Original artwork, not a still
Forgive me, Sasuke. There won't be a next time.
— Naruto · 2002
Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
For years Itachi brushed Sasuke off with a forehead poke and a promise of next time. This is the last poke and the last promise: the habit that stood for his refusal to let Sasuke in becomes his goodbye. Fans quote it once the truth about the massacre is out, which turns an apparent murderer's final gesture into one of anime's most tragic lines.
Context reviewed
In context
Spoilers for NarutoShow the scene
In Naruto Shippuden episode 138, "The End" (Japanese broadcast 3 December 2009), the Uchiha hideout is in ruins after Sasuke's Kirin and Itachi's Susanoo. Orochimaru bursts out of Sasuke's cursed seal to take his body, and Itachi spends the last of his strength sealing Orochimaru away with the Sword of Totsuka. Coughing blood, he walks to the exhausted Sasuke, whispers his final words, pokes Sasuke's forehead the way he did when they were children, and drops dead. The episode adapts chapters 391 to 393 of the manga.
Sources (2)
- Narutopedia: The End (episode 138)Synopsis and infoboxReference checked
- Narutopedia: Itachi UchihaTrivia section on the forehead pokeReference checked
Context reviewed
