Hello everybody, it has been exactly two years since the creation of Hikari Senju and exactly one year since I posted the epilogue to my first Itachi/Hikari fanfiction entitled Itachi's New Partner. It's Itachi's birthday again. A big life change happened for me this year. I was accepted into the #1 school of Social Work in the country for my master's degree (not at all to brag, just sharing because I thought it would be funny to shed some light into who I am as a writer. If you know about social work you can probably see a lot of references to the discipline in my previous story. I'm pretty serious about the themes I wrote about!) Once again, it is June 9th. Because of the wonderful reviews I received on my first story, I am happy to be submitting the first chapter of my continuation.

For readers who were introduced to this first story because they are interested in reading about Itachi, I am happy to say that his character will live on in this next one, and that he and Hikari are still very much in contact. But because he's dead, he won't be in it in quite the same way! It will be exploring Hikari and Sasuke's unique relationship and covering the time after Itachi's death, the 4th Great Ninja War, and into Boruto (because adult Sasuke and Sarada have got to be involved). So many of the very valid points raised about the shinobi world seem to have been largely ignored and forgotten by Hokage Naruto, and I want to write a story in which they aren't just left for the history books. It will also be exploring the idea of (rogue) half Uchiha and half Senju offspring. Because I'm in quite an intensive program, I might have to take a break part way through writing this story. But I'm going to try my best to get my writing out in a fairly timely manner! I've spent a lot of this year writing to give myself a head start.

It will be called The Uchiha's Restoration

This is a preview of the first chapter. I really really hope everyone that enjoyed this fanfic follows the continuation, where you get to see Itachi's dream live on.

Two months had passed since the day Sasuke learned his brother's truth. Blinded by pain and vengefulness, he sought solace in the Akatsuki and in Madara, his only remaining relative. War was close on the horizon, and the young teen dedicated himself to making preparations with his team to capture the eight-tails.

In hiding, Hikari Senju followed the raven-haired boy; keeping true to her promise every day, taking on the role Itachi had given her as a protector. And while Madara hid her existence from the boy until he was ready, even he did not know the woman's secret.

On one particularly chilly September evening, Sasuke had sent his teammates on separate duties. In the middle of a sandy plane, he stood alone waiting for his target. When she did not come of her own volition, he lost his patience.

"Come on out. I know you're there."

Hikari smiled, and stepped forward. She knew that Sasuke had stationed Karin nearby just in case, which made this arrangement all the more convenient.

"Very good, I'm impressed." No longer wearing Akatsuki attire, it took Sasuke a moment to recognize her.

"You're the one from before. The one I fought the day before he died." Sasuke thought back to that moment, caught in her wood style, partially paralyzed with the poison from her vines. As much as he tried to dismiss her that day, he remembered the conversation they had back then:

Itachi is our strongest member, and one of the most loyal. You're his younger brother. Let's just say.. I'm curious about you. Fine. I'll humor you. Let's say you were strong enough to kill Itachi. What then? You would be the last Uchiha."

"I'm going to restore my clan. I'm going to take back all that that monster took from me!"

"Such a pointless aim. Itachi was smart to have killed them. The Uchiha had always been a troublesome clan. Their arrogance and pride blinded them to their limitations. They thought they were better than the rest of your pathetic village. It's no surprise the others resented them. They made a certain impression, like they wanted more power than they deserved. I bet that someone would have gotten rid of them if Itachi hadn't taken care of the job himself."

"You know nothing of the Uchiha,"

"And you think you do? You must have barely been a person when your brother took them all out. The Uchiha had always been at odds with the rest of the village. You could say they were disliked from the beginning. That's why they were overrun."

"I don't want to hear any more from you! My clan did nothing to deserve a massacre! Itachi is pure evil. And I'll avenge everything. I'll make him sorry he was ever born. I swear I will." Hikari's heart sunk, as she was almost certain Itachi felt that exact way at times. "So just tell me where he is." Hikari smiled at the angry teen gently, with closure.

"You really hate your brother, don't you?"

"With every fiber of my being." She nodded.

"Good. Then use your desire for justice to fuel your strength." The boy looked at him questioningly. Itach's crow flew to her shoulder. Sasuke was close to breaking through her trap, to cast a genjutsu. "It will certainly make for an entertaining show. I'll be watching your fight, Sasuke."

"Judging by what you told me that day, you must have been a coconspirator with him and Madara. You knew the truth about Itachi, didn't you? Who are you?" Sasuke demanded, guard up. Hikari gave a tender and slightly sorrowful smile.

"There's much about Itachi that even Madara does not know. I've been waiting for a long time to tell you everything. Because my name is Hikari Senju, and I was Itachi's wife.