Chakra Mutant

Chakra mutants are animals or plants whose bodies have been exposed to chakra sources, and have mutated as a result of the corruption. The vast majority of chakra mutants perish as they are unable to cope with the scale of the change occurring within them. Occasionally, some survive and are granted supernatural powers, supernal senses, or physical transformations.

Throughout the Naruto series, many characters have been introduced with strange abilities that go beyond the capability of a trained technique, yet are not identified as kekkei genkai directly. It is likely, due to exposure to the chakra of a biju, an accident, or through artificial experimentation, they became chakra mutants.

Origin
A living body is both a balance of mind and of spirit. The vitality of the body, feeds the spirit, and the spirit engenders a transition of energies within the body. It is through this perpetual cycle of transformation, the action of yin to yang, and back to yin again, that a life persists. This is, however, a very basic simplification of how these internal transformations occur.

Within the bodies of living creatures are chakra meridians, also known as the eight gates. The chakra within a body is funneled through the gates, which regulate the flow and nature of the chakra. Each gate corresponds to an organ within the body, and each organ governs the physical action of the body, keeping it alive.

Each of these meridians are associated with particular elements, as each has a unique (and necessary) role within a body. For ninja, these meridians are instrumental in the performance of jutsu; it is within these, that chakra is molded before being released. The chakra affinity of a living creature is determined by the proportions and interactions of these meridians. A person who possesses a fire affinity, for example, would have a stronger or larger stomach than a person with a wind affinity.

Ideally, there should be a perfect balance of Yin and Yang chakra within a body; a balance of energies within. It follows, that a creature with a nature affinity does not possess a perfect balance. He might have lower chakra levels and extraordinary physical reserves, or vice versa.

The process by which a creature transitions into being a chakra mutant isn't always precise, but it can be measured in stages.

Exposure
The subject's body, or a part of his body, becomes saturated with an external source of chakra (such as the tainted chakra of a biju, or a cursed seal). The location of the exposure, usually determines which meridian becomes effected. The results of this exposure depend on the nature of the chakra that is infecting the meridian, and how it interacts with the inherent nature of that meridian. The results are adaptation, or death. Usually, exposure can cause the organ or meridian to shut down, which results in a painful death or permanent disability. Occasionally, the subject adapts to the exposure, incorporating the corruption into the meridian.

Adaptation
The subject's body accepts the corruption, and the infected meridian becomes altered. The results of the corruption are usually unpredictable, but if the chakra corruption matches the nature of the infected organ, it often strengthens the function of the organ.

Most chakra mutants suffer some form of organ failure or weakness, rather than a strengthening. This often puts strain upon the body; their bodies are more sickly and weaker as a result, and may suffer other drawbacks associated with chakra release.

Notable Chakra Mutants

 * Shima Date: The Date clan's kekkei genkai induces chakra mutations within the body, by incorporating the yang energy of the matter they consume into their wider chakra circulatory system. In this manner, they can naturally assume new mutations based on their diet.
 * Gaara: Gaara's constant exposure to the one-tails caused his body to naturally adapt to its chakra signature. Even after losing Shukaku by having the beast forcibly extracted, he still possessed this chakra affinity.
 * Gold and Silver Brothers: Gold and Silver were forced to consume the flesh of Kurama while within the great nine-tails's stomach. Given that the stomach is the source of fire-molded chakra, and that they were taking this naturally fire-infused flesh into their own stomachs, this actually cause their stomachs to become infused with the Kyuubi's nature. As a result of the mutation, they became pseudo-jinchuuriki, and gained a number of useful powers.
 * Kisei Kumo: Exposed to the tainted chakra of the ten-tails at birth, the corruption caused Kisei's liver to develop abnormally. This made the rest of his organs unable to naturally produce chakra. Fortunately, his body adapted to this fundamentally lethal flaw by drawing in chakra from other sources via tenketsu.
 * Rock Lee Rock Lee's condition is a result of chakra exposure, likely from a tailed beast ball by Kurama. As a baby, his entire body was likely suffused in the fallout of a tailed-beast ball's energy. This resulted in permanent damage to his chakra coils and meridians, leaving him unable to mold or form chakra. Although his body rejected the chakra's corruption, he did manage to survive.
 * Uchiha Sasuke: Uchiha Sasuke, and every other survivor of the cursed seal, is a chakra mutant. The cursed seal operated as an artificial chakra meridian; by acting as an additional gate, it would corrupt the nature of any chakra passsed through it. The types of these cursed seals, and their placement upon the body, manifested in a variety of strange powers and physical transformations.
 * Yagura: Like Gaara, Yagura survived the extraction of his biju, in a manner of speaking. He also retained Isobu's natural water affinity.