Primer: The Five Hidden Villages

Village Hidden in the Sun (Higakure)

Ishikage: Rie Hamaguchi
Location: Land of Stones
Element: Earth
Symbol: A Circle with Three Downward Lines



Deep in the Land of Stones lies the Village Hidden in the Sun. When the land was founded, the newly elevated Shogun declared that the village would be public, and that all who were able and willing to live in its harsh conditions were welcome to do so. All ninja teachings were to be centralized within the village, yet those who became Chūnin were welcome to travel the lands after they passed their exams, making it an ideal place for many would-be students as well as those whose ancestry tied them to the mountains. S-class and A-class missions are strictly monitored and are only permitted to be assigned through the Hidden Village. Lower ranking missions, meanwhile, are far less stringent in the Land of Stones, and various ninja outposts exist throughout the mountains to help combat the bandits and keep the roads safe for travelers. The average dispersion of Shinobi in the Land of Stone is roughly sixty percent within the village and forty percent throughout the rest of its territory.

The Village Hidden in the Sun got its name from its unique location. It is a sprawling city etched into the southern mountain-face of the Land of Stones’ highest peak, the Searing Mountain, far above the clouds, pressed against the clear sky and the oppressive sun. Those that constructed the village took great lengths to protect the people from exposure to the heat. Tunnels built by Ninjutsu and back-breaking labor run through the core of the mountain to help alleviate travel during the unbearably hot summers, attaching to the buildings on the surface so that there are optional back-doors depending on the season. But the villagers are a tough folk. The curving roads and countless steps that wind through the village are always bustling with people. Food imported from around the Southern Lands is cooked on sun-heated stones. Clothes are kept under shaded roofs to prevent the sun from bleaching their color. And burly traders lug their goods up the inclines to deliver them to the dome-like building at the summit, the place where ninjas train and the Ishikage lives.

The village has numerable natural defenses that work to make it almost impervious to attack from bandits or other threats. Situated thousands of feet up a mountain, the shortest route, a winding road under constant guard, takes hours to navigate safely. Before that, visitors must cross a stone bridge that attaches to the mountain's base, overlooking a deadly drop into a coursing, rapid-filled river three hundred feet below. But should one somehow cross the bridge and navigate the road safely, they face the Village Hidden in the Sun's greatest defense: its namesake. Above the cloud cover, the sun beats down with ferocity for twenty hours a day, raising the temperature of the air to an average of 110 degrees Fahrenheit. The ground bakes beneath the oppressing sky, the sun-rays are blindingly bright, and with the help of a stone wall that protects the passage to the village, laying siege to the city would be a grueling task for the most prepared army: the only water on the upper half of the mountain is drawn from within the village's tunnels, and it is home to some of the most resilient ninja in the world.

Village Hidden in the Cloth (Nunogakure)

Harakage: Kemro
Location: Land of Fields
Element: Wind
Symbol: A Square of Cloth



Deep in the Land of Fields lies the Village Hidden in the Cloth. When the land was founded, the newly elevated Shogun decided that secrecy would be the greatest ally of the people. With a terrain covered in rolling hills and ever-changing forests full of bandits, the village needed to be located in plain sight, hidden by jutsu so that it could be close enough to protect multiple important locations. Once it was constructed, the people of the land were branded with a Fūinjutsu that made it impossible to reveal its location to those who did not already know it. This seal is located on the tongue of anyone who lives within the land's borders. All shinobi activity, regardless of mission difficulty, is strictly centralized within the Hidden Village. Those who attain the rank of Genin are obligated to make it their primary residence until the day that they die. Serious consequences befall ninja who go rogue on their responsibilities to the cloth, and specialized teams have been formed to track such individuals down with extreme prejudice. The Land of Fields protects its own, even if it means hunting those once counted as friends.

The Village Hidden in the Cloth got its name from a powerful Toni Clan kekkei genkai that weaves unique seals into cloth that are capable of displacing matter just out of phase with normal reality, hiding an entire city in plain sight. Those that wear the village's shinobi uniform, part of which is sealed with the same special technique, can perceive and enter the Hidden Village at will. Trusted tradespeople and honored guests are also given charms that allow similar access. Others cannot physically perceive nor interact with it. Sprawling over a hilly area, the Village Hidden in the Cloth actually rests directly on top of a trading crossroads, where hundreds of caravans and farmers travel every day. They pass straight through the village, completely unaware that they are walking through walls, entire buildings, and even people. Meanwhile, those within the village itself see these traders as ghostly outlines that travel predetermined paths through the streets. And it is a shame that few outsiders ever get a chance to see the tall, white-stone buildings and five-story-high banner-like cloth charms that cover the walls.

