Land of Bears

The Land of Bears ( 熊の国 , Kuma no Kuni ) is a heavily forested country, which is exclusive to the anime, lying west of the Land of Earth over the mountains, and only lightly settled. Its ninja village, Hoshigakure , is located in the middle of the country surrounded by a canyon filled with poisonous gas which the locals call the Devil's Ravine ( English TV: Valley of Death). The canyon serves as a natural barrier to prevent raids on the village. A meteorite crashed near the site of the village 200 years before the start of the series.