Kirigakure (霧隠れの里, Kirigakure no sato; Literally meaning "Village Hidden in the Mist") is located in the Land of Water. As one of the five great ninja villages, Kirigakure has a Kage as its leader known as the Mizukage. There have been five Mizukage, the current one being Mei Terumī. An unusually high number of missing-nin seem to originate from this village. A unique classification of ninja known as hunter-nin are specifically tasked with eliminating these defectors.
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.