Uzumaki Clan

The Uzumaki Clan are descendants of the Sage of Six Paths through his younger son and are distant relatives of the Senju Clan.

As Otsutsuki Ashura was their ancestor, they inherited the “body” of the Sage which manifested in their massive chakra levels, and powerful life force beyond most human beings which allowed them to endure nigh-fatal injuries.

They made their home in the Land of Whirlpools, a small island nation off the eastern coast of the mainland, named for the whirlpools that manifest in its numerous rivers. Their missions typically involved traveling with sailors and merchants overseas to provide protection during their voyage, guarding coastal towns against bandits and ninja, and they were frequently hired to hunt down pirates causing trouble for the local authorities.

At the end of the Warring States Era, Senju Hashirama offered a place to the Uzumaki Clan in Konoha upon its founding but they declined in favour of remaining in their homeland.

Nevertheless, they followed the example of the Senju and Uchiha to found Uzushiogakure – the Village Hidden in the Eddies – by inviting smaller ninja clans and wandering ninja from nearby countries to join their settlement. The Uzumaki ruled the village as its most elite shinobi, and their skill and reputation meant that they were practically considered nobility by their fellow villagers and countermen. The majority of Uzumaki were born with red hair which, combined with their headband, made them easily recognizable and only added to their reputation.

Due to the protection granted by living in a hidden village, the standard age of death for a shinobi rose and the older ninja were able to at least semi-retire. The Uzumaki had more elders living longer which made their unusually long lifespans became more apparent. People of the Land of Whirlpools started to called Uzushio “The Village of Longevity” which soon spread to other countries as well.

Unlike their cousins who had no real speciality, the Uzumaki excelled in fuuinjutsu. Ninja who focused on that art were a rare breed which made this clan particularly distinctive for making it their signature style. In battle, they could arm themselves with scrolls that fired weaponry and block enemy techniques as well as talismans that could explode, paralyse or worse. With the entire clan working on sealing formula and techniques for generations, they advanced the style beyond what anyone else had ever accomplished.

The oldest among them possessed more an unprecedented amount of sealing knowledge and were respectfully called Sealing Masters by their kin. Rather than wasting that knowledge by throwing themselves into battle, they remained in the hidden village to work as its defenders while training each generation in the art.

These Sealing Masters were responsible for creating unorthodox weapons by sealing unique and powerful techniques inside a set of masks. Those masks would automatically activate the sealed jutsu when worn to allow the wearer to use them without needing to learn the technique themselves, especially ones that are hazardous or impossible to train. For example, one mask was possessed by the Dead Demon Consuming Seal which summons an entity of chakra that they called the Death God for it devoured the souls of both caster and victim.

Their specialization in fuuinjutsu served the clan well in other skills too. Juinjutsu, which uses sealing formula to control living beings, were rarely used but highly effective in dominating their enemies.

Barrier ninjutsu were vital in protecting the hidden village and their clients, so using sealing tags allowed them to set up diverse and powerful barriers whenever needed.  And medical ninjutsu often used sealing formulas to help monitor and stabilize patients as well as aid in surgical treatment. The fact that the Uzumaki’s greatest skills were primarily suited for support only gained them greater respect given their effectiveness on the battlefield and the sheer survivability of their ninja.

Konoha and Uzushio nevertheless held a strong alliance despite their separation as they had bound themselves together through a marriage between Senju Hashirama and Uzumaki Mito. Uzushio shared their knowledge of fuuinjutsu which formed of foundation of the style used in Konoha to this day and in return, Konoha shared many of the ninjutsu they collected and developed. Each hidden village even bore the symbol of their cousin clan on their uniforms as a sign of respect and goodwill.

In war they were an invaluable help to one another with Konoha protecting Uzushio from enemies in the west and Uzushio protecting Konoha from enemies in the east.

Unfortunately, Uzushio was destroyed during the Second Shinobi World War.

