Following chapter 385 of Naruto, I have written another (perhaps final) essay on Itachi’s character, history, and philosophy.

Due to the length of this essay, I have determined that it would be more easily digested in chunks. However, I would also like to keep the whole thing together so that the pieces do not get “lost” between postings. To that end, I have divided this essay into categories on my personal journal (which I don’t update often) and submitted the entire essay to the community. That way you can choose to read the whole thing or just sections of it at a time by using the navigation links below.


Itachi Essay Parts 1-6 Complete
Itachi Essay Part 1: Introduction
Itachi Essay Part 1.5: Dramatized Summary of Chapter 385
Itachi Essay Part 2: Memory over Matter
Itachi Essay Part 3: Itachi's Personality
Itachi Essay Part 4: Itachi's Age and Mentorship
Itachi Essay Part 5: Itachi's Philosophy - Existentialistm
Itachi Essay Part 6: Final Notes

WARNING: Post Naruto chapter 385. Spoilers galore, and a LOT of analysis. Proceed with caution. Comments heartily welcome.

Essay: Itachi Uchiha Complete Parts 1-6

Analysis of Itachi’s Personality, Mentorship, and Philosophy Post Ch. 385

Introduction and Reflection

As we neared the Sasuke and Itachi confrontation, I was hoping for a number of revelations. I didn’t expect to get them all at once! But thanks to glorious no-holds-bar story telling, we learned the following in chapter 385 of Naruto Manga:

• Itachi’s true character


• Further insight into Sasuke’s feelings about the past


• Who really killed the Uchiha Clan


• The true purpose of the Sharigan


• The connection between the Sharingan and the Nine-Tailed Fox


• The identity, strength, and physical appearance of Madara Uchiha

As may be apparent from my previous essay (Itachi Hate and Detest Analysis Essay - still useful for its summary of Itachi’s character and actions before this chapter), I am an Uchiha fan, and particularly an Itachi fan. Itachi intrigues me for the following reasons:

• He’s collected, strategic, and rational


• He’s intelligent and insanely ambitious


• He’s straight-forward


• He’s reserved and mysterious and sometimes sad-seeming


• He has levels of unique complexity that make him an atypical villain


• He reasons out his goals and accomplishes them without hesitation


• He has kickass skills and badass jutsus


• He is integral to the conflict of the story.

As the Naruto databook explains “As the one who holds the tangled strings of relationships that connect the past and future, when he moves, the wheels of destiny turns.”

When I first became an Itachi fan, it was largely a reaction to Itachi’s bad-ass return to Konoha, his character design (I never turn down delicious villains!), and the emotional implications that are integral to his relationship with Sasuke. Kishimoto, the author of Naruto, then deepened my fascination with rare glimpses into the atypical nature of Itachi’s character. We were presented with a villain who we have never seen kill anyone (post Clan massacre, which we have seen only through Sasuke’s memories of a genjutsu). In fact, we were presented with a villain who refused to engage in combat on several occasions and has stated disinterest in killing unnecessarily. But even more confounding has been Itachi’s reaction to Sasuke’s movement in the world, both his silence in the face of Sasuke’s misfortune, and Kisame’s comment that he appeared to be “crying” in the rain when word of Sasuke’s death (a false rumor) reached Akatsuki.

In my Itachi Hate and Detest Analysis Essay, I propose a number of speculations regarding Itachi’s character, motivations and ultimate purpose. Although I never came to any definite conclusions on the latter two, I felt pretty certain about a couple of things:

• Itachi is not a good guy who has been framed, impersonated, or coerced into murder


• Itachi is not sorry he killed his parents and the rest of his Clan


• Itachi is not looking out for Sasuke’s happiness and well-being


• Itachi’s one true love is himself and his ambition


• The true purpose of the Sharingan has something to do with Itachi’s motivation


• Itachi is driving Sasuke toward something, and that something involves Sasuke obtaining the Mangekyou, but Itachi may not necessarily need Sasuke

Some of the things I felt uncertain about were cleared up by the official English translation of the manga and Anime series. Since reading/watching Itachi’s history in English, and especially now with the revelations of chapter 385, I am feeling largely confident in my understanding of Itachi’s personality and character, his history, and philosophy. I would like to expound further upon these ideas in the following essay. However, before I can explain my conclusions, I feel that it is necessary to summarize the most recent chapter. Feel free to skip this section if you’ve read it a gazillion times already.

