Rosa Gigantea Council

The reason of killing his own clan is still unclear.

To make sasuke stronger? Why?

He spared Sasuke... why? bec he was pathetic? but he said before the night he killed is clan
ITACHI: "We will continue to exist together even if you hate me..."

Some say, he needs Sasuke (three sharingan users) to get the Konoha Tengu... (not yet proven)

There was something odd about that night... Why did Itachi's parents sitting/ did not fight.?

Why did he end up joining Akatsuki?

---discusss it here

Angst

I believe he killed his family to activate the bloodline limit of the Sharingan and left Sasuke alive as a way to end his suffering. Constant use of the Sharingan results in blindness, and we all know Itachi loves to use it.

I also believe that he joined the Akatsuki is because their leader (still unknown though i believe it is the guy Kyubi spoke of in the first episode of Shippuden) is freakishly strong. Itachi could not find anyone stronger then him in Konoha and sought extremely strong fighters to follow. He never was one to lead a group (though he did lead in the Anbu). Probably because it is easier to follow a plan then to make the plan.

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Rosa Gigantea Council

he didnt have to kill h is clan to get the bloodline limit (mangekyou sharingan)

He killed Shisui (his best friiend) that enabled him activate MS.

The condition of MS activation is to kill his "closest fiend" not his clan

!Rave_Grip

I think Itachi killed his clan because he wanted to test his potential and powers. he said it was important for him to find out to what his liitations were, and so he killed his own clan, knowing that he was turning evil. Because he thought he was better than them all.

JefferyXie

There is a possibility that Itachi was under orders from the Akatsuki leader to do so.That could be the meaning to prove his potential and power.Also he may have detested his clan after the incident where he was interogated in the murder of his closest friend.These two reasons could be the major factor.

mclay82

Itachi stated he killed the clan only to test his strength, and i think he saved Sasuke because even tho he never showed it he cared for him more than any other person in his family. I aloso think he joined Akatsuki just so he could become even stronger

anime_being_god

Well by killing his clan he managed to activate the sharingan,and he basically said he wanted to test his abilites. Some people think it was a test from the akatsuki, like he had to do that to get in. Sasori described getting into the akastuki was very hard. so that might be sumthing else as well

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mclay82

he didn't kill his clan to activate the mangekyou sharingan, he killed his best friend to do that. So far the only reason known to why he killed his clan was to test his own abilities. What better way to do that than to murder the strongest clan of Konoha.