Chapter 9 - D.A.R.E (Don't Anger Red Eyes) {PROLOGUE}

"What the? How did I get here?" Nozomi frowned as she glanced around at her surroundings. She was back in her old village, and all around her people were running in a panic. "Run, take cover!" Shouted a panicked citizen, "There's a demon in the village!"

Nozomi hung her head and sighed softly. Of course they had to be talking about her. 'Well I'll be more than happy to leave...I don't even know what I'm DOING here anyways!' With a confused shrug of her shoulders, the cat girl turned and headed for the village gates. She stopped and turned, however as she heard a loud, angry growl from behind her.

"I'll kill you!"

Nozomi gasped, her golden-yellow eyes wide at the familiarity in the voice. "Naruto-kun?!" She scanned the crowd and soon spotted him.

The blond was surrounded by a thick, bubbling red chakra that was shaped like a fox, his canines twice their normal size, red eyes wild and dilated, filled with fury.

Nozomi watched in shock as the demon possessed boy charged forward, slashing wildly at a shadowy figure with his claws. The cat girl blinked and did a double take as she eyed the shadow. Who was that, and why was Naruto fighting him? Her eyes went wide as Naruto spoke again, his voice deeper, more menacing, Kyuubi having taken over.

"I told you, she's MINE! Keep your cruddy paws off my girl!"

"Naruto-kun!!" Unable to control herself, now overcome with worry and confusion, Nozomi raced forward as fast as she could, calling out. "What are you doing?!"

"Nozo-chan!" The demon possessed boy growled enthusiastically. He stopped attacking the shadow and lunged for the brunette, scooping her into a fierce hug, his sharp claws piercing through her delicate skin.

"Naruto-kun, what are you doing here?" Nozomi hugged the boy back, wincing at the feeling of his claws in her back, "Who is that and why are you trying to kill him?"

"He said he was gonna take you away!" The blond growled, throwing a murderous glare over his shoulder at the shadowed figure, who was drawing nearer. He growled and clenched his teeth tightly, a warning to whoever it was that was shrouded in shadows.

"Don't be silly, Naruto-kun...nobody is gonna take me awa-" Nozomi broke off, staring in surprise as Naruto's eyes rolled upward, and he fell limply against her, his demonic aura fading, and reverted back to his normal form. "Naruto-kun?!" Nozomi sputtered, confused as he failed to answer or even straighten up to look at her. "Naruto-kun!!"

"Don't worry, he's dead. I took care of it with Essence no Jutsu."

"What?!" Nozomi looked up in surprise as she suddenly found herself face to face with the shadowy figure Naruto had been fighting only moments before. "You KILLED him?!?"

The shadow nodded. "Sorry, but he was a danger to us all. A demon. It had to be done."

Nozomi looked down in disbelief at the dead boy in her arms, and her eyes filled with tears that quickly spilled over down her cheeks. "This can't be happening...how could you DO this?!" The cat girl glared up at the shadow, tears still streaming down her face. "I'm a demon too, KILL ME TOO!"

"I could never kill you."

"Why NOT?! Nozomi demanded, still crying. "If you're going to kill my lover, you might as well kill me too!" The brunette paused as the figure came closer, and she was able to make out his features somewhat better. "Just who are you?!"

"Because, you belong with me...not that scum...and I think you know exactly who I am, Nozo-neko-chan..."

Nozomi opened her mouth to speak but nothing came out except for a startled gasp as the shadows on the figure's face seemed to vanish suddenly, and she found herself staring into his cold, cloudy grey eyes..

---

"Nozomi! Nozomi!!"

Nozomi's eyes flew open as two firm hands shook her shoulder, and she sat up quickly, breathing hard, eyes wild.

"Nozomi...it's ok." The boy shaking her stopped and heaved a relieved sigh. "You were just having a dream."

Dream? Nozomi glanced around at her surroundings, eyes still wide. She was in bed, in the apartment that she and her boyfriend (not to mention fiance, but Nozomi preferred not to think about that), Naruto shared. It was still dark; the clock read about 5:20. The cat girl heaved a shaky sigh and put a hand to her heart, closing her eyes in relief.

"Nozomi, are you ok?"

Nozomi turned to see who had spoken, and her eyes filled with tears as she locked gazes with a wide eyed, concerned looking Naruto. Seeing him, her mind flashed back to the scene where she'd been holding his lifeless body, and the tears in her eyes slowly rolled down her face.

"Nozo-chan, what is it?" Naruto demanded, concern in his eyes as the girl began to cry.

Nozomi just stared at him, still crying silently. It had been a dream. A horrible dream. That was all. A relieved look crossed the cat girl's features, and she threw her arms around the surprised blond, burying her face in his chest as she sobbed quietly.

