Z-Worriors

The world of the anime and manga series Naruto contains various countries and locations that have been introduced to the audience so far.
Countries operate as separate political entities and are presumably all monarchies, ruled by landlords who stand equally in rank with the hidden villages' leaders. The Naruto world is similar to feudal Japan in many aspects; those countries maintain balance between themselves through nothing but power.

Treaties are periodically signed, but they are generally not even worth the paper they are written on. Despite this similarity, modern items are seen throughout the series, such as movie theaters, security cameras and even modern life-support systems.
Computers are also present, as are video game consoles.

The five great countries
Of the countries scattered about the Naruto world, five are considered to be the most powerful and influential of them all. These are the Land of Earth, the Land of Fire, Land of Thunder, the Land of Water, and the Land of Wind.
Each represents one of the five elements (earth, fire, lightning, water, and wind, respectively) and each is ruled by a Kage.

Land of Earth
The Land of Earth (土の国, Tsuchi no Kuni?) has seen little attention in the series thus far. What little is known is that it is oriented towards the element of earth, with many mountains and caves dotted about the country.
They are not allies with the Land of Fire, as noted in the Kakashi Gaiden arc. Their hidden village is Iwagakure, the Village Hidden in the Rocks.

Land of Fire
The Land of Fire is home to Konohagakure, the Village Hidden in the Leaves, and is the home of the majority of the main characters in Naruto. It enjoys a relatively temperate climate, with generally sunny conditions year-round.
It was at first widely regarded as one of the strongest countries, but became significantly weaker after Orochimaru's invasion of Konoha.

Land of Thunder
The Land of Lightning (雷の国, Kaminari no Kuni?) has also seen little attention in the series. Its hidden village is Kumogakure, the Village Hidden in the Clouds.

Land of Water
The Land of Water (水の国, Mizu no Kuni?) is oriented towards the element of water. Its weather is typically cool and full of mist and lakes. In some places, like the area where Haku grew up, it is very cold and snows quite a bit.
Little is currently known about it and it apparently leaves itself out of most political affairs, which is understandable considering that it is an island relatively remote from the continent containing the other four major countries.
Its hidden village is Kirigakure, the Village Hidden in the Mist. Zabuza Momochi attempted a coup d'état in the country, but was repelled. The Land of Water is the smallest and poorest of the five great countries, which may be the reason why Kirigakure used to hold the gruesome graduation tests that it did.

Land of Wind
The Land of Wind (風の国, Kaze no Kuni?) is a dry and desolate country, but also has some of the most powerful ninja. Its hidden village is Sunagakure, Village Hidden in the Sand.
The Land of Wind has been relatively uninvolved with politics until recent times, and even had a peace treaty signed with the Land of Fire. The lord ruling it, however, had been systematically cutting down his military force and transferring missions he would normally address to his own country's hidden village to Konohagakure, prompting desperate measures on the part of the Kazekage at the time.
Other shinobi countries

Land of Bears
The Land of Bears (熊の国, Kuma no Kuni?) is introduced in the Star Village filler arc and is home to Hoshigakure. It is surrounded by a canyon filled with poisonous gas.

Land of Grass
The Land of Grass (草の国, Kusa no Kuni?) is home to Kusagakure. Little else is known about the Land of Grass. It is probably very rich with flora.

Land of Rain
The Land of Rain (雨の国, Ame no Kuni?) is home to Amegakure, but little is known beyond that. In a flashback, it was shown to be filled with a great number of small buildings in a heavily wooded area, suggesting that it might perhaps be located in a rainforest.

Land of Rice Fields
The Land of Rice Fields (田の国, Ta no Kuni?), otherwise known as the Land of Sound (音の国, Oto no Kuni?), is a small country bordering the Land of Fire and home to Otogakure, Orochimaru's own hidden village.
The Land of Rice Fields is its original name, with the Land of Sound being Orochimaru's own name for it. Many of its shinobi were collected, most being from the Fuma clan, to supply his need for followers and jutsu.

Land of Snow
The Land of Snow (雪の国, Yuki no Kuni?) was the focus of the first Naruto movie, in which it had been taken over by a tyrant. Its hidden village is Yukigakure. The Land of Snow possesses an unusually advanced level of technology when compared to other countries in the Naruto world.
Things such as railroads, airships, power generators, and volley guns are commonplace here, though the latter fired salvos of kunai instead of bullets. Additionally, their ninja wear special chakra armor that makes them virtually immune to ninjutsu and genjutsu.

Land of the Waterfall
The Land of the Waterfall (滝の国, Taki no Kuni?) consists of a large waterfall which hides Takigakure, its hidden village. Not much is known about this land, except that Team 7 had a mission that brought them here.
Obviously, the landmark of the area is its waterfall, which is rather large by modern standards.
Other non-shinobi countries

Land of Birds
The Land of Birds (鳥の国, Tori no Kuni?) is a small country that Naruto and Team Guy (minus Rock Lee) were sent to in the Bird Country filler arc. They were sent to investigate the rumor of the ghost of Noroimusha, as well as protect the daimyo, Toki. They eventually learned that a group of wandering ninja was hoping to take over the country. The ninja were repelled in the end.

Land of the Claw
The Land of the Claw (爪の国, Tsume no Kuni?) is featured in episode 177 of the anime. There was, at one point, tension between this nation and the Land of the Fang. The two sides barely averted a war thanks to one of Jiraiya's Icha Icha novels, which was delivered to the Fang Country's feudal lord by mistake.

Land of the Fang
The Land of the Fang (牙の国, Kiba no Kuni?) is featured in episode 177 of the anime. There was, at one point, tension between this nation and the Land of the Claw. The two sides barely averted a war thanks to one of Jiraiya's Icha Icha novels, which was delivered to the Fang Country's feudal lord by mistake.

Land of Honey
The Land of Honey is briefly mentioned in episode 194 of the anime. Nothing else is known about this land.

Land of the Moon
The Land of the Moon (月の国, Tsuki no Kuni?) is the focus of the third Naruto movie. It is an island nation in the shape of a crescent moon, hence the name. In the first Chunin exam, a ninja wearing a headband with a crescent moon shape on it is seen taking the test, but is not mentioned or shown in the other exams.

Land of Red Beans
The Land of Red Beans is briefly mentioned in episode 194 of the anime. Nothing else is known about this land.

Land of the River
The Land of the River (川の国, Kawa no Kuni?) is where Akatsuki had their hideout before Sakura Haruno and Chiyo destroyed it in their battle with Sasori. Not much else is known about this country.

Land of the Sea
The Land of the Sea (海の国, Umi no Kuni?) is featured in episode 169. Orochimaru had a hideout here, and several of his forbidden experiments were conducted here as well. One of his subordinates continued the work after Orochimaru abandoned it, leading to attacks on the local ships.

