Most fans love the Naruto series and its characters. They often talk about the story and how the characters change. But one recent take about Itachi Uchiha, the one who wiped out the Uchiha Clan along with Obito Uchiha, has upset many, as it claims that Itachi, who is seen as very powerful, seems to run away from anyone who wasn't weak.
This idea that Itachi avoided fighting strong opponents has caused a big reaction among the fandom. They want to protect his reputation as a skilled ninja and are now arguing that he was brave and faced many challenges. They even provided examples from the story where he took on tough opponents.
Naruto fan claims Uchiha Itachi avoided facing tough opponents, making him seem unbeatable
A part of the fandom seemingly thinks that Itachi only fought weaker opponents. This came from a tweet where @YoungwiMn said there were times when Itachi and his partner Kisame chose to retreat from battles with strong foes.
One of the instances is when Itachi and Kisame came to Konoha to get Naruto, the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki. There they engaged in a battle with Kakashi, Asuma, and Kurenai, but when Might Guy showed up, Itachi decided to leave. He knew Guy was very strong and it was best to avoid fighting him.
Might Guy is a powerful ninja who was even lauded by Uchiha Madara for his Taijutsu skills. His arrival made the situation more risky for Itachi and Kisame.
The other time this allegedly happened was when Itachi and Kisame again tried to capture Naruto but instead found themselves up against one of the Legendary Sannin, Jiraiya. Itachi told Kisame to withdraw again, seemingly avoiding an unnecessary fight he might have with the Legendary Sannin.
Looking at this, the Naruto fan deduced that Itachi seemed to be unbeatable because he ran away from anyone who wasn't weak.
How the fandom reacted to the worst Naruto take
Many people who love Naruto were confused and mad, labeling this as the "Worst Naruto take OAT." Fans of Itachi hurried to protect him. They said his actions were not from fear or not wanting to face tough foes.
Instead, they talked about how he didn't want to go up against the protectors of Konoha. They also mentioned how Itachi retreating from the battles was a calculated approach.
"She's half cooking ill give her that, itachi would still smoke 90% of the main cast tho" said a fan
"If Itachi was trying to protect the village then why would he fight the other people that are capable of protecting the village? You think that man slaughtered his entire clan just to get into a "I'm a better fighter than you" match with the people he worked to protect? SMH" said another who defended Itachi
"do u guys realize he literally hated fighting cus of him wanting peace?? and he only fought if he had a reason to" according to a fan
Plus, Itachi is known as a strong and skilled ninja in the series. His talent when it comes to fighting tough opponents like Kakashi and Jiraiya is clear to fans. The idea that he would only "run from foes who weren't weak" shows a misreading of his reasons and skills.
"So literally making one of the legendary sannins stress for their lives at 13 is Itachi choosing a weak opponent ?" a fan exclaimed
"no way people agreeing with this when itachi scales to or above nagato and would slam them unless guy has the 8th gate" according to an avid follower
"Maybe he was just reducing the damage on his friends... He was a double agent loyal to Konoha until the end." a fan said
Final thoughts
The take about Itachi Uchiha retreating from strong foes has sparked a big fuss in the Naruto fanbase. Some say it shows weakness, but most fans defend his actions as a smart strategy to complete missions. Itachi is famous for his tactics and for putting the mission first.
This argument shows how deep and complex the anime series is. Even fan-favorite characters can be seen in different ways by fans. As fans keep discussing and debating, it's clear Itachi's legacy and the whole anime world will keep fascinating people for years to come.