The village defenses rely heavily on deception and secrecy. Thanks to the kekkei genkai of the Harakage's clan, the Hidden Village cannot be perceived by normal means, and the Fūinjutsu that all citizens of the Land of Fields share prevents them from spreading word of its location to anyone who has not personally visited it. This provides incredible security despite its central, well-traveled location. Rogue Shinobi and captured merchants are the greatest threat to its continued isolation. If someone defects with their uniform still intact, or a tradesperson becomes abducted while in possession of their charm, their cloth seals can provide entrance to the Hidden Village. This is where the Anbu branch known as the 'sweeper-nin' come in. A group that is specifically tasked with the hunting and elimination of rogue elements in possession of the village's property, they are capable of tracking down lost cloth and eliminating those who possess it, be they bandit or missing-nin. Should a regular civilian somehow get their hands on one of these items, the sweeper-nin are trained in memory regression, and with their help, the Village Hidden in the Cloth remains a mystery to the world.

Village Hidden in the Flock (Muregakure)

Murekage: Koto Inomata
Location: Land of Herds
Element: Lightning
Symbol: A Pawprint with Four Toes



Deep in the Land of Herds lies the Village Hidden in the Flock. When the land was founded, the newly elevated Shogun decided that a nation established on the principles of cohabitation with animals could not abide by a separation of classes. This included ninja. So, because of this principle of community, the Hidden Village is hardly hidden at all. Although the Shogun insists that trials be administered to any Shinobi who wishes to form a pact with an animal species for use in summons, a command that the Murekage takes seriously, the rest of the city is open to the public eye. Missions of all ranks can only be turned in for reward within the Hidden Village for the sake of bureaucracy. Classes that teach would-be Shinobi are also exclusive to the Hidden Village. However, no one is required to live there, and members of every tier of skill live throughout the lands, most often in an area that pertains to their animal preferences. The average dispersion of ninja in the Land of Herds is roughly forty percent within the village and sixty percent throughout the rest of its territory.

The Village Hidden in the Flock got its name from its peculiar form of defense. Located at the edge of the mountains with its back against a cliff-face, surrounded by fields on all other sides, it is an open and welcoming city with a few major roads leading directly to its doorstep. The fields outside are covered in farms, small forests, and serene lakes that create a patchwork of productivity in the small communities by their side. These locations are teeming with animals of every kind. Sheep, cows, horses, and pigs roam the fields in large numbers. The forests are filled with everything from monkeys to leopards. The lakes teem with fish, water fowl, and even predators like alligators. The cliffs are home to countless types of birds that nest in the innumerable caverns and crevices. Few would guess that these animals serve as more than just a resource. The lords of those species have binding contracts with the Shinobi, and they protect the brick and clay dome-shaped buildings that make up the village.

The village defenses are many. The cliff-face to the west provides an impassable obstacle for invasion from the mountains, and pacts with the bird-Shinobi that call it home provide an extra layer of protection. The surrounding fields are full of sentient animals—even some of their nobility—disguised as normal domesticated beasts, with trained Shinobi assuming the unsuspecting role of local herders. The small forests that line the roads contain ninja animals that can use their senses to detect incoming threats. Their guerrilla tactics can help chip down large numbers in case of a full-scale assault. Even the waters hold sleeper agents, hidden just beneath the surface. But the physical construction of the village is also quite secure. A tall wall surrounds its entire perimeter, and ninja line it even in the dead of night. Should the need arise, the gates will shut tight, and the village will survive the siege by coordinating strikes from within and without.

Village Hidden in the Fumes (Kemurigakure)

Gakekage: Watanabe
Location: Land of Crags
Element: Fire
Symbol: Three Wavy Vertical Lines



Deep in the Land of Crags lies the Village Hidden in the Fumes. When the land was founded, the newly elevated Shogun decided that the nation needed to be protected by those who understood the trials of nature, and he hand-picked the first Gakekage to build the city in perhaps the most dangerous location in the Southern Realm: within the giant caldera of an active volcano. The village is open to any and all that would brave the dangers and endure the constant steam rising from the boiling lake below. Thanks to its natural defenses, the Shinobi secrets of the fumes are safe, and all B-class and higher missions are only ever delegated within its walls. And because the people of the crags value experience, few choose to take their skills elsewhere, and mainly Jōnin leave to handle the far away tasks that need completion. Since the deeper reaches of the nation are home to some of the deadliest remnants of the Ages of War, this is a good thing.

