ANBU

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	ANBU (暗部)
Alias(es)	Hidden Mist Special Assassination Tactical Force; Shadow’s Blade
Affiliation	Kirigakure; directly subordinate to the Mizukage
Occupation/Role	Elite secret unit specializing in assassination, infiltration, reconnaissance, high-risk missions, and rogue-ninja pursuit
Status	Active
First Appearance	Chapter 9 9

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Operational pursuit force	9	Six Hidden Mist ANBU use a professional encirclement formation and standard capture tactics while pursuing Sōji, a fugitive Shikotsumyaku user. 9
Formal four-squad organization	92, 94	Sōji becomes commander and Ao becomes deputy commander. The force is organized into four specialized squads with seventy official members. 92 94
Dedicated headquarters	94, 102	The abandoned Kaguya Clan Grounds are converted into an ANBU headquarters, complete with offices, training grounds, dormitories, an armory, and a combat plaza. 94 102
Command authority established	102, 104, 106	Sōji defeats the challenge from thirty-four ANBU led by Wolf Demon and Bear Yaksha, earning the force’s respect and enforcing his command. 102 104 106
Zero Squad created	121	A commander-controlled unit is established for Kage-level targets and the most dangerous hunting, recruitment, and elimination missions. 121
Cross-regional rapid-response force	140, 144	The ANBU conducts a coordinated campaign against the Land of Crafts rebellion and completes the operation in a single day, demonstrating rapid deployment and decapitation-strike capability. 140 144
Survival-oriented reform	182	Sōji replaces the Blood Mist-era “mission above all else” doctrine with mutual support, reporting, reinforcement, retreat, and preservation of personnel. 182
Sea-beast specialization	183, 184	All four squads secure summoning contracts tailored to their roles, including flying swordfish, Transparent Octopuses, Dog-Nosed Sea Snakes, Hurricane Sea Turtles, and Rock Cannon Hermit Crabs. 183 184
Reformed elite force	186	After three months of specialized training, every member reaches at least Special Jonin level; mission success rises to 96 percent with no deaths recorded during the assessment period. 186

Background and History

The Hidden Mist ANBU is Kirigakure’s secret elite force, established in imitation of Konoha’s ANBU. Its formal duties include assassination, infiltration, reconnaissance, high-risk missions, and the pursuit of rogue ninja. Because of the Blood Mist era’s mass defections, the unit historically placed particular emphasis on tracking and executing missing-nin. 94

The ANBU repeatedly pursued Sōji after he escaped the Land of Water at age six. Six ANBU eventually ambushed him in the Land of Hot Water, using the Hidden Mist Technique, Water Prison Whips, a sword assault, and Water Dragon Bullet. Sōji defeated the squad almost immediately, killing or critically injuring its members. 9

After Sōji defeated Mei Terumi in combat, he was appointed ANBU commander-in-chief, with Ao as his deputy. He also received authority over the organization’s operations and helped establish a new headquarters in the ruined Kaguya Clan Grounds. 92 94

The new commander initially faced open resistance. Wolf Demon and Bear Yaksha led thirty-four ANBU in challenging Sōji’s authority, but he defeated the entire force without killing them. The result transformed the ANBU’s attitude from skepticism to respect. 102 104 106

Under Sōji and Ao, the ANBU expanded beyond traditional missions. The organization created Zero Squad for threats beyond the regular squads’ capabilities, including Kage-level rogue ninja such as Hozuki Mangetsu, Zabuza Momochi, and Utakata. 121 127

Organization and Structure

Position or Unit	Function
Commander	Directs the ANBU and approves missions alongside the deputy commander. Sōji holds this position. 94 102
Deputy Commander	Supports the commander, manages operations, and provides personnel and political expertise. Ao holds this position. 94 107
First Squad	Assassination and targeted elimination. 94
Second Squad	Reconnaissance, intelligence gathering, infiltration, and concealment. 94
Third Squad	Pursuit and execution of rogue ninja. 94
Fourth Squad	Protection and special missions. 94
Zero Squad	Independent high-level unit for Kage-level hunting, recruitment, and elimination missions. 121

