Kunoichi amongst Heroes (Boku no hero academia x Naruto crossover)

Chapter 46 Eri's Exploration

Hello everyone! I have returned with the hopes of helping you escape the reality of this world. I hope to be moving with my other projects, but those updates will be announced on my tumblr page.

HOPE YOU ENJOY THIS CHAPTER!

For as long as Eri could remember, her childhood was filled with four walls, a roof, and a ceiling. Her parents were blurring images from a dream, and even her grandfather, who took her in had a fading face. And everyone else around her recently had just been plague masks and long coats.

Kai didn't allow her to touch the sun, even from her window, her room was buried underground, dark and cold.

There was nothing there for her, but pain and isolation. She didn't know that she would be escaping that day, but when the opportunity was there, Eri jumped at the chance. Willing to risk her life for the unknown, because it couldn't have been worse than what she knew in that room, in that place.

She didn't know that her feet would feel different when she walked on a ground of dirt compared to a ground of concrete, she didn't know the feeling of the changing winds and she didn't know the comfort of the sun's warmth. Not until today.

"Tell me if your feet hurt or if you get tired okay," Eri thought she had misplaced Sakura's presence, unaware that the kunoichi was deliberately quieting herself for Eri's content.

When Sakura told Eri to get ready for a walk, she didn't know what to expect and when Sakura explained that they were going to have a picnic in the mountains, Eri had to ask what a picnic was. That astounded Sakura, in the worst way, and she wondered if Kai had kept the girl locked up her entire life until this point.

She still didn't know the full story, but she needed Eri to get comfortable with her. Since she didn't seem that content around others, Sakura thought a day out in the wilderness was best. But she hadn't expected this much curiosity and fascination, as the girl was drinking in the sight of every tree, every bush, and every insect, bird, and animal that crossed their path.

Because she preferred to keep to herself, Sakura had to guess when Eri was forming questions about the environment. So she watched silently and carefully from a safe distance. Sakura wanted Eri to explore without feeling burdened by her presence. So she stepped quietly, breathed softly, and spoke as tenderly as possible.

When Eri saw a squirrel, eating an acorn she stopped to stare up at the fuzzy creature on the branch. Her eyes were wide as she followed the sway of its fluffy tail.

The rustling of the leaves underfoot had caught the squirrel's attention, and it froze mid-chew, its bright eyes flicking up to meet the girl's gaze. For a moment, the two just stared at each other, the girl in wonder and the squirrel in cautious curiosity.

As the squirrel resumed its feast, the girl slowly took a step forward, then another. But as she drew closer, the squirrel skittered away, darting up the tree trunk with lightning speed. Eri gasped in fright and stepped back, bumping into Sakura's legs. She was caught before she could fall.

Sakura held back a chuckle, gently standing Eri straight. "That's a squirrel,"

"Squirrel," Eri repeated like she was memorizing the name for the first time.

"They live in places with a lot of trees, and typically a lot of food they like," Eri stared at Sakura with the caution of a cat. "They like acorns and peanuts. You can get them to come close to you if you offer to feed them, but they're careful around anything bigger than them, that's why they run into the trees,"

"It's scared of me?"

"It's in their nature to be careful, that's how it survives. But they don't always just run and hide when they see us coming so you'll get to see more of them in the forest,"