Leaf Village
Located in the land of Fire, Hidden Leaf Village (also called Konoha) is the largest and most powerful of all Hidden Shinobi Villages, despite the fact that the land of Fire isn't the largest country. But due to the hidden village's large population, its military presence is very powerful.
The Leaf's most distinguishing characteristic is the mountain overlooking the village. It has the faces of every Hokage incarved in it. Tsunade's face is added sometime during the timeskip.
Nine-Tailed Demon Fox
13 years ago, the Hidden Leaf Village was attacked by the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox (Kyubi). Causing much destruction and killing many of the village's shinobi. It was eventually defeated and sealed into the newborn child Uzumaki Naruto by the village's most powerful shinobi and leader, the 4th Hokage. The 4th Hokage died soon after the battle ended, because of the Ninjutsu he used. Sacrificing his own ife and fulfilling his duty as the village's Hokage.
Since that time, power has returned to the 3rd Hokage, who is later on killed by Orochimaru during the combined attack of both the conspiring Hidden Sand and Orochimaru's Hidden Sound. Tsunade, one of the Legendary Sannin takes on the role of the Figth Hokage at that point.
Sand Village
Located in the Wind Country, the Hidden Sand Village is one of the top 5 greatest Shinobi countries. Being one of the 5 great countries, this village is ruled by a kage, namely the Kazekage. At the beginning of the series, it's Gaara's father who holds the title of 4th Kazekage.
In an attempt to scale down the country's military presence, the lord of the wind country has cut back on the Sand Village's budget. Furthermore, he has commissioned tasks normally reserved for the county's own hidden village to the Hidden Leaf Village, raising speculation of an attempt to dissolve the Sand Village.
Breaking the peace
To re-establish the Sand Village, Kazekage teams up with the Sound Village and plans to attack the Leaf Village, breaking their piece treaty. This surprise attack is foiled by the Shinobi of Konoha, and the 4th Kazekage is later on killed by Orochimaru. Orochimaru take's the Kazekage's identity in order to get close to the 3th Hokage during the third stage of the Chuunin exam. After the failed attack the Hidden Sand re-allies with Konoha, and acknowledges Gaara as the Fifth Kazekage.
One-Tailed Shukaku
The Hidden Sand Village is also the village that has the Shukaku, one of the tailed beasts. Shukaka is said to be the corrupted spirit of a Sand monk turned demon, and was originally sealed inside a teakettle. The last host for Shukaku was Gaara.
Located in the land of Water, the Hidden Mist Village is one of the top 5 greatest Shinobi countries. The village's Kage carries the title of Mizukage. Being located in the land of Water, all of their jutsus are based on water techniques. Not much more is known about this village. Although it was commonly referred to by other villages as 'Bloody Mist Village' for its rumored brutality.
This is also the village where Zabuza and Haku originated from before they abandoned the land. The training customs of the village were revealed from Zabuza's childhood. The final exam to becoming a genin was different, and much more brutal, from the exam the students in Leaf Village had to take. The Hidden Mist was also the home of the famous Kaguya clan, a clan with Kimimaro Kaguya as its soul survivor.
Bloody Mist Village
In order for a Ninja Academy student to graduate and become a Genin in the Hidden Mist Village, he or she had to fight, with one of the same friends they trained with, to the death. But all of this had to be changed 10 years ago when one of that year's students, who failed to pass the preliminary exam, went beserk and killed over 100 peers without hesitation. This child was called Momochi Zabuza. After the incident they changed the final exam for the graduating class. In chapter 303 Yamato states that Sai was also subjected to this method of training in preparation to serve under Danzo's Root division.
The strongest and most famous ninjas of the hidden Mist, are known as the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist. All of its members wield a unique weapon. Momochi Zabuza, Hoshigaki Kisame and Raiga Kurosuki are the only known members at this time. Out of those three only Kisame is still alive at the moment. The identities of the other four are still unknown.
The Hidden Waterfall Village is a very small village that we've only seen in Naruto's Jump Festa 2004 so far. Because this village is so small and has very few (strong) shinobi, it's build behind a Waterfall - hence 'The Hidden Waterfall Village'. Only its inhabitants know the village's entrance.
The Hidden Waterfall Village has no Kage, but they have something called the Hero Water to help them protect their village. It's some sort of holy water which is extracted from the great tree (located in the Hidden Waterfall Village) every one hundred years. It is suposed to tenfold the user's chakra, and aid the 'heroes' in protecting their village in times of battle.
The hero water
However, this water is a double-edged sword, altough it increases one's chakra, it also eats away your liveforce at the same time. Only the young ones (most of the time younger means weaker, strength grows with experience) will be able to survive the side effects of the water. For that reason, many of the village's shinobi have died not from battle, but from the water.
The holy water is sealed away, and it's the village's leader's duty to protect the Hero Water at all cost. The village's leader is also called the Hero of the Hidden Falls, but the question remains: 'Would you drink the Hero Water and throw away your life, just to save your village and be remembered as a hero?'.
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