What Does The Word Jutsu In Naruto Mean?

Jutsu - one of the words that you will hear in each and every Naruto episode. You'll hear it just about as often as you hear Naruto say 'Dattebayo'. But what does it mean? Jutsu is a Japanese word that means 'skill' or 'ability'. In the Naruto Universe, it is used to describe the various techniques used by ninjas during battle.

Jutsus are often done by manipulating the 'chakra' of the ninja. The more stamina a ninja has, the more chakra he can use since chakra is simply stamina converted into energy. These jutsus are performed by doing hand-seals. There are 12 hand seals in all namely:

1. Bird 2. Boar 3. Dog 4. Dragon 5. Hare 6. Horse 7. Monkey 8. Ox 9. Ram 10. Rat 11. Serpent 12. Tiger

The jutsu that will be performed depends on the hand-seals that were used. For example, a fire jutsu typically ends with the seal of the tiger, as in the case of the Uchiha clan's Katon Goukakyuu no jutsu.

Jutsus are ranked according to their power and level of difficulty. But a jutsu's rank doesn't mean that it will be effective. It still depends on the user's skill and his usage of the jutsu. There are six ranks in all namely:

1. E rank - academy student-level jutsu 2. D rank - genin-level jutsu 3. C rank - chuunin level jutsu 4. B rank - jounin level jutsu 5. A rank - Kinjutsu 6. S rank - Secret Techniques

As you may have noticed, the first four ranks depend on the ninja's level. You see, ninjas start out as academy students. If they pass, they will become genins. If they pass the chuunin exam, they will become chuunins. Then Jounins and maybe, specialized jounins, ANBU, even kages.

The last two ranks are kinjutsu and secret techniques. Kinjutsu are otherwise known as 'forbidden jutsu'. These jutsu are forbidden because they are either 'dark or evil in nature' or they cause harm to the user. Examples of kinjutsu are Naruto's Kage Bunshin and the Juin Jutsu or the Cursed Seal technique used by Sasuke. Secret techniques are jutsu passed down from generation to generation of a ninja clan. Nobody outside of the clan can know how to perform the jutsu. Included in this rank are the kekkei genkais or the abilities or skill passed down through the genes like the Uchiha clan's Sharingan and the Hyuga clan's Byakugan.

Jutsus can be further classified into three categories depending on their type. These are:

1. Taijutsu - taijutsu refers to any technique that uses the ninja's stamina directly rather than converting the stamina into chakra. Simply put, taijutsu refers to all hand-to-hand combat techniques. Examples are Lee's Lotus and Sasuke's Shi Shi Rendan.

2. Ninjutsu - ninjutsu refers to any technique that uses chakra for various purposes, depending on the user. Elemental techniques are classified into this. Examples include Naruto's rasengan and Sasuke's chidori. Kawarimi no jutsu, a basic jutsu, is also classified into this.

3. Genjutsu - genjutsu refers to any technique that involves using the victim's chakra against himself to affect the person's nervous system. Genjutsus often rely on the ninja's intelligence. The more intelligent a person is, the more he can perform genjutsu and the more he can dispel it.

So there you have it, this should give you some ideas of what Jutsus mean in Naruto whenever a character uses it. It's actually not all made up and there are actually some depth to each Jutsus individually!