This is not my thread. However it is very interesting and that is why i decided to post it,
Originally this was going to be an answer to another thread. It asked why the senju clan was able to stand up to the uchiha clan. the other thread was full of goofy unrealistic answers, and mine was just... too good not to be a seperate thread. I thank the op of that thread, because we haven't had a good senju thread in a while, and it inspired me to make it, so here it goes...
The problem starts because of the sharingan. Every one knows how awesome it is and revert to the idea that senju had to have some kind of unifying uber-jutsu that made them all even. Some even try to say mokuton was more prevalent than suggested. The Uchiha clan was just so damn powerful, excellent, and win that no one can think of a good reason that the Senju were equal.
There are four actually.
Manpower
.
philosophy
The true Senju philosopy is as diverse as its people. it is actually the main theme of konoha ninja. They are the decendants of the Senju clan, and through them we can see the wisdom of the Senju clan manefest in its original form.
The first tenet of the Senju doctrine, is its name sake. SENJU
The second was known as "the will of fire".
Training
Senju Hashirama
Those four reasons were the path to power for the senju. The only match for them were the uchiha clan. The uchiha clan were not even close in the uniformity that the Senju had (it only looks chaotic), but the Uchiha kekkei genkai was rediculously strong.
Each Uchiha was born with extremely strong, adaptive bodies. This and potent natural genius created their strong chakras. On top of that when exposed to danger or stress the sharingan manefests as a defense mechanism. In war, the most stressful dangerous time, every Uchiha had sharingan.
They later learned that murderous infighting caused powerful mutations in the sharingan and went wild enhancing them. This ultimately was a way of "weeding out the bad ones." If you were weak, you'd loose the fight. Simple. In that way surviving Uchiha were probably some of the most skilled people on the planet, and only the elite of the Senju could defeat one in lone battle.
the Uchiha and the Senju never had a clear winner being so equal that Hashirama Senju wisely created a truce and absorbed them into his clan. The sum of the Senju of the Forest and the Uchiha clan was called "Konohagakure"
the village hidden in the leaves.
Senju Hashirama then set the bar for every single shinobi leader afterwards. His Senju clan was the template for the rest of the worlds military. There was no might in singular clans dueling, the real power was in creating human engines of destruction, massive armies under one banner. He was right.
That is why the senju were supreme.
Originally this was going to be an answer to another thread. It asked why the senju clan was able to stand up to the uchiha clan. the other thread was full of goofy unrealistic answers, and mine was just... too good not to be a seperate thread. I thank the op of that thread, because we haven't had a good senju thread in a while, and it inspired me to make it, so here it goes...
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The problem starts because of the sharingan. Every one knows how awesome it is and revert to the idea that senju had to have some kind of unifying uber-jutsu that made them all even. Some even try to say mokuton was more prevalent than suggested. The Uchiha clan was just so damn powerful, excellent, and win that no one can think of a good reason that the Senju were equal.
There are four actually.
- manpower
- philosophy
- training
- hashirama
Manpower
the Infantry of the senju clan is the first reason it won so damn hard. It was the numbers.
Most other clans seem to have been composed of regional militias. Small tight nit groups of family friends and neighbors. They were basicaly all related to eachother. now in the shinobi wars, these were created to protect territories. Every one wanted to keep their homes and loved ones safe, so they all trained with each other in the art of ninjutsu. People protecting their villages by fighting. So the clans were basicaly neighborhood gangs.
The Uchiha clan were the best of the regional clans. The sharingan's power basicaly makes one perfect in the three fields of ninjutsu, so they obviously were a force to be reconed with. They could see a jutsu once and instantly learn it. They could also counter accordingly. The Uchiha had perfect weapons in the sharingan, and in a time of world war, everyone in the clan had it. Uchiha childeren grew up on the battlefield. A place where emotional and defensive triggers are constant... And they thrived in it.
However, the Uchiha like all other kekkei genkai clans were all bound to the same regional clan mentality. "Protect what is mine." That's all they wanted. To fight, get money, and feed their children. That was the way of the regional clans.
The Senju crushed that way under their heels.
