Ryuu is Introduced to Sakura's Friends

Ryuu, in his half-dragon, half-human form, was being lead around the Leaf Village by Sakura courtesy of her grabbing onto his green-scaled, three-fingers dragon claw and leading him around. The villagers around them looked at the shirtless form of the draconic-looking Ryuu with distrust, scorn and even disgust at his mere appearance, though a simple glare of his glowing, orange-colored eyes with red slitted pupils caused them to go about their business. Ryuu softly caressed the horns on his head a bit with his clawed human hand before letting it fall back to his side. His wings twitched and flexed every so often for some reason unknown to Sakura. "So my Draconic Blossom, who are we meeting first?" he asked his pink-haired mate as he caressed the back of her hand with the scaled-claw on his left arm that would be called his thumb softly. Amazingly, despite his scales being so rough, they still contained a certain unusual softness to them.

"Well, there's no better place to start than my old squad!" She smiled widely, giving his claw a gentle squeeze. "So you'll be meeting Naruto, Sai and Kakashi-Sensei!"
Sakura smiled widely up at Ryuu, leading him through the crowds. Team 7 would be training at the moment and she knew exactly where. She'd forgotten about the mark that Ryuu had left, which was still slightly swollen and purple in colour, so she wasnt making much sense out of why a couple of people would stare at her jugular as she walked with this dragonic man. She jerked her head forward upon noticing her squad.
"Ah, there they are! C'mon, Ryuu-Kun!" She smiled, tugging him gently in their direction.

Ryuu examined the three men she pointed out, a black-haired boy who seemed to be devoid of all emotions and had a sketchbook, a blond-haired boy with whisker marks on his cheeks and wears orange, who he identified as the Kyuubi Container Naruto Uzumaki and a silver-haired man with a Leaf Village Hitai-ate over his left eye, a cloth mask covering up the lower half of his face, gravity-defying silver hair and seemed to be reading an orange book known as Icha Icha Paradise. The title caused his right eyebrow to twitch, considering he knew what was in that book and who wrote that book. He knew the book was porn and that his mother absolutely hated the very mention of that book back when she was alive. As the two approached the three males, Ryuu let a neutral, calm expression make it's way to his face as he absent-mindedly rubbed the square patch of green scales on his right cheek with his free, more human hand as he waited for the three to realize he and Sakura were there.

Naruto was the first to notice Sakura and Ryuu's arrival. Not being one to scan Sakura's body all too intensely, the blonde idiot didn't notice the mark at all.
"Sakura-Chaaaan!" He beamed, waving furiously. "Yo~! Haven't seen you in a coupla days! Who's your friend?!"
All colour drained from the Kyuubi containers face upon seeing Sakura's hand laced with Ryuu's claw. He didn't ask about it. He was too scared of the confirmation. Rainclouds gathered over the boys head as he moped off into a corner, brooding and muttering about how 'some stranger had stolen his Sakura-Chan from him'

Sai, on the other hand, was very analytical. He peered at Sakura's exposed neck, resisting the urge to poke at the blotchy purple mark.
"Sakura-San, you appear to have bruised your jugular," He murmured blankly, glancing at Ryuu. "Is this man a friend of yours?"
Sai tilted his head, his expression not even changing slightly as he looked at Ryuu's somewhat odd appearance.
"What happened to you?" He asked Ryuu bluntly, as only Sai could. "Bet you're dickless just like him,"
An accusing finger pointed in Naruto's general direction, causing the blonde to shout a very crude word back at Sai.

Sakura sweatdropped, a tired expression making its way onto her face. She expected an interrogation from Naruto but certainly not Sai.
"Sai, I don't think that mark is any of your business," She replied sharply. "And I'd say he's a bit more than a friend at this point. You won't know him since you weren't really around when we were young but this is Ryuumaru. He's a childhood friend of mine,"
She winced when Naruto let out a desperate wail.
"Oh, shut up, Naruto!" She hissed. "You're 16, grow a pair!"

