Board Thread:Naruto Discussions/@comment-1872728-20180201032503/@comment-734582-20180210180431

Georgio722 wrote: That I get, but what's with the time limit of staying in the mortal dimension? Assuming they can still recharge their chakra, I can't think of any reason why there would be a time limit, other than passing on into a new life that is. It's not very clear. But since Edo Tensei, when they break free, return to the afterlife virtually automatically, i think spirits aren't supposed to be unbound in the living world. Hagoromo was pretty much a god, so it's reasonable that he could stay a bit longer, but in the end i think for most it's a matter of minutes. Georgio722 wrote: I can't think of any reason why there would be a time limit It's not really clear how we should interpret the life/death stuff. But it seems to me that spirits naturally want to be in the afterlife (after all, there is no jutsu or spirit that guides them there), so any spirit trying to exist in the living world would inevitably need either something to cling to, or risk returning. Dan had a spirit jutsu that would allow him control for a while, but presumably he could only use it for a few minutes at a time before he would start dying.

Those that have power over the soul could obviously extend this time, but even Hagoromo could only make his spirit present once his chakra was remade, so evidently even the most minute form of manifestation would require some sort of remnant.