Stand with Itachi

He loved in silence. I speak in his name.

[beneaththecrowwings]

The purpose of this blog is clear: I am here to stand for Uchiha Itachi.

Not to erase his morally questionable actions, and not to claim he was perfect. But to understand - deeply and sincerely - the why behind what he did.

I do not aim to speak in absolutes. Right and wrong, black and white… those are too simple for a story as layered as his. This blog exists to explore the grey areas - the painful, complex, human places where motivations, trauma, love, and duty collide.

In those grey areas, every character in the story had their reasons. My focus is to give his perspective the voice it never truly got.

Because throughout his life, Itachi stood for everyone else:

His brother. His clan. His village. Even strangers.

But never for himself.

And I believe even someone like him - someone who lived and died in silence - deserves someone to stand for him.

So, I am here.

And this blog is my way of standing by his side.

[beneaththecrowwings]

Itachi was never written as a character who glorifies violence or massacre. Instead, he represents a tragic choice made in a situation with no way out. Everyone agrees that the Uchiha massacre was a cruel and morally wrong act. But in the original manga, Kishimoto doesn’t simplify the issue, he shows that Itachi was cornered, with every path leading to tragedy.

At that point, Itachi had two clear choices:

1. Close his eyes and let the coup happen, dying alongside his clan and plunging the Hidden Leaf into civil war, possibly even triggering a Fourth Great Ninja War.

2. Accept the inevitable fate of the Uchiha’s downfall, side with the village, and personally carry out the mission in exchange for the life of Sasuke, the younger brother he loved more than anything.

No one denies that Itachi was the one who physically carried out the act, and that what he did was extreme and brutal. But if we’re going to talk about accountability, Itachi was merely the end result, the inevitable consequence of the darkness within both the Uchiha Clan and the leadership of the Leaf Village, and arguably even of the villagers themselves. He became the one to shoulder the consequences of everyone else’s failures.

So what truly deserves to be condemned?

First, the fact that a governing body could consider the complete annihilation of an entire group of people as a legitimate political solution. They even tasked a 13-year-old boy with murdering his own parents. Really? Even if, in the ninja world, a 13-year-old is considered mature, forcing a child to kill his own family in the name of “peace” is a cruelty that defies any moral boundary.

Second, the Uchiha Clan’s own blindness in how they handled the situation. Their desire to reclaim their rights after years of being monitored and marginalized was understandable. But their methods, their emotional, short-sighted political play, were anything but strategic. They placed their hopes on a 10-year-old child, expecting him to be the bridge to a successful coup. And when Itachi refused to comply, they began to blame, distrust, and ostracize him. That wasn’t politics. That was desperation masked as ambition. They fixated so heavily on their own suffering that they ignored the pain of the rest of the village, many of whom had lost loved ones in the Nine-Tails’ attack, which, notably, was orchestrated by a fellow Uchiha. Moreover, there was little to no effort from the clan to seek dialogue or work toward reconciliation.

In the end, Itachi wasn’t just turned into a weapon by the government, he was also dehumanized by his own clan, used as a mere pawn on a political chessboard. He was never treated as a human being with feelings and limits, only as a “prodigy built to serve the ideals of adults.” And no one remembered he was just a child. That dehumanization eroded his emotional core early on, warping his sense of freedom and ideals. Later in life, that extreme worldview led him to impose unrealistic expectations on the very brother he loved and ultimately derailed Sasuke’s entire life path.

[theheirofthesharingan]

i love this picture so much , it's so beautiful

It makes me feel warm

I hope they could stay together forever 🥺

Yes! Adult Sasuke is love starved for Itachi's love. I feel like now that he's calmer than he was as a teen, he doesn't let himself be vulnerable in front of anyone. His wife, daughter, Naruto, and everyone else just sees a stoic version of him that seems disengaged from his surroundings.

But if there's Itachi with him, he'd be able to express himself better than with anyone. Itachi would understand his silence and the fake laughter. With Itachi, he'd know it would be like being home. Konoha isn't his home.

