The Asura Path in Naruto might have been the Rinnegan predicting the future

Naruto is one of the most popular anime ever to grace the planet. While the anime has been concluded a long time ago, it still serves as an entry point for new anime enthusiasts. Just like Demon Slayer, Naruto might never go out of style.

One of the reasons Naruto is evergreen is because of how deep and extensive the lore is. Every day, theories are springing up on Reddit, Facebook, and X. Even video-sharing platforms like YouTube and TikTok are filled with many video essays offering extensive analysis on minor and major topics. Some of these topics are moments in the series, while many are focused on its characters.

One character from the series that a thousand videos won’t do justice to is Pain. Pain or Nagato was one of the most compelling villains to emerge from the Narutoverse. He was also most viewers' introduction to the Rinnegan. No Rinnegan user in the entire Narutoverse used it like Pain, and his most unorthodox use of the Rinnegan was shown in the Asura Path.

The Asura Path featured technology that was yet to be seen in the world of the series. The only time some of these technologies have surfaced is during the Boruto saga. Pain’s Asura Path might have been the Rinnegan, predicting the future of battle in the Shinobi world. Keep reading to find out how.

Disclaimer: This article reflects the author’s views and may contain spoilers.

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How Asura Path might be the Rinnegan predicting the future in Naruto

Shurado was one of the strongest paths of Pain (Image via Studio Pierrot)

Due to the Boruto saga, more light has been shed on the origins of Dojutsu. Viewers now know that Dojutsu originated from the Otsutsuki, and the only reason humans have access to them is that Kaguya had children with humans. In Nagato or Pain’s case, his Rinnegan didn’t come naturally; it was given to him by Madara.

Madara’s Rinnegan didn’t start as Rinnegan, it was first a Sharingan before he got Hashirama’s cells. One ability that the Sharingan has been shown to do in the Narutoverse is to predict an opponent’s next moves. Sasuke and Sarada have both used this ability in melee battles with other opponents. Since Pain’s Rinnegan was first a Sharingan, it might still have the ability to predict, but on a larger scale.

Isshiki's Kara is responsible for most of the technology in the series universe (Image via Studio Pierrot)

Pain must have predicted the future of combat, as the Asura Path is filled with technology that was way beyond its years. The Asura Path had artificial limbs that could be modified for combat, and the missiles it could launch were very destructive.

Many of its abilities, especially when it comes to technology, can now be seen in Two Blue Vortex. Ao had a mechanical hand that was capable of shooting energy blasts, and even Kawaki’s hand could transform into a weapon at will.

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Final thoughts

In the Narutoverse, there have been two Otsutsuki who could predict the future: Shibai Otsutsuki and Momoshiki Otsutsuki. In Shibai’s case, he used the Ten Directions to chart a list of possible futures, but in Momoshiki’s case, there is a chance that his Rinnegan was responsible for his ability of prescience.

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