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Although there are variations from one village to another, the general organizational structure and hierarchy of the ninja systems of each village are about the same. At the top of the shinobi organization is the village head, or the Kage in the case of the Five Great Shinobi Countries. They rule the village and its shinobi together with a council, usually consisting of highly ranked shinobi and elders. The actual shinobi forces are divided into three groups. The regular forces, the Anbu, and the medical teams.
Regular Forces[]
Shinobi of Konoha’s Regular Forces.
The Regular Forces (正規部隊, Seiki Butai) from the foundation of the village and its shinobi system. The majority of shinobi are a part of these forces and together, either individually or in teams, they perform the majority of the missions the village receives. They are also tasked with various duties within the organization, such as training and administrative duties.
When an Academy Student graduates, they usually become a part of these forces, assuming the rank of genin. Via various exams and tests, they can be promoted to higher ranks, first to chūnin and jōnin after that. Sometimes, when a shinobi is specialized in a very specific skill, they can assume the rank of tokubetsu jōnin, which is a rank between chūnin and jōnin.
Academy Student[]
Main article: Academy Student
Academy Students.
The Academy Student (忍者学校生, Akademī-sei) make up the student body of the Academy, where they are trained and prepared for life as shinobi. They are not an actual part of the shinobi force, as they are still in the process of mastering the very basics of the ninja lifestyle. However, they can be conscripted as part of the war potential in times of emergency.
Genin[]
Main article: Genin
Genin.
Genin (下忍, Viz: junior ninja, Literally meaning: low ninja) are the lowest level of ninja and also the ones that display the most difference in power. When they become genin, ninjas start to do their bit for their village’s economy – being sent on missions that the village gets paid for. They are typically sent either on D-rank missions, which are almost entirely risk-free jobs of manual labor, or, rarely, on C-rank missions, which are a cut above that and begin to verge on real “ninja” work that has a very low possibility of risk to the ninja involved. When Konohagakure was short-handed on upper-level ninjas because of the invasion, the village had to occasionally send genin on higher-ranked missions.
Chūnin[]
Main article: Chūnin
Chūnin.
Chūnin (中忍, Viz: Journeyman Ninja, Literally meaning: Middle Ninja) are ninjas who have reached a level of maturity and ability that primarily consists of leadership skills and tactical prowess. Chūnin is typically sent on C-rank or B-rank missions. Some chūnin, such as Iruka Umino and Shino Aburame, move on to become Academy teachers.
Tokubetsu Jōnin[]
Main article: Tokubetsu Jōnin
A Tokubetsu Jōnin.
Tokubetsu Jōnin (特別上忍, Literally meaning: Special High Ninja, sometimes known as Tokujō for short) are ninjas who, rather than having all-around jōnin skills, they only excel in a specific area, much like warrant officer in real-world militaries. For example, Ibiki Morino can completely understand the workings of the human mind, making him an expert in interrogation.
Jōnin[]
Main article: Jōnin
Jōnin.
Jōnin (上忍, Viz: Elite Ninja, Literally meaning: High Ninja) are generally highly experienced and highly skilled shinobi who serve as military captains, whose abilities are considered superhuman.[1] Jōnin are generally able to use at least two types of elemental chakra.[2] It is not unusual for jōnin to go on missions alone. They are often sent on A-rank missions, and if experienced enough, S-rank missions as well (which are considered to be the greatest difficulty).
Kage[]
Main article: Kage
The Five Kage.
Kage (影, Literally meaning: Shadow) is a title reserved for the leader of one of the Five Great Shinobi Countries’ hidden villages. They are collectively known as the Five Kage (五影, Gokage, Literally meaning: Five Shadows). A Kage oversees the activities of their village, from sending ninjas on missions to making the hard decisions regarding the safety of their people. A village’s Kage is generally acknowledged as its most powerful ninja.
Teams[]
Although the higher-ranking members of the regular forces often perform missions alone, most are done in teams. The most basic team is the one a genin is placed in after graduation. This so-called three-man cell consists of three genin under the guidance of a jōnin commander. These teams are meant to give the new shinobi practical skills, while already being a productive member of the organization. Usually, strong bonds are cultivated between the members of such a team, lasting their entire lives. Because of these bonds and the fact that working with one’s long-time teammates is usually more efficient, these teams often last even after all members have been promoted to chūnin or higher.
Besides these basic teams, there are also teams, and groups created for specific missions and tasks. Sometimes these are ad hoc teams that only exist for the duration of the mission, such as the Sasuke Retrieval Team, but in certain cases, these teams are more organized and lasting, such as the Nijū Shōtai who were created to battle the threat of Akatsuki.
Special Ranks and Functions[]
Besides the standard ranks of genin, chūnin, tokubetsu jōnin, and jōnin, there are some shinobi who bear a special rank or function. For instance, Kumogakure has a rank between that of jōnin and Raikage which is known as “Head Ninja”. This person helps in leading the shinobi forces and is capable of representing the village officially. Konohagakure has the Jōnin Commander, who is selected from the jōnin population to represent the regular forces in council meetings and likely helps in commanding the regular forces.
Anbu[]
The Anbu (暗部, Literally meaning: Anbu Black Ops), short for Ansatsu Senjutsu Tokushu Butai (暗殺戦術特殊部隊, Literally meaning: Special Assassination and Tactical Squad), are covert operatives of capable ninja that are dispatched by their village leader.
Groups[]
There are various groups within the Anbu, aimed at various or different functions and tasks. Kirigakure, for instance, has the hunter-nin — a group created solely for hunting down and disposing of missing-nin. Konohagakure has the Konoha Torture and Interrogation Force, which interrogates prisoners and works to gather intelligence. Though they were to be officially disbanded, another Anbu faction named Root carried out extremely secretive missions and were not under the direct authority of the previous Hokage.
Medical Teams[]
The medical teams (医療班, Iryō-han) are the supporting side of the shinobi forces. They consist of medical-nin, working behind the scenes to heal sick and injured shinobi and to make sure the organization’s resources are always in peak condition. A medical-nin is similar to a Hospital Corpsman or HM of the military in real life. They also do extensive research into new techniques, medicines, diseases, and the human body. Although not seen very often, they are highly respected. Even to a jōnin, the advanced skills of these shinobi seem like magic.
Not all medical-nin are members of the medical teams, though. There are also medical-nin within the regular forces, who go along on standard missions to increase the success rate referred to as field medical-nin. Though medical-nin from the hospital are sent out into the fields from time to time as seen when a group of medical-nin were sent after the Sasuke Retrieval Team; however, back in the village, it is the medical teams who run the hospital and treat the wounded.
Trivia[]
- Between the end of the Fourth Shinobi World War and the events of The Last: Naruto the Movie, Sai becomes a Chūbu (柱部). Currently, it is neither known what exactly this change in rank implies, nor where the rank falls on the organizational system.
- Shindō Shunsoku becomes a Tokubetsu Genin (特別下忍, sometimes called “tokugin” for short, Literally meaning: Special Low Ninja) upon graduating from the Academy and was apprenticed to a tokubetsu jōnin to become a well-rounded shinobi and was the backup for several genin teams on missions C-rank or above.
References[]
- ↑ Rin no Sho, page 261
- ↑ Naruto chapter 316, page 5