katon

Katon, 火遁, is a fictional term used in the Naruto media franchise to designate fire-based techniques. In the Naruto universe, Katon is one of the five basic elemental nature transformations that shinobi can master to mold chakra into fire. Katon techniques typically generate flames, heat, and incendiary effects, and they range from quick flame projectiles to large-scale infernos. Training in Katon usually requires access to the fire nature transformation and is often combined with other ninja arts to create more complex jutsu.

Etymology: Katon is the on’yomi reading of the Japanese characters 火遁, meaning "fire release" or "fire ninjutsu." The term is widely used in manga, anime, and fan discussions to describe fire-based jutsu.

Examples include the Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique (Gōkakyū no Jutsu), a signature Katon technique that forms a ball of fire that is hurled at opponents. Other techniques exist with varying range and effects, from single-projectile flames to wider conflagrations.

In the Naruto system, elemental strengths and weaknesses influence how Katon performs against other release types; water-based techniques are typically shown as effective counters to fire release in many encounters.

Outside Naruto, Katon generally appears as a Japanese term for fire-based ninjutsu in fictional contexts and is sometimes used in martial-arts or fantasy settings to evoke the concept of "fire release" techniques.