Their smiles in this art are so pretty. Itachi's is assuring and Sasuke is genuinely so happy. I love the arts where they hug but the intimacy of the forehead touch is unrivaled.

[godblessdoppo]

Is incredibly painful to know itachi was meant to die even before his fight with sasuke and that he was in terribly physical pain from a time before. Was one of the best details obito could have gave about itachi's health and the moment it is settled in the events that defined the "end" of his life, is left to wonder for how long he went under the pain of the last stages of the sickness that if the fight would have taken more time in unbind he would have died cause of it, simply because there was no medication left that could've stopped that end

[theheirofthesharingan]

And there are people who think he didn't suffer enough, or that he didn't regret his actions. He did regret them so much that he lived through unimaginable pain only because he wanted to be punished by the right person.

[stygian-blu]

we really goin through it mr crow

insp

[theheirofthesharingan]

One of the things that make me sad is how little Itachi could express himself. We see literally everyone expressing how they feel, the pain, anxiety, fear, rage, anger and everything. But Itachi is just. quiet. all the time. It's like he couldn't even let out the smallest of whimper because he was afraid it would be used against him and Sasuke's life would be in danger. He must've had panic attacks, the bouts of coughs, the chest pains, the tiring long walks on the missions taking toll on his body and the signs showing on his face, but he couldn't express any of it. When he was a child after leaving the village, he would've been scared and tormented by the nightmares, but he couldn't let anyone know he wasn't a monsters. Monsters don't weep and they don't feel guilty. If he ever expressed his truest feelings, Sasuke could know the truth. And so, he remained stoic on the surface all his life. That's cruel.

[little-itachi]

you're a cool kid itachi

He tore his gaze upward to meet the stranger's. His lips curved upwards, friendly, but not exactly happy, like he had heard those words a hundred times already. "Thank you, but I'm just doing my duty as a shinobi."

[beneaththecrowwings]

🥺

[theheirofthesharingan]

I love your blog! Itachi has always been one of my favorite characters. Unfortunately, back then, most blogs that claimed to be “pro-Uchiha” didn’t really defend the whole clan they focused on a single character and even justified Madara and Obito’s actions in extreme ways; Personally, I’ve always seen them as the true culprits behind the Uchiha massacre. Their actions doomed the entire clan for a plan that wasn’t worth such a sacrifice.

I’m also a fan of Hashirama, Tobirama, and especially Tsunade. Sometimes I wonder if Tsunade had become the Fifth Hokage much earlier, maybe the massacre would’ve targeted Danzō and his accomplices instead. It’s just a theory I have, but I loved that scene in Shippuden where she defended Naruto. Danzō only started acting freely once she fell into a coma, He knew he wouldn’t get away with anything under her watch, unlike with Hiruzen, who was far too permissive.I’d also like to take part in the Itachi character question game: 1+4+15+20+21.

I was close to posting this anonymously because of those annoying pro-Uchiha blogs that always have to cause trouble by quoting the databook or ranting with their rude arguments.

Thank you so much.

Pro Uchiha people aren't pro Itachi, that much is a known fact. He gets hated for killing people, but then other characters who do the same are defended. Because clearly, the lives Itachi took must've been more important than the lives Obito took during the Kyuubi attack or the ones that Madara took when he attacked Konoha before Hashirama had to finally "kill" him.

Just like Sasuke, Itachi was their victim too, but of course, he deserves the hate for whatever reason while the actual perpetrators get sympathy. It's okay to like the characters, but the discourse around Itachi sucks most of the times.

I love Tsunade too. She was truly empathetic, and wouldn't have let Danzo control the things the way Hiruzen did. She had a spine.

Don't worry about having to post anonymously, because I have blocked a lot of such blogs and have also been blocked by the most of them. So they don't come here.

1. Why do you like or dislike this character?

Itachi always fascinated me. But his revelation made me fall in love with him like I've probably never loved a character before. His contradictions, tragedy, goodness, kindness, mystery, and injustice was a perfect recipe for the kind of character I'd love. Naruto wouldn't be what it is without him.

