Uchiha Itachi

Uchiha Itachi – The Great Traitor of Konoha

CHARACTER OVERVIEW

Uchiha Itachi is the eldest son of Uchiha clan head, Uchiha Fugaku, and his wife, Uchiha Mikoto. He is an exceptionally gifted prodigy of the Ninja Academy, graduating in just 4 months, achieving the second highest score in the “Written” exam in the academy’s history, surpassed only by Namikaze Minato. He completed the second round of exams in just 5 hours and 37 minutes, the fastest time ever recorded. Notably, he competed alone instead of in a team of three, becoming a Chunin at around 10 or 11 years old. Shortly after, he joined the Anbu and became the captain of an Anbu squad at the age of 13. These accomplishments demonstrate his extraordinary talent.

Regarding his power, Itachi is an exceptional member of the Uchiha clan, so being incredibly strong is natural for him. Possessing the limited bloodline trait, Sharingan, he can use genjutsu on his opponents, predict their attacks, and evade them. He also possesses an upgraded form of Sharingan, called Mangekyou Sharingan, which grants him three additional abilities. His left eye allows him to use the genjutsu Tsukuyomi, which enables him to control and alter the perception of time for his victims. This allows him to torment his victims for what feels like days, but in reality, it lasts only a few minutes, leaving them mentally traumatized and unable to fight for an extended period. His right eye enables him to use the ninjutsu Amaterasu, an inextinguishable black flame that burns until its target turns to ashes. The most powerful ability of Mangekyou Sharingan is the creation of a colossal spectral warrior known as Susanoo. Susanoo envelops the user, acting as an extension of their body and can be controlled through thought. Orochimaru, one of Konoha’s legendary Sannin, even admitted that Itachi was stronger than himself.

IMPOSSIBLE DIRECTION DUE TO THE TRAGIC TITLES “CLAN” AND “PROTECTING THE VILLAGE”

At the age of 4, Itachi witnessed the reality of war through the eyes of his father. At such a tender age, still innocent, weak, and playful, he had to witness the horrifying sight of piled-up corpses, an image too gruesome for a child to bear. Itachi shed tears, but he did not let his father know. It is evident that he matured beyond his years. Right after that moment, he gained a determination that he would pursue for the rest of his life: “I will become a shinobi superior to anyone and eliminate the seeds of war from this world.”

His unwavering determination can be clearly seen as he trained in every basic technique of a shinobi even before entering the Ninja Academy. It seems that his direction was on the right path, albeit slightly crooked. However, life is not a dream. While he was on the right path, a tragedy occurred—the Uchiha clan planned to overthrow Konoha. It became the greatest obstacle on his journey to eradicate war. Although he tried his best to prevent it, the weakness of the Third Hokage, the conservatism of Danzo, and the foolishness of the Uchiha clan left him with no other choice but to become a criminal, an S-ranked criminal, by exterminating his entire clan except for his younger brother, Uchiha Sasuke. If those events hadn’t unfolded, could Itachi have achieved his seemingly impossible dream at that time? There is no definitive answer except for the author. However, the writer believes that Itachi could have made his direction a reality because, as stated by the Third Hokage, Itachi had the mindset of a Hokage even at the age of 7.

RELATIONSHIPS

1/ UCHIHA SASUKE: LOVE ABOVE ALL ELSE

From the moment Uchiha Sasuke was born, Itachi had a feeling that he had to protect this soul at all costs. During the Nine-Tails’ attack on Konoha, Itachi was the one standing guard beside his younger brother. Furthermore, when Itachi intended to kill his three subordinates, Inabi, Yashiro, and Tekka, who were falsely accusing him of Shisui’s death, Sasuke appeared and shouted, bringing him back to his senses. Itachi didn’t want Sasuke to witness the gruesome scene of bloodshed and the Uchiha clan members killing each other. The love Itachi had for his younger brother is indescribable in detail because it runs too deep, surpassing even the love he had for his parents. He could annihilate the entire clan, even his own parents, but he couldn’t bring himself to harm his younger brother. He had to speak cruel words to Sasuke and turn the love his brother had for him into deep-seated hatred in order to kill the “culprit” and become a hero for the clan and the village. He was even willing to expose Konoha’s secrets to other nations to ensure that Sasuke wouldn’t be manipulated by Danzo.

In the battle against Uchiha Sasuke in the Shippuden arc, Itachi pushed Sasuke beyond his limits, and Orochimaru appeared. Itachi used the Totsuka Blade to seal Orochimaru. In his final moments, Itachi always focused on his younger brother and tried his best to protect Sasuke. As he departed, he smiled brightly. It seems like he fulfilled his final wish for his younger brother. It can be said that for Itachi, Sasuke is the most important person, the one he loves the most. And undoubtedly, the time Itachi felt most at peace was when he was with Sasuke.

