World of Naruto

The Naruto anime and manga series takes place in an unnamed fictional world with numerous
countries and locations.

Creation and conception

When Masashi Kishimoto was creating the setting of the Naruto manga, he initially concentrated on
the designs for the village of Konohagakure, the primary setting of the series. Kishimoto asserts that
his design for Konohagakure was created "pretty spontaneously without much thought", but admits
that the scenery is based on his home in the Okayama prefecture in Japan. Kishimoto created
Konohagakure without specifying a specific era or location in the real world, noting that the village
is "just a place in [his] head". Without a specific time period, Kishimoto included modern elements
in the series such as convenience stores and movies, but specifically excluded projectile weapons
and vehicles from the storyline. For reference materials, Kishimoto performs his own research into
Japanese culture and alludes to it in his work. In an interview, he commented that he "often visits
Japanese gardens and [goes] to Kabuki performances" for reference material.
Kishimoto added that, as Naruto takes place in a "Japanese fantasy world," the creator has to "set
certain rules, in a systematic way" so that he could easily "convey the story." Kishimoto wanted to
"draw on" the Chinese zodiac tradition, which had a long-standing presence in Japan; the zodiac
hand signs originate from this. Regarding technology, Kishimoto said that Naruto would not have
any firearms. He said he may include automobiles, aircraft, and "low-processing" computers;
Kishimoto specified the computers would "maybe" be eight-bit and that they would "definitely not"
be sixteen-bit.

Geography
In the Naruto world, countries operate as separate political entities ruled by landlords. Within these
countries are hidden villages (kakurezato), settlements housing ninja, warriors capable of using
supernatural abilities in combat. A hidden village maintains the economy of the parent country by
training ninja from a young age and using them to perform missions for other countries. The ninja
of a hidden village also serve as the military force of their parent country. The leaders of the hidden
villages hold equal status with the leaders of their respective countries. Five countries in the Naruto
world: the Land of Earth, the Land of Fire, Land of Lightning, the Land of Water, and the Land of
Wind are known as the "Five Great Shinobi Nations". These countries are the most powerful in the
Naruto world. They are ruled by a feudal lord and the leaders of the hidden villages in these
countries hold the title of Kage. Other apparently smaller nations have been named in passing, in
either the manga or anime, but are yet to be explored.

Land of Fire
The Land of Fire (Hi no Kuni) is one of the Five Great Shinobi Nations, and contains the hidden
village of Konohagakure, where the majority of the Naruto series takes place. Per its namesake, the
Land of Fire is oriented towards the element of fire, with bright and warm weather.

Konohagakure
Konohagakure (Konohagakure no Sato, lit. "Village Hidden In The Leaves"), also known as
Konoha, is the hidden village within the Land of Fire and the primary setting of the series. As the
hidden village of one of the Five Great Shinobi Nations, the village is led by a Kage, known as the
Hokage. The faces of the first five Hokage are engraved on the rock formation overlooking
Konohagakure. At the start of the series, the Third Hokage is the leader of the village. He had
abdicated his position in favor of Minato Namikaze, who became the Fourth Hokage, but was
forced to reclaim his position after Minato died saving the village from the nine-tailed demon fox.
During Part I of the series, Orochimaru leads an invasion of Konohagakure that causes large
amounts of property damage to the village and culminates with the murder of the Third Hokage, his
former teacher. Tsunade, another of Third's students, succeeds him as the Fifth Hokage and oversees
the village's reconstruction. After Pain invades Konoha, Tsunade is left in a comatose state and
Danzo is elected as Hokage. The origin of Konohagakure is revealed during Part II of the series.
The village was formed as part of an alliance between the Uchiha and Senju clans, the strongest
clans in the Naruto world at that time. Hashirama Senju, the leader of the Senju clan, became the
First Hokage, and defeated Madara Uchiha, the leader of the Uchiha clan, when Madara challenged
Hashirama's rule. Later in Part II Pain, the leader of the criminal organization Akatsuki, leads an
attack on Konohagakure and destroys most of the village in the process.
Within Konohagakure are a number of locations featured prominently during the series. The Forest
of Death (Shi no Mori) is a large gated forest used for the yearly ninja exams in which ninja can
advance to the rank of Chunin. The Ichiraku Ramen Bar is the favorite restaurant of the series'
titular character, Naruto Uzumaki, and he frequently visits it during the course of the series. The
Final Valley (Shūmatsu no Tani) is the location of Hashirama's and Madara's fight for control over
the village, featuring large statues of the two overlooking a waterfall. At the end of Part I, Naruto
fights Sasuke Uchiha in this location in a failed attempt to return him to Konohagakure.

