What Would Have Happened if Kakashi Hadn’t Stopped Naruto and Sasuke on the Hospital Rooftop?

Naruto and Sasuke’s rooftop battle at the hospital in Naruto was a pivotal moment that foreshadowed their later, more intense conflicts. Kakashi stopping their fight was crucial in preventing an early tragedy, but what if he hadn’t? Would both have lost their arms, or would Sasuke have suffered a greater loss? Let’s analyze this scenario from a power-scaling perspective to determine the true outcome.

The Attacks: Rasengan vs. Chidori

Naruto and Sasuke’s signature techniques—the Rasengan and the Chidori—were set to collide in a clash of raw power and precision. While both are A-rank jutsu, their mechanics differ significantly:

• Chidori: A high-speed, lightning-based assassination technique that enhances the user’s piercing power. It relies on speed and precision, making it a deadly offensive move.

• Rasengan: A swirling sphere of chakra that grinds into an opponent upon impact, causing significant internal damage through sheer force.

While Chidori is designed to puncture, Rasengan is built to grind and explode on impact. The interaction between these techniques is key to understanding what would have happened in an unrestricted battle.

Why Sasuke Would Have Lost an Arm

During their final battle in Naruto: Shippuden, both Naruto and Sasuke lost an arm when their enhanced versions of these techniques clashed. However, the circumstances were different:

• Sasuke’s Kagutsuchi-enhanced Chidori was infused with Blaze Release (Amaterasu flames), elevating its destructive power to an S-rank jutsu.

• Naruto, at that point, was using a more refined Rasengan, combined with Sage Chakra and Kurama’s influence.

Even with these enhancements, they still ended up equally injured. Now, let’s go back to the rooftop fight.

• Naruto, at that moment, was using a normal Rasengan.

• Sasuke was using a basic Chidori, without any enhancements beyond his base Sharingan.

Given that a normal Rasengan is superior to a normal Chidori, this means the result of their rooftop clash wouldn’t have been mutual destruction. Instead, Sasuke would have taken the brunt of the damage. Since Rasengan doesn’t rely on direct penetration but rather explosive force, it would have overpowered Chidori upon impact, redirecting its trajectory and hitting Sasuke hard enough to cause serious damage.

This means that instead of both losing an arm, Sasuke would likely have lost his arm while Naruto would have remained unscathed.

Why Chidori is Weaker Against Rasengan

Chidori’s fundamental weakness against Rasengan comes from its linear nature:

• Piercing vs. Multi-Directional Force: Chidori’s piercing power is immense, but it’s designed for a direct, single-point attack. Rasengan, on the other hand, creates force in multiple directions simultaneously, making it a perfect counter.

• Speed vs. Stability: Chidori requires extreme speed to maximize its effectiveness. While Sasuke was fast, he was nowhere near the speed required to fully penetrate the Rasengan before being overpowered by its rotational force.

• Defensive Capabilities: Rasengan has an inherent defensive advantage because its swirling chakra absorbs and redistributes incoming force. Chidori does not offer the same protection.

Potential Outcomes If Kakashi Hadn’t Intervened

If the battle had continued uninterrupted, there are a few realistic possibilities:

1. Sasuke Loses His Arm

   • The Rasengan overpowers Chidori and slams into Sasuke’s body.

   • The force is enough to either dislocate or completely destroy Sasuke’s arm.

   • Sasuke is left severely injured, making him even more desperate to seek power from Orochimaru.

2. Sasuke is Critically Injured

   • Even if Sasuke doesn’t lose his arm outright, the impact could knock him unconscious or cause severe internal injuries.

   • His weakened state may force an earlier decision to leave Konoha for Orochimaru’s tutelage.

3. Naruto Gets Caught in the Aftermath

   • While unlikely, if Naruto were to miscalculate his Rasengan’s release, the resulting explosion could cause some self-inflicted damage.

   • However, his superior durability (due to Kurama’s chakra) would minimize any lasting harm.

Would This Change the Story?

If Sasuke had been permanently injured, his trajectory in the story would have drastically changed:

• A Weaker Sasuke: Losing an arm at this stage would have made Sasuke significantly weaker, potentially preventing him from fully mastering the Curse Mark and later developing techniques like Kirin or Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan.

• No Orochimaru Training?: If Sasuke had suffered a near-fatal injury, he might not have had the strength to defect to Orochimaru at all.

• Earlier Redemption?: A major injury might have made Sasuke rethink his decisions earlier, possibly preventing his spiral into darkness and revenge.

On the other hand, this scenario could also fuel his hatred even more, making him even more desperate for power.

Conclusion

Had Kakashi not intervened, the rooftop battle would have had severe consequences for Sasuke. The Rasengan’s superiority over Chidori means that Sasuke would have been the one to suffer a major injury, likely losing his arm or sustaining life-threatening wounds. This moment could have changed the course of Naruto’s story dramatically, either by forcing Sasuke onto an even darker path or preventing him from becoming the powerhouse he later became.

Kakashi’s timely intervention not only saved Sasuke from permanent injury but also ensured that their inevitable battle at the Valley of the End would happen under more climactic circumstances. His decision was one of the many turning points that shaped Naruto and Sasuke’s rivalry, proving once again that even small moments can have massive implications in the world of Naruto.