Naruto is one of the best anime ever made, with this shonen masterpiece focusing on the story of the eponymous protagonist who battles his loneliness and reaches new heights in power to become the Hokage. All the while, he simultaneously goes out of his way to ensure that his friend, Sasuke, doesn't get lost on the path of vengeance and anger.
The show features many jutsu that people employ to great effort. The vast majority of these techniques require the mastery of hand signs that need to be carried out in quick succession to focus a shinobi's chakra. Some of these jutsu require a bunch of complicated hand signs which can be pretty hard to execute...but then, it's unfair to compare the talent of fans to that of the many experienced shinobi in Naruto.
7 Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique
To this day, fans still remember the iconic scene when Kakashi used his Sharingan to copy the 44 hand seals that Zabuza used to execute the Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique. It was a great moment that showed just how powerful this eye technique could really be, and fans couldn't wait to see Sasuke awaken his Sharingan as well.
The Water Dragon Bullet Technique is definitely a powerful jutsu, and it's a shame that fans never saw such a lengthy use of hand signs ever since. As a result, this technique still persists as one that requires the most amount of hand signs in the series, which is rather odd given the sheer number of jutsu in Naruto that are clearly way more advanced and impressive.
6 Chidori
The Chidori is one of the most powerful techniques in the entire series, perfected by Kakashi and passed down to Sasuke who adds his own spin to this powerful technique. The last surviving member of the Uchiha clan wastes no time in mastering this technique, using almost ten hand seals before manifesting the chakra for this technique.
As Sasuke became more adept at using this technique, he didn't really need to use these hand signs anymore. The Chidori became second nature to him, and fans loved the variations he added to this jutsu. Watching him clash against Naruto time and time again as his rival whipped out his Rasengan in response made for a great moment in Naruto that never ceases to be enthralling every single time.
5 Dead Demon Consuming Seal
A powerful technique that the user pays for with their own life, the Dead Demon Consuming Seal is only to be used in circumstances where the opponent is so powerful that defeating them seems downright impossible. The jutsu was used by the Third Hokage to seal the reanimated bodies of the First and Second Hokage, with Orochimaru barely escaping after his arms were sealed for good.
The Fourth Hokage also used this technique to seal the Kyuubi in Naruto, with both him and Kushina giving up their lives to save their child. It required nine hand signs and is always the last jutsu a shinobi will ever use in their life before biting the dust, since the reaper who appears also takes the soul of the user as payment for his services.
4 Water Release: Four Sharks Rain
Water Release requires the most number of hand seals in the show for the majority of its techniques, showing just how much discipline is required to even execute the jutsu in the first place. One of the many moves in the series that requires this level of finesse is the Four Sharks Rain jutsu.
With eleven hand seals, it's easily one of the most complicated jutsu to pull off in Naruto. The effect is also quite impressive, with a barrage of water sharks materializing to hit the opponent and cause massive damage in the process.
3 Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique
As a child, Sasuke constantly felt like he was being neglected by his father time and time again. After all, Itachi was a genius, and Sasuke couldn't help but resent his older brother for setting such high expectations despite caring deeply for him. When his father taught him the Great Fireball Technique (a trademark of the Uchiha clan) he was disappointed to see just how weak Sasuke's jutsu was.
However, the fledgling shinobi didn't give up and spent hours every day trying to master this technique. This is no mean feat for a child, especially since he had to master six hand seals and carry them out to perfection before harnessing enough chakra for this technique.
2 Summoning Jutsu
The Summoning Jutsu is a powerful technique in any user's arsenal, allowing them to call forth a creature they've formed a bond with to take out a powerful threat. Naruto's struggles to learn this technique are pretty riveting to watch, with Jiraiya's unorthodox manner of teaching this jutsu making him a standout character who was introduced with great aplomb.
The user needs to perform five seals before they can summon the monster they've contracted to help them out of a tight spot. Over time, these hand signs were forgotten, with most advanced shinobi being able to summon creatures without going through this lengthy and arduous process.
1 Water Release: Water Shark Bullet Technique
The Water Shark Bullet Technique is a powerful jutsu that allows a shark to materialize out of an innocuous pool of water to attack an enemy. Suffice it to say, this Water Release technique also requires many successive hand seals to be executed quickly in battle.
It requires a total of ten hand signs before the user can focus their chakra and unleash this jutsu. The technique hits like a truck, and shinobi who are well-versed in Water Release techniques can use it to great effect!