Beta'd: 8/9/13

Word Count: 6,647 words

Yay, intermission! No, seriously; cause the Gaiden Timeline gives me so much freedom as to what can occur and what can't. Instead, this will focus largely on Eri's development. If you didn't sense it in the last intermission, Eri appeared more shocked than how she would act in present time. I'm going to have so much fun poking and pushing Eri. I hope you enjoy the ride.

Also, a BIG thank you to those of you who left a review, as well of those who offered their suggestions on a pairing for Eri. Applicable pairings for Yoshida Eri are listed out on my profile, but as of right now:

Hatake Kakashi- 2 votes

Yeah, he's got no competition so far. Oh well. If you're going to vote or nominate another candidate, read my story update on my profile then leave me a review.

Anyway, please enjoy and leave a review! :)

Intermission 2

The

Eri Chronicles

Chapter 2: Decisions

'I'm twenty-three years old. An adult doesn't need to be here. So, then, why am I here?'

I was thinking this with a mixture of exasperation and annoyance.

I didn't want to be here. Honestly – I'd rather have been sitting on the back porch under the veranda with the sun warming my body as I read a book. It had been about two weeks since I turned three, and I was actually quite surprised by all the presents I had received, really. Instead of the small, close-knit, family celebration that I had been expecting, the entire first floor of the house was chock-full of people I had never met nor seen before.

All for a three year old's birthday party?

By then, I felt that the Yoshida trading company was a fairly successful corporation. How did I know? Well, seeing how the only kids there were me, Hotaru, and baby Ichiro, I began classifying the attendees of my celebration. Most of the party-goers were professionally dressed men ranging from their mid-50s to low-70s. Also, right after congratulating me and complimenting my growth or anything they could that was deemed acceptable in a Japanese conservative social environment, the old coots went straight to my Mom and Dad.

They also mentioned a future company while spouting either my name or Ichiro's. Thinking about the events that had transpired that day, I realized that most of the celebrants were just a bunch of suck-ups, using a social celebration to kiss the feet of what I thought was a fairly important and powerful company.

I couldn't help but sneak off into the bathroom. No one would ever invade the privacy of a bathroom unless there was an obvious emergency. It was there that I just sat on the toilet seat and face-palmed myself while sighing and shaking my head.

'Idiots…' I thought.

Of course, they were fooling no one. Mom and Dad saw right through their façade; they discussed the whole event later in another room. Since Hotaru was at the academy, and they assumed that the words would just fly over my head, their tones were kept at an even level. Disappointed greatly by their business partners, Dad saw the opportunity to extort what he wanted as pay back – probably milking it for all their worth, especially since it was an open social celebration.

I on the other hand rolled my eyes at their actions, while Mom slightly admonished her husband for his actions. She mentioned a few things about karma sounding quotes, and how despite business being a difficult field of occupation, they should keep a high level standard; I felt myself agreeing before I proceeded to walk down the hall.

If there was one thing that hadn't changed, it was me listening in on other's conversations. Despite it being relatively bad, I at least had the common sense to keep my mouth shut. Their business was their business.

While walking down the hall, I smiled at the thought of those old coots.

'At least when they're trying to suck-up to someone, they fill the order one-hundred percent! I'm happy, I got a lot of presents.'

Some of the women who were there had overheard about my insanity for books, so I got some new material that ranged from general education to fanatical damsel-in distress stories; I wasn't too happy about the princess stuff, but I just smiled and thanked them anyway. Other than the books, I got some clothes that were a little too girly for my preference, some new toys, and some accessories ranging from hair to jewelry.

After the party, Mom and Dad gave me presents of their own – Hotaru, too. Mom gave me an encyclopedia for kids since I practically inhaled books. Honestly – when I unwrapped the thing, I couldn't keep myself from squeezing the strength out of her legs with all the muscles that a three year-old could have.

Dad gave me an in-detailed overview of our family history and heritage – I'm pretty sure that Mom helped him with that. As he handed me the present back then, I remember noting that the book was self-bounded with a hardcover encasing all the pages. Three tough leather strings kept the book from falling apart; they looped the three holes of each parchment before tying off each other in a decorative knot that could be used as a book mark. The cover was plain with only the characters for "Yoshida" as a simple embellishment that took up space within the very middle as the title.

