Guide to the Snow Country
Country Information
Country Background:
The Snow country was a small and peaceful country constantly experiencing winter. It went through a period of hardtimes until the weather control generator was activated, allowing the country to finally experience Spring. The country had been on economic hard times for several years. Daimyou Kazahana Sousetsu was said to have nearly bankrupted the country putting money into the heating generator machinery. Later when his brother Dotou came to power, the country expended even more funds in weaponry development. After the removal of Daimyo Kazahana Dotou, his niece Kazahana Koyuki rose to power and the country began to flourish once again. The usage of the generator appears to have warmed the valleys of the country, allowing them to experience warmer climates. The surrounding mountains still retain snow however.
Village Background:
Hidden Snow was a fledgling village. With Daimyo Kazahana Dotou's desire for power, he began to hire ninja to come under the Hidden Snow banner. When Team 7 was sent to the Snow Country to protect the woman revealed to be Kazahana Koyuki, they succeeded in overthrowing Dotou and assuring Koyuki's rise to country head. Because of Koyuki's good ties with Konoha, it is unknown if she will feel the need to maintain a shinobi village.
Leadership
Country Leader:
The Kazahana family has retained leadership of the Snow Country for the past 10+ years. Approximately 9 years before the start of the series, Kazahana Dotou removed his brother Sousetsu from power. He then gathered shinobi in the hopes he could gain enough power to challenge the Five Great Shinobi Countries. As such he served as both the country head, and the "village" head. When he was removed from power, Sousetsu's daughter Koyuki attained the feudal lord throne.
The Sites
Harbor:
This harbor serves as one of the import and export ports for the country. Goods and people embark and disembark from this place.
Kazahana Castle:
The personal residence of the Kazahana family, the castle was partially burned when Dotou overthrew his older brother Sousetsu. It is unknown if Dotou later rebuilt the castle.
Dotou's Compound:
This massive industrial compound is the residence of Dotou. It also serves as the base of operations for Hidden Snow. The compound also contains prisons carved from the ice below it. The compound may in actuality sit on the site of Kazahana Castle. This compound was partially destroyed by Team 7.
Rainbow Glacier Generator Terminal:
This terminal sat at the center of the Rainbow Glacier solar panel heat and growth generator complex. Six huge panels were built by Kazahana Sousetsu to bring spring back to the frigid Snow Country. When the hexagonal crystal was placed into the terminal, the gigantic solar panels would activate warming the area, when the sun's rays would strike the panels, it would greatly increase the generator's capacity to warm the surrounding area, quickly spurning plant growth and melting the surrounding snow and ice. Because the generator was incomplete, the area was still subject to snow and ice in certain places. Koyuki planned to study and refine the generator and hopefully allow it to permanently remove the cold marking the country.
Rainbow Glaciers:
The Rainbow Glaciers had experienced the same frigid temperatures that marked the country. Sousetsu chose this location to build his heating generator. When the generator was finally activated, the ice and snow in the valley melted, and it could finally live up to its name.
Capital City:
This is the capital city of the Snow Country. Kazahana Koyuki was formally inaugurated as the country lord in a ceremony held here.
Snow People and Items of Note
Kazahana Dotou:
The brother of former Daimyou Sousetsu, Dotou had his brother assassinated and assumed the position of country daimyou. Dotou desired to conquer the five great shinobi countries and formed a ninja village of his own, Hidden Snow. The village would operate for approximately 10 years before Konoha's Team 7 took Dotou and his ninja down. It is unknown if Dotou survived the events.