Rice Country Profile

Origin and History of the Name
What is the Ta no Kuni, or the land of Rice? Many outsiders have formed popular opinions of this war deprived land, recently bouncing back from its poverty stricken past. A few scholarly adventurers have named it a burial ground of a once prominent ancient race; however, in reality the Land of Rice is a growing nation that fights for its surrival amongst the harsh conditions. Its name was giving to it by roaming nomadic tribes that settled and took advantage of the pleathora of Rice. As they managed the land, they created strong roots and pasted a strong lineage of shinobi blood amongst its citizens. As wealthy land owners grabbed for power, wars united people and broke the nation into having one Diamiyo. As time pasted, the Rice country seemed to grow not only in culture but its economy flourished. However, the nation to its west grew greedy and forced the Land of Rice to defend its self from its invasion. Fighting with vigorously the land of Rice seemed to win each battle with out many losses, but as the war lengthened so did the number of participants increase. The nation to its east crossed the boarders of the land of rice and all hell broke out within the chapters of the land of Rice. With the combined forces chewing at their boarders, the economy of the Land of Rice collapsed and the Country laid in ruins. Its victors encroached and slowly realigned their boarders. The Daimyo was then approached by a strange man by the name of Orochimaru who promised to fix the Daimyo's problems and change the Land of Rice into something greater. Being weak from the war, the Daimyo accepted the legendary ninja's offer and allowed him access of what was left of his funds. Within years, Orochimaru set up labs and a Hidden Village of the Sound. The land of Rice was given a new name, despite the eradication of Orochimaru. It was renamed, the Land of Sound. Some citizens still refer to the Land by its elder name, however, as the Hidden Village of the Sound crept its hands into the Lands Government, the Diamyo is simply a puppet to the Otokage's wishes.

Prehistory to the Naruto series
According to the text books, the land of Rice was once only inhabited by the wild creatures that supposed consumed the flesh of all that entered. Therefore, the land of Fire would banish their criminals into the depths of the ancient lands of Rice. Although the lands of Rice were filled with dangerous jungles and extremely harsh terrain, the banish were very capable of surviving. Going past the outer brim of treacherous jungles, nomadic clans found themselves, along with the prisoners, seeking refugee in a fertile land where rice seemed to grow magically out the ground. As word spread of a land of rice, a massive famine hit the land of Neck, Fire, and portions of Lightening. Many clans from the lands of Lightening, Neck, and Fire found themselves making their home in the lands and cultivating the vast wealth that laid within the territory.

Within ten years, villages had been established and a small economy surrounding rice and agriculture developed within the territory. As time pasted, a government was established and the land of Rice grew slowly.

History during the Naruto series
It began on a windswept night. An assassination committed by shinobi from Hidden Leaf left the former daimyo and most of his family dead in their glorious mansion at the heart of the Rice Country. Orochimaru had recently fled Konohagakure and the Akatsuki, and was being hunted by both forces. Rather than attempt to make amendments with either, he came to the Daimyo's son. Orochimaru promised that with the youngman's aide, the Rice Country would flourish into an empire. The contract was made that night. Shinobi, mostly of various clans and bloodlines belonging to criminal organizations in the region, were contacted via Orochimaru's Astral Projection. And like sharks to an open wound, they came by the hundreds. The Rice Country, once rich with various users of Earth Chakra, used the Doton Clans and began to germinate underground in a vast cave system. Within months through secret activity the city had begun to take shape. Buildings hewn from solid rock, wood and metal wnet up, entire plumbing systems, tunnel networks and subterranean routes were formed.

Bridges of granite were carved from the rock, stretching above deep underground chasms. Waterfalls gouged their way through the rock, breaking into the cave system and providing a bountiful water supply. Incorporated plant life adapted to cave systems, cold weather and water flourished, providing underground agriculture. Soon, miles of tunnels had been dug. Yet it wasn't until a year later that crews uncovered something beautiful. A breach occured in one of the walls by accident, opening up a huge geode cavern sealed and pressurized from thousands of years of compression. Inside, huge stalactites formed entirely of crystal reached high into the air, forming spires. slopes of amethystm and red quartz painted a gorgeous mural as flashing beams swept across it. It wasn't just beautiful, it was seemingly a godsend. Working carefully, clans cleared and carved pathways through the crystal garden, giving them an ethereal glassy sheen. The acoustics of the cavern were so perfect, that it was christened the Dome of Sound. Chakra attuned shinobi were brought in to examine the vault. Days of chakra manipulation allowed them to harness sound waves, bringing about a new jutsu element: Sound. By manipulating air flow with chakra at precise amounts one could create sonic waves, which small crevices in the geode allowed for a flow of air.

