Shinobi

**Shinobi** (忍, ***Shinobi***?), also interchangeably referred to as **ninja** (忍者, ***ninja***?), are the primary focus and the main military power in the series. A female ninja is known as a **kunoichi** (くノ一, ***kunoichi***?). Most shinobi originate from a hidden village, with some belonging to specialized ninja clans. Often, they offer their services for a fee, usually involving performing manual labor, serving as escorts, collecting confidential intelligence, reclaiming stolen objects, carrying out assassinations, among others. During times of war, these ninja will unite to defend their villages and land. Their most notable characteristic is their ability to manipulate chakra to produce and utilize techniques. Shinobi are expected to display loyalty to their villages throughout their lives, and those who defect are regarded as missing-nin and may face extermination.

## Jutsu

Template:Main with-include
Shinobi can use a variety of techniques often based on the utilisation of chakra. This allows shinobi to perform extraordinary feats such as walking on water or walking up trees. Jutsu are separated into three groups, ninjutsu, genjutsu, and taijutsu. Ninjutsu implies performing a supernatural or beyond normal ability, the most common of which is the elemental jutsu. These are created by the user transforming their chakra into a specific nature or 'release'. The chakra types are Lightning, Earth, Fire, Wind, and Water. Other sub-types of chakra natures such as Wood Release and Ice Release also exist, created by combining two of the basic five releases. Taijutsu implies physical body techniques, which do not typically require chakra. Genjutsu manipulates the chakra in an enemy's brain and disrupts their chakra flow. Their senses get fooled which creates illusions, things that the foe believes to be real that are in fact fake.

## Physical Prowess

Shinobi have noticeably greater physical capabilities than a normal human being, able to execute feats of strength that would be otherwise impossible for a civilian, even at relatively low levels of skill. For example, their ability to jump. Ninja are capable of leaping many times their own height and permitting them to clear buildings and structures, especially when moving across rooftops or travelling through trees. Ninja also possess strength that far outmatches the average person.

Befitting their occupation, shinobi possess superhuman speed to varying degrees. Some exceptional genin can avoid attacks moving at the speed of sound, or physically intercept them with their own attack at a faster speed. Nearly all shinobi can temporarily heighten their speed to catch opponents off guard or to set a decoy.

## Mental Prowess

Though not greatly explored, shinobi also possess abnormal abilities to affect the minds of others, even without the use of genjutsu or other Yin Release techniques. Without using techniques, shinobi can induce intense panic and suicidal tendencies in those less experienced or weaker than themselves by projecting their Killing Intent. Skilled use of it can even take the form of graphic hallucinations of one's own death, which can be mistaken for genjutsu.

## Tools

Template:Main

Ninja tools are used as alternatives to techniques. They can include weapons, accessories, and even clothing. Some ninja have mastered the use of such tools, but all ninja are able to use the most common to some degree. A standard shinobi will have a pouch equipped with many tools, and nearly every ninja is equipped with at least a shuriken holster. Most also possess and wear a forehead protector with the symbol of the village they derive from, though the ninja does not necessarily have to wear it over their forehead. The Inuzuka clan's ninken and Aburame clan's insects are also classified as tools.

### Scientific Ninja Tools

Template:Main

During the new era, the marriage of technology and ninjutsu results in the creation of various scientific ninja tools. These range from weapons and equipment utilising modern materials and technology to devices that can store and reproduce the phenomena of ninjutsu, and even cybernetic Shinobi-Ware that can augment the abilities of their wielder.

## Trivia

* The compound kanji *nin* (忍, **nin**?) means "endure" and is comprised of the kanji for blade (刃, *blade*?) and heart (心, *heart*?), with the literal meaning of "heart under blade". *Ninja* (忍者, **Ninja**?) literally means "people who endure", while *shinobi* (忍び, **shinobi**?) is a shortened form of *shinobi no mono* (忍びの者, **shinobi no mono**?), a native *kun'yomi* pronunciation of the same phrase, "people who endure".
	+ The true meaning behind the word is mentioned several times throughout the series by the likes of Jiraiya, Hashirama Senju, and Naruto Uzumaki. In the final epilogue narrated by Sasuke Uchiha, he states that ninja are those burdened with the task of enduring hardships for the sake of a greater cause, in particular bringing about peace through unification.
* *Kunoichi* (くノ一, **Kunoichi**?) is derived from the three individual strokes in the kanji for woman (女, *woman*?), and originates from the so-called "women's techniques" (くノ一の術, *kunoichi no jutsu*?) used specifically by female ninja. The term was not commonly used during the Edo era, but was popularised as shorthand for a "female ninja" in the 1960s through the works of fiction author Futaro Yamada.