|
|
Hagoromo Ōtsutsuki (大筒木ハゴロモ, Ōtsutsuki Hagoromo), known to Earth’s population at large as the Sage of Six Paths (六道仙人, Rikudō Sennin), was a legendary godlike figure who is regarded as the ancestor of shinobi, for his act of founding ninshū which led to the creation of the ninja world. It all began when he and his fraternal twin brother, Hamura, ingested a “chakra fruit” (チャクラの実, Chakura no Mi) from the Shinju that ravaged Earth. They attained godlike abilities which helped them battle against the terrifying Ten-Tails that the Shinju turned into to reclaim its stolen chakra, sealing the powerful beast within himself, thus making Hagoromo the first jinchūriki.
Background[]
Hagoromo and Hamura as infants.
Alongside Hamura, Hagoromo, the elder twin brother, was born to Emperor Tokugawa Ōtsutsuki and Empress Kaguya Ōtsutsuki in the former Land of Ancestors before the Warring States Period and the formation of the hidden villages. He and his brother would grow up into royalty and learn the art of war and combat from their father and their entourage. Later, war breaks out between the Land of Ancestors and its neighbors for land and resources, and an adolescent Hagoromo and Hamura earn the moniker “Ōtsutsuki Brothers” (大筒木兄弟, Ōtsutsuki Kyōdai) and their reputation on the battlefield would make even the most disciplined army retreat at the very name. Eventually, Hamura became the top general of their nation’s army and Hagoromo became a diplomat as he was next in line to the throne. Their land, however, became ravaged by the God Tree which was once revered as sacred by the Land of Ancestors and famines spread and all lifeforms were dying as a result.
Hagoromo and Hamura vs. Ten-Tails.
During a border dispute, their father died and Hagoromo becomes shogunate and the Toad Sage, Gamamaru, approached and spoke with him and Hamura, revealing the truth about the God Tree and learn about the chakra fruit the tree bore every thousand years. The Ōtsutsuki Brothers followed the toad and, as instructed, ate the chakra fruit, becoming the first humans to possess chakra, and Gamamaru hoped that the God Tree will die once its chakra is taken and save the planet; however, the God Tree retaliated when its chakra was stolen and transformed itself into the terrifying Ten-Tails in an attempt to reclaim its stolen chakra by the Ōtsutsuki Brothers, rampaging across the Land of Ancestors and then whole planet looking for its lost chakra. With their newly acquired godlike powers, the brothers manage to defeat the Ten-Tails, sealing the beast into Hagoromo himself, becoming the first jinchūriki. Because of Hagoromo’s desire to bringing world peace and for his good deeds by spreading chakra throughout humanity through a new ideal religion called ninshū, he became the Sage of Six Paths (六道仙人, Rikudō Sennin) upon entering priesthood and revered as the “Savior of this World” (この世の救世主, Kono Yo no Kyūseishu).
Hagoromo and his two sons.
Hagoromo’s ultimate wish was for peace worldwide, but it would not be fulfilled within his lifetime. He decided to entrust his dream and legacy to his two sons, training them ninshū. His older son, Indra, was a prodigy and reveled in his natural prowess and became more solitary. Later, Hagoromo was appalled that Indra discovered what would later be known as ninjutsu that weaponized his father’s teachings. Asura, on the other hand, was Hagoromo’s youngest son who proved to be the complete opposite with no special abilities or natural talent but embodied the ideals of ninshū through struggling with his limitations and pushing through them while making friends along the way. Hagoromo agreed with Asura’s chosen path and saw love, cooperation, and companionship were the true keys to peace.
Hagoromo with the young tailed beasts.
Inspired by his younger son, Hagoromo split the Ten-Tails’ chakra from its body and created the nine tailed beasts whom he gave each of them a portion of the Ten-Tails’ chakra while naming each of them. This way, Hagoromo hoped that again the Ten-Tails be revived after his death and destroy the world. Together with Hamura, all nine tailed beasts were extracted from within him, leaving Hagoromo weakened but alive as the Ten-Tails’ husk still within him. Sometime afterward, Hagoromo taught the young tailed beasts despite being separate entities, they are still linked to one another and that one day one of his descendants would eventually become one again, but not originally as they were. At the same time, according to Hagoromo, said person will show them what true power is. He and his followers built nine different temples across different regions of the world where the tailed beasts could live and be protected. Shortly thereafter, in his old age, Hagoromo sealed the husk of the Ten-Tails, into what was called the Moon, and his brother Hamura and the rest of the Ōtsutsuki clan swore to guard the Ten-Tails’ body as their eternal mission to ensure the Ten-Tails never returns. On his deathbed, Hagoromo chose Asura as his successor and entrusted him with his power, causing Indra, overcome by bitterness and envy, to fight against his brother, beginning a war between them that would continue through their descendants.