4. If you could put this character in any other media, be it a book, a movie, anything, what would you put them in?

Lord of the Rings. Easily. As damaged as he was he would have found peace only in the Tol Eressëa. I like to imagine Sasuke would follow him there too when he's old. And the elves clearly don't have the cleanest record of kindness (like the movies present them as) because they were also involved in the killings of their own kins.

15. What's your favorite ship for this character? (Doesn't matter if it's canon or not.)

Itachi x Happiness. The best Itachi ship.

20. Which other character is the ideal best friend for this character, the amount of screentime they share doesn't matter?

I can't think of anyone in canon other than the ones Itachi interacted with. He needs people who understand him, and other than Sasuke no one does. And there's Kisame too but he was already a friend. And Shisui as well, who was his friend too.

21. If you're a fic writer and have written for this character, what's your favorite thing to do when you're writing for this character? What's something you don't like?

I love to write Itachi getting love and care. It's so terribly rare in the fandom it's genuinely surprising. So I like to write him that way where he receives love. I understand he's the older brother and his instinct would be to protect Sasuke but it's just, he needs love too and no one other than Sasuke realises that need. So I love that codependency.

Something I don't like.. well, honestly, he's too wise and poetic in how he talks. And my dialogues of him are mostly just bland. I want to use some better words but they don't fit in the scenarios. Maybe because when I'm writing him, he's being honest with Sasuke and he doesn't need to sound aloof, so that's why.

[kosmogrl]

um guys, I think we need to stop waiting for ‘the right time’ and just start doing the things we want whenever because the right time’s never gonna come, and if we keep waiting it’s just gonna turn into an endless cycle

[beneaththecrowwings]

I’m happy that I stop waiting for “the right time” to write about Itachi 🤗

[theheirofthesharingan]

Do you think Itachi ever got tired of the constant praise and being put up display like he was just this perfect tool?

I know in the novels he wanted to be the best shinobi but that was more him wanting to stop all wars then it was that had anything to do with his pride or wanting respect and acknowledgment like Naruto wanted in becoming Hokage.

Itachi was an introvert, so it would be naturally tiring for him to be the centre of attention. But other than that, he was also seen only as a Shinobi. Graduated too early, awakened Sharingan too soon, perfect killer, deserves promotion. A perfect tool.

I feel one of the reasons of his outburst after Shisui's death was so violent because he'd never been seen as a person by them. And when they accuse him of murdering the person he admired and looked upto, he lost it.

This conversation he had with Sasuke reflects his feelings. How he felt about himself. He might have been a genius, and while he mentions "arrogance", it's just that no one other than him was capable of doing those things. And that definitely led him to feel isolated.

He was entrusted with the missions with his strength alone, he had to do those on his own.

Literally none of what he through was pleasant. Yes, he wanted to be strong, and he thought he could do it, but clearly, he was still a child and didn't know any better.

[beneaththecrowwings]

I believe Itachi was always tired, deep down, and he knew it. Yet he kept moving forward, because he feared that if he stopped, the fragile peace in front of him would vanish.

Itachi traded his own peace to protect the peace of the world.

[theheirofthesharingan]

I think the reason why Itachi's love for Sasuke is deeper than other siblings is because he was not just a brother to him, but also a parent in a way

Very true. He cared more about being present for Sasuke's entrance ceremony than his own mission. There are tons of instances where he is like a parent to Sasuke. Like both mom and dad. He just didn't have enough time when things were "fine", and afterwards he never got the time to express any of his honest feelings. All those feelings of protectiveness and affection had nowhere to go. And it showed.

[beneaththecrowwings]

That’s exactly how I feel!

[blublye]

[beneaththecrowwings]

Love you both 😭

[theheirofthesharingan]

He asked me if Itachi ever got excited about his birthday (he was quite young when he had to take on adult problems).

Unfortunately, I don't think he ever thought his birthdays were that special. He might have been working most of the time on his birthdays, and probably only Sasuke cared about it. It was only because of Sasuke's wishes he'd have known it was his birthday. Sometimes, he'd be away, and wouldn't be home for a week.

