A/N-Thanks to those who reviewed the last chapter-Puppy44219, RetaroO, iamNOTafangirl3221 and Silent Kunoichi a.k.a Fiona for reviewing the last chapter! Read and Review people!
Disclaimer-Paprika no own
Chapter 7
Sakura, being Gaara's guest, was relegated to sitting next to him. Because he had gone to the length of inviting her, she figured that she should at least be courteous to him and as such, she maintained her seat next to him as opposed to across the room, in the empty seat beside Uchiha Sasuke so that she could get to know the dark man, as she so wanted.
Because she was sitting next to Gaara, however, she soon met several new friends. Second Officer Uzumaki Naruto, who she had met earlier upon boarding, now introduced her to his wife, the heir to the Hyuuga fortune, Lady Uzumaki Hinata. Sakura liked the shy woman immediately and, as the two chatted, Sakura thanked the powers that be…because she knew that this kind woman and her husband would survive.
"S-so Miss. Haruno…h-how did you m-meet Officer Gaara?" asked the gentle Hinata looking at Sakura with her soft white eyes. The woman had short hair that almost looked…a purple color. She wore a soft pink dress that had a square cut neckline like Sakura's and trailed on the ground.
"Please, call me Sakura." Sakura laughed behind her hand daintily. "And it's your husband's doing that I met Officer Gaara."
Naruto looked up at the mention of him. "Yeah Hinata. Gaara took Sakura to her room." His face split into a smirk. "Except I didn't expect him to go for her." "You may be a senior officer to me, Uzumaki, but don't mock me." Gaara turned slightly, looking at the two women and the officer from the corner of one black-rimmed eye.
Sakura giggled slightly and asked Hinata "Are all the officers like this with each other?" "You betcha they are!" said a loud voice in Sakura's ear.
Sakura turned around and saw a blonde woman smiling at her. She wore her hair up in a bun with a long strand hanging down beside her face and her large blue eyes shining happily. She wore a glittering purple dress that barely reached her feet and sliver bangles on her wrist. Behind her Sakura could see a lovely demure girl with brown hair and eyes who wore her hair into two buns and wore a…
"Is that a kimono?" she asked the girl politely. "Oh, you know what this is?" smiled the girl. "I ordered this direct from Japan." The kimono was a green with a white sash around her waist. "Who are you two with?" she asked the blonde and the brunette. " My name is Yamanaka Ino and my husband is Fifth Officer Nara Shikamaru," she pointed down the table to where a man looked like he was asleep. "Ignore him. He's just lazy." As if the sleeping officer had heard his wife, he looked up and glared at the women watching him. He mouthed something and closed his eyes again.
"I'll bet you anything that he just said 'Troublesome Woman,'" said Ino, annoyed.
"My name is TenTen…my husband is Sixth Officer Hyuuga Neji," said TenTen gently. "Oh! Hyuuga…is he related to Miss Hinata?" Sakura looked back around at the girl. "Y-Yes…Neji is my cousin."
"And you can forget the prim and proper way of addressing us. If you're going to date Gaara, we'll become rather close." The pink haired girl looked back at her 'date'. "Well…. I don't know if this is going to be any more than a one night thing," she dropped her voice to a whisper. "When I get with someone I want it to be my soul mate, not some shipboard acquaintance." The girls all smiled-they knew what she was talking about.
Then, all conversation halted because dinner was served. It was a dish that Sakura had never tried before-foie gras. She had never liked French food… in her old life but as she put the fork daintily in her mouth, she discovered that her tastes had changed with her place in time-she liked the foie gras. Halfway through the meal Gaara, who hadn't said two words to her since the beginning, turned around and, waving someone over, said, "Miss. Haruno there's someone I want you to meet."
Over came a pale man who had long black hair that was slicked back and pale yellow eyes and wore a suit. "Orochimaru, this is Miss. Haruno Sakura. Miss. Haruno, this is Orochimaru… he was, in essence the brains behind the ship."
Sakura's emerald eyes met Orochimaru's snake-like yellow ones and she said, in greeting "How do you do sir?" "Very well thank you Miss. Haruno."
