In one fell swoop, in a single short episode, the incredible writing of Masashi transformed one of the most hated characters in the series to the absolute fan-favourite! Itachi!-the tortured prodigy..to have to carry such a big hugeass burden all your life, plaaguing you to illness, just to protect your brother from the truth! To make him hate you and loath you just to give him purpose and make him strong enough to come and fight you, so you can die by his hand as a final way to make him stronger! Oh God! Severus Snape from HP and Mikkel from Dark come to mind, and though both of them were deemed best characters in a similar short span/episode, and Snape is regarded at almost the same level as Itachi, there is just no real comparison when it comes down to it. Itachi, died protecting his village and his brother, knowing and accepting to be hated and loathed by every single soul he sacrificed his life for. I thought I had cried the most recently in episode 82 (Shikamaru breaks down) and 133 (Jiraiya's death) but this brought me crashing down bawling as never before. I salute the most tragic and noble character ever thought of-Itachi!
7 Reviews
'Coz he loved you the most his little brother Sasuke'
rajaryan-1244819 April 2021
Ahh what character , what character arc.... Itachi went from being hated to the most honoured anime character of all time.... That line 'he did one mistake he couldn't bring himself to kill you Sasuke, his beloved little brother' ahh the pain. Congrats Naruto on being the only show to have Itachi Uchiha.
Heartbreakingly beautiful...
gerson-messi-0124 February 2022
I don't know where to start! Itachi turned out to be the most loving big brother in the world after all. Almost like Christ, he took the reproach so that his people could go free. He became a curse in their place. All for his little brother, such love, almost brought me to tears. Brilliant episode. Long Live Itachi Uchiha.
I Always Wondered..... Why?
severousop13 April 2022
Warning: Spoilers
I always thought whenever itachi pops up on my screen that why-why did he do that.. No matter how big the reason would be.. Why will someone slaughter his own clan (incl mom and dad).. And when itachi told us the story that his ultimate goal was to awaken the eternal magekyou.. I started hating him for being so-so selfish.. But man.. When madara finally reveals the whole Truth.. I have to admit.. The level backstory the writer touched.. Hats off to him.. It was so complex yet so logical.. When I finally got to knew the whole truth.. I felt the depression,regret he would've felt that night.. Really what an amazing episode.. No fight still this deserves a 100/10.. It was so emotional.. I wanted to cry.. I am so sad thinking of Itachi that how he had been carrying that burden,that regret always with him.. " He loved you more than the village " Man.. That words killed me.. Itachi is of course in my favoritefavorites list now
.. I just loved the writing.. It was absolutely a very-very strong backstory.. Just lived it.. I will never forget you Itachi.. I love Itachi ❤
The truth
Mebrouk_Larbi24 August 2022
A very interesting and shocking episode, Madara reveals the truth about Itachi and says that everything Itachi did, every pain and burden he was holding was for protecting Konoha village and his brother Sasuke, at end of episode Sasuke made a shocking decision after he knew the truth about his brother.
This episode turned Uchiha Itachi into one of the best written characters in Naruto anime.
This episode turned Uchiha Itachi into one of the best written characters in Naruto anime.
