Armor of Sand

The secret armor of the Sunagakure shinobi village. This armor is weaker than the shield or Sphere of Sand, but comes at the use of heightened maneuverability. The user may attack while the armor is on still, and can activate it faster than one could blink if in danger.

Design
The Armor of Sand jutsu allows the utilizing ninja cover themselves in a compacted layer of sand prior to actual combat, providing an additional defense should they need it. The sand armor is virtually indistinguishable from the ninja's normal skin, and can usually go completely undetected. Though quite effective, maintaining the armor requires a large amount of Chakra and stamina.

Weaknesses
Furthermore, it is nowhere as resilient as the Shield of Sand, since it easily breaks away upon impact, meaning that the sole purpose of the armor is to absorb impact channeled unto the ninja's body during battle. Another weakness is the additional weight of the sand means a decrease of speed and mobility.

Users
Though the Armor of Sand is incredibly rare, it is most prominent in the nija of Sunagakure, since they adapted their jutsu in order to utilize the sand that is prevalent in their region.

Gaara

 * Main article: Gaara

Among these ninja, Gaara is the most famous user, because he served as the Jinchūriki of on the Tailed Beasts, this served as his last resort defense since the One-Tailed Shukaku provided him with incredible Chakra reserves.