Outer Path

The is the seventh path, an ability granted to the wielder of the Rinnegan. With the Outer Path, the user is able to control life and death by reviving the dead. The Outer Path also grants the user the ability to channel chakra into the black rods that originate from their body, which can be used to manifest chakra chains as well as create and control the Six Paths of Pain.

Overview
Because this path ability gives him power over life and death, Nagato could use the Outer Path: Samsara of Heavenly Life Technique to resurrect Madara Uchiha by summoning his soul from the mouth of the King of Hell and be brought back to life. However, to Obito's dismay, Nagato chose to use his ability to revive the populace of Konohagakure which killed him in the process. During the Fourth Shinobi World War, Kabuto Yakushi made note of how he could have Nagato kill the jinchūriki temporarily, store their souls in the King of Hell and then revive them at a later time.

With the Outer Path, Nagato also devised the Six Paths of Pain by transmitting chakra directly to other bodies, turning that body into an extension of the user able to relay visual information to him, as do the creatures summoned through the Animal Path technique and the King of Hell. After obtaining the Rinnegan, Obito took Nagato's Six Paths of Pain to another level with the reincarnated jinchūriki by using chakra chains to maintain his control over the Tailed Beasts in his possession.

Trivia

 * , derived from the Sanskrit Tīrthika, refers to any doctrine which "treads the outer path" to enlightenment. This is opposed to the teachings of orthodox Buddhism, the, and is thus considered misguided and heretical.
 * The Demonic Statue of the Outer Path may be related to this ability, due to the name.
 * Naruto referred to the control of the Six Paths of Pain as, and that the Paths' ability to share visual information with the original body stemmed from that technique.