The Lightning Empire, formerly known as Lightning Country, is a democratic republic in the north-eastern most reaches of the continent. With its central government located in Kumogakure, the Lightning Empire is a resource-wealthy, highly modernized nation that possess the largest shinobi military force among the great five world powers with several academies throughout their territories, allowing it to become the world's first "shinobi nation". While the Lightning Empire possess a large shinobi military force, in comparison to other countries, it has a relatively low population.In terms of land it is comprised of 9 provinces spanning 2 continents and 1 island. The provinces are commonly referred to as the Nine Realms.
Due to the modernization and economic prosperity that took place over the past decade and a half under the reunification of the nation, citizens in the Lightning Empire enjoy one of the highest standards of living where chakra-powered equipment is common through out most the territories, even for non-shinobi.
Along with the education of every citizen in the Lightning Empire, this has lead to a high sense of national pride, duty, and altruism- the Empire's motto being that one small spark can change the world. Despite their nationalistic values, the Lightning Empire has a very open foreign policy and is excited to share it's culture and advancements with the world.
Geography
For Soul Island and the New Territory, reference the World Political Map and the Countries Guide The Old Realms
Of the Five Great Nations, the Lightning Empire (L.E.) is the furthest north and features a captivating landscape that dynamically changes from south to north. With temperate summers and harsh winters, most of the Lightning Empire is live-able. To the south most point of the Empire, fertile valleys and grasslands allow for a variety of hearty crops to be grown, and large forests provide wood for fuel, boats, homes, and a myriad of things. Temples dot the forest landscape and just north of Whirlpool, a mighty canal (Akino Canal) stretches from coast to coast allowing ships to safely pass through the warm waters, bypassing the frigid north.
When entering the peninsula into Central Lightning the scenes are quite familiar with most of nature being the same. Amongst these valleys and grasslands however is where the majority of citizens in the Empire tend to live, allowing them access to farm land and the age-old mountain ranges which hold a variety of important ores and minerals- perhaps one of the most famous exports of the Lightning Empire. The high amount of coastal land also means a large fishing industry rivaled only by that of Water Country.
Historically, a lack of rivers and large freshwater bodies caused issues for the nation, however with shinobi stationed throughout the nation this issue has subsided.
The capitol of the Lightning Empire, the shinobi village Kumogakure, is built into the sides of mountains and the faces of cliffs and has a breath taking view of the valley below and the clouds above, it having been said one can touch the clouds at the highest points of the village.
The North of Lightning has very mild summers if you could call it that, and deeply frigid winters. The bulk of mineral materials are also mined from this location. Most of the mountain is home to "barbarians" who are really just nomadic hunters. To the North in the snowy mountains also stands a grand shinobi academy.
The New Realms
Soul is a temperate island not to different from most of the Lightning Empire. It has a booming fishing economy and is known for having delectable sushi, sashimi, and octopus dishes.
The New Territories, located in the north-western corner of the eastern continent is comprised of the land from the Wastelands to Yaseyama. The majority of civilization is split between three strongholds Nakjima Landing based in the tamed Wastelands, Akino Canal which cuts through the entire territory, and the Research Outposts in Yaseyama. The land is generally harsh, the flora few, and the fauna dangerous, though the resources and knowledge locked in the new continent is considered it's worth.
Ecology Being the great Northern country, the Land of Lightning is often incorrectly thought to be a frozen tundra by the uneducated. The land of Lightning has several biomes however, dynamically changing from south to north.
The Southern province of Natsukyou is home to temperate climate mixed forests. These forests consist of a variety of trees, the main ones being oak, cherry, and hickory. These trees produce the vast majority of hardwood in Lightning Country and the Natsukyou province is carefule to maintain a sustainable model of woodcutting.
Above Natsukyou is the temperate Kumogakure and Gyorou provinces. Kumogakure province is home to the largest lake in the land of lightning, fertile valleys, hills, and the fifth highest mountain peak in Lightning country. The western shore and hills are also home to a large amount of magnetite, otherwise known as "black sand", an oxidized iron ore used to create tamahagane steel, which is refined by smiths in the mountain-top city of Kumogakure and cold forged (forging via Magnetic Release) into katana of legendary craftsmanship. Across small mountain ranges and hills lies Gyorou in the east, with land more suitable to growing classic grains and a multitude of fishing ports stationed on the eastern coast. This ecology allows Gyorou to be produce a large percentage of all food consumed within the Lightning country.