Land of Stone
The Land of Stone (石の国, Ishi no Kuni?) is featured in episode 159. It is ruled by a priest.

Land of Swamps
The Land of Swamps (泥地の国, Numa no Kuni?) makes an appearance in episode 152. Anko Mitarashi protects its daimyo, Chichiya.

Land of Tea
The Land of Tea (茶の国, Cha no Kuni?) is a small country in which Team 7 helped Ibiki Morino's younger brother, Idate Morino, win a race with very high stakes. It consists of two separate islands.

Land of Udon
The Land of Udon (ウドンの国, Udon no Kuni?) is first mentioned in episode 192 of the anime. Chikara-sama is the daimyo of this country and is currently engaged to Princess Fuku of the Fire Country.

Land of Vegetables
The Land of Vegetables (菜の国, Na no Kuni?) is featured episode 187 of the anime. Naruto, Choji, and Hinata are sent there to escort a small convoy, not realizing that the country's daimyo, Haruna, was with the group.

Land of Waves
The Land of Waves (波の国, Nami no Kuni?) is a relatively poor nation, and thus does not have a hidden village. It is an isolated island, but used to be prosperous nonetheless, until Gato set his sights on it.
He broke the people's will and monopolized the import/export industry, which was crucial for its economy. Team 7's first real mission was to this country, and, with the help of the townspeople, Gato's reign of terror was ended for good.

Shinobi villages
Shinobi villages (忍の里, Shinobi no Sato?) or hidden villages (隠れ里, Kakurezato?) are ninja villages that serve as the military force for their country. A hidden village maintains its economy by training its citizens to be ninja from a young age and using them as manpower in various missions others would be willing to pay for, from weeding a garden for a single payment to receiving a constant budget from the country it resides in for being soldiers in case the country is involved in a war.

The hidden villages of the five great countries each have a Kage as its leader.

Amegakure

Amegakure (雨隠れの里, Amegakure no Sato?, literally "Village Hidden in Rain") is a small hidden village in the Land of Rain. It seems to be a rather loosely knit village, as a fair number of its ninja seem to either be missing-nin or end up as missing-nin.
Nothing apart from this is known about it at this point, but it stands to reason that its ninja specialize water-based jutsu. Umbrellas are common weapons used only by them.

One can infer from the performance of their ninja that long-range combat and genjutsu are emphasized, as are various breathing aids to allow them full mobility in their element.
At least two of their genin teams advanced to the second stage of the Chunin exam. The first team was killed by Gaara's Desert Funeral. The second team was defeated by Naruto Uzumaki, Sakura Haruno, Sasuke Uchiha, and Kabuto Yakushi near the end of the exam in order to obtain a Heaven scroll.

This second team appears once more during the Tea Country filler arc, along with a former Konoha Jonin, Aoi Rokusho.

Getsugakure
Getsugakure (月隠れの里, Getsugakure no Sato?, literally "Village Hidden under the Moon") is a hidden village in the Land of the Moon. The country appears briefly on a headband during the Chunin exam and is the main focus of Naruto the Movie 3: Animal Riot of Crescent Moon Island.

Hoshigakure
Hoshigakure (星隠れの里, Hoshigakure no Sato?, literally "Village Hidden Among Stars") was introduced during the Star Village filler arc. It is located in the Land of Bears. Hoshigakure was formed sometime after a strange meteorite, which they call the "star", struck its location 200 years previous.

No trees or plants could grow around the vicinity after it landed. Dialog from its inhabitants suggests that the village can't have been founded much sooner than Konoha was.
Its leader is the Hoshikage (星影, Star Shadow?), though the leader is a Kage in name only. The other villages do not recognize Hoshigakure as an equal, nor is there any ninja truly worthy of the title.
The meteorite itself is not that large, but it emits a chakra-enhancing radiation. The First Hoshikage was able to devise a training method to allow the ninja in the village to harness the power of the star, allowing the ninja to gain supernatural chakra levels.

Completion of the training allows the user almost unrivaled chakra control, to the point where they can solidify it as a shield or create wings for flight. The training was eventually forbidden by the Third Hoshikage, after he realized the deadly toll the training took on those doing it.
Even if a ninja survived the training, the side effects would eventually kill them. Only Natsuhi and Hotorubi, the parents of Sumaru, managed to survive the training, and both died eventually.

The Third was assassinated by Akahoshi, who became the substitute Hoshikage and reinstated the training. Knowing what the star did, he decided to ignore the effects in the hope of forcing the other villages to accept Hoshigakure.
Team Guy was sent to Hoshigakure as bodyguards for a mission in episodes 178 to 183, and Naruto joins them by bribing Tsunade with sweets. There they meet Sumaru, who hopes to become a worthy Hoshikage.

Naruto empathizes with Sumaru, since their goals, and general situations, are the same. Team Guy and Naruto eventually learn of the secret of the star, and it is destroyed by Naruto after Akahoshi implants it in his own chest.

Iwagakure
Iwagakure (岩隠れの里, Iwagakure no Sato?, literally "Village Hidden Among Rocks") is located in the Land of Earth. As one of the five great ninja villages, Iwagakure has a Kage as leader, the Tsuchikage.
Little is known about it, but it stands to reason that its ninja specialize in earth-based jutsu. In the past, the village was at war with Konohagakure, part of which is seen in the Kakashi Gaiden arc. A large number of their ninja were slain by the Fourth Hokage, so they are not allies of Konoha. Deidara of Akatsuki hails from here.

Kemurigakure

Kemurigakure (煙隠れの里, Kemurigakure no Sato?, literally "Village Hidden in Smoke") is a village alluded to in episode 101 of the anime. Its location is unknown, as are the capabilities of its ninja.
The only three ninja from the village that have appeared were portrayed as rather inept, but this may not be indicative of the overall state of the village. Instead, the three ninja in question could easily be untalented outcasts.

The Smoke Shinobi featured in the episode, who identified themselves as the Moya brothers, were portrayed as bumbling, incompetent ninja who never even tried to perform any jutsu, instead resorting to various underhanded, and seemingly strange, tricks to achieve victory.
Kakashi saved a woman from the leader, refered to as Aniki (this is not his name, it just means big brother), who was trying to wed her by force. After tying them up, Kakashi left with the woman, annoying the leader.

This event is apparently so insignificant that Kakashi could not remember it after meeting them once more. Since Kakashi's intervention would seem to be a product of random chance, it is likely that Kemurigakure is in the Land of Fire, given that smoke is a natural product of fire.
They return several years after the fact to attempt to get revenge on Kakashi using several odd schemes, none of which work.