"Nozomi...?" Naruto just stared at her for a minute before his eyes softened, and he wrapped his arms around the trembling girl comfortingly. "Nozo-chan...you were crying and screaming...are you ok?"

"Y-you were dead...in my arms.." The cat girl sputtered, surprised at the tone of her voice. When had she gone from someone who could talk about anything without any emotion, to someone who put so much emotion behind her words? "I was so scared..."

"It's ok." Naruto's voice shook with emotion as he held her close to him. "I'm here, I'm alive...the nightmare is over now...so please...don't cry Nozo-hime..."

"I can't help it, I was so scared...it seemed so real!" Nozomi wailed, again surprised at how fragile, how emotional she sounded. "I-I don't want to go back to sleep..."

"Shh...it's ok. I'm here, calm down." Naruto urged, pulling the girl down with him as he laid back on the bed again, his arm still around her as she kept her face buried in his chest.

"N-Naruto-kun, I can't go back to sleep, I already told you that!" The cat girl shrieked as she sat up quickly.

Naruto yawned and put an arm lightly on her back, pushing her back down. "You don't have to...I just want you to stay with me."

Nozomi nodded, still trembling and heaved a sigh as she leaned back into him, curled up at his side, now resting her head on his arm, one hand clutching firmly to the material of his pajama top.

"Nozo-chan...what else happened in your dream?" Naruto asked curiously, lightly trailing his fingers across her tail.

Nozomi shut her eyes tight to block out the images that had reappeared in her mind, and she cried out. "No!!"

"Talking about it might help you calm down a little.." the blond encouraged.

"...Well I was in my old village, and the citizens were screaming and running, saying a demon was there." Nozomi began after a pause.

Naruto nodded, frowning slightly. Everyone in the Kubota clan had always treated Nozomi like she was nothing but a monster, sent to ruin their lives; hence the reason she'd run away. "Go on..." The spiky haired boy stroked her tail lightly again.

Nozomi blushed faintly as she found herself purring softly. How did Naruto always manage to calm her down to the point where she purred like this?

"Well, I was about to leave when I saw you, possessed by Kyuubi, fighting a shadowed figure...I called you and you ran and hugged me so painfully you could've killed me." The cat girl winced at the memory of Naruto's claws in her back. It was hard to believe she'd only dreamed of being in such pain; it'd felt so real!

"When I asked you what you were doing, you said someone was trying to take me away from you, but before you could explain what you meant, that shadow used the extraction jutsu on you, and you..." Nozomi broke off, unable to finish as tears welled up in her eyes again.

"That does sound like an awful dream...I'm sorry you had it.." Naruto stopped stroking the girl's tail and hugged her waist loosely. A thoughtful look appeared on his face. "Hmmm...I wonder who -or what- that shadow was supposed to be..."

"I don't know...but I saw his eyes, I've seen them before, I'm positive...and he called me "Nozo-neko-chan"...that's what Suoh-kun used to call me when I still lived with the Kubota clan.."

Naruto's jaw clenched tightly at this name. Suoh Maekawa. 'That's the guy that hurt Nozo-chan so badly...I don't know him personally, but I hate him for what he did to her...He should consider himself lucky we've never met- I'd make him PAY!'

"It's alright, Nozo-chan." the blond said softly, yawning again. "It was only a dream, and that will never happen...even if I DID meet that person from your dream I'd WIN! I promise."

Nozomi nodded with a grin, but then her grin faded as he yawned, and she sighed, feeling guilty. "Naruto-kun, if you're tired you can go back to sleep...I'll be ok."

"Are you sure?" Naruto asked, holding back another yawn. "I don't want to leave you awake by yourself if you're scared."

The brunette nodded, though the last thing she wanted was to be awake alone. "I'll be fine." She sat up and turned to him, kissing him lightly on the lips. "Now go back to sleep, Naruto-kun."

Naruto's eyes widened and his face colored slightly at her embrace, but he nodded. "Ok...goodnight, Nozo-hime. I'll see you in a few hours." The boy paused as he saw her shudder slightly. "In the meantime..." he grabbed her arm and pulled her back down gently, bringing her to lay back against him once more. "You can stay there if it helps calm you."

"...Thank you." Nozomi blushed slightly.

"Anything for you, you're my kitty." Naruto grinned and closed his eyes, letting his head sink back into his pillow.

A few minutes later, Nozomi realized he was, indeed asleep, as the petting of her tail had stopped. She sighed, frowning and nuzzled into him, her face buried in his side as she listened to his deep, even breathing.

'Why did I have that dream?...And why was Suoh-kun trying to make me go with him?' The cat girl groaned softly. 'Why did I even dream about him? I'm over that guy, right?...I mean, I'm not exactly thrilled about HOW the engagement happened...but I'm getting married to Naruto-kun...so why would I dream about Suoh-kun NOW?...I don't know...but I'm getting a bad feeling, for some reason...'