The Shinobi Gauntlet (忍小手, Shinobigote), often shortened to just Gauntlet (小手, Kote), is a condenser type scientific ninja tool that is worn on the forearm.

Overview

The Gauntlet was developed by Katasuke of Konohagakure's Scientific Ninja Weapons Team as a way to allow anyone (even non-shinobi) to use complicated jutsu without the need for training or the requisite skills. He anticipates that, once released to the public, Gauntlets will become a huge source of revenue for Konoha. Katasuke (while influenced by Ao's genjutsu) tries to convince the Seventh Hokage to allow Gauntlets during the Chūnin Exams as a form of advertisement, but the Hokage refuses, reasoning that Gauntlets give an unfair advantage to their user and defeat the exams' purpose of nurturing the shinobi arts. In the novelisation of Boruto: Naruto the Movie, the Hokage also doesn't see the point in testing proficiency with a weapon that isn't widely available; when Gauntlets become more common among infantry, their use in the exams will be allowed.

To use, Scroll Cartridges that have had jutsu sealed into them are loaded into the Gauntlet's chamber. When the user wants to perform one of the loaded jutsu, they make a unique hand seal corresponding to the intended jutsu's nature using the hand of the arm that the Gauntlet is worn on. This causes a system within the Gauntlet to read the Scroll Cartridge and release the stored jutsu, firing it wherever the Gauntlet is aimed. The chakra that fuels these jutsu is accumulated and stored in the device's chakra condenser, and because the jutsu require none of the user's chakra to perform, they can gain an advantage in battle by releasing what would normally be chakra-taxing techniques in quick succession. In some cases, jutsu are even improved over their non-Gauntlet counterparts: the Rasengan cannot ordinarily be launched without special training, but all of the Gauntlet's Rasengan are launchable by default.

Variations

• Type-3 Shinobi Gauntlet (参式忍籠手, Sanshiki Shinobigote): Allows the discharge of techniques and is outfitted with a double-sided Chakra Blade emitter. Ao had this built into his prosthetic left forearm.^[2]
• Type-5 Shinobi Gauntlet (五式忍籠手, Goshiki Shinobigote): Designed for combat and included three claw-like fingers and a central cannon that could launch Fire Release Bullets. Garō had these installed onto both his left and right forearms.^[3]

Sealed Techniques

• Chidori ^{(Novel only)}
• Fire Release Bullet: "Blaze"
• Lightning Release Bullet: Powerful Breath
• Lightning Release: Purple Electricity ^{(Anime only)}
• Rasengan
• Shadow Clone Technique
• Shadow Imitation Technique
• Sickle Weasel Technique ^{(Novel only)}
• Water Release Bullet: Orca
• Wind Release: Rasengan ^{(Manga only)}

At one point in the novelisation of Boruto: Naruto the Movie, Katasuke fires a volley of assorted jutsu, including Wood Release and some unspecified Konoha hiden techniques.

Trivia

• Masashi Kishimoto thought of making a tool like this before Naruto even began, but couldn't find the right time to introduce it in the manga.^[4]
• When Boruto fought Shikadai Nara in the Chūnin Exams, he formed the Earth Release hand seal to release the scrolls that contained the shadow clones.

References