Rashomon

Biodata

Appearance

Rashomon initially resembles an ordinary Japanese castle entrance rather than the sinister gate Lin Ke expected 62.

• Color: Blackish-gray 62.
• Dimensions: Approximately seven or eight meters tall and nearly ten meters wide at its first summoning 62.
• Construction: Primarily tiles and wood, with traditional gate-like eaves 62.
• Entrance: The opened gate contains a vortex through which summoned souls enter the living world 174.
• Recall mechanism: Hands extend from Rashomon to retrieve the summoned dead; one is described as illusory and invisible to everyone except Lin Ke 119 134.

Abilities & Skills

Defensive Barrier

Despite initially looking too fragile to stop serious attacks, Rashomon withstands Kakuzu’s Compound Ninja Art: Flame Wind Turbulent Wave without even changing color 62 199.

• Blocks the attack directly in front of Lin Ke, although flames spill around its edges 199.
• Opens during the firestorm to release reinforcements; the flames entering the gate do not harm the Uzumaki inside 199.

Return of the Dead

Rashomon works with Lin Ke’s separate Summoning Jutsu: he first contacts the dead in the Pure Land, then opens the gate to bring them into the living world 109 174.

• No living sacrifice: Unlike Impure World Reincarnation, this method does not require sacrificing a living person 109.
• Multiple summons: Several deceased people can emerge together if Lin Ke supplies sufficient chakra 109.
• Restored combat ability: Summoned individuals possess physical abilities and chakra close to those they had while alive. Tobirama returns in his normal powerful state, while Hashirama can immediately activate Sage Mode 109 226 241.
• Chakra-based bodies: Hashirama identifies the technique as giving life to intangible chakra and drawing deceased souls into simulated bodies, comparing their existence to that of Tailed Beasts 241.
• Independent personalities: The dead retain their judgment and can oppose Lin Ke. Zabuza initially prepares to attack him, while Yahiko refuses to serve him 174 244.
• Eligibility: Rashomon summons deceased people who have not blacklisted Lin Ke and are willing to fight for him; obtaining their cooperation remains an important part of its use 253.

Forced Recall

Rashomon retrieves its summons when their allotted time expires. Its hands bind and pull them back regardless of their location 119 134 177.

• Lin Ke can trigger recall with a thought, immediately stopping a summoned individual’s actions 174.
• Fugaku is retrieved through a wall, demonstrating that ordinary physical obstacles do not prevent recall 134.
• The hands can reach a summoned person even after that person travels into a Different World 274.
• A summoned body can also be destroyed before its time expires: Lin Ke’s father returns to the Pure Land after being shattered by Water Shark Bullets 109.

Limits & Conditions

Background / History

Lin Ke discovers Rashomon among the technique scrolls available to him but deliberately postpones training it. Because his existing Summoning Jutsu already contacts the Pure Land, he suspects Rashomon’s name will cause his mutated version to open a passage into it. The continued existence of the Sage of Six Paths makes him cautious about experimenting with that boundary 55 60.

His first successful summoning produces a plain-looking castle gate. Later use establishes that its unremarkable exterior conceals both formidable defensive power and a means of temporarily restoring deceased allies 62 109 199.

Konoha’s leadership permits Lin Ke to use the technique but opposes publicly selling reunions with the dead. This prevents his proposed Dream Fulfillment Company from proceeding. Much later, End Naruto likewise asks that Rashomon requests go through the Ninja Alliance rather than directly to Lin Ke, to avoid creating a precedent for bypassing its procedures 178 347.

Story Role / Major Arcs

Associated Characters

• Lin Ke — Summoner who supplies chakra, contacts prospective allies, and controls their recall 109 174.
• Uchiha Fugaku and Uchiha Mikoto — Recurring summons whose returns provide both combat support and family reunions for Sasuke 109 119 155.
• Baki — Frequent reinforcement who becomes weary of repeated summons and compulsory returns to Rashomon 152 176 177.
• Momochi Zabuza and Haku — Their reunion becomes the basis of a conditional combat arrangement with Lin Ke 174 177.
• Senju Tobirama — Studies the chakra-based summoned body and the unexplained hands capable of retrieving souls across worlds 222 274.
• Senju Hashirama — Praises Rashomon’s body-forming process as superior to his experiences with Impure World Reincarnation 241.

Trivia

• Lin Ke’s version is distinct from the conventional Rashomon used by other ninja. Orochimaru summons a standard gate against the Earth Dragon, while Hashirama later uses Fivefold Rashomon alongside Wood Release to block explosion shockwaves 71 320.
• Forced recall can compromise stealth: Fugaku brushes a rooftop while being pulled back, accidentally exposing Lin Ke’s location to a Sunagakure team 194.