With the recent issues of the Boruto: Naruto Next Generations manga revealingShibai Otsutsuki as the Otsutsuki primarch, the likes of Naruto, Sasuke, and the other cast have begun their speculations about this information’s impact in shinobi affairs. It doesn’t help that scientist Amado Sanzu’s information drop comes with the reveal that all Ninjutsu in the Naruto universe comes from Shibai’s godlike abilities called Shinjutsu.
While most Boruto and Naruto fans remain eager to wait for new issues to explore these concepts further, eagle-eyed series lovers may have already analyzed the deeper implications of the Shibai Otsutsuki reveal. In fact, there might be ways to look at the Otsutsuki reveal as something that could shake the very foundation of the series’ power source.
6 Ninjutsu Is A Borrowed Gift
When Kaguya Otsutsuki arrived in the Naruto world thousands of years ago, she dismissed her mission to destroy the planet through the forbidden Chakra Fruit and instead claimed its destructive power for herself. With this, she used her divine abilities to stop the wars plaguing the land and used the Infinite Tsukuyomi to create eternal peace. This illusion was stopped after the birth of Kaguya’s sons, the twins Hamura and Hagoromo. The latter in particular was a gifted child, as he’s born with the ability to manipulate chakra.
Angered by the fact that her chakra manipulation spread to another being, Kaguya became the Ten-Tails after merging with the God Tree in a bid to reclaim her chakra. However, the twins sealed Kaguya's chakra within Hagoromo, transforming him into the first Jinchuriki. This feat earned him the title of Sage of Six Paths, after which he attempted “true” spiritual unification of the real world by spreading both his beliefs of Ninshu and chakra to everyone he met. Sadly, the beliefs of Ninshu transformed into the combative practice of Ninjutsu. When Amado said all Ninjutsu are attempts to reproduce Shinjutsu’s effects, it’s an important callback that, at the end of the day, Ninjutsu was never exclusive to Naruto’s world to begin with, and it’s an alien craft.
5 Power Scaling Is Broken
One of the reasons why Naruto became a favored franchise wasn’t just because of its stellar fight scenes, but because Ninjutsu became a clear-cut way of power scaling among characters. While some characters did indeed have some special “gimmick” with them, such as Naruto’s Uzumaki lineage granting him enormous chakra reserves, or Kiba Inuzuka teaming up with Akamaru for combo techniques, a common slate of Ninjutsu techniques across various elements paved the way for a generally “fair” playing field for the cast.
This not only paved the way for more realistic theorycrafting, this also allowed Kishimoto to demonstrate characters using techniques uniquely. For instance, Neji Hyuga and Hinata Hyuga both possess the Byakugan and use the Gentle Fist fighting style, but Hinata is seen using it more defensively while Neji is seen as more aggressive. The Shibai Otsutsuki reveal practically throws Ninjutsu as a form of power scaling out of the window. Given how Shibai’s Shinjutsu is almost similar to magic, anyone can be implanted with Shibai’s DNA and pop up with almost any kind of ability - evidenced by Daemon’s auto-reflect and Ada’s past-present clairvoyance (which Momoshiki Otsutsuki doubts is an actual Shinjutsu).
4 Kekkei Genkai May Be Hereditary Shinjutsu
One of the most obvious implications of the Shibai Otsutsuki reveal in the Boruto story is how this explains the nature of Kekkei Genkai. To recall, Kekkei Genkai are genetic anomalies within a clan or a person that allows them to use specialized techniques. For instance, Haku from the early Naruto arcs is from a bloodline that are the only known users of Ice Release techniques. Likewise, First Hokage Hashirama Senju is known to be the only authentic user capable of using Wood Release by combining Water Release and Earth Release, with Yamato only being able to do so through implanation of Hashirama's cells as one of Orochimaru's expereimeents.
Being hereditary in nature, one can easily pinpoint the clan of a shinobi based on the Kekkei Genkai they use, in most cases. What’s more interesting is how Kekkei Genkai gives its users a method of using some special techniques without the use of hand signs. Some Kekkei Genkai do require hand seals, such as Wood Release relying heavily on the Serpent sign, but those lacking Hashirama's bloodline aren't able to use the said sign to tap into Wood Release. It makes sense for Kekkei Genkai to be a manifestation of Shinjutsu based on the filtration of Kaguya Otsutsuki’s bloodline and Hagoromo’s sharing of Chakra to the world.
