Root


 * Name:
 * Leader: Danzo
 * Known Members: Sai, Hyō, Shin
 * Affiliation: ANBU, Konohagakure
 * Status: Active, though officially disbanded

The Foundation is a Konohagakure ANBU training department that was founded by Danzo. They carry out missions that Danzo believes will benefit Konoha. Unlike normal ANBU, they carry a tipless Tanto instead of a Katana. This is an extremely strict group, since Danzo trained the members to lose their emotions. Each member has a codename and never reveal their true name. Even the members seem to not know their original names, as they were orphans adopted into the training.

Each member of the Foundation has a Cursed Seal imprinted on their tongue by Danzo, near the back of their throat, which will paralyze their entire body if they try to speak anything about Danzo, rendering them unable to speak nor move. This is to prevent interrogations for information or betrayal. Sakura Haruno noted that she felt this method is awful.

Crush the Rain Rebels

 * Assigned to: Presumed all
 * Outcome: Failure

Danzo made an alliance with Amegakure's leader, Hanzo, to help him crush the rebel group led by Yahiko. In turn, Hanzo would help Danzo become Hokage. He helped him capture Konan and both of them forced Nagato to choose who would die. In the end, Nagato killed all the Foundation members there in his rage.

Infiltrating Orochimaru's Hideout

 * Assigned to: Sai
 * Outcome: Failure

Danzo assigns Sai to Team 7, which goes on a mission to find Sasuke Uchiha. During the course of the mission Sai approaches Orochimaru, Sasuke's benefactor, on Danzo's behalf. He offers to have the Foundation work together with Orochimaru in destroying Konoha. When Orochimaru accepts and takes Sai back to his hideout, Sai's true mission begins: to kill Sasuke as a traitor to the village. Sai, having befriended teammate Naruto Uzumaki, was unwilling to complete this task.

Conquer the Leaf

 * Assigned to: Presumed all
 * Outcome: Success; Danzo made Hokage

During Pain's attack on Konoha, Danzo keeps the members of the Foundation from helping in the village's defense, hoping that Pain's actions will allow him to take the title of Hokage. Following the Invasion Danzo is elected as the Sixth Hokage. Sai is the only member known not to be among the group, as he is with Anko Mitarashi and Tenzo hunting for Kabuto Yakushi.

Observing Naruto

 * Assigned to: Sai
 * Outcome: Ongoing

After Danzo was elected by the Daimyo to become Hokage, he ordered Sai to keep an eye on Naruto, and anything out of the ordinary is to be reported at once. This is because Danzo still requires the votes of the Jonins to be officially Hokage, and that he needs to keep Naruto, who is now considered a hero of the village, in check, due to his status as a Jinchūriki, without doing anything to Naruto that may cause him (Danzo) to lose favor.