Love is Blinding - A Neji love story Chapter 23 LAST CHAPTER

Your P.O.V
*I knew this would happen. I just knew it!! Now she's going to die because I wasn't there to help her. Vinati...please don't die...please.* These were your thoughts as you ran towards the hospital. You flung open the doors and ran to the front desk. The nurse looked scared. "Where's Vinati's room?!" "I'm sorry miss, but-" She never finished her sentence because you reached across the desk and grabbed her shirt collar. "If you don't tell me where she is, I will kill you and you can become part of my collection." You said darkly. The nurse trembled in fear, "R-room 64." You let go of her and ran down the hall, following Vinati's very faint chakra trail. You reached the room, and you knocked softly and entered. You heard lots of beeps and shallow breathing. "Kairi..." Said a croaky voice. "You're back." "Yes, Vinati and I came as soon as I heard." You walked over to her bedside and sat in the chair you guessed someone used a while ago. "Tsunade was in here earlier and the best part is that she didn't kill me." "What did she say?" "Don't know. She talked to the doctors, but she sounded sad. So..." "So...what?" Vinati smirked weakly, "Did you do anything on the mission that I should know about?" You smiled, "Even in the hospital, you're a pervert." "It's how I am." "No, I didn't do anything like that. But me and Neji are a couple now." Vinati smiled, "I told you you liked him." "Yeah, you did." Vinati closed her eyes and you feared the worse, "Vinati..." No response. Your eyes widened, "VINATI!!" Her eyes slowly opened. "I'm sorry, Kairi. I'm just so tired." She then coughed and you could hear the blood in her throat. "Here." She weakly extended her palm and you could see the black guitar pick you had given to her a few days before. "No, you keep it." You gently pushed it back towards her. "Kairi...am I going to die?" All you could do was smile sadly, then you stood up and sat on the bed with Vinati. She looked at you and said, "I don't want to die...there are so many things in life I haven't done yet. I was supposed to become a jounin or a powerful ninja. I wanted to show my father all that I had accomplished and how powerful I had become so maybe he would actually love me and be proud of me instead of hating me like he does." Tears welled up in her eyes, "I don't want to leave anyone behind. Not you or anybody. I don't want to die." Tears were now streaming down her face and yours. "Vinati...you will become a jounin and you will show your father how powerful you have become." "That's good. She smiled and said with a sigh. "Kairi...remember how Sen was always a really good poet?" "Yeah." "Well, she knew she was going to die before any of us, so she wrote a poem and gave it to me. Now...it's your turn to have it." Vinati held out a piece of paper that was folded and looked pretty old. "Why'd she give it to you?" You asked as you took the paper. "She knew I'd die next, so she wrote it and told me before I die, I should give it to you. She said when I did, it would be like her and I were writing it for you." "Thanks, Vinati. This means a lot." You smiled through your tears and she did as well. She took a shaky breath, "Kairi, I'm tired. I think I'll take a nap." "Yes, you should rest and when you wake up, I'll take you for ramen and we can hang out and catch up. I have so much to tell you." She smiled, "I'd like that. Thank you, Kairi." Then Vinati closed her eyes and her breathing got shallower and shallower until she stopped completely. You heard the heart monitor strike one note...Vinati was gone. You tried so hard to fight back the sobs as you said, "Good night, my friend. Sleep well." You stood up and left the room. When you got outside, you ran as fast as you could. You didn't know where, you just wanted to get out of there. You ran for a full 10 minutes until you couldn't go on anymore. You stopped on a cliff with a beautiful view of the village. You were breathing hard and it didn't help that you were crying. You dropped to your knees and couldn't hold it in anymore. You broke down and sobbed. Your face was in your hands as you did. You sobbed for a full 15 minutes then you calmed down but stilled cried softly. You hung your feet over the edge of the cliff and just stared. *My best friend is gone...the first person to accept me for who I was and stuck by me...is dead. She never even got to experience what it was like to be on a team. Vinati...I'm sorry. So sorry.* You then remembered the poem in your hand, but you didn't want to read it, not yet. You sat like that for an hour, until you felt like singing. Your guitar appeared in your lap. You unhooked you guitar pick and ran it down the strings. You set the guitar beside you and listened for your cue to start singing. It came and you began to sing. (This is the song. It's Forgiven by Within Temptation)
Couldn't save you from the start
Love you so it hurts my soul
Can you forgive me for trying again
Your silence makes me hold my breath
Time has passed you by
Oh, for so long I've tried to shield you from the world
Oh, you couldn't face the freedom on your own
Here I am left in silence
You gave up the fight
You left me behind
All that's done's forgiven
You'll always be mine
I know deep inside
All that's done's forgiven
I watched the clouds drifting away
Still the sun can't warm my face
I know it was destined to go wrong
You were looking for the great escape
To chase your demons away
Oh, for so long I've tried to shield you from the world
