Masashi Kishimoto Casually Dropped One of the Greatest Naruto Mysteries about the Strongest Clan of Konoha, Never Answered it
Naruto, being one of the longest-running shonen anime, leaves a lot of unanswered questions that bother fans to this day. Although the Naruto mysteries can be an entertaining source of speculation among fans, it would still be nice to have some questions answered. One of the burgeoning questions that hasn’t been answered to this day is: what happened to the Senju clan?
The ninja clans play an important role in Naruto as almost every notable character in the series comes from a prominent ninja clan. Among the most notable clans is the Senju clan, the direct descendants of the Sage of Six Paths who introduced chakra to the world. During the Warring States Period, they were one of the most powerful clans that co-founded the Hidden Leaf Village alongside the Uchiha clan. However, the clan seems to have disappeared without a trace by the beginning of Naruto.
Why Is The Senju Clan Non-Existent?
Apart from Tsunade, the granddaughter of Hashirama Senju, there is no other living descendant of the Senju clan in Naruto. In fact, no other living member in the village even bear the last name so it seems like the Senju clan just disappeared from the plane of existence. It is quite surprising that one of the village’s foundational clan would just vanish into thin air.
Unlike the Uchiha and Uzumaki clans, the Senju clan is never stated to have been massacred. Apart from the one time Kiba noted that he’s only ever heard of the clan in history books, there have been no suggestions till date that the Senjus are a thriving clan. Although the series never clarifies why the Senju clan has disappeared, there are some theories that are worth being entertained.
Persistent Wars Debilitated The Clan
By the time the series begins, the Naruto world had already undergone three Shinobi World Wars that involved all the hidden villages and led to the deaths of thousands of ninjas. There is no doubt that the Senju clan would have also been involved in the wars, given their prominence and strength as the co-founders of the Hidden Leaf Village.
It is highly possible that the Senju clan lost the majority of their members in these wars. It is a known fact that numerous members of the Senju clan fought and died in these Shinobi World Wars, so it is probable that the constant wars within such a short period of time destroyed the clan.
The Clan May Have Disbanded
The Naruto world is a dangerous place for powerful clans who are targeted to be kidnapped or assassinated for their secret jutsu. One of the greatest instances is the complete annihilation of the Uzumaki clan because of their skills in sealing jutsu. Hinata Hyuga was almost kidnapped as a child due to her clan’s curse seal that assures their Byakugan is locked away upon death.
The Senju clan are naturally strong shinobi, which makes the world a dangerous place for any Senju clan member. Having such a prominent last name would put a big target on anyone’s back, so it is plausible that the Senju clan disbanded for their safety. Tsunade and her brother are never referred by their last names, despite being the grandchildren of the most notable Senju member, which supports the theory that the clan may have gone into hiding.
The Clan May Have Assimilated With The Hidden Leaf Village
Another reason behind their disappearance could be that the Senju clan married into other clans and took their spouses’ last names, merging with the Hidden Leaf Village until it seems like they have vanished completely.
Few evidences support this theory, such as Yamato being the only survivor from Orochimaru’s experiment to infuse Hashirama’s cells into children. Also, Moegi Kazamatsuri, Konohamaru’s former teammate, can use Wood Release as revealed in Boruto.
It would thus make sense if the Hidden Leaf Village is filled with members of the Senju clan without their knowledge. This would explain why the Leaf Village produces some of the strongest shinobis compared to other villages.
