Sasuke Uchiha

However, this peace was short-lived. Hashirama died during the war, shortly after the village began to flourish, and the mantle of Hokage was passed onto his brother, Tobirama Senju, who became the Second Hokage. Tobirama would later be killed by Kinkaku during the same war, but appointed Hiruzen Sarutobi as Third Hokage shortly before his death. Years later, during the Second Shinobi World War, Hiruzen led Konoha's forces against Iwa and Suna, using Amegakure as their battleground. Ame's leader, Hanzō, also fought Konoha a number of times, and during one of these battles gave Hiruzen's students - Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Orochimaru - the title of Sannin. During the Third Shinobi World War, Konoha fought the ninja of Iwagakure across Kusagakure. Konoha was almost defeated, but Minato Namikaze and his team helped turn the war back in their favour. After the end of the Third Shinobi World War, Hiruzen chose Minato to replace him as Fourth Hokage. Soon after Minato took office, however, a masked man kidnapped Minato's wife, the current Nine-Tails jinchūriki Kushina Uzumaki, after she had given birth to their son Naruto Uzumaki and removed it from her body, which he then used to attack Konoha. Minato was able to defeat the man, but the Nine-Tails proved more difficult. Left with few options, Minato and Kushina gave their lives to seal the Nine-Tails into the body of their newborn son. Many ninja died defending the village, and most survivors blamed Naruto for the Nine-Tails' actions. Hiruzen, Hokage again, outlawed all mention of the Nine-Tails so that future generations would not hate Naruto as their parents did. Hyūga Affair: Main article: Hyūga Affair The Hyūga Affair (日向の件, Hyūga no Ken) — as the incident is known nowadays in Kumogakure — happened three years after the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox's Attack on Konohagakure, while the said village and Kumogakure were at war. In an attempt to put an end to the fighting, they agreed to a peace treaty to be signed on the date which coincided with Hinata Hyūga's third birthday. The treaty was soon revealed to might be nothing more than a cover when the Head Ninja of Kumogakure at the time — who was in Konoha to sign the treaty — attempted to kidnap Hinata in order to obtain the Byakugan and its secrets. The shinobi was killed in his attempt by Hinata's father, Hiashi Hyūga. Uchiha Clan Downfall: Uchiha Clan Massacre: Konoha's leadership believed an Uchiha was responsible for the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox's attack, and as such cut off the Uchiha from much of the village's affairs. Angered by this mistreatment, many of the Uchiha began plotting a coup d'état that would wrest control of Konoha. However, some Uchiha saw the dangers from such a venture. One such figure was Itachi Uchiha, who became a spy for Konoha's leadership. After peace talks failed, Danzō Shimura ordered Itachi to wipe out his clan in exchange for being allowed to spare his younger brother, Sasuke. Itachi, with assistance from Tobi, did as instructed, but staged events to seem as though he acted alone and for selfish purposes so that Sasuke would someday take vengeance against him for what he did to their family. During Part I, Konoha is the site of the Chūnin Exams. During the exams' final stage the village is invaded by Otogakure and Sunagakure ninja, an attempt to end the peace and prosperity that Konoha alone has enjoyed since the Third Shinobi World War. The invaders are repelled, but Konoha suffers heavy casualties, including Hiruzen. Although Tsunade quickly replaces him as Fifth Hokage, recovery for the rest of Konoha's military forces is slow. The village is understaffed until Part II, leaving it unable to properly respond to events occurring in the interim such as Sasuke Uchiha's defection. More than three years after the failed Konoha Crush, the Six Paths of Pain of Akatsuki attack Konoha in an effort to capture Naruto. Konoha's forces have some success while fighting the Pains individually, but can do nothing to stop the village's destruction by Pain's Shinra Tensei. Naruto returns to Konoha shortly afterwards and defeats Pain before confronting Nagato, the man behind Pain. After Naruto convinces him that his actions were wrong, Nagato gives his life to revive everyone that died during the invasion. Tsunade is left in a coma from exhausting herself in protecting Konoha from Pain, causing Danzō Shimura to temporarily take office as her replacement. Danzō oversees the start of the village's lengthy rebuilding process and deals with the immediate aftermath of Pain's attack. The villagers decided to rebuilt their village in the same place instead of a new area as they felt Konoha is where the Hokage Rock is. Because of Akatsuki's growing aggression, the ninja villages decide to form an Allied Shinobi Forces to oppose Akatsuki in the Fourth Shinobi World War. Danzō is killed shortly after the Alliance is agreed upon, but Tsunade wakes from her coma in time to start overseeing the war efforts. Despite still being under construction, Konoha is used as a haven for refugees fleeing countries where much of the fighting is expected to take place. By the time the war is won, most of the village has been restored. As a result of the war, Konoha's population suffered greatly, but it gradually recovered. Post-War. Konoha New Era. Konoha fifteen years after the Fourth Shinobi World War. During the Sixth and Seventh Hokage's era, the hidden village that was Konoha had stopped being hidden and instead become the first metropolitan area in the Land of Fire. Stores which had been in business since the village's founding grew into 24 hour businesses, and due to condos housing hundreds of people, it brought in more immigrants. Konoha's population eventually turned prominently non-shinobi, due to the Academy introducing a general studies department, with its ninjutsu department falling below quota in the peaceful era. Military budget was considered to be lowered in order to focus on other projects, leading to decreased funding for organisations such as the Anbu. The village expanded to the land behind the Hokage Rock and installed the Thunder Rail throughout the village, leading to Konoha being regarded as a city rather than a village. Konoha Destroyed. Konoha destroyed again. Fifteen years after the Fourth Shinobi World War, Konoha held the first Five Great Shinobi Countries co-sponsor Chūnin Exams, during which the final exam venue was attacked and destroyed by Momoshiki Ōtsutsuki, resulting in the Seventh Hokage briefly being abducted. Sixteen years after the war, Isshiki Ōtsutsuki infiltrated the village, which