Itachi Uchiha

was a shinobi of Konohagakure's Uchiha clan who served as an Anbu Captain. He later became an international criminal after murdering his entire clan, sparing only his younger brother, Sasuke. He afterwards joined the international criminal organisation known as Akatsuki, whose activity brought him into frequent conflict with Konoha and its ninja — including Sasuke who sought to avenge their clan by killing Itachi. Following his death, Itachi's motives were revealed to be more complicated than they seemed and that his actions were only ever in the interest of his brother and village, making him remain a loyal shinobi of Konohagakure to the very end.

Background
Itachi was the first child born to Mikoto and Fugaku Uchiha. His early childhood was marked with violence: when he was four years old, the Third Shinobi World War waged and he witnessed first-hand many of the war's casualties. The death and destruction he experienced at such a young age traumatised Itachi and made him a pacifist, leading to him training non-stop to achieve his dream of becoming a ninja among ninja in order to erase fighting from the world. At age 5, after becoming a big brother to Sasuke, Itachi was approached by Shisui, who offered to train together. Soon, the two became best friends, forming a brother-like bond as they continued to teach the other new tricks. During the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox's Attack, he was home alone looking after Sasuke, followed by Itachi rescuing Mikoto from falling debris, and in the anime seeking shelter with Izumi. The Nine-Tails' attack had soured relations between Konoha's leadership and the Uchiha, the former believing the latter to be responsible. The Uchiha were relocated to the edge of the village, isolating them from the rest of the village and making it easier to monitor them.

At age 6, Itachi enrolled into the Academy, where he consistently scored the highest in each subject and quickly learned any skill taught to him, resulting in him being praised as the best of his generation. After four months, his teachers unanimously agreed let him take the graduation exam early due to Itachi being more than advanced enough for genin-level, which he passed later that month. During this time, he began seriously studying the history of the world, gaining a great appreciation for it. On the day he graduated as the youngest post-war graduate, he was approached by Danzō Shimura, who assessed Itachi's thinking.

Joining Team 2, Itachi went on to honing his skills to chūnin level, leading to him drawing the attention of Konoha's leaders. Meeting the criteria, Fugaku allowed him to sit in on clan meetings in the Naka Shrine basement. Nearly a year since graduating, Itachi had mastered ninjutsu to the extent his missions went too easy, though Yūki Minazuki didn't recommend him for the Chūnin Exams. After turning eight, as Team 2's genin had distinguished themselves the most during the year, they were tasked with guarding the Fire Daimyō during his annual trip to Konoha. During the mission, the convoy was attacked by a masked individual, who killed Tenma Izumo before Itachi, resulting in him awakening his Sharingan, which he mastered at the same age. In the anime, Itachi accompanied his friend Shisui on a three-part training exercise, only to interrupt a battle between the Third Hokage's Anbu and Root. After having driven out the Root ninja, Itachi learned from Shisui about having his own sense of morals from various viewpoints instead of one. At age 10, Konoha officials allowed Itachi to compete in the Chūnin Exams by himself, which he passed and became a chūnin.

At age 11, Itachi joined the Anbu as its youngest member. In the anime, Itachi is assigned to Team Ro, working alongside Tenzo and with Kakashi Hatake as his captain. During his mentorship, Itachi became acquainted with Kakashi and showed interest in the Sharingan he possessed despite not being an Uchiha. At one point, they both worked together in a two-man squad following an exchange between Konohagakure and the Prajñā Group of the Land of Woods; killing the latter party after an attempted betrayal. They would work together for two years until Itachi is promoted to a new Anbu team under Danzō's authority.

Itachi's accomplishments were a source of great pride for his family, his father viewing him as proof of the Uchiha's future prosperity and his brother viewing him as a model to live up to. Itachi spent a great deal of time with Sasuke, training with him (though rarely actually training him) and giving him the recognition their father did not. However, for all the attention he received, few truly understood Itachi, believing his isolation to be a result of the gap between his abilities and theirs and not his dissatisfaction with the shinobi's life of conflict. Eventually, the Uchiha's disdain for their unfair treatment led them to plan a coup d'état. Fugaku, head of the Uchiha and the coup's chief conspirator, encouraged Itachi's advancement into the Anbu's ranks as a means of spying on the village. Itachi, however, knew an Uchiha coup would lead to intervention from other villages and ultimately start another World War, something he could not support. He instead became a double agent, reporting the Uchiha's actions to the Third Hokage and the Konoha Council in the hopes it would help them find a peaceful resolution.

Itachi shared the burden of betraying his clan with Shisui. But as time went on it became increasingly clear that peace could not be achieved. Shisui intended to use his Kotoamatsukami on the Uchiha's leaders to compel them to negotiate, but his right eye was stolen by Danzō before he had a chance. His own options exhausted, Shisui entrusted his remaining eye to Itachi and begged him to protect the village and their family name before drowning himself in the Naka River. Itachi was anguished by Shisui's death, enough to awaken his Mangekyō Sharingan. When the following day some Uchiha, already suspicious of Itachi, accused him of murdering Shisui and staging a suicide, Itachi lost his composure and attacked them, defeating them easily. A rift was created between Itachi and his family, and his warnings to them to reconsider what they were doing fell on deaf ears. At age 12, he was promoted to Anbu Captain, with his publicly disclosed promotion age being 13 due to Danzō's request and Hiruzen's acceptance. In the anime, Itachi is also given command of his own three-man squad. At one point, Itachi would confront his father in the Naka Shrine basement, who revealed to have had his own Mangekyō Sharingan since the Third Shinobi World War. Having read the Stone Tablet with it and knowing the truth of its power, Fugaku could control the Nine-Tailed Fox and then successfully take over the village with bloodshed on both sides; not before pleading for Itachi's aid in restraining the higher-ups as part of a bloodless revolution. Instead, Itachi would return back to the Konoha Council to report the clan's imminent revolt.

