockets of his trunks and a lazy smile on his lips.

He flipped each of the photographs over, feeling the little hope he had dwindling down whenever he saw the blankness there. Picking himself up, Shikamaru slipped the pictures back inside the envelope. At least, he had something to remember her face.