The Upgrade That Broke Shippuden’s Power Scaling: Kishimoto Let Edo Itachi Keep Up With KCM Naruto

Anime power-scaling debates are a hobby, a sport, and occasionally a migraine. Case in point: Edo Itachi keeping pace with Kurama Chakra Mode Naruto in Naruto Shippuden. Great episode. Great character. Also... kind of breaks the math.

The matchup that bends the rules

Kabuto reanimates Itachi with Edo Tensei during the Fourth Great Ninja War, and fans (me included) were curious to see Itachi without the limits of his illness. In Episode 298, Edo Itachi and Nagato square up against Killer Bee and Naruto. It is a slick, high-stakes fight. It is also the moment where the series asks us to accept that Edo Itachi can hang with Naruto in Kurama Chakra Mode.

The issue: Kurama Chakra Mode Naruto is a rocket. By this point, he has the speed and taijutsu to outmaneuver the Third Raikage and keep pace with the Fourth Raikage, whose whole brand is speed. Watching Itachi match Naruto beat-for-beat in both speed and power feels off compared to what the show itself just established.

"Edo Itachi's boost makes no sense"

That fan sentiment floated around a lot at the time, and for many, it was the first real re-evaluation of Itachi's ceiling. Yes, Edo Tensei Itachi has infinite stamina and regen. Yes, he is one of the best-written characters in the series and a tactical monster. But sprinting with KCM Naruto? That reads less like careful scaling and more like the story bending the rules to keep an all-time favorite in the spotlight.

What Kurama Chakra Mode actually does

Just to level-set: Kurama Chakra Mode is one of Naruto's biggest leaps forward. He gains access to the Nine-Tails' chakra and learns to control it instead of getting swallowed by it, which massively increases his reserves and lets him fight for a long time without crashing. It is also the point where he finally syncs with Kurama, which flips the entire series dynamic.

• Speed: Dramatically faster, moving beyond most shinobi's reaction time.
• Physicals: Strength and durability spike; he can block heavy hits and bully dangerous opponents.
• Reflexes/Taijutsu: Sharper reactions and cleaner hand-to-hand thanks to Kurama's chakra boosting every movement.
• Offense: Access to big-ticket moves like the Tailed Beast Rasenshuriken and those chakra arms for mid- to long-range control.
• Support: He can share Kurama's chakra with allies, juicing their stamina and power.

All of that is why the Episode 298 face-off raises eyebrows. If Naruto is operating at that level, even a cracked Edo Itachi should not be keeping up stride for stride.

So what do we do with it?

You can rationalize some of it (Edo stamina, battle IQ, strategic counters), but the speed parity is the sticking point. The cleaner read is that the show prioritized momentum and the Itachi mystique over strict consistency. Is it fun? Absolutely. Does it scramble the power charts? Also yes.

Quick hits

Naruto Shippuden is sitting at an 8.7/10 on IMDb and an 8.28 on MyAnimeList. If you want to revisit the fight, the series is streaming on Hulu.

Which Naruto form is your favorite? Drop it below.