Yahoo! I'm back! And there is new chapter for "two"! Sorry about taking so long to update this ("K.Y.S." too) story, but i just passed my last exams for this semester examinations, so i was a little too busy last month to write anything for my stories ^_^ ...

review responce:
Thousand Tailed Holy FlashFang, CrosZ, The High Demon Lord, chm01, Lord Drake Salazar Slytherin, m1rm1d0n,
FFwatchdog, yes, he will. And he will gain something else, but this is the story for later time ^_^
daniel 29, Ahem, haven't they already met?

poll results:
*** Naruto/Tamaki ***

Disclaimer: i DO NOT own Naruto or any of its characters

"speaking"
'thinking'
"speaking of higher beings / Naruto while using Kyuubi's power / jutsus"
'thinking of higher beings / Kyuubi talking to Naruto through mental link'

Two
chapter 4: Nightmares

After they finished dinner at Ichiraku, both blonds and nin-cats went to the Naruto's house. It didn't look very good, but it also wasn't falling apart, there were electricity, cold and hot water and everything else normal house should have. And many apartments were in pretty good condition. Just Naruto was it's only inhabitant there... Naruto stopped in front of his door.

"You can pick any apartment you like. Tomorrow we'll start looking for a house or normal flat for you. And for a shop premises too." Blond shinobi opened his flat's door. "If you need something, don't be coy to ask."

"OK." Tamaki nodded, before entering apartment across the corridor from Naruto's.

Tamaki tried to sleep, but couldn't. No, the mattress she was lying on wasn't that bad, and flat she picked wasn't either. Just nightmares of what happened two days ago haunted her. And even nin-cats she slept with couldn't save her from fears.

'Hope this will help...' Trying not to wake cats up, Tamaki left her bed and, after tucking up in counterpane, went to Naruto. Surprisingly, his door wasn't locked. As Naruto's flat was the only one which was lived-in in, what seemed, several years, it was in a better shape, but it had A LOT of rubbish, like empty instant ramen container, old scrolls and etc., on the floor. Tamaki entered Naruto's bedroom. It was much cleaner, rubbish was replaced by boy's clothes there. She went to Naruto's bed's side and tried to wake blond shinobi up. After two or three minutes she finally succeeded.

"Oh?" Naruto yawned. "What happened?" He looked up and finally saw Tamaki. "You need something?" Girl nodded.

"Sorry, but i had nightmares and couldn't sleep. Can i stay in your flat tonight?" Naruto, being as sleepy as he was, decided that this was OK as long as he could return to his dreams, so he went to wardrobe and took futon and small pillow out of it. He put them down near the bed and lied on them.

"You can use my bed." Before Tamaki could reply him 'thank you', Naruto was asleep again. She lied on the bed and tried to go to sleep, but again couldn't - her nightmares were still there, although to the lesser degree. And this, along with that she slept well, while she and Naruto were on their to Konoha, blond shinobi being very close to her during the night, gave Tamaki strange idea: Naruto seemed to be like scarecrow to her nightmares...

'If this works, hope he won't be too mad at me in the morning...' Tamaki, still tucked up in counterpane she brought from the flat she picked, slid from bed to Naruto's futon and lied as near to the boy as she could without disturbing him. And her strange idea actually worked, as she soon entered dreamless sleep.

Naruto woke up, but was lying with his eyes closed. Tonight he slept better than usually and now there was something pretty soft, warm and pleasantly heavy on his left side. All in all blond shinobi liked the way this morning greeted him. But he had things to do today and, judging by sun rays penetrating through curtains into his room, it was around ten o'clock, so he had to get up, whether he wanted or not. So he opened his eyes and was greeted by the sight of Tamaki curled into him and sleeping peacefully with her legs holding his left, her head on his shoulder and her left arm across his chest.

And while his rational side said that nothing happened between them as his, and as far as he could see, her clothes too were on them and they were separated by a layer of counterpane, Naruto did follow the other one and jumped from the futon as fast and as far as he could, waking girl up in the process.

"WHAT THE HELL!!!" Yelled blond shinobi. All the response he got was half-asleep Tamaki looking at him. For good ten seconds. Then she blinked and seemed to finally understand what was going on.

"Sorry..." Girl yawned. "It seems that..." She yawned again. "...Only you can keep nightmares away from me..." Tamaki sat on the futon. Now Naruto could see what she was wearing - white top and something that could be described as crossbreed between boxers and shorts. "Are you mad at me?" Naruto thought for a second.

