Summary
Quick Links
The following article contains major spoilers for Naruto, especially related to Itachi’s story.
Itachi Uchihais one of the most intriguing characters inNaruto. Loved by some and hated by others, Itachi has such an interesting backstory that it is almost impossible not to have strong opinions. SomeNarutocannot forgive him for what he did to Sasuke and theUchiha clan, while others see him as a victim of Konoha.
Whether a victim or perpetrator (or both), Itachi became one of the most formidable antagonists in the series. However, unlike most major characters inNaruto, Itachi does not die on the battlefield. Instead, he dies from a terminal illness. While there is not much information about the illness, many fans wonder if there is a real disease that matches Itachi’s symptoms — and there is.
What Do We Know About Itachi Uchiha’s Illness?
InNaruto Chapter 401, quite late in the series, it is revealed thatItachi had a terminal illness. Of course, Kishimoto didn’t list the symptoms as if writing a medical manual, so readers must make an extra effort to try to understand what disease it could be. Symptoms include fatigue, coughing, and bleeding from the mouth (hemoptysis).
During his last battle with Sasuke, Itachi appeared to experience chest pain, possibly indicating heart problems. The symptoms could also include bleeding from the eyes, but this could be due to Itachi’soveruse of the Mangekyo Sharingan— and this is a problem, as the Mangekyo Sharingan likely worsened Itachi’s condition by demanding a lot of his chakra and likely taking a toll on his body. Itachi would likely soon become blind due to the Mangekyo Sharingan, though the disease may have also affected his eyes.
Disease was eating away at him from the inside, and he knew his time was short.
— Madara Uchiha to Sasuke
Madara later tells Sasuke that Itachi’s disease was killing him from the inside, which probably means that the disease affected Itachi’s internal organs. Madara adds that Itachi took many medicines to try to control the disease, suggesting that regular medicine in theNarutoworld could at least alleviate many of the symptoms.
Which Disease Could Itachi Have Had?
The information provided in the series is vague because Kishimoto was probably not focused on revealing the disease. However,fans have gathered all the informationand come up with a likely diagnosis:microscopic polyangiitis (MPA), an autoimmune disease that can be fatal if not properly treated with immunosuppressive protocols. While MPA matches many of Itachi’s symptoms — and it can even manifest in the visual system, though this is rare — it is important to note that there is no information about common MPA manifestations, such as kidney damage. However, just because the series hasn’t shown these manifestations doesn’t mean they weren’t there.
MPA seems to be a good candidate if Itachi had an actual disease — the fan who came up with this theory even suggests that the Mangekyo Sharingan could have triggered the disease. Nevertheless, it’s also possible that Kishimoto simply created serious symptoms without giving Itachi a proper diagnosis.
Is It Time for Another Itachi Gaiden?
Itachi is such an interesting character, butmuch of his backstory is in a spinoff novel rather than the original manga. The novelsNaruto: Itachi’s Story, Vol. 1—Daylight(also known asItachi Shinden: Book of Bright Light) andNaruto: Itachi’s Story, Vol. 2—Midnight(Itachi Shinden: Book of Dark Night) focus on the eventsbefore and after the Uchiha Massacre, carried out by Itachi Uchiha under the influence of Danzo Shimura. These books were adapted intoNaruto Shippuden(episodes 451–458).
While theShindennovels provide agreat background story for Itachi, the story could delve deeper into his character. Perhaps a few short stories related to specific moments in Itachi’s life would be a good idea. Although he wasn’t the strongest antagonist in the series, he will likely remain one of the most remarkable characters in the franchise.
What’s Next For Naruto Now?
TheNarutofranchise is still dropping new content with theserialization ofBoruto: Two Blue Vortex, the official sequel to the original series. With amazing twists,Borutocontinues the legacy ofNarutoand delves even deeper into the lore of the series, focusing on the well-known (and poorly named) Otsutsuki clan. In addition toBoruto, aNarutoanime special is coming out soon to celebrate the original anime’s 20th anniversary — who knows, maybe Itachi will make an appearance.
Narutois available to stream on Crunchyroll, Hulu and Netflix.
Naruto
A popular shonen anime based on Masashi Kishimoto’s manga, Naruto follows its eponymous shinobi’s journey as he goes from his town’s outsider to its hero.