Ryuu raised an eyebrow as he saw Naruto, whom he heard was a sunny, bright and happy person, become depressed about something. He could see that seeing Sakura's hand interlaced with his claw is what made him depressed but he was certainly not going to say anything that would make Sakura upset at him. His eyebrow twitched at hearing Sai call him dickless, which caused an amused expression to make it's way to his face. "Dickless is something I am definitely not. My Draconic Blossom here can certainly attest to that" he said with a low, hissing chuckle as he let a smirk slither onto his face.

Kakashi looked up from his book to see Naruto greet Sakura, who's hand was interlaced with what appeared to be a dragon claw. He raised his only visible silver eyebrow and analyzed the boy that the claw was connected with. The draconic-looking teenager looked remarkably like the late Kimi Shimazu, which made him wonder if this boy was perhaps her son. He heard Sai mention the mark on Sakura's neck and stared at it with a curious and suspicious narrowed eye. When he heard Ryuu commented back at Sai for his penis comment, he finally realized what the mark was. He giggled perversely to himself and held his free hand up in a lazy wave. "Yo Sakura-Chan, I can see you found some way to occupy your time" he said as a string of perverted giggles came flowing out of his mouth, his only visible eye crinkling up into a U-shape, which meant he was smiling.

Sakura smacked her free palm to her face, her thumb rubbing her temple in irritation.
"Thank you for your EXCELLENT input there, Kakashi-Sensei," She hissed at the man but couldn't help but chuckle at how such a strong and normally collected shinobi could have the perverted sense of humour that any teenage boy would have.

A dust cloud appeared where Naruto had once been as he appeared right in front of Sakura's face, shaking her shoulders.
"He hasn't..You guys didn't..." He choked.
"Didn't what?" Sakura smirked. She wanted to make this as uncomfortable for him as she possibly could.
"Y'know..."
"No, I'm afraid I don't know,"
"Sakura-Chaaaan, stop it!"
"Stop what?"
"ARGH!"
Naruto sniffled pathetically, pouting like a child as he folded his arms. It was like Sakura was a toy that he'd wanted and Ryuu had managed to get that toy before he did. He stalked over to his sensei's side, huffing and pouting regularly to try and get some attention from the otherwise uninterested Sakura.

Sai blinked in confusion, reaching out and prodding the bite mark.
"Ow! Sai, what the hell!?"
"My, it's pretty raw. When did you get it?"
"Last night,"
"How?"
"...." Sakura blushed, glancing up at Ryuumaru. "Sai, please tell me you're familiar with how BITE MARKS come about?"
"..." A knowing look came onto the boys face as he nodded, glancing in what appeared to be some form of respect at Ryuumaru. "Indeed I do. Apologies if I made you at all uncomfortable,"
"Sai, you always make me uncomfortable,"
"This is true,"
Sakura sighed and gave Ryuumaru's claw another squeeze. This was going to be hell and she knew it.

Ryuu looked at Sai and an amused expression appeared on his face. "You are...an amusing person Sai" he said as his lips twitched upward into what could be called a small smile. Ryuu glanced at Naruto and resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Instead, he gave the blonde a look that would make the whiskered-cheeked shinobi think that Ryuu considered him a petulant child. He gave Kakshi a small nod of acknowledgment before turning back to Sakura.

Kakashi returned the silent gesture with one of his own before turning to acknowledge Naruto. "Naruto, you are acting like a child who's toy that he wanted was taken by someone else. Sakura is not an object, she is a person with feelings of her own. If you are her friend, surely you will realize that her own feelings and her own happiness are more important then your own" Kakashi lazily said to Naruto as he patted the top of the Yondaime's heir's head softly as he went back to reading through his novel.

Sakura was relieved to see that Sai and Ryuu were on good terms at least. It just seemed to be Naruto that was causing any problems. She blinked as Sai gave Ryuu one of his strange smiles.
"So, Sakura-San, you're romantically involved with this man?"
"Indeed I am, Sai,"
"I can't say I'm very surprised,"
"Oh?"
Sai waved his hand dismissively as Naruto let out another whimper.

