Dressed in Diamonds

Chapter 6

Sakura stayed beside her mentor, as she slept in the hotel room bed. "Sakura- why are you here?"

"I- want to make sure your ok…"

"PLEASE, I can take care of myself, Sakura." She said, looking at her. "You need to worry about your own health. Go back to your room and sleep. I'll be right here." She told her, and Sakura nodded, getting up, opening the door to leave, Orochimaru standing in the hall with Mabi. Mabi grinned.

"Miss Haruno, may I escort you back to your room?" He offered, Orochimaru stretching, entering Ryu's room, shutting and locking the door.

"…He seems like he doesn't care about you." Sakura murmured, in regards to Orochimaru, and Mabi chuckled.

"Oh, he has little indifference about me." Mabi told her bluntly. "In act, I think he may even want me dead, but, that's another story. Oh- your boyfriend's coming- better run." Mabi said, standing up, and walking off, as Sasori came down the hall.

"Who was that you were talking to, Sakura?" Sasori asked, and she blinked.

"…Mabi- he's the half-brother of Ryou, you know." She told him, and Sasori looked at the shadows where he had vanished in. The two of them vanished, and Mabi materialized from the shadows, going to Ryu's room, waving his hand over the knob, unlocking it, before entering the room, and shutting the door.

"You summoned me, Mother?" He purred, and Ryu gestured him over. Mabi went over to the bed and sat beside her, while Orochimaru lay next to her. "Something wrong?"

"Mabi- stop skirt-chasing for a little bit and go find your brother for me." She told him, running the fingers of her right hand through Orochimaru's hair. "If we want the plan to go smoothly, we need him." Mabi chuckled, grinning.

"Of course, Mother dearest. I'll leave right away." Mabi said, standing up. "Shall I bring that annoying Uchiha boy as well? I could use the extra man power."

"Sure." She agreed, passing him a slip of paper. "This is the latitude and longitude of where we were held by your uncle. Oh, and Darling- make sure the bastard is dead, ok?"

"Of course, Mother!" Mabi grinned. "I'd be more than happy to get rid of your problems- I suppose I get it from father."

"Your father always was sweet on me, dear." Ryu smiled. "If having numerous husbands was legal, I would've married your father as well." She told him reassuringly, and Mabi nodded, leaving the room.

~Several Days later~

Sakura waited for Mabi- or did she wait for Sasuke? She waited either way, and eventually, she saw them coming through the gates, a bloody and battered thing, wrapped up in a black cloak, on the back of Mabi's horse. Ryu stood next to Sakura. "Hn- looks like they're back."

"Good afternoon, Mother dearest, 'Tis a bright and shining day, for a miracle, don't you think?" Mabi smiled, and she grabbed him by the front of his shirt.

"Cut the crap, Mabi." She snarled, looking at the bundle behind him, Sakura running over as well.

"W-Welcome back, Sasuke-Kun, Mabi-San." She greeted, and Sasuke nodded, leaving, and Mabi frowned at how he got 'san' and Sasuke got 'kun', but it mattered very little.

"He's alive- since we're both your kids, our recovering rate isn't as fast as yours, but, he's looking better- he still won't speak. I'm guessing frost had enough time to settle and coat the inside of his lungs- he has been having some trouble breathing." Mabi said, and Ryu scoffed.

"Well, when you go against someone twice your size and level, no doubt you'll come out a little bruised." Ryu said, picking up the bundle, and carrying it away, an arm slipped out and hung limply. Sakura tagged along, but was forced to stay outside of the Hospital room, and Ryu came out. "Sakura, your behavior surprises me." Sakura blinked, confused. "You never really seemed to care about anyone but that Puppet of yours, now you're spreading the love." Sakura was horrified. Did her mentor just call her a whore? "Sakura, listen to me, ok? I'll tell you this once and once only- stay away from my boys. It's for your own good, Dear." She told her, and Sakura was mad for some reason.

"Y-You can't tell me what to do with my love life!" Sakura yelled at her mentor.

"Sakura, I've made the mistake of doing things so taboo that I'd be disowned by my own kin, if I hadn't before I ever came here." Ryu told her seriously. "I'm telling you this for your own good- please- don't dip into things you don't understand. I was lucky when Mabi and Ryou came out- some what normal- but it may not happen twice. If you do happen to lean towards any of my boys and do have the desire to produce kids, I can't guarantee that they will come out with the Human qualities that my boys possess." Ryu put her hand on Sakura's shoulder. "As your mentor, I'm begging you- don't get too close to Ryou or Mabi." She begged, before walking off, Sakura looked down, and a nurse exited Ryou's room.

"If you want, you can see him now. He's stabilized, and is still having a hard time speaking, but, he'll be better in a few days." The Nurse smiled, walking off, and Sakura walked into the room, Mabi looked back at her.

"W-What are you doing here?" She asked, and Mabi frowned.

