Composed of al five basic chakra natures, Truth-Seeking Balls are regarded as the pinnacle of ninjutsu, able to nullify any Nature Releasewhen infused with with Yin-Yang Release. Of those able to use them inNaruto, all have access to power on a level that is near divine. Appearing as simple black orbs that turn virtually anything they come into contact with into dust, they can be molded to any shape or size depending on a user’s desire, functioning as weapons, defensive barriers, or even as black receivers that can be used to transmit chakra signals. While they may seem relatively small and harmless at first glance, each of them holds the power to level entire landscapes, obliterating everything they touch.
One of the biggest indicators of the power held by Truth-Seeking Balls is the fact that some of the most powerfulshinobi of all time such as Hashirama Senjuand his brother, Tobirama, were unable to manifest them, highlighting the inhuman power levels that an individual must achieve to awaken them. For most characters who can use Truth-Seeking Balls inNaruto, the orbs float behind them in a circular formation, with the sole exception of Hamura Otsutsuki, who has a sigmoidal arrangement of orbs levitating behind him. The term “Truth-Seeker,” has its roots in Mahayana Buddhism, much like a number of other techniques in the series.
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What Are Truth-Seeking Balls?
In effect, Truth-Seeking Ballssurpass even kekkei genkaiand kekkei tota, which combine two and three chakra natures respectively. By virtue of combining all five basic chakra natures, they are able to counteract any form of nature transformation. Additionally, they can also be imbued with Yin-Yang Release or senjutsu chakra, which expands their applications considerably. Orbs remain floating in the vicinity of the user after creation, and can be summoned and altered as per their desires. If a user dies, the orbs disintegrate with them, alongside any black receivers they had created.
Users cannot create more orbs after they have either been deployed in combat or destroyed. Hence, the initial number of orbs they acquire is fixed. The process of acquisition has a part to play in the number of orbs a user can create, as both Obito and Madara manifested ten Truth-Seeking Balls on becoming the Ten Tails jinchuriki, whereas Naruto gained nine after being giventhe power of Six Paths Senjutsuby Hagoromo. Asura Otsutsuki also gained nine orbs in a similar vein, and Toneri Otsutsuki was depicted with a varying number of orbs after he awakened Tenseigan Chakra Mode.
Who Can Use Truth Seeking Balls?
There are a number of routes that can be taken to acquire Truth-Seeking Balls, each involving some of the biggest power ups seen in the series so far. Hagoromo and his brother, Hamura, naturally possessed orbs, as seen during the battle against their mother, Kaguya Otsutsuki, and the Ten Tails. Besides this, those who take on the role ofthe Ten Tails jinchurikialso manifest Truth-Seeking Balls aftersealing the tailed beast within their bodiesand gaining full control of its power. Obito and Madara Uchiha obtained ten orbs each through this method.
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Naruto Uzumaki was able to manifest his Truth Seeking Orbs after being gifted the power of Six Paths Senjutsu. The orbs appear each time he enters Six Paths Sage Mode in conjunction with Nine Tails Chakra Mode, disappearing when he reverts to his base form. Toneri Otsutsuki can also manifest Truth-Seeking Balls on entering Tenseigan Chakra Mode, which dematerialize once he exits this divine form. Kaguya Otsutsuki was able to use a unique version of this techniquewith her kekkei mora abilityknown as the Expansive Truth Seeking Ball, which boasts the power to reshape the world by reducing it to nothing, serving as the start of a new dimension. Although most users cannot create new orbs once they have manifested, this limitation does not seem to apply to Kaguya’s case.
How Can They Be Used In Combat?
Similar to Dust Release, Truth-Seeking Balls can obliterate most things they touch, and counter ninjutsu with Yin-Yang Release. The only way to deal with them is through taijutsu or senjutsu-infused attacks, which are capable of contending against the high density of different types of chakra contained within each orb. In the series, Truth-Seeking Balls are one of the few ways to tackle the regenerative powers possessed by those brought back to life bythe Summoning: Impure World Reincarnation jutsu, able to permanently damage or kill shinobi who have been reanimated by this technique.
In their base state, the orbs can be launched as projectiles used to destroy whatever targets they are directed at. Shape transformation is another means to use them, as Obito andMadara were both shown usinga shakujo made from a Truth-Seeking Ball, while Naruto himself fashioned a Bo. Obito was able to create black receivers from the orbs, which was the reason behind his use of the Six Red Yang Formation barrier ninjutsu. The orbs can be molded into swords, shields, or any other sort of armament, owing to the smooth consistency of the chakra used in the orbs themselves. Moreover, they can also wrap around a user’s body as a defensive shell capable of repelling any attack.
Very little effort is required to shape these orbs, where Obito, the first Ten Tails jinchuriki did so by passing the orbs through holes in his hands. Others simply fashioned the orbs into whatever shape they desired, as seen in Naruto’s use of his Truth-Seeking Ball to create a platform for Sasuke to levitatein the battle against Kaguya. Toneri’s use of Truth-Seeking Nalls is slightly more complex, where he could form ornate golden cages, or even a massive sword capable of cutting the moon into two. Shinobi can only control Truth-Seeking Balls within 70 meters of their location, hinting that it is possible to force them to relinquish control by transporting the user or the orbs away from one another.