The Village Hidden in the Mist used an unprecedented strategy to overcome the village’s many defences by sealing the Six-Tailed Slug inside an captured native of the Land of Whirlpools. Once they neared the walls of Uzushio as compelled, the seal unravelled and the Tailed Beast was released to go on a rampage. With its toxic fluids, rotting gas and immense chakra it broke through the hidden village’s protections and tore through its defenders.

However the Uzumaki Clan were practically the antithesis of the Tailed Beasts and their fuuinjutsu mastery them to restrain and seal the Six-Tails away. This alone wouldn’t have been enough to destroy the village but this was merely the opening move. On the heels of this rampage, the Third Mizukage led his shinobi forces in an follow-up attack that was so sudden and devastating that it brought Uzushio to its knees.

Before reinforcements from Konoha could arrive – the result of an temporary alliance forged with another hidden village for this very purpose – the hidden village was razed to the ground, and the nation itself came to an end from the intense fighting throughout its territory. This tragic event became known as the “Drowning of Whirlpool” due to the great loss of life.

Very few of Uzushio’s inhabitants were able to escape from the destruction and those who attempted to flee towards Konoha were captured. The only ones to actually reach Konoha after the disaster were either fakes attempting to infiltrate the village or brainwashed spies who were discovered and eliminated. Instead most of the survivors ended up scattered across the continent and in their desperation were forced to go into hiding to stay alive, abandoning their name and their heritage.

Most of Uzushio’s valuable techniques and wealth were either destroyed in the fighting – by accident or in defiance of their killers – or stolen by Kiri before the reinforcements could arrive. Almost everything else that was salvageable was retrieved by Konoha though there were undoubtedly records and scrolls still left in the ruins that had been missed or forgotten. Among the things that Konoha retrieved from the wreckage were the sealing masks, overlooked by their enemies who hadn’t known their function especially when many of the masks didn’t even have techniques sealed inside them.

In honor of their fallen allies, Konoha erected a temple outside of their borders and decorated it with those masks as a tribute. Only Uzumaki Mito knew the purpose of the masks and shared that knowledge solely with the Third Hokage and her own protégé, Uzumaki Kushina. The villagers were forbidden from removing the masks from the temple and Mito kept them safe with barrier ninjutsu and fuuinjutsu as protection, a duty that Kushina continued after her death.

Unfortunately, the temple was forgotten entirely after the Nine-Tails Disaster with more vital concerns taking precedence and the last of the Uzumaki who remembered their history dying. Its barriers eventually collapsed, the building fell into disrepair and the masks were simply left to gather dust.

Then there was only Uzumaki Naruto to carry on the name of this once-great clan as even their homeland was restored into a new country atop the ruins of the old one.

Signature Techniques

Adamantine Sealing Chains – This is the oldest and most prized fuuinjutsu of the Uzumaki Clan which forges their chakra into incredibly durable physical chains. It’s said that they are derived from a fuuinjutsu first created by the Sage of Six Paths himself.

These chains are able physically bind a target by wrapping around their form to restrict all movement or they can tear right through the target with the destructive force of their extension. They are released from the wielder’s body and their exact size, shape and length of those are chains are flexible, making them adaptable enough to suit their needs in any given situation. The end of the chain can be tipped with a spear-like blade to pierce through an obstacle, or a hammer-like club to strike with blunt force or a claw-like head to grab onto a target.

Being made from chakra, the chains move according to the wielder’s will rather than any physical movements like a regular chain would be. So they can extend over great lengths and change directions at sharp angles to better entrap the target within their clutches. It’s possible for the chains to be used in other ways such as directly binding the target through physical touch and they can act as a perimeter to create an impenetrable barrier to keep enemies inside or out. Even with a fragment of the fuuinjutsu’s true strength, it is a truly powerful ability.

Mind’s Eye of the Kagura – Among the Uzumaki, only a few of them possessed chakra sensitivity but those that did were among the best in the world. Their ability to sense chakra was at such a level that was official identified as its own ninjutsu rather than a standard skill. Without even needing to mould chakra, they could sense distinctively chakra signatures over significant distances with no conscious effort.