I can totally imagine him missing those moments after the massacre though. Because at least Sasuke remembered them, if nobody else.

[beneaththecrowwings]

😢

[beneaththecrowwings]

If the Uchiha clan really wanted to become Hokage, then why didn’t more of them put in the effort to rise like Itachi did?

If the clan had multiple shinobi on his level as talented, disciplined, and respected, the village wouldn’t have been able to sideline them so easily.

Power isn’t just something you demand. It’s something you earn.

An entire clan, and the only one considered a ‘genius’ was a child barely 7 to 10 years old. What were the rest of them doing?

They turned that child into a political tool to fulfill their own extremist ambitions.

Instead of putting in the effort to earn power through strength and integrity, they pushed all their frustrations and expectations onto one kid. And when he didn’t serve their agenda, they labeled him a traitor.

If they’re so determined to stage a coup, then earn the strength and carry the burden themselves. Don’t shove it onto a child and pretend their hands are clean.

[trailstofollow]

I like Itachi, and am pro-Uchiha so I wanted to give my two cents (because I don't really disagree with you).

On the subject of an Uchiha being a Hokage, the discrimination they faced made that incredibly slim. They had been forced into an incredibly unpopular position in the village, and any chance of winning a popular vote may've gone down the drain with that.

Regarding Itachi and the Uchiha clan--I think they put their eggs in a basket because Itachi had a foot in just about every pot, and I also think the systemic oppression they experienced made it difficult for any other Uchiha to follow in suit.

I don't believe he should have killed his clan, but I don't necessarily think it's a huge condemnation of his character that he did (especially since he was just 14 years old). In general he was probably freaking the fuck out, and when left in a corner, he did what he best thought made sense (which, for his objectives, it sorta-kinda does).

Additionally, he was preyed on by village higher ups that may've manipulated him into doing what he did.

While I love Fugaku, I think his failure to check-in with Itachi, as well as put such a heavy burden on him was his downfall. And I think Fugaku realizes this. I also think it's important to contextualize the role of children in Naruto, especially ninja. From the moment Madara and Hashirama were introduced, the founders were in their teens, they were expected to make incredibly adult like decisions.

This legacy trickles down to the current ninja.

Neji, as a child, is expected to put his life on the line for Hinata.

An entire village of 12 and 13 year olds are expected, and forced to go into the Forest of Death, and are even sent on very dangerous missions.

Ninja children are seen less as children and more as assets for Konoha. Itachi had this burden thrusts on him because it's the norm and is expected of him. That is truly the real answer. While they are children, canon has shown us that Leaf Village children are expected to take on adult tasks. So it's not out of the ordinary, but it's still incredibly wrong. And it speaks to the system that Madara and Hashirama were attempting to change, but ultimately failed doing.

[beneaththecrowwings]

I’m really glad to read your response and thoughts.

Yes, I’m not anti-Uchiha or anti-Konoha, and I don’t think there’s any contradiction between your points and mine.

What I wanted to express in my post is simply that no one in the Naruto series is completely innocent, especially when it comes to the Uchiha tragedy.

And I disagree with arguments that place all the blame solely on Itachi and the village.

Itachi was written as a tragic character whose cruel actions didn’t stem entirely from himself, but largely from the darkness surrounding both the village and the Uchiha clan. Specifically:

⸻

1. The village leaders and the general population had long been suspicious and wary of the Uchiha’s power and their extreme emotional nature.

When the Nine-Tails incident happened, many villagers lost loved ones and didn’t know how to cope with that grief, so they projected it outward: seeking a target to blame.

That’s why they mistreated Naruto (as the Nine-Tails’ jinchuriki) and grew even more distrustful of the Uchiha clan (and in hindsight, their suspicions weren’t baseless, after all, Obito, an Uchiha, was indeed behind the attack).

They called the Uchiha part of the village, but did they ever truly treat them that way?

That said, we should also try to understand why the villagers acted that way.

