The diverse clans that exist in the world of Naruto are a major part of its story. The history between clans influences the way characters interact with one another, and many clans have special abilities that are passed down through the generations. Despite this, not much is known about the history of Naruto Uzumaki's clan. The Uzumaki clan were distant relatives of the Senju and close allies of Konoha. They had their own ninja village in the Land of Whirlpools that was later destroyed by other nations, and the surviving members of the clan were scattered across the globe.
These few facts encompass most of the history of the Uzumaki clan, but one YouTuber has crafted a theory that gives greater insight into the clan and what became of their homeland. TeeBry Sensei's theory claims that after The Land of Whirlpools was destroyed, the nation rebuilt and renamed itself the Land of Waves. TeeBry Sensei presents a lot of evidence that may prove this theory true.
The History of Waves and Whirlpools
The Land of Waves lacks the same level of in-depth history as the other main villages. All that's really known about the small nation is that its economy is supported through shipping and trade. Notably, the Land of Waves lacks a ninja village or any sort of ninja presence loyal to the nation. When the bridge builder Tazuna needed protection, he had to request the help of another nation's ninjas. Other small nations in the world of Naruto have ninjas, so why not the Land of Waves?
TeeBry Sensei makes the claim that the Land of Waves doesn't have a ninja village because they lost theirs. If the Land of Waves used to be the Land of Whirlpools, then when the Uzumaki clan was destroyed, the ninjas that protected the nation were lost too. Without the Uzumaki clan to protect the area, the nation was left undefended and easy to take over. This would explain how Gato managed to gain control of the nation so easily.
Geography
As TeeBry Sensei explains in their video, there is no official map that shows The Land of Waves in relation to the rest of the world. There is only a small zoomed-in map of the nation itself that shows it's a collection of small islands. Through dialogue, it is revealed that The Land of Waves is somewhere off the coast of the Land of Fire. Based on how the Great Naruto Bridge connects the two nations, it can be assumed that the Land of Waves is to the east of the Land of Fire.
The only landmass on the official map that would make sense for the Land of Waves to be is where the Land of Whirlpools used to exist. TeeBry Sensei mentions that the shape of the two nations is almost the same. The villages and homes that existed in the Land of Whirlpools may have been destroyed, but the physical land is still there. TeeBry Sensei proposes that the non-Uzumaki clan survivors rebuilt their nation and renamed it as a way to distance themselves from their past enemies. It's hard to refute the massive amount of evidence that suggests TeeBry Sensei's theory is true.
Symbolism
If true that the Land of Waves used to be the Land of Whirlpools, the significance of Naruto's first real mission is radically changed and a new meaning is added to the arc that took place there. The Land of Waves is where Naruto learned what a ninja is supposed to be. TeeBry Sensei points out that Naruto was taught how dehumanizing and corrupt the ninja system was from Haku and Zabuza. It is also in the Land of Waves that Naruto made his oath to find his own ninja way. The fact that he possibly learned all these things in the home of the Uzumaki clan is really powerful.
Not only did Naruto learn life lessons in the Land of Waves, but he also helped to save the nation too. If the two nations truly are the same place, then Naruto liberated his family's home from poverty and oppression, helping to restore his clan's home to its former glory. The bridge that Naruto helped build connects his ancestral home to his current home in the Land of Fire, but he also established a bridge that connects the two halves of his identity. Once again, the Land of Whirlpools and the Leaf Village are tied together in partnership.
At the end of the "Land of Waves" arc, Tazuna decides to name the bridge after Naruto, calling it the Great Naruto Bridge. In Japan, there is a real bridge that shares the same name. The Great Naruto Bridge clearly inspired the one that exists within the story. As a final piece of evidence for their theory, TeeBry Sensei points out that the real Great Naruto Bridge is famous for the whirlpools that appear under it. This only adds more proof that the Land of Whirlpools became the Land of Waves after its destruction.
