Escape [Sasuke Uchiha]

Chapter 16: The Softest Gaze

Ayuda's P.O.V

My teammates leapt from branch to branch with great haste. Kaito's feathered friend was leading us the way to our destination. Our destination – Naruto's team.

Upon listening to Kaito's words concerning Naruto and his teammates' conditions, Kazuki began to panic while my eyes enlarged with surprise. The first thing I asked myself in my mind was 'Sasuke passed out?'

Kazuki literally demanded Kaito to lead him to the said team. It was very obvious that the person he worried the most was Sakura. I knew why he was so worried about the girl even though she sounded like she's in a better condition than the two boys. Because he knew that no one will be there to protect the pink-haired kunoichi if the two boys had fallen unconscious.

And so we hastened to the pinkhead's team. No words were exchanged during our journey. The only sounds that we kept hearing along the journey were the sounds of our heavy steps we made as we landed on many branches and the sounds of wings flapping loudly.

Two minutes later, we had noticed that the speed the bird had was slowing down in each second. We thought that we had reached Naruto's team so we scanned the whole area with wild eyes. But what we didn't expect was when the birdie flew northeast and landed on a branch. My eyes twitched at one particular thing that rested beside it.

There was a nest that contained a handful of chicks and they seemed to be delighted seeing their mother. Our shoulders slumped heavily at the unexpected sight. Did we follow that bird to their nest...? How about Sasuke and his team...?

"We don't have time for that!" exploded the impatient Kazuki, causing the bird and her chicks to jump out of their skins. Kaito and I could only sigh.

******

"Ah!" Kazuki shrieked without warning. We were still jumping from branch to branch with the same feathered friend leading us the way. Kazuki shouted, "There she is!"

The boy sped up dramatically and flew past the bird, rushing towards the pinkhead. We reached a small clear field and landed on the ground a few meters away from her. The pink-haired girl had her back facing us, so when she heard us landing on the ground with a heavy thud, she immediately whipped around with her hands clutching the kunai.

Her hands were noticeably shaking like a leaf. Her face twisted into a fearful look with beads of sweat rolling down her forehead. I was aware that there were no wounds on her body, yet the dark, dusty spots on her clothes and skin specified that she had a harsh battle. But with whom?

I witnessed as her eyes traced over each one of us before her face muscles relaxed in a steady pace as she breathed out a sigh of relief. But then her emerald eyes widened as if realization hit her like a brick in the face. Kazuki made the first move by walking closer to her, but he immediately froze when Sakura aimed the tip of her kunai to his neck. Her green orbs were glaring menacingly at us.

She rasped, "Who are you three?"

Kaito, Kazuki, and I exchanged puzzling glances. We then turned our attentions back to Sakura who now had her lips pursed into a straight line. She's scared... but why? Just what happened to them?

"Sakura..." Kazuki began, "We are Team 5, okay? There's no-"

"Then prove it," interjected the pink-haired kunoichi, still with the kunai in her tight grip.

I took a glance at Kazuki who now stared at Sakura with his mouth slightly ajar. He then nodded his head twice, "Alright. Sakura, do you remember that time... when my group of friends bullied you because of your forehead? I told them to leave you alone and said that you're still cute no matter what flaws you have."