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Even to this day, one of Naruto's biggest debates is the question of Itachi Uchiha's actions with his part in the Uchiha Clan massacre. Several debates has already been on this subject, on ethics, practicality, whether or not the whole mess was avoidable, and why it or if it needed to happen in the first place. However, Masashi Kishimoto's answers haven't satisfied everyone.
Naturally, there are many opinions regarding Itachi's actions during that early and critical period of Naruto's storyline. Even on this website, there are mixed opinions regarding Itachi's actions. It's a debate seemingly destined to go on forever.
Hence, we decided to try settling the debate via posing the question to ChatGPT, an artificial intelligence chatbot designed by OpenAI, as to whether or not Itachi's actions were justified. While the answers may not please everyone, it certainly helped get a bigger perspective on the situation of one of Naruto's most polarizing characters.
Disclaimer: This article will contain Naruto spoilers. Additionally, the subject of extreme violence, trauma, and other such topics are explored here. The opinions belong to that of the AI, fans, and the author exclusively.
ChatGPT answers the question of "Were Naruto's Itachi's actions justified?" by bringing nuance to the table
ChatGPT's starting answer to the question was blunt:
"Itachi's actions of wiping out his entire clan were undoubtedly brutal and tragic, resulting in the deaths of innocent civilians and children. From a moral and ethical perspective, his actions cannot be justified as they involved mass murder and violated fundamental human rights."
Though that ultimately seems to answer the question directly regarding this Naruto character, the AI likewise highlighted Itachi's actions and role role in the context of Naruto's overall narrative:
"However, in the context of the Naruto storyline, Itachi's actions were driven by his desire to prevent a civil war within the Hidden Leaf Village and to protect his younger brother Sasuke. Itachi believed that the Uchiha clan's coup d'etat would have led to the deaths of many innocent people and destabilized the village's political and social order. Itachi also hoped that by sparing Sasuke's life, his younger brother would grow stronger and seek to avenge their clan's death."
Although the answer was blunt, the overall conclusion it reached was another:
"Overall, while Itachi's actions cannot be condoned, his motivations were complex and shaped by his loyalty to the village and his desire to protect his loved ones."
When worded differently and asked if Itachi was right to slaughter the entire village, it provided a more diplomatic answer regarding this controversial action. On the one hand, it cited a common argument some fans make in accordance with the narrative:
"Itachi's actions can be seen as a form of sacrifice for the greater good. He chose to bear the burden of being a traitor and murderer in order to prevent a larger conflict that could have resulted in even more deaths. He also had the intention of protecting his younger brother, Sasuke, from being targeted by the rest of the Uchiha clan."
However, it also raised the point that other fans have brought up. Namely, the issue of devaluing life, human rights, and the heavy trauma that Itachi's actions brought upon Sasuke:
"Itachi's actions can also be seen as a violation of human rights and the value of individual life. Killing innocent people, including women and children, is an extreme measure that could be argued as unjustifiable. It is also important to consider the emotional and psychological trauma inflicted upon Sasuke, who was forced to witness his entire family's murder, and the potential for a cycle of revenge and violence that could result from such actions."
It ultimately concluded that the subject of whether Itachi was right or wrong is a complex and subjective moral dilemma that heavily favors the individual's point of view:
"Ultimately, whether or not Itachi was right in his actions is a complex and subjective question that may have different answers depending on one's personal beliefs and values."
This does something that a fair few Naruto fans and critics fail to do in these situations: treat the entire issue as a nuanced and messy problem. There's no simple answer as to right or wrong in a situation that is complex, but it's doubtful that sort of argumentation will sway ardent believers either way.
ChatGPT, at the very least, has no easy or right answers to the question and instead chooses to examine the issue from an overall perspective and acknowledges its subjectivity and complexity. This is overall correct, as the subject of the Uchiha Clan Massacre in Naruto's narrative is a messy matter.
The first answer is to the pont, highlighting that Itachi's actions were brutal and cannot be justified. However, it does state firmly Itachi's motivations and intent were not simply mass murder but to avoid a larger conflict. That, although the action of slaying the Uchiha Clan was horrific and brutal, his intent and motivations stemmed from a desire to keep the peace.
The second answer definitely offers more nuance to Itachi's actions in Naruto: the diplomatic answer of balancing the sacrifice for the greater good and keeping Sasuke safe against the emotional turmoil and trauma that was caused results in a more complex picture than a blunt "yes" or "no."
Ultimately, it's the correct way to go about answering the question and adding additional context, which the AI refuses to do, is also a good idea. Itachi's hands were tied in that matter. Irrational fears of another Nine Tailed Fox incident, or worse, another Madara, drove many in the Leaf Village to further ostracize the Uchiha Clan into stricter and tighter districts and corners.
However, the Uchiha Clan is not entirely blameless. The heads of the clan attempted diplomatic solutions, but ultimately they were going to go the route of violence anyway by assassinating the Leaf Village leadership. Add in the fact that Shisui Uchiha tried his own solution via putting the Uchiha to sleep and was intercepted by Danzo Shimura and took his own life? Itachi was backed into a corner that nobody should've been.
Additionally, there's Itachi's own guilt and turmoil over his actions. There is also Danzo scheming and ultimately pushing things to their breaking point, threatening violent retribution on the entire clan if Itachi didn't step in. Then theere's Obito Uchiha, disguised as Madara, helping things go as badly as they did. The subject of the necessity of Itachi's actions will probably be debated until the sun itself burns out.
On that note, the ChatGPT answer is nuanced and the subject itself should be treated as such. Anything less, like treating Itachi as 100% the bad guy in the scenario, is a disservice to Naruto's narrative and the character. There's no objective right or wrong answer when one is forced into a bad position.
Be sure to check out the continuing Naruto coverage with the anime, manga, and other news as 2023 progresses. Readers are also asked to please be civil in the comments.