Further north is the midlands, and home to the Yamashita province and the Etchu Province. Neither province is spectacular in it's fertility, the largest plant life hailing from small taiga forests along the mountains. The mountain ranges however are extremely ore-rich, making the midlands a hot spot for Iron, Coal, Silver, Gold, and other mineral resources. Winters in the midlands tend to be the harshest in the entire peninsula due to the troughs that are often created by pressure and temperature shifts on the north and southern sides of Lightning Country.
Finally reaching the northern most tip of Lightning Country, Shuunou and Saishuu province are home to the landscapes Kumogakure is generally know for, sprawling pine forests, snowy tundra-esque conditions, and the coolest average temperatures found on the continent throughout the year. Home to wolves, large populations of moose, elk, and wild boar, the people of the far north are ferocious hunters that are conditioned to live in the harshest of environments.
For Soul Island and the New Territory, reference the World Political Map and the Countries Guide
People and Culture The classical population of the Lightning Empire varies just like it's dynamic and diverse landscape. In the south, people tend to have tan skin due to outdoor lifestyles. (Farmers, Fishers, and Lumberjacks.) This also remains true for those of the temperate mountains, the high elevation exposing them to high levels of infrared radiation- essentially lots of sunlight! In the midlands fair skin tones are quite common, a large amount of life spent indoors, in caves, and below mountains mining. The north is home to biting winds and the extremely fair-skinned. Use to ice fishing and hunting wild boar, the people of the northern provinces are extraordinary bowman and trackers- their skills easily transitioning to battle.
There are newer populations beyond that of the classics however, and refugees consisting of freed slaves from Rock Country migrated north centuries ago, and were extremely influential in the founding of Kumogakure village. They are known for their particularly dark skin and are generally found within the boundaries of Kumogakure province.
Though the end of the old age and the ushering of the new age has lead to the mixing of some of these people, the tension between the provinces never truly subsided, and as such, many of the provinces tend to keep to their own cultures and traditions. This directly effects the lack of any standard holiday for Lightning Country beyond standard Winter and Summer festivals. A notable example of this is the Northern province, which does not observe any holidays due to geographical, ecological, and cultural differences.
Lightning Country HolidaysShow
Reunification Day- Held in the spring of each year Reunification Day marks the triumphant defeat of the dissenting forces, the end of the civl war, and the reunification of Lightning Country. Regardless of their side in the war, all who died in the conflicts of the great civil war are honored during which starts in the morning with the Chancellor and the Nine Lords participating in an ancient shinto tradition that honors the spirits of the fallen while asking them to continue to watch over the nation. The event culminates to a fantastical nation-wide fireworks show at night.
Winter Festival- The winter festival is typically held during the first nine days of Winter. Leading up to the festival families and villages throughout the empire work hard to stockpile resources. On the last night of fall, a festival to reward all the hard work is often held. These festivals often include artisan liquor, hearty winter foods, and a guest appearance by the Chancellor and the nine lords in each province over the nine days of the Festival. This also symbolizes the leaderships will to connect with all of the nation.
Summer Festival- Celebrated during mid-summer under the beautiful light of a July full moon, the summer festival is an enchanting time for people to form new friendships, romances, and to rekindle those bonds that already existed. It is the oldest celebrated event in the Lightning Country and dates back to a tale about the daughter of a god who fell in love with a farm boy below on earth. Against her fathers will she ran away from the realm of the gods and eloped with the farm boy. The farm boy neglected his duties to elope and as such the harvest yield to the gods was lessened. Angered, the father who ruled over the sky separated the two lovers and destroyed the bridge to earth so no god would ever make the same mistake. Eventually moved by his daughters tears, he allowed her and the farm boy to meet once a year on the 7th day of the 7th month. During this festival children often tie their paper wishes onto bamboo trees and their parents leave offerings of the summer harvest to the gods beneath the trees.
