Is Itachi back for good?

[THM Nindo]

So, we saw last chapter that Itachi managed thanks to Shushui's Koto Amatsuki to get out of Kabuto's control.

This was kinda unexpected, altough some of us were saying that IF someone would do it, it would be Itachi.

Now... seemingly, at least for now, Itachi is back, with all of his old power, no sickness and immortality. And he's on the good side!!

Do you guys think he's back for good?
Or do you think he will be destroyed, or that Kabuto can simply 'release' him to kill him?

Personnaly, I like Itachi and I hope he will stay for a while, but I doubt he will be back for good.
Maybe he'll stay for a little while though...

I put up a few theories that could work, if you want to vote.
What do you guys think?

[mattiaildivino]

I hope he won't disappear so quickly. I want him to stay with nagato and to fight the other zombies. also I hope he will see sasuke and madara,this is why I've voted "other"

[Suzaku]

My guess is that Madara and his Six Paths of Pain will show up before long, resulting in some sort of three-way struggle. Itachi will last through the battle, then after everything's done, his soul will return to the Pure World after he sees that Naruto will be able to protect Konoha and save Sasuke without his help.

Then again, it's always so unpredictable.

Although I feel pretty confident in saying that Itachi is only going to be around temporarily. Kabuto will eventually cancel the jutsu; logic would dictate that it's just his control talisman that got overwritten by Koto Amatsukami.

[mattiaildivino]

well,if tobi will show up with his 6 jinchurikis,kabuto might have the opportunity to fight him indirectly,using itachi and saying he isn't under his control anymore.

[THM Nindo]

I'll go with the cliche yet satisfying scenario where Itachi will be 'sent to heaven'.
Either after Sasuke is saved, or after being convinced that Naruto will take care of his little brother.

And at the end of the manga, it will be known by all that Itachi was the 'obscure hero' that sacrificed everything for peace.

[M3J]

Itachi isn't back for good. Kabuto probably isn't trying to overcome the genjutsu Itachi got, probably because of Shisui's eye. I think Kabuto has a plan with Itachi, which is why he's not doing anything. I think calling back Itachi could nullify the genjutsu on him and return him to default ET mode, but I dunno about this.

Anyway, it doesn't look like Kabuto made any attempt to get Itachi under his control again, he was just shocked.

[kkck]

IMO itachi is 3 hand seals from disappearing. He is just a freed zombie, not an actual living creature.

[--cursed--]

Whether those 3 hand seals happen anytime soon is another matter, Itachi still has a role to play in the manga besides using the technique that would convert Sasuke easily. Kabuto is a crafty one, he will release the ET's when it is most inconvenient for the Alliance and/or Madara. We still need to find out if Madara's 6 paths are ET's or are being held by Madara's own jutsu.

Edit: Also where do i go for help concerning profile pics? Shits pissing me off

[killbill]

He's going to die, that's for sure but don't know how.
Either he'll fight nagato and both nagato and itachi will die.
Or
He'll fight Madara and weaken him somehow before dying...maybe he'll confront sauske.Who knows??
Then there's always the possiblilty of Kabuto reversing the jutsu..i think he had something planned in case one of his minions break off from his jutsu.

[Brill]

Well there are many elements in play and dependent on a couple factors.

1) Kabuto's control of Edo Tensei. He can mind swipe zombies at any distance but can he release one? If he does release do all the zombies perish? Kabuto hasn't eliminated Itachi yet because he either can't single him out or he thinks he can get him back under control and that is dependent on...

2) How long will kotoamatsuki last? Will the genjustu last if the crow is destroyed or will the crow expire when the crow runs out of chakra. Or is the crow like a Geass....lasting after the crow is destroyed? If Itachi planned on using this on Sasuke it suggests that the genjutsu is permanent. But for know we have to speculate.

Itachi is back until he can explain what happened that tragic night for the Uchiha clan. Itachi has to explain to Sasuke what happened that night and Madara's invovlement in that plot. That is probably what is needed to break Sasuke out of his stupidity. Just like Bee talked down Raikage, Itachi will be needed in some capacity to break through to Sasuke. Whatever happens after that Kishi only knows. I think Itachi will get repossessed after he acomplished his assigned tasks for the story, but will probably be released after Kabuto's defeat.

[Xiraiya]

He'll be around long enough probably for the Sasuke (Or Kabuto) business to be wrapped up, I imagine he has a few things to tell Sasuke or even perhaps Madara.

But I do not believe this is permanent.


Another thing just occurred to me, the Genjutsu is an order to protect Konoha, when the point in time arrives that Konoha is no longer under threat nor needs any protection I think the Genjutsu will end and either Naruto or probably Sasuke will have to kill/seal Itachi and end him for good.

I think the latter is most likely, when the order is fulfilled then that will be the end for our Uchiha hero.

