Giant Snake-Tailed Chameleon in Naruto

Not much is known about Giant Snake-Tailed Chameleon’s past as it made a sparse appearance in the anime. Giant Snake-Tailed Chameleon debuted in the Tale of Jiraiya the Gallant arc.

Tale of Jiraiya the Gallant

During Pain's confrontation with Jiraiya in Amegakure, also known as the Village Hidden in the Rain, the Giant Snake-Tailed Chameleon swallows Pain's Animal Path and then turns invisible, camouflaging itself to give Pain the upper hand. Jiraiya attempts to detect the creature via a barrier technique but is unsuccessful.

To counter this, Jiraiya summons Shima and Fukasaku to use Sage Mode. With Shima's Fighting Tongue Bind technique, they were able to locate and immobilize the chameleon, while Shima excretes a corrosive liquid to disable its camouflage. Fukasaku then delivers the finishing blow by slicing the creature in half with his Fighting Tongue Slash technique.

Pain's Assault

During the fierce invasion of Konoha, the second Animal Path summoned the chameleon once again to join Pain's formidable army of creatures. This time, the chameleon went on a rampage along with the other powerful summons, wreaking havoc and destruction on the battlefield.

However, as the battle raged on and the situation became increasingly dire, Pain made the difficult decision to de-summon the chameleon and the other animal summons, choosing instead to focus all of his power on the Deva Path, to unleash a powerful Shinra Tensei on Konoha.

Fourth Shinobi World War: Confrontation

During the tumultuous Fourth Shinobi World War, the chameleon was once again summoned by Nagato, who had been reincarnated by the cunning Kabuto Yakushi. Nagato, who was being controlled by Kabuto, made clever use of the chameleon's unique abilities, using it as a hiding place to shield himself while the creature was invisible.

He then unleashed a devastating Shinra Tensei, obliterating a sizable portion of the surrounding forest, all while battling fiercely against Naruto Uzumaki and Killer B. As the battle continued to escalate, Nagato revitalized himself to his youthful appearance by absorbing B's powerful chakra.

In a daring and dangerous move, he had the chameleon use its snake-like tail to immobilize Naruto while he attempted to remove his soul. However, Itachi Uchiha intervened just in time, throwing a flurry of kunai into the eyes of both the chameleon and the King of Hell, effectively blinding them and allowing him to save Naruto and B from Nagato's grasp.

Giant Snake-Tailed Chameleon is a summon and not much is known about its personality. Like most summons, it is loyal to its summoner.

The massive chameleon boasts a Rinnegan in its left socket and has four limbs, each terminating in four sizeable claws. Its tail is a long snake, and its scaly body has bandages coiled around the middle of its back. On its upper back, the creature possesses two porous wings that appear to be severely damaged.

Two uniquely-shaped horns sprout from the back of its head. Unfortunately, the right horn is broken and also bandaged, while the left horn has four black receivers firmly embedded through it.

Resembling its real-life counterpart, the chameleon creature possesses an incredible camouflage ability that allows it to blend seamlessly into its surroundings, rendering itself completely invisible to the naked eye. This skill has been utilized by the Animal Path of Pain, who was able to hide within its mouth and launch surprise attacks on his unsuspecting opponents.

While the chameleon's camouflage is nearly flawless, it can still be detected by barrier-related techniques, as Jiraiya discovered when he attempted to locate it using his Barrier: Canopy Method Formation. In addition to its camouflaging ability, the chameleon also displays traits typically associated with reptiles, such as the ability to crawl on vertical and inclined surfaces, including walls.

It possesses impressive destructive capabilities, capable of fending off attacks from Konoha ninjas and demolishing houses and buildings during Pain's assault on Konoha. The chameleon's snake-like tail serves as a prehensile limb, allowing it to grab and capture targets for Pain using its tongue and tail, as demonstrated during the Fourth Shinobi World War.

Its eyes are connected to Nagato and his other summons, as evidenced by their link during the fight against Naruto Uzumaki and Killer B. While it possesses a snake-like tail, it has badly damaged wings, making it unclear if it has the ability to fly.

In addition to the Naruto manga and its anime adaptation, Giant Snake-Tailed Chameleon also appears in Naruto Shippūden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 2.

• In chapters 374, 550, and 551, the snake was depicted with regular eyes instead of the Rinnegan.