Opening the book, I noticed my name written in as owner, and while flipping from page to page, I spotted that every inscription was handwritten with every map, diagram, and picture artfully created right on the page.

As I was done examining the book, I did what I usually did with new literature that was deemed special. Opening it straight to the middle, I smacked the book into my face before taking in a big whiff – unconsciously searching for that new book smell.

Out of the corner of my eyes, I saw that Hotaru was giving me her usual eye-squinted gawking. Mom and Dad, on the other hand, smiled widely at my antics; I think Mom even giggled a bit as she rocked Ichiro within her arms.

That book was honestly a blessing from above. Remembering what Dad told me, I agreed with what he said:

"It's important to know your ancestry, Eri. Treasure what made you who you are."

I assured him that I would take the utmost care when it came to his gift.

My love for books seemed almost nonexistent when I was a toddler. The language discrepancies and barriers made reading, once a relaxation technique, an unstable nightmare of sentence subjects and confusing grammar. Seriously, why does the language require three sets of alphabets with and basic knowledge of kanji? The only thing that helped was my mastery of romaji, but even that was limited. Thankfully, Mom and Hotaru were there to help.

I wanted to decline and teach myself since Mom had to take care of Ichiro and Hotaru had Academy work and training…I'd rather have not been a bother. Besides, I was used to doing everything by myself in my first life. Self-teaching just became another activity for me.

However; knowing that I'd probably be behind my peers when it came to reading and writing, I forcefully asked my family in my broken baby Japanese sentences. By the time I turned three, I felt confident in reading children's books. I still mixed up a few of my kanji, but I was getting the sense that all the Yoshida's expected me to be some type of genius or prodigy – as I overheard Mom mentioning that I was already at a seven year-old's reading level since I'd been sitting quietly reading for more than ten minutes.

Connecting their amazement to this universe, it made sense. The Yoshida family were considered wealthy civilians in Konoha. They weren't as important as civilian clans or esteemed nobles, not in that kind of sense – but rather in the sense that they kept Konoha's economy flowing, strong and healthy.

When I delved into my birthday family book, I learned that the Yoshida family was once a unique clan.

It seemed that they were a clan who had specialized in what they ironically also named "Kenpo". It was a special taijutsu style that mixed four different styles after years of gathering techniques and garnering battle experience. The style proved to be a fierce advantage since it was as flexible as water. Its four combination style created an infinite amount of attacks that were uniquely specific to each Kenpo fighter.

This flexible style proved to be some sort of contradictory defense mechanism to the Uchiha clan's copy abilities of the Sharingan. The style was just that flexible since every person's battle style was different to the next. This provided disorder amongst those who have battled with the clan since then as the opponents' expectations were met with confusion and lost battles since a punch could quickly change to head-locked grapple.

However, that was where the Yoshida clan's battle history diminished. At the founding of Konoha, the Yoshida clan joined said village, but wanted to remain neutral. The clan head foresaw many future clashes with a rivalry as enflamed as the Senju's and Uchiha's. So, as a statement to their neutral stance, the Yoshida clan forfeited their clan status and shinobi career – to say that many were shocked was a major understatement. They didn't even try to apply themselves as a civilian clan. Instead, the Yoshidas created one of the first major multi-business companies that dabbled in trade, manufacture, and the arts.

If the Naras were known as military tactical geniuses, then the Yoshidas were referred to as their culturally competent counterparts; like two sides of the same coin while both were logical thinkers. However, unlike the Nara clan, the Yoshida family was a small, minor clan – meaning that over time, the next generation grew smaller and smaller till it led to the five member family it was today.

I couldn't help but think that another reason as to why the generations grew smaller and smaller was the Yoshida's bizarre thought process (as dubbed by the general public of Konoha). Although, thinking about the topic more deeply, I decided that it was a side effect from being philosophical and cultural nerds – it tended to give you a different perspective on things, which I could completely understand.

Anyway, as the Yoshida company grew over the decades, more people came to forget the wealthy family's blood-stained shinobi roots – replacing it with a new mantle as the family continued to produce skilled artists, craftsmen, authors, and businessmen. Truthfully, the only reason the Yoshidas still existed was that anyone who married into the family inherited our surname. Most people wouldn't do this, but the original clan head felt that it was important to conserve the art of "Kenpo" as the style completely disappeared from battle.

