Shinobi affiliated with Iwagakure.
Shinobi (忍), or generally referred to as ninja (忍者), are mercenaries who are hired to carry out missions that involve assassinations and covert operations. Female ninja are known as kunoichi (くノ一).
Overview[]
Villages[]
Shinobi reside in villages and are lead by a chief. The chief stands out to be the strongest among the other shinobi. According to Yuzuriha, it is common for shinobi villages to choose their leaders based on a supernatural ability that even shinobi would find fascinating and would not even think of opposing the individual. However, there is the possibility that the appointed village chief could have used some form of trickery to convince their people into thinking that they have a supernatural ability. In this case, only the higher ups know the truth behind this scandal. It is village law that if a shinobi chooses to abandon their village they will be branded as a Nukenin (抜け忍, Literally meaning: Runaway Shinobi) and will be hunted down until they are eliminated.
Shinobi[]
| Shinobi | ||||
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| Iwagakure | ||||
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| Aogyōbu † | Arakagi † | Gabimaru ‡ | Gabimaru † | Ginkakubō † |
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| Hagetaka † | Hyakume † | Karasutengu † | Kinkakubō † | Kumokiri † |
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| Nobusuma † | Shija † | Susubikimaru † | ????? † | ????? † |
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| ????? † | ????? † | ????? † | ????? † | ????? † |
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| ????? † | ????? † | ????? † | ||
| Others | ||||
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| Yuzuriha | Kio † | ????? † | ||
Click here to see the legend of the symbols used
- †: the character is deceased.
- *: the character's status is unknown, or show additional information. Hovering the symbol may give further details.
- ‡: the character is no longer part of this group.
Shinobi Principles[]
There exist a set of guidelines in which a shinobi will follow in order to achieve success in their goals.
Iron Rules[]
- Iron Rule #05. "Avoid confronting an unfamiliar enemy."
- Iron Rule #09. "One ought to properly analyze the abilities of any enemy."
- Iron Rule #11. "Take the initiative in battle. Should stormy seas lie ahead, be the first to kill."
- Iron Rule #20. "Should death be upon you in the moments before your doom, inflict grievous damage upon the foe that would wring the life from you."
Others[]
- Preparedness for death is the only law you must heed when on the verge of death, that is when the shinobi can wreak untold destruction upon his foe.
- Never come within range of the enemy.
- When going for the kill, keep your presence suppressed. No windup movements. Let it come as naturally as breathing. As if nothing is out of the ordinary. Slipping between the gaps of awareness.
Jutsu[]
Shinobi are trained intensely to use superhuman fighting techniques known as jutsu. There are three types of jutsu:
- Ninjutsu (忍術, Literally meaning: Ninja Techniques) - The most common form of combat for a shinobi where they are granted supernatural powers, such as breathing or emitting fire, controlling bodily fluids, and reshaping one's face to impersonate another.
- Taijutsu (体術, Literally meaning: Body Techniques) - Made up of techniques that involves the use of a shinobi's superhuman physical abilities in martial arts.
- Genjutsu (幻術, Literally meaning: Illusionary Techniques) - Allows a shinobi to cast illusions to fool their targets.
Physical Prowess[]
Shinobi are known to have far greater physical capabilities that surpasses normal human limitations, allowing them to perform feats that are otherwise impossible to accomplish, such as jumping across rooftops in a single bound or dislocating their joints at will. Feats of strength are also greatly taken into account. With just a simple kick, Gabimaru was able to send the giant Rokurōta crashing through a couple of trees and could kill living beings with a single blow using little to no effort at all. Along with their strength, shinobi also possess superhuman speed. A great example being Shija, whose speed is great enough to counter and bypass a Tao user's sensory.
It has been said that shinobi possess high levels of endurance to the point where they are able to travel up to approximately 40 ri (157 kilometers) in a single day. This was proven to be true as a squad of Iwagakure shinobi ran all the way to Hōrai on foot, while keeping up with the pace of the Monshin carrying four Asaemons, without any of them showing a single sign of fatigue.
Trivia[]
- The series mainly focuses on shinobi from Iwagakure. While Iwagakure train their ninja to become cold-blooded killers from a young age, along with having their own customs and philosophy, it has been noted by Yuzuriha that each shinobi village are run differently.