The Supremacy of Rashōmon

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What makes summons so useful is that their power is their power irrespectiveof your own power. Something like, just because baby Naruto is baby level doesn't mean that Gamabunta will operate at baby level. He can just pop in and wipe out a squad of AnBu with a swing of his blade. Now of course there is that chakra cost thing which means a baby isn't just gonna summon a boss summon on the regular, but even that is easily worked around because the summons can use their own power to bring their bigger buddies if needed. Did we not see this against Possum Shukaku when Kichi brought out Bunta? So ultimately, the summons will always be powerful no matter the weakness of their caster. And of course, if you're on good terms then they're practically free to spam since they can stay around using their own power!

What makes summons so limited is that no matter how powerful your opponent is, their power stays the same. That is to say, just because Naruto has advanced to bijuu levels of power doesn't mean that Gamabunta will automatically be at that level. Basically, they can't grow with you, so at higher levels they're just meat shields - and not even that since higher level attacks would just plow through them. Perhaps the fact that they live means that you can train with them, but the fact that you live in different worlds as well as limits to potential for growth makes this not only difficult but possibly burdensome at higher levels.

NOT SO WITH RASHŌMON! (Of course, this applies to both the good and the bad)
Based on the different size and tanking showings when used by Sakon and Ukon, Orochimaru and Edo Hashirama, they seem just as bound to the normal input limit of other summons, with the added trouble of their abiotic status meaning they can't really work around this. Now this is certainly a disadvantage, but it is somewhat alleviated by the fact that the power of the Rashōmon Gates is exponentially higher than the level of the summoner. Sakon and Ukon were able to block what was directly hyped as the strongest single impact in Konohagakure, when their previous showings had them struggling to get past jounin; Orochimaru was able to tank an explosion-propelled TBB while on his last legs; and of course, Hashirama was able to deflect arguably the strongest single attack in the history of the world in that TBB from the Ten Tails(!!!) while Hashirama himself would struggle with a much weaker version of the guy controlling the Ten Tails. So the RG operating at such a high level goes some way to covering this disadvantage. Another disadvantage is their abiotic status which also makes them one-trick tools. I mean, Gamabunta can at least run away from a superior foe and also be useful in many other scenarios besides battle. There would seem to be no way around this, until one considers that a tool can be used as the master wishes. So it's not as versatile, but it is still worth mention. Perhaps the fact that they can never die also helps in avoiding any diplomatic troubles. Imagine if the snakes held a grudge towards Sasuke for his betrayal of their strongest . . . Overall, the disadvantages certainly make their mark, but it is not much deeper than the counters.
Now the biggest matter is the major advantage RG have over normal summons: their growth potential. If they can be used by jounin level bodyguards as well as super-kage levels like Hashirama, then for all intents and purposes one can speculate that the level growth of the RG is limitless. Being able to be used at the levels of any character gives the RG an insurmountable advantage over other summons in that they can always be useful no matter the level of combat. And since we know that the strongest of the toads (arguably the strongest race of summons ) are no stronger than a single of the SPoP, the best thing to a counter - summoning more allies - clearly doesn't go very far . . . So overall, this advantage stands well ahead of any counters to it. Its an insurmountable wall!

So the disadvantages are decently countered while the advantages stand absolutele. By mathematical logic, that puts Rashōmon well ahead of other summons.

Even then, there's more . . .
The types of the advantages and disadvantages and their counters give the RG a clear win on technicalities alone. The fact that the RG operate at a level clearly above their summoner strengthens the advantages.
One can also speculate that this in itself is further boosted by the fact that, unlike other summons, the RG were never implied to be taxing. We see it clearly in that Sakon and Ukon were already tired from fighting those jounin (they even needed to stop moving and rest) and even within their reserves for the Kiba fight they were on their last legs (having just gone to CM lvl2 and separated) yet summoned a gate with outstanding defensive power. We see it again in that Orochimaru had a body that was rejecting him (so chakra and stamina are in the gutter) and had already used Oral Rebirth multiple times and would soon state himself to be at his limit (this would be confirmed by Kabuto, his medic), yet summoned three gates who absorbed enough of the explosion for Orochimaru himself to only suffer a broken knee . . . Seriously, that's CRAZY. I can't say much for Hashirama seeing as he was ET and all. Basically, just imagine what size and number of gates they could summon when they are fresh and healthy. If we scale via chakra quantity alone, they could easily summon what the guy above them did (Sakon and Ukon could easily bring out gates the same as those used by Orochimaru, who in turn could bring out the five used by Hashirama)
Now the above two really serve to strengthen a pre-existing point of the level of the RG being so high that it totally washes away their supposed disadvantages. However, there is another point which provides a different reason altogether why they should be the best of the summons. It is the symbolism that is in Naruto, the tropes. Basically, the best underlings tend to use powers from their boss, with the boss having the best powers from their underlings. Sakon and Ukon had the RG and were called the strongest of the four, they also called Rashōmon the best defense Orochimaru has despite his body being so wierd and all. This is solidified by looking at the powers Hashirama was given in part 2 of the story - which I frankly doubt he had during his character inception but was given because everyone else was so powered up and he needed something to boost his standing - which would be the powers of the Sannin. The Sannin of course are the best of all shinobi (by hype and all) and certainly the best to come out of Konoha, both groups of which Hashirama is the leader with his Deity of Shinobi hype. And of course, he took the best of their powers - Sage Mode from Jiraiya, Regeneration from Tsunade and . . . Rashōmon from Orochimaru! I mean, you can't deny he took the best from Tsunade and Jiraiya, so the trend says he took the best from Orochimaru as well. Now since this is Orochimaru with his Oral Rebirth and Hydra Form, we have to take it that RG are being put above even those powers. This is further compounded by the statement from Sakon and Ukon that the RG are the best defense that Orochimaru has. This trope is also seen in the SPoP. Their powers are basically the best of each field of Shinobi Arts - Naraka being perfect healing, Preta being perfect absorption, Animal being the best summoning, Human being intel and espionage, Ashura being taijutsu and reinforcement, Deva being ninjutsu - which fits since SPoP were introduced as the Deity of Shinobi as well. Also, the Rinnegan being the power of the one who developed Shinobi Creed fits this narrative.
Another symbolism arises from the rotational nature of fights in Naruto, which was somewhat introduced via the Sannin. Jiraiya beats Tsunade beats Orochimaru. So it fits that since Jiraiya uses summons a lot, Orochimaru beats him by having the best summon. Also, Orochimaru actually uses summons more than Jiraiya, if one looks at his part 2 fights. Jiraiya uses summons but Orochimaru directly integrates them not only into his style but even his very forms. So Orochimaru is actually the best user of summons and has the best one. Of course, this rotation continues with Tsunade having a summon that directly disintegrates anything in Katsuyu with her acid to beat Orochimaru who always reforms from a small piece. Her strikes are also proven to be a good counter to solid defenses like RG. Jiraiya then beats her by fighting from range and when he does get close he uses soft bodied summons like the Frog Stomach that punches simply won't work on. Also, it's hype for digesting fire - and honestly, simply being a digestive pit - seems to directly call out to Katsuyu being an acid spitter. This also serves to down the idea that the best power from Orochimaru shouldn't be a summon since Jiraiya is the one who uses summons. Hashirama took their latest and best powers so . . .

So you have a symbolism which directly says that Rashōmon is the best summon in the series as well as technicalities which calculate it to be the best.

What say you?
 
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