Konohagakure

Konohagakure
Name
Kanji	木ノ葉隠れの里
Rōmaji	Konohagakure no Sato
Literal English	Village Hidden by Tree Leaves
English TV	The Village Hidden in the Leaves
Village Data
Country	Land of Fire
Leader	Hokage
Symbol
Statistics
Population	5/5
Military	3/5
Economy	2/5

Konohagakure (木ノ葉隠れの里, Konohagakure no Sato, English TV: "Village Hidden in the Leaves" or "Hidden Leaf Village", literally meaning: Village Hidden by Tree Leaves) is the hidden village of the Land of Fire. As the village of one of the Five Great Shinobi Countries, Konohagakure has a Kage as its leader known as the Hokage, of which there have been seven in its history. Konoha resides deep within a forest at the base of a mountain known as the Hokage Rock, which has the faces of all those who have taken the office of Hokage engraved on it.^[1] It is surrounded on all sides by enormous walls.^[2] While generally seen as the most powerful of the ninja villages,^[3] Konoha has enjoyed many years of relative peace and stability.

The standard attire for Konoha shinobi consists of blue or black shirts which may or may not have swirl patterns on the shoulders, along with matching coloured pants under a green flak jacket which also has a red swirl on the back, and pockets on the chest area. They also tend to wrap bandages around their legs. Many Konohagakure ninja use Fire Release techniques.

History[]

Founding[]

During the Warring States Period, ninja were organised into small mercenary clans that knew nothing but battle. The two strongest of these clans were the Senju and the Uchiha, who had warred against each other for their entire histories. Eventually, intending to end the constant bloodshed, Hashirama Senju used his position as leader of his clan to broker a truce with the Uchiha clan through their leader, his childhood friend Madara Uchiha. Thus the Senju, the Uchiha, and their respective affiliated clans formed the first shinobi village: Konohagakure — a name invented by Madara himself.^[4] Other villages would soon start forming, following Konoha's example and essentially ending the Warring States Period.

Hashirama used his Wood Release abilities to produce much of the village's infrastructure.^[5] This ability and his ideals were two of the reasons he was chosen to become the village's leader: the Hokage. Madara, however, feared that the Senju would oppress his clan and attempted to gather support to overthrow Hashirama. No Uchiha would help, forcing him to take on Hashirama by himself. Madara was ultimately defeated at what would be called the Valley of the End and he was believed to have died. As a result of the battle, Konoha came into possession of the Nine-Tails. To contain its enormous power, the village began its trend of sealing the beast within the Uzumaki, a clan that the Senju and thus the rest of Konoha had close ties with.^[6]

The First Three World Wars[]

At some point, Hashirama came to bind most of the tailed beasts and sold them to other villages during the First Shinobi World War, to promote peace and tranquility.^[7] 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.

Nine-Tailed Demon Fox's Attack[]

Main article: Nine-Tailed Demon Fox's Attack

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 nine years prior to the start of the series, while Kumogakure and Konohagakure 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 person who was 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[]

Main article: Uchiha Clan Downfall

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.

Konoha Crush[]

Main article: Konoha Crush

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.

Pain's Assault[]

Main article: Pain's Assault

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.^[8]

Fourth Shinobi World War[]

Main article: Fourth Shinobi World War

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.^[9] By the time the war is won, most of the village has been restored.^[10] As a result of the war, Konoha's population suffered greatly, but it gradually recovered.^[11]

Post-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.^[8] Military budget was considered to be lowered in order to focus on other projects, leading to decreased funding for organisations such as the Anbu.^[12] 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.^[13]

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,^[14] 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.

Locations[]

• Academy
• Academy Instructor Final Exam Building ^{(anime only)}
• Akagahara ^{(anime only)}
• Amaguriama
• Ankorodō
• Dango Shop
• Film Theatre ^{(anime only)}
• Fire Park
• Forty-Fourth Training Ground
• Hokage Rock
• Hokage Residence
• Information & Receiving Centre
• Jōnin Standby Station
• Kaminarimon Camping Grounds^[15]
• Kaminarimon Company Headquarters
• Kikyō Castle
• Konoha Archive Library
• Konoha Aviary
• Konoha Bank
• Konoha Cemetery
• Konohagakure Central Post Office
• Konoha Film Studio (木ノ葉撮影所, Konoha Satsueijo)^[16]
• Konoha Hospital
• Konohagakure Hospital Pet ^{(anime only)}
• Konoha Hot Springs
• Konohagakure Intelligence Division
• Konoha Library
• Konoha Military Police Force
• Konoha Mountain Villa
• Konoha Ninja Tool Research Facility: Detached Office ^{(anime only)}
• Konoha Orphanage
• Konoha Purification Plant (木ノ葉浄水場, Konoha Jōsuijō)
• Konoha Shinshigai Station
• Konoha Strict Correctional Facility ^{(anime only)}
• Lightning Burger
• Main Street Station
• Memorial Stone
• Mission Assignment Desk
• Mohawk Fish Market ^{(anime only)}
• Mori-No-Yu Hot Spring ^{(anime only)}
• Naka River
• Naka Shrine
• Nakayoshi Factory^[17]
• Nara Research Lab ^{(anime only)}
• Ninjutsu Research Centre
• Old City Station
• Ramen Ichiraku
• Senju Park
• Shushu-ya
• Tatsumi Gate
• Third Training Ground
• Training Hall
• Uchiha District^[18]
• Uchiha Senbei
• Yakiniku Q
• Yamanaka Flowers
• Zeroth Training Ground ^{(anime only)}

Clans[]

Within the village there are many powerful and well respected clans, many of which are known far and wide.^[19] The Uchiha clan was regarded as the most powerful clan in the village.^[20] All known clans in the village are:

• Aburame Clan
• Akimichi Clan
• Fūma Clan
• Hatake Clan
• Hōki Family
• Hyūga Clan
• Inuzuka Clan
• Izuno Clan
• Kohaku Clan
• Kurama Clan
• Lee Clan
• Nara Clan
• Onikuma Clan
• Sarutobi Clan
• Senju Clan
• Shimura Clan
• Uchiha Clan
• Uzumaki Clan
• Yamanaka Clan

• Tenma Izumo's clan^[21]
• Namida Suzumeno's clan^[22]

Emergency Protocols[]

Konoha has a protocol in case the village is ever under attack.^[23]

1. Eliminate the enemy units.
2. If phase 1 is not viable, evacuate every civilian to the nearest shelter hidden throughout the village.
3. Use all of the forces in the village to eliminate the enemy with full force using home field advantage.

Trivia[]

• The hiragana あん (an) is painted on the four entrance gates of the village (one hiragana on each door).^[24] This means "hermitage" or "retreat". In kanji, the character is "庵". There are also torii built all around the perimeter wall of the village.^[25]
• Masashi Kishimoto stated that Konohagakure was modelled after his own hometown.
• In the first Naruto volume, there's a sketch of downtown Konoha. In a close-up is a billboard with a cartoon version of Masashi Kishimoto holding a paintbrush.
• According to Kai no Sho, Konoha has the highest population out of all the five main hidden villages.
• After Konoha's destruction, there were very few glimpses of the village during its reconstruction in the manga until chapter 616, showing the village looking as it did before the invasion. In the anime (as well as Ultimate Ninja Storm 3), most of the village was built within the crater caused by Pain.
• Smoking isn't allowed in the village's public places.^[26]
• Konoha is located at the central part of the Land of Fire.^[27]

See Also[]

• List of Konohagakure characters

References[]