Nature Transformation

is an advanced form of chakra control. It entails the moulding and defining of one's chakra into an innate type of chakra nature, altering its properties and characteristics. Nature transformation is one of two necessary techniques for creating a technique, its counterpart being shape transformation. Few shinobi can use both shape manipulation and nature manipulation.

Basic Types
There are five basic types into which the nature of chakra can be transformed, called the. These five types are also called elements and are not only the origin of the names of the Five Great Shinobi Countries, but also the foundation of all elemental ninjutsu. The five basic natures are all connected to each other in a circle, each being weaker than one and stronger than another.

These elements allow for elemental ninjutsu to be performed:
 * natured chakra allows for, which is strong against Wind but weak against Water.
 * natured chakra allows for, which is strong against Lightning but weak against Fire.
 * natured chakra allows for, which is strong against Earth but weak against Wind.
 * natured chakra allows for, which is strong against Water but weak against Lightning.
 * natured chakra allows for, which is strong against Fire but weak against Earth.

Basically, this means that if an elemental technique is put against another elemental technique of the same level, but of a stronger nature, then the technique with the superior nature will prevail. However, a technique with a weaker nature can overpower a technique with a stronger nature if the former is of a higher level, such as no Water Release can extinguish the highest level Fire Release technique, Amaterasu.

Counterbalancing
For relationships between chakra natures, there is a principle known as. This principle states that two techniques of the same nature would cancel each other out if the same amount of chakra was put into them. For example, in Kakashi's fight with Kakuzu, he was able to cancel Kakuzu's Lightning Release: False Darkness by deflecting it with his own technique, the Lightning Cutter.

However, if one of the techniques had more chakra put into it, it would overcome the other technique. Not only that, but the stronger technique would absorb the weaker one, and the user of the weaker technique would receive more damage than the original amount, as he will have added to the technique. For example, in Sasuke's fight with Itachi, they both use the Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique against each other, and Sasuke's technique begins to overwhelm Itachi's only when he activates his Cursed Seal of Heaven. Itachi responds to this by using Amaterasu, the highest level Fire Release technique, which takes over all the fire previously created by the two techniques, and absorbs it and grows to the point of blacking out Sasuke's range of vision.

Affinity
In general, every person has chakra that has an affinity towards one of these types, a characteristic that seems to be genetic, since whole clans sometimes share the same affinity. Most members of the Uchiha clan, for example, had an affinity towards the Fire nature.

To find out what affinity someone has, pieces of paper made from a special type of tree (that are grown and fed with chakra) are used that react to even the slightest hint of chakra in any of a number of ways, depending on the nature latent in the chakra.

The chakra paper reactions are as follows:
 * Fire: the paper will ignite and turn to ash.
 * Wind: the paper will split in two.
 * Lightning: the paper will wrinkle.
 * Earth: the paper will turn to dirt and crumble away.
 * Water: the paper will become wet/damp.

This affinity makes it easier to learn how to create and control the nature in question, although even with an affinity this process will usually take any number of years. Shinobi are not limited to the nature they have an affinity to, though. By the time they reach the rank of jōnin, most shinobi have mastered two natures.

Because of the difficulty of mastering a nature and the time required to learn it, it is almost impossible for any one person to master all five natures through natural methods. However, people who are born with the Rinnegan possess all the elements, while Kakuzu got them by stealing the hearts and chakra, of others. Those who wield the Bashōsen can also use all five elements.

Advanced Types
Besides the five basic nature types, there are several more advanced types. By initiating more than one basic chakra nature transformation simultaneously, one can create a completely new nature of chakra with unique properties, and is referred to as a "elementally-recomposed nature type". Doing this requires a special ability and such abilities are rarely seen outside a kekkei genkai or kekkei tōta.

