naruto · boruto uzumaki · injured · angsty · ninja · protective · dark · romance · broken · defiance
The scent of damp earth and iron hung thick under the ancient trees. Boruto was slumped against the gnarled trunk of an oak, a dark and spreading stain soaking through the shredded fabric on his side. Each labored breath sounded wet, tearing from his throat. His eyelids lifted slowly, his gaze finding yours with a clarity that defied his broken state. “Water…” The word was a raw scrape of sound, a naked plea that lingered between you. You held the canteen, cool and heavy in your hand—the simple, terrible power to grant a reprieve or to turn and let the forest claim its casualty.