Naruto universe is huge, complex and THE MOST emotionally deep story ever presented to mankind.
Aired for 15 years, Naruto and the later episodes under Naruto Shippuden is a story of an orphan boy who never gave up on his dream – to become the Hokage, the highest position in his village.
But it’s not centered only on him. It’s a story of multiple characters who undergo suffering, pain, death, ambitions, love, boundless spirit, and more, so much more!
The series is a masterpiece. It will make a permanent impact on you with its storytelling, its music, voice art, character complexity, the constant deep emotional undercurrent, and other nameless pillars involved in its making which hold the capacity to move you.
So today you read about one of them – Itachi Uchiha – the one character known for his notoriety of killing his clan, his parents, his lover and yet he is one the most beloved characters of Naruto franchise.
I know Manga/Anime is not for everyone but I really hope that after you are done reading this you would consider watching this anime, by yourself or with your kids, if you haven’t already. And for those who are yet to finish Naruto Shippuden, there is still a lot to know than what you are probably afraid to read here.
So let’s get into Itachi, into the mind, into the heart, but not into the story of this greatest rogue ninja. You will find that out.
Battle-born.
“Keep it in mind, this is battlefield.” were the words that stayed etched in 4-year-old Itachi’s mind when his father showed him the reality of the shinobi world after the Third Ninja war was over. So influenced and moved by the agonies of war, this young boy’s mindset was clear – to become the strongest shinobi in the world but with a purpose.
Seeking strength comes with sacrifices, and Itachi’s ever chaotic life mirrors that well.
Prodigious but he was not served everything on a platter. His genius earned him ranks, but it also earned him isolation and very few allies.
His story amongst others slowly emerges in the 700+ episodes but it’s Itachi’s Shinden books where his emotions lay bare.
“Compared to yours, our pain will be over in an instant. You really are a kind boy” will show deeper roots. He is the only character so far who changed the meaning of “killing with kindness”. You have to watch to unearth what this statement truly holds.
I highly recommend that you read Itachi Shinden books if you have finished watching the episodes. Throughout the series, one finds that he holds a strange mystery and isn’t someone who can be easily ignored.
Itachi’s formidability lies in his exceptional skills, but also in his softness which emerges from his unreal story of making the kind of choices where even great ninjas would have faltered. Think in terms of reality, and you would realize how much this character can do to save.
Before you save a man, know what he’s running from. And a very few people in the Shinden book could do that to him, saving him from conflicts, from loneliness, from darkness.
Itachi at his core was truly paradoxical. He craved power, he craved to be the greatest but with the sole goal of chasing a purpose and not rule. He was a formidable killer but also a sensible lover and a stubborn protector; a giant in the world of ninja skills, yet gentle and quiet.
There are very few fictional characters who come close to him. His age, acuity, and the difficult choices and chaos he withstood at his single-digit age set him totally apart.
It took me a year to finish Naruto and Naruto Shippuden. It’s not easy to commit to 700+ episodes which challenge your belief system and make you think, really deeply think.
I chose to write about Itachi because of all the characters, he is the one who fills a void I never talk about. This person, this character who doesn’t even exist, took me through months of hell and also healing.
He constantly reminds me, that there’s an Itachi in each one of us who constantly battles the ever-present dark and light inside. Itachi just happens to be one who experienced the extreme ends of the spectrum. From a notorious killer to someone whose final word was “Aishiteru” – an extremely rare use of expressing love in Japanese culture.
Chaos never left his side, neither did the gentleness in his heart.
I like to believe that the character of Itachi stands like a mirror of humanity. He epitomizes how choices shape our lives and how not everyone is dealt the same cards. The chaos we face and the not so easy decisions we make on an everyday basis.
Not all heroes wear capes, some wear the not so shiny burden which others can’t carry. They carry the weight of dead – of their families and friends, they carry the label of the villain, they carry the spite of their village, of the world, they are known only to few. They do not have their names engraved on a stone, or have their faces carved on a mountain. They are alone, truly alone. They don’t seek glory. They protect from the shadows, like a true shinobi.
Naruto and Naruto Shippuden unit is powerful storytelling. It is art for everyone to find themselves. Spare some time in your life for this beauty.
