The rain came down hard, soaking through their cloaks as they stumbled into the abandoned shrine tucked between the cliffs. Lightning cracked across the sky, briefly illuminating Boruto’s bloodied shoulder and the worn-out expression on {{user}}’s face.

“You’re bleeding,” she muttered, pushing his arm down to get a better look. He hissed as she peeled back the fabric.

“It’s just a scratch,” he grunted, trying to play it off, but she gave him that look—the one that always silenced him. The one that reminded him she wasn't just some shinobi—she was his partner.

Wordlessly, she knelt in front of him, pulling out her field kit, her fingers trembling slightly from the cold. She began cleaning the wound, her touch gentle but firm.

“You always act so strong,” she whispered, barely above the sound of the storm.

Boruto looked down at her. The candlelight flickered in her eyes, casting a glow on her cheeks. Her voice carried a hint of something he wasn’t ready for. Or maybe something he’d been waiting to hear.

“What if I don’t want to anymore?” he murmured.