Ranks
Daimyo Ultimate Rank
A daimyo (大名, Daimyō; English TV "Feudal Lord"; Literally meaning "Great Name") is the leader of a country. During the the third stage of the Konohagakure Chūnin Exams, attending daimyo bet money on which participants would win their matches. In some cases they go as far as threatening or bribing one of the combatants to let their opponent win.
Kage Master Rank
A Kage (影; Literally meaning "Shadow") is the leader of one of the five most powerful Hidden Villages and generally are also the most powerful ninja in their respective villages.
Council:
It is the duty of the Council (ご意見番, Go-Ikenban) to help the Kage govern the village and to make sure all decisions are made with the best interest of the village and its inhabitants in mind. Although the Kage always has the final say in the matter, the councilors are there to give their opinions and advice, thus making sure the decisions made are fair and take into account all possibilities and viewpoints.
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Shinobigashira SS-Rank
Head ninja (忍頭, Shinobigashira) is a position in the shinobi system. It is a rank between the Jōnin and Kage, and unique to its own village. As the highest-ranking shinobi, they are sent on important political missions such as ambassadors for peace treaties with other villages.
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Sannin
The Sannin (伝説の三忍, Densetsu no Sannin; Literally meaning "Legendary Three Ninja") are widely regarded for their great skill and power, each one has the level of being a Kage in their own right.
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Sage
A sage (仙人, Sennin) is someone who is able to utilize senjutsu (仙術, Sage Techniques), and has mastered the art of Sage Mode.
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Elite Jōnin or Anbu Commander S-Rank
Elite Jonin-Jōnin (上忍, Jōnin; Literally meaning "High Ninja", Meaning (Viz) "Elite Ninja") are generally highly-experienced shinobi with great individual skill who serve as military captains. They are often sent on S-Rank missions, and experienced Jōnin may even be sent on SS-Class missions (which are considered to be the greatest difficulty).
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Anbu Commander- Leaders of the villages Anbu. They answer directly to the Kages and are in charge of the Anbu Black Ops.
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Jōnin or Anbu A-Rank
Jonin-Jōnin (上忍, Jōnin; Literally meaning "High Ninja", Meaning (Viz) "Elite Ninja") are generally highly-experienced shinobi with great individual skill who serve as military captains. They are often sent on A-Rank missions, and experienced Jōnin may even be sent on S-Class missions. It is not unusual for Jōnin to go on missions alone.
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Anbu Black Ops- The ANBU (暗部; English TV "ANBU Black Ops"; Literally meaning "Dark Side"), short for Ansatsu Senjutsu Tokushu Butai (暗殺戦術特殊部隊; Literally meaning "Special Assassination and Tactical Squad"), take orders directly from the Kage, performing special high-level missions, such as assassinations and torture. The ANBU usually work in teams formed to the requirements of the mission, ensuring maximum success. The shinobi in the ANBU are hand-picked by the Kage; chosen for their individual capabilities and special skills. Age, gender, background, or previous rank bear no weight in this decision.
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Tokubetsu Jōnin B-Rank
Tokubetsu Jōnin (特別上忍, Tokubetsu Jōnin; English TV "Special Jōnin"; Literally meaning "Special High Ninja"; sometimes known as Tokujō for short) are ninja who, rather than all-around Jōnin training, have Jōnin-level ability in a single area or skill, much like warrant officers of real-world militaries. They are elite specialists in their areas and are often assigned as subordinates to regular Jōnin when their services are needed.
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MRI JIGChūnin C-Rank
Chūnin (中忍; Literally meaning "Middle Ninja", Meaning (Viz) "Journeyman Ninja") are ninja who are qualified to watch over and guide other ninja. Chūnin have reached a level of maturity that primarily consists of leadership skills and tactical prowess. This is because the genin who don't have the skills to become chūnin are weeded out in testing. Chūnin are typically sent on C-rank or B-rank missions.
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MRI JIGGenin D-Rank
Genin (下忍, Genin; Literally meaning "Low Ninja", Meaning (Viz) "Junior Ninja") are the lowest level of ninja and also the ones that display the most difference in power. When they become Genin, ninja start to do their bit for their village's economy – being sent on missions that the village gets paid for. They are typically sent either on D-Rank missions, which are almost entirely risk-free jobs of manual labor, or, very rarely, on C-Rank missions, which are a cut above that and begin to verge on real "ninja" work that have a very low possibility of risk to the ninja involved.
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MRI JIGAcademy Students E-Rank
Academy students (忍者学校性, Akademī-sei) make up the student body of the Ninja Academy, where they are trained and prepared for life as a shinobi. They are not an actual part of the shinobi force, as they are still in the process of mastering the very basics of the ninja lifestyle. However, they can be conscripted as part of the war potential in times of emergency.
They are taught the basics of Ninjutsu, Taijutsu, and most likely also Genjutsu. This includes learning about chakra and how to control it, tactics, hand seals, and several E-rank techniques, such as the Clone Technique and the Transformation Technique. They are also trained in working both individually and in teams.
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MRI JIGMissing Nin
Missing-nin (抜け忍, nukenin; English TV "Rogue Ninja"; Literally meaning "runaway shinobi") are ninja who left their village without the intention of returning, often because they have committed criminal acts or to pursue other personal gains. The ninja village that they are from will often try to track them down and eliminate them.
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MRI JIG