On its own, the Rinnegan allows the user to see chakra, including otherwise hidden barriers, such as the one which surrounded Konohagakure. [17] Unlike the Sharingan or Byakugan, it doesn't seem to be able to see the flow of chakra within individuals, as shown when Naruto had transformed his clones into rubble and Nagato was unable to see them. Futhermore, the vision of the Rinnegan can easily be blocked with things such as smoke bombs or dust clouds, as shown when Naruto had prepared various tricks in order to defeat Nagato.
While the powers of the Rinnegan remain intact upon implanting them in a new person, like Nagato and Obito Uchiha, only one who "naturally" manifests the Rinnegan, as in Madara Uchiha's case, is able to switch between the Rinnegan and Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan; [18] otherwise, the Rinnegan is always activated. Despite this, the Rinnegan does not appear to have any considerable affect on one's chakra reserves, as Nagato wielded it for years unhindered, even in his emaciated state. By doing so, Nagato could see each body's field of vision simultaneously, coordinating them with extremely precise planning. Nagato could also channel one of the abilities of the Six Paths Technique through each corpse. Obito also applied this technique, though he used reincarnated jinchūriki. Their eyes sported the Sharingan and Rinnegan, in identical fashion to Obito, and had their tailed beasts temporarily re-sealed inside them,