Disclaimer: If I owned Naruto would I bother writing fanfictions? No, no I would not. -.-'

Name: Kamoku Shy

Author's Note: Please PLEASE review I worked HARD on this, infact I have a headache fit to knock out my stepdad, believe me, that's hard to do. I would also like to say please no flamers and yes I know spell check would probably explode because of my spelling. Enjoy.

Snow

Hyuuga Neji ran through the freshly fallen snow panting profously despite the cold temperatures. His breath came in long ragged gasps, after a while he stopped to breathe. Soon thereafter a warm body tackled him into the snow. Hyuuga Kamoku held onto her favorite cousin in a warm embrace.

"Got you nii-san!" She said grinning into his back," You're it!"

She got up and ran through the snow away from him, she soon disapeared. Neji stood back up and brushed the snow off the arms of his tan parka and started to folow her. He found her napping in the snow, one of her favorite things to do. Neji watched her for a minute or two before shaking her shoulder gently until her eyes opened. She looked at him and grinned.

"You're tired, we should go back," Neji said.

But I don't want to, the rest of the main branch won't play with me," She whined standing up and coughing a bit.

"That's true but that cough doesn't sound good, so we're going back."

She nodded slowly and started coughing again. Neji started walking and Kamoku soon caught up still coughing.

"Are you okay?" Neji asked looking at her concerned.

She nodded and looked up the Hyuuga place had come into view. As soon as she kicked her sandals off she ran towards her room. Neji watched before walking towards his as well. He passed her door and looked in Kamoku was writing something at her desk coughing again. He sighed and walked into the room next to hers, his.As e plugged in his small heater and crawled under the blankets he remembered the next day would be Kamoku's birthday, December the twenty-first. He soon dozed off.

He woke to hear her coughing in the next room violently, he was up and in her room in an instant. Kamoku wouldn't stop coughing and he picked her up off her pillow and started patting her on the back with force, calling for Hiashi. She passed out about the time he walked in.

"She wouldn't stop coughing and she passed out," Neji said hurridly.

Hiashi took her from Neji and left quickly. Neji sat there for a few minutes before going back to bed. He fell asleep again and had uneasy dreams. When Neji awoke the next morning he quickly showered and ghanged clothes. He cautiously proceeded to the kitchen where Hiashi sat at the table sipping a cup of black coffee. Looking at him Neji could see he had gotten no sleep after he had rushed Kamoku to the hospital.

"Neji." He said catching him by surprise, "Sit down."

Neji did as he was told sitting adjacent to his Uncle ahving a feeling he knew what was coming.

"Kamoku died in the hospital just after midnight..." Hiashi said slowly staring into the confines of his now empty coffee cup.

Neji froze in shock, he had expected to be reprimanded for being in a main branchers room, not be told his best friend was dead. "No." was the only word to pass his lips

Hiashi nodded, "She had a pre-existing medical problem. Her lungs were under developed. They told me when she was five she wouldn't live to see fifteen, they were half right."

It hit Neji even harder when he remembered it was her fifteenth birthday.

He got up and walked to his room and lay on the bed, his eyes empty of all emotion but pain.

The funeral was Christmas Eve and Neji stood in line behind the main branchers in his bet black kimoto, still not ready to tell her good-bye. He bent over and kissed her forehead gently and whispered his good-bye. He sat through the ceremony without crying. As they arrived home Hiashi handed him a small piece of paper.

"It's adressed to you," he said "From Kamoku."

He flinched at the name but bowed his thanks before proceeding to his room. He opened the folded paper and began to read...

Neji

Thank you for being my friend for so long and putting up with my childish attitude. I know you must be wondering why I didn't tell you my medical problem. It's simple I didn't want you to act like I was a porcelien doll that could easily be broken at the slightest touch. I wanted you to know me. Can you understand? I hope so. I'm sorry but I know this will be the last you'll ever know of me, the coughing started and it won't stop, I don't have much time. Know I love you and I want you to be happy without me on this earth. Break free of your bonds and fly free some day. Aisheteru, Nii-san.

Kamoku

His face was hot and wet, tears flowed freely down his face and spattered the ink on the page. He lay on his bed and wept into the pillow and eventually slept.

He dreamnt of her.

She smiled still dressed in her funeral clothes a simple white kimono,"Did you get my letter?"

He nodded, "Yes, but how did you know?"

"Even the dead know, Nii-san."

"Are you going to leave me now?"

"I have to you know that Neji."

"I know, but why, why did you never tell me even at the end?"

"I didn't want your memories of me to start being regret, and I never want them to be, I'm glad we had so much time together as it was, and I want you to be happy of the same thing." She looked behind her like someone was calling her name "I have to now."

He nodded and walked up to her one last time "I love you too."

She smiled and began to fade away "Merry Christmas, Neji, be happy again and be free."

Neji woke to fresh tears staining his face and pillow.

A song bird sang outside his window


TT that was difficult to write and yet... It turns out good (and sappy)

Yes I know the ending sucks and I would still apreciate reviews.

Ja Ne