Soon, a certain man found his way to Hidden Sound. Yakushi Kabuto he was named. Valuing the man's skills in the medical arts, Orochimaru selected him as a prime candidate. Proceeding to unearth Sasori's memory seal placed on Kabuto, Orochimaru removed it and set about recreating his research. Otogakure by this point was beginning to flourish, establishing its own military and shinobi. But Orochimaru refused to let anyone perform a coup on him during the Rice Country's fledgling state; he brought about construction of the Compass Installations; East, West, North and South bases. Each one was designed and equipped to handle certain tasks. Their locations were chosen in secret, and selected for ideal methods of disposal. Other smaller bases were constructed bordering other countries or occasionally, constructed beneath the countries within miles of a Hidden Village. Kikajima island, outside of Takigakure is one of these bases. Abducting ninja for his own twisted means, Orochimaru began experimentation with immortality, and ressurection. It wasn't until Juugo came to him, seeking a cure for his enzyme bloodline. Fascinated by the semi-sentient enzyme developing within the boy, Orochimaru found it amazing and lusted to replicate it into a jutsu. Several months of testing birthed the Juuin Jutsu, or Cursed Seal; a virulent mark placed upon a victim that leeched their free-will in exchange for vicious strength. The location of the Northern Base proved useful, and the bodies of those who had died in the process were disposed of without a trace, save for records. Live experiments were conducted at the Western Base while methods for cellular reproduction, splicing and ressurection were conducted at the Southern. Orochimaru's private base was chosen as the Eastern Base. After their conustruction, those who participated were executed, and their family members placed under memory jutsu with false information regarding their whereabouts; Keeping security agonizingly tight.

While the inhumane crimes were committed without punishment, Otogakure's brightest minds worked on creating specialized, sleek and efficient technology. Harnessing Sound Chakra, they began adapting it to numerous weapons and tools. If only they knew of its potential.

Word reached Otogakure of civil war breaking out in Kirigakure, known as Bloody Mist. Knowing of the Kaguya gene, Orochimaru dispatched six shinobi to retrieve a few members of the Kaguya who used Shikotsumyaku. All but two of the clan members died during their experimental surgeries. One of the surviving was a boy, named Kimmimaro a rather placid one. The other was a girl, named Kurina. Kimmimaro was placed under a cursed seal and trained heavily; being a prime candidate for Orochimaru's new host body. Kurina recieved the worser treatment and was subjected to blood tranfusions, gene splicing, chakra modification and experimental cerebral surgeries. While Kimmimaro would grow to be a member of the Sound Four, Kurina was left isolated in a containment cell as her mind tried to usncramble itself. With her body ravaged, her ability to comprehend reality was shaken. Something clicked in her mind as spliced synapses finally connected and she identified herself as Yuudoku, an more eerily: Orochimaru's daughter. ORI Lab scientists dismissed it as a neurological abnormality as an alter ego tried to establish itself. Curiously she was palced under a Jounin instructor and trained not to be a ninja, or to be recognized as Orochimaru's daughter, but simply to see if feasible data could be exploited.

The Sound Four was formed, consisting of technically five members, Jirobo, Tayuya, Sakon/Ukon, Kidomaru and Kimmimaro. All branded with unique seals. Orochimaru conducted negotiations with Sunagakure, in hopes of forming an alliance to bring Konoha to its knees and restore military might to the Wind Country. An alliance was formed, and both nations went to war with Hidden Leaf. Both Suna and oto were beaten back, and the alliance was broken. Following this, Orochimaru moved to initiate one of the last Uchiha into Hidden Sound as a potential host candidate. Inducting Uchiha Sasuke was a success, with the sacrifice of the entire Sound Four. Tayuya and Kimmimaro were found barely alive a few days later. Kimmimaro had collapsed from a terminal combination of Sipa and Bone tuberculosis, while Tayuya was clinging to the last fringes of life beneath a fallen tree. After several months of reconstructive surgery, healing jutsu and medical advancements, both were returned to active duty, Tayuya as a Jounin and Kimmimaro as a member of Hidden Sound's council.

