His apprentice

Chapter 1

Goodbye, mother

The moon so big and mighty hung in the sky, lighting the dark forest in an eerie blue glow. I hung on to my mother's shoulder as she jumped from tree to tree. I could hear them approaching, their footsteps and whispers coming closer each second. My mother's labored breathing have only increased as she carried me through miles of forest. They were going to catch us. It was just a matter of time. I was terrified. Were they going to torture us or kill us? I closed my eyes and prayed to Kami-sama to send us an angel.

POV change:

I can't keep this up. But if I stop they will catch us. I can't let that happen. I have to protect Sayuri. I have to keep my promise to Takeshi-kun.

Flash back

The blizzard was in its full blast. About two dozen cloaked figures approached the small cottage. Inside the cottage a small fire was burning and two lovers were having their last moments together.

"Sakumo…take Sayuri and run" The male said to the female.

"But Takeshi…what about you" The female was close to tears.

"I have to fight them…I can't let them get to you…now go" He was determined.

"But Takeshi…they will kill you" The tears started to flow.

"I know …but you have to protect Sayuri…promise me" His eye softened as his gaze lay on his lover and their tiny child sleeping in her arms.

"I promise Takeshi …I love you…" Her voice quivered.

"I love you Sakumo…take care of yourself and Sayuri" He looked at his family for the last time.

"Yes…goodbye Takeshi-kun" A last kiss was exchanged.

"Good bye …Love" And he let them go, never to see again.

End of flash back

Itachi's POV:

I did it. I killed my clan. The mission was a success. The realization left an acrid taste in his mouth. The images wouldn't stop moving in his head. The image of his mother and fathers lifeless body, stained red with their own blood. His brother covered in bruises, crying and looking pathetic than ever. His own kin killed by his own two hands. Tears hadn't stopped flowing since he left his brother lying amongst the corpse of his family. He had begged the third Hokage to spare his little brother's life. Sandaime have looked at him with so much pity, that a sob have escaped his lips. "It is the least I can do" he has said.

Now as he tree hopped away from konoha he thought about Madara's offer to join the Akatsuki. It was a reasonable choice. He was the mass murderer of his own clan. Tomorrow he will be labeled as such and added to the bingo book. Akatsuki is the only place he can go to now. So he changed his track towards Kumogakure, village hidden in clouds, where Akatsuki currently resided. The journey would take him about ten hours if he travelled at break neck speed. He looked at the sky, the position of the moon and estimated the time. "Nine o'clock…around this time I will be usually with Sasuke". A sigh escaped his mouth and his chest constricted. The acrid taste was back and the images once again started flashing.

Then he felt it. A chakra flashing in panic. No two chakra's, one big the other small. Probably a child's. If he continued this path they will be intersecting in a minute or so. Should he continue? If this was a mission, the logical thing to do will be to divert from the path. But it was not. He was a missing-nin now, a wanted criminal. So he accelerated towards the chakras.

The figure stopped as it saw him. It was a woman in her early thirties. Clothed in common kunoichi attire. Her black eyes were frantic as she studied his attire and his headband. Her silver hair was blue in the moon light. Then he remembered the second chakra and looked at the bundle of cloak and mop of silver hair pressed to the woman's chest. It was a little girl. They were escaping from someone. But who? The tell tale sound of footsteps hitting the hard bark alerted his senses. The woman stiffened and looked back with horror filled eyes. Then she looked at him, closed her eyes for a brief moment then opened. Determination shone in her eyes.

"Please do me a favor shinobi-san…take my child and run…I will hold them …please" she pleaded him.

Itachi was shocked. This woman, he have never met before was assigning him her child, while she went for a battle of certain death. Didn't she see his headband, the scratch across the leaf insignia? He was a criminal for god's sake. Seeing the uncertainty and shock in the young shinobi's eyes she repeated her plea. He looked at the small girl. She was gripping her mother for dear life. Compassion grew in his heart for them and he nodded at the woman. Eyes shining with gratitude, she first handed him the back pack she was wearing on her back, then she embraced her daughter for the last time and kissed her forehead lovingly.

"They are after our kekkei genkai…we are from the fallen Yuki clan…this bag contains our clan scrolls…train her using it so she can protect herself…and most importantly…give her a reason to live" She looked at him, asking for a vow.

"I will…I promise" he vowed.

"Arigatou" She said with an appreciative smile.

"Sayuri …honey you have to go…this kind shinobi-san will take care of you from now on…I want you to be a good girl and become very strong okay…then mama and papa will be very proud" she cooed to her daughter as she kissed the girls cheek again. Then she handed her crying daughter to him, who immediately clung to him.

The woman looked at them one last time and started tree hopping towards their pursuers. I pulled the girl against my chest and continued my path towards Kumogakure. I felt the chakra spike as the battle started behind me but never looked backed. Then suddenly there was a cosmic chakra release and then nothing. The woman's chakra along with the pursuers has disappeared. They were dead. That must be a sacrificial kinjutsu, so that was her plan to save her daughter.