Summary of Naruto Chapter 385

Sasuke confronts Itachi, the murderous traitor of a brother he has sought to kill since the massacre of the Uchiha Clan. Stabbed through the back with Sasuke’s blade, Itachi remains alive, conscious enough to answer Sasuke’s final question. Sasuke wants to know who the 3rd Uchiha survivor is, the Mangekyou Sharingan user Itachi mentioned on “that day” years ago. Itachi notes that Sasuke missed his vital organs on purpose and asks Sasuke why he wants this information. Sasuke replies that this man in the one he plans to kill next. Itachi is incredulous, even contemptuous. “You? Kill him?” But Sasuke is relentless. There is no way that Itachi acted alone on “that day,” Sasuke reasons, for even Itachi couldn’t take out the entire Konoha military police force on his own. Sasuke explains that he has puzzled out that the one Itachi mentioned, the other Uchiha with the Mangekyou Sharingan, must have been Itachi’s accomplice in the massacre. This man, whoever he is, is next on Sasuke’s list.

Itachi explains that the one Sasuke wishes to kill next is none other than Madara Uchiha. In a flash, Sasuke recalls his encounter with the Nine Tailed Fox demon sealed inside Naruto, and the last time he heard of someone called “Madara,” a man (says the Nine Tails) with Sharingan eyes like Sasuke, eyes even more sinister than those of the Fox demon. Itachi explains that Madara is one of the Founders of Konoha, and the first person ever to have awakened the Mangekyou Sharingan.

Sasuke rejects this proposition out of hand, countering that such a man must be long dead. Faced with Sasuke’s rage at what he perceives to be mockery, Itachi remains cool. Itachi calmly explains that Madara is very much alive, whether Sasuke chooses to believe it or not. Itachi expounds further. After all, he says, truth is merely the perception of the mind and what any one person assumes to be “reality” may as well be a mirage. Sasuke demands to know what Itachi means. Itachi says that it is like Sasuke’s assumption that Madara must be dead, or his assumption that Itachi was ever a kind, loving brother. Sasuke is overwhelmed with memories, flashbacks of an Itachi years ago that Sasuke loved and who he believed cared for him. Sasuke remembers Itachi’s words on “that day,” how the brother he loved and idolized above all others told him that he merely acted like an ideal older brother to measure Sasuke’s capacity.

In the present, Sasuke releases the anguish in his heart, confessing how he had wanted to believe that it was his memories of the massacre that was the lie, that, as a child, he explained it to himself as a cruel genjutsu or nightmare that he couldn’t escape. But now he knows better. It did happen. The massacre, and the evil Itachi: THAT was reality.

The Chidiro flares up in Sasuke’s fist and blasts behind him like a blade of lightning. His eyes, Sasuke says, are open now. Sasuke exclaims that he sees through Itachi’s genjutsu. The scene shifts, revealing a room behind a room where yet another Itachi—this one unharmed—sits upon a dais watching the fight like a play. The Chidori blade strikes the throne behind Itachi’s head, while the Itachi pierced by Sasuke’s sword dissolves. The Itachi behind Sasuke remarks that Sasuke is the same as ever, angry and threatening, only perhaps this time it is more than empty words.

Itachi remarks that he can’t help noticing that Sasuke does not yet have the same eyes as him: the Mangekyou Sharingan. Unmoved, Sasuke taunts back that perhaps it is Itachi this time who does not have the capacity to measure himself against Sasuke’s strength. “Confident, aren’t you?” Itachi murmurs. He does not seem impressed, but he stands up from the throne.

Zetsu watches the fight, the white half of his nature remarking that neither fighter has moved, that they have just been staring at each other in an empty room this whole time, while the black half explains that they are locked in a genjutsu battle for now. Both fighters are standing and facing each other.

Itachi explains to Sasuke that the Mangekyou Sharingan has a unique characteristic: from the day it is opened it begins a slow descent into darkness; and that the more the Kaleidoscope Wheel is used, the swifter it loses the light. Sasuke asserts that blindness must be the price the Mangekyou Sharingan user pays for the power to control the Nine Tailed demon fox. Itachi descends the stairs, amused that Sasuke actually did what he was told and read the secret of the Uchiha Clan in the secret meeting room.

Once again, Sasuke asks his question. Who is Madara? Itachi answers. Madara is Itachi’s accomplice and mentor. As he speaks, Itachi’s Sharingan rotates, the pupils widening into the wicked three-pronged star of the Mangekyou Sharingan. Madara, Itachi reveals, is the one who controlled the Nine Tailed Fox and tamed it like a pet. He is the only one to learn the Sharingan’s final secret. An invincible immortal. THAT is Uchiha Madara.