Land of Wind
The Land of Wind (Kaze no Kuni), one of the Five Great Shinobi Nations, is a large, dry, and
desolate country whose cities are found near water sources. While much of the country is
inhospitable, the population is large and prosperous due to frequent trade with the Land of Fire. The
hidden village in the Land of Wind is Sunagakure.

Sunagakure
Sunagakure (Sunagakure no Sato, lit. "Village Hidden Among Sand" or "Village Hidden in the
Sand"), also known as Suna, is one of the five great ninja villages, and as such has a Kage, known
as the Kazekage, as its leader. Before the start of the series, the Land of Wind's feudal lord began to
reduce Sunagakure's budget, and send mission requests to Konohagakure instead of Sunagakure.
This led to Sunagakure forming an alliance with the village of Otogakure in order to attack and
destroy Konohagakure, which composes a major portion of Part I of the series. The combined
forces of Sunagakure and Otogakure are defeated, and Sunagakure allies with Konohagakure after
realizing that Orochimaru, the leader of Otogakure, slew the Fourth Kazekage. In Part II of the
series, Gaara, the son of the Fourth Kazekage, succeeds his father as the Fifth Kazekage.

Amegakure
Amegakure ( Amegakure no Sato, lit. "Village Hidden in Rain") is situated in an unnamed country.
The country's borders are highly defended, and those wishing to pass through it are subject to
constant surveillance for the duration of their stay. As it is situated between three of the Five Great
Shinobi Nations, it serves as a battlefield for their wars, and most of the population consists of war
refugees. Amegakure itself was the site of a civil war, and Hanzo, the leader of Amegakure, was
killed by Pain, the leader of the criminal organization Akatsuki. Following the war, Pain becomes
the leader of the village and uses it as a base for Akatsuki. Ninja loyal to the former Amegakure
frequently attempt to assassinate Pain, but their efforts are unsuccessful. The inhabitants of
Amegakure consider Pain to be a god, and he never reveals himself to the populace. After Pain's
defeat, Konan becomes the leader of the village.
Land of Sound
The Land of Rice Fields (Ta no Kuni, English TV: "Land of Rice Patties") is a small country sharing
a border with the Land of Fire. Orochimaru, a former Konohagakure ninja, took control of the
country, and renamed it the Land of Sound (Oto no Kuni).
Otogakure (Otogakure no Sato, lit. "Village Hidden in Sound") is Orochimaru's personal village. He
founded it for the sole purpose of collecting ninja for his experiments, and his quest to learn all the
jutsu in the world. The village is not contiguous, consisting of multiple assorted lairs located within
the Land of Sound and outside it.

Land of Water
The Land of Water (Mizu no Kuni) is one of the Five Great Shinobi Nations and contains the hidden
village of Kirigakure. It is composed of many islands, with each having its own unique traditions.
The Land of Water and Kirigakure are shown only briefly in the series, but several ninja featured in
the series hail from this area.
Kirigakure (Kirigakure no Sato, lit. "Village Hidden in Mist") is the hidden village of the Land of
Water. The leader of the village is known as the Mizukage. Madara Uchiha has been referred to as
the Mizukage, though it is unclear when he held the title. The ninja in Kirigakure specialize in
water-based jutsu. During the rule of the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura (who was also the host for the
Three-tails), Kirigakure was known as "Bloody Mist" as it used brutal methods to train its ninja,
requiring prospective ninja to fight their comrades to the death. The Fifth Mizukage was first seen
when the Raikage called all Kages to the Land of Iron. After Zabuza Momochi killed all the
students in his class, however, the process was discontinued. The Mist, like Iwagakure and
Kumogakure, has also had possession of two tailed beasts, the three tailed beast and the six tailed
beast. Zabuza became part of the Seven Shinobi Swordsmen of the Mist, the strongest group of
ninja in the village and signified by the unique swords they carry. Aside from Zabuza, three other
members have been revealed in the series: Kisame Hoshigaki, who abandoned the village and
joined the criminal organization Akatsuki, Raiga Kurosuki, who is introduced towards the end of
the Naruto anime, and a boy named Chojuro (Chōjūrō) who is a bodyguard for the Mizukage.
Suigetsu, who joined Sasuke when he killed Orochimaru, was trained to become a member of the
seven swordsmen of mist. He has mention that his brother was/is a member of the swordsmen.