The Senju clan was NOT a small village militia. They were a legion. The sheer numbers of Senju is why they won so much. it wasn't a little clique, it was a military government with a "manifest destiny" mentality. They were conquerors. the other clans were only concerned with protecting their rights to live. That was noble. But nobility should be practiced off of the battlefield.
The Senju were effectively an empire. They allowed clans to join or die.
" Its either Senju gang or don't bang. Get down or lay down." Now seeing as the Senju were a massive army, most villages simply gave up. With that, everyone in the army was a Senju. It doesn't matter if your family name was Hyuuga or Nara, you added a Senju to it. With that they added a great many powers onto itself.
So it wasn't the numbers just because of the sheer overwhelming might, it was the number of villages that held kekkei genkai heirs. The hyuuga clan eventually became part of the Senju, and still retain some of their traditions.
The head of the Senju was the sole user of the kekkei genkai said to be the strongest element, mokuton.
The previous clans were xenophobic in nature. They felt outsiders would dilute there power and cause calamity. But the Senju was made of outsiders. It was because they were all family regardless of bloodline. So there was a multi-cultural blend of jutsu and power held together by a sense of loyalty to the head.
They were of magnificent quality and quantity. that is the first reason Senju were dominant in the shinobi wars
Most other clans seem to have been composed of regional militias. Small tight nit groups of family friends and neighbors. They were basicaly all related to eachother. now in the shinobi wars, these were created to protect territories. Every one wanted to keep their homes and loved ones safe, so they all trained with each other in the art of ninjutsu. People protecting their villages by fighting. So the clans were basicaly neighborhood gangs.
The Uchiha clan were the best of the regional clans. The sharingan's power basicaly makes one perfect in the three fields of ninjutsu, so they obviously were a force to be reconed with. They could see a jutsu once and instantly learn it. They could also counter accordingly. The Uchiha had perfect weapons in the sharingan, and in a time of world war, everyone in the clan had it. Uchiha childeren grew up on the battlefield. A place where emotional and defensive triggers are constant... And they thrived in it.
However, the Uchiha like all other kekkei genkai clans were all bound to the same regional clan mentality. "Protect what is mine." That's all they wanted. To fight, get money, and feed their children. That was the way of the regional clans.
The Senju crushed that way under their heels.
The Senju clan was NOT a small village militia. They were a legion. The sheer numbers of Senju is why they won so much. it wasn't a little clique, it was a military government with a "manifest destiny" mentality. They were conquerors. the other clans were only concerned with protecting their rights to live. That was noble. But nobility should be practiced off of the battlefield.
The Senju were effectively an empire. They allowed clans to join or die.
" Its either Senju gang or don't bang. Get down or lay down." Now seeing as the Senju were a massive army, most villages simply gave up. With that, everyone in the army was a Senju. It doesn't matter if your family name was Hyuuga or Nara, you added a Senju to it. With that they added a great many powers onto itself.
So it wasn't the numbers just because of the sheer overwhelming might, it was the number of villages that held kekkei genkai heirs. The hyuuga clan eventually became part of the Senju, and still retain some of their traditions.
The head of the Senju was the sole user of the kekkei genkai said to be the strongest element, mokuton.
The previous clans were xenophobic in nature. They felt outsiders would dilute there power and cause calamity. But the Senju was made of outsiders. It was because they were all family regardless of bloodline. So there was a multi-cultural blend of jutsu and power held together by a sense of loyalty to the head.
They were of magnificent quality and quantity. that is the first reason Senju were dominant in the shinobi wars
philosophy
The true Senju philosopy is as diverse as its people. it is actually the main theme of konoha ninja. They are the decendants of the Senju clan, and through them we can see the wisdom of the Senju clan manefest in its original form.
The first tenet of the Senju doctrine, is its name sake. SENJU
It is a reference to a bodhisattva named Avalokite'svara also known in east asian countries as Guanyin/Kannon. Avalokite'svara was the personification of mercy. He/she was detirmined to rid the world of the suffering of samsara (hint), and in one story, heard the cries of the innocent and split his arms into 1000 arms (senju is japanese for 1000 arms.) to help the ailing. That sounds like Hashirama Senju's description to me...