resulted in a small amount of casualties. Three years after Isshiki's assault, much of the village including the Hokage Rock and the city behind it has been destroyed. Kumogakure (雲隠れの里, Kumogakure no Sato, English TV: Hidden Cloud Village, literally meaning: Village Hidden by Clouds) is the hidden village of the Land of Lightning and was founded by the First Raikage. As the village of one of the Five Great Shinobi Countries, Kumogakure has a Kage as its leader known as the Raikage, of which there have been five in its history. The village is located in a range of tall mountains, and is literally hidden in the clouds. The Raikage works in a large blue structure built into the tallest mountain. The standard attire for Kumo shinobi consists of a long, grey top which gathers just at the waist to give a sash-like appearance, with a matching coloured bottom. Over this they wear white, one-strapped flak jackets and arm as well as shin-guards. Many Kumogakure ninja use Lightning Release techniques. History: Kumogakure was founded after the Warring States Period by the First Raikage. Shortly after the formation of their villages, Konoha's First Hokage sold tailed beasts to Kumo as a sign of friendship and to ensure a balance of power amongst their new villages. The Second Raikage and Second Hokage later tried to formally agree to peace between their villages, but the ceremony was interrupted by the Gold and Silver Brothers and the Hokage was nearly killed. Konoha and Kumo ended up on opposing sides during the First Shinobi World War, with Kumo's Kinkaku Force killing the Second Hokage. Decades later, during the Third Shinobi World War, Kumo and Konoha would fight again, often with A on Kumo's side and Minato Namikaze on Konoha's. Following the death of the Third Raikage in a battle against 10,000 opposing shinobi, A succeeded him as the Fourth. Despite becoming one of the Five Great villages Kumo has gained a rather shameless reputation, always prioritising their military might by any means. While a peace treaty was formed between all the villages to cut back on military budget and reduce the sizes of their forces during times of peace, Kumo secretly did not honour the agreement, seeing this as a chance to ensure that no other village can ever have an upper hand should hostilities later resume. Kumo's efforts to amass power would often entail stealing secrets and even kidnapping shinobi from other villages. The Third Tsuchikage notes that other villages learning of this behaviour and deception only provoked the other villages to employ similar tactics in kind. Several years before the Third Shinobi World War, Kumo shinobi kidnapped Kushina Uzumaki from Konoha in order to study her unique chakra, but were foiled by Minato Namikaze. A few years after the Third Shinobi World War, Kumo sent its Head Ninja to Konoha to sign a peace treaty, a cover for an attempt to acquire the Byakugan by kidnapping Hinata Hyūga. When the Head Ninja was killed by Hiashi Hyūga in the attempt, the village still tried to obtain the Byakugan by feigning knowledge of their soldier's actions and threatening war unless Hiashi's body was turned over to make up for the Head Ninja's death. In what would be called the Hyūga Affair, Hiashi's twin was given to Kumo instead, as his Byakugan was sealed upon death and making it worthless. In the anime, Kumo made another attempt to acquire the Byakugan amidst the Konoha Crush, but failed yet again thanks to the efforts of Hiashi and Neji Hyūga. One other method of securing power has been the tailed beasts. In the early days of the village, before buying tailed beasts from Konoha, Kumo sent the Gold and Silver Brothers to capture the Nine-Tails, a task at which they ultimately failed. With the tailed beasts in its possession, Kumo historically struggled to harness the beasts' power in jinchūriki; jinchūriki could not gain control of the beasts and would eventually lose control. The Eight-Tails would prove a particular headache in this regard, routinely rampaging through the village when its jinchūriki could not longer contain it. Because the Eight-Tails was too valuable to destroy, many were killed trying to seal it. The Eight-Tails' most recent jinchūriki, Killer B, as well as the jinchūriki of the Two-Tails, Yugito Nii, have been able to successfully control their beasts, leaving both highly valued by the village. Among the villages, Kumogakure also possesses the best technology to control a tailed beast, having built a whole temple for that sake. Although Kinkaku and Ginkaku had failed in their attempt at subduing the Nine-Tails, they have managed to become pseudo-Jinchūriki by eating the fox's chakra flesh for two weeks, a feat that a Kumogakure shinobi attempted to replicate with the Eight-Tails' tentacles, which led them to die instead. When the Land of Flowers was nearly conquered by the Land of Earth, the Land of Lightning saved them from complete annexation. Since then, Flowers and Lighting are allies, and Kumo are obligated to protect them from any invasion attempts. Allied Shinobi Forces. The Allied Shinobi Forces headquarters in Kumogakure. When Akatsuki captures B (the Fourth Raikage's brother) mere months after the similar capture of Yugito, the Raikage is outraged by the loss of the village's jinchūriki and calls a Kage Summit to find a way to deal with Akatsuki. Although suspicious of the other villages due to their histories with Akatsuki, Akatsuki's declaration of the Fourth Shinobi World War (and news that B only pretended to be captured) convinces the Raikage to join the Allied Shinobi Forces. He is appointed its Supreme Commander and Kumo is selected for the Allied Shinobi Forces' Headquarters, making it a target for Akatsuki's counter-offensive. During the war, Kumo fell victim to the Infinite Tsukuyomi and God: Nativity of a World of Trees, but endures the attack. With the war won, Kumo works closely together with other villages, improving relationships between each other. Two years later Kumo is still consolidating power, but it does so for mutual benefit of all the villages by taking charge of stopping the moon from crashing into Earth. By the era of the Fifth Raikage, all five Kage are on good terms. However, tensions did arise shortly after the attack of Momoshiki and Kinshiki Ōtsutsuki; Iwagakure was ordered by their Daimyō, Danjō, to invade and conquer the Land of Flowers, whom Kumogakure are obligated to protect due to their alliance. Kirigakure would also side with Iwa due to their trade in vital minerals, which would lead to a potential Fifth Shinobi World War that would dissolve the Shinobi Union and irretrievably destroy the peace that was so hard earned. Fortunately, due