5. Itachi Uchiha’s Mission to Annihilate the Uchiha Clan

Danzo held a secret meeting with Itachi, advising him to ignore the Third Hokage’s plea for peace. He warned Itachi that if the Uchiha clan initiated a coup against Konoha, it would seal their fate in extinction. However, Danzo offered a solution to spare at least one member of the Uchiha—allowing Sasuke to live without knowledge of the conflict between Konoha and the Uchiha clan.

Danzo presented Itachi with two options. The first was to side with the Uchiha clan, take part in the coup, and perish alongside them. The second was to align with Konoha, eliminate the Uchiha clan, and spare his younger brother, Sasuke. Danzo urged Itachi to make a crucial choice: to protect Konoha or to let the Uchiha clan sow chaos through rebellion.

Danzo believed that Itachi was the perfect person for this mission, given his dual allegiance to both the Uchiha and Konoha. Danzo reasoned that if Konoha wiped out the Uchiha clan, Sasuke, as a witness, would grow to seek vengeance against Konoha. Danzo acknowledged that this mission would be unbearably painful for Itachi but assured him that he could save his beloved brother and protect the village they both cherished.

While Konoha’s Sensory Team struggled to detect the infiltrator who breached the village’s protective barrier, Itachi had long been aware of Tobi’s movements. Tobi frequently visited the Uchiha Stone Tablet at the Nakano Shrine. Tobi was surprised when he realized that Itachi had detected his presence and approached his hideout.

Tobi boasted to Itachi, claiming to be Madara Uchiha, someone who despised both Konoha and the Uchiha clan. In response, Itachi requested Tobi’s assistance in annihilating the Uchiha clan. Tobi agreed, under the condition that Itachi would help him exact revenge on the Uchiha clan but leave Konoha and Sasuke unharmed. Tobi also invited Itachi to join the Akatsuki after the massacre was completed.

That night, Tobi and Itachi began the massacre of the Uchiha clan. Dressed in his Anbu uniform, Itachi targeted the Uchiha clan’s residential area, eliminating clan members, while Tobi attacked the Uchiha Police Force headquarters and killed its officers.

After slaughtering everyone in the residential district, Itachi hurried home. On the way, he encountered Fugaku, who stopped him and demanded an explanation for the massacre. In response, Itachi cast a Genjutsu to show Fugaku the future he envisioned for Konoha and the Uchiha clan. However, Fugaku vanished—revealing that it had only been a shadow clone.

Itachi knew that Fugaku would be his most formidable opponent, as a battle between Mangekyo Sharingan users would be fierce. Yet, when Itachi arrived home, he found his parents resigned to their fate. Fugaku told Itachi he had no intention of fighting his son and accepted Itachi’s choice to side with Konoha. He asked Itachi to promise to protect Sasuke.

With tears streaming down his face, Itachi prepared to carry out the execution. Fugaku assured him not to waver in his decision, saying, “Compared to the pain you will endure, our suffering will be over in an instant.” Fugaku also expressed his pride in Itachi despite their differing views, acknowledging that his son was a kind-hearted person. In the end, Itachi executed both of his parents.

Later, Itachi stood atop a power pole, watching as Sasuke ran home from school. When he saw Sasuke approaching, Itachi returned home to stage the scene as if he were a villain. When Sasuke entered the house, he saw Itachi standing before their parents’ lifeless bodies.

Itachi cast a Genjutsu on Sasuke, forcing him to witness the massacre of their entire clan, including the deaths of their parents, at Itachi’s hands.

After the Genjutsu ended, Sasuke demanded to know why Itachi committed the massacre. Itachi replied, “My goal is to measure my strength.” Enraged, Sasuke attempted to attack Itachi, but Itachi countered by punching Sasuke in the stomach, causing him to collapse.

Terrified, Sasuke fled from Itachi. However, Itachi intercepted him and declared, “I let you live because I see your potential as a future opponent to measure my strength against.”

Itachi instructed Sasuke that if he ever wanted revenge, he needed to cultivate strong hatred and sacrifice someone close to him to awaken the Mangekyo Sharingan, as Itachi had done. Only after fulfilling these conditions would Sasuke be worthy of confronting him in battle.

Itachi then attacked Sasuke using his Sharingan. Although he intended for Sasuke to pass out, Sasuke managed to remain conscious. He pursued Itachi as he walked away, throwing kunai at him. One kunai struck Itachi’s headband, causing it to fall.

As Itachi bent down to pick up and tie his headband back in place, tears fell from his eyes. He was heartbroken at the sight of his brother in pain and the thought of Sasuke living alone. Eventually, Sasuke collapsed from exhaustion and fear.