Now, it was only taught to children at the age of six as a way to defend themselves. Gender didn't matter since it was mostly taught as a way to remember their roots if they were a Yoshida, while also providing some form of defense against muggers and thieves when traveling to business deals.

Noticing that Kenpo was taught early, the name sounded familiar. I quietly mused, 'Must've been another style of martial arts that existed in my first life.'

I also initially wondered why I didn't practice this art; well, it may have been due to Dad. For some reason, he was against all shinobi; and although I agreed with him on some subjects, it was a sad social norm in this world that couldn't be changed drastically within a week.

This world… Despite being born in a manga, which I had to admit was pretty cool, I found myself missing the capitalist society that was my world where people thought they would die in the year twenty-twelve, start flame wars online over televised talent competitions, and were united yet oddly divided by religion. It was normal to be homesick, but I missed all the good and bad things that came along with it.

Honestly, the only thing I could truly latch onto here was literature, because no matter what, there would always be someone out there jotting down a story that could cross barriers. Literature had that odd, time-defying power about it and was one of the universal truths. In some way, shape, or form – a story was being told.

I guess it was my way of coping with homesickness since I'd often find myself day dreaming about my usual everyday life. Though, when daydreaming couldn't fulfill my desires to return home, I would distract myself by stuffing my nose into a book.

This leads me back to my point: I truly didn't want to be here.

Since I was three, Mom thought it was time to introduce me to the park, as we would always go when she had free time after dropping off Hotaru at the academy. Since Dad decided to stay home after Ichiro's birth, he was mandating the company through messenger hawks, and this left mom with some free time.

Reaching our destination, I saw many young children who were screaming and running as they laughed from slide to swing.

Scanning over the entire area, I knew and recognized none of them; but – perhaps I was getting ahead of myself. I mean, I was technically only three years old. The chances of me meeting any of the Gaiden group were slim to none.

As someone pushed me gently forward towards the playing infrastructure, I hesitantly looked back. Eyeing the woman I now called "Mom", she smiled at me with a sleeping Ichiro held within her arms. Seriously, with all the squawking children around – the kid would be asleep; the ebony haired baby could sleep through anything.

Smiling down on me, the woman softly inquired, "Go on Eri-chi, go on and make some new friends. Don't you want to play?"

Glancing back at the playing rascals, I faced my mother with a slight frown – tilting my head down in embarrassment. Okay, so I may have been socially awkward as a kid; I got over it. But, how do I deal with a bunch of little kids while having an adult psyche?

Without thinking, a few words busted out of my mouth in a timid whisper.

"Do I have to Okaa-kun?"

She quirked a smile at the suffix. I knew that Mom and Dad didn't mind it anymore as they have long given up. I wanted to call them something different and after some time, my purposeful misuse of the suffix became a term of endearment. As she wiped off her smile, I noticed her awareness of my cautious behavior. She bent down, cupping my cheek with her only remaining freehand.

Frantically I thought, 'Great. Mom must think that I'm suffering from a lack of social contact. Well, I'd be slightly worried too. I mean – all I do is read, eat, and sleep. I'm not even five and already I'm making life difficult for my new family…'

Smoothing her thumb with the skin of my cheek, Mom sincerely asked, "Eri-chi – honey, are you scared? It's okay to be afraid."

Slightly shaking my head, I looked away from her – watching the children play as I explained to the best of a three-year old's ability.

"No Okaa-kun, um…yes, um…well. How do I talk to them? Will they… like me?"

Mom smiled at me with that glowing face that I remembered from the day of my birth. Smoothing down my short black hair, she moved my bangs out of my face as they cascaded down to the left.

Cupping my face once again, she gently stated:

"Eri-chi, they won't know you unless you talk to them. I know it can be scary at first, but try your best and be yourself, okay? And if there's someone who doesn't like you, there will always be someone who will; so just try your best, Eri. Understand?"

Running this through my head, I was slightly astonished that a parent would say this to a child. With my matured comprehension, I read between the lines, fully understanding what she meant.