Source: Naruto chapter 385.

Mind Over Matter: Memory and Reality

In my Itachi Hate and Detest Essay, I speculate that Itachi “changed” from a good person to the evil person he appears to be now. My certainty that Itachi used to be a legitimately “good” guy came from a panel in Volume 25 in which Kishimoto speaks to the audience. “What happened to Itachi’s great kindness?” was written on a sidebar, and I assumed that this reflected the author’s perspective of Itachi.

But as Itachi says so contemptuously on more than one occasion, one shouldn’t rely on assumptions! I was wrong. Fooled. Misdirected. That panel, along with everything else that happened in that volume, are all lumped into the hazy reality of Sasuke eight-year-old memory during a time when Sasuke made the assumption that Itachi was a “good” brother simply because he believed that brothers should be good.

That panel is from Sasuke’s perspective, as is the whole volume, and Sasuke’s perspective is inaccurate. Sasuke sees what he wants to see and remembers what he wants to remember, as is often true with memory in general, and indeed, our present understanding of reality from moment to moment. For example, it is very common for people to remember only the horrible things that their parents have done to them to “mess up their lives” and only the good things that their lovers have done (the meaning behind the phrase “love is blind”). When we are happy we see happiness in the world around us. When we are unhappy, we see many reasons to justify our misery. When we are hurt, we convince ourselves that someone meant to hurt us, and when we are pleased, we assume that it was another’s intention to please us. Our misunderstandings of ourselves, of others, and of events, result in the majority of tragedies…at least those instigated by human beings. We are selfish creatures whose reason is easily overpowered by emotional weakness and our own desires. Because of the way we shape our own reality, we can never be sure that anything we think, experience, feel, or believe is “real.” That is why it is wise to withhold hasty judgment, refrain from making emotional decisions, and conservatively monitor our actions and reactions.

Itachi recognizes this. “People live their lives bound by what they accept as correct and true,” Itachi explains to Sasuke in chapter 385. “That's how they define "reality." But what does it mean to be "correct" or "true?" These are vague concepts... No one stops to think that their "reality" may all be a mirage. Like the way you decided for yourself that Madara must be dead. Like the way you thought I was a kind, loving brother.”

Like most people, Sasuke grapples with understanding that his sense of reality may be a fabrication and that all he believes and knows (or thinks he knows) may be false. Unlike Itachi, Sasuke is emotional (though with more control than Naruto). With the thought that there is no truth, or at least no way of knowing truth, and by extension no divine justice, no assurance of goodness, and no certainty that he will or can win, he is faced with an existential crisis. What he can’t deny it that the massacre was real, Itachi is guilty, and he must act.

“My ‘eyes’ are wide open now!” Sasuke shouts, and conjures the Chidori blade. “My Sharingan sees right through your genjutsu!”

“Haha...” Itachi replies. “How familiar. You getting angry and shouting threats at me. Still, I suppose they're not just words this time...”

Like us, Sasuke probably wishes for some way to vindicate his brother, has struggled vainly to justify what happened to his family, even telling himself as a child that it was just some horrible illusion. Only through hatred and an increasingly developed Sharingan has Sasuke come to see the truth of things, including his own miserable, ragged, and meaningless existence.

Poor Sasuke! There is more to say about Sasuke, particularly as regard his development as a sympathetic character, but I am going to try and stick to covering Itachi’s character, history, and philosophy.

What kind of personality is Itachi Uchiha?

I have never desired a particular personality, philosophy, or motivation for Itachi. My fascination with Itachi evolved from his mystery and frustration of not having enough evidence to draw any conclusions about what kind of person he is. I have already indicated above at least a few ideas I had about him, but I felt there was more to understand and be explained.

Following the revelations of chapter 385, I feel that Itachi’s character is more or less transparent now. Itachi is a prodigy. We knew that. He was born gifted and ambitious. He is an AB blood type, which in Japanese fiction implies certain personality traits similar to astrology (Itachi is also a Gemini), meaning that Itachi is cool, controlled, and rational. He is solitary and autonomous. He is not merely “independent,” managing his life alone, but truly does not require, need, or want other people. He does not need to care about anybody, and he does not need others to care for him.

