Sannotama

The **Sannōtama** technique is a tightly compacted ball of chakra infused with nature energy that is formed in the mouth and launched toward the target at mid to long-range. It was created by the Monkeys of the sage region, **Suhenmori Jungle** and is known for its great destructive power.

## **Overview**

Credited as the creators of the jutsu, the wise and powerful sages of Monkey Island discern who should and shouldn't learn it. It was originally to be used by a number of monkey sages who collaborated their power for a single sphere. Throughout time, however, some learned to use it on their own. After the Four-Tails beast Son Gokū used the Tailed Beast Ball in combat against Sarugami, the deity of Monkey Island, the apes who swore to serve and protect their lord tried to replicate the technique in order to use it on the bijū, should he ever return. When he did return, the technique was successfully used to ward him off. The Sannōtama does not require hand seals to perform like most of the techniques that come out of Monkey Island. Once it is formed, it also does not require any additional chakra or nature energy to sustain it, which means that there is no definite limit to how long the jutsu can be used.

Though the Sannōtama's shape is consistent from user to user, its size varies from only barely large enough to be noticeable to much larger than the user's torso.

The mechanics of the technique are arduous but simplistic in design: it is a nigh impossibly concentrated sphere of chakra and nature energy forced into confined space before one's mouth which causes it to rapidly vibrate and glow with a yellow energy—or the color of one's chakra. As the seconds pass the supercharged ball vibrates at unbelievable speeds, making it highly explosive, especially due to the nature of senjutsu chakra. Thanks of the user's chakra control, however, the sphere does not become volatile and is held together. The weight of the ball swells and if one holds it too long their body will be forced to indent the earth below several feet. At its core, Sannōtama glows hot-white, ready to vaporize whatever it hits.

## **Power of the Technique**

On contact, the Sannōtama hits the target and instantaneously explodes in a furious storm of yellow energy, causing severe damage to whoever encounters the jutsu—it is designed to be a one-hit kill. The aftermath is clearly visible on the surrounding landscape; a circular crater with a perfectly carved perimeter. Most everything is incinerated in its path including all other elemental affinities of the same and lower rank. Because of its intense vibration, the sphere is incredibly quick in transit, moving between treeline and valleys in the blink of an eye to hit its target.

   Even if one should be externally equipped to sustain such damage—as Son Goku was when he returned to Monkey Island—the nature energy condensed in the ball attacks the internal systems of the body, adding dense pressure to the organs and bones. In the hands of the right person Sannōtama can compete with a Bijūdama.

## **Drawbacks**

Because the sphere is form in the mouth it becomes difficult to see what is in front of a person while it is being created. This becomes an obvious obstacle and alone deems the technique forbidden. Furthermore, the chakra and nature energy needed is so delicate that disturbances could see to it that one's chakra explodes in their face, killing them.

If one is too close, the aftermath of the explosion threatens to harm them and their comrades as well.

## **Learning**

In order to learn Sannōtama, one has to have an impeccably polished chakra control seen in "one in a million humans", according to the wise sages of Suhenmori Jungle. One of the reasons is because it calls for one to form their chakra into the perfect shape ever—a sphere—and gather nature energy at the same time, all within a few moments. To make training easier, a few steps are required:

* **Compression** — The user learns to open their mouth to force their chakra into a control confined space that once set does not expand or deflate. To help, learners are given a special clay vase that hangs from the vines in Suhenmori Jungle and are told to use their mouths to fill it to capacity with chakra and maintain that level consistently. If the vase shatters or moves there was too much chakra. If the vase sways or whistles there is too little or no consistency. Once they can maintain the vase in mid air for a period of time, they have mastered compression.

* **Nature Energy** — In order to use nature energy one does not have to enter Sage Mode. Learning to sense and gather this energy, however, is arduous. Most learners fall short here and give up or turn to stone monkeys and are never seen again. That is why the monkey sages use a special mud mixture that is thrown onto the body (the mouth) of the one who begins to turn into a monkey or into stone to substitute the transformation for the mud mixture. Instead of them turning, the mud does and falls off of them so that the process can be repeated again.

It is essential that learners knwo that the intention is not to distribute nature energy throughout the whole body; that is entering Sage Mode and is much more difficult. One only has to do it for the chakra in their mouths, hence the mud mixture. The gatherer must remain absolutely still in order to be one with nature and balance the natural energy with their own physical and spiritual energies. Stillness is generally practiced on a four inch thick vine that one sits on, the vine tied to two large trees in the jungle, ten meters apart.

* **Vibration** — Once you have compression and nature energy, it is important to combine and contain them both and to be able to do so simultaneously. To vibrate is to move continuously in pulsations; one's sage chakra must be able to consistently keep its form while pulsating at a rapid pace. To help ease the difficulty, trainees are instructed to use the clay vase again but this time a marble is placed inside. If one's vibration is correct, they should hear the marble hit either side of the inside of the vase with perfect timing while they themselves use their mouths to inject the chakra. all while not shattering the vase and gathering nature energy. It essentially combines the first two steps and adds another. Because this portion is so difficult, many only practice the use of this jutsu as a team so that the work can be shared amongst sages. Shadow Clones work as well.

Once these steps are learned ones can learn to form Sannōtama in their mouths without a medium. This is quite possibly the most damning or dangerous part, however, because of a simple fact—the densely compacted vibrating chakra is none to blow the tongue off of those who have failed in practicing it, killing the trainee. If they use too much chakra or cannot concentrate, the chakra explodes, causing severe damage.

## **Trivia**

* Some have learned to control the trajectory of the sphere
* Masters of the jutsu can shoot continuous spheres