Night of the Island Turtle- It is rumored that in the waters to the West of Lightning Empire is a giant turtle so monolithic and old that his shell appears to be an island- an entire biome having sprouted from his back. Legend has it the turtle granted wishes and guided lost sailors back to shore. For over a century, once a year at the end of the fishing season in September, parents take their children to the coast so that they can place paper-lantern boats with wishes in them. It is said that if the turtle finds these boats he will grant the wish requested if the sender is pure of heart.
Winter Festival- The winter festival is typically held during the first nine days of Winter. Leading up to the festival families and villages throughout the empire work hard to stockpile resources. On the last night of fall, a festival to reward all the hard work is often held. These festivals often include artisan liquor, hearty winter foods, and a guest appearance by the Chancellor and the nine lords in each province over the nine days of the Festival. This also symbolizes the leaderships will to connect with all of the nation.
Summer Festival- Celebrated during mid-summer under the beautiful light of a July full moon, the summer festival is an enchanting time for people to form new friendships, romances, and to rekindle those bonds that already existed. It is the oldest celebrated event in the Lightning Country and dates back to a tale about the daughter of a god who fell in love with a farm boy below on earth. Against her fathers will she ran away from the realm of the gods and eloped with the farm boy. The farm boy neglected his duties to elope and as such the harvest yield to the gods was lessened. Angered, the father who ruled over the sky separated the two lovers and destroyed the bridge to earth so no god would ever make the same mistake. Eventually moved by his daughters tears, he allowed her and the farm boy to meet once a year on the 7th day of the 7th month. During this festival children often tie their paper wishes onto bamboo trees and their parents leave offerings of the summer harvest to the gods beneath the trees.
Night of the Island Turtle- It is rumored that in the waters to the West of Lightning Empire is a giant turtle so monolithic and old that his shell appears to be an island- an entire biome having sprouted from his back. Legend has it the turtle granted wishes and guided lost sailors back to shore. For over a century, once a year at the end of the fishing season in September, parents take their children to the coast so that they can place paper-lantern boats with wishes in them. It is said that if the turtle finds these boats he will grant the wish requested if the sender is pure of heart.
Political System
Please also reference the central org
The Lightning Empire has a unique political system described as a representative democracy. It is ruled by an chancellor who is be elected by the nine lords of the realms, who are respectively elected by their province. Once elected, the Chancellor rules until death or until a vote of no-confidence. Likewise, lords can also be voted out by their province should they neglect their provincial duties.
In terms of law, the Chancellor oversees national law and can unilaterally draft and change laws within the empire, however the lords posses the power to veto the chancellors changes acting as a balancing mechanism. This generally requires the nine lords to convene- something colloquially called council.
Within each of their provinces, the lords act as a governor and can set provincial level law, so long as it does not contradict national laws.
In order to ensure no province is left with less power than another, each province is designated as a center of excellence for certain functions in the nation, and as a result, it's Lord is considered the minister of that function. For example, Kumogakure's lord, the Raikage, is the minister of Military and Intelligence where as the Natsyukyou provinces lord serves as the Minister of Justice.
The Military
Lightning Empire's military is quite famous for being the largest shinobi military in the world, but it also does include the samurai armies of the former Lightning Country. As time passes, the lines between samurai and shinobi are blurring. All shinobi, and many samurai in the empire, belong to one of the three military divisions. They are:
Division 1: Infantry
The bulk of the Lightning Empire military belongs to Division 1. Infantry troops are trained to storm beaches, hold ground positions, be medics, and fill any role a traditional army would need. Some of the most skilled hand-to-hand combatants make their way to glory from within the infantry.
Division 2: Wavechasers
Those with a particularly strong background maritime background often join or are assigned to the Wavechasers. Wavechasers guard the canal, the seas, and the coastal borders of Lightning Empire and play an important role in securing trade routes on the high seas.
Division 3: Skyguards
Those capable of flying either through their own jutsu or a trusty companion often join or are assigned to the Skyguards. Beyond their aerial prowess Skyguards are often known for their long-range fighting abilities, their speed, and their ability to quickly mobilize to any point in the empire as first responders.
Beyond the three divisions, a national organization known as Stratos born from the disbanded BlackOps forms a secret intelligence agency, though little is publicly known about the workings of the organization.
History
Year ~0 to the PresentShow
During the time of the Genma, there were seven kingdoms to the far north that managed to survive- these seven kingdoms laying claim to the land which would become the Lightning Country. The seven kingdoms were not truly hostile and lived in relative harmony- both cooperating and competing against each other. For the most part, they stayed in isolation and avoided contact wherever possible, however, no single kingdom had sufficient amounts of all the resources a kingdom required, and with the liberation of humanity nearing completion in the mid-300s, the population of the northern kingdoms began to swell. The kingdoms had for years broken their isolations to trade, but it had become clear that due to the growing human population and the instability it brought that each kingdom would eventually perish. Outside their region, the man continued to conquer the Genma, and neighboring regions were growing in power with some having humans capable of unthinkable black magic on par with the spirits.
To this end, several of the Kingdoms concluded their only way to ensure survival was to seize control of the other six and around the year 350, the federation war of the Land of Lightning began and the seven kingdoms, Murakami, Fujiwara, Kusakabe, Nakatomi, Hashiji, Hojo, and Akechi, plunged into a war of supremacy.
The Kusakabe were defeated in the first three months by their neighbors, the Akechi, as their military was very small, most of their citizens were farmers or fishermen. Hashiji and Nakatomi had created a fragile alliance in order to suppress the Hojo, who were incredible stone and metal workers, so their weapons and castles were feared to be the greatest of the seven. Fujiwara, who was almost constantly in rivalry with Hashiji, forced the nation of Hashiji to split his forces, and if it were not for this fact, the Hojo would have fallen very early in the fight. However, due to the drawn-out process of slowly dismantling the Hojo's daunting defenses, the Hojo had time to make a game-changing discovery. The Hojo created the very first trebuchet to be used in combat in the known world.
With this new weapon, they quickly decimated the forces surrounding their castles from within the walls and dismantled their opponent's keeps by throwing stones at them. The Hojo quickly dominated the war with their new siege weapon and quickly overran the remaining kingdoms. The federation war was over within 2 years, though victory was hollow for the Hojo kingdom. Though they had achieved victory by a landslide the war had killed so many of the men from all of the seven nations, that the Hojo kingdom alone could not administrate the entire area. So, in order to keep their land in order, they set themselves up as the kings, or Daimyo, of an entirely new country, known as the Lightning Country. They then returned the land into the administration of the other six kingdoms forming 7 provinces that were one Lightning Country, such that their former kings were now lords, the Kyonin. This system would go on to stand for over seven hundred years.
While the rest of the world advanced slowly in the shinobi arts Lightning Country would go on to train an extremely efficient samurai military, continuing to develop its advanced siege weaponry. While the threats of the outside world forced the country to stand united, and to the outside world they would appear as such, most of the lords harbored grudges and not a day went by that they didn't imagine themselves upon the iron throne of Lightning Country. This infighting kept the Lightning Country from engaging in many of the large-scale wars that occurred throughout the middle ages.
Until the late 700s, occasionally infighting occurred but the Hojo always kept a tight grip and managed to quell uprisings fairly easily. Things began to heat up however as the rest of the world got stuck in perpetual wars and fear of outside invasion diminished. Perhaps the bloodiest uprising was likely "Kuromi's Uprising" which took place in the fall of 734 and saw an entire village wiped off the map by the Hojo forces. In the summer of 768, an attempt for the throne by the Kusakabe was even carried out. It would have potentially been the bloodiest uprising if not for the swift actions of one Kusakabe noble who betrayed his family to notify the Hojo forces- earning a spot as a top general in the Hojo province and keeping his head while the rest of his family did not.
Following Kuskabe's failure however, the other feudal lords would become smarter, employing espionage, sabotage, and others to carry out their power struggles from the shadows rather than starting the bloody wars and uprising of samurai. By the 800's it was common for the feudal lords to hire deserters from Iwagakure, Konohagakure, and even Sunagakure. These missing ninja would commit all kinds of horrible acts, but perhaps the most famous was the 812 assassination of the Akechi. Their population had been waiting for years and weakened, one of the other feudal lords hired a squadron of missing ninja to execute the last heir to the Akechi. They had succeeded but died before Hojo was able to ascertain who was responsible. Finally admitting they had entered a new world the reluctant Hojo began to recruit missing ninja and former slaves from Iwagakure and Kirigakure, who would advise and fight on the Hojo's behalf. Finding great success the Hojo decided to train their own shinobi force.
