Society (Shinobi World Supplement)

Shinobi

Shinobi are trained as soldiers to follow out tasks given to them by their leaders. There are multiple hidden villages that are home to shinobi, with the Village Hidden in the Leaves, Sand, Mist, and Rain being but a few of them. Most shinobi come from a hidden village, and perform missions for a fee. These missions can include: doing manual labor, acting as escorts, gathering secret information, retrieving stolen items, carrying out assassinations, etc. In times of war, ninja come together to defend their villages and land. Shinobi are expected to be loyal to their villages, and any defectors are considered to be missing-ninja, and will be marked for death.

Shinobi Ranks

Among the Shinobi are multiple ranks. Ranks are based on graduation, not skill.

Academy Student

Academy students are technically not the lowest rank, as they are not yet shinobi. At a very young age, they are not only trained physically, but mentally. They are taught the basics of chakra control and the basic culture of their respective village.

Genin

Upon graduating from the academy, shinobi become genin. Consisting primarily of young children, this rank begins the baseline purpose of a shinobi: to provide for the village. They take on primarily D-rank or C-rank missions, though in states of emergency, such as a world war, they do take on more serious missions. Genin typically form teams of three, often maintaining these teams for the rest of their lives.

Chūnin

Genin can become chūnin by one of two ways, either by completing a significantly difficult mission or by passing a Chūnin Exam, a competition of sorts that replicates the conditions of a B-rank or higher mission. Each exam differs as to not give an advantage to repeat examinees. Chūnin are more likely to be deployed into live combat and to more difficult missions. Most shinobi are of this rank.

Jōnin

Only the most experienced shinobi are promoted to the rank of jōnin. One must be recommended by someone with a great deal of influence within their respective village, and must be deemed worthy by their Kage. They have been known to be deployed on A-rank and even S-rank missions alone, and act as military captains in times of war. It is their job to train genin teams, and it is their decision whether or not their genin participate in the Chūnin Exam.

Tokujo

Shinobi deemed to be of jōnin skill in a single field, such as interrogation or military strategy, are given this rank. They rarely become full fledged jōnin, instead excelling far and above in their respective field, surpassing even the most powerful jōnin.

Commander Jōnin

While maintaining the official rank of jōnin, commanders are given a seat on the council.

Kage and Village Head

In each village, a single shinobi reigns as the ultimate power. Among the Five Great Shinobi Villages, these chief shinobi are referred to as Kage. They lead the council, acting as a tie breaker. Each village has their own way of choosing their Kage.

Rogue Nin

Shinobi who forsake their village are dubbed rogue nin, as indicated by a slash through their village headband. They often take terrorist action against their former village, and as such are given surmountable bounties.

Mission Ranks

D-Rank

Assigned to genin fresh from the academy, these missions pose no risk to the ninja's life and usually consist of menial labor jobs such as farming and babysitting work.

C-Rank

Missions that, while potentially dangerous, are unlikely to include combat with other shinobi are given this rating, such as the capture or elimination of bandits, theives, or wild animals, background investigations, and guarding non-combatants.

B-Rank

Assigned to only the most experienced chūnin, these missions include combat with other Shinobi. These include espionage, assassination, and outright combat engagements.

A-Rank

Assigned to jōnin, these missions concern matters of village or state. They include guarding VIPs or suppressing ninja forces.

S-Rank

Assigned to only the most experienced of all shinobi, missions of this rank concern the most confidential matters of state. They include assassinating VIPs, and transporting highly classified documents.

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