Naruto knew that Kakashi was right. Sakura had been one of the only friends he'd ever had before everybody had learned to accept him. If Ryuu made her happy then perhaps it would do him good to accept him. He let out a grudging nod in Ryuumaru's direction, shuffling rather uncomfortably as his eyes landed on Sakura's neck.
It should've been me that left that mark... He snorted in his head.
His frown deepened when Sakura stood up on her toes, pecking Ryuu on the lips in an attempt to get him to loosen up a little bit.

Ryuu gave Sai an acknowledging nod of his head which was followed by a friendly smirk. He nodded to Naruto when he saw the blonde nod grudgingly at him before he blinked when he felt Sakura peck him on the lips. He turned to face her and leaned in to kiss her softly on the middle of the forehead, the very place he used to kiss constantly.

Kakashi turned to see the interaction between Sakura and Ryuu and smiled a bit, seeing one of his prized students so happy. "So Sakura, why don't you tell us how you met Ryuu-San here?" he asked the pink-haired teenager as he put his book back in his kunai pouch to give Sakura his attention.

Sakura smiled widely as Ryuu kissed her forehead; the area of her body she had tried to hide so desperately when she was younger. She sighed happily as she gave him a gentle hug. It was nice to be able to do that out in the open now. She knew that it bothered Naruto but he'd have to just get used to it because there was no way that Ryuu would let Sakura go now and vice versa.

Sai smiled again, scribbling something in his sketchbook.
"Don't move, you two. I want to be able to get that pose. As if you need any more of an incentive to hold each other,"
He chuckled good-naturedly, seemingly happy that Sakura had found somebody. Sai wasn't much of a social person but he had become quite fond of the pink-haired kunoichi and was glad that she was happy with Ryuu.

Naruto snorted but said nothing, slowly getting used to the dragonic man who'd managed to steal Sakura's heart away. He knew Lee would be just as, if not more, devastated than he was but a part of him was a little smug at the fact that he didn't lose out to Sasuke like he used to think he would.

Sakura smiled at Kakashi, nodding.
"Actually, Tsunade-Sama sent me to his house to give him his annual physical exam. Needless to say, he passed with flying colours,"

"Actually Blossom, I believe he's referring to how we first met, which I shall explain. When we were six, I had come upon a scene of Sakura being bullied by three girls, who were making fun of her forehead. I defended her honor and sent the bullies running off. That day we established a friendship. That was also the day I had found my love for her. As the years dragged on, we became closer and closer, to the point where she desired to help me get revenge on a certain traitor snake" here Ryuu paused long enough to grind his sharp teeth together as hatred swirled in his eyes, the three males able to see just how much he hated the Snake Sannin. It would remind Naruto and Kakashi of how Sasuke hated Itachi, though they could see Ryuu hated Orochimaru more then Sasuke hated Itachi. "I even defended her when that...slug Sasuke Uchiha made fun of her. However, one day, something happened that drove us apart. I will not go into details about it but let's just say I wasn't exactly all that civil to Sakura. As a matter of fact, I was downright enraged with her and did my best to insult her and make her feel like scum, due to the circumstances of what happened. We only recently established connection and made up for lost time. To be honest, I regret what all I've done and said to her and I will hate myself always for it" Ryuu explained calmly as he enclosed his draconic wings around himself and Sakura as if he was forming a protective shield.

Kakashi stared at Ryuu calmly with interest. Something must have truly effected him if it got him enraged at Sakura enough to break off their friendship, especially considering he said that he loved her the first day they met years ago. However, what truly caught his interest was Ryuu's hatred for the man who Sasuke went off to for power, the Snake Sannin Orochimaru. Granted a lot of people hated Orochimaru but his hatred seemed to be more personal then that of even Sasuke's hatred for his older brother.