[juUnior]

Well.. I will write only my first thought on this right now: he will be a tester for Sasuke with EMS.. in other words: this will show how much more powerful Sasuke is with EMS compared to Itachi with MS :p Back then I thought Kabuto might be a tester for Sasuke, BUT it would be so lame, and now that Itachi is converted to the good side.. well xD <of course it depends whether Kabuto can release him from ET or not and such details>

[jorped]

Itachi is not an human being any more, so he won't "stay" for much time. Right now Itachi isn't being controlled by Kabuto any more, but instead he is being controlled by Shisui's jutsu. But Itachi is still a zombie so despite what is making Itachi moving, Kabuto most likely can release him for Edo Tensei jutsu. But will he do it ? I will say no, cuz i really want to see more of Itachi and if Kishi wants, i think that the story will definitely gain a lot more things. First Itachi is one of the most charismatic characters, second his fighting skills are legendary and third his past is going to tell to us everything we want to know. The real history behind the massacre of Uchiha clan. And if Itachi stays we can't forget that he will much likely end "facing" Sasuke. A very emotional talk is to expect.

So imo i think that Itachi is going to stay for some time, but when he feels like he has done everything within his hands, he will most likely ask to be sealed. But i can't really explain why Kabuto won't release him for the jutsu. Though i don't even know if Kabuto can do that :sweat

But here goes one argument that might be a good argument :
- Itachi knows, more than any one, Madara. And at some point, Itachi's actions are definitely going to end confronting Madara's ambitions. We all know that Kabuto is "using" Madara and that he doesn't really hope that he has success so letting Itachi stay even though if that Itachi is not following his orders, will definitely increase the chance of Madara's plans getting crushed by Alliance.

[Jessie]

I don't see him lasting more than a chapter or two. He likely will go out protecting Naruto and Bee from Nagato. Itachi and Nagato seem tied to each other so what better way to end their time in the manga than to "die" together. Very symbolic for the Uchiha and Uzumaki.

I don't see him getting involved with Sasuke or Madara. He is leaving it up to Naruto and his generation.. Naruto is the hero. Not Itachi.

Itachi's role is nearing an end. He certainly wasn't going to "live" as a zombie. All the zombies are an abomination created by Kabuto and need to be put at rest as soon as possible. Naruto will give him peace.

[Newkerzy]

True. But I think he will stay a bit longer to help the alliance. Nobody knows Madara better than him, meaning he has crucial intel on the enemy. he will certainly be the one to let Naruto fight Sasuke while he takes care of the others. ET zombies, Kabuto, or whatever.

[Rarhyx]

if kabuto cant cancel the jutsu itachi will go after his buisness with sasuke is dealt.

[jorped]

As i already said i think that Kabuto has the power to at least free him from Edo Tensei jutsu, but is he going to that? I don't think so. Even if he can't "use" Itachi any more, indirectly Itachi might end do something that he wants. If Itachi stays i am quite sure that he will try to stop Madara somehow and that is what Kabuto wants.

At this point i start thinking if it wouldn't be better if Kabuto was the final villain :headscratch

[Montai]

Since that eye has programed Itachi to protect Konoha, that means that he'll be forced into fighting Sasuke, if he shows up, no? I think we're going to see Itachi vs Madara or Sasuke. Maybe not next chapter, but soon... "Just a prediction"

[jorped]

Since that eye has programed Itachi to protect Konoha, that means that he'll be forced into fighting Sasuke, if he shows up, no? I think we're going to see Itachi vs Madara or Sasuke. Maybe not next chapter, but soon... "Just a prediction"

I think so. The only think that can make that not happen is Kabuto releasing Itachi from Edo Tensei, or Itachi being sealed, but i don't really think that the Alliance would do that, since he is going to help them no matter what, since he is being controlled by "Protect Konoha" super genjutsu. Having Itachi is certainly going to boost Alliance's strength :amuse

[ninjabot]

He won't be here much longer. For one, Kabuto didn't use the "powered up" Edo Tensei that takes your mind away meaning he's perfectly capable of "giving up the ghost", by accepting his death the same way Sasori did. Itachi's stated twice already that he places his faith in Naruto for saving his little brother. That leads me to believe after this fight he'll disappear, convinced of Naruto's strength from his showing in the upcoming fight. Or, he could also wait until meeting Madara and getting his soul ripped out... or he could even "die" by Sasuke's hand for the second time (I still don't know who will be Sasuke's jobber when he gets the EMS).

Eitherway, he won't stay immortal forever I don't think.

[benelori]

Answering the question in the title...I don't think so...even if he overwrote Kabuto's control, the jutsu is still working and his soul is still bound to the real world...when he will reach some sort of closure, the jutsu will be dispelled

[kkck]

I always wondered about the possibilities of the rinnengan and edo tensei combined though. The rinnengan can in fact bring people back to life, we actually saw that. Edo tensei is a jutsu that allows the user to bring back the dead but even then they are not really alive, they are immortal zombies. In turn, what could the two of them together accomplish? Would it be plausible to actually permanently attack itachi's soul to its current body at least beyond kabuto's control?

