Village Hierarchy

Though there are eight villages of the Edo period and each one is inherently different or not so different from another, the eight Danchō of any given time have agreed upon one thing: a universal hierarchy.

Hierarchy
The hierarchy has somewhat of a simple pyramid principle that will be further explained below from top-to-bottom of the pyramid.

Danchō: The so-called Village Leader. He/she is normally the village's top-rated shinobi or otherwise that's strong enough and smart enough to not only lead the village but also defend it from harm. If ever there was always someone to be counted on within the village, the Danchō is supposed to be that person. In times of war and times of peace, though the demands of their appointed office would differ, they'd still be required to take on the responsibility and work diligently. If the Village Council is ever in need of a tiebreaker, normally the one playing that part will be the Danchō. The Danchō is also always expected to represent the selfless, collective interests of the village they lead and clans thereof. While the Danchō has no immediate power or control over the clans, when it comes to the needs of the village and the challenges it faces, the Danchō is the one to assume control and respond accordingly.

Hyōgi-in: A Hyōgi-in also known as a Councilor is a member of his/her Village Council; the legislative body that also reigns over the village. Most of the decisions of the legislature are based upon majority rule, making their approach more democratic as every clan is represented in the Village Council, with one Hyōgi-in possessing a single vote for their clan. Hyōgi-in are usually Clan Heads representing their clan as a whole, however, this may not always be the case if the Clan Head's clansmen deem him/her weak, incompetent or unable to represent their clan properly, in which case the Clan Head can be voted out by the leaders of his/her clan to put in place a new Hyōgi-in. The political power most characteristic of the Hyōgi-in is that they are able to veto as well as vote to impeach the presiding Danchō; so the Danchō is normally someone that is well-liked or at least trusted by every clan in a village. It can take time for a new Danchō to be decided upon for that very reason.

Marshal/Strategist:  The clan Marshal and Strategist are two different ranks that share equal importance in the infrastructure of each clan. The Marshal is responsible for military action within the clan. During wartime, the Marshal will assume the role of field commander. He/She is also responsible for regimenting those who are able to properly fight within the clan as it will fall on him/her if the warriors of his/her clan aren't prepared for war. Whereas the Marshal is a vital role during wartime, the Strategist is a vital role for peacetime. It's the responsibility of the Strategist to ensure that the interests of his/her clan are rightfully served and that war and hostility are avoided, contained or at the very least controlled. During wartime however, if it becomes the inevitable outcome, the Strategist assumes the role of High Command and coordinates the warriors of his/her clan indirectly.

Jōnin: The Jōnin are a village's most highly trained shinobi or otherwise and due to their knowledge and skill they are often assigned with posts in leadership commonly as squad captains, teachers or  government officials. On the field, Jōnin are trusted with a village's highest level assignments and some are even employed as Special Jōnin to accomplish specific tasks that require specific skills they've mastered, or more commonly, were born with.

Chūnin: The Chūnin serve as the standard for shinobi and otherwise of the eight villages. They are commonly employed on all levels of assignments either alone or in squads for higher level assignments. In this way, Jōnin can remain at their posts within the village while the numerous Chūnin can be sent out on missions that need to be dealt with but aren't a top priority or national threat. Fewer Chūnin may be selected to employ their skills as teacher aides in order to help better teach the students.

Genin: The Genin are those shinobi who are fresh out of the academy. They are assigned to squads of five: three other Genin and a squad captain that may either be a Jōnin or more uncommonly a Chūnin. Squads may consist of three Genin, a Chūnin and a Jōnin squad captain should a setup be deemed necessary over the course of a mission. These squads are used to further develop a shinobi's skills as well as provide him/her with knowledge on how to maximize a squad's combined strengths to increase the odds of a successful mission.

Below the Genin are Academy Students, however, the duration of an Academy Students' training or attendance at their village academy varies upon personal development and involvement with the role-play. Therefore, not every role-player may be required to start out as an Academy Student if it isn't deemed necessary.