Board Thread:Naruto Discussions/@comment-25294339-20141101162145/@comment-4685024-20141101180857

Absorbing an individuals chakra is a great ability, but the user would need to psychically restrain them to do so. In locked Taijutsu combat, that is not an option. A person could eailily break free from a simple grab before all their chakra was drained, for it takes from what I have seen, an estimated 15 seconds to fully drain someone of their chakra (Naruto was roughly about 30 seconds, noted by how much Pain was talking). That gives more than enough time to break free from a simple grab. As noted again, in a one on one fight, the form of restraint that the Preta Path used on Naruto would not be possible.

While the time delay of the Deva Path is a downside, it is only a weakness if your opponent figures it out and plans accordingly. Kakashi was the only one able to figure it out in the middle of combat, and we all know that Kakashi is one of the smartest Ninja in the Leaf (aside from the Nara Clan of course). If your opponent can't figure out the Deva Path's weakness, formulate a plan, and actually execute it, they are basically screwed.