'She warned me,' thought Daiki while trying to hold back tears, 'She warned me. Why didn't I listen?' Sitting in Hinata's room- what used to be Hinata's room- Daiki tries to make sense of the jumbled thoughts in my head. Sadly, thinking only seemed to make everything worse right now. He still can't believe what happened. It just doesn't seem possible. She said it was only a tracking mission.

A noise from behind him pulls him back to the present.

"Daiki," begins Neji. The stoic ninja doesn't look nearly as bad as Daiki, but his eyes are red-rimmed and there is a weary and tired look in his eye that isn't usually there. When it became apparant that the grief-stricken man in front of him wasn't going to acknowledge him, he sighed and continued, "I know it's hard, but this is the life of a ninja. Every Shinobi knows their purpose and excepts it, including her."

"Purpose? What purpose? To die? Is that all Shinobis are for? To die in battle? And if it is why'd it have to be her? Why not me? She didn't deserve to die! Why couldn't it have been me, Neji?!" Daiki's voice held so much anguish as he asked his last question, even a deaf man would have been able to hear how much pain he was in.

Neji sighed. He didn't want to have to explain this today. The truth was painful and he wasn't sure if Daiki could handle it at the moment. He began his explanation anyway, knowing it was the only way for Daiki to understand.

"Shinobis are a village's military force. We are weapons to be used as our village sees fit. We are protectors. We protect the village, the villagers, and the village's secrets. We also earn a lot of the village's money. For every mission we complete successfully the village is given a certain amount of money depending on the difficulty of the mission. This is explained to every ninja once he or she becomes a Genin.

"Hinata knew all the risks and dangers that came with her job and she wanted to do it. She loved her village enough to die protecting it and it's people. She died fighting to protect everything and everyone she cared for. Is it right to question or feel anger toward her decision?" During his explanation, Neji had managed to make his way towards what used to be Hinata's bed and sit beside Daiki.

"Weapons? People aren't born to be weapons. People are born to live and to be happy, not to train for hours on end and live in fear that today will be the day they won't come back from their mission alive."

"We do not live in fear. Ninjas are not afraid of death. Now answer my question. Is it fair to question Hinata's choice?"

Daiki looked down. "No. I guess it isn't, but it still doesn't seem fair."

"I know it doesn't and I'm sorry. Villagers aren't supposed to have to go through this."

"You didn't come here to tell me how sorry you are for me, did you?"

Neji smirked. "No I didn't. Last night, after you went home, we went through Hinata's room. We found a bunch of letters addressed to different people. I was given the duty of delivering them. This one is yours." Neji took out a folded peice of paper from his pocket with Daiki's name printed on the front and handed it to the man sitting beside him before swiftly standing and exiting the room.

Daiki sat for what seemed like forever just staring at the letter in front of him. Should he read it? Could he handle it? There's only one way to find out.

Taking a deep breath, Daiki slowly slid his hand under the envelope's seal, so that it would open, giving him access to the final words Hinata had to say to him. As he unfolded the letter, though, Daiki shut his eyes, because reading this letter would make it all final. If he read this letter, there would be no convincing himself it was all a bad dream or one of those genjutsu tricks he's heard Hinata and her friends talk about. Reading this letter would be like losing whatever small sliver of hope he had left and he didn't think he was ready for that yet.

"Oh for pete's sake! Are you going to read it or not?" Daiki looked up to see a red-eyed Hanabi standing in the doorway of Hinata's old room.

"I. . . I don't know if I can." Hanabi narrowed her eyes. She looked like she wanted to be anywhere but where she was. Being in her sister's room must not be easy for her.

"Why wouldn't you be able to? My sister took the time to write you that letter and you're going to thank her by not even reading it?!"

"It's not that simple."

"Oh yeah? Let me guess, you don't think you're ready because you want to try and tell yourself she's still here, right?" Daiki's eyes widened slightly.

"Maybe."

"Thought so. Well, it's not going to do much good. You can't convince yourself of something you know isn't true. Trust me, I've tried before. Just read it." Daiki stayed silent. Hanabi lifted her lips in a half-hearted smirk. "Guess I've done my job."

"What do you mean?" Daiki asked, looking confused. Hanabi held up a peice of paper similar to the one he held in his hand.

"It was in my letter. To make sure everyone else reads there's too. Specifically you. I guess she knew you wouldn't want to read it." With that said, Hanabi turned and left the room.

Daiki slowly shook his head. Hanabi might not be the kindest person, but she always knows what to say, no matter how bluntly she puts it.

Looking back down at the letter in his hands, Daiki hesitantly finished unfolding it.

Seeing Hinata's neat hand-writing again made him smile, even though his heart felt like a piece of paper that just lost a fight with a pair of scissors.

