Chapter 67: Eri

[Kaede POV]

Many things happened after my short fight with Chisaki. The authorities detained him, and Eri was also brought in. She was first sent to a hospital before being questioned by the police. However, on that same day, Chisaki escaped and went into hiding.

Luckily for the heroes, Eri has revealed much crucial information about where some of the Shie Hassaiki's hideouts were located. The heroes acted almost instantly, raiding several of those hideouts and defeating many members of the evil organization.

Some of us in class 1-A also participated in the raid, and we discovered bullets that can disable people's quirk. Because of this, work studies were temporarily canceled. Midoriya and Togata seemed to be a bit more ruthless in their attack. This was probably because, before the raid, Midoriya and Togata were briefly informed that the quirk-disabling bullets contained Eri's DNA.

I was just as furious as they were, but I remained calm. Another thing worth pointing out was that Midoryia's full cowling was more potent than usual; this was also possible because of his anger…

Now Shie Hassaiki was way smaller than before. It won't be long before Chisaki and the remaining members get put away once and for all. Right now, I'm visiting Eri in the hospital, and she was sent there to check for any internal and external injuries.

Thankfully, Eri's fine, but the hospital kept her there to ensure. The authorities also finally permitted her to have visitors. I asked the nurse where Eri's room was, and she guided me there. Once I reached Eri's room, I thanked the nurse and knocked on the door before entering.

"Hello there!" I greeted Eri, sitting at a little children's desk while staring out the window.

Eri jolted but calmed down when she spotted me by the door.

"It's the pretty lady....." She muttered.

"Silly me, I haven't introduced myself yet; I'm Kaede. What's your name?"

"Eri...."

I smiled and sat beside her: "So, are you doing okay?"

Eri shyly nodded; I continued asking questions such as how she was feeling, whether everything was okay, etc. She only nodded or shook her head to my questions. I remained patient as I continued to try and converse with her.

"Are you mad that I'm not talking?" Eri asked out of the blue.

I chuckled and shook my head: "Of course not…."

"Why!?" Eri yelled and slapped the table.

We stared at each other in silence; before Eri could react, I pulled her into a hug. Eri was surprised, and she quickly struggled out of my embrace.

"My quirk might hurt you!" She yelped frightfully while backing away.

[A/N: I know Eri has already touched Kaede last chapter, but she was getting chased, so I think she won't be thinking about that.]

I was saddened seeing her reaction; it seems like she still can't overcome her past trauma. I smiled sympathetically: "Here, I got something for you."

I reached into the bag I had brought and pulled out a pair of tiny pink gloves made of soft fabric. I asked Yayorozu to create these for me. I'm not sure if this will stop Eri from accidentally hurting people with her quirk, but this is the current best method. The gloves will also help Eri rebuild her confidence.

I explained about the gift, she was hesitant at first, but she slowly put them on. Eri was surprised by how comfortable it was, and she hesitantly touched my hand. When nothing happened, a small smile appeared on her face.

"Hey, want to see something cool?" I asked with excitement.

Eri nodded, and I reached into my bag once more and pulled out my good friend Crow-san! It took me some time to persuade him, but it's all worth it. Crow-san was getting pretty old now, so he stopped assisting Itachi-onii-chan with hero things, so Crow-san now usually rested at our home.

I placed him on the table, and Eri stared at him with shock and curiosity, "It's okay; he won't bite!" I encouraged her.

Eri slowly held out her hand, and Crow-san approached her, allowing himself to be patted. Eri gently touched him, and her eyes sparkled with enthusiasm. Eri decided to be a bit bolder, hugged Crow-san, and rubbed her face against him.

Eri let out a faint laugh, and I smiled warmly at the scene. We continued to chat as Eri played with Crow-san. As time passed, Eri was much more approachable and started giving me long-sentence responses.

A few hours later, I told her I had to go; she was disappointed but immediately lightened up when I told her I would return the next day.

[3rd POV]

Kaede will always make time in her schedule for the following weeks to visit Eri in the hospital. Eri cherished every moment of her visit, and it was so long since someone showed this kind of affection for her.

Kaede will tell Eri stories, bring her food and play games with her. The doctors and nurses were also glad for Kaede's visit as Eri smiled more often. The trauma Overhaul left in Eri slowly eroded from Kaede's show of affection. Seeing that she was getting better, the doctors decided to release her from the hospital.

UA had chosen to take her in; Eri was extraordinarily anxious but knowing that she would still be able to see Kaede calmed her.

[Kaede POV]

Today was the last day of Eri's stay in the hospital, UA wanted to look after Eri, but I had a surprise for her, "Hey, Eri-chan!" I once again greeted Eri from the familiar hospital room door.

"Kaede, I miss you!" Eri happily yelled out and hugged my leg while wearing the pink gloves.

I grinned and patted her head: "Ready to leave this place?"

Eri nodded anxiously; I lifted her and brought Eri to her bed. My expression turned severe, and Eri looked at me confusedly, "Eri, I'm going to give you a choice, okay?" I said calmly.

"Um, okay."

"Do you want to be with my family?" I asked.

Eri was stunned by the sudden news, and she stared at me in silence. Seeing her not saying anything, I continued to explain: "I had a long conversation with my parents, and they decided to adopt you. That means that you will be my little sister, your name will become Eri Uchiha, and you will have a family."

"You don't have to accept; if you choose not to, UA will take care of you, and you can still visit me. So, do you want to be a part of my family?"

Eri was astounded, and I patiently waited for a response. Suddenly, Eri started to cry, and she threw herself into my chest.

"Y...yes!" Eri embraced me tightly and cried with happiness.

"Are you sure?" I asked for confirmation.

Eri nodded, and we hugged each other. Without me realizing it, over the past few days, Eri started to grow on me, and, I began to subconsciously treat her like family. It was a callous process; much paperwork and interviews had to be conducted, and eventually, all that was left was for her to choose.

When she accepted, I was so relieved and started getting teary. We stayed in the cuddle until both of us calmed down.

"So... Can I call you onee-chan?" Eri hesitantly asked.

I laughed: "Yes, Eri, I'm your onee-chan now!"

For the next few hours, Eri kept repeating the word onee-chan while giggling as she played with her new big sister.

[3rd Pov]

Eri couldn't sleep; after hearing the news, she was ecstatic and couldn't wait for tomorrow, when Eri would officially be part of Kaede's family. Eri finally fell asleep at midnight as exhaustion overtook her.

Two hours later …..

The room to Eri's hospital door was slowly opened, and a man quietly walked in. He had long black hair, wearing a plain white mask with two drains fitted into the eyeholes. The stranger approaches the sleeping Eri….

"Who's there?" Eri groggily sat up from the bed and looked around the room. She thought she heard the sound of walking, but there seemed to be no one there.

Eri lay back down and froze; up on the ceiling was the man, staring straight down at her. She screamed, but the stranger immediately covered her mouth and grabbed her off the bed. Eri bit the man on the finger, he dropped her, and Eri tried to escape, but the man immediately intercepted her.

Suddenly everything became dizzy as Eri couldn't stand up straight as if she was drunk…

"Onee-chan…" Eri muttered before falling onto the hospital floor.

Heights Alliance Dorm Room…..

Kaede's eyes shot open, and her body was covered in a cold sweat, "Eri…"

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Hope you enjoy