Everything is hard in the beginning, and it will only become easier through practice and hard work. To start something may even be scary, as a first time is always a new experience. And if at first I didn't succeed, I could always try again. Mom was even telling my child form that was okay not to please everyone as long as I stayed true to myself.

These things may seem like common sense to most mature beings, but to a child – this concept is strange. Children generally want to be liked and accepted from all levels; so telling a child to go against the norm while expressing individual thought, especially with the Japanese influence and culture of conformity….I could now see why the Yoshidas were viewed as "strange."

Breaking out into a smile, I eagerly nodded.

"Yes, Okaa-kun. I understand."

Her smile now beamed with a warm glow as she stood up. Ruffling my head, she nudged me forward. Looking back, I nodded before shooting off towards a group of kids that were generally around my age. In the background I recalled hearing that Mom would be watching from a distance under the tree with a bench.

Noting that fact of information, I let my emotions run wild. Playing with others…this felt refreshing. I forgot myself in the moment as I played through one of my first childhood memories.

'Maybe I can buy myself some free-time?'

Friday afternoon and things had been going smoothly. Despite the fact that I hadn't latched onto anyone at the playground, the kids there accepted me with no fights. We'd always play a ninja version of hide and seek with cardboard shuriken and kunai, and I had to say – those brats were pretty accurate.

It also turned out that I was oddly fought over for being the little strategist of the group, mentioning the odds of hiding within bushes and up trees as well as tube slides. My arms were stretched as two groups of kids threatened to split me in half. Luckily, by that time, Mom called me over to go home.

I hugged the woman with all sorts of relief…but I couldn't say the same about the walk home.

Walking hand and hand with her, though I had been embarrassed by that the first few times around, I scanned the ever changing backdrop. Passing by a busy marketplace, I noticed that things were more congested… The people specifically seemed worried, or at least that was what I could tell from their chakra. Delving in more since I always could notice chakra and its foreign substance – everything seemed strained or tightly knotted. The air was flowing with the sense of fret that I could only connect with warring times. Rounding a newsstand, I looked closer at the stacked sheets.

The headlines spelled out in big black kanji: "A Second War, a World War". My brain instantly clicked on.

'A world war…It's the Second Shinobi World War! No wonder everyone seems on edge. Wait a minute! This means that Nagato and the others are just kids. Akatsuki will be soon be created after the war's over!'

Connecting this to Obito's death, this left Akatsuki open to manipulation. As Mom dragged me home, I knew what had to be done here on out, but that wasn't the question that was on my mind.

Entering the house, I walked into the living room that was connected to the kitchen and entrance. Passing by me to my left was a family portrait. It was recent, too, with Ichiro's birth. I felt my eyes harden as I continued to stare at all those smiling faces.

Walking upstairs, I wondered:

'Am I willing to risk my family's happiness?'

Sitting out on the veranda as the day came to an end, I was reading my family history book again. As the sun slowly set, a light shuffle approached to my right. Looking up, I saw that it was Hotaru.

I hadn't seen much of her around after turning three. She was always training and escaping when Dad wasn't looking. I already knew of his disapproval of shinobi, but now because he had an heir to pass on the company to, he seemed less tense and was more relaxed with Hotaru's studies in general. He still disapproved of it, but other than a deep long stare, that was it.

Anyway, I noticed that Hotaru wanted to become a mixture of a weapons and genjutsu mistress. Maybe that was why she had read a book about weapons to me when I was smaller. Honest to say though, I missed those times. Bonding moments with my older sister seemed far and few in between when she had academy and training to do. She would always come home after school for a quick snack before shooting straight out the door with her supplies, excusing herself for some training.

So excuse my thoughts when I questioned why she even approached me in the first place.

'I wonder what she wants…'

With a big, ecstatic grin, Hotaru greeted me as she sat down beside me with two empty lidded jars.

"Hey Eri! Reading again?"

Glancing down at the jars, I wondered why she brought them before replying. Nodding, I said, "Yeah, Hotaru-nee."

Cocking an eyebrow she replied, "All you do is ever read; don't you get tired of reading?"

I shook my head.

"No. Reading is fun, I like reading. I learn more things while reading. Why, you got a problem with reading?"

As my question took a sharp tone for a three-year old's voice, Hotaru put up her hands in mock surrender. Snuggling up to my side she rested her head on my small shoulder as our body heat combined. She did all this while playfully apologizing.

