The Uchiha and Senju clans are both cursed in Naruto, here’s how

At its core, Naruto is an anti-war masterpiece, but a deeper look at the story reveals more themes. There is racism, xenophobia, and a story of revenge hidden beneath the surface. These additional themes are highlighted because of the central anti-war message.

Naruto’s successor, Boruto, has a different theme, which is love. Naruto also contains themes of love, but the only reason fans don’t notice this is because those themes emerge mostly at the end. This goes to show how much of a genius Kishimoto is, as he started laying the groundwork for the Boruto saga before it was even announced. The most prominent discussions of love in Boruto revolve around Indra and Asura, the sons of Hagoromo.

Many Naruto fans say that the Uchiha are cursed. In fact, the Curse of Hatred is mentioned several times throughout the series as a flaw of the Uchiha, but this might not be entirely accurate. The Curse of Hatred exists, but the Uchiha are not the only ones affected. The Senju are also cursed because they are doomed to eternal conflict with the Uchiha.

Disclaimer: This article reflects the author’s views and may contain spoilers.

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Why the Uchiha and Senju clans are cursed in Naruto, explained

The curse of hatred is said only to affect the Uchiha (Image via Studio Pierrot)

The first notable clan mentioned in Naruto is the Uchiha clan. Their infamy in the series stems from the fact that the antagonist is a Uchiha. As the series progresses, viewers see the trauma the Uchiha endure, and it is heavy. The first dose of Uchiha trauma is seen through Sasuke’s perspective, as he witnesses the dead bodies of his entire family.

Sasuke then attempts to kill his brother, the remaining Uchiha clan member, and fails, but Itachi still dies. The Curse of Hatred is then revealed to viewers, though not completely, through careful foreshadowing. Tobirama speaks about the intense love the Uchiha experience and how quickly it can turn to hate, and the best examples are Sasuke and Obito. Both Sasuke and Obito loved deeply, and when that love was taken away too soon, they fell into hatred.

The Senju clan is also cursed (Image via Studio Pierrot)

In truth, what Tobirama calls the Curse of Hatred is false; what the Uchiha are cursed with is willpower. The Uchiha have the willpower to stay committed to their goals, no matter what stands in their way. Another clan that also demonstrates this is the Senju Clan. Tobirama is a prime example of this. Despite Hashirama’s warnings, Tobirama couldn’t escape his bigoted desires.

The Senju’s bigoted desire and the Uchiha's desire are part of an eternal conflict fueled by their ancestors, Indra and Asura. Hagoromo’s two sons didn’t settle their battles when they were alive, leading to constant misfortune for their clans. The Uchiha have been massacred, and the Senju, once a prominent clan, are now nearly obsolete. This serves as proof of the two clans being cursed.

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Final thoughts

The final battle featuring the two main characters marked the end of the Curse of Hatred in the Narutoverse. Because Naruto chose love over destruction, he managed to prevent Senju (Asura) and Uchiha (Indra) from killing themselves. Once this cycle of hatred was replaced with love, it set the stage for the Boruto Saga to begin.

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