The Raven: Trickery, Illusion & Complexity (Part 2)

Trickery, Illusion & Complexity

“If you have exhausted all logical possibilities then whatever remains- however illogical- must invariably be the Truth.” ~Sherlock Holmes

Itachi, from the Japanese anime/manga Naruto Shippuden, is an interesting example of a Raven totem holder. If you read up on his brief story, you will find that he holds the same characteristics of others with Raven medicine – aloof, elusive, complex to the nth degree, a silent observer, and loyal to a cause. He shouldered the burden of choosing the lesser of two evils (in his case, the slaughtering of his own clan) to prevent a civil war from occurring. Being highly intelligent, and deeply thoughtful (once again, both Raven characteristics), he understood the depth of his assigned mission and executed it with no remorse. However, the one person he could not kill, was his youngest brother, Sasuke.

The story of these two brothers involves Sasuke growing up to take revenge on Itachi, with wanting Sasuke to kill him to reclaim the clan’s honor. Itachi was willing to take on the burden of his clans’ violent history, the responsibility for murdering them all, and then the task of making his brother out as the clan’s hero.

The planning, strategy, and cunning involved in all this are what really reveals the Raven in Itachi. He was strengthening, testing, analyzing, and plotting every step of the way – and all for his brother. Itachi’s complex nature is what gave the murderer a kind of redemptive quality. Itachi, like the Raven, was a messenger by telling Sasuke what he needed to hear, as opposed to what he wanted. A truth he remained loyal to until his last breath.