Anbu

Biodata

Background / History

The Anbu was established during the Second Hokage's era as a special force that reports directly to the Hokage. Its members are selected from Konoha's elite shinobi for exceptional talent or strength, rather than serving as ordinary village ninja 9 231.

During the early conflict surrounding Arata Uchiha, the division repeatedly surveilled the Uchiha clan and acted against Arata himself. An Anbu operative tracked him at the training grounds, then attempted an assassination after he had drawn out hostile genin; Arata countered the operative's attack as genjutsu and pinned him at bladepoint 25. Afterward, Anbu also detained Uchiha police member Meihuo and stationed personnel at the Uchiha compound to monitor everyone entering and leaving 59.

The division's confrontations with Arata became a continuing source of losses and fear. At age eleven, Arata defeated an Anbu squad in public with ease, damaging the force's aura of elite authority 143. Later, he exposed and killed Rock Sparrow and Owl while extracting intelligence from their eyes with the Mangekyō Sharingan, obtaining operational information, personnel appearances, cooperative techniques, and Konoha's barrier passcode 352.

These losses triggered an internal crisis. Tong Yue and Li asked to leave the division after witnessing the deaths of their comrades and enduring the mission to monitor Naruto Uzumaki; Elephant initially treated their request as unacceptable because departing members possessed sensitive secrets 357. The division remained assigned to surveillance of the Uchiha compound, including the exhaustive monitoring of civilian craftsmen used as a decoy during the compound's renovations 369.

Organization and Operations

Command and recruitment

• The Anbu answers directly to the Hokage rather than functioning as a regular ninja unit 9 231.
• Membership is restricted to elite shinobi selected for exceptional ability or specialized talent 9 231.
• The division uses a regular rotation system and cooperative ninjutsu formations 352.
• Elephant served as Anbu Commander-in-Chief during the Uchiha surveillance crisis 357 369.

Covert operations

• Recorded assignments include enemy reconnaissance, intelligence gathering, surveillance, assassinations, hidden security, border reports, and apprehension operations 9 142 231.
• Anbu teams monitored Naruto Uzumaki as the Nine-Tails jinchūriki; the assignment continued even with war approaching 182.
• A four-person Anbu team accompanied two Root operatives in Amegakure to covertly monitor Arata's movements and possible contacts with outside factions 161.
• The division maintained extensive surveillance around sensitive Konoha locations, including the Hokage Building, research facilities, the Anbu itself, and the Uchiha compound 272.

Internal culture and limits

The Anbu is distinguished from Root by retaining personal judgment and emotion despite its discipline. During the Amegakure mission, Anbu members openly rejected Root's view that mission completion and silent death were their sole purpose 161.

Its secrecy also restricts voluntary departure. Before Tong Yue and Li's request, Kakashi Hatake's reassignment by Hokage order was presented as the sole known case of an Anbu member leaving the division alive without becoming a rogue ninja 357.

Equipment and identification

• White animal masks, used to conceal members' identities 142 231.
• Standard ninja attire; Anbu at the Uchiha confrontation carried wakizashi and projectile weapons 142 143.
• Barrier access information and coordinated formations used in Konoha security operations 272 352.

Known Members

• Elephant — Anbu Commander-in-Chief; led efforts to contain internal dissent after Rock Sparrow and Owl's deaths and oversaw surveillance of the Uchiha compound 357 369.
• Hawk — Anbu captain whose right hand was crippled by Arata during the Meihuo incident 60 357.
• Zhu — Anbu member involved in Arata's confrontation with the force over Meihuo 60 143.
• Rock Sparrow — Anbu operative exposed and killed by Arata, who used the operative's eyes to obtain intelligence 352.
• Owl — Anbu operative exposed and killed alongside Rock Sparrow 352.
• Tong Yue — Member who requested to leave the Anbu after the deaths of Rock Sparrow and Owl 357.
• Li — Tong Yue's teammate and fellow applicant for transfer from the division 357.
• Kaku — Reconnaissance specialist assigned to the Amegakure surveillance team 161.

Major Incidents

• Arata's Anbu challenge — Arata sought to enter the Anbu, prompting the Uchiha elders to arrange a duel with Itachi in which only the winner could remain or enter the division 9 13.
• Training-ground ambush — An Anbu stalked and attacked Arata after he defeated a group of genin, but was subdued after falling for Arata's genjutsu bait 25.
• Meihuo detention — The Anbu detained Uchiha police member Meihuo and monitored the Uchiha compound, escalating the conflict between the division and the clan 59 60.
• Public defeat in Konoha — An Anbu squad attempted to apprehend Arata for causing a disturbance; he defeated the force decisively, shocking nearby residents and shinobi 142 143.
• Reputation recovery operation — After spies were uncovered as the source of anti-Anbu public agitation, the division's reputation was publicly restored and the Sarutobi brothers were punished for negligence 151.
• Amegakure surveillance mission — Anbu and Root personnel were dispatched to monitor Arata during his mission in the Land of Rain; the team withdrew after encountering Zetsu, whose chakra could not be detected 161.
• Anbu purge and intelligence breach — Arata killed Rock Sparrow and Owl, gained access to sensitive operational information, and used the incident to pressure Hiruzen Sarutobi 352.
• Internal turmoil — Fear of Arata and dissatisfaction with prolonged surveillance duties destabilized the division; Tong Yue and Li requested to leave, while Elephant pledged to resign if further unrest emerged 357 369.
• Konoha conflict — During Konoha's final crisis with the Uchiha, Anbu squads were stationed around the Four Violet Flames Formation while other members were deployed on a secret operation 535 540.

Legacy

Arata later distributed copied Anbu cooperative techniques, formations, and basic training knowledge to his own allies, using Konoha's covert-force methods as a foundation for training new units 356. In Yogakure, Anbu squads were eventually established with at least one Sharingan-bearing Uchiha member assigned to each team, strengthening their ability to conduct important missions and guard high-security sites 644.