Although the Third Hokage still wished to negotiate with the Uchiha, Danzō Shimura recognised that there was no longer an outcome that could see the Uchiha clan's survival. He explained this to Itachi and left him a choice: support the Uchiha's coup and have the whole clan, including Sasuke, killed in the ensuing conflict, or accept the assignment to wipe out the clan before the coup started and be allowed to spare Sasuke. Itachi chose his brother. Despite having made his choice, Itachi was tormented by guilt, especially with the knowledge that Shisui would most likely not forgive his choice to destroy the clan. However, remembering the words of his father to not let other's decide things for his life, he resolved to continue his path. While making final preparations, Itachi discovered a masked man sneaking around Konoha. From observing him, he came to believe the man was truly Madara Uchiha bent on provoking some new conflict. Itachi approached him with an offer: he would assist "Madara" with wiping out the Uchiha, taking vengeance against them for abandoning him decades earlier, if Madara would spare the village, to which he agreed.

In one night Itachi and Tobi slaughtered the entire clan. Itachi took it upon himself to personally execute his parents. Despite his betrayal, they bore him no ill-will, instead telling him in the moments before they were killed that they were proud of him and requesting that he take care of Sasuke. Racked by grief for his actions, Itachi saw in Sasuke the only person suitable to punish him for his crimes. In order to set Sasuke on this road he cast himself as the villain, done by allowing Sasuke to find him standing over their parents' bodies and using Tsukuyomi to torment him with visions of their murders. Sasuke fled, fearing his own death, but Itachi chased him down to divulge the lie he had concocted: he killed their family to test his mettle and now wanted to test himself against the only remaining challenge to him, the little brother he had never loved. He encouraged Sasuke to become strong enough to kill him and take revenge, and to that end suggested he acquire a Mangekyō Sharingan of his own. Itachi left, but was surprised to find Sasuke already pursuing him with a newly-awakened Sharingan. Sasuke's attempt at vengeance failed and he passed out, but not before seeing Itachi cry with remorse.

Afterwards, he disguised a crow clone as a member of Root to threaten Danzō he would leak Konoha's secrets to enemy villages if he touched Sasuke, having realised Danzō could not be trusted to keep his promises. For his final business in the village, Itachi visited the Third Hokage and reported his mission completed, much to the Third's surprise and disappointment. Itachi requested that the Third look after Sasuke, which the Third vowed to do. Itachi left the village publicly a traitor but secretly with a new mission: to infiltrate Tobi's organisation, Akatsuki, and keep it from moving against Konoha. In the anime, Itachi is ambushed by his former Anbu squad under orders from Danzō, only to have tricked them into killing each other using genjutsu. At some point after joining Akatsuki, he was initially partnered up with Jūzō Biwa. While growing accustomed to his new setting and working well with his partner, the duo was eventually given a mission in the Land of Water. After completing it, they were ambushed by a hunter-nin squad led by Yagura. While initially pressed by the perfect jinchūriki, Itachi was able to defeat him with Amaterasu, but not before Jūzō was slain.

Sometime later, Orochimaru tried to steal Itachi's body in order to gain the Sharingan, but Itachi easily overpowered him, trapping him inside a paralysis genjutsu and severing his left hand to prevent him from dispelling it. In the anime, Itachi expressed his disgust at Orochimaru for his inhumane experiments and was about to kill him when Kabuto saved Orochimaru but they were both forced to leave Akatsuki. Later, Itachi was partnered with Kisame Hoshigaki, with whom he bonded over their shared notoriety for killing their own countrymen. To find a replacement for Orochimaru, Itachi helped recruit Deidara, whose art he defeated with his Sharingan's genjutsu; Deidara would forever after swear vengeance for the humiliating defeat. In the anime, Itachi also aided in the recruitment of Hidan. Pain eventually caught wind of Orochimaru's attempt to destroy Konoha and requested a team to investigate, which Itachi immediately volunteered for out of concern for Sasuke's safety.

At some point, Itachi contracted a terminal illness. He kept himself alive through the years with medicine and sheer willpower so that he could live long enough to die by Sasuke's hand.

Personality
From a young age, Itachi was calm and insightful, showing noticeable maturity for his age and knowledge on how to deal with every situation. For all his accomplishments, talent, and fame, Itachi was a rather humble man. Never arrogant about his own abilities nor underestimating others, most things he said would be unbiased and accurate. If an opponent exceeded his expectations or posed a legitimate challenge to him or his allies, Itachi would freely admit it. As a seven-year-old, his reasoning was on par with a Hokage. Having studied history, not just of his clan or his village but of the world, he gained a broader appreciation of what was important. Learning so much enabled him to understand how events of the past came to happen and, when he applied that same understanding into the future, he became concerned for where things were going. At the same time, Itachi was still fairly naïve as a child in many real-world scenarios and as such was willing to learn from his peers on how to differentiate situations. He lived at a distance, observing individuals and ideas without getting directly involved so that he could fully understand them.

Although this approach prevented him from becoming close with many people, it enabled him to think and act without prejudice or preconceptions, instead evaluating things strictly on their own merits. In the anime, Itachi unintentionally gained many friends and admirers for his genuine concern for others despite his passive nature. He would think about shinobi and origins of the village and its future. For this reason, he never became arrogant about his own abilities or accomplishments; to which, most views or statements he made were usually well-based, seeing the situation for what it was. From this he had no self-righteous loyalty to his clan that was so common among the Uchiha; though he loved his family and wanted the best for them, he knew there were more important things than the Uchiha's personal aspirations. Itachi's dream was to become Hokage, though he kept it hidden from others. Itachi was also one of the few villagers of Konoha to hold no grudge against Naruto Uzumaki, believing Naruto to be the greatest victim of the Nine-Tails attack and showed him kindness whenever they met by chance.

