Interlude: Clear Ups On…
Power Levels
This will be from when the chuunin exams in the regular Naruto timeline starts. I've scourged the pages for some sort of ranking, and I've ended up with this. It was originally for my own reference, but I've decided that it'd be good for readers to have a reference as well. Of course, this will not be 100% accurate, as obviously some people are simply more suited to fighting other people, and the 'weakest' ninja might be able to defeat someone 8 ranks higher than them because they have a special ability which just happens to be the higher ranked ninja's weakness. However, this ranking is created to the best of my ability and will be a rough estimate of where everyone's aptitude lies. So… I hope that it helps.
Lowest Ability
I
I
I
V
Highest Ability
Gennin Level
Choji
Ino, Sakura
Hinata
Kiba
Tenten
Chuunin Level
Kankuro, Temari, Shikamaru, Shino
Iruka
Mizuki
Lee
Naruto, Sasuke, Neji
Gaara
Jounin Level
Kurenai
Haku
Zabuka
Asuma
Kakashi, Gai
Kage Level
Akatsuki (excluding Pain and Madara)
Danzo
The Sannin
Kage
Pain/Nagato
Madara
ANBU to my understanding can be any level ranging from chuunin to jounin; the only difference is that they do covert missions instead of regular ones, and have the Hokage's trust.
Note on Itachi's Power Level: I believe that the only reason Itachi defeated Orochimaru (who is a Sannin) and Kakashi (who became a candidate for Hokage) so easily was because he had the element of surprise on his side in the form or Mangekyou. Mangekyou is also one of Itachi's best moves. Reading the chapter on Itachi's return again, it seems almost like Itachi was a little scared of Kakashi, and therefore right away used Mangekyou so as not to have a prolonged fight. The time that it takes to end a fight doesn't necessarily indicate how 'easy' or 'hard' the fight was. So with Mangekyou, Itachi is just below Pain and above a Kage, however without it Itachi is the same level as the rest of Akatsuki.
Ninja Ranks in Konoha
If about nine civilians are made genin every year, and the young and old average out to about 30 years of service for a ninja… that'd make about 270 ninjas in Konoha's force at all times. The promotions during war and the losses of the Kyuubi attack evens out, as do early deaths and long lives. Therefore, with the rate of promotion taken in account, Konoha's current force is…
135 genin
75 chuunin
40 jounin
35 ANBU
Final Note: If anyone finds any of this information disagreeable, or have someone to add whom I've missed, please inform me with an appropriate amount of reasoning of why someone should be placed somewhere. This is for the reader's reference, and I would like this to be as accurate as possible. Thank you.
