Arizogakure

Arizogakure (薗隠れの里, Arizogakure no Sato; literally meaning "Village Hidden Within the Canyon", also known as "Village Hidden in the Canyon" or "Hidden Canyon Village") was the Hidden Village for the Land of Skies, but was replaced by Luragakure. As one of the former Seven Great Shinobi Countries, Arizogakure had a Kage as its leader known as the Iyokage. There were five Iyokage, with Arizono Kimza being the fifth and last. Like its name suggests, Arizo was within a deep canyon beside a wide river. When it came to appearance, Arizo had small to medium side buildings and a large port to the west. There were also smaller settlements to the north. Most residents of Arizo were either Wind Release or Water Release users. Arizo was once one of the most powerful military establishments in the world, up until the fall and destruction of the village.

Founding
Arizogakure was founded 60 to 70 years before the start of Naruto by a group of Time-Space ninjutsu masters known as the Kuguari clan. Using their mastery of teleportation techniques, the Kuguari transported needed supplies from various locations. The Kuguari were also a war-loving group, perferring fighting over peace. However, every clan that was within the area was conquered. The Kuguari clan and various others united within this village which was called the Kuguari Village.

Ninja Wars
The Kuguari Village was then caught up in the Second Shinobi World War. The Kuguari clan, who loved violence, joined the war and formed a military alliance with Sunagakure. Despite the Kuguari's skills and lust for blood, their numbers were not sufficient enough to land a blow on their opponents of Konohagakure and Iwagakure. The Kuguari clan called all ninja in the village to war and the war was eventually brought to the Kuguari Village, resulting in its near devastation.

Some of the Kuguari, tired of the bloodshed, fought against their own clansmen with the most powerful of the Kuguari on their side. The Kuguari sealed their violent clansmen with the Kuguari Style: Banishing Vortex Technique. The Kuguari then sealed away the powerful Kuguari techniques into his clanmen's eyes, hoping they would never be found. He then remained the clan the Kimza clan and called himself the First Kimza. The seal eventually mutated and became the Kekkei Genkai the Nokerrogan. The village was then renamed Arizogakure.

During the Third Shinobi World War, Arizogakure decided to stay out of the violence, sending supplies to Konoha instead to help them. Arizo was indentified a Hidden Village afterwards and almost every Kimza in the village became a flee-on-sight opponent. During this time, Arizo focused on rebuilding itself further and grew as a result.

However, shortly afterward, Arizo was dragged into another war with Shiragakure, a nearby Hidden Village in the Land of Steel. Despite the skill and power of the Kimza clan and the numbers of Arizo shinobi, Shira had pure determination and medical strength and chakra enhancements. The war went on for many years until a stalemate suddenly appeared and both villages stopped fighting.

It is also said that Arizo fought in the Fourth Shinobi World War, fighting against the Akatsuki and some Kuguari radicals. The village fought well and after the war ended, supplies were sent to Arizo from Konoha as a act of good faith.

Summoning and Sealing of Bukarok
Years before the war with Shira, a group of Kuguari radicals summoned Bukarok the Giant Forest Wasp, one of the Four Guardian Beasts of Hell's Gates. The Guardian Beast went on a rampage throughout Arizo, destroying half the village and killing many. The First Iyokage, another Kuguari, activated the Shu Nokerrogan and sealed the Guardian Beast's spiritual essence in a scroll, dying shortly after. The Kuguari who were instrumental in this were executed and the entire clan was closely watched.

The Fall of the Kimza and Arizo's Destruction
Years after the Arizo-Shira standoff, Ezemaru Kimza, the Jōnin Commander of Arizo, went on a mission to Konoha to make a peace alliance that would benefit both villages. While he was gone, a group of Kuguari hired a Kimza to kill his grandfather and Third Iyokage, Toshiya Kimza. Despite the Kimza refusing, Bukarok managed to possess him and kill the Iyokage before having the Kimza commit suicide. When Ezemaru returned, the elder council, which was mostly Kuguari, elected Ezemaru as the Fourth Iyokage.

Years later, Ezemaru tried to get the council to declare war on Shira and finally crush them in the name of peace. The Kuguari elders, who were no longer seeking war, decided that the peace Arizo had was better than any war. While Ezemaru was within the clan's shrine, he was contacted by Bukarok and was told that his grandfather was murdered due to a wish by the Kuguari. The Guardian Beast told him that the Kuguari were in the way of peace and with their destruction would follow the peace he strove for.

With his mind and heart clouded by indecision, Bukarok took its chance to possess Ezemaru and using his body, Bukarok killed all of the Kuguari elders. Ezemaru was eventually arrested for high treason and murder and was stripped of his title. His younger brother and Jōnin Commander, Arizono Kimza, became the Fifth Iyokage.

Sentenced to death for his crimes, Ezemaru was contacted by Bukarok again, who told the former Iyokage the bloody and senseless leagcy of the violent Kuguari and told them that if he died, nothing would stand in the Kimza clan's way of the same thing since Arizono was nothing but a Kuguari pawn. The non-Kuguari here were also corrupted by the violence and he knew Ezemaru could sense it. The only thing to do was to eliminate Arizo in the sake of peace. This resulted in Ezemaru sealing the Guardian Beast into his body.

At the day of his execution, the entire village came out to see their once great hero's death. Despite the usage of the Kimza clan's most powerful ninjutsu, Ezemaru was saved from being harmed by Bukarok and went about killing any Kimza he could find before standing atop the cannon and firing the same jutsu used to kill him at the village, increased to a frightening level with Bukarok's chakra. Arizo was decimated upon impact, more than 85 percent of the village's population and almost 90 percent of its buildings wiped out in an instant.

Aftermath
After Arizo's destruction, the Land of Skies made Ezemaru an S-class criminal who had to die. However, his vast power made him a problem for even the greatest of shinobi in the nation. With Arizo reduced to ashes and the Kimza and Kuguari clan vanished forever, title of Hidden Village was given to nearby Luragakure and the title remained so from then on.

As a result of a strom cloud being corrupted by Bukarok's chakra, a large lightning strom looms above the ruins of Arizo. Though the lightning usually stays in the cloud, a stray lightning bolt strikes the ground once every two to three weeks, usually damaging a structure further. Thanks to no rain, the ruins of Arizo are preserved with the exception of lightnig strike victims. However, the cloud darkens the area and it takes days to locate the village.

Despite what has happened, a little less than 5 percent of Arizo's residents survived what had happened years ago. Though most don't reveal who they are or where they are, most Arizo residents live in Konoha, Sunagakure, or Kirigakure.

Clans

 * Kimza Clan
 * Kuguari Clan
 * Tatsumaki Clan

Trivia

 * Despite not being born in Arizo, Saphiro Kimza is a resident of Arizo. This means he is a official resident of three villages; Konohagakure, Arizogakure, and Luragakure.


 * Most residents of Arizogakure were Wind Release users, meaning that the destruction of the village could've wiped out almost 60 percent of Wind Release users in the world at the time.