Exactly how did Itachi Uchiha’s backstory and his supposed Uchiha betrayal play out in Naruto? Masashi Kishimoto’s beloved anime and manga is full of long-term storylines that aren’t fully unwrapped until the closing chapters, and one of the biggest is the mystery of Itachi. This fan-favorite character was first introduced as a villain; the shadowy missing brother of Sasuke (who is similar to Baruto‘s Kawaki), who claims his sibling betrayed their village by slaughtering the entire Uchiha clan, leaving only Sasuke alive and sparking a yearning for revenge within the young ninja.
Ultimately, it’s revealed that Itachi Uchiha’s motivations were nothing like what Sasuke initially believed. People continue to learn more about the circumstances of the Uchiha massacre as the Naruto story progresses, with the tale taking maze-like twists and turns, and the true blame-shifting with each shocking revelation.
The origins of the Itachi Uchiha betrayal can be traced back to the ancient feud between Asura and Indra, the two sons of the Sage of Six Paths. While Asura’s descendants became the Senju clan and prospered as Konoha’s leadership, the Uchiha were largely sidelined and viewed with suspicion, animosity constantly bubbling between the two sides thanks to the constant reincarnations of Asura and Indra throughout history. Here’s Itachi Uchiha’s betrayal and backstory explained.
Itachi’s Uchiha’s Betrayal and Backstory Explained
Itachi Uchiha’s betrayal stems from inter-clan feuding. This bitterness came to a head when Obito (under the manipulation of Madara, who was, in turn, being played by Kaguya Ōtsutsuki) used the Nine Tails Fox to attack Konoha village. Since the Uchiha’s Sharingan eye was known to control the Nine Tails, the existing ill-feeling towards the Uchiha people flared. Through no fault of their own, the Uchiha found themselves more segregated than ever before in the wake of the Nine Tails incident. The clan’s leadership eventually decided to strike back and seize control of the entire village, which is where Itachi Uchiha comes in. The eldest son of the clan chief and a child ninja prodigy, Itachi was wiser than his tender years and could sense a war between Naruto‘s Konoha village and the Uchiha was rapidly approaching. In order to avoid that eventuality, Itachi began working as a double agent, secretly operating under the demands of the Hokage.
Trouble seriously began when Itachi Uchiha was put under the command of Danzo, a fringe leader of Konoha’s ANBU black ops and a renowned anti-Uchiha proponent. Danzo’s end goal was to end the Uchiha clan once and for all, supposedly to benefit the entire village. Desperate to avoid this outcome, Sasuke and his like-minded best friend, Shisui, decided to use the latter’s unique eye abilities to manufacture peace, but Danzo sabotaged them by stealing one of Shisui’s eyes. Left with a choice between open war and the death of his brother, Itachi cut a deal to execute the Uchiha clan on Danzo’s orders, but with Sasuke’s life spared and protected. Danzo agreed, and the massacre was done. In an additional wrinkle, the attack was carried out with the help of Obito, who was then posing as Madara Uchiha.
Even after being exiled from Konoha as the scapegoat of the whole attack, Itachi Uchiha served his village loyally, acting as a spy within the increasingly dangerous Akatsuki organization. Itachi put on a pretense of wanting to steal Sasuke’s eyes and become even more powerful, but Itachi soon realized his intentions for Sasuke had backfired. His brother hadn’t learned from the loss of his family, but became consumed with a need for revenge. Around the same time, the elder Uchiha brother also realizes his death is imminent in Naruto. In one final effort to keep the peace and seek redemption, Itachi entrusts his brother’s fate to Naruto, forcibly implanting him with a crow that was intended to cast a genjutsu on Sasuke, forcing him to protect Konoha rather than destroy it. The crow ended up being used on Itachi himself after his reincarnation to break free from Kabuto’s control.
Finally, Itachi Uchiha allows Sasuke to get his long-awaited revenge in a tense battle. Once again, Itachi has hidden motives, intending to draw out Orochimaru from Sasuke and sever the connection between them, saving his brother once again. Before succumbing to his mystery illness, Itachi reveals that he never sought to steal Sasuke’s eyes, and this begins the younger Uchiha’s journey towards questioning what really happened to his clan.
Is Itachi Uchiha Returning In Boruto?
Rumors have been circulating that Itachi Uchiha is returning for Boruto: Naruto Next Generations — but this isn’t the case. A post on social media claimed that Itachi would be reanimated after his death just to appear in the series. However, there has been no announcement from Naruto and Baruto creator Masashi Kishimoto. It doesn’t look like Itachi Uchiha will be seen outside the confines of Naruto. While many would be perfectly happy to see the character reappear in the next-generation series, his absence is probably for the better. Itachi Uchiha fulfilled his arc in the series, and to reanimate him would only cheapen what he went through with Sasuke and Konoha.
In addition, Baruto: Naruto Next Generations is a Naruto sequel series, chronicling what happens to Naruto Uzumaki’s son, Baruto, and his friends before becoming ninjas. The spinoff is supposed to occur 10 years after the events of Naruto Shippuden. The anime does feature some characters from Naruto, but only to add to the storyline. Bringing Itachi back from the dead wouldn’t have a point, other than to be fan service. Doing so would only serve this purpose and sacrifice the unique storylines that the Baruto series has to offer.
Is A Live-Action Naruto Movie Happening?
It was announced by Lionsgate that a live-action Naruto movie was in the works. Then suddenly, the grapevine went deathly quiet. So, is a live-action Naruto movie happening for real? The short answer is: maybe. Various petitions have sprouted up online to demand a live-action adaptation of the manga/anime, and Lionsgate initially answered the call. In 2015, the studio announced that a Naruto movie was in the works, but there hasn’t been much news since. Avi Arad is set to produce the film. Some may know the producer from his entrenchment with Marvel’s The Amazing Spider-Man and Venom. This bodes well for the Naruto movie, as his presence almost guarantees a large budget and great CGI effects. Eric Feig is also a part of the production team – an old hand at nailing book-to-screen adaptations, such as Twilight and The Hunger Games. Finally, Michael Gracey is set to direct. His most considerable credit is The Greatest Showman, but he’s also directed various music videos and the documentary P!nk: All I Know So Far.
Reportedly, a script is being written, penned by Erich and Jon Hoeber. The two have also written movies like Battleship, the shark disaster movie The Meg, and My Spy. Thus far, no one has joined the cast, but the movie appears to be in the pre-production phase, according to IMDb. It’s still unknown what the release date could be for the film, nor which arc of the Naruto anime series the movie will follow (or if Itachi Uchiha will be in it).
Though Itachi Uchiha would only ever be returning in the live-action adaptation, the blame for the death of the Uchiha clan was glossed over in Naruto‘s mad rush to the finish line, and some theories link it back to Danzo. But while the dastardly elder certainly played his part in the tragedy, he was merely a cog, along with Obito and Madara, in Kaguya’s grand plan to break free and consume the world’s chakra. This means it was she who truly engineered the Uchiha massacre.
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