safety [Kakashi Hatake x OC]

forty-four

Eri shoved the heal of her boot in the man's back. His disheveled hand was crippled beneath his body and she stepped on his other wrist to keep him from countering her. She tried to drive his arm as far into the dirt as possible.

But she ignored his legs, his affinity for taijutsu, and his obvious physical prowess compared to her own stature. He was easily able to pull his legs beneath him and shove her off of him. 

She fell on her back, and he was quick to pin her down. His unbroken hand collected her wrists above her head, paralyzing her hands so that she couldn't form her hand seal to activate her kekkei genkai.

He erupted in maniacal laughter, his icy eyes completely mad, knowing he was in a position to overpower her. He shoved his knee between her legs, and the girl drew in a sharp breath. Tears pricked at the edges of her eyes from the sudden unexpected pain, stress, and terror of her situation.

Eri writhed beneath his grasp. She was covered in dirt and her hair fell loose from its tie. She folded her knees and thrust her feet against his abdomen.

He folded and rolled to the side, allowing for her to reverse the roles and pull a kunai knife from the pouch on her thigh. She stepped on his arm and sunk the knife in his wrist, earning a guttural yell from him.

He threw her off him, but before he could reestablish dominance in the battle, she slashed her knife at him, slicing the bloody, mangled hands. He cursed again but got ahold of himself in order to continue to fight without his ninjutsu.

He kicked the back of her knees, making her crumple back to the ground. He attempted to subdue her with his legs and elbows.

But he didn't immobilize her fast enough.

With a scream, Eri shoved her knife into his chest.

He stiffened and his haunting eyes were wide with shock. Then, blood flooded from the wound, and he coughed out more blood, staining her skin before falling to the side. 

She quickly got back up and glared down on him. She had won. It was so much more than just completing the mission. She was conquering the greatest fear she ever faced, and she needed to end by getting what she deserved.

"Who are you?" She growled, stepping on his bloody chest to physically demonstrate her triumph. She needed this. 

But he wasn't about to give up the last amount of control he had. He was justifiably insane. He laid there and chuckled, more blood trickling from his mouth.

Silent tears streamed down her cheeks and she sucked in a sharp breath between her teeth. She raised the kunai above her head, prepared to drive it into the heart of the man of her nightmares.

"Eri." The familiar, low voice pulled her from her trance-like fury. "Eri." He repeated, knowing he caught her attention.

She turned to look at Kakashi with wide eyes that were filled with a horror he had never witnessed them to hold. He saw the trails of tears that carved through the dirt on her face. He saw the redness in the white of her eyes. He saw the blood that stained her skin. This was more than just a mission. 

He sighed heavily. This was different from Tomiichi; it was more extreme. He hurt for her, but he knew it couldn't be anything close to what she was feeling. He looked at her warmly and gently, and the girl felt compelled to go to him. He was safe. He wouldn't hurt her.

She clumsily got up and slowly stepped towards him. "Kill him." She said, her eyes distant but threatening to overflow. "Please," he could hear the wariness in her throat. It wasn't out of uncertainty of what she wanted him to do, but due to trying to remain as composed as possible. "Kill him."

The white-haired shinobi - her friend and the one she could turn to in any time of need - did as she asked. He walked over to the disheveled, dying man, then his fingertips sparked with electricity.

The slightest falter in the leaves above them made them freeze and become alert.

Before Kakashi could whirl around and turn his attack on the new foe, Eri leapt in front of him to protect him from the ambush she saw coming. 

"Eri!" He caught her before she hit the ground.

She was sickeningly pale, and blood streamed from her lips, gurgling from her throat. There was a gaping hole in her abdomen. 

"Eri, stay with me." There was only one time he felt so panicked before. He pressed his hand to her forehead, feeling her skin boiling with a fever. Her eyelids started to fall heavily, and she couldn't speak. "Stay here. Come on. Listen to my voice."

It had been so long since he felt so helpless. The distress in his heart battled with the reason in his head. "Eri. Please, stay with me. I don't want to lose you."

Eri fell limp. The strong man cried.