The Sage of the Six Paths (六道仙人, Rikudō Sennin) was the legendary figure who founded the arts of ninjutsu and created the ninja world. He defeated the Ten-Tails and sealed it within his own body, thus becoming the first jinchūriki.

 

 

According to Jiraiya, the Sage was a priest who appeared long ago in an age of endless war. He was the first to explain the truth about chakra, as he tried to use his power and wisdom to lead the world to peace instead of war. The Sage travelled throughout the world, spreading his ideas and religion, the Shinobi Sect (忍宗, Ninshū), which eventually came to be known as ninjutsu. His great deeds and true desire to bring peace to the war-torn world made him widely known as the Saviour of this World (この世の救世主, Kono Yo no Kyūseishu).^[1]

Centuries before the beginning of the main storyline, the Sage defeated the most powerful demon in the ninja world, the Ten-Tails, being praised as a god by virtue of his victory. In order to protect the world from the Ten-Tails, the Sage developed a technique to seal the beast within himself, allowing him to harness and control its terrifying power, and making himself the first jinchūriki. Although he had successfully sealed the Ten-Tails, its power was so great that the seal would break after the Sage's death.^[2]

Aware of this, the Sage used his ability known as Creation of All Things (万物創造, Banbutsu Sōzō) to divide the Ten-Tails' chakra into nine parts, which would become known as the tailed beasts. He then used Chibaku Tensei to seal the Ten-Tails' body inside a gigantic stone prison in the sky, thus creating the moon.^[3][4] It is later revealed that the Sage gave names to these beasts.^[5][6] The Sage would leave behind a tablet for his descendants, detailing his own history with the Ten-Tails. Only those who possess the Rinnegan can fully decipher what is written on the tablet, while a reader with a lesser dōjutsu can still partially interpret the information.^[7] Some time after he created the tailed beasts, the Sage told them that they would always be together even when separated, and that one day they would become one entity again with different names as well as forms than they did then when the time came for them to understand what true power was.^[8]

The Sage's ultimate wish to establish peace throughout the world was a goal that could never be achieved within his lifetime alone. Knowing that his end was approaching, the Sage entrusted his strength, dream, and legacy to his two sons. The older son, who inherited the Sage's "eyes" (his powerful chakra and spiritual energy), believed that power was the true key to peace. The younger son, who inherited the Sage's "body" (his powerful will and physical energy), believed that love was the true key to peace. On his deathbed, the Sage chose his younger son to be his successor. Overcome by bitterness and envy, the older son attacked the younger, beginning a war between them. Their feud would continue on through their descendants: the Senju clan and the Uchiha clan.^[9]