One of the three main branches of jutsu, Ninjutsu is quite possibly its most widely used type in Naruto. Simply put, it is the ability to mold chakra into a nature type, and usually requires the usage of hand-seals to give birth to a technique.
The scope of Ninjutsu is such that no character in the series has ever completely mastered it. However, there are those who excel in its usage after having trained rigorously over years, and so these characters have become incredibly powerful. In this post, we'll be ranking the 10 strongest ninjutsu users in the history of Naruto.
10 Orochimaru
A genius in his own right, Orochimaru was fascinated by ninjutsu ever since he was a kid. His obsession with learning every single ninjutsu ultimately led to him seeking immortality. Orochimaru mastered the usage of all five basic nature types, and even managed to learn some of the forbidden ninjutsu, such as the Edo Tensei, along the way.
He also possesses several Kekkei Genkai, such as wood release, and since he's immortal, he truly does have the potential to master all the jutsu known to man. In Boruto, Orochimaru has even managed to create a synthetic human, which shows his proficiency, and his understanding of chakra and ninjutsu.
9 Hashirama Senju
One of the very few characters to have learned all five elemental natures through training, Hashirama Senju was the first hokage of Konoha. His power is what united several small countries to give birth to the shinobi village system, which was later adopted by many others as well.
While Hashirama Senju knew all the basic elements, he excelled in the usage of wood release, and the sacred sage mode. His near-infinite reserves of chakra, coupled with his overpowered ninjutsu, is indeed what made him the strongest shinobi of his generation.
8 Hiruzen Sarutobi
Hiruzen was the Third Hokage of Konoha, and once, the student of Hashirama and Tobirama Senju. True to his moniker of 'The Professor', Hiruzen had every bit of knowledge available on ninjutsu. He was a master of all the five basic elements, along with the special techniques of the clans in Konoha, such as the Nara clan's shadow manipulation, as well.
Through years of hard work, Hiruzen learned all the ninjutsu in the hidden leaf's history, which goes to show how adept he was at using this art. Without a doubt, he was one of the strongest shinobi to ever exist in Naruto.
7 Nagato Uzumaki
The first known wielder of the Rinnegan in Naruto after the Sage of Six Paths, Nagato Uzumaki was a student of Jiraiya. Thanks to the Rinnegan, he gained the ability to learn each and every ninjutsu to have ever existed. As such, he managed to learn all major chakra natures at a very young age.
Through his legendary eye, he was also able to use godly ninjutsu techniques, such as the deva path, and the other six paths techniques. Nagato's proficiency with ninjutsu would've been even higher, but unfortunately, he didn't live long enough to achieve that feat.
6 Obito Uchiha
Also known as the second Sage of Six Paths, Obito Uchiha trained for several years under Madara's tutelage to get stronger. Having a legend as his teacher made him a master of all the nature types, and thus, one of the strongest shinobi of his time. Incredibly enough, Obito's growth didn't stop there.
He managed to gain access to the Rinnegan as well, and absorbed the ten-tails into his body, becoming a God in the process. With the powers of the Six Paths at his disposal, Obito could use ninjutsu that an average shinobi didn't even know existed, and using the said powers, he proved to be a threat to the entire shinobi world in the fourth great ninja war.
5 Madara Uchiha
One of the strongest Uchihas to ever exist, Madara Uchiha was once a child prodigy, and the rival of Hashirama Senju. As such, his growth was akin to Hashirama himself. As an adult, Madara could use all the five basic elements to their highest degree. Over the course of time, Madara grew so powerful that he, just like Obito, managed to attain the power of the Sage of Six Paths.
Using the Rinnegan, he gained access to multiple new justu, such as the Kekkei Genkai storm release, and even the fabled rinne-sharingan. Madara could've grown even powerful had he not been tricked by Zetsu at the very last moment.
4 Naruto Uzumaki
The protagonist of the series, Naruto Uzumaki, is undoubtedly an able ninjutsu user. Although Naruto didn't really use any jutsu other than the Rasengan and the shadow-clone technique in the earlier parts of the series, he grew tremendously during the ninja war arc.
Thanks to the Six Paths Senjustu, Naruto gained the ability to use all five nature types, along with three Kekkei Genkai in lava release, boil release, and magnet release. Using the yin-yang release, Naruto can even create something out of nothing, as shown when he gave Kakashi his left eye back. Although not apparent at first, Naruto is easily one of the most competent ninjutsu users in the series.
3 Sasuke Uchiha
Feared as one of the strongest shinobi of all time, and the only person capable of rivaling Naruto Uzumaki, Sasuke Uchiha is an exceedingly powerful shinobi. Much of his strength comes from ninjutsu, as that's what Sasuke has always excelled in. As one of the few wielders of the Rinnegan, Sasuke Uchiha has the ability to use all the five natures, along with yin, yang, and yin-yang release as well.
His rinnegan gives him the ability to use several space-time ninjutsu. Unsurprisingly, Sasuke Uchiha is a user of three different Kekkei Genkai. Thanks to his years of training, Sasuke has also managed to create a pseudo-ice release jutsu, which shows how polished his ninjutsu skills truly are.
2 Hagoromo Otsutsuki
The Sage of Six Paths, Hagoromo Otsutsuki, is arguably the strongest character in the entire Naruto series. Being the first person to be born with chakra, Hagoromo excelled at its usage to the point where he didn't even need hand signs to cast a jutsu.
The ability to use ninjutsu came naturally to him, and using his Rinnegan, he could even take his skills to the next level. Originally, it was Hagoromo who created ninjutsu, although back then, he called it Ninshu, and his goal was to unite the people using this power. Undoubtedly, he is one of its strongest users.
1 Kaguya Otsutsuki
Topping the list is none other than the progenitor of chakra itself, Kaguya Otsutsuki. Just like her son, Hagoromo, the ability to use ninjutsu came naturally to her. Kaguya was capable of using all the basic nature types, and on top of that, she even possessed two Kekkei Mora abilities, the byakugan, and the rinne-sharingan.
Kaguya also had such excellent control over chakra that ninjutsu of any caliber was simply ineffective against her. Her space-time ninjutsu was certainly one of the strongest in the entire series, and when it comes to raw power, she possessed enough to wipe out an entire star with ease.