Itachi Uchiha is one of the Naruto universe’s most mysterious characters. Sasuke’s big brother was simply known as this ominous, dark figure that almost completely wiped out the Uchiha Clan off the face of the earth. The massacre is such a grim event that even anime fans who aren’t well-versed with Naruto have probably heard of it.
If you’re one of those fans or are just starting out watching Naruto, one of the biggest questions you might have is “why did Itachi kill his clan?” Was he just a psychopath, or was there a deeper, more complicated sequence of events that led to it?
It should go without saying, but the answer holds massive spoilers for the plot of Naruto and Naruto: Shippuden. Be warned.
The Hidden Leaf Village and the Uchiha Clan had a rocky relationship, to say the least. Multiple past events have led to continually rising tension between the two groups. At the cusp of war, the head of the Uchiha Clan made plans for a coup to overthrow, and likely assassinate, the village higher-ups.
The head of the Uchiha’s oldest son, Itachi Uchiha, was secretly a spy for Danzo, one of the village elders. He reported the news of the coup to Danzo, who then instructed him to kill every Uchiha to stop a war from breaking out.
Itachi Uchiha hated war due to the trauma he experienced in the Third Shinobi World War. He didn’t want a war between Konoha and the Uchiha to erupt. That being said, killing off his entire bloodline to prevent war was still a little too much. He even tried resolving the matter more peacefully with his friend Shisui Uchiha. Their plan, however, failed.
Now backed into a corner and realizing that the ensuing war would wipe out the entire clan anyway, Itachi agreed to Danzo’s terms. He killed off all the Uchihas except for his beloved little brother Sasuke, who Danzo allowed to be spared as a reward.
Why Did the Hidden Leaf Village And Uchiha Clan Hate Each Other?
The Uchiha Clan had a rival clan called the Senju. Thanks to Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha, the two formed an uneasy friendship and established what is now the Hidden Leaf Village. Soon, other clans came and joined the alliance.
The peace didn’t last long though, and people in the village tended to isolate the Uchiha and treat them differently. The attack of the Nine-Tails, which was caused by an Uchiha, didn’t help smooth things out either.
The animosity went on for years and just kept on getting worse until the Uchiha couldn’t take anymore and decided to take matters into their own hands.
Who Are The Currently Surviving Members Of The Uchiha Clan?
By the time of Boruto: Naruto Next Generations (the latest iteration of the Naruto series), only three members of the Uchiha clan remain. Here’s a list of them.
Sasuke Uchiha – Itachi’s younger brother. Sasuke Uchiha has grown to be one of the strongest shinobi in the entire show.
Sakura Uchiha – Sakura Haruno became a part of the clan through marriage. Because of this, she doesn’t have the natural qualities of an Uchiha like manifesting a Sharingan.
Sarada Uchiha – Sasuke and Sakura’s daughter. Sarada is one of Boruto’s close friends and teammates.
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