It is difficult for many people to accept this personality type. I know because my actual oldest brother has a personality similar to this and I have watched my parents struggle with it all my life. Most people are more social than Itachi. Most people are driven to interact with others, make friends and seek acceptance, love, and intimacy. Although not everyone is good at it, or successful at it (like Naruto at the beginning of the story), they still crave bonds. People with Itachi’s personality type don’t seek bonds or value them as other people do. This is not to say that they don’t enjoy companionship or that they can’t care about others. Social skills can be learned. Itachi learned to function socially. He was wise to since social interaction is necessary for survival. Without it human beings lack maturity, lose perspective, and are unable to manage any kind of relationships (professional as well as personal) or interact appropriately with others. People like Itachi simply don’t need closeness or intimacy. Over time, with practice and attention, they may grow to legitimately care about others, and of course they benefit from society, but they are not driven to seek bonds, so losing them or rejecting them is no great loss. In lieu of attachment, they are more likely to value relationships by benefits.

Itachi values Sasuke because he has the potential to activate the Mangekyou Sharingan. He values Madara because Madara can teach Itachi what he needs to aspire to the “height” of his potential. Itachi values Akatsuki because it provides him with basic necessities while he carries out his other goals. Etc. Certainly Itachi has emotions. He also has likes and dislikes, which extends to feelings of admiration or contempt for others. He can become excited, angry, or sorrowful. He is entirely human. He could learn to care for the needs of others if he chose (i.e. the way he “behaved” like the ideal brother for Sasuke), but he is likely to choose this only in exchange for something worth the effort rather than to fulfill an emotional need.

Itachi’s Age and Mentorship

A dark heart like Itachi’s is born from two sources: inner desires and outer influences. “Satan made me do it” is never a viable excuse, even if a person has proof that the devil himself forced his or her hand. Inside all of us is the potential to do great evil for the promise of greater rewards. Indeed, selfish, evil acts often are rewarded with the prizes that were sought (i.e. money, sex, power, etc.). It takes only conviction and the ruthlessness needed to achieve such goals.

That being said, it is unlikely that Itachi was born to an evil aim as great as mass murder in his search for power. Given his many mental and physical blessings, it is likely that Itachi was always ambitious and believed that he could achieve whatever he wanted, but it is also likely the direction of his ambition was shaped by outside influences. Not all ambition is evil. Itachi’s own father pushed him to succeed and impressed upon him the importance of achievement, honor, and greatness. However, Fukagu’s values were different than Itachi’s. Fugaku was proud of his son and saw him as a blessing and a great benefit to others (esp the Uchiha Clan). However, Itachi sought or was presented with an alternative destiny, a destiny that would serve him exclusively and take him farther than his father’s plan ever could.

Madara Uchiha became Itachi’s mentor. It is unclear when they met, but it was certainly before the massacre. Perhaps it was during Itachi’s training with ANBU, but I would suspect that it was even sooner than this. It would take time to train Itachi to commit the deed that severed him eternally from his former life. My suspicion is that Madara encountered Itachi in the way Orochimaru encountered Kimimaro or Zabuza encountered Haku. Madara saw in Itachi amazing talent, an ambitious nature, dedicated drive, and a clear-sighted, moldable temperament. Given Itachi’s personality, it is not suggested that Itachi depended upon Madara for attention, affection, or companionship as Kimimaro or Haku are shown to. Instead they probably struck a bargain. Itachi wanted to advance and he found a teacher that could advance him, one worthy of respect and admiration, unlike his actual family whose potential was beneath his own. In exchange, Itachi would team up with Madara to destroy the Uchiha Clan and pursue a great destiny.

Itachi was 13 when he murdered the Uchiha Clan. Needless to say, 13 is a very young, impressionable age. Although Itachi is intelligent and autonomous, he was barely a man (physically as well as mentally), just on the onset of puberty. Madara may have reached Itachi at a time when his system was just beginning to be flooded with testosterone (10, 11, or 12), when he was itching to compete, fight, assert dominance, explore possibilities of achievement, and creep out from the protection of his family. Other boys join competitive sports teams, start fantasizing about sex (often with adult women—or men), or grapple with their peers in schoolyards at this age. Itachi was already the best fighter in Konoha and his disinterest in relationships (or the ease of conquest) probably muted any sexual pursuit as a measure of his prowess. Itachi was unchallenged and arrogant, yet driven to test himself and use his God-given talent to achieve something momentous. It would be the perfect age for Madara to approach him and groom him for murder and a massacre. The prize would be compelling for a young man of Itachi’s nature: the attainment of the Uchiha Clan’s highest honor—the Mangekyou Sharingan.

