Naruto's Ultimate Weapon: Unveiling the Mystery of the Sword of Totsuka

The Naruto series is infamous for its excessively powerful abilities and unmatched techniques, with only a select few coming close to the unprecedented nature of Itachi's Mangekyo Sharingan. While Tsukuyomi and Susanoo demonstrated the overwhelming might of Itachi's all-powerful Mangekyo, its true offensive potential lies in the ethereal blade called the Sword of Totsuka.

Derived directly from Japanese mythology, the Sword of Totsuka is a blade that possesses an inexplicable power, capable of annihilating anything it strikes. Additionally, the blade also functions as a form of genjutsu, trapping the victim's consciousness in a separate realm of existence. Despite its evident unparalleled strength, the Sword of Totsuka remains one of Itachi's most underestimated abilities, primarily due to its limited exposure in the show.

What Is the Sword of Totsuka?

The Totsuka Blade, wielded by Itachi, is considered one of his most powerful offensive techniques, unmatched by only a few in battle. This enchanted weapon possesses the extraordinary ability to pierce through any object, living or non-living. However, unlike other swords, it exists in a gourd in a liquid-like form, but can instantly materialize at the wielder's command, taking on the appearance of a solid blade with a ethereal quality.

But its power as an unstoppable sword is not its only remarkable aspect. The Totsuka Blade also has the ability to seal its target. Those unfortunate enough to be struck by this blade will have their souls imprisoned in a unique realm called the "World of Drunken Dreams" for eternity. Within this genjutsu, the target is trapped in an everlasting dream-like state. In addition, the Totsuka Blade complements the Yata Mirror, an ethereal shield capable of deflecting any attack. As stated by Zetsu, these two artifacts are the secret behind Itachi's invincibility.

Usage of the Sword of Totsuka

Contrary to popular belief, the Totsuka Blade is not exclusively affiliated with Itachi’s unique Mangekyo abilities, despite being wielded by his Susanoo. While Itachi can only access the blade through his Mangekyo’s Susanoo, the Sword of Totsuka itself does not have a direct connection to the Sharingan. This fact was confirmed when Zetsu revealed that Orochimaru spent his entire life in a futile search for the Totsuka Blade.

Itachi's Sword of Totsuka is a relatively obscure ability that is rarely seen in action within the series. Despite Itachi's prominent role as an overarching antagonist throughout Naruto, he only unveiled the Sword of Totsuka during his battle against Sasuke. Remarkably, Itachi employed the blade solely to vanquish Orochimaru and rid Sasuke of the curse mark afflicting his body.

The sword's power is demonstrated in a single act. Orochimaru, in his Eight-Headed Serpent form, proved no match against the Totsuka Blade. Itachi swiftly beheaded all eight serpent heads with a single stroke, sealing Orochimaru eternally in his gourd. Moreover, Itachi used the blade to remove the curse mark from Sasuke's body, as the mark was still connected to Orochimaru's physical form.

Another illustration of the Totsuka Blade's effectiveness occurred when Itachi was resurrected during the Fourth Great Ninja War. After breaking free from Kabuto's Reanimation Jutsu, Itachi relied on the Sword of Totsuka to release Nagato's soul from Kabuto's control, confining him within the blade's gourd. However, when the Reanimation Jutsu was undone, Itachi and the Totsuka Blade ceased to exist in the impure world, leading to Nagato's liberation from the gourd.

Mythology Behind the Sword of Totsuka

Similar to many other abilities within the Mangekyo, the Sword of Totsuka draws inspiration from Japanese mythology and the Shinto religion. Its basis lies in the Totsuka no Tsurugi, the sword utilized by Izanagi to vanquish his own newborn, Kagu-tsuchi. Upon birth, the child's flames consumed Izanami, leading to her demise. In his anguish, Izanagi took up his blade and ruthlessly cleaved his offspring into eight fragments, which later transformed into volcanoes. From the lifeblood of this slain newborn, eight new Shinto deities were born.

The Totsuka Blade also derives its name from the weapon wielded by the Shinto deity Susanoo, who used it to slay the serpent Yamata no Orochi and its eight heads. Strikingly similar events unfold within the world of Naruto, as Itachi employs this very blade to eliminate Orochimaru in his monstrous eight-headed serpent form. The technique utilized by Orochimaru to transform himself is known as Yamato no Jutsu, directly influenced by the demon known as Yamata no Orochi.