By opening their ‘mind’s eye’, their superior perception is able to sense any and all chakra within many kilometers as well as discern how many signatures there are, what type of being it belongs to and whether a specific individual is present. They can judge the quality and quantity of a person’s chakra as well as discern some understanding of their nature through the feel of their chakra. Even the fluctuations caused by a person’s dishonesty are detectable to them. In combat, they could track the movements of their enemy and predict their techniques through the presence and changes in their chakra.

It was named for the ceremonial dances performed by shrine maidens for divinations and those that possessed it were given a diamond-shaped tattoo on their forehead to symbolize the mind’s eye.

Known Uzumaki

Uzumaki Mito – The daughter of Uzumaki Asahina who lead the Uzumaki Clan at the end of the Warring States Era and founded the Hidden Eddies. She was considered the ideal Uzumaki who mastered all of the skills that her clan specialized in, which is why she was considered a suitable match for the First Hokage.

Afterwards, she chose to become the first jinchuuriki since the Sage of Six Paths by sealing the Nine-Tailed Fox inside herself to protect the world from its incredible power and hatred. Already possessing the Mind’s Eye of the Kagura, her sensory skills were bolstered by the Tailed Beast’s presence inside her so that she was even capable of sensing the negative emotions of those around her. Mito long outlived her husband, remaining in Konoha as their secret jinchuuriki until even she neared the end of her life and her successor was decided.

Uzumaki Kushina – Sometime before the destruction of Uzushio, Kushina was sent to Konoha become the next Nine-Tailed Jinchuuriki. Even as a child she possessed incredibly powerful chakra and an instinctual talent for the Adamantine Sealing Jutsu which made capable of suppressing even the strongest Tailed Beast.

As much as being a foreigner in Konoha pained her, a pain that grew worse when she learned of her country’s destruction, the decision to send her away saved her life. She gained a great deal of knowledge and techniques from Mito prior to her passing and even though she never learned to wield the Nine-Tails’ chakra, serving solely as its container rather than a weapon, she became a formidable shinobi on par with Konoha’s most elite shinobi.

Nagato – He was a refugee that fled with his parents from Uzushio to the Land of Storms where Hanzou of the Salamander’s strength was enough to ward off his nation’s enemies after the Second Shinobi World War that cemented his reputation. It was a popular destination among all refugees and so they fitted in with the rest and managed to build a home there.

He was gifted with immense and powerful chakra from birth as he inherited the full strength of his bloodline, drawing the attention of Uchiha Madara as he saw the ideal vessel for his Rinnegan. It was thanks to that heritage, despite how little his parents had told him before their deaths, that he became a vital component in the world’ future.

Karin – Her mother was a refugee and her flight from Uzushio’s destruction took her all the way to the Land of Woods where she found a life for herself in one of their villages and raised a daughter. When Karin revealed that she possessed the Mind’s Eye of the Kagura, her mother taught her how to use chakra and even tried to teach her the Adamantine Sealing Chains though it wasn’t an ability she ever used successfully until much later in life. Her chakra sensing saved her life when she escaped a raiding party that destroyed her village and brought her to the attention of Orochimaru of the Sannin.

First she became one of his many child spies and had her infiltrate her the Village Hidden in the Grass as a genin, taking advantage of her nativity. When she returned to him years later, Orochimaru wanted to take advantage of her powerful life force and conducted experiments to turn her body into a tool for healing.

By biting her flesh hard enough to break skin, opening a connection between their chakra systems, one can suck her chakra from her body into theirs. That chakra significantly boosts their healing ability by orders of magnitude so that it can heal severe injuries within seconds. The artificial nature of the ability is clear in that Karin doesn’t have that level of regeneration herself. She, too, needs to bite herself to heal her injuries as it is only when her chakra leaves her body in that fashion that it possesses those healing qualities.

