There are five great nations in Naruto, and every single one of them has a hidden ninja village. These villages produce the skilled ninja that will work not only for their respective villages, but also for the greater benefits of their own nations. That is why the countries usually depend on their own villages to provide them with skilled armed forces, while the villages themselves depend on the country for economic support.
Although the official title for this settlement is “village”, the size of these five villages are actually akin to a small town. And even though they are technically part of their own countries, each leader of these ninja villages (called Kage) has full authority over their domain. Not only that, they are also free to conduct trade, and even political or military negotiation with other villages. From the thriving Konohagakure to the mysterious Kirigakure, here’s everything that you need to know about the five great shinobi villages.
Village Hidden in the Leaves, Konohagakure
Let’s start with the village where the story of Naruto takes place, the Village Hidden in the Leaves, or more commonly known as Konohagakure, or just Konoha for short. As the name suggests, Konoha is located deep in the middle of a forest. There’s only one official road that leads into the giant front gate of the village. This is the main entry of Konoha and whether they are shinobi or regular citizens, this gate is their primary way to enter the village.
The person who leads Konoha is given the title of Hokage. As they are a part of the Land of Fire, the signature jutsu of Konoha’s ninjas is fire-type jutsu. Konoha has always been a major player in global ninja politics. After all, lots of powerful shinobi come from this village. And since for the longest time Konoha is the one who have the rights to the Nine-Tailed Beast (Kyuubi), this also means they have a great power reserved at their disposal.
That is why not many countries dared to challenge Konoha. But make no mistake, lots of them are willing to work together to bring this village to the ground. After all, lots of factions can gain countless benefits by the fall of Konoha. That is how influential and powerful Konoha truly is.
Village Hidden in the Sand, Sunagakure
The Village Hidden in the Sand, also known as Sunagakure or just Suna for short, is another major player in the global shinobi politics. And as the name suggests, they are located in the middle of a desert. This proves to be both the source of their strength, and also their weakness.
Being located in the middle of a desert means it is almost impossible to assemble a large-scale attack on Suna due to its logistical nightmare. But on the other hand, this also means the life in Suna is incredibly hard. After all, unlike Konoha and their bountiful forest, there’s hardly any plants that can grow in Suna. This makes their economic status quite lower than Konoha.
Sunagakure is led by a Kazekage, and they are a part of the Land of the Wind. The signature jutsu of Suna is wind-based jutsu, however, they also use unique jutsu such as the Puppet Technique (kugutsutsukai). Not only that, for the longest time, those who became Kazekage have always had the ability to control sands. And just like Konoha, Sunagakure also had the rights to the One-Tailed Beast (Ichibi).
Village Hidden in the Clouds, Kumogakure
The Village Hidden in the Clouds, or more commonly known as Kumogakure is located at the top of a steep mountain range, which acts as some sort of natural fortress to the village. However, just like Suna, this also means the living conditions in the village are far from ideal. After all, there are only a handful of plants and animals that can live that high up on the mountain.
On the other hand, these harsh conditions are also one of the reasons why the people of Kumogakure often become hardened warriors. That is why if there’s large-scale conflict, you can expect to find the ninja of Kumogakure to be involved in it to some extent.
Kumogakure Land of Lightning, and their leader is called the Raikage. Their signature jutsu is the lightning-based jutsu, but most of them are also quite adept at using weapons, especially swords. Just like the other villages, Kumogakure also has their fair share of tailed-beast, which is the Two-Tailed (Nibi), and the Eight-Tailed (Hachibi)
Village Hidden in the Stones, Iwagakure
The Village Hidden in the Stones, also known as Iwagakure, is located amidst a mountain range. However, unlike Kumogakure, Iwagakure sits right at the foot of a rocky mountain range, which also acts as a natural stronghold for the village. Since the location of both Kumogakure and Iwagakure are quite similar, this means they also face similar challenges, although to a lesser extent.
The leader of Iwagakure is called Tsuchikage. They are part of the Land of the Earth, as such they are experts in earth-type jutsu. However, just like Kazekage of Suna, some Tsuchikage, particularly the second and the third, also have unique jutsu, such as particle jutsu or jutsu that allows them to manipulate gravity. Iwagakure managed to get their hands on the Four-Tailed Beast (Yonbi), and the Five-Tailed Beast (Gobi).
Village Hidden in the Mist, Kirigakure
As its name suggests, the Village Hidden in the Mist, or more commonly known as Kirigakure, is located deep within a misty forest. While this location may not be able to provide the same level of natural defense as Kumogakure or Kirigakure, the thick mist is still a great way to not only hide the village, but also to confuse any potential enemy. Despite being surrounded by mist all the time, Kirigakure is actually filled with lots of greenery. Although not at the same level as Konoha, it's clear that the people of Kirigakure won’t have to worry about food.
Kirigakure Land of Water, which means most of its shinobi are highly skilled in water-based jutsu. The leader of Kirigakure is known as Mizukage, and each one seems to hold different special abilities, such as powerful genjutsu, or rare kekkei genkai, among other things. Similar to Kumogakure and Iwagakure, Kirigakure also had multiple Tailed-Beasts under its control, which is the Three-Tailed Beast (Sanbi), and the Six-Tailed (Rokubi).
There are a lot of things that can be talked about when it comes to these great ninja villages. After all, every village has a deep history that was painted by thirst for power, politics, war, and blood. So be sure to read or watch more Narutoor its successor, Boruto, to find out more about these villages.