"Actually... No." Girl blinked and stared at him as if not believing in what she heard. Naruto scratched the back of his head. "I never had anybody so close to me... Physically, i mean... And it was kinda nice..." It was one second after he finished, when understanding what he said hit him. "Oops, sorry... I didn't mean th..."

"No, no, it's OK." Now it was Naruto's turn to stare at Tamaki. "I'll make breakfast for two of us." Girl finally said. Naruto shrugged and proceeded to make his bed and put futon away to the wardrobe. And then he heard Tamaki shouting from the kitchen... "Naruto, do you have anything other than instant ramen there?"

"Why? Ramen is the food from gods..." Blond shinobi shouted back. He heard Tamaki sighing and muttering something like 'OK, OK, I got it...'

After the breakfast, or, precisely, instant ramen, both blonds went on with preparing for the day. Thirty minutes later two teens and three cats were in front of apartment block, ready to start their search for shop premises for Tamaki as well as for her new home.

"Oi, Naruto..." Tamaki suddenly spoke. "Will it be OK, if i stay with you, if i'll have more nightmares?"

"Well... I think... I think that will be OK.." He answered nervously. Blond girl turned around and looked into his eyes.

"Thank you." Next second she hugged Naruto and kissed him on a cheek lightly. "But we should go and look for a shop to buy or lease now, shouldn't we?" And they walked to Konoha's center, none noticing drunk man at the corner of the street.

It was late afternoon in the Konohagakure no sato. Village's streets were just beginning to get busy again after hot midday. Tamaki was heading to Naruto's house with some groceries. They were yet to find suitable shop or apartment for her. And she refused to eat ramen all the time... Her nin-cats, Hina, Denka and Nekoru, went home with that blond ball of energy that was named Naruto, so she was alone now. She turned to the one of less crowded streets and passed by one of dead-ends. Suddenly she felt movement behind her back and pair of strong arms grabbed her, roughly shoving to the dead-end. Including the one who held her, Tamaki counted four men there, one of them wore chuunin vest and Leaf hitae-ate on his head, other two were just random drunks.

"She?" Asked the one who held her.

"Yeah." Hiccupped one of drunks in response. Tamaki was thrown into the wall, but this way she could finally see the last man - it was one of older generation genins.

"So you're Kyuubi's new whore." Genin stated with some disgust. "He won't mind if we play with you a little bit." Man got ready to rip Tamaki's blouse off, when everyone present in the dead-end felt waves of strong fear wash over them. Tamaki, who wasn't targeted just felt her legs become weak, while drunks over there fell on the ground, unable to stand. Unfortunately, both ninjas there seemed not to be affected at all... Except for small delay in their plans regarding her.

"Release that girl." Said low voice and Naruto entered dead-end. But it wasn't Naruto Tamaki saw before. This one looked more feral with his hair more unruly than before, his strange whisker marks darker and thicker, claw replacing nails and eyes, crimson with slitted pupil. His appearance on its own seemed to be enough to make anybody run for his life, yet ninjas decided to oppose.

"Like we would listen to you, demon!" Chuunin yelled.

"Wrong answer." Man was barely able to block hit, directed to his face with both his hands.

"What's wrong, is that all that you can do, demon brat?" Instead of giving verbal answer, Naruto created crimson rasengan with his free hand and implanted it to man's gut, sending him into the wall and knocking him out cold.

"Die!!!" Genin attacked blond shinobi from behind and attempted to stab Naruto through the head. Only for 'Naruto' to turn into the cloud of smoke. "Why don't you just die?!" He yelled. "Where are you, demon?!" Suddenly he felt attack coming from above. He used Tamaki for kawarimi. Naruto, seeing this, tried to redirect his attack, so girl won't be hurt, but being in the midair he failed to do so and had to use kawarimi with poor Tamaki himself. Without any problems he caught falling girl and carefully lower her to the ground.

"Are you all right?" Tamaki nodded weakly. "Good." Without even looking, Naruto blocked older genins kunai with his own, at the same time creating another rasengan. But unlike chuunin over there, this genin was able to dodge blond's attack. Seeing that he missed, Naruto dispelled his jutsu and used that hand to spun around delivering punch in the man's face.

