Are Naruto And Nagato Related? What You Need To Know

Along with the Hyuga, Senju, and Itachi clans, the Uzumaki is one of the most intriguing clans in the Naruto franchise. Located in the Uzushiogakure village, the Uzumaki clan members were considered some of the most powerful ninjas in history.

In fact, two of the series’ most powerful characters, Naruto and Nagato, were descendants of the Uzumaki clan. Both characters played significant roles in the series, and their actions helped bring the once-famous clan back to prominence.

However, here’s a crucial question. 

Are Naruto and Nagato related?

In this case, the answer is both a no and a yes. In this case, Naruto and Nagato aren’t directly related, although as descendants of the Uzumaki clan, they can be considered distantly related.

Of course, aside from their connection to the Uzumaki clan, they share other similarities as well. To learn more about their connection, continue reading this article.

Nagato’s Background Story

In Japanese society, the name Nagato refers to “long-lasting gate”. His name was inspired by a real legendary ninja named Fujibayashi Nagato. Fujibayashi existed in the 16th century and is regarded as one of the three finest ninjas at that time.

The tale of Nagato, the shinobi also known as Pain, is confusing even by Naruto’s standards. He’s an orphan, a loner, a gangster, and a pacifist, all rolled into one. His beliefs are closely linked to violence.

Nagato was born in the village of Amegakure, a tiny yet heavily industrialized town bordered by a huge lake. This is one of the strangest locations in Naruto, making it a perfect home for someone like him.

Nagato had a light white complexion and straight red hair, indicating his Uzumaki ancestry. When he was younger, his hair veiled his eyes, making his Rinnegan undetectable.

Nagato’s village has the misfortune of being caught between three of the Great Shinobi Regions. He had the unfortunate circumstance of being an orphan. His parents were murdered by a couple of ninjas who burst into their homes in quest of food.

Nagato, filled with anger, unleashed Madara’s Rinnegan for the first time to assassinate them and avenge his parents. Madara Uchiha surreptitiously implanted the Rinnegan into Nagato when he was very young, without his parents’ knowledge. 

Now orphaned, he was left to survive for himself on the harsh alleyways of Amegakure. After suffering from starvation, he was unexpectedly rescued by a couple of orphans called Konan and Yahiko.

They formed a solid team, unselfish towards one another and motivated to make the universe a better home. The three children began to fantasize about the day when, having seized power, they would turn their planet from a war-torn disaster into a tranquil haven of unity and love.

Nagato, Konan, And Yahiko

The three orphans sought Konoha’s Legendary Sannin and begged to undergo ninjutsu training. Orochimaru promised to execute them to put an end to their agony. But Jiraiya, feeling terrible about his role in the battle, agreed to teach them how to protect themselves.

Nagato was a sensitive character who would often cry for his own and others’ sorrows before meeting Yahiko or Konan. Jiraiya saw Nagato’s sensitivity as a strength. He convinced Nagato that his sensitivity enables him to comprehend pain, which leads to him being compassionate toward others.

Jiraiya gave them a place to live and showed them to fish, but he refused to show them ninjutsu at first. Unfortunately, one day while the orphans were outside, they were caught and attacked by an Iwagakure ninja.

Nagato utilized his Rinnegan to slay the attacker, fearing for his companions’ safety. When Jiraiya appeared to assist them, he recognized Nagato’s eyes for the first time. They reminded Jiraiya of the Sage of the Six Paths tale.

Jiraiya changed his mind after the accident and began to teach them ninjutsu. Nagato was sorry about killing the Iwagakure ninja. Still, he told him that aggression and personal sacrifice were sometimes required to defend others.

For three years, he and his friends were trained under Jiraiya. Nagato, aided by the Rinnegan, learned all he was taught effortlessly, and the trio eventually went off on their own. They established the Akatsuki.

The group, led by Yahiko, was committed to abolishing war and promoting peace. Their forces soon grew, and in no time, they had grown into a powerful force that had to be taken seriously. They even drew the interest of Hanzo, the village chief of Amegakure.

Hanzo approached Akatsuki and offered to collaborate with them to assist in negotiating with the other fighting clans. The next day, during a meeting to finalize the plan, Yahiko and Nagato were attacked by Hanzo and his crew, who Konoha’s Danzo Shimura aided.