Even after these experiments killed her loyalty to Orochimaru, she remained in the Hidden Sound out of a sense of duty, a lack of alternatives and her deep infatuation with his future vessel, Uchiha Sasuke up until he took her on his quest for vengeance.

Tsunade’s Transformation

Tsunade of the Legendary Sannin wasn’t one to age gracefully.

But she had no desire to look as old as she truly was so she used her unparalleled medical skills to mask her aging appearance. It’s an advanced technique which allows her to transform her body to adopt a more youthful appearance. Whenever she desires, Tsunade can change herself to look like a child, teenager or a grown woman of any age as long as it’s younger than her actual age. The change affects her both internally and externally to alter her height, weight, bone structure and body shape to match what she looked like at different stages of her life.

However it is limited in that she can only ever look like a younger version of herself rather than another person entirely. And more importantly, the change only affects her appearance without actually making her any younger. For instance, she would live no longer by shapeshifting into herself as a child for instance and it isn’t able to erase any injuries, scars or illness she might have. But her specialization in medical ninjutsu allowed her in good physical condition despite her chosen lifestyle after retiring as a ninja.

As further testament to Tsunade’s skill, the ninjutsu is maintained automatically by siphoning a small fraction of her chakra reserves rather than her consciously using it, meaning that the effects don’t disappear when she’s distracted or unconscious. It only when she experiences chakra exhaustion or uses Creation Rebirth extensively that she reverts back to her natural appearance. And even then the ninjutsu restores itself once she recovers.

Tsunade became more and more reliant on this ninjutsu as she got older, particularly as the after-effects of practising her Creation Rebirth meant that she was aging faster than normal. She even developed a habit of making her default form look younger the older she got.

While this technique has no official name, it would most accurately be called the Rejuvenation Jutsu.

Hyuuga Clan

The Hyuuga Clan are one of the oldest shinobi clans in the world and renowned for possessing the Byakugan, one of the Three Great Doujutsu.

Otsutsuki Hamura, the younger son of Otsutsuki Kaguya, sired several children who remained behind when he and the rest of the Otsutsuki Clan undertook the duty of safeguarding the husk of the Ten-Tails and watching over the world of shinobi from the moon. One of those children was blessed with the Byakugan like himself who then  passed the doujutsu down to their descendants.

This family were originally the foremost leaders in the study of chakra after the passing of the Sage of Six Paths by using their eyes to perceive its existence and workings in a way that no one else could. While others had to rely on feeling and intuition when controlling their chakra, they could see exactly what they are doing for themselves and learned to control their chakra perfectly.

It was when shinobi became synonymous with warfare and the peaceful study of chakra became weapon research that this family truly became the Hyuuga Clan. Following the tradition of their ancestral clan, the Hyuuga were split into the Main House and Branch House. The Main House were the rulers who governed the clan and did not participate in missions or battle except in most dire circumstances. Because of this, it was their duty to devote their time to training; mastering every aspect and pushing the boundaries of their unique style. The Branch House fight against any and all of the clan’s enemies while protecting the Main House.

The clan’s abilities made them exceptionally dangerous from the very beginning. Their supernatural eyesight made them invaluable as scouts, bodyguards, thieves and assassins as few things could ever escape or block their vision. But as more and more ninjutsu were developed, their inherent advantage over the other clans lessened.

They sought a new way to overcome their enemies, one which took advantage of their knowledge and control of chakra. Their solution was devised by the Main House who developed their own style of Gentle Fist taijutsu using their Byakugan’s ability to see the chakra pathway system. They studied and trained relentlessly to create the fighting style and then taught it to the Branch House to use a weapon to protect the clan.

This levelled the playing field and made the Hyuuga a terror on the battlefield

Unfortunately, their exception reputation also meant that their secrets were highly coveted. Since the Byakugan was so numerous in their clan and could used by an enemy with a single eye transplant, the Hyuuga suffered from more theft and grave-robbing than almost any other clan.

