When Nagato used the Outer Path technique to revive the citizens of Konoha killed in the attack, why wasn't Jiraiya revived as well?

It was revealed that the original plan was for Madara to be revived with the technique, so it's not like there was a time limit or anything.


There are several reasons.

Jiraiya's body is buried beneath the ocean depth, so even if he would be revived there, well... it wouldn't really help him.

Outer Path probably is limited by either distance or time which has passed since death. Otherwise, the technique would have revived people from the whole world.

the wiki says that "the individual souls are then able to leave even the crossroad between life and the afterlife". Jiraiya should probably be in the afterlife already.

On the contrary, Kakashi was still in the path between life and afterlife when the technique brought him back.

The wiki also says that it happens because "their rejuvenated bodies [are] acting as an anchor", so looks like the body is required.

  • I think your answer in itself proves that this question is not quite a duplicate of the other one. Nice answer! =D – JNat Dec 18 '12 at 18:47
  • @JNat, yea, maybe I was too fast on thinking it is a duplicate. But they are still somewhat similar. – SingerOfTheFall Dec 18 '12 at 18:53
  • @SingerOfTheFall Similar but not the same. Nice answer. :) – Alenanno Dec 18 '12 at 19:00
  • Hmmm I also don't think the afterlife bit makes sense, because otherwise how would they bring Madara back. Then again... Madara would probably choose not to go to the afterlife if this were the case... as he would wait to return with this technique. I'm sold, accepted. – LeeHai Dec 18 '12 at 20:44
  • Yeah. He was probably bloody patient in purgatory, hoping that Obito didn't screw up, before he was brought back in real life. – Jeffery Tang Apr 29 '17 at 9:51

That's because Gedo: Rinne Tensei requires a body.

Rinne Tensei is practically a Yang-element technique. It breathes life, into a dead body, healing any damage or injury done to it. However, it is not Yin. It cannot create form. You need an actual body for it to work.

Since Jiraiya died and his body sank to the bottom of the ocean, he wasn't anywhere near the village when Nagato used Rinne Tensei.

That is also the same reason why Kabuto couldn't revive him. Even though only DNA is enough, Kabuto couldn't get any.


Also even if Jiraiya was revived he would have been a the bottom of the ocean by now and I doubt he can breathe underwater so even if he was revived he would die instantly anyways because of the lack of oxygen and the water pressure.

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