Konohagakure

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 Monument, which has the faces of all those who have taken the office of Hokage engraved on it. While generally seen as the most powerful of the ninja villages, 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 over 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.

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 countless bloodshed, Hashirama Senju used his position as leader of his clan to create a truce with the Uchiha clan. The Senju, the Uchiha, and their affiliated clans formed the first shinobi village: Konohagakure — a name invented by Madara himself.

Hashirama used his Wood Release abilities to produce much of the village's infrastructure. 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 Uzumaki, a clan that the Senju and thus the rest of Konoha had close ties with. At some point, Hashirama came to bind some of the other tailed beasts and gave them to the other newly formed ninja villages to promote peace and tranquility. However, this peace was short-lived.

The First Three World Wars
Konoha took part in the first three Shinobi World Wars. Hashirama died 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 died during the First Shinobi World War, killed by Kumogakure's ninja, but he appointed Hiruzen Sarutobi as Third Hokage 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-Tails' 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 the Nine-Tails' Uzumaki-host 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 gave his life to seal the Nine-Tails into the body of his newborn son, Naruto Uzumaki. 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.

Uchiha Clan Downfall
Konoha's leadership believed an Uchiha was responsible for the Nine-Tails' 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
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
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.

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. By the time the war is won, most of the village has been restored.

Post-War
After the war, Konoha experienced a population boost under the leadership of Kakashi Hatake and Naruto Uzumaki as the Sixth and Seventh Hokage respectively. The village has overall grown in size and a series of skyscrapers have been built behind the Hokage Monument. The village has experienced a technical revolution, with computers, cell phones, and high-tech glasses being available.

Locations

 * Academy
 * Amaguriama
 * Dango Shop
 * Forty-Fourth Training Ground
 * Hokage Monument
 * Hokage Residence
 * Ramen Ichiraku
 * Jōnin Standby Station
 * Kikyō Castle
 * Konoha Archive Library
 * Konoha Aviary
 * Konoha Cemetery
 * Konoha Hospital
 * Konoha Hot Springs
 * Konohagakure Intelligence Division
 * Konoha Library
 * Konoha Military Police Force
 * Konoha Orphanage
 * Memorial Stone
 * Mission Assignment Desk
 * Naka River
 * Naka Shrine
 * Shushuya
 * Third Training Ground
 * Uchiha Senbei
 * Yakiniku Q
 * Yamanaka Flowers
 * Akagahara (anime only)
 * Konoha Ninja Tool Research Facility: Detached Office (anime only)
 * Konoha Strict Correctional Facility (anime only)
 * Zeroth Training Ground (anime only)

Clans
Within the village there are many powerful and well respected clans. Of these there are four clans which are regarded as noble clans. These are the: Aburame, Akimichi, Hyūga and Uchiha clans — the latter of which was regarded as the most powerful clan in the village, but, unknown to most, the most unstable as well. All known clans in the village are:

Emergency Protocols
Konoha has a protocol in case the village is ever under attack.
 * 1. Eliminate the enemy units.
 * 2. If phase 1 is not viable, evacuates 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). This means "hermitage" or "retreat". In kanji, the character is "庵". There are also torii built all around the perimeter wall of the village.
 * Masashi Kishimoto stated that Konohagakure was modelled after his own hometown.
 * In the first Naruto volume, page 87, there's a sketch of downtown Konoha. In a close-up is a billboard with a cartoon version of Masashi Kishimoto with a paintbrush.
 * 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.