Itachi Interlude

Disclaimer: None of these cut scenes 'officially' happen in the Connections series, so they may contradict what the original story shows.

For Itachi, it's no surprise to find out that his father was hiding such a shameful secret. The biggest surprise was finding out that the family had let the child live. That his father had bothered to keep any record of his lost brother. But if there was one thing the family valued more than power, it was pride. A Uchiha, even an unworthy one, was still worth more than any commoner.

And unfortunately, that was true.

Genetics held true. While Itachi's grandparents and their generation may not have wanted to have the stain of a non-nin in the main family, Itachi was reasonable enough to see the value of such a person. A genetic carrier. One that wouldn't be sent off to the front lines to die – but also one that would never be able to defend himself.

Yes, it was a miracle they had let the child live. An uncommon bout of mercy from a world that held little.

England.

Itachi was familiar with the non-nin countries in the same way he was familiar with what lived at the bottom of the ocean or how to make rice paper. Neither were very useful in his life, but you didn't reach the level of genius without some periphery knowledge of the rest of the world.

He had never been to England. There was no reason to. Nothing to be gained from it and no threat to train himself against. There were no nin in England or any of those other countries. Just machines. Armies of metal and rocks and walls of flesh that they flung at one another and called a battle. No finesse. No skill. Just numbers. Why bother with such a place?

Why keep track of one abandoned baby in such a place?

But father had. The brother he had never known, and yet father had meticulously added to the record.

Did he live?

Father had never been a man to half-heartedly do something. If he had kept a record – if he had bothered with such a sentimental thing – then he would have kept the record.

There was no death recorded.

An Uncle. A blind useless one, but nevertheless. Perhaps even an Aunt by now.

Cousins.

Itachi allowed himself one moment to breath in deep – the smell of mold and paper and wooden floor boards and faintly hydrangeas in the yard and the electrical burn that meant his brother was close and on edge. Always so careless, that one. Prone to spilling over in everything. His chakra. His emotions. Too late now to run. It had been a calculated risk. Itachi had needed to know. Needed to confirm that such a mad thing might actually be true. Inevitably it was not something he could keep hidden, not if he wanted to be the one to get there first.

A cousin.

The door snapped open, all that rage condensed and ready to explode before him.

Dear little brother, I would spare you this if I could.

There would be no happy endings in the Uchiha family.

It was only a matter of time, Itachi knew that. Wherever he would go, his dear little brother would follow. And such a hunt would incense him to new heights. Perhaps unimagined ones. Itachi was meticulous – like his father – but he was also humble enough to understand that not all things can be accounted for. That there was always new information. He just normally ensured it so that no matter what, he maintained control.

Itachi did not have control now and he couldn't help but wonder.

Afterall, it had been a very long time since he had found himself at such a crossroads.

Number 4 Privet Drive was what Itachi had expected. Neither a hovel nor sophisticated. Nameless. Hidden among rows upon rows of sameness. Forgettable.

Where else would one put a child that should not have existed?

This may not be exactly where Itachi's grandfather offloaded his unwanted offspring, but it was where that path had led to. Another invisible orphan.