i don't mind the coup d'etat plot twist. i thought it was pretty interesting that the Uchiha clan were up to something shady. and honestly, I started suspecting it when Taka went to that cat-filled Uchiha weapons depot. why was it outside of the village, i wondered.
but i thik Kishi could have included the coup d'etat without making Itachi a sympathetic martyr. just because someone kills an evil person doesn't mean that first person isn't also another kind of evil.
i always figured Itachi was just looking out for Sasuke, giving him tough love to make him stronger and bullshitting with all that "hate me" stuff. but i still thought he was a villain. just a villain who happened to worry about his weak little brother. making him a pure-hearted hero really just pissed me off and, imo, ruined his character's appeal.