The Land of Fire's Twelve Guardian Ninja and the Imperial Guard Corps under their command.
They were a military organization directly under the Land of Fire's daimyō.
Anyone who became one of the Twelve Guardian Ninja had come from this organization.
After passing countless selections, they finally became the Twelve Guardian Ninja of the Land of Fire and entered the upper ranks of one of its highest military institutions.
Aside from Konoha, it was the strongest armed organization.
As the organization directly responsible for protecting the Daimyō's Mansion, it had kept the daimyō safe and sound despite bounties placed on him by forces everywhere.
It contained the Land of Fire's most elite ninja.
Some came from Konoha, some from ninja temples like the Fire Temple, while others were selected from among the elite of the various noble houses.
With specialists in taijutsu, ninjutsu, Genjutsu, barriers, Sealing Jutsu, Secret Techniques, and more protecting it, it was practically impregnable.
The Twelve Guardian Ninja were the upper echelon, while the Imperial Guard Corps made up the main force.
The Five Great Ninja Villages, along with smaller villages and wandering ninja, sent assassins after them year after year, only for them to return in defeat.
Perhaps any individual ninja was merely an elite among Jōnin, comparable in strength to Asuma or Chiriku.
But when they fought as a group, they were absurdly powerful.
Every one of them possessed a unique ability.
According to Konoha's records, there had once been a Tailed Beast Plague Incident during the Warring States era.
The Twelve Guardian Ninja had dispatched only five Jōnin to kill a Tailed Beast. Yes, kill it.
Their methods were extremely specialized.
Even the Five Great Villages had no idea how many Jōnin they would lose just to seal a Tailed Beast.
Although killing one