#medical ninjutsu meta

[primnroses]

— An insight about summons: Katsuyu, the slug of the Shikkotsu Forest

The information presented in this post has been checked and revised. My aim is not to hate or to discredit any of the characters mentioned. Please read about me for further information.

This post will contain evidence in picture format directly from the manga Naruto (1999 - 2014) created by Masashi Kishimoto and published by Shueisha in 1999. I will also use information from the official databooks of Naruto.

This informative post will analyze the concept of animal summons in the world of Naruto and highlight Katsuyu’s unique abilities throughout the series providing evidence. This meta will also mention other animal summons from the Three-Way Deadlock. I will not use information present in the novels because there is none.

This meta is crossposted in AO3.

I give my permission to use or share this thread with informative purposes as long as you credit me.

I do not support the anime or the work of Studio Pierrot in regards to Naruto because I consider it over exaggerated and beyond biased. Furthermore, these fillers include some actions that these characters are unable to do in the canon according to official sources and they also generate unnecessary debate.

Please, take this into consideration.

Katsuyu, also known as Katsuyu of the Shikkotsu Forest, is a giant slug from the Shikkotsu Forest, a secret and legendary place from the Three Unexplored Sage Regions (仙人三大秘境, Sennin Sandai Hikyō). 

The Three Sage Unexplored Regions according to the Fourth databook.

She is the personal summon of the Fifth Hokage Tsunade, and later, her disciple Sakura Haruno; both women are probably the only people in the world that have been able to summon the slug.

Katsuyu possesses one of the most unique qualities and abilities among animal summons, most of which are still a mystery within the series. 

— WHAT IS A SUMMON AND ANIMAL SUMMONS?

A summon is the ability to invoke objects, weapons, people or animals. This action is carried out through a Summoning Technique (口寄せの術­, Kuchiyose no Jutsu), a special hand seal based jutsu to transport any element to the user’s location for a limited amount of time. 

A Summoning Technique is classified as a space-time ninjutsu and a C-Rank (chūnin level) difficulty jutsu. 

Summoning Technique according to the First databook.

Usually, in order to summon objects or weapons, users apply scrolls or special sealing techniques to contain the desired material. This is the case of Tenten, for example; she uses scrolls to seal multiple kunai, shuriken and any weapon of her choice, granting her the title of “Master of space-time ninjutsu”.

However, for animals and living creatures, this is different.

An animal summon is a technique that adds to the ninja’s ninjutsu repertoire, as a shinobi can take advantage of the animal’s abilities for battle or other purposes.

Before any animal can be summoned, the animal and the user must sign a contract with the species or the specific creature using their blood. In order to summon said animal, the user applies some of their blood, normally by biting their fingers, and channels their chakra to their hands thus invoking a sealing pattern that transports their summon to that same location. The amount of chakra used to summon the creatures determines the size and number of summons. 

The summoning contract of the Toads of Mount Myōboku, Naruto chapter 92.

In the case of the Three Unexplored Sage Regions, the summoning contracts vary. 

Naruto Uzumaki Jiraiya and Minato Namikaze sealed a contract with the toads of Mount Myōboku using their own blood, so when they perform a Summoning Technique, any available toad can offer their services to them. 

Orochimaru has his contract with the snakes of the Ryūchi Cave tattooed on his arms. The methods his disciple Sasuke Uchiha uses to summon snakes from the same location is unknown. 

Tsunade and Sakura Haruno do not have a physical contract, or at least it has never been revealed. However, by reading the manga, the contract with the Shikkotsu Forest might be through their Strength of a Hundred Seal, as it is only possible to summon Katsuyu if the summoner possesses this seal.

It is unknown if there is a blood contract involved, but it is likely that there is since the method of summoning is blood like his companions. 

Orochimaru's contract Naruto chapters 165 and 344.

— KATSUYU AND HER ABILITIES, WHAT MAKES HER SPECIAL?

Katsuyu is a very intriguing and interesting animal and the only one whose past has never been explored.

Summon’s habitats and the Three Unexplored Sage Regions are home to a single species of animals. 

The Ryūchi Cave is home to snakes such as the White Snake, Manda or Aoda, and Mount Myōboku is home to toads like Gamakichi, Gamamaru or Gamabunta.

But, unlike those, Katsuyu is the only organism living in the Shikkotsu Forest. She does not have any other slug companions. 

Following the same scheme as the rest of summons, Katsuyu resembles a real slug. 

She is white or ivory in color, with three turquoise stripes running on her head and sides that start on her head and end in her tail. 

One special feature about her appearance is that her true size has never been seen. Using one summoner, Katsuyu is bigger than the Hokage Residence, and using two summoners, Katsuyu is the size of the roots of the God Tree, which is just one tenth of her real size according to Tsunade. 

Katsuyu's size summoned by one person or two, Naruto chapters 422 and 650.

Her size changes depending on the amount of chakra used to summon her. She can appear as a small slug used to gather intel or help in supplementary tasks, or she can appear as a giant creature using one or two summoners. 

Small Katsuyu summoned to assist Headquarters Naruto chapter 561.

Her age is a true mystery. It is known that toads and snakes live many years and have descendants, such as Gamabunta and Gamakichi’s father and son relationship, or Aoda having great grandchildren; or certain summons retiring when they reach an age while their companions or children replace them. 

The Three Unexplored Sage Regions are legendary places known for many generations. 

Katsuyu, on the other hand, is the only inhabitant of the Shikkotsu Forest. She does not have descendants or companions in her home habitat. Her age or her true origins are a mystery. The first shinobi to discover her existence or previous masters before Sakura Haruno and Tsunade are also unknown.

The first and most important thing to point out is that Katsuyu can only be summoned by users of the Strength of a Hundred Seal. This seal is an extremely difficult jutsu to learn and achieve, so there have only been two summoners in history.

The reason for this is that Katsuyu is such an enormous animal that it requires an immense amount of chakra to summon, and that chakra is stored inside the seal. 

Tsunade and her disciple Sakura Haruno are the only beings able to summon Katsuyu Naruto chapter 650.

The primary skill Katsuyu has is the ability to divide herself in many fragments, hundreds or thousands of them in fact. This technique is called Slug Great Division (蛞蝓大分裂­, Katsuyu Daibunretsu) and it can be used for supplementary purposes, as well for battle. 

In a fight, thanks to her rapid ability to transform her body and divide herself, she can separate herself to nullify attacks by avoiding any strike at incredible speeds. She can do this as many times as she wants without exhaustion. Each of these fragments are also quite fast, able to throw themselves in front of people to shield them from danger.

Manda trapping Katsuyu but she escapes Naruto chapter 170 and Second databook.

She also has the ability to spit a sticky and elastic acid, a jutsu called Tongue Tooth Sticky Acid able to melt stones and vaporize everything it touches (probably senjutsu although never truly revealed). It is also very difficult to dodge due to its unpredictable nature. 

Slug acid, Naruto chapter 170 and Second databook.

Unlike Shadow Clones or other regular clones that are independent from each other and are not interconnected, what Katsuyu does is divide her own body in equal parts, so she is in as many places as she wants at once. She is one entity divided into many other independent and interconnected parts while remaining one single body. Each of her divisions behaves like their own person, so she can complete different tasks while also knowing what her other parts are doing in other places.

Being the summon of medical ninjas, Sakura Haruno and Tsunade take advantage of Katsuyu’s ability to divide herself in order to channel their healing chakra and treat as many people as necessary. 

With a technique called Immense Network Healing (蛞蝓・網療治夥­, Katsuyu: Mōryōjika), Katsuyu collects chakra from the Strength of a Hundred Seal to transform it into healing chakra and treat the injured. 

Using the Great Division and Immense Network Healing in tandem, Katsuyu has the ability to heal and protect everyone she makes contact with. Healing any kind of injury or absorbing people inside her in order to shield them from attacks or sudden explosions is her specialty. Her body is able to resist explosions and even Kurama's corrosive chakra.

Katsuyu divides her body and heals the Alliance Naruto chapter 634 and Fourth databook.

In fact, Katsuyu's power is not only limited to healing wounds, but regeneration too. One of her most impressive feats is the ability to maintain a patient in suspended animation, keeping them alive for as long as she possesses chakra from the seal in order to ensure their survival. 

Katsuyu was able to keep Tsunade alive despite having her body bisected, which on normal circumstances, would mean instant death. However, the slug's regenerative abilities allowed Tsunade to remain alive until she obtained a chakra boost from a third party. This fact is known as Tsunade does not really present the unique Uzumaki Clan ability to keep themselves alive for as long as possible.

Katsuyu kept Tsunade alive despite having her body cut in half, an impressive feat Naruto chapter 635.

This jutsu also acts as a sensing technique due to Katsuyu being connected to the chakra of the injured in order to heal them and her master. Katsuyu is able to relay Kakashi Hatake and Chōza Akimichi’s conditions to Tsunade through their connection, as the slug is connected to the Strength of a Hundred Seal; as well as being able to tell Sakura that Kurama’s chakra was still connected to the Allied Shinobi Forces.

Katsuyu can transmit the chakra levels and the condition of everyone she is in contact with Naruto chapter 427.

This way, Katsuyu was able to protect Konoha’s citizens from Pain’s Shinra Tensei and even survive Kurama’s toxic chakra. 

Able to be in many places at once, her ability to cover infinite distances while her parts remain interconnected allows her to fulfill communication and intel gathering roles. Being in many places and her clones being part of the same body, Katsuyu relays information to one person or multiple people, something she could do by attaching herself to someone’s shoulder and speaking. 

It was Katsuyu the one giving Naruto Uzumaki information about Pain and also told him that Nagato had revived Konoha citizens through the clones that stayed in the village, kept every villager informed about the situation and followed evacuation protocols when Naruto transformed into six tails, and told Tsunade everything that was happening in the battlefield thanks to having another body summoned by Sakura on the other side of the country, and vice versa.

Sakura instructing Katsuyu to evacuate the area through the multiple clones Naruto chapter 438.

This communication ability can cover immense ground at once because the communication is instant. It works similar to regular telepathy, but instead of hearing the other person's voice in their head, people are talking to Katsuyu, and Katsuyu in turn is actually talking to herself through her clones.

Katsuyu's clones on different parts of the Land of Lightning tell Tsunade and Sakura the events that have taken place on both ends Naruto chapters 635 and 647.

An animal summon can only perform at the top of their abilities for a limited amount of time, what is known as the summoning time limit. 

It is unknown exactly how long the invocation lasts, or whether it varies between animals. A summon will help its master before the jutsu runs out or the summon has exhausted its power. 

Gamakichi mentions the summoning time limit Naruto chapter 642.

However, for Katsuyu, this is not the case. 

The slug can be summoned for unlimited periods of time and several times a day, as seen when Katsuyu spent the Fourth Shinobi World War by Tsunade’s side in the Headquarters, primarily helping Shikaku Nara and participating in the planification of the troops, and later with the Five Kage against Madara and Sakura with the Allied Shinobi Forces.

This could be explained by the symbiotic bond Sakura and Tsunade share with Katsuyu through the Strength of a Hundred Seal. 

The seal stores unimaginable quantities of chakra inside, which are used by Katsuyu to perform healing on people. As long as Katsuyu has been transmitted every drop of chakra in the seal, she will continue her work, as seen when Tsunade gave the slug all the chakra inside her Byakugou to the point it disappeared but Katsuyu physically remained in Konoha until her services were no longer needed.

Tsunade's Byakugou disappears but Katsuyu still serves her purpose as a summon to evacuate Naruto chapter 430.

Still, like any other summon, Katsuyu can be exhausted from battle and disappear. When the Ten Tails absorbed the chakra of every shinobi in the battlefield as the Kurama Chakra Cloak, every Katsuyu fragment attached to them was also absorbed and vanished, but the main body remained intact protecting Sakura Haruno form the tree. 

Katsuyu's clones disappeared absorbed by the God Tree Naruto chapter 647.

— THE PERFECT SUMMON?

Katsuyu is very different from the rest of summons. 

From the immeasurable amount of chakra it requires to summon her, to her multiple multitasking and supplementary abilities and her mysterious origins, Katsuyu might be the perfect summon and the strongest animal summon of Naruto and Boruto.

Her ability to divide herself in thousands of fragments, a body and chemical composition resistant to blasts that can reshape her own state, no summoning time limit, outstanding healing and regeneration factor, the unlimited wide range communication she offers, acidic attacks, useful to gather intel by herself and turn small enough to offer battle assistant, and a sensory connection with her master and other people she is attached to. 

Katsuyu is the ultimate creature.

Without a doubt, the most essential ally in desperate times. A valuable help in case a village is being attacked by powerful enemies that threaten to destroy everything around them, Katsuyu is the only weapon able to protect thousands of people from any attack and offer assistance while in contact with her master and everyone she is with.

Thanks to her, every Konoha villager that had not been killed by the Pain Paths previously could survive the Shinra Tensei explosion that destroyed Konoha, which later allowed the surviving shinobi to handle evacuations, as well as allow Naruto to obtain intel about Pain and Nagato or be told that Konoha's villagers were revived.

Katsuyu is an unrivalled intel summon Naruto chapters 431 and 449.

She was also the main link of communication between the Headquarters and the two different fronts of the war, Five Kage and Allied Shinobi Forces, and the reason why the Five Kage survived the fight despite their fatal injuries.

Lastly, it was also Katsuyu who protected the Allied Shinobi Forces against the roots of the God Tree, saving a large portion of the shinobi from death, and later offered a healing area for their future fight against the Kanzeon Lotus King.

— CURRENT WHEREABOUTS.

Ever since the death of Madara Uchiha, Katsuyu has not been summoned again.

With no threats to the destruction of Konoha or the need to establish connections between battlefields, Katsuyu was not summoned in the Blank Period. 

In Boruto, Katsuyu’s debut is strictly linked to Sakura’s appearances: if Sakura does not appear, neither does the slug. This is something that is hard to fathom considering that the village has been exposed to explosions, invasions and multiple deceased shinobi ever since the start that could be prevented by Katsuyu like previous times.

Katsuyu appeared in the anime arc “Kawaki and Himawari in the Academy” where the students had to put on a play about the Sannin and Kawaki dressed as Katsuyu.

Kawaki representing Katsuyu in Boruto episode 267.

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[leportraitducadavre]

I've made this addition on the pertinent posts regarding this form of Ninjutsu (here but most importantly, here) so please if you liked this addition reblog the aforementioned posts instead of this one; but I guess there's no harm in putting it as a separate post to ensure people reading it:

Medical Ninjutsu and delicate chakra control: 

There’s a constant misconception in Naruto’s fandom about how Medical Ninjutsu works and the importance of Chakra control. Having delicate chakra control (delicate being the canon word used to describe Sakura’s control on her chakra flux) implies having control over a large sum of their own chakra in a small part of their body (palms) in order to release it either with their medical ninjutsu or, in the case of Sakura and Tsunade, their fighting technique (they don’t boost their physical energy, as they don’t use such control to run faster, for instance. Rather, they concentrate a large sum of their chakra on their fists and they release it upon contact).

This is canonically proven through the Byakugou seal, as both Tsunade and Sakura are able to save a total of three years of their chakra inside a small diamond-shaped seal that they need to release in order to use more energy-consuming jutsu: Mitochondrial Regeneration, summoning one-tenth of Katsuyu’s body, replenish people with larger chakra pools than them -like Obito or Onoki (the former needed Naruto and Sakura’s chakra combined to cover the bare minimum of his chakra as to perform Kamui to save Sasuke from Kaguya’s dimension), and to have more powerful attacks.

“Chakra control” in the vast use of the term (nor “delicate” preceding it), has more to do with being able to withstand and use large sums of chakra, as Sasuke says “Naruto has control over this much chakra?” During their final fight –the more chakra the shinobi has, the more difficult to control and use it. Danzo was getting poisoned by Hashirama’s cells and had to cut his arm as he lacked the Uchiha chakra to counteract it, unlike Obito whose vast amount of energy allowed him to use Hashirama’s cells at will; Sakura got poisoned due to a small scratch from Naruto’s three-tailed version, the chakra was too dense and powerful and she lacks the stamina to counteract it (Naruto, through Minato’s seal, was exposed to short amounts of this chakra since birth, yet it's likely that his natural reserves are larger than Sakura still).

There’s a reason why Tsunade nor Sakura ever use complicated jutsu, as having delicate control over their chakra does not extend as much how many complicated techniques they can perform: To explain in lesser terms, the more complicated the jutsu, the more chakra it needs and neither Tsunade nor Sakura has a large pool as Sasuke or Naruto do. Their delicate control only means that they won’t waste any energy, as they can concentrate the required amount without wasting the rest; for instance, if a jutsu requires 80% of their energy, while the average shinobi will use at least 90% (wasting 10%), Sakura is able to delicately control her chakra to use only the 80% needed, while maintaining the 20% remaining. The primary difference between Naruto and Sakura is that, while a jutsu takes 80% of Sakura’s chakra, it takes, perhaps 10% (if he wastes a portion as he has less control over his energy and I'm still likely exaggerating the number) of Naruto’s, as he has immense reserves thanks to Kurama.   

[manzkageking]

I wanna talk more about my DC x Naruto AU, so here's nothing.

•Jason, Cass, and Damian are the only members in the Batfam that can mold chakra.

•Jason is a descendant of the Uchihas from his father's side and Cass is a descendant of the Hyugas from her mom's side.

•Jason can use fire, water, lightning, and earth nature releases.

•Damian can use all five nature releases and yang release. He likes to use lightning release the most.

•Jason unlocked his Mangekyō Sharingan moments before his death.

•Once Jason came back to life, he swore to never use his MS abilities (until he found a way to get his EMS), due to him not wanting to go blind.

•Damian knows how to do the mystical palm technique. He told his mother that it was just in case he was in a dire situation, but in reality it was just in case he came across a wounded animal.

•When Jason was Robin, he tried to learn the mystical palm technique, but he just never got it right. He also tried again when he came back as Red Hood, but he still wasn't good at it.

•Anyone with a meta-gene, can do magic, or an aliens cannot mold chakra.

•Jason later gets his EMS from his father after he dies.

•Jason's right eye ability is a genjutsu called Kangiten, and his left eye is a lightning style ninjutsu called Raijin.

•The majority of people who know medical jutsu, usually become doctors or vets.

•Jason's susanoo is red.

•Cass doesn't use the eight trigrams, she could if she wanted, but she doesn't.

•Before Jason unlocked his MS, Bruce was resistant to his genjutsu.

[hobakie]

Ino’s role in the Children’s Mental Health Clinic from Sakura Hiden, as well as Kakashi’s and Tsunade’s

The evidence presented in this post have been checked and revised. My aim is to not hate or to discredit any of the characters mentioned. Please read about me for further information. 

The translation I used is this one and translated by Jocelyne Allen. This is the official translation of the novel published by Jump J Books and edited by VIZ Media: SJ Fiction on May 3rd, 2016.

This informative post will show why Ino and Sakura did not open the therapy center together. It was Sakura only. I will use information present in the novels or the Boruto anime only if it includes character development within canon compliance.

This meta has been crossposted in AO3.

I give my permission to use or share this thread with informative purposes as long as you credit me.

I will not count the anime in this list because I consider it over exaggerated and beyond biased. Furthermore, these fillers include some actions that these characters are unable to do in the canon according to official sources. These fillers also generate unnecessary debate. I do not support the anime or the work of Studio Pierrot in regards to Naruto.

Please, take this into consideration.

Around six months after the Fourth Shinobi World War, Sakura Haruno proposed the idea to open a branch within the Konoha Hospital to treat children.

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•  In chapter 1 (p.20), Sakura and her best friend, Ino Yamanaka, leave a conference inside Konoha Hospital.

This conference about the development of the clinic within a year and about policies and plans.

In page 21, it is mentioned that Sakura came up with the idea of the Clinic. 

"...Sakura proposed to the upper ranks the creation of a department [...] specializing in the care of children's hearts and minds".

Sakura had been treating the wounded after the War ended.

However, even if children did not directly participate in the War, many lost their parents and were mentally scared due to its consequences.

So, after thinking thoroughly of this detail, she starts investigating about the possible scars the War could have had in children in page 22. 

She comes empty handed about physical damage done to them. However, this doesn’t stop her. 

She turns to her teacher, Tsunade Senju, about the idea she had come up with. 

Tsunade agrees with it and supports the idea: 

“I think it's a good idea. [...] Take the lead on this, Sakura, and move forward with it”. 

Here we see that it is, indeed, Sakura, the one who leads this plan. She has Tsunade supporting her from the very start. 

Then Ino Yamanaka is mentioned. 

Here it is stated that once Sakura had sorted out everything, Ino helped her in the process.

She supported her and assisted her, all of this is referenced later in the novel.

Sakura has too much to do on her own. Ino comments on this specifically. 

Then, the clarification comes in the following paragraph:

"With Ino's help... Sakura managed to open the children's therapy center".

The previous extract is what confirms that Sakura is the lead.

Ino helped with bureaucracy. But she is not credited in the foundation of the Clinic.

“They soon started to see steady and strong results".

Ino helps Sakura throughout the tedious process of the foundation of the Clinic.

  “It’s all because of your help, Ino. Thanks.”

Ino is credited in the bureaucracy department. It is said and implied that she help with paperwork. But she is NOT the Co-founder/Co-director of the clinic.

Ino helped more as Sakura’s assistant and support. When Sakura had laid the groundwork, Ino helped her.

• In chapter 1 (p. 24), there are more evidences about Sakura being the promoter from Kakashi Hatake, the current Hokage of Konohagakure.

“Sakura, Suna's... ready whenever we are”. 

This extract displays that Kakashi is also supporting her idea. As saying “we” he shows is totally committed in this project as the village's leader.

She offers Sakura to go to Sunagakure and get the details about the upcoming opening from the medics there.

Ino helped Sakura with her project. It is only fair that she goes as well.

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• In chapter 1 (p. 29), Sakura and her master meet in a restaurant to say goodbye before her departure.

The narrative confirms that Tsunade pushed Sakura to carry out her idea:

It is also mentioned that she just founded it, but she does NOT work there.

It is unknown if she holds the title of Head or Director. Thus, her position in that hierarchy is unknown. 

However, the Boruto anime confirms that Sakura eventually became the Head of the Konoha Hospital.

The Clinic is a branch within the Konoha Hospital, so Sakura holds the title as Director and Founder.

This debunks a statement highly misunderstood by Ino’s fans:

Ino does NOT work in this Clinic.

In the first place, Ino is a medic-ninja for battle. She is not a doctor/medic as a profession.

Because of this, it is impossible for her to practice as a medic/doctor.

I want to point out that Sakura, a professional medic/doctor, does NOT work in this Clinic either.

"The ones actually working with the children are specialists".

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• In chapter 2 (p. 51), now in Sunagakure, Sakura leads the conference about the Clinic she opened in Konoha:

She is nervous to speak in front of a large audience. Ino steps in from time to time to offer additional information, she provided support throughout Sakura’s speech.

This is Sakura's Clinic and, so, she leads.

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• In chapter 3 (p.61), we get more confirmations about Sakura and her project from Kakashi:

“Haruno Sakura proposed and launched the children's therapy center".

Kakashi, as the Hokage, is the person that presents this project to the village's higher-ups and supports it by creating a budget plan.

Koharu asks for Sakura to get more information from her directly.

"[Sakura] wanted to... exchange ideas with them".

Sakura wants to know the details about the project from Sunagakure.

Once more, Ino goes with her, as mentioned earlier, for support.

-

However, there is something important about Tsunade that might explain why she is not more directly involved in the project.

• In chapter 4 (p. 94), Tsunade and Sakura meet again to talk about DNA stemmed from the problem of Sasuke’s alleged clone and the chakra cloak. 

This could imply why Tsunade did not have a more active part in Sakura’s project or why she does not stand by her supporting her directly, knowing that it was the Sannin the person who pushed her student and knowing that she is a medic as well.

However, this is just a thought. 

Ino fills her role wonderfully as Sakura’s best friend.

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• In chapter 8 (p.173), Kakashi reminisces about Kido's situation as a child: 

He is explicitly involved in the project.

Later. in the same page, Sakura says to Ino and Sai: 

“We”.

Tsunade as her mentor, Kakashi as her sensei and Hokage and Ino as the person who stood with her and helped her with paperwork.

She came up with the idea and had 3 people supporting her back.

Right after, a group of medics approach the group in the next page (p. 174):

The medic approach the group but they intent to speak with Sakura, the leader of the project.

“I’ll come too?”.

Ino, once again, offers her help with the matter. But Sakura refuses. 

End.

-

This is all evidences that say Sakura is indeed the only creator of the Clinic and rights are reserved to her and her name. She had 3 people supporting her, not only Ino, but Tsunade and Kakashi as well. The only difference is that Ino went to all the meetings and assisted with the paperwork. The novel deliberately says that “Sakura opened the Clinic” or “Sakura managed to open the Clinic”.

As for Sakura’s role, I have seen people saying she dismissed the project because she doesn't work there, as well as others saying Ino works there because she specializes in mind techniques. This is completely false. I can’t see Ino fixing children’s problems by entering their minds and giving them a talk. Ino never got any development as a medic or a doctor, she is a medic-nin, for platoons, but not a doctor as a proffesion and she's not qualified to work as one.

The manga doesn’t place Ino as a medic in proffesion in the Konoha hierarchy because she already covers her own role as a sensor. 

Furthermore, I don't see how she would specialize as a psychologist or psychiatrist, considering she transfers minds, to generalize the concept. Sakura doesn't seem to work directly in the clinic, but she is the founder and director.

Besides, I don’t understand where people got the information about Ino working in that Clinic. 

In the Boruto anime, she works in the Yamanaka flower shop and is the Leader of the Barrier (again, she holds her own role in the hierarchy as a sensor ninja).

This proves that people haven’t actually read the novel. And, I reiterate, Sakura does NOT work in it either, she said that professionals are taking care of the children. I reaffirm: professionals.

In fact, Ino does not even hold the title of co-founder, assistant director or co-director either. This information is displayed no where. The Clinic is a branch inside the Konoha Hospital, with Sakura as the Head. If anybody is the director of that clinic, it is Sakura. 

The meaning of co-founder or cofound is “build an institution jointly”.

Sakura had already started with her project and had everything sorted out by the time Ino joined her. Ino helped her with (part of) the preparations.

However, the title of Director of the Clinic is redundant. Sakura became the Head of the Medical Department, that means everything related to medicine inside Konoha. Since this Clinic is a branch inside the Hospital, she directs it as well. Sakura can hold the title of Founder.

In short, Ino's role was supportive. She assisted Sakura but she did NOT open the clinic with her friend. She stood with Sakura when Tsunade didn't (maybe because she's retired) and Kakashi was busy being Hokage (he doesn't have anything to do in the world of medicine). That doesn’t take credits away from Ino either. She helped Sakura a lot. It is in the novel how much she took care of the project “(Ino) helped you a fair bit”. As for others like Shizune, she is in the conference with Koharu, Kido and Kakashi as a senior medic.

Konoha Children’s Mental Healthcare Clinic is a project of Sakura. She thought, developed and succeeded with it. She is the sole founder and she had 3 of her most important friends backing her up. Without them, she couldn’t have achieved her goal.

To finish this post, I would like to highlight that some Sakura haters actually claim that the Clinic was Ino’s idea and not Sakura’s, or that Ino works in it because she works with mind techniques. Again, there is no solid ground to back this argument and there are no official references. I understand that you can dislike a character but that doesn’t mean you can remove the credit from a person and confer it to another. People that claim the last sentence as true have actually not read the novel. 

And saying that Ino works multiple jobs doesn’t make her better than any other character, and it shows how little you understand her character or like her just as it was created. Adding more qualities to her character shows that you don’t actually like how she is portrayed and also hints a little bit of disappointment with her. 

Taking qualities from one character and give it to your favorite is toxic and people do it to bring down said character and create a hostile situation. Sakura and Ino are best friends that started with good terms, developed a rather toxic rivalry, and ended the best of friends. There is no need to bring each other down.

-

[godtierwallflower]

[chalabrun]

Part of the reason both Sakura and Tsunade are underrated by the fandom is tied to the despise shounen fanboys have towards healers. They only care about flashy powers and explosions and ignore healing because they find it "boring". However, I do think Kishimoto wasted a lot opportunities of using medical ninjutsu in battles. Medical ninjutsu can be effortless deadly, as Kabuto shown many times. Also, the immense network healing performed by both Sakura and Tsunade through Katsuyu, if they change the healing aspects of the chakra, they can turn a massive amount healing into a dreadful weapon in large scale.

Medical ninjutsu could've make interesting additions to elemental ninjutsu(water style) and even genjutsu, since it's all about using chakra control to control another person's body.

Any thoughts or headcanons? ❤️

Yes, yes, yes!

Dude, you’re so speaking my language. So, I’m going to go through all of this because I actually have a l o t of ideas I’ve come up with for my own but I want to go through this piece by piece because there’s a lot more that can be done with not just medical ninjutsu, but the chakra control needed to perform it that’s also needed for genjutsu and chakra-enhanced strength (and the Byakugo) that go hand-in-hand. 

Biomedical knowledge: Though not ninjutsu in and of itself, the knowledge a med-nin has to learn grants exhaustive knowledge of the human body that Sakura is quite gifted at. Yes, it’s obviously very much needed for healing, however... such knowledge could be used to a combat med-nin’s advantage like pressure points used offensively, quickly identifying weak points on an attacker’s body, and on. It’s actually called Kyusho in martial arts, so it could be a totally valid thing to learn and use offensively!

Offensive agents: Alright, clumsy wording, but with this I mean tactics such as poisons and antidotes, sleeping agents, tranquilizers, and so on. We all know that Sakura surpassed Tsunade in this area, but it’s something massively overlooked and could’ve been used much, much more often--especially since I highly doubt Sakura and Tsunade just punch their way out of everything. With these, Sakura and Tsunade could’ve (and should’ve!) been highly talented at covert missions. After all, what med-nin wouldn’t be superb as a spy? Nono Yakushi and Kabuto were renowned as spies in canon, so why not Tsunade and Sakura? Paired with their legendary repertoire with poisons, antidotes, tranquillizers, and more, I have no doubt they could’ve been even better.

Genjutsu-types: Now, this is more a Sakura-thing than Tsunade (since I don’t remember any instances of Tsunade being tied with genjutsu prowess), but aside from Sakura’s peerless and canon ability to identify and nullify genjutsu being used on her to the point of immunity, there’s a concept I like exploring with her as a “genjutsu-type”, a headcanoned classification up with others like Med-nin, Sensor-type, etc. This brilliant meta explores some possibilities, but two I like to add are Inner Sakura as a Yin Release-construct capable of breaking mind control and genjutsu (aside from its game-based abilities to manifest as a physical cloneto cast genjutsu, be used in taijutsu, etc.) as well as actually casting genjutsu.    - Manipulating chakra: This is another headcanoned ability I have comes from this same meta and it’s how a genjutsu user can manipulate chakra flow to cast illusions. Some uses I’ve come up with are the ability to prevent chakra from being molded to nullify ninjutsu from being casted, as well as a future expansion where a Genjutsu-type can manipulate chakra in the body to cause mayhem (like inducing a heart attack, stunting breathing, messing with the brain on a biochemical level, etc.) without ever making physical contact with the victim. As genjutsu demands manipulating yourself or another’s chakra flow to cast or break it to begin with, a midway point could mean a genjutsu-type like Sakura could pair it with her extensive medical knowledge and cause some real damage. 

Deadly medical ninjutsu: As we all know, Sakura has utilized medical ninjutsu offensively when she paired it with CES to stunt Kido’s healing factor in Sakura Hiden. However, going on what you said here, I have some more uses in mind: The Immense Network Healing is used to channel chakra to those connected to Katsuyu’s clones, but never specified that it can circulate only healing chakra, now does it? And, like you said, healing chakra can be deadly if too much if flooded into the body, the recipient can become comatose.    - Chakra scalpel: As you state, Chakra Scalpels can absolutely be used to deadly effect offensively, and with Tsunade and Sakura’s level of chakra control, who’s to say that they couldn’t master it even further.   - Deadly Illness Extraction Technique: Now, while we’re aware that this technique is used to both diagnose and extract poisons, what if it did something else? Or the opposite? Like spreading a poison or tranquilizer in someone’s body to hasten the effects; like, a tranquilizer that takes minutes to take effect could only need a few seconds if the user is skilled enough. Or, finding weaknesses in the body to exploit?     - Healing Power Alteration Technique: Now, while this technique has only been named, my own headcanon is that it’s used to cause cell death. Benignly, this can kill off cancerous cells, stop the spread of infection, necrosis so that it can’t spread further, etc. Offensively, with an increased amount of chakra can cause flash mummification of whole limbs to an entire person in just seconds. 

Chakra control & Chakra-enhanced strength: Now, while this is entirely headcanon, we all know that in Sakura Hiden, she combined increased chakra control to break herself from restraints, flood chakra in areas to withstand harsh blows, halt and nullify elemental ninjutsu, and more. By adulthood, this evolved into the creation of a literal chakra radar. However, there’s even more areas that require advanced chakra control for the transformation and modification of techniques I’ve come up with that combine with these abilities.    - Shape Transformation: An advanced form of chakra control that involves controlling the form, movement, and potency of one's chakra, determining the size, range, and purpose of a technique. Now, factoring this in with CES, what if Sakura could alter the shape of her blows? Instead of just unleashing bursts of chakra to decimate or pulverize, what if she shaped it into blades or long releases of chakra to impale with? I have more here in a body of techniques I created.    - Nature Transformation: This one, of course, is the second part of ninjutsu modification I combine with CES in my headcanon wherein Sakura channels Earth, Fire, or Lightning Releases into her blows to increase how devastating they can become. Fire Release to superheat the chakra Sakura expels to the point that it can catch fire and scorch its targets. Earth Release to shape and conduct how CES is performed, like creating sinkholes, deliberately shaped fissures, impact depth and radius, and so on. Lightning Release (that she has in the games) paired with Shape Transformation to increase the cutting power of her blows.    - Chakra flow: A nature transformation type that pairs with the former, as stated above, chakra flow can be used to enhance the properties of weapons... however, they can also be augmented with the user’s body. As Sakura already has the ability to channel chakra throughout her body, paired with elemental ninjutsu could enhance how she fights. Like the Raikage’s Lightning Mode, I imagine a watered down version where Sakura uses it to stimulate her nervous system to drastically increase her reaction time, speed, and defensive power. Like Kakuzu’s Earth Spear, Earth Release flowed throughout her body can bolster her defense and increase the potency of her physical attacks. Lastly, Water Release can boost her physical defense like armor. (More on these two can be found here!)

Tenketsu control: While it’s stated that only the Hyuga naturally are able to innately release chakra from any tenketsu on their body, why not Sakura who’s stated to be able to circulate chakra anywhere through her body? After all, given the fact that Sakura has surpassed Tsunade in ability as a med-nin, it’s not beyond the possibility of belief that she could memorize the location of her body’s tenketsu and learn how to manipulate chakra accordingly.

Body seals: What we come to understand of seals like the Byakugo are that they can store chakra on a point on the body. Now, in the realm of medical ninjutsu, Sakura has also proved capable of using fuinjutsu to create traps that can activate via a seal on the body. But, in regards to your ideas, what if Sakura could do other things like create body seals that could release jutsu? Genjutsu, poisons/tranquilizers, triggers to activate traps, and so on.    - Senjutsu & seals: Now, this is another original idea of mine, but what about a seal that could store sage chakra to activate Sage Mode? Something that’s been established is that a Byakugo user can utilize the chakra stored without fully releasing the seal. My thinking is that Sakura can store sage chakra in a seal, but create a feedback loop with the Byakugo to constantly knead it with normal chakra while releasing minute amounts through her tenketsu to keep her from turning to stone? Given the fact that Sakura innovated the Byakugo storage process to divert some chakra back into her own stores, this could be something well within the realm of possibility. 

Body augmentations: Another possibility is the notion that Sakura could feasibly experiment on herself or others to enhance her prowess. The most visible times we see this in the manga is when Kabuto experimented on both Madara and himself to give them both a significant boost in power based on Kabuto’s esteemed medical knowledge and what was done with Orochimaru. Both were so significant that Madara was nearly unbeatable and Kabuto was able to attain Snake Sage Mode. Imagine what someone with Sakura’s experience could do?

In any case, thank for the ask and I hope these are to your liking! All I ask is you give me credit if you use these, thank you.~

[sasukesun]

i saw a whole meta questioning the possibility of eye transplants and the necessary medical ninjutsu to make it possible in naruto and… cool research and all but like… it’s just a story about ninjas that do “magic” with their hands, the medicine of it isn’t plausible and wasn’t well thought by kishimoto

[sakuracentric]

Sakura Haruno: Places to excel (meta)

While power-up AU's like Slug Sage and Mokuton are popular choices for Sakura, there's also people who don't like them and would prefer that she expand on what she already knows. However, outside of her intelligence, chakra control, medical ninjutsu, and chakra-enhanced strength, it's not entirely apparent what else she knows. Through this meta, I explore what other abilities she has in canon materials that isn't extremely apparent in canon.

[itachi-uchiha-deserved-better]

So let me go a little further into my opinion. Don’t get me wrong, having a medi-nin who is also a badass taijutsu user is awesome. 

I just don’t think it makes sense for the Sakura that we see in the show. The Sakura whose entire goal is to become as strong as the rest of her team members. To be able to protect them when all the world seems to want to hurt them. Its because she cares so deeply about Sasuke and Naruto that I think turning her into a medi-nin. Its a decision that pull Sakura away from the battle field. Away from standing on the front lines and protecting the people she loves. There is a big difference between protecting people and saving them after the fact. 

When I say that Sakura shouldn’t have been put on a team with naruto and sasuke, I’m saying that the justification they gave was an excuse to be lazy in writing her. She gets dismissed as “totally average, nothing special” even though the narutoverse meta clearly contradicts that, because then the writers didn’t have to bother to actually spend time and energy giving Sakura the character development that she deserved. And then, by having her train as a medi-nin under tsunade (the vast majority of which happened off screen) they have even more excuse to not only fail to develop her properly as a character, but to ignore what little character development she does undergo. 

All of the girls in the narutoverse were done dirty by the writers. None of them were written like they were actual people (with the exception of maybe temari and Tsunade). If Sakura had focused primarily on taijutsu but also studied medical jutsu instead of the other way around it would have made a lot more sense. She wanted to be a shield for Naruto and Sasuke and instead the path she takes puts her further away from that than ever. 

Idk if this makes any sense. I guess long story short, I don’t have a problem with Sakura learning medical ninjutsu. I just think that her specifically choosing to become a medi-nin specifically doesn’t make any sense for her. (as opposed to Ino, who also learns medical jutsu under tsunade but who still focuses primarily on her mind transfer jutsu and becoming stronger with her team. She is a ninja who also happens to know medical jutsu and her strengths are still acknowledged instead of them being ignored completely.)

Let's hear it:

13. Unpopular opinion about Sakura?

Sakura should never have been a medic. Sue wasted as a character the moment she takes on that role. Sakura was brilliant, could have easily been a genjutsu master or could have been a bad ass taijutsu expert. She should have been trained for a role of tactical leadership like Shikamaru. Hell, she shouldnt have even been put on a team with Naruto and Sasuke. They say she got put on their team because she was "absolutely average" to "balance out the team" but looking at her scores, she is hardly average. Shes the only one who doesnt have to cheat on their paper chunin exam. If she'd been put on a decent team with a sensei who wasnt depressed and traumatized she'd be ten times the shinobi she is in the show.

[primnroses]

― All the techniques Sakura Haruno used in Sasuke Retsuden (including her new techniques) + Fire Release

The information presented in this post has been checked and revised. My aim is not to hate or to discredit any of the characters mentioned. Please read about me for further information.

This post will contain evidence in picture format directly from the manga Naruto (1999 - 2014) created by Masashi Kishimoto and published by Shueisha in 1999. I will also use information from the official databooks of Naruto.

In this informative post will explain all the jutsu that Sakura Haruno has used in Sasuke Retsuden: The Uchiha Descendants and the Heavenly Stardust by Jun Esaka. 

NOTE: This post will be re-written and published when the manga of Sasuke Retsuden: The Uchiha Descendants and the Heavenly Stardust by Shingo Kimura ends. The future post will contain the novel and the manga version of these techniques.

This analysis will be crossposted in AO3.  

This post is a companion piece to Sakura Haruno’s entire jutsu arsenal. 

In the popular novel Sasuke Retsuden: The Uchiha Descendants and the Heavenly Stardust written by Jun Esaka and currently serialized by Shounen Jump by Shingo Kimura, Sakura Uchiha uses some of her signature techniques and also shows a renovated side of herself with the debut of her new techniques created by her. 

» FIRE RELEASE:  Despite not being a Fire type ninja, Sakura can summon flames using Katon (火遁) and showing her mastery of 3 different elemental chakra alongside her Water and Earth Release affinities. Fire Release is an element that can be acquired with practice.

However, the ability to summon flames is not a jutsu and it does not relate to the Great Fireball Technique, therefore this new ability is not in her arsenal because of Sasuke. The manga might make this a technique and give it a name.

» SENSING TECHNIQUE: By manipulating chakra, Sakura created her own sensory ninjutsu to map structures and search for objects, hidden rooms or traps. This new technique applies only to her as a master of chakra control. 

Sensing is achieved by kneading chakra to search for other chakra signatures. In the case of special sensors, they knead chakra to search for inanimate objects that do not release an aura or chakra signature, like Sakura's case.

» SENSING TECHNIQUE: Taught in the Ninja Academy, this jutsu allows the user to transform into another person, animal, object, weapon or plant for intelligence gathering or more.

After Sakura deceives and interrogates the real Fandal, the messenger of the Prime Minister of Redaku, she decides to transform into him and have a conversation with Zansul herself. 

» SAKURA’S TAIJUTSU STYLE: As a master of taijutsu, Sakura’s signature style is the strong fist, which damages the opponent physically by exerting exterior damage. She specializes in evasion and using enhanced strength to attack her opponents. 

Sakura has to fight some of the dragons that come in her way or that threaten to kill the prisoners. Because these dragons have been summoned by Edo-Tensei, trying to deliver a fatal blow is hopeless as they will regenerate the damaged parts. For this reason, she throws them around using her outstanding strength. 

» ŌKASHŌ/CHERRY BLOSSOM IMPACT:  Her signature jutsu is achieved by manipulating chakra in her fists and releasing it all at once, a feat that surpasses the control needed in medical ninjutsu. 

Sakura uses this technique to break the walls surrounding the prison to allow the inmates to escape from the dragons. She also fights some dragons using this technique to distance them from the prisoners. 

— Derived technique: Chakra Enhanced Strength: Although this is not a technique, this is the chakra manipulation that Sakura and Tsunade use in their taijutsu. Cherry Blossom Impact is a jutsu created from this control of chakra.

Chakra Enhanced Strength is, as the name implies, the ability to maximize the body’s brute force to the highest level. Sakura uses it to throw stuff at Jiji and distract him.

» BARRIER-TYPE/SEALING TECHNIQUE: By marking her opponent with a cherry blossom shape on their body, Sakura uses her own sealing jutsu to trap the enemies in red chakra threads that are impossible to cut.

Sakura marked Jiji when he visited the infirmary the first time. Because Redaku is a country without shinobi, Sakura was able to measure the chakra levels in Jiji and decided to mark him in case something happened. 

» MYSTICAL PALM TECHNIQUE: The most basic medical ninjutsu technique, it works to close wounds by pouring chakra and accelerating the natural healing process. Sakura has shown a proficiency in this technique unlike other people, being able to use it to self-heal in the midst of battle. 

After Jiji is stabbed by a dragon, Sakura starts performing medical ninjutsu in him despite his refusal, but he dies before there is any chance to save him. Jiji preferred to die than face his lover after his criminal acts.

Once again, Sakura demonstrates to be a well-rounded kunoichi. She displays techniques for the battlefield and for support.

This list features a total of 4 established techniques. 

1. Sensing Technique 2. Cherry Blossom Impact 3. Sealing Technique 4. Mystical Palm Technique

In this list, there is one elemental chakra release. 

1. Fire Release in the shape of flames.

In this list there are 3 forms of taijutsu:

1. Sakura’s taijutsu style 2. Cherry Blossom Impact 3. Chakra Enhanced Strength

The list features a total of 2 techniques created by Sakura

1. Sensing Technique 2. Sealing Technique

[primnroses]

— Explaining Konohagakure’s Medical Department from Naruto to Boruto:

The information presented in this post has been checked and revised. My aim is not to hate or to discredit any of the characters mentioned. Please read about me for further information.

This post will contain evidence in picture format directly from the manga Naruto (1999 - 2014) created by Masashi Kishimoto and published by Shueisha in 1999. I will also use information from the official databooks.

This informative post will explain the role and utility of the Medical Department from its debut in Naruto to its development and role in Boruto. I will use information present in the novels and the Boruto manga because it includes character development within canon compliance.

This meta is crossposted in AO3.

I give my permission to use or share this thread with informative purposes as long as you credit me.

I do not support the anime or the work of Studio Pierrot in regards to Naruto because I consider it over exaggerated and beyond biased. Furthermore, these fillers include some actions that these characters are unable to do in the canon according to official sources and they also generate unnecessary debate.

This meta does contain anime scenes from Boruto because it is a monthly manga draft that depends heavily on anime for context. 

Please, take this into consideration.

This meta will include a small discussion from my own point of view about the Medical Department and its members. There will be strong criticism and complaints, comparisons with other characters, previous leaders, etc. 

HISTORY:

The Medical Department ( 医療部門, Iryō-Bumon), also known or previously known as Medic Corps (医療部隊, Iryō-Butai) is one of the three main departmental divisions of Konohagakure. They are organized in the medical-ninja from Konoha Hospital (木ノ葉病院, Konoha Byōin) and they are in charge of providing medical care within the village and in the battlefield by the training of field medical-ninja.

Their members also work in developing medical items such as medicines, ninjutsu, etc. Some time after the global conflict, the Medical Department has seen the development of new medical branches and facilities; it is also supervised by Sakura Uchiha as department head, hailed as the world’s best medical-ninja.

She is officially known as "The Head of the Medical Department" (医療部門の責任者, Iryō bumon no sekininsha).

Konohagakure's official department organization according to the first fanbook.

It is unknown when the organization itself started or when Konoha Hospital came to exist, but the concept of medical-ninjas has existed since the era of the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi. Around the second conflict, Tsunade advocated for the inclusion of one medical-ninja per team to palliate the effects of the conflict.

Tsunade advocates for medical-ninjas to be included in every team to increase the survival rate of each member and the mission.

This department and all of their divisions wear their own unique crest with the kanji for "medicine" or "healing" (医, ishi). This crest is the symbol of Konoha Hospital and the uniforms of the Medic Corps; these uniforms consist of white overalls for the doctors with hats and ear protectors, and skirts for the nurses, both with the crest in red on their backs.

After Naruto, the crest changes places, now adorning the left side of the uniform.

The uniform of the Medic Corps during Naruto.

Naruto:

During the era of the Third and Fifth Hokage, the Medical Department was simply known as Medic Corps, and with the first fanbook, we learn that the Medic Corps are medical-ninja from Konoha Hospital; as well as being the only healthcare organization known at the time. In turn, Konoha Hospital is a building located not too far from the Hokage Residence in the center of the village. It was never specified who was running the hospital during this era. 

The Medic Corps debuted in chapter 64 mentioned by Hiruzen when referring to Kabuto Yakushi. It was said that a jōnin of the Medic Corps had saved him (his adoptive mother Nonō Yakushi). However, they were seen for the first time two chapters later, when the hospital staff, the Medic Corps, took Sasuke Uchiha to heal his wounds. 

(I want to add that the term medical-ninja did not exist around this time, so Hiruzen saying Nonō was a Medic Corps is a mistake in the continuity of the story; he would likely say medical-ninja if the term existed. The Medic Corps were later rewritten as those medical-ninja from Konoha Hospital.)

Konoha Hospital before Pain's invasion.

As soon as Tsunade was introduced into the story and after her fight against Kabuto Yakushi, we learn about medical ninjutsu and that medical-ninjas are also those shinobi that learn healing techniques and are sent to teams to aid their comrades in battle. They use medical ninjutsu (医療忍術, Iryō-Ninjutsu), like the generic Mystical Palm Technique, to heal wounds.

Therefore, medical-ninjas are divided into two types: 

Konoha Hospital’s Medic Corps medical ninja.

Field medical ninja. 

According to the first fanbook, the Medic Corps are those professional medical-ninjas that are fully dedicated to healing, developing medicine, researching diseases and performing ninjutsu focused on healing. In order to do that, they require very advanced chakra control, as well as extensive knowledge of herbs, medicines, the human body and even poisons to develop said medicines and antidotes. 

They are also divided by ranks and skills, with the story revealing that not all Medic Corps are able to use healing techniques due to the high precision of chakra control they must possess. They also include nurses among the staff.

The Medic Corps according to the first fanbook.

Meanwhile, field medical-ninjas vary in skill and knowledge. They range from just identifying the condition of a patient and using medical ninjutsu as a Chakra Transfer Technique, such as Ino Yamanaka; using healing techniques to aid in battle, like Rin Nohara; or being on par or superior in knowledge and skill as the Medic Corps like Sakura Haruno, Shizune, Tsunade and Kabuto Yakushi. 

Sakura Haruno is an example of a field medical-ninja that also actively works in Konoha Hospital as a member of the Medic Corps. Shizune too.

Medical ninja must be the last member of their teams to perish, therefore, they must never join the battle, making them support-types. This however, does not apply to Sakura Haruno, Tsunade and Kabuto Yakushi, who use medical ninjutsu variants as fighting techniques. Medical-ninja are the most valuable members of their squad and it is a priority to protect them in battle.

Yamato guarding Sakura Haruno, the only medical.ninja of the team.

I explain all about medical ninjutsu and medical ninjas here.

We can consider the Medic Corps and Konoha Hospital as the same organization, since the Medic Corps are exclusive to Konoha Hospital. 

Based on some parts of the story, the Medic Corps send relief teams to special events such as the Chūnin Exams and treat patients in separate rooms outside Konoha Hospital. They also send other smaller groups of Medic Corps on smaller teams to retrieve patients. These teams are called Medical Teams (医療班, Iryō-Han). 

Medical Teams from the Medic Corps sent to participate in events or rescue patients. We also see the change of the uniform's design.

Specialized medical-ninja are needed in Konoha Hospital in case of emergency. Examples include Shizune, Sakura Haruno and Tsunade; the two latter kunoichis being fighters as well as a medical-ninja and boasting a jutsu that grant them regenerative abilities.

Medical-ninjas are pivotal in a shinobi village or when winning big battles, as they are the only people able to maintain a full village healthy and ready to keep fighting. The Medic Corps and Sakura Haruno had their hands full during Pain’s invasion, as well as Tsunade through Katsuyu, who was able to save everyone from Pain’s Shinra Tensei explosion. 

The Logistical Support & Medical Division of the Allied Shinobi Forces was also the main target of the enemy, especially their most skilled medics, the jōnin rank medics. It was thanks to Sakura Haruno leaving the Third Division and joining the Medical Division that she could stop the White Zetsu. She also healed countless shinobi in the division; as well as healing hundreds of members of the Allied Shinobi Forces with Katsuyu in the midst of battle.

Sakura Haruno in the hospital and Tsunade with Katsuyu healing countless civilians; Sakura Haruno and Shizune in the Medical Division. Sakura Haruno healing the entire Allied Shinobi Forces.

Blank Period:

The next time the Medic Corps and Konoha Hospital appear is mainly Sakura Hiden, this novel including one of Konoha Hospital’s major medical developments; although there are mentions in other novels too:

Six months after Kaguya Ōtsutsuki was defeated, Sakura Haruno started preparations to create a Therapy Center, a mental health branch for children who are indirect victims of the shinobi world.

Two years later, Sakura Haruno successfully founded the first ever mental healthcare institution inside Konoha Hospital; and other villages like Sunagakure also followed her example. Indirectly, it is also revealed that Shizune is representing the Medic Corps and Konoha Hospital during this time.

According to the novel, she is the “Executive/Manager of the Medical Team” (医療班の幹部 Iryō-Han no kanbu) and sits with the other three top officials of the Konoha Council and the daimyō to discuss matters pertaining the village.

Sakura Haruno opens the first mental Therapy Center in the world.

Boruto: 

By the era of the Seventh Hokage, the Medic Corps rebranded, now called the Medical Department; their supervisor, Sakura Uchiha, now called “Head of the Medical Department” (医療部門の責任者, Iryō bumon no sekininsha), in contrast to Naruto’s non-existent hierarchical title. Overall, it has continued to function the same was as before, with the exception that it is now divided in two branches:

KONOHA HOSPITAL:

One of the most notable changes is the reconstruction of Konoha Hospital into a more modern building. The inside of the hospital looks much more modern and solid, in comparison to the building before Pain’s invasion, which had cracks everywhere (more noticeable in the manga).

The hospital in Boruto: Naruto the Movie and manga are more similar to the design in Naruto, while the anime changed the design to a more modern building.

Konoha Hospital in the anime and manga.

The hospital is directed by Sakura Uchiha, who also does some bureaucratic work from her own office. The building is also significantly more prepared than before, with various surgery rooms, intensive care, the off-screened therapy center, modernized patient rooms, labs and a classroom to train genin in medical ninjutsu. 

So far, Konoha Hospital remains as the center of all healthcare in Konoha and the source of all medical knowledge of the village. 

The director's office. One of the surgery rooms, the classroom, patient rooms and lab.

The Medic Corps still wear their white uniform with the crest in the back, although they changed the helmet for a bandana with Konoha’s symbol in it. Other uniforms include a blue robe with matching pants for Sakura and Shizune.

Another notable change is the presence of more discernible medical staff among their ranks. The Medical Teams sent on specific missions now wear the standard chūnin vest with the medical crest on their backs; while medical relief can be seen wearing a red armband with the medical crest.

The different types of medical-ninja in emergencies.

In addition to the new staff, Konoha Hospital has also started to give individual classes to genin that wish to become future field medical-ninja.

According to Boruto Uzumaki and Mitsuki, the Ninja Academy imparts classes about medical ninjutsu, but not real training enough to become a battlefield healer. For genin, it is compulsory that at least one member of the team trains in medical ninjutsu.

These classes are imparted by the head of department herself. Sakura Uchiha trains Sarada Uchiha for Team 7 and Inojin Yamanaka for Team 10, among others. Although according to Mitsuki’s own character profile, he is the actual medical-ninja of Team 7, which means he must have also trained with Sakura.

Although this is a loose episode, it explains how Inojin and Mitsuki, two medical-ninja according to their official manga profiles, learnt medical ninjutsu. It is canon to the story.

The new medical training explained by Boruto Uzumaki and Mitsuki. Sakura Uchiha begins the special class for genin.

MEDICAL OFFICE:

Other than Konoha Hospital with its new branches, there is also a healthcare facility inside the Hokage Residence called Medical Office or Medical Department (医務室, Imu-shitsu), controlled by the Medical Department.

Inside it, some of the Medic Corps work in important cases that need the direct supervision of the Hokage. The room is also used to attend to other healthcare cases, like the Scientific Ninja Weapons fixing Kawaki’s artificial arm. Sakura Uchiha and other staff also wear a different uniform more similar to the coat the staff of the Logistical Support & Medical Division used to wear.

Inside the room there is a single bed and several medical and technological instruments, as well as cabinets and a sink. In the manga, the room resembles a normal hospital room.

The Medical Office in the anime and manga.

Contrary to other teams that have been completely automated and made self sufficient, the Medical Department does not make use of the technology Konoha currently boasts of. Instead, they keep using shinobi for healthcare and medical ninjutsu, rather than adding machines.

Sakura Uchiha’s presence in Konoha Hospital to perform her medical duties is not unusual, and we always see her take care of patients in the village. Although it is not the same for Shizune, Sakura’s former mentor now assistant, Sakura Uchiha is always at the scene when anybody is in need of medical treatment.

Compared to the amount of times the Medic Corps appear and medical ninjutsu is used in Naruto, Ukyō Kodachi has drastically diminished the role of medical-ninja to the point of disappearance. In addition to that, the anime has demolished what it meant to train in medical ninjutsu; while it now takes a few hours to learn, it took the best medical ninja in the world 3 months to make advancements.

How does the Medical Department work and what is their role?

Gather professional medics in Konoha Hospital to heal people, study diseases, create medicines and develop healing ninjutsu.

Dispatch Medical Teams to special missions and include one field medical-ninja on teams for support.

Train future Medic Corps and medical-ninja.

DISCUSSION:

How important is the Medical Department?

The Medical Department has experienced a decrease of utility in Boruto compared to Naruto. However, being written out of the story does not equal being less important.

Unlike other teams, the Medical Department debuted fairly early into the story and it is considered as one of the major Konoha branches with ANBU and Shinobi Forces; it is the main and major support system of the village too. Some of the best examples include the Chūnin Exams when the Medic Corps heal the participants after a fight to continue training, or Pain’s invasion when Konoha citizens and shinobi were attacked by summons or in the midst of fighting the Paths. 

The equivalent of the Medic Corps at the time of the battle against Madara and Obito Uchiha, the Logistical Support & Medical Division, was also the most important support system during the conflict. It is natural that the enemy would want to take down the source of energy of a platoon, but they were also pivotal in battle by pumping the Allied Shinobi Forces full of chakra to boost their own ninjutsu, as well as Sakura and Shizune performing the autopsy on White Zetsu to discover the uses of Hashirama Senju’s cells.

Sakura Haruno of the Medical Division uses medical ninjutsu to power up ninjutsu. A medical-ninja from the Medical Division explains why they are essential.

The Medical Department is essential to secure a successful mission, be it by healing the members of the team, creating items such as poison and medical ointments to use in battle by non medics, healing shinobi after missions and also providing healthcare to the rest of citizens. 

So far, almost every Konoha shinobi, and non-Konoha shinobi, has required medical care in the hospital and member of the Medic Corps: Naruto Uzumaki, Sasuke Uchiha, Kakashi Hatake, Chōji Akimichi, Neji Hyūga, Kiba Inuzuka, Rock Lee and Konoha civilians in Naruto, Ino Yamanaka, Kumogakure and Kirigakure shinobi and children in the Blank Period, Naruto Uzumaki, Sasuke Uchiha, Boruto Uzumaki, Kawaki and Hinata Hyūga in Boruto; as well as Karin, Hinata Hyūga, Kankurō, Naruto Uzumaki, Temari, Jiji and Granny Chiyo by Sakura Haruno as a Medic Corps on the battlefield.

Some examples of treatment at Konoha Hospital.

The current problem of the Medical Department:

In Boruto, the Medical Department suffered a downgrade compared to previous appearances, although not in abilities or competency. Konoha Hospital has remained one of the most successful in terms of workforce, so far never needing anyone to step in for Sakura to perform healing or save a life, and not being relegated to an automated system either. The Medical Department still relies on humans rather than machines, very unlike the sensing system for example. 

The downgrade is in relevance.

We used to see the Medic Corps, or, rather, Sakura Haruno, since more than half of the story happened outside Konoha; Sakura represented medicine and took on roles that went beyond simple healing. From elaborating antidotes for poison, creating medicines based on clan’s medical encyclopedias, using poison against enemies or using elaborate techniques other than the repetitive Mystical Palm Technique.

Sakura Haruno creates an antidote. Tsunade creates prosthetic arms.

The role of a medic has been simplified, just using the basic healing technique by default, the Mystical Palm Technique, to heal anything they get their hands into, rather than identifying different pathologies and applying different methods for each; like Kankurō needing specific healing to remove poison, for example. Now, we see Sakura using the same jutsu on every patient. 

There is no space for elaborate medicine crafting either, or, at least, do not let Sakura and her medical team do it. The concept of creating antidotes, poisons, artificial arms, studying body pathologies and using different ninjutsu has been given to Amado Sanzu and Katasuke Tōnō, rather than have Sakura, a poison expert, botanist, scientist and medic, do the job. It is a big aspect that has been taken away from the Medical Department.

Sakura Haruno using the same jutsu in every patient.

The Medical Department in itself is not a failure, nor do their ranks fail at doing their job or need other people to step in for them. The failure comes with the writing quality in the sequel compared to Naruto, rather than the organization itself. 

Could they be redeemed?

The Medical Department does not need to be redeemed or rewritten, the problem lies in how they are projected in the sequel.

Their functionality is perfect. They have the world's best medical-ninja as their leader, several members of the staff, a great emergency response and a board of teachers.

Some of the things they could do are:

Use more elaborated techniques rather than basic healing ninjutsu.

Make use of their botanists and poison experts, elaborate pills and other substances that are currently needed in plot.

There is no need to erase the Scientific Ninja Tools to make prosthetic arms, just allow them to collaborate with the Medical Department for better results and more possibilities.

Allow them to investigate seals and ninjutsu that are capable of regenerating, such as Kawaki's and Boruto's.

Considering Konoha is the most powerful shinobi village and Konoha Hospital has two of the top medical-ninja in the world, the usage of their staff leaves much to be desired in the script.

Note: The Fourth Shinobi World W4r has been replaced by global conflict to avoid mature content flags.

[primnroses]

I love your details answers and I find your post very reliable. I'm not entirely sure if you already made a post of this but I would like you to make detail questions is sakura the strongest kunoichi.

In my opinion she is but what is yours.

I have a few metas about similar topics: Sakura jutsu arsenal and Sakura being described as the best medical ninja.

Sakura was noted to be stronger than Tsunade, who was the strongest kunoichi at the time, on top of the other two times it was said that Sakura would inevitably surpass her master.

Tsunade's power source is medical ninjutsu, as it is Sakura's. When Sakura became the best medical ninja in the world, so became the strongest kunoichi.

Also, Tsunade retired and Sakura is successfully filling in her shoes. No questions needed.

[primnroses]

― Sakura Haruno being described as the best medic-ninja of Konoha in official material

The information presented in this post has been checked and revised. My aim is not to hate or to discredit any of the characters mentioned. Please read about me for further information.

This post will contain evidence in picture format directly from the manga Naruto (1999 - 2014) created by Masashi Kishimoto and published by Shueisha in 1999. I will also use information present in the novels, promotional magazines and the databooks of Naruto.

This informative post will show a few pieces of media where Sakura Haruno has been described as “the best medic-ninja of Konohagakure” using examples from different sources. The evidence displayed in this post are some of the examples I could find, as I considered some to be repetitive. 

This meta is crossposted in AO3.

I give my permission to use or share this thread with informative purposes as long as you credit me.

I do not support the anime or the work of Studio Pierrot in regards to Naruto because I consider it over exaggerated and beyond biased. Furthermore, these fillers include some actions that these characters are unable to do in the canon according to official sources and they also generate unnecessary debate.

Please, take this into consideration.

Since she started training, Sakura Haruno demonstrated to have a talent for medical ninjutsu unseen since her senpai Shizune, considered a kunoichi with skills that led her to be considered second to Tsunade. 

According to the third databook, at age 16, Sakura was already considered a top medic-ninja even among those that came before her and worked in the village as professionals. 

Her skills allowed her to start working in Konoha Hospital as part of the Medic Corps and the manga displays her doing her job in this building a few times.

By age 17, Sakura was considered a jōnin level medic-ninja, despite being a ninja of chūnin rank. 

Jōnin level medic-ninja are those Medic Corps whose abilities have become “near godly”, like Shizune, who is a jōnin kunoichi that specializes in medical ninjutsu and derived and  can work in the hospital. 

This term might be a little bit misleading, because being a jōnin medic-ninja does not mean that every jōnin shinobi that can perform medical ninjutsu is considered as such. The official denomination used for above chūnin level ninja that specialize in one specific area are called tokubetsu jōnin, like Ibiki Morino and his vast knowledge of interrogation and the mind. However, the hierarchy of Konoha Hospital deems jōnin to their workers, the Medic Corps, that have reached a very high level of medical ninjutsu skills.

During the Fourth Shinobi World War, White Zetsu infiltrated the Logistical Support and Medical Division to kill the ninja since medical ninjutsu users are the main support system in battle. The enemy started targeting the most skilled medic-ninja, those jōnin medic-ninja, and among them was Sakura.

In the midst of war and after completing the Byakugō no In, Sakura had already surpassed Shizune and her master, Tsunade according to the fourth databook. 

Two years after the war, there is many information about Sakura’s status as the best medic-ninja of Konoha coming in different formats. 

The material included next comes from official promotional magazines and novels set in the Blank Period and The Last: Naruto the Movie. 

During this time, Sakura continued to work in the hospital with he Medic Corps healing the injured as a result of the Fourth Shinobi World War as mentioned in some novels, one of them Sakura Hiden: Thoughts of Love, Riding Upon a Spring Breeze and Sasuke Shinden: Book of Sunrise, among others.

 Not only was Sakura still a constant aid in the hospital just as before, according to the movie’s guidebook, she even earned the rank of jōnin (上忍) right after the war, not only as a powerful kunoichi, but also as a medic-ninja that was already recognized with that level years prior.

From this point in time, Sakura has been described as the best medic-ninja in Konoha in the following material:

The Last: Naruto the Movie promotional magazine 1:

Japanese: 春野サクラ— 綱手の技術を継承し、里一の医療忍者に長レている。怪力も健在 。

English: “Haruno Sakura: She inherited Tsunade's skills and is the best medical ninja in the village. Her superhuman strength is still alive.”

Full picture: 

The Last: Naruto the Movie promotional magazine 2:

Japanese: 春野サクラ — 木ノ葉隠れ随一の医療忍者に育つ。師匠である綱手の度胸と怪力も健在。

English: “Haruno Sakura: She grew up to be the best medical ninja in Konohagakure. The legacy and courage of her master Tsunade have been passed down to her.”

Full picture: 

The Last: Naruto the Movie character description 1:

Japanese: 春野サクラ — 木ノ葉隠れ随一の医療忍者に育つ。師匠である綱手の度胸と怪力も健丘。

English: “Haruno Sakura: She grew up to be the best medical-ninja in Konohagakure. The legacy and courage of her master Tsunade have been passed down to her.”

The Last: Naruto the Movie character description 2:

Japanese: 春野サクラ — 第七班 所属のくノ一で、ナルトと共に成長してきた仲間。五代目火影・稠手に弟子入りし、今では木ノ葉隠れ随一の医療忍者として活躍している。精緻なチャクラ制御能と、師匠議りの度胸を用いて緑り出す怪力が武器。

English: “Haruno Sakura: A kunoichi from Team 7 who has grown up with Naruto. She became a disciple of the 5th Hokage, Tsunade, and has successfully become the best medical ninja in Konohagakure. With delicate chakra control and training of her master, she can unleash superhuman strength and medical ninjutsu.”

Full picture:

The Last: Naruto the Movie novel character description:

Maruo Kyozuka is the author of this novel. He is also the scriptwriter of the movie. 

Japanese: 春野サクラ — 木ノ葉隠れの里随一の医療忍者。

English: “Haruno Sakura: The best medic-ninja of Konoha.”

This novel has been officially translated into Spanish and Portuguese. Here are the official description of Sakura in both languages.

Konoha Hiden: The Perfect Day for a Wedding

Shō Hinata is the author of this novel. It has been translated into Portuguese and French, the next excerpt was share by two followers and the English fan translation was provided by http://cacatuasulphureacitrinocristata.tumblr.com 

This is Sakura’s dialogue in the novel. 

You can read Konoha Hiden in English and this chapter here. 

However, there is something different about the French and Portuguese and the English translations. In French, Sakura describes herself as “une femme médecin de premier ordre au village” which literally means “a top class medic-ninja in the village”, while the Portuguese describes her as “uma das melhores ninjas médicas da vila” which literally means “one of the best medic-ninjas of the village”. So, there’s obviously a problem between the English and the other translations. 

Some readers have pointed out that Panini, the publisher, has received complaints about their translations before, so this might be another problem related to it. 

There is also something to note about the difference of these translations: 

In the Portuguese translation, Sakura is speaking about being able to use monster strength, which requires precise chakra control, makes her a better medic-ninja than others. However, the only people that can use chakra enhanced strength are herself and Tsunade. In that case, she’s comparing her master and herself and saying both are the best medic-ninja. 

In the French translation, Sakura is speaking about being able to use monster strength, which requires precise chakra control, makes her an excellent kunoichi. However, the only people that can use chakra enhanced strength are herself and Tsunade. In that case, she’s comparing her master and herself and saying both are the best kunoichi. 

There’s clearly a clash in both versions, since one of the translators is talking about being a high-class medic-ninja (医療忍, Iryō-nin) and the other is talking about being a high-class kunoichi (くノ一) for being able to use chakra enhanced strength. They speak about completely different roles and also comparing only two people, Sakura and Tsunade. 

The English version is talking about being an excellent medic-ninja, so the fan translation is the closest and least ambiguous description about Sakura’s skills. She is the best medic in Konoha. 

Naruto chapter 632

Hashirama Senju about Sakura’s strength. 

Japanese: なんという怪力…アしは綱以上かもしれんな

English: “What monster strength.. it might be greater than Tsuna’s.”

Here are the official Viz and Mangapanda versions. 

In fact, it is true that displaying greater strength than others is signal that a shinobi is a better medic-ninja than others. According to the third databook, chakra enhanced strength is directly linked to medical ninjutsu as a form of even greater control of chakra. This is a feat that only a very limited number of medic-ninja can achieve.

Only two high-skilled medics can perform chakra enhanced strength: Sakura Haruno and Tsunade. For instance, Hashirama mentioning that Sakura shows greater force means she has better chakra control, and, subsequently, she can perform more advanced medical ninjutsu. 

This status resulted in Sakura being able to gather her own teams of medic-ninja to missions, as seen in Kakashi Hiden: Lightning in the Frozen Sky by Akira Higashiyama and Sasuke Shinden: Book of Sunrise by Shin Towada. 

This recognition earned Sakura the promotion to Head of the Medical Department. She acts as the lead doctor of the Medic Corps, the personnel of Konoha Hospital, as its director, and she also works in the medical office of the Hokage Residence. 

She is also seen as the lead medic-ninja throughout the new era, always there to provide care to those people injured. At the same time, Sakura also trains future field medic-ninja in a classroom inside Konoha Hospital. 

End. 

Author notes: 

Despite having several pieces of official media that describe her as the best medic-ninja, Sakura is never given that recognition by Wikis or by fans. 

What I’ve noticed while writing this post and gathering information is that people purposefully avoid writing Sakura as “the best medic-ninja” for unknown reasons, either because of hate or jealousy, the true essence of what’s written in Japanese is always mistranslated. 

Moreover, the problem might be that the author, Masashi Kishimoto, avoids explicitly describing Sakura as ever surpassing Tsunade in medical ninjutsu. What he does is leave hints with Hashirama Senju, like surpassing Tsunade in strength, which requires chakra control and the stronger the chakra enhanced strength, the best medic-ninja; or with Kakashi Hatake and Chiyo, who voiced that Sakura would end up becoming a better kunoichi than Tsunade. The last two examples are often ignored because people would rather see a direct statement. 

It’s also a problem with the difficult access to official Japanese media, especially from the movie, that comes without a verified translation into English or will only be available to Japanese fans. Even so, translated novels that address this condition of Sakura are often considered “filler” or not canon because the author didn’t write it. 

However, it’s been more than demonstrated that Sakura Haruno, as early as 17 years old, surpassed Tsunade in medical ninjutsu, became the strongest kunoichi and is now considered the top medic-ninja in Konoha and, subsequently, the world. 

[primnroses]

― Ino Yamanaka’s entire jutsu arsenal

The information presented in this post has been checked and revised. My aim is not to hate or to discredit any of the characters mentioned. Please read about me for further information.

This post will contain evidence in picture format directly from the manga Naruto (1999 - 2014) created by Masashi Kishimoto and published by Shueisha in 1999. I will also use information from the official databooks of Naruto.

In this informative post will explain all the jutsu that Ino Yamanaka has used in canon, meaning this will only include techniques that the author of the manga and the novels, illustrated by Kishimoto, have given her.

This analysis will be crossposted in AO3.  

Sakura’s jutsu arsenal (with 24 techniques) Hinata’s jutsu arsenal (with 10 techniques)

In order to talk about any jutsu, like ninjutsu, taijutsu or genjutsu, the term of stamina must be explained.

Stamina is accomplished by mixing mental and physical energies together, and it is the energy that fuels any kind of jutsu, with chakra or without chakra. These mental energies are different from the Yin and Yang Release.

The amount of stamina is proportionate to the number of jutsu the user can perform. This means that the more stamina the ninja possesses, the greater the repertoire of jutsu attacks and the more quantity there will be to transform into chakra, and, therefore, into a jutsu.

Since taijutsu uses no chakra, the fighter does not need to mold any or use hand seals. On the other hand, in order to perform ninjutsu, chakra is kneaded and expelled through hand seals.

Although Ino does not have a high statistic for hand seals and, therefore, she would not perform any jutsu as easily, she does have fair knowledge for a ninja from a shinobi background. Despite that, her proficiency in hand seals has never changed in any of the databooks, always reflected as 2.5 and never above after the time skip.

Ino is known for her ninjutsu skills, which stem from being a member of the Yamanaka Clan. She does not have great amounts of stamina, but she counts with delicate chakra control, able to perform different varieties of her clan’s Hiden ninjutsu and also one form of basic medical ninjutsu.

Ino had the highest grades among the kunoichi from her generation in the Academy, making her an outstanding ninja since she was young. However, in real battle, Ino was not the strongest fighter and even her master doubted of her abilities against the weakest ninja Sakura Haruno.

The third databook describes stamina as the foundation of chakra and the hand seals as the knowledge in that art, the medium in which a jutsu is performed and the proficiency in executing said techniques.

Although Ino has always had low stamina, her proficiency in ninjutsu has always been her highest value. Chakra reserves, or the stamina required to perform jutsus, are increased with time and training.

Ino is only proficient in ninjutsu and that is her field of expertise. She is originally a ninja of support with special battle category that counts with chakra sensing skills, making her a sensor-type. Her statistics indicate that she has a fair knowledge of genjutsu.

All of her Yamanaka hijutsu are supplementary (S) due to her nature as support and they are all C-rank (chūnin level), but she can also use attack and defense jutsu (A & D); she is a long-range special fighter and her techniques cover all distances (L). She can also perform one A-rank medical ninjutsu technique.

Ino is not proficient in taijutsu and it is her weak point as a support-type. Her hand-to-hand combat skills have always remained low with a stat of 1.5 even after the time skip.

Even said by herself, Ino is not a ninja indicated for close combat or direct fights, as well as a 1vs1. She must always stay in the rear due to this condition, and, although she is aware of this weakness, it seems that her abilities are not really cut out for taijutsu.

However, she can fight enemies on her level, like Sakura during the Chūnin Exams, who held a stat of 1 point at that time, half a point (0.5) below Ino. When she cannot retreat, she can back up her allies with all the knowledge she has in hand-to-hand combat, although it is quite hard for her. She was quickly defeated.

In Sakura Hiden, it is described that she covers Sai’s back using taijutsu, although there is no description of the event or how she used her hand-to-hand combat.

NINJUTSU:

The art of ninjutsu is the molding of stamina, the transformation in chakra and its release through hand seals. This result is called a technique, or jutsu. There are different types of ninjutsu, like elemental techniques based on Fire, Wind, Lightning, Earth and Water; or basic ninjutsu taught in the Academy. There are also more advanced types of techniques like Medical Ninjutsu.

» SHURIKENJUTSU (?-rank, ?): It is the ability to throw shuriken, kunai or even senbon. This discipline is taught in the Academy.

Shurikenjutsu could be used for distraction in battle, fighting or in emergencies. Ino uses it against Sakura in the Chūnin Exams.

» BARRIER BOOBY TRAPS (?-rank, Offensive): There is no official definition for this barrier-type jutsu, but using explosive tags, logs or kunai, a series of traps are laid on a certain area to capture the enemy when they cross the perimeter.

Ino uses them in Sakura Hiden.

» EARTH RELEASE: PRACTICE BRICK TECHNIQUE (?-rank, Defense): Upon relaying the hand seals to the Alliance, they use this simple technique to slow down the Biju Bomb.

This is the only elemental ninjutsu that Ino uses in the series. This is a collaboration jutsu too.

» HAIR TRAP TECHNIQUE (?-rank, ?): After cutting her hair and spreading it around the arena, Sakura comes in contact with it, allowing Ino to infuse her chakra through the strands and immobilize her opponent.

» SENSING TECHNIQUE (?-rank, ?): This jutsu allows the user to knead chakra in order to sense the enemy. Non sensor-types can use sensing techniques.

Among the different varieties, Ino is a chakra sensor-type, which means that she is able to detect chakra and track enemies with it.

Like any other chakra sensor-type, Ino is able to detect changes in chakra or perceive its nature. 

By adulthood, Ino can track any familiar chakra signature inside the village’s limits. This skill prompted her to take a lead role in the Konoha Barrier Team, a newly automated sensing system with ninja in charge of tracking chakra signatures 24 hours a day. Although the system is not controlled by Ino, only by those ninja working there, she steps in when the situation requires it.

However, if a ninja is masking their chakra, it is impossible to track them, even for skilled sensors or for an automated sensing system like the Barrier Team.

» MEDICAL NINJUTSU: Medical Ninjutsu is a branch of ninjutsu dedicated to the restoration or repair of any damage produced in the body by pouring and using chakra to accelerate the process of healing.

Presumably, Medical Ninjutsu needs Yang Release type to be able to alter the physical properties and accelerate the healing process.

According to the third databook Ino trained medical ninjutsu during the time skip and she has enough level to assess the condition of a patient and heal injuries, although all the times she has used it it has only been to replenish energies. She has basic knowledge of medical ninjutsu and no further.

— Mystical Palm Technique (A-rank, Supplementary): The most basic healing jutsu. It allows the body to accelerate the healing process without any medical equipment.

This technique is taught to aspiring medic-ninjas to help them develop their chakra control and is what transforms any shinobi into a healer, the universal healing technique. 

Actually, Ino has never used this technique to heal but to replenish chakra with Naruto once. She tried to use it to heal Asuma but it only worked to assess his condition. This is the only technique that Ino can use.

» YAMANAKA HIDEN JUTSU: A Hiden jutsu, or hijutsu, is a secret technique passed down from generations within a clan. It is different from a Kekkei Genkai, which are blood limit techniques passed down hereditary, and they must not be confused. Kekkei Genkai and Hijutsu are not the same, hiden jutsu can be taught to anybody.

The Yamanaka Clan specialize in transferring their senses to animals or people to control the minds or will using their mental energy, also known as Yin Release.

Their techniques are more intelligence oriented than battle oriented, able to gather information from a target at will, control them or communicate with each other using telepathy. They are able to achieve this because they transmit chakra with their enemy or each other. The members are also classified as sensor-types.

Due to this condition, the Yamanaka Clan are not to perform their jutsu alone but with an ally or their Ino-Shika-Chō special formations.

They achieve this using a series of specific hand seals, unique to each technique or variety of technique. They link their fingers together to get a visual of their target and then perform the jutsu through that sign.

— Mind Body Switch Technique (C-rank, Supplementary): Ino’s signature jutsu, it completely overcomes the senses of another person or an animal, possessing their body and their will.

This is also the universal jutsu and all derivations come from this one.

This technique was created for intelligence gathering due to the danger it supposes for the caster: if the victim suffers damage, the user will also suffer the same amount of damage; so, if upon realization somebody decides to kill the affected ninja, the user will be killed as well. When Ino performs this technique, she looses her consciousness because their will is placed in the body of another entity.

Ino is quite versatile with this technique, using it in people for information, like she did with Sakura to copy from her exam; or on animals, in order to take advantage of their characteristics to search in the air. In fact, this technique was designed for this task in particular.

However, the link can be easily broken if the enemy’s will is stronger than the caster or due to low chakra. If the enemy fights the jutsu, the effects on the user are those of fatigue and waste of chakra, which would lead to failure.

This jutsu can nullify traps placed on the mind upon indication. Ino could free Sai from Gengo’s genjutsu and free Aoba from a trap after he performed Psycho Mind Transmission on the enemy. The former case led Ino to exhaustion because the genjutsu placed on Aoba’s mind was very powerful and both were treated by Sakura in the hospital.

The downside of this technique is that the target must stay still and the caster must be in the company of an ally to protect their body in such a vulnerable state. According to Shikamaru, the Mind Body Switch is meant to be used with Shadow Possession.

• Derived jutsu — Mind Body Clone Technique: Because it stems from the Mind Body Switch, this jutsu functions the same way. The only difference is that two bodies can be controlled instead of one, presumably if they share the same traits like the White Zetsu.

— Mind Transmission Technique (Hiden, Supplementary): This jutsu allows the user to transmit messages to multiple people or just one person within a limited range. Ino could transmit feelings of Naruto when he activated KCM.

During the war, Ino could relay messages to the Alliance gathered in the battlefield and the Gokage because they were close by. In order to receive messages from other nations and keep the connection, Ino uses the same device as her father for wider extensions.

» Sensing Transmission (Hiden, Supplementary): After locking the targets using a sensory technique, Ino can relay her perception to another person.

COLLABORATION JUTSU » Ino-Shika-Chō: The Akimichi, Nara and Yamanaka Clans have sworn to work together using special moves passed down from generation to generation. Due to being an intelligence gathering clan, the best way to use Yamanaka hijutsu is through these formations.

— Formation E: Human Bullet Yo-Yo (Hiden): Ino uses a sensory technique to locate the enemies and relays it to Shikamaru. With Shadow Clutch Technique, Shikamaru controls Chōji’s body, who uses Human Bullet Tank Technique.

— Chūnin Exams Formation: Chōji uses Multi-Size Technique for one enemy. Shikamaru uses Shadow Imitation Technique to immobilize another enemy so Ino can perform Mind Body Switch.

— War Formation: Ino and Shikamaru use Mind Body Clone and Shadow Sewing Techniques to divert Asuma while Chōji uses Butterfly Bullet Bombing to deliver the final blow.

» Ninjutsu-Dōjutsu - Byakugan-aided Mind Body Switch (?-rank): Using her Byakugan, Hinata helps Ino locate Obito Uchiha in order to manipulate him with Mind Body Switch and redirect the Biju Bomb.

Ino is not a very versatile ninja in terms of jutsu styles, being only proficient in ninjutsu, but she has a wide range of them. Due to not being a ninja indicated for battle, she counts with her teammates and their cooperative attacks to support her in the battlefield.

This condition makes Ino the weakest kunoichi of her generation. She relies on teamwork too much, not allowing her to shine in the battlefield.

Ino is currently still of chūnin rank and her inability to take solo missions plus her support condition will not allow her to cover the most dangerous tasks. However, she is still an active kunoichi that goes on missions, and takes care of the family’s Flowershop as her full-time responsibility, also leading the Barrier Team when it’s required.

This list features 14 techniques. All of them (14) are ninjutsu and 5 are collaboration jutsu.

1. Shurikenjutsu 2. Barrier Booby Traps 3. Hair Trap Technique 4. Sensing Technique 5. Mystical Palm Technique 6. Mind Body Switch Technique 7. Mind Body Clone Technique 8. Mind Transmission 9. Sensing Transmission 10. Earth Release: Practice Brick Technique 11. Human Bullet Yoyo 12. Chūnin Exams Formation 13. War Formation 14. Byakugan-aided Mind Body Switch.

She performs 9 of these jutsu by herself (4 of them are Yamanaka hijutsu):

1. Shurikenjutsu 2. Barrier Booby Traps 3. Hair Trap Technique 4. Sensing Technique 5. Mystical Palm Technique 6. Mind Body Switch Technique 7. Mind Body Clone Technique 8. Mind Transmission 9. Sensing Transmission

She performs 4 of these jutsu with other people as a collaboration (3 of them are Ino-Shika-Chō):

10. Earth Release: Practice Brick Technique 11. Human Bullet Yoyo 12. Chūnin Exams Formation 13. War Formation 14. Byakugan-aided Mind Body Switch.

End.

[primnroses]

― Shizune’s entire jutsu arsenal

The information presented in this post has been checked and revised. My aim is not to hate or to discredit any of the characters mentioned. Please read about me for further information.

This post will contain evidence in picture format directly from the manga Naruto (1999 - 2014) created by Masashi Kishimoto and published by Shueisha in 1999. I will also use information from the official databooks of Naruto.

In this informative post will explain all the jutsu that Shizune has used in canon, meaning this will only include techniques that the author of the manga and the novels, illustrated by Kishimoto, have given her.

This analysis will be crossposted in AO3.  

Sakura’s jutsu arsenal (with 24 techniques) Ino’s jutsu arsenal (with 14 techniques) Hinata’s jutsu arsenal (with 10 techniques)

In order to talk about any jutsu, like ninjutsu, taijutsu or genjutsu, the term of stamina must be explained.

Stamina is accomplished by mixing mental and physical energies together, and it is the energy that fuels any kind of jutsu, with chakra or without chakra. These mental energies are different from the Yin and Yang Release.

The amount of stamina is proportionate to the number of jutsu the user can perform. This means that the more stamina the ninja possesses, the greater the repertoire of jutsu attacks and the more quantity there will be to transform into chakra, and, therefore, into a jutsu.

Since taijutsu uses no chakra, the fighter does not need to mold any or use hand seals. On the other hand, in order to perform ninjutsu, chakra is kneaded and expelled through hand seals.

Shizune is known for her medical ninjutsu, which is said to be behind Tsunade’s skills in the third databook, so her chakra control is higher than the average medic-ninja.

Much like Sakura and the description of her chakra control by Ebisu, Shizune is able to blend her mental and physical energies together to mold chakra efficiently. 

Her stamina is directly linked to her proficiency in hand seals. This is why, despite not having a very high statistic of stamina, Shizune is able to learn techniques that require kneading chakra and perform ninjutsu without any difficulty through hand seals, which is an area in which she excels.

The third databook describes stamina as the foundation of chakra and the hand seals as the knowledge in that art, the medium in which a jutsu is performed and the proficiency in executing said techniques.

As an adult, she has the advantage of having more than half of stamina reserves compared to other medic-ninja. Her unusual talent for medical ninjutsu stems from her chakra control. 

Shizune is only proficient in ninjutsu and that is her field of expertise. As a medic-ninja, she is originally a ninja of support, but she counts with techniques that allow her to take the initiative in battle. She also displays a wide knowledge of genjutsu despite not performing or dispelling any herself. 

She can use attack and supplementary jutsu (A & S) and they are short and mid-range type (C & M). Her specialties are A-rank medical ninjutsu and B and C-rank defense techniques.

Shizune falters in taijutsu, having a below average knowledge of hand-to-hand combat. However, she’s very fast and her reflexes are very refined, which does not add to her taijutsu because she does not use it, but it contributes to her offensive techniques. 

NINJUTSU:

The art of ninjutsu is the molding of stamina, the transformation in chakra and its release through hand seals. This result is called a technique, or jutsu. There are different types of ninjutsu, like elemental techniques based on Fire, Wind, Lightning, Earth and Water; or basic ninjutsu taught in the Academy. There are also more advanced types of techniques like Medical Ninjutsu.

» POISON MIST (B-rank, Offensive): The user exhales poison from the mouth, which becomes mist at the mere contact with air. This technique works like the Great Fireball jutsu, but instead of fire, poison is expelled form the mouth. 

It also requires a vast knowledge of chemistry and chakra control to avoid being affected by the poison after inhaling it. 

» PREPARED NEEDLE SHOT (C-rank, Offensive): This technique throws needles coated with poison at a high speed. 

» MEDICAL NINJUTSU Medical Ninjutsu is a branch of ninjutsu dedicated to the restoration or repair of any damage produced in the body by pouring and using chakra to accelerate the process of healing.

Presumably, Medical Ninjutsu needs Yang Release type to be able to alter the physical properties and accelerate the healing process.

There are different techniques applied to heal the body depending on the difficulty of the injury. Shizune is the third best medic-ninja in the world and second to Tsunade, who was surpassed by her disciple Sakura Haruno. She is also an expert of poisons and bases her offensive attacks on her knowledge of toxins. Currently, she still serves as a medic-ninja in Konoha Hospital. 

— Mystical Palm Technique (A-rank, Supplementary): The most basic healing jutsu. It allows the body to accelerate the healing process without any medical equipment.

This technique is taught to aspiring medic-ninjas to help them develop their chakra control. According to Tsunade, Shizune was a prodigy at mastering this technique and it set the bar high for the other student of the Sannin.

Although this technique is what transforms any shinobi into a medic-ninja and is the universal healing technique, its capabilities can be developed and enhanced to their full potential. 

We never see Shizune use this technique to a higher degree whatsoever, but her talents made her a jōnin level medic, which means she achieved near godly healing skills and sits high among the Medic Corps.

(The Medic Corps are those professional medic-ninjas that dedicate their skills to advanced medical ninjutsu and work in Konoha Hospital. In the present, Shizune works aiding her junior, Sakura Haruno, the director. More information here).

— Healing Resuscitation Regeneration (A-rank, Supplementary): This is a high-skill cooperative technique used by jōnin level Medic Corps to regenerate a missing part of the body using DNA from the hair (or other parts of the body).

The use of this technique is very draining and it requires concentration and skill, which is why only jōnin level medics are able to use it. 

Shizune is not a very versatile ninja, being only proficient in ninjutsu. However, she counts on advanced medical ninjutsu knowledge and intelligence that she applies to develop techniques that allow her to attack if she were in an adverse situation.

This level of medical ninjutsu knowledge made her a renowned medic, being hailed as second to Tsunde. Even if she was ultimately surpassed by her fellow junior and student, Sakura Haruno, Shizune is still an asset in Konoha and provides medical care as an active worker for the Medical Department.

This list features 4 jutsu: 2 are ninjutsu and 2 are medical ninjutsu.

1. Poison Mist 2. Prepared Needle Shot 3. Mystical Palm Technique 4. Healing Resuscitation Regeneration

End.

[primnroses]

— masterpost

Please read about me before engaging this blog.

I write in-depth metas, mainly about the kunoichis in the manga Naruto (1999 - 2014) created by Masashi Kishimoto and published by Shueisha in 1999. 

My posts are backed up with information of the manga, official interviews, official novels and official databooks. I always add references in my metas.

I do not support the anime or the work of Studio Pierrot in regards to Naruto. I will not use information included in any filler arc except when it contains important information that is based on canon. If necessary, I will indicate the use of scenes present in fillers.

However, I am forced to use anime fillers for Boruto due to the monthly manga not giving any details concerning certain aspects of the story and the series being anime “canon” only. I will use information present in novels set in the Naruto and Boruto timelines.

Please, take this into consideration. 

My publications are not directed towards any kunoichi in a harmful or disrespectful way. This post is for information purposes only. I give my permission to use or share this list if you may consider it opportune as long as you credit me.

I highly recommend reading these metas in my AO3 because they are easier to read and the format is more comfortable. Although I post here first, there will be a crossposted version a few days later.

I DO NOT TOLERATE ANY KIND OF HATE OR DISRESPECT. I keep a close eye to people that reblog my content. Hate pages are NOT welcomed and you will be blocked.

Leave your questions in my inbox.

KONOHAGAKURE’S ORGANIZATION SYSTEM

In this masterpost I will explain in detail how some departments and teams in Konoha work and who are the people behind them. Every slot will be updated with time. 

☘ konohagakure’s organization system — AO3 version

☘ explaining konoha’s medical department from naruto to boruto — AO3 version

☘ explaining konoha's intelligence department from naruto to boruto ― AO3 version

KUNOICHI STATS

In this masterpost I will present every appearance of the main kunoichi from Naruto’s generation in the canon manga of Naruto written and illustrated by Masashi Kishimoto.

The information about each kunoichi might change in the future. I will probably add more details concerning other aspects of their story, depending on the impact they have in the hate they receive in the fandom.

♕ every time hinata is shown in the canon manga ― AO3 version

♕ every time tenten is shown in the canon manga ― AO3 version

♕ every time karin is shown in the canon manga ― AO3 version

♕ every time ino is shown in the canon manga ― AO3 version

♕ every time sakura is shown in the canon manga ― AO3 version

♕ every time temari is shown in the canon manga ― AO3 version

✁✁✁✁✁

❀ every time sakura lays a hand on naruto in the canon manga ― AO3 version

❀ every time karin lays a hand on suigetsu in the canon manga ― AO3 version

— part of my kunoichi stats division

SAKURA HARUNO

✿ sakura haruno: her weaknesses, past mistakes and how she learnt from them ― AO3 version

✿ sakura haruno’s entire jutsu arsenal ― AO3 version

✿ how the canon describes sakura’s intelligence: her feats and her accomplishments ― AO3 version 

✿ sakura as a genjutsu-type: a mini study about what that entails ― AO3 version 

✿ sakura as a sensor-type: an in-depth about her skills and her unique sensing technique ― AO3 version

✿ sakura haruno being described as the best medic-ninja of konoha in official material ― AO3 version

✿ all the teams sakura haruno has been part of in canon and her roles in them — AO3 version

✿ sakura’s appearance being praised in canon  — AO3 version [will be posted after sasuke retsuden manga ends]

✿ sakura’s proficiency in medical ninjutsu: all the wounds she has healed in canon and its types — AO3 version [just needs to be crossposted on AO3]

✿ explaining konoha’s medical department from naruto to boruto — AO3 version

✿ an insight about summons: katsuyu, the slug of the shikkotsu forest ― AO3 version

HINATA HYŪGA

☼ hinata hyūga's entire jutsu arsenal ― AO3 version

INO YAMANAKA

✼ ino yamanaka’s entire jutsu arsenal ― AO3 version

✼ ino yamanaka’s real abilities with medical ninjutsu ― AO3 version [currently writing...]

✼ explaining konoha’s barrier team from naruto to boruto ― AO3 version

KARIN

��� karin’s sensory abilities and how they excel ― AO3 version

DEBUNKING AND EXPLAINING POPULAR CLAIMS

Misconceptions and popular claims that have been highly misunderstood and taken out of context. Written and conducted by me and supervised by me.

✒ ino yamanaka’s true role in sakura hiden ― AO3 version

✒ the rinnegan: the requirements to awaken it — AO3 version

✒ ino, hinata and medical ninjutsu ― AO3 version

✒ the uzumaki clan: a misconception about their abilities and chakra reserves — AO3 version

✒ in-depth analysis of the therapy center from sakura hiden — AO3 version 

✒ explaining the meaning of medicine, medical ninjutsu and medic-ninjas — AO3 version

✒ the difference between the byakugō no in, yin seal:release and creation rebirth  — AO3 version 

✒ explaining the pillars of konoha — AO3 version

✒ the kunoichis jobs according to boruto — AO3 version

✒ how the fandom spreads lies about sakura haruno, ino yamanaka and hinata hyūga: the biased fans, the headcanons and the inability to read the source of information — AO3 version [in the works...]

✒ a retrospective about the kunoichi’s powers: how sakura, hinata and ino aren’t a copy of their masters — AO3 version [planned]

✒ shizune’s entire jutsu arsenal — AO3 version  [just needs to be crossposted on AO3]

✒ explaining konoha’s medical department from naruto to boruto — AO3 version

✒ explaining konoha’s barrier team from naruto to boruto ― AO3 version

✒ explaining konoha's intelligence department from naruto to boruto ― AO3 version

✒ an insight about summons: katsuyu, the slug of the shikkotsu forest ― AO3 version