[Theory] Fractal Eyeballs

Mikoto · Sep 6, 2012

I'm going to attempt to outline what I think is the secret of the Rinnegan and the great dōjutsu. First I have to explain a few things about the Uchiha monument.

When Uchiha Madara was reanimated, he had a brief conversation with Kabuto. He asked Kabuto, in that conversation, if Kabuto had read the Uchiha monument or not. This implies something kind of interesting. I'll get back to this in a moment.

When Itatchi fought Sasuke, and their genjutsu battle was finished, Itatchi tells Sasuke that the light will eventually fade from the Mangekyō Sharingan and leave its user blind. When Sasuke hears this, he states that blindness must be price one pays for controling the Kyuubi. Itatchi then asks rhetorically, whether Sasuke read the Uchiha monument. In other words that was part of what was written there.

In the Iron country, Tobi/Obito tells the five kage about the juubi and the Rikudō Sennin having been the first Jinchūriki. Tobi/Obito states that posession of the juubi gives one the ability to develop the most powerful dōjutsu eyes. He also says that his information comes from the same Uchiha Monument. He goes on to mention that information on it can be decoded in parts using the Sharingan, the Mangekyō Sharingan, and the Rinnegan in turn.

Madara asked wether Kabuto had read the Uchiha monument. in response to Kabuto, having mentioned that he "improved" his body. In other words, something must have been written on the Uchiha monument concerning Madara's body. From these facts I conclude that all the secrets of the great dōjutsu are written on the Uchiha tablet.

That's all well and good, but how does that reveal the secrets of the Rinnegan? First lets review again what the tablet must contain:

You must kill the person closest to you to gain the Mangekyō Sharingan.
The Mangekyō Sharingan has the power to control the Kyuubi.
The Mangekyō Sharingan will cause one to go blind from it's use.
The blindness caused by overuse of the Mangekyō Sharingan can be overcome by taking a sibbling's eyes, gaining the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan.
The Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan grants a unique jutsu.
How to gain the Rinnegan.
The Rikudō Sennin was the host of the juubi.
Being the juubi's host, grants one the most powerful dōjutsu.

Looking at this closely, we can infer that each eye (Sharingan, Mangekyō Sharingan, and Rinnegan) allows one to read instructions for obtaining it's upgrade and details what powers it has. I.E. the Sharingan explains what it can do and how to obtain its upgrade, the Mangekyō Sharingan.

So, how does one obtain the Rinnegan? Some assume Nagato was blessed with the eye, because the Uzumaki clan is descended from Rikudō Sennin. That theory suggests that one doesn't have to do anything more than be born with them. It's genetic. However, Tobi, having stabbed Konan, reveals that he was the one who gave Nagato the Rinnegan. It's possible Tobi is lying just to torture Konan. This seems like it must be a lie, because Tobi, we know, is Obito. Obito was too young to have given Nagato the Rinnegan at birth. Let's dig a little deeper.

Remember that Madara peeked down his armor, after Kabuto explained how he improved his body. Madara replies that Kabuto is well prepared. And before this, Madara thought Kabuto must have read the Uchiha monument. In Madara's "golden age," Madara fought with Senju Hashirama to obtain his DNA. Several people have already suspected that Madara used the first Hokage's DNA to gain the Rinnegan, but this was cast into doubt, because of the aforementioned Obito/Nagato timeline issue. Some think Madara just wanted access to more chakra and wood release. But, if the Uchiha tablet instructs one about dōjutsu upgrades and powers (and as far as we know that's the only reason for the tablet to exist), why would it detail something about Senju DNA, unless it pertains to something regarding the possession a greater dōjutsu. At this point, regardless of Tobi's statement to Konan, it's safe to assume an Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan and Senju DNA are needed to gain access to the Rinnegan.

