Naruto: Why doesn’t Kushina have whiskers like Naruto

In Naruto, most Jinchuriki assimilates some of the other attributes and powers from their Tailed Beasts, like Gaara’s natural affinity, Magnet release, combined with Shukaku’s Sand Manipulation, and Utakata performing Saiken’s Soap Bubble Ninjutsu. However, the titular protagonist of the series, Naruto, has outclassed everyone by getting complete access to Kurama’s chakra reserve.

The most unique thing Naruto has ever received from Kurama is the iconic whiskers. No other Jinchuriki in Naruto has received such facial features, not even Naruto’s mother Kushina Uzumaki, who was the former Jinchuriki of Kurama. This strange anomaly continues to baffle many fans, but the answer is not what one would have expected.

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Did Kushina ever get whiskers like her son in Naruto?

Every Tailed Beast is a physical manifestation of Chakra itself, which is separated into nine individual beasts in the image of animals. Shukaku being a raccoon, Gyuki being half octopus and half ox, Kurama being a fox, etc. Naruto initially acquired the whiskers due to Kurama’s chakra being exposed whilst the former was still in his mother’s womb.

Kushina, on the other hand, never got exposed to Nine Tails Chakra because it was sealed in her, using the Eight Trigrams Sealing Style when she was 12. Kushina had tremendous control over the beast due to her overwhelming life force. Even Mito Senju didn’t have whiskers because only those individuals who were made a Jinchuriki of Nine Tails at a certain age are safe from this distinct feature.

Even Naruto’s children, Boruto and Himawari, have inherited their father’s signature whiskers, as they too were affected by Kurama’s chakra. In this logic, Tsunade and Nawaki should have also received whiskers, as they are the grandchildren of Mito.

Although there is no legit answer regarding this, some fan-made theories provide a detailed explanation.

Mito became a Jinchuriki when she was a full-grown adult. The seal almost broke when she went through labor. So it might be possible that Mito and Hashirama’s children inherited the whiskers, but Tsunade and Nawaki didn’t because their parents have never become the Jinchuriki of Nine Tails.

Whiskers can only be seen in people who have been exposed to Kurama's chakra, either through their parents or through being made a Jinchuriki while still in their mother's womb.

Although Gaara was made a Jinchuriki, even before his birth, he never received whiskers or any sort of facial features, which concludes that this strange peculiarity is exclusive to Kurama only out of all the Tailed Beasts.

As witnessed in the series, becoming a Jinchuriki is not an easy job, as many life-threatening risks follow the individuals who carry a Tailed Beast inside their bodies. Moreover, being proficient in Ninjutsu or possessing an overwhelming strength isn’t enough to contain the chakra of a Tailed Beast.

An individual must retain a tremendous life force and immeasurable chakra reserve so that they can live a normal life, instead of dying after some time like Blue B. Although there have been many individuals with an enormous life force, no one has ever come close to the likes of the Uzumaki clan members, who are also noted to be more proficient in Fuinjutsu.

Despite being the legendary Shinobi of all time, Hashirama Senju sought help from the leader of the Uzumaki clan, Ashina's help to corner and capture a Tailed Beast that was set loose afterall.

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