Introduction

In the world of Naruto, characters like Sakura demonstrate impressive feats that challenge our understanding of physics and speed. One such example is Sakura's ability to dodge lightning, which raises the question: does her dodging lightning at a speed that is 4 orders of magnitude faster than before make her capable of traveling faster than light (FTL) or is this an artificial limitation?

The Speed of Lightning and Orders of Magnitude

The speed of lightning is approximately 1/3 the speed of light, roughly 100,000 kilometers per second or 300 million meters per second. An increase of 4 orders of magnitude means multiplying by 10,000. If we assume Sakura's previous speed was comparable to the speed of lightning at 100,000 kilometers per second, increasing that speed by 4 orders of magnitude would result in:

100,000 km/s × 10,000 1,000,000,000 km/s

Such a speed significantly exceeds the speed of light, which is approximately 300,000 kilometers per second. Therefore, if Sakura can indeed dodge lightning at this new speed, it would classify her as FTL.

Context and Relativistic Speeds

However, it's crucial to consider the context and the governing rules within the Naruto universe. The episode of Boruto introduces aspects that complicate this assessment. For instance, Sakura's dodge maneuver was not necessarily an FTL feat but rather an exploit of a flawed Jutsu—one specifically shaped like a bear trap that had a large gap in it.

Even with this in mind, relativistic speeds play a significant role in the Naruto universe. Characters like the Kage-level fighters can achieve feats that stretch the limits of physics, as seen in the Raikage and Naruto's performances. This implies that while Sakura's dodging is extraordinary, it may not classify her as FTL.

Artificial vs. Natural Lightning

The distinction between artificial and natural lightning is also important. In the Naruto world, normal lighting jutsu are not as fast as real lightning. Only Sasuke's Kirin is explicitly stated to be as fast as natural lightning, and that's because it uses natural lightning, not an artificial version.

In the novel, Sakura's ability to dodge a lightning jutsu was due to the Jutsu’s flaw. The jutsu was shaped like a bear trap, which had a large gap in it, allowing her to jump through when it was approaching her. Despite the Jutsu being faster, it was also larger, making it easier for her to dodge.

The speed of light is around 300,000,000 meters per second, while the speed of lightning varies depending on the stage, ranging from 89.408 meters per second (one-half to one-tenth the speed of light). Thus, even if the lightning jutsu was significantly faster, it still wouldn't match the speed of real lightning or light.

Conclusion

While Sakura's lightning dodging abilities are impressive, they do not necessarily classify her as FTL in a strict sense. The context of the Jutsu and the distinction between artificial and natural lightning play crucial roles in this assessment. Nonetheless, these feats emphasize the complexity and creativity of ninja techniques in the Naruto universe.