"You, how dare you hit me, demon?!" Genin tried to counterattack but failed as he received another punch, in his chest this time. "Why you dirty... Arrghh..." Man cried from pain and passed out as Naruto's rasengan connected with his stomach and created second made-from-human-relief on the wall. Naruto came up to the drunks who didn't even attempt to defend themselves from 'monster' as he knocked them out. Then he tied all four men with chakra enchanted ninja wire.

"Looks like Ibiki-san will have a lot of work today..." Blond shinobi took a deep breath to calm his anger down, his appearance returning back to normal. 'I need to control my emotions better, i almost went into tailed state... Still, i broke my promise not to use that power ever again... But Tamaki-chan is all right and this is more important. Good thing that i decided to return and help her...' Naruto sat in front of still scared girl, noticing tears on her eyes. "I'll understand if after this you want to get as far away from the monster i..." SLAP! Boy felt pain shot through his left cheek.

"Don't dare to speak about yourself like that!" Tamaki shouted, crying at the same time. "The one who saved me... four times can't be... monster..."

"Thank you..." Girl continued with sobbing as Naruto came closer and held her tight, trying to sooth her, while his shadow clone he created just now went to collect groceries Tamaki was caring before she was attacked.

"What happened there?" Asked one of four ANBU, the one with dragon mask on his face, who appeared in the dead-end seemingly out of thin air. Naruto knew, thanks to Kyuubi-enchanted senses, who this ANBU was but decided not to use man's name.

"ANBU-san, those four attacked civilian and broke Third Hokage's law." All four ANBU nodded, took bodies and disappeared via shunshin.

***

Next four days were pretty much quiet. Naruto and Tamaki continued their search, but without results up to now - it was much harder to find good shop premises or apartment, than they thought. With that last incident, Girl needed him even more, but Naruto didn't mind it at all. He actually grew to like her very much; even not-ramen food she cooked... And while he enjoyed sleeping with Tamaki and occasional kissing sessions - they actually became something like couple should be - Naruto was worried about her dependence on him. What if he was sent on a mission? So he decided to ask someone for a help...

"Good morning, Welcome to Yamanaka..." Ino said on autopilot, hearing doorbell of her family shop ring. Then she looked up and saw that it was only... "Oh, it's you, Naruto."

"Ino, i need you help." Said number one hyperactive ninja coming up to the counter.

"I don't know. Why don't you look at the hospital or Tsunade-sama's office?" Replied flower-girl.

"What are you talking about?"

"Aren't you looking for Sakura?" Ino asked.

"No." This picked girl's interest.

"Then why would you need my help?"

"Ino, you can work with other's minds, right?" Ino raised her eyebrows, not understanding where Naruto was getting at, but nodded. "Good... There is... friend of mine who constantly has nightmares... Maybe you could help." Girl sighted.

"OK... But you're buying some flowers."

"Thank you, Ino" Replied Naruto, before exiting the shop.

A little more than hour later, around noon, Naruto returned with platinum blond girl Ino never saw in Konoha before, accompanied by three nin-cats. And by the way this girl and Naruto walked, hand in hand, Ino could swear that they were couple, not just friends.

"Good morning, i'm Yamanaka Ino." Kunoichi greeted.

"Good morning. I'm Tamaki and these nin-cat are Hina, Denka and Nekoru." Tamaki and her cats bowed slightly. Girls began chatting a bit, while Yamanaka heiress guided them into the living room. She lied Tamaki down on the sofa and sat next to her on armchair.

"Naruto, you'll have to hold me while i'll be performing jutsu. But if you even touch me in a wrong way, i'll KILL you!" Boy quickly nodded, not wanting to know what Ino's wrath was. So he prepared to catch her, as she began handseal sequence. After last seal Ino touched Tamaki's forehead and both girls lost conscious.

Fifteen minutes later girls regained conscious, Ino being the first to do so. Blond kunoichi immediately asked Naruto to come with to another room. After they entered that room, which happened to be kitchen, Ino closed the door.

"Naruto, i went through some of her memories and, hell, i don't really understand why she is still sane after what she has gone through, her mind is shattered. I fixed it as much as i could, so that she won't be haunted by nightmares, but to recover she'll need love, comfort, though i'd say that you are already giving her enough, and time." Naruto nodded. "By the way, you promised to buy some flowers. Don't dare to forget!" Boy nodded again. "Good."