It reflects something very human, how people tend to fear what they don’t understand and turn their pain into distrust. It’s something we often see in real life too.

⸻

2. The Uchiha clan, on the other hand, was too extreme in their emotions, thoughts, and actions.

If they had been treated like slaves, violently oppressed, stripped of all rights, then rising up in rebellion might’ve been understandable.

But that wasn’t the case. Uchiha children still went to school like any others. The adults had jobs and status.

The Uchiha were still respected as an elite clan.

And yet they chose violence against fellow villagers simply because they felt slighted in terms of pride and recognition? Was that really worth it?

Still, we can sympathize with their frustration in that situation.

They should’ve been calmer and more patient when dealing with political injustice.

Even if their coup had succeeded, would the villagers have accepted them as Hokage? Politics is about winning hearts and minds, not just displaying strength.

⸻

3. The way both the village and the Uchiha treated their children was horrible.

They didn’t raise them with ideals of peace or moral growth, instead, they raised them as weapons of war and, worse, tools for political manipulation, just like Itachi.

But perhaps, given the context of a wartime society and the shinobi system, it’s hard to judge their mindset by the standards of a peaceful world.

[trailstofollow]

I'll agree to disagree with your points about the Uchiha in general. I do believe they were systemically oppressed--and that they did have a legitimate reason to want to go against the village.

Canonically even Hiruzen acknowledges this. Even the information about their emotions is told from an incredibly biased source--Tobirama--who's own relations with the Uchiha were incredibly dubious.

I'm squarely in the team that the Uchiha were an oppressed class. I can akin their situation to numerous minority groups today. Who, despite their children being able to be integrated into different schools, and certain members of their community having respect, they are still discriminated against.

We may have to agree to disagree on that, but I appreciate the nuance you gave to Itachi.

I also agree it is very hard to judge what they do from our perspective. What the Uchiha did was not unusual. Itachi furthers this by putting his brother, a child, through an incredibly difficult situation. He puts a burden on Sasuke's shoulder's that fuck over sasuke for the rest of his life. So we see Itachi enabling the same cycle he was a victim of.

In general I think Itachi and his clan deserved better. I'm not anti-Konoha either, but I am very pro-Uchiha.

[beneaththecrowwings]

Thank you for this respectful discussion.

In the end, everything comes down to perspective and personal beliefs.

What you said from the Uchiha’s point of view isn’t wrong, and I respect that. To me, they are also victims and deserve to be understood and supported. ❤️

[beneaththecrowwings]

If the Uchiha clan really wanted to become Hokage, then why didn’t more of them put in the effort to rise like Itachi did?

If the clan had multiple shinobi on his level as talented, disciplined, and respected, the village wouldn’t have been able to sideline them so easily.

Power isn’t just something you demand. It’s something you earn.

An entire clan, and the only one considered a ‘genius’ was a child barely 7 to 10 years old. What were the rest of them doing?

They turned that child into a political tool to fulfill their own extremist ambitions.

Instead of putting in the effort to earn power through strength and integrity, they pushed all their frustrations and expectations onto one kid. And when he didn’t serve their agenda, they labeled him a traitor.

If they’re so determined to stage a coup, then earn the strength and carry the burden themselves. Don’t shove it onto a child and pretend their hands are clean.

[trailstofollow]

I like Itachi, and am pro-Uchiha so I wanted to give my two cents (because I don't really disagree with you).

On the subject of an Uchiha being a Hokage, the discrimination they faced made that incredibly slim. They had been forced into an incredibly unpopular position in the village, and any chance of winning a popular vote may've gone down the drain with that.

Regarding Itachi and the Uchiha clan--I think they put their eggs in a basket because Itachi had a foot in just about every pot, and I also think the systemic oppression they experienced made it difficult for any other Uchiha to follow in suit.

I don't believe he should have killed his clan, but I don't necessarily think it's a huge condemnation of his character that he did (especially since he was just 14 years old). In general he was probably freaking the fuck out, and when left in a corner, he did what he best thought made sense (which, for his objectives, it sorta-kinda does).

