Even its pursuers want to be (8)
I believe the answer is:
vendetta
'be' is the definition.
Although both the answer and definition are singular nouns, I cannot understand how one could define the other.
I don't understand how the rest of the clue works.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for vendetta that I've seen before include "Sicilian blood feud" , "Family blood feud" , "rivalry" , "Unremitting battle" , "intense feud" .)