A/N- Please forgive the delay on this chapter as, I'm sure you all know, the document manager was down and noone could upload documents.Thanks to those who reviewed-Loku, Seyann, Puppy444219, Sakura li 19, iamNOTafangirl3221 and Denied Love. Read and Review!!!! Please, don't kill me after this.

Disclaimer-Don't own

Chapter 19

The corridors twisted and turned. Sakura could feel her panic levels rising as she tried to find the right path, the path that would lead her to the top of this ship. From her stateroom, it was only a short way to the top, however panic had taken over her body and she found that she was no longer able to figure out the way to the top.

Sakura had read of a first hand account of being on the Titanic, and now she knew what it was like. The woman had said, "It felt as though I was trapped. I knew the way out, up to the deck but my feet wouldn't carry me there, they just carried me around a sinking ship. I didn't know it was sinking at the time of course but…"

Sakura stopped, panting with the hem of her dress clutched in her hand. Panic had almost entirely taken over her body and she was despairing of ever finding her way out of the sinking ship. She looked, first to the left, then to the right. When she looked to the right, she froze in horror.

Slowly, like the icy fingers of a grim reaper, cold blue water was making its way down the hallway. Sakura took a step back, and stumbled in fear. She spun on her heel and headed down the other hallway-the hallway that was inclined slightly upwards.

Once she felt as though she had placed sufficient distance between herself and the water she calmed down and tried to orient herself. She was still on the deck that her cabin was in, still in first class. However, it seemed as though all the rooms had been evacuated and the corridor stood empty. Sakura leaned against the wall and closed her eyes. "If I went that way…." She traced her route that she had taken from her stateroom. "Okay, I'm not that far. Just this way, that way and another that way and she'd be on deck.

Having just wasted about 5 minutes panicking, she set out at a brisk pace in her chosen direction.

Only to, about 3 seconds later, be accosted by Neji who was sitting in the hallway staring at the wall, seeing something no one else could.

9 minutes left. Her affection for her new friend, however, bugged her to at least try to persuade Neji to command a boat.

"Officer Hyuuga, what are you still doing here, why aren't you on deck?" "I could ask you the same thing except why aren't you in a lifeboat Miss. Haruno? I know Uchiha wanted you too…." "I got scared," said Sakura, truthfully and bluntly. "And I ran back to my stateroom after I saw the iceberg." "I see…" The officer switched his glazed hazy gaze from Sakura back to the wall in front of him.

"Neji you've got to try and make a break for it. What about Tenten, what's she going to do in this world alone?"

8 minutes.

"Tenten knew that my life would be taken by the sea eventually. I'm a seaman, this is what I do." "What will she have if you're gone?" "Survivor benefits… it's an old process that White Star Line uses for widows of seamen who die in shipwrecks."

"Oh that's all fine and good for Tenten but what about…." Sakura hesitated. Tenten hadn't wanted Neji to find out about the baby but dire circumstances called for desperate measures. "That's fine for Tenten but what about your child? How is she supposed to support a child on that kind of money…not much I'm assuming."

7 minitues.

"My…child? Tenten's pregnant? Why didn't she…." "Because Orochimaru was giving the officers a hard time and she didn't want you to be too stressed. She didn't want me to tell you but now I have no choice." "Tenten's pregnant." It was as if he hadn't heard her. He closed his eyes and smiled, something she had never seen him do. "Thank you Miss. Haruno. I'll try. Knowing this, I'll try to get off the ship. But I make no promises."

Sakura smiled softly. "You do that…I have to go."

Six minitues to change destiny.

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The strong incandescent bond that had formed between the two women dimmed for a moment. Fate opened her eyes and looked at her sister who looked back. Sakura was stronger than they thought. If the thread of destiny was wavering in the slightest bit then there was a chance…a chance…that Sakura could, in fact succeed. "Dessy…. you know this has happened before…" "Once. It happened once, with Pocahontas. She begged the 'spirits' to help her save John Smith after her father had already killed him and you insisted that we do so. I didn't think she'd do it but she did."

Destiny looked worried.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

It only took her about a minute to make her way up to the deck, because she ran. Unladylike-yes. Necessary? Also yes. "Okay…. before he died he was seen at the…bow…"

She turned and…finally a break her way. She was only a little ways away from a crowd that she knew blocked Sasuke who was currently pointing a gun at the people. Ifwhat she remembered was true…

Needing to find a way through the crowd and find a path of least resistance, she looked around then hiked her skirts up. Ignoring the gasps of the scandalized people around her, Sakura grabbed a railing and climbed up to the next level. Running along the roofs of various quarters and rooms, she made her way down past the crowd.

Two minitues. She could see him, pistol out and pointing at the crowd. Gaara was there, helping with crowd control but she found that she didn't care about his presence right now.

She slipped back down to the deck quickly and quietly, quietly considering the goings on. She could see the jostle beginning at the back, the jostle that would push a random third class passenger forward. She stepped out of the shadow of the bridge, perpendicular to Sasuke.

There was no time to say anything. The jostle was almost there; she could only react without thinking. She darted forward, flinging herself in front of the third class passenger "Sasuke DON'T!!!! Remember what you told me!!!???" she shrieked. There was a bang, a flash...white-hot pain in her shoulder.

Flashback…the day before

"To tell you the truth…I don't like guns. I never have. I'll use it in a desperate situation but if I ever take someone's life using one, however accidentally…I wouldn't be able to live with myself."

End Flashback

Amidst the screams of the desperate, trying to get off the ship for three people it went completely silent. Sasuke dropped the gun as though it had burned his hand. Gaara stared, jade eyes widened, mouth opened in a silent yell of caution.

Sakura fell backwards though the air, emerald eyes glazed with pain. Little droplets of blood came out of her shoulder wound. As she fell, she said quietly "Please Sasuke, don't…"

She landed on the deck and coughed. The world resumed. Sasuke crashed to his knees onto the wooden planking and stared in horror at Sakura's slowly paling face. He heard Sakura's whispered finish to the sentence. "You told me…and I don't want you to…do something you regret."

"Oh, and you think I wouldn't regret shooting you Sakura? I…" Sakura shook her head and closed her eyes. "I don't want to think about what you would've done. That's why I had to stop you don't you see?"

Gaara took off his coat and bunched it up, placing it over Sakura's wound as a compress.

Sakura could feel herself fading, slowly losing consciousness. "Sasuke…please. I need you to do something for me. Promise me that no matter what else happens on this night, promise me you'll stay with me…on this ship and through whatever happens after. Stay with me."

"I…I promise Sakura." They were alone in the middle of a sea of humanity, Sakura bleeding in Sasuke's arms. "I'm glad…. and I'll hold you to that when I wake up…"

Her breathing grew shallow and she slipped into complete unconsciousness.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

Destiny's body convulsed. Fate whirled around and stared at her, scared. Dessy made several choking sounds and collapsed. The beam of light connecting them severed, exploding in a flash of pure white light.

The force of the impact knocked out the other sister and left both women lying on the floor of Sakura's stateroom.

A/N-Please don't kill me…read and review!