Aburame Clan


 * Known members: Shino Aburame, Shibi Aburame, Shino's unnamed grandfather

is a clan characterized by their use of insects as weapons. The insects live in symbiosis within the body of the shinobi. At birth, members of this clan are offered to a special breed of insects as a nest, residing just under their host's skin. The insects can leave and enter through various pores, apparently by eating their way through the skin. The insects are called destruction bugs. They feed on chakra as a food source, making them quite deadly. The relationship between the shinobi and the insects is mutually beneficial. The host grants the bugs shelter and allows them to feed off their chakra, their body becoming a living hive, and in return the bugs do the user's bidding, allowing the shinobi to perform ninjutsu-like techniques without the use of hand seals or chakra conversion.

A female bug can be left on a target, which then can be tracked by smell by the male bug, or scout bugs can be sent out and return to tell the host information about the area. For this reason, Aburame clan members are experts in espionage; they can communicate with the bugs, and the bugs specialize in stealth because they make no noise or motion during combat. In addition to utilizing insects in battle, the Aburame clan also studies insects. They were rivals of the Kamizuru clan, the bee users, until they defeated them in battle. A major defining trait of the Aburame clan is that all of its known members wear dark sunglasses that hide their eyes as well as jackets that cover part of their face.