Hyuuga Clan Juinjutsu

Beset by enemies on all sides, the Main House created a cursed seal to protect their bloodline. Once the bearer dies, the cursed seal destroys the chakra pathways within the brain and eyes to render their kekkei genkai worthless and make it impossible to study post-mortem. Once the cursed seal destroys the Byakugan, it vanishes from their body.

The Branch House was branded with the cursed seal and were even more deeply devoted to performing missions, acquiring  revenue and protecting the Main House. They were raised to believe that the death of the Main House was the death of the clan itself and that it was their duty to give their lives to protect them. It became a requirement for every child of the Branch House to be branded after they were four years old.

The bearer can choose to activate the cursed seal while still alive to commit suicide and protect the Byakugan from falling into enemy hands. Each cursed seal is also linked to the Hyuuga of the Main House who have the ability to activate it on the bearer’s behalf.

In the beginning, the Main House ruled fairly and the Branch House served them with honour. But soon enough the Main House questioned why they should share the elite techniques they had painstakingly developed with the ones who were meant to serve them. They believed it unfair that the Branch House gained recognition for these skills and were seen as the strength of the clan when they were its leaders.

What also came to light at this time was that the cursed seal could be partially activated to attack the bearer’s chakra pathways without killing them. Because it is linked to the chakra pathways within the brain, they could suffer excruciating pain at the whim of the Main House.

New rules and traditions were set in place so that only the Main House were allowed to learn the advanced techniques of their Gentle Fist whilst the Branch House were left with only the fundamentals. Should a Branch House show any defiance towards the Main House then they would be punished with crippling pain or even death. It was this that lead to the family cursed seal to become known as the Caged Bird Cursed Seal to represent the fate of the Brand House.

It was a time of great friction and discord within the clan but it was followed by resignation.

The Main House ruled and the Branch House served; that is the way of their clan. There was an undercurrent of resentment and jealousy in the Branch House but most were too resigned to their fate to genuinely hate the Main House or try to change the clan.

Joining the Hidden Village

The Hyuuga Clan were originally based in the area that would become the Land of Lightning and were first invited to join the newly formed Kumogakure. But rather than choose to ally themselves with those who had killed and stolen from them for generations, they instead ventured south to join their cousin clans in Konohagakure. It was a slight that was never quite forgotten or forgiven.

The clan changed little upon joining the village as the Main House continued to rule the clan and the Branch House performed the missions with the understanding that, in exchange for a home and protection, the clan ultimately served the Hokage. But they were highly respected by their fellow clans and the civilians for their skills, even developing a semi-friendly rivalry with the doujutsu-wielding Uchiha Clan (especially after the dissolution of the Senju Clan). It was said that the Hyuuga were the strongest clan of Konoha.

Some, both inside the clan and out, believe that the separation of houses and the cursed seal were an unnecessary existence now that the Warring Clans Era had ended.

This was a prominent topic with the circumstances surrounding the more recent Clan Head of the Hyuuga. Hyuuga Hiashi was born just before his twin brother Hizashi and was made the heir of the clan. However Hizashi was immediately relegated to the Branch House rather than remain as a member of the Main House as was typical of siblings. Because the two of them were twins, it was decided that the younger brother should join the Branch House to avoid any conflict over the clan’s future leadership.

It was a decision that greatly embittered Hizashi as he was denied his birthright and forced to become a servant despite being his brother’s equal in every other way. This resentment only grew he had a son who proved to have incredible talent with the Byakugan and the Gentle Fist but would forever be a servant of the Main House.

Then there was the event known as the Hyuuga Incident. Years after the Third Shinobi World War, Konoha and Kumo were finally going to enter an alliance and the latter sent their Head Ninja to sign the treaty. However the alliance was in fact a front for Kumo to try and kidnap the Hyuuga heiress, Hyuuga Hinata, using the Head Ninja who had essentially infiltrated Konoha using the ceremony as a pretence for stealing the Byakugan. After Hiashi struck him down, Kumo demanded that his corpse be sent to them in exchange for killing their ninja for the sake of studying his kekkei genkai as he had never been branded with their cursed seal.

