Hinata... She was always so shy. She would stutter and I could tell she had a crush on me. I remember how she said I inspired her and that she would work hard so that she could become stronger. She loved me even though she knew I didn't love her the same way. She never told me, but Neji did. She introduced me to the person I loved. She gave up her own happiness so that I could have mine.
She allowed me to be me and did not hate me for it. She never scorned my love for Ramen. When she found out about the Kyubbi, she would not let me run away in fear. She hugged me and let me cry in relief. She defended me against the villagers. She stopped the rocks that were thrown even though I did not ask her to. When I was hurt she healed me and never asked for anything in return.
She watched my wife walk towards me down the aisle with gentle eyes. She helped deliver my only child, and babysat when both my wife and I had a mission. She was there when my wife died on the mission to take out Gaara when he went berserk and killed half of Sand. Hinata held me why I cried over her body and blocked the kunai aimed at my back by villagers who didn't want another demon in their midst.
My daughter grew up, and married Shikamaru's son. When they moved to mist, I was heartbroken. Hinata would take me out to Ramen often after that. She did her best to ease my loneliness.
I am sixty-two years old now and Hinata died last night. I look upon her gentle face as tears roll down my wrinkled cheeks. I watch as they lower her glass-covered coffin into the ground. My daughter could not make it today, so I stand off to the side, by myself. As I leave, I glance back one last time at the mound of new dirt in the Hyuuga cemetery.
I lay down in my bed that night and think. My daughter is grown. Sakura has Sasuke. Hinata is gone. Iruka and Kakashi rest in the public cemetery. Tsunade's face was carved next the third's on Hokage Mountain. No one needs me. I am able to do anything I want to now, but all I want to do now is sleep.