The Uchiha clan (うちは一族, Uchiha Ichizoku) was one of the four noble clans of Konohagakure,[1] but is now almost extinct after the events of the clan massacre.
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Background
Founding
The Uchiha clan descended from the elderof the two sons of theSage of the Six Paths. The elder brother inherited the Sage's "eyes", powerful chakra and spiritual abilities. When it came time for the Sage to choose a successor, he questioned the two on what course of action they would follow to bring order to the world. The elder believed thatpower was the way to bring peace, while the younger believedlove was the way. The Sage favoured the ideal of the younger brother, and therefore designated the younger as his successor, causing the elder to be filled with jealousy and hate. From this hate came what Tobi calls the Curse of Hatred (憎しみの呪い, Nikushimi no Noroi). From theyounger son descended the Senju clan who would be the eternal rivals of the Uchiha.
Before the founding of the ninja villages, the Uchiha were one of the many mercenary clans for hire. Because of theirSharingan, the Uchiha clan came to be known as one of the two strongest clans, the other being the Senju clan. Madara Uchiha was particularly powerful, and, upon attaining the Mangekyō Sharingan, he took control of the clan. Under his leadership the Uchiha grew stronger, conquering whatever clans they came upon, such that, whenever the Uchiha clan was hired for a job, the opposing side would hire the Senju, and vice versa.
Konohagakure
The Senju clan grew tired of the endless fighting, and approached the Uchiha clan with a peace treaty. Madara feared that an alliance would lead the Uchiha to ruin, but his clan disagreed, and he was forced to accept. The two clans came together to form Konoha, with Hashirama Senju, leader of the Senju clan, being selected as Hokage. Madara believed that this was proof that the Uchiha would be made subservient to the Senju, but his clan saw this only as his attempt to rekindle the flames of war. They turned their backs on him, and he defected. Following Madara's betrayal, the Second Hokage gave the Uchiha control of the Konoha Military Police Force as a sign of trust. According to Tobi, this was really just a way of keeping the Uchiha in check and out of Konoha's governing affairs. Over the years, some Uchiha, such asSetsuna, have figured out this motive's true meaning, and tried to rebel against the village as Madara did, but they found that it was too late to make a difference, as the Senju had already completely suppressed the Uchiha.
Massacre
Main article: Uchiha Clan Massacre
Years later, after the Nine-Tails' Attack on Konoha, Konoha began to suspect that an Uchiha was behind the attack. Tobi claimed that the Uchiha were relocated to a corner of the village so that they could be more easily monitored. The Uchiha interpreted this as confirmation of what Madara had warned them of years earlier, and began to plan overthrowing the village. One Uchiha, Itachi, disagreed with the coup d'état, and informed Konoha's leadership of what the Uchiha were up to. The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, tried to negotiate for a more peaceful approach. This failed, and to prevent an uprising that would create another war, Itachi was ordered to wipe out the Uchiha.
Within one night, the entire clan was slaughtered with only one Uchiha was left alive: Itachi's younger brother, Sasuke. Sasuke would spend the next few years trying to avenge their family by killing Itachi, something Itachi had planned for from the very beginning. Once accomplishing this goal, Sasuke learned of Tobi's existence. Tobi told Sasuke about the Uchiha's history and why Itachi had wiped out the Uchiha, prompting Sasuke, with Tobi's help, to resolve to destroy Konoha.
Abilities
The Uchiha were famous for their powerful chakra, exceptionally strong techniques, and natural aptitude for anything combat-related. The clan possessed a proficiency in fire techniques, having created several and using them more skilfully than any other. Their signature technique was the Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique. Clan members were not recognised as adults by the rest of the clan until they could successfully use this technique. The Uchiha were also highly known for their mastery of ninja tools. They themselves invented many shuriken move sets which required the use of thin metal wires, one example being the Windmill Triple Blades technique.
The Uchiha clan were most feared for their powerful Sharingan, a kekkei genkai which gives them the ability to see the "colours" of chakra, allowing them to analyse and copy their opponent's skills, along with a number of other abilities. Only a select few members of the Uchiha clan manifested the Sharingan. Due to their natural affinity for battle, and their proficiency with eye genjutsu, many ninjas considered it more tactically favourable to flee rather than face an Uchiha shinobi in one-on-one combat. Among the techniques granted by the Sharingan, the Izanagi and Izanami are deemed to be forbidden, due to their effect of rendering the user blind in exchange for creating genjutsu capable of escaping death or trapping the opponent without failure. Though the clan was feared for their Sharingan, the eyes have also been transplanted into various characters outside the clan.
Madara Uchiha was the first to develop an advanced form of the Sharingan, theMangekyō Sharingan, which can be activated by the pain of losing close friends or family members. However, frequent use of the Mangekyō Sharingan deteriorates the user's eyesight and results in blindness. Only by taking the eyes of a sibling can one's vision be restored, a process that results in the creation of an Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan (永遠の万華鏡写輪眼, Eien no Mangekyō Sharingan). Itachi indicated that the intricacies of the Mangekyō Sharingan were only discovered after years of trial and error, implying that many Uchiha throughout history had made the attempt to gain the Mangekyō Sharingan.
One member of the clan, Madara, had managed to awaken the Rinnegan, shortly before his death. As it has been hinted that this was a natural evolution of the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan, there remains the potential for others in possession of the latter to awaken the ability too. However, the exact requirements involved in this process have yet to be disclosed.[2]
Trivia
- Uchiha is another way of pronouncing "uchiwa" (団扇, fan), which is the Uchiha clan symbol. Uchiwa can be used to fan flames, making the flame hotter — referring to the fact that the Uchiha is a clan of fire techniques users.
- Itachi and Sasuke, the two Uchiha that remained after the massacre, both eventually became affiliated withAkatsuki.
- The two brothers along with Madara and his own brother, Izuna also awoke the Mangekyō Sharingan.
- According to the third Naruto databook, Kurama is the only one who knows the truth about the Uchiha clan. However, it appears that the beast has no intention of telling what it knows.
- In the earlier stages of the series, Kakashi stated that there are rumours the Uchiha clan's Sharingan was derived from the Hyūga clan's Byakugan.
- According to Tobi, the Uchiha clan is destined to a life of revenge against their hated enemies, the Senju clan and Konohagakure. Although a few known members: Itachi, Obito and Shisui's ideals were the opposite of this.
- Most of the clan members tend to wear a black high-collared shirt with the Uchiha clan symbol on the back.
- During Kurama's attack on Konoha, the Uchiha were noticeably missing.
- The clan had various places affiliated with them:
- A senbei shop that was famous throughout the village.
- A secret meeting place under the Naka Shrine.
- A supply base in Sora-ku that Hebi visited for supplies.
- A hideout that served as the arena for the final battle between Sasuke and Itachi.
- As Tobi's identity is now questionable, Sasuke is assumed to be the sole survivor of the Uchiha clan.