Oh, you couldn't face the freedom on your own
And here I am left in silence
You gave up the fight
You left me behind
All that's done's forgiven
You'll always be mine
I know deep inside
All thats dones forgiven
I've been so lost since you've gone
Why not me before you?
Why did fate deceive me?
Everything turned out so wrong
Why did you leave me in silence?
You gave up the fight
You left me behind
All that's done's forgiven
You'll always be mine
I know deep inside
All that's done's forgiven
After the song, your guitar disappeared. You then heard footsteps behind you and you sensed a familiar chakra. "So this is where you've been." You didn't answer. Neji came and sat beside you. "I heard what happened...I'm sorry, Kairi. If theres anything-" IF THERE'S ANYTHING?! NEJI, WHAT CAN YOU DO?! MY BEST FRIEND, WHOM I'VE KNOWN ALL MY LIFE, IS DEAD!! I WILL NEVER SEE HER AGAIN!!! IF WE HAND'T GONE ON THAT STUPID MISSION, MAYBE SHE WOULD BE ALIVE TODAY!!! SHE'S DEAD AND IT'S ALL MY FAULT!!! I wish we hadn't gone on that mission..." You were sobbing once again. Neji looked sympathetically at you, then he pulled you in his lap and you cried into his chest. He stroked your hair and whispered, "It's okay. And even if we didn't go on the mission, this still might've happened. It's not your fault she's dead." "Yes it is, this has always happened and I was always there to help her and the one time she needed me more than ever, I wasn't there." "You couldn't have known this would happen. She knew she was going to die soon. Even if you were there, you couldn't have helped her." "Maybe I could have." "Kairi, don't beat yourself up over this. It's not your fault, it was just her time to go. At least you were there for her final moments on Earth." "I never even got to tell her thanks for being there for me when I needed it and for being my friend for all of these years." This brought more tears to your eyes. "She knew you were thankful and that you loved her. She didn't need to hear it." You were silent as you thought about what he had said. "Also, don't say you wished you didn't go on the mission. I'm glad that we did. Because I probably never would have confessed I loved you." "I guess." Neji hugged you from behind. "Thanks, Neji. Can you do me a favor?" "Sure." "Can you read this for me?" You handed him the poem. He opened it and read it out loud:
Written with a pen, sealed with a kiss,
If you are my friend, please. answer this
Are we friends or are we not?
You told me once, but I forgot.
So tell me now and tell me true,
So I can say, I am here for you.
Of all the friends I've ever met,
You're the ones I won't forget.
And if I die before you do,
I'll go to heaven and wait for you.
Kairi, Vinati, this poem is one I wrote for you guys. I'm sorry I left you guys so soon, but I was ready to die. My only reason for living was because of both of you. You two made life bearable for me and you never judged me for my illness and for that, I thank you. I will never be able to repay your kindness, but I hope that I can when we meet again. But can you guys do me a favor? I know at times you might not miss me, but never forget me. If you don't, then I'll never be far away. My time is near and I must bid you farewell. My only regret is that I'm leaving you two to face the harsh world. I am sorry, but dont worry...we will meet again and I can't wait until that day. Good-bye and I love you guys.
Sen
Below that was another paragraph:
Hey, Kairi. A long time ago, Sen told me to add to the poem so I am. Thanks for being my friend all these years and putting up with me, even though at times you wanted to kill me. I know by the time you read this, I'll be dead. But I just had to tell you this. I'll miss you and I hope that you won't forget me and all of the memories we made together. I love you and I hope you have a good life, but not that good. I mean, I'm not in it anymore. But still. Sen and I will watch from above and we'll be waiting for the day when we all can be reunited again. Until then, good bye, my friend and good luck. ^.^ (Look! A smilie face! That should brighten you up! Your welcome!)
Vinati

Your eyes were closed and you were crying silently. *Thanks, guys. I'll never forget you. Not ever. I hope when you two see each other again, it'll be a happy reunion. I'll meet you guys up there again someday. Until then, good bye.* "That was beautiful." Neji said, "Who wrote this?" "Another one of our best friends. We met her back in the Mist village when we were about 8. She had skin cancer and was a lot closer to death than Vinati. She died when we were about 10, right around the time we left. She had been teased because of her illness and the way she looked. She was just like us and we hit it off pretty good. We were all going to travel around together, but she died before we could." "I'm sorry." "Don't be. She wanted to die. Her body just couldn't handle life anymore. I guess she just got tired of fighting." You two were silent for a few seconds. "So...you think you'll be okay?" You nodded, "I think I will." "That's good. Because I wouldn't be able to stand it if you were sad." You turned to him, "Thanks, Neji." He smiled then you kissed. You looked out at the village and you felt the rays of the setting sun warm your face. To you, it was like one last hug from Vinati and Sen. And with that and Neji by your side, you knew that you were going to be okay until you were reunited with your best friends once again...

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