"The sick bastard IS my half-brother." Mabi exclaimed. "I came in through the window…" Sakura nodded, and went to Ryou's bedside. "He's braver than I probably ever could be." Mabi murmured. "You'd better recover soon so I can kick your ass, Baka!" Mabi taunted lightly, and Ryou managed a grin, and a nod, before they fist pounded on it.

"That was really brave, Ryou-San." Sakura complimented, and he smiled as well.

"Did Mother tell you to stop flirting with us, Sakura?" Mabi asked, and Sakura looked at him. "It's because we're 2nd generation hybrids- moms a 1st generation. If we mix with a human- then there will be 3rd generation Hybrids." Mabi informed her, and she was confused, and slightly angered. "Our ancestors- they only produce 1 child their entire life time- but Mom went against the 150% chance of dying in childbirth, and made us both (and more). The chances for a Hybrid to have a somewhat normal life is extremely slim- the fact that Mother is even accepted by your society is amazing, for us too, but it doesn't look too well for whatever children (if we have any) that we make."

"That's depressing and sad, Mabi." Sakura whimpered, frowning.

"But it's true." He answered. "And- I think-" Ryou punched him in the stomach. "ACK! Forgot I was speaking for you, Bro. RYOU thinks, that you're the prettiest thing he's ever laid his eyes on- but he's thinking about YOUR happiness, here. Eventually, we'll isolate ourselves without mates, wither away on peaceful days, and die out." Mabi said, and Ryou looked down. Sakura looked hurt, and when Mabi opened his mouth, Ryou grabbed his arm and glared at him. "Fine, I'll shut up." Mabi said, Ryou releasing him, and Mabi put his hand on Ryou's head, "I pray for your fast recovery." Ryou closed his eyes and accepted the blessing, before Mabi turned and left. Sakura slowly went over to his side, and put her hand on his hand. Ryou looked away from her and took his hand away from hers.

"You're so cold, Ryou!" Sakura yelled, "I…I…" She sniffed and looked down. Mabi came back with a juice, and looked at her,

"Ryou likes your kindness, but he says you already have two mates, and he isn't the type of man who'd steal a girl away from their man. Well, men, in your case." Mabi said, sitting next to her,

"D-Do you like me, Mabi?" Sakura asked, and Mabi shrugged,

"I did at first, because you're the first girl I've seen after decades of being in the mountains, training. Now, I have my eyes on another girl, I hope you don't mind." Mabi responded, and Sakura shook her head. "Ok, good. Anything else you wanna say, Bro?" Ryou touched Mabi's hand weakly, "I see. He wants you to leave, Sakura-San." Sakura frowned, "When you decide who you really want to be your spouse, he wants to know the result." Sakura stood up and left the hospital, feeling like she really was a whore.

She liked Ryou, but she loved Sasuke and Sasori.

"Your stupidly hot son is giving my student problems." Ryu criticized to her husband, the two sitting on one of the Hokage stone faces, watching Sakura through binoculars. "We should ground him, and give him some Phantom of the Opera scars so he will learn to stop being such a bad influence on girls."

"Yes, well, he only got his hair and eye color from me, everything else is all you, so, ground yourself." Orochimaru responded simply, and she looked over at him,

"You, Bastard!" Ryu snapped, and he looked back at her just as sharply, "Stupid, stubborn bitch!" Orochimaru retorted, and she yelled, "That's it! Off with the clothes, you worthless snake Sannin!"

"Awe, dude, our parents are getting it on- AGAIN." Mabi groaned, watching his parents from afar without binoculars. "Wow, mom's got a rocking body for how old she is. DAMN she's got some stamina! Dad too." Ryou rolled his eyes, Mabi looking away from the scene, "So, Ryou, what are you going to do about Sakura-San?"

"I'd like to see the Silver World with her." Ryou told him telepathically, and Mabi blinked. The Silver world was the after life to them. It was an old child's story that mates would always live in the silver world after dead, and they'd wait for one another before doing anything.

"You do know she'll probably die first, right?" Mabi said bluntly, Ryou looked away, "Yeah, you know. Go out there and grab her, and give her a really intimate kiss." Ryou said nothing, and Mabi sighed, "I might, steal her away from you," Mabi said, before her was slammed against the wall, Ryou's hand tightening around his throat, "K-Kidding." Ryou released him and got back into the hospital bed. "You're a coward sometimes, Ryou." Ryou sighed and nodded agreeably.

"She's cute, but I don't think she can hold the burden of being a mate, Ryou. Even Dad has some trouble keeping up with mom. Speaking of dad, I didn't know he was so flexible. He's like, what, 50-something human years?" Mabi asked no one in particular, "The point is, we're doomed for isolation on this planet of hot women, and they're doomed to, well, death. Not even my abilities can help them avoid the Reaper much." Ryou gripped the sheets.

"I'm just worried about you. When you recover, then, you make sure you tell her this. It's sad to watch her wander around." Mabi said, "You want something to eat?"

"I want you to shut up." Ryou said bluntly, and Mabi smirked,

"Looks like you got your voice back." Mabi smiled, "I'll be leaving now." Mabi laughed, skipping off. Ryou stared into space, and sighed. What a predicament.