Originally Posted by
knife eater
I just reread the fight between sasuke and itachi. From the context we now have with the numerous developments since then; i see a few interesting things in retrospect.
First, sasuke did not simply overcome itach's tsukiyomi. Zetsu made the claim from his point of view but tsukiyomi broke when orochimaru's power began to emerge. Orochimaru busted sasuke out of jail. Accessing the cursed seal in a low chakra state was the trigger.
Second, and this plays into a few "what ifs" regarding long haired masked man and short haired masked man/tobi and zetsu. Itachi could detect the presence if the long haired masked which was supposedly an amazing feat to accomplish. Anyway, zetsu was hiding in the ceiling during the exchange if genjutsu and up through the fight's climactic amaterasu. I believe itachi could detect zetsu but pretended not to. What's the point? Well as much as it seemingly doesn't matter it possibly puts another tie down between tobi and zetsu's proper identities.
Third, after sasuke's grand dragon fire technique drained him if his final amount of regular chakra he, as we all know, called power from a "natural " lightning strike. I believe now that was foreshadowing a greater relationship soon to come between sasuke and natural energy. He will have either a sage mode or a use of natural energy on par with sage mode that is not a cursed seal.
Lastly, itachi explains a simple timeline regarding madara. It was worded very carefully but it is somewhat insightful when tempting to guess when madara died and when became the personaluty of tobi. His timeline is not to be taken too literally since kishi wants to keep secrets but words it so its true in technical sense yet with double meaning.
Now for a question, do you think itachi could have killed madara? Itachi explains that madara was alive and well for a time that overlaps both uchiha massacre and itachi's own membership in akatsuki before before stating he is a pathetic shell. Madara may have already parted with his rinnegan (given to nagato) or perhaps he had it during the time itachi joined akatsuki. Hell, it's probable that the use of rinnegan itself took a lethal toll on madara but sure enough, madara did not have hashirama enhancements. That fact coupled with his likely aging, i believe it likely that itachi was capable of defeating him (which is one way to theorize madara's time of death considering the appearances of the long haired masked man and when they occurred) and did so. Now i know it raises serious issues with tobi and itachi's continued involvement with akatsuki but it also plays a serious point to itachi protecting sasuke and konaha. Itachi can't take on all the members of akatsuki at once (if he were to also kill tobi for instance, he'd be retaliated upon) but he could possibly end madara without getting caught (he likely had his trust), partly derail his sinister plot and continue to play his secret role from within akatsuki. Madara knew of sasuke (if he was indeed the long haired masked man) and he also knew itachi had the mangekyo (with tsukiyomi, *moons eye plan cough caught*. Madara would recognize the strong EMS potential between them as brothers. Go back to the itachi sasuke fight and read itachi's lecture on Ms and EMS. The points made there make it so that madara can not be allowed to live if he wants to keep sasuke safe. And before you ask, no, itachi did not need to mention to sasuke or ANYBODY that he killed original madara bcause not only is it totally unnecessary for him to do so, it will be so much more dramatic to hear it from madata's own mouth, especially if he encounters sasuke while still an edo!
Do you think itachi could have ended to original madara?
P.s. i am not an itachi fanboy, i just appreciate that much is tempting when given through the character.
