Itachi Uchiha – his actions were once seen as the coldest, most heartless betrayal. However, those who truly understand him will find that everything he did was made in a highly twisted yet noble sense of loyalty and sacrifice. So why did he decide to kill off his own clan? This article will delve deeply into Itachi’s inner world and analyze the reasons behind his extreme choice.
Who is Uchiha Itachi?
Uchiha Itachi is one of the most controversial and unforgettable characters in Naruto. He is the older brother of the protagonist Sasuke and a member of the Anbu squad, “Root”. He is a prodigy of the Uchiha clan.
What is the context under which Itachi killed the Uchiha clans?
The Uchiha clan is one of the most powerful ninja clans in the Hidden Leaf Village in the Land of Fire. Firstly, what we need to understand is that the Uchiha and the Senju are founded as equal governing families of Konoha. However, as time passed, the Senju clan gradually solidified their leadership position in the village, meanwhile, the Uchiha’s were gradually marginalized. This unequal shift in the balance of power brewed disputes and dissatisfaction within the Uchiha clan itself.
Secondly, the Uchiha clan possesses the Sharingan, an ocular power that is inherited among their own, which serves as their secret weapon in making their stand in the ninja world. Though, this power also makes them the object of fear and trepidation of the other people in Konoha.
The Hidden Leaf Village’s leadership was exceedingly alert and surveilled the Uchiha clan tightly. Especially after the “Nine-Tails’ attack”, this attitude became more prominent. The Uchiha clan was suspected to be the one who manipulated the attack on the Hidden Leaf Village by the Nine-Tails, although there is no concrete evidence. Furthermore, the village even dispatched Itachi as a spy within the Uchiha clan, reflecting the vigilance and dread other clans had towards the Uchiha’s.
When the Uchiha’s planned to rebel, the leader of the Hidden Leaf Village, Danzo, even decided to annihilate the entire Uchiha clan to prevent the coup, undoubtedly revealing his great fear towards the Uchiha clan.
Under the dual influence of power imbalance and fear, the relationship between the Hidden Leaf Village and the Uchiha clan gradually became tense.
The Uchiha clan had always hoped for equal rights and status. They did not fully accept the leadership of the Senju clan. Over time, external factors, such as competition for leadership in the Hidden Leaf Village, complicated the situation. In order to protect their interests, the Uchiha clan began considering a coup.
Itachi was a prodigy in the clan. From a young age, he stood out with strategies and power beyond ordinary people. His talent and potential were astounding. However, the world Itachi lived in was not all bright.
As a member of a powerful clan in the Leaf Village, he was entangled in the struggle for power between the family and the village at an early age. This not only filled Itachi’s life with conflicts and struggles but also doomed his tragic fate.
Why did Itachi kill his clan?
- Avoid Larger Conflict: Itachi discovered that the Uchihas were planning a coup. He knew that if the coup succeeded, not only would it trigger a civil war in the Leaf Village, it might also trigger a larger Ninja War. Due to Itachi’s desire for peace and loyalty to the Leaf Village, he decided to prevent the potential war in this extreme way.
- Protect his younger brother Sasuke Uchiha: Sasuke, Itachi’s younger brother, was the person he cared about most. He wanted to protect Sasuke from the suffering of war. He chose to bear the guilt himself, letting Sasuke survive, hoping that Sasuke could kill him and become a hero of the Leaf Village.
- Obeying Orders: In fact, this massacre was also a command from Elder Danzo. Danzo threatened Itachi that if he didn’t kill his clan, he would order other ninjas to kill off all the Uchihas. To let Sasuke survive, Itachi accepted the order.
This tragedy made Itachi carry great pain and guilt, he became a traitor to the whole village, but he bore no grudges or regrets. In his view, as long as he could protect Sasuke and the Leaf Village, all of this was worth it.
So, was the Uchiha clan itself to blame?
We can’t simply say that the Uchiha clan was the main culprit. It’s usually filled with complexity and grey areas.
The Uchiha clan was one of the four noble clans of the Hidden Leaf Village in the Land of Fire and has a potent doujutsu, the Sharingan. They had always been a crucial force in protecting and maintaining the safety of the village. However, they also became dissatisfied with their power and status, causing turmoil, and planning a coup to seize greater power.
On the one hand, this was the result of their fear and alienation by the village, particularly in the incident where the Nine-Tails fox attacked the Leaf Village. The association of the Uchiha clan with the event was the source of villagers’ doubts and distrust towards them. On the other hand, the leadership of the Leaf Village did not take effective measures to resolve this conflict, which intensified the opposition between the two.
Although the Uchiha clan’s coup plan bears some responsibility, they also made such a choice under intense external pressure and internal contradiction. Therefore, it is unfair to classify them as the main culprits. What’s more, we should recognize the internal problems and irrationality within the Leaf Village.
So, Itachi was a good guy all along?!
From a certain perspective, Itachi has always been a good person. Although he is known as a traitor to the village and the “Uchiha killer”, everything he did was to protect the village and brother he deeply loved.
As a double agent formerly working in the ANBU, Itachi chose to sacrifice his own family to prevent the Uchiha clan’s coup. He willingly bore the title of traitor to let his younger brother, Sasuke, live in a carefree environment and pave the way for Sasuke’s revenge. He wanted Sasuke to kill him so that Sasuke could become a hero and be accepted by the Leaf Village.
Moreover, he was actually a “scapegoat”. He took on the responsibility of preventing war without hesitation and made significant sacrifices for it. Knowing that he would die of illness, he continued to live just to fight against Sasuke and complete his punishment. After the battle ended, he used his last strength to tell Sasuke the truth, leaving his brother with his love.
All of these have made Itachi’s character complex and deep – a hero who doesn’t hesitate to make any sacrifice for peace and his brother. His actions were not out of selfishness or evil, but out of love for his brother and the village. Therefore, as long as we put down the prejudice against his “crimes”, we can understand that Itachi has always been a good person from start to finish.