Itachi the Protector
tomasmmc-7719822 December 2022
Warning: Spoilers
Itachi's story is heartbreaking, tearful, tragic. Obito continues telling what happened in Konoha during the years after the Kyuubi incident, and how Itachi became a double agent, pretending to be a spy inside ANBU for his father, but actually informing Konoha about the Uchiha. Turns out that his father Fugaku was the head of the rebellion. But Obito explains that Itachi was a man of peace, because from a very young age, saw the death and consequences of the third great ninja war. That's why he betrayed his clan. He prioritized peace, the safety of Konoha and the other villages. Obito tells that if the Uchiha's plan would have suceeded, surely other villages would have attacked Konoha to take advantage of the civil war. And much more people would have died. Itachi took everything on his back, all the hate, the treason, from his clan and the village. Though Hiruzen tried to negotiate with the Uchihas, he failed, the time run out, so Itachi was forced to accomplish his mission. He also had Obito's help, and allowed him as "Madara" to revenge on the people who forgot about him, and abandoned him years ago. But all in exchange to protect Konoha. He also made the 3rd Hokage promise that he would protect Sasuke after his departure, and warned Danzo that he would reveal the whole truth if he ever touched Sasuke. Then he joined Akatsuki to watch the organization from the inside, and protect Konoha from the shadows. Sasuke is overhelmed, and still refuses to believe the truth. Remembering what Itachi told him, he questions Madara's role in the Kyuubi incident, and blames him for what happened to the Uchiha, and also Itachi for being his accomplice and trying to take his eyes. But Obito says everything was a lie so that Sasuke would never get near to the truth, and would not trust him. Itachi wanted to be seen as a villain, as the enemy to Sasuke's eyes and everyone. He didn't want anyone to know the truth, and even the 3rd Hokage accepted this. Sasuke remains in denial, so Obito asks him why he's still alive? Why a man who killed his parents, his friends, his lover, his comrades and family, could not kill him? Obito also explains that after the death of the 3rd Hokage, he appeared in Konoha along Kisame to warn Danzo. Obito makes Sasuke understand the last fight, which was planned by Itachi. He never intended to kill him. He pushed him at his limits so Orochimaru would come out, and that way, he released him from the cursed seal and the evil Sannin for good. And at the end, he granted Sasuke the power of the Mangekyo Sharingan, caused by the death of a relative, a close person. Sasuke now slowly begins to understand everything, all what Itachi did and said in the past, during the fight. His words that he would always be for him, no matter if he hated his brother. The good memories run over his head, including his last words: "Forgive me Sasuke, but this is it", while poking his head like he always did when little. That's the story of Itachi, the man who sacrificed himself ans his clan to protect Konoha and avoid another war. The man who tried to protect his brother until the end. Obito also said that Itachi was already gravely ill, and prolonged his life with meds til the battle with Sasuke. He knew it would be his last fight, and he wanted to die by his brother's hand, so Sasuke would be then welcomed as a hero in Konoha. At the end of the episode, Sasuke finally breaks in tears, he feels heartbroken over the loss of his brother, who always loved him from the shadows. And how not to. Itachi is without doubt one of the best characters on this anime, and the history. He can be compared to Severus Snape in some ways. He was selfless, and sacrificed his life for the greater good.
Although he was a hero, and now the story was revealed to Sasuke, this was not what he wanted. Obito deceived Sasuke and did not follow Itachi's will. Sasuke decides to change their group name to Taka, and to destroy Konoha, punish them for all what they did to the Uchiha clan and Itachi. For hating them, the discrimination towards his clan, for pushing them to plan a coup d'etat. For treating Itachi like a traitor when he protected them all. This is the evil plan of Obito, who wants to use Sasuke. Fortunately, they don't know that Itachi already took measures for this sceneario, and had a talk to Naruto in order to stop this. Itachi was a mastermind indeed. The storyline was excellent, the soundtrack brilliant, the flashbacks perfectly used to cause such emotions at the end. Everything makes sense, all the flashbacks during the battle between Naruto and Sasuke in the first part, where it was showed not only how disappointed Itachi was with his clan, also how serious was the situation and the importance of the Uchiha assemblies for Fugaku. He was the father of Itachi and Sasuke, the leader of the clan, and on each assembly discussed the mistrust and discrimination from Konoha, and planned the coup