[benelori]

I always wondered about the possibilities of the rinnengan and edo tensei combined though. The rinnengan can in fact bring people back to life, we actually saw that. Edo tensei is a jutsu that allows the user to bring back the dead but even then they are not really alive, they are immortal zombies. In turn, what could the two of them together accomplish? Would it be plausible to actually permanently attack itachi's soul to its current body at least beyond kabuto's control?

Well I think it could be a possibility...when Nagato resurrected Konoha, he sort of pulled back the souls to the body...so I think the requirements are having the body and having the soul in close proximity or at least at disposal...Edo Tensei does the last, so all they need is Itachi's body, which is probably tucked away well by Madara

[kkck]

I was thinking more along the lines of itachi's current zombie body turning into an actual body though. Itachi's old body should be long decomposed and eyeless for the most part. The way I see it it is more of a matter of permanently sticking itachi's soul to that body in a way that kabuto could not severe it.

[Vengeance]

Itachi was basically turned into Kikyo. He'll survive long enough to at least meet Sasuke again. He'll probably pass on when he knows that Sasuke is ok or because Sasuke or Madara kills him again.

[hyper_megaman]

i think kabuto eitehr can't dispel edo tensei on just itachi alone (the zombies either all stay or all go together), or he is still using itachi as a spycam

itachi just overwrote the commands to attack by having a command to protect konoha, remember? i think everything else is still under kabuto's control, like what he sees, hears

[Vengeance]

i think kabuto eitehr can't dispel edo tensei on just itachi alone (the zombies either all stay or all go together), or he is still using itachi as a spycam

itachi just overwrote the commands to attack by having a command to protect konoha, remember? i think everything else is still under kabuto's control, like what he sees, hears
If that were the case then Kabuto could simply wipe Itachi's mind. Itachi's body will no longer follow any of Kabuto's orders which should include reverse summoning & mind wiping. If Kabuto had the power to do something he would have wiped Itachi's mind the moment he broke free.

[kkck]

To be completely honest I think the control kabuto has over the edo tensei is simply a powerful genjutsu. If this is the case then actually ridding itachi of his free will should be pretty much impossible by now as the genjutsu used on itachi seems altogether more powerful than the one on the edo tensei. Now, even if itachi can't be controlled anymore it does not mean kabuto can't use his 3 nifty seals and send him to hell again. I don't think it will be any more complicated than that.

[Centrelink]

If infact he is free of EdoTense control.

Then it follows that EdoTense cannot be released.

I believe Itachi will survive. But decompose overtime and lose his "immortal" status as a side from being disconnected from EdoTense.

[Suzaku]

To be completely honest I think the control kabuto has over the edo tensei is simply a powerful genjutsu
No, they're actually controlled using paper talismans that are tied to kunai and implanted in their brains. This was explained when Orochimaru first used the technique.

Kabuto already said that his talismans are different from Orochimaru's, in that they allow the individual to retain their memories and thoughts, but he can still overwrite the talisman to destroy their personalities and turn them into killing machines.

So the classification for the control mechanism should probably be "ninja tools", not genjutsu.

[benelori]

If infact he is free of EdoTense control.

Then it follows that EdoTense cannot be released.

I believe Itachi will survive. But decompose overtime and lose his "immortal" status as a side from being disconnected from EdoTense.

But he is free from Kabuto's control...Edo Tensei is still working, so I think it's even more likely to die a peaceful death, because there's no Kabuto to interfere...not like he really interfered with anyone, starting from the Ambush squad fights

[g0dzax]

I believe that Itachi will die at some point,most likely after he talks to Sasuke or even fights Sasuke/Madara,I have no doubt about the fact that Itachi won't remain free for a long time,possibly until the end of the war.

[Franckie]

Itachi was probably brought back to serve as fodder for developing Sasuke's EMS powers. Freeing him of Kabuto's control will qualm claims of Itachi being "handicapped" like he was in the Uchiha fight (lol) when we visibly see the newfound difference between the two brothers.

[kkck]

No, they're actually controlled using paper talismans that are tied to kunai and implanted in their brains. This was explained when Orochimaru first used the technique.

Kabuto already said that his talismans are different from Orochimaru's, in that they allow the individual to retain their memories and thoughts, but he can still overwrite the talisman to destroy their personalities and turn them into killing machines.

So the classification for the control mechanism should probably be "ninja tools", not genjutsu.

I know the talisman, I just think this is a different way to apply a genjutsu which enables the user to control the zombie. If the talisman imparts a genjutsu powerful enough it makes sense for him to be able to do that much as genjutsu controls the nervous system. Of course, a genjutsu powerful enough would be able to overwrite the one kabuto would be using through the talismans. This would be a ninja tool applying a genjutsu which kabuto controls if my little theory is correct to some level.

