Tobi / Obito / Madara whoever he really is, said that Itachi not wiping the clan would have certainly opened doors to countries to invade.
Madara himself was looking for an opportunity to wipe the village good, imagine the world at war + Madara shitting on the whole lot of it - Countless amount of people dead and countries likely destroyers.
Databook stated it clearly, Itachi did not only save the Leaf village, but the world.
He kept Madara at bay the moment he made a deal with him to not touch the leaf, and while being in Akatsuki, prevented them from making any moves against it, something Madara also confirmed when talking to Zetzu.
Defeated and stopped the Edo tensei, also very likely turning Kabuto in an ally to the leaf village as the only way out of Izanami is to accept one's self, Kabuto's real self is to be a medical ninja supporting the leaf.
Itachi's goal was never to kill Kabuto, btw.
Originally Posted by Noddy
Shodai - Fighting EMS Madara + Kyuubi > Anything Itachi did (fighting Hebi Sasuke lol, cheap shotting a Nagato who was under full control with the help of 2 perfect Jinchuurikis, 'beating' Orochimaru but never actually being able to fully kill him).
Fighting yet failing to kill the man who today is responsible for wrecking the living hell on the world, quite a splendid achievement if you ask me.
Hiruzen - Fighting Edo Hashirama, Edo Tobirama + Orochimaru and holding his own despite being fully retired and 69 years old > Anything Itachi did.
Yet all he did is fail to defeat Orochimaru, and you comment on how Nagato vs Itachi was underpowered because he was nothing more than a puppet and now we're supposed to find the fact that controlled Hashimara and Tobirama are rediculous powerfull when they were actually weak as hell???
Hashimara only used wood release and some genjutsu, while Tobirama didnt use any ST ninjutsu he had and used some weak ass water jutsu that fodder ninjas can use.
Itachi whooped Orochimaru and made him run for his life while Hiruzen let his emotions for his student get the best of him when he could have surely defeated him.
Minato - Fighting Tobi & Kyuubi, Fighting Killer B and A (multiple times for the Raikage) > Anything Itachi did.
Yet he let Tobi run away when he was the most vulnerable, Minato has succeeded in protected the leaf on that night, but until Naruto finally defeats Tobi / Obito, Minato has done nothnig but let Tobi run.
Fighting Killer A and B... how is this an achievement putting him above Itachi? The kid who ****in made Madara back off the leaf, the kid who prevented a world war and kept Akatsuki in line for years. Minato fighting off Tobi and Kyuubi is amazing, but A and Bee.... no, just no.
Shodai Hype - Unbelievable power which was disregarded as a legend by the people > Itachi's hype.
Agree
Hiruzen Hype - God of Shinobi, *Superlative strength even compared to the previous Hokage > Itachi's hype.
Agree
Minato Hype - Unsurpassable, All pale in comparison to the forth lord etc > Itachi's hype.
Agree
In terms of hype, he clearly is beaten.
Interms of just doing things, that's because Itachi's panel time >>>>> The Hokages (bar Tsunade) combined.
I don't see how that justifies it....
It aint just doing things, it's doing amazing things.
People claim Itachi has failed in everything because he has failed up till now, to fully save Sasuke. But they obviously dont do such thing when it comes to Minato.
Minato saved the village that night, just like Itachi saved the village on an other one.
Minato has entrusted Naruto with a goal / plan, and that plan has yet to conclude and work. Minato give all the credit to Minato for entrusting Naruto and they claim he is a hero but causing Tobi's downfall in the end. But the exact same thing goes for Itachi.
Itachi has entrusted and saved Naruto so if Sasuke is saved by Naruto, it will be because Itachi played a part in doing so.
Itachi has yet to fail with Sasuke, just like Minato has yet to succeed.
You can put the blame on the fact that Itachi's got more screentime that it's the reason why he did more amazing things. Itachi gets shit done, we dont hear about it from legends and people. Other get hyped, he does it, it's simply two different things.
I didnt come here to claim that Itachi outclasses all of them, but rather to show that while people attempt to downgrade Itachi for his ''failure''... we can do the same with all of them.