Yondaime.org

One of his more widely-known techniques is the rasengan, or spiraling sphere. This is an A-class ninjutsu that requires no hand seals, and is extremely powerful as a close-range, offensive technique. It requires a large amount of chakra control, as the chakra used to make the sphere needs to be maintained in a constant swirling sphere. It is a self containing technique that does not require any more chakra once it is molded.

The first time we seen it used is by Jiraiya, who uses it in volume 17 of the manga. Using it against some angered store owner, Naruto Uzumaki gains interest in it, and Jiraiya gets the idea to teach it to Naruto. He begins a three-step training session, in which Naruto must first break a water balloon by swirling the water inside by concentrating his chakra. It is during this time that while Naruto struggles with breaking the water balloon, Jiraiya reveals that this jutsu was originally created by the Yondaime Hokage, and to develop and perfect this jutsu, it took him a total of three years. Naruto, knowing that the Yondaime was considered perhaps the best ninja of all time, and a supposal genius, feels somewhat overwhelmed at the thought.

Naruto does manage to learn it, however, using a slight variance from what Jiraiya originally shows him, and what can be presumed how Minato used it. While Jiraiya creates the rasengan with one hand, Naruto uses the assistance of a kage bunshin or shadow clone to help properly form the jutsu, as first seen in the fight against Kabuto.

Variations

After the two and a half year time jump, Nauto used what appears to be a slight variation of the rasengan. The oodama rasengan, or great ball spiraling sphere is what Naruto uses in volume 29 of the manga against Itachi Uchiha. However, it is not known if Minato also developed this, or if Naruto created this higher form. It appears to essentially be just a much larger rasengan, which likely requires more chakra and control to maintain.

Naruto was previously learning how to manipulate his chakra via nature manipulation. In Naruto’s case, he was discovered to be of the wind element, and thus learned to manipulate his chakra into wind. However, Kakashi Hatake reveals to Naruto that his new jutsu would require him to combine this nature maipulation and form manipulation – the rasengan. Naruto states that it should not take long. However, Kakashi shows Naruto that he also can use the rasengan, but despite that, he cannot combine his lightning chakra with the rasengan. It requires a large amount of skill to fuse nature manipulation with form manipulation, or a special ability. And this ability Minato could not even achieve.

While Minato took form manipulation to the highest level, the rasengan, his goal was to actually create a much more advanced and powerful jutsu, which would combine his nature manipulated chakra with the rasengan. Thus the rasengan is, in actuality, only a half-complete jutsu. If combined with the nature manipulated chakra of the user, it could create a difficult S-rank or even higher level jutsu, that Kakashi states could perhaps just be impossible in reality.

The Result

After a bit of training, and receiving some helpful advice from Asuma Sarutobi, a fellow wind element user, and Kakashi, Naruto creates the initial form of the element and form combined rasengan, the fuuton rasengan or wind style spiraling sphere, which is the same size as the form-only rasengan, but has a wind-type appearance added to it. Kakashi suggests that they crash the new jutsu with his regular rasengan to test its strength. This results in Kakashi’s hand being injured, causing him noticeable pain.

With Kakashi assisting Shikamaru Nara, Chouji Akimichi, and Ino Yamanaka in their battle against Hidan and Kakuzu, they are struggling against Kakuzu. As the Akatsuki member closed in to take their hearts as well as their own lives, Yamato, Naruto, Sakura Haruno and Sai arrive. Naruto says he will take on Kakuzu alone. After testing the speed of his opponent, Naruto produces the new ninjutsu, which Yamato tells Kakashi is only about 50% complete, the fuuton rasen shuriken or wind style spiraling shuriken. While he must make a direct hit on the opponent, the damage is beyond conceivable, as two of Kakuzu’s hearts or lives were destroyed, with the third very close.

After examination of the cadaver, Tsunade that she had never seen such damage before – the jutsu created needles of wind fine enough that they severed the body at the cellular level. She notes however, that Naruto also experiences similar damage, but at a much smaller degree, making the jutsu dangerous for Naruto to use.