"Whoa, whoa; no need to get snippy, missy. There's nothing wrong with reading. If it makes you happy, then do it."

Letting her head rest on my shoulder, I couldn't help but be brought back to a memory of my first life when my crazy older sister would literally poke and prod me about my chubby fat and how she wished she could switch bodies since she was underweight and I was relatively normal. I smiled at the memory before looking to Hotaru with that same smile. She smiled back at me before I went back to reading.

We sat in relative peaceful silence before she awkwardly burst out a question.

"Hey Eri, can you read that later?!"

My eyes were wide with shock; I didn't expect her voice to boom into my eardrums. I blinked a couple of times before answering. I was still shocked, but at least I could answer.

Cautiously I asked, "Um, okay. But why Hotaru-nee?"

She almost smacked an empty jar into my face; I twitched in reaction. I didn't want to get smacked with an empty bottle. Swinging the jar from side to side, she motioned for me to take it.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Take it Eri!"

Slowly clutching the jar, I took off the lid and looked inside. Nothing was there. Perplexed, I looked back at the hyperactive eight-year old.

Confused, I asked, "What do I do with this?"

Smiling at me with a grin that could impress Naruto, she haughtily stated, "I was hoping that you'd ask me that!"

Holding the lid in one hand and the empty jar in the other, she pointed out towards the grassy backyard. Following her finger's direction, I felt myself gape at the sight in astonishment. Setting aside my book with the indicated page I left off of folded, I got up off the veranda before stepping into the grassy backyard. I didn't care if I was going barefoot. Sad to say, I'd never seen this before.

In the background, I could hear Hotaru giggling a bit from my expression. I was always told that my reactions were funny, so it was only natural that the fact remained true. Not caring whether I was a goofy smiling kid whose mouth was wide open, I stared at the beautiful sight.

Fireflies, lightning bugs, glowing lights or whatever you called them; they were dancing and floating around the entirety of our backyard, from the low hanging tree in the corner, to a stream that watered our entire garden. It was beautiful. Especially since the sun was down now. How couldn't I notice something as amazing as this?

Hotaru came up from behind me. She smiled as we both looked on at the sight.

"I know you love reading and all, but I'm surprised that you never noticed the fireflies in our backyard, Eri. You should put down the book once in a while and experience some new things. Or else you'll miss out on things like this."

Motioning to the fireflies, I felt my cheeks go red from embarrassment. Perhaps I was too into reading; believing it to be the only connection that attached me to my old life. There were plenty of things that were the same in this life and my old one; I just needed to find them.

Looking up to my older sister I nodded.

"Okay…then, can you help me catch some Hotaru-nee?"

She playfully smirked at me.

"I thought you'd never ask."

Slowly, but surely; Konoha was becoming like a second home for me. As long as I had my family, I was sure of this. This train of thought brought up something unpleasant though…

'If I pursue a shinobi career, will this tear apart my new life? But, if I stay the same, more people will suffer… I know this may be selfish of me to ask, but now I finally have a cohesive family that understands me. I don't know if I'm willing to give this up.'

Monday afternoon: a dreadful day where Mom and I had to swerve and maneuver through crowds of hustling people, grocery day. Instead of having to go to the supermarket, Mom always wanted a chance to haggle and lower the price, so the marketplace it was then. It would always take an entire day of carrying around bags and bags of groceries. The only bright sides I could see for this were the free samples of candy that I'd get from a few generous adults, and the advantage of working on my strength.

I was still on the fence about taking up the life of a ninja, but that didn't mean I wanted to be weak. So throughout the entire day when Mom and I would go grocery shopping, I would insist on carrying at least something. Ichiro would be at home with Dad during these days, so it would just be Mom and me. Sucking on a lollipop that Mom bought for my good behavior, we walked hand in hand as I carried things with my stronger dominant one.

Today had been a relatively successful day at the market, so Mom decided to head home early today. That bothered me; well, to be more precise, it didn't sit well. I had a feeling that things were going to get complicated later. Maybe Mom was sold some bad fish and we'd all get the stomach flu from it? Or maybe I just wanted to get some more snacks? I don't know… it was just something that didn't bode well.