In order to groom Itachi for the “necessary” massacre, Madara Uchiha probably employed at least some degree of mental brainwashing. This is to say he probably fed Itachi’s ego considerably and reinforced every negative or apathetic thought and feeling adolescent Itachi had against his family and friends. For example, it is probably at least partially due to Madara’s influence that Itachi felt that the Uchiha Clan’s traditions were meaningless and that community values in general are responsible for the weakening the Clan and making them “pathetic”. Itachi was probably encouraged to distrust people’s intentions (after all, his own were not trustworthy), particularly regarding Shisui, who we learn WAS asked by the Clan to tail Itachi and report back to the Clan on his movements. It wouldn’t take Madara very long to convince Itachi that he was better than everyone around him, that he had no reason to be patient with those who were inferior to him, and perhaps even impress upon him that he was hated, even by his parents, for his abilities. To a 13-year old, who are already inclined to nurse imagined injuries inflicted on them by others, this would be a very compelling argument.

In other words, Madara Uchiha is the kind of person that a righteous individual would kill for fun, as Sasuke may feel like doing presently.

If any of my speculations about Itachi’s life under Madara’s mentorship are true, it gives an ironic twist to Itachi’s mockery of Sasuke’s memory of the past and how his “reality might be a mirage.”

Because let’s face it. 19—or 21, the age Itachi is at now—isn’t all that far removed from 13. If we were to generalize and say that 13 is an age of insecurity, then 19 is an age of cocky arrogance with very little sense of responsibility or perspective. 19-year olds are just starting to come into their own power and have not yet hit the limitations imposed on them by others, an uncaring world, and their own flaws. Typical 19-year olds also have few real responsibilities. They take care of themselves, but they do not understand the burden of caring for others or how caring for others (especially if you have children of your own) changes you and your perspective of the world (like Asuma confessed to Shikamaru). Whether Itachi is a very mature 19 or an overly confident 19 is yet to be seen, but he wouldn’t be the first 19-year old who believed he would live forever only to die very young. Despite Itachi’s great accomplishments, there are probably a lot of experiences he has little to no knowledge of, one of them obviously being how family and community might actually be both necessary and valuable.

Itachi and Existentialism: a philosophy of life

As previously stated, no one can or should be able to blame their actions on the influences of others. Regardless of whatever Madara may have said to Itachi in his youth, Itachi is ultimately responsible for his actions. By the evidence, he agrees with this, and even takes pride in it. Indeed, for all we know it was Itachi who sought out Madara and proposed the plan to murder the Uchiha Clan. Regardless of the details, Itachi takes ownership of his actions, and Sasuke (rightly) holds him accountable.

Apart from Itachi’s personality and history, it is important to understand his life philosophy. Everybody lives by some sort of philosophy, even if it is unconscious survival by hand to mouth. The only way human beings make decisions is by ranking a system of values. The difference between an Existentialist and everyone else is that an Existentialist facilitates his own system. He is a Master of his reality. Anyone who is unaware of what he values, or relies on another (such as a religion or societal doctrine) to dictate his morality, is a Slave.

What does this have to do with Existentialism? My postulation is that Itachi’s belief system is Existentialist in nature. I covered this briefly in my Itachi Hate and Detest Essay, but I did not explain it thoroughly in the body of the article. To do so now will require an explanation of Existentialism. Please keep in mind that it is only a summary and barely scratches the service.

About Existentialism

As can be garnered from the name, Existentialism is concerned with the state of existence. Following studies on psychoanalysis and doubts regarding the existence of God (or any kind of absolute moral truth passed down to humanity by authority), philosophers began to question the nature of reality itself. How do we know we are who we think we are? How do we know that world is how we think it is? As such, how do we know how to behave or what to believe?

The contention is that if a man is trapped within his own mind there is no possible way of knowing if anything he thinks, feels, or believes is “true” or “correct”. (Sound familiar?) There is no way to argue this point since human beings can’t perceive the world outside their own brains and bodies, but philosophers took it further. They questioned the very meaning of existence. How do we know we are real? How do we know that anything we think or do affects our reality? How can we be sure we are not just puppets acting out roles in a grand play orchestrated by a greater mind?

