Land of Hope

Land of Hope (希望の国, Kibō no Kuni) is a powerful island country south of the and northwest of the, the government leader bearing the title, daimyō. Though it has no formal ninja village it does bear a militaristic style of government as it was a former military base and is funded through means of agriculture, tourism, and mission income. Throughout the entirety of the countries existence it has been subjugated by both and  until the island capitalized off the  through an embargo act, an alliance with Kiri, and a subsequent navy conflict with Kumogakure to achieve independence. Shinobi originating from here bear resounding chakra control as the Leader, Junzen, puts a large emphasis on that particular area. Additionally, they also are generally proficient in kenjutsu, long-range combat, suiton nature release, and know how to navigate throughout the sea with ease.

History
"At long last...after countless battles and follies...struggles and lives lost...mistakes and crushing defeats.... The nation we hold close has endured! Our home and our people have persevered! Once upon a time we were trapped by a vice iron grip of tyrants, but throughout the days their control has waned. And finally," The speakers hands moved amazingly, gesticulating his immense passion and rapport with the people of his homeland, "our small but pride-filled island nation has transcended to a level in which we have achieved a goal we have sought after for some two centuries: 'Independence!'" A roar of appraise and love resonate within the hearts of the some 12000 people as they acknowledge that the generations of failure and strife have not been in vain. "My brothers and sisters, we have won the battle and done the impossible! You have all contributed to this, and finally, we can stand with our head held high and bask in the glory of the Land of Hope! Our hope, this nations hope, continues on inside all of us." His words shimmered, radiated and filled the heads of all those listening with pure vigor, pride, awe... And hope"

The Hope Country has existed since the introducing of shinobi villages, having cme into existence just before the Second Shinobi World War. During the tumult of war the island nation was used as a means of housing and some parts included fitting the means of being a military base for Kirigakure during times of war. However, during the reign of the harsh and brutal Yagura this island nation was home to thousands of criminals, be it political prisoners or kekkei genkai users. Yagura housed the unique blood-inherited shinobi here just before coming up with the ultimate solution; instead of isolating those dangerous monsters, he would kill them all. This would begin the Purge of all Kekkei Genkai.

Years after, the Purge began on a much larger scale and a mass genocide began to occur. Men, women, and children lost their lives to the cleansing....none were exempt and a large portion of the lands population were slaughtered. Throughout the course of time the inhabitants never lost hope, having fought tooth and nail to persevere; withstanding the oppression from Kirigakure and continuing to hold on to hope. With the beginning of the Kekkei Genkai Blood Purge the inhabitants fought against their rulers - the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura of the Mist. Their struggles proved futile at best, failing to put even a dent in the overwhelming strength of the Hidden Village. They used their wiser, more experienced shinobi along with their copious amounts of loyal-through-fear ninja to decimate the growing rebellion. Although the forces of the rebellion have existed since their time of subjugation, the Hidden Village never paid them much mind; using the island for purposes of housing soldiers and/or criminals, ignoring the wishes of the natives. As this once held hundreds of kekkei genkai, many have interbred with others, but despite this very few blood-inherited jutsu appear here.

However, before the beginning of the Fourth Shinobi War the island sent multiple overtures and eventually spoke with various delegates before meeting with the diplomatic and passionate leader of Kirigakure, Mei Terumi, and the Water daimyō. During these conferences the land would become a protectorate of the Land of Water and nothing more, capitalizing on the natural resources of the land such as the unique crops and cultivating the unique breed of kekkei genkai. After all, this island formerly housed hundreds of those who were once lambs to a slaughter and hunted down vehemently, but being the bearer of two rare releases herself, Mei decided to strike up a lasting bond with the Land of Hope.

Her dream, the freedom of the Land of Hope would not achieve fruition. Following the cataclysmic conclusion of the Fourth War, subsequent dissonance and dissolution of the Shinobi Alliance and the death of the Fifth Mizukage, the village would find themselves having been conquered by Kumogakure, as the Sixth Mizukage, Lord Fuyuki had no need for the island nation. Under the thumb of Darui, the Fifth Raikage, the land was conquered as a navy base for the Land of Lightning. Yet, two hundred years of being controlled by another village was not as appealing as it once seemed and the rebellions intensified and rebel forces increased significantly. The island nation would then begin exploiting the aftermath of the recent war, playing upon the Hidden Clouds' sudden weakness.