Kirigakure

Kirigakure (霧隠れの里, Kirigakure no Sato?, literally "Village Hidden in Mist") is one of the five great hidden villages and is located in the Land of Water. Its leader is the Mizukage. Little is known about Kirigakure, except that its ninja specialize in water-based jutsu.
However, it would also seem that many of its ninja wield swords, based on flashbacks in the anime. In the past, the graduation exam for becoming Genin was rather inhumane: students who had been friends, trained together, and ate from the same table, were pitted against one another in fights to the death.

This gruesome method was cut short, however, when Zabuza Momochi, a boy who had failed to pass the preliminary exam to even attend the ninja academy, went mad and killed all of the students in that year's graduating class.
The seven greatest ninja in the village are known as the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist, and each one wields a large and/or unique weapon. Kisame Hoshigaki, Zabuza Momochi, and Raiga Kurosuki, the three known members of the group, all became missing-nin.

Of those three, only Kisame is still alive.
This village was once the home of the famous Kaguya clan, who had a kekkei genkai ability allowing them to control their own bones. The Kaguya clan was wiped out after they went to war on their own village.

The reason for the Kaguya's clan actions was their love for battle and killing. Presumably, the Land of Water was already at peace, which caused the clan to attack their ninja village for their love of battle.

They were soundly defeated, leaving Kimimaro Kaguya as the only survivor.
In chapter 303, this country is briefly referenced by Yamato as "the Village Hidden in the Bloody Mist", a nickname it had gained through its practice of pitting trainees against one another in order to make them into emotionless killing machines.

Yamato contends that Sai was subjected to this method in preparation for serving Danzo's Root division.

Konohagakure
Konohagakure (木ノ葉隠れの里, Konohagakure no Sato?, literally "Village Hidden Among Tree Leaves"), located in the Land of Fire, is the main hidden village in the series and one of the five great villages.

As such, it has a Kage as its leader, known as the Hokage. The majority of the major characters live there, and it is one of the most powerful hidden villages. Its power was severely reduced after Orochimaru's assault, but it continues to accept missions in order to preserve its image.

Kumogakure

Kumogakure (雲隠れの里, Kumogakure no Sato?, literally "Village Hidden Among Clouds") is located in the Land of Thunder. As one of the five great Ninja villages, Kumogakure has a Kage as leader, the Raikage.
In that past, Konohagakure and Kumogakure were at war, and during peace talks, one of the ninja from this village tried to kidnap a member of the Hyuga clan, which resulted in an incident that ended with the death of Neji's father.

Nothing apart from that is known about it at this point, but it stands to reason that its ninja specialize in lightning-based jutsu. It should also be noted that Yugito, the container of the two-tailed demon cat, hails from Kumogakure.

According to Kabuto's information cards, no Cloud ninja participated in the Chunin Exam. Despite this, several Cloud-nin were present in the anime.

Kusagakure

Kusagakure (草隠れの里, Kusagakure no Sato?, literally "Village Hidden Among Grass") is located in the Land of Grass. Nothing apart from that is known about it at this point, but it stands to reason that its ninja specialize in jutsu involving flora or fauna.

Judging from the ninja that have hailed from Kusagakure, it can be assumed that this village is far less pleasant than Konohagakure. Zetsu, of Akatsuki, hails from Kusagakure.
During the second part of the Chunin exam, Orochimaru and his Sound ninja impersonated a three-man Genin team from Kusagakure using a mysterious technique which literally melts the victims' faces off.

This made the unfortunate Grass-nin identifiable only by their ID tags. Later, in the third stage finals of the Chunin exams, two shinobi from Kusagakure were hired to intimidate Gaara into forfeiting his match against Sasuke Uchiha intentionally so their feudal lord would win a bet on the fight.
When Gaara didn't respond, they attacked him, and were killed without hesitation. In a stroke of luck, it is their deaths that kept Gaara from killing Naruto and Shikamaru, since Gaara's bloodlust was satisfied for the moment.

Otogakure

Otogakure (音隠れの里, Otogakure no Sato?, literally "Village Hidden in Sound") is Orochimaru's personal village, founded for the express purpose of collecting ninja for his experiments and quest to learn jutsu.

Three Sound ninja, under Orochimaru's orders, entered the Chunin Exam with the goal of killing Sasuke Uchiha. However, Orochimaru was actually using them as test subjects for Sasuke's power after Orochimaru gave him the cursed seal.
Its ninja used sound-based attacks, using vibration and sound to disrupt the enemy's vision and balance.

Sunagakure

Sunagakure (砂隠れの里, Sunagakure no Sato?, literally "Village Hidden Among Sand") is the hidden village of the Land of Wind. As one of the five great ninja villages, Sunagakure has a Kage as leader, the Kazekage.
Gaara, Temari, and Kankuro are all high-level ninja from the village. The one tailed Shukaku was said to originate here, having been created from a dead priest.

Takigakure

Takigakure (滝隠れの里, Takigakure no Sato?, literally "Village Hidden in a Waterfall") is located in the Land of the Waterfall. It's lead by Shibuki, who seems too much of a coward for the job at first.
Nothing apart from that is known about it at this point, but it stands to reason that its ninja specialize in water-based jutsu. Also, its leader processed a type of water called the Hero Water, which was extracted from a rather old tree.

It gives the user ten times their ordinary chakra level. However, the strain of its use can prove fatal. Kakuzu of Akatsuki hails from this village.
There were six genin participants (twelve in the anime) from Takigakure in the first part of the Chunin exam, none of whom made it to the third stage of the examination.

Tonbogakure

Tonbogakure (蜻蛉れの里, Tonbogakure no Sato?, literally "Village Hidden under the Dragonfly") is a small village introduced in the Konoha 11 filler arc that was located in the Mountain Country.
Thirty years before the series begins, it was at war with Konoha. After a surprise attack by Konoha, they declared a cease-fire. Two days later, however, another village wiped them out.
Only Gennou, who had been in Konoha at the time, survived its destruction.

Yukigakure
Yukigakure (雪隠れの里, Yukigakure no Sato?, literally "Village Hidden Among Snow") is located in the Land of Snow and featured in the first Naruto movie. Little is known about this village at the time.

In the movie, the ninja from this village had a special "chakra armor" which protected them from most attacks while amplifying the user's abilities, and their jutsu arsenal typically used ice in the forms of various animals.
At the end of the movie, the snow is subsequently melted and the country is renamed the Land of Spring. It is unknown what happens to the village.

To perform techniques, ninja need to use their chakra. Chakra comes from two places: (1) the body energy inherent in the trillions of their cells and (2) the mental & spiritual energy gained from exercise and experience. To perform a jutsu, the ninja will bring out and release these two energies. The amount of chakra required for a technique will vary depending upon its size and complexity. Each ninja has the potential to better utilize an elemental Ninjutsu style. For more on elemental chakra and jutsu, click here. For Taijutsu the ninja does not need to necessarily use chakra, as some attacks merely use the stamina required to carry out the attack. For Ninjutsu the ninja's chakra control will determine how much chakra is used on the technique. For ninja with excellent chakra control, they will use the minimum amount with nothing wasted. For ninja with poor chakra control, they will expend more chakra than needed to accomplish their jutsu.