---------- Post added at 11:58 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:56 AM ----------


But he is free from Kabuto's control...Edo Tensei is still working, so I think it's even more likely to die a peaceful death, because there's no Kabuto to interfere...not like he really interfered with anyone, starting from the Ambush squad fights

The edo tensei jutsu has always been different from the technique to control the zombie, that much has been constant from the oro days. Summoning someone does not immmediately allow you to control them, a separate tag has been in use for a while.

[Nic]

I don't think he's back for good, and might even die fighting/killing Nagato. I do hope he stays for a while though and get's to talk to Sasuke. :)

[kkck]

itachi is still a zombie, he can't die fighting anyone. If right now he gets thrown into a giant meat grinder he would regenerate from the wounds just as any other edo tensei. Only way for him to be back for good is that kabuto dies and itachi gets to permanently stay as a zombie in narutoverse. Now that he is free from kabuto's control he should be able to find inner peace and just die lol (that will happen either next chapter or once nagato gets defeated and naruto gives a new almost messiah-ish speech).

[zerocooldx]

Knowing Itachi after he is done doing whatever it is that he intends to do now he will definitely "release" or "unseal" himself and go back to being dead. Even though he could probably live forever and gain immortality due to him breaking away from the control of ET.

[DementedKirby]

I think that since he's "freed from Edo Tensei", I don't think he's gonna regenerate like the other zombies do. I think he just got his soul back in whatever body Kabuto used to contain it. Meaning that now if he gets fatally wounded he's gonna kick the bucket.

[zerocooldx]

I think that since he's "freed from Edo Tensei", I don't think he's gonna regenerate like the other zombies do. I think he just got his soul back in whatever body Kabuto used to contain it. Meaning that now if he gets fatally wounded he's gonna kick the bucket.

Itachi is only free from the control of ET. If he was free from the jutsu completely then he would have had his soul immediately released upon breaking free of the entire jutsu. All Itachi broke free out of is the control aspect of ET. The rest of the jutsu still functions. So hes got a free will and an immortal body to work with.

[THM Nindo]

Yeah, this is 100% clear in my mind.
Itachi freed himself from Kabuto's control, but he's still a zombie.

If he's hit, he will regenerate.

My vote remains the same. I think he will be "released" after Naruto convinced him that he will take care of Sasuke.
If he stick around, he will probably be destroyed by Madara or Sasuke (since Itachi will be forced to protect Konoha because of Shusui's genjutsu).

[young simba]

I think he will last until he sees sasuke defeated. I dont think he can rest knowing how sasuke has turned out

[NarutoThe6th]

IMO itachi will fight Pain and die with him

[Prince Sasuke]

Itachi's role in the Manga is bigger then I expected. Not only did Itachi survive his battle with Nagato, he showed to be more then capable of taking Nagato one on one and being his equal.

It would be nice to see Itachi meet up with Sasuke while he is still around. Hopefully they can have a nice conversation with new info coming to light.

[Roman]

I don't think he'll stay much longer. If he did, the way he died would be meaningless as well as hiding the truth about his secret mission and thus fail in preserving Uchiha's honor. He already acknowledged Naruto and put faith in him taking care of Sasuke. Now, I don't really know whose closure he'd need (besides Sasuke's) to be released from ET but I hope it doesn't happen soon as I too want him to stay a bit longer. If anything, he might help Naruto with either the Jins or he might confront Madara, if he stays.

[Suzaku]

Itachi's role in the Manga is bigger then I expected. Not only did Itachi survive his battle with Nagato, he showed to be more then capable of taking Nagato one on one and being his equal.
Uh, when did Itachi take Nagato on one-on-one? I'm pretty sure that fight just now was three-on-one, and it took all three of them using their strongest long-range ninjutsu to defeat Chibaku Tensei.

Anyway, he's not going to last much longer. As I said earlier, he already gave his "leave everything to Naruto" speech. If he does last a little while, it's probably only going to be so someone can kill him off to prove how strong they are, ala Warf or Piccolo or any number of fodder characters.

[NeRO151]

Well I think that Itachi will stick for a while , but he will not last much longer. I don't think Kabuto will , duh if he even can abort Edo Tensei now. And if we look at what Kabuto says here :
- http://mangastream.com/read/naruto/24027713/10
it seems he has no more control over him.

[Hauradrims3]

Itachi needs to go, hes making naruto and bee look bad.

[matsyes]

Itachi is probably back for good , if kabuto could dismiss him he would have, He is out of kabuto's control completely!

[THM Nindo]

It seems like he's going after Kabuto.
It was said before that the only way to defeat all of the Edo Tensei is to have Kabuto under a genjutsu and have him release them all.

