Itachi *spoiler*

[Lone Signal]

I wanted to put this out when 363 was out but I just wanted to see a bit more out of him. With 364, though, I'm more positive now.

Does Itachi really hate Sasuke? Does he care for him, even?

Itachi caring for Sasuke still seem a bit farfetched (except for the scene in the rain and the shark guy's comment), but there's definitely a reason that he kept him alive in the past. Sasuke's eyes are obviously a potent 'utsuwa' unlike the other Uchiha's. So Itachi was perhaps ordered to keep him alive and provoke him to maximize its growth. He might've also been threatened with his brother's life at risk... which would've put him at a really awkward position: his brother's life or the entire rest of the clan.

I just wanted to bring the topic up since no one's even touched on it. I guess everyone's really busy with the Tobi Obito AL connection shnanigan.

[Dan]

Didnt they pretty much confirm Tobi isnt Obito? Also one thing I've considered was that Itachi was under genjutsu when ke killed them all, Mandara wanted to see how strong he was.

[GoldSteel]

so he was ordered to keep sasuke alive and provoke him and try to make sasuke power come out. itachi was threated by someone that his brother and his clan will be at risk. when he wipe out his clan, he was in genjutsu. someone controlling him.

so itachi was just following orders?

[Dan]

so he was ordered to keep sasuke alive and provoke him and try to make sasuke power come out. itachi was threated by someone that his brother and his clan will be at risk. when he wipe out his clan, he was in genjutsu. someone controlling him.

so itachi was just following orders?

maybe





fill

[Cow]

For Tobi/Obito/Madara theories read the latest chapter thread.

Anyway, Itachi's true feelings toward Sasuke is anyones best guess. We can make some conclusions though, he sees potential in Sasuke, that would be why he was spared. It is my personal opinion he does care for Sasuke some what, before he went genocide he seemed to only care for his brother. I wouldn't be surprised if there was something more to the story revealed later on of the Uchiha disaster which would sway readers to be sympathetic toward Itachi.

[max_powers]

right now, I got 2 major theories going.

1. Itachi wants Tobi dead (there is still debate over whether he is Madara or not, or Obito or not, so I'll just say Tobi for simplicity's sake.) He knows his own power will never be enough, so he forces his brother to gain power at any cost. May have something to do with the "purpose of the Uchiha clan" ala that underground place that was revealed but never explained. Maybe when a clan member defects (Tobi) it becomes the Uchiha's duty to take him down at any cost (crazy clan murder spree).

2. Madara wants Sasuke to be strong. Forced Itachi (either by persuasion or genjutsu) to create the "conditions" required to turn Sasuke into a lean-mean-fighting-machine. Plans to use Sasuke for...whatever. May have something to do with the "purpose of the Uchiha clan". In this case, CONTROL the world!

Seems to me that Itachi knew about Tobi a whiiiiiile ago. Other than the brief talk with Kisame that seems to indicate he knows there is another Uchiha, there was that line he told Sasuke way back: "If you achieve the mangekyou, you will be among 3 people able to use it.(actual line varies)". So yea. Thats what I got.

[Dan]

I bet Itachi is the good guy all along. He found out something bad about the Uchiha and killed them all to prevent some sh!t from going down.

Which reminds me, wasn't there some setback that the "Roots" leader referred to? Maybe he was working with the Uchiha to make them control a Konoha police state, and Itachi decided to stop it?

[Jack_Bauer]

good theories. I have to agree that at some point, Itachi will be given some type of justification as to why he did what he did a few years ago. Not that there arent a huge following already for Itachi, but I think something will surface later on in the manga.