Personality[]
Hagoromo connecting with others through ninshū.
Hagoromo’s final moments.
Hagoromo was a man who sought peace by spreading his wisdom across the world. He was exceptionally wise, as he was able to bring about a great change to the world by simply disseminating the principles of chakra and his religion. He also seemed to care a great deal for the tailed beasts when they were no longer within him; he gave them each a name as a sign of their individuality and told them that no matter how far apart they grew, they would always be together, and would someday be led down the right path.[2] In return, the tailed beasts showed respect and admiration for the Sage. Kurama even shed a tear at the thought of his imminent passing, suggesting that the beasts might even have viewed him as a sort of father-figure.
Hagoromo talks with Naruto and Sasuke, respectively.
Upon meeting Naruto, Hagoromo showed himself to be a very patient and composed individual, being unaffected by Naruto's outbursts. He was a very intelligent man, as even from a young age, he was able to clearly see through the demeanor and intentions of others.[3] Very methodically, he could learn new forms of study including language and culture, able to seamlessly change his speech patterns and dialect to be better understood by people from a different era.[4] He was also very stern about his teachings being recognized as “ninshū”, noting that “ninjutsu” was created for combat unlike ninshū’s pursuit of peace, and gripped his staff rather tightly when Naruto failed to distinguish the difference between the two.[5] At the same time, Hagoromo was a very modest man, openly admitting that change is inevitable and one can only hope to prepare themselves for it.[6] Likewise, he was open and truthful about his personal mistakes and shames as a father and leader. Despite his deified status, he also believed that no one should have more power than any other because there is a strong chance that the person will become arrogant and desire even greater power. After becoming shogun and later fighting and defeating the Ten-Tails after acquiring godlike powers from the chakra fruit, Hagoromo made a personal choice to avoid using his inhuman powers whenever possible, both as a means to atone for the damage he, his brother, and the Ten-Tails caused upon the land and to better connect with normal people, feeling a certain pride and joy at accomplishing his tasks with normal effort.
Hagoromo gives Naruto and Sasuke each his full power.
After trying to undo the rift he unintentionally created between his sons, and their respective present incarnations, he ultimately lamented that he was unable to repair the damage he caused; as such he put his trust in Shindō who would help Naruto completely. Hagoromo was also rather open minded, but also a curious individual. When Sasuke told Hagoromo about his drastic plans to revolutionize the world, Hagoromo still shared half his power with Sasuke to see how events would unfold differently.
Appearance[]
Hagoromo’s appearance.
Hagoromo was a tall and fair-skinned man with spiky, shoulder-length hair and a strong jawline. His hair was originally midnight red, almost black to the untrained eye, but changed to a pale brown after eating the chakra fruit. His skin also turned pale and sprouted horn-like protrusions from either side of his forehead. In his old age, he had deep wrinkles on his cheeks and forehead. He had a chin-length, braided lock hanging in front of his left ear, and also sported a goatee, which was short in his younger years and later tapered down to his waist in his old age. Just prior to becoming the Ten-Tails’ jinchūriki, Hagoromo had a red Rinnegan-like marking on the center of his forehead, referred to as his “Third Eye” (第三の眼, Daisan no Me) and it remained for the rest of his life. Hagoromo wore a white, full-length kimono with a pattern of six black magatama around a high collar, beneath which he wore a necklace made up of six black magatama. On the back of his kimono was a larger, black Rinnegan marking with a pattern of nine magatama arranged in three rows of three beneath it.
Abilities[]
Hagoromo becomes the Sage of Six Paths.
Hagoromo is widely accepted as the most powerful figure in history, having defeated the Ten-Tails and seal it away alongside his brother who acknowledged Hagoromo as the stronger of the pair. Hagoromo’s might and exploits ultimately made him revered as a god. He obtained a great group of followers, as many across the world strove to learn from his teachings. His power even transcended time itself, becoming able to continue observing the world and interact with people long after his death.
