Naruto: The fundamental difference between Jutsu and Ninjutsu

The series primarily focuses on the varying powers the Shinobi possess and the type of techniques they use with them. In Naruto, Jutsu and Ninjutsu are often mistaken as one despite being fundamentally different.

Masashi Kishimoto’s Naruto is part of the Shonen Big Three that follows the protagonists as they struggle to achieve their goals. 

The series portrays various characters, shinobi clans, plot twists, backstories, tragedies, and so on, and the series introduced fans to many legendary shinobi clans and their Jutsu. 

The history behind the shinobi world’s creation was not known to people until the Fourth Great Shinobi War was about to end. However, the difference between Jutsu and Ninjutsu is thoroughly explored in the series.

What is Jutsu?

Jutsu is the range of mystical arts used by Shinobi in battles with the use of Chakra. The ninja can use the required technique by making hand seals. 

There are millions of potential strategies to be discovered due to many hand seals and varied combinations. Jutsu originates from Ninshu, religion and the peaceful precursor of modern-world techniques created by Hagoromo Otsutsuki. 

What is Ninjutsu?

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Hagoromo claims Ninjutsu to be the corrupt form of Ninshu that was meant to be pure and sacred. Ninjutsu was created by Hagoromo’s elder son Indra Otsutsuki for offensive and defensive purposes. 

Ninjutsu has a large variety of sub-classifications, such as medical Ninjutsu, barrier ninjutsu, sensory Ninjutsu, etc. While Ninshu focuses primarily on spiritual energy, Ninjutsu demands both spiritual and physical energies, making the attacks much more potent. 

Another way to describe Ninjutsu is that it always evolves and progresses. Over time, people began to use Ninjutsu as a weapon of war, and the original concept of using Chakra for peace became redundant.

What is the difference between Jutsu and Ninjutsu in Naruto?

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Technically, Ninjutsu is a sub-category of Jutsu in Naruto. Jutsu has three major types: Ninjutsu, Taijutsu, and Genjutsu.

Ninjutsu is the vaguest of the three and can be defined as anything other than genjutsu and taijutsu. Most Ninjutsu requires chakra and hand seals, although this is not always the case because solely wielding a weapon qualifies as Ninjutsu. 

Most Ninjutsu involves shape transformation, which revolves around manipulating the Ninjutsu’s form and movement. On the other hand, nature transformation is concerned with changing the Ninjutsu’s physical attributes. 

Nature transformation ninjutsu is typically named for their nature type, followed by a more particular term. Certain Ninjutsu can become second nature to a ninja with practice and skills, allowing them to perform them at will.

Naruto can currently be streamed on Crunchyroll. In the meantime, check out our other anime coverage below:

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