In Naruto, Why Did Uchiha Itachi Murder His Clan? Is Itachi Suffered After Killing His Clan?

Itachi Uchiha is Sasuke Uchiha’s elder brother, and many fans see him as one of the best characters in manga and anime. Itachi kills the whole Uchiha clan, sparing only Sasuke, making the latter detest him and wish to kill his older brother, whom he once looked up to, according to Naruto. Itachi’s portrayal as a cold-blooded killer who wiped out the whole Uchiha clan, one of Konohagakure’s strongest, spoke volumes about his ability and portrayed him as a formidable antagonist early in Naruto.

Itachi tells Sasuke that he slaughtered the Uchiha clan to test his own talents, making both his younger brother and anime and manga fans despise him. However, the true cause for Itachi’s slaughter of his tribe was revealed years later, and it was surely a surprise.

Why Did Itachi Uchiha Truly Kill His Clan?

Long story in short,

Itachi assassinated the Uchiha clan on orders from Danzo Shimura and the elders of the hidden leaf village (Konohagakure) to put an end to the clan’s plot to take over the village. After it was revealed that the Uchiha clan was organizing a coup to take over the Hidden Leaf Village, Danzo and the other elders decided that the Uchiha clan had to be brought down.

Itachi, who adored his little brother Sasuke, struck a bargain with the elders to spare him while he slaughtered the Uchiha clan. Unbeknownst to many, he was assisted in the demise of the Uchiha clan by Tobi, who claimed to be Madara Uchiha.

Itachi’s slaughter of the Uchiha clan was not motivated by a cold-blooded desire to test his own abilities; rather, it was a heartbreaking task imposed on him by his superiors in the village for the sake of Konohagakure’s peace. Let’s look into some of the specifics to better understand why he did it.

Rising Tensions Between The Uchiha Clan And The Concealed Leaf Hamlet:

From the beginning, when the village hidden in the leaves was founded, many people, including Hashirama’s brother Tobirama Senju, dreaded and distrusted the members of the Uchiha clan. Madara Uchiha’s rebellion against Konohagakure also contributed to most of the village’s mistrust of the Uchiha.

The main source of anxiety for the Uchiha clan was their clan being forced to the sidelines, with the Second Hokage Tobirama Senju and other seniors who followed playing a large role in it. After the Nine-Tailed Fox assaulted the Hidden Leaf, the village’s superiors, particularly Danzo Shimura and the old advisers, were suspicious of the Uchiha clan.

They suspected the Uchihas were behind the attack, not realizing it was planned by Tobi. The superiors restricted the Uchihas to one area of the village and placed them under secret observation. The Uchihas were enraged by the others’ isolation and lack of trust, and they thought something had to be done to remedy the situation.

The Uchihas, led by Itachi’s father and clan patriarch Fugaku Uchiha, devised a scheme – a coup detail – to topple the leadership who had sidelined the Uchihas. They started preparing for the coup by placing Uchiha spies within the local administration’s key hierarchy and structure.

Itachi’s Role In The Uchiha Coup

Itachi was placed in the Anbu Black Ops by his father Fugaku, who was masterminding the coup, to operate as a spy for the Uchihas due to his brilliance and outstanding understanding for his age. Fugaku displays his Mangekyou Sharingan and informs Itachi about his goal to carry out the Uchiha coup without any deaths in order to persuade Itachi to join the Uchiha cause.

Fugaku kept his Mangekyou Sharingan a secret because he was afraid they would compel him to assume control of the Nine-Tails and wreak havoc on the community in order to do so. Itachi, with the help of his buddy Shisui Uchiha, attempted to find a peaceful solution to the matter by approaching the Third Hokage. However, peace talks broke down, and Danzo began pressuring his superiors to destroy the Uchihas with as little violence as possible.

Shisui Uchiha, who was also opposed to the idea of a coup, planned to use his Mangekyou Sharingan to have the Uchiha commanders reconsider their decision. However, Danzo, who was still determined to eliminate the Uchihas, thwarted Shisui’s plot. Shisui eventually committed suicide in front of Itachi, allowing him to awaken his Mangekyou Sharingan.

The Burden On Itachi’s Back

To fully comprehend why Itachi made the decision, we must examine the scenario from his point of view. Itachi was scarred as a child by the events of the Third Great Shinobi War, which caused him to despise bloodshed and violence. He was also aloof and spent most of his time alone. It could have been because of the tragedy he had undergone as a child, but Shisui Uchiha seemed to be his only true friend. His father scorned his ideas, causing him to be estranged from his family.

When Itachi, a pacifist, was assigned the vital task of spying on Konoha at the age of 13, he saw that a revolution would result in many deaths, something he did not want. Shisui agreed with him, causing the latter to inform Hiruzen Sarutobi about the imminent coup.

