The Final Chapter

Author's Note: Well this is it! I know I took waaaaaaaay too much time with this, but first I was iffy about the ending and then I forgot about it, and then I just had a permanent Writer's Block and then I just didn't know how to write it. I know that they're horrible excuses, but that's what happened.

This is the LAST CHAPTER! I might make a sequel, but I'll think about it. My friend RubyBelle helped me on this so go and give her cookies…NOW! You might want to review the second chapter before you read this.

Naruto opened his mailbox with Hinata clinging to his arm. They were laughing and having the time of their life, unaware of the grief hidden inside Naruto's mailbox.

"Hold on for just a sec, Hinata-chan!" Naruto said, searching for his key. . After much swearing, Naruto opened his tiny mailbox, expecting nothing in it. He saw an envelope, with his name in bright red letters. He quickly opened the letter and read it aloud.

"Dear Naruto," he started, "I'm sorry to say that when you read this I will be…What!"

He quickly scanned the letter and found the name at the bottom. Naruto looked at the letter in disbelief! It couldn't be true! Sure Neji was quieter nowadays, but he was suicidal?!

"Wha-What's wrong Naruto-kun?" Hinata asked, worried.

"I'll explain on the way! We have to stop Neji!"

The final clone had come into Neji's room. He had sent out more letters to his friends and he had used the clones to do so. At first he thought he should let the clones tell everyone goodbye, but he knew that they would all come running to stop him.

Now he knew that everyone would know why he wouldn't be outside his house that day, why he would never show up to practice, why he would never see them again. He could take his life in peace.

Neji looked at the kunai he had placed on his dresser. He picked it up and looked it over. The small knife-like weapon was probably the most popular weapon in Konoha so Neji decided to use it. Just hanging himself seemed so…weak. If he was going to kill himself, it wasn't going to be in a sissy way.

Neji held out the kunai at an arms length, pointing to his neck. He quickly shut his eyes. Just don't miss. Neji thought to himself. Of course, he might also bleed to death, but that sounded a lot more painful.

Suddenly there was a knock on the door.

"Neji, open up!" hollered Naruto.

Neji's eyes grew wide. No one was supposed to come. That was the whole point of sending letters. It was so that no one would have to watch you to know what happened.

Just do it. He can't stop you. Neji thought. He shut his eyes once more and leveled his kunai with his neck. Just thrust it in

Neji could faintly hear something smash against his door. He assumed Naruto was serious about saving him or something. He put it out of his mind. He had to do this.

Neji thrust his hand forward, squeezing his eyes and tensing his muscles, getting ready for the impact and pain. Suddenly, a swift slapping movement hit his hand and sent the kunai flying, right before it cut almost superficially into his throat. He shouted out in pain and he felt the warm blood leak out and down his shirt, staining it crimson red.

"W-what the—"

"Dammit, Neji, don't do this!"

Neji's eyes flew open in shock at the sound of his cousin's voice. Hinata was standing across from his, her face splattered red from his blood and tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Dammit, Neji, what are you doing! Stop it!" Hinata cried out in an almost angered way. "Don't do this!"

Neji stumbled back, he fell back into the wall and began breathing heavily. The blood loss was blurring his vision and he couldn't bring himself to say anything. He was losing blood too quickly, and death would come soon for sure.

Neji's knees buckled and he slid down the wall quickly, breathing heavily. Death was imminent and he, Naruto, and Hinata all knew it. Naruto and Hinata stood on either side of the dieing teenager, tears staining their faces and sobs shuddering their bodies. He gave a weak smile to Hinata.

"W-why did you do this Neji?" Hinata asked with more tears staining her beautiful face. "Why?"

"Didn't you get my letter?" Neji whispered to her. For some reason, he was feeling extremely cold. Randomly, Neji thought that maybe there really was an icy hand of death.

Though his vision was blurred from the loss of blood, Neji could make out Hinata's confused face. He looked at Naruto, who wore the same puzzled face.

"Wha-what are you talking about Neji? I didn't get any letter." Hinata whispered, as her voice began to crack from the tears.

Neji looked at her is disbelief. How was that possible? He dropped off the letter the night before, he remembered. Then he remembered something else.

"That's what it was last night. The fluttering in the wind, that was the letter." Neji murmured. He remembered hearing something in the wind. The letter must have fallen out of the window. Why the hell didn't he shut it?!

"Oh, God, Naruto, he's delirious!" Hinata cried in a hysterical voice.

"Fuck!" Naruto mumbled and hit the ground with his fist.

I'm not delirious! I told you my feelings Hinata! Neji thought. That's when it hit him. If the letter was lost and most likely damaged from the rain, she never knew how he felt.

"H-Hinata, I need to tell you," Neji started. He could feel his voice growing weaker and weaker.

Hinata leaned in closer; he could still see tears rolling down her face. Neji touched her hands and looked into her crystal eyes. His lungs were compacting and Neji struggled to keep his eyes open.

The dark hand of death reached out to Neji and latched on to him. Death was even closer than before. Neji knew that he would not be able to remove the evil hand, but he had to hold out a little longer.Just…let me…tell her. I…have to tell her…I have to tell her I love her… He pleaded with mortality.

"Hi-Hinata-chan, I-I lo…"