Recaps

After the Uchiha massacre, Itachi left Konoha and joined Akatsuki, where he began working with Juzo while pursuing his own plans. Half a year after a failed bounty mission, he approached Orochimaru to ask whether he could make unrelated people biological brothers.

• Itachi removed Fugaku’s eyes, preserved his parents’ hair, and vowed to protect Sasuke and bring Fugaku and Mikoto back to life.
• Itachi asked Hiruzen Sarutobi to care for Sasuke, then left Konoha and evaded the ANBU agents sent after him.
• Sasuke found the Uchiha compound after the massacre, and Hiruzen told him Itachi had killed the clan before taking him into his care.
• Itachi joined Akatsuki, received his ring, and teamed up with Biwa Juzo for missions, including the hunt for Jingbian Shanglang.
• Itachi and Juzo tracked down bounty targets, shared meals and conversation, and agreed to slow their missions as Akatsuki’s work stalled.
• Itachi and Juzo confronted bounty hunters pursuing Yamamoto Jisi, but Itachi let Kakashi and Yamamoto Jisi leave, and the mission failed.
• After leaving town, Itachi asked Juzo to arrange a meeting with Orochimaru, then met him six months later and asked if he could make unrelated people biological brothers.

Itachi lost Juzo during the upheaval in the Mist Village, then joined forces with Konan and Kisame while pursuing a way to recover Shisui’s power. After Obito betrayed him, Itachi healed in Ryuchi Cave and reunited with Orochimaru, where they began planning against Danzo.

• Itachi traded Fugaku’s Mangekyo cells and Shisui’s hair to Orochimaru for research, signed the Ryuchi Cave summoning contract, and learned how Orochimaru would take a sample.
• Itachi and Juzo entered the Mist Village, where Itachi fought Yagura’s forces, stopped Obito’s control, and helped Yagura die in battle after freeing Isobu from his Genjutsu.
• Juzo accepted Yagura’s token and agreed to protect the Mist Village, then gave Itachi a carving before they parted and Juzo died.
• Itachi reported Juzo’s death to Pain and returned his ring, while Pain assigned Konan to watch over him and Kisame arrived seeking to become his partner.
• Itachi and Konan took a mission together, and Itachi received Orochimaru’s potion, which left him incapacitated as his body’s cells and DNA restructured.
• Obito extracted the Three-Tails from Itachi and took his right Mangekyo Sharingan, but Itachi escaped after destroying the other eye and reached Ryuchi Cave.
• Itachi recovered in Ryuchi Cave, then traveled to Orochimaru’s hideout, where he learned Orochimaru had withheld the potion’s side effects and was working to replicate a Mangekyo Sharingan.
• Itachi refused to take Little White’s replacement eye and told Orochimaru he had to return to Konoha, then asked for support in a plan to use Kotoamatsukami against Danzo.