to the diplomatic assistance granted by the Seventh Hokage and Ikkyū Madoka, they were able to convince Danjō to call off the invasion, thus averting war. Kusagakure (草隠れの里, Kusagakure no Sato, literally meaning: Village Hidden in the Grass) is located thus far in an unnamed country. Because it had genin participating in the Chūnin Exams organised by Konohagakure, it can be assumed the two villages are allied. Although it has never been named, the country Kusagakure is located in has been shown on several occasions. The country is rich with forests, some consisting of giant mushrooms or bamboo. It also seems to have many rivers and deep ravines. During the Third Shinobi World War, the country was invaded by Iwagakure and served as an important front between Iwa and Konoha. More than a decade later, Orochimaru had a hideout somewhere in the country. Kusagakure is skilled in diplomacy, a trait they constantly use to read the movements of other countries and stay one step ahead of them. They also analyse techniques from other villages in a similar manner. Because of these principles, others find it hard to read the shinobi from this village's attitudes. After the end of the Fourth Shinobi World War, Kusagakure was approached and offered to join the Shinobi Union. Locations: Kannabi Bridge: Main article: Kannabi Bridge The Kannabi Bridge (神無毘橋, Kannabi-kyō, literally meaning: Bridge where the gods do not help) was a large bridge, spanning a river somewhere in Kusagakure. During the Third Shinobi World War, this bridge was a vital pathway to Iwagakure's line of supply. Team Minato, led by newly-promoted jōnin Kakashi Hatake, were given the mission of destroying it. They eventually succeeded with the aid of the team's official leader, Minato Namikaze. However, a member of the team. Obito Uchiha, was incapacitated and was thought to have been dead prior to the destruction of the bridge. Despite his apparent death, the bridge was nonetheless destroyed, turning the tide of the war in Konoha's favour despite their massive shortage in manpower, resulting in the end of the war shortly thereafter. Tenchi Bridge: Main article: Tenchi Bridge The Tenchi Bridge (天地橋, Tenchi-kyō, literally meaning: Heaven and Earth Bridge) was located somewhere in Kusagakure, spanning a deep ravine. It was here that Team Kakashi, led by Yamato, was to meet up with one of Akatsuki-member Sasori's spies, Kabuto Yakushi. Hōzuki Castle: Main article: Hōzuki Castle The Hōzuki Castle (鬼灯城, Hōzuki-jō, literally meaning: Demon Lantern Castle), also known as the Blood Prison (ブラッド・プリズン, Buraddo Purizun), is a large castle that is controlled by Kusagakure and serves as a criminal containment facility. Mount Katsuragi (葛城山, Katsuragizan) is a mountain which holds the Tsuchigumo clan's kinjutsu. Hotaru and Tonbee live on this mountain. To prevent any intruders from obtaining the kinjutsu, the mountain is surrounded by a seemingly unbreakable barrier and protected by a large amount of traps. The Magaki Group managed to break the barrier from the inside and evade all the traps successfully. Background: Mount Katsuragi became the home of the loyalists to En no Gyōja after he and the elders of the clan split over the fate of the Tsuchigumo clan's kinjutsu. The majority of the clan remained in the village with the elders, while the few loyalists left for Mount Katsuragi, where their numbers dwindled down over the years to Hotaru and Tonbee. Mount Myōboku (妙木山, Myōbokuzan, literally meaning: Mysterious/Exquisite Tree Mountain), also known as the "Mountain of Bewilderment" (迷いの山, Mayoi no Yama, Viz: Maze Mountain) and the "Land of Toads" (蝦蟇の国, Gama no Kuni), is one of the big three unexplored sage regions, a legendary place that is equally as famous as the other two, Shikkotsu Forest and Ryūchi Cave. It's the land of toads and the place where all the toads that Naruto, Minato, and Jiraiya have summoned live. By signing a contract scroll with the toads, it is possible to summon all of the Toads that live here. It is home for huge and small toads alike. Mount Myōboku is a rich and beautiful land, whose ultimate authority seems to be the Great Toad Sage. Shima and Fukasaku are both elders and sages, and they seem to have an even higher authority than Gamabunta himself. Overview: For a human to get to Mount Myōboku, it either takes a month long travel on secret paths from Konohagakure or, if they have a summoning contract, they can let a toad use the Reverse Summoning Technique. According to Fukasaku, Mount Myōboku is impossible to find by foot for those who don't know the secret route. In the anime, Jiraiya was transported to Mount Myōboku in his youth via using the summoning technique without a contract. Myōbokuzan Portal: The portal allowing quick access to Konohagakure. There is a special portal called the Distant Body Water (遠身水, Enshinsui, English TV: Distance Teleportation Portal) that links Mount Myōboku and Konohagakure, that enables the smaller toads to quickly travel between the two without the use of the summoning technique. Combined with a toad that can perform the Summoning Technique, the toads can be summoned to aid Konohagakure in the event a living toad summoner isn't in Konoha at the time. On Mount Myōboku exists a score of musical genjutsu that have passed down since an immemorial time, such as the Demonic Illusion: Toad Confrontation Chant, a technique that two great toad sages have mastered. These genjutsu are very powerful and can only be performed by combining the melody and the lyrics that only the toads can utter. There is a special location known as Mount Myōboku: Rock Lodging (妙木山・岩宿, Myōbokuzan: Iwayado, literally meaning: Mysterious/Exquisite Tree Mountain: Rock Lodging), where a great, fire-breathing toad resides. Mount Myōboku has records of its population in a list, and the name of a Mount Myōboku toad stays there until it dies. The Sacred Oil Fountain And The Status Surrounding It. The Sacred Oil Fountain and all the statues surrounding it. Some of the inhabitants of Mount Myōboku can use senjutsu to gather natural energy. There is a sacred fountain on Mount Myōboku that produces a special oil which allows people to feel the natural energy around them more easily, but if the person is not perfectly still when becoming one with nature, he or she starts becoming a toad and eventually turns into stone. This oil can only exist in the atmosphere of the mountain and will evaporate if taken outside. There are many statues of the frog ancestors and people who tried to learn senjutsu but failed in doing so and became toad statues. The statues are treated with high respect. The Nadeshiko Village (撫子の里, Nadeshiko no Sato) is a shinobi