A pacifist at heart, Itachi did not actually like fighting and would avoid it when he could. When he couldn't, he would end the fight as quickly as possible, all the while holding himself back as much as possible. Despite this, Itachi felt his own needs were secondary to the greater good's and to that end he became a shinobi. He trained tirelessly to improve himself as quickly as he could and subjected himself to all of the shinobi life's inconveniences without complaint for the simple motivation of being useful to others. His commitment borderlined recklessness, due to training privately using extremely deadly methods such as dodging a barrage of kunai in the anime. Being so accomplished as a ninja enabled Itachi to approach problems less violently than others would, satisfying his peace-loving nature. These two extremes of his personality came into conflict as events moved toward the Uchiha Clan Downfall; he did not want to harm his family and sought a peaceful resolution, but knew that the path with the least bloodshed would be the clan's extermination. When the Uchiha Clan refused to deter from their plans, Itachi was pushed over the edge and his normally polite attitude to his clansmen became more violent, criticising them openly and lashing out at them for the choices that sealed their fates and his own. Despite his natural pacifism and kindness, Itachi was possessed of a wrathful and merciless side when those he loved were hurt or threatened. In revenge for Yashiro Uchiha's cowardly manipulations of his father from the shadows and helping to provoke war against Konohagakure while keeping free of responsibility himself, Itachi used his Tsukuyomi to force him to experience days of torture in an instant after making him realise how weak he was in comparison to Itachi himself. Itachi would later use Tsukuyomi, followed by Amaterasu to execute the helpless Root member Sugaru in revenge for Sugaru poisoning Shisui.

Despite the traumas he endured from killing his own family, Itachi did not blame those among Konoha's leadership who gave him the mission; though he did not trust Danzō on a personal level, he knew Danzō only had the village's best interests at heart. But Itachi – partly out of the necessity of his assignment to join Akatsuki – was greatly changed after the massacre, rarely if ever showing emotion. He became more prone to displays of force and permitted certain violent habits of his partner, Kisame, under the pretence that it furthered Akatsuki's goals. Itachi could not and would not fully shake his pacifistic ways, and would run from confrontation or rein in Kisame if the likelihood of collateral damage became too high for themselves or others. In addition, Itachi would continue to show his morality at times, as he expressed disgust at Orochimaru's lack of care for human life. While Kisame would sometimes protest, he considered Itachi a good friend and would listen to his instructions. Itachi also had a decent partnership with his previous partner Jūzō, showing respect to him and after his death, placing the remains of Kubikiribōchō in Jūzō's hand.

Konoha's peace and protection was always forefront in Itachi's mind, but it was his dedication to his brother, Sasuke, that took priority in every situation. From the time of Sasuke's infancy, Itachi tasked himself with looking after him. In the anime, Itachi even correctly guessed Sasuke's gender before his younger brother's birth. They'd spend whole days together in the woods around Konoha having adventures and accomplishing self-appointed missions. When Itachi became an accomplished ninja and took much of their father's attention, Itachi would make special time to fill their father's shoes for Sasuke's benefit, at times even refusing his father's wishes in order to make Sasuke happy. In turn Sasuke wished to be just like his older brother and would often ask Itachi to train him in the ninja arts. Itachi would almost never do so, poking his forehead and promising to train him some other time. Unfortunately, none of these promises were ever kept.

It was Sasuke's safety that ultimately convinced Itachi to go through with killing the rest of the Uchiha, believing his own damnation was worth it if it ensured Sasuke's survival. Even though he did it for Sasuke, Itachi wanted to be punished for his crimes and selected Sasuke as the one to take vengeance against him. To push Sasuke in this direction, Itachi withheld the true reason for his actions and instead took on the persona of a man who had no love for his younger brother. Per the persona, Itachi cared about Sasuke only because of the eyes that he could take to gain Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan. His actions in Akatsuki were meant to reinforce this persona, and whenever he met Sasuke over the years he would taunt his weakness and encourage him to get strong enough to kill him. His plan was that, once he had been killed, Sasuke would be hailed as a hero. Itachi never wanted Sasuke to learn the truth surrounding the Uchiha's massacre, and if he did he hoped the memory of a hateful older brother would cause him to not believe it. Itachi’s constant pursuit of peace, coupled with the paramount secrecy of his missions and his capacity to care about those around him, led Itachi to take on every burden himself, believing he needed no help from comrades.

After he died and was reincarnated, Itachi discovers that his plans largely failed; Sasuke is not a hero, he did find out the truth about what Itachi did, and now he aims to destroy Konoha for its role in Itachi and the Uchiha clan's suffering. He then begins to see the flaw in his original plans: he had been trying to manipulate Sasuke rather than be honest with him and trust in his own strength. Acknowledging the mistakes, Itachi is free to be himself instead of the persona he fabricated, being openly kind to others and displaying a dry sense of humour even in stressful situations. He puts his trust in Naruto Uzumaki to stop Sasuke from proceeding further down the path of darkness, and after Naruto proclaims that he will stop the war himself, warns Naruto against forgetting the value of his friends like he himself and "Madara" did, reminding him how those he loved helped him come so far. Itachi later even shows empathy to his enemy Kabuto Yakushi, likening Kabuto's arrogance and belief in nothing being beyond him to Itachi's own living self, telling him that such a path can only lead to failure, at the same time seeing finally acknowledging his true self for who he is and forgiving himself for his mistakes. Itachi further displays a reflective side, refusing Sasuke's claims that he was perfect and telling him that perfection can never be obtained by one individual. Itachi came to believe sometimes two people of completely opposite personalities are two sides of the same coin; that when they learn to work together, they can succeed in things they are unable to accomplish alone, a possible reference to how he and Kisame were complete opposites but were capable of compensating for each other's weaknesses. He is also finally open and honest with Sasuke during their final meeting, admitting what he did and even sharing information Sasuke did not already know. He apologises to Sasuke for failing in his responsibilities as an older brother, wondering if being up front with Sasuke from the beginning might have allowed them to avoid the Uchiha's destruction. In their final moments together, Itachi tells Sasuke he does not need forgiveness and that he will always love him no matter what.