So, maybe Itachi will put Kabuto in that genjutsu and will force him to release them.
Although, would that work on Itachi as well?

Would he be released in the same time?

If he would, that would mean that Kabuto still have the power to release him, so then, why didn't he do it as soon as he lost control over Itachi?

-------------------

We know that Kabuto has a trump card. Probably someone extremely powerful, maybe even Rikudo-Sennin! :blink
My guess is that Itachi will go to confront Kabuto, but Kabuto will use that powerful zombie.

And Itachi will be defeated.
Showing healty-immortal Itachi being defeated will certainly rise that zombie to a epic-level of bad-assness.

[Quantized]

Itachi needs to go, hes making naruto and bee look bad.

No offence, but I think Naruto and Bee managed just fine to look bad before Itachi showed up.
Itachi merely noticed it and attempted to fix Naruto's philosophy, which truly was inside out, I was overjoyed that he said this to Naruto, at long last someone does ;)

As for Itachi sticking around.. Well, if he will, then it'll be in exile... I could see him lone of in the horizont after the last villain dying :p
However, and likely in my opinion, he'll die again taking down Kabuto, because

- Said he's leaving Sasuke to Naruto (a writers tool as well)
- Said he's leaving Madara to his friends, Naruto and others.
- Said that he'll take care of Kabuto.

There is nothing left for him to do, assuming as knowledgeable he is to reach the level of a Hokage, he would certainly respect the Will of Fire, allowing the new generation to show that they can protect the future and the new youth.

For me, the question comes down to whether Itachi will survive taking care of Kabuto or not. I don't see Itachi taking his own life if he survives, thus perhaps, exile himself completely.

However it seems fitting for him to end again with Kabuto, and that Kabuto still has something more grand to do in the manga. Possibly, Itachi will keep his words by destroying Kabuto's means of his zombies, however, is that really all Kabuto can do..?

In the end, Itachi will likely keep his word to stop Edo Tensei, but Kabuto also seem more important than to just end here with Itachi. Seemingly, both could come true..?

[Suzaku]

Perhaps Kabuto will use his "prized possession" to defeat Itachi, and will then cancel Edo Tensei and make everyone think that Itachi was successful. Then he can escape and withdraw his support from Madara's forces.

I really do think it's too early for Kabuto to be defeated, there's just too much left unsaid and undone. What does he want Sasuke for? He wants to have a rematch with Naruto. What are his plans and goals? Who are his parents, what's the story behind the Battle for Kikyo Pass?

Itachi coming back from the dead and killing him is too anti-climactic. Itachi isn't even a protagonist, yet he already killed Orochimaru and sealed Nagato, two of the biggest villains. If he does too much more, how can Naruto still be considered the hero of this story?

[licentious1]

It seems like he's going after Kabuto.
It was said before that the only way to defeat all of the Edo Tensei is to have Kabuto under a genjutsu and have him release them all.

So, maybe Itachi will put Kabuto in that genjutsu and will force him to release them.
Although, would that work on Itachi as well?

Would he be released in the same time?

If he would, that would mean that Kabuto still have the power to release him, so then, why didn't he do it as soon as he lost control over Itachi?

-------------------

We know that Kabuto has a trump card. Probably someone extremely powerful, maybe even Rikudo-Sennin! :blink
My guess is that Itachi will go to confront Kabuto, but Kabuto will use that powerful zombie.

And Itachi will be defeated.
Showing healty-immortal Itachi being defeated will certainly rise that zombie to a epic-level of bad-assness.


I suspect Kabuto would have to release all his ET zombies in order to release Itachi, which he will only do when necessary. Orochimaru's will flows through Kabuto's veins so he seeks Uchiha powers and he knows Itachi possesses Shisui's sharingan.

I predict Itachi will get a win-loss vs Kabuchimaru. Itachi will successfully dispel the ET technique via genjutsu, except for himself. After the ET are dispelled Kabuto will summon his trump card and defeat Itachi and gain Shisui's Mangejyo Sharingan.

The battle is a prelude to Sasuke vs Kabuchimaru to highlight Sasuke's growth. Sas and Itachi have Itachi's eyes. They face the same opponent and Itachi and Sas have similar skills but Sasuke will win even when Kabu has a power up (Shisui's eye). Sasuke will beat Kabu's trump where Itachi could not. Then beat Kabu.

[roma]

I predict Itachi will get a win-loss vs Kabuchimaru. Itachi will successfully dispel the ET technique via genjutsu, except for himself. After the ET are dispelled Kabuto will summon his trump card and defeat Itachi and gain Shisui's Mangejyo Sharingan.
.

Itachi already destroyed Shisui's eye when he used amaterasu on the crow... (-_-;)

[THM Nindo]

I doubt Itachi will beat Kabuto.
Not that he wouldn't be able to, he's strong enough to beat him easily.

