Dear Faithful Readers who, for some unimaginable reason, haven't given up on me,

I am very, very, very sorry. The last five years have been hard on me with several circumstances beyond my control demanding priority and dictation over my life. The primary of these have been family, work and school and have, circuitously, consumed my time, energy and attention.

Because of this, I've left you hanging, perhaps on several stories at once, with the promise that—whatever happens—those stories will be completed. The fact is, I had every intention of finishing every single story, many of which are plotted out from beginning to end. However, it isn't fair of me to keep you waiting for so long for a resolution to a story when I have no idea when or how long it will take for me to reach the final conclusion. For that reason, I'm posting my outlines for every unfinished story so that, if you so desire, you may have the ending you've been craving, however incomplete it may be.

This doesn't mean that I won't eventually write out those outlines in chapter/story form, but it could be many more years yet coming before such a thing becomes a viable option in my otherwise hectic and highly prioritized life.

Again, I apologize profusely and I understand if you wish to send me hate-mail and other such unkind reviews. The only thing I ask is that you please keep in mind that no one on Fanfiction. Net is paid in any way, shape or form for the stories they contribute and so I must resign myself to providing for myself and my family in more substantial ways.

Thank you again to all who have stuck with me for so long and, I hope, will continue to stick with me in the future. You all were my motivation these last twelve years and I couldn't have gotten as far as I have without you.

All the best,

Kaliea

Holding Out For A Hero

After leaving their adopted children with the Fourth Hokage, the Corner Kids infiltrate Konoha through the underground tunnels that connect the village's four main estates but are surprised to find them collapsed. Forced to revise their plans, Hinata suggests that they regroup at a hidden Hyuuga safehouse. There, Sasuke, Sakura, Hinata and Naruto are reunited with the other surviving Konoha kids. Naturally, everyone is shocked to find the Corner Kids are ten years older than they should be but they set that aside to form a plan of attack. Using their various blood-line limits, the group is able to sneak into Konoha before they break up again. Kyo's group forms a distraction to draw out Orochimaru's main forces so that Sasuke and the others can sneak into the Hokage tower to free Itachi and Hikari and confront Orochimaru.

Meanwhile, Itachi wakes in the middle of the night to the sounds of battle. He tells Hikari to wake up while he pulls out the weapons hidden beneath the bed that he has secretly been making from their prison's stone walls. Commotion in the halls pulls Itachi to the door where he tries to figure out what is happening. He realizes Hikari hasn't woken up yet and goes to the bet to shake her awake but is stunned to find she died in her sleep. Horror, fear, pain, anger, etc cause Itachi to overcome the blood-binding Orochimaru placed on him and his Mangekyou sharingan evolves to the final level (previously thought to be attainable only through stealing the eyes of another mangekyou user).

Sasuke and his group make it to the tower where they are confronted with Orochimaru and Kabuto. Sakura begs out of the fight because she's worried about Hikari—she hasn't felt her sister's life-line for a good hour now. Sasuke and Naruto agree and Hinata joins Sakura in her search for Itachi and Hikari.

In the village, Yotaro and Kaemon have confronted Kisho and the two join forces to destroy the psychotic Spider-Fusion. In the process, Kaemon realizes that Kisho lost his mind when his original fusion, Yamisuke, was killed and that his current summon is only a replacement and not an actual fusion-familiar. When he is finally defeated, Kisho dies smiling with Yamisuke's name on his lips.

Sakura and Hinata find Itachi's cell and Sakura is horrified to find her sister dead. Itachi dead-pans the years of captivity to the girls, saying how unfair it was that Hikari was taken away just as peace and freedom were finally attainable. He kisses Hikari's dead lips and stands, striding passed Hinata and Sakura (whom he doesn't recognize), determined to eradicate Orochimaru. Devastated by her sister's death, Sakura cradles Hikari's body as she cries. However, she notices something strange—though her life is gone, Hikari's spirit-thread is still attached by a single, frayed strand. Sakura follows the fragile line and realizes it's the thread that binds Hikari to her son Kane and, by extension, Itachi. With this single thread as her guide, Sakura swears to do the impossible and bring her sister back to life.

Naruto is battling Kabuto and starts to lose control of his fox-fusion. Fortunately, Haku arrives to help with the battle which takes a great deal of stress off Naruto and he's able to get his fusion under control. Together, Haku and Naruto kill Kabuto.

Meanwhile, Sasuke is having a hard time with Orochimaru when Itachi suddenly appears in a furry of vengeance. Sasuke is shocked by the violent changed in his normally passive brother. He tries to snap Itachi out of his craze without sacrificing the sudden advantage against Orochimaru, knowing that if Itachi kills Orochimaru in blind hatred, he'll never forgive himself. However, a sharp and unexpected pain shoots through Sasuke's heart and he loses focus.

Using her own spirit-thread as fuel, Sakura travels along Hikari's spirit-thread to reach the realm of the dead. Once there, she meets Nolen, the God of Life and Death, who is willing to return Hikari's soul on exchange—Sakura for Hikari. Despite the life she's made for herself, and how much she loves her friends, adopted children and husband (Sasuke), Sakura agrees.

Hikari wakes up, not knowing where she is, to find her somehow grown up sister lying motionless across her chest. Through her tears, Hinata explains that Sakura used a forbidden jutsu to retrieve Hikari's soul, but that the sisters should have woken up at the same time. While they're talking, Sakura unexpectedly begins to glow.

Realizing something must have happened to Sakura, Sasuke is torn between defeating Orochimaru and leaving to find his wife. Fortunately, Haku and Naruto arrive to both combat Orochimaru and help calm Itachi. Sasuke is about to leave to find Sakura when Hinata and Hikari appear with Sakura walking ahead of them. The three girls are glowing different colors: Hikari white, Hinata purple and Sakura pink. Stunned by this unexpected turn, the fighting stops. Sakura strides through the motionless men and touches Itachi, who glows black, Sasuke, who glows red, Naruto, who glows blue, and Haku, who glows green, on their foreheads, temporarily transferring to them the elemental powers of the Seven Gods—the Ultimate Haruno Secret Jutsu.

The seven are then able to channel the gods' powers and use a combined jutsu that transfers Orochimaru—body and spirit—into the realm of the dead where he is imprisoned. With Orochimaru gone, the glows fade and Sakura collapses.

A week later, the village is still trying to cope with its new-found freedom. Itachi and Hikari are reunited with Kane as Minato arrives with the children. Sasuke takes Midori and Kaede to the hospital where Sakura is recovering from near fatal Chakra Depletion. Fortunately Hinata, using a Hyuuga technique, was able to transfer enough chakra to Sakura following her collapse that she didn't die. Sasuke kisses the sleeping Sakura on the forehead and sits down in a chair to wait for her to wake up with Kaede in his arms and Midori playing on the floor.

The End

I know a lot of it is cheesy, please keep in mind that I was fifteen when I first started this story and I hadn't written anything more substantial than a really bad Ranma ½ fic and a really bad Rurouni Kenshin Fic.