Appearance
Itachi was a fairly tall man of fair complexion. He had black eyes, under which were long, pronounced tear-troughs. He had jet-black hair that was pulled back in a low ponytail and his face was framed with centre-parted bangs that extended to his chin; the ponytail and bangs grew longer over the years. His overall appearance is very similar to Sasuke's. Even more, like his brother, he was considered very handsome as many girls became infatuated with him. When he lived in Konoha, his casual clothes consisted of a black shirt with the Uchiha clan symbol on the back, bandages around his ankles, and black sandals. He wore tan pants with a weapons pouch strapped to his back. When on duty, he would wear the standard Anbu uniform complete with arm guards, a flak jacket, and a porcelain mask which was fashioned to resemble a weasel with a red, triangular marking on top.

As a member of Akatsuki, he wore the standard Akatsuki cloak and a slashed Konoha forehead protector to symbolise his broken ties with the village. The cloak's high collar would obscure his ponytail. He would sometimes unbutton his cloak to mid-chest and rest his left arm there, rather than in the sleeve. Under his cloak he wore clothes similar to the rest of Akatsuki: mesh armour with navy accents under an identical T-shirt with a simple white belt around the waist and dark blue pants. On his right ring finger was his Akatsuki ring, which was red and bore the kanji for. He wore light blue nail polish on his fingers and toes and a necklace that had three silver rings with red gems inside them.

After being reincarnated by Kabuto with the Impure World Reincarnation technique, he was seen wearing a maroon long sleeved cloak like the other reincarnated ninjas and retains his dark blue pants and black open-toed sandals. His skin becomes pale white with linings on his face, his hair became dark grey and has soulless onyx eyes minus the irides.

Abilities
Even within the famed and battle-adept Uchiha clan, Itachi was a genius of such talent, he consistently showed prowess well-beyond his years, effortlessly learning new jutsu from simple observation, and rising rapidly through the ninja ranks. His prowess rivalled Shisui Uchiha, who was well-regarded as the strongest Uchiha of their time. He was highly proficient in all three main ninja skill sets and gained praise from allies and foes alike; Orochimaru, one of the Sannin, openly admitted Itachi was stronger than he was. Obito revealed that despite being weakened from illness and Sasuke having absorbed Orochimaru's power, Itachi could have killed Sasuke during their battle if he wanted to. Even when restraining himself, a team of jōnin were still pushed to their limits against Itachi.

Chakra and Physical Prowess
As an Uchiha, Itachi's chakra was naturally strong, it is unknown how his actual reserves were affected by his terminal illness. Just three uses of his Mangekyō Sharingan in a single day made him unable to use his Sharingan and he would require significant rest afterwards to regain his strength. This also prevented him from participating in prolonged battles.

Although not his preferred method of combat, Itachi was very skilled with taijutsu – enough to easily defeat three members of the Konoha Military Police Force at the age of 11. He had exceptional speed and reflexes, able to compete with Shisui, who was well-famed for his own speed. His quickness was particularly noted with his hand movements, able to make hand seals too fast to be perceived normally; even skilled Sharingan-users had difficulty following him. His speed could move great distances in an instant as if by displacing himself, giving his opponent little chance to react or initiate a counter-attack. Itachi also showed remarkable fortitude. Despite spending years afflicted with a crippling disease, he was able to maintain his composure at all times and still battle at near-perfect form. Itachi set the record for completing the Forest of Death in his Chūnin Exams while still 9 years old, at 5 hours and 37 minutes, while taking the exams solo. He could use chakra to enhance his strikes.

Ninjutsu
Itachi could summon crows, which he would typically call forth in flocks to swarm opponents and distract them. He even integrated crows into clones of himself that would draw opponents' attacks. He was likewise able to create shadow clones and from which could lure in opponents before exploding. Itachi was also well-versed in fūinjutsu, particularly those that would activate in the presence of a specific person's Sharingan. From his time in Anbu, Itachi became proficient in stealth, infiltration, and assassination.

Bukijutsu
As a fully-trained Konoha Anbu, Itachi was skilled with a sword, which was his primary weapon during the Uchiha Clan Downfall. Like many Uchiha, he specialised in shurikenjutsu, which he was especially advanced at. Even as a child, Itachi could perfectly hit an intricate set of eight targets, one of which was hidden in a blind spot, by accurately deflecting his projectile off another one to redirect both projectiles' path in mid-air. His throwing speed was imperceptible, enough to negate the advantages of the Summoning: Lightning Flash Blade Creation. He was equally comfortable with kunai, able to use them to spar with opponents wielding swords. In the anime, he learned advanced sleight-of-hand from Shisui to give his opponents even less time to react.

Nature Transformation
Itachi's nature transformations included Fire, Water, Wind, Yin, and Yang Release. As an Uchiha, he had a natural affinity for Fire Release, mastering the clan's Great Fireball Technique at a very young age. He would often coat shuriken with fire to increase their offensive capacities. With Water Release, Itachi could perform the Water Dragon Bullet Technique without an external water source, as well as shape existing water into tendrils to strike his opponents from all directions.

Genjutsu
Consistent with his pacifist nature, Itachi specialised in genjutsu, where the illusions would typically involve crows. Regarded as one of Konohagakure's best users, even without the aid of his Sharingan, his illusions have remarkable potency, able to seamlessly affect his targets without them realising it, while on guard, and also perform them by merely pointing at his target. He is noted by Ao to have such high prowess that he could use genjutsu to control other individuals outside the range of even the Sensor Division. Itachi could also use genjutsu to share information or psychologically disable opponents, letting him end the fight instantly.

Sharingan
Itachi awakened the Sharingan at age 8, after witnessing his team-mate Tenma Izumo's death, and soon after mastered it. From a young age, he demonstrated skill and power superior to most members of his clan. In the anime, his prowess and exploits with it earned him great fame as. He tends to keep his Sharingan active near-constantly with minimal drain on his chakra levels. The Sharingan allows Itachi to see the flow of chakra, predict movements, as well as facilitate his use of genjutsu. Against other genjutsu users, he could turn their genjutsu against them. Also, with the Sharingan he could perform Izanami, a counterpart to the more dangerous Izanagi.