Wait a second you say? Why would a candidate for the Rinnegan need EMS first? Well for one we know so far that each progression of the Sharingan dōjutsu becomes more powerful, it gains something. Mangekyō Sharingan is preceded by EMS, and it gives the user an unknown ability/jutsu. It seemed odd to me that the candidate for Rinnegan would have to be an Uchiha, then master medical ninjutsu (or know someone who has), and then incorporate that genetic material into oneself. Perhaps this unknown EMS power has something to do with it. It could be a sealing technique for incorporating DNA into oneself, but that seems unlikely and too imaginative. I think it might have something to do with incorporating some piece of DNA directly, a body part to be exact. What body part would fit with the cannon of dōjutsu progression? How about non-Uchiha eyes? In Naruto chapter 568, page 7, frame 4 we see a beaten Senju Hashirama. What's of note is his right eye, which is closed and bleeding. Presumably, this is after he fought Madara, and captured the Kyuubi, because he is addressing Kurama. It's a leap of logic, to say the least, but I think that EMS allows the user to appropriate Senju eyes. But, that admittedly does seem, a rather simple thing to do for a user of EMS who already had to implant a set of eyes once already. Why would one need a special power to accomplish this beyond medical ninjutsu? Senju don't have dōjutsu. This would be a uniting of bloodlines, so rather than implanting you could loo at it as fussing. This explains why only one eye was sufficient and not a set.

There's a little more circumstantial evidence to support this, with regards to the symbolism and fractal nature of Sharingan dōjutsu. The Sharingan translates to "Mirror Wheel Eye" or "Kaleidoscope Eye."

A kaleidoscope is a cylinder with mirrors containing loose, colored objects such as beads or pebbles and bits of glass. As the viewer looks into one end, light entering the other creates a colorful pattern, due to the reflection off of the mirrors. Coined in 1817 by Scottish inventor Sir David Brewster, "kaleidoscope" is derived from the Ancient Greek καλός (kalos), "beautiful, beauty", εἶδος (eidos), "that which is seen: form, shape" and σκοπέω (skopeō), "to look to, to examine", hence "observer of beautiful forms."

-Taken from Wikipedia entry for "Kaleidoscope"

One thing wikipedia does not directly mention is that the kaleidoscope's imagery creates fractal patterns (as seen in Figure 4). Fractals are essentially, self-similar patterns (patterns that have the same overall shape as the parts they are made of) which have a constant apparent scale (as we zoom in or out into the image, the size seems the same). The image in other words loops or is self-reflecting. The design of the Sharingan has a fractal motif demonstrated by the triple tomoe patterns or mitsudomoe, a symbol used in Shintoism that represents the combined elements of heaven, earth, and man. The mitsudomoe represents the power of creation that gives birth to yin and yang (in Taoist tradition, 1 begets 2, 2 begets 3, and 3 begets 10,000 things). Mirrors, light, sight, reflection, and discernment are just some of the many concepts associated with the Sharingan. But the greatest thread running through these concepts is infinity . Infinity often represents almighty power. Through the use of the mirror analogy, light or power is captured by reflecting it in mirrors. The kaleidoscope.

Let's use some of this symbolism to interpret what we already know about the different versions of the Sharingan. Uchiha translates roughly to fan and the fan is their clan symbol. They are a clan of fire users. The fan can be seen as a way to fight the flames. The tomoe symbols in the Sharingan itself can also be seen as magatama or flames. As the Sharingan develops into it's mature form with three tomoe, it can be said symbolically that the Uchiha are the ones who fan the flames of creation (see Figure 1).

To achieve the MS one must confront the death of the person closest to them. In other words look Death in the face. And having looked in the mirror, the power of the eyes is multiplied. You could say that this is the first mirror (see Figure 2).

To gain EMS one must replace their eyes with the eyes of a blood relation. In doing this one sees through the eyes of another and sees one's self. This is the second mirror (see Figure 2). By accepting another's vision the eye pattern is combined.

To gain the Rinnegan one must become one with their opposite, embracing infinity. In essence, by making oneself one with their enemy they confront infinity. This is the third mirror (see Figure 3). By embracing infinity, the eye pattern becomes a fractal symbol (the tomoe converge to become several concentric circles).

This brings us to the topic of the last and greatest dōjutsu, what has been dubbed the Sharinnegan. It is attained when, one with the Rinnegan, seals within them Kami or God or Juubi. Kami then dwells within that person, because through the infinite, oneness is obtained (Buddhism). In other words, God or the cosmic energy (Avatar: The Last Airbender style) is faced, thus forming the fourth mirror. The three mirrors combine to give birth to the fourth power, the power over all creation. The power of the universe (or God or Kami etc.).