Saturday, February 12, 2011

Missions

In the organized society of the villages, ninja are given missions (任務, ninmu) depending on their rank. The missions are categorized in five ranks, based on how dangerous the mission is and how important it is.
  • D-rank - assigned to Genin fresh from the Ninja Academy. They pose almost no risk to the ninja's life and usually consist of odd jobs like farming and babysitting work. The reward for a D-rank mission is between five thousand and fifty thousand Ryō.
  • C-rank - assigned to more experienced Genin or Chūnin. They are missions anticipated to have some combat involved with the possibility of injury to the shinobi performing it. Examples are guarding people, background investigations, or capturing or suppressing wild animals. The reward for a C-rank mission is between thirty thousand and 100 thousand Ryō.
  • B-rank - assigned to experienced Chūnin. They are missions anticipated to involve combat with other ninja. Examples are guarding people, espionage, or killing other ninja. The reward for a B-rank mission is between 150 thousand and 200 thousand Ryō.
  • A-rank - assigned to Jōnin, concerning, among other things, village-or state-level matters and trends. Examples are guarding VIPs or suppressing ninja forces. The reward for an A-rank mission is between one hundred fifty thousand and a million Ryō.
  • S-rank - assigned to experienced Jōnin and concern state-level confidential matters. Examples are assassinating VIPs, and transporting highly classified documents. The reward for an S-rank mission is more than a million Ryō.    
                                                                                                                

Shinobi Organizational System

Organization system for Naruto series

Although there are variations from village to village, the general organizational structure and hierarchy of the ninja systems of each village is about the same. At the top of the organization is the village head, or the Kage in the case of the five major villages. 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 in three groups. The regular forces, the ANBU, and the Medical Teams.

Regular Forces

The regular forces (正規部隊, Seiki Butai) form 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 the various duties within the organization, such as training and office work.
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 after that to Jōnin. Sometimes, when a shinobi is specialized in a very specific skill, they can assume the rank of Tokubetsu Jōnin, which is ranked between chūnin and jōnin.
   


Ranks


Academy students (忍者学校生, Akademī-sei) make up the student body of the Ninja Academy, where they are trained and prepared for life as a 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.

                                                    Konohamaru as a Academy student



Genin (下忍; Literally meaning "low ninja", Meaning (Viz) "junior ninja") are the lowest level of ninja and also the ones that display the most difference in power. When they become genin, ninja 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 have a very low possibility of risk to the ninja involved. When Konohagakure was short-handed in upper-level ninja because of the attack by Otogakure and Sunagakure, the village had to occasionally send genin on higher-ranked missions.

                                           The Rookie Nine when they were all genin.



Chūnin (中忍; Literally meaning "Middle Ninja", Meaning (Viz) "Journeyman Ninja") are ninja who are qualified to watch over and guide other ninja. Chūnin have reached a level of maturity that primarily consists of leadership skills and tactical prowess. This is because the genin who don't have the skills to become chūnin are weeded out in testing. Some of them, like Iruka Umino and Mizuki, function as Academy teachers and others, like Shikamaru Nara, serve as team leaders in charge of small teams who need to make decisions and utilize the skills of the shinobi under their command to the maximum effect. Chūnin are typically sent on C-rank or B-rank missions.
 
                                             Umino Iruka, instructor at the Konoha Akademy


Tokubetsu Jōnin (特別上忍, Tokubetsu Jōnin; English TV "Special Jōnin"; Literally meaning "Special High Ninja"; sometimes known as Tokujō for short) are ninja who, rather than all-around jōnin training, have Jōnin-level ability in a single area or skill, much like warrant officers of real-world militaries. They are elite specialists in their areas and are often assigned as subordinates to regular jōnin when their services are needed.

                                                   Ibiki, a Special High Ninja


Jōnin (上忍, Jōnin; Literally meaning "High Ninja", Meaning (Viz) "Elite Ninja") are generally highly-experienced shinobi with great individual skill who serve as military captains. They are often sent on A-Rank missions, and experienced Jōnin may even be sent on S-Class missions (which are considered to be the greatest difficulty). It is not unusual for Jōnin to go on missions alone. Jōnin are generally able to use at least two types of elemental chakra, some genjutsu, and above-average taijutsu skills.

                                                        Kakashi, a Jonin

A Kage (影; Literally meaning "Shadow") is the leader of one of the five most powerful Hidden Villages and generally are also the most powerful ninja in their respective villages. They are collectively known as the Five Kage (五影, Gokage). If a Kage has held their position for several decades, as was the case with the Third Hokage, younger ninja are likely to have become stronger than they are. In such cases, the Kage may retire and give the title to someone else; the title, once granted, is held permanently. This creates a case where there are two Kage at the same time, with only one of them actually active, as it was with the Third and Fourth Hokage. After the Fourth died, the Third came out of retirement.
The Kage stand equally with the rulers of their countries, oversee the activities of their villages, and are the leaders of ninja society. They typically are the ones who send the ninja teams out on their missions and make the decisions regarding the safety of the village. The five Kage are:
                                                         5 Kages
Anbu

The ANBU (暗部, Dark Side), short for Ansatsu Senjutsu Tokushu Butai (暗殺戦術特殊部隊, Special Assassination and Tactical Squad; English Version: ANBU Black Ops), take orders directly from the Kage, performing special high-level missions, such as assassinations and torture. The ANBU usually work in teams formed to the requirements of the mission, ensuring maximum success. The shinobi in the ANBU are hand-picked by the Kage; chosen for their individual capabilities and special skills. Age, gender, background, or previous rank bear no weight in this decision. They wear their mask even in their own village, for their identity as an ANBU agent is to be known only by the Kage and village elders, with the exception of Root members who unless ordered to will otherwise only respond to Danzō. There are apparently no true ranks within the ANBU, unlike within the regular forces. Team leadership and hierarchy seem to be based on merit and experience. The leaders of the teams are called squad leaders (分隊長, Buntaichō), a position held in high regards.

                                                      Fully-equipped ANBU
                                                      
Medical Teams

The Medical Teams (医療班, Iryō-han) are the back-up of the shinobi forces. They consist of medical-nin, working behind the scenes to heal the sick and injured shinobi and to make sure the organization is always in peak condition. Medical-nins are also similar to HM or Hospital Corpsman of the military in real life. They also do extensive research into new techniques, medicine, and into diseases and the human body. Although not seen very often, they are highly respected. Even to a jōnin, the advanced skills of these shinobi appear 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. However, back in the village, it is the Medical Teams who run the hospital and treat the wounded.

                                             Shizune, a medical ninja
                                        

Characters in naruto that you should know

Here are the main characters in NARUTO that you should know :









The major characters of the series as they appear in Part I







The major characters of the series as they appear in Part II

The Naruto anime and manga series features an extensive cast of characters created by Masashi Kishimoto. The series takes place in a fictional universe where different countries vie for power by using ninja who can use supernatural abilities in combat. The Naruto storyline is divided into two parts, simply named Part I and Part II, with the latter taking place two-and-a-half years after the conclusion of Part I. The series' storyline follows the adventures of a group of young ninja from the village of Konohagakure.
        The titular character of the series is Naruto Uzumaki, an energetic ninja who wishes to become Hokage, the leader of Konohagakure. During the early part of the series, he is assigned to Team 7, during which he meets Sasuke Uchiha, a taciturn and highly skilled "genius" of the Uchiha clan; Sakura Haruno, who is infatuated with Sasuke yet has Naruto's affection; and Kakashi Hatake, the quiet and mysterious leader of the team. Over the course of the series, Naruto interacts with and befriends several of his fellow ninja in Konohagakure as well as other villages. He also encounters the series' antagonists, including Orochimaru, a former ninja of Konohagakure scheming to destroy his former home, and the elite ninja of the criminal organization Akatsuki.
         While developing the series, Kishimoto created the three primary characters as a basis for the designs of the other three-person teams.He also utilized characters in other shōnen manga as references in his design of the characters, a decision that was criticized by several anime and manga publications.The characters that Kishimoto developed were however praised for incorporating many of the better aspects of previous shōnen characters, although many publications lamented the perceived lack of growth beyond such stereotypes.The visual presentation of the characters was commented on by reviewers, with praise and criticism given to Kishimoto's work in the manga and anime adaptation.

List of Naruto characters :

Naruto Uzumaki

Naruto Uzumaki (うずまき ナルト Uzumaki Naruto?) is the primary protagonist of the Naruto series. He was the first character created by Kishimoto during the conception of the series, and was designed with many traits from other shōnen characters, including Son Goku of the Dragon Ball series.In the series, Naruto has ambitions of becoming Hokage, the leader of Konohagakure. Because he is the host of the nine-tailed demon fox, a malevolent creature that attacked Konoha, he is ostracized by the other villagers.He compensates for this with his cheerful and boisterous personality, and over the course of the series, manages to befriend many foreign and Konoha ninja. He develops an especially close relationship with Sasuke Uchiha and deep caring affection for Sakura Haruno, two of his fellow ninja in Team 7 , and treats them as his siblings.

Sasuke Uchiha

Sasuke Uchiha (うちは サスケ Uchiha Sasuke?) is one of the members of Team 7. He was created to be a rival to Naruto, as well as a, "cool genius", which Kishimoto believed was an integral part of an ideal rivalry.He is one of the few remaining members of the Uchiha clan along with his brother, Itachi Uchiha, who killed the rest of their family.Due to this, Sasuke's sole desire is to kill his brother, and he develops a cold and withdrawn personality. His interactions with his fellow teammates, especially Naruto Uzumaki, make him focus less on revenge at the start of the series. During an encounter with his brother in Part I, Sasuke is easily beaten, which leads him to leave the village to seek more power from the criminal Orochimaru.His teammates' attempts to recover him from Orochimaru forms a major component of the Part II plot.

Sakura Haruno

Sakura Haruno (春野 サクラ Haruno Sakura?) is the sole female member of Team 7. Kishimoto created her as the heroine of the series, although he has admitted that he has little perception of what an ideal heroine should be.As a child, Sakura was taunted by other children because of her large forehead, a feature Kishimoto has tried to emphasize in Sakura's appearances. She was comforted by Ino Yamanaka.As the two continued to grow, however, they became increasingly distant due to their shared affection for Sasuke Uchiha. During most of Part I, Sakura is in love with Sasuke, and hates Naruto Uzumaki but begins to like him more during the Chuunin Exams and when he saved her life from the Sand Village's Gaara.But after Sasuke leaves the village, she makes Naruto make a lifelong promise to bring him back. After his 1st attempt is delayed by the Sound Ninja 4, she resolves to become stronger by training with Tsunade. In Part II when Sakura and Naruto are 16, she displays highly developed skills from her training giving her the brutal power and strength of about 10 men, and a more open affection towards Naruto.

Kakashi Hatake

Kakashi Hatake (はたけ カカシ Hatake Kakashi?) - where Kakashi is literally Japanese for "scarecrow" - is the leader of Team 7 and the sensei of Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura. Kishimoto had originally intended for Kakashi to be introduced earlier in the series than he actually was, and created him as an easygoing person that would be able to keep the members of Team 7 in check.Kakashi treats his leadership position with a detached manner, and is consistently late to meetings as a result. In a gaiden on Kakashi's past, this is shown to be the result of an incident in which he witnessed the death of one of his teammates, Obito Uchiha, who gave Kakashi his Sharingan eye and imparted many of his habits, including his tardiness.With Obito's Sharingan, Kakashi has amassed a reputation as a skilled and powerful ninja, earning the moniker "Copy Ninja Kakashi" (コピー忍者のカカシ Kopī Ninja no Kakashi?).Although he mentors all three members of Team 7 early in the series, he concentrates on training Sasuke as the series continues, teaching him his Chidori technique; however, he is unable to prevent Sasuke from leaving the village to seek Orochimaru for greater power.
Hokage