The name Avalokitesvara also means "lord who looks down". the perfect namesake for "the man on top of the ninja world" , right?
link to avalokite'svara's wiki
The other meaning of senju is a reference to the incect known as a millipede.
it actually means "thousand legs" in latin, but the effect is the same. The millipede is a creature that has many independantly moving legs , but they are all controled by the "head".
The head is what commands their movement, not other legs, and they follow The commands of the head without fail.
The senju clan follows the commands of the head without fail, for they know his way is just and merciful. the head commands movement only for the good of its body, legs, and arms.
The final play on words with senju is reinterpreting "thousand arms".
Every english interpritation of the word "arms" perfectly describes the Senju clan. They were all men-at-arms. they were in the thousands, and everyone was "armed". Everyone wore the senju herald as their "coat of arms"
They were a military group that had many "arms" (as in branches).
It is impossible to use arm in a way that doesn't describe the core of the Senju philosophy.
The name Avalokitesvara also means "lord who looks down". the perfect namesake for "the man on top of the ninja world" , right?
link to avalokite'svara's wiki
You must be registered for see links
The other meaning of senju is a reference to the incect known as a millipede.
it actually means "thousand legs" in latin, but the effect is the same. The millipede is a creature that has many independantly moving legs , but they are all controled by the "head".
The head is what commands their movement, not other legs, and they follow The commands of the head without fail.
The senju clan follows the commands of the head without fail, for they know his way is just and merciful. the head commands movement only for the good of its body, legs, and arms.
The final play on words with senju is reinterpreting "thousand arms".
1arm
Pronunciation: \ˈ?rm\
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English, from Old English earm; akin to Latin armus shoulder, Sanskrit īrma arm
Date: before 12th century
4: a narrow extension of a larger area, mass, or group
5: power, might <the long arm of the law>
9: a functional division of a group, organization, institution, or activity <the logistical arm of the air force>
Main Entry: 2arm
Function: verb
Etymology: Middle English armen, from Anglo-French armer, from Latin armare, from arma weapons, tools; akin to Latin ars skill, Greek harmos joint, arariskein to fit
Date: 12th century
transitive verb
1 : to furnish or equip with weapons
2 : to furnish with something that strengthens or protects <arming citizens with the right to vote>
3 : to equip or ready for action or operation <arm a bomb>
intransitive verb
: to prepare oneself for struggle or resistance <arm for combat>
Main Entry: 3arm
Function: noun
Usage: often attributive
Etymology: Middle English armes (plural) weapons, from Anglo-French, from Latin arma
Date: 13th century
1 a: a means (as a weapon) of offense or defense ; especially : firearm b: a combat branch (as of an army) c: an organized branch of national defense (as the navy)
2plural a: the hereditary heraldic devices of a family b: heraldic devices adopted by a government
3plural a: active hostilities : warfare <a call to arms> b: military service
? up in arms : aroused and ready to undertake a fight or conflict <voters up in arms over the proposed law>
Main Entry: man?at?arms
Pronunciation: \ˌman-ət-ˈ?rmz\
Function: noun
Inflected Form(s): plural men?at?arms \ˌmen-\
Date: 1581
: soldier ; especially : a heavily armed and usually mounted soldier
Pronunciation: \ˈ?rm\
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English, from Old English earm; akin to Latin armus shoulder, Sanskrit īrma arm
Date: before 12th century
4: a narrow extension of a larger area, mass, or group
5: power, might <the long arm of the law>
9: a functional division of a group, organization, institution, or activity <the logistical arm of the air force>
Main Entry: 2arm
Function: verb
Etymology: Middle English armen, from Anglo-French armer, from Latin armare, from arma weapons, tools; akin to Latin ars skill, Greek harmos joint, arariskein to fit
Date: 12th century
transitive verb
1 : to furnish or equip with weapons
2 : to furnish with something that strengthens or protects <arming citizens with the right to vote>
3 : to equip or ready for action or operation <arm a bomb>
intransitive verb
: to prepare oneself for struggle or resistance <arm for combat>
Main Entry: 3arm
Function: noun
Usage: often attributive
Etymology: Middle English armes (plural) weapons, from Anglo-French, from Latin arma
Date: 13th century
1 a: a means (as a weapon) of offense or defense ; especially : firearm b: a combat branch (as of an army) c: an organized branch of national defense (as the navy)
2plural a: the hereditary heraldic devices of a family b: heraldic devices adopted by a government
3plural a: active hostilities : warfare <a call to arms> b: military service
? up in arms : aroused and ready to undertake a fight or conflict <voters up in arms over the proposed law>
Main Entry: man?at?arms
Pronunciation: \ˌman-ət-ˈ?rmz\
Function: noun
Inflected Form(s): plural men?at?arms \ˌmen-\
Date: 1581
: soldier ; especially : a heavily armed and usually mounted soldier
Every english interpritation of the word "arms" perfectly describes the Senju clan. They were all men-at-arms. they were in the thousands, and everyone was "armed". Everyone wore the senju herald as their "coat of arms"
They were a military group that had many "arms" (as in branches).
