From the Ashes by SilverDragonfly

This story was inspired by a concept I had written down nearly twenty years ago that was focused around Konoha being a lot more devastated by the attack of the Kyuubi no Kitsune. It’s final shape changed quite a bit from then, but I’m really happy with how it turned out.

• ANBU (Ansatsu Senjutsu Tokushu Butai) – literally meaning: Special Assassination and Tactical Squad. The black-ops operatives and teams of the shinobi forces.
• Chakra – the energy used by individuals to perform ninja techniques.
• Chuunin – these are the experienced and low to mid-level officers of the shinobi. There is a minimum skill requirement to reach this rank and they make up the bulk of the general shinobi population. (Think those who have gone on to earn Associate’s and/or Bachelor’s education degrees.)
• Fujinjutsu – techniques used by ninja that involve seals embedded on a surface.
• Genin – these are the lowest rank of the shinobi forces. Those just out of the academy who lack the skills or ambition to improve further. (Think grade school graduate.)
• Haori – a traditional Japanese hip or thigh-length jacket worn over a kimono. (Resembles a shortened kimono with no overlapping front panels.)
• Hitai-ate – forehead protector, usually inscribed with the symbol of a village affiliation.
• Hokage – literally meaning: Fire Shadow; contextually meaning The Leader of the hidden shinobi village in Fire Country. All leaders of the hidden shinobi villages carry the rank of ‘kage’ with the prefix of the country their village is based out of.
• Iryou-nin – literally meaning: Medical-ninja; these are individuals specially trained in medical-based skills, both traditional methods and chakra-based techniques.
• Jinchūriki – literally meaning: the power of human sacrifice. An individual who has a tailed-chakra beast sealed inside of them. Depending on the containing seal, this gives the individual accelerated healing, additional chakra, unique abilities, and may also give them the means to communicate with the tailed beast they contain.
• Jounin – the elite forces. There is a lot of variety amongst the jounin as they often are highly specialized and are the special forces and high-ranked officers. (These are the Master’s degrees and PHDs of the shinobi system.)
• Jutsu – various techniques used by ninja. (ie – ninjutsu, taijutsu, genjutsu, fujinjutsu)
• Shinobi – interchangeable with ninja.

Honorifics

The primary factors that determine which honorific is used and when, are: age, familiarity, and social rank.

• -baachan: familiar, grandma
• -chan: familiar, generally used with children, female friends
• -jiichan: familiar, grandpa
• -kaasan: familiar, mom
• -kun: familiar, generally used with young boys/men, friends
• -neesan/neechan: familiar, big sister
• -niisan/niichan: familiar, big brother
• -obasan: formal, aunt/middle-aged woman
• -obaasan: formal, grandmother
• -ojisan: formal, uncle
• -ojiisan: formal grandfather
• -okaasan: formal, mother
• -oneesan: formal, elder sister
• -oniisan: formal, older brother
• -otousan: formal, father
• -sama: formal, showing respect to one of higher rank/privilege/skill
• -san: formal, similar in context to Mr./Mrs./Ms./Mister/Miss
• -sensei: teacher/mentor/doctor/professor
• -tousan: familiar, father