Hiashi was willing to give his life for Konoha’s sake but instead they decided to trick Kumo by using Hizashi as his body double which prevents the risk of the Byakugan’s secrets being shared. For the sake of protecting everyone, rather than the Main House alone, Hizashi sacrificed himself and averted war.

Unfortunately, this was not the end of the clan’s trouble times. Neji grew up despising the Main House because he believed that they had murdered his father to protect Hiashi and resented living at their mercy. And Hinata’s weak mentality made her even less favourable than her younger sister despite being the supposed heir of the clan.

Fortunately, Uzumaki Naruto served as the catalyst that helped change them both for the better, leading to a reconciliation between them and a greater change for the Hyuuga Clan itself.

Gentle Fist

The Hyuuga taijutsu specializes in damaging the enemy’s internal organs through their chakra pathways. With the Byakugan’s insight, they can clearly see the entire chakra pathway system of the human body which are a network intertwined with every organ, muscle, vessel and cell.

They focus chakra into their hands and then release it in a precise burst into the opponent’s pathways with a touch. The forceful intrusion of foreign chakra damages the cells that the targeted pathways are connected to and wounds them internally. It is most effective when attacking the opponent’s internal organs as they cannot be trained to be tougher, causing pain, internal bleeding or even making the disrupt the organ’s functions to incapacitate or kill the individual. Against other body parts, they can damage nerve endings, burst blood vessels and bruise muscles. They can inflict such injuries even with just a glancing blow and their chakra is able to pass through clothing and armour.

It’s said that a Hyuuga was the one to deliver the killing blow to the Third Raikage in the Battle of Ten Thousand, striking his heart with the Gentle Fist.

Their taijutsu is primarily based on palm strikes as the hands are the easiest place for them to channel their chakra and to land their gentle touches, though they are equally capable of fiercer attacks. And the Byakugan’s omni-directional vision allows them to see enemies from any direction so that they can evade any blow and keep track of their movements.

The next level of their Gentle Fist requires a Byakugan capable of perceiving the chakra points of the chakra pathways. These are 361 nodes spread throughout the system which are practically the size of a pinprick.

By jabbing the point with their finger and inserting their chakra, it forces the chakra point closed which has the effect of preventing the victim’s chakra from flowing through the affected area. Depending on which points have been closed and how many have been closed, it can increase or decrease their chakra flow to disrupt their ability to manipulate chakra or halt the chakra flow within specific areas. In addition to needing eyes strong enough to see them, it takes great skill to be able to pierce a chakra point in the heat of combat.

Other than attacking living enemies, the Gentle Fist is especially effective against chakra-based substances as it can be used to cut through or destroy them even when actual weapons fail against them. In emergency, it has been used to reset dislocated shoulders or broken bones on the battlefield as the Byakugan can detect the injury and be used as a guide to help fix the problem.

The Branch House are taught basic techniques such as building up chakra within the body and release it from both hands in a single blow, or firing a shock wave of chakra to displace the air as a ranged attack.

But the more advanced techniques of the Gentle Fist are passed down exclusively in the Main House through oral tradition to ensure their place in the clan’s hierarchy.

They learn to strike the most vital sixty-four chakra points on the human body that completely stop their chakra flow, rendering the victim incapable of creating chakra and even struggling to move. They have skills known as Gentle Step which use chakra that has been shaped and maintained to enhance the Hyuuga’s fighting with their abilities such as absorbing the target’s chakra.

They even learn to release chakra from any and all of their chakra points rather than just those in their hands and feet which can be used to escape bindings or slow and redirect incoming attacks. Most impotantly, it allows them to create an absolute defence by spinning their body and chakra to catch and repel their enemy’s attacks in a destructive sphere or simply use it slow and deflect such attacks.

