In the Naruto universe, some fighting styles have incredible potential but never get the attention they deserve. Nintaijutsu is one of them. By mixing ninjutsu with hand-to-hand combat, it allows a ninja to turn chakra itself into a weapon for close-range fights. That makes its forgotten potential even more frustrating, especially when Boruto had everything needed to take it further.
Masashi Kishimoto‘s series showed how powerful this idea could be through the Raikages and their Lightning Release Chakra Mode. But while fans still remember Might Guy opening the Eight Gates and nearly defeating Madara in Naruto Shippuden, Nintaijutsu never received the same level of exploration.
Nintaijutsu Had So Much More Potential Than Naruto Showed
Nintaijutsu is basically a fighting style that combines ninjutsu and taijutsu. Instead of keeping chakra techniques and physical attacks separate, the user brings them together to make their body itself part of the attack.
The best-known example is the Lightning Release Chakra Mode used by the Third and Fourth Raikage. By surrounding their bodies with lightning chakra, they could greatly increase their speed, strength, durability, and reflexes. This made even their normal punches and kicks extremely dangerous.
The Fourth Raikage, in particular, could use his Lightning Release Chakra Mode to move at incredible speeds and overwhelm opponents before they had time to react. The Third Raikage showed another side of the same concept by turning his body into an incredibly durable weapon.
That is what makes Nintaijutsu such an interesting idea. The user does not simply throw a jutsu at an enemy. Their entire fighting style changes because the chakra is constantly working with their physical movements.
Of course, Naruto already had another famous example of extreme physical power in Might Guy. When Guy opened the Eight Gates during his fight against Madara, his pure taijutsu became powerful enough to push a Ten-Tails jinchuriki to the edge. Madara even acknowledged Guy’s strength.
But the Eight Gates and Nintaijutsu work in very different ways. Guy sacrifices his body by forcing open the body’s chakra gates, while Nintaijutsu uses elemental chakra to enhance physical combat. The latter had plenty of room for the series to explore without simply repeating the Eight Gates.
Yet Naruto mostly stuck with Lightning Release when it came to elemental Chakra Modes. That left a huge amount of potential on the table. Imagine if the same idea had been applied to Wind Release.
Boruto’s Wind Release Could Have Taken Nintaijutsu To Another Level
Boruto Uzumaki from a still. | Credit: Studio Pierrot
Wind Release is already one of the most dangerous chakra natures when it comes to cutting power. Naruto’s Rasenshuriken showed just how destructive Wind Release could become when its chakra is shaped and compressed. Now imagine taking that idea and turning it into a Chakra Mode.
Instead of Boruto throwing a giant Wind Release attack, he could surround his entire body with thousands of tiny, constantly moving wind blades. It would almost look like invisible armor made from microscopic Rasenshuriken. Every punch and kick could carry Wind Release’s cutting power. Getting too close to Boruto could become dangerous, while weapons trying to reach him could potentially be shredded by the chakra surrounding his body.
Boruto would also be a perfect fit for such an ability. He naturally uses Wind Release and has developed into a highly precise fighter. His techniques in Boruto: Two Blue Vortex, including Rasengan Uzuhiko and his version of Flying Thunder God, show how much he relies on smart and controlled applications of chakra.
A Wind Release Chakra Mode could have pushed that style even further. The frustrating part is that the building blocks were already there. But Kishimoto simply never brought those ideas together. And that is why it is often considered one of the biggest missed opportunities in the series.
Now the big question: Would you have liked to see Boruto master a Wind Release Chakra Mode? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.
Naruto and Boruto, both anime series, are currently available to watch on Crunchyroll.
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