Mangekyō Sharingan
Itachi awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan after witnessing Shisui's suicide. Its design was three spiralling curves around the pupil. With both eyes, he could use Tsukuyomi, a genjutsu that trapped opponents' minds in an illusory world, altering their perception of time. With his right eye he could use Amaterasu, igniting whatever he looked at with black flames that would burn anything, including fire itself. He had the ability to extinguish Amaterasu.

Having awakened the Mangekyō in both his eyes, Itachi could also use Susanoo. With its simplest manifestations, he could produce extra arms or bones to improve his options in a fight. When used in full, Itachi was surrounded by a spectral warrior that would protect him from damage. In addition to the chakra swords and Yasaka Magatama common to all Susanoo, Itachi's Susanoo wielded the Sword of Totsuka – an ethereal sword with the ability to seal any person it pierced into its gourd—hilt – and the Yata Mirror – a shield that was said to reflect any attack by changing its chakra nature to counterbalance an attack. The simultaneous use of both weapons made Itachi's Susanoo essentially invincible.

Using any of these techniques required large amounts of chakra. If he used these techniques too often in a short span of time, Itachi would become so fatigued that he would deactivate his Sharingan altogether. Every time he used his Mangekyō Sharingan his eyesight deteriorated, a process that would progressively worsen on each occasion. Early uses of the Mangekyō would only cause his eyes to bleed, but by the end of his life he reached the point where he was nearly blind, most things looking to him like mere blurs. He does not suffer these shortcomings after his reincarnation and can use all his Mangekyō techniques without problems.

Intelligence
Itachi was a highly intelligent individual, having the second highest scores in the history of the Chūnin Exams written test behind Minato Namikaze. Composed and observant; he thought very quickly and remained calm in a fight, enabling him to respond with maximum efficiency and with the smallest likelihood of misjudging circumstances. Even at a young age, he was always calculating and methodical in his approach to the situation at hand, leaving little room for error. He took several precautions for Sasuke and against Tobi that he planned would activate after his death. Even Tobi admitted if he didn't keep some secrets from Itachi, he would have been killed by Itachi's trap. During his infiltration of Konoha, Itachi was also able to subtly leak Akatsuki's goals to Kakashi, Kurenai, Asuma, and Jiraiya without arousing Kisame's suspicions.

Search for Tsunade
After the Konoha Crush and the death of the Third Hokage, Itachi and Kisame use Itachi's prior experience as an Anbu to infiltrate the village undetected. They are nevertheless noticed by Kakashi Hatake, who sends Asuma Sarutobi and Kurenai Yūhi after them to determine their identities and purpose. Itachi and Kisame lead them to an isolated location and reveal themselves. Asuma and Kurenai engage them but pose little challenge and it is only due to the timely arrival of Kakashi that they are saved. Itachi and Kakashi duel with their Sharingan but Itachi quickly proves to be the superior and uses Tsukuyomi to render Kakashi helpless, but is surprised that Kakashi not only remains standing afterwards but that he knows they and Akatsuki are seeking the Nine-Tails. Itachi instructs Kisame to capture Kakashi to find out what else he knows and kill the others, but Kisame is parried by Might Guy. With things escalating, Itachi and Kisame decide to withdraw.

After confirming Sasuke's safety, Itachi pretended to pursue Naruto to covertly let Konoha know about Akatsuki's goals. Itachi and Kisame track the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki, Naruto Uzumaki, to Shukuba Town. Because Naruto is under the protection of Jiraiya, Itachi uses a genjutsu on an attractive woman to draw Jiraiya away. They confront Naruto and contemplate how to apprehend him. Before they can make a decision they are interrupted by Sasuke, who heard about Itachi's return and attacks him with Chidori. Itachi easily deflects it and then breaks Sasuke's wrist, but Jiraiya returns before things can go further. Not wishing to get drawn into a fight with Jiraiya but confronted by his younger brother's overwhelming desire for revenge, Itachi effortlessly overpowers Sasuke, taunts Sasuke's weakness, incapacitates him with Tsukuyomi, and then makes to escape. Jiraiya attempts to stop them with Summoning: Toad Mouth Bind, but Itachi uses Amaterasu so he and Kisame can break through.

Despite his seeming intentions to capture Naruto, Itachi's only real reasons for returning to Konoha were to, in the wake of the Third's death, remind Danzō Shimura and the rest of the Konoha Council that he was still out there and that they should not do anything to harm Sasuke.

Sasuke Recovery Mission
Itachi and the rest of Akatsuki assemble to discuss the progress of their plans as well as Sasuke's recent alliance with Orochimaru.

Kazekage Rescue Mission
While sealing the One-Tail, Akatsuki learns that Konoha ninja are converging on their location. Just as Kisame volunteers to delay Team Guy, Itachi volunteers to delay Team 7. Nagato uses his Shapeshifting Technique to make a body-double of Itachi that he controls remotely, which he uses to intercept Team 7. Team 7 coordinates against him and Itachi is impressed by Naruto's growth, but he still manages to catch him in a genjutsu. He torments Naruto for his failures to protect his friends, specifically Sasuke, until the genjutsu is broken by Naruto's teammates. Itachi, his body-double not having his full power, is eventually defeated by Naruto's Big Ball Rasengan. He nevertheless succeeds in buying enough time to complete the One-Tail's sealing.

Itachi Pursuit Mission
After Kisame captures the Four-Tails, Akatsuki convenes to seal it. Before the sealing gets underway they are informed that Sasuke has killed Orochimaru after two-and-a-half years of training with him and is now coming after Itachi. Deidara and Tobi go after Sasuke following the Four-Tails' sealing, and Akatsuki later receives reports that all three have been killed. Kisame consoles Itachi afterwards for now being the last Uchiha, but he replies that Sasuke is still alive. Even had he died, he says there is still another Uchiha, alluding to Tobi's survival as well.

