Only Time Can Tell

HELL

Congrats on having made it through 40 chapters of this thing! Honestly, I'm impressed. If you've made it this far, it means that you must have really liked it, and that makes me so happy. Your dedication to the ENTIRE book means so much to me! Thank you for having been such a meticulous reader, who has completed the reading for 40 chapters! There's still more, don't worry. I was actually considering cutting it into two books, but the likelihood that people would actually look it up and read the second half...it would be a big risk. Anyhow, give me your opinions regarding that matter, and enjoy this chapter! BTW sorry if you're not a NejiTen shipper, but I couldn't resist writing this! Thanks! :) Akine.

CHAPTER 40

HELL

NEJI HYUGA

I don't really remember when I fell unconscious exactly. I remember Boruto telling me to stay still, and then him disappearing into the darkness. Was he....glowing? That can't be possible. It must have been from the bleeding. I remember slumping up against the side of the temple, and letting my head loll against my chest. And then it was black. How long I lasted...I'm not sure.

I must have been out for a long time, all of my wounds were aching the whole time, the puddle of blood I was laying in continuing to spread around me. But then I heard voices, and though I couldn't summon the strength to open my eyes...I could hear Sarada. I remembered...Boruto was looking for Sarada...had he succeeded. Or had he gotten himself lost or captured.

"This isn't good." I heard Sasuke say. He's back. Thank God. "We need to dress his wounds immediately, or he'll bleed out. A lot of his wounds haven't even clotted yet. Hours later. My guess is that he lost consciousness because of the blood loss." That's true. I still couldn't take in the extent of my injuries, whether that was due to adrenaline or blood loss, I'm not sure. I did know that there was a knife stuck in my neck, a few in my legs and one in my side. All of them dully ached in pain.

"Yes." I heard Sarada say. I felt the sickening sound of the knife being taken out of my throat. I didn't feel the pain of it's removal, and that was something I was grateful for. I felt pressure then, someone holding something to the wound on my neck. I felt the blood being wiped away and gauze being pressed against the wound.

"He'll run out of blood soon." Sasuke said. It's strange, after all those years, he still sounds the same from how I know him now. Still the know it all cocky Uchiha boy.

"I know that." Sarada said, pushing more pressure into my neck. I felt a spark of pain as her chakra flowed over my wound. I could begin to see color through the back of my eyelids. Was it really this light outside? How long have I been asleep?

"Sarada..." Sasuke murmured.

"Yeah?"

"How...can you see?" That I didn't get. Why couldn't she see? Even in darkness, Sarada had told me that her Mangekyou allowed her to see in even the complete absence of light. Then I felt something cold fill the pit of my stomach.

"Huh?"

"What you're doing...how can you see?!" There was a long pause, and Sarada's breathing turned ragged.

"I...don't know..."

"That's amazing..." Sasuke said in awe. Clearly something must have happened. I just hope that it wasn't what I think it is. "Sarada...how are you doing this?"

"My sharingan." Sarada said, her breathing sounding more labored. But she continued on like she couldn't hear it. "It's like they've never left me. Before, after the battle you said something about my eyes?"

"The Mangekyou. You know that." He sighed. "It must have happened when you saw Sai die. Every sharingan is different-" He stopped. "Are you saying..."