So here's the deal.

I lost interest. I know, shit excuse, but I did, and I apologize. But I'm going to fix that. Now heres what I aim to do:

I took on a whole big bunch of ideas I had floating in my head, and I screwed it up. Like a speeding train taking a curve too hard. A curve that was on fire.

I began "Naruto: Master of Deception", "Who Are You Really?", and "Subject 371". And I lost interest. I lost interest because I think I had too many ideas and didn't take the time to write them out. I didn't approach it like a book; instead, I just started typing furiously. So what I plan to do is take all three stories, combine their ideas and aspects...

And center them around Boruto.

HEAR. ME. OUT.

I like Naruto fanfics, but sometimes I feel its too difficult to take such an established character and branch off, while staying true to what the story is about. Bolt? WAAAAAY more open. I can work here. He can be far smarter, better, I can add so much, yet not have so many plot holes. Yeah, he can have issues, but with the original, there's so much that it seems like if you don't add in the entire original story, the right progression of things won't happen. Certain characters won't be who they are at the end. And I think Bolt can be much more interesting, because I feel like the world he lives in has more tech, and as a result, you get imprints of other stories and atmospheres in Naruto. Think the city in Blade Runner, with ninja and espionage. So that's kind of what I aim to do. Combine them.

Because if I don't, nothing is going to happen. Nothing will get made.

I don't have a time frame, nor do I offer a regular update schedule. But I promise you I'll make it. And it will be big.

Very big.

Thanks for reading this far.

UPDATE

So I thought I'd explain the premise of this next story, because someone in a review suggested it. If you like any of the three stories above, listen up.

What I aim to do is combine the ideas I had from all three and put them into one story, centered around Bolt. Now I know Bolt's an unlikable tit most of the time, but honestly, I hate early Naruto more. I do. It's like they made this unbelievably beautiful world, with this incredible backstory, added so much lore and mythos, and then was like, "Hey, who's our main character? I dunno, how about some dude who farts on people?" Yeah, I know he got better, but he was so unlikable to me in the beginning.

Which is the great thing about Fanfiction, is that you can change that. Which is why if you don't like Bolt you don't have to worry. He's not going to be an arrogant asshole. He's going to be smart. And he will be somewhat sarcastic and confident, but not in an annoying way. More of an anti-hero than what Naruto is. Does the right thing, but still kills enemies. He is a shinobi after all.

Now I aim to take most from 'Subject 371' because I went and read it again, and I forgot how much I enjoyed writing it, and how much I enjoyed putting that kind of description in there. I'll take aspects of 'Who Are You Really?' into it as well, probably tell the story after the fact like I did in it. Going back through it, I didn't have as much fun writing it, but I liked what I was trying to do there more than 371, if that makes any sense. It felt less descriptive, but more... promising. More capacity for good, dark moments. I aim to combine these elements into one story. A little humor, a little sadness, a little slice of life. Since 'Who Are You Really?' was a direct re-do of 'Master of Deception', I don't aim to pull a lot from that, but what I was going to do later in that story will be in this one, as will the others. I'd planned a lot and didn't get around to it.

Also, don't panic, it'll be dark but I'm a sucker for a happy ending. Expect implied dark elements like 'offscreen' genocides of small villages by the bad guys, but don't expect, like, rapes or anything. That stuff is a subject I'd rather have nothing to do with. Though there might be a few 'character about to get attacked or assaulted' gets saved right beforehand situations, there won't be anything on screen that happens.

So send me a PM if you have questions, since I find it easier to reply there, and I hope you'll enjoy the new story!

Maybe someday I'll go back and re-do '371' or 'WAYR'. Someday. But for now, I'm doing something else.