Quick Links
The following article contains spoilers for Naruto.
Naruto’s legacy still lives on with the serialization ofBoruto: Two Blue Vortex. While many fans weren’t fond of it at the beginning, the new sequel delivers an intriguing story that could live up to the original manga. Additionally, many fans expect Boruto to fill some of the gaps left inNaruto.
One thing that hasn’t been properly explained is the reason why Naruto Uzumaki hasn’t been able to awaken the Rinnegan, even though he received the chakra of the Sage of Six Paths. Could there be any hints as to why he has never unleashed this ability?
The Relation Between the Rinnegan and the Sharingan
The Rinnegan is considered the strongest doujutsu, being even more intriguing than both the Sharingan and the Byakugan. It is also considered some sort of evolution of the Sharingan, since Sharingan users can awaken it if they receive Hagoromo’s chakra, either directly from him or by combining the chakra of his sons,Indra and Asura Otsutsuki. Therefore, while it is an advanced form of Sharingan in a way, Sharingan users can’t awaken the Rinnegan by themselves as happens with the Mangekyo Sharingan. They will need either to implant chakra from Asura and Indra into themselves or to receive chakra directly from Hagoromo. For instance, Madara, who was Indra’s previous reincarnation, awakened the Rinnegan by implanting Hashirama Senju’s flesh into his own body (but the Rinnegan was only awakened years later).
Both the Rinnegan and the Sharingan seem to be derivations of the Rinne Sharingan, which Kaguya Otsutsuki awakenedafter eating the Chakra Fruit. This happened centuries before the main story ofNaruto. Madara Uchiha is the only human character to have been able to awaken the Rinne Sharingan, which happened after he regained both of his Rinnegan.
How Is the Rinnegan Activated in Naruto?
As mentioned, the Rinnegan is activated either once someone receives the chakra from Hagoromo Otsutsuki, the Sage of Six Paths, or combines Asura and Indra’s chakra to recreate Hagoromo’s chakra. While Madara awakened the Rinnegan in both of his eyes, Sasuke only awakened it in his left eye. However, unlike Madara, Sasuke received chakra directly from Hagoromo, and the Rinnegan awakened right after that.
The concept of hope is nothing more than giving up. A world that holds no true meaning.
— Madara Uchiha
TheRinnegan adds to the powerof the Mangekyo Sharingan and doesn’t seem to lead to blindness as the Mangekyo does. However, overusing the Rinnegan can cause temporary loss of ocular power. In theBorutoanime, Urashiki Otsutsuki awakened the Rinnegan even though he possessed the Byakugan, which opens the possibility that Byakugan users can also unlock the Rinnegan.
Could Naruto Have Awakened the Rinnegan?
Fans expected Naruto to awaken the Rinnegan after he received the chakra from Hagoromo Otsutsuki, the Sage of Six Paths. However, Naruto has never awakened this ability. On the other hand, Sasuke also doesn’t seem to be able to use the Six Paths Senjutsu, a technique related to Hagoromo’s chakra.
Fans speculate that the Rinnegan can only be awakened by humans who already have the Sharingan (and, perhaps, the Rinnegan). Others believe it has something to do with the amount of chakra they received: they believe that Naruto still lacks the necessary amount of chakra related to Indra (yin) to awaken such a powerful doujutsu, while Sasuke still doesn’t have enough “Asura-related” (yang) chakra to use the Six Paths Senjutsu. If Naruto implanted Sasuke’s chakra into his body, he would perhaps be able to awaken the Rinnegan.
In short, it is not clear why Naruto hasn’t awakened the Rinnegan, butit might be related to the fact he doesn’t possess the Sharingan or enough amounts of chakra related to Indra’s lineage.
Could Naruto Still Awaken the Rinnegan in Boruto?
SinceBoruto: Two Blue Vortexis still in serialization, it is possible that Naruto will awaken the Rinnegan once he is back. Just like happened with Madara, it could take some time for it to be unleashed after receiving Hagoromo’s chakra, or he could end up implanting Sasuke’s chakra or even chakra from another Otsutsuki character. But it seems more likely that Naruto is not able to awaken the Rinnegan.
However, given that there is a Byakugan user in the anime who was able to awaken the Rinnegan, it seems possible that Himawari Uzumaki will potentially awaken it, even though fans expect her to unleash the Tenseigan or even a brand-new doujutsu related to the Byakugan.
Narutois available toread on MANGA Plusfor those who purchase a deluxe subscription.