Land of Lightning
The Land of Lightning (Kaminari no Kuni) is one of the Five Great Shinobi Nations and contains
the hidden village of Kumogakure. It is composed of numerous mountain ranges. The country and
its inhabitants go largely unseen until late in the second half of the series.
Kumogakure (Kumogakure no sato, lit. "Village Hidden in the Clouds") is the hidden village of the
Land of Lightning. It is located on a high mountain, literally hidden in the clouds. The leader of the
village is known as the Raikage. Similar to Iwagakure and Kirigakure, Kumogakure has had two
tailed beasts in its possession: the two-tailed demon cat, sealed within Yugito Nii ( Nii Yugito), and
the eight-tailed beast, sealed within the Raikage's younger brother, Killer Bee (Kirābī). Both
Jinchūriki were attacked by Akatsuki. Yugito was captured and killed through the extraction
process, while Killer Bee managed to fool and evade capture by his Akatsuki assailants. Back in
times, a leader of the Kumogakure made an alliance with Konoha. After the celebration of the
alliance, the leader tried to capture Hinata Hyuga, to get the Byakugan. Hinata's father killed the
leader, but the rest of the Kumogakure saw that as a break of the alliance. They wanted the corpse
of Hinata's father in exchange of their leader's life, or they would start a war between Kumogakure
and Konohagakure. The Hyuga clan gave Kumogakure the corpse of Neji's father, instead for
Hinata's father, because the Byakugan of Neji's father was sealed when he died, so the Kumogakure
didn't get any Byakugan at last.
Land of Earth
The Land of Earth (Tsuchi no Kuni) is one of the Five Great Shinobi Nations and contains the
village of Iwagakure (Iwagakure no sato, lit. "Village Hidden Among the Rocks"). The leader is
called the Tsuchikage. Not much is known of this land as it has mainly been mentioned in passing in
the manga. Like Kumogakure and Kirigakure, it has been revealed that Iwagakure had two tailed
beasts in its possession: the four-tailed beast, sealed within an old man named Rōshi, and the five-
tailed beast, sealed within a large, armor-clad man named Han.

Land of Waves
The Land of Waves (Nami no Kuni) is a poor nation, and as a result does not have a hidden village.
It is an isolated island, but was prosperous until the country was taken over by Gato, who
monopolized the economy. The Land of Waves is introduced early in Part I, and Team 7, which
consists of the main characters of the series, travels to the Land of Waves as bodyguards for a
bridge builder. With the aid of the populace of the Land of Waves, Team 7 manage to defeat Gato
and his hired assassin Zabuza Momochi, and his assistant Haku, and restore the country to its
former status. As a sign of gratitude, the bridge is named the "Great Naruto Bridge" (Naruto
Ōhashi) in honor of Naruto Uzumaki, the main character of the series.