village located near the Land of Water. The families of this village are organised through matrilineality. Women from this village must venture outside to find men strong enough to defeat them, resulting in them being taken to the village to marry the kunoichi they defeated. The village itself is positioned upon the lightly forested top of three massive and steep hills standing in a line, with two bridges spanning the gorges between them. The hills are situated within a lush forested valley in a mountainous region. In terms of construction the village seems to be similar to a stronghold or palace, with numerous walls, towers and brickwork being dominant features. Otogakure (音隠れの里, Otogakure no Sato, English TV: Village Hidden in the Sound, literally meaning: Village Hidden by Sound) is the personal hidden village of Orochimaru, which was founded after he left the Akatsuki for the express purpose of collecting ninja for his experiments and his quest to learn all techniques. It was a small and powerful village. In later years, following Orochimaru's new appreciation for natural development of people and making a truce with Konohagakure, Otogakure was reestablished as a legitimate shinobi village. Background Kabuto begins attack Kabuto leading Otogakure ninja in the Konoha Crush. Initially, Orochimaru claimed that he founded this village so that skilled ninja would find their purpose in life without being beholden to the fickle and warmongering priorities of the Five Great Shinobi Countries, as well as to train pawns for his eventual scheme to destroy Konoha. In actuality, Otogakure is not really a village, but a network of laboratories composed of various hideouts and bases scattered throughout the Land of Sound and various other countries. Otogakure's shinobi use a diverse number of techniques, which are mostly centred around the modifications resulting from Orochimaru's human experimentation. Team Dosu, under Orochimaru's orders, entered the Chūnin Exams with the goal of killing Sasuke Uchiha while unaware their true mission was to be subjected to Sasuke's power after Orochimaru gave him a cursed seal. Later, Orochimaru tricked Sunagakure into helping Otogakure invade Konoha. Based on their map, Hidan and Kakuzu visited Otogakure while searching for jinchūriki. Ten years after the Fourth Shinobi World War, Otogakure is being reconstructed as a true shinobi village. Orochimaru's son, Mitsuki, is allowed to enrol in Konoha's Academy as a transfer student as a sign of mutual respect between the two villages, and later becomes a Konohagakure genin. Locations: Orochimaru set up many bases across the world during his travels. These bases ranged from usually inconspicuous underground hideouts with holes for entrances to more grand ones hidden on an island. All these hideouts were outfitted with laboratories where he and later Kabuto Yakushi would carry out experiments. Land of Sound Base Otogakure Hideout The former headquarters in the Land of Sound. The former headquarters of Otogakure at least up until the Chūnin Exams, the stronghold was built below a tree. It has two markings on it reminiscent of a snake and what appears to be a snake's skull on the top-most part. This is where Orochimaru returned to after Hiruzen Sarutobi had sealed his hands and he remained here while he experienced the adverse effects of his rotting hands. This is also where Orochimaru kept the hand with his Akatsuki ring which Itachi Uchiha had severed. In the anime, when Naruto, Sakura, and Jiraiya infiltrated the hideout, they fought against Arashi, which lead to the hideout being destroyed. Kusagakure Hideout Kusagakure Hideout The Kusagakure Hideout. This hideout is located somewhere in Kusagakure or there about. Another hideout built entirely underground with the entrance being at the foot of a rock formation. Within the hideout itself are numerous rooms and a statue of a gigantic snake coiled up with candles in its eyes. This is where Sai attempted to carry out his secret mission to kill Sasuke Uchiha. This is also where Sakura and Naruto reunited with Sasuke after two years. The confrontation culminated with a portion of the hideout being destroyed. Orochimaru, Sasuke and Kabuto subsequently abandoned it. Southern Hideout Southern Hideout The Southern Hideout. The Southern Hideout (南アジト, Minami Ajito) is located on an island in the middle of an ocean somewhere possibly off the coast of the Land of Waves. It was filled with prison cells and wardens were also employed to keep the prisoners in check, one such person was Karin who later join Sasuke's team Hebi. Northern Hideout Orochimaru's Northern Hideout The Northern Hideout. The Northern Hideout (北アジト, Kita Ajito) is a grander hideouts in terms of size. It is one of the hideouts that Orochimaru used to conduct his human experiments with the cursed seal. Jūgo was kept here since he was the origin of the cursed seal. After Orochimaru's demise, Sasuke freed Jūgo from here and had him join his team. Eastern Hideout Eastern Hideout The Eastern Hideout. The Eastern Hideout (東アジト, Higashi Ajito) is an underground hideout. It has a mouth of a snake for an entrance and several snake-like candle-holders on the walls. It was also filled with large glass cylinders with liquids in it. Here was where Suigetsu Hōzuki was kept and experimented on. Upon returning to the hideout, Suigetsu found a secret chamber after Jūgo had attacked him and broken a false wall. Within his secret chamber, Suigetsu found a scroll detailing how to summon Shinigami and take back the contents within. Abandoned Hideout Orochimaru's Abandoned Hideout An abandoned hideout. This is an underground hideout near the Land of Wind. Koji Kashin takes residence in this abandoned hideout at some point after his battle against Isshiki Ōtsutsuki. Island Laboratory Orochimaru's Island Laboratory anime Island laboratory. This laboratory is built into the side of a small island and is a medical laboratory created for Kabuto to use. The lab is covered in medical equipment, ranging from scalpel to test-tubes. The lab's most unique feature, however, is the large blood extracting machine in the centre of the room, which Kabuto used to transfuse Orochimaru's blood into himself after his apparent defeat. One of the room's massive walls is covered in ceiling length shelves stacked full of jarred experiments, books, scrolls, crates, and tools. Demon Island Laboratory Orochimaru's Demon Island Laboratory Demon Island Lab. In the anime, this laboratory is located in the Demon Island of the Land of the Sea. It is an experimental laboratory with many transgenic creatures contained in test pillars. Some time before the start of the series, Amachi, the lead scientist, and Orochimaru terrorised the people of the Land of the Sea by kidnapping the citizens for their deadly experiments, which included making the ultimate underwater ninja, an idea later abandoned by Orochimaru. Ryūchi Cave (龍地洞, Ryūchidō, literally meaning: Dragon Ground Cave) is one of the big three unexplored sage regions, a legendary place that is equally famous as the other two, Mount Myōboku and Shikkotsu Forest.