It is impossible to use arm in a way that doesn't describe the core of the Senju philosophy.
The second was known as "the will of fire".
now, there is a lot of dissagrement towards the true meaning of the phrase. there are even some who strangely think it is some type of magical energy that inhances the konoha shinobi... the main problem lies in the "WILL" of it's title. it is infact another skillful play on words that has many meanings.
2will
Pronunciation: \ˈwil\
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English, from Old English willa will, desire; akin to Old English wille
Date: before 12th century
1: desire, wish : as a: disposition, inclination <where there's a will there's a way> b: appetite, passion c: choice, determination
2 a: something desired ; especially : a choice or determination of one having authority or power b (1)archaic : request, command (2) [from the phrase our will is which introduces it] : the part of a summons expressing a royal command
3: the act, process, or experience of willing : volition
4 a: mental powers manifested as wishing, choosing, desiring, or intending b:
a disposition to act according to principles or ends c: the collective desire of a group <the will of the people>
5: the power of control over one's own actions or emotions <a man of iron will>
6: a legal declaration of a person's wishes regarding the disposal of his or her property or estate after death ; especially : a written instrument legally executed by which a person makes disposition of his or her estate to take effect after death
It is acurately described by every single one of these.
The will of fire is:
The passion of the people of the fire country.
The ultimate wishes for the rule of the fire country.
The determination of those who protect the fire country
The collective mentality of the fire countries people.
And finally number 6 of the fire country... It is the ideals and philosophy of those who come before given legaly to the next generation. It is the previous definitions being passed down to the children. If Senju philosophy is the foundation of konoha, then the "will of fire" is the figurative deed to everything that foundation fostered.
The fruits being willpower, passion, loyalty, power, law, sovereignty, collective ideals. Each one of these is the "will of fire" and the will of fire passes down each one of these. It is like a phoenix.
From the ashes of the previous, the current become powerful, and the children of the future are born from their ashes.
The will of the senju, is the parent of the will of fire.
2will
Pronunciation: \ˈwil\
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English, from Old English willa will, desire; akin to Old English wille
Date: before 12th century
1: desire, wish : as a: disposition, inclination <where there's a will there's a way> b: appetite, passion c: choice, determination
2 a: something desired ; especially : a choice or determination of one having authority or power b (1)archaic : request, command (2) [from the phrase our will is which introduces it] : the part of a summons expressing a royal command
3: the act, process, or experience of willing : volition
4 a: mental powers manifested as wishing, choosing, desiring, or intending b:
a disposition to act according to principles or ends c: the collective desire of a group <the will of the people>
5: the power of control over one's own actions or emotions <a man of iron will>
6: a legal declaration of a person's wishes regarding the disposal of his or her property or estate after death ; especially : a written instrument legally executed by which a person makes disposition of his or her estate to take effect after death
It is acurately described by every single one of these.
The will of fire is:
The passion of the people of the fire country.
The ultimate wishes for the rule of the fire country.
The determination of those who protect the fire country
The collective mentality of the fire countries people.
And finally number 6 of the fire country... It is the ideals and philosophy of those who come before given legaly to the next generation. It is the previous definitions being passed down to the children. If Senju philosophy is the foundation of konoha, then the "will of fire" is the figurative deed to everything that foundation fostered.
The fruits being willpower, passion, loyalty, power, law, sovereignty, collective ideals. Each one of these is the "will of fire" and the will of fire passes down each one of these. It is like a phoenix.