Several minutes later Naruto, Tamaki, who now had pretty big bouquet of white hyacinths in her hands, and nin-cats were walking down the street from Yamanaka flower shop and passed by one of crossroads when Naruto spotted something interesting: it was an old, about fifty or so years old, two store wooden building with a sign saying that somebody wanted to sell it. Although old and not in its best shape, building still looked quiet nice, so they decided to see what was inside...

Old lady, two or three decades older than the house she owned, opened the door. She looked at two teens in front of her and spotted Leaf hitae-ate on boy's head.

"What do you want?"

"Good afternoon." Tamaki replied, trying to be as polite as possible, despite woman's rudeness. "We saw sign and wanted to see the house..."

"So you want to buy it?" Woman interrupted. Both teens nodded.

"Well, if we like it."

"Aren't you too young to buy it on your own?" This time Naruto decided to answer.

"No, we are already considered adults, so..."

"All right, All right..." Woman sighed and muttered something about 'kids growing up too fast these days' under her breathe, but invited them in.

House had small hallway leading to big room, currently used as both living and dining rooms. From this room there were doors leading to the basement and two smaller rooms, bathroom. There also was ladder to the second floor. There were three decent sized bedrooms and another bathroom. In general, house seemed to be pretty good, better than anything Naruto and Tamaki saw before, a bit small if they wanted to run shop there, but replanning of first floor could solve this problem.

"So, what do you say?" Woman asked.

"Tamaki-chan?" Naruto looked at his girlfriend. She hesitated to answer for a moment but then nodded. "How much do you want for this house?"

"Nine and a half million ryo." Said woman after minute or so of thinking. Tamaki nodded consenting with the price.

"OK... We'll return later today with bargain and sale and money."

***

Next three days Naruto, or more precisely army of his shadow clones, spent replanning and customizing their new house under Tamaki's supervision. Now, renovated house had two front doors - one for the shop, other leading to its owners' part. Living room was now split in two, with bigger part, the one with the door to the basement, allotted for the shop and smaller - for the new living/dining room. Second floor, except for furniture, wasn't changed. Naruto's clones also fixed building's facade, so it looked much better now.

Finally renovations were finished and couple - even if their relationship progressed up to this point extremely fast, they seemed to be stable pair with good perspectives for their future - moved in. There was small party dedicated to this event with only five people invited, as many Naruto's friends, whom he wanted to invite, were on missions. Tsunade seemed to be torn between being happy for her surrogate son and sadness as he was growing up and needed her less and less...

Their first day in new house was peaceful and joyful with their little shop having its first customers, but next morning started as none of them wanted... It was early in the morning when Naruto was woken up by someone knocking on bedroom's window. Getting up, blond shinobi came up to the window and moved curtains apart. There was old toad in black cloak with stuff in his ...arms sitting on window ledge. Behind him there were four bigger toads, one of them being toad boss Gamabunta with his son Gamakichi sitting on his head.

"Good morning, young one. I'm Fukasaku, one of toad sage elders. Sorry 'bout this, but there are urgent news and lady Tsunade requested your presence immediately." Naruto immediately got a feeling that something bad happened.

"Oh, I'm coming..." Naruto sighed and went to the wardrobe to dress for the day.

"Naru-kun, what happened?" Tamaki asked, sitting on the bed.

"Dunno, but that's not a good thing for sure."

"Oh, you have a beautiful lady over there, Naruto. Jiraya-chan would be proud of you." Commented toad elder from his spot before leaping to the ground.

Naruto returned home several hours later, sad and distressed, but with hints of determination on his whiskered face. And after he entered house, he immediately went to pack his ninja gear and some clothes.

"What happened, Naru-kun?" Asked Tamaki, entering bedroom.

"Ero-sennin... Ahm... Jiraya was seriously wounded during his last mission and is in coma right now. And the man who did this will come after my head in several weeks. So i'm going with toads to become stronger to defeat that man and protect everyone." Naruto kissed his Tamaki on lips. "Sorry, hime, i have to go... But don't worry, i'll definitely return and everything will be all right." Girl hesitated to reply him anything for several seconds but finally managed to say something, with her green eyes filling with tears.

"Then... Be safe... Naru-kun..."

well, this is it... the longest chapter there so far. hope, not the worst...

about updates: i'm not quiet sure when they will be, as i'll be far away from the internet for the good part of summer, but next one (most probably for "Konoha's young sage" only) will be around 5th-10th July.

AN: chapter reposted. chapter 5 will be in two weeks from now.