The original structure consisted of one commander, one deputy commander, and four squads of seventeen members each. Each squad had a captain, four tactical teams, and team leaders ranked at Special Jonin or Jonin level. 94

By the special-training period, the roster had reached seventy-three members, including the two commanders, the four regular squads, and Zero Squad. 182

Duties and Doctrine

Core Missions

The ANBU handles:

• Assassination and targeted elimination
• Infiltration and intelligence gathering
• Reconnaissance
• Border and coastal surveillance
• Pursuit of missing-nin
• Protection and special assignments
• Threats involving rogue ninja, spies, and Tailed Beasts 94 107 182

After Kirigakure shifted toward internal development, routine missions were transferred to regular ninja forces. The ANBU focused instead on dangerous rogue ninja, cross-border intelligence, Tailed Beast-level threats, and other high-risk operations. 107 182

Reform Under Sōji

Sōji abandoned the Blood Mist-era expectation that missions should be completed regardless of casualties. The reformed code requires ANBU members to support one another, report failures, request reinforcements, and retreat when necessary. 182

“If you can’t win, run. Putting your own life first is only natural.” 182

“A ninja’s life matters too. Ninja aren’t tools to be thrown away after use.” 182

Appearance

Hidden Mist ANBU members wear black combat uniforms, short swords, and masks. Their masks vary by squad and retain strong individual designs rather than following a standardized pattern. 102 110

Distinguishing features include:

• First Squad: Warlike evil-spirit masks associated with direct assault and assassination.
• Second Squad: Plain white or black masks suited to concealment.
• Third Squad: Yaksha masks reflecting their pursuit and execution role.
• Fourth Squad: Hannya masks associated with defense and protection.
• Individualized masks and darker uniforms distinguish the Hidden Mist ANBU from Sunagakure’s more uniform, standardized ANBU equipment. 102 110

Abilities and Skills

Assassination and Targeted Elimination

The First Squad specializes in rapid attacks against designated targets. Its members combine stealth, speed, close-quarters combat, and coordinated killing formations.

• Conducts silent assaults under the Hidden Mist Technique.
• Uses squad formations to restrict escape routes.
• Can eliminate rogue ninja and defenders before an alarm is raised.
• Conducted a shipyard assault that killed ten enemy ninjas while protecting the noncombatant craftsmen. 143

Reconnaissance and Infiltration

The Second Squad gathers intelligence before committing the ANBU to action.

• Investigates supply routes, defenses, sentry rotations, and enemy movements.
• Uses infiltration to obtain information unavailable through official channels.
• Maintains coastal surveillance and monitors foreign threats.
• Can transmit information through Transparent Octopus summons and silent brainwave communication. 107 142 184 186

Pursuit and Execution

The Third Squad specializes in tracking and eliminating missing-nin, a role inherited from the Blood Mist era.

• Pursues defected Kirigakure ninja.
• Uses tracking specialists such as Dog-Nosed Sea Snakes.
• Combines pursuit with direct combat and execution missions.
• Supports broader operations against rogue-ninja groups and rebel forces. 94 122 184

Protection and Special Operations

The Fourth Squad handles protective assignments and missions requiring defensive discipline.

• Guards important people and strategic locations.
• Provides defensive formations during large operations.
• Uses Rock Cannon Hermit Crabs for sustained ranged support.
• Held a coordinated defensive line through twenty-one barrage waves during training. 94 184 186

Coordinated Combat

The ANBU relies on formation tactics rather than isolated fighters.