From the ashes of the previous, the current become powerful, and the children of the future are born from their ashes.
The will of the senju, is the parent of the will of fire.
It is NOT physical energy to be used as a power up though. so cut that out...
Training
This is the third reason they came to power. The training of the senju was fundamentally different from that of other clans. Why? Because the other clans were isolated. That is the key.
Lets take the Kaguya clan as an example. Their prodigy Kaguya Kimimaro was a genius. His taijutsu contained no wasted effort and his kekkei genkai shunkotsumyaku gave him absolute control of his bones. Have you ever seen him use ninjutsu that were not kekkei genkai? No. because the Kaguya clan saw their jutsu as invincible. All kekkei genkai heirs do. Because they have jutsu that are "undefeatable" they become relyant on them and hardly ever use others.
Now lets take the senju clan. They are not unified by genetics, so what jutsu did they use... All of them. The Senju were not a band of chaotic thugs. They were a highly unified, professional, authoritarian military government. There were laws and guidelines. It was not a nomadic tribe, but an expansive one.
Now because there was a unified government, there was probably a census done to survey and catalogue the jutsu of the large super-power.The Senju knew the secrets of every jutsu they had and the method to cast them.
The training camps probably had access to every general nin,tai,and gen jutsu and probably taught every one. Of course forbidden jutsu were most likely not taught to anyone under the chuunin rank, but the Senju most likely has a system format for teaching each jutsu.
So, every katon user knows every katon. Every Senju knows every e-d rank jutsu. Every chuunin knows every jutsu up until c-rank. Every jounin knows every e-b rank jutsu and every a-rank jutsu of their element. The head of the Senju knows every jutsu of the clan, and can preform every general jutsu up to a rank.
The final tradition seems to have stuck with the Hokage title. "each Hokage must know and preform at least 1000 jutsu."
If training was preformed in this fashion, each Senju adult would have been equal to that of a jounin rank, known hundreds of jutsu each, and some would have had unique kekkei genkai to finish.
Also as a military government in a time of war, there were no civilians. EVERYONE was a shinobi, so the chance that someone wasn't optimally trained was little to none. Children were probably trained since infancy, and seeing the large amount of kekkei genkai users, the amount that were geniuses was most likely VERY large. Also because of the huge ammount of people, the interbreeding was large. This means large families of people full of kekkei heirs, Each one a genius. So the amount of people who were geniuses at the begining, up to the amount after the Nidaime ruled was probably exponetially higher.
A large amount of children who are geniuses at military combat and jutsu capable of learning a plethora of jutsu all categorized and taught by training camps. That is truely frightening.
The Senju clan's lifelong military style of formalized required training was the third reason they rose to greatness. A large body of generic super soldiers, each with knowlege of hundreds of jutsu, and many with unique kekkei genkai.
Lets take the Kaguya clan as an example. Their prodigy Kaguya Kimimaro was a genius. His taijutsu contained no wasted effort and his kekkei genkai shunkotsumyaku gave him absolute control of his bones. Have you ever seen him use ninjutsu that were not kekkei genkai? No. because the Kaguya clan saw their jutsu as invincible. All kekkei genkai heirs do. Because they have jutsu that are "undefeatable" they become relyant on them and hardly ever use others.
Now lets take the senju clan. They are not unified by genetics, so what jutsu did they use... All of them. The Senju were not a band of chaotic thugs. They were a highly unified, professional, authoritarian military government. There were laws and guidelines. It was not a nomadic tribe, but an expansive one.
Now because there was a unified government, there was probably a census done to survey and catalogue the jutsu of the large super-power.The Senju knew the secrets of every jutsu they had and the method to cast them.
The training camps probably had access to every general nin,tai,and gen jutsu and probably taught every one. Of course forbidden jutsu were most likely not taught to anyone under the chuunin rank, but the Senju most likely has a system format for teaching each jutsu.
So, every katon user knows every katon. Every Senju knows every e-d rank jutsu. Every chuunin knows every jutsu up until c-rank. Every jounin knows every e-b rank jutsu and every a-rank jutsu of their element. The head of the Senju knows every jutsu of the clan, and can preform every general jutsu up to a rank.
