Originally posted by: Uberbaka

I disagree, one who retreats is careful, but it doesn't mean he's afraid to die. Just because you don't act like some dumbass doing dumb shit doesn't make you worthless. By taking these "Chances" which you say make a person strong, they also let their guard down and allow themselves to be defeated, itachi doesn't let that happen, his guard is not affected by personal desires. He is calculating, or atleast that's the impression -I- have of him.

(I'm no itachi fanboy, i'm just arguing hiten mitsurugi's point about him being weak because hes not taking chances etc) (^_^ )

If you believe that strength is relative to just taking chances then you didn't get my point. A real bad-ass has no concious or fear. Just the thought of retreat means that they have regard for their life. Let me give you an examples.

If you fight someone who is known to retreat, then you can thwart his objectives by making him risk his life in return for completing his mission (i.e. make it so hard for him that he'll think twice). That's what happened to Itachi. Itachi could have easily tried to black flame (whatever it is) Jaraiya. But he didn't. Oh that's right, black flaming a wall and blackflaming a person, something that can move, are two different things.

Now if you fight someone who has no regard for life. You had better be ready to fight to the death because there isn't anything you can do to deter him or sway him. Now that is an ultimate badass and that's true fear. Regardless of how many men you have, or the type of weapons you're using. It's fight or die. Now those kind of badasses are the worst.

A great example would be Kyubi and the fourth. Kyubi has no regard for human life. He'll kill as many people as it takes. However the fourth was willing to step up to that challenge. Remember that kyubi is eternal. No other shinobi (from all villages) has ever stopped kyubi before. The fourth fought, willing to lose his life, in order to seal an eternal demon. Now that's an ultimate badass.

Now if you admire "calculated careful people" and think that's stupid then just imagine if the fourth had retreated like Itachi. Konoha villagers including many Uchihas, probably even Itachi, would have been killed.