3 Dojutsu May Be Dumbed-Down Shinjutsu
Building upon the premise that Kekkei Genkai may be hereditary Shinjutsu, then the classification may be applied to Dojutsu by association. As fans recall, Dojutsu are a special kind of Kekkei Genkai that manifest in the eyes, allowing Naruto characters to utilize various abilities without having to use hand signs.
The most popular of these Dojutsu include the Uchiha Clan’s Sharingan, the Hyuga Clan’s Byakugan, and the especially situational Rinnegan. The possibility that Dojutsu may be Shinjutsu explains the categorization of these non-signed abilities as Ninjutsu prior to the Shibai reveal. Not to mention, the strict requirement of a wielder to possess the chakra (or DNA) of both Indra and Asura Otsutsuki in order to awaken the Rinnegan implies it is a genetics-reliant ability, not necessarily a training-related one, making it fall under the purview of the Otsutsuki-exclusive Shinjutsu, albeit “dumbed down” to simpler forms through evolution.
2 Karma May Only Be Compatible With Chakra Users
Thanks to Amado's explanations in the manga, not only did Naruto and his inner council learn about Karma being an Otsutsuki "reincaration" technique, but that it's also a kind of Shinjutsu. What Amado cannot entirely determine are the exact criteria of Karma vessels, as even Jigen/Isshiki's experiments yielded the rather "useless" Code and the rebellious Kawaki. Given the Otsutsuki's planet-travelling nature, it stands to reason that virtually any lifeform could be a Karma recipient. However, what makes more sense is how Karma compatibility may be heavily reliant on one's affinity to Ninjutsu, or more specifically chakra usage.
Under this assumption, implanted Karma may only successfully work on individuals who can use chakra, precisely because they directly carry Otsutsuki bloodline with them, courtesy of Hagoromo and his mother Kaguya. A more interesting interpretation could be how Karma compatibility is difficult in Naruto's world precisely because potential hosts still carry Otsutsuki bloodline within them. After all, this poses the question: would carrying dormant Otsutsuki DNA make compatibility easier since Karma is a Shinjutsu anyway? Or would it make reincarnation risky, since both Otsutsuki DNA would be mixed up (akin to the biological effects of incest) when Karma was intended to be a method of surviving extraterrestrial conditions, ergo an Otsutsuki "transforming" a non-Otsutsuki?
1 Shinjutsu Seems Separate From Senjutsu
While the Boruto manga states that “all Ninjutsu” try to replicate Shibai Otsutsuki’s Shinjutsu, it’s not a stretch to imply this also encompasses other chakra-related disciplines, especially since chakra usage is attributed to the Otsutsuki as well. A peculiar case to analyze here is the case of Senjutsu, or Sage Techniques, where practitioners called sages are trained to gather natural energy to mix with their own internal energy. Upon mastery, practitioners can enter a state called Sage Mode where Senjutsu enhances their physical states and makes them capable of damaging the likes of the Ten-Tails’ Jinchuriki, which is usually immune to Ninjutsu.
This special damaging quality may be attributed to Senjutsu being completely separate from Shinjutsu. In the story, Senjutsu is known to be taught in only two (2) places - by the toads in Mt. Myoboku, and by the snakes in Ryuchi Cave. However, the anime also shows Mt. Myoboku’s toads being to access something called Sage Power, where they’re seen capable of boosting their strength and even shoot water from their mouths similar to Water Release techniques solely through natural energy. Not only that, Sage Power was stated to be an ability that existed way before Hagoromo spread chakra in the world, meaning Senjutsu may be a non-alien practice in Naruto’s world that only got the “-jutsu” suffix after the toads taught Hagoromo this technique.
Boruto: Naruto Next Generations is currently being published by Shueisha in Japan and Viz Media in English, and can be read monthly in V Jump Magazine.