The final tradition seems to have stuck with the Hokage title. "each Hokage must know and preform at least 1000 jutsu."
If training was preformed in this fashion, each Senju adult would have been equal to that of a jounin rank, known hundreds of jutsu each, and some would have had unique kekkei genkai to finish.
Also as a military government in a time of war, there were no civilians. EVERYONE was a shinobi, so the chance that someone wasn't optimally trained was little to none. Children were probably trained since infancy, and seeing the large amount of kekkei genkai users, the amount that were geniuses was most likely VERY large. Also because of the huge ammount of people, the interbreeding was large. This means large families of people full of kekkei heirs, Each one a genius. So the amount of people who were geniuses at the begining, up to the amount after the Nidaime ruled was probably exponetially higher.
A large amount of children who are geniuses at military combat and jutsu capable of learning a plethora of jutsu all categorized and taught by training camps. That is truely frightening.
The Senju clan's lifelong military style of formalized required training was the third reason they rose to greatness. A large body of generic super soldiers, each with knowlege of hundreds of jutsu, and many with unique kekkei genkai.
Senju Hashirama
The final and most important reason that the Senju were the number one clan in the world was its head, Senju Hashirama.
He may not have been the first head of the Senju clan but he was ultimately the most trancendant of them all and the reason for their final evolution into their apex.
(Senju also happens to be his family name. his family also seems to have been the cornerstone of the government)
Hashirama was the one who either created the Senju philosophy or took it to its greatest form. He was the supreme leader of the Senju clan, the one who laid down the laws for all others to follow. As a leader of men he was perfect. Period.
Perfect strength,genetics,morality,charisma,knowledge,focus,intentions. He wasn't even human anymore. Hashirama Senju was a god in the shinobi world. A god of gods.
Much of the reason he was such a powerful leader lies in his combat prowress. He was the pinnacle of a millitary dictatorship chock-full of people were trancendant ninja due to generalization of jutsu and training. His knowledge of all of the jutsu in the fire nation was the prerequisite for those who came after.
Not only that, but he had the kekkei genkai mokuton. This kekkei genkai was the power to create and control chakra of nature. By extention this gave him control of all plant life. Just imagine, the power to grow food and shelter for your whole village... INSTANTLY. This is probably one of the reasons he was heralded. He alone could provide for each and every arm of the Senju.
The combat aplications for mokuton are immense as well. In its base form of wood control, he was able to grow extremely durable trees capable of intangling, peircing, and crushing the enemy. It was a perfect means of attack and defence. Incoming attack? Grow a tree to block it. Whole brigade of shinobi? Entangle them in razor-sharp vines. We have seen mokuton's sheer versatility through Yamato, and he openly says his mastery of mokuton is not comparible to Hashirama Senju's. It is like dirt in the presence of diamond.
Mokuton also gave him the ability to control the will of the nine most powerful youma, the Bijuu. These magical creatures were infinite in their ability to destroy, and produce chakra. Hashirama controled 8/9 of them personally. It is said that he used them as pets.
To have 8 infinitely powerful youma as summons is just... Stomach-turningly powerful. It wasn't overpowered, cause it was war. It was sublimely-powered. And quite frankly it was "unfair" not to long after the other countries had been established (i'd say 5-10 years after konoha's establishment) so he handed them out as we would kittens from a new litter. He was just that secure in might.
Hashirama Senju was the driving force of his regime. The head of the Senju clan. He was the key and final reason the Senju became the strongest force in ninja history.
He may not have been the first head of the Senju clan but he was ultimately the most trancendant of them all and the reason for their final evolution into their apex.
(Senju also happens to be his family name. his family also seems to have been the cornerstone of the government)
Hashirama was the one who either created the Senju philosophy or took it to its greatest form. He was the supreme leader of the Senju clan, the one who laid down the laws for all others to follow. As a leader of men he was perfect. Period.
Perfect strength,genetics,morality,charisma,knowledge,focus,intentions. He wasn't even human anymore. Hashirama Senju was a god in the shinobi world. A god of gods.
Much of the reason he was such a powerful leader lies in his combat prowress. He was the pinnacle of a millitary dictatorship chock-full of people were trancendant ninja due to generalization of jutsu and training. His knowledge of all of the jutsu in the fire nation was the prerequisite for those who came after.