Phenomena
Jutsu

Tailed beasts
The tailed beasts (bijū) are nine giant demons that serve to drive the plot of the Naruto series. They
are differentiated by the number of tails they have, with each possessing an amount from one to
nine. The beasts are large, living forms of chakra, giving them power that far outmatches most
ninja. However, this immense strength is tempered due to their bestial nature, which restricts them
from being smart enough to use it effectively. Beasts sealed within another person are able to
benefit from the knowledge of their hosts, giving them the ability to speak and better utilize their
powers. Akatsuki, a criminal organization that becomes one of the primary antagonists of the series,
spends much of their screentime trying to capture the first nine beasts or their hosts. Once captured,
Akatsuki's members seal the beast away for future use. The Akatsuki leader Pain, claims these
beasts will facilitate in the creation of a weapon capable of destroying an entire country whilst the
group's true leader Madara reveals his intention of merging the tailed beasts into their original form,
the ten-tailed beast.
Only some of the beasts are actually seen in the series, and those that appear are not fully explained.
The second Naruto artbook, released in July of 2009, provides an explanation of the beasts and their
hosts. The beasts are, in numerical order: Shukaku, the one-tailed tanuki (sealed within Gaara of
Sunagakure); the two-tailed monster cat (sealed within Yugito Ni'i of Kumogakure); the three-tailed
turtle (previously sealed within Yagura of Kirigakure); the four-tailed gorilla, based on the Great
Ape from Dragon Ball (sealed within Rōshi of Iwagakure); the five-tailed dolphin-horse (sealed
within Han of Iwagakure); the six-tailed slug (sealed within Utakata of Kirigakure); the seven-tailed
beetle (sealed within Fū of Takigakure); the eight-tailed ushi-oni-like beast (sealed within Killer
Bee of Kumogakure); and the nine-tailed demon fox (sealed within Naruto Uzumaki of
Konohagakure). As of the latest Naruto chapter, only the eight-tailed and the nine-tailed beasts have
yet to be captured by Akatsuki.
Hosts
Jinchūriki ("Power of Human Sacrifice", English "Spiritualist Medium"), or simply hosts, are
those who have had a tailed beast sealed into their bodies. Jinchūriki are created so that ninja
villages can gain control over a tailed beast, having the host harness the beast's power as a weapon
of battle. In most instances, they are actually stronger than the tailed beast they contain, as they
have the knowledge to effectively control the tailed beast's strength. Each of the hosts that have
appeared so far within the series also possess a physical characteristic that resembles their beast;
Naruto for example has fox-like whisker-marks on his face, while Gaara has tanuki-like rings
around his eyes.
According to members of Akatsuki, hosts of tailed beasts are typically lonely people who loathe
humanity. When Akatsuki captured their first three jinchūriki, no one from their villages cared, and
in fact were thankful to be rid of them. If a beast is removed from its host's body the host will die.
Similarly if the host dies with the beast still sealed within them, the beasts will die too. Because of
this beasts tend to be protective of their hosts, forcibly taking action when their host is in danger (as
demonstrated with Gaara's sand shield). Hosts can communicate with their beast in an effort to use
the beast's powers at will. Killer Bee (host of the eight tailed beast) seems to have had the most
success in doing so, having a mutual relationship with his beast and being able to fully unleash the
beast within him while still maintaining his sense of self. Naruto is the opposite; he is often in
conflict with the fox and when he reaches four tails or more he loses complete control of his body.

Ninja ranks
Academy ninja
The academy is where would-be ninja start; they are not actually considered ninja until they
graduate. Academy students take formal and practical tests of all sorts and are taught basic ninja
skills, such as martial arts, techniques, physical fitness and the way of the ninja. Basic weapon
usage, such as kunai and shuriken, are commonly taught. Elementary ninja techniques, such as
transformation jutsu and clone jutsu, though they vary from village to village, are also taught. Once
a student has become proficient in these areas they are allowed to graduate. Upon graduation,
students are organized into three-man teams under the leadership of a Jonin. In some villages, the
Jonin administers a final test to determine whether or not the team will be able to advance to the
rank of Genin. Those who fail must return to the academy. When Naruto Uzumaki graduates at the
start of the series, only nine of the twenty-seven graduates become Genin.

Genin
Genin (literally "Lower Ninja", Viz "Junior Ninja") are the lowest level of ninja. Genin are given
headbands with their village's symbol on it to represent what village they come from and that they
are full fledged ninja. Genin are also put in three-man cells, and are then assigned a Jonin sensei to
mentor them. This is done to teach the Genin teamwork and experience true ninja life under the
supervision and protection of an elite shinobi. The make-up of these teams is based on the
individual skills of the Genin, so that there will remain a balance between the teams. When they
become Genin, ninja start to do their bit for their village's economy, for which they are given a
small payment. They are typically sent either on D-rank missions, which are the lowest rank and are
almost entirely risk-free jobs of manual labor, or experienced Genin are sent on C-rank missions,
which are a cut above that and begin to verge on real "ninja" work, though they generally have a
very low possibility of risk to the ninja involved.

