Land of Hope

Land of Hope (希望の国, Kibō no Kuni) is a rather 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 but is also funded through means of unique 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.

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 and pride and awe."

The Hope Country has existed since the introducing of shinobi villages, having existed even before the Fourth 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, they 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.

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 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, the island nation exploiting the aftermath of the recent war. Firstly, a contingency of coordinated attacks and guerilla warfare played a pivotal role as Kumo began to send troops to the nation. Secondly, the island began militarizing their own navy and swiftly combated their oppressors, formerly creating an embargo around the south and east border of the Land of Lightning, 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.

Trade with Kiri proved highly successful; having the best sea navigators, sailors and craftsman since Uzu no Kuni. Moreover, their rare healing fruits and crops and money accrued from navy battles with their northern tyrants had all but strengthened relations with neighboring nations. As the pendulum went 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 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. With the unexpected and overwhelming defeat Darui relented as he lost nearly a sixth of his entire shinobi force in this battle alone. 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. With trade routes to most minor countries and villages 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. Having paid reparations the Land of Hope thrived and now stands as a country of notable repute.

In the coming years, inter-clan weddings and marriages with daimyō and royal families of other islands and villages, Konoha in particular, has given the village even more power in the seas and influence in the minor and major countries.