Firstly, a contingency of coordinated and meticulous attacks and guerilla warfare played a pivotal role as Kumo began to send troops to the nation, however this succeeding in pushing out all of the Cloud shinobi. Secondly, the island began militarizing their own navy and swiftly combated their oppressors, creating an embargo around the south and east border of the Land of Lightning and thus ceasing trade through the ocean by closing off all sea-routes. Detrimental as this was, Darui foresaw this and attempted to coax Fuyuki into invading the island nation and thus, causing the Land of Hope to seek out Kumogakure for assistance, however this message was intercepted by the Land of Hope. Using the same tactic, the Hope Country began trading with the Land of Water and the surrounding islands, in addition to other smaller nations like Kusa, Ame, Taki and even the Land of Rivers and Tea Country. The most impacting would be the non-aggression pact signed with Kirigakure that emphasized trade and peace with the Hidden Mist Village. This and the embargo enacted on Kumogakure allowed the Land of Hopes' economy to prosper while keeping supplies moving toward the Land of Lightning limited.

Trade with Kiri proved highly successful; having the best sea navigators, sailors and craftsman since Uzu no Kuni. Moreover, their minerals and jewelry, rare and plentiful healing fruits and crops, and money accrued from navy battles with their northern tyrants had all but strengthened relations with neighboring nations and earned them infamy for their power. As the pendulum sped forward Darui sent an entire fleet to combat and quell the rebel forces in the island nation. Deceptively, he sent a massive battalion to strike the north of the island while a second one traveled along the shoreline to strike from the west. However the leader of the Land of Hope kept his resiliency intact as he led his superior navy forces and land troops to stave off the shinobi to the north while the shrewd yet inspiring leader of the country single-handedly defeated their western battleships with an exalted, seemingly extinct nature release: Cloud Release. He controlled the ebb and flow of the heavens themselves and commanded the seas to crush their adversaries, conjuring up cyclones, hurricanes, and floods - literally forming natural disasters with his own two hands. It goes without saying that no one survived the ordeal. Meanwhile, with their superior knowledge of the sea and advanced technology Kumo failed to even touch down on the shoreline.

With the unexpected and overwhelming defeat Darui relented as he lost nearly a sixth of his entire shinobi force in this final, culminating battle. With his economy in shambles and his forces in disarray the Sixth Raikage had no choice but to sign a treaty with the Hope Country, forgoing surrender as to not appear weak and allow the Hope Country to begin a land campaign. With trade routes to most minor countries, and Kirigakure, and after having assured their continued existence by defeating Kumogakure in battle, the rebels had finally achieved a goal sought after for two centuries. Independence was finally theirs. The treaty was accepted and the Hidden Cloud Village paid a hefty ryo to the victors; Kumogakure having paid reparations to the Land of Hope, causing the island to thrive making it now stand as a country of notable repute.

In the coming years, alliances fueled by inter-clan weddings and marriages with daimyō and royal families of power of, Konoha in particular, has given the village even more power in the seas and influence in the minor and major countries and villages. Having to maintain their independence the island nation would adopt a militaristic style of living, not unlike that of a shinobi village. Their education system and format for military, tourism, and mission income resemble that of Konohagakure no Sato. Recently the alliance with Kirigakure has all but assured that should the Land of Water be met with force, they shall also take up arms and mobilize.

Through policies and legislatures the former Cloud Release master has bred a royal family ruling body, and with his eldest granddaughter having taken up the title of the lands daimyō. Meanwhile, the progenitor of that man heralds a strong era for the Hope Country, leading with virtue and love yet completely unmerciful toward their enemies. The warrior now leading the Hope Country, although young, and incapable of the Cloud Release or any other Kekkei Genkai bred on the island nation, he leads with consistency, integrity, power, and ferocity.

