The Untold Truth Of Itachi Uchiha From Naruto
One would be hard-pressed to find any character in any series who takes as dramatic a 180 from perceived villain to suffering antihero as Itachi Uchiha, the tragic older brother of Sasuke Uchiha in "Naruto." Itachi killed everyone in his clan apart from Sasuke, who trains hard so he can fight his brother and avenge the people he slaughtered. When they finally meet in battle, Itachi is calm and in control, yet he still loses. How and why did his little brother kill him? Well, there's a lot more to Itachi than first meets the eye.
We later learn that Itachi did what he did for the good of his village and his little brother. The shinobi and Anbu Captain made great sacrifices, though very few people know the real him. He's one of the most interesting and misunderstood characters in the "Naruto" story and the world of anime in general, and this is his untold truth.
Itachi had a deep connection to crows
Itachi's crow clones are straight-up cool. Several other shinobi can create clones made of animals or materials (like Yamato's wood clones), but there's something about Itachi's crow clone technique that makes it memorable. Crows have long been revered as important and highly intelligent animals in many cultures. In Japanese history, the crow was associated with Emperor Jimmu, said to be a descendant of the gods Susanoo and Amaterasu (the names of two of the greatest ninja abilities in "Naruto"). When it comes to Itachi, there are even more crow connections.
Shisui planted his remaining Sharingan in a crow, which followed Itachi. Itachi kept that crow as an ace up his sleeve, which he eventually used to free himself from Kabuto's Reanimation, a forbidden summoning technique. Then there's the fact that Itachi once tried to kill himself by jumping off a cliff because he saw the futility of his life. He decided to live after spotting a crow and even ended up befriending the bird, which led to his eventual ability to summon crows.
If you or anyone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
Itachi could have easily beaten Sasuke
When Sasuke finally gets his epic battle against his older brother, the younger Uchiha emerges victorious. It's pretty obvious that Itachi only fought his brother to pull out Orochimaru's curse and give him the Amaterasu. Zetsu even mentions that Itachi let his little brother win, confirming what many suspected.
After the iconic confrontation, we discover that Itachi would never have killed his brother. It's revealed that part of the reason Itachi agreed to wipe out his clan, aside from preventing a civil war in Konoha, is that it would allow him to demand Danzo spare his little brother. Itachi had told Sasuke all sorts of lies about how he did what he did to help propel his brother to greatness, knowing that it would mean the young boy would hate him.
The fact of the matter is that Itachi's mastery of the Mangekyou Sharingan was so far beyond his little brother's that Sasuke wouldn't have stood a chance in a legit battle. Itachi's last act involved him touching his brother's forehead while Sasuke stood frozen, unable to move. He threw the fight, and he did so out of love.
Itachi saw that Naruto could save his brother
One of the most interesting things about Itachi is that he always had faith in Naruto. Through his relationship with Shisui, Itachi learned how important having even just one friend is to a shinobi. He knew his brother was on a bad path and recognized that the only person who could help him was the friend who never gave up on him. It was for this reason that Itachi attempted to "capture" Naruto, with the hidden agenda of simply sizing him up.
Later on, Itachi meets Naruto in secret and gives him Shisui's crow with the Kotoamatsukami, a mind control technique. He wanted Naruto to use it on Sasuke and bring his brother back to the village (Itachi is forced to use it on his reanimated form to overthrow Kabuto's control). He leaves Naruto with the message that the young shinobi must trust in his own power and in his allies and friends.
Itachi had major trust issues
Itachi had a long history as a clandestine operative before he met his end. He was smart enough to know not to trust the people manipulating him and powerful enough that they never tried to take him out. Itachi wiped out his own clan in Konoha, a sure sign that the Uchiha shouldn't have trusted him. They had long thought he was spying for them when he was actually spying on them. He executed the massacre at Danzo's request, but he knew Danzo was not to be trusted — he reminded him on numerous occasions that Sasuke was not to be harmed.
Obito (posing as Tobi) helped Itachi commit the massacre of the Uchiha clan and then invited him to join the Akatsuki, a renegade shinobi group. Itachi then spied on the Akatsuki — or at least worked from the inside to thwart their goals. Obito had an idea that this was going on and so never trusted Itachi with the grand plan, despite him being one of the only other Uchiha still alive. Itachi was always scheming and keeping his cards close to his chest, right up until the end.
Itachi was always a loner
Itachi never had many friends, but that's how he wanted it. He spent his formative years training instead of playing with his schoolmates. When he eventually gained the companionship of his fellow students and they considered themselves part of his gang, it was a one-way street — he never really wanted to have an entourage. The only friend he would ever make was Shisui Uchiha.
Itachi was not unlike his little brother Sasuke, who also eschewed friendships and preferred to train. It was Naruto's stubborn nature that won Sasuke over, not any real desire to have somebody in his life who cared about him. Of course, Sasuke eventually found redemption in this friendship, and the two became something akin to brothers. Itachi, unfortunately, never got the chance to develop any real, meaningful friendships. This lack of human contact just adds to the tragedy of Itachi Uchiha, one of the greatest Konoha heroes of all time and a truly memorable character.