Having Konan as a hostage, Hanzo threatened to kill her. He pushed Nagato to kill Yahiko. So he sacrificed himself because he did not want Nagato to feel guilty. He rushes towards Nagato’s kunai and, with his last breath, declares his belief that Nagato would transform the world.

Outraged by Yahiko’s death, he took Konan from Hanzo. Then, he summoned and attached himself to the Demonic Temple of the Outer Pathway before slaughtering Hanz’s soldiers. Unfortunately, Hanz was able to flee.

Nagato then broke his links with Amegakure. He did it by slicing the village’s emblem on his forehead guard. He then declared that he no longer wanted to be associated with Hanzo’s tribe.

Nagato After Yahiko’s Death

Nagato’s aversion to killing was greatly compromised after Yahiko’s death, thinking that the murders of single individuals, or even thousands at a time, might be acceptable if it served a bigger and long-term goal.

However, he maintains a firm stance on this point. He grants pity to those who are ready to work with him and warns others against resisting him since it will only compel him to knock them down.

As Akatsuki’s commander, he exhibited such appeal via his public persona of the Deva Path that even Akatsuki admired him. Despite his strength and self-proclaimed divinity, Nagato extraordinarily forgave the group’s disobedience.

He was unafraid to take on even the most powerful enemies. When addressing Akatsuki’s objectives, Nagato displayed a thoughtful side on the reality of war and peace. This corresponds to his idea that conflict was an unavoidable outcome of humanity’s existence.

When confronted with opponents who objected to his ideology, He would frequently ask for their solution to the world’s issues. This usually leads to Nagato being disappointed with the response, thanks to his negative view of human beings as a whole.

How Are Naruto And Nagato Related?

As mentioned, Naruto and Nagato aren’t directly related, but as descendants of the Uzumaki clan, they can be considered distantly related. However, it’s not really that simple to determine the connection between these two since their family backgrounds have so much mystery. We need to look at it from different angles.

Although a descendant of the Uzumaki clan, Naruto lacks the signature red hair of Uzumaki. This is because Naruto got his Uzumaki ancestry from his mother’s side, Kushina. Naruto was given the name Uzumaki to shield him from possible threats because his father is the Fourth Hokage Minato Namikaze.

The second thing that connects Naruto and Nagato is their teacher. Jiraiya was the one who raised them, taught them ninjutsu, and served as their mentor. As a result, this gave them a similar outlook on the world.

Moreover, Naruto and Nagato are both referred to as the “Chosen One” when under Jiraiya’s supervision. Jiraiya had thought Minato was his chosen one before Naruto and Nagato. Jiraiya felt certain since Minato was gifted and had risen to the position of Hokage at a young age.

When Jiraiya discovered Nagato, he assumed Nagato was the true “Chosen One” since Nagato reminded him of Rikudo Sennin. However, when Jiraiya met Naruto, he recognized Naruto was the one.

Of course, Naruto and Nagato are related in more ways than just hailing from the same clan and having the same teacher. For example, they both have the same desire to bring peace and harmony to the world.

However, they both chose separate routes, which finally led to them fighting each other. Nagato slaughtered the people of Amagakure, including women and children, after transforming into Pain. This is why Naruto and Nagato eventually became bitter rivals.

Naruto and Nagato also have similar backgrounds. They are both orphans who devoted friends surround. Surprisingly, both of them have to say goodbye to a close friend. In this case, it was Sasuke for Naruto and Yahiko for Nagato.

Finally, they both were alienated from society as children. Naruto was estranged because the Kurama was locked within him, whereas Nagato was estranged because he had the Rinnegan.

Bottom Line

When it comes to the connection between Naruto and Nagato, the answer tends to be a little more complex. While not directly related by blood, both characters are descendants of the powerful Uzumaki clan and played significant roles in the franchise.

Aside from this, they share other similarities as well, particularly in terms of their backstories and overall perspective on the world.

Overall, Masashi Kishimoto never fails to add complexity and secrets to the Naruto series. The complicated relationship between Naruto and Nagato mentioned above is only one example. This might be one of the reasons why this franchise has been so successful.