Chakra and Physical Prowess[]
Hagoromo and his younger brother, Hamura, after eating the chakra fruit.
Upon eating the chakra fruit, Hagoromo was blessed with remarkably powerful and equally large reserves of chakra, evident from how far his dōjutsu awakened and it contained the Yin–Yang Release. The first person to acquire chakra, he also became the first man on Earth to understand the very nature of chakra itself. With no prior training, he had an innate and immensely precise control over its power, not needing hand seals for his various feats[7] and proved to be very versatile in its usage, such as transferring chakra to others. His reserves grew exponentially higher after becoming the first jinchūriki in history with the Ten-Tails’ great power contained within him. His power was so great that centuries after his death, with his genes greatly diluted, his distant descendants,[8] Kinkaku and Ginkaku, were able to obtain jinchūriki-like powers by consuming the meat of Kurama instead of dying, as another Kumogakure shinobi did when attempting the same. Hagoromo was also shown to have impressive raw might. While peaceful, he demonstrated considerable hand-to-hand combat prowess that earned him garner a reputation to decimate several troops by himself. He also possessed equally remarkable strength, able to effortlessly rip out full-grown trees from the ground.[9]
Ninshū[]
Main article: Ninshū
An illustration of the ideal behind ninshū.
Hagoromo’s wisdom, combined with his kekkei mōra, allowed him to create the original form of ninjutsu, Ninshū. He invented ninshū as a way to bring peace to a war-torn world, sharing chakra with others and then teaching them to connect together with everyone using their spiritual energies as a mean to understand feelings of one another. He could also use it as a means to heal seemingly any ailment in an individual. He intended for this creation to connect all humans and bring forth harmony, however, following his death, humans began using the newfound power they wielded to fight against each other, and widen the rift between them all instead, turning it into what became ninjutsu.
Nature Transformation[]
Hagoromo using the Creation of All Things Technique.
Hagoromo became the first person to master all five elemental nature transformations. With his mastery of the Yin-Yang Release to such an extent, he was able to combine his Yang chakra, the essence of physical energy, with his Yin chakra, the essence of spiritual energy, to create form from nothingness with a mere thought to bring it to life, an ability that he used to create the Tailed Beasts from the Ten-Tails’ chakra.[10]
Fūinjutsu[]
In preparation for battling the Ten-Tails, alongside his brother, Hagoromo developed immense prowess in fūinjutsu. With his mastery of sealing techniques, he was able to first seal the Ten-Tails into his own body and was later able to seal it away when his life came to an end. Even on his deathbed, Hagoromo was able to employ his Chibaku Tensei technique on a massive scale and use that chakra to create the Moon to imprison the body of the Ten-Tails within it, a clear testament to his incredible power. His mastery of this skill also allowed him to brand others with either the yin or yang halves of his power.
Kekkei Mōra[]
Dōjutsu[]
Rinnegan[]
Main article: Rinnegan
Hagoromo’s Rinnegan.
Hagoromo possessed a derived form of the Ten-Tails’ dōjutsu – the Rinnegan. He was believed to have been the only person to have fully mastered the Rinnegan, and also learned to control all five types of chakra natures. As a wielder of the Rinnegan,[11] Nagato openly admitted his power with the Rinnegan was nothing compared to Hagoromo’s.[12] The Rinnegan grants him the ability to use all of the abilities of the Six Paths Technique.[13] With the Outer Path, he could summon souls from the afterlife and also undo another person’s use of the Impure World Reincarnation, releasing the souls from their vessels and sending them back to the afterlife.
Senjutsu[]
Main articles: Six Paths Technique, Six Paths Yin Power and Six Paths Yang PowerWith his immense reserves of chakra after eating the chakra fruit, Hagoromo was very well-adjusted to learning senjutsu to enhance his abilities. This was taught to him by Gamamaru in Mount Myōboku, and Hagoromo showed an innate talent for it, shocking Gamamaru with his ability to clearly sense the presence of natural energy before gaining any training as a Sage and mastering the art in an inconceivably short amount of time.[14] Along with his powerful chakra and Rinnegan, he was able to develop the Six Paths Senjutsu.[15] With this, he could perform feats such as flying and levitating freely.
