Something that bugged me in a lot of other Naruto sites, and I'm not really sure how prevalent it is here, was the massive amount of clans that people made. It seemed to me that what people really wanted was to be special, to have unique techniques that were solely theirs and could not, as a matter of course, be copied by other ninja. This is not only a bit misinformed (for the most part, nobody really goes around taking techniques from other people's jutsu lists even if there's a bit of helpful crossover to be found), it's not conducive to good RP. I mean, everyone's in their separate corners, all learning their special hidden "my eyes only" jutsu, it encourages a sort of arms race mentality rather than an inclusive teamwork dynamic.

That being said, it's not like Clans don't have their place. I mean, in the right circumstances, they can be a lovely addition to the scenery of any nation, not to mention a ripe opportunity for other characters who maybe are on the fence about who to make. So, really, the way I see it, whether or not you should make a clan should boil down to three things:

1: You know you don't have to make one, right?

The definition of a Clan is an extended family. Everybody's got one of those, with the exception of, like, orphans. The way Naruto society would naturally work, if all of the richest, most successful people in the upper echelons of society owed or claimed to owe their success to the fact that they were part of a clan, everybody in the entire village, rich and poor, would be glorifying their clans in an effort to at least appear like they are destined for fame and fortune. These extended families would spend their times naturally trying to perfect some unique brand of techniques, a clearly identifiable trademark, that they would both jealously protect and pass on to their family in order to have something they could point to and go: "This is the secret technique passed down in our clan's bloodline from generation to generation."

By this logic, clans are really nothing special because the act of making Hiden and branding oneself as elite is something that every family in the village is trying to do. The only reason you should feel compelled to make a clan is if you feel that there is some reason that entire clan should have a significant role in the village's future. With that in mind...

2. What does your clan bring to the table?

This is, I think, where a lot of the amateur clan builders fail. Lemme just put it simply: having a clan that is particularly well known "for its skills in combat" is not an adequate reason for a clan to be important. This is Naruto; everybody here is well known for their skills in combat. What else? What can this family do, better than anybody else, that would make somebody naturally want to notice them?

Heck, it doesn't even have to be a matter of proficiency. This is another little thing that bugs me about clans in general; they always have to be really, really good at something. Usually it's something that happens to synergize well with what one character was trying to go for with his character build. A character who comes from a family of swordsman who all naturally have Lightning release is certainly an interesting thing at first, until you realize that the moment somebody comes around and makes a swordsman ninja with Lightning release who isn't from that clan, people are going to start asking questions like "well, what makes those clansfolk so special that they gotta hide their sword skills, when Jubei here has nearly identical ones that aren't Hiden?"

So here's a suggestion: don't make a clan whose only defining trait is that they're really, really good at something. Instead, make a clan whose existence adds flavor and texture to the world around them. A clan full of people who learn to fight exclusively in European armor is a hundred times more interesting and novel than a clan that's mastered a different flavor of fire jutsu. A clan of scholars who are the proud owners and proprietors of the world's largest public library create a new, interesting place for everyone to go to and further their own stories. These sorts of things create a background culture and uniqueness to wherever they decide to roost. They're the kinds of things that makes a hidden village more than just some spot some guys decided to name after the first natural phenomenon they happened to see.

3. Does your clan do anything outside of ninjahood?

A continuation of the first, and probably the most optional.

Consider this: in the Naruto universe, the Uchiha were all assigned to the city's police force before that tragedy thing happened. They were all tasked with being the detectives and inspectors and patrolling cops who solved crimes and caught criminal acts in progress. They also had a bloodline technique that allowed them to analyze visual information and store it flawlessly into an eidetic memory bank with precision down to the millimeter. Coincidence? Possibly, but I don't think so. The Uchiha clan had an ability specifically tailored to doing things that required careful attention to detail and rapid analysis of information, and they were put into a field of expertise specifically designed for them. Essentially, the Hidden Leaf had a family comprised of nothing but Sherlocks, and so they decided that the best place to use them was in solving crimes.

With that in mind, consider this: in a city filled with nothing but ninja, it stands to reason that there are entire economies that are neglected. In the absence of civilian contractors, who builds the houses, paves the roads, digs the graves, makes the clothes and cooks the nutritious, inexpensive ramen? There's plenty of opportunity here to make your clan vital to the operation of the city. After all, there's no need for a warrior clan; the Kage could pull any number of warriors off the street if they needed them. What is needed, however, are skilled tradespeople willing to offer something to the city even in peacetime.

Think of your clan's talents. Could they be used anywhere else? Perhaps your band of speedy sword-fighters also moonlight as the local postal service. Maybe your sensory ninja clan hones their talents at their chain of high-end multi-ethnic restaurants. Maybe your Taijutsu masters are bred, groomed and trained for no other purpose than being other noble families' butlers and maids. There's nothing wrong with getting your hands dirty in the name of a few extra Ryo, and it'll help add another layer to your characters' back-stories, not to mention a set of talents that could come in handy in a pinch or liven up a boring sparring thread.

And that is a wall of text that I decided to put up about clans in general. Dunno why I felt compelled to do that. Lemme know if I'm completely off base with this stuff.

I really like these concepts and I agree completely. Clans have become very...mainstream in a way and their meaning has become somewhat distorted. I mean, of course a clan is usually associated with a Kekkei Genkai or natural-born trait but that is not the case for every clan. Look at the canon Sarutobi clan. They were simply amazing at jutsu and they were very prized shinobi due to their wealth of knowledge in all types of jutsu. They didn't have any special bloodline trait. They just had a lot of knowledge. Clans are meant to enhance the character developments of all who are in that clan and not just tailored to a single person's fighting style. It is as you said: it is a "family."

Anyway, I like this and I think everyone should take some time to read this so that nobody is deprived of the thoughts this teaches.

Reading this has made me do some very introspective thinking on my own clan as well. A very interesting read and I think something like this should be added to the Rules & Announcements section.

Some very good points here that are worth noting.