Chakra flows through the body's chakra circulatory system. On a more microscopic level is these channels connecting all the vital points on the body. These small channel pathways travel between the cells of the body. They carry the generated chakra and allow the ninja to mold it. If these channels are severed, it is beyond the ability of even skilled medical ninja to repair. On the large scale the chakra circulatory system travels throughout the body and around the internal organs also responsible for creating chakra. This system includes 361 tenketsu, which are tiny pin points through which the chakra flows. The chakra flow can be increased or decreased by manipulating these tenketsu. The chakra circulatory system is only visible through the use of the Byakugan. The Sharingan can see general chakra flow, but not the internal system itself. The Byakugan and the Hyuuga clan's Juuken (Gentle Fist) attack style allows them to eject their chakra from their hands into the tenketsu of their opponents. This pressure will cause the tenketsu to close and block the flow of chakra. With enough tenketsu closed, the ninja's chakra flow will be almost nothing, eliminating their ability to use jutsu. Also because the system travels throughout the body and around the internal organs, pressure done against the tenketsu will also damage nearby organs. Because a ninja can not train and strengthen their internal organs, such attacks can be devastating.

Using Chakra
Focusing an equal and constant amount of chakra to a portion of the ninja's body allows them to attach their body to the touched object. This would allow them to walk up vertical surfaces. By expelling a continuous set amount from their feet in proportion to their body weight, the ninja can walk on water. Ninja can also focus chakra to specific limbs, which will increase the muscles' power and strength.

Chakra can also be extended from the body for attack and defense. This can take the form of the chakra strings used to manipulate puppets in Kugutsu no Jutsu. It can also be focused to a fine point for cutting, such as in Kabuto's chakra scalpel. It can also be used to form a defensive barrier in Chakra no Tate.

The chakra in the brain and sensory organs are also the primary target of Genjutsu. Genjutsu is created when a ninja extends their chakra flow through the cerebral nervous system of their opponent to control their minds chakra, thereby affecting their five senses. To combat the effects of Genjutsu, there are two options. The first option is for the ninja to stop the flow of chakra in their body, and then apply an even stronger power to disrupt the flow of the casters chakra. The second option is to have an outside ninja unaffected by the Genjutsu make body contact, and use their chakra to disrupt the casters flow.

The Eight Gates
In addition to the tenketsu, the chakra circulatory system houses eight valves responsible for regulating the flow of chakra. The Hachimon or eight gates are located along the spine, the heart and in the ninja's head. It is possible to force the body to open these gates, which allows the ninja to release ten times the usual amount of power. Unfortunately such power comes at a price, as each subsequent gate is opened, the ninja increases the damage to their body and comes closer to death. For this reason gate opening has been deemed Kinjutsu. If all eight gates are opened, the ninja gains power that surpasses the Hokage at the cost of their own life. Also even if the ninja opens fewer gates, if they do not strike a finishing blow against their opponent, they will be severely weakened and very defenseless to a counter attack. It is also unclear whether the ninja has to open all the gates in order, of if they can open a later gate and bypass the previous ones.


[1] Kaimon (Opening Gate)

Releases the brains restraints allowing full power usage of the body's muscles. This is opened to prepare the body to use Omote Renge. This gate is located in the head.

[2] Kyuumon (Rest Gate)

Raises stamina and assists in recovery after being weakened. This gate is located in the head.

[3] Seimon (Life Gate)

Body enters Ura Renge phase, turning their body a shade of red. This gate is located along the spine.

[4] Shoumon (Wound Gate)

Further increases speed and power, usage will begin to tear the body's muscles. This gate is located along the spine.

[5] Tomon (Limit Gate)

Further increases speed and power. This gate is located along the spine.

[6] Keimon (View Gate)

Further increases speed and power, body becomes able to use Asakujaku technique. This gate is located along the spine.

[7] Kyoumon (Wonder Gate)

Further increases speed and power. This gate is located along the spine.

[8] Shimon (Death Gate)

Further increases speed and power, body attains Hokage-level power at the cost of their own life. This gate is located at the heart.
Chakra Types

Yellow/Blue Normal Chakra:

The normal chakra in a ninja's body has been shown two ways. In the manga the normal chakra has been referred to as a yellow color, while in the anime it's always displayed as a light blue.

Red-Orange Kyuubi Jinchuuriki Chakra:

Naruto had the Nine Tailed Demon Bijuu placed inside his body. When the Kyuubi chakra begins to emerge from Naruto, it takes on a red-orange color.

Green Shousen Chakra:

Shousen no Jutsu allows medical ninja to heal wounds by creating a healing chakra in their hands. If the ninja is highly skilled, they are able to heal more critical injuries. In the anime, when the chakra is used it takes on a green color.

Pink-Purple Kujaku Myouhou Modified Chakra:

Meditating around the Hidden Star meteor granted its ninja a special purple chakra. This chakra is reportedly the users own chakra which has been pulled out through training with the meteor.

Purple Orochimaru and Cursed Seal Chakra:

In the anime, Orochimaru's chakra and the chakra pulled out by his curse seals take on a purple color.

White Hatake Chakra:

Using the Hatake family tanto, white chakra would pour forth from both Kakashi and his father Sakumo.
Chakra Modifiers

Hyourougan (Soldier Provision Pill):

The soldier pill is a special medicine full of proteins and stimulants which allow a ninja for fight straight for three days and nights. The pill will temporarily increase their chakra reserves.

Akimichi Hyourougan Pills:

The Akimichi clan developed three pills to increase their chakra in battle. Ingesting each pill grants the clan member more chakra. By ingesting the third and final and pill the clan member will immediately burn off all the calories within their body turning it into chakra, granting them 100 times their normal strength.

Chakra leechers/consumers:

Various techniques and creatures feast on the chakra found in the body. The Aburame clan's Kikaichuu reside in their host’s body in exchange for their chakra. These bugs will also feast on the chakra of the ninja the clan members fight, reducing their effectiveness. Tayuya's Doki also consume the chakra of their targets. Techniques have also been developed to suck out chakra, such as those used by Akadou Yoroi and Jiroubou. Akatsuki member Hoshigaki Kisame wields Samehada, this sword also pulls and consumes chakra.

Jinchuuriki Creation:

"Jinchuuriki" meaning the "power of human sacrifice", are those individuals possessing tailed demons within their bodies. The bijuu are creatures of great power and destruction, and all the ninja nations coveted that power and sought to make it their own as weapons. The hope of Jinchuuriki creation is for the human and the tailed beast to resonate together, thereby granting the human some measure of their immense power and chakra. Each beast appears to interact with their host in unique ways, and grant their host power in different amounts.

