The Naruto franchise features a number of distinct and powerful bloodlines, yet none come close to the unfathomable power of the Uchiha. The Uchiha Clan is renowned throughout the shinobi world as one of the strongest clans of the Hidden Leaf, with none that could rival its battle prowess. Most attribute the clan’s strength and power to its Dojutsu, the Sharingan, yet there is another lesser-known force that serves as the true source of the Uchiha Clan’s unfettered capabilities – the Curse of Hatred.
Similar to the Senju’s Will of Fire, the Curse of Hatred is what drives the Uchiha Clan’s power and fuels the Sharingan’s unique capabilities. The curse allows the Uchiha to feel emotions more strongly than others, yet the very same emotions can turn into pure hatred with the loss of a loved one. The origins of the Curse of Hatred can be traced centuries back, yet the effects of this malediction can be seen in present day Naruto in the form of Obito and Madara’s convictions. Delving deeper into this curse reveals how it shaped the entire clan’s history, and how it drove the clan to the height of its power.
The First Traces of the Curse of Hatred
The Curse of Hatred can be traced back to the time of the Sage of Six Paths, whose son, Indra Otsutsuki, bore the curse. It was first displayed when Hagomoro, while dying, chose Asura Otsutsuki as his successor as he believed Asura’s belief of peace through love is far superior to Indra’s ideology of attaining peace through means of power and domination. This angered Indra, as he believed it was his birthright to be the successor, being both older and more powerful.
The Curse of Hatred then drove Indra towards eternal hatred for his brother as he bore animosity towards Asura till his death. Even after his passing, the feud between the two sides continued on through their respective bloodlines, the Uchiha and the Senju Clans. The Curse of Hatred lingered on even after the Uchiha had accepted Hashirama’s Will of Fire, as evident from the events that followed the Uchiha Clan’s foiled coup d'etat.
What Does the Curse of Hatred Entail?
The Curse of Hatred is simply a term that defines the ideals and beliefs of the Uchiha Clan, which involve attaining peace through constant fighting and power. However, the term also extends to their sentimentality that is affected by the Sharingan, which allows them to feel emotions much more strongly than anyone else. This allows the Uchiha to feel emotions such as love and friendship vehemently, yet the loss of a loved one can turn all those emotions around in an instant, converting every single sentiment of affection into pure hatred.
Unlike the Will of Fire’s selfless approach to life, the Curse of Hatred involves many self-interest tendencies, such as the belief of sacrificing many to benefit few. This sentiment has been quite visible throughout the Uchiha Clan’s history, either in the form of Madara’s perspective of peace or the events that led to the Uchiha’s coup d'etat – clearly indicating the will to sacrifice others just for the sake of the clan maintaining its status.
The Curse of Hatred as the Source of the Uchiha’s Power
The awakening of the Sharingan and its stronger counterparts is directly linked to the Curse of Hatred, as the strong experience of negative emotions prompts the manifestation of a unique chakra in the brain, which impacts the optic nerves and awakens the ocular jutsu. The advanced forms of this Dojutsu, the Mangekyou and Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan, are also awakened through a similar process, as the experience of an unbearable loss forces the Mangekyou to awaken, giving the Sharingan even more power.
In short, the Uchiha are able to utilize their negative emotions to fuel their power, which is why they are more prone to allow pessimistic sentiments to take the reins. This downward spiral allows them to get consumed by hate and negativity, as evident from the case of Sasuke Uchiha, who had become hell-bent on his goal of destroying the Hidden Leaf to avenge his brother.
While it is possible to control the Curse of Hatred and use it for the good of people, the Uchiha eventually start to lose their power, which can be explained through the lack of Mangekyou users during the Uchiha Clan’s peace era in the Hidden Leaf. This simply indicates that, for the Uchiha to gain power, they must experience despair and sorrow, something the Curse of Hatred further exacerbates, giving the clan its infamous reputation as the strongest bloodline in the Naruto universe.