A/N-YATTA! The Next Chapter! Thanks to Kyiri Makrono, Puppy 444219, Loku and Seyann for reviewing the last chapter…ONTO THE NEXT! Read and review…enjoy!

Disclaimer-I don't Own.

Chapter 8

Sakura groaned and put a hand on her forehead. "It hurts…" she groaned. As she blinked herself awake, a blonde face appeared in her vision. "Good morning night owl," said Destiny, in a perky voice. "Why do I have a headache…" moaned the pink haired girl, sitting up. She looked out the window. "And why is it so bright out?"

"Because," drawled Fate. "When you went to bed, it was one in the morning." She got up from where she had been leaning and walked over towards the bed where Sakura was sitting up and stretching. "And I think you have a headache from the wine…every other wealthy person on board is used to drinking the stuff like water-as you did last night. But your body isn't adjusted to that so I think you have what is commonly referred to as…a hangover."

Destiny picked up where her sister had left off. "And it's bright because the sun rises in the morning. Right now it's about 11 AM, April 11th 1912."

Sakura gave her a withering glance before falling back against the pillow. "You've got to be kidding me. Okay then, Destiny, if you could, act like my maid and go get some painkiller from the infirmary… Fate can you do up my corset and help me dress?"

"Sakura, with a hangover you should stay in bed…" Sakura struggled to her feet. "No way…I can't afford to lose any time…I want to see Ireland. And I want to see…" she blushed. "Sasuke."

"Well, normally it's not advisable to order Destiny and Fate around," said Destiny, arching her eyebrows. "However, in your predicament…" she exchanged a glance with her sister "We'll make an exception. I'll go get your painkiller." She got up from the embroidered brocade chair that she sat in and left for the infirmary.

Twenty excruciating minutes later-that is, after the corset, other undergarments a long skirt and a blouse had been put on, amid the head pounding, Destiny came back, with a small package in her hand…

Accompanied by Ino, TenTen and Hinata. "Hello Sakura," said TenTen, walking over to the chair that Sakura was sitting in, holding her head. "We-we were o-on our way up to t-the bridge to-to surprise our husbands, b-but we saw your maid Delilah an-and she had the p-painkiller in her hand and we wanted to know what h-happened to you," said Hinata shyly.

"Well…" Destiny handed Sakura the painkiller and the pink haired girl looked at her gratefully. "Thank you Delilah," she said as she swallowed the herb and gagged. "What is that?" Destiny gave her an odd look. "A painkiller." "It tastes more like salt water," coughed the pink haired girl. As Destiny leaned over to rub her back, Sakura hissed into her ear "You couldn't have gotten something from the future?" She felt Dessy shrug before the blonde haired girl backed off as Sakura's coughing fit faded.

"Anyways," said Sakura turning back to her new friends. "I believe I imbibed in too much wine last night, more than my body could handle and I have a bit of a headache as a result this morning."

"Oh, that's to bad," said Ino, leaning against the bed, hands on the cool brass that made up the headboard. "We were going to ask you if you wanted to come up to the deck with us, to the bridge. I'm sure Sasuke will be there," added Ino in a sly voice.

Sakura gave her the evil eye with one of her green orbs. "And I would care because…." she said carefully. "Because you're starting to like him and it's the most obvious thing in the world," said Ino in a cheeky voice.

Sakura turned a bright pink, which caused TenTen to giggle. "You were right Ino." She commented. "Anyways," added the brunette as she turned to Sakura. "Will you come up?" Sakura smiled. Already she could feel that bitter…whatever it was…working-her headache was subsiding.

"I'd love to. Faith?" the brown-haired woman stepped forward, saying "Yes Miss?" "Can you fetch me the hat that goes with this outfit please?" Fate nodded and stepped back, turning towards Sakura's trunk. "Oh Sakura, don't tell me you're one of the girls who has to wear a hat everywhere…" groaned Ino. "Just leave it, look at us-we're not wearing hats."

She gestured to her own blonde bare head and to TenTen and Hinata's respective bare heads. "Besides, you have the most distinctive hair color on the ship…you'll stand out!"

Sakura laughed. "Fine. Besides, a hat might just reverse the effects of the painkiller. Forget it then Faith."

OoOoOoOoOoOo

By the time that the girls departed from Sakura's stateroom, it was almost 12. They wandered around the deck for a little bit, chatting, before deciding on what to do.

Sakura's prior knowledge of the ship told her that the Titanic would not be leaving Queenstown Harbor until around 1:30 in the afternoon. This was confirmed when TenTen said, "Neji said to me this morning that the ship will be headed to open sea at around 1:30…we should try to be up there by that time. I don't suppose that any of you know what time it is now?"

"Oh!" said Sakura. "I do." She glanced down at the pendant that she had found in her jewelry box. The minute clock face was made of ivory and inlayed into a gold frame. According to Fate, it was a pendant that had belonged to (should anyone ask) Sakura's 'mother' who had supposedly died when Sakura was little, in an accident with her father.