2/ UCHIHA SHISUI: STRONG BROTHERLY BOND

Briefly introducing Uchiha Shisui, he was also a genius no less than Uchiha Itachi, known by many as “Shisui of the Body Flicker.” He awakened the Mangekyou Sharingan and possessed the Kotoamatsukami genjutsu. This allowed the user to penetrate the target’s mind and control them (or implant a pre-established “command”), making the victim completely unaware of being manipulated. Another terrifying aspect was that this technique didn’t require eye contact, making it impossible to avoid. It could even override the control command of Edo Tensei. It was considered one of the most powerful genjutsu in Naruto, surpassing even Tsukuyomi.

When they first met during Itachi’s training, the two formed a strong bond and created an unbreakable connection. They were both rivals and comrades, pushing each other to develop in all aspects. Only Shisui could satisfy Itachi, as he was his greatest opponent, and vice versa. Both of them shared the same immediate goal, which was to prevent the Uchiha clan from staging a coup.

In a moment when Shisui was supposed to use Kotoamatsukami on the clan head Fugaku, he was intercepted and had one eye taken by Danzo. With his last bit of strength, he requested Itachi to throw him down the waterfall and entrusted his remaining eye to him, believing that Itachi could prevent the Uchiha clan’s coup. The death of his dear friend helped Itachi unlock a new visual jutsu called the Mangekyou Sharingan.

3/ PARENTS: LATE REALIZATION

Regarding Itachi’s feelings towards his mother, it is not depicted in great detail. However, what we can see is that Itachi’s mother always cared for and looked after him, which is something normal that mothers often do. On the other hand, the interaction between Itachi and his father, Fugaku, is portrayed in much greater detail. Itachi and his father had a distant relationship throughout most of Itachi’s time with the clan due to their opposing views. Fugaku often neglected to spend time with Itachi and focused more on Itachi’s younger brother, Sasuke, which made Itachi uncomfortable. During that time, Itachi also sensed that his father didn’t see him as a son but merely as a tool to delve deeper into the leadership of Konoha.

But what father wouldn’t love his own child? It wasn’t until the moment his parents were about to face death that Itachi truly felt his father’s love for him. He understood the pain his father had to endure when he was forced to confront his own “Creator.” His father didn’t blame or resent him; instead, he was proud of his son. Itachi regretted not spending more time with his father to understand his worries and burdens. “Although our paths were different, I am always proud of you. You are a compassionate child.”

4/ VILLAGE AND CLAN:

These are the two factors that hindered Itachi’s progress in achieving peace in his own way. He had to be a double agent, reporting his clan’s internal affairs to the Konoha leadership while working against them. In the end, he chose the side of the village. He constantly provided information about the Uchiha clan’s coup to Konoha, but what did he receive in return? Nothing, absolutely nothing. Moreover, he became the one responsible for annihilating his own clan. Did he want that to happen? Certainly not. So, did the one-year delay in the Uchiha clan’s coup after Shisui’s death achieve anything? No, the village did nothing. Through this, we can see the weakness of the Third Hokage, who was manipulated by Danzo, leading Itachi to be forced to exterminate his clan. But Itachi still protected the village from the shadows and remained proud to be a shinobi of Konoha. It was truly unjust for his life, as he sacrificed so much.

BRIEF IMPRESSION OF ITACHI: TRUE STORY

In addition to expressing thoughts about Itachi, the writer will share a personal reflection on the novel “Itachi: True Story.” After reading it, tears flowed abundantly, something that hadn’t happened in a long time. After reading, you will understand Itachi more and empathize with him even more. The novel has been published, so you can purchase it at bookstores or online book retailers.

CONCLUSION:

It can be said that Itachi is the most successfully developed character in Naruto. He was a tragic genius who sacrificed so much for the village, embodying the true qualities of a Hokage and displaying boundless love for his younger brother.

This is the writer’s first article about a character, so there may be mistakes. Feedback from readers is highly appreciated to improve future articles. To conclude, the writer would like to quote the dialogue in which Itachi enlightened Naruto, wishing everyone a joyful weekend.

“I admit that you are stronger now, but it seems you have forgotten what truly matters. Listen carefully: the villagers who once despised you have begun to acknowledge you. They consider you a comrade. It’s because you made efforts to seek their recognition. You once said that it was thanks to those who cared for and supported you that you stand where you are today. If you forget everyone just because you now possess power and become arrogant and selfish, you will eventually become like Madara. No matter how powerful you become, never shoulder everything alone. If you do, you will surely fail. Your father, Minato, was able to fulfill his role as Hokage because he had your mother, Kushina, and comrades by his side. You also share the same dream as your father, don’t you? Then never forget… Becoming Hokage doesn’t mean people will acknowledge you. It’s only when you are acknowledged by everyone that you can become Hokage. Never forget your friends!”

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