Epilogue: A Message
Three Years Later
Aburame Shino stood in the center of the old team 8 training grounds. A warm breeze blew across the clearing, the scent of new flowers coming with it.
Konoha had planned a second raid on the sound, after the first failed attempt, but of course when they had gotten there, the place was totally cleaned out. There had been no leads on Orochimaru, Sasuke, or Hinata since then.
He sighed and turned to leave. Above him, a bird shrieked.
Peering up at the sky, squinting, even behind his dark sunglasses, Shino saw a bird diving towards him, and he lifted his arm towards it.
The bird landed squarely on his outstretched arm and Shino could see a scroll tied around one of its legs, and an awkward package tied to the other, bound in brown paper. First, Shino opened the package.
He carefully infolded the brown paper and his heart began to bead wildly. Inside the package was a damaged Leaf Ninja forehead protector, the scratched and dented metal mounted on a dark blue piece of cloth. The name inscribed on the back read: Hyuga Hinata.
Quickly, Shino untied the scroll and opened it. There was a letter on it, written in squiggly cursive, scrawling, yet somehow still very neat and elegant. As he read the letter he found that his eyes began to itch, begging that he let tears fall, but he wouldn't allow it, Hinata wouldn't like that. No, she would want him to be happy; it was just her way, always wanting others to be happy.
Dear Shino-kun,
First of all, please don't try and track this letter. The messenger bird was rented, and I assure you that we didn't leave any tracks behind us. We will already be far away by the time you get this. I'm lucky Sasuke even allowed me to send it in the first place.
Shino-kun, I have so many things that I want to tell you, but there's just not enough time. I'll tell you that I'm well and that you don't need to worry any longer, because I can take care of myself, and if I mess up, then Sasuke will always be there to catch me. I'll tell you that a piece of my heart will always love you, Shino-kun, but I could never leave Sasuke's side, that's why I can't come back. Tell everybody that I miss them, especially Kiba-kun, Kurenai-sensei, and Naruto. And make sure my father knows that I apologize for dishonoring him. But I think that I've finally done the right thing, for myself, and for everybody else as well.
Goodbye, Shino-kun because I won't be writing you or anybody else again. Remember that I will never forget you, and that goodbye can't be the end.
Now and forever a missing-ninja, and always your friend,
Hyuga Hinata