*three months after Mitsuki's death*

Boruto walked through what remained of what was once Tanzaku town. On all sides he seen partially destroyed buildings, corpses covered by sheets, curtains, whatever they could be used. There was more leaf survivors than could possibly fit in what remained of this small town so many of them were stuck, lying in the streets holding their family near a fire for heat. Weather it was the overcast skies above or the overall feelings oozing from the people around Boruto saw everything as if through a grey filter. It had been three months since E-day, and now people were finally beginning to accept that this was the reality they lived in now, however cruel.

"Big brother! Over here!" Himawari shouted to her brother. Boruto ran back and embraced his younger sister, every day was a gift now. Every time they said goodbye might have been the last. Boruto had just returned from a scouting mission with his aunt, looking for a larger base of operations to no avail.
"You'll never guess what I found!" Himawari took her older brother by the hand, taking them into the small hut that was their home for now. Himawari reached into her bag and pulled out a small tub before handing it to her brother who laughed when he seen it.
"Instant ramen, mom would freak if she seen us with this datebasa." He laughed, for the most part Boruto and Himawari retained a happy exterior, partly for each other but mostly for Sarada. Since E-day Sarada had stayed with Boruto and Himawari, but she wasn't really Sarada anymore.

She barely spoke, she barely ate, and she barely slept. She was like a ghost of her former self. It hurt them both immensely to see Sarada like that but they knew there was nothing they could do for her other than just be there. Boruto looked around, he couldn't see her.
"Hey Hima, where is Sarada?"
"Eh, I don't know. I went to see Kurama for a bit earlier and when I came back she was gone."
"Oh, I'm going to go look for her. Could you go find something we could use to heat the ramen?" Himawari nodded before running from her brother. Boruto activated his byakugan, which was very natural to him now. He could not find her within the limits of the town but soon found her in abandoned building just past the outskirts.

He made his way towards the building, with only one of his eyes changed now. Using one to watch Sarada and the other to navigate what was around him. He could see her tears and each one was like a dagger in his own heart. He saw her trembling arms, and in one hand he seen a kunai knife. Fearing the worst he ran towards her, as fast as he could. Sarada took the knife, bringing to her own wrist as she cried. Just as she began to press it onto her wrist Boruto appeared, grabbing her hand and stopping her.

"Sarada?! What the hell do you think you are doing?!" He shouted at her. She didn't look up. She just continued to cry.
"Go away Boruto. Just leave me be." She said, clearly in pain. This hurt him, she didn't want him there? In her final moments, even if that's not what he wanted.
"Sarada, talk to me. You don't have to do this."
"Yes, I do."
"Sarada…" He put his free hand on his friends shoulder, moving it up onto her head. He gently moved her head so that she was looking him in the eye. He was shocked at what he seen, he had expected to see pain or sadness. But what he seen was actually overwhelming fear in her eyes. As their eyes met she quickly knocked his hand away so that she could hide within her arms again, having dropped the knife.

"Boruto...Please just leave. I... can't bare this anymore."
"Sarada this isn't like you, I know that we've been through is… indescribable but you are the strongest person I've ever known. If anyone can handle this it is you." He said, placing his arms around her, desperate for her to open up to him.
"I… I'm not strong enough." She said. Boruto didn't respond, he just listened hoping she would continue.
"I don't deserve your care Boruto, please… just go. You don't have to protect me anymore. Since I'll never become the hokage." Boruto thought back to something he once told her, that he'd always protect her when she became hokage. During a mission when he received an injury meant for her he adjusted that to that he'd protect so she could become hokage.

"I know what I said before, but I was just a dumb kid. I thought my dream was to become a shinobi like your dad but I was wrong. That was only my dream because of how vital your dad was to my dad. My real dream, Sarada Uchiha…" He stopped there, waiting for her to look up at him.
"Is to be whatever you need me to be." Sarada began to cry again, biting her lip trying to hold it it.
"JUST STOP BORUTO! STOP TRYING TO BE SO DAMN PERFECT! STOP TRYING TO MAKE ME FEEL BETTER THAT IS WHAT IS HURTING ME SO MUCH!" She got up, pushing him away from her as she did so.
"I CAN'T LOOK AT YOU ANYMORE! YOUR EYE'S. THOSE BLUE EYES THAT I USE TO LOVE SO MUCH ARE KILLING ME LILTTLE BY LITTLE EVERYDAY!" She was panting, putting so much energy into her voice.
"YOU KEEP LOOKING AT ME LIKE YOU HAVE FOR YEARS! AND I CAN'T BARE THE THOUGHT OF HOW YOU ARE GOING TO LOOK AT ME ONCE YOU—." She stopped herself.
"Once I what?" She was frozen now, she fell back down to the ground.
"I- can't. I can't tell you… once you do you'll the way you look at me will change forever."
"Sarada..." He took her hand.

"I know." She was shocked, she pulled her hand from his.
"You what…"
"I know what happened." He took her hand again.
"I know about your right eye."
"How?..." Boruto sat down at her side.
"Mirai told me.."
"and…. You don't hate me?" She asked, terrified.
"Sarada, I could never hate you. What happened wasn't your fault." Just as she began to cry again she turned around, wrapping her arms around him, crying into his chest. Crying and crying, letting out the sadness and the guilt she had held in for months. She cried into his chest before she eventually passed out in his arms.

Hours later, she awoke still in his arms. Somehow she just knew that he hadn't slept the entire time. Not speaking, she reached up to his face and kissed him. As Boruto kissed back, she brought the rest of her body round climbing on top of him as she deepened the kiss. As the kiss got deeper and deeper Boruto eventually broke it, gasping for air.
"Sara…"
"Boruto, please… I need this." She held his face again, pulling him back in for another, more passionate kiss.