Never Surrender

Here is the epilogue and a review of what happens. This takes place a year and a half later.

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Sakura jolted down the village streets. As she passed the residential sector, she met up with Ino.

"What is it, Sakura?"

"Shizune said he's awake! I need to see if it's true."

Tears started to well up in her green eyes.

She arrived at the hospital. He had been in a coma for a year and a half. He had sustained heavy injuries. It was because of Shizune that he survived. She hadn't talked with him in that long. A normal person would have gone crazy.

She opened the door and saw Xorias turn his head.

She smiled as he started talking, "Hey…"

"Hi."

She walked over to him and he sat up briefly. She wrapped her arms around him, "I'm glad you're back with us…"

"Me too…"

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It would be another week before Xorias was out of the hospital. Sakura didn't mind the wait. She had waited a year and a half. A week was nothing.

Naruto and Hinata had married and gave birth to their first child, Kiri. She had already started having small conversations with her parents.

Neji had stepped down as captain of the ANBU team. He said he thought his services would be more effective elsewhere, and was replaced by Xorias, in his stead. He had found out three days after he woke up, so it was still slightly shocking.

There had been no word from Orochimaru or his allies since their defeat a year and a half ago. And Orochimaru's former closest ally, the Council of Lorii, had created a strong alliance with Konoha.

However, not all was good. Sunagakure, the Village Hidden in the Sand, had lost its leader, the Kazekage. He had gone missing a few months before Xorias woke up. He is still missing to this day.

One particular day, three months after Xorias woke up after his coma, Sakura and Xorias were walking through the Forest of Death, discussing the Chuunin exams and how they were going to go about administering it, when Xorias heard a voice.

"Almost two years… two years I have waited for this moment… who knew it would be this simple."

Sakura recognized the voice right away, "Oh no… it can't be… it's… Orochimaru!"

Xorias immediately drew his swords. Though it had been a three full months, he hadn't been in real combat for quite some time. Out of the shadows stepped Orochimaru and Kabuto, with only one arm. Tsunade had explained what happened that day.

Xorias turned to Sakura, "Sakura, go and get help… I will hold them off…"

"But… you're still…"

"Don't worry," he reassured her activating his Sharingan, "Besides, I have my Sharingan… I'll be fine," he said pointing a finger to his right eye.

She started to dart away then turned around quickly, "Be careful, I don't want to lose you again…"

"I will…"

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Tsunade had just completed the last of her paperwork and had it all neatly stacked and in alphabetical order. Just as she sighed, Sakura busted through the door, flushing the papers all over the room. She tried to keep her calm and gritted her teeth, "This better be good, or I swear, I am going to beat you so hard, your great grandchildren will feel it."

"He's back! Orochimaru's back!" Sakura explained catching her breath.

Tsunade immediately stood up.

"Scramble all available ninja, priority top! Recall all ninja on missions! This is an emergency!"

"May Kami have mercy on our souls…"

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The story is now officially complete! Chapter one of "A New Age" coming shortly!