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Epilogue

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It was another one of those rainy nights. It was the same as before, but different in a way. The raindrops hit the large window and the smell of wet soil filtered through under the entrance. But since a few months the neon tube had been replaced by a stylish lamp and the old tables finally refurbished. The once ochre walls were now newly painted a dark shade of red. And what used to be an empty and depressing coffee shop was now a cozy, though extravagant café.

A lightning lit the empty street, casting a ghostly light over the surrounding buildings. She sipped the last of her pitch black coffee. A red haired man came to her table and took her cup.

"I'll change and we'll be leaving" he said giving her a small smile. Sakura nodded, it had been almost four months since he had began working at the coffee shop. She didn't have a routine anymore. Every day was different; they always went someplace different or did something new. She had seen Kakashi a couple of times since that incident on the sidewalk. The last time he was looking very apologetic and his lawyer seemed tired to death. Sometime after he got a girlfriend, and the restrain order was lifted. The boys had done a wonderful job. She chuckled as she thought of Naruto and Sasuke's faces when she told them Gaara worked at the coffee shop she frequented. Perhaps that was the reason they had bought and restored it. Though Gaara liked to say they were only doing it to keep an eye on him (and to make him suffer and work to death as legally as they could). All in all now the place was very popular, though at some time of the night was as dead as before.

"What are you laughing at?" the male voice said behind her, she turned and gave him a huge smile "are you ready?"

"Yup" She rose from her chair and walked to the door. Suddenly she gasped.

"What happened?"

"I…. forgot my umbrella— I-it wasn't raining before--" Gaara opened his mouth like a fish, frowning

"I don't... have one either…" he said and there was a tense silence

The door of the café opened and an old man came in, two umbrellas in hand.

"Miss!" He said as he spotted Sakura " I've been meaning to return this to you for months, I am very sorry"

"No problem" she answered. The man left and Sakura looked at her redheaded man slyly. "Come on, stranger" she said recalling his words on their first meeting "we have a movie to catch. Lead me to your car"

"You'll never let me live this one down, will you?"

"Never…" she said with a wicked smile.

And they walked away, leaving the small café. The once worn out sign had been replaced and now a new one stood in its place, still retaining the original name.

…

"Red Shadow"

Thank you very much for following Red Shadow throughout these 7 months. I want to thank all of those who reviewed, added me to their alerts and also to the anonym readers for encouraging me to keep writing. I hope you enjoyed reading this story as much as I did writing it. Thanks again, and goodbye!