Kirigakure (霧隠れの里, Kirigakure no sato; Literally meaning "Village Hidden in the Mist"), called Kiri for short, is located in the Land of Water. The official head ninja of Kirigakure is the Mizukage. It is also the place from which the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist hail. Kakashi and Orochimaru have both stated that Kiri has a strong and ruthless military that cannot be easily defeated.
Kirigakure is composed of several cylindrical buildings, with the Mizukage's palace being the widest and the largest. Like its name, the village is surrounded by a thick mist, with several mountains in the background, making it difficult to find by foreigners.
Kirigakure, according to Kakashi, was known for its barbaric graduation ritual. Students wishing to move on into the ranks of the ninja there would be pitted against each other in one-on-one duels to the death, thus earning the village the nickname "Village of the Bloody Mist" (血霧の里, Chigiri no sato) while under the lordship of Yagura, the Three-tailed Jinchūriki and Fourth Mizukage. This practice lasted until an incident where Zabuza Momochi infamously killed the entire graduating class (before even reaching the age of qualification himself).
During times of war, those with Kekkei Genkai have been responsible for high death tolls. As a result, many villagers have developed a hatred and fear of such bloodlines. They have them persecuted and discriminated, with little difference towards most Jinchūriki.
As stated by the Raikage, there has been a rumor that Kirigakure is the birthplace of the elite criminal organization Akatsuki, and their lack of diplomatic ties reinforce such suspicions.
Laws of the Hidden Mist
•Mist shinobi are to always watch the other's back. We are like brothers in arms, help one another if its needed.
•Respect your senseis and the kage at all times, they are taking the time to train you so you should honor and respect that.
•Do not kill one another Mist shinobi, doing so would brand you a traitor and you will be hunted and killed on the spot
•You are allowed to attack any foreign shinobi who feel they can defeat them or kill them. If alive, bring them to the office for interrogation
•Anything happens in the Mist remains in the Mist, we cannot have our activites known outside our village which might later on cause problems. So please, what happens in here, stays in here.
•Anyone who is rank genin or lower is strictly FORBIDDEN to leave the village for any reason. The only time you may do so is with a jonin for a mission. Otherwise, until you are chunin you cannot leave the village unless you get my permission. Reason being we have enemies, and you may be killed outside the village beyond our range of saving you. So pelase listen to this.
Rank Rules
Academy
Must have learned Basic Water Manipulation
If Weapon Class: Must have learned first Stage of All Swordstyles
If Taijutsu Class: Must have learned first stage of All Taijutsu Styles
If Genjutsu Class: Must have learned all Academy Genjutsus
If Ninjutsu Class: Must have learned all Academy Ninjutsus
In order to rank up, must go to the Kage's office and be tested
Genin
•Must of completed at least 5 missions to take the chunin exams
•Forbidden to leave village without permission of kage or with a jonin for a mission
•To take on a mission, report to your sensei
Chunin •
To take part of the jonin exam, must of completed at least 12 missions
•For missions, head to the kage office unless he isn't there.
•Chunins are allowed to leave the village, but must inform kage of where you are going. Recommended to take a chunin+ partner incase of attack
•To become Oinin, one must at least complete 15 missions and consult to the Mizukage to see what you need to do to become this rank
Jonin
•Jonins are allowed to leave the village, as long as they inform the Mizukage where they are going to be
•Each Jonin will be assigned a squad of three genins
•Jonins must go to the kage's office to receive any mission he or she may want
•In order to become Anbu, you must complete at least 25 missions. Consult the hokage afterwards to see what you need to do. To be Oinin, one must complete at least 20 missions
•To become sannin, you must complete at least 30 missions
Anbu
•To get missions, consult the Mizukage
•Patrol the village and the country at least every 3 days
•Protect the village!
•To become Sannin, you must complete at least 30 missions
Sannin
•Can go where ever they want
•May take a student under their wing as their own
•Will be temporary kage if kage goes missing and cannot return
•Remain loyal to the village at least, help out if needed