To this day the substitution jutsu makes 0 sense.

[kimb]

Goku: ~KAME......HAMMMEEE....HAAAAAAA~
Naruto: AAAGgghhhHHH!!!
*turns into a log*

 

[To Whatever]

I'm pretty sure they carry logs inside scrolls.

 

[Anorien16]

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Considering its a Five Seal Technique, actually needs to be done fraction of a moment before the attack lands and the illusion tanks if done improperly ... its actually not so great against faster than normal enemies.

Also First Databook, page 177.

 

[Xāvî1]

It saves your ass from dying!

 

[Inert Brian]

It saves your ass from dying!

lol'd, *cough* plot device *cough*

 

[BenjerminGaye]

Why is it always a clean cut log though?

 

[Megatolium]

It's sad how nobody in this thread seems to know how it works xD

It's simply replacing yourself swiftly with an object. The smoke is just there to cover up the movement.

 

[KisuneUchiha]

Incorrect, you find a log, set up a substitution tag on it, then when you get hit, you swap with the log.

Another way it was used was during the team seven vs Kakashi fight when Kakashi substituted with Naruto to make him hit himself.

That method is unknown as to how to do it.
But substitution overall requires some prep time.

 

[Vicmann]

It's super weird and totally OP. Set that up and it evades, amaterasu, chibaku tensei, human path... :|

It makes no sense, and seemingly has no limits.

That's what i was thinking about. If you play your move right it can help you get instant kills.

 

[cafe123]

Never really understood it myself, I also wondered why is Henge not used more often.

 

[Uchiha Ricardo]

Madara used it when naruto used sealing rasengan

 

[Joseph Gomes]

I agree, if you think carefully you will realize that substitution jutsu is pretty haxxed. It's extremely useful in battle

 

[UltimateDeadpool]

It's sad how nobody in this thread seems to know how it works xD

It's simply replacing yourself swiftly with an object. The smoke is just there to cover up the movement.

Except that's not correct. Kawarimi no Jutsu is classified as a ninjutsu, and it requires handseals.

Many jutsus have a smoke effect, such as when Naruto uses Shadow Clones.

 

[AlphaScythian]

I completely agree.

 

[SageOfTheTenPaths]

Hashirama used wood clones agains Madara in the war, thats the last time.

 

[Caliburn]

Lol I always wondered why no one ever made a thread about this. I always found that jutsu messed up, but not for the reasons you stated as the log isn't transformed into a breathing human, that's an optical illusion. It appears like that the user has been hit, but in fact it wasn't (and even if that was the case even that is nothing special as it's not that hard either for shinobi to give stuff other appearances), the only thing that ever has been hit was the log.

The user is simply switched with an object just before the moment of impact, creating the illusion he is being hit. The illogical part is how can he change himself with an object that fast? If you're that fast, you could easily dodge it and counter the opponent. It makes no sense that you would waste your time dodging an attack, get an object from around and place that on the place you stood.

In the end though it's an extremely basic jutsu that every shinobi knows. That it has been mainly used at the start of the series has probably to do with that. The difference between Kakashi and Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura during the bell test was so large that Kakashi could easily toy around with them by for instance switching himself with a clone on the moment Naruto thought he had him.

In fact that jutsu is more of a prank than anything else most of the time. Later on in the series something like that would just not work anymore as all the shinobi that appear are supposed to be experienced. If you would try that jutsu on them, it could potentially kill you as they would see right through it as it's so basic. It's also pointless in battles on life and death to bother switching with a log if you could use that time to attack the opponent.

The reason why Kishi added it is because it's one of the most classical ninja skills around. It frequently pops up whenever a ninja is introduced in a series.

 

[bencoby]

Ah too bad it could have been OP.

 

[UltimateDeadpool]

Lol I always wondered why no one ever made a thread about this. I always found that jutsu messed up, but not for the reasons you stated as the log isn't transformed into a breathing human, that's an optical illusion. It appears like that the user has been hit, but in fact it wasn't (and even if that was the case even that is nothing special as it's not that hard either for shinobi to give stuff other appearances), the only thing that ever has been hit was the log.

The user is simply switched with an object just before the moment of impact, creating the illusion he is being hit. The illogical part is how can he change himself with an object that fast? If you're that fast, you could easily dodge it and counter the opponent. It makes no sense that you would waste your time dodging an attack, get an object from around and place that on the place you stood.

In the end though it's an extremely basic jutsu that every shinobi knows. That it has been mainly used at the start of the series has probably to do with that. The difference between Kakashi and Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura during the bell test was so large that Kakashi could easily toy around with them by for instance switching himself with a clone on the moment Naruto thought he had him.

In fact that jutsu is more of a prank than anything else most of the time. Later on in the series something like that would just not work anymore as all the shinobi that appear are supposed to be experienced. If you would try that jutsu on them, it could potentially kill you as they would see right through it as it's so basic. It's also pointless in battles on life and death to bother switching with a log if you could use that time to attack the opponent.

The reason why Kishi added it is because it's one of the most classical ninja skills around. It frequently pops up whenever a ninja is introduced in a series.

It's a limited form of teleportation. It isn't just a trick using quick movement, it's ninjutsu.

While logs are usually depicted, it's stated that you can switch places with any loose object... a log, a rabbit... a person, whatever.

Kakashi didn't wrestle free from Naruto, sneak through the crowed of Shadow Clones, grab the Shadow Clone in the back row, sneak back over and put the Shadow Clone in Naruto's arms, then sneak away again without any of them knowing what just happened.

It's just THAT broken, and probably why it was reduced to plot. Honestly, most of the basic jutsus are, such as Body Flicker or Exploding Seals.

 

[Your Creepy Stalker]

Just imagine: Naruto and Sasuke seal Kaguya at last, and she turns into a log.

 

[kaiyokoon]

Madara successfully used it on current Sasuke and Naruto. Just because it is a basic jutsu does not mean it can't work on the highest tier of opponent, it scales with the user's skill level.