"It's around 12:30 now…so, in about an hour."

"Wh-why don't we he-head up now?" suggested Hinata quietly.

"Poor Hinata," said Ino in a teasing voice that one can only use once you've known someone for a while. "You can't stand to be away from Naruto for more than 3 hours can you?" Hinata's pale skin blushed a light pink as she attempted to deny these allegations. "I d-don't kn-know w-what you're talking about I-Ino," she tried to get out.

TenTen and Ino just laughed. "You've been like that since you met him Hinata, don't deny it." Sakura listened to this banter, a soft smile on her face. As she walked down the wooden deck, the leather soles of her shoes tapping the deck as she went, she realized.

The three girls she had met the night before…she was becoming more attacked to them…they were becoming…her friends. And the odd thing was, Sakura felt as though she belonged with this group of girls, more so than she had ever felt with Amanda, Emily, or even Steph, who had been her closest friend in 2006.

Before they knew it, the 45 minutes had passed and it was quarter after one. "Well ladies, shall we?"

Before long the four were in front of the gate that separated the first class promenade and the bridge. They could clearly see, from where Ino was trying to work the latch, Kakashi standing, fully decked out in his captain's uniform, hands on the wooden rail, looking out over the bow area.

A resounding click was finally heard, which signaled that Ino had succeeded in opening the door. This drew the captain's attention and he turned to look at the three girls who stepped onto the bridge. "Now ladies, you know that you aren't allowed on the bridge without an escort," he said with a smile on his face.

"B-b-but Capitan Kakashi, w-what if our escorts a-are already on the bridge?" asked Hinata.

"Umm…" said Sakura said quietly to the pale eyed girl. "I think he was joking Hinata."

"Good of you to pick up on that…Miss.?" "Haruno sir, Miss Haruno Sakura." As soon as she said her name, a flash of red appeared in her peripheral vision. "Miss. Haruno. You looked so unwell last night, I'm glad to see you well." His cool voice caused the hair to rise on the back of her neck. "Yes, I had one of my maids get some painkiller this morning from the infirmary and I'm feeling much better Officer Gaara, thank you." She turned to look at him.

He looked much different without the hat that usually went with his uniform. For one thing, now, Sakura could see that his red hair was shaggy, but it was a neat shaggy, the kind that didn't need a comb-although it looked like it had been recently brushed.

The other thing she could see was a red marking on his forehead. From her prior knowledge from the twenty-first century, told her that the marking was a kanji…and it meant love. As she wondered what it was, she put away a mental note to ask Ino the story later. "Officer Sabaku can you go get me my tea please?" Gaara kept looking at Sakura while he acknowledged the order of his captain and went off to fetch the cup of tea.

From the wheelhouse stepped the people they had come up to see. Officer
Naruto's messy blonde hair was barely contained by the official White Star Line cap. Neji had a solemn look about him-Sakura was seeing him for the first time, as he had been on duty during the dinner the previous night. He had pale eyes like his cousin, and a pale complexion with brown hair pulled back into a lose ponytail beneath his cap. Behind them, the lazy officer Shikamaru stood at the wheel, hand resting on one of the wooden handles that protruded from the gilded wooden wheel.

"Miss. Haruno." The voice said her name in the same way as Gaara's had, slightly caressingly…except the sound of this voice gave her the exact opposite reaction. Her stomach started to flutter and her heart pounded faster. She turned her head to the direction that her name had come from, to see Sasuke. "Good morning Officer Sasuke." She said quietly, with a slight smile on her face and-she just knew it! -a blush on her cheeks. Sakura was about to open her mouth and say something else, however Neji cut her off.

"Forgive me for interrupting Miss. Haruno, however-Captain. It's 1:30." Kakashi nodded his silver head.

"Very well. Officer Uzumaki, give the signal for the anchor to be lifted."

The ship began it's cumbersome task of leaving the harbor, drawn by tugs that towed it safely to the edge of the harbor where they left it pointing to the open ocean and to-Sakura knew-doom. But it was such a beautiful day, she found it hard to feel pessimistic.

As the group looked out onto the open ocean, Kakashi gave the order that caused Sakura to look at him in surprise.

"Take her to sea Mr. Uchiha. Let's stretch her legs."

'So he really did say that' thought Sakura, surprised. Sasuke nodded. "Yes Sir."

As he walked into the wheelhouse, Sakura followed and watched as he turned the big wheel to 'all ahead full', knowing that in the boiler room at that moment, a copy of that wheel was going 'ding', telling the men to pour on the speed. When she saw Sasuke coming back out, she turned to face the ocean. "21 knots sir." Said Sasuke as he came to stand beside Sakura. Gaara returned and, handing the captain his tea, stood there too. But his jade eyes, eyes that matched the sea weren't on the ocean…

They were on Sakura.

And they way Sasuke looked at her.

A/N-KK! I don't really like this chapter…it's just saying, basically that things are getting underway and that she has (counts on fingers) 4 days left. (the ship sank on the 15th). READ AND REVIEW!