The assailant Uchiha was none other than Obito, a former Leaf shinobi and the Akatsuki’s mastermind. With the power of the Mangekyo Sharingan and the Zetsu attached to his body, Obito was able to take on the entire Uchiha Clan, and senselessly slaughter them one by one. Although his role is initially undermined in the Naruto series, his true role and intentions are revealed later on, along with what he had hoped to achieve with the massacre.
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The Uchiha Clan’s Coup D’état
After being sidelined from the Village’s affairs and being forced to live in seclusion, the Uchiha were greatly dissatisfied with their treatment and wished to overthrow the Senju-influenced government. Obito was well-aware of these plans and wanted to utilize this event to his advantage, as the flare up would have resulted in the Village being weakened from the inside, presenting a perfect opportunity for him to strike.
However, his plans changed when he was confronted by Itachi Uchiha, who had sensed Obito’s presence, a feat that even the chakra sensors could not achieve. As Obito had presented himself as Madara, and implied that he also bore hatred for the Uchiha, Itachi requested him to help wipe out the clan. However, Itachi also had a condition; Obito must spare Sasuke and the Leaf Village, to which he obliged.
Obito’s hate for the Uchiha was simply a result of Madara’s animosity towards the clan, as they had betrayed him long ago and had decided to side with the Senju-led government. Madara made sure that the same hate would be passed down to Obito, as the Uchiha had always been an obstacle in his path towards attaining true power among the Hidden Leaf.
The Night of the Massacre
On the night of the massacre, Obito kept his end of the promise and attacked the Uchiha compound alongside Itachi. While Itachi killed the Uchiha’s civilian population, Obito directly attacked the Hidden Leaf Military Police Force headquarters. With his Mangekyo sharingan and the power he had gained by infusing with the Zetsu, Obito was able to slaughter every single member of the Military Police Force, which stands as a testament to his absurd power.
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While Itachi’s superior capabilities were known throughout both the Uchiha and the Anbu, he still did not possess enough strength to go up against hordes of Sharingan users. However, the truth was molded and Itachi was presented as an all-powerful shinobi, capable of wreaking immense havoc. Yet in reality, it was Obito who had done the most in annihilating the Uchiha, something that remained unknown to most for a large chunk of the series.
Obito’s Motives Behind His Involvement
Obito’s involvement in the massacre raises several questions that, for many fans, remain unanswered. Firstly, Obito himself was an Uchiha who was following the orders of Madara. Eliminating his own clan would make no sense, especially when his goals aligned with their plans to overthrow the Leaf’s government. Initially, Obito had no intentions of intervening in the coup, however, after witnessing Itachi’s resolve and realizing how useful he would be for the Akatsuki, Obito changed his plans.
Another reason for partaking in the massacre was the Uchiha’s usefulness for the Leaf. Since the clan made up the whole Military Police Force, and the Sharingan was one of the Hidden Leaf’s strongest ocular jutsu, wiping out the Uchiha would greatly weaken the Leaf internally, something that they could never recover from. This was later proven in the series, where the Leaf had to fend itself against an invasion by the Hidden Sand, who had assumed that the Hidden Leaf must be weakened by the loss of the Uchiha bloodline.
Lastly, the bloodshed from the civil war would have created several Mangekyo users that would have further complicated things for Obito’s eventual plans. The overall plan worked perfectly in his favor as he had gotten rid of any opposing Sharingan users, weakened the Leaf village, and gained the Leaf’s strongest Uchiha as one of his members. All in all, Obito’s role in the Uchiha massacre was crucial as the events that transpired were only possible through his involvement.
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