Biodata
| Feature | Value |
|---|---|
| Name | Root (根部) 16 20 |
| Affiliation | Hidden Leaf Village 20 225 |
| Occupation/Role | Covert shinobi organization; originally an ANBU training department 104 225 |
| Status | Active; effectively controlled by Uchiha Yin Jie and Orochimaru while Shimura Danzō remains its nominal leader 170 260 |
| First Appearance | Chapter 16 (mentioned); its base is shown in Chapter 20 16 20 |
History
Shimura Danzō established Root in part to keep watch over the Uchiha Clan. He later sought to recruit the young Uchiha Yin Jie, but Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi refused to hand him over 16. Danzō instead arranged for Orochimaru, who had ties to Root, to become Yin Jie's instructor after graduation 24.
Yin Jie secretly joined Root under Orochimaru's guidance and took the codename Moonshade. He initially worked alone on C-rank missions while studying in Orochimaru's laboratory 40. Orochimaru subsequently became Root's second-in-command. Although Yin Jie nominally served under Danzō, their agreement prevented Danzō from issuing him orders without going through Orochimaru 52.
After discovering Yin Jie's membership, Hiruzen temporarily removed Danzō as commander and placed Root under joint ANBU management. Most members obeyed the change only outwardly: their cursed seals kept their allegiance with Danzō 57. Hiruzen later audited Root and had ANBU arrest jōnin implicated in Danzō's sabotage of Hatake Sakumo's mission 75.
Danzō's willingness to endanger Orochimaru's personnel deepened the split within Root 67 105 163. Yin Jie and Orochimaru eventually moved against him, intending to control rather than kill him 164. With Danzō under Yin Jie's control, Orochimaru took over Root's operations and Danzō became a figurehead 170. Yin Jie later refused Hiruzen's offer to transfer to ANBU, intending to inherit Root's leadership formally 225.
Base and Organization
- Headquarters — A large underground complex beneath Konoha's southeastern edge. A cross-shaped stone bridge links its sections and meets at a central circular platform 20.
- Security — The base has guards, surveillance cameras and barriers. Danzō's office is guarded by Aburame Ryoma and protected by additional barriers 48 164 165.
- Chain of command — Danzō is the nominal leader; Orochimaru serves as second-in-command. Aburame Ryoma is identified as third-in-command 52 98.
- Control of personnel — Many members bear cursed seals. The Cursed Tongue Eradication Seal prevents Danzō's subordinates from disclosing protected information 57 165.
- Intelligence network — Root uses spies inside other villages, field agents, designated collection points and communications personnel 104 200.
- Field structure — Root deploys small squads for covert work. An ordinary elite squad typically has one or two special jōnin alongside chūnin; squads led by a full jōnin are rare 87.
Operations
- Missions and funding — Root assigns C-rank work rather than routine D-rank tasks. Yin Jie's early assignments largely involved eliminating bandits and rogue ninja to raise funds 40 41.
- Intelligence handling — A border-delivery scroll was protected by a sealing technique that only Root personnel with the unsealing method could read 41.
- Wartime role — Root is better suited to infiltration, intelligence gathering and assassinations than to fighting as a main battlefield force 104. Its teams investigated Sunagakure's movements before the war and infiltrated the Land of Wind for intelligence 98 105 108.
- Surveillance — Root and ANBU jointly monitored Kushina Uzumaki while she was confined near the edge of Konoha during the war 176.
Moonshade Squad
Orochimaru assembled this elite Root squad to support Yin Jie's rise. It combined ninjutsu, taijutsu, genjutsu, medical and sensory capabilities 87.
| Member | Role |
|---|---|
| Uchiha Yin Jie (“Moonshade”) | Jōnin captain 87 |
| Aburame Shikuroo | Special jōnin with venomous nanoscale insects 87 |
| Inuzuka Tsume and Kuromaru | Chūnin and ninken combat partners 87 |
| Kurama Daizō | Chūnin skilled in genjutsu and medical ninjutsu 87 |
The squad captured Sunagakure puppet-corps jōnin Araki and obtained intelligence about the Third Kazekage's disappearance 103 104. Later, eight Uchiha clansmen entered Root at Yin Jie's proposal, forming two additional elite squads 172.
Notable Members
- Shimura Danzō — Founder and nominal leader; used Root to pursue his political goals, including undermining Hatake Sakumo 16 67 170.
- Orochimaru — Second-in-command and head of a faction within Root; took over its day-to-day operations after Danzō was controlled 52 170.
- Uchiha Yin Jie (“Moonshade”) — Root jōnin and squad captain who gained effective control of Danzō 66 87 170.
- Aburame Ryoma — Danzō's loyal guard and Root's third-in-command 98 164.
- Wild Duck — Intelligence operative who compiled a report on Yin Jie for Danzō 24.
- Yakushi Nonō (“Miko”) — Undercover intelligence specialist who infiltrated the Hidden Sand camp 260.