Of all the god-tier jutsu in Naruto, Eight Gates takes the cake. The technique is so goated that even Madara acknowledged it during the Fourth Shinobi World War. It is dangerous and crippling but potent in many ways. It might even surpass Baryon Mode for this reason.
That is, if fused with Sage Mode, it would be truly terrifying. According to this theory, the combination of both powerups can potentially surpass Baryon Mode. And while Baryon Mode is efficient and lethal against Otsutsuki, it is ridden with its fair share of disadvantages.
Eight Gates Sage Mode: A destructive, deadly, and potent combination
The Eight Gates mode was first introduced to us during Part 1 where Rock Lee opens five gates against Gaara. It is one of epic showdowns in the series, but for Lee it was a mic drop moment. It was enough to silence everyone who underestimated him.
We all thought he was an underdog until he pulled the weights away. He was toe to toe against Gaara’s sand jutsu and managed to land an attack on him. The speed, the agility, and the attacks put him on par with the opponent, however, it came with its fair share of disadvantages.
The strain caused by the gates is unimaginable and it is a miracle that he survived it compared to his mentor. Guy was crippled as a result of opening all the gates yet we need to commend him for doing that. It isn’t often that we see overpowered villains being beaten to a pulp, now is it?
Interestingly, Madara was in Sage of Six Paths Mode which is in a league of its own. Despite his power-up, he was heavily injured by Guy’s punches and blows. Both were evenly matched, which means one thing. The jutsu and its combination would be truly terrifying.
When fused, both jutsu are an interesting match up against Otsutsuki. This is true for Naruto’s healing and regeneration abilities which can counter the strain and lethality of the Gates. It would give him unmatched speed and an upper hand against rivals like Momoshiki.
However, it would be like a one-hit wonder especially with the amount of strain it has. The repetitive use would only be detrimental to the user, but we know one thing for sure. And that is, every jutsu has its drawbacks and Baryon Mode too has its cons despite its broken abilities.
Naruto’s Baryon Mode is a power with many disadvantages
Naruto’s Baryon Mode is both aesthetically pleasing yet powerful transformation. For starters, it is a powerup that emerged from his chakra fusion with Kurama. It was quite effective in dealing with overpowered villains like Isshiki, but it is rather disadvantageous.
In particular, this has to do with the jutsu straining the user in the long run. It can potentially empty Kurama of its life-force eventually leading to his “death”. In reality, Kyubi cannot die and can only find its host in other jinchuriki. Death here has to do with the drainage of life-force and chakra.
To add to that, the character’s dependency on Kurama’s chakra is also a drawback. It is a cripple that affects both characters which only makes sense for him to get a well-deserved power-up. And in this case, the Eight Gates Sage Mode can match up to the transformation and potentially outdo it.
Like Baryon Mode, the character would be immersed in a Red aura while retaining the Sage Jutsu eyes. The speed, reflexes, and even strength would be heightened during the battle and would match up to the enemy’s maneuvers.
Naruto is available for streaming on Crunchyroll. The manga is available for reading on Shueisha’s Manga Plus app.
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