Land of Ninjas

Jutsu

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Ninjutsu (忍術; Literally meaning "Ninja Techniques") refers to any technique that utilizes chakra and allows the user to perform actions that a normal person otherwise would be incapable of doing. Unlike genjutsu, which causes the opponent to experience illusions, the effects of ninjutsu are real. Ninjutsu relies on chakra and, most of the time, hand seals to be effective. The hands are put in sequential positions that molds and manipulates chakra in the necessary manner to perform a jutsu. This is not always needed, however, and some jutsu become second nature to experienced ninja, after which they can perform them at will. Additionally, many ninjutsu can be classified as an elemental jutsu, in those cases where a specific element (wind, water, fire, earth, lightning) is used. It can be used in collaboration with Taijutsu (hand to hand combat) to create Nintaijutsu techniques. When creating a ninjutsu, the two methods of manipulating chakra are referred to as Shape Transformation and Nature Transformation:

  • Shape Transformation deals with controlling the form, movement, and potency of chakra.
  • Nature Transformation usually deals with changing the physical properties of chakra into an element. (There is also the Nature Transformation of Yin and Yang, but little is revealed about this)
These two methods can be implemented separately or together in order to create a ninjutsu.

It is said that the
Sage of the Six Paths was the first to explain the mysteries of chakra, traveling throughout the world to spread his ideas and religion, the Ninshū (忍宗, Shinobi Sect). The teachings were meant to give people a better understanding of themselves, as well as others, and lead the world into an era of peace. However, as time wore on, ninshū would eventually come to be known as ninjutsu, a more weaponized version of the Sage's teachings.



How Ninjutsu Works

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Chakra Flow

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Chakra (チャクラ, chakura) is essential to even the most basic jutsu; it is a mixture of the physical energy (身体エネルギー, shintai enerugī) present in every cell of the body and the spiritual energy (精神エネルギー, seishin enerugī) gained from exercise and experience. Once mixed, it can be channeled through the chakra circulatory system, which is to chakra as the regular circulatory system is to blood, to any of the 361 chakra points (called tenketsu) in the body. Through various methods, the most common of which is hand seals, the chakra can then be manipulated to create an effect that would not be possible otherwise, such as walking on water, exhaling fire or creating illusions.

By mixing different ratios of the two energies, new types of chakra can be formed. The most common product is elemental chakra, which is used to perform elemental jutsu. Most ninja have a natural affinity to one type of chakra, but they have the capacity to create elemental chakra apart from their own affinity. There are six basic types, each stronger and weaker to another; five have been shown so far, but their relations, weaknesses, and strengths to each other are all explored, the sixth dealing with Yin and Yang and the balance of mental and physical energies. In addition to these six elements, certain kekkei genkai can mix elemental chakra to form new elements, such as ice (wind and water), wood (earth and water) and lava (earth and fire). While many ninja can use more than one type of chakra, very few are able to use them simultaneously.

Chakra is the energy needed to perform ninjutsu. To the right is the chakra flow in an average human being. You mold chakra by weaving hand signs (list at the top). The body's hand signs and the mind's chakra performs ninjutsu. Genjutsu makes the enemy experience illusions. To break free of the illusion, you have to disturb the chakra, or energy from within your body. Getting trapped in a genjutsu will leave you immobilized and leave you vulnerable to an opponent's attack. Taijutsu does not require chakra. Taijutsu is the art of fighting with your hands and feet. All ninjas must know taijutsu. There has been several ninjas who cannot mold chakra and rely on their taijutsu skills instead. Only a few ninjas know how to cast a genjutsu. Few powerful ninjas are capable of gathering nature energy and using it. Those who are capable are called a Sage.

Chakra Nature Chart

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Every ninja is capable of controling one element. A ninja is only capable of learning another element when they become jonins. Fire can only beat wind, wind can only defeat lightning, and so forth. Each ninja village are named after their dominant Chakra Nature.

Summoning Jutsu

A Summoning Technique is a space–time jutsu that allows the summoner to transport animals across long distances instantly.

One method involves just hand signs and blood. With this, before an animal summoning can be performed, a prospective summoner must first sign a contract with a given species. The contract can come in the form of a scroll or a tattoo, which is signed in the contractor's own blood. After this, they need only perform the hand seals, offer an additional donation of blood, and use the same hand they signed the contract with to summon the creature. The amount of chakra used during the summoning determines how big the summoned creature can be. In the anime, it was shown that if a user attempts to summon an animal without first signing a contract, the user will be teleported to the home of the animal they have a natural affinity for.

An alternate form of summoning is to just use a scroll without any hand-signs. In this case hand signs are not necessary, with chakra not even being necessary sometimes. By using this method, one can summon creatures with whom one does not have a contract with.
 The ability to perform a summoning can be removed with the Contract Seal.
When an animal is summoned it is transported from its place of residence to the summoner's location. Once summoned, the animal can perform a task or help the user in battle. The summon is not required to help the user, and may be more of a hindrance than an ally. In addition, summons are able to summon their summoner. They may also wear a forehead protector, suggesting a loyalty to only one village.
Items can be "summoned" from scrolls. Because the items are not summoned from anywhere, instead only being released from storage, no blood is needed and thus it is not a conventional summoning. Characters have on occasion been shown summoning weapons such as kunai and giant shuriken, sometimes without hand-signs.
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