What exactly is shape manipulation?

[Uzumaki Bolt]

A few questions.

1. At what point do we say a jutsu comprises of shape manipulation?

2. Why is it so hard to combine it with nature manipulation?

3. What would you consider exceptions to your own stated rules on this?

The whole issue I have with this is that IMO techniques like explosive bubbles, earth dome, fire/water dragon, water shark, all wood tech, etc. would all logically require both nature and shape manipulation simultaneously. What then makes that feat such a significant feat when Naruto pulled it off, seeing as even some genin have shown prowess with some of these techniques.

 

[Mellanoma]

Manipulation of shapes.

Kidding, but let me explain it to you.


1. At what point do we say a jutsu comprises of shape manipulation?

When you visually see the chakra manifested in the image of how the user wants it or intends to use it.

Perfect Examples: Rasengan, raikiri, BM mode, Tailed beast bombs etc, Susanoo:

All these abilities use pure chakra which by itself is nothing. However once it's shaped and defined how the user wishes they all become quite deadly.

If Sasuke and Madara used a massive cloud of chakra with no form or density it wouldn't do much. However, once they mold it into Perfect Susanoo it's extremely powerful.



2. Why is it so hard to combine it with nature manipulation?

Multitasking / Body limitations:

A) When you do shape manipulation. You are manifesting chakra from your body and shaping it to what you want.
B) When you do Nature manipulation. You are taking chakra from your body and converting it to your specific nature.
C) Maintaining both A and B.

When you try to combine both you are essentially:

Maintaining A
Creating B while maintaining A
Then concentrating on Combining A and B perfectly while maintaining them both.

Essentially if the chakra required to perform the task doesn't limit you. The concentration or maintaining the jutsu will limit you.

With the current state of the series I believe some of the higher end characters can perform this now as:

1) More chakra
2) Better chakra control
3) Nature affinities are maxed or amazing at this point.

Obviously Naruto and Sasuke can do this but im referring to characters like Sakura, kakashi, etc. Im positive Sakura could do it if she had an affinity


3. What would you consider exceptions to your own stated rules on this?

JJs, Riku characters and anyone with:


KKGs/KKTs/KKMs
Massive amounts of chakra to sustain jutsu (Kurama Jin)
Perfected Nature affinities (Rinnegan users)
Secret jutsu with secret practices (Dust release)



For Fun: Cookie dough explanation

1. At what point do we say a jutsu comprises of shape manipulation?

The point at which you visually see the raw cookie dough forming or being shaped to what you want.



2. Why is it so hard to combine it with nature manipulation?

1) You shape a perfect normal cookie with cookie dough using both hands.
2) You now want to shape a chocolate chip cookie in your right hand while maintaining the first cookie in your left hand.
3) You use 1 hand to shape the chocolate chip cookie while maintaining the other cookie in your left hand.
4) Now with both cookies molded you want to combine them together without either one breaking apart.

The whole issue I have with this is that IMO techniques like explosive bubbles, earth dome, fire/water dragon, water shark, all wood tech, etc. would all logically require both nature and shape manipulation simultaneously. What then makes that feat such a significant feat when Naruto pulled it off, seeing as even some genin have shown prowess with some of these techniques.

Because you technically aren't combining two jutsu simultaneously. it's one affinity and for those that do have two affinities or more they are KKGs/KKT/KKMs which are blood line limits that "Creates" the qualifications required to perform the jutsu without much effort from the user.

 

[salamander uchiha]

Things that would naturally be in a state wouldn't really have form such as lightning just sparks or discharges like a stream wouldn't really be shape manipulation, or spewing out fire, or a blast of wind, or just water or clumps of mud/ earth.

But the same fire can be shaped into the fire ball juts, minI fire balls, dragons, walls of fire etc. Remember Ama it was just fire once shape manipulation was applied it became blaze release. The same principle can be applied to all jutsu elemental or not. The more concentrated and complex the shape+chakra the more advanced the jutsu tends to be.

Naruto's was considered because he took the peak of shape manipulation. A 3 dimensional jutsu(spinning in all directions contained in a shell)and then added a nature to it without changing it's shape allowing it to retain it's properties. Rationally what Naruto did is actually impossible since he would have to add the nature to the spinning chakra for it to stick. The wind blades would move in all directions in line with the rasengan's spinning chakra and take off Naruto's hand and possibly his entire arm. Kishi threw out common sense for that moment so Naruto's could have his own jutsu. Also Narutos has to maintain the rasengan then generate the chakra nature and add it as he put it doing two things at the same time.

The difference between the two types of shape manipulation and difficulty is for that reason. I think ninjutsu also uses seals to assist in shape manipulation of chakra.

 

[Joon]

Here is the databook scan about:

You must be registered for see images

 

[Jinrou]

Mellanoma and Zuras pretty much provided the info you need.

Edit: Mellanoma's example for why its so difficult is so spot on BTW. Would rep if it wasn't such a pain to browse the site on mobile.

Just know that Shape Manipulation is actually referred to as Change in Chakra form. Regular jutsu requires internal change but the one where difficulty is ascribed is changing the form of raw chakra outside the body.

It was somewhat established in p1 that controlling raw chakra out of the body was extremely difficult that's why its on a different difficulty level to regular Jutsu

 

[MightGai]

It's true tho. If you think on the jutsus that were shown in the series, with certain amount of hand seals you could perform both like it was nothing. Think of Katon, there is a shitload of techniques that are pretty much essentially the same thing (spewing fire) but with change in the shape, like a ball (goukakyuu), a stream/wall (gouka meikyakuu), dragon (gouryuka) and so on , so on.

Essentially you are indeed combining nature (fire) with shape. The only difference I see is that to use Rasengan for example there isn't any hand seals. Now, come to think about it, how did the first guys invented the jutsus they use nowadays? they trained for 50 years to combine fire with dragon shape, wrote down "yeah, you can do this if you use x, y, and z seals" and then everyone suddenly with little to no training could do the same jutsu that took someone several years to invent and perfect?

 

[niceday 🥈]

Its chakra and users changing the way it looks and how they want to use it.