Truth-Seeking Ball[]
Main articles: Truth-Seeking Ball and Sword of Nunoboko
Hagoromo and his Truth-Seeking Balls.
With his Six Paths Senjutsu, Hagoromo also had the ability to manifest up to ten Truth-Seeking Balls at a time,[16][17][18] which are composed of the five basic nature transformations, Yin–Yang Release[19] and the Six Paths Sage Chakra.[20] He typically shaped one of the orbs into a dual-headed shakujō. One end has a ringed hoop, while the other end possesses a crescent shaped curve, representing the sun and moon respectively.[21] With this malleable chakra, he can also form the holy sword known as the Sword of Nunoboko, which he reportedly used to shape the world.[22]
Bukijutsu[]
Main articles: Kenjutsu and BōjutsuPrior to becoming a Sage, Hagoromo was shown carrying two objects. One was a sword whilst the other was a shakujō — a Buddhist ringed staff that is meant to be used in prayer, another weapon that he used proficiently.[23][24] Throughout his childhood, Hagoromo was talented in kenjutsu and could end a fight quickly with just a slash, sometimes by leaping towards an opponent, often cutting them to pieces in a blink of an eye before sheathing his sword back into its scabbard. He was also able to adapt his kenjutsu skills with the Sword of Nunoboko which he formed using one of his Truth-Seeking Balls. After becoming a Sage, Hagoromo mastered the art of bōjutsu which enabled him to use his shakujō made from the same Truth-Seeking Ball as an effective weapon against multiple opponents.
Treasured Tools[]
Main article: Treasured Tools of the Sage of Six Paths (RW109)
Six Paths Sacred Treasures.
Hagoromo wielded five unique tools which became known as the Treasured Tools of the Sage of Six Paths, each of which possesses a unique and powerful ability. The treasures are the Bashōsen, Benihisago, Kōkinjō, Shichiseiken, and the Kohaku no Jōhei. By combining the Benihisago, Kōkinjō, and Shichiseiken, Hagoromo could capture the word soul of his victims, and then draw them into the gourd to seal them away. With the Bashōsen, he could generate any of the five basic elements. The Kohaku no Jōhei allowed him to seal anyone without the elaborate procedures used for the Benihisago. All five of the tools requires enormous amounts of chakra to use, which can easily kill an average person by exhaustion, though due to Hagoromo’s massive reserves, he shows no trouble with this issue.
Part II[]
Birth of the Ten-Tails’ Jinchūriki[]
Main article: Naruto: A Shinobi Story/Birth of the Ten-Tails’ Jinchūriki
Hagormo introduces himself to Naruto.
Once Kurama was extracted from Naruto Uzumaki by Madara Uchiha, the legendary sage met within Naruto’s mind to speak with him, noting that he felt drawn to Naruto. After the young shinobi grew frustrated from Hagoromo’s philosophical speech, Hagoromo gets to the matter at hand. He begins to explain his family history from his mother to his two sons, to Naruto, which leads him to reveal to the latter that he is one of the last descendants of his younger son Asura. Realizing that Naruto had already realized this on some level, Hagoromo also went on to explain that similarly, Indra’s descendants were the Uchiha clan, with Sasuke Uchiha being one of the last. Hagoromo explained that Indra’s descendant, Madara, sought only the Sage’s power, resulting in him breaking from the normal cycle of life.
Hagoromo transfers his power to Naruto and Sasuke.
Legacy[]
Trivia[]
- Hagoromo (羽衣) literally means feather mantle and is a reference to The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter, in which Princess Kaguya is given a hagoromo to wear upon her return to the moon. The surname ‘Ōtsutsuki’ (大筒木) roughly means ‘big bamboo tree’ and is derived from an obscure passage in the second volume of the Kojiki about the genealogies of Emperor Suinin, eleventh emperor of Japan, which states that he had a consort named Kaguyahime no Mikoto (迦具夜比売命), the daughter of a king named Ōtsutsukitarine no Miko (大筒木垂根王); tradition holds that these individuals served as the basis for Princess Kaguya and the old bamboo cutter in the aforementioned tale.
- His horn-like appendages may in fact symbolize rabbit ears, representing his connection to the moon by evoking the moon rabbit; pop culture depictions of Princess Kaguya and the moon-folk often incorporate features like rabbit ears for this reason.