Chunin
Chunin (Chūnin, literally "Middle Ninja", Viz "Chūnin" and "Journeyman Ninja") are ninja who
are qualified to watch over and guide other ninja. Chunin have reached a level of maturity that
primarily consists of leadership skills and tactical prowess. Some of them, like Shikamaru Nara,
serve as team leaders in charge of small teams who need to make decisions and utilize the skills of
the shinobi under their command to the maximum effect. Upon reaching Chunin level, ninja can
wear an identifying tactical vest that holds ninjutsu scrolls. This vest is not required; instead, some
look for more elaborate clothing like capes or robes. Chunin are typically sent on C or B-rank
missions.
To become a Chunin, a Genin participates, with his or her team, in a large examination, known as
the "Chunin Exams," hosted twice a year due to the growing number of ninjas. In the past, each
village held their own Chunin exam. After the 3rd Ninja World War, allied ninja villages agreed to
hold the exams together at the selected village that would host the exam, so villages could improve
and strengthen their relationships. Another advantage is that ninja that took the exam might attract
clients who are interested in hiring them. The exam is a test not only of strength, but information
gathering abilities, survival skills, and adhering to guidelines. Those who have all of these qualities
are grouped together into predetermined fights, watched by a council that decides who becomes a
Chunin and who does not. While the winners are able to proceed to fight the next opponent, it is
aptitude, rather than winning, that is evaluated to determine whether a candidate is promoted. This
way even one who loses his or her first match can become a Chunin as evidenced by Shikamaru's
promotion while he surrendered to Temari in the first round.

Jonin
Jonin ( Jōnin, literally "Higher Ninja", Viz "Jōnin" and "Elite Ninja") are generally highly-
experienced ninja with great individual skill who serve as military captains. They are often sent on
A-rank missions, and experienced Jonin, like Kakashi Hatake, may even be sent on S-rank missions
(which are considered to be the most difficult), and may carry out missions alone. They are
sometimes assigned as sensei for three-person teams of Genin. Most Jonin are able to use two or
more types of elemental chakra. Though it is as yet unknown what one has to undergo to become a
Jonin, it is mentioned in the Naruto Anime Profiles that Jonin are appointed.[3]
Tokubetsu Jonin (Tokubetsu Jōnin, literally "Special Higher Ninja" English "Special Jonin",
sometimes known as Tokujō for short) are ninja who, rather than all-around Jonin training, have
Jonin-level ability in a single area or skill, much like warrant officers of real-world militaries (e.g.
Ibiki, who specializes in interrogation). They are elite specialists in their areas and are often
assigned as subordinates to regular Jonin when their services are needed. They sometimes are seen
as lower ranked than Jonin because they are good or the best in one field and they lack talent, or
even ability in others.

Kage
Those who have achieved the title of Kage (Shadow) are the leaders of the five most powerful
Hidden Villages and generally (but not exclusively) the most powerful ninja in their respective
villages. These villages do not rule the country, but are equal to the government. The Kage stand
equally with the rulers of their countries, oversee the activities of their villages, and are the leaders
of ninja society. There may be exceptions, however, as a ninja may be the most powerful at the time
of being installed as Kage, but may become less powerful upon aging, eventually being surpassed
by a younger ninja. A Kage may retire and give the title to someone else; however, once granted, the
title is held permanently, creating a situation where a village has two Kage at the same time, with
only one of them actually active. Their elite status is also attributed to the tendency for most Kage
to have family members who were previous Kage, or be personally taught by a former Kage or
student of a former Kage, or some combination of these factors. The five Kage have different titles
depending on their country. Those titles are:
 • Hokage (Fire Shadow) Kage of Konohagakure.
• Kazekage (Wind Shadow) Kage of Sunagakure.
• Mizukage (Water Shadow) Kage of Kirigakure.
• Raikage (Lightning Shadow) Kage of Kumogakure.
• Tsuchikage (Earth Shadow) Kage of Iwagakure.
The anime introduced a sixth Kage, the Hoshikage (星影, literally "Star Shadow"?) from
Hoshigakure (Village Hidden in the Stars). However, this was a self-given title and not officially
recognized by the five other villages.