Sakura reached a hand around his back to gently rub at the base of one of his wings to try and alieviate the stress that was now radiating from him.
"I still want to help you with your revenge, Ryuu-Kun," She whispered out of earshot of the others.
The feud that the two of them had brought back painful memories but she brushed them back as best she could. They had indeed made up for lost time and now everything had been mended as much as it could be mended.
"Nothing will tear us apart like that ever again,"

Sai frowned thoughtfully as he noticed the clenching of Ryuumaru's jaw.
"I see...So you have some connection with that man? If you don't mind me saying so, your hatred for Sasuke could give you a motive to pursue him. He needs a good beating, wouldn't you say so?"

Naruto was fuming. No! Retrieving Sasuke was HIS job. Not Ryuumaru's, HIS. However, he held his tongue as Sakura seemed to weaken at the mention of the dispute that had happened all those years ago. Seeing her look so vulnerable, even for a split second, was enough to get him to keep quiet for a little bit longer.

"I don't hate the Uchiha, he just disgusts me to the point where I am ashamed to be human at all. However, my connection to Orochimaru is deeper then you could imagine. You see, at a time, Orochimaru was my genetic forebearer. He slept with my mother and made me as a result. However, what makes me hate him is that he abandoned my mother after she informed him that she contracted an illness and was pregnant with me at the time. The sheer emotional pain she went through cemented my hatred for him and now I desire nothing more then for him to die. I used to have his DNA coursing through my blood but that was before the pact I made. I formed a pact with a dragon to gain more power and as a result, the dragon performed some strange ritual where he replaced the genes of Orochimaru in me with dragon DNA, which is why I look the way I do now" he said with a look of disgust and shame on his face that the three could identify that he was disgusted and ashamed of ever being related to that lowly snake.

Kakashi listened with rapt attention, secretly being shocked as because no one even knew that Orochimaru had a lover, let alone a child. At first, he was suspicious of the boy before he explained the situation. Kakashi could see that he was ashamed and even disgusted with Orochimaru so whatever suspicions he had were washed away. "So your desire for revenge against Orochimaru is for the betrayal and emotional pain he brought on your mother, rather instead of it being for yourself. Your mother must have meant a lot to you if you are willing to sacrifice your humanity to kill one of the most hated men in the Shinobi Nations for her" he said softly.

Naruto froze, his fists clenching tightly as he glanced at Sakura in sheer disbelief. This boy was Orochimaru's son?!
"Sakura...You're involved with the son of the man that we're trying to destroy!" He fumed, his chakra levels spiking. "The man that took Sasuke away!"
Naruto, as always, let his temper make his decisions and charged at Ryuumaru. Before he could even register what was happening, Sakura had slipped under Ryuu's wings and spread her arms out, standing as a barrier between Naruto and Ryuu.

"Naruto Uzumaki, you should be ashamed of yourself!" She screamed. "Ryuu-Kun is on OUR side. OURS! Sasuke went of his own free will and we can't change that! How DARE you blame Ryuu for something that is nobody elses fault but Sasuke's!"

Sai blinked, staring at Sakura in surprise. He'd never seen her lose her temper this way. Most of the other times had been quite comical, but now it was quite frightening.

Right as Ryuu was about to push Sakura out of the way, Kakashi appeared in front of Naruto and held him back. He looked at Naruto with a disappointed but cold and angered fire in his visible eye. "Naruto, I am disappointed in you. Not only did you let your jealousy take over rational thought, you had the nerve to resort to hypocritical antics and judged Ryuu-San for something out of his control. I thought you would be the last person who would judge someone for something outside of their control" Kakashi said coldly.

Ryuu snorted, which caused him to snort out a circle of smoke, and grab Sakura's hand. "I am not surprised. The boy is a petulant child and no one has bothered to teach him proper discipline. Me and the Cherry Blossom are leaving now. Good day Kakashi-San, Sai-San" he said as he gave Sai and Kakashi a nod of his head as he pulled Sakura into his arms and flew out of Team 7's Training Grounds to a place where he was sure Sakura would like going, to the Yamanaka Flower Shop.

