Sage of the Six Paths六道仙人Rikudō SenninSaviour of this World (この世の救世主, Kono Sekai no Kyūseishu)
Debut (Manga)
Chapter 373 (Silhouette)
Debut (Anime)
Shippūden Episode 128 (Silhouette)
Appears in
Anime and Manga
Gender
Male
[hide] Nature Type
* Fire
* Wind
* Lightning
* Earth
* Water
* Sixth form of Nature Transformation, likely Yin-Yang
[hide] Jutsu
* Chibaku Tensei
* Eight Trigrams Sealing Style
* Earth Release: Swamp of the Underworld
According to Jiraiya, the Sage was a priest who appeared long ago in an age of endless war. He was the first to explain the truth about chakra and tried to use his power and wisdom to lead the world to peace instead of war. The Sage travelled throughout the world, spreading his ideas and religion, the Shinobi Sect (忍宗, Ninshū), which eventually came to be known as ninjutsu. His great deeds and true desire to bring peace to the war-torn world led him to become widely known as the Saviour of the World. According to legend, the Sage also used Chibaku Tensei to create the moon at some point during his life.
Sadly, the Sage's ultimate wish to establish peace throughout the world was a goal that could never be achieved within his lifetime alone. On his deathbed, the Sage therefore entrusted his strength, dream and legacy to two brothers. The older brother, who inherited the Sage's "eyes": the power of his chakra and his spiritual energy, believed that power was the true key to peace. The younger brother, who inherited the Sage's "body"; his willpower and physical energy, believed that love was the true key to peace. In the end, the Sage chose the younger brother to be his successor. Overcome by bitterness and envy, the older brother attacked the younger, beginning a war between them. Their feud would continue on through their descendants: the Senju clan and the Uchiha clan.[1]
Centuries later, the Rinnegan itself would resurface in Nagato. Nagato's connection to the Sage has yet to be explained, although Jiraiya believed that the Sage could have somehow been "reborn" as Nagato in the present era. Nagato himself, however, admitted that his own power paled in comparison to that of the Sage.[2] Still others, such as Kakashi Hatake, believed that the Sage is merely a myth, and that the Rinnegan is merely a mutation.[3]