Team 9

Biodata

Feature	Information
Name	Team 9 (第九班)
Alias(es)	Anbu Team 9 152
Affiliation	Konohagakure; later assigned to the Anbu 1 94 116
Occupation/Role	Shinobi squad; later an Anbu squad 1 116
Captain	Han Guang 1
Jonin Leader	Minato Namikaze 1 2
Status	Active; its latest documented examination formation consisted of Han Guang and Konan after the original members were distributed among other teams 306
First Appearance	Chapter 1

Membership

Period	Members	Notes
Original formation	Han Guang, Kakashi Hatake, Obito Uchiha, Nohara Rin	Formed under Minato after graduation. Rin, Obito, and Han Guang were among the class’s lowest-ranked graduates, while Kakashi had been reassigned due to his disregard for teammates’ safety. 1 2
Fifth member added	Anko Mitarashi	Han Guang arranged for Anko to join after Orochimaru’s defection left her isolated from her former team. 50
Sixth member	Uzuki Yugao	Han Guang sought to bring Yugao into Team 9; she later operated with the squad during its six-member Anbu assessment. 63 106
Seventh member	Yamato	Danzo pushed for the Wood Release user’s assignment despite Hiruzen’s objection that seven members was excessive; Yamato was subsequently assigned to Team 9. 65 68
Eighth member	White Zetsu	Han Guang unilaterally announced White Zetsu as Team 9’s eighth member; Minato offered to handle village approval. 147
Examination split	Han Guang and Konan	For a later examination, Han Guang divided the original members into other teams, leaving Team 9 as a two-person unit. 306

Background / History

Formation and early cohesion

Team 9 began as an unstable squad of “dead lasts” led by Minato Namikaze. Kakashi’s aloofness and history of abandoning teammates immediately clashed with Obito’s rivalry and Rin’s concern for the group, while Han Guang repeatedly provoked the others. 1 2

Minato’s bell exercise exposed the team’s individualism. After failing, Han Guang and Rin gave up their portions of the single bento so Kakashi and Obito could eat; Minato regarded Han Guang as the unexpected core holding the group together. 5 6 Han Guang also acted as an informal mediator when Obito attempted to challenge Kakashi. 7

During the wild-boar B-rank mission, Minato named Kakashi temporary leader and proposed that the member contributing most would become Team 9’s captain. Obito publicly argued that Han Guang had earned that position after the mission was completed. 9 11 12

Escort of Minako

Team 9 escorted Minako, owner of Happy Hot Springs, back to the Land of Hot Water. When hostile ninja pursued the group, Han Guang returned for the injured Minako, carried her to safety, and later lured the pursuers away so the others could escape. 12 18 19

The operation changed the team’s view of Han Guang: Obito and Rin developed respect for him, while Kakashi’s trust in him increased. Minako later gifted Happy Hot Springs to Han Guang in gratitude. 19 23

Land of Grass and wartime missions

On an intelligence mission in the Land of Grass, Han Guang exposed false information, broke the seller’s arm, and defeated a Special Jonin with a single punch. The team subsequently learned that Han Guang had built exceptional taijutsu to compensate for his apparent inability to use ordinary ninjutsu. 32 33

Team 9 was then repeatedly deployed without adequate rest, including the reconstruction and defense of Supply Station No. 3 alongside the injured Morino Ibiki. Their dissatisfaction with Konoha’s refusal to reimburse their 500,000 ryō expenses led Minato to secure both repayment and a three-day rest period. 36 38 39

Expansion and major operations

Anko joined Team 9 before a large-scale operation against Kumogakure’s vanguard. Yugao and Yamato later expanded the group further, making Team 9 an unusually large squad. 50 65 68

Minato divided the team during an interception mission against Iwagakure: Minato, Han Guang, and Kakashi formed the first group, while the others remained behind for training and safety. The first group defeated Stone Ninja at a bridgehead, with Han Guang using trees to locate hidden enemies and defeat Kuroiwa. 72 76

