Post by Tensei Kaori on Jul 26, 2009 19:53:49 GMT -5
Long ago, before Shinobi villages or even the five great countries, Yokai walked the land.
They weren't really monsters, of course, though many people referred to them as such. They were, in reality, creatures now known only in myth and legend: creatures such as tanuki, zashiki-warashi, and even tengu. Some were great and powerful, others mere annoyances, and still more were friends of humanity, aiding them in protecting their homes and families from being destroyed by the friendly creatures' more violent cousins. It was these creatures who, when all seemed lost for certain, aided humanity in creating the Five Great Crystals in the hope of giving mankind the ability to defend themselves. Each Crystal was to channel the power of one of the Five Elements: Fire, Wind, Water, Earth, and Lightning. What no one counted on, though, was that the Crystals did more than that for which they were created: the supernatural power they channeled somehow – for reasons still unknown – also banished the creatures, both enemies of humanity and the very allies who had helped make the Crystals themselves, from the mortal plane.
Their single unifying factor – the common threat they all faced – gone, mankind turned for a time to studying the crystals and learning to master the power they gave. Soon, however, without a common threat to fight, they did what humans do best: they turned on each other.
War ravaged the continent for long years, killing countless people even as it drove the survivors to push their skills to new heights. Soon things were as bad as the massive destruction that had prompted the creation of the Crystals in the first place, and worse in some ways: from the power of the five elemental Crystals had risen the Five Great Countries, leading to organized military powers where there had once been village militias and city guards. At last, as the situation spiraled out of control, a select few took a stand to stop the senseless bloodshed for good. Coming together in a place controlled by no country, these shinobi – representing each of the Five Countries – tapped the power of the Elemental Crystals and combined it with their own abilities, creating the Focus Crystal.
This sixth relic sealed the power of the Five Elemental Crystals, leaving them active but unable to touch the world. The armies stripped of their inhuman power, the wars ceased... for a time. Contact with the crystals had awoken within mankind their own innate ability to use and control Chakra, and the countries' military forces withdrew to their own strongholds to learn this new, “Safer” power. What humanity failed to realize, however, is that not all of the Yokai were sealed away with the creation of the Focus Crystal: many chose to stay, or simply weren't pulled through to the other side for various reasons. Perfect examples of this would be the great Tailed Beasts themselves, who would come to figure so prominently in the world of shinobi.
That brings us to the time of the First Hokage: as the Five Countries have finally become proficient with the usage of Chakra, wars have once again swept across the line. The countries are crumbling, and the five grand shinobi villages that had once stood in each of the countries were little more than ruins, their residents scattered into warring clans that rampaged across the countryside. It was the First Hokage who put a stop to these wars, and founded Hidden Leaf Village as it is known today. Meanwhile, the creatures who were both mankind's greatest danger and closest ally, have faded into little more than myth.
Time passed, legends rose to shake the ninja world, and still the world turned, until the time of the Ninth Hokage: a man by the name of Urashima Seiichi. Having been Hokage for over twenty years, this venerable warrior was loved and respected by all of Konoha, having guided the village to a time of prosperity and relative safety. Kept hidden, though, were the troubling reports of unusual incidents happening throughout the world. They were varied, and consisted of everything from mysterious disappearances to an old, tattered kimono coming to life and strangling a woman to death. The Ninth, not wanting to send the village into a panic, kept these reports secret and organized a group of ANBU elite to investigate the problem.
Before an answer could be found, however, tragedy struck.
Empowered by Konoha's quiet state, and for any number of currently unknown reasons, the Hidden Stone and Hