Yin–Yang Release

is a nature transformation that combines Yin Release and Yang Release, two natures that exist outside the five basic elemental natures. Yin Release uses spiritual energy and Yang Release uses physical energy, which are the two components of chakra. This in turn means that all jutsu that utilise chakra are at least distantly rooted in Yin–Yang Release.

Hagoromo Ōtsutsuki, famed as the "Sage of Six Paths", utilised Yin–Yang Release with the Creation of All Things Technique: by creating form out of nothingness (Yin Release) and then giving the form life (Yang Release), he was able to create the nine tailed beasts from the Ten-Tails' chakra. Centuries later, Hagoromo's spirit gives some of his power to Naruto Uzumaki, allowing Naruto to use Yin–Yang Release as well: he stabilises Might Guy's life force, whose body nearly expired due to using Eight Gates Released Formation; he restores Kakashi Hatake's left eye, which Kakashi lost decades earlier; he resuscitates Obito Uchiha, whose body was badly fatigued from having the Ten-Tails removed from his body. But Yin–Yang Release's healing ability remains limited, as Naruto cannot save Obito from the effects of the All-Killing Ash Bones.

Yin–Yang Release can be used to nullify the effects of all ninjutsu. Jinchūriki of the Ten-Tails take advantage of this by adding Yin–Yang Release to their Truth-Seeking Balls: when the balls surround the jinchūriki as a defence, no ninjutsu can harm them; when the balls are made into weapons, the weapons can break through any ninjutsu, even nullifying the regenerative bodies of those revived with the Impure World Reincarnation. According to Sasuke Uchiha, only through combination of his Yin Power with Naruto's Yang Power can they seal Kaguya Ōtsutsuki, the progenitor of chakra itself on Earth.

Trivia

 * The section about Yin–Yang Release in Jin no Sho has the subheading of "Six Paths", suggesting the two terms are connected.
 * In the manga, the kanji for "Yin–Yang" (陰陽) are usually read as onmyō but occasionally read as in'yō. In the real world, in'yō is the common reading of the kanji. Historically, the onmyō reading appeared in Japan earlier and was used in reference to . Onmyō conceptually evolved to refer to divination and various esoteric practices, an association not applied to the in'yō reading. Accordingly, some scholars translate onmyō as "divination" or "yin-yang", rather than "yin and yang".
 * In chapter 606, Madara tells Obito he will teach him to use Yin–Yang Release techniques and subsequently implies he used Yin–Yang Release to create the White Zetsu. In these instances, the kanji for Yin–Yang are read as in'yō.
 * In the anime, Obito uses the in'yō reading when explaining Izanagi to Konan, despite using the onmyō reading in the manga.
 * In chapter 684, Black Zetsu uses the in'yō reading to refer to Naruto's and Sasuke's.