UCHIHA ITACHI

PHILOSOPHY IN LIFE

Apart from Itachi’s personality and history, it is important to understand his life philosophy. Everybody
lives by some sort of philosophy, even if it is unconscious survival by hand to mouth. The only way
human beings make decisions is by ranking a system of values. The difference between an
Existentialist and everyone else is that an Existentialist facilitates his own system. He is a Master of his
reality. Anyone who is unaware of what he values, or relies on another (such as a religion or societal
doctrine) to dictate his morality, is a Slave. We can say that  Itachi’s belief system is Existentialist in
nature

https://zapenstap.livejournal.com/4942.html

Existentialism is a philosophy concerned with finding self and the meaning of life through free will,
choice, and personal responsibility. The belief is that people are searching to find out who and what they
are throughout life as they make choices based on their experiences, beliefs, and outlook. And personal
choices become unique without the necessity of an objective form of truth. An existentialist believes that
a person should be forced to choose and be responsible without the help of laws, ethnic rules, or
traditions.

https://www.allaboutphilosophy.org/existentialism.htm

 (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!"[84]

It is necessary to evaluate Itachi as an Existentialist, not because it vindicates him from wrongdoing
(quite the opposite) but because it explains how he evaluates himself, others, and the world that he
inhabits.

Itachi is an illusionist. As a genjutsu specialist, his work involves changing the perception of others. A
simple genjutsu causes people to see a mirage, which renders their actions ineffective because they are
“trapped” in their own minds and doing nothing in reality. However, as his skills improved, Itachi
probably began to realize that genjutsu has depths much greater than the tactic to confuse an opponent.
By chance he may have discovered that illusions can be more powerful than reality, and that by altering
someone’s perception, he could control their actual world, and through that even change their beliefs.
Ultimately, especially using the Mangekyou, he could compel others to reckon with a world of his own
making.

A revelation such as this would eventually cause a "existential" feeling of deep anxiety or dread. If Itachi
can control others, then it must also be possible for others to control him. Genjutsu may be a force to
reckon with in a fight, but it is magnanimously dangerous on a metaphysical level. As the student of
another Sharingan user (Madara), Itachi would begin to question everything he knows or he thinks he
knows about reality. “What is real?” How can he know that HE is not also being controlled or
manipulated by a greater force?

Even without genjutsu, this is a powerful question. How can anyone possibly evaluate his or her own
circumstances? Genjutsu may have taught Itachi that people can be controlled by illusions, but people
create their own illusions without the aid of any genjutsu at all. Consider, for example, Naruto's cry to
Sasuke in the Valley of the End: "Was I the only one that thought we were friends?" Doubtlessly, Itachi
has witnessed nauseating amounts of senseless bloodshed, misdirected rage, submerged emotions,
crippled passions, and a great deal of people lying to themselves, blaming others, and depending on
beliefs or organizations to justify their righteousness and see them through difficulties.

An example of this in Itachi's life would be Itachi’s realization that he was hated, not because of anything
he actually did to others, but because others were jealous of him. They told him that he was arrogant,
but failed to see who he was or what he was or was capable of doing. In addition to this, he saw ninja as
a whole regarded with suspicion and hatred by the general populace, and the Uchiha Clan most of all.
The Clan’s reaction to such hostility was to become secretive and exclusive, almost Cultish, and drive
the collective energy of its people to maintaining the Clan’s honor. But this honor in itself was just
another illusion, something the Clan believed and perpetuated about itself despite the hard facts that the
Clan was dwindling. In addition, as Itachi became personally aware, the Clan was taking credit for
honors passed down by Madara rather than honors achieved, and it was pressuring Itachi to do the
same out of obligation and responsibility.

Itachi may have spent some time trying to puzzle out the "reality" of the Uchiha Clan, and here Madara
may have lent a hand. There is no way to know, and there was no way for Itachi to come to a "correct"
decision about “what is real.” The only thing a man can do in a situation of uncertainty is make a
decision, believe in the truth of that decision, and act according to that decision. In this way, reality is
variant to the individual. Existence is something that must be claimed. However, as mentioned above,
many Existentialists felt that the only way to make true choices is to first disassociate oneself from any
societal system, religious doctrine, body, or membership that extends control over the individual’s
choices or shapes their reality.

For Itachi, this societal system or body of membership was the Uchiha Clan. It was not just a family. The
Uchiha Clan is an organization with a hierarchy of values that it forces on all of its members, the most
important of which is putting the Clan, the village, and the mission above all. Itachi, who questioned the
very nature of existence and wanted to form his own hierarchy of values, was sickened by the short-
sighted and small-minded doctrine of the Clan. And yet they held him accountable to it as one of its
members. They turned his friends into spies, threatened him with imprisonment, and tried to take
responsibility for his actions. Because the Uchiha Clan's business is to track down renegades, Itachi
could not just escape. The Clan would dog him for life, and likely he would end up killing them one by
one if they did, even if his own parents came after him (as they probably would). The logical choice then
was a preemptive one. In order to free himself from the Clan and all his ties to it, he must not merely
escape its influence by putting distance between them, especially in the ninja world where renegades
are not tolerated. Instead, he must destroy it utterly.

