Out of the many powerful bloodlines that theNarutoseries features, two clans have stood out throughout its run – the Uchiha and the Senju. From the times of the Warring States period to the formation of the Hidden Leaf Village, the Senju and Uchiha have been the two most prominent clans dominating the battlefields, with none that could compare to the incomparable strength of these all-powerful factions.
Throughout history, the two clans have rivaled each other in terms of both strength and numbers. However, theSenju Clan and its descendantsare nowhere to be seen in the current time of theNarutoseries, while the Uchiha Clan and its numbers had been preserved till the Uchiha massacre took place. Tsunade is the only Senju descendant in the entire village, with no trace of the rest of the clan. Piecing together details from the series can shed some light on the matter, revealing the reason behind the odd disappearance of a once-thriving clan.
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Why the Senju’s Disappearance Is Odd
It’s not uncommon for once-powerful factions to eventually dissipate, either by losing influence over time or being wiped out entirely.The Uchiha Clan’s fateis one obvious example, as the events that led to the clan’s demise have been reiterated multiple times throughout the series, either through flashbacks, backstories, or incessant fillers. Through these continuous reminders, one thing has been embedded into the minds of the viewers – the Uchiha no longer exist and there’s no coming back for them.
For the Senju, however, there’s no such mention of the clan either being wiped out or losing power. Moreover, upuntil the Uchiha massacre, one of the major concerns of the Uchiha Clan was that the Hidden Leaf’s government had always been Senju-influenced. With the Senju bearing such an influential presence among the Hidden Leaf and its political landscape, it’s rather odd that no prominent member of the clan has ever been revealed in the present set time of the series.
Tsunade is the only Senju descendant in the series, and even her last name was never revealed, meaning it could potentially be any other clan since her grandmother was an Uzumaki. It makes no sense for such a titular clan to completely vanish from the scenes, especially compared to thehigh number of Uchihapresent until their untimely demise. A few plausible expositions do explain what factors might be at play here – be it the Senju’s own policies or simply a case of hasty writing on the author’s part.
The Senju Married Into Other Clans
One plausible explanation of the Senju’s sudden disappearance is that most of the clan’s members married into other clans, losing the Senju name altogether. This explanation makes perfect sense considering the Senju had always been open to marrying outside of their own clan, evident from the marriage betweenHashirama Senju and Mito Uzumaki.
Clans such as the Uchiha and the Hyuga had always been against interbreeding, primarily due to the reverence of their respective Dojutsu, the Sharingan and the Byakugan. Since these bloodlines wanted to keep their Kekkei Genkai within their clans, intermarriage was never favored. The Uchiha were strictly against the Sharingan getting in the hands of other clans, a fact that became apparent when the Uchiha were skeptical ofKakashi keeping Obito’s Sharingan.
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The Senju, however, bore no such sentiments towards inter-clan marriages. Since the Senju saw the entire village as one entity, they purposely assimilated themselves into other clans and gave up their own clan-name. This could be the result of the Senju Will of Fire, which dictated that love is necessary for coexistence, and the needs of the village always come before the needs of each separate clan. For this very reason, the Senju saw no concern in opening up to other clans of the village, though this act of selflessness is exactly what led to the Senju name eventually disappearing.
The Senju Clan Was an Idea Later Incorporated Into the Series
It’s common for Mangaka to incorporate new ideas and details into the story as they move along with the series, especially since manga are published on a strict schedule and authors might miss out on a few details in the process. It’s highly likelythat Kishimoto hadn’t thoughtof the Senju-Uchiha rivalry initially, as the first mention of their history and significance was only seen in theShippudenseries.
Since the Senju weren’t a major aspect of the series initially, unlike the Uchiha, Kishimoto never really incorporated any Senju Clan members in the story. The Warring States Period backstory certainly cemented the notion of Senju superiority, though it was too late as part 1 of the series hadno mention of the Senju Clan. Several aspects of theNarutoseries have incongruities similar to this, though it’s certainly odd that there is no prior mention of such a major element of the series, giving way to such a glaring inconsistency.