Daiki,

I am so sorry. I'm sorry for so many things right now, my head is spinning.

I'm sorry you have to go through this. I never meant for you to get hurt. When I first met you, I thought you were too good to be true. You were- and still are- incredibly perfect. I wondered why we had never met before. I thought I had met every shinobi in the village.

Then I found out you weren't a shinobi. I was so upset because I knew I had to stop seeing you. The risks of what I do are great and I didn't want to introduce anyone else to those risks if I could help it. I tried hard to distance myself from you, but you were so persistant and when you didn't give up on me, no matter how clear I made it that I couldn't be with you, you only made me fall for you more. The last of my will power gave way when you saw me in the park, walked up to me, and asked me what it was you did so that you could fix it.

I couldn't stand seeing you beat yourself up over something you weren't able to control, so I sat you down on the park bench and explained to you why we couldn't be together. I remember you looking me straight in the eye and telling me you would take all the risks 100 times over as long as you could be with me. And so, against my better judgement, I gave in.

Don't get me wrong, I don't regret the time we've spent together. I've had some of the best moments of my life with you, but I wish you didn't have to deal with my death. If you regret not walking away that day in the park, I understand. It would have been easier if you had fallen in love with a normal girl, instead of one that could die on any given day.

I'm also sorry for not telling you the severity of my mission. The truth is, the mission I am being sent on is one of the most dangerous I've been sent on yet. It is almost certain that I won't come back alive this time.

Everyone else already knows this. I asked them to keep it a secret from you, if only to keep you happy that much longer. I know I should have informed you sooner, but I was still trying to come to terms with it myself. I ran through so many different scenarios of how to tell you, but each one sounded more horrible than the last.

The day of my departure was nearing quickly and I still hadn't told you the truth. As I sat in my room one night, realizing that it would be one of my last nights in the comfort of familiarity, I began thinking of everyone I was leaving behind and what I wished I could tell them before I left.

That's when I thought of the idea of writing letters to everyone I loved and cared for. Your's is the last one I am going to write. Your's is also the most difficult to write. There are so many things I should tell you, but I'm not sure how to put them on paper.

I love you so much, when I think of what I am about to put you through, it hurts. I'm sure that my friends, Hanabi, and Neji will be able to get through this; They witness death, battle, and the horrors of the world daily. It is you I am worried about.

When I first met you, you were happy and care-free, which is one of the things that first attracted me to you. I hadn't felt that in so long. As time past and you learned of some of the things I do, some of that care-free nature left you and I hated myself for it. Still, you never really experienced the worst part of my job. I worry about what losing someone due to shinobi activity will do to you.

No matter what, DO NOT lose the rest of who you were when we met. I have always envied how you can find the bright side of everything and the way your life is so perfect and filled with joy. Mine has never been that way and neither has my friend's and comrad's. You are so lucky to have that kind of life. Hold on to it.

I've told everyone to make sure they help you through this. We all remember what it was like the first time someone we knew was killed in battle. You can go to any of them whenever you need it. I'm sorry. I don't mean to sound like I'm babying you,- I know how much you hate it- but please know that you don't have to go through this alone.

My final advice to you is: Stay happy, be safe, and move on. I want you to find a new love and I want you to get married, start a family, and grow old with that person. Never let the horrors of a shinobi's life haunt you again.

I love you,

Hinata

Daiki continued to stare at and re-read the vanilla-scented letter in his hands. Only when the tears on his face slid off his chin and hit the paper, nearly smearing the last words Hinata had to say to him, did he finally lift his head and fold the piece of paper and place it back inside the confines of its envelope.

"I don't regret not walking away, Hinata. The only thing I regret is not meeting you sooner. You were amazing and I thank you for wanting to protect me. You gave me so many chances to walk away and you tried so hard to shield me from the things that are normal for you. I love you more than I will ever be able to express in words. I hope that you are at peace and that the terrors of your life no longer haunt you. I promise, on everything we ever had together, that I will move on and I won't let what I have witnessed through you keep me from moving forward with my life.

One thing I can not promise, though, is for me to forget. I will not forget you or the love we shared. I won't forget the friends I made through you. I won't forget how great the sacrifices of the shinobis are. I will always be greatful to you and your comradesfor what you have done for me, the village, and the rest of our world. I love you, Hinata!"

And with that, Daiki buried his head in his hands and cried.

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A/N- I was thinking one day about what would happen if a regular citizen fell in love with a shinobi and this is what I came up with. What do you guys think! Please review!

Flames are accepted and considered, as long as you have a reason worth listening to (This story sucks because Hinata belongs with blah, blah, blah is not accepted), constructive critism is brilliant, and praises make my day!