What are they?: ANBU (暗部 - "ANBU Black Ops"; Literal Japanese for "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. Members can also leave the organization, at any time, as participation in ANBU is voluntary. They wear their mask even in their own village, for their identity as an ANBU agent is to be known only by the Kage and village elders.

While once there was no true hierarchy within the traditional ANBU, in the recent past this has changed, as a fully formed and functioning officer system is now in place, similar in some regards to the regular Shinobi forces with Captains taking the role of team leaders during the training and probationary periods. Once a ninja has finished this period, they join to be recognized as full ANBU members of the lowest rank. Ranking within ANBU is based solely on experience; as the powerful ranked armature is almost useless against someone with the experience and the knowledge to outmanoeuvre opponents at their own games. The highest ranks of the ANBU are captains, the most senior and experienced leaders within the corps. New captains are selected based both on merit and by a panel of peers made up of the acting Captains, the Kage, and the standing Jounin commander, usually a former ANBU member, if not captain, themselves.

ANBU are under direct control of their Kage, and therefore cannot be arrested by the regular police forces without a warrant.

Uniform: The ANBU wear porcelain animal masks in order to distinguish themselves from normal shinobi and to conceal their identities. They also have standard uniforms consisting of black and gray armor, metal arm guards and gloves, ninja sandals with spikes for traveling into mountainous regions, three ninja pouches on their back-waist and a signature spiral tattoo on their shoulder. Some ANBU wear black cloaks over their standard uniforms, and squad leaders may wear white cloaks. Most ANBU carry a sword, which is usually strapped to their backs. Once you become an ANBU member, you are required to change your name and sever all of your ties to your friends and family. You will be issued a series of standard ANBU items once your application is approved. You can add them directly to your locker once you have been given the title of ANBU.

Code:

[b]Name:[/b] ANBU Armour
[b]Type of Armor:[/b] Light.
[b]Rank:[/b] A
[b]Elemental Alignment:[/b] -
[b]Quantity:[/b] 1
[b]Protection:[/b] This armor can block all basic attacks (kunai, swords, punches) and make them negligible if they are C-rank. Basic attacks of A-rank or lower do 1 rank less in damage, and such strikes of S-rank do 2 tiers less in damage. The armor only covers the upper legs, shoulders and torso of the user.
[b]Ability/Function:[/b] This armor completely hides any trace of the user's presence from B-rank chakra sensory jutsu and below.
[b]Appearance:[/b]
[spoiler][img]http://i71.servimg.com/u/f71/13/07/69/12/anbu_u10.jpg[/img][/spoiler]
[b]History:[/b] This is the standard ANBU uniform that has been used for hundreds of years. It has suffered very slight modifications, like the additional abilities, but has essentially remained the same.

Code:

[b]Name:[/b] ANBU Mask
[b]Type of Armor:[/b]
[b]Rank:[/b] C
[b]Elemental Alignment:[/b] -
[b]Quantity:[/b] 1
[b]Protection:[/b] Protects the user’s face from weapons and strikes of C rank and below.
[b]Ability/Function:[/b] This mask is primarily intended to hide the user’s identity. It changes the user’s voice at will. The user can fully control the pitch, accent and tone of the modified voice so long as the ninja has heard it before.
[b]Appearance:[/b]
[spoiler][img]http://i71.servimg.com/u/f71/13/07/69/12/anbu-m10.png[/img][/spoiler]
[b]History:[/b] This is the standard ANBU mask that has been used for hundreds of years. It has suffered very slight modifications, like the additional abilities, but has essentially remained the same.

All ANBU get a free B rank weapon of their Design.

All ANBU Captains get a free A rank weapon, or are able to upgrade their ANBU B rank weapon for free.

Specialization: They protect the village from exceptional threats, conduct high-risk missions into enemy territory, and deal with extremely strong ninja. They are also responsible for carrying out assassinations, tracking, surveillance, and missions requiring specially trained ninja. Some ANBU serve as interrogators that probe the minds of enemy ninja to learn information valuable to the village.

Once accepted in the corps, members are to always remain in full uniform (including having their mask on) whenever they're partaking on an ANBU issued mission, meeting with other members of the corps or confronting their respective Kage. Members are advised to only put on their uniform when taking an ANBU related mission and should only take it off once said mission is completed.

For an ANBU member to invade another thread, their target must be in their own country's Bingo Book. In addition, they must have permission from the Kage whose country they are hunting the ninja in (attacking a target in a foreign land without them knowing is a horrible idea). Hunting down missing ninja threads may take some time and must have justification for invading, (Eg. the target ninja causing a commotion in town, or using large-range/destructive jutsu). If a member has any doubts on whether or not they have sufficient reason to invade a Nuke-ninja's thread, PM an Admin or GM with details on why you think you should be able to invade, and they shall get back to you with an answer.

Application Process:
This will vary from village to village, as each Kage is responsible for deciding who will be allowed into the respective ANBU corps of their village. However, the basic requirements for consideration are:

Special Jounin or higher, 8 missions, 2500 ryo and Kage approval. At this rank, an ANBU member will be given all basic ANBU equipment and jutsu, and will Be able to tackle specific ANBU related missions, as well as be able to intervene ANY threads within their own country without the need of a dice roll, so long as they have justification (and only in a maximum amount of 3 per thread).

To be considered to be an ANBU Captain, you must meet the following requirements in addition to them:

Jounin or higher, 10 ANBU-related missions, and 3000 ryo; or Kage approval and 4500 ryo. At this rank an ANBU Captain receives all the bonuses of the lesser rank, as well as a better item granted by the position, in addition to a +30% bonus to Ryo from all mission rewards.