ANBU
The ANBU ("Dark Side", Viz manga "Black Ops", English TV "ANBU Black Ops") is actually
short for Ansatsu Senjutsu Tokushu Butai (literally Special Assassination and Tactical Squad), and
is an organization of assassination squads that serves directly under the village's leader. The ANBU
wear porcelain animal masks in order to distinguish themselves from normal shinobi and to conceal
their identities, and also have standard uniforms consisting of black and gray armor, arm guards, a
signature spiral tattoo on their shoulder(Men: left shoulder. Women: right shoulder) a Ninjatō
strapped on their back. They know the layout of the human body in detail, and have developed
several techniques to perform their duties, such as paralyzing the target. ANBU are considered the
elite, and they perform high-ranked and dangerous missions. Within the ANBU of Kirigakure,and
presumably other ninja villages there exists a sub-group called Hunter-nin ( Oinin, literally
"Chasing Ninja", English TV "Tracker Ninja"), given the specific duty of hunting down rogue ninja,
and destroying their bodies, so their village's secrets won't be revealed to foreign ninja.

Similar organizations
Konoha is shown having two ANBU-like organizations, though are separate from ANBU entirely.
The Konoha Military Police Force (Konoha Keimu Butai, English TV: "Leaf Anbu"), or Military
Police for short, is a unique organization in Konoha, though other villages may have similar
organizations. Their symbol is the Uchiha crest because the Uchiha family founded the organization
as a sign of trust with the Second Hokage. The Military Police previously consisted of mostly
Uchiha clan members, though now that Itachi has eliminated all but Sasuke this is no longer the
case. The Military Police are in charge of law enforcement within the village, and their jurisdiction
is virtually unlimited except in matters that are under the Hokage's direct control. The Nijū Shōtai (
Twenty Platoons) is a task force created by Tsunade, the Fifth Hokage, for the purpose of tracking
down, attempting to capture, and, if necessary, eliminating Akatsuki members in the Fire Country.
This force consists of twenty four-man teams, making eighty shinobi in all.
Konoha ANBU are usually under the direct command of the Hokage, but several years before the
start of the series there was an ANBU Training Department known as the "Foundation". The
Foundation was created and directly controlled by Danzo, who trained and conditioned children
intensively from a very young age. This was done to completely eliminate emotions and enable its
members to complete missions without being held back. The Foundation tends to go further in its
belief that ninja must not show any emotion than most other ninja groups do, as they forbid any
members to possess anything that may invoke emotion. It was implied that the department might
have used methods similar to Kirigakure's graduation exam, including putting students against each
other in fights to the death. Because Danzo is a war hawk and opposed the Third Hokage, the
Foundation was disbanded. However, many former members are still loyal to the Foundation.

Medical ninja
Medical-nin (Medical Corps Ninja) are ninja who specialize in medical treatment and use medical-
oriented jutsu to heal others. Examples include Tsunade and Sakura Haruno and Ino Yamanaka.
Becoming a medic-nin requires excellent chakra control, because medic-nin use chakra to heal
injuries. Aside from their medical training, their combat training consists mainly of taijutsu skills,
with emphasis placed on evading enemy attacks, as the death of the medic-nin could result in the
death of the team, though medical techniques can also be used offensively. On dangerous missions,
a medic-nin will usually be sent along with the team, to increase the survival rate of that team.

Rogue Ninja
Rogue Ninja are ninja who have abandoned their Hidden Village, and as such can include ninja of
every rank. These ninja are considered traitors and are hunted down because of the secrets they may
hold. Other Hidden Villages would be interested in purchasing this information because it could be
useful in gaining an upper hand in battle or obtaining a bloodline limit unique to a village. Some
villages (Kirigakure being the only known example) create special units of hunter-nin to take care
of this problem, although it's unlikely that every missing-nin has a team of hunter-nin sent after
them.