[1] It is the residence of the snakes — including the sacred White Snake Sage — and is also where Orochimaru uncovered the source of Jūgo's clan's abilities. Orochimaru and Kabuto Yakushi trained here to achieve Sage Mode, though only the latter was successful in this endeavour. Overview In the anime, journey to Ryūchi Cave takes only a couple days from Konohagakure. While many travellers may venture close to it unknowingly, the snakes of Ryūchi Cave take precautions so that only those who are deliberately trying to visit it can arrive at it. In their experience, only those willing to sacrifice anything in their greed for power come to Ryūchi Cave. In order to be granted audience to learn senjutsu with the White Snake Sage, one must pass three trials posed by the snakes. According to the rules, if a candidate fails at any of the trials, the snakes are allowed to devour them and consume their chakra At least one section of the cave is made of limestone, and despite nominally being a cave, its territories also include wetlands. Shimogakure (霜隠れの里, Shimogakure no Sato, literally meaning: Village Hidden in Frost) is the hidden village located in the Land of Frost. The Shikkotsu Forest (湿骨林, Shikkotsurin, English TV: Shikkotsu Woods, literally meaning: Damp Bone Forest) is a legendary place and one of the three unexplored sage regions; the other two being: Mount Myōboku and Ryūchi Cave. It is the home of the slug Katsuyu, parts of which are summoned by Tsunade and her disciple Sakura Haruno. Sugi Village (杉の里, Sugi no Sato, literally meaning: Cedar Village) is an anime-only ninja village, in an unspecified country. Kumogakure once stole a scroll containing secret ninjutsu belonging to this village. While nothing is known about what the technique concerns, it was apparently powerful enough for the Fourth Raikage himself to be involved in the mission to obtain it. The village immediately tried to retrieve the scroll by hiring the Nokizaru Group to go after the thieves. Sunagakure (砂隠れの里, Sunagakure no Sato, literally meaning: Village Hidden by Sand) is the hidden village of the Land of Wind. As the village of one of the Five Great Shinobi Countries, Sunagakure has a Kage as its leader known as the Kazekage, of which there have been five in its history. Being surrounded by desert offers the village a natural deterrent against invasion, as few foreign powers would be willing to endure the sandstorms and water scarcity common to Suna. Sunagakure itself lies in a fortified valley behind cliffs of rock, with passage in and out of the village restricted to a single cleft between two cliff faces, making the area very hard to attack from the ground. The buildings inside seem to be made of clay or stucco, which would help to keep the buildings cool. The standard attire for Suna shinobi consists of blue or black uniforms underneath flak jackets of various shades of beige to better blend with their natural environment and include shoulders guards. Headpieces consisting of a head-wrap and cloth neck-covers to protect against the harsh weather are popular with Suna shinobi. Many Sunagakure ninja use Wind Release techniques, which they may or may not perform with fans. Shinobi from this village believe that the accomplishment of a mission predominates the lives of the ninja trying to accomplish it. As such, they ruthlessly pursue victory in battle, and even if failure is inevitable they will still try to achieve any success against their enemy that they can. In Gaara Hiden, it has been noted that Sunagakure has been made up of various families, instead of clans. History Kazekage Residence The Kazekage's office building. Sunagakure was founded after the Warring States Period by the First Kazekage, who gathered the desert-dwelling shinobi under his control with his overwhelming power. Shortly after the formation of their villages, Konoha's First Hokage offered to sell tailed beasts to Suna as a sign of friendship and to ensure a balance of power amongst their new villages. Because Suna already had the One-Tail, the First Kazekage instead tried to negotiate for a percentage of the sale price to the other villages and a portion of the Land of Fire's territory instead. Despite the First Hokage's wishes for peace, the world eventually fell into war. Suna's close proximity with Iwagakure has led to numerous conflicts over the years, enough that enmity between its shinobi has become deep-seated. During the Second Shinobi World War, Chiyo's attempts to poison enemies were consistently counteracted by Konoha's Tsunade. For times of war, Suna researched different jutsu to give it an advantage over other villages. Because the Puppet Technique is so popular amongst its shinobi, the Puppet Brigade was formed and they experimented with testing to see whether there was a way to give life to their puppets. This led to the creation of the One's Own Life Reincarnation technique, but the cost of a human life to perform it made it impractical and Suna soon abandoned the project. Since the time of the Second Kazekage, the village has studied the jinchūriki of its One-Tail in an attempt to reproduce the beast's abilities. The Third Kazekage was able to mimic the One-Tail's powers using Iron Sand, and with it he gained fame as the strongest Kazekage in history. When he mysteriously disappeared one day, Suna went to great lengths to find him, spreading its forces thin in the search and leaving the village under-defended. When others took this opportunity to declare war on Suna, the village was forced to call off the search, never learning the Third's fate. Sasori, grandson of Chiyo, was considered to be a prodigy in the art of puppets, and built many innovative puppets that dyed the sands red with enemies' blood during the Third Shinobi World War, thus giving rise to his moniker "Sasori of the Red Sand". However, he defected from the village about twenty years before the abduction of the Fifth Kazekage, and shortly after, his grandmother and granduncle, both celebrated veterans, retired. Gaara lost control Shukaku being released. Following the Third Shinobi World War, the Land of Wind's daimyō started outsourcing missions previously given to Suna to Konoha instead. The Fourth Kazekage began selling gold dust to try to