Nara Clan

The or  is known for their intelligence, manipulation of shadows, and tending of deer, which graze in a large area of the Nara clan forest. Shikaku Nara is the current head of the clan.

Overview
They have kept a book with medicine preparations and effects for generations which imply they are skilled in the area of medicine. Among the medicine described in this book are the secret pills used by the Akimichi clan.

Despite being considered geniuses, the men from this family are prone to being lazy and hard to motivate, but once the situation calls for it, they are very determined and loyal. Ironically, they tend to be attracted to stern, overbearing women. However, there appear to be other factors as well. The Nara men seem to hold women in high esteem, and as a result, willingly defer to their female partners. Shikaku Nara tells his son "Without women, men can't be born. Without women, men go to ruin. Even the hardest of women will show a sweet side to the man she loves and respects".

The Nara clan has a special relationship with the Akimichi and Yamanaka clan. For generations, members of these three families have formed "Ino-Shika-Chō" trios, named after the first part of the names of the members with the Nara members being the "Shika" in the trio. To strengthen the unity between the three clans, a member of the Sarutobi clan will give them special earrings to present to each generation head when they are promoted to chūnin after which they will swear their oaths. The earrings also symbolise that they are considered adults by their respective clans.

In the anime, the Nara clan has a research laboratory with an abundance of medicines stored in it. It is located deep in the mountains, and thus has little security. Mizuki raided this laboratory for ingredients for his cursed seal.

Trivia

 * Nara, Nara, Japan was the capital of Japan in the eighth century, and is well known for its tame deer.
 * "Ino", "Shika" and "Chō" are the names of three cards needed for a highly prized trick of "Inoshikachō" in the Hanafuda.