Maybe this place's energy didn't bode well with me. Since my spirit was foreign, I could always sense chakra like radar. It wasn't that chakra was strange, it was just that my spirit was uncommon…really uncommon.

I was able to suppress this ability for the most part. I was consciously practicing it whenever there were large amounts of people or if I was in a crowd. I could tell people's moods and intents, and how deep that intent was. Although, this only extended up till middle Chuunin; there were sometimes these blips of empty holes or blocked entry ways that I found to be connected to high Chuunin, Jounin, ANBU, the T&I department officers, and the Hokage.

Not that I'd officially met anyone of that status, but an educated guess could be just as accurate sometimes.

Anyway, Mom decided to stop at a store that was selling some new household appliances. I inwardly blanched at the window and Mom's apparent lust filled eyes. She was staring at some new models of vacuum cleaners. It was the tall one with a bag attached to the stick with a rectangular clunky head that kept it upright at the bottom. Apparently this new version had the new "attachable nozzle feature" so the person using it didn't have to lift the entire vacuum.

At this point I wanted to laugh, but since I knew how slow this world was when it came to technology, I opted to instead bite the heck out of the cardboard stick that was attached to my lollipop. That was when a nerve jostled me out of my calm demeanor.

Something was coming, and it was coming in fast!

My body began to shake, anticipating whatever it was. My eyes shot back and forth – I was looking for something, anything; just a sign that danger and chaos were about to happen.

Quick as the snap of a finger, my radar was going through the roof. Someone was spamming jutsu while killing intent lightly layered the air. I looked back at Mom; she was still deciding on whether to by that dang vacuum. Frantically I questioned in my head why she wasn't sensing this, why she wasn't aware of what was happening.

A few moments later it hit me.

'It's because I'm chakra sensitive. I'm more aware of the substance since my spirit was born outside of it's presence unlike Mom who was born straight into this world. So of course she isn't aware…'

The earth trembled and people began screaming in the distance. Mom immediately reacted as we both looked towards the direction of the chaos. Grabbing my hand, she led me away from that direction as we headed back to the marketplace. She didn't want to rush me, but I knew why she was coaxing me to hurry back; making excuses like on how she forgot an extra ingredient for tonight's dinner and how we should buy something for Hotaru since she'd been training so hard.

I didn't want to worry her anymore, so instead I just nodded and hurried as fast as I could. My senses were telling me that this black hole of killing intent was approaching, fast. A few feet away from the marketplace, my senses were still running haywire.

To my right, the side of two building that were standing adjacent were knocked and blown away. We both were immediately plunged into fear. Mom seemed to be the handling the KI better than I was. Me; well, I could barely breathe. My body felt like it was suffocating on air as I gasped silently for relief.

My mind, on the other hand, was racing with thoughts of getting us both to safety. I felt my instincts kicking in as the adrenaline pumped my body to move, quiver, and shake.

The dust cleared, revealing a foreign ninja. I glanced at the headband; it had a four straight lines carved into the iron plate. Ame; the man was infiltrating the village for information by order of Hanzo. The man scanned his surroundings, eyes stopping for a moment as he noted both me and Mom.

He smirked at my shivering form, directing a wave of killing intent. He wanted to see me grovel. It made my insides queasy, like when I watched the trailer for The Human Centipede. However, I was determined not to give in. If I could stand against everything in my past life without screaming, I certainly wasn't going to give into a creep like him. Gulping down my fear, I fisted my hand and gritted my teeth. I looked the man straight in the eye, hoping that he would at least think twice before using me as a hostage or bait.

As much as I wished that he would comply, his smirk grew in amusement at my apparent defiance.

The enemy-nin's smirk then disappeared. To our left, a group of Chuunin appeared on the scene. I knew since I still had some tangible read into what their chakra was giving away. This Ame-nin must've been in a small group and been discovered prematurely. It was the only way to explain why a group of Chuunin was handling this now.

There must've been some bigger fish to fry in the guy's group.

One of the Chuunin taunted the Ame-nin, haughtily asking, "You ready to give up? You know, we don't have all day for this kind of wild goose chase."

The Ame-nin scowled at him before he regained that dreaded smirk.

"No, but how about we make this goose chase more interesting?"

