Hidden Mist

Biodata

Territory

Kirigakure is an isolated coastal ninja village in the Land of Water, situated among deep mountains and surrounded by dense, year-round mist. Its separation from the mainland and restrictive internal policies made infiltration difficult for outsiders without local knowledge or dōjutsu capable of seeing through the fog. 98

History

Early institutions

The Second Mizukage, Hōzuki Gengetsu, established Kirigakure's Ninja Academy and ANBU in imitation of Konoha's institutions. He also enacted strict secrecy laws, particularly concerning the village's seven ninja swords and the master smiths who forged them. 98

Kirigakure's weapon-forging tradition is among its greatest strengths. The Seven Ninja Swordsmen derive much of their reputation from the special weapons created by the village's smiths, whose identities and work were protected as state secrets. 98

Blood Mist era

Under Fourth Mizukage Karatachi Yagura, Kirigakure became known as the Blood Mist Village. His rule brought clan purges, internal killings, and a wave of defections among both the Seven Ninja Swordsmen and ordinary shinobi. The Snow Clan and Red Eye Clan were among the groups suppressed during this period. 129

The village's Mist Pursuit Unit continued hunting defectors, but the Blood Mist policies produced more rogue ninja than it could eliminate. Surviving clans secretly maintained contact with those exiles while publicly remaining within Kirigakure's system. 129

Land of Waves campaign

During the Fourth Shinobi World War, Kirigakure sent more than two hundred ninja through the Land of Waves to attack Konoha. Mei Terumi led the operation, with Ao serving as a crucial Byakugan-equipped scout and Fu Sha among the field commanders. 70 98

The campaign devastated the Land of Waves. Fu Sha's unit massacred civilians disguised as Konoha ninja, while the broader Konoha–Hidden Mist conflict killed hundreds of islanders and displaced thousands more. 71 89

The operation collapsed after Ning Qi entered the battlefield and attacked both armies. He killed Ao, shattered the Hidden Mist formation through repeated Flying Thunder God assaults, and inflicted losses severe enough to break the surviving forces' morale. Of the more than two hundred ninja deployed, only around ten reportedly returned to Kirigakure. 76 77 98

Yagura's fall and the reform crisis

Ning Qi later infiltrated Kirigakure and fought Yagura directly. Although Yagura drew on the Three-Tails' chakra, he was unable to overcome Ning Qi; the confrontation exposed that Yagura had been under genjutsu control. 99 100 101

A masked figure identified as Hashirama Senju subsequently defeated and captured Yagura, throwing Kirigakure into a leadership crisis. Elder Genji assumed control as acting Mizukage and attempted to install Six-Tails jinchūriki Utakata as a controllable Fifth Mizukage. 109 110

Kirigakure's opponents exploited the transition through a coordinated destabilization campaign: Utakata's Six-Tails was forced into a rampage inside the village, while the Takeori Clan attacked from outside. The dual crisis exhausted the old guard and forced previously neutral clans to commit troops. 126 128 129

Mei Terumi, Zabuza, and more than a hundred Hidden Mist rogue ninja then entered the conflict as a decisive relief force. Their intervention against the Takeori Clan and the Six-Tails crisis enabled their faction to begin taking control of Kirigakure's administration. 131 132

Organization

• Mizukage — Kirigakure's formal head of state and military leader. Karatachi Yagura served as Fourth Mizukage before his capture; Genji briefly directed the village as acting Mizukage during the succession crisis. 99 109
• Elders and conservative faction — Led by Genji during Yagura's absence. They attempted to preserve the old order by controlling Utakata and suppressing reformist activity. 110 122
• ANBU — The village's covert force, responsible for surveillance, internal security, and protecting sensitive facilities such as the Mizukage Building. 98 122
• Mist Pursuit Unit — Hunter-nin tasked with pursuing rogue shinobi. Their harsh pursuit of defectors contributed to the hostility between Kirigakure and its large rogue-ninja population. 66 132
• Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist — Elite swordsmen whose power is tied to Kirigakure's seven specialized ninja swords. Defections during the Blood Mist era severely weakened the group. 98 129
• Ninja clans — Major clans remained politically influential, trained many children privately, and often prioritized clan survival over village unity. Their divided loyalties became central to the reform crisis. 129

Leadership and Factions

• Karatachi Yagura — Fourth Mizukage and Three-Tails jinchūriki; secretly controlled by genjutsu before being defeated and captured. 99 101 109
• Genji — Elder who became acting Mizukage after Yagura's fall. He sought to preserve conservative control through Utakata, but was later taken by the masked man and subsequently reported dead. 109 110 130 133
• Mei Terumi — Elite jōnin and former commander of the Land of Waves campaign. She emerged as the central reformist leader during Kirigakure's collapse. 70 129 132
• Suikazan Fuguki — Remaining Seven Ninja Swordsman and enforcer of the old guard. Though privately suspicious of Mei's role in the crisis, he publicly supported her once her coalition controlled the situation. 122 132
• Zabuza Momochi — Former Kirigakure rogue ninja who led allied defectors during the takeover and managed their uneasy reintegration into the village. 129 132
• Utakata — Six-Tails jinchūriki forced into the Mizukage succession struggle, then used as the catalyst for the village's internal catastrophe. 110 128 129

Relations

• Konohagakure — Enemy during the Land of Waves campaign; both villages suffered severe losses after their battle escalated into a three-sided conflict with Ning Qi. 72 76 77
• Land of Waves / Sword Hidden Village — Kirigakure's forces crossed the Land of Waves to strike Konoha and later attacked Sword Hidden Village while pursuing Zabuza and Haku. 66 86
• Hidden Mist rogue ninja — Historically hunted as criminals by the Mist Pursuit Unit, but later relied upon as essential allies during the Takeori rebellion and Six-Tails crisis. 129 132
• Sunlit Organization — Its operatives covertly organized the conditions for Kirigakure's reform, including the Six-Tails rampage, the Takeori uprising, and the return of Mei Terumi's faction. 126 128 130