[Ero-Senn1n]

Originally Posted by james0246

Or, Nagato never once saw the tablet. It is the Kages that assume that Madara used Nagato's Rinnegan to read the tablet, but Madara never directly says that Nagato read the tablet. In fact, since Madara is supposedly using Nagato, it would make mores sense for Madara to limit Nagato's knowledge by not showing him the tablet.

I'm assuming that because:
1, why wouldn't Madara show it to Nagato when he knows that only the rinnegan can fully decode the great secret? It wouldn't make sense. And as i mentioned in the post you replied to why would Madara wait about 50 years to begin collecting the demons? It seems he began collecting the demons around the time when he should have met the young Nagato who just lost his best friend and was filled with hatred and pain.
2, How did Nagato know about the creation of the moon when it's supposed to be secret.

Originally Posted by james0246

Except, he uses an Earth Jutsu during the Deidara fight. Specifically, he uses Doton: Moguragakure no Jutsu to hide several of Deidara's clay bombs underground during the Sasuke fight.

Don't take things too literally, what i meant is that Madara is unable to use kage level jutsu to fight. Some low level jutsu that he uses while fooling around the world is simply not relevant. Madara surely has gathered a level of knowledge that Orochimaru always wanted, he could probably perform more jutsu then Kakashi knows, but in his current state he is unable to do so.

Originally Posted by james0246

So, Madara can use jutsus, he just doesn't (for whatever reason (maybe, as you say, he is too weak?)).

I think there's just no other good answer. He must be low on chakra or something else that is needed to perform multiple high level jutsu that is needed to fight the kages that Sasuke was fighting.

Originally Posted by james0246

Definetly an interesting idea. This would at least account for the fact that he can turn tangible or intangible at will. But, it doesn't account for the fact that he feared Amaterasu, or at least did not simply let his de-powered Susano'o take care of it, instead vanishing the flame to his dimensional/Skimming world. Even an underpowered Susano'o would be able to block Amataerasu...

I think the susano gets broken and so it also does burn. It's created by the mind of the MS user, a materialization of a monster/body. Raikage broke the bones of it to hit Sasuke, also it seems the mizukage was melting it. So i think it can burn. However since it's just a creation of the mind it can be restored to 100% power if the user has the chakra and stamina for it. We see Sasuke ran out of chakra against the mizukage and susano brake down, but when Zetsu gave him chakra his susano did grow an arm and broke the walls with it. I think Madara's miraculous comeback after being burnt is because Madara simply restored his susano-body. But there's more to susano then what we could see, for example Itachi survived a full hit from Kirin by seemingly only a few susano bones, it would not make sense that a bunch of bones can save someone from one of nature's strongest forces.

Originally Posted by james0246

Even more than that, it becomes possible that all bloodline abilities stem from the Jyuubi (that is, if you wish to analyze the brothers as being the root of all bloodlines ("The Body" creating certain types of bloodlines, and "The Eye" creating the others)).

I don't like that idea, bloodlines have always existed in the world, they just randomly pop out of nowhere, when the genetic material is combined in some special way a new form of power is born. That's simple genetics, as it was explained in part one of the manga, and i think it's a more natural and logical explanation. For example Nagato was born randomly in a random place, his parents being average people, the genetical explanation is the most logical for that. Otherwise Nagato should be secretly some direct descendant of the rikudo sennin.
On the other hand if the rikudo sennin didn't have those eyes and gained them by becoming the host of the 10 tails that would mean that Naruto would be able to grow a rinnegan eye for himself if the 10 tailed was sealed in him
I don't believe that the rikudo sennin could capture the 10 tails if he didn't have a bloodline, Naruto's storyline is too much about bloodlines and genetic abilities instead of hard working and genius. But it would be nice if it turns out that genius and hard work can create everything (every jutsu that exists), in that case Naruto should become stronger than anyone with the rinnegan or sharingan. The child Nagato could easily use all 5 elements while for Naruto now there's only wind, he doesn't have the bloodline and that's the only difference. I would be happy if Naruto learns to use all 5 elements, that would be a nice.

Originally Posted by james0246

That being said, wasn't this one of the original theories concerning the Sharingan? I forget now, but it was something to do with a Tengu raping a Byakugan user, or something demonic influencing a Byakugan, turning it into a Sharingan. While the specifics are very different, the idea of a demon creating the Sharingan has been around in one form or another for years, maybe almost a decade (the earliest I can remember are from 2003/4, but I am sure someone could have speculated upon this even earlier).

I read it too, that was one of the best fanfictions i have seen