Senju Clan

The Senju Clan were the direct descendants of Otsutsuki Ashura, the younger son of the Sage of Six Paths. The power of the Sage’s body was passed down through their bloodline and blessed the clan with life force, stamina and vitality.

During the Warring States Era, the Senju were one of the strongest clans in the entirety of the shinobi world. And even their rivals, the Uchiha Clan, stood inferior during the twilight years of that era.

The Senju were unlike any other clan in that they did not specialize in any particular technique, element or fighting style. They were generalists in the truest sense of the word, individual clansmen finding the path that best suited them and all of the excelling in their chosen art. The disparity between their techniques meant that their enemies could never truly be prepared for what they would face in battle.

Their prodigious ability to learn and master so many techniques earned them a reputation as the clan with a thousand skills.

In the present day, this clan no longer exists as it once did. But unlike the clans that were destroyed in war over the centuries, the Senju chose their end.

It was Hashirama’s dream that the warring clans would be able to break down the boundaries separating them and become one great family with no desire to harm each other. Building Konoha was the beginning of that dream.

Once he was named Hokage, Hashirama decreed to his kinsmen that the Senju Clan would be disbanded. He believed that this would set an example for the others to follow.

His people’s love and respect for him after everything he had accomplished was enough for them to be willing to accede to his wishes. They gave up their last names, coming up with new ones or possessing none at all. As its leaders, Hashirama and Tobirama were the last to carry the name of Senju.

They remained a family but they were no longer bound by the hierarchy, rules and traditions that a clan would normally adhere to. The former Senju freely intermarried with the other clans and citizens of Konoha. All except the Uchiha as that wasn’t a wall easily overcome.

The Senju shared their talent and skills with their new families, passing down the strength of their bloodline to all of Konoha.

Ultimately none of the other clans followed the Senju’s example but their actions nevertheless made their hidden village more powerful than it would have been otherwise.