Tale of Jiraiya the Gallant
Knowing that his end is near, Itachi sends a shadow clone to find and meet with Naruto. When Naruto attacks him, Itachi insists he only wants to talk. He asks Naruto what Sasuke means to him and what he will do if ever Sasuke moves against Konoha. Naruto replies that he is Sasuke's brother – a better brother than Itachi is – and that if Sasuke ever attacks the village he will defend it without killing Sasuke. Itachi is happy with this answer and gives Naruto some assistance for this purpose: a special crow that he stores within Naruto's body. (He does not tell Naruto the crow's purpose, but the crow, implanted with Shisui's Mangekyō Sharingan, will react to seeing Itachi's eyes and compel whoever has the eyes to protect Konoha. Since he expects Sasuke will take his eyes at some point if he awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan and by extension learned the truth, the plan is for the crow to reestablish Sasuke's loyalties to the village after Itachi is dead.) Having business elsewhere, the shadow clone disperses.

Another shadow clone allows Sasuke to track him to one of Akatsuki's lairs. Sasuke attacks him, displaying the new abilities he's learned, and in doing so convinces Itachi that he has gotten strong enough. The shadow clone arranges to meet with Sasuke at the Uchiha Hideout before it disappears. While Itachi waits for Sasuke, he has Kisame patrol the hideout's perimeter and permit nobody but Sasuke to enter.

Fated Battle Between Brothers
When Sasuke arrives they start by trading genjutsu. At Sasuke's request Itachi tells him about Tobi, who also goes by Madara, as well as the mysteries of the Mangekyō Sharingan and the even more powerful Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan. Itachi expresses his disappointment that Sasuke has not gained his own Mangekyō, but says he can use Sasuke's eyes to gain an Eternal Mangekyō all the same. The genjutsu exchange ends when Sasuke breaks free of Itachi's Tsukuyomi, thus beginning the real fight. The volleys of ninjutsu quickly spill outside, where Sasuke and Itachi compare their Great Fireballs. When Sasuke's starts to pull ahead, Itachi uses Amaterasu. While trying to hit Sasuke he ends up igniting the surrounding forest, but does finally manage to catch Sasuke. Sasuke sheds his skin to escape the flames and performs multiple Fire Release: Great Dragon Fire Techniques while Itachi is off-guard. Itachi avoids them, but Sasuke informs him that Itachi wasn't his target.

After Sasuke's attack, storm clouds gather and lightning brews, allowing Sasuke to attack Itachi with Kirin. Although the hideout is destroyed, Itachi survives thanks to his Susanoo. With his Susanoo active, Itachi approaches Sasuke. Having used all his chakra to perform Kirin, Sasuke activates his Cursed Seal of Heaven and out of desperation to defeat Itachi unleashes Orochimaru. Orochimaru springs from Sasuke's body using the Eight Branches Technique and states his intentions to take finally take Sasuke's body for his own. Itachi, having prolonged the battle in order to draw Orochimaru out, pierces him with Susanoo's Sword of Totsuka, sealing Orochimaru away and removing Sasuke's cursed seal.

Itachi resumes his approach, telling Sasuke his resolution to now take his eyes, and Sasuke makes futile attempts to keep him away. Susanoo continues to protect Itachi, but it degrades as he labours near and Itachi starts coughing up blood. Itachi began approaching Sasuke, claiming he wanted Sasuke's eyes. When he finally reaches Sasuke, Itachi appears to grab for his eyes but instead only pokes his forehead. (The poke seals Amaterasu in Sasuke's eyes, set to activate against Tobi's Sharingan in order to protect Sasuke from him.) In a similar manner to how he described death to Kisame, Itachi died unable to maintain his disguise of wanting Sasuke's eyes, he genuinely smiles to Sasuke and apologises to Sasuke and says this is the end before succumbing to his disease and falling dead with a smile on his face.

Power
In the anime, Kabuto Yakushi reincarnates Itachi to be used against Team 7. The summon fails almost immediately afterwards, causing Kabuto to wonder if the Impure World Reincarnation was still incomplete.

Fourth Shinobi World War: Countdown
When the Fourth Shinobi World War looms, Kabuto approaches Tobi – who survived the implanted Amaterasu – offering to join forces. To that end he reincarnates Itachi and four other dead members of Akatsuki as offerings for Tobi's war plans.

Fourth Shinobi World War: Confrontation
When the Fourth Shinobi World War begins, Itachi is mobilised with the rest of Kabuto's collection of reincarnated ninja. Itachi is paired with Nagato, who he carries because of Nagato's damaged legs. They discuss Akatsuki and how little they, particularly Nagato, actually knew about the organisation; both were only pawns kept by Tobi because of their dōjutsu, and now they've been revived so Kabuto can use them for the same reason.

Itachi and Nagato are found by Naruto and Killer B. Itachi learns several things as Kabuto forces him to fight them: Naruto's Nine-Tails Chakra Mode indicates he's finally gained control of the Nine-Tails; B's use of Samehada is proof Kisame is dead; Naruto tells him that Sasuke now works with Akatsuki to destroy Konoha due to having been told the truth of the Uchiha Clan Downfall by Tobi, much to Itachi's horror and dismay. Itachi and Nagato continue attacking but give advice to Naruto and B about how to evade them. When he has an opening, Itachi calls out the crow he planted in Naruto before his death and allows it to use its genjutsu on him, overriding Kabuto's control with its pre-programmed mission to protect Konoha.

Now free to do as he wishes, Itachi joins Naruto and B against Nagato, using Amaterasu on him and his summons. Itachi continues to eliminate Nagato's summons and also saves B and Naruto from being killed by Nagato himself. Nagato uses Chibaku Tensei to try and restrain them, but the three join forces to destroy it. Itachi stabs Nagato with the Sword of Totsuka before the dust settles, sealing him away and ending the battle. Itachi then decides to personally take care of Kabuto in order to end the Impure World Reincarnation. Before leaving, he destroys the crow and Shisui's eye with Amaterasu so it doesn't fall into the wrong hands and entrusts Sasuke's reform to Naruto.

