| This article is about the ninjutsu Wind Release: Rasenshuriken. For the Naruto: Shippūden episode, see Wind Style: Rasen Shuriken!. |
The Wind Release: Rasenshuriken was created by Naruto Uzumaki after he had mastered the Wind Release: Rasengan. 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 Fūma Shuriken, with the Rasengan in the center remaining a perfect sphere. The technique also gives off a loud bell-like screech after being formed. In order to perform it, Naruto required the aid of two Shadow Clones; he provides the chakra, one is responsible for the shape transformation, and the other for the nature transformation.
Effects
The initial Rasenshuriken's effect.
  The wind sphere created on impact. |
When the Rasenshuriken hits a target, the victim becomes trapped in a giant vortex of microscopic wind-blades that attack the body on a cellular level. It produces so many individual strikes that even Kakashi Hatake is unable to count them all with his Sharingan.[2] The wind chakra severs the chakra and nerve channels in the body, and if the chakra circulatory system is damaged, it can't be repaired by any form of medical ninjutsu (in a manner similar to poison as stated by Tsunade), thus preventing the victim from using jutsu ever again. This also backlashes against the user, creating the same, but limited, effects on the user, as the arm Naruto used the Rasenshuriken on Kakuzu was broken and suffered limited cellular damage. Tsunade noted that repeated usage would cause Naruto to be unable to mold chakra again, prompting her to label it as a kinjutsu.[3]
Other than the damage done to his cells, Kakuzu's body was left intact after being struck with the initial version of the Rasenshuriken. After Naruto perfects the technique through use of senjutsu, the damage is greatly increased; not only is it capable of cutting through rocky mountains, but when Pain's Human Path is struck by it, it also vaporized most of its body, just leaving the top of the head.
Improvement
The improved Wind Release: Rasenshuriken.
The expansion of the improved Rasenshuriken
When Naruto first begins using the Rasenshuriken, it lacks stability and is prone to dissipating before it even reaches its target. For this reason, Naruto must use it as a melee weapon and force it into the opponent, similar to any other Rasengan. That is why, to successfully use the Rasenshuriken, Naruto first needed to use his shadow clones to distract the opponent, so that he could sneak up from behind to attack them with the Rasenshuriken.
When Naruto is in Sage Mode, he encases the Rasenshuriken in senjutsu chakra to maintain its shape. This allows him to throw it at his opponents, removing the possibility of it damaging himself.
When the central sphere connects with his target, it works in a manner similar to when he was fighting Kakuzu.[4] When he is unable to make a direct hit though, he is able to expand it after it has been thrown, compensating for imprecise aim or fleeing opponents by widening the area of effect. The senjutsu chakra also allows Naruto to increase the Rasenshuriken's destructive power, as the technique that left Kakuzu's body reasonably intact has improved to the point of tearing Pain's Human Path to pieces. After the blades of the shuriken expands, the sphere also expands.
When fighting Pain's Deva Path, Naruto has also combined the Rasenshuriken with the Shadow Shuriken Technique, throwing two Rasenshuriken, one hidden behind the other to catch his opponent off guard. It has also become one of Naruto's fastest techniques able to cover an entire mountain range in the span of a second.
Under his own power, Naruto is left very fatigued after use of the Rasenshuriken, due to it needing great deals of chakra to be performed. While in Sage Mode, he can use it twice, in addition to a Rasenrengan. He then must re-enter Sage Mode to restore his number of uses of the Rasenshuriken.
Trivia
- In the second Naruto artbook[5] and in the third databook,[6] when Naruto is in his initial jinchūriki form, the Rasenshuriken is colored red. Masashi Kishimoto notes this to be because, like the Rasengan, he had yet to decide upon a color for the jutsu. However as of the color cover of chapter 453, it is blueish white.
- In Naruto Shippūden 3: Inheritors of the Will of Fire, Hiruko tries to absorb this technique, but is unable to combine the shape and nature transformation, like Naruto did at first. The sphere begins forming in his hand, but it becomes unstable and disperses.
- In Japan, there is an inflatable Rasenshuriken released as a cosplay toy.