Orochimaru continued to train Uchiha Sasuke, ignorant of the ninja's intelligence and plot to kill Orochimaru. Yuudoku had met Reave, a fellow shinobi. Both worked together quite well and competed in Otogakure's chuunin exams, where Yuudoku displayed frighteningly viscious prowess with her spliced genes, both Reave and her butchered two teams. The first was necessary for achievement of their objective, the second was simply for the thrill. Yuudoku was placed under the command of the Southern Base with Reave. Their, both were able to expand their knowledge of jutsu and biological exploitation. Reave became skilled with Fuuinjutsu, finding that proper application could fully stop an entire bodily system, resulting in new methods for ORI Lab's medical branch. Yuudoku lay claim to DNA manipulation of the cellular structure, allowing for a potentially wider version of artificial bloodlines. Both came to know Kabuto Yakushi, with their combined talents they began replicating and perfecting Orochimaru's Edo Tensei technique, Fuushi Tensei and cellular grafting, giving rise to the 'Perfection Theory'.

When Orochimaru met death at the hands of Uchiha Sasuke, he was consumed by Fuushi Tensei. had he been aware of his 'daughters' work, this would ahve been prevented and isntead the Sharingan would have been in Orochimaru's possession. His funeral was large, and news of his death spread quickly like a grassfire, reaching Hidden Villages within hours. Otogakure was on the verge of a civil war as Squad Hebi destroyed the North Base, freed several hundred prisoners and began cutting off its connections with other organizations.

Sand vs. Sound War
Determined to stop a civil war from occuring, Yuudoku and Reave re-instated the Sound Four, quelling the internal violence while Kabuto went after Uchiha Sasuke. Kabuto was later executed after being found to have stolen information from Otogakure. However, his dna was placed on file.

Risking unbridaled war with renegade military groups equipped with stolen artillery, the Godaime Hokage, Lady Tsunade, and the other four Great Shinobi Nations were called together into a meeting. Held at the Valley of the End, where scars of Chidori and Rasengan still were recognizeable along the cliffs, Yuudoku was inaugurated as the Nidaime Otokage.

Using a small tracking device planted within the Uchiha's neck, Yuudoku and Reave were able to track his movements, until Chidori Nagahashi shorted it out. However from information gleaned, Deidara was killed by Sasuke. Iwagakure immediately assumed Otogakure had staged it, and openly attempted to declare war.

Sensing that otogakure could be destroyed for its previous actions, Sunagakure moved to ally with Iwa and Kasai. Manipulating Otogakure's technological resources, ORI Labs immediately began hacking the Wind Countries military network. Stunned by the ferocity of the attack, Suna had never before encountered extensive computer hacking. Covertly, Yuudoku met with the Tsuchikage nade made amendments, while her hackers altered the flow of data. Creating evidence that Suna was attempting to undermine Iwagakure's infrastructure and perform a coup. Agreeing, Iwa allied with Oto, and began infiltrating the Wind Country. Contacting Sasori of the Akatsuki, Yuudoku formed a pact with the Akatsuki and effortlessly captured the bases surrounding Neo Sunagakure. On the eve of Suna's iminent destruction, Kankuro--a rival of Sasori's--surrendered himself to Otogakure, ending the war. Once Kankuro had been labelled as a P.O.W, Otogakure concreted its hacked information, then planted several programs within Iwagakure's network, along with Suna's. This allowed them to keep track of their military movements, should either attempt war on Otogakure.

Post-war conflict in the Land of Sound
Shortly after the war, Yuudoku grew sick from the splicing of her fathers genes. She grew a tumor within her right artery and therefore imbolized her to her death bed. As she left, her torch past to the next logical shinobi, Reave. Under Reave's mighty riegns, he worked quickly to control the unsettled Sound nation that was fighting itself to the brink of extinction. He smoothly transitioned to his seat as Otokage and received a massive ovation as he proposed a rebuilding project for five villages scattered around the land of Rice. Flexing his power he pushed the Daimyo into agreeing and committing funds into improving the overall quality of life for the average citizen of the Land of Rice.

With two years into his reign, Raeve softened the persona of Otogakure and began strengthening treaties. It was by his grace that Otogakure received an influx of trade with these said nations. Therefore, Otogakure

Geography
The land of Rice is split between two climates, however, a large majority of it experiences a Tropical climate, while the other half experiences temperate seasons. With an average temperture reaching into the seventy's or higher during the day, the land experiences frequent rain and various thunderstorms. There is no real dry season and therefore wetlands collect around the coast lines.

Culture
===Architecture and arts==== ===Society=== ===Economy===