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It's currently accepted on Sasuke's profile that Kirin moves at the speed of light given two databook statements asserting it does. I have an issue with these statements, but before I tackle them specifically, I wish to establish Kirin, the technique.
Kirin requires the formation of a storm cloud to be used as Kirin doesn't create its own lightning bolt through Chakra, but rather uses Chakra to shape and control natural lightning. So we have direct confirmation that Kirin is a natural bolt of lightning. Now, Black Zetsu (who I will now call Zetsu for convenience) describes Kirin as moving 1/1000 of a second, which is a general timeframe for a lightning bolt IRL, and how it surpasses the speed of sound, a description of its speed.
With everything given, it should be cut and dry that Kirin is supposed to move at the speed of lightning as it's a natural lightning bolt, and is given a timeframe which generally lines up with the speed of a lightning bolt? It is, but as always, complication must be introduced for scaling sake. It's stated in the databooks that Kirin moves at the speed of light twice. Now, you would assume there is valid justification for us to believe these statements are truthful, although contradictory to Zetsu's statement, rather than being hyperbolic, correct? This isn't the case however, no rationale is given for us to believe the statements are supposed to be taken seriously, outside of assuming that they should because it's stated so in the databooks. I don't find this argument convincing in the slightest, and actually, when you look into the statements themselves, it's clear they aren't even supposed to be taken literally.
Let us go through each statement, individually:
First, we have this one:
For the sake of bringing down Itachi, Sasuke created this ultimate technique. Being struck by lightning taking the form of the legendary sacred beast Kirin, approaching the opponent at light speed it's superb!!
The first problem with this statement is that "approaching the opponent at light speed, it's superb" is suspiciously similar to other common figurative descriptions like "striking the opponent with lightning fast strikes, he's quick" which describes the attack/attacker as incredibly fast and deadly, but ultimately isn't supposed to be assumed as literal given its grammatical structure (describing something as approaching at the speed of light, then introducing another word to specifically comment on the "superb-ness" of that level of speed, isn't usually supposed to be assume literal as it's using exaggerated language to show the reader how absolutely crazy this thing is. The introduction of that type of language calls into question the legitimacy of a literal interpretation, which requires evidence of it being literal to be provided, which hasn't been provided yet)
There is also the issue of nothing in the series supporting this interpretation, and in actuality, we have direct confirmation from Zetsu that the attack is only a natural lightning bolt and has the timeframe implied by one as well. Given all contextual implications, we have literally no reason to believe the statement is literal, and we have due reason that it isn't.
Secondly, we have the next one:
The light speed strike is unavoidable, it blows away the opponent with no time to even blink!!
This statement has the same, exact problems as the previous one, but even more egregious since it's described as a "light speed strike" that is "unavoidable" and how it'll "blow away the opponent with no time to even blink". All of this language used is heavily exaggerated to show the sheer strength and speed behind Kirin, it isn't supposed to be taken literal unless we assume the strike is truly unavoidable and that it will blow away the opponent with no time to even blink. We can't just cherry pick what we believe is literal and what is figurative.
I won't even talk about the several examples of speed of light being used, rhetorically, in Naruto to exaggerate the speed of an attack or show how consistent it is that the speed of lightning is held in high regards by high-tier characters. None of this is needed when the statements themselves are, in my opinion, blatantly hyperbolic and unsupported in the main canon.
In conclusion, I think light speed Kirin should be removed; what exactly the speed of Kirin should be changed to is up for debate, but it's at least as fast as your average bolt of lightning given the context.
Voting:
Agree - @Damage3245, @LephyrTheRevanchist, @KingTempest
Disagree -
Neutral -
Kirin requires the formation of a storm cloud to be used as Kirin doesn't create its own lightning bolt through Chakra, but rather uses Chakra to shape and control natural lightning. So we have direct confirmation that Kirin is a natural bolt of lightning. Now, Black Zetsu (who I will now call Zetsu for convenience) describes Kirin as moving 1/1000 of a second, which is a general timeframe for a lightning bolt IRL, and how it surpasses the speed of sound, a description of its speed.
With everything given, it should be cut and dry that Kirin is supposed to move at the speed of lightning as it's a natural lightning bolt, and is given a timeframe which generally lines up with the speed of a lightning bolt? It is, but as always, complication must be introduced for scaling sake. It's stated in the databooks that Kirin moves at the speed of light twice. Now, you would assume there is valid justification for us to believe these statements are truthful, although contradictory to Zetsu's statement, rather than being hyperbolic, correct? This isn't the case however, no rationale is given for us to believe the statements are supposed to be taken seriously, outside of assuming that they should because it's stated so in the databooks. I don't find this argument convincing in the slightest, and actually, when you look into the statements themselves, it's clear they aren't even supposed to be taken literally.
Let us go through each statement, individually:
First, we have this one:
For the sake of bringing down Itachi, Sasuke created this ultimate technique. Being struck by lightning taking the form of the legendary sacred beast Kirin, approaching the opponent at light speed it's superb!!
The first problem with this statement is that "approaching the opponent at light speed, it's superb" is suspiciously similar to other common figurative descriptions like "striking the opponent with lightning fast strikes, he's quick" which describes the attack/attacker as incredibly fast and deadly, but ultimately isn't supposed to be assumed as literal given its grammatical structure (describing something as approaching at the speed of light, then introducing another word to specifically comment on the "superb-ness" of that level of speed, isn't usually supposed to be assume literal as it's using exaggerated language to show the reader how absolutely crazy this thing is. The introduction of that type of language calls into question the legitimacy of a literal interpretation, which requires evidence of it being literal to be provided, which hasn't been provided yet)
There is also the issue of nothing in the series supporting this interpretation, and in actuality, we have direct confirmation from Zetsu that the attack is only a natural lightning bolt and has the timeframe implied by one as well. Given all contextual implications, we have literally no reason to believe the statement is literal, and we have due reason that it isn't.
Secondly, we have the next one:
The light speed strike is unavoidable, it blows away the opponent with no time to even blink!!
This statement has the same, exact problems as the previous one, but even more egregious since it's described as a "light speed strike" that is "unavoidable" and how it'll "blow away the opponent with no time to even blink". All of this language used is heavily exaggerated to show the sheer strength and speed behind Kirin, it isn't supposed to be taken literal unless we assume the strike is truly unavoidable and that it will blow away the opponent with no time to even blink. We can't just cherry pick what we believe is literal and what is figurative.
I won't even talk about the several examples of speed of light being used, rhetorically, in Naruto to exaggerate the speed of an attack or show how consistent it is that the speed of lightning is held in high regards by high-tier characters. None of this is needed when the statements themselves are, in my opinion, blatantly hyperbolic and unsupported in the main canon.
In conclusion, I think light speed Kirin should be removed; what exactly the speed of Kirin should be changed to is up for debate, but it's at least as fast as your average bolt of lightning given the context.
Voting:
Agree - @Damage3245, @LephyrTheRevanchist, @KingTempest
Disagree -
Neutral -
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