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. Fire is typically a specialised offensive element.

Fuuton - Wind

Fuuton, or Wind Element, takes the form of wind based attacks. These can be huge gusts or sustained wind storms. Wind is typically a specialised offensive element, good for close to mid-range attacks.

Raiton - Lightning

Raiton, or Lightning Element takes the form of electrical and lightning based attacks. When used in conjunction with metal based weapons, the power becomes amplified. Lightning is good for middle to long-range 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. Earth can change the hardness composition of objects, making something hard as steel or soft as clay.

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. In this regard, Water is very diverse when it comes to shape modification.

Introduction to Jutsu

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.

Combining elements to form new ones requires a bloodline ability or the usage of Bijuu granted powers. These new elements do not have corresponding strong/weak relationships.

Chakra Modifiers

Hyourougan (Soldier Provision Pill):

The soldier pill is a special medicine full of proteins and stimulants which allow a ninja to fight straight for three days and nights. The pill will temporarily increase their chakra reserves.

Akimichi Hyourougan Pills:

The Akimichi clan developed three pills to increase their chakra in battle. Ingesting each pill grants the clan member more chakra. By ingesting the third and final pill, the clan member will immediately burn off all the calories within their body turning it into chakra, granting them 100 times their normal strength.

Chakra leechers/consumers:

Various techniques and creatures feast on the chakra found in the body. The Aburame clan's Kikaichuu reside in their host’s body in exchange for their chakra. These bugs will also feast on the chakra of the ninja the clan members fight, reducing their effectiveness. Tayuya's Doki also consume the chakra of their targets. Techniques have also been developed to suck out chakra, such as those used by Akadou Yoroi and Jiroubou. Akatsuki member Hoshigaki Kisame wields Samehada, a sword which also pulls out and consumes chakra.

Jinchuuriki Creation:

"Jinchuuriki" meaning the "power of human sacrifice", are those individuals possessing tailed demons within their bodies. The bijuu are creatures of great power and destruction, and all the ninja nations coveted that power and sought to make it their own as weapons. The hope of Jinchuuriki creation is for the human and the tailed beast to resonate together, thereby granting the human some measure of their immense power and chakra. Each beast appears to interact with their host in unique ways, and grant their host power in different amounts.

Orochimaru's Cursed Seals:

As a form of control, the Sound ninja Orochimaru will place cursed seals on those he wishes to grant more power. The chance of surviving the placing of the cursed seal is one in ten. Once placed the seal will grant the wearer the ability to access their real power. By releasing chakra, the seal becomes active and begins to forcibly pull out more chakra. When the wearer releases the cursed seal to activate the extra chakra, they will lose all their free will permanently over time, transforming the user into Orochimaru's slave.

Hidden Waterfall Hero Water:

This special water from Hidden Waterfall allows a ninja to have a ten-fold increase in chakra for a short period of time. By drinking drops of the water, the ninja of the village could increase their fighting ability to compensate for their villages lack of a strong Kage leader. Unfortunately in exchange for the power, the water also eats away at your life.

Hidden Snow Chakra Control Device:

Hidden Snow developed devices to let them increase and regulate the usage of chakra. This device can suck out the chakra of a captured enemy combatant, eliminating their ability to use jutsu. Elite Snow ninja and Snow leader Dotou also wore armor which enhanced their normal chakra reserves.

Hidden Star Village Meteor:

Approximately 200 years ago, the chakra enhancing meteor struck the Bear Country. Meditating around a meteor grants the ninja a special purple chakra. This chakra is reportedly the users own chakra which has been pulled out through training with the meteor. This chakra will first take the form of feathers which extend from the back of the ninja. These "feathers" resemble that of a peacock. The feathers in turn can be shaped and moved to the ninja's will based upon their seal usage. Because the chakra proves hazardous to the health, few ninja have mastered these techniques, and those that do soon die. The training itself has gone through periods where it was practiced and then forbidden. With the stars eventual destruction, the training and usage of the technique will probably cease.

Chakra Types

Yellow/Blue Normal Chakra:

The normal chakra in a ninja's body has been shown two ways. In the manga the normal chakra has been referred to as a yellow color, while in the anime it's always displayed as a light blue.

Red-Orange Kyuubi Jinchuuriki Chakra:

Naruto had the Nine Tailed Demon Bijuu placed inside his body. When the Kyuubi chakra begins to emerge from Naruto, it takes on a red-orange color.

Green Shousen Chakra:

Shousen no Jutsu allows medical ninja to heal wounds by creating a healing chakra in their hands. If the ninja is highly skilled, they are able to heal more critical injuries. In the anime, when the chakra is used it takes on a green color.

Pink-Purple Kujaku Myouhou Modified Chakra:

Meditating around the Hidden Star meteor granted its ninja a special purple chakra. This chakra is reportedly the users own chakra which has been pulled out through training with the meteor.

Purple Orochimaru and Cursed Seal Chakra:

In the anime, Orochimaru's chakra and the chakra pulled out by his curse seals take on a purple color.

White Hatake Chakra:

Using the Hatake family tanto, white chakra would pour forth from both Kakashi and his father Sakumo.

Introducing to Chakra

To perform techniques, ninja need to use their chakra. Chakra comes from 2 places:

1) the body energy inherent in the trillions of their cells

2) the mental & spiritual energy gained from exercise and experience

Chakra flows through the body's chakra circulatory system.

The chakra flow can be increased or decreased by manipulating these tenketsu.

Chakra can also be extended from the body for attack and defense.

In addition to the tenketsu, the chakra circulatory system houses eight valves responsible for regulating the flow of chakra.

It is also unclear whether the ninja has to open all the gates in order, of if they can open a later gate and bypass the previous ones.

1) kaimon (opening gate)

2) kyuumon (rest gate)

3) seimon (life gate)

4) shoumon (wound gate)

5) tomon (limit gate)

6) keimon (view gate)

7) kyoumon (wonder gate)

8) shimon (death gate)