Summons have always been overpowered. The main issue regarding the summoning Pain is that it can summon multiple creatures, therefore its causing extreme problems to whoever fights against it, whether it was Jiraiya or the ANBU.
Summons have always been overpowered. The main issue regarding the summoning Pain is that it can summon multiple creatures, therefore its causing extreme problems to whoever fights against it, whether it was Jiraiya or the ANBU.
I think it might be better to say that its always had the potential to be overpowered rather then always overpowered. Things like pain's summons or the various sanin summons, sure, loads of power there. But things like Kakashi summoning his ninja hounds - hardly a deal breaker and I suspect that's probably much more in line with a 'normal' ninja summons then the very top of the power scale summons we normally see. Additionally, while Pain's summons are probably puppets (got the metal and eyes after all), I think its important to keep in mind that most summons aren't - they are allies, but they need their own motivation to fight. Heck, Oro's snake theatened to eat him if memory serves and seemed like a very double edged sword.