Geography
The Land of Hope is known globally as a tourist attraction and is known for their amazing resorts, comforting spas, and high-class inns. Similar to Kaminari no Kuni it has many hot springs and boasts natural oceanic beauty. About 1/4 of the Land is unpopulated as the forestry and hazardous brush covered mountains conceal huge animals, and unknown poisons. The landscape is marked by tall mountains peak, huge fields, and forests home to rare fruit and vegetables. Being in a rather tempered climate, the range is limited at the area is very accustomed to sunny days and dreary, rainy nights. But regardless the weather is of no hindrance toward those who take up the warm, yet jagged beaches. The spires of earth columns run the length of the island nation providing a natural defense but is potentially harmful toward those unfamiliar with the land. Several river runs the course through various places in the island and the woodland areas on this land, most of them directing north to south.

The mainland, which houses the majority of denizens, resembles Konohagakure no Sato in terms of infrastructure and location of buildings; Market District, Shinobi District, and Civilian District. The diversified culture has had a large effect on the geography, creating multiple cultures and traditions from Kumo and Kiri that blend together seamlessly. Along the islands coast are hundreds of battle ships, ports, docks, sea-vessels, and even small boats for fisherman and sea-fairing folk alike. A notable landmark in the Hope Village is the Royal Forest situated near the mainland - a forestry that outlaws hunting and living of any kind to preserve its natural beauty and mysticism. Other places of merit would be: the Grand Hope Archive containing knowledge attained through ties with Kiri and Kumo and is welcome to all as a veritable mound of jutsu, history, and general knowledge; the largest building would be the Administration Building where the Leader conducts all business and also where he resides with his family; and the Official Police Corps.

Agriculture
The Land of Hopes vegetation is very unique to the land and is a major producer and means of income for the island nation. From rare multi-colored birds and larger-than-life animals that roam the endless mountainscape and thick brush to the useful chakra replenishing fruit, the Hope Country stands to accrue a large amount of money through exporting their fruits and minerals.

Wardrobe
The basic uniform is a padded black one-strapped Flak Jacket over the left shoulder, showing a resemblance to their former tyrants Kumogakure. Their is one pouche in the center that hold scrolls and weapons, and their is a strap that allow one to remove the flak jacket. The kanji symbol for fidelity is imprinted on the back in small bold characters and most people will wear a long-sleeve dark blue or dark red shirt underneath, in addition to grey and black camo pants and black sandals. Additionally, most shinobi from here are well versed in kenjutsu, needless to say, they usually have a sword of some kind strapped to their waist or backside.

Philosophy
"Fidelity to the Ocean and Heavens"

Military
Led by the Leader of the Hope Country and funded by the daimyō, the military of the Land of Hope consists of a shinobi force ranging from 8,000 to 12,000 shinobi at any one time. As Academy permits, after the age of six you have to spend an allotted amount of time in the Academy and it is up to said persons discretion whether they wish to continue their road to being a ninja.

Most who move on are trained extensively and tested both mentally and physically; forged by the most experienced shinobi that the Hope Country can offer for the next generation to uphold and protect their standard of living. The unofficial ninja village does have a level of ranking for their ninja, is recognized as a country by other villages, and also have relegated Bingo Book. The ranking is as followed: E-rank, D-rank, C-rank, B-rank, A-rank and S-rank with only certain kunoichi and shinobi being permitted to preform those missions: Genin, Chūnin, Jōnin.

In contrast to Konohagakure no Sato, those who wish to continue with their ninja career following the Academy are placed into four man cells (often two males and two females) and led by a proctor or sensei, typically of Jōnin level ranking. Because Hope Country has no need to hire or outsource other shinobi the island nation has docks or ports set on the east of some countries like the Land of Fire and Land of Hot Water. They use these ports to send off troops for missions involving the navy, transporting supplies, clan members, delegates, or simple missions for their shinobi. More often then not the Hope Country is employed on sea-fairing missions.