There will be 1 Captain slot open per village, allowing one ANBU to become a Captain without needing to complete the requirements or pay Ryo at all. This open slot will be filled with the Kage and Staff's approval. Once this slot is filled, all applicants must follow the basic requirements.

If you leave the ANBU, be it another promotion (Kage by default lose their status) or voluntarily leaving, you lose all privileges of being an ANBU, but may keep the items and jutsu that were granted to you.

Location: All Villages

ANBU Only Jutsu: ANBU are trained to be very well-rounded, and can use a wide variety of techniques.

Code:

[b]Name:[/b] Body Elimination Technique (Taikieusei no Jutsu no Jutsu ~ 体解消の術)
[b]Canon/Custom:[/b] Canon
[b]Rank:[/b] B
[b]Type:[/b] Supplementary
[b]Element:[/b] /
[b]Range:[/b] Self ---> Direct Contact
[b]Specialty:[/b] ANBU Only
[b]Duration:[/b] 1 post
[b]Cooldown:[/b] 2 posts
[b]Description:[/b] Knowing full well that a shinobi's corpse is essentially a treasure trove of information, this technique is used by ANBU to completely destroy a dead body. This technique leaves no trace of the victim's body behind whatsoever. This can be used on corpses left on the battlefield, or if one needs to, themselves in an instant.

Code:

[b]Name:[/b] ANBU Sensory Range (Chikakya: ANBU ~ 知覚野・暗部)
[b]Canon/Custom:[/b] Custom.
[b]Rank:[/b] B.
[b]Type:[/b] Supplementary.
[b]Element:[/b] N/A
[b]Range:[/b] 100m.
[b]Specialty:[/b] ANBU Only
[b]Duration:[/b] Maintainable (-10 per turn)
[b]Cooldown:[/b] 5 posts.
[b]Description:[/b] A technique which allows ANBU members to be able to keep track of the village and their surroundings. These tactical ninja are able to see over long distances with hawk-like eyes, able to pick up the finest of details, from residual chakra from techniques even as faint as the Supernatural Walking Practice, as well as personalized chakra signatures, down to recent footprints and other tracks in broken shrubbery or other environs. [list][*]This jutsu gains 100m in range when used in the "-gakure no Sato" or "The Wilderness"forums of your home country.[*]If there are multiple users in close range (less than 5m), they can add their ranges together to extend the sensing area of this jutsu (so two ANBU in their home country could have a combined 400m sensory radius).

[*]

Code:

[b]Name:[/b] Peaceful Stasis Palm Technique (Tetaiteiwa no Jutsu ~ 停滞手平和の術)
[b]Canon/Custom:[/b] Custom.
[b]Rank:[/b] B.
[b]Type:[/b] Supplementary.
[b]Element:[/b] N/A
[b]Range:[/b] One target within 3m
[b]Specialty:[/b] ANBU Only
[b]Duration:[/b] Maintainable for -10 chakra per turn
[b]Cooldown:[/b] 3 posts.
[b]Description:[/b] This technique puts a [i]willing or dying[/i] target in a state of deep sleep through halting bodily functions down to the cellular level; by doing so, it allows an ANBU to rescue a ninja even inches from death and maintain the jutsu until professional Medical aid can be called in. This technique increases the effectiveness of Medical Ninjutsu on the target by +1 rank; if the user specializes in Medical Ninjutsu, this technique heals similarly to a D-ranked healing technique, letting the target recover from 3/4-inch cuts, first-degree burns, and minor bruising. As the user continues this jutsu, they can slowly heal more and more damage, removing the target from critical condition.

Code:

[b]Name:[/b] ANBU Barrier Technique (Kekkei no Jutsu: ANBU ~ 結界の術・暗部)
[b]Canon/Custom:[/b] Canon.
[b]Rank:[/b] B.
[b]Type:[/b] Defensive
[b]Element:[/b] N/A
[b]Range:[/b] 25m, +50m per extra cooperative user.
[b]Specialty:[/b] ANBU Only
[b]Duration:[/b] Maintainable -15 per post
[b]Cooldown:[/b] 8 posts.
[b]Description:[/b] The ANBU, by concentrating and compressing their chakra, creates and maintains a barrier by pressing both of their hands to the ground to defend themselves. The barrier can be made as a 180 degree dome around the user or a simple wall, and, though resilient, is difficult to maintain. It's capable of withstanding 2 techniques of equal rank, or weakening a technique of 1 rank higher by 2 ranks. As ANBU often roam in squads, for each additional ANBU using the skill, its rank increases by +1, allowing ANBU squads to seal in or imprison even the most powerful targets or deflect/contain powerful attacks as a team that they otherwise would not be able to alone.

Code:

[b]Name:[/b] Time Reversal Technique (Jigyaku no Jutsu ~ 時逆の術)
[b]Canon/Custom:[/b] Canon.
[b]Rank:[/b] A.
[b]Type:[/b] Supplementary.
[b]Element:[/b] N/A
[b]Range:[/b] Direct Contact > 1m
[b]Specialty:[/b] ANBU Only.
[b]Duration:[/b] Maintainable for -10 chakra per turn.
[b]Cooldown:[/b] 3 posts.
[b]Description:[/b] This technique is used by the ANBU to retrieve forgotten memories. After forming the needed hand seals (Dog, Snake, Ox, Bird, Tiger), the ANBU will use chakra to access the target's mind by touching their hands to their head. Per post of use, the caster is able to recall the events of the target's life up to three post rounds prior to use. The target must be conscious for this technique to work, and must either be compliant or restrained.

Updated 2014-06-04.

Updated 2014-12-23.