STAY AWAKE, BORUTO-BAKA Drawn by: Valkyriefreia Written by: Windstruck07 (also me) NO REPOSTING WITHOUT PERMISSION This is one of my many headcanons on how Boruto got the scar on his eye ^_^

.

.

.

Sarada tried to remember when and how the mission had gone wrong. All she knew was that it all started when she chose to trust the idiot Boruto.

If only she could take it back. If only she chose to question him instead of leaving him to his own devices like when he tried to rescue Tentou from way back. If only she allowed a little doubt in his skills, in his ability to handle things himself. If only she remembered how things usually went wrong when Boruto faced danger by his lonesome. There were so many ‘if-only’s’ plaguing her mind yet the only plausible answer she could come up with was that she would not have followed any of those what-ifs nonetheless.

Because she trusted the fool.

They were on a simple escort mission. It had been days, perhaps weeks, and Sarada could barely remember who they were guarding. She was exhausted from hiding from whoever was pursuing them. Why was someone pursuing them? She couldn’t remember. She only recalled Boruto leaving, because the village they went to was in danger, and the blond moron thought it was his responsibility to save it.

And there were black hooded people. And there was a white light. And then there was a new world where she wasn’t supposed to be.

‘Why is this girl here? We only needed the Hokage’s spawn!’

And then Boruto was not himself. And then there was blood and death... and blue light coursing through Boruto’s arm, mingling with blood that spurted from the gashing wounds on his body.

Her memories were quite hazy from disorientation.

The clearest memory was now................. as she held Boruto while she limped towards the nearest nook they could hide in. Were they in a cave? In a forest? The world was unfamiliar, and she was fairly certain that they were nowhere near Konoha.

Konohamaru-sensei, Mitsuki... Yondaime-sama, Mama, Papa... find us soon, please... Boruto... he’s... he’s...

Boruto’s body was turning hard and cold. The gash on his eye a bright red, like her Sharingan.

“Boruto... hang in there,” she croaked. Her voice was hoarse from dehydration. The wounds on her body stung, but they did not compare to the frightening damage Boruto had on his body. How she wished she knew healing jutsu like her Mama did.



“S...ara..da”



“Shhh...” Sarada tried to fix her hold on him, for they were positioned quite awkwardly. She cradled his head over her knees, even if her joints hurt like hell. “Save your strength.”



“I’m... getting sleepy...” Boruto mumbled, his head lolling towards her chest.



No! “Don’t even think about it, baka!” she hissed, tears beginning to sting her eyes.

“I’m... just so... beat...”



“Don’t even think about closing your eyes, Boruto!” Sarada threatened, sounding more like a sob.

Don’t die.



“I just...”



“I’ll buy you those stupid trading cards for a whole month, just don’t sleep, baka!”



Don’t die.



“Please...”



“You’re supposed to by my right hand, damn it!” she nearly screamed. “Don’t die!”



Her tears started falling, washing away the dried blood that stained her cheeks.

Boruto warily opened his eyes, lifting his gaze towards her weeping face. He let out a broken sigh, a violent shudder wracking through his bones.

“Okay...” he whispered. “I’ll try...”

Sarada managed a smile in spite of herself. With extreme gentleness, she cradled his head closer. “Good. Because I’ll kill you if you do.”

Boruto snorted. You have the gall to snort when you’re dying? Baka, Boruto.

“Besides...” Boruto continued weakly, “Aunt Sakura would have my head if she knew I made you cry.”



Sarada chuckled, her tears flowing all the more. “Silly Boruto. You’re not the one who gets to make jokes about getting killed here.”

And she held him closer, just to make sure that he holds to his end of the deal, just so she could count every inhale and exhale. She’d make sure he stayed awake until help came.

Because Sarada wasn’t letting the idiot die on her. Not on her watch.