Kishimoto giving Hashirama Cells to Itachi Uchiha in Naruto would have ended the Shinobi War way sooner

Modified Oct 15, 2024 14:30 GMT

Kishimoto giving Hashirama Cells to Itachi Uchiha in Naruto would have ended the Shinobi War way sooner (Image via Studio Pierrot)

The only flaw that prevented Itachi Uchiha from becoming a bigger beast in Naruto could be because of the mysterious disease that led to his demise at the end of his fight against Sasuke. However, if taken away such a lethal disease, fans speculated that Itachi might have been the strongest shinobi from the Hidden Leaf Village.

The question is: how could his disease, of unknown origins, be taken away from him? The answer might lie with a fellow Uchiha clan member who prolonged his lifespan using Hashirama's cells. Itachi, with Hashirama cells, would have ended the Fourth Great Ninja War or could have even prevented it from happening, as these cells had the potential to cure his disease.

Disclaimer: Any opinions expressed in this article solely belong to the author.

Naruto: Exploring Itachi's fate without his lethal disease

Itachi as seen in the anime (Image via Studio Pierrot)

Itachi Uchiha was one of the fan-favorite characters from Naruto and one of the strongest members of the Uchiha clan, with a different life philosophy. After killing his entire clan, he challenged his younger brother, Sasuke Uchiha, making it Sasuke's life goal to kill him someday. The day eventually arrived, and the brothers exchanged blows.

However, their battle ended on an anti-climactic note as Itachi's body gave up on him at the last moment, leading to his death before his brother. Although the author has yet to reveal the name of the mysterious disease that took Itachi's life, it is considered the only factor contributing to his demise.

But what if this disease could be taken away from Itachi? Would that affect his potential as a shinobi and the outcome of his battle against Sasuke? Before this question, a much-needed task would be to see how such a feat would be possible. Surprisingly, a similar feat has been achieved by a fellow Uchiha clan member who extended his lifespan.

Madara as seen in the anime (Image via Studio Pierrot)

Madara Uchiha is one of the final antagonists of Naruto and the Uchiha clan member, also known as the 'Uchiha Ghost.' He also faced a similar situation. After his final battle against Hashirama Senju, Madara went into hiding, looking for someone who would carry on his legacy by taking his name. However, as Madara was injured, his lifespan was short.

So, he injected his body with some of Hashirama's cells, which he had collected during the battle, and activated the Rinnegan. Moreover, after awakening the Rinnegan, Madara summoned the Gedo Statue and used it to cultivate some of Hashirama's cells that kept him alive until Obito arrived.

Madara (with Hashirama) as seen in the anime (Image via Studio Pierrot)

Hashirama cells, capable of prolonging someone's lifespan, could have the ability to make someone devoid of any diseases. So, if Itachi had received these cells before his fight against Sasuke (or anytime sooner), his lifespan could have been prolonged to a much higher age.

Being a pacifist, he would have stopped the fight against Sasuke and could have tried to bring Sasuke to the good side. Moreover, if the Fourth Great Ninja War had occurred (if he wasn't able to stop it, even though his powers made him capable of stopping it), he would have easily stopped the advances of Madara Uchiha, and the war could have ended pretty easily.

Final thoughts

As convincing as this theory may seem, it isn't feasible for the plotline due to various plotholes in the story. Masashi Kishimoto hasn't revealed anything regarding when Itachi got his disease.

If he had gotten his disease before he massacred his clan, he could have prevented killing his clan, affecting `future timeline events. Moreover, there was no source of Hashirama cells for Itachi because, unlike Madara, Itachi had no connection with Hashirama Senju to start. Therefore, this theory should be viewed merely as a form of entertainment.

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Edited by Shubham Soni