Anko

Biodata

Feature	Value
Name	Anko Mitarashi
Original Name	红豆
Gender	Female
Birth Year	Konoha Year 40 15
Age	14 at Shuji’s first visit to her apartment 19
Affiliation	Konohagakure; Team Five; later Konoha Anbu and the Joint Affairs Bureau 19 203 207 376
Occupation / Role	Chunin; frontline assault fighter; later Anbu operative and bureau assistant 20 207 376
Former Teacher	Orochimaru 15
Status	Alive; Orochimaru’s Cursed Seal removed, with her Sage Mode retained 524 525
First Appearance	Chapter 15, mentioned; first depicted in person in Chapter 19 15 19

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Elite Chunin baseline	20	Balanced physical abilities, broad ninjutsu mastery, strong poison resistance, and extensive combat experience; emotional distress makes her performance unreliable.
Improved physical and snake-ninjutsu abilities	110	Reports steady gains in speed and strength, stronger and faster snake techniques, and mastery of several key techniques.
Twin Snakes Mutual Death mastered	192	Completes the technique while reaching a plateau in taijutsu and movement speed. Shuji discourages investing in an attack that kills its user alongside the enemy.
Introductory natural-energy training	275	Katsuyu guides her awareness, but contact with Orochimaru’s Cursed Seal interrupts the session. Anko commits to trying again.
Cursed Seal Sage Mode	467	Demonstrates enhanced movement and physical attacks, accompanied by scale-like markings, altered eyes, and a forehead horn. Tobirama identifies physical and chakra enhancement comparable to other Sage Mode systems.
Sage Mode retained after seal removal	524 525	The original seal and Orochimaru’s soul remnants are completely removed. Tsunade confirms that Anko can still use her Sage Mode normally.

Background / History

Orochimaru’s Disciple

Anko was born in the same year as Shuji and attended the Ninja Academy in his cohort, though they belonged to different classes and were not close. She had no parents and later lived alone in village-provided ninja housing 15 19.

Her position as a Sannin’s disciple initially carried prestige. After Orochimaru’s experiments on villagers were exposed and he became a rogue ninja, Anko spent several months imprisoned by the Anbu before being cleared of suspicion. His disciples and former subordinates received lenient treatment following Hiruzen’s decision to spare him 15.

Joining Shuji’s Team

By the time Shuji visited his new teammate, Anko had become withdrawn, neglected her apartment, and avoided missions. He cleaned the room, brought fresh dango, and encouraged her to resume working rather than remain trapped in her anger toward Orochimaru. She agreed to prepare for their next mission 19.

Repeated team exercises restored her fighting spirit. Her snake techniques became increasingly coordinated with Itachi’s Sharingan genjutsu, while Shuji supplied support and corrected tactical details 21 24.

Wasabi Siege

Anko fought on the offensive during the Black Erosion Corps’ attack on the Wasabi estate, while Shizune treated the wounded. Beast Soldier Guard easily cut apart her initial snake attack, and Itachi later supplied her with a Katsuyu fragment that eased her injuries 43 44.

When Beast Soldier Guard threatened to kill Shizune, Anko threw her spear and used ten snakes to restrain his movements. Their pull interrupted a potentially fatal sword swing, giving Shizune time to treat herself, although Itachi’s intervention was still needed 46.

Beast Soldier Guard recognized Orochimaru’s influence in her techniques and deliberately provoked her. Anko nearly attacked in rage but regained control after considering her injured companions and Shuji’s orders. She went to reinforce Jirocho, attacking Water Erosion in the rear courtyard 48 50.

New Direction and Anbu Service

Anko set her sights on becoming a jonin, but later encountered a training bottleneck. Feeling stagnant in Team Five, she requested an Anbu transfer; Shuji supported the application and promised to investigate another route for her development 94 192 203.

At the beginning of Konoha Year 57, she entered the Anbu and joined the same squad as Uzuki Yugao and Hayate Gekko. Her later promotion discussion with Shuji led to natural-energy training at the West Suburbs Old Residence 207 275.

Bureau Work and Cursed Seal Research

As a Joint Affairs Bureau assistant, Anko became overwhelmed by simultaneous preparations for the Joint Shinobi Village Conference and an emergency meeting on jinchuriki security. Her duties included reviewing squad lists and identifying personnel who might have encountered sensitive intelligence 376.

She later demonstrated Cursed Seal Sage Mode in the laboratory and agreed to provide samples of her original seal for Tobirama’s research, after asking about compensation. Once sufficient material had been gathered, Tobirama and Kabuto removed the seal completely. Her Sage Mode survived the procedure, but her experimental allowance ended 467 524 525.

Appearance

Anko has distinctive purple hair. At fourteen, during her period of isolation, she appears gaunt and disheveled; training later restores the alert expression associated with her earlier mission photograph 19 24.

• Casual clothing: A loose black mesh short-sleeved shirt and faded athletic shorts during Shuji’s apartment visit 19.
• Mission clothing: A hooded dark-purple trench coat and Konoha forehead protector 24 43.
• Former Cursed Seal: Located at the back of her neck 110.
• Sage Mode markings: Interlocking black patterns resembling overlapping scales across her face 467.
• Sage Mode eyes and horn: Black sclera, yellow-ringed pupils with black centers, and a short, sharp horn in the middle of her forehead; these changes recede when the transformation ends 467.

Personality

Orochimaru’s betrayal leaves Anko angry, demoralized, and vulnerable to reminders of him. She once admired him as an ideal shinobi, but interpreted his abandonment and the seal he left behind as proof that he considered her disposable. Her fear of falling behind Shuji and Itachi stems less from a hunger for power than from anxiety that she will become useless and be left alone again 19 48 275.

As she recovers, Anko becomes talkative, teasing, and openly affectionate toward her teammates. She checks on Itachi’s exam preparations and later prods him about his relationship with Izumi. Despite her impulsive temper, she can restrain herself and prioritize her companions in combat 48 124 293.

Dango is a particular enthusiasm: she delights in making it with Shuji and readily raises the subject of compensation when asked to participate in laboratory work. After her seal removal, her first concern is whether she will still receive her allowance 110 467 525.

Abilities & Skills

Taijutsu and Assault Tactics

Anko combines balanced speed, strength, and flexibility with the unpredictable movement style taught by Orochimaru 20 21.

• Uses ninjutsu to disrupt an opponent’s footing before closing into melee 21.
• Coordinates suppression attacks with Itachi’s flanking strikes and genjutsu 21 24.
• Her early performance fluctuates with her psychological condition 20.
• Sage Mode improves her movement, but Shuji still blocks or evades every attack during their laboratory test 467.

Snake Ninjutsu

Orochimaru’s snake techniques are Anko’s principal combat specialty 20.

• Hidden Shadow Snake Hands: Sends venomous snakes from her sleeves to bite, constrict, or restrict escape routes 21 24 72.
• Hidden Shadow Many Snakes Hands: Launches larger groups of snakes from multiple angles; she uses ten to restrain Beast Soldier Guard 21 46.
• Snake Gaze Bind: Controls chakra snake phantoms to close off an opponent’s movement space 21.
• Twin Snakes Mutual Death: A mastered technique that takes down its user along with the enemy 192.
• Snake venom is effective against ordinary enemy ninja, but Beast Soldier Guard continues fighting despite multiple bites 46 72.

Elemental Ninjutsu

Anko is especially proficient in Fire Release and Earth Release, though the supplied combat passages chiefly demonstrate her fire techniques 20.

• Flame Bullet: Fires three concentrated fireballs in a triangular formation to block retreat 21.
• Dragon Flame Technique: Produces a focused line of fire, paired with snake-based movement suppression 21.
• Snake Fang Barrage: Rapidly launches more than ten fist-sized, fang-shaped fireballs 21.

Poison Resistance and Endurance

Long-term exposure to snake venom gives Anko extremely high poison resistance. Shuji’s assessment also identifies outstanding endurance and a strong will 20.

Sage Mode

Anko develops a Sage Mode influenced by the Cursed Seal already present in her body. Its bodily transformations distinguish it from the form used by other trainees under Shuji 467.

• Enhances physical abilities and chakra, with testing focused on strength, speed, and reaction time 467.
• Follows the bodily-transformation emphasis associated with Ryūchi Cave’s system 467.
• Remains usable after Orochimaru’s original seal is removed; his chakra was not decisive to the completed power 525.

Former Heavenly Cursed Seal

Orochimaru’s seal initially acts as a painful link to him rather than a power Anko can consciously use. Hiruzen suppresses it with the Evil-Sealing Method 110 134.

• Heats up near Orochimaru or things connected to him 110 133.
• Is not a dependable detector: Orochimaru can suppress its reaction while approaching her 136.
• Contains his chakra and soul information as a reserved resurrection mechanism 524.
• Is completely removed, including the remaining soul fragments, without harming Anko 524.

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Konoha forehead protector — Worn during the Wasabi siege 43.
• Dark-purple hooded trench coat — Mission clothing; Shuji warns her to secure or remove the hood if it obstructs her vision 24.
• Kunai — Used to repel an Iwagakure attacker while her snakes engage another 72.
• Spear — Used against Beast Soldier Guard, then thrown as a javelin while attempting to save Shizune 46.
• Katsuyu fragment — Temporarily provides healing during the Wasabi siege and later assists her natural-energy training 44 275.

Relationships

• Shuji — Captain, training mentor, and trusted source of reassurance. Helps her resume missions, supports her Anbu application, and guides her toward Sage Mode 19 203 275.
• Orochimaru — Former teacher whom she once idealized. His betrayal shapes her fear of abandonment; she initially vows to kill him, though that fixation later appears to diminish 48 203 275.
• Uchiha Itachi — Team Five companion and coordinated combat partner. She takes an interest in both his advancement and his relationship with Izumi 21 24 124 293.
• Shizune — Battlefield ally. Anko restrains Beast Soldier Guard to prevent him from killing her 46.
• Katsuyu — Healer and natural-energy training guide 44 275.
• Uzuki Yugao and Hayate Gekko — Squadmates following her transfer into the Anbu 207.
• Kakashi Hatake — Bureau colleague who assigns her intelligence-review work during conference preparations 376.
• Senju Tobirama and Yakushi Kabuto — Researchers responsible for studying and removing her original Cursed Seal 467 524.
• Tsunade — Participates in her Sage Mode testing and confirms that seal removal has not diminished her power 467 525.

Notable Quotes

“Sooner or later, I’ll kill him with my own hands!” 48

“No matter what, becoming a little stronger is always a good thing, right? As for what I truly want to do in the future... when the future really arrives, it won’t be too late to slowly find the answer.” 275