Board Thread:Versus Debates/@comment-34277398-20180522180427/@comment-26107879-20180616040018

As killman said. Absorbing jutsu for Nagato always utilized the barrier. Stealing Chakra directly from the source is not absorbing Ninjutsu. They're separate abilities granted by the Preta Path. All cases for Nagato utilized the barrier which is the Blocking Technique Absorption Seal. Without it, he can not absorb Ninjutsu.