ANBU (Special Assassination and Tactical Squad)

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The ANBU (暗部), short for Ansatsu Senjutsu Tokushu Butai (Special Assassination and Tactical Squad), are covert operatives of capable ninja that are dispatched by their village leader. There are no true ranks within the ANBU, as team leadership and hierarchy is based on merit and experience, and skill levels can range from Genin to Jounin.

The leaders of the teams are called squad leaders (分隊長, Buntaichō), a position held in high regard. Because of the darkness involved in an ANBU's career, one's personality determines their eligibility into the force, leading to exceptionally skilled shinobi whose personalities don't match the organization to be rejected. As early as the Academy, accomplished children are scouted to eventually join. While recruiting, shinobi are hand picked by their village leader, for their individual capabilities and special skills. Age, background, gender, or previous rank bear no significance in this decision. Once joined, they undergo training including studying of the human body, and begin wearing masks to conceal their identity, leading to them using code names to identify each other.

ANBU nearly always make an appearance on important missions inside and in the vicinity of their village, but are mainly tasked with assassinations or disturbances in foreign countries. The assignments that they conduct to protect the village from exceptional threats include high-risk infiltration into enemy territory, dealing with extremely strong ninja, tracking, surveillance, interrogating enemy ninja to learn information and missions requiring specially trained ninja. Because of the actions of the group, one can appear changed and corrupted of kindness. Due to the often sensitive nature of their missions and the unique abilities they sometimes possess, ANBU are expected to destroy their bodies if they are too badly injured on a mission so that they can't be captured.

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◀ Functionality

Operating directly beneath the Kage, ANBU are considered a village's elite sect of shinobi. Because of this, they possess authority over all lesser ranks of ninja, making them vital assets during times of chaos and or confusion. Their function extends well beyond this, however. While they are used as a village's policing force, they also serve the village's needs for high-profile assassinations on foreign soil.

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▶ Being the right arm of their Kage, ANBU are the only shinobi eligible for high-profile Kage Missions. These are given directly from their user, and are generally very delicate in the sense that failure is not an option. On top of standard mission rewards, successfully completing a Kage Mission will yield a considerable bonus.

▶ It should be noted that Kage Missions must be interactive missions involving another village with actual Player Characters, not NPC's.

▶ Victims of these assassinations vary, all the way from troublesome Jounin to Kages, and even Daimyo. They are also used to stir and incite revolutions in small territories for governmental reasons, such as usurping a current ruler for the village to seat someone more to their tastes. while these missions are incredibly rare, they do happen. Successfully completing them yields a wealth of rewards for the participating members, including EXP and Ryou.

▶ ANBU are the first line of defense and the executioners of any who dare oppose their village. In any event that their village is under attack, and the ANBU participates - and survives - they will receive a bonus reward, which stacks per invading Player Character kill that the ANBU achieves.

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The ANBU work directly under the leadership of the Kage, and act as their personal attack and defense force. This specialized ninja battalion generally work in groups of four to five. They are responsible for assassinations and missions requiring highly trained ninjas. In the end, it is up to the Kage's discretion to use the force as they see fit. Simply because you are skilled does not mean you can be an ANBU - you have to possess a specific mindset that aligns with your leader.

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Magen: Narakumi no Jutsu (Demonic Illusion: Hell Viewing Technique)
Rank: D
Range: Close (0m ~ 5m), Mid (5m ~ 10m)
Type: Offensive, Supplementary
Cost: Standard
Description: This genjutsu is used by ANBU to subject their targets to visions of their greatest fear, regardless of whether or not they're aware that they're afraid of it. This "fear" can be something that the target is actually scared of, or merely the one image that they least want to see. Being presented with such a gruesome image, one that at the time the victim believes to be real, can give them enough of a shock that they may faint when exposed to it.



Jigyaku no Jutsu (Time Reversal Technique)
Rank: B
Range: Close (0m ~ 5m)
Type: Supplementary
Cost: Sustained
Description: This genjutsu is used by ANBU to pull out forgotten memories. After forming the appropriate hand seals, the ANBU member will put the target into a state of reverse hypnosis, allowing them to remember details that they otherwise would not. The target will comply with interrogation, but seems to retain his or her personality while under hypnosis.



Kanashibari no Jutsu (Temporary Paralysis Technique)
Rank: A
Range: Close (0m ~ 5m), Mid (5m ~ 10m)
Type: Supplementary
Cost: Sustained
Description: Using this technique causes a target or targets to be physically immobilized, as though they've been tied down with invisible steel ropes. The strength of the binding varies significantly from one skill level to the next, so a mere Genin could not hope to restrain the same targets that a Jounin ANBU could, for instance. The Temporary Paralysis Technique is a useful way to stop an opponent from attacking or, alternatively, make an opponent easier to attack.

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ANBU Armor Set
Rank: Rare
Type: Light
Defense: Serious
Description: This armor set consists of an animal-styled porcelain mask of the ANBU's choosing, with slits for eye-holes and the village's symbol etched into the forehead, and patterns on them as well. Add in black clothing, a grey flak jacket, metal arm guards and gloves, and ninja sandals with spikes for travelling into mountainous regions. Additionally, this set comes with a black cloak to be worn over the standard uniform; squad leaders wear white cloaks.
Cost: 20,000 Ryou