Twisted

Trapped

Boruto was grateful for whatever Sarada had done, but now he was certain. Her eyes definitely held some sort of special power, and it was a force to be reckoned with. He hadn't experienced... whatever that was, when he looked at her. It almost seemed like her eyes flashed red. But there was no time to process the implications of that now.

With Sarada's lightweight body tugging at his shoulder sockets, the heavy thudding of his boots echoed off of the cave walls. He had to get to the exit as soon as possible. Shojoji knew about this path and it was only a matter of time until he followed them down it. Or at least, Boruto assumed he'd come. But perhaps Sarada's eyes would have enough of an effect to allow for an efficient escape.

"Could you cling a little tighter to my neck," asked Boruto as he went around a bend in the dark cave, somehow able to see albeit just barely. "It makes it easier to carry you."

He immediately felt some of the weight distribution change to his shoulders rather than his arms, and he straightened his spine a bit, squinting for signs of any opening. He hoped this tunnel hadn't collapsed since the last time he used it nearly six years ago.

"Do you think they're going to come after us," she asked in a small whisper.

Boruto, now breathing through his mouth instead of his nose, slowed his sprinting to a jog, and then a walk, and then a halt. He closed his eyes and listened. And faintly... He heard thundering footsteps.

"Oh, they're coming all right," he said, opening his eyes and facing forward.

"Are... Are you sure you're okay to be carrying me?"

Boruto snickered as he picked up his pace again. "I made a mockery of a horse trying to chase me through the woods," he said, getting his rhythmic breathing back, fighting the cold creeping into his lungs and the rumbling in his stomach, ignoring the fact that he'd suddenly slipped into castle speech. "Humans are insolent compared to that beast."

Sarada only clung slightly tighter to his neck.

But, as they dragged on through the tunnel, Boruto realized something very significant. Certainly, he was able to fool a horse for a good thirty or so minutes, but that was because he used the terrain to his advantage. Here, he had nothing but walls and a one way path. And the pounding footsteps were slowly starting to intermingle with his own.

He didn't know how bad it was until his surroundings visibly began to get brighter little by little, and Sarada, who had her head facing behind him to watch his back started tensing. "Boruto?"

"Not much I can do about going any faster. Sorry."

"What... What happens if they catch up?"

"Don't worry, we should be close to the exit."

As soon as the words left his mouth, a blue tinged light intermixed with the orange glow from behind. And he found it within his burning legs to travel just a tad bit faster.

"You..." Shojoji's voice was gaining, probably within his line of sight. But Boruto didn't have time to look over his shoulder. "How dare you! I'll make you pay."

The light was growing closer. And brighter. He could hear running water. Boruto finally burst out of the tunnel, the sun almost blinding, forcing him to squint. But it was a good thing he got used to it before he plummeted off of the edge of a cliff.

The rope bridge that had once been there was now gone, severed, likely by Shojoji himself. All that remained was a water wheel over to his right, the wooden supports of a dam behind their backs. And now, he was cornered.

Shojoji barreled out of the tunnel. Boruto turned and locked eyes with him, hoping that it would have an effect. But it only made the Cheshire cat-like grin on his face wider. "I've been waiting a long time for this, you little brat."