So far, thirteen advanced natures have been shown:
 * The nature, used by Haku and the Yuki clan, is created by simultaneously combining the Water and Wind natures. This nature allows for the use of  ninjutsu. Used through a kekkei genkai.
 * Yukigakure-nin were able to use a different kind of Ice Release, by drawing on already-existing ice, snow, and cold. This was not a kekkei genkai, as Kakashi could copy one of these techniques with his Sharingan. This is likely a mistake, as the kekkei genkai of the Yuki clan had not been referred to as "Ice Release" yet at that time, and also the details of Nature Transformation hadn't been revealed yet, allowing the creators of Naruto the Movie: Ninja Clash in the Land of Snow to "invent" this "new" nature. Also, while Haku's Ice techniques had unusual effects, this type of Ice Release focuses on more obvious effects of ice, such as freezing.
 * The nature, used by Hashirama Senju, Yamato, and Danzō Shimura, is created by simultaneously combining the Earth and Water natures. This nature allows for the use of  ninjutsu. Used through a kekkei genkai.
 * The nature, used by the Four-Tails and its jinchūriki Rōshi, as well as Mei Terumī and Kurotsuchi, is created by simultaneously combining the Fire and Earth natures. This nature allows for the use of . The Four-Tails and Rōshi used it through a Tailed Beast Skill, while Mei and Kurotsuchi used it through a kekkei genkai.
 * It is implied that the two ways of writing this nature (熔遁; 溶遁) are pointing out that they are different in some way. They are switched around and alternated throughout the plot, with Iwagakure characters using the kanji "熔" and the Kirigakure character using the kanji "溶". However, the true purpose of this difference is unknown.
 * The nature, used by Guren, is possibly created by simultaneously combining the Earth nature and another unspecified nature. This nature allows for the use of  ninjutsu.(Anime-only)
 * The nature, used by Sasuke Uchiha, originates from the flames of Amaterasu and allows the use of  ninjutsu. It is unknown what this nature entails.
 * The nature, used by Darui, and stolen by Hiruko, is created by simultaneously combining the Lightning and Water natures. This nature allows for the use of  ninjutsu. Used through a kekkei genkai.
 * It is likely that the two users were using a different type of this release, as Hiruko is a character only seen in Naruto Shippūden 3: Inheritors of the Will of Fire, and Darui hadn't been introduced at that time. There is also a significant difference between the techniques of this nature they use.
 * The nature, used by Mei Terumī, is created by simultaneously combining the Water and Fire natures. This nature allows for the use of  ninjutsu. Used through a kekkei genkai.
 * The nature, used by Ōnoki and Mū, created by simultaneously combining the Fire, Earth and Wind natures. This nature allows for the use of  ninjutsu. Used through a kekkei tōta.
 * The nature, stolen by Hiruko, allows the use of  ninjutsu. It is unknown what this nature entails. Used through a kekkei genkai. (Movie-only)
 * The nature, stolen by Hiruko, allows the use of  ninjutsu. It is unknown what this nature entails. Used through a kekkei genkai. (Movie-only)
 * The nature, stolen by Hiruko, allows the use of  ninjutsu. It is unknown what this nature entails. Used through a kekkei genkai. (Movie-only)
 * The nature, used by Gari and Deidara, allows for the use of  ninjutsu. It is unknown what this nature entails. Used through a kekkei genkai.
 * The nature, used by Pakura, allows for the use of  ninjutsu. It is unknown what this nature entails. Used through a kekkei genkai.

Combining with Shape Transformation
While nature transformation changes the actual nature of the chakra, shape transformation allows a ninja to change the actual shape and actions of the chakra, altering its abilities. Because of this, a technique like the Rasengan can be turned into the Wind Release: Rasengan or the Wind Release: Rasenshuriken, because of Wind Release being joined with the movement of chakra. The cutting nature of wind-natured chakra is used in conjunction with the form of millions of minuscule blades in a spiralling formation, resulting in a much more powerful technique, as seen when used against Kakuzu.

Yin and Yang
Aside from the five basic types of nature transformation, there is also a sixth type: the, the basis of imagination and spiritual energy, used to perform ; and the , the basis of vitality and physical energy, used to perform. Together, they are used to perform. Yamato implied that the Yin and Yang are the source of non-elemental jutsu such as the Shadow Imitation Technique, Multi-Size Technique, medical ninjutsu, genjutsu, etc.

The transformation of the Yin and Yang has to do with altering the amounts of and balance between spiritual and physical energy in chakra. As explained by Shikamaru Nara, Tayuya's spirit worms were forms of spiritual energy that have small amounts of physical energy, thus they require stability and feed upon the physical energy they lack. Shikamaru also mentioned that Tayuya was the same type of ninja as he is, being able to use such kinds of "special chakra" in battle, supporting the belief that the Nara clan's shadow-based jutsu is also Yin and Yang-based.

Trivia

 * The concept of nature transformation parallels the real-life art,, which is a mixture of natural sciences and occultism. It largely features Wu Xing and Yin and Yang.
 * Techniques such as the Toad Oil Bullet and the Poison Mist mention "converting" or "kneading" chakra into materials or substances, but have never been mentioned to use certain chakra natures. Also, they cannot be advanced natures due to the fact that they are ranked, and therefore cannot be kekkei genkai.
 * Certain other techniques involved in manipulating substances are also often confused to be chakra natures, such as silk, bone, and ink. However, these substances cannot be produced from chakra alone, meaning the chakra is not changed in nature, and it is rather used to change already-existing substances.
 * The One-Tailed Shukaku's and Gaara's sand manipulation abilities are often confused as chakra natures. Due to Gaara being able to use sand to grind nearby earth into more sand, it is often believed to be related to the Earth nature. The Shukaku also possesses the Wind nature, possibly suggesting that it is a combination of Earth and Wind natures. However, no "Sand Release" has ever been mentioned, and it is likely that Shukaku simply possessed an ability to infuse sand with his chakra to manipulate it.
 * The Third Kazekage possessed a kekkei genkai that granted him the ability to convert his chakra into magnetic forces, allowing him to utilize his Iron Sand techniques. Although not mentioned to be a nature, the "magnetic chakra" itself could be implying a chakra nature, the nature being magnetic.
 * The Yata Mirror was said to be imbued with all nature transformations to change its own characteristics to deflect any attack. Whether this means it contains advanced elements is unknown.