With a plethora ofall-powerful jutsu and techniquesdominating the series' landscape, many other common techniques tend to get sidelined and neglected. The Body Flicker Technique is one such ability that bore the brunt of stronger techniques taking center stage within theNarutoseries. The technique is one of the most common abilities in the show’s extensive lineup of jutsu, yet its applications are far and wide for the plot.
Despite being a D-rank ability, the Body Flicker Technique has been used by shinobi of all skill levels, ranging from simple Genin ninja toKage of various nations. The technique seems oddly similar to the Substitution Jutsu, yet the actual workings of the Body Flicker Technique are quite different and novel, coming under the branch of high-speed ninjutsu.
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The Body Flicker Technique: An Overview
At its core, the Body Flicker Technique allows the user to travel a short distance at an untraceable speed, almost giving the illusion of teleporting from one place to another. The vanishing effect is achieved by the shinobi’s chakra temporarily empowering the body to travel at inexplicable speeds, almost becoming invisible to the naked eye. The technique is quite common and easy to utilize,with minimal chakra usageand low complexity.
As a D-rank technique, almost every mildly experienced shinobi will have access to this jutsu, though it’s been implied that mastering the technique for combat purposes is rather difficult. This leaves the technique’s only usage as a medium for traveling long distances at incredibly fast speeds or simply fleeing combat. Some shinobi, however, have been witnessed using this technique during combat, something that is attributed to higher mastery and skill.
The technique is usually coupled with a smoke bomb to cover the tracks, meaning the Body Flicker Technique was primarily devised for escaping combat and retreating.The Five Great Nationsfurther have their own variants of this technique, imbuing their primary elements into the technique’s workings. Gaara’s Sand Body Flicker is one clear example of using one of the elements to hide one’s tracks while moving at inexplicable speeds via the jutsu.
Renowned Users of the Body Flicker Technique
While the technique has been denoted as a common jutsu that even Genin have access to, mastering it is a rare feat that has only been achieved by a select few.Shisui Uchiha was one shinobirenowned for being so adept at the Body Flicker Technique that he was even dubbed as ‘Shisui of the Body Flicker.’ He was one of the few shinobi that had actually mastered the technique for combat rather than simply using it as a method of fast travel.
Shinobi generally have to utilize smoke bombs to cover their tracks while using this technique. Shisui, on the other hand, became such an expert at using Body Flicker that he would simply vanish into thin air, with no physical trace of his presence. Due to his mastery over this seemingly simple jutsu, opponents feared going against him head-on knowing they would be no match for an Uchiha that can disappear in plain sight.Shisui was also capableof making clones through this technique, as his actual body would vanish in an instant, leaving behind an illusion of himself.
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A few other honorable mentions are the Third and Fourth Raikage, two all-powerful shinobi that are already famed for their speed. The Third Raikage came up with his own variant of the technique – the Lightning Body Flicker. From the opponent’s perspective, he would simply disappear in the form of a quick lightning bolt. The Fourth Raikage’s Body Flicker was quite similar to his predecessor, presenting the very same concept in combination with his lightning release.
Discrepancies with the Body Flicker Technique
The Body Flicker Technique seems to be a simple jutsu that is coherent with the concept of shinobi and ninjutsu. However, the nature of the technique seems to be rather world-breaking, as it allows any shinobi to travel at lightning-fast speeds without a trace. This would take away the title of the fastest shinobi fromthe likes of the Fourth Hokageor the Third Raikage as any other unnamed shinobi could vitalize their body with chakra to travel at unprecedented speeds.
Body Flicker poses thesame issue as the Substitution Jutsu, another technique that allows users to switch their positions in an instant. With the same logic, so many deaths in the series could have been avoided if they had just used the Body Flicker Technique moments before impending doom. While several characters have been witnessed using the technique to flee right before a catastrophic attack, others never bothered to do the same to avoid imminent death. This very incoherence takes away the compelling nature of the show and brands techniques such as the Body Flicker as nothing more than plot devices for the author’s convenience.