The Hokage (火影?, lit. "Fire Shadow") is the leader of Konohagakure. Over the course of the series, there have been five Hokage, who are honored by the village by having sculptures of their faces carved into the rock formation overlooking Konohagakure. The First Hokage (初代火影 Shodai Hokage?) was Hashirama Senju (千手柱間 Senju Hashirama?), who founded the village along with Madara Uchiha. With his unique Mokuton abilities, he created the trees that act as the foundation for Konohagakure, and his method of rule became a model for all subsequent Hokage. The First was succeeded by his younger brother, Tobirama Senju (千手扉間 Senju Tobirama?), who became the Second Hokage (二代目火影 Nidaime Hokage?).He in turn was followed by one of his students, Hiruzen Sarutobi, who became the Third Hokage. After a long rule, the Third abdicated in favor of Minato Namikaze, who took the position of Fourth Hokage, but reclaimed his position after the Fourth gave his life to save the village from the nine-tailed demon fox.The Third is the Hokage at the beginning of the series, but he is slain in battle by his former student, Orochimaru, during an invasion of Konohagakure.Another of his students, Tsunade, succeeds him as the Fifth Hokage.Danzo follows Tsunade becoming the unoffcial Sixth Hokage after she enters a coma as a consequence of defending the village from Pain. When Danzo dies she becomes the Hokage again.
Jiraiya

Jiraiya (自来也?) is a Konohagakure ninja and one of Naruto's teachers. Kishimoto has commented that out of all the master-pupil relationships he has created in the Naruto series, the bond between Naruto and Jiraiya is his favorite, noting that it makes drawing them "worthwhile".As a child, Jiraiya was under the tutelage of the Third Hokage, along with his teammates, Tsunade and Orochimaru.Jiraiya is known throughout the Naruto world as the "Toad Sage" (蝦蟇仙人 Gama Sennin?) due to his toad-related jutsu. Although still affiliated with Konohagakure, he spends much of his time traveling. Jiraiya's personality is openly lecherous, and he proudly describes himself as a "super pervert", authoring a series of best-selling adult romance novels.During Part I, he takes Naruto as his student, and returns him to Konohagakure in Part II as he begins to keep tabs on the movements of the criminal organization Akatsuki.

Orochimaru

Orochimaru (大蛇丸?) is one of the primary antagonists of the Naruto series. To emphasize his role as a villain, Kishimoto worked towards making him appear "pasty and sickly" as part of his theme of distinguishing villains from the protagonists.In the series, Orochimaru is a former ninja of Konohagakure and a student of the Third Hokage. During his time in the village, he distinguished himself as one of the village's most powerful ninja along with his teammates, Jiraiya and Tsunade.His desire to obtain immortality led him to conduct experiments on other Konohagakure ninja, and he eventually fled the village and joined the criminal organization Akatsuki. After attacking fellow Akatsuki member Itachi Uchiha, who defeats him, he leaves Akatsuki and establishes his own ninja village, Otogakure, in the hopes of destroying his former home.His immortality technique involves transferring his consciousness between different host bodies, and his desire for a new host, particularly Sasuke Uchiha, is one of his driving motivations throughout the series.

Akatsuki

Akatsuki (?, lit. "Dawn" or "Daybreak") is an organization of criminal ninja that serves as the series' primary antagonists. Led by Madara Uchiha, though he acts through the group's figurehead leader Pain, the Akatsuki's goal is world domination by using the power of the nine tailed beasts.The members of Akatsuki are ninja who have abandoned their villages, and are considered by their former homes to be S-class criminals, the most powerful and wanted ninja in the Naruto universe. At any given time, Akatsuki is composed of ten members, who operate in two-man teams. They share similar clothing, most notably a long, dark cloak bearing red clouds and a chin-high collar. Aside from an attempt by two Akatsuki members, Itachi Uchiha and Kisame Hoshigaki, to capture the nine-tailed demon fox within Naruto Uzumaki, Akatsuki is not prominently featured in Part I.In Part II, they take a more active role, capturing Gaara and extracting the one-tailed beast, Shukaku, from his body, as well as working towards capturing the remaining tailed beasts.

Other characters in Naruto series :

Protagonists

Kiba Inuzuka,Shino Aburame,Hinata Hyuga,Kurenai Yuhi,Choji Akimichi,Shikamaru Nara,Ino Yamanaka,Asuma Sarutobi,Neji Hyuga,Rock Lee,Tenten,Might Guy,Gaara,Kankuro,Temari,Iruka Umino,Konohamaru Sarutobi,Shizune,Chiyo,Sai,Yamato,Killer Bee


Antagonists