Additionally, he was preyed on by village higher ups that may've manipulated him into doing what he did.

While I love Fugaku, I think his failure to check-in with Itachi, as well as put such a heavy burden on him was his downfall. And I think Fugaku realizes this. I also think it's important to contextualize the role of children in Naruto, especially ninja. From the moment Madara and Hashirama were introduced, the founders were in their teens, they were expected to make incredibly adult like decisions.

This legacy trickles down to the current ninja.

Neji, as a child, is expected to put his life on the line for Hinata.

An entire village of 12 and 13 year olds are expected, and forced to go into the Forest of Death, and are even sent on very dangerous missions.

Ninja children are seen less as children and more as assets for Konoha. Itachi had this burden thrusts on him because it's the norm and is expected of him. That is truly the real answer. While they are children, canon has shown us that Leaf Village children are expected to take on adult tasks. So it's not out of the ordinary, but it's still incredibly wrong. And it speaks to the system that Madara and Hashirama were attempting to change, but ultimately failed doing.

[beneaththecrowwings]

I’m really glad to read your response and thoughts.

Yes, I’m not anti-Uchiha or anti-Konoha, and I don’t think there’s any contradiction between your points and mine.

What I wanted to express in my post is simply that no one in the Naruto series is completely innocent, especially when it comes to the Uchiha tragedy.

And I disagree with arguments that place all the blame solely on Itachi and the village.

Itachi was written as a tragic character whose cruel actions didn’t stem entirely from himself, but largely from the darkness surrounding both the village and the Uchiha clan. Specifically:

⸻

1. The village leaders and the general population had long been suspicious and wary of the Uchiha’s power and their extreme emotional nature.

When the Nine-Tails incident happened, many villagers lost loved ones and didn’t know how to cope with that grief, so they projected it outward: seeking a target to blame.

That’s why they mistreated Naruto (as the Nine-Tails’ jinchuriki) and grew even more distrustful of the Uchiha clan (and in hindsight, their suspicions weren’t baseless, after all, Obito, an Uchiha, was indeed behind the attack).

They called the Uchiha part of the village, but did they ever truly treat them that way?

That said, we should also try to understand why the villagers acted that way.

It reflects something very human, how people tend to fear what they don’t understand and turn their pain into distrust. It’s something we often see in real life too.

⸻

2. The Uchiha clan, on the other hand, was too extreme in their emotions, thoughts, and actions.

If they had been treated like slaves, violently oppressed, stripped of all rights, then rising up in rebellion might’ve been understandable.

But that wasn’t the case. Uchiha children still went to school like any others. The adults had jobs and status.

The Uchiha were still respected as an elite clan.

And yet they chose violence against fellow villagers simply because they felt slighted in terms of pride and recognition? Was that really worth it?

Still, we can sympathize with their frustration in that situation.

They should’ve been calmer and more patient when dealing with political injustice.

Even if their coup had succeeded, would the villagers have accepted them as Hokage? Politics is about winning hearts and minds, not just displaying strength.

⸻

3. The way both the village and the Uchiha treated their children was horrible.

They didn’t raise them with ideals of peace or moral growth, instead, they raised them as weapons of war and, worse, tools for political manipulation, just like Itachi.

But perhaps, given the context of a wartime society and the shinobi system, it’s hard to judge their mindset by the standards of a peaceful world.

[narutwitter]

[theheirofthesharingan]

In short, he's tired of this guy.

[beneaththecrowwings]

Haha 😆

[emrys-hawke]

･ ｡ °˗ˏˋ°∴｡　 　　･ﾟ°｡. 　　○･° 　　･࿔ ﾟ° 　○･｡ 　*･｡ 　 °•̥ .｡○ 　　•̥ ｡･ 　　　○°.ˎˊ˗ 　　　　　˚ °. 　　　　　○˚.° 　　　　 ｡•̥｡° ･ 　　　　｡•̥ ･ﾟ 　　　｡°. 　　 •̥○°