The Village Hidden in the Fumes got its name from the steam and sulfur produced from the caldera below. A series of metal girders and bridges suspends the entire city, including the central building, home of the Gakekage, hundreds of feet above the boiling waters. The steam is collected by pipes and funnels through various machines that help keep the temperature of the city acceptable. It also fuels furnaces that smelt the metals and forge the blades that allow the Village Hidden in the Fumes to excel at weapon innovation. Although the buildings themselves are made of metal, they are quite comfortable on the inside, and most even have automated lifts that can reposition the entire structure to find a preferable location. This is thanks to an advanced rail system that connects the buildings together. In the Village Hidden in the Fumes, it is common for a building to change locations from day-to-day as the need arises.

The village defenses are inherent and extremely potent. The area surrounding the caldera is rife with boiling mud pits, water spouts, and rivers of lava. There is a single major road leading through these obstacles that is guarded adamantly, with frequent outposts full of Shinobi operatives familiar with the landscape and its dangers. They are known to escort traders to ensure that bandits do not get their hands on the weapons produced within the village. The road leads to a low lip in the southern caldera walls where one can enter the city limits and cross the bridge into the center. The only other low-point in the caldera walls is to the north, where an enormous waterfall crashes down the inside of the caldera, fueled by a river from the mountains. This, too, is guarded, as it remains the best option for fresh water. In the case of a truly massive invasion, the city can shift its buildings towards the perimeter of the caldera, creating a massive area of girders and empty, suspended roads in the center that bathe in steam. This can minimize casualties and funnel invaders into the open. The buildings can also move to trap, confuse, and even crush the unprepared.

Village Hidden in the Reeds (Ashigakure)

Kawakage: Yuuko Oshima
Location: Land of Rivers
Element: Water
Symbol: Four Vertical Reed-Like Lines



Deep in the Land of Rivers lies the Village Hidden in the Reeds. When the land was founded, the newly elevated Shogun decided that the village was to be solely responsible for keeping the rampant pirate problem in check, and police the smaller islands to prevent large-scale armadas from congregating. With the tasks of guarding both the land and the sea, the village swelled in size to consume an entire delta system, and it is home to the largest port in the Southern Lands. The number of Shinobi who live within its walls outnumber any other nation almost 2:1. Because of the massive resources of the village, there is no need for smaller outposts, and everything from missions to patrols to scouting ships are coordinated entirely from the village. Very few ninjas choose to live anywhere else, and the percentage of Shinobi within the Land of Rivers is roughly ninety percent within the village and ten percent elsewhere in the territory.

The Village Hidden in the Reeds got its name from its location. Although it is enormous and sprawling in size, the city sits on top of a delta, and is surrounded for miles on all sides by reed-filled swamps, muck, and darkwood forests. A handful of developed pathways exist so that foot travel is possible. But the true method of transportation is unarguably by river or sea. Dozens of ships leave the docks every day. Some go inland to trade with other nations. Others go out to see to visit the islands or patrol for pirate activity. The darkwood buildings that make up the village are beautiful to behold, and one could never tell that the area was once an acrid swamp. A large blockish building near the beach is home to the Kawakage and most of the shinobi training centers. From there they coordinate the various ventures to protect the Land of Rivers from those that would wish to harm its people.

The village owes most of its defenses to its massive size and the sheer amount of ninja who call it home. With the largest 'army' out of any Hidden Village, it is simply too daunting of a task to face head-on, especially since each route of attack is either blocked by dense swampland or the open ocean. Within those swamps, special Anbu operatives stand ready to ignite pockets of sulfur that would cause large explosions and set traps that would cripple ground forces, even those trained in the ninja arts. The rivers leading from inland are always full of ships that check the cargo of arriving and departing vessels. And attack from the ocean would be foolish; the Fleet of the Reeds is a formidable armada meant to hunt down and scuttle pirate vessels with extreme efficiency. Even one of those boats is a match for three of any other, and a dozen are docked at any one time. For the most part, the Hidden Village is impregnable, and the pirates and rogue Shinobi wander the waters and rivers far away from those that would see them eliminated.