Decades later the Hojo's shinobi forces located at the mountain tops and valleys of Akechi province had proven to be successful. In particular, one shinobi had become a particularly trusted advisor to the Hojo Daimyo, and on several occasions saved his life single handedly. In 892, this shinobi was named the first general of the shinobi forces of Lightning Country. With the Akechi all but gone, the Hojo Daimyo removed his appointed regent and made this general the leader of this new shinobi village hidden among the clouds- the Raikage. To signify this new age and the first non-noble Kyonin, the Hojo renamed all provinces announcing that this was an age of chakra and shinobi and that the old seven kingdoms were now more. This was also in part a show for the neighboring countries.
Soon after Kumogakure participate in several world wars and battles, however Kumogakure and the Lightning Country was notably absent from the wars in the early 1000s, at least officially. While the Daimyo had very little bad blood, the age-old feuds continuously fumed and conflicts between the Daimyo and the other noble families of the six remaining provinces were aplenty. Even within Kumogakure, several political uprisings had occurred. Because of these constant squabbles and sometimes even bloody conflicts, the Land of Lightning's frequent state of political unrest caused it to turn its attention mostly inward acting as an isolationist state- something that would remain constant until roughly 1050, years ago when the death of the Raikage, the partial destruction of Kumogakure, and the assassination of the most current Lord Kusakabe sent the country into a power-grab frenzy and full out war.
By the half-way point of the war two large forces emerged: that of the Fujiwara and Murakami and that of the Daimyo. The Fujiwara-Murakami forces proved to be a superior military and had no issue winning numerous battlegrounds and pushing the Hojo back to their very own palace. Kumogakure, left without a Raikage, had stayed out of the war initially but as tensions increased began to enter key battles to aid the Hojo. By the time the Fujiwara-Murakami forces had hit the gates of the Hojo, Kumogakure stepped in with full force pushing back the enemy forces.
Under the command of Lord Banri Kumogakure strategically disabled the Fujiwara-Murakami supply lines as Kumogakure shinobi fought several key battles leading to a target being placed on their back. Around this time the man who had once been claimed as a hero and the next Raikage, who had been exiled from his village as a criminal and said to be a dangerous revolutionary, began also carrying out secret assassinations under the orders and duress of Lord Tada Banri, leader of the Black Ops who unbeknownst to anyone had been manipulating the entire situation from the shadows in the name of revolution. Around this time, the fallen hero sought to deny Banri by showing up on battle fields to save his comrades and turn the tide of battle, quickly gaining back reputation and starting doubt on his true involvement in the war.
This to, however was to Banri's plan and as the combined might of the Fujiwara-Murakami arrived at Kumogakure's door for the final battle of the war, Banri moved to name the fallen hero, Nakajima Hayate, the Ninth Raikage/i] to the shock of the entire village. With no time to process the forces of Kumogakure descended from their peaks to defend their homes, and ultimately killing Lady Murakami and forcing the surrender of the Murakami and Fujiware forces with as little blood shed as possible. As acting high commander the new Raikage ordered that all remaining enemy forces be spared contrary to the usual punishment for rebellion, and in a historical moment all living feudal lords and those who replaced them met at once table.
The Hojo Daimyo confident his power had been restored, in a shocking moment Nakajima Hayate gave a speech in which he moved that power not be restored to the Hojo Daimyo, pointing out that the greed of lords for centuries and their bad blood had left their nation weak, crippled, and ultimately brought about the war. To spite the Hojo if nothing more the remaining leadership of Fujiwara and Murakami agreed, leading to the rest of the lords abandoning the Hojo. With that, and the Feudal System was abolished and it was decided the leaders of each kingdom would appoint a new lord to oversee unification. In another shocking turn of events, Lord Banri of Kumogakure recommended the Raikage be the new leader of the country, and thus a new, reunified Lightning Country was born.