The Byakugan isn’t an absolute requirement for using this taijutsu style; other ninja can achieve that level of chakra control and thereotically even learn where to strike an enemy. But where others can only make a rough estimate, the Hyuuga can see exactly where to aim and are practically born to the style.

Once, their fighting style was called the Trigram Fist but few know it and even fewer use it. That name stems from the symbols that the Hyuuga are taught to imagine, utilizing their omni-directional range of vision to be able to attack or defend against any enemy within their range.

It is now simply known as the Gentle Fist because it has exemplified that entire style of taijutsu for centuries and is indisputably the strongest of its kind. To this day, it is recognized as one of the deadliest taijutsu styles in existence.

Chakra Absorption

Chakra Absorption is the ability to absorb another person’s physical and spiritual energy. By reversing their natural chakra flow, an individual can draw in chakra from outside of their body through their chakra points. They instinctively convert that energy into something compatible with the absorber’s chakra system, replenishing their stamina whilst draining the enemy of theirs. The most powerful absorbers are even capable of restoring their physical conditions such as healing from injuries they had suffered.

Everyone with this ability is able to absorb chakra through physical touch. It is mostly commonly used through their hands so they can steal from their target by grabbing onto them. The longer they keep hold of their victim then the weaker they become which makes it even harder for them to escape. However one can learn to absorb chakra through any part of their body so that all kinds physical contact is an opportunity to steal an enemy’s chakra.

This effect can also be used through physical mediums such a ninja tools which form a conduit between the absorber and the victim. There are even certain types of ninjutsu which are used to absorb chakra from those caught within its effect and potentially even absorb the chakra of other ninjutsu. It is a useful type of technique for feeding on a restrained opponent to render them unable to escape or making it grow more powerful once cast.

One weakness of chakra absorption is that it generally isn’t able to kill someone by itself. Once the target has reached the point of chakra exhaustion, their body starts to shut down as a self-defence mechanism which actually prevents anymore chakra from being stolen from them. At this point, they typically fall unconsciousness as their body tries to restore its lost stamina.

The ‘strength’ of an absorption is measured by how much and how quickly they can absorb another person’s chakra, as someone who could absorb large volumes of their target’s chakra within seconds is an inherently dangerous enemy. Most absorbers can only absorb as much chakra as their body can withstand; once they have reached their peak in stamina, they become incapable absorbing any more chakra until they use it up.

This is not an ability that can be learned but is instead a rare trait that appears in only a small percentage of shinobi like chakra sensing. But there are significantly more Sensors in the world and while everyone can at least passively feel chakra, most people can’t absorb chakra at all.

However chakra absorption is actually considered to be an unholy gift by some. The origin of this reputation, especially in a world where far more terrible techniques exist, comes from the high chance that an absorber’s mother will die in childbirth. A child who can absorb chakra may instinctively touch upon that gift in the womb, unknowingly draining their own parent of life. They have no way of knowing this or stopping it but it nevertheless leaves these children carrying a stigma for their entire lives.

Konoha’s Ninja Academy

In the Warring States Era, the children born in shinobi clans receiving personal training from their parents and were then trained together in groups of similar age and skill by their clansmen.

This meant that there wasn’t any kind of standard learning process as each clan taught their children different things in different ways which led to a discrepancy between the level of skill and knowledge displayed by shinobi of different clans. Those who wished to become shinobi without being born into it were either self-taught or had to find masters willing to teach them, so this often means that they were left at a distinct disadvantage in the field that led to their early deaths more often than not.

The collaboration between clans brought by the advent of the hidden villages opened up new possibilities. It began with the youngest Uchiha and Senju being put into classes together – soon followed by the children of the other clan that joined – where they would learn essential knowledge such as maths, history, geography and the rest. However their shinobi training remained solely in the hands of the clans themselves.

It wasn’t until the First Great Shinobi War broke out that the situation changed as children learning solely from their own family became too inefficient.

Fifty or so years ago, the Second Hokage chose to increase Konoha’s military by building a training camp at the base of the village mountain. It started out purely for education but quickly merged with military and domestic parts of their lifestyle.

