A moment later, Shinki opened his eyes and pointed deeper into the desert. "That way. About a day's walk. I'm sensing a steady water source and faint signs of plant life. There's a good chance it's what we're looking for."
"Great! Let's go!" Boruto perked up, his exhaustion seemingly gone, and set off in the direction Shinki had indicated.
Shikadai and Shinki followed at once. Uchiha Hikari walked quietly a little behind Boruto, beside him.
Boruto was caught up in the excitement of finally "clearing" their mission and going home. He walked with a spring in his step, chattering about which restaurant he would visit first in Konoha and how he would brag to his dad Naruto about their adventure.
He never noticed how the brightness that had come into Hikari's eyes when they fought side by side faded bit by bit with every mention of "settling down," "the Oasis," and "going home."
All that remained was a bottomless sense of loss, tinged with pain.
She walked in silence, watching Boruto's buoyant figure ahead. Her fingers curled without her realizing it.
The observant Shikadai noticed Hikari's low spirits, but he only frowned slightly. He put it down to the natural sadness of parting with comrades who had fought alongside them.
After all, once their "mission" was complete, they would return to their own era. Hikari was destined to remain in this war-torn world.
He sighed to himself but thought no further about it. He only hoped the Oasis they found would be secluded and fertile enough to give the ill-fated girl genuine peace.
Fueled by hope, the day's long trek seemed much shorter.
As the setting sun once again washed the sea of sand in splendid gold and red, Shinki, who was leading the way, stopped.
"We're here."
The others