safety [Kakashi Hatake x OC]

sixty-one

It was easy to tell that until that point, the two adults had the situation under control and could have easily over-powered and taken out the unfortunate Sunagakure men. But as three young aspiring ninjas rushed up to them - they couldn't be more than ten years old with their makeshift Konoha forehead protectors and ignorant heroic complex - their attention was drawn away from their opponents.

Kakashi knew that Eri would go for the kids, and she did, turning her back from their enemies. "Get out of here!" She yelled, rushing to protect them. "It's not safe!" Her companion and ninja partner fought of the two unnamed men.

"That's why we're here!" The kid that had spoken up thus far stepped forward with pride, flashing a toothy grin that was far too confident for the circumstances.

"No! Get away!" She cried as she heard the ground crackle and rumble beneath the safety of her cloud.

The earth was torn open, stretching further and faster than she could get to the kids. "Shit." She heard Kakashi curse through his teeth behind her. Everything was moving too fast.

So she dove for the three oblivious children, abandoning her jutsu in an effort to save them.

She was able to shove them far enough out of the way that, although they may have gotten some scratches and a bruise or two, they wouldn't be swallowed by the earth.

Once she touched the blackness of the cavern she was falling into, her body went numb before she could use her jutsu to save herself. It almost sucked her down as if she was sinking into emptiness.

It was a matter of seconds before her world went dark and she was engulfed in an other-worldly emptiness.

—————

Eri heard a few hushed voices. They were having whispered conversations and discussions, mentioning some things about Sunagakure shinobi and a genjutsu no one had picked up on. She only recognized one of the voices, however.

She pressed her eyes shut more tightly, unsure of what she'd see when she opened them, then slowly allowed herself to blink.

"Oh?" A lower woman's voice hummed bemusedly. "Eri, have you woken up?" She walked towards the bed that she was in and sat on the end of it. She was fairly curvy with dirty blonde hair tied on either side of her head and a diamond painted on the center of her forehead.. "How are you feeling?"

"Um, okay... I think." Eri sat up and clutched the end of the blanket. Once she looked around a little bit, she saw that she was in some sort of hospital room.

"You think?" The woman questioned.

Before the mauve-haired girl could offer an answer, a vaguely familiar silver-haired man was at the doorway, seemingly waiting for her to acknowledge him. "Eri..." He trailed with a gentle tone. He slowly approached her, and she could see that he looked at her with an overwhelming compassion; it wasn't something she was used to.

"You..." she gasped.

He furrowed his one visible brow in confusion. She didn't say his name or greet him affectionately. It was just "you."

"Yeah, it's me." He responded.

"Thank you for helping me with those three. It wasn't your fight, but thank you." Eri bowed her head respectfully.

"Hey." He lifted her chin with his finger. His touch made her stiffen, and that puzzled him. "What are you talking about? Of course I helped you."

"Huh?" She was clearly just as confused as him. She wasn't sure why his finger was under her chin so familiarly.

"Eri..."

"Um, yeah. That's me. Thank you for helping me escape those three Kirigakure shinobi." She stated matter-of-factly.

The man and the mature-looking woman exchanged a look before both meeting Eri's wide, lost eyes.

"Eri," the unknown woman who obviously knew her already began to say, "that was almost two and a half years ago..."