Naraka Path

The Naraka Path (地獄道, Jigokudō) grants its user two core abilities through the King of Hell: interrogation and restoration. Pain channelled the Naraka Path's power through the body of a priest.

The Naraka Path's ability rests largely on the King of Hell — a huge head that rises from the earth, wreathed in purple flames. It also possesses the Rinnegan and shares a common field of vision with the other summons.

To interrogate, the Naraka Path merely needs to seize a person, which causes the King of Hell to appear before them. While the victim is seemingly paralysed, the Naraka Path begins its questioning. Once answers are given, the King of Hell opens its mouth, releases tentacle-like arms, and draws out a manifestation of the victim's life-force energy in the shape of an enlarged tongue. The King of Hell then passes judgement. If the person lies or refuses to answer, the King of Hell tears out and eats their tongue, apparently killing them. If they tell the truth they are spared, though left utterly drained.

The Naraka Path's second ability is the restoration of any kind of damage. To do this, the Naraka Path has the King of Hell swallow the damaged body with its tentacle-like arms; after a time, the destroyed body emerges from its mouth fully renewed. It applied this, for example, to the Asura Path after it was destroyed by Chōji and Chōza Akimichi. Thanks to its restorative powers, the Naraka Path could easily be considered the most valuable body of the Six Pains when spread across six different bodies. In formation, Nagato places the Naraka Path behind the emotional Deva Path, with the other four on the front lines.

Kabuto Yakushi has stated that a Naraka Path user can transport bodies and souls using the King of Hell.

Influences

Naraka is a Sanskrit word meaning the underworld. In Hinduism it is a place where souls are sent to atone for their sins. Yama is the God of Justice and King of Hell. After death, he metes out fitting punishments to living beings — he may, for instance, plunge them into boiling oil. Lie to him and he tears out your tongue.

In Buddhism, the Naraka realm or "hell realm" is a plane of rebirth based on the Karma (deeds of body, speech and mind) accumulated in a previous life or lives. There are various Narakas, each holding beings who are tormented until their Karma reaches its full and complete result. These beings can then be reborn into a higher plane. On the uppermost level, the "Reviving" Naraka, sinners endlessly attack one another and are healed only by a cold wind — likely the inspiration for the healing power the Naraka Path wields through the King of Hell.

Naraka superficially resembles the Christian concepts of hell or purgatory, but there are many important differences between them.