make up for the loss of funding, but it was ultimately decided that Suna shinobi would need to rely on individual strength rather than strength of numbers. To help in this goal, the Fourth had the One-Tail sealed into his newborn son, Gaara, hoping he would become a valuable weapon. For the early years of his life Gaara struggled to keep the One-Tail in check, and would unintentionally attack the village and/or its citizens when he lost control. The Fourth eventually decided that Gaara was a failed experiment and tried many times to have him assassinated, each of which failed. The attempts on his life, however, taught Gaara how to control the One-Tail, making him into the weapon his father wanted him to be and convincing the Fourth to call off the assassinations. Twelve years after Gaara's birth, Suna is approached by Orochimaru of Otogakure with an offer to join forces in an invasion of Konoha. Scheduled to occur during the Chūnin Exams taking place in Konoha, Gaara is to attack the village from within while Sunagakure and Otogakure forces invade. At some point before the invasion takes place, however, Orochimaru kills and impersonates the Fourth Kazekage and leads them into a devastating defeat against Konoha's forces. When the village discovers Orochimaru's deceit, Sunagakure re-allies itself with Konoha and gains much from the peace, leading to new prosperity for the village. Two-and-a-half years later Gaara, now Fifth Kazekage, is captured while defending Suna from Akatsuki. Remembering their earlier mistakes when the Third Kazekage disappeared, Suna's leadership is reluctant to go after him. Konoha sends a team to help and succeeds in rescuing Gaara, though Akatsuki is able to take the One-Tail. Chiyo and Ebizō noted that the village has weakened as they had to rely on retired veterans and even allied villages. It was also during this incident that made Chiyo finally discovered the fate of the Third Kazekage: Sasori was the one who abducted and killed him prior to his defection. Suna Infinite Tsukuyomi Suna entrapped in the God: Nativity of a World of Trees. After the other villages experience their own attacks by Akatsuki, they decide to form the Allied Shinobi Forces to oppose Akatsuki in the Fourth Shinobi World War. Being so much younger than his fellow Kage, Gaara is able to persuade the other Kage of how outdated their methodologies are and also proves inspirational in convincing the diverse Allied Forces set aside their differences and work together. Suna's forces prove valuable during the war, particularly with the Cloth Binding Technique to neutralise the Impure World Reincarnation. Although the villagers were amongst the mass of the world to be trapped in the Infinite Tsukuyomi and God: Nativity of a World of Trees, the war is eventually won and the villages are all left on good terms. Takigakure (滝隠れの里, Takigakure no Sato, literally meaning: Village Hidden by a Waterfall) is a village located in an unnamed country. Their current leader is Shibuki. History Around the time of the village's formation, the village tasked Kakuzu with assassinating Hashirama Senju, the First Hokage. Facing the might of the Wood Release, Kakuzu returned in failure. Despite the insurmountable danger faced on this mission, what awaited his return to his village was the stigma and harsh punishment associated with the failure of his objective. In response to this treatment, a wrong levied against a shinobi who had put life and limb on the line for his village, Kakuzu came to hold a violent hatred for Takigakure as he escaped from imprisonment. In his flight from the village, Kakuzu killed the village elders, took their hearts, and fled with knowledge of the village's most prized forbidden techniques. At some point, the village came into possession of Chōmei, making it the only known village outside of the five great villages to hold a tailed beast. In the anime, this feat is attributed to the village's reputation of frequently producing skilled jōnin. This tailed beast was sealed into Fū, who was eventually caught (by Kakuzu and Hidan in the anime) and the beast extracted by Akatsuki, resulting in Fū's death. In the manga, based on what Deidara told Naruto Uzumaki, Fū was possibly hated and neglected by her village, and that the citizens were glad that she was captured and killed. She was also one of the first two jinchūriki to be caught. Takigakure wasn't shown in the manga, but in the anime, it is shown to be built around a large tree. It also, predictably, has a waterfall as a defining landmark. Despite being surrounded by four other countries, Takigakure has never been successfully invaded, a feat they are very proud of. The village is renowned for being able to produce Hero Water every hundred years, which gives whoever drinks it ten times their ordinary chakra level; however, the strain of its use can prove fatal. Locations Hero Water Hiding Place In the anime, the Hero Water was hidden in a small pavilion-like structure, situated deep within the large tree's roots, in the centre of the village. Waterfall Caves In the anime, in order to access the village, one have to go through a underwater cave system below the large waterfall. The cavesystem's exit leads into the large lake in the middle of Takigakure. Village Head's Residence Takigakure Head Residence The Village Head's Residence. In the anime, Shibuki, the head of the village, resides in a small wooden hut, that is built near some trees, which has a sign with a kanji for Taki (滝, Taki, literally meaning: Waterfall) above the entrance. The interior seems to be rather spartan, as it doesn't contain much space or some necessary furniture, like a table or chairs, with the village leader sitting on a raised dais on the floor. Takumi Village (匠の里, Takumi no Sato, literally meaning: Village of Artisans) is an anime-only village that resides in the Land of Rivers. It was founded over one hundred years ago by a man named Seimei. Takumi is known for its skills in making weaponry, many of which are sold to the ninja villages of the world. However, each time relations worsened between the larger villages, Takumi was attacked by one village over fear of their ninja tools crossing to the other village. Yet they still had to curry aid with the larger villages to survive. Over time, their clientele from the other villages grew in skill, making the crafted weapons obsolete. When the village faced hard times they requested help but were ignored. Certain skilled Takumi villagers grew resentful and felt the villages didn't respect them for all the help their weapons provided in the past, having repaid their aid with attacks in the past. Four skilled craftsmen trained harder