Board Thread:Naruto Discussions/@comment-2245550-20160501144337/@comment-734582-20160502223411

X29 wrote: So therefore, making Itachi the Fifth may not be the best decision indeed. The decision itself isn't bad, it's very likely he would've been Fifth Hokage material. The problem is that this decision would have to be made at a time that he wasn't ready for it, that the village wouldn't fully accept it, and that even the Uchiha themselves may see it more as a political gesture than the gravitas this position deserves.

If Danzo hadn't gone behind Hiruzen's back, it's possible the situation would've been delayed enough for Itachi's capacities to shine. Or perhaps Shisui, he would definitely get respect from the other villages but seemed unable to move the people at home.

Alternatively, it's possible that Itachi would've gotten so deep in this mess that he would change forever and loose his ways. He was already snapping at the clan after Shisui's death, so it's questionable how long he would've maintained his composure.

As a closing thought, if Obito hadn't attacked Konoha, the situation would definitely have been better for Konoha and the Uchiha, and the odds of an Uchiha Hokage would've improved massively.