In some ways, this is an extension of the conversation of whether or not human beings have free will. Are we being controlled in the things we do? How do we know we exist? In the past, this question was answered by referencing the mind. “I think, therefore I am” was the mantra of Descartes, who believed that people could evaluate their existence by their rationale and judge it by their values or moral code. But if our very minds are unreliable, or if the reality we think we see is not reality at all, then this answer becomes meaningless. As do all of our beliefs and values.

So what do Existentialists believe? Existentialists disregard the question of “perception” and “reality”. Existence is not about what we think, but rather what we do through the individual choices that we make. Existing is about action, not thought. In order to exist, we must make choices, and we must believe in those choices and take full responsibility for them. Some Existentialists theorized that resistance to conformity was an important part of realizing self-awareness, because only when you reject what someone else wants you to think, do, or believe can you evaluate yourself as an entity apart from others. “I think therefore I am” was replaced with “I say ‘no,’ therefore I exist.” In this way, Existentialists refuse to admit to belonging to any school of thought or system…including being labeled as Existentialists.

Existentialists do not allow others to make choices for them. This extends to everything, including decisions about what is possible and what is moral. Existentialists believe that humans have absolute freedom of will, even when they are placed in situations in which they seemingly have no freedom at all (such as prison, or death, or Camus’s The Myth of Sisyphus). But here’s the point. All humans are in this situation all the time. We did not choose to be born. We were not informed what the world would be like before we came into it, and we did not get to make any choices for ourselves as to where we would begin. We were “thrown” into existence without any bearings at all, and from there we “make up” the belief that there must be some purpose to our existence orchestrated by some universal structure or god. We believe this because that is what we are told or because it is what we want to believe. And yet, throughout life, we encounter many situations in which there appears to be no order at all. We encounter indifference, godlessness, unfairness, and moral ambiguity. Cumulatively, when faced with the world as it is, even when we can’t be sure that what we are seeing is real, anyone who keeps his or her eyes open must conclude that the universe is absurd. In fact, according to Existentialists like Albert Camus, society and religion by their very nature are falsehoods, and must be rejected.

An Existentialist draws the only conclusion that can be drawn. There is no reality. There is no morality. There are no assurances, no absolutes, and no guidelines for how anyone should live. We determine our own existence. We determine what is right and wrong. From the minute we are “thrown” into the world, we decide what we believe and what is real. Everyone does this, but only an Existentialist realizes it and takes responsibility for it. When the realization is first made that human beings have limitless authority to do and believe anything they want, they are struck by anxiety and dread. Limitless choice also means that no one will be held responsible by another; conversely, everyone must accept responsibility for themselves. We can no longer blame others for anything, not for what we do and not for what happens to us. We also can no longer expect others to be punished or rewarded. Justice is a false concept, as is victimization, unfairness, and sin.

The greatest truth is the one that is acted upon. As such, true Existentialists cannot be victims. They cannot be slaves. They accept no permanent roles at all. They are never forced. They are not inert objects that are acted upon. Even in the absence of options, Existentialists make choices. Existentialists take ownership of their own reality by recognizing that there is no reality beyond the one they create.

Obviously, there is more to say about Existentialism and Existentialists. There are different branches, for example, some allowing for a concept of God and some not. However, Existentialism is not a religion. Existentialism is a philosophy concerned with the value of human choice, and by its nature it does not dictate what choices are “right” or “wrong.” For this reason, no two Existentialists are the same. In fact, their morals—which they individually determine—can be completely opposite.

Itachi as an Existentialist

It is necessary to evaluate Itachi as an Existentialist, not because it vindicates him from wrongdoing (quite the opposite) but because it explains how he evaluates himself, others, and the world that he inhabits.

Itachi is an illusionist. As a genjutsu specialist, his work involves changing the perception of others. A simple genjutsu causes people to see a mirage, which renders their actions ineffective because they are “trapped” in their own minds and doing nothing in reality. However, as his skills improved, Itachi probably began to realize that genjutsu has depths much greater than the tactic to confuse an opponent. By chance he may have discovered that illusions can be more powerful than reality, and that by altering someone’s perception, he could control their actual world, and through that even change their beliefs. Ultimately, especially using the Mangekyou, he could compel others to reckon with a world of his own making.

A revelation such as this would eventually cause a "existential" feeling of deep anxiety or dread. If Itachi can control others, then it must also be possible for others to control him. Genjutsu may be a force to reckon with in a fight, but it is magnanimously dangerous on a metaphysical level. As the student of another Sharingan user (Madara), Itachi would begin to question everything he knows or he thinks he knows about reality. “What is real?” How can he know that HE is not also being controlled or manipulated by a greater force?