- In the fourth databook, Hagoromo is called “Rikudō no Shinsen” (六道の神仙) on one occasion. Although both “sennin” and “shinsen” can be translated as “sage”, the latter is an archaic way to refer to supernatural beings and even gods.[25]
- The necklace that Hagoromo wore might be a reference to the Yasakani Jewel; a legendary magatama necklace that is part of the Japanese Imperial Regalia, together with the Kusanagi Sword and the Yata Mirror.
- Hagoromo shares the same nickname with both the First Hokage, who were all known as the “God of Shinobi” (忍の神, Shinobi no Kami).
- Prior to his full appearance in the manga, the anime depicted Hagoromo with a different color scheme: he had light-colored skin and dull-brown hair, both the magatama around his neck and the markings on his back were red, and the top part of his shakujō was golden.[26] This color scheme was also used in Naruto: Color Edition.[27]
- Despite using Truth-Seeking Balls in the manga, he is not listed as a user of this technique in the fourth databook.[28]
Quotes[]
- (As quoted by Jiraiya) “I am the one who will establish peace and order.” (「我安寧秩序を成す者」, “Ware annei chitsujo o nasu mono.”)[29]
- (To the tailed beasts) “I don’t have long any more. Shukaku, Matatabi, Isobu, Son Gokū, Kokuō, Saiken, Chōmei, Gyūki, Kurama. Even though you have been separated, you shall always be together. Until eventually that time shall come when you will become one… You each carry a name… And with a different shape than you had up to now, you will be shown a righteous path, different from the time you spent inside of me. What is true power… …Until that time… (「私はもう長くない 守鶴・又旅・磯撫・孫悟空・穆王・犀犬・重明・牛鬼・九喇嘛 離れていてもお前達はいつも一緒だ いずれ一つとなる時が来よう…それぞれの名を持ち…今までとは違う形でな そして私の中に居た時と違い正しく導かれる 本当の力とは何か… …その時まで…」, “Watashi wa mō nagakunai. Shukaku, Matatabi, Isobu, Son Gokū, Kokuō, Saiken, Chōmei, Gyūki, Kurama. Hanarete ite mo omaetachi wa itsumo issho da. Izure hitotsu to naru toki ga koyō… Sorezore no na o mochi… Ima made to wa chigau katachi de na. Soshite watashi no naka ni ita toki to chigai tadashiku michibikareru. Hontō no chikara to wa nani ka… …Sono toki made…”)”[30]
- (To Naruto) “Not ninjutsu, Ninshū! My Ninshū was created to inspire hope. Do not confuse it with ninjutsu, which was made to create war!”[31]
- (Between Hagoromo and Shindō Shunsoku) “Take care of my two successors, so that the Curse of Hatred may come to end.” “I will, for Sasuke is my brother, and Naruto is my best friend. They’re both family to me.” “Then I entrust my final wish to you, Shunsoku.”
Reference[]
- ↑ Fourth databook, page 70
- ↑ Naruto chapter 572, pages 12-13
- ↑ Naruto: Shippūden episode 461
- ↑ Naruto chapter 670, pages 3-10
- ↑ Naruto chapter 670, page 7
- ↑ Naruto: Shippūden episode 465
- ↑ Naruto: Shippūden episode 465
- ↑ Fourth Databook, page 93
- ↑ Naruto: Shippūden episode 464
- ↑ Naruto chapter 510, pages 11-12
- ↑ Naruto chapter 551, page 10
- ↑ Naruto chapter 439, page 7
- ↑ Naruto chapter 637, page 3
- ↑ Naruto: Shippūden episode 461
- ↑ Fourth Databook, pages 268-269
- ↑ Naruto chapter 670, page 11
- ↑ Naruto chapter 690, page 4
- ↑ Naruto chapter 670, page 2
- ↑ Naruto chapter 689, page 7
- ↑ Naruto chapter 674, pages 9-10
- ↑ Naruto chapter 671, page 1
- ↑ Naruto chapter 651, pages 4-5
- ↑ Naruto chapter 467, page 14
- ↑ Naruto chapter 670, page 13
- ↑ Fourth Databook, page 70
- ↑ Naruto: Shippūden episode 329
- ↑ Naruto: Shippūden episode 329
- ↑ Fourth Databook, page 249
- ↑ Naruto chapter 446, page 10
- ↑ Naruto chapter 572, pages 12-13
- ↑ Naruto chapter 670, page 7