Wind Release: Rasenshuriken


 * Debut (Anime): Shippūden Episode 87
 * Debut (Manga): Chapter 339
 * Completion (Manga): Chapter 432

Overview
The Wind Release: Rasenshuriken is a variation of the Wind Release: Rasengan, similar to the Great Ball Rasengan being a variation of the standard Rasengan. Naruto first used this jutsu to defeat Kakuzu a former member of Akatsuki, destroying two of his hearts.

By manipulating the wind chakra of the Wind Release: Rasengan, Naruto was able to create four large points making the Rasengan appear as a giant shuriken, with the Rasengan in the center remaining a perfect sphere. The technique gives off a loud bell-like screech and is so powerful that it creates a storm around the area.

If the technique successfully makes contact, the victim becomes trapped in a vortex of tiny wind chakra blades which attack the body on a cellular level so many times that even Kakashi Hatake is unable to count them all with his Sharingan eye. The wind chakra severs the chakra and nerve channels in the body (in a manner similar to poison as stated by Tsunade).

The Rasenshuriken is a vastly dangerous and powerful jutsu, due to the fact that Naruto could not originally throw the Rasenshuriken as the name would have people believe; thus creating the problem of the user being partially caught in the blast and damaged like the victim, though at a lesser level (mainly the arm used to direct the technique). However, as of Naruto's fight with Pain, Naruto has learned to overcome the damage to his own body by throwing the Rasenshuriken, thus completing the technique as well as perfecting its use.

It is revealed in chapter 432 that the technique has a "dense and quick-spinning" characteristic. The completed Rasenshuriken (with Senjutsu) appears more powerful, when first used upon collision Kakuzu's body was constantly pierced at a cellular level but remained somewhat intact, but when thrown, Pain's Human Path was cut so fast and so much that only less than half his head remained. The new version is also capable of slicing clean through a row of solid boulders and rocks.

Drawbacks
The technique initially had two drawbacks, the lesser of which is the amount of chakra needed to create the technique. The greater drawback being that it was a double-edged sword. While it can utterly devastate any opponent trapped in the vortex, it also greatly damaged the user's body due to the fact that it was still a melee range technique at this level. When Naruto used the Rasenshuriken twice on Kakuzu, it caused Naruto limited cellular damage and a few broken bones in the arm used to direct the technique. Thus the Fifth Hokage decreed the Rasenshuriken as a Kinjutsu, forbidding it as it could cause Naruto to be unable to manipulate chakra at all and possibly causing paralysis if important bones or organs were fractured.

Overcoming the Drawbacks
Naruto was later able to refine the Rasenshuriken while training in Hermit Mode. After revealing it in his fight against Pain, he was able to throw it, thus preventing any damage from the jutsu to his own body. Furthermore, the Rasenshuriken can now expand a short while after being thrown thus increasing its radius of attack and power. However, this technique seems to tire out Naruto easily. In chapter 433, it is revealed that while Naruto is in Hermit Mode he can use the Rasenshuriken twice before being forced out of the mode, although this may not be totally true as after re-entering hermit mode Naruto used it twice, plus a Rasenrengan without running out of sage chakra, which gives reason to believe that because Naruto had shadow clones away in Myobokuzan the original didn't have as much sage chakra as he could possibly have.

Trivia

 * When Naruto said the Technique name in front of Choji, the member of Team 10 told Naruto that he had thought that, since the name of the Technique had to do with a Shuriken, Naruto would throw it. Naruto was not able to do it at the time, until after his training in Myobokuzan.
 * It is a reasonable assumption that the reason Naruto is able to throw the completed version is because, like the Frog Katas, it uses the natural energy around it to maintain it for a given time.
 * During the training in Myobokuzan, an exhausted Naruto was shown in front of some mountains he had cut clean through. Some fans guessed correctly that Naruto could now throw the Wind Release: Rasenshuriken, but he actually shows the technique during his fight with Pain.
 * So far, the Wind Release: Rasenshuriken is Naruto's most powerful offensive technique that does not rely on the Nine Tailed Demon Fox.