Fourth Shinobi World War: Climax
Nagato had been able to locate Kabuto's location while they were together, and Itachi now moves on a direct course there. He inadvertently crosses paths with Sasuke along the way. Feeling he is unworthy of Sasuke, Itachi tries to avoid him and his questions. When Sasuke persists, Itachi admits that he made a mistake manipulating Sasuke along a path that he wanted, which has put Sasuke in a worse position than he ever intended. As they near Kabuto's lair Itachi tries one last time to shake him, only to be disappointed when Sasuke joins him shortly after he confronts Kabuto. Sasuke moves to kill Kabuto, but is blocked by Itachi, who explains that Kabuto must be kept alive if the Impure World Reincarnation is to be broken. Sasuke offers to help on the condition that Itachi will finally talk to him afterwards. Itachi agrees.

Kabuto obscures his vision to prevent being caught in a genjutsu and attacks. Itachi and Sasuke block with their Susanoo, only to find that they have lost track of Kabuto. Itachi realises that Kabuto has achieved Sage Mode and quickly defends Sasuke before he can come to harm in Kabuto's sneak attack. Itachi reminds Sasuke of a mission they went on as children to hunt a boar, which they reenact with their Susanoo against Kabuto. Kabuto avoids them and commandeers Sasuke's sword, which he uses to attack Itachi. Itachi takes the sword back from him and uses it to cut off the tip of one of Kabuto's horns.

Kabuto tries to turn Sasuke against Itachi, pointing out all the lies and distrust Itachi has been showing Sasuke for years. Itachi admits his faults, but promises to tell Sasuke something after he's performed his Izanami. Kabuto is confident that he cannot be defeated since they can't kill him and because of the precautions he's taken to avoid genjutsu. He manipulates the cave to confine them and uses DNA to perform a variety of other ninja's long-range jutsu, trying to create an opportunity to access Itachi's head and regain control of him. Sasuke becomes increasingly earnest to kill Kabuto, but Itachi pleads for him to wait until Izanami is ready.

While Itachi and Sasuke deal with Kabuto's recreation of Orochimaru, Kabuto bisects Itachi. Itachi's reincarnated body regenerates and he uses Sasuke's sword to cut off even more of the same horn as before. This creates a sensory loop independent of vision that traps Kabuto in eternal battle; that is Izanami. Kabuto has the chance of escaping Izanami by accepting the fate he now tries to fight by taking on others' powers, Itachi's gift to him because of their perceived similarities. He raises the brille that cover Kabuto's eyes and uses a genjutsu to make Kabuto perform the hand seals that will end the Impure World Reincarnation.

While Kabuto performs the hand seals, Sasuke tells Itachi that he won't forgive Konoha for coercing Itachi the way that he was and that he will continue to conspire against the villages despite Itachi's wishes. Itachi listens without response. When he is engulfed in light and the Impure World Reincarnation begins to break, he faces Sasuke and admits to everything Sasuke has been told about him, even imparting some of his own memories to Sasuke to fully dispel the lies he's told. He reaches for Sasuke, seemingly meaning to poke his forehead again, but instead gives Sasuke a head bump, symbolising he no longer saw Sasuke as a child, but an equal. He tells Sasuke that he wants no forgiveness and promises that he will love Sasuke no matter what he decides to do. His reincarnated body dissolves and his soul returns to the afterlife.

Legacy
By his own design, Itachi had a profound influence on Sasuke’s life. His instructions on the night of the Uchiha Clan Downfall for Sasuke to gain the power necessary to defeat him caused Sasuke to isolate himself from other people and avoid companionship. When Sasuke realised that he was getting attached to the members of Team 7 and, from his perspective, failing to get stronger because of them, he defected from Konoha and left to train under Orochimaru — propelling him along the path towards Itachi's death. Following the brothers' battle, Itachi's plans started to fail due to the interference of Tobi, who refocuses Sasuke's hatred that Itachi had engineered for himself, to be used against Konoha, turning Sasuke into a criminal against Itachi's intentions. Itachi is able to make amends with Sasuke upon his reincarnation, using his Sharingan to convey his memories to his little brother so that he could understand why Itachi chose the path he did. He also wiped Sasuke's prejudices clean and encouraged him to start deciding things for himself.

Itachi's eyes would prove to be of immense importance for Sasuke, as not only did it grant Sasuke the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan, but Sasuke would later awaken the Rinnegan with one of Itachi's eyes.

Upon learning the entire truth about Itachi, Sasuke regains the great admiration he had for him when they were children and follows in his brother's footsteps. He does not want to see Konoha, the village Itachi sacrificed so much for, destroyed and therefore works against Tobi and Madara to end the Fourth Shinobi World War. He also sees the reason in Itachi's decision to make difficult choices and be hated for them, and for that reason gives himself the task after the war is concluded to become the world's darkness, using his power to force peace and unapologetically kill any that threaten it. Though this is again a great divergence from Itachi's plans, another of Itachi's plans redeems him: Naruto, at Itachi's insistence, eventually convinces Sasuke of the errors he has made without killing him after their final battle. In the war's aftermath, Sasuke adopts Itachi's habit of poking others' foreheads as a sign of affection, in particular his wife, Sakura Haruno, and their daughter, Sarada. He also had a habit of neglecting his daughter in favour of his duties of protecting the village and her, although he realises this mistake later on and chose to spend time with his family before continuing his mission. Sasuke would continue to protect the village for many years to come — ultimately causing Itachi's wishes for his brother to finally be realised.