Both Itachi and Shisui, as well as the Third Hokage, sought a peaceful resolution, but they were unable to stop clan members from staging a coup. Simultaneously, Danzo, who was opposed to dealing with the Uchihas, began influencing Itachi in order to persuade him that removing the Uchihas was the best option.

And how did he accomplish this? He utilized Itachi’s trauma and his feelings for his younger brother Sasuke to persuade him. Danzo’s goal was to safeguard the village. He feared that if the Uchihas were not checked, they would carry out a similar revolution against Konoha in the future. His distrust of the Uchiha clan was so strong that he stole Shisui’s eye to prevent him from utilizing his Mangekyou Sharingan to put an end to the coup without bloodshed.

As the peace talks fell through and Shisui committed himself so that Danzo could not take his other eye, Itachi found himself genuinely alone, unsure of what to do or whom to trust. His disdain for his clan grew even stronger when several Uchiha elders suspected Itachi of murdering Shisui.

As a result, Itachi was now in an ideal position to be controlled by Danzo. He explained to Itachi that removing the Uchihas was the only way to prevent a revolution. He warned how the insurrection could spark another Great Shinobi War, killing a large number of innocent people. The anxiety and trauma of a 13-year-old child were being used against him. Danzo presented the notion to him as if there were no other choice.

Itachi also adored Sasuke wholeheartedly. He wished to preserve his brother’s innocence. It is probable that Itachi was afraid his brother would be influenced by the elders and end up like the clan members he loathed. He was afraid that his brother’s innocence would be corrupted. Itachi presents a similar line of thought when he informs Naruto that Sasuke is a blank slate and is impacted by those around him.

Killing a clan that, according to Itachi, had become hollow and lost in its own pride would allow his brother’s innocence to bloom, allowing him to be a better person and restoring the Uchiha clan to new heights.

Many believe that Itachi was intelligent enough to recognize whether or not he was being influenced. However, the fact that he was sensitive to manipulation due to his pain and affection for his younger brother is the single most essential factor that distinguishes Itachi as imperfect or more human. Danzo executes the ultimate ruse, using Sasuke’s life as a bargaining chip to force Itachi to do his bidding.

So, in the end, Itachi succumbs to Danzo’s anxiety, partly because he does not want any more innocent lives to be lost, and partly because he wishes to shield his brother from everything horrible about his clan. He is befuddled, under strain, and burdened by expectations placed on him, but he decides to carry out the deed regardless, eventually enlisting the assistance of a masked Tobi who claims to be Madara Uchiha and killing off the Uchiha clan.

It’s difficult to say whether Itachi is correct or incorrect in following Danzo’s and the elders’ directions. Given the shinobis’ circumstances, ‘killing a few to save many’ sounded like a reasonable rationale. Also, as Hashirama stated to Sasuke and Orochimaru, Itachi fully comprehended the concept of a village.

Itachi was dedicated to Konoha and understood that as a leaf village Shinobi, it was his duty to destroy any threat to the village, whether it was family, friends, or one’s own clan. He trained relentlessly to develop himself as rapidly as possible, and he endured the disadvantages of shinobi life without complaint for the simple sake of being valuable to others. Being a skilled ninja allowed Itachi to address difficulties in a less violent manner than others, fulfilling his peace-loving personality.

These two sides of his personality clashed as events led to the Uchiha Clan’s demise; he didn’t want to hurt his family and desired a peaceful settlement, but he understood the road with the least bloodshed would be the clan’s annihilation. As the clan’s killing became inevitable, Itachi’s generally polite demeanor toward his clansmen became angrier, openly denouncing and lashing out at them for the choices that sealed their fates and his own.

Despite the tragedy of killing his parents, Itachi did not blame those in Konoha’s leadership who assigned him the task; while he did not trust Danzo on a personal level, he understood Danzo only had the best interests of the village in mind. But, partly due to the necessity of his task to join Akatsuki, Itachi was drastically transformed after the tragedy, never displaying emotion.

He became more prone to demonstrations of aggression and tolerated Kisame’s aggressive habits under the guise of furthering Akatsuki’s goals. Itachi couldn’t and wouldn’t shake his pacifist tendencies, and would flee a confrontation or restrain Kisame if the risk of collateral damage to themselves and others grew too great.

While Kisame would occasionally protect, he considered Itachi a good friend and accepted his orders. Itachi’s priority was always to protect Konoha, but his devotion to Sasuke was always his top priority. Itachi took on the responsibility of caring for Sasuke from the moment he was born. They’d spend entire days in the woods having adventures and completing self-assigned assignments.

When Itachi became a skilled ninja and demanded much of his father’s attention, he made time for Sasuke to make him happy. Sasuke, wanting to be like his older brother, would frequently request that Itachi train him. Itachi nearly never did, prodding him on the brow and making empty promises to train him the following time.