Sakamoto Clan

The Sakamoto clan (坂本一族, Sakamoto Ichizoku) is one of the oldest clans of Konohagakure. Like the Uzumaki clan, they are distant blood relatives to the Senju clan, and were on good terms with both clans as a result.

History
Similar to the Senju clan, the Sakamoto clan gained much of their fame in the era before the hidden villages were founded. Unlike most clans, which focused on mastering one particular set of skills, or the Senju clan, which were prodigious in all skills, the Sakamoto clan were known for their almost exclusive use of kenjutsu, along with ninjutsu. Because of this, they were known by many as "the Samurai clan" (サムライ一族, "Samurai ichizoku"). In fact the clan has long been looked down on by other clans and villages, as many do not consider them to be true shinobi. This prejudice against the Sakamoto clan is believed by many to be the reason behind the sudden and horrific attack on the clan during the Third Shinobi World War, which resulted in 75% of the clan being killed, including civilians. As a result of the attack, the Sakamoto clan became more reclusive, choosing to live within the forest roughly a day's journey from Konohagakure, in order to prevent such an attack from happening again.

Background
The Sakamoto clan are renowned for their almost unmatched skill in kenjutsu, which is only matched by some of the Land of Iron's most elite samurai, such as Mifune. In fact, the Sakamoto clan is known for almost never using ninjutsu in battle, relying instead on their swordsmanship. Members of the clan only use ninjutsu is the battle is dragging on too long, or if they are up against an opponent who is either very strong or who has earned their respect. Thus, many shinobi consider it a great honour if a Sakamoto clan member uses their ninjutsu against them.

At birth, each and every member of the Sakamoto clan (regardless of whether they choose to become shinobi or not) is branded with the Honour Seal on a given part of the body, usually the back or chest. Normally, the seal simply proves that the bearer is a member of the clan and indicates the code of honour that all of the clan's members live by. However, when a member of the clan dies, the seal provides a bridge between the spirit world and the world of the living that, when activated, allows a member of the clan to access the chakra of all members of the clan who have died. This technique thereby has the potential to give one individual the chakra reserves of an entire clan (the total population of the Sakamoto clan has been estimated to be around 10,000 people). As a result, this technique is able to match the chakra reserves of any of the jinchūriki However, this technique has so far never been used, due to its unrivalled destructive power.

Abilities
The Sakamoto clan are best known for their highly skilled use of kenjutsu, specifically their use of traditional katana swords. The swords themselves, while they may seem unremarkable, are infused with a large number of seals, jutsu and large amounts of chakra while being forged. This gives the swords the ability to cut most materials, as well as some low-level barrier jutsu.

The Sakamoto clan also possesses an innate aptitude for both Wind Release and Lightning Release nature transformations, with members of the clan possessing an affinity for one of the two natures. The ability to use Wind Release is highly prized within the clan, as Wind-natured chakra can easily be channelled into blades, thereby increasing their cutting power and overall range, the same being true for Lightning Release.

Furthermore, the clan's last surviving member, Masaru Sakamoto, possesses the kekkei genkai for Magnet Release. This allows him to convert his chakra into magnetic forces and magnetise objects. Masaru is the only member of the clan to have ever possessed this kekkei genkai, which combines both Wind Release and Lightning Release.

Trivia

 * Sakamoto (坂本) can be translated into English two ways, both meaning "(one who lives) at the bottom of the slope" and was a village located in Yatsushiro District, Kumamoto, Japan. The name is listed in the Shinsen shojiroku, and so some bearers have connections with ancient nobility.
 * The clan's symbol incorporates the kanji character for sword (刀, Katana), which reflects the clan's preferred weapon of choice.