But, like someone else said... Itachi is not the protagonist.
He already dealt with Orochimaru and Nagato. He CANNOT be the one dealing with Kabuto as well.

I think that he will serve to hype Kabuto's "trump card".

[Rikudou King]

Well Itachi doesn't have to defeat Kabuto per say. He simply has to remove Kabuto's ability to use Edo Tensei. That's what he told Naruto he was gonna do and after that whole speech about Naruto letting others do some of the work, I can't see Itachi failing.

[Skidmore]

Well well, it will be the Third time that Itachi brings down the White Snake, it's becoming so predictable.

[RezzieThaRapper]

Itachi isn't going to stay until the end... even though he could end sasuke's rampage with a simple conversation, he instead will be through and out of the battle after his Kabuto confrontation...

[kkck]

Honestly I don't think sasuke would listen to itachi. What could itachi say that sasuke had not heard or thought before in some form? That he died for the greater good? That his clan was on the brink of starting a civil war and potentially a world war? Sasuke's doesn't already care about the sacrifice itachi made, he outright does not agree with the decision itachi made. Sasuke does not seem to hate his brother anymore, he actually wants to avenge him, which is absurd if sasuke is altogether against konoha.... I would go as far as saying Sasuke understands why itachi sided with konoha, that is by no means the issue, he simply does not agree with the decision.

[Shinomori Aoshi]

I was expecting a loving hug between father and son (Naruto and his dad), that seemed very logical at the time - didn't happen.
I was expecting a loving hug between mother and son (Naruto and his mom), that seemed very logical at the time - well, it happened, but only for a fleeting moment at the end. If I was seeing my child for the first time after 16 years, the first thing that would come to mind would be to "drown" him(/her) in my arms.
Now, I'm not expecting such things anymore, but I would very much like to see a simple conversation between the brothers (Itachi and Sasuke), something like "Yes, I always loved you Sasuke", and "I really wish you stopped your revenge, I'm just happy we got to talk again and reconcile, even after all this; that was my only regret". And a loving hug afterwards.

[wooticus]

i also agree with itachi falling to kabutos trump card. it has to be some kind of anti-sharingan weapon. maybe a sharingan user that disables the power of other sharingans. would explain madaras fear, would explain how itachi can be beaten. zombie itachi is just too strong otherwise - he doesn't suffer from illness and side effects from susanoo and his genjutsu is still uber strong so he might just tsukuyomi kabuto into releasing everything. but i really don't know if that counterweapon is someone we already know, if it is someone from naruto history or somebody like rikudou. don't think it will be rikudou.. well that would be too powerful because that guy has to be way more powerful than anything else around. on the other side we got to know most of the hyped characters of the past.

There could still be a very powerful byakugan user, but i doubt. byakugan lost importance back in part 1.

So probably another sharingan user.

The first hokages wife? Well i don't think she would be THAT powerful because otherwise there has to exist a uber-powerful child.

[kkck]

Dunno, to be honest at the moment I lean towards kabuto's card being the rikudo sennin. A former jinchuirki with the rinnengan.... he would be severely overpowered to say the least, enough to actually take the full might of the hachibi and kyubi at the same time with ease. Heck, nagato with his limited mobility gave them a hard time, the rikudo should have no such issues.... I very much doubt a byakugan user would be relevant here, byakuyan has virtually no active abilities contrary to the sharingan or rinnengan. I guess the other option would be madara's little bro. A MS user in the same league as madara in his prime? That could be dangerous and for all we know he could even have some special powerful MS techniques. His third option could be kushina IMO. She could have the true power of the kyubi along with her ability to control biju. She would be specially dangerous IMO.

[insid3rkill3r]

It wouldnt make sense for Kabuto having Rikudou sennin as a trumph card as he is trying to get to the origin of ninjutsu which is Rikudou. If he would have acess to Rikudou's DNA he wouldnt care at all about Sasuke.

Kabuto wants the two essence that were part of Rikudou ; The Uchiha and the Senju

And he wants those two things because he doesnt have access to Rikudou.

[xXan]

Itachi is probably going to defeat Kabuto and his secret coffin and then go down with them somehow. To bad to as i would love for Itachi to be back for good.

[nat]

Dying a second death will not have a lot of impact, seeing as Kishi broke the rule of fictional realism. (Even for a manga, he has to maintain a set of rules to build his world, and he broke those rules for cheap twists). Maybe Ita's death will fit in the plot context at the time, but I wouldn't want to see it happen.

"He's going to survive until the end of the manga "
That's my vote, It's not believable twist but I guess at this point anything can happen and still be accepted.

[Lazymonkeygod]

It's obvious what's going to happen. Suishi's eye is a gengutsu. Its only effect is to control an ET body, Itachi. It does not reverse ET. Itachi is still a dead body kept alive by ET. As soon as Kabuto ends ET, Itachi will return to the grave. It's as simple as that.

