“I am he who shall bring peace and order.” —The Sage of the Six Paths

A long time ago, the world was in a state of constant war, and many lost their lives to senseless violence. During this era, the Sage of the Six Paths discovered the workings of chakra in an attempt to achieve peace and eventually became known as the father of all shinobi. However, his vision of peace shattered upon his death.

Before his death, the Sage chose a single successor amongst his two sons, a decision that Uchiha Madara believes “created the eternal curse of hatred.”

The Father

The Rinnegan originated with the Sage of the Six Paths. He was the first to unlock the mysteries of chakra. Using that knowledge, he traveled the world, preaching ninshu, the shinobi creed. As time passed, ninshu eventually came to be known as ninjutsu. Said to be the most potent ocular power, the Sage with his Rinnegan developed all the jutsu known today.

Brother’s Keeper...

Trouble came about on the Sage's deathbed. The Sage had to choose his successor between his two sons. The Sage’s oldest son inherited his father’s ocular powers and believed that strength was the key to peace. The youngest inherited his father’s body and believed that love was essential for peace. In the end, the Sage chose the youngest.

The Descendants

Because of the Sage’s decision, the two brothers became embroiled in a conflict that spanned generations. The descendants of the older brother came to be known as the Uchiha, and the descendants of the younger brother were known as the Senju. Between the two tribes emerged two figures, considered the strongest shinobi of their time—Uchiha Madara and Senju Hashirama.

The two rivals clashed over the title of First Hokage, the village leader. Their momentous fight was recorded in history as Hashirama’s victory, but Madara’s true plan is now coming into fruition.

Present-Day Conflict

The epic struggle that began with the Sage's death continues with Uchiha Sasuke and Uzumaki Naruto. One is driven by bitter hatred, while the other strives to protect everyone—friend and foe alike.

Though their relationship started out as friendly rivals, both understand now that their next clash could very well be their last. To find out who will emerge from their impending, epic battle, keep reading Naruto in Weekly SHONEN JUMP Alpha!