Even his voice sounded snake like. She didn't like him on sight…and knowing what she knew, well that just gave her all the more reason to loathe this greedy creature, and make her lose her appetite.
After the dinner had been cleared away and the desert and coffee were finished, a silver haired man who wore an eye patch and the captain's hat, stood up and spoke. "Thank you to all who could be here. Let the dancing begin!" At once crewmembers came and cleared away excess tables…and the five-piece orchestra came out and began to play.
"Miss. Haruno." Speaking directly to her for only the second time since the beginning, Gaara turned towards her and looked at her with those intense jade eyes of his. "May I have the honor of this dance?"
Sakura would've rather knelt over and died. She liked him less and less but because etiquette required it, she placed her gloved hand into his outreached one and swept out with him onto the dance floor.
The two whirled around the dance floor, Sakura mindlessly allowing Gaara to lead. Because neither of them could hold up a conversation, Sakura's gaze began to wander. Until she met the gaze of the First Officer, Sasuke. Then, unable to look away, she kept eye contact with him, until Gaara grew wise and spun her away.
OoOoOoOoOoOo
Sasuke watched the girl from where he sat in his place next to Chief Officer Inuzuka Kiba. Watched as she twirled round and round the dance floor…
In Sabaku's arms.
Uchiha Sasuke wasn't in the habit of forming permanent bonds with anyone. The last person he had formed such a bond with was his brother Uchiha Itachi but then his brother had gone and died in an outbreak of influenza. But he had felt a slight bond form the second he had made eye contact with that girl.
And now, as she looked at him again, he could almost sense her asking him to come over and get her out of there.
He wasn't going to listen, he wasn't going to listen, he wasn't going to listen.
He was going to listen.
He got to his feet and started around the table just as Sabaku whisked her across the room.
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Gaara's P.O.V
This stupid girl must think I'm blind to not see her turning her head back and forth just to see Uchiha. I saw the way he looked at her earlier…he never looks at anyone like that. Well, that's just too bad because I won't let him have her…I won't…
OoOoOoOoOoOo
Normal P.O.V
"May I cut in?" Sakura looked over to where that voice was coming from. Beside the dancing couple, in very close proximity, stood First Officer Uchiha Sasuke and he was holding out his hand for Sakura to take. Gaara, tied by rules of etiquette had to relinquish the pink haired girl to Sasuke.
Sakura and her officer went through the steps of the dance, but it was a different dance than what Sakura and Gaara had done.
Oh, it was the same music to be sure, however, it was more cheerful. Sasuke and Sakura chatted back and forth, one occasionally causing the other one to laugh.
In other words they connected. Deeply.
Once the dance was over and Sakura went back to her seat, Ino leaned over. "Why aren't you dancing Ino?" asked Sakura curiously. "You seem the dancing type."
Ino rolled her baby blues. "Oh I am, but as you can see Shikamaru isn't." The lazy officer appeared to have finally fallen asleep. "Anyways…I watched you with both Gaara and Sasuke…and you seem to like Sasuke more than Gaara." Sakura turned scarlet.
"I would like…anything better than Officer Gaara. Miss. Ino, I will deny ever telling you this but I dislike Officer Gaara more each passing second.
"And you like Sasuke more and more?" asked Ino with a bit of a smirk on her face.
Sakura refused to answer that and, instead choosing to pick up her wine glass and take a dainty swallow.
A/N-There ya guys go…hope you all enjoyed this installment of 'To Save A Life' Review
I decided to put a list of the main officers on the 'Titanic' and who is portraying them in my story. Just so everyone knows…some of these officers will not survive to the end. If you want to know just who will die, ask in the review.
List of officers and who played themCaptain E.J Smith-Hatake Kakashi
Chief Officer Henry Wilde- Inuzuka Kiba
First Officer William Murdoch- Uchiha Sasuke
Second Officer Charles Lightoller- Uzumaki Naruto
Third Officer Herbert Pitman- Aburame Shino
Fourth Officer Joseph Boxhall- Sabaku no Gaara
Fifth Officer Harold Lowe- Nara Shikamaru
Sixth Officer Moody- Hyuuga Neji
Thomas Andrews- Umino Iruka
Bruce Ismay- Orochimaru