Tobirama Senju, the second Hokage, is easily the one whose abilities are showcased the least overNarutoandNaruto Shippuden.He is canonically overshadowed by his older brother and predecessorHashirama, who wasMadara Uchiha’srival and often thought to be the greatest shinobi ever to live.
But from what is known and has been seen, Tobirama isn’t far behind his brother in strength, and his role in the series is extremely important.
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Tobirama’s Abilities
As is expected of aHokage, Tobirama’s power was unmatched when he succeeded his brother. While he couldn’t use Hashirama’s unique Wood Style jutsu, Tobirama was one of the strongest users of Water Style jutsu in the series, able to generate enough water to cover a battlefield and then control it like a weapon. He was able to shoot water out of his mouth with such force that it was able to easily sever the massive roots of the Divine Tree. Tobirama was also a master of Genjutsu, casting one so powerful even his successor Hiruzen couldn’t release it. On top of that, he was a skillful swordsman and weapon user, and was a proficient sensor-type ninja.
Tobirama’s true strength, however, was in his nearly unmatched speed. Tobirama was considered the fastest shinobi in the world while he was alive, and could move fast enough to place paper bombs or seals on his enemies without them noticing. He invented the Flying Raijin Jutsu, which allowed him to teleport himself along with anyone he placed a seal on to any spot he marked.The Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, eventually usurped his title of fastest shinobi and became infamous as the “Yellow Flash of the Leaf” for his use of the Flying Raijin Jutsu.
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Tobirama was a genius who invented many jutsu including the Flying Raijin technique, as well as two others that have critical roles in the story. The first was the Shadow Clone Jutsu, which is famous for being Naruto’s signature technique. The second was theImpure World Resurrection, a forbidden jutsu that revives a dead ninja as a regenerating husk at the cost of a living sacrifice. The jutsu doesn’t drain its caster’s chakra and can only be disabled by them willingly, making it extremely abusable. Orochimaru would later use the technique to revive Tobirama and Hashirama in his battle against the Third Hokage Hiruzen.
Kabuto Yakushi later used an even more refined version of the technique to raise an undead army of ninja during the Fourth Great Ninja War at the end ofNaruto Shippuden.Orochimaruthen revived the first four Hokage with the same jutsu, and they ended up fighting Madara and Obito Uchiha, as well as the Ten Tails. None of this would have occurred if Tobirama hadn’t invented the Impure World Ressurection Jutsu, making his role in the story extremely important.
How Strong is Tobirama?
Among the Kage, Tobirama likely ranks close to the top in strength, with only his brother and Naruto being indisputably stronger. Beyond that, there is considerable debate abouthow he ranks compared to Hiruzen, who managed to seal him and his brother at the same time, and Minato, who surpassed him in speed. There are caveats in both areas, however. Tobirama’s power was likely diminished when he was revived for the first time, and Hiruzen was an elderly man who gave up his life to stop his former teachers along with Orochimaru. And while Minato is likely the fastest shinobi ever, his power was likely not quite at the same level as Tobirama’s in life.
What is known is that he killed Izuna Uchiha, Madara’s brother and equal in power while they were both alive, making him a continued threat to Madara along with his brother. He was no match for Madara after the latter absorbed the Ten Tails, but neither was Hashirama or anyone exceptMight Guy (after opening the Gate of Death), and Naruto after obtaining the Sage of Six Paths' power.
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Tobirama’s role in shaping the story as well as his power are often overshadowed by all of the other Hokage. Minato is the Naruto’s father and Naruto is a main character (later along with Boruto). Hashirama was the founder of the village and the main villain’s rival. Hiruzen was alive for the early part of the story and was a major influence on most of the main characters. Tsunade led the village through their battles with the Akatsuki and of course through the Fourth Great Ninja War. And finallyKakashiis Naruto’s teacher and another main character in the series. And of course, all of these characters are extremely powerful shinobi in their own right.
This leaves Tobirama feeling a bit less important than the other Hokage, but his impact on the village, especially in dealing with theUchiha, and the jutsu he invented both play integral roles in the story, and he still ranks as one of the series' strongest characters.
