Ch. 201Uchiha Itachi: “Don’t Ask. If You Do, I’ll Regret It Even More!”
Chapter Summary
Key plot points and events
- Sasuke defeats Uchiha Itachi in their long-awaited battle, though the fight nearly kills both of them. Naruto saves Sasuke from going down with Itachi.
- Sasuke insists that Itachi must be kept alive. He personally begins treating Itachi’s wounds, later handing the work to Uchiha Izumi and receiving Tsunade’s medical assistance.
- Tsunade confirms that Itachi can be saved, despite being surprised that Sasuke wants to rescue the brother he spent years hating.
- Sasuke reflects on the aftermath of his revenge. He feels that the burden of the Uchiha massacre and his identity as an “avenger” has finally been lifted.
- He declares that Itachi and the old blood feud are part of the past, while Sasuke himself now represents the Uchiha clan and its future.
- Sasuke reveals that he intends to use Itachi to help continue the Uchiha bloodline. He plans to establish several villas in the Land of Whirlpools: one for himself, one for Itachi and the maids he has recruited, and another for medical and barrier-ninja support.
- Sasuke’s friends and allies—including Fuyuki, Hinata, Natsumi, Karin, Jiraiya, Shizune, and others—arrive after witnessing or following the battle.
- The chapter ends when Fuyuki notices Kisame and another strange figure approaching from the southeast, hinting at another impending development.
Character developments
- Sasuke: Achieves his revenge but discovers that victory leaves him emotionally uncertain rather than simply satisfied. He feels freed from his former identity as the Avenger and begins imagining a future for himself and the Uchiha. His decision to save Itachi shows that his feelings toward his brother are more complicated than hatred.
- Naruto: Demonstrates his combat-support role by rescuing Sasuke and remaining highly attuned to Sasuke’s emotional state. He deliberately teases Sasuke to distract him from his troubled feelings.
- Itachi: Lies unconscious and critically wounded after losing the battle. Although Sasuke has defeated him, Sasuke now considers him valuable and refuses to let him die.
- Tsunade: Sets aside her discomfort and hemophobia to provide emergency treatment. Her willingness to intervene reflects her determination not to let personal trauma endanger others.
- Uchiha Izumi: Shows practical medical competence and emotional relief that the brothers are not continuing to kill each other.
- Fuyuki and the others: Their arrival emphasizes that Sasuke is supported by friends and comrades rather than being alone. Fuyuki also serves as a humorous commentator on Sasuke’s eccentric plans.
Significant themes
- The emptiness and complexity of revenge: Sasuke wins, but revenge does not give him uncomplicated happiness. He is left questioning whether he feels hatred, relief, grief, or emptiness.
- Identity and liberation: Sasuke no longer sees himself merely as an avenger carrying the Uchiha’s humiliation. He believes he can now live for himself and embody the clan’s future.
- Family, obligation, and reconciliation: Sasuke’s choice to save Itachi suggests that hatred and familial attachment coexist. Their relationship is shifting from one defined by murder and revenge to one shaped by survival and rebuilding.
- The future replacing the past: Sasuke immediately turns from settling old blood debts to planning the Uchiha clan’s continuation, creating a deliberately humorous contrast between emotional catharsis and practical, eccentric schemes.
- Comradeship: The appearance of Sasuke’s friends reinforces that he is no longer isolated. Their concern, jokes, and willingness to help provide him with a sense of belonging.
Character interactions
- Naruto repeatedly mocks Sasuke about nearly losing the fight, while quietly trying to keep him from sinking into post-battle despair.
- Sasuke orders Naruto to recover and treat Itachi as a valuable asset, revealing his pragmatic plans for the future.
- Izumi takes over Itachi’s treatment, visibly relieved that Sasuke and Itachi are no longer fighting to the death.
- Tsunade challenges Sasuke’s decision to save Itachi but ultimately assists without hesitation.
- Jiraiya and the other companions tease Sasuke about nearly striking them during the battle and demand that he pay for their entertainment.
- Sasuke and Fuyuki exchange jokes about the Uchiha and Hyuga clans’ attitudes toward women and pleasure, highlighting their contrasting personalities.
- Fuyuki is shocked by Sasuke’s plans to arrange Itachi’s future and privately sympathizes with Itachi, believing Sasuke’s choice of powerful, violent maids will make Itachi’s life difficult.