Using ninjutsu without hand seals was not impossible, but it was generally limited to certain low-level techniques. High-level ninjutsu was difficult, though not absolutely impossible. After all, ninja methods had been different long ago. Just look at the era of the Sage of Six Paths and his two sons.
Nothing was absolute. Once your strength reached a certain level, you naturally no longer needed hand seals to use ninjutsu. Look at Kaguya Otsutsuki, look at the Sage of Six Paths, then look at the overpowered figures from the later parts of the original story. Which one of them had nothing better to do than form hand seals?
Of course, that required tremendous strength as a foundation. Nagato had not reached that level. Other than techniques usable through the Rinnegan, could he manage anything else? If he could use A-rank and S-rank ninjutsu without hand seals, Hikaru would directly bow down in admiration.
"No wonder everyone hates this guy so much. He really is annoying." Ninjutsu was one of the main measures of a ninja's strength, arguably the most basic one. Yet running into someone like the Hungry Ghost Path, who could absorb ninjutsu, was downright disgusting.
If ninjutsu could not display its proper effects, Hikaru was certain that the strength of most ninjas in the entire world would be drastically reduced, especially ninjas like the Third Hokage and Ōnoki. They would be in an awkward position.
On the other hand, unconventional ninjas would shine against the Hungry Ghost Path, such as those skilled in taijutsu. The premise was that the Six Paths of Pain had not gathered together; otherwise, it would still be useless. Even if you excelled at taijutsu and did not fear the Hungry Ghost Path absorbing your ninjutsu, you would find an even more troublesome existence: the