Orochimaru's Cursed Seals:

As a form of control, the Sound ninja Orochimaru will place cursed seals on those he wishes to grant more power. The chance of surviving the placing of the cursed seal is one in ten. Once placed the seal will grant the wearer the ability to access their real power. By releasing chakra, the seal becomes active and begins to forcibly pull out more chakra. When the wearer releases the cursed seal to activate the extra chakra, they will lose all their free will permanently over time, transforming the user into Orochimaru's slave.

Hidden Waterfall Hero Water:

This special water from Hidden Waterfall allows a ninja to have a ten-fold increase in chakra for a short period of time. By drinking drops of the water, the ninja of the village could increase their fighting ability to compensate for their villages lack of a strong Kage leader. Unfortunately in exchange for the power, the water also eats away at your life.

Hidden Snow Chakra Control Device:

Hidden Snow developed devices to let them increase and regulate the usage of chakra. This device can suck out the chakra of a captured enemy combatant, eliminating their ability to use jutsu. Elite Snow ninja and Snow leader Dotou also wore armor which enhanced their normal chakra reserves.

Hidden Star Village Meteor:

Approximately 200 years ago, the chakra enhancing meteor struck the Bear Country. Meditating around a meteor grants the ninja a special purple chakra. This chakra is reportedly the users own chakra which has been pulled out through training with the meteor. This chakra will first take the form of feathers which extend from the back of the ninja. These "feathers" resemble that of a peacock. The feathers in turn can be shaped and moved to the ninja's will based upon their seal usage. Because the chakra proves hazardous to the health, few ninja have mastered these techniques, and those that do soon die. The training itself has gone through periods where it was practiced and then forbidden. With the stars eventual destruction, the training and usage of the technique will probably cease.

Academy Student
Academy Students are young ninjas whom primarily focus on studying basic ninja techniques. Since they are usually quite inexperienced and weak, they are not included in the ninja workforce. The requirement to graduate from each academy varies in each village.

Genin
Requirements: Pass academy final exam.
Entry level ranked ninjas are called Genin and are basically peon servants. They attain a metal forehead protector after graduating from the academy into a Genin. Much of the missions assigned to Genin are D-ranked, meaning that it's mere labor work and combat is rarely ever involved.M

Chuunin
Requirements: Pass Chuunin Exam.
Only exceptional ninjas who are able to pass the Chuunin Exam judged by the Kages are allowed to become Chuunins. Chuunins are often assigned higher level ranked missions. They are easily distinguished by their thick, green vest fancying stylish scroll pouches.

Jounin
Requirements: Pass Jounin Exams.
Elite ninjas showing incredible skills are given a Jounin ranking, meaning that they are eligible for high ranked missions such as assassination. Many Jounins lead a group of three Genins and assists them on their missions, preparing them for the Chuunin Exam. They act as a teacher and guidance counselor.

Ninja Councilor
Requirements: Jounin or higher ranking.
These politicians work next to the Kage and make important decisions. Just like most politicians they like to rip everyone off and make a lot of money.

Sannin
Requirements: Appointed by Kage.
Ninjas who possess unmatched strength and skill are ranked right below that of a Kage. A maximum of three Sannin per village are appointed by each Kage. Sannins no longer wear forehead protectors or vests, in order to blend in with common civilians. They are emitted to perform dangerous S-Class missions.

HoKage
Requirements: Appointed by council.
Each village has a single Kage, who is the strongest of all ninjas and the political figurehead whom represents the village. Duties include assigning missions, judging the Chuunin and Jounin Exams, acting as a battle strategist, and finally protecting the city.

Medical-Nin
Requirements: Medicinal training program.
Advanced ninjas who are able to carefully focus their chakra. Thus, enabling them with various medicinal healing techniques. When a Medical-Nin is added to a group, the chance of unnecessary deaths is dramatically reduced.

ANBU
Requirements: ANBU training program.
Elite military squads who enforce vigilance and justice are called ANBU. These guys are incredibly talented and specialize in assassination, investigation, and protection. They are distinguished by their animal mask and silver vest. Think of them as police with ninja skills!

Hunter-Nin
Requirements: Hunter training program.
These are bounty hunter ninjas who primarily specialize in tracking down vigilante criminal ninjas, otherwise known as Missing-Nins. They hold many secret abilities such as being able to completely deconstruct bodies, utterly destroying any secrets which they may hold.

Missing-Nin
Requirements: Piss off your village leaders.
Missing-Nins have either betrayed or abandoned their country in search of ambitions which are often frowned upon. They are often hunted as prey by Hunter-Nins and aren't permitted to enter villages. Missing-Nins are trademarked by the slash cut into their headband across their country's national symbol.

1st Hokage



Name: Hashirama Senju , the First Hokage
Strengths: Herculean Strength, Secret tree Jutsu
Family Members: The 2nd Hokage (Brother), Tsunade (Granddaughter), and Nawaki (Grandson)

Students: Sarutobi the 3rd Hokage (Deceased), Homura, and Koharu the Hokage's advisors
Info: Sixty years ago, Shodai Hokage led a group of Shinobi to a lush forest land and founded the village of Konoha. Unfortunately during that chaotic era, he passed away shortly after the creation of the village. He later returned in the series when Orochimaru resurrected him using the Impure World Resurrection (Kyuchiyose Edo Tensei) and was forced to fight his former disciple. With this jutsu, whoever's soul is sealed will suffer for all eternity in the belly of the Shinigami, never gaining release, hating each other and battling for all of eternity. Shodai Hokage's fighting style is a direct one, preferring to attack the opponent head on in hand to hand combat rather than attack from a distance or rely on jutsus to do his dirty work. Sadly because of this, we only see him use one jutsu. The Secret Tree Element Technique: Birth of the Trees (Mokuton Hijutsu, Jukai Koutan), is a secret technique that (allegedly) only he could use and a number of the large trees growing in Konoha were created with this technique. By using his chakra as a source of life, Shodai Hokage can cause massive trees to grow exponentially fast as well as control their movement whilst they grow. This is particularly useful for ensnaring opponents or wrecking buildings and is truly one of the coolest jutsus ever. When Orochimaru discovered that only those with the bloodline of the 1st Hokage could control Bijuu, he decided to break into the grave of the 1st and steal his DNA. He then implanted the DNA into 52 test children. Only one survived as a clone of the 1st and his name was Yamato.