The years that followed saw tremendous economical growth with rapid quality of life improvements as shinobi technology was shared amongst all provinces and modernization efforts to construct rail ways and infrastructure boomed. There were still many scars from the civil war, and while rebel groups and occasional high tensions existed, the resulting economic boom and advancement helped most close their wounds. Eventually, close to 8 years after the Civil War the Great World War would start, in which the Lightning Country would mainly support it's allies but avoid conflict with any sovereign nation and instead focus on conquering the uninhabited portions of the eastern continent.
To this end, several of the Kingdoms concluded their only way to ensure survival was to seize control of the other six and around the year 350, the federation war of the Land of Lightning began and the seven kingdoms, Murakami, Fujiwara, Kusakabe, Nakatomi, Hashiji, Hojo, and Akechi, plunged into a war of supremacy.
The Kusakabe were defeated in the first three months by their neighbors, the Akechi, as their military was very small, most of their citizens were farmers or fishermen. Hashiji and Nakatomi had created a fragile alliance in order to suppress the Hojo, who were incredible stone and metal workers, so their weapons and castles were feared to be the greatest of the seven. Fujiwara, who was almost constantly in rivalry with Hashiji, forced the nation of Hashiji to split his forces, and if it were not for this fact, the Hojo would have fallen very early in the fight. However, due to the drawn-out process of slowly dismantling the Hojo's daunting defenses, the Hojo had time to make a game-changing discovery. The Hojo created the very first trebuchet to be used in combat in the known world.
With this new weapon, they quickly decimated the forces surrounding their castles from within the walls and dismantled their opponent's keeps by throwing stones at them. The Hojo quickly dominated the war with their new siege weapon and quickly overran the remaining kingdoms. The federation war was over within 2 years, though victory was hollow for the Hojo kingdom. Though they had achieved victory by a landslide the war had killed so many of the men from all of the seven nations, that the Hojo kingdom alone could not administrate the entire area. So, in order to keep their land in order, they set themselves up as the kings, or Daimyo, of an entirely new country, known as the Lightning Country. They then returned the land into the administration of the other six kingdoms forming 7 provinces that were one Lightning Country, such that their former kings were now lords, the Kyonin. This system would go on to stand for over seven hundred years.
While the rest of the world advanced slowly in the shinobi arts Lightning Country would go on to train an extremely efficient samurai military, continuing to develop its advanced siege weaponry. While the threats of the outside world forced the country to stand united, and to the outside world they would appear as such, most of the lords harbored grudges and not a day went by that they didn't imagine themselves upon the iron throne of Lightning Country. This infighting kept the Lightning Country from engaging in many of the large-scale wars that occurred throughout the middle ages.
Until the late 700s, occasionally infighting occurred but the Hojo always kept a tight grip and managed to quell uprisings fairly easily. Things began to heat up however as the rest of the world got stuck in perpetual wars and fear of outside invasion diminished. Perhaps the bloodiest uprising was likely "Kuromi's Uprising" which took place in the fall of 734 and saw an entire village wiped off the map by the Hojo forces. In the summer of 768, an attempt for the throne by the Kusakabe was even carried out. It would have potentially been the bloodiest uprising if not for the swift actions of one Kusakabe noble who betrayed his family to notify the Hojo forces- earning a spot as a top general in the Hojo province and keeping his head while the rest of his family did not.
Following Kuskabe's failure however, the other feudal lords would become smarter, employing espionage, sabotage, and others to carry out their power struggles from the shadows rather than starting the bloody wars and uprising of samurai. By the 800's it was common for the feudal lords to hire deserters from Iwagakure, Konohagakure, and even Sunagakure. These missing ninja would commit all kinds of horrible acts, but perhaps the most famous was the 812 assassination of the Akechi. Their population had been waiting for years and weakened, one of the other feudal lords hired a squadron of missing ninja to execute the last heir to the Akechi. They had succeeded but died before Hojo was able to ascertain who was responsible. Finally admitting they had entered a new world the reluctant Hojo began to recruit missing ninja and former slaves from Iwagakure and Kirigakure, who would advise and fight on the Hojo's behalf. Finding great success the Hojo decided to train their own shinobi force.