• Attacks from multiple directions to compress an enemy’s movement.
• Uses squad leaders to coordinate specialized teams.
• Combines reconnaissance, flanking, containment, and direct assault.
• Can deploy across several objectives during the same operation. 104 117 141

Summoning-Beast Integration

Sōji’s reforms required every ANBU member to obtain a suitable sea-beast companion where possible. The summons were selected to compensate for individual weaknesses and strengthen each squad’s mission profile. 182

• Flying swordfish provide the First Squad with fast aerial support.
• Transparent Octopuses support the Second Squad’s covert reconnaissance.
• Dog-Nosed Sea Snakes provide underwater scent tracking and venom.
• Hurricane Sea Turtles provide Bear Yaksha with wind cannons and heavy defense.
• Rock Cannon Hermit Crabs reinforce the Fourth Squad’s defensive lines.
• Ye Tong uses a Lava King Squid to provide fire support for her Scorch Release.
• Mangetsu eventually acquires a Dragon-Claw Cannon Shrimp for long-range suppression. 183 184 186

Equipment and Facilities

• ANBU masks — Squad-specific masks conceal identity while reflecting operational roles. 102
• Short swords and ninja tools — Standard combat equipment carried by ANBU members. 102
• Kaguya Clan Grounds headquarters — Contains offices, archives, dormitories, a cafeteria, an armory, a combat plaza, and specialized training grounds. 102 107 123
• Chakra-sensing barrier — Ao designed a barrier around the headquarters, with Karin monitoring it through her sensory abilities. 123
• Adjustable training barriers — The training ground has six levels, ranging from ordinary Jonin-level attacks to the force of a standard Tailed Beast Ball. 127
• Summoning scrolls and contracts — Used to call the ANBU’s sea-beast companions. 183 184

Relationships

• Mei Terumi — Mizukage and supreme authority over the ANBU; she appoints Sōji as commander and supports the organization’s reforms. 92 182
• Yamada Sōji — Commander-in-chief; establishes authority through combat, creates Zero Squad, and replaces the Blood Mist doctrine with a survival-focused code. 92 106 182
• Ao — Deputy commander; manages personnel, intelligence, administrative work, and the headquarters’ defensive barrier. 94 107 123
• Genji — Senior Kirigakure authority whose approval supports Sōji’s appointment. 92 102
• Zero Squad — Independent high-level unit operating under Sōji for Kage-level missions. 121 138
• Kirigakure regular forces — Assume routine assignments so the ANBU can concentrate on high-risk operations and intensive training. 107 182

Story Role and Major Arcs

Pursuit of Sōji

The ANBU first appears as the force hunting Sōji after his escape from the Land of Water. Their failed ambush establishes both the organization’s professionalism and the gap between its expectations and Sōji’s actual strength. 9

Reorganization of the Hidden Mist

Sōji’s appointment changes the ANBU from a Blood Mist-era pursuit force into a more structured organization with a dedicated headquarters, formalized squads, and stronger administrative oversight. 92 94 107

Creation of Zero Squad

The organization responds to the limits of its regular squads by creating Zero Squad, a small force designed to handle elite rogue ninja and other threats beyond ordinary ANBU capabilities. 121 122

Land of Crafts Rebellion

The ANBU investigates and suppresses a major rebellion in the Land of Crafts. Its squads divide the operation among reconnaissance, shipyard assault, rebel leadership capture, and pursuit of former Seven Ninja Swordsmen. 140 141 143 144

The victory is deliberately distributed through diplomatic channels as proof that Kirigakure has regained the ability to conduct rapid, cross-regional military operations. Other great villages subsequently reassess the Hidden Mist ANBU as a major strategic threat. 144 145

Special Training Program

Sōji and Ao transform the ANBU through hierarchical training, specialized drills, sea-beast contracts, and a new survival-based code of conduct. The program produces a force with higher ranks, improved teamwork, a 96 percent mission success rate, and no deaths during the reported assessment period. 182 183 184 186

Kusagakure Crisis

The ANBU later enters the Land of Grass on an S-Rank mission to retrieve Utakata, the former Six-Tails jinchūriki. Kirigakure claims that the force’s presence in Kusagakure was limited to the retrieval mission and denies involvement in the village’s change of power. 199