However, being an island nation the military of the Hope Country revolves around their naval warfare. After completely decimating Kumo's navy forces, the Hope Country is worthy of great repute for having staved off the enemy forces and keeping casualties to a minimum, below three percent. That said, it is seen as an essential ally, or enemy, toward some villages. Hope Country currently has an alliance with Kirigakure no Sato, Konohagakure no Sato, Tea Country, Land of Rivers, Land of Waves, Amegakure, Kusagakure, Takigakure, Land of Snow and the Land of Waterfalls. Because of everything that happened following the Fourth War, the Land of Hope found themselves having many more clients then usual.

Education
The former Cloud Release Leader, and later implemented by Junzen is the Shinobi Academy, a system in which children are trained to learn how to defend themselves, in addition to learning history, math, physics, and the basics of chakra, ninjutsu, taijutsu, bukijutsu, and genjutsu. Furthermore, Academy Students begin learning chakra control unlike most villages that start with genin. Recently, Junzen passed a legislature by the title Shinobi-Domino Act; one that ensures that their are never oppressed again by forcing all inhabitants to have at least a genin-level shinobi training in the field, and one medical ninjutsu under their belt. From the intricacies of holding and packing a kunai correctly to learning the basic premise behind utilizing chakra. This Act has even bypassed over to civilians, requiring them to know how to wield at least one weapon. The Academy Students are taught on the history of their land, the shinobi world, geography, basic knowledge, psychology, and strategical warfare. Over a fourth of the island nation consists of dense forests, scalding mountain peaks, jagged beaches; needless to say, a large portion of the land is used as training grounds.

Notable People

 * Nōriko Izen (脳裏子怡然 Child of One's Mind) is the female daimyō and one of the family members related to the first leader of the Land of Hope who was capable of preforming the Cloud Release. However, because of the leaders new Shinobi-Domino Act all who inhabit the Hope Country are to have at least some form of ninja training, and at least one healing ninjutsu under their belt.
 * Junzen (純然, Absolute) A voracious, consistent young man worthy of being the Leader of the island nation. He will not waiver in the face of adversity, nor wane from his ideals and has proven himself fiercely loyal toward those who stand beside the persevering island nation. He has shown himself to be young and some times brash and reckless yet learns from his mistakes. In terms of power and influence, he is very strategical and can be noteworthy in the area of deception, politics, and a force to be reckoned with on any battlefield. Furthermore, the Leader of the Land of Hope is the last living caster of the Phoenix summon, a contract he attained upon his sixteenth birthday and after peace was attained in the war with Kumo. He is listed in the Bingo Book as an S-rank shinobi.
 * Garou Kagami-Fūma (ふうま鏡餓狼, Hungry Wolf, Mirror Smoke. Viz. Hungry Wolf of Smoke and Mirrors)

Clans
Fūma Clan (ふうま一族, Fūma Ichizoku): Following the near reckoning of the Fūma at the hands of Orochimaru, a large majority of the clan has migrated here and now live happily within the confines of the island. The clan has grown enormously since their relocation, the Clan Restoration Act having ensured that the Fūma blood propagates over the years through means of polygamy. The clan specializes in bukijutsu, taijutsu and often employ chakra thread in combat. After being reintroduced that Clan seems to have picked up on quite a few jutsu belonging the former Snake Sannin through captured scrolls and the like. Since then, some members of the Clan have taken up Fuinjutsu.

Behind The Scenes
The symbol on the hitai-ate means gods in the heavens.

I briefly contemplated whether I should have the Leader of the Land of Hope be a summoner of a Phoenix, or a Kappa. I chose the former because the flock is growing extinct, which would make the Phoenix King very old, experienced but would also make Junzen a failed Sage toward his Summon, showing a flaw in his character. Add it rounds out nicely since one is young and inexperienced and the other is wise and elderly. Plus, from what I read Kappa can be aggressive and/or mischievous. In contrast, the phoenix is a symbol of luck and better times.

Declared by the author, the Land of Hope has population strength of three out of five stars, economic strength of four out of five stars, and a military strength of four out of five stars. The economic and military strength are a result of the Fourth War, a war which caused most other major countries to falter in clientele and their strength to wane.