Even without genjutsu, this is a powerful question. How can anyone possibly evaluate his or her own circumstances? Genjutsu may have taught Itachi that people can be controlled by illusions, but people create their own illusions without the aid of any genjutsu at all. Consider, for example, Naruto's cry to Sasuke in the Valley of the End: "Was I the only one that thought we were friends?" Doubtlessly, Itachi has witnessed nauseating amounts of senseless bloodshed, misdirected rage, submerged emotions, crippled passions, and a great deal of people lying to themselves, blaming others, and depending on beliefs or organizations to justify their righteousness and see them through difficulties.

An example of this in Itachi's life would be Itachi’s realization that he was hated, not because of anything he actually did to others, but because others were jealous of him. They told him that he was arrogant, but failed to see who he was or what he was or was capable of doing. In addition to this, he saw ninja as a whole regarded with suspicion and hatred by the general populace, and the Uchiha Clan most of all. The Clan’s reaction to such hostility was to become secretive and exclusive, almost Cultish, and drive the collective energy of its people to maintaining the Clan’s honor. But this honor in itself was just another illusion, something the Clan believed and perpetuated about itself despite the hard facts that the Clan was dwindling. In addition, as Itachi became personally aware, the Clan was taking credit for honors passed down by Madara rather than honors achieved, and it was pressuring Itachi to do the same out of obligation and responsibility.

Itachi may have spent some time trying to puzzle out the "reality" of the Uchiha Clan, and here Madara may have lent a hand. There is no way to know, and there was no way for Itachi to come to a "correct" decision about “what is real.” The only thing a man can do in a situation of uncertainty is make a decision, believe in the truth of that decision, and act according to that decision. In this way, reality is variant to the individual. Existence is something that must be claimed. However, as mentioned above, many Existentialists felt that the only way to make true choices is to first disassociate oneself from any societal system, religious doctrine, body, or membership that extends control over the individual’s choices or shapes their reality.

For Itachi, this societal system or body of membership was the Uchiha Clan. It was not just a family. The Uchiha Clan is an organization with a hierarchy of values that it forces on all of its members, the most important of which is putting the Clan, the village, and the mission above all. Itachi, who questioned the very nature of existence and wanted to form his own hierarchy of values, was sickened by the short-sighted and small-minded doctrine of the Clan. And yet they held him accountable to it as one of its members. They turned his friends into spies, threatened him with imprisonment, and tried to take responsibility for his actions. Because the Uchiha Clan's business is to track down renegades, Itachi could not just escape. The Clan would dog him for life, and likely he would end up killing them one by one if they did, even if his own parents came after him (as they probably would). The logical choice then was a preemptive one. In order to free himself from the Clan and all his ties to it, he must not merely escape its influence by putting distance between them, especially in the ninja world where renegades are not tolerated. Instead, he must destroy it utterly.

This Itachi could do with a perfectly clear conscience. In a world where reality itself is questionable, there is no such thing as morality. There is no inherent value in family. There is no value in a village or a code or a way of the ninja. Remember too that Itachi’s personality type is such that he experiences only minimal attachment to other people, and that attachment is contingent upon benefits, not obligations or emotions. Itachi was self-sufficient at 13. He did not feel that he had anything more to gain from the Clan and everything to lose. In addition he had Madara, a teacher and mentor who in addition to influencing him in this decision was also a source of any further attention Itachi might need.

By Itachi’s own estimation, the only one out of the Uchiha Clan worth leaving alive was Itachi’s little brother Sasuke. Itachi evaluated Sasuke carefully and determined that he may be capable of activating the Mangekyou Sharingan. Leaving Sasuke alive was a choice Itachi made freely, for his own sake. Whether Itachi has any emotional attachment to Sasuke is irrelevant. He might, but that attachment would also be a choice, and in no way contradicts any of Itachi’s other choices.

It is important to recognize that Itachi is not bound by any of his prior actions as “predictable” markers of his character. Itachi is not a psychotic, indiscriminate killer. He never was. He might enjoy cruelty, but that doesn’t mean we can label him a sadist. The only “truth” in Itachi’s reality is the action of the moment. As such, it was important for Kishimoto to show us Itachi making choices that may seem “out of pattern” for a S-class criminal. Therefore we have seen Itachi abandon fights, state that he has no interest in killing anyone unnecessarily, and even showing some degree of concern for his brother Sasuke.