than the others in the ninja arts, wore the Takumi symbol on their forehead protector, and sought to resurrect their village founder, Seimei. They planned to resurrect him using the One-Tailed Shukaku inside of Gaara and use him to seek revenge against the Five Great Shinobi Villages. They operated under the name Four Celestial Symbols Men, or the Four Heavenly Directions. This name stemmed from the characters in their name matching with the deities of the directions: Hōki the Turtle, Kujaku the Bird, Ryūgan the Dragon, and Suiko the Tiger. Tanigakure (谷隠れの里, Tanigakure no Sato, literally meaning: Village Hidden in Valleys) is the hidden village of the Land of Rivers. Thirty years before the start of the series, this village ambushed Kagerō Village two weeks after they had agreed to a ceasefire with Konohagakure. Gennō is the sole survivor of that attack, as he was in Konoha at the time. The Tonika Village (トニカ村, Tonika-mura) is a village located on the outskirts of the border of the Land of Fire. It is also where The Hole is located. The village was destroyed during Kabuto Yakushi's invasion which was geared towards acquiring The Hole to conduct his experiments. During the invasion, the villagers fought bravely to defend their home, but Kabuto's reincarnated pawns were too powerful and overwhelming. During this time, Dokku instructed Miina and Leo to flee to the Hachō Village, which is a friendly neighbouring town. The Tree Felling Village, later renamed to the Tree Revival Village, is a small and peaceful village once controlled by a dark demon called Black Shadow (影法師, Kagebōshi), who protected the village in exchange for human sacrifices every couple of years. The Tree of Life once stood in this village, but it was cut down by the villagers' ancestors many years prior to the beginning of Naruto Shippūden: Ultimate Ninja 4 because it blocked the entrance to a cave rich with crystals (known as the Crystal Cave), which they figured they could sell to make money. Background At one point, a ritual was held in the village in which a brave villager would volunteer to become Black Shadow's sacrifice in order to protect the village. The last known volunteer was a girl named Aoi, whose true purpose was to find a branch from the Tree of Life to cure her sick mother, Tsubaki. The ritual is no longer in place thanks to Naruto Uzumaki, who made it his goal to save Aoi, defeat Black Shadow, and free the village from its nightmare. A new Tree of Life has grown in the village (once again blocking the entrance to the Crystal Cave) because of a seed from the original, and now the villagers make money by healing the sick via the Tree's curative powers. Black Shadow Black Shadow was a dark demon whose only weakness was the scent of the flowers that grew around the Tree of Life, which once held the monster in place deep within the Crystal Cave. Once civilisation reached Tree Felling Village, however, the tree was cut down so that people could gain access to the cave and mine for crystals to sell. Because of their actions, Black Shadow was released from his prison and terrorised the village, demanding for human sacrifices, which he was given periodically for the village's sake. Black Shadow's true form was a big black wolf with numerous tails, two snouts, five eyes and six legs. He was eventually defeated by the Konohagakure shinobi Naruto Uzumaki and Aoi herself. The Tree Felling Village, later renamed to the Tree Revival Village, is a small and peaceful village once controlled by a dark demon called Black Shadow (影法師, Kagebōshi), who protected the village in exchange for human sacrifices every couple of years. The Tree of Life once stood in this village, but it was cut down by the villagers' ancestors many years prior to the beginning of Naruto Shippūden: Ultimate Ninja 4 because it blocked the entrance to a cave rich with crystals (known as the Crystal Cave), which they figured they could sell to make money. Background At one point, a ritual was held in the village in which a brave villager would volunteer to become Black Shadow's sacrifice in order to protect the village. The last known volunteer was a girl named Aoi, whose true purpose was to find a branch from the Tree of Life to cure her sick mother, Tsubaki. The ritual is no longer in place thanks to Naruto Uzumaki, who made it his goal to save Aoi, defeat Black Shadow, and free the village from its nightmare. A new Tree of Life has grown in the village (once again blocking the entrance to the Crystal Cave) because of a seed from the original, and now the villagers make money by healing the sick via the Tree's curative powers. Black Shadow Black Shadow was a dark demon whose only weakness was the scent of the flowers that grew around the Tree of Life, which once held the monster in place deep within the Crystal Cave. Once civilisation reached Tree Felling Village, however, the tree was cut down so that people could gain access to the cave and mine for crystals to sell. Because of their actions, Black Shadow was released from his prison and terrorised the village, demanding for human sacrifices, which he was given periodically for the village's sake. Black Shadow's true form was a big black wolf with numerous tails, two snouts, five eyes and six legs. He was eventually defeated by the Konohagakure shinobi Naruto Uzumaki and Aoi herself. The Tree of Life The Tree of Life was a magical tree whose leaves and branches had the power to cure any sort of disease, even terminal ones like the one Aoi's mother Tsubaki had. The scent of the flowers that grew around the tree held the demon Black Shadow in his prison for many years, and many of their petals were stored in a necklace passed down in Aoi's family through the generations for protection. The tree was cut down by the villagers at one point, but another one was gifted to the village, as a "second chance". It was found by Aoi and Naruto in the exact centre of the Crystal Cave. Renaming On returning to the Forest of Delusion, Aoi explains Naruto about her listening to recurring voices, which possibly came from the Crystal Cave. She then puts a mission before Naruto. If accepted, Naruto and Aoi both head again inside the cave. They both remember the first time they met, and their past conversations. In the journey to the cave, Aoi guides Naruto to the source of the recurring voice. When they finally reach the heart of the cave, Aoi again hears something, but this time, it seems to be very clear. Meanwhile, Naruto finds a seed at the exact centre of the cave. The voice asks Aoi to take care of that seed, as it belonged to the Tree of Life. Aoi describes the request to Naruto, and suggests that they should give the seed to the