This Itachi could do with a perfectly clear conscience. In a world where reality itself is questionable,
there is no such thing as morality. There is no inherent value in family. There is no value in a village or a
code or a way of the ninja. Remember too that Itachi’s personality type is such that he experiences only
minimal attachment to other people, and that attachment is contingent upon benefits, not obligations or
emotions. Itachi was self-sufficient at 13. He did not feel that he had anything more to gain from the
Clan and everything to lose. In addition he had Madara, a teacher and mentor who in addition to
influencing him in this decision was also a source of any further attention Itachi might need.

By Itachi’s own estimation, the only one out of the Uchiha Clan worth leaving alive was Itachi’s little
brother Sasuke. Itachi evaluated Sasuke carefully and determined that he may be capable of activating
the Mangekyou Sharingan. Leaving Sasuke alive was a choice Itachi made freely, for his own sake.
Whether Itachi has any emotional attachment to Sasuke is irrelevant. He might, but that attachment
would also be a choice, and in no way contradicts any of Itachi’s other choices.

It is important to recognize that Itachi is not bound by any of his prior actions as “predictable” markers of
his character. Itachi is not a psychotic, indiscriminate killer. He never was. He might enjoy cruelty, but
that doesn’t mean we can label him a sadist. The only “truth” in Itachi’s reality is the action of the
moment. As such, it was important for Kishimoto to show us Itachi making choices that may seem “out
of pattern” for a S-class criminal. Therefore we have seen Itachi abandon fights, state that he has no
interest in killing anyone unnecessarily, and even showing some degree of concern for his brother
Sasuke.

An Existentialist is bound by nothing but the limits of his own mind. As such, Itachi could potentially do a
180 at any time in his life and change all of his opinions while losing nothing of his character (at least to
himself, which is all that matters). This is because Itachi does not believe in any reality beyond the one
he creates, and he is constantly creating his reality from moment to moment. He does not identify
himself as belonging to any particular moral or societal system. The only thing that Itachi will not do is
recant responsibility for his actions (past, present, or future), whether he believes in them presently or
not. Accepting his choices and all of their consequences is crucial to his owning his own existence. By
contrast, others’ evaluations of his character and actions are worse than meaningless.

If Itachi is as possessive of his life as I believe him to be, then we cannot assume that he is or ever was
under Madara’s “control.” Even if we learn that Madara influenced Itachi, or brainwashed him, or even
outright lied to him, it would not affect Itachi’s ownership of his choices. Itachi is not Madara’s puppet
any more than he was the Clan’s puppet. Their relationship is also not permanently fixed, as that would
imply irreversible roles, which an Existentialist would reject. It is possible that Itachi is content in his
position as Madara’s student and/or partner. It is equally possible that he means to surpass Madara, or
destroy him, or be his instrument for some other purpose. Itachi has exactly what he wants. His potential
is limitless and his opportunities for achievement wide open.

MORAL DILEMMA
Itachi Uchiha was born to two loyal members of the Uchiha Clan and Village Hidden in the Leaves, Fugaku Uchiha
and Mikoto Uchiha. He was no longer considered a child the moment his gift was seen. He was a genius, a miracle
child born to the Uchiha Clan - and his gift was not to be wasted - it was to be nurtured and cultivated for the good of
the Clan and Village. He was very aware of this, and never denied his position in the family.
Because of his ability, he was sent straight to the battle field, where his abilities were put to the test. He watched
people die, people try to save others, and people get stabbed in the back by those they tried to save - the inhumanity
was endless, and as a child of war, he processed it surprisingly clam. He would ask himself questions - questions
about what being a ninja meant, and what a village really was, and if this world was simply meant to be of war. These
questions he would keep to himself because no adult would ever understand his dilemma - he was a very lonely
child.

His strength also separated him from the rest of his class, making him the outsider. Being better doesn't always make
you popular, it sometimes makes those below you jealous and bitter.
His childhood was only the beginning, once he grew into a young teen he was placed under many pressuring
situations. He was already in the anbu and was also a secret spy to his Clan. His jobs varied from following every
order given by his anbu commander, to leaking any information about the village to his Clan members. He wasn't on
a side - he didn't have a choice. If he wanted to please everyone, he had to play the backstabber, betrayal on both
sides. There was no right or wrong thing - or so he thought.

He watched as both sides grew desperate, trying to finish the other one off. The village grew wary of the Uchiha Clan
every passing day, and the Uchiha Clan grew impatient with the Village's mistrust and suspicion towards a Clan
that's never been anything but loyal. Soon both sides were to an agreement to destroy the other, and Itachi was right
in between both battle fields. Which side was he on? His loyalty was forced in half because he couldn't bare to see
either sides fall apart. Either his entire clan was wiped off, or his entire Village, with innocent children, were attacked
by the Clan they trusted to protect them.
Most importantly, there was his younger brother, who had done next to everything to gain his admiration and
attention. His innocent brother was in the middle of one of the biggest battles ever, and had no say whatsoever.