2nd Hokage


Name: Unknown (Referred to as Nidaime Hokage)
Strengths: Genjutsu, Water Style Jutsus, Agility
Family Members: The 1st Hokage (Brother), Tsunade (Grandniece), and Nawaki (Grandnephew)

Students: Sarutobi the 3rd Hokage (Deceased), Homura, and Koharu the Hokage's advisors
Info: The cofounder and creator of the Konoha, he was the 2nd Hokage. He is the younger brother of the 1st Hokage and took over the role of Hokage when his brother stepped down. The great ninja war broke out afterwards; in his dying moment, Nidaime instructed the future generation to pacify the war and ensure the village's prosperity. He later returned in the series when Orochimaru resurrected him using the Impure World Resurrection (Kyuchiyose Edo Tensei) and was forced to fight his former disciple. The 3rd had to stop his former teacher and used the 4th's Demonic Soul Seal (Fuuinjutsu Shiki Fuujin) sealing his soul into one of his Kage Bunshins. In contrast to his brother, who prefers to assault the enemy head on, Nidaime is a more nimble fighter preferring to capitalize on his speed and agility to catch his opponents off guard. He is also very dangerous at a distance thanks to his prowess with Water Style techniques, and he can even use extremely powerful water attacks in areas with no water nearby, a feat that has yet to be repeated.

3rd Hokage


Name: Sarutobi
Strengths: Knowledge of over 1,000 Jutsus, Genius intelligence, Summoning
Family Members: Konohamaru (Grandson), Asuma Sarutobi (Son)
Students: Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Orochimaru

Info: Sarutobi is a kind old man in every sense of the word; he regards everyone living in Konoha has a family member often acting like a grandfather to his people instead of just their leader. His biggest drive in life is to keep Konoha safe and to keep the people who live there happy. Despite his calm and kindly exterior however, he is an incredibly strong leader with guts and willpower to match. Not much is known about Sarutobi's life before he became Hokage. We do know that as a Jounin he was in charge of training the Gennins that would one day become the 2 Legendary Sennins, Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Orochimaru, and that he pioneered the "get the bells" drill the Kakashi would later employ on Naruto and the rest of team seven. After the 4th Hokage was chosen he decided to retire and let the 4th run the village, but after the 4th died fighting Kyuubi Sarutobi took the position of Hokage once again. It was because of his leadership skills that lead Konoha to victory and peace against both the Earth and Thunder countries. He took great interest in Orochimaru as a student because of Orochimaru's genius and hoped he would someday inherit the title of Hokage and rule the village justly. This dream blinded him from seeing Orochimaru's inner malice until one day Orochimaru was caught experimenting on Konoha ninjas trying to create in immortality jutsu. Even when confronted by this evidence, Sarutobi still couldn't bring himself to kill his former student and Orochimaru escaped to wreck havoc later. Prior to the Wind and Sound country's invasion of Konoha he was planning on staying in office for 5 more years before choosing a 5th Hokage, but that plan was never realized do to his defeat at Orochimaru's hands, but even in defeat the 3rd managed to save his homeland by stealing the life-force from Orochimaru's hands which rendered them useless, and him jutsu-less. Being a master of over 1,000 jutsus, including every secret jutsu in Konoha, Sarutobi has a pretty nice arsenal of moves to choose from, though he seems to favor fire and earth style jutsus. This is most likely due to the fact the fire jutsus are Konoha's specialty and the fact that he spent a great deal of time fighting against enemy ninjas from the earth country, thus he has a great deal of experience with them. But his arsenal alone is not what makes him so dangerous, it's the way he uses and combines them that lead to him being called the most powerful Hokage of all time (at least, when he was in his prime). An example of this was seen in his fight with Orochimaru wherein he combined the Earth Style; Earth Dragon Missile (Doton, Doryuudan), a jutsu that causes a dragon head of mud to rise up and spit mud missiles at the opponent, with the Fire Dragon Missile (Karyuudan) which causes the user to breath intends flames, to create missiles of molten lava. Like most upper level Shinobis, Sarutobi also knows the Summoning Jutsu (Kyuichose No Jutsu); in his case he is able to summon monkeys. The only one of whom we've seen him summon (and most likely the strongest of the monkeys) is Enma, the eldest Monkey a.k.a. The Monkey God, King Enma. While he's not as large as some of the other Kyuichose No Jutsu animals, Enma's extremely tough, as he is able to physically fend off a Kage level opponent without too much difficulty. His true power though, is his unique ability to transform into a black and gold Bo staff called the "Free Forming Diamond pole," (Kongou Nyoi). As its name suggests this weapon is as hard as a diamond and can adjust its size and length at will. not only that, but since Enma is the actual weapon itself he/it can move around completely unaided, he can also multiply himself and cause his eyes and arms to sprout from anywhere on the pole.



As a last resort Sarutobi has the ability to call on the most power and most dangerous jutsu created by the 4th Hokage, the Demonic Soul Seal (Fuuinjutsu Shiki Fuujin). This is the same technique the 4th used to seal Kyuubi inside Naruto's body so the sheer power of this jutsu is beyond compare. This Jutsu allows the user to call upon a Shinigami or "Death God" which joins with the actions of the user. Shinigami reaches into an outline of a soul in front of him which is actually the user. When the user grabs the victim, the Shinigami extends his hand through the soul outline and comes out from the stomach of the user. The Shinigami's hand goes into the enemy's stomach where from it literally rips the soul out. After the soul is pulled back into the user, the user says "Fuuin" (Seal) this completes the seal of the soul in the user's body. This can be used until the user runs out of energy, and since it is a sealing jutsu, there is a price. The user pays the price with his life, which death devours. The souls of both the user and the target are kept in the belly of the Shinigami, and will suffer for all eternity in the belly of the Shinigami never gaining release, hating each other and battling for all of eternity. Apparently if the soul is not completely extracted from the body, Death can cut part of it and seal just the part which he has grasped. In Orochimaru's case this was his arms, which are now lifeless and unusable.

4th Hokage



Name: Namikaze Minato
Strengths: (the time Space Ninjutsu) Hiraishin no Jutsu - Flying Thunder God Technique, Rasengan
Family Members: Naruto Uzumaki, Uzumaki Kushina
Students: Kakashi Hatake, Rin, Obito Uchiha

Info: Sadly we haven't seen much of this Konoha legend in action so most info on him comes from the testimony of other characters in the story. All we really know about Minato is that he was the Jounin who trained Kakashi and that he was the one who defeated Kyuubi by sealing him inside Naruto's body. The most dangerous thing about Minato was his insane speed gained thanks to his Body Flicker Jutsu (Shunshin no Jutsu). This jutsu instantly transports him to anyplace he wants, hence the nickname "Yellow Flash of Konoha" and can be used over long distances as long as he knows exactly where he's going. Another jutsu that Minato uses involes special kunais.



