Jutsu, or skills/techniques, are the mystical arts a ninja will utilize in battle. To use a jutsu, the ninja will need to use his chakra. Chakra comes from two places. (1) the body energy inherent in your trillions of cells and (2) the mental & spiritual energy gained from exercise and experience.
To perform a jutsu, the ninja will bring out and release these two energies. By forming handseals, the ninja is able manifest the desired jutsu. Because of the extensive number of hand seals and different combinations, there are thousands of potential jutsu to be discovered.
Based on which jutsu the ninja uses, the type and amount of chakra will be different as would the elements you would be to employ. The five main elemental styles are also the five names for the Five Great Shinobi Countries: Fire, Wind, Lightning, Earth and Water. Each ninja has the potential to better utilize one of these styles and potentially more. A special elemental detecting paper is used to determine ones type. The paper comes from trees which are specially grown with chakra. When the ninja imbues the paper with a portion of their chakra, the paper will alter to reveal one's type. The paper will rip in two for Wind, burn for Fire, become wet for Water, fall apart for Earth and crumple for Lightning. For example Kakashi is a predisposed Lightning type, while Sasuke is both Lightning and Fire for the Uchiha clan specialty.
The five elements themselves form a cyclical strong and weak relationship against each other. The element of Fire is stronger than Wind, as the usage of Wind merely increases the strength of Fire. So if a Fire jutsu came up against an equal strength Wind jutsu, the Fire jutsu is more likely to win out. Wind in turn is stronger than Lightning. Lightning is stronger than Earth and Earth in stronger than Water. Water finishes the cycle by naturally winning out over Fire.
Ninjutsu - The Five Elements
Katon - Fire
Katon, or Fire Element, takes the form of fire and flame attacks. These can be fire balls or extended flame throwing.
Fuuton - Wind
Fuuton, or Wind Element, takes the form of wind based attacks. These can be huge gusts or sustained wind storms.
Raiton - Lightning
Raiton, or Lightning Element takes the form of electrical and lightning based attacks.
Doton - Earth
Doton, or Earth Element, takes the form of earth and mud based attacks. These can be walls made from mud or the ninja maneuvering himself below ground to attack his opponent from below.
Suiton - Water
Suiton, or Water Element, takes the form of water based attacks. These can be walls of water used as shields or water formed into large striking jets.
Other Elements
Mokuton - Wood
Mokuton, or Wood Element, takes the form of wood attacks and defenses. The usage of this elemental style is a hidden technique unique to Shodai Hokage and others who possess his same exact genes. Mokuton is formed through the simultaneous usage of Water and Earth styles.
Hyouton - Ice
Hyouton, or Ice Element, takes the form of Ice attacks and defenses. The usage of this elemental style has been seen by Haku and ninja from Hidden Snow, however the manga has stated this ability was unique to Haku's bloodline. Hyouton is formed through the simultaneous usage of Water and Wind styles.
Jutsu Rankings
E-Rank
E-Rank jutsu are the general skills every ninja learns at the Ninja Academy. The students are expected to know these skills before graduating to Genin.
Examples: Bunshin no Jutsu, Kawarimi no Jutsu, Henge no Jutsu
D-Rank
D-Rank jutsu are Genin-level techniques. These skills will make up most of a Genin's arsenal.
Examples: Kage Shuriken no Jutsu, Juujin Bunshin, Shunshin no Jutsu, Narakumi no Jutsu
C-Rank
C-Rank jutsu are Chuunin-level techniques. Some Genin will have one to two skills at this level, serving as their "trump cards" to pass the Chuunin Exams.
Examples: Kuchiyose no Jutsu, Nikudan Sensha, Shintenshin no Jutsu, Shishi Rendan
B-Rank
B-Rank jutsu are Jounin-level techniques. Chuunin and Special Jounin are able to utilize most jutsu at this level.
Examples: Kage Bunshin no Jutsu, Omote Renge, Sensatsu Suishou
A-Rank
A-Rank jutsu are Jounin-level and forbidden techniques. Some Jounin will develop their own unique jutsu from this level to serve as their "trump card" but these are mainly known to Kage-level ninja.
Examples: Chidori, Tajuu Kage Bunshin no Jutsu, Juin Jutsu, Gogyou Kaiin
S-Rank
S-Rank jutsu are the generally forbidden or secret techniques known only to one ninja.
Examples: Edo Tensei, Raikiri
» Genjutsu Guide
Genjutsu (Illusion Techniques) are techniques that use the chakra in the victim's nervous system to create illusions; an advanced intellectual Ninjutsu. The most commonly seen Genjutsu is simple creation of phantasms- causing the targeted person to hear, see, smell, taste and feel things that are not actually there in order to manipulate them; other applications of Genjutsu are rare.
» Ninjutsu Guide
Ninjutsu (Ninja Techniques) is hard to define; it is basically any technique that does not fall under either Taijutsu or Genjutsu, which means that it uses sources outside those naturally available to the body or the mind to accomplish its task. Ninjutsu relies on chakra and, most of the times, hand seals (Sequential positions the hands are put into in order to mold chakra in the necessary manner to perform a jutsu). Read More..
» Taijutsu Guide
Taijutsu (Body techniques), or more figuratively hand-to-hand combat) refers to any techniques involving the martial arts or the optimisation of natural human abilities in general. In some cases chakra is involved to enhance the techniques, but generally speaking a Taijutsu user can fare well without much chakra available compared to a Genjutsu or Ninjutsu user. See also: real-world Taijutsu, basically a general term for a wide range of martial arts techniques.
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Jutsu, or skills/techniques, are the mystical arts a ninja will utilize in battle. To use a jutsu, the ninja will need to use his chakra. Chakra comes from two places. (1) the body energy inherent in your trillions of cells and (2) the mental & spiritual energy gained from exercise and experience.
Based on which jutsu the ninja uses, the type and amount of chakra will be different as would the elements you would be to employ. The five main elemental styles are also the five names for the Five Great Shinobi Countries: Fire, Wind, Lightning, Earth and Water. Each ninja has the potential to better utilize one of these styles and potentially more. A special elemental detecting paper is used to determine ones type. The paper comes from trees which are specially grown with chakra. When the ninja imbues the paper with a portion of their chakra, the paper will alter to reveal one's type. The paper will rip in two for Wind, burn for Fire, become wet for Water, fall apart for Earth and crumple for Lightning. For example Kakashi is a predisposed Lightning type, while Sasuke is both Lightning and Fire for the Uchiha clan specialty.
