Only Time Can Tell

A VOICE LIKE ICE

CHAPTER 17
A VOICE LIKE ICE
BORUTO UZUMAKI
We were almost up the hill, my leg was aching even though the medicine had kicked in. This time Sarada didn't avoid me and go to the front, she ran right along side me. Even though she had put on her glasses just because she couldn't see where she was going, I could tell that she was in a better mood.
        "The temple used to be a part of the Hidden Cloud, but it was abandoned during the war, and Orochimaru turned it into a hideout, once the Cloud knew about his presence in the temple, they immediately kicked him out and it's remained abandoned ever since." Neji filled us in. "However, scouts from Orochimaru had been sent to try and take the temple back from the Cloud, this resulted in the setting of booby traps. However, the Cloud have been diligently checking in just to make sure that Orochimaru has stayed out. There is still no telling if the temple still has booby traps so just be careful, the Cloud can't have disabled them all."
        We all nodded. We had just gotten over the peak and you could actually see the abandoned temple. It was pretty broken down, parts of the roof were breaking in, and several patches of shingles were completely missing. The columns holding the roof up had become weak and chipped. The temple was a disaster waiting to happen. There were no signs of life and just past a few trees we landed.
        The earth was sandier here. Everywhere else around the temple had been relatively solid, but the ground around here shifted as we walked towards the temple, maybe it has something to do with elevation? Sai pulled out a kunai to cut away the vines that hung in front of the temple entrance.
        "As I can remember, the scroll was kept downstairs, in a secret door behind the altar." Neji said as we slowly walked in .
        "Well, what are we waiting for?!" I said becoming irritated with their slow pace. "This place has been cleared out, we're all good!"
        "There's no telling that for sure!" Neji argued.
        I just rolled my eyes and walked along. I felt something snag at my foot and I went falling forward. I landed on my hands and knees but the sound of my loud impact made everyone change their stance to defensive. They all thought that it was an ambush.
        "Guys, I'm fine! It's just-" I looked down to what had snagged my shoe. It was too dark to see so I made it up. "A vine. Everybody can just calm down." Sarada slowly slipped her kunai back into her pouch, but Neji and Sai both kept theirs out. I knew that they wouldn't listen anyway.
        "Let's just get out of here fast, okay?" Sarada said tugging on her bracelet.
        "Why?"
        "It's creepy. And...dark."
        "Don't tell me that you of all people are scared of the dark!" I scoffed.
        "No, that's ridiculous!" Sarada said, but her expression didn't change, she still looked terrified. I knew that she must be secretly really creeped out by this place. But I smiled anyway.
        "Shh!" Sai commanded.
        "Why, there's nobody here!" I said not lowering my volume. It was true, the dimly lit room was completely empty, no furniture, nothing. It was a completely blank room, though it did smell musty and subtly like candle wax. Vines from the outside had started to weave their way through the ceiling and crawled their way down the floor.
        "Well, we won't know it if you don't shut it." Neji hissed. I sighed and stopped talking. We made it to the altar. Sai leaned down, feeling the floor for a latch. I heard him find the edge and saw him lift it even in the dull light of the room.
        The downstairs was surprisingly lit. Torches and candles were lit all along the walls. Sarada took her kunai back out her shoulders rising with tension.
        "It's fine, it was like this the last time we were here." Neji said telling her to stand down. We made our way slowly down the stairs. A long table slowly came into view, it was stacked with books and scrolls, some even tossed carelessly on the floor. The long rows of book shelves had already been cleared by the Cloud and the Leaf.
        Neji walked up the table, moving books and scrolls aside. Sai and Sarada made it down the stairs ahead of me. Sarada had taken one of the torches and was holding it up, examining the inscribed walls. Sai helped Neji with looking around the table. I stood in the threshold of the stairs watching them, knowing that I probably wouldn't be very helpful. "It should be right here." Neji muttered as he dug through the books. I felt myself hold my breath. If we had this scroll is would be the end, we could finally go home. My dad would be back to normal, my mom would finally wake up, Sarada would have her mom back, and...we could all go back to the way things were.
        But then, just as I started to breathe again, I heard something that stole the breath from my lungs. A scraping noise that scratched against the cold stone. It was coming from behind me, from the stairway, I knew that it couldn't be Sarada or Sai since they were all looking around. I felt the hair on the back of my neck rise, and I froze right where I stood, unable to breathe. Whoever was there, they were right behind me.
        "Well..." I heard someone say,  their voice like dripping ice. The scraping drawing nearer and nearer. "It took you long enough."