d'etat, supported by everyone, including his wife. I don't think their intentions were to cause a massacre or a civil war, surely they just wanted to change the way the Hidden Leaf village was ruled. Anyway, all this was thought by Kishimoto since the beginning. It wasn't improvised. The fact that Sasuke didn't know the story or his father's plan is because he was too young to understand anything. He was an innocent kid, going to the academy. Itachi tried to protect him as much as he could, but he knew that all the subsequent trauma was inevitable. He surely thought that Sasuke eventually have to grow fonder to people from Konoha. He fueled his hate to make him stronger, but he wanted Sasuke to live a life too. But the young Uchiha did the opposite, he abandoned everything to achieve his revenge, he was consumed by it. Itachi also told him during the fight how people lives by their guessings and what they believe is right and true. But it all can be an illusion, nothing it's that simple, people's lives are usually not like they think it is. Even then, Itachi was trying to teach Sasuke how to live, and not let his mind being manipulated for what he hears and what he sees. He called him too reliant on himself, like in their last encounter. But Sasuke didn't listen, he never did. And so now the problems continue. Because Sasuke didn't follow his brother's will. He decided to do what his father wanted somehow, not follow Itachi's way, and plot against Konoha. He fell straight in Obito's trap, the lie that he didn't cause the Kyuubi incident. At the end, Madara took advantage of the Uchiha's selfishness, their arrogance, and thirst of power to control them. He indirectly caused the extinction of the clan, and now he controls the only surviving member. Itachi was an exception. He was the protector of Konoha and the peace, the unlikely antihero of the story.
Although he was a hero, and now the story was revealed to Sasuke, this was not what he wanted. Obito deceived Sasuke and did not follow Itachi's will. Sasuke decides to change their group name to Taka, and to destroy Konoha, punish them for all what they did to the Uchiha clan and Itachi. For hating them, the discrimination towards his clan, for pushing them to plan a coup d'etat. For treating Itachi like a traitor when he protected them all. This is the evil plan of Obito, who wants to use Sasuke. Fortunately, they don't know that Itachi already took measures for this sceneario, and had a talk to Naruto in order to stop this. Itachi was a mastermind indeed. The storyline was excellent, the soundtrack brilliant, the flashbacks perfectly used to cause such emotions at the end. Everything makes sense, all the flashbacks during the battle between Naruto and Sasuke in the first part, where it was showed not only how disappointed Itachi was with his clan, also how serious was the situation and the importance of the Uchiha assemblies for Fugaku. He was the father of Itachi and Sasuke, the leader of the clan, and on each assembly discussed the mistrust and discrimination from Konoha, and planned the coup d'etat, supported by everyone, including his wife. I don't think their intentions were to cause a massacre or a civil war, surely they just wanted to change the way the Hidden Leaf village was ruled. Anyway, all this was thought by Kishimoto since the beginning. It wasn't improvised. The fact that Sasuke didn't know the story or his father's plan is because he was too young to understand anything. He was an innocent kid, going to the academy. Itachi tried to protect him as much as he could, but he knew that all the subsequent trauma was inevitable. He surely thought that Sasuke eventually have to grow fonder to people from Konoha. He fueled his hate to make him stronger, but he wanted Sasuke to live a life too. But the young Uchiha did the opposite, he abandoned everything to achieve his revenge, he was consumed by it. Itachi also told him during the fight how people lives by their guessings and what they believe is right and true. But it all can be an illusion, nothing it's that simple, people's lives are usually not like they think it is. Even then, Itachi was trying to teach Sasuke how to live, and not let his mind being manipulated for what he hears and what he sees. He called him too reliant on himself, like in their last encounter. But Sasuke didn't listen, he never did. And so now the problems continue. Because Sasuke didn't follow his brother's will. He decided to do what his father wanted somehow, not follow Itachi's way, and plot against Konoha. He fell straight in Obito's trap, the lie that he didn't cause the Kyuubi incident. At the end, Madara took advantage of the Uchiha's selfishness, their arrogance, and thirst of power to control them. He indirectly caused the extinction of the clan, and now he controls the only surviving member. Itachi was an exception. He was the protector of Konoha and the peace, the unlikely antihero of the story.
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