These kunais are made so wherever they are throw, the 4th Hokage can immediately teleport to its location. This technique is particularly effective on large numbers of enemies; Minato will simply distribute his special kunai to ally ninja and tell them to throw them at different targets at the same time, then simply teleport to the location and finish off his opponents. This attack can literally defeats a whole army almost instantly. Minato is also one of only four people in the Naruto world able to use the Rasengan, as well as its creator. While we don't know the peculiars of the Rasengan's birth, we do know it took Minato three years to perfect the technique. Based on Gamabunta's testimony we also know that Minato was able to use the Summoning Jutsu (Kyuichose No Jutsu) to summon frogs just like his teacher. As a last resort Minato has the ability to call on the most power and most dangerous Jutsu that he himself created, the Demonic Soul Seal (Fuuinjutsu Shiki Fuujin), the Jutsu that sealed Kyuubi inside Naruto. This Jutsu allows the user to call upon a Shinigami or "Death God" which joins with the actions of the user. Shinigami reaches into an outline of a soul in front of him which is actually the user. When the user grabs the victim, the Shinigami extends his hand through the soul outline and comes out from the stomach of the user. The Shinigami's hand goes into the enemy's stomach where from it literally rips the soul out. After the soul is pulled back into the user, the user says "Fuuin" (Seal) this completes the seal of the soul in the user's body. This can be used until the user runs out of energy, and since it is a sealing Jutsu, there is a price. The user pays the price with his life, which death devours. The souls of both the user and the target are kept in the belly of the Shinigami, and will suffer for all eternity in the belly of the Shinigami never gaining release, hating each other and battling for all of eternity. However in the 4th's case he somehow moved Kyuubi's soul into Naruto's body instead of into the Shinigami's stomach, it is presently unknown exactly how he accomplished this, but it's a good thing he did.

5th Hokage


Name: Tsunade
Strengths: Medical Jutsu, Summoning, Insane Physical Strength, Giant Knockers
Family Members: The 1st Hokage (Grandfather), Nawaki (Brother)
Students: Shizune, Haruno

Info: Despite growing up during the great ninja wars, Tsunade's younger days were pleasant ones, ninja training with Jiraiya and Orochimaru (who was still a creep back then, but not yet an evil one), living with her little brother, Nawaki (who bears a slight resemblance to Naruto), etc., life was good. Things started to change on Nawaki's 12th birthday, when Tsunade gave him a very special present, a rare stone belonging to their grandfather the 1st Hokage. Nawaki was of course extremely happy to get this as he too dreamed of one day becoming Hokage and protecting Konoha* just like their Grandfather did. Shortly after that day Nawaki was killed, the only details we are given regarding his death are that it happened on some mission and it was really messy, but it is suspicious that Orochimaru ended up in possession of the necklace until



Tsunade arrived to see the damage. After Nawaki's death, Tsunade went to government meetings began to push for the training of medical ninjas to be included in squads to reduce the deaths of Konoha ninjas. Her idea was promptly rejected, not because of lack of interest in her ideas, but lack of time and resources needed to train medical ninjas. One Jounin however, stood up of the idea as he had just lost his little sister in a raid on the village, but to no avail. After that meeting, Tsunade and Dan the Jounin became very close, so close in fact, that the night before the two were to leave on a huge mission Tsunade presented him with the necklace that had belonged to her brother (and grandfather) because Dan too wanted to become Hokage to keep others from feeling the pain he felt after losing his sister. Sadly, during the mission Dan was severely wounded and in the end the bled to death as Tsunade tried desperately to close the wound. From that night on, Tsunade developed a paralyzing fear of blood due to the fact that she was covered with the stuff after Dan bled to death. She also became disenchanted with the life of a ninja and left Konoha with her apprentice Shizune. Many years later, after the death of the 3rd

Kame House:
This is the 1st training place in Dragonball. After Goku, Bulma, Yamcha, Oolong, and Puar defeated pilaf, Goku headed to Master Roshi's house: "The Kame House". Goku and Krillin were trained here to improve there skills. The Kame House isn't really that interesting you only get to be trained by Master Roshi and that is by doing some assignments wich improves skills.
People who have trained here: Goku and Krillin.

King Kai's Planeet:
People who are dead and spent their life defending their planet may keep their body in the other world and strong fighters may also train with King Kai. King Kai is a martial artist who teaches you the kaio ken technique and the spirit bomb with the help of Bubbles and Gregory. you have to catch Bubbles (This is a fast monkey and the planets gravity is 10x earths). And you have to hit Gregory on the head with a very large hammer (This is a speedy cricket). And if you succeed in doing this you will recieve the special training of King Kai.
People who have trained here: Goku, Yamcha, Tien, Chiao-Tsu and Piccolo.

Kami's Lookout:
On this lookout you get to deal with Kami (and his assistant Mr Popo). First you get a training of Kami which increases strength and speed. If you are strong enough you get to go in the Pendulum Room, where you (in your thoughts) go back in time and fight with very strong people from the past. If you lose (by dieing) you will just wake up and stand in the room like nothing happened but you feel that you became stronger.
People who have trained here: Yamcha, Tien and Chiao-Tsu.

Gravity Chamber:
The Gravity Chamber invented by Mr Brief who had to enlarge the spaceship of Goku so he could train in it during his trip to Namek. He didn't just increase the space but also added the ability to train under another gravity level up to 400 x normal than Earths . Goku trained in there with 100x earths normal gravity . In the Trunks saga the spaceship belongs to Vegeta who trained under 400x earths normal gravity. In the Great Saiyaman saga he even made 500x.
People who have trained here: Goku, Vegeta, Trunks and Yamcha.

Hyperbolic Time Chamber:
The Time Chamber is a large and endless room where the air is thick and the temperature can change at any rate and any time. The chamber has 2 parts, 1 is a house with all the needed accomodations and the 2nd part of the Time Chamber is the training place. Goku was the first to train in there when he was a little boy, but he didn't even last longer than 1 month. In the Cell saga Vegeta and Future Trunks trained in it and stayed in there for 25 hours! Longer than 1 year in the chamber. After them Goku and Gohan went in there but missed out 3 hours of earth time. Picollo also lasted 1 year in there. Trunks and Goten went in there as boys to learn the fusion beter. Buu also enters eventually but escapes after rupturing time and space after yelling so hard, after Piccolo blew up the Chamber from the inside as a last effort to save the world.
People who have trained here: Goku, Future Trunks, Vegeta, Gohan, Piccolo, Trunks, Goten and Majin Buu.

The World Of The Kai's:
This isn't a real training place but this planet was used for training to defeat Majin Buu. Shin took Gohan as the first mortal in the world of the Kai's to free the Z Sword and train with it.
People who have trained here: Gohan and the Kai's.