Mayor. Naruto criticises as he thinks that they would again destroy the Tree of Life. But ultimately, he agrees on giving the seed to the Mayor, due to Aoi's persistence. When both gift the old man with the seed, he feels guilty for the crime done by his ancestors and to compensate it, he promises to nurture the seed with all he could. Naruto expresses his opinion on the name of the village. The Mayor then declares the village's name to be permanently changed to "Tree Revival Village", as the Tree of Life would be revived in the village. Tsukigakure (月隠れの里, Tsukigakure no Sato, English: Hidden Moon Village, literally meaning: Village Hidden under the Moon) is a hidden village led by Tsukino, who succeeded her father after he died. They have a hereditary system and so positions are passed down to the next generation. It is a custom for the people of Tsukigakure to always give strangers and newcomers warm welcomes, because of an ancient legend of the village. Legend "In a time of war, a wanderer from afar did happen upon the Tsukigakure. Great were the trials he endured to drive off the destruction that placed the moon in such peril. He had a noble heart and a spirit bound by none. So was revealed our heroic saviour. His name rang with the pureness of his soul. Like unto a gentle breeze." Uzushiogakure (渦潮隠れの里, Uzushiogakure no Sato, English TV: Hidden Eddy Village, literally meaning: Village Hidden by Whirling Tides) was the shinobi village of the Land of Whirlpools. The people of Uzushiogakure were noted to have notoriously long lives, so it gained the epithet "The Village of Longevity" (長寿の里, Chōju no Sato). The ninja of Uzushiogakure were famed for their fūinjutsu; the Four Symbols Seal is based on the village's techniques. In times of war, the power of the village's fūinjutsu earned fear from many, ultimately leading to it being targeted and subsequently destroyed by other villages at some point prior to Kushina Uzumaki's emigration from the destroyed village. Survivors of Uzushio's destruction scattered across the globe to seek refuge. Uzushiogakure had close ties with Konohagakure, due to Uzushio's Uzumaki clan and Konoha's Senju clan being distant blood relatives. Because of this, all flak jackets of Konohagakure bear the crest of Uzushiogakure, symbolising the strong friendship between both villages. In the manga, Otogakure's official attire also includes a symbol of Uzushiogakure. Yugakure (湯隠れの里, Yugakure no Sato, literally meaning: Village Hidden in Hot Water) is the hidden village of the Land of Hot Water. Like the country in which it resides, Yugakure has strong inclinations towards pacifism. After years of reluctantly offering combat-related services, Yugakure officially transitioned away from the typical shinobi missions; it prides itself as the "village that has forgotten wars" (戦を忘れた里, Ikusa o Wasureta Sato). The village's ninja now work almost exclusively within the Land of Hot Water's borders, keeping the roads safe for tourists and performing odd-jobs for the many small settlements around the country. Yugakure's transformation from a military force was not supported by all, Hidan being a notable objector. A follower of Jashin, Hidan believed violence was good, even necessary; when he couldn't convince the village to change its ways, he became a missing-nin, slaughtering many of his fellow Yu-nin before he left. In Konoha Shinden, critics of Yugakure's pacifism decry it as "Nurumayugakure" (ぬるま湯隠れ, literally meaning: Village Hidden in Warm Water). In Sasuke Shinden, Yugakure's ninja acknowledge a flaw in its pursuit of peace, as the village has historically tended to ignore difficult subjects in order to avoid getting involved, Jashinists and the Chinoike clan being more glaring examples. Yugakure is surrounded by several different hotsprings, and so thick steam rises up around the village. Many resort hotels are built throughout the area for the hotsprings' visitors to stay in. Yukigakure (雪隠れの里, Yukigakure no Sato, literally meaning: Village Hidden Among Snow) is a hidden village located in the Land of Snow. Its ninja apparently specialise in manipulating pre-existing ice, typically in the forms of various animals. The ninja from this village also make use of a number of sophisticated pieces of technology: First and foremost was the special "Chakra Armour", which protects the wearer from most attacks while amplifying their abilities. They also use of other devices, such as kunai firing volley guns, trains, airships and experimental devices, as well as some more exotic weaponry. At the end of the movie, the snow in the country is subsequently melted by a heating device. Koyuki Kazahana stated that, with further research into said device, the Land of Snow can one day become the Land of Spring (春の国, Haru no Kuni). Yumegakure (夢隠れの里, Yumegakure no Sato, literally meaning: Village Hidden Among Dreams) is a small village located in a deep forest of a tiny country, near the border of the Land of Fire. It is led by Enzo Tenrō. Ninja of this village seem to specialise in more powerful combat-oriented versions of the Transformation Technique. The village's forehead protector bears three "Z" symbols. Before its destruction by the Fake Nine-Tails, the village was positioned in a flat valley surrounded by forests and mountains, with a bridged river running through it. The buildings were similar in architectural style to those of Japan's Edo period. Background According to Gensui Amagiri, the village was founded by the Amagiri clan and was led by them in the past. However, the Tenrō clan were the ones who sealed the Three-Heads and as a result, gained control of the village and the Amagiri were exiled. The village then became known for its control of the massive guardian beast, and because of that Konohagakure formed a pact of peace with Yumegakure, so that they could keep it in check. At some point in the past, the village engaged in wars and was in a state of poverty until recently. Locations Forest of Mythic Beasts The Forest of Mythic Beasts is a large forest filled with heavy mist outside the village. The forest seems to be a moist area where several large insects live. It is also home to the exiled Amagiri clan and some members guard it with a great zeal. Hill of Illusions The hill serves as a vantage point close to the Forests of Mythic Beasts, offering a clear view of the surrounding area. Three-Heads Prison The Prison of the Three-Heads lies hidden within a large cave situated inside a volcano, not far from Yumegakure. The cave's layout primarily consists of a number of lava pools, with dark stalactites and stalagmites. The prison itself is a small blue orb situated at the back of the cave.