Naruto is one of the most popular anime series, loaded with complex plotlines and heart-touching stories. Each character in Naruto evolves and teaches us great life lessons.
One of the great lessons you can learn is from Itachi. His tragic story taught us that sometimes you have to make tremendous sacrifices for the greater good.
Why did Itachi kill his clan, and was he justified in his actions? Let’s dig deep into one of the most pivotal characters in Naruto!
Why Did Itachi Kill His Clan?
Itachi did kill his clan, but he didn’t have much power in the matter. He had to either die with his clan or side with the elders and spare his little brother’s life.
Wanting to save his brother and stop a potential war, Itachi assassinated the entire Uchiha clan under Danzo’s orders. In a way, it reminds me of the Trolley Dilemma.
What Events Led to the Uchiha Clan Massacre?
To understand why Itachi killed his clan, we’ll have to unpack three events: the exclusion of the Uchiha, Itachi’s perspective, and Danzo’s intentions.
The Exclusion of the Uchiha Clan
Before founding Konoha’s hidden leaf village, the Uchiha and Senju clans spent centuries fighting.
The conflict ended when Madara Uchiha and Hashirama Senju united. As a result, many villagers chose Hashirama as the First Hokage to lead the village.
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However, Madara wanted to overthrow the Hokage because he feared that the Senjus would mistreat the Uchihas. This rebellion against Konoha became the first spark of mistrust.
Then, the nine-tailed fox’s attack on the hidden leaf village added fuel to the fire since Konoha suspected a Sharingan Uchiha was behind the incident.
In an attempt to keep things under control, the Konoha Council relocated and restricted the clan. That’s when Itachi’s father, as the Uchiha leader, started to plan the coup.
Itachi’s Perspective
Itachi Uchiha’s life was a tragedy from beginning to end. He witnessed war at age four and was traumatized by it. This tragedy motivated him to train hard as a ninja, to fight against war.
Yes, destroying his clan, abandoning his brother, and joining the Akatsuki is one weird way for peace, but the boy endured for his village’s sake. Even Hashirama praised Itachi and found the young boy to be a better Shinobi than himself.
By the age of 11, Itachi was a member of the ANBU black ops, spying on Konoha. Since he was a ninja prodigy, he drew the leaders’ attention and was promoted to a new team under Danzo’s command.
Things got a little complicated when Danzo wanted Itachi to spy on his clan because he believed they would start a war.
Back in Uchiha, Itachi’s suspicious behavior didn’t go unnoticed. That’s why his close friend, Shisui, was assigned to spy on him. Shisui’s death cemented the clan’s doubt even more.
As you might expect, the boy who grew apart from his family ended up despising the coup and believing that it would only cause more casualties.
Danzo’s True Motives
Why do you think Danzo was persistent in destroying the Uchiha? It wasn’t for peace; it was for power. He wanted to catch the Sharingan eyes and become the Hokage.
The twist here was that Danzo knew Shisui’s intention to stop the coup, using Kotoamatsukami to convince the Uchihas to negotiate. However, Danzo found it a waste of power and decided to steal Shisui’s right eye.
Knowing that Danzo would seek the other eye, Shisui gave it to Itachi before throwing himself in the river.
To reach his goal of collecting Sharingan eyes, Danzo exploited Itachi’s past traumas to stop the coup.
Although Itachi Knew Danzo’s evil intentions, he still annihilated his entire clan. He sacrificed for the greater good, saving his brother and the village.
Did Itachi Kill the Uchiha Clan Alone?
No, Itachi didn’t kill the Uchiha clan alone. Tobi (disguised as Madra) was on his side, too.
On the unfortunate night, as Tobi was sneaking into the village, Itachi ran into him. Together, they planned to kill the Uchihas, provided that Tobi would let the villagers go unharmed.
For his own vengeful reasons, Tobi agreed and took charge of killing the military Uchihas while Itachi killed the civilians.
Who Did Itachi Kill First?
In the Naruto anime, Itachi kills Itzumi first. She was his friend and lover. Mostly, I believe that he went for her first to end any inner doubts he might have had.
Yet, he could only do it after using his Tsukuyomi, effectively separating her from reality to make sure she didn’t feel any pain.
Why Did Itachi’s Parents Choose to Die?
Itachi thought his father, Fugaku, would be his greatest challenge. Yet, that was the complete opposite.
Fugaku probably knew that his entire clan was slaughtered at that point. This could be why he bore the tough end with a brave face.
How Did Itachi Live With Himself After the Massacre?
It goes without saying that Itachi isn’t an evil spirit, and he couldn’t live with himself after what he had done. He sought forgiveness, but not in the traditional way. To end his agony, he went to Sasuke for punishment.
In Itachi’s eyes, only his little brother was pure enough to judge him because he was nothing but a sweet child, unaware of the atrocities committed by the Uchiha and Konoha.
He made sure that the little kid knew everything about the massacre. That’s because he wanted to fill Sasuke with a vengeance so he wouldn’t hesitate to kill him in the future.
The Takeaway
To say Itachi is one of the complicated characters in Naruto is an understatement. The boy witnessed war and had to kill his family. He even had to make his brother — the person he loves most — hate him.
Still, why did Itachi kill his clan? Was that the best choice? Maybe. Either way, there was no guarantee that his clan and brother would’ve lived.
Initially, you may loathe Itachi. However, once you see the bigger picture, you start to sympathize with him and learn to never judge a book by its cover!
Featured image source: Pinterest