The Dragon Ball AF myth (in addition to many other, similar rumors with varying letter-combinations) seems to have begun in 1997, shortly after Dragon Ball GT ended in Japan. At the time, the supposed "GT sequel" was nameless, and the rumors relatively localized and short-lived. However, a piece of fan art began circulating around the Internet in 2000, bearing a logo reading "Dragon Ball AF", and promoting the supposedly new Super Saiyan 5 form. It was the inclusion of this logo that appeared to give it credence among some fans. In October of the same year, a lengthy article appeared on the now-defunct fansite Majin.com, which raised the image's profile even further. This article purported to have "information" on the "new series" from a "source in Japan", though it was largely self-contradictory; it is not entirely clear, however, whether the article's author was being serious or tongue-in-cheek. Although the webmaster later recanted his claims, the rumors had already grown beyond his control, and the site ceased to be updated to mointnay.

Thus, at the end of 2000, there began a new flurry of speculation and hearsay that grew over time into different rumors that exist even as of today. Interestingly, despite the dramatic changes the rumors have undergone since the original Majin.com article (not to mention the obvious lack of a new Dragon Ball series since 1997), the myth of Dragon Ball AF has endured to the present day among many non-Japanese fans. However, the reason for the rumor's popularity most likely stems from a more-or-less constant influx of new fans, who are unaware that there is no new Dragon Ball in production.


The Daizenshuu EX Dragon Ball AF "April Fools'" print advertisement.In 2004, the noted Dragon Ball fansite Daizenshuu EX played upon the long-standing rumors in an April Fools' prank.[1] While not the first time that a fansite has "announced" the series as a joke (it is a tradition that goes back to April 2001), their version was certainly the most elaborate: both a printed flyer and a commercial were made using existing artwork, and a new logo was created in Adobe Photoshop. The prank, from its conception to its execution, is documented as an in-depth feature on Daizenshuu EX. Both the "flyer" and "commercial" were full of hints (in Japanese) that they were not genuine, though many fans who did not know Japanese were quick to believe them wholeheartedly, in spite of the date. Although well-intended and well-done, this hoax caused quite a bit of confusion, helping to increase (at least temporarily) the already-rampant amount of fan speculation. Both the logo and flyer created by the webmasters of Daizenshuu EX have since appeared, bereft of their original context, on other websites. Those who are unaware of this prank may then be even more likely to believe in the rumors, an unintended consequence of the ease with which information is disseminated over the Internet. The flyer turned out to be rather self-referential in its humour, e.g. under the logo it reads "It's true! I heard it from a friend!"


Rumors about Dragon Ball AF are chiefly spread through Internet forums and IRC, as well as Usenet and ordinary word-of-mouth. Those who read or hear these rumors may then set up web pages that serve to further propagate the myth. There are many supposed bits of "information" about the series, most of which stem from fans believing that fan art or fan fiction is from an official source. Fans have also embroidered upon the legend themselves, by adding new plot points and characters as they see fit. They likely mean such ideas to be mere speculation or wishful thinking, only to have their comments taken at face-value by others. Dragon Ball AF has been claimed, at various times by various individuals, to be a new or upcoming anime in Japan, a new manga series by Akira Toriyama himself, or a fan-made dōjinshi. The latter is probably the closest to the truth, but whether such fan-comics are the cause of the rumors or a product thereof is unknown.

Lack of validity

Within the realm of officially-licensed properties (those which are produced by or with the approval of Bird Studio, Shueisha, and Toei Animation), Dragon Ball AF simply does not exist. Any DBAF dojinshi, should they even exist, occupy the same legal status as fan fiction and fan art. There has been no new Dragon Ball material from Japan since 1997, other than the perfect edition manga (released 2002-2004) and the Dragon Box DVD boxed sets (released 2003-2006), which collect previously-existing material with some new artwork, but no new story arcs. Toriyama has publicly stated that he has no intentions of continuing the series (which he finished in 1995), though he has drawn a parody series, Neko Majin, in which several Dragon Ball characters appear, as well as a one shot Dragon Ball /One Piece crossover manga collaboration with One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda entitled Cross Epoch, which came out in December 2006.

The Dragon Ball fansite Daizenshuu EX has created a specifically-designed list[2] of the features of AF that should disprove its existence to the especially obstinate. These are:

Lack of advertising in Japanese media.
This point includes print sources (such as the Japanese Shonen Jump), TV ads, and official Japanese websites. Since Dragon Ball is well-known throughout Japan, a sequel series would not be released unpromoted, nor would it go unnoticed by the Japanese population. Daizenshuu EX took advantage of this fact, however, as part of its 2004 April Fool's joke, creating both a "print ad" and a "TV commercial" from other sources. This material, bereft of its context, has since been cited as "evidence" for the existence of AF.

Lack of official announcements by Toriyama, Shueisha, or Toei Animation.
Tying in to the idea of "advertising" above, none of the official Japanese sources of Dragon Ball material have come forward with any news on the scale of AF. Such a series would warrant at least a comment, if not an elaborately-staged introduction, from one or more of these entities. Of course, this has not stopped fans from claiming that such an announcement has already taken place (though there is no record of one ever occurring).

Lack of articles, previews, or reviews of the series, in Japanese magazines or online blogs.
Note, however, that some Japanese fans have taken to commenting on the AF phenomenon outside of Japan, and this may be regarded as commentary on the "series" itself by those who do not speak Japanese. Indeed, the language barrier has often been a source of obfuscation, both for those who would believe the rumors, and those whose goal is to spread them further.

Lack of scans from manga releases or screen captures / movie clips from new episodes.
While many "faked" images (generally produced as humorous commentary on the rumors, or outside of AF but incorporated into it accidentally) do exist, there are no raw manga scans or unaltered screenshots available, anywhere. Particularly good artwork may be mistakenly viewed as "promotional art," but no media from within the manga/anime exists. Therefore, the burden of proof is on those who claim they own the series to put forth something they cannot possibly have (calls for such individuals to show whatever material they have are usually met by excuses or ad-hominem attacks).

Lack of scanlations or fansubs.
Ethical and legal issues aside, a series as popular as Dragon Ball would not long remain without a fan-translated version. The methods of digital distribution are such that it would be virtually impossible not to find such materials, even in a casual search. Neither of these two things exists, however.

Lack of official merchandise.
Dragon Ball is, and always has been, heavily marketed commercially. In Japan, a multitude of items, from action figures, to snacks, CDs, stationery, desks, and even children's eyedrops, have been sold as Dragon Ball products or endorsed by characters from the series. The lack of official AF merchandise, then, is a strong indicator that such a series does not in fact exist.

Official denial by both Viz Media and FUNimation.
Such denials would run counter to the financial interests of both of these companies (the distributors of Dragon Ball manga and anime in the US) were the rumors to be true. It is highly unlikely that they would categorically dismiss a property that could make them millions of dollars.