Then came a choice - a choice that would later haunt him till his dying day - a choice between his Clan or his brother.
The village wasn't willing to give up in attacking the Clan, and had given Itachi a choice, either he took care of it on
his own or they would - and they wouldn't have mercy on his brother. If he took out his Clan, then his brother's life
would be spared, and he would have a place in the village - a home.

The decision was life changing, and either choice could end up bad, he was weighing the life of many people. What
was morally correct? He grew up knowing nothing but bitter war and survival, his brother both admired and envied
him, the village and clan he loved most had forced him to cut his loyalty in half and live as a backstabber - his
morality was a mess. The only thing Itachi wanted to do was the "right" thing - the thing that would make his family
proud, the thing that would save the village and his clan, the thing that would bring him more admiration in the eyes
of his younger brother - but what "right" thing would that be?
And did it even exist?
In the end, his choice began the spiraling death of those he loved most. Although the village praised him for his
loyalty and strength - what he had done saved nobody. The night he decided to massacre his clan (with the help of a
"friend") was the same night his brother's mind began to fall into an infinite pit of darkness. Turns out killing your
brother's family in order to save him isn't such a good choice.

Every moment in Itachi's life - both childhood, and the small amount of adulthood he had, - lead him to this choice.
Was it morally right? Was killing his family, clan, and brother's mind, morally right? Was choosing the village morally
right? Was it ethical? The questions are neverending. No matter what he did, a negative outcome was inevitable,
because the ninja world was a war zone. Itachi was born in a time of war and bitterness, and this made him question
many things, sometimes even the world's ethics - what did the ninja world consider right?

His decision was right in some aspects, he meant well. He did it to save his brother, the one person he wanted to
survive in the cruel world - he did it to make him stronger. The only thing was that his idea of strength was wrong, it
involved suffering and breaking bonds, and made Sasuke grow twisted and hurt.

CONCLUSION
Overall, ethics in the ninja world don't exist. At least they didn't during Itachi's era. He was born a prodigy, and died a
tragedy - never truly valued as a human. He was either seen as an enemy, a weapon, or a broken man - never was
he seen as the man who tried his best to do the right thing in a world where there was no sense of right or wrong,
and was killed trying till the very end. His decision was made under circumstances nobody could understand, and
perhaps was right in his eyes at the time.
https://aminoapps.com/c/anime/page/blog/ethics-in-anime-itachi-uchiha-hero-or-killer/
Gwtn_uxJ0ZB6Nxxo2YBaRMdP6m3vn

At this point in time, Itachi was 13 years old. Granted, he was a once-in-a-lifetime genius
and incredibly cunning and intelligent, but at 13, being alone and having a clear mind
whilst weighing all options and repercussion is a very difficult task. Intelligence is not
likened to experience or to maturity. Itachi Uchiha had lost his best friend and had no one
to confide in. His family would not dare go against the clan and he had no notable friends
outside the Uchiha to help him rationalize. To top it off, Danzo sealed Itachi’s fate by
providing him with a false dilemma and pressured him with the one person he knew Itachi
would sacrifice the world for. Sasuke. Danzo isolated and manipulated Itachi not only
mentally but emotionally. He presented the black-or-white ultimatum; the village or the
clan. It was either he sided with the Uchiha and have Sasuke die, or he executes his own
clan. This decision was easy for Itachi’s withering mind to make, for anyone to make,
considering the circumstances. Essentially it was Sasuke’s fate that he thought he was
deciding and so Itachi executed the plan, slaughtering each and every member of the
Uchiha clan, even his parents, except for Sasuke.

Itachi Uchiha tried to plan out Sasuke’s life for him. He planned to create a false image of
himself so that Sasuke would hate his big brother. He later joined the Akatsuki to keep an
eye on anyone who could threaten his brother and the village and he would instruct the
Third Hokage to protect Sasuke. Itachi planned that he would encounter Sasuke time and
time again to try and make his younger brother hate him to the point of even killing him,
so that Sasuke could get stronger and be heralded as a hero of the Uchiha clan after killing
Itachi.

Sasuke would later learn the truth about his brother. Itachi is a unique character in the
Naruto universe and a well-written one of that. He should not be considered
overwhelmingly good and honourable but he should not be considered a bad person
either. His decision stands morally grey and it was made most due to circumstance. He is
however, pure of heart and that heart was tainted by the situation. Could he have
rationalized the situation better? Probably. Itachi saved his brother yet he did disregard
the other harmless individuals of the clan. The children, the non shinobi and every
innocent Uchiha definitely did not deserve their end. Itachi might have found another way
but at the end of the day, it happened and he made his choice.

https://dzjn.medium.com/naruto-14e44c00b497

REFLECTIONS