so, as a little Friday-fun activity I’ll be on my twitch-account, experimenting with the streaming format by hopping around photoshop and talking about art and drawing with anyone who wants to pop by. I’ll also gladly answer any questions relating to the art of drawing, RLS or just anything creative in particular. Might do a few request drawings too - who knows! 

[[ 3 years later and I can answer this with confidence, lol.

(Actually I could’ve answered post the novels but my askbox is a nightmare.)

Itachi was indeed partnered with Yamato and Kakashi during his ANBU days although Kakashi is primarily mentioned more, and is Itachi’s senior and the guy who shows him around. They were team Ro.

Itachi’s standing in ANBU is shaky, especially because he’s introduced to the surveillance room, where the Uchiha are watched with 24/7 video camera feeds. A guy immediately blames Itachi for the death of his sister, which Kakashi tells him to ignore. (another example of Itachi being totally oblivious to Uchiha discrimination despite it happening infront of him and directed at him.)

When Danzo convinces Hiruzen to make him a captain, Itachi moves on from Ro and his subordinates are a group of brothers named Gozu and Mezu, who take turns impersonating an Uchiha Danzo has killed so he can get information from clan meetings. One of the brothers offers himself to die during the massacre so that there is no suspicion, but Itachi makes sure both of them die. 

[[ It’s all of these things.

Living vicariously through Sasuke/compensating for lack of control in his own life

Sasuke is an innocent boy who has not seen the perils of war, and who has not been traumatized/pressured to be perfect like he has from Fugaku. Itachi hopes to cease all fighting so Sasuke could have what he didn’t/doesn’t have, a life free from pain, fear, and the idea that he will have to fight and kill people or participate in a war. Itachi feels responsible to ensure that of Sasuke. Itachi also did not get the chance to be a child (this he realizes in the moments before he kills his Father), so he wanted that for Sasuke as well. And Sasuke did get a bit of that.

Genuine care

Yes, you can genuinely care for someone and still do absolutely fucked up shit to them in the name of caring for them. A lot of people experience this usually in the form of overprotective/helicopter parents. Or really controlling parents. Just because someone does care doesn’t mean they are incapable of hurting you.

Wanting Sasuke to have a happy ending/be considered a hero + ‘I lie to you because I care’, or “I will suffer so you can thrive”

This is what his villain period was like. Itachi thinks that by repeatedly traumatizing Sasuke, he will nurture Sasuke’s hate and by extension, Sasuke’s strength. The day that Sasuke kills him, Sasuke will be ‘at peace’, Sasuke will go home, and that will be the end of it. Obviously we as readers know this is wrong, and it doesn’t work out like this.

Protect your little brother, Itachi.

This is NOT his mother’s fault so no one dare accuse her. Mikoto said what any mother would to the elder sibling about a newborn sibling. Itachi just chose to take it to the extreme. This is why Sasuke gets away with things no one else would. Itachi’s obsession with Sasuke is a lot of things mixed in which results in an unhealthy infantilization of a younger sibling. He constantly thinks Sasuke’s not old enough to know about certain things. 

Thankfully, Itachi’s the only character to have this acute self awareness in the end, and calls himself out. He realizes that even though his intentions were good, his actions were deeply flawed and hurt Sasuke in ways he nor anyone else cannot begin to repair. He doesn’t ask for forgiveness, he doesn’t excuse his actions. He even argues with Sasuke when Sasuke calls him perfect and infallible. Because he knows he isn’t. 

[[ It’s not  you, he’s just like that.

There are several moments in the novel where he calls out Danzo’s aggression towards the Uchiha, but doesn’t actually do anything to stop it. Admitting Danzo has a problem is kind of pointless since he’s not fighting back. 

He’s all words, and no action. Even during the entire year that Shisui was dead, he never spoke to the Uchiha, who wanted to have meetings.

[[ He’s stubborn about his beliefs.

He’s humble in that he doesn’t seek attention/draw attention to himself/want people to notice him and how many other ways I can explain the same thing. He doesn’t seek fame, fortune, or notoriety from the public. 

His arrogant villain act is just that-- an act. Anything else and people would question whether he was really willing to kill his entire extended family. He has to play his part.

[[ That depends on what your definition of “a good Hokage” is. 

I definitely think he would’ve enjoyed the position, provided we ignore things like the Konoha Crush/Akatsuki’s attack/Obito planning the Infinite Tsukuyomi.

Again, excellent RP/fic idea. 

Itachi is someone who, while knowing the village has its flaws in its system, ultimately does not wish to change it, just avoid conflicts with other villages, so in some sense he’d be a good Hokage within context as he’s following the rules, in others minds he’d be terrible because he’s not willing to fight.