Naruto: The flawed logic behind Itachi Uchiha’s actions

❘ Updated: 2023-05-05T13:57:01

An image of Itachi Uchiha crying after killing his clan in Naruto

Crunchyroll

Itachi is one of the most beloved characters in the entirety of Naruto. As a genius in all three forms of Jutsu, Itachi has a bright future ahead of him, but he destroys it by following Danzo’s orders. However, he didn’t need to go through all that pain just to ensure his brother’s safety.

Despite being a Shonen classic, Naruto is riddled with plot holes. As a man who single-handedly massacred the Leaf Village’s most powerful clan, Itachi’s name was known far and wide. Itachi is a truly tragic character in the series.

He was introduced as a villain and continued to act as such till the time of his death. It’s only after his death that Tobi revealed Itachi’s true motives. Even now, fans sympathize with the Uchiha, who had to sacrifice everything for peace.

But was all that necessary? One cannot deny that Danzo was the mastermind behind the tragedy, controlling everyone’s lives. However, Itachi claimed that he had his own motives for doing so. Itachi Uchiha’s actions in Naruto had severe consequences and changed the entire series, both in the past and the present.

Why don’t Itachi Uchiha’s actions make sense in Naruto?

Though Itachi was looking at the bigger picture and wanted the village to be at peace, the primary motive behind his actions was to save Sasuke. He negotiated with Danzo and Third Hokage that Sasuke must be under protection from the village even after the clan was gone.

However, Itachi failed to realize that his actions never protected Sasuke from the start. If the clan had successfully launched the coup, the Third Hokage would never be cruel enough to punish an innocent kid in the dark.

As for Danzo’s threat of harming Sasuke, if Itachi failed to follow the orders, the former acted independently. Itachi had every opportunity to silence him and save his brother instead. It is easier to kill one man instead of an entire clan.

If anything, Itachi’s actions harmed Sasuke more than anything. What truly traumatized Sasuke wasn’t just how he lost everything overnight, but it was by the hands of his brother he loved the most. Even after the incident, Itachi continued to haunt Sasuke and pushed him to the brink.

Sasuke wouldn’t have turned out this way if someone else had destroyed his clan. However, his brother’s betrayal was too much for a seven-year-old to bear. As a result, Sasuke’s obsession with revenge overtook his sanity, and he committed several atrocious acts. Even after he realized his mistakes, he could never freely live in the village and had to protect it from the shadows.

Did Itachi achieve his goal in the end?

Trauma can affect people in ways no one can imagine. Living in a world where war and death were an everyday occurrence, the series has shown multiple times how people change because of something unfortunate that happened in their past, and Sasuke is no different.

Although a cheerful boy, he grew distant and cold to everyone around him after his brother’s betrayal. Itachi not only wanted Sasuke to become strong but also for him to be the village’s hero by killing him. But he failed to realize how his actions would affect the seven-year-old Sasuke, whose entire world revolved around his brother.

Consumed by hatred and grief, Sasuke’s childhood was destroyed. The grief further overwhelmed him when he learned the truth. In the end, Sasuke gives up everything to protect the village – but not as Itachi hoped. Sasuke becomes someone like Itachi, who protects the village from the shadows, never once claiming glory for all the battles he’s been through.

Furthermore, Itachi’s infiltration into Akatsuki doesn’t result in anything. He spends years in the terrorist organization to ensure the village’s safety and discover their true motives.

Itachi Uchiha was an important member of Akatsuki, but their motives were never clearly explained in Naruto. Therefore, there was nothing noteworthy that Itachi accomplished by being in that organization for several years.

Naruto can currently be streamed on Crunchyroll. In the meantime, check out our other TV hubs below: