Shinobi

otherwise referred to as in the English translation of Naruto, are the primary focus and the main military power in the series. A female ninja is a. Most come from a hidden village, of which some come from specialized Ninja clans, and will perform missions for a fee. These missions can include: doing manual labor, acting as escorts, gathering secret information, retrieving stolen items, carrying out assassinations, etc. In times of war, ninja will come together to defend their villages and land. The clearest characteristic of a shinobi is their ability to manipulate chakra to create and use jutsu.

Missing-nin
There are shinobi who no longer share the same ideals with their village, and therefore leave the village becoming "rogue" shinobi. Usually though it is not that simple. Some of these shinobi do something that hurts the village in some way, breaking off any ties they have with it. They are then classified as "missing-nin" and are hunted down by their village's Anbu and Hunter Corps so that the village's secrets remain safe. This is explained in the case of Zabuza Momochi, a missing-nin from Kirigakure. The most dangerous missing-nin are classified as S-class missing-nin. A good example of this are the members of Akatsuki who are all S-class Missing-nin.

Jutsu
Shinobi can use a variety of jutsu, techniques often based on the utilization of chakra. This allows shinobi to perform extraordinary things. Jutsu are separated into three groups, Ninjutsu, Genjutsu, and Taijutsu. Ninjutsu implies perform a supernatural or beyond normal ability, the most common of which is the elemental jutsu. These are created by the user transforming their chakra into a specific nature or 'release'. The chakra types are Lightning, Earth, Fire, Wind, and Water. Other sub-types of chakra natures such as Wood Release and Ice Release also exist, created by combining two of the basic five releases. Taijutsu implies physical techniques, which may or may not require chakra. Certain shinobi such as Rock Lee lack the ability to mold chakra, leading them to become masters of Taijutsu. Genjutsu manipulates the chakra in an enemy's brain and disrupts their chakra flow. Their senses get fooled which creates illusions, things that the foe believes to be real that are in fact fake. Genjutsu is the least-used of the three groups, possibly due to the difficulty required in performing the techniques.

Tools
Ninja tools are used as alternatives to jutsu. They can include weapons, accessories, and even clothing. Ninja such as Tenten have mastered the use of such tools. A standard shinobi will have a pouch equipped with many such tools, and nearly every ninja is equipped with at least a shuriken holster. Most also possess and wear a Forehead Protector with the symbol of the village they derive from, though the ninja does not necessarily have to wear it over their forehead. The Inuzuka clan's ninken were also classified as tools.