Another one of the Chuunin dared to inquire as a way to humor the Ame-nin; however, my stomach dropped at the man's tone. If he was truly thinking this…I could only hope that he wasn't, as my body was still trembling and shaking from fear and adrenaline.

"Interesting? How so?"

His smirk grew into a feral grin.

I felt my eyes widen while silently gasping at his intent. Even if he was a black hole, from his actions before I could only guess as to what he was planning.

'No…NO! He can't, he won't! No, there's absolutely no way…! I'm not going to let that happen!'

His voice, like the edge of a sharpened knife, he stated cryptically:

"Like this…"

Closing the gap between me and Mom, I ran as fast as my chubby three year old legs could carry me. Within that span of a few seconds, it felt like everything was slow yet fluid. Within that moment, I closed my eyes. I heard my name being called before a long grueling flash of pain seared into my right arm. Maybe it was the bag that I forgot to let go? Perhaps I tripped on it.

Whatever happened, I heard Mom crying while people were cursing profanities. I could also distinctly hear that Ame-nin's voice. He was…he was laughing. Mom was calling my name. She was sobbing too… I felt so tired, but I wanted to know what was happening. With all my strength I felt my eyes opening and closing in a cycle of blurry muffled chaos. That searing pain that enveloped my right arm completely was still stinging like red hot coals, but was oddly cold at the same time.

Was I hit by something? Did I scream? I hope I didn't scream… that would be embarrassing.

"ERI-CHI! ERI-CHI! It's alright sweetie! Everything's going to be okay! You're going to be fine, darling!"

Mom sounded like she was in pain. Was she hurt? It sounds like she's crying.

Forcing my tired lids to finally open, I saw two teary eyed hazel orbs staring back at me. My vision was slightly blurred, but even if I was tired, I willed myself to stay awake. Her face opened up my world like on the day of my birth.

Looking around, I saw a woman who was attending to my arm to my right. A green light shimmered and glowed from her palms as my pain slowly seared away.

Looking back at Mom, I felt that everything was going to be okay. She wasn't hurt, so things were going to be fine. As best as I could, I smiled. Mom looked terrible; I was worrying the poor woman. I had to make things right again.

"Okaa-kun…are you…okay?"

Despite her teary eyed appearance, she smiled and nodded.

Her voice cracked at certain points, but it was the same soothing smooth melodic voice I'd come to know and love.

"Yes, Eri-chi. I-I'm fine. Y-You did a great job protecting your Okaa-kun. Hotaru-nee, Ichiro, and Otou-chan would be proud."

I felt my smile grow at her praise. She's alright, she's fine. I nodded at this.

"Ne, Okaa-kun; everything's…going to be…okay."

That was it; I felt my eyes drop before I slipped into unconsciousness. Whatever I was hit with, everything was going to be fine.

End

Intermission 2: Decisions

Okay that's it for this chapter. I'm actually on time for once. Please leave a review on your thoughts this chapter, and sorry that I left it at sort of a cliff hanger here, but really; it builds anticipation.

Anyway, this chapter was meant to address Eri's homesickness of her old world. Unlike most people, it takes time for things to settle and soak in when it comes to new experiences and changes. She not as quick or as fast reacting as most people, and this will develop when she goes through training. I hope that last scene leaves an impression, cause I was having a hard time writing that emotionally.

Also addressing the idea of "Kenpo", its a real style of martial arts that was created by the Yoshida's who were a clan during the Shogun Samurai ere of Japan. Also, in modern day Japan, there were artists and authors who went by the last name "Yoshida", so this is just a shout out to that text of history. Kenpo is also a very mixed style of martial arts that can be used in actual combat to street fighting. It's very flexible and fluid and can be used to combat most or all types of martial arts or kung-fu due to it's mixed style. Although, this is all from research. I don't actually take any martial arts classes myself. If you want to be sure, then you can check yourself. And sorry if I made any errors.

If you have any questions, leave it in your review or P.M me.

Also, as a reminder, I'm taking in a sort of poll for Eri's love interest and so far:

Candidates:

- Hatake Kakashi: 2 Votes

Kakashi is the only one in the running.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and if you did, please leave a review cause I'm a little sad that I only have 14 reviews for as much as I write. Please! Guys! Please! Feedback!

(Cough) anyway, till next time, bye!