An Existentialist is bound by nothing but the limits of his own mind. As such, Itachi could potentially do a 180 at any time in his life and change all of his opinions while losing nothing of his character (at least to himself, which is all that matters). This is because Itachi does not believe in any reality beyond the one he creates, and he is constantly creating his reality from moment to moment. He does not identify himself as belonging to any particular moral or societal system. The only thing that Itachi will not do is recant responsibility for his actions (past, present, or future), whether he believes in them presently or not. Accepting his choices and all of their consequences is crucial to his owning his own existence. By contrast, others’ evaluations of his character and actions are worse than meaningless.

If Itachi is as possessive of his life as I believe him to be, then we cannot assume that he is or ever was under Madara’s “control.” Even if we learn that Madara influenced Itachi, or brainwashed him, or even outright lied to him, it would not affect Itachi’s ownership of his choices. Itachi is not Madara’s puppet any more than he was the Clan’s puppet. Their relationship is also not permanently fixed, as that would imply irreversible roles, which an Existentialist would reject. It is possible that Itachi is content in his position as Madara’s student and/or partner. It is equally possible that he means to surpass Madara, or destroy him, or be his instrument for some other purpose. Itachi has exactly what he wants. His potential is limitless and his opportunities for achievement wide open.

Final Notes

Itachi is not the main character in Naruto. Naruto is the main character, followed by Sasuke, who is the source of much of the conflict in Naruto's world. But this will change soon, and Naruto will once again come to the forefront of all important matters.

(Note: For my thoughts about Naruto’s role in the story and the conflict involving Pein and Pein’s Philosophy, see my (much shorter) Pein and Suffering Essay.)

Obviously Itachi’s choices and movements affect both Sasuke and Naruto, but it is impossible to determine what the outcome will be. It is still a mystery what Itachi wanted with Naturo in the woods as well as what he aims to achieve as Madara’s student and a member of Akatsuki. Obviously, the Nine Tailed Fox will play a significant role in future events, and as it stands, Naruto will be the bone in a dog yard. However, from what we know about Naruto, he also will not submit to being an object.

What Sasuke thinks of this or what he will do about it is a mystery. Sasuke’s only current focus is to kill Itachi for what he has done. Itachi clearly understands Sasuke’s feelings in this (they just don’t matter). What else he understands, particularly regarding what Sasuke would see when/if he obtains the Mangekyou is yet to be revealed. It is unclear whether or not Itachi is still significantly stronger than Sasuke, but the implication is that he seems to think he is.

Will Itachi die? He certainly could, especially seeing as Madara could replace him. If it is Sasuke’s destiny to achieve the Mangekyou Sharingan, he may obtain it through killing his brother (who we might also say is his best friend) rather than Naruto. If so, we would certainly learn what the world looks like through such eyes. Does the Mangekyou reveal a different reality than that of the Sharingan, which merely sees through movement and illusion? However, it may not be Sasuke’s destiny to kill Itachi. After all, his perception of his reality might be wrong. Whatever the outcome of the battle, there is still Madara to reckon with. In addition, there is Naruto Uzumaki, the Nine Tailed Fox, and the battle that will decide whose philosophy (Naruto’s, Madara’s, or Pein’s) will dictate the future existence of the ninja.




A/N: If you read this essay, please comment!
Please feel encouraged to link to this. Again, here are the links:

Itachi Essay Parts 1-6 Complete
Itachi Essay Part 1: Introduction
Itachi Essay Part 1.5: Dramatized Summary of Chapter 385
Itachi Essay Part 2: Memory over Matter
Itachi Essay Part 3: Itachi's Personality
Itachi Essay Part 4: Itachi's Age and Mentorship
Itachi Essay Part 5: Itachi's Philosophy - Existentialistm
Itachi Essay Part 6: Final Notes


Other Naruto Essays:
Post Naruto 395 and 396: Madara's Ability and Itachi's Truth
Post Naruto 394: What is Up with Itachi? Is he Dead?
Post Naruto 393: An Empty Victory for Sasuke?
Post Naruto 388: Sasuke’s Escape: Theory of Hatred vs Tsukiyomi
Post Naruto 387: Fate and Character of Sasuke Uchiha
Post Naruto 386: Further Itachi Review and Discussion
Post Naruto 385: Itachi Character Analysis Essay - Existentialism
Post Naruto 376: Itachi Characterization Essay - Hate and Detest
Post Naruto 374: Pein and Suffering VS Naruto