One character that received more page time in the new Naruto one-shot than expected was Kushina, Naruto’s mother. She recounts a day of her youth spent with the jinchūriki who held the Nine Tails before her and the wife of the first Hokage, Mito Uzumaki. The Elderly Mito not only inspired Kushina’s part in helping name Minato’s new jutsu the Rasengan, but she also shared new information about the origins and destruction of the Uzumaki clan. A ninja clan that once held a high status, whose few survivors live in Konoha: Naruto.

Naruto and Sasuke Both Came From Feared Shinobi Clans

During Mito’s conversation with Kushina, she provides a short history lesson about the Uzumaki clan saying, “[its] member won acclaim as shinobi with proficient life force and sealing jutsu…” She would add that their power became sought after and abused during times of war, leading to the clan becoming sunk and scattered. The family resided in a village called Uzushiogakure, or Village Hidden by Whirling Tides, which was destroyed in an attack after Kushina moved to Konoha. Like the Uchiha, its population was decimated because of the fear that its power spread.

Fans of the Naruto series should be familiar with the tragic story of Sasuke’s Uchiha clan. One of the series’ best twists revealed that the entire family was wiped out because they were planning a coup to take over Konoha. Still, instead of letting everyone die, Sasuke’s older brother Itachi took on the task of wiping out the clan as long as Sasuke could live. The clan’s Sharingan abilities worried Konoha’s leadership because of how devastating Madara’s attack on the village was and how it could control creatures as powerful as the Nine-Tailed fox with a glance. The Uchiha and Uzumaki clans were both destroyed because others feared what they were capable of, making them paranoid.

The Uzumaki And Uchiha Clans Were Too Strong To Keep Around

Naruto and Sasuke are the result of generations of war and hate that have wiped out both their clans. Still, the central theme behind Naruto‘s story is learning to forgive past hatred and working together to accomplish great things. It took many generations and a lot of flashy ninja battles, but Naruto and Sasuke finally ended the cycle of hatred that’s caused so much suffering in the ninja world by working together to make the world a better place. Kishimoto’s new manga Naruto: The Whorl Within The Spiral provided many new layers to enjoying the Naruto series and helped connect the Uchiha and Uzumaki clans like never before.