Not only that, but he had the kekkei genkai mokuton. This kekkei genkai was the power to create and control chakra of nature. By extention this gave him control of all plant life. Just imagine, the power to grow food and shelter for your whole village... INSTANTLY. This is probably one of the reasons he was heralded. He alone could provide for each and every arm of the Senju.
The combat aplications for mokuton are immense as well. In its base form of wood control, he was able to grow extremely durable trees capable of intangling, peircing, and crushing the enemy. It was a perfect means of attack and defence. Incoming attack? Grow a tree to block it. Whole brigade of shinobi? Entangle them in razor-sharp vines. We have seen mokuton's sheer versatility through Yamato, and he openly says his mastery of mokuton is not comparible to Hashirama Senju's. It is like dirt in the presence of diamond.
Mokuton also gave him the ability to control the will of the nine most powerful youma, the Bijuu. These magical creatures were infinite in their ability to destroy, and produce chakra. Hashirama controled 8/9 of them personally. It is said that he used them as pets.
To have 8 infinitely powerful youma as summons is just... Stomach-turningly powerful. It wasn't overpowered, cause it was war. It was sublimely-powered. And quite frankly it was "unfair" not to long after the other countries had been established (i'd say 5-10 years after konoha's establishment) so he handed them out as we would kittens from a new litter. He was just that secure in might.
Hashirama Senju was the driving force of his regime. The head of the Senju clan. He was the key and final reason the Senju became the strongest force in ninja history.
Those four reasons were the path to power for the senju. The only match for them were the uchiha clan. The uchiha clan were not even close in the uniformity that the Senju had (it only looks chaotic), but the Uchiha kekkei genkai was rediculously strong.
Each Uchiha was born with extremely strong, adaptive bodies. This and potent natural genius created their strong chakras. On top of that when exposed to danger or stress the sharingan manefests as a defense mechanism. In war, the most stressful dangerous time, every Uchiha had sharingan.
They later learned that murderous infighting caused powerful mutations in the sharingan and went wild enhancing them. This ultimately was a way of "weeding out the bad ones." If you were weak, you'd loose the fight. Simple. In that way surviving Uchiha were probably some of the most skilled people on the planet, and only the elite of the Senju could defeat one in lone battle.
the Uchiha and the Senju never had a clear winner being so equal that Hashirama Senju wisely created a truce and absorbed them into his clan. The sum of the Senju of the Forest and the Uchiha clan was called "Konohagakure"
the village hidden in the leaves.
Senju Hashirama then set the bar for every single shinobi leader afterwards. His Senju clan was the template for the rest of the worlds military. There was no might in singular clans dueling, the real power was in creating human engines of destruction, massive armies under one banner. He was right.
That is why the senju were supreme.
senju hashirama =
Julius caesar + the Jade Emperor +
a gestalt dr20 deity/kage 20 with epic level summons and the "mokuton" template.
(Kage has all spells,manuvers,powers,skills,weapon proficiencies,class abilites of the base classes + d20 hd, good saves, and 10 skill points per level...nasty)
He has a leadership feat which gives him control of the Senju clan.
at least 1000 gestalt 20 shugenja/15 ninja/5 senju who are all at that level by at Most 15 years old, 2/5 have kekkei genkai ( inherited templates), and each one of them have that Senju prestige class.
(Senju grants class abilities, skills, and profeciencies of warblade,rogue, barbarian, and psychic warrior plus all hit die change to d12)
Julius caesar + the Jade Emperor +
a gestalt dr20 deity/kage 20 with epic level summons and the "mokuton" template.
(Kage has all spells,manuvers,powers,skills,weapon proficiencies,class abilites of the base classes + d20 hd, good saves, and 10 skill points per level...nasty)
He has a leadership feat which gives him control of the Senju clan.
at least 1000 gestalt 20 shugenja/15 ninja/5 senju who are all at that level by at Most 15 years old, 2/5 have kekkei genkai ( inherited templates), and each one of them have that Senju prestige class.
(Senju grants class abilities, skills, and profeciencies of warblade,rogue, barbarian, and psychic warrior plus all hit die change to d12)
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