Hello, readers.

You probably thought this was going to be a new chapter and a Witchblade Sakura revival? It has been 2011 since the last update. I regret to inform you. I'm sorry to say, but this is my official statement: I'm discontinuing this fanfic.

I don't do this often since I try to make it a point to finish my fanfics, but this was not to be. I wrote this fanfic at a time when I was still a big Naruto fan. I was keeping up with the manga weekly through scanlations before legal simul manga releases became a thing thanks to Shonen Jump's concentrated efforts. In 2008, I also delved into the Witchblade mythos reading the comics and watching the anime.

However, with time, writing fanfics are essentially a hobby. Granted, it's a creative outlet. In fact, writing fanfics has helped me improve my writing craft and I'm still learning while in the process of currently writing an original novel. And other fanfics took priority over WS, leading me to lessen my workload and cutting ties with this story. Moreover, my interest in Naruto began waning in 2011 where the Shippuden anime suffered due to the endless non-canon stuff that became detrimental to the main story. The manga was no better with some of the creative directions that weren't to my liking (none of which has anything to do with Naruto being paired with Hinata; I personally don't mind that shipping).

So, something had to give. Once the manga ended in 2014, so many events happened in the series that made it difficult for me to incorporate into a fanfic that stopped in 2011 and has since died. Where's the incentive in me reviving something I have no creative passion for anymore? That would not be fair to you or myself.

As for what were the future arcs planned for the rest of WS? Well, a lot of my notes are gone, but from the top of my head, I remember some of the important plot points. I do know I left off at the start of a mini-arc where Danzo hired Witchblade Hunters to pursue Sakura and her Witchblade. The other Konoha-nin, particularly the girls, would've helped her fend them off. Everything else about that arc is a blur to me. However, this would segue directly into Sasuke getting possessed by the Darkness, uniting with and ultimately killing off Madara, and capturing Naruto. Before taking Naruto, Darkness Sasuke, his Darkling army, and the remaining Akatsuki attack Konoha. There would've been many casualties, including Tsunade being killed by Sasuke. Tayuya escapes during the invasion and reawakens her Cloneblade power. The Angelus would've found, healed, and possessed a critically injured Hinata, completing the Trinity between her, Darkness Sasuke, and Witchblade Sakura.

Meanwhile, while this is all going down, Naruto awakens from his coma after meeting his mother and father. Then, Naruto learns to combine Kurama's power with the Excalibur piece to fight Darkness Sasuke. At some point, Darkness Sasuke kills Kabuto and acquires the Reanimation Jutsu. Replacing Tsunade, Kakashi takes over as temporary Hokage.

In the final stretches of the story, the remaining Akatsuki members (Pain, Konan, Zetsu, Kisame) would've collapsed. Pain/Nagato would've been destroyed by Angeus Hinata, with the Angelus giving Nagato a mercy killing sentence. This would prompt Konan to cut ties from the Akatsuki after losing to Karin and Tayuya. The Zetsu army and Darklings would've been Darkness Sasuke's minions. Kisame would've been slain by the Witchblade once Sakura unlocks the Witchblade's second mode. Darkness Sasuke then would've used the Reanimation Jutsu for our remaining heroes to fight. Most of the old guard shinobi would've died than in the canon.

The final battle would've been between Excalibur Naruto, Witchblade Sakura, and Darkness Sasuke. I had three endings planned: a true end and two alternate endings. The true ending would've had Sasuke die while Naruto and Sakura honored their friend's last wish by burying him outside Konoha while Naruto as Hokage erects an Uchiha Memorial. The second direction would've had Naruto dying with Sasuke and Sakura pregnant with Naruto's unborn child, leading to Sakura bearing a son, becoming a renowned nurse, and severing off her arm to end her ties with the Witchblade (and gaining a prosthetic arm). The third direction would've had Sakura die (with Sasuke), Naruto burying his two friends, and him adopting an abandoned newborn child (which would been Sakura reincarnated).

The Fourth Great Ninja War would've just been the Ninja Nations vs. Darkness Sasuke and his army, but nowhere as large scaled. Madara dies sooner. No Black Zetsu because the Darkness kills and eats him. And most of all, no Kaguya. In the true ending, Naruto becomes Hokage and his wife, Sakura, would've been head nurse of the Konoha hospital. Boruto and Sarada as we know them wouldn't exist because Naruto & Hinata and Sasuke & Sakura never get hooked up. Moreover, this story was formulated long before Boruto was put onto paper. Now with hindsight being 20/20, would I have used those names? Probably.

Other tidbits: all I remember is Tenten/Neji & Ino/Choji becoming couples, Shion participating in the war & sealing the Trinity artifacts, the Cloneblade artifacts ceasing after the war, Shigure the dog dying during the Darkness invasion & resting with Madara in the afterlife, Shikamaru taking care of Asuma & Kurenai's kid, and Tayuya hooking up with Inari once the kid got older.

And yeah, that's the gist of all I can remember. This may seem a lot, but there was a ton of other ideas and details lost from previous computer breakdowns. Sorry, but I can't go into further detail since I don't have the notes I lost years ago.

Sadly, finishing this was not meant to be. This is where I leave the story and I wanted you all to know this. I sincerely apologize for not giving this the attention it deserved. Thank you all who read this while it was being updated in 2008-2011. And thanks to the support and wishes for this story's eventual revival.

I don't like crushing people's hopes, but I'm doing what I feel is right for me. Honestly, I should've come clean and declared this a Dead Fic a long time ago. With 2020 and a new decade impending, I might as well put this project to rest and divorce myself from it.

I intend to keep this story up. So, if you wish to revisit this, by all means feel free. And please do look for other Naruto stories. There's sure to be plenty better than this.

Take care of yourselves and one another. Later.