Well, when you think about it, Itachi is the best at being an actual freakin' [i]ninja[/i] in the whole show. He's mastered the art of deception; can't do much better than fooling an entire culture. He committed stealthy assassinations, at night, from within the enemy's (his own clan's) domain. You know... kinda like a ninja. He is also so loyal to his lord, that he planned for his death and created a means of protecting Konoha from the grave. This is a strategy on par with the legendary Zhuge Liang. Does his personality seem like a fusion of pre-reformed Grinch and Scrooge? Definitely. But still... he's the best actual ninja in the show.