Naruto It is packed with exceptionally talented ninjas who hail from various clans, each one specializing in a technique, fighting style, nature release, or kekkei genkai. Each clan is unique, but some are stronger than others, and the Senju are arguably the strongest clan in the series. It is a clan that produced 3 of the 7 Hokage of the Leaf Village, and it is thanks to them that the Will of Fire exists.
Certainly there are aspects of the Senju clan that don’t make a lot of sense, but no one can deny the fact that they helped shape the entire ninja world. The Senju may have been incredibly skilled and powerful, but that doesn’t mean they didn’t have problems of their own.
10 His sons were forced to fight endless wars
Before hidden villages were formed, countries hired ninja clans to fight their battles. These battles took place during the long and violent Period of the Warring States, and they only occurred because countries were constantly trying to expand or protect their lands.
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The fighting was more or less constant, so the average life span was 30 years. As a result, children were forced to fight on the battlefield, and were often killed by older ninjas. The Senju Clan lost many children in the war, including Hashirama’s little brother Kawarama, who was only 7 years old at the time.
9 the Uchiha were his main opponents
The Senju were an extremely talented clan, so much so that very few clans had a chance against them on the battlefield. The Uchiha clan might have its problems, but it could be said that they were just as skilled as the Senju, which is why they were hired so often.
Every time one country hired the Senju, the opposing country hired the Uchiha and vice versa. The Uchiha possess the Sharingan, which can read an enemy’s movements, but certain members can also use the Mangekyō Sharingan, and these eyes are the reason why the Uchiha were able to kill so many Senju.
8 They were essentially manipulated by Black Zetsu
It is understandable that the Uchiha and Senju hated each other during the Warring States Period, but their hatred for each other dates back several centuries. Neither clans could remember what caused the initial hostility, but Black Zetsu remembers it because it was he who caused it.
Black Zetsu was the physical manifestation of Kaguya Ōtsutsuki’s will, and his life’s mission was to resurrect her. Indra was Kaguya’s grandson, and his descendants became the Uchiha, while his brother Asura’s descendants became the Senju. Zetsu can be considered one of the most evil characters in the series because he manipulated Indra and his descendants into fighting the descendants of Asura in the hope that the Infinite Tsukuyomi would be released.
7 The clan is ultimately responsible for the Edo Tensei
The Senju Clan mastered a variety of justu, and Tobirama was so skilled that he managed to create several of his own, including the Edo Tensei. This summoning technique allows the user to bring someone back from the dead as long as they have a living sacrifice, but it also requires a fair amount of DNA from the subject.
Edo Tensei may not be one of the most dangerous jutsu in the series, but it is certainly one of the most destructive, which is why it is considered a forbidden technique. If it weren’t for a member of the Senju Clan, this technique that turns resurrected ninjas into unwitting and virtually indestructible weapons would not exist.
6 clan leaders seem to have gambling problems
Everyone has vices, even legendary figures like Hashirama Senju. The 1st Hokage is undoubtedly one of the strongest ninjas in history, which explains why he became the leader of the Senju Clan. He may have been a powerful ninja, but he was also known to be a gamer.
Tsunade is his granddaughter, and is now technically the head of the clan, and unfortunately she has developed an even worse gambling habit. The Senju have made a lot of money over the years, and thanks to Hashirama and Tsunade’s gambling, much of that money has disappeared.
5 Even his cousins suffered
The Uzumaki Clan lived in the Land of Whirlpools, but they are also descendants of the Asura Ōtsutsuki, which means that they are related to the Senju. The two clans are essentially cousins, and like the Senju, the Uzumaki were held in high regard, but that didn’t stop the clan from having problems of its own.
The Uzumaki specialized in the sealing jutsu, and other nations began to fear them. These nations eventually joined forces and decided to kill the Uzumaki because they had become too powerful, and more or less they succeeded.
4 The clan is ultimately responsible for the seclusion of the tailed beasts
Tailed beasts have changed quite a bit since the Fourth Great Ninja War, but some of them still hate and resent humans. These emotions are totally justifiable, since humanity took away their freedom and used them as weapons.
Tailed beasts are really powerful, but they are all living beings with their own consciousness and emotions. The Senju are actually the ones responsible for turning the tailed beasts into weapons because it was Hashirama who captured several of them with his Wood Release, and then he distributed the beasts among various villages to create a balance of power.
3 They only exist because of the Ōtsutsuki clan
The Senju are clearly one of the strongest and most influential clans in the ninja world, but their reputation will always be somewhat tarnished by Kaguya and the Ōtsutsuki clan. Certain aspects of the Ōtsutsuki do not make much sense, but they are still strange beings that possess a power similar to that of the gods.
Kaguya only came to Earth because she and Isshiki wanted to produce a God Tree, which would have essentially killed all life on the planet, but she turned against Isshiki and decided to rule the earth herself. This means that the Senju are directly related to a clan of aliens who willingly commit global genocide for their own selfish needs.
2 The DNA of the most famous member of the clan has been used for bad things
When Hashirama was alive, he was considered a ninja god for his immense chakra and healing abilities, but what really stood out was his ability to use Wood Release. The Wood Release is extremely powerful and versatile, but it is also very rare.
The liberation of wood was such a coveted skill that people acquired Hashirama’s cells and used them for their own needs. Madara used them to unlock the Rinnegan, and he ended up becoming a god. Orochimaru experimented with children, which is how Yamato was created, and Danzō used them to perform the Izanagi genjutsu of the Uchiha.
1 The clan is essentially extinct
Even with all the death caused by the Warring States Period, there was a reasonably healthy population of Senju, but it seems the clan is still on the brink of extinction. Tobirama had no children, and Hashirama had at least one son and two grandchildren, but the rest of the clan appear to have married other clans.
With her younger brother long dead, Tsunade is the only known living Senju, and she has no children of her own. No one else in the Leaf Village bears the surname Senju and apart from Tsunade, the clan has become a mere historical note within the village.