Utilizing the shared knowledge from the clans living and working together, this Academy hosted the first standardized curriculum for teaching the shinobi arts that all of their children would learn from. After the Second Hokage’s death, the Third Hokage perfected the educational systems, and education and training are now carried out under strict standards.

The Konoha Academy was meant for the development as shinobi with respect to individuality. In a free, open-minded environment students are allowed to stengthen their bodies and minds, discovering their own ninja paths. When they have found their way, they are guided by the belief that fills them.

Children undertake an entrance exam which tests whether they have any aptitude for the ninja arts, whether they are healthy in body and mind, possess a spirit able to endure hard work and training, and a love for their village with the hope to help preserve peace and prosperity.

Students are given basic training and education so they gain sturdy bodies and fundamental knowledge immediately after entrance. They learn the type of things that all children are expected to learn but the focus of their lessons is always on their role as shinobi in training.

To hone the body, they undergo all kinds of physical training such as running, climbing, push-ups, pull-ups, vaulting, throwing and swimming. To hone the mind, they study the theories behind techniques and hand-seals in detail, learn history of shinobi and engrave the shinobi code into their hearts.

When students are deemed to have mastered the basics and manoeuvres they are moved to the application stage, where they are taught techniques designed for their personality and skills. Private lessons or special seminars help enhance their specials qualities.

The practical lessons focus on taijutsu, genjutsu and ninjutsu. Students learn fighting stances that serve as a solid foundation for any individual styles they develop, participating in sparring matches to test their skill. Illusions are difficult enough that they aren’t taught in the Academy, but the students are trained in detecting and countering them. And all students are expected to learn five E-rank ninjutsu, the most fundamental technique taught to every shinobi that act as a stepping stone for the entire art.

Today, the Academy is a seven year course where students enrol from the age of five and graduate at twelve. The graduation age has changed repeatedly since its inception as during times of war, the village needed to produce ninja at a faster rate to provide manpower, especially the students who are particularly gifted. Only during peacetime are all students expected to attend for the full seven years.

Each year group usually has at least ninety students in total which are split into several classes. At the start of the new year, the students are rearranged into different classes to familiarize themselves with a wider range of people and to teach them to adapt to change. Even during their lessons, the classes are often broken down into smaller groups for their school activities.

In the last year of the Academy, there are three graduation exams. The first two are mock exams which show the students their current skill level and how much knowledge they have so they know what they need to improve on. The final exam is at the end of the year and is the one that decides whether or not they become ninja. The exam tests their theoretical and practical knowledge, their skill in taijutsu, whether they are capable of recognising and dispelling genjutsu, and their mastery of ninjutsu.

And this institution isn’t the only one of its kind in the Land of Fire as not all of their shinobi come from a single academy. The many samurai schools that once existed across the nation changed to become ninja schools that taught their students how to wield chakra. These training camps are all allied with Konoha, training new recruits, housing border patrol units and acting as staging grounds for large scale foreign operations.

The students that graduate in Konoha are sorted into teams of three selected by the Hokage based on their teachers’ recommendations. They are assigned to a special jounin or a jounin who gives them the Genin Certification Exam which has a failure rate of over 66%. The parameters of the test differ for each teacher but they require the genin to achieve a specific objective whilst demonstrating their individual skills and working together as a team.

If they pass, they become an official team and get to work in the field. They spend the majority of their time training under an elite ninja and work for the village’s clientele with D-rank and C-rank missions. They quickly earn field experience, develop thier skills and possess a good chance of being promoted within a few years.

If they fail, they are sent back to the Academy. They undergo a short period of remedial training after which they can choose to retake the certification exam, or join one of the village’s divisions that handle the more mundane tasks that are needed to keep the village running and secure.

The Academy became a model that all other hidden villages followed when the effectiveness of its training became apparent. Each nation has their own lessons to teach but generally they all follow the same guidelines.