Sakura gladly turned her back on Naruto, holding onto Ryuu as he took her away to wherever his next destination was.
"I'm really sorry..." She murmured, still shaking with anger. "I never thought he'd...I never thought he'd just explode like that. I thought he'd understand,"
She was disappointed. Naruto had been one of her best friends and there he was getting ready to attack the man that she loved without so much as a second thought.

"Jealousy can make people act in undesirable ways. Hopefully Uzumaki will learn some discipline from this. The way he acted the entire time was just unacceptable. Granted I know he didn't have anyone growing up to teach him what to do and what not to do but that's no excuse" he said as he landed softly on the ground, standing in front of the Yamanaka Flower Shop. He had not seen Sakura's friend Ino in years and he was curious to see how she was doing.

Sakura's eyes lit up when they landed outside the flower shop, smiling widely as she ran to the door and knocked.
"Ino! Ino, look who's here!" She called and smirked when she heard an irritated voice reply.
"Sakura?! Is that you?! Ugh, hold on, I'll be down in a minute,"
Sakura chuckled and jogged back to Ryuu, wrapping her arms around his torso and smiling up at him like she used to.
"Thanks for bringing me here, Ryuu-Kun,"

Ryuu looked down at her and smiled softly. "Your welcome Cherry Blossom. Besides, I had not seen Ino-San for years and I wanted to see how she's been. I wonder how she'll react to my physical changes" he said as a thoughtful look appeared on his face. No doubt she would have something to say about it. He wondered though if Sakura told Ino about what she said to him and caused him and her to separate for a while.

"I'm sure she'll be fine! Ino isn't normally one to judge," She smiled, turning around as she heard the door open and Ino stepped outside.

Ino glanced at the man behind Sakura and her eyes widened as she took a step forward.
"Ryuu...Ryuu, is that you?" She murmured. "W-When...How?"
The Yamanaka woman was truly perplexed by how much Ryuu had changed, but one look on Sakura's face could tell her that the two were back together. How? She knew what had happened since Sakura ran to her soon after. When did the two of them rekindle their relationship?

"Hello Ino-San" he said with a soft smile and nod of his head as he slowly pushed Sakura out of the way so Ino could get a good look at it his new physical appearance. She was Sakura's friend and even one of his friends so he figured she had the right to see just exactly how much he changed.

Ino looked at the man before her who'd disappeared for a substantial amount of time and took in his new appearance. The scales, the horns, the wings. It was all almost a little overpowering. It was such a shock to see the boy that had been so placid before had turned into a true warrior like this.
"Ryuu-San...You've...You've really changed.." She murmured, glancing at Sakura before touching one of the scales on his arm. "God...T-They're real.."

"I know. To be honest, I rather like the changes. Now I can live up to my name of Ryuumaru, or Dragon Man" he said to her with a smirk, chuckling a bit as he grabbed Sakura by the waist and pulled her to him. Ryuu was not ashamed of his new appearance nor did he think he was a freak. Sakura approved his appearance so that was all that mattered.

Sakura easily complied as she let him pull her in, planting a kiss on one of the scales at his shoulder. She wasn't bothered by Ryuumaru's appearance at all. She loved him, not how he looked although his physical condition was an added bonus.
"To be honest, if Ryuu-Kun's happy with it then I think we should be happy for him,"

Ino nodded, slightly bewildered by how close the two had become so quickly.
"When did you get back Ryuu-Kun? I..Uh..Haven't seen you around for a while,"
She smiled pleasantly, slowly getting used to this new Ryuumaru. He was still the same man, just older with an addition on his body. That thought alone seemed to comfort the Yamanaka.

"A little while ago. I was on an extended tracking mission, following a lead on a possible new location for a certain traitor snake" he said with a growl as his human hand clenched into a fist. He suppressed his anger though and smiled pleasantly at the Yamanka Heiress so that she wouldn't question him, as because he had yet to tell Ino of his former connection with the Snake Sannin.