Inuzuka Clan

The or  is a family of shinobi in Konohagakure known for their use of ninken as fighting companions and are easily identified by the distinctive red fang markings on their cheeks.

Overview
The members are given their own canine partner(s) when they reach a certain age. Thereafter, the shinobi and their dog(s) are practically inseparable. It would seem that due to the bond between an Inuzuka and their canine partner(s), their chakra is allowed to mix, and is shared between them, adding a feral appearance to the human partners, and makes a bond between them that affords them the use of the clan's collaboration jutsu, such as the Fang Passing Fang. The clan members are also able to communicate with canines even if unlike Kuromaru, the dogs cannot talk.

Other Clan Members

 * During A and Killer B's flashback, an Inuzuka and his ninken partner were seen alongside Minato when they faced the Kumo-nin.

Trivia

 * The name "Inuzuka", meaning "Hill of Dogs", belongs to a clan which was one of the most powerful in the Chiba Prefecture in Japan during the Edo period. They were known as "dog warriors" and worshipped Inu ("Dog"), a deity representing the zodiac sign of the dog. The name "Inuzuka" also originates from the Nansō Satomi Hakkenden, a 19th-century series of novels about a group of samurai brothers who each embodied the eight fundamental principles of Buddhism.
 * The known Inuzuka members are all named after a part of the body of a dog (fang, nose and claw), while their dogs are named after colours (red, grey and black).
 * Kiba notes that his mother, Tsume, scared his father away. It is currently unknown what this father's involvement with the clan was.
 * The facial markings of the Inuzuka clan members are similar to the facial markings on San's cheeks, from the Miyazaki film, Princess Mononoke.
 * All known members of this clan have a near feral appearance except for Hana.