Decades later the Hojo's shinobi forces located at the mountain tops and valleys of Akechi province had proven to be successful. In particular, one shinobi had become a particularly trusted advisor to the Hojo Daimyo, and on several occasions saved his life single handedly. In 892, this shinobi was named the first general of the shinobi forces of Lightning Country. With the Akechi all but gone, the Hojo Daimyo removed his appointed regent and made this general the leader of this new shinobi village hidden among the clouds- the Raikage. To signify this new age and the first non-noble Kyonin, the Hojo renamed all provinces announcing that this was an age of chakra and shinobi and that the old seven kingdoms were now more. This was also in part a show for the neighboring countries.
Soon after Kumogakure participate in several world wars and battles, however Kumogakure and the Lightning Country was notably absent from the wars in the early 1000s, at least officially. While the Daimyo had very little bad blood, the age-old feuds continuously fumed and conflicts between the Daimyo and the other noble families of the six remaining provinces were aplenty. Even within Kumogakure, several political uprisings had occurred. Because of these constant squabbles and sometimes even bloody conflicts, the Land of Lightning's frequent state of political unrest caused it to turn its attention mostly inward acting as an isolationist state- something that would remain constant until roughly 1050, years ago when the death of the Raikage, the partial destruction of Kumogakure, and the assassination of the most current Lord Kusakabe sent the country into a power-grab frenzy and full out war.
By the half-way point of the war two large forces emerged: that of the Fujiwara and Murakami and that of the Daimyo. The Fujiwara-Murakami forces proved to be a superior military and had no issue winning numerous battlegrounds and pushing the Hojo back to their very own palace. Kumogakure, left without a Raikage, had stayed out of the war initially but as tensions increased began to enter key battles to aid the Hojo. By the time the Fujiwara-Murakami forces had hit the gates of the Hojo, Kumogakure stepped in with full force pushing back the enemy forces.
Under the command of Lord Banri Kumogakure strategically disabled the Fujiwara-Murakami supply lines as Kumogakure shinobi fought several key battles leading to a target being placed on their back. Around this time the man who had once been claimed as a hero and the next Raikage, who had been exiled from his village as a criminal and said to be a dangerous revolutionary, began also carrying out secret assassinations under the orders and duress of Lord Tada Banri, leader of the Black Ops who unbeknownst to anyone had been manipulating the entire situation from the shadows in the name of revolution. Around this time, the fallen hero sought to deny Banri by showing up on battle fields to save his comrades and turn the tide of battle, quickly gaining back reputation and starting doubt on his true involvement in the war.
This to, however was to Banri's plan and as the combined might of the Fujiwara-Murakami arrived at Kumogakure's door for the final battle of the war, Banri moved to name the fallen hero, Nakajima Hayate, the Ninth Raikage/i] to the shock of the entire village. With no time to process the forces of Kumogakure descended from their peaks to defend their homes, and ultimately killing Lady Murakami and forcing the surrender of the Murakami and Fujiware forces with as little blood shed as possible. As acting high commander the new Raikage ordered that all remaining enemy forces be spared contrary to the usual punishment for rebellion, and in a historical moment all living feudal lords and those who replaced them met at once table.
The Hojo Daimyo confident his power had been restored, in a shocking moment Nakajima Hayate gave a speech in which he moved that power not be restored to the Hojo Daimyo, pointing out that the greed of lords for centuries and their bad blood had left their nation weak, crippled, and ultimately brought about the war. To spite the Hojo if nothing more the remaining leadership of Fujiwara and Murakami agreed, leading to the rest of the lords abandoning the Hojo. With that, and the Feudal System was abolished and it was decided the leaders of each kingdom would appoint a new lord to oversee unification. In another shocking turn of events, Lord Banri of Kumogakure recommended the Raikage be the new leader of the country, and thus a new, reunified Lightning Country was born.
The years that followed saw tremendous economical growth with rapid quality of life improvements as shinobi technology was shared amongst all provinces and modernization efforts to construct rail ways and infrastructure boomed. There were still many scars from the civil war, and while rebel groups and occasional high tensions existed, the resulting economic boom and advancement helped most close their wounds. Eventually, close to 8 years after the Civil War the Great World War would start, in which the Lightning Country would mainly support it's allies but avoid conflict with any sovereign nation and instead focus on conquering the uninhabited portions of the eastern continent.