In the years following the World War, Naruto attempted to restore some of Itachi's honour by telling the world of Itachi's actions during his period of reincarnation. Without mentioning the truth about the "crimes" he committed while alive, Naruto gave Itachi's name as someone who supported him. Though not an easy thing to accept, no one challenged Naruto's word on the matter.

Itachi's influence also extended beyond Sasuke: Danzō Shimura, despite his difference of opinions with Itachi, believed him an unsung hero of Konoha who worked selflessly for the village's good; Naruto is reminded by Itachi that the Hokage's strength comes from their acknowledgement by others, and thus he must never forget those who helped him become strong; the five Kage, despite not knowing about Itachi's involvement, hailed him as the world's saviour for dispelling the Impure World Reincarnation technique; Kabuto Yakushi remembered who he truly was as a result of Itachi's Izanami and, inspired by him, resuscitated Sasuke when he was on the verge of death.

In the anime, Hiruzen realised kind-hearted people should never be in the Anbu because of the nature of their missions. After the Uchiha Clan Downfall, Hiruzen was determined not to do the same with Kakashi and chose to retire him as an Anbu and made him commander of a team of genin in hopes it would help restore his light and kindness and eliminate his darkness.

Itachi had an influence on one of Orochimaru's experiment subjects, Shin. Shin became intrigued by the Uchiha clan, especially Itachi, and adopted the clan name and customary garb for himself. It was because of his fascination of Itachi that Shin held a grudge against Sasuke for causing his older brother to die, and attempted to kill him in revenge. However, Sasuke noted that Shin's social darwinism and warmongering goals indicate he did not understand Itachi at all.

Sunny Side Battle!
Itachi Uchiha heads downstairs into the kitchen of his former house at the Uchiha Compound in Konohagakure and proceeds to put on his Akatsuki outfit, along with an Akatsuki-themed apron. After putting a tea kettle to boil and setting bread in a toaster, he grabs a carton of eggs from the fridge and attempts to cook one sunny-side up, only to find his first attempt foiled by an errant piece of eggshell on the egg. Further attempts yield the same results, with various things going wrong with the eggs, such as the yolk breaking, Itachi's sweat getting onto the eggs, and so on. Itachi even resorts to making a plate of scrambled eggs, although after a moment of thought he dismisses the idea and starts again.

Road to Ninja: Naruto the Movie
In the alternate world, the Akatsuki are hired by Konoha to assist Naruto in the battle against Menma. Itachi rescues a captured Sakura during the fight.

Creation and Conception
In Jin no Sho, Kishimoto revealed that Itachi was originally conceived (before the series began) as the leader of Konoha's Special Assassination and Tactical Squad, dubbed the, which would have been a 70-man group divided into four teams, specialising in assassination and other illicit operations. In Kishimoto's original rough sketch, Itachi wore a bandana-style forehead protector, a skin-tight t-shirt, gloves, a coat tied around his waist, and had several scars including an x-shaped scar on his chin. Elements of this concept were later incorporated into Danzō Shimura and the Anbu.

Trivia

 * The name "Itachi" means, while his family name "Uchiha" is another way of pronouncing , which is actually the Uchiha clan's symbol. Uchiwa can be used to fan flames, making the flame hotter — referring to the fact that the Uchiha is a clan of Fire Release users.
 * Itachi consistently ranks highly in the Shōnen Jump popularity polls for the series, his highest to-date position being fifth most popular character.
 * Itachi and Kisame made a brief cameo appearance in the Hidden Leaf Village Grand Sports Festival!, where they were standing in line to use the bathroom, along with many other random characters.
 * Itachi's nickname is also held by Kakashi Hatake and Sasuke Uchiha.
 * Studio Pierrot's Settei sheets of Itachi show that he was 125 cm as an Academy student, 130 cm as a genin, 148 cm when he became an Anbu, and 170 cm around the time of the Uchiha Clan Downfall.
 * Itachi noted that his specialties in ninja skills are genjutsu, Fire Release, and shurikenjutsu.
 * According to the databook(s):
 * Itachi's hobby was visiting traditional Japanese cafés.
 * Itachi wished to fight Sasuke.
 * Itachi's favourite foods were cabbage and onigiri with seaweed in it, while his least favourite was steak. Itachi was also very fond of sweets, dango being his favourite.
 * Itachi had completed 340 official missions in total: 53 D-rank, 152 C-rank, 134 B-rank, 0 A-rank and 1 S-rank.
 * Itachi's favourite word was.
 * Itachi had always poked his younger brother, Sasuke Uchiha, in the forehead when they were younger, saying . This is referred to very poignantly with Itachi's last words, as he pokes his brother's forehead again and says,
 * Itachi is tied with Jiraiya for having the highest stat total in the databooks.

Quotes

 * (To an infant Sasuke) "Don't cry, Sasuke. Your big brother is here to protect you, no matter what happens."
 * (To Yashiro, Tekka, and Inabi) "You hold onto the organisation and your clan name. These things limit us and limit our capacities… These things deserve to be shunned. It is foolish to fear what we've yet to see and know!"
 * (To Sasuke)
 * (To Sasuke) "...People live their lives bound by what they accept as correct and true… that is how they define reality. But what does it mean to be correct or true? Merely vague concepts… their reality may all be an illusion."
 * (To Kisame) "Those who kill their own comrades are sure to die a terrible death."
 * (To Kisame) "We don't know what kind of people we truly are until the moment before our deaths. As death comes to embrace you, you will realise what you are. That's what death is, don't you think?"
 * (To Naruto) "You don't become the Hokage to be acknowledged by everyone. The one who is acknowledged by everyone becomes the Hokage."
 * (About Konoha) "The village does have its dark side and its inconsistencies, but I'm still Konoha's Itachi Uchiha."
 * (Last words to Sasuke after reincarnation) "If I had been open with you from the start… and looked you straight in the eyes and told you the truth, then I wouldn't have had to stand before you, from above, as a failure, telling you all of this. So this time, I want to impart this truth to you… You don't ever have to forgive me. And no matter what you do from here on out, know this… I will love you always."