Team 9 later infiltrated the Land of Water to investigate Kirigakure. The squad disguised itself as Mist Ninja while Han Guang posed as the rogue ninja “One-Punch Man”; it navigated corpses planted by other villages in an effort to avoid being blamed for the killings. 85 86 87

Anbu service

All eligible members of Team 9 were approved for an Anbu assessment. Han Guang eliminated a Sarutobi Clan team before the practical assessment, and the remaining male members forfeited their arranged matches so their female teammates could pass; Team 9 cleared the assessment. 94 105 106

After receiving Anbu uniforms, Team 9 was assigned to hunt Orochimaru. When Anbu operatives were defeated by Orochimaru, Han Guang used the situation to strengthen Team 9’s standing within the organization. 116 118

The team also became implicated in Sarutobi Shin’nosuke’s disappearance. They maintained that they had waited outside the Anbu base, while Han Guang used snake venom at the scene to redirect suspicion toward Orochimaru. 111 113

Conflict with Konoha’s institutions

Team 9’s methods caused repeated friction with Hiruzen Sarutobi, Danzo, and other Anbu members. During an S-rank assignment, Han Guang refused to surrender a mission scroll, escalating a confrontation with explosive tags; the Hokage Building was later destroyed, and Team 9 was accused before a Yamanaka lie-detection technique exposed the opposing Anbu members’ deception. 130 132

The squad’s loyalty to Han Guang became increasingly absolute. When Captain Ruri summoned them during a grilled-meat feast, the entire team ignored the order and continued eating on Han Guang’s command. 152

Capabilities & Skills

Asset	Documented contribution
Han Guang’s command	Directs mission routes, exposes false intelligence, exploits political loopholes, and makes tactical decisions even when the rest of the team is uncertain. 32 87 117 118
Han Guang’s tree communication	Uses communication with trees to locate concealed enemies and gather intelligence on Orochimaru’s movements. 76 117
Kakashi Hatake	Provides high-speed combat, Lightning Release swordsmanship, and tactical assessment of enemy strength. 7 32 76
Obito Uchiha	Uses Uchiha taijutsu and Fire Release; later awakens a three-tomoe Sharingan. 7 145
Nohara Rin	Demonstrates accurate kunai use and repeatedly advocates cooperation when the others act independently. 7 9
Yamato	Brings Wood Release to the squad and is used for terrain manipulation and concealment. 66 68 110
Uzuki Yugao	Fights with a tachi and operates alongside Team 9 during the Orochimaru pursuit. 120
Explosive-tag tactics	The team uses explosive tags to delay pursuers, defend positions, and create opportunities to withdraw. 18 130

Relationships

• Minato Namikaze — Jonin leader and mentor. He repeatedly advocates for Team 9’s rest, reimbursement, and safety, while trusting Han Guang in dangerous operations. 36 38 72 76
• Hiruzen Sarutobi — Hokage and mission authority. His decisions to deny payment, shorten rest, and deploy the squad repeatedly contributed to Team 9’s resentment of village leadership. 36 38 116
• Danzō Shimura — Political patron and manipulator. He approved Anko’s placement, pushed Yamato into the squad, monitored Han Guang through Yamato, and repeatedly attempted to recruit Team 9 to Root. 50 65 107 132
• Morino Ibiki — Former classmate and temporary mission partner during the Supply Station No. 3 operation; he later protected Han Guang’s secret during interrogation. 39 46
• Ruri of Fire — Senior Anbu authority who clashed with Team 9 after the squad ignored her assembly order. 152
• White Zetsu — Eighth member, introduced as Han Guang’s “most loyal subordinate.” 147

Trivia

• Team 9’s original roster was explicitly described as a collection of poor-performing graduates, with Han Guang ranked last, Obito second from last, and Rin third from last. 2
• Han Guang’s early efforts to avoid leadership backfired when Kushina awarded him points for admitting responsibility during her temporary command of the team. 12
• Hiruzen objected to Yamato’s assignment because he had never seen a team with seven ninja. 65
• Team 9 members later compared themselves to “village bullies” under Han Guang’s leadership. 152