Ninjutsu is one of the three main jutsu categories in Naruto, with taijutsu and genjutsu being the others. Taijutsu focuses on various martial arts, while genjutsu deals with illusions and false experiences. Ninjutsu is the most nebulous of the three justu categories because the vast majority of ninja techniques are classified as ninjutsu. Every type of ninjutsu relies on chakra, and certain techniques require more chakra than others. Many ninjutsu techniques require the use of hand signs, but some do not.
Ninjutsu is by far the most common type of jutsu used in combat. It is arguably the easiest jutsu category to learn, because with enough training, most ninja use certain types of ninjutsu at will. Ninjutsu in fact becomes second nature to most ninja. Not all forms of ninjutsu are offensive in nature, but they can all be very useful in battle.
The Origins of Ninjutsu in Naruto
The First Characters To Use Chakra: Kaguya, Hagoromo, Hamura, Indra & Asura Otsutsuski
Most Naruto ninja likely believe that chakra and ninjutsu have always existed, but that is not the case. In ancient times, humanity had no access to chakra or ninjutsu until the arrival of Kaguya Otsutsuki. After losing faith in humanity, she ate the chakra fruit of the Earth's God Tree and became the sole being on the planet with chakra. She used that power to bring peace to the world. She soon gave birth to twin sons - Hagoromo and Hamura.
They both inherited her chakra, but Hagoromo was more proficient with it, to the point that he could manipulate the elements. Kaguya later turned on her sons because she wanted all the chakra for herself. After Kaguya's defeat, Hagoromo became the Jinchuriki of the Ten-Tails, and he established a new chakra-based religion known as Ninshu. Hagoromo would distribute his own chakra to others, and they would use it to connect with their spiritual selves and with others. This allowed humanity to enjoy many years of peace.
Hagoromo had two sons of his own - Indra and Asura. Indra inherited their father's talent and chakra, while Asura inherited his life-force and physical energy. As the years went by, Hagoromo decided it was time to name a successor, so he sent both his sons to different lands to help the people with Ninshu. Indra had his mind twisted by Black Zetsu - who insisted that he should not be afraid of his true potential. As a result, Indra used the power of the Sharingan to force the people he was supposed to help to help themselves.
This contradicted the teachings of Ninshu. Asura, on the other hand, grew stronger over time because he met and connected with others. Through friendship, teamwork, and hard work, he was able to help the people in need. This exemplified the teachings on Ninshu, so Hagoromo named Asura his successor. Indra was not pleased with the decision, and he went down a dark path that led to both brothers fighting each other. They both survived, but Indra decided to leave and establish his own system.
His descendants became the Uchiha Clan, while Asura's descendants became the Senju and Uzumaki Clans. Indra was the first person to weaponize chakra, and his followers did the same. Eventually, those who followed Asura and Ninshu were forced to use weaponized chakra in order to defend themselves. This weaponized chakra became known as ninjutsu. Countless people have died as a result of ninjutsu - which may have never even existed if Black Zetsu had not corrupted Indra.
Ninjutsu Is Typically Broken Up Into Two Components
The Five Basic Chakra Natures Are The Cornerstone Of Nature Transformation, While The Rasengan Is The Pinnacle Of Shape Transformation
The ninja in Naruto may use ninjutsu with relative ease, but the actual process is a bit more complicated. Ninjutsu is typically broken up into two main components. One is known as Nature Transformation, which involves molding and defining one's chakra into a type of element or substance. The chakra will then gain the properties of that specific nature. Water, Fire, Earth, Lightning, and Wind are the five basic chakra natures, and each element is naturally weaker than and stronger than another.
For example, Fire Release is naturally strong against Wind Release, but it is weak against Water Release. If two ninjutsu of the same nature and level clash, they will negate each other. This was shown when Kakashi used his Lightning Cutter to negate Kakuzu's Lightning Release. If two ninjutsu have different levels, the higher one will prevail. An example of this was when Itachi used the Amaterasu to overwhelm Sasuke's Fireball Jutsu. Yin and Yang Release fall outside of the elemental system. Yin Release uses spiritual energy to create things out of nothing, while Yang Release uses physical energy to control vitality and body size.
Most ninja have an affinity for one of the five basic nature transformations, and there is a way to identify each person's affinity. There is a special Chakra Induction Paper that reacts once it is exposed to a hint of chakra. If it ignites, the person has an affinity for fire. If it splits, their affinity is wind. Lightning is represented by the paper wrinkling, and it will become wet if the affinity is water. Earth is identified when the paper turns to dirt. Even if someone has a single affinity, they can learn to use all five basic nature transformations.
That being said, only a handful of ninja like Hashirama Senju and Kakashi Hatake have been able to use all five. It is difficult because most ninja cannot properly use a nature transformation that they are not naturally proficient with. Shape Transformation is the second main component of ninjutsu, and it focuses on the actual form, movement, and potency of the user's chakra. This is the component that ultimately decides a ninjutsu's size, range, and overall purpose. Shape transformation also allows ninja to alter existing ninjutsu to create new techniques.
A perfect example of this is the Rasengan - which is considered to be the ultimate form of shape manipulation. If shape transformation did not exist, Naruto would have never been able to create any of his Rasengan variants, and the Rasenshuriken would not exist. A Jinchuriki is only able to transform into their Tailed Beast because of this component. Interestingly, the original elemental ninjutsu that Indra Otsutsuki developed did not use shape transformation, it was actually added afterwards.
There Are Multiple Sub-Categories Of Ninjutsu
Notable Sub-Category Users: Tsunade, Sakura Haruno, Ino Yamanaka, Mu, Jiraiya, Naruto Uzumaki, Hashirama Senju, Sasuke Uchiha
At its core, ninjutsu revolves around the five basic chakra natures, but there is a very wide range of techniques that fall under the ninjutsu umbrella. As a result, several ninjutsu sub-categories now exist. Medical ninjutsu mainly focuses on healing, but it can also be used to create poisonous gas or chakra scalpels that can deal significant damage to an opponent's internal organs. All forms of Medical ninjutsu manipulate the body through chakra, but the healing aspect requires precise chakra control.
Reincarnation ninjutsu can bring people back to life as long as they have not been dead for too long, but it is hardly used because the user has to sacrifice themselves. Anyone can sense chakra when it is especially strong, but sensory ninja can use sensory ninjutsu to sense chakra at any time. This type of ninjutsu is great for tracking specific targets, but it forces the user to enter sensory mode, which requires a great deal of concentration.
Barrier ninjutsu uses chakra to create barriers and forcefields. They are typically used for protection, but certain barriers can be used for concealment or containment. That being said, these barriers can be countered by sheer force or other forms of ninjutsu. There are various types of sealing ninjutsu that can seal chakra, objects, and other beings. Some things can be sealed inside special scrolls, and living beings like the Tailed Beasts can be sealed inside human Jinchuriki. Space-Time ninjutsu is especially troublesome because the user can manipulate time and space to suit their needs.
The Summoning jutsu is a type of space-time ninjutsu that summons animals and other things from different locations. Kamui is an advanced Sharingan ability that has its own dimension - the user can make themselves intangible and they can destroy limbs or objects by warping space itself. Something like the Flying Thunder God Technique can instantly teleport someone to another location. It should be noted that any jutsu that uses weaponry also qualifies as ninjutsu.
Ninjutsu may require nature transformation and shape transformation, but it is still used more than taijutsu and genjutsu. Given all of the sub-categories of ninjutsu, it makes sense that it is the most common form of jutsu. Many forms of ninjutsu can target a single person, but other types of ninjutsu can wipe out an entire village. That being said, several forms of ninjutsu can be used to protect and save others, and in some cases, ninjutsu can be used to rebuild a village. It is by far the most versatile weapon that a ninja can use in battle, which is terribly sad given the fact that the original version of ninjutsu was supposed to bring people together.