[hakuthehedgehog]

Defeating Itachi should be as simple and taking him out of the genjutsu, right? If Kabuto's snakes can pull people out of genjutsu as I suspect, then a sneak attack from a snake should put Itachi (and Nagato) back into his control.

[juUnior]

It's obvious what's going to happen. Suishi's eye is a gengutsu. Its only effect is to control an ET body, Itachi. It does not reverse ET. Itachi is still a dead body kept alive by ET. As soon as Kabuto ends ET, Itachi will return to the grave. It's as simple as that.
If it was really that, I think Kabuto would already did this the moment Itachi 'broke free' from his control due to Shisui's genjutsu and not take any more damage he already took because of him. If Kabuto didn't do it till now, its probably impossible for him to release Itachi ET zombie due to this genjutsu methinks.

[Lazymonkeygod]

If it was really that, I think Kabuto would already did this the moment Itachi 'broke free' from his control due to Shisui's genjutsu and not take any more damage he already took because of him. If Kabuto didn't do it till now, its probably impossible for him to release Itachi ET zombie due to this genjutsu methinks.

The only reason why Kabuto didn't release the jutsu yet, I think, is because the way ET works is that it's a one time thing on all bodies. He cannot just release one body. If he releases it, it will release all. He doesn't want to do that. Plus Kabuto is kind of arrogant. He may not think of Itachi as a big threat because he has a trump card. The thing Itachi said he'll do to release ET is most like he will go to attack Kabuto to force him to release ET, hence sacrificing himself once again.

[kkck]

I have been thinking of why itachi is still around. I was thinking that kabuto can end the ET at any time he wants but in turn ending the edo tensei would result in him ending all of them which does not benefit him at all.

[juUnior]

Ah, yes, good thinking - unless Kabuto cannot release one at the time it makes perfect sense and would answer why he didn't do it from the beginning of Itachis rampage xd

[ceebo]

Ah, yes, good thinking - unless Kabuto cannot release one at the time it makes perfect sense and would answer why he didn't do it from the beginning of Itachis rampage xd

That totally make sense to me too, because what purpose would it make for kabuto to let Itachi run around free to spoil his plan or unless Kabuto already compensated for that already. In which i highly doubt it.

[Jspot]

I think he'll kill Kabutomaru and die as a result as a hero's death as all of those like him are dispelled. He was willing to sacrifice Shisui's eye because it wasnt needed, I think he'll be willing to off himself since he likewise has become an undead abomination and is wanting to go on.

Then again the Uchiha need replinishing especially if Tobi and Sasuke die (though Itachi thought they should all die to begin with). I'd be lmao if Tsunade dies and Itachi is the Rokudaime.

It was established that even if the user of the Impure World Resurrection jutsu was killed, the jutsu would not be released, so I don't think that is very likely.

I'd like for Itachi to last to at least have one more conversation with Sasuke. I know Itachi already said he wasn't going to speak with him, but I really, really hope that he does. It'd be nice to see a conversation between the two of them. In my opinion, it'd be a great climax for Sasuke's character. Either Itachi will once again be taken from Sasuke, whether by sealing or being released or what have you, or else Sasuke will have fallen to the point of pursuing his madness by even sealing Itachi himself.

I'd like to see something between the two of them, damn it.

[jalix]

Itachi being back and now what we know about the real Madara being summoned, I really don't think that Itachi will be around for long. In a way, what has happened is that Kabuto underestimated Itachi and lost control of him, and replaced him with another Uchiha. It will be interesting to see how Kishimoto handles this because I would have expected the real Madara, with the way Kabuto's handled his ET's vs. Orochimaru, to be a bit more difficult to manipulate. Kabuto replaced a gifted Uchiha, with an Uchiha that is a ninja world God.

What's more - Itachi and Madara probably have the ability to control Kabuto, and the rule Kabuto mentioned that even if he's killed, the jutsu can go could be irrelevant now because it's possible Tobi knows the technique. Kabuto needs Itachi to be taken out... STAT. He might have also inadvertently sealed his fate by summoning Madara... who also seemed less than impressed with the technique showing that even he had some weird code of honor by the way he degraded the jutsu.

I would LOVE to see the real Madara in a conversation with: Sasuke, Itachi and Naruto. Tobi is obvious & a good mystery, but it would be fascinating to see what he would have to say about two living, breathing members of his clan since I still have some doubt's about what really happened in the Uchiha massacre.

[THM Nindo]

Edo Madara is just too strong!
What I think will happen is that Itachi will put Kabuto in a genjutsu and have him release every ET, including Madara.

I don't know how that will work for him though... technically, he should be released at the same time...
But, will his genjutsu stopped when he's released?

Anyway, right now that's the most likely end I can see for him.

[SnailBeast]

I think there will be direct fight between Uchiha Madara and Uchiha Itachi with lots of speaking.
The same way everyone fighting with past generation Itachi will.
Naruto`s targets are Rikudo under mask AND Sasuke.

[gnut]

where the hell is itachi...i wish we could get a page or two of what he's up to.going after kabuto or hitting the battlefield...maybe even trying to find sasuke.just give us something,i'd hate for kishimoto to drop his involvement like he did with the kakashi fight and the choji fight not to mention what's going on with darui.he teased us with itachi coming back...let us see finally his full potential.

[liangbi]

It is going to be better if it comes as a surprise what he is up to

[wooticus]

well... with the kages facing madara and bee and naruto facing the jinchuuriki and tobi there are basically not much options left.

- he already helped out naruto and told him everything. they won't meet again i guess

- i don't think he has any intentions of fighting edo madara.

- so he could possibly attack kabuto and therefore ending both those fights. well i don't think that's gonna happen, because it would somehow make itachi the most imporant character all of a sudden...

one option left...
where is itachi? where is sasuke?
They HAVE to face each other again. Itachi will tell Sasuke the truth.
Sasuke will fight against Kabuto (well he was the one to defeat orochimaru all from the beginning. he has to finish, what he has begun)
After that only tobi will be left. he will fight against naruto, sasuke joining. both of them defeat tobi and it's the happy ending. well not exactly - they have to fight each other again

[okaneman]

one option left...
where is itachi? where is sasuke?
They HAVE to face each other again. Itachi will tell Sasuke the truth.
Sasuke will fight against Kabuto (well he was the one to defeat orochimaru all from the beginning. he has to finish, what he has begun)
After that only tobi will be left. he will fight against naruto, sasuke joining. both of them defeat tobi and it's the happy ending. well not exactly - they have to fight each other again

i don't think itachi will sasuke will fight against kabuto... itachi would be the one who fight him. and about the koto amatsukami, the MS effect surely cannot last forever, so itachi maybe will go see kabuto and finish him before he's done for, and by any chance, got to tell sasugay the truth... but i think sasugay would still continue his revenge LOL...

[DementedKirby]

I voted OTHER because if Itachi dispells or finds a way to counter Edo Tensei, he's gonna go back to the Pure World like the rest of the zombies. Unless he plans on impaling them all with the Sword of Totsuka and then going into eternal hermitage.

[sage88]

in chapter 573 we can see the return of sasuke to the battle
the only person that can correct sasuke is itachi
may be itachi will enter the arc and tell sasuke about everything
then sasuke will become good

[THM Nindo]

in chapter 573 we can see the return of sasuke to the battle
the only person that can correct sasuke is itachi
may be itachi will enter the arc and tell sasuke about everything
then sasuke will become good

No, it's very unlikely.
Since Part2, Sasuke was being built by Kishi to become the last big boss.

There's no way that he will become good before Naruto fight him again.

Beside, Itachi already said that he had no intention of seeing Sasuke again, and that he would leave the rest to Naruto.

[someguy0830]

Sasuke's motivation is far too shallow for him to be the final boss. Tobi's the one who actually has the world-threatening objective, and Naruto will end up taking him down. Sasuke will probably be beaten just prior to that, so it will finally be drilled into him that Naruto's ideals are the ones that win out in the end.

We'll probably see Sasuke and Itachi meet, and Sasuke will no doubt refuse to hear Itachi's words even though he's right in front of him.

[tomte]

He always the good one. You can read naruto 578 (http://www.mangahere.com/manga/naruto/v60/c578/) it will tell you the truth.

[mattiaildivino]

yeah,after last chapters,this thread has received his answer! itachi will keep his promise to naruto (stopping ET) by defeating kabuto.

[Crazytype]

Itachi isn't back for good. Kabuto probably isn't trying to overcome the genjutsu Itachi got, probably because of Shisui's eye. I think Kabuto has a plan with Itachi, which is why he's not doing anything. I think calling back Itachi could nullify the genjutsu on him and return him to default ET mode, but I dunno about this.

Anyway, it doesn't look like Kabuto made any attempt to get Itachi under his control again, he was just shocked.

Nope Kabuto did. When he attacked Sasuke in Sage Mode he wanted to attack Itachi first rewritting his control over him, but he reconsidered and attacked Sasuke first.

[mattiaildivino]

Nope Kabuto did. When he attacked Sasuke in Sage Mode he wanted to attack Itachi first rewritting his control over him, but he reconsidered and attacked Sasuke first.

yeah,but it means exactly that itachi isn't kabuto's first target. I agree with M3J,kabuto could probably unsummon itachi as he already did on deidara(volume54) and torune(vol.55) ,but he is planning on using him somehow,and he wanted sasuke to reach him without tobi around(busy fighting) and zetsu unable to sense what's going on (already defeated/killed)