Are external/free powerups cheap?

[Pumpkin Ninja]

Thread title. Would you say that acquiring an external source for power like Hashirama's cells or tailed beasts as being cheap? In my opinion it's not.

I consider being a genius no different from acquiring power ups any other way. They all have luck involved, a genius didn't do anything to become one. They just process and perceive things easier because they were lucky enough to have good genes.

Being a genius/having a strong Kekkei Genkai is nothing but genetic luck so why do we consider it fair while actually challenging your biological limits is cheap?

Fact: If it was all about hard work and not luck Gai or Lee would have been the strongest but that isn't the case.

Why would anyone want to limit themselves for something so stupid?

EDIT: I'll add an example. Why would Kabuto not want to apply his medical genius to alter his body? That isn't cheap, he's just using all resources available, why would he want to limit himself?

 

[ToadSageNaruto]

different types of genuises. you described natural genuises. gai and lee are both taijutsu genuises. but they worked to achieve that.
even if you're born a genius if you dont practice you'll lose it eventually, or the hardworkers catch up.

 

[Cunning Linguist]

Not cheap. It's like a street fight. Why would I risk being damaged when I could just use a weapon and finish the fight faster? If you could use a tailed beast and incorporate Hashirama's cells, more power to you. You've earned that power up

 

[Bolt Rules]

if you master it yourself like Itachi mastered Totsuka and Yata no

 

[Pumpkin Ninja]

different types of genuises. you described natural genuises. gai and lee are both taijutsu genuises. but they worked to achieve that.
even if you're born a genius if you dont practice you'll lose it eventually, or the hardworkers catch up.

Yep, I should have stated natural geniuses but my point still stands. When making the thread I was thinking of how people discredit people like Kabuto or Obito.

 

[Blejziken]

First part of chunin exam was all about cheating.

It's actually quite ninja-like thing to do.

 

[SenjuOfTheFrost]

Personally, I dont think they are cheap, as everyone has one of some kind.

 

[Made in Heaven]

No, they're not.

 

[To Whatever]

When will people realize that Powerups aren't free in Naruto and always cost something.

 

[Conspirator.]

It's not cheap. They're ninjas. They aren't supposed to play fair. They have to be ruthless and opportunistic, to be able to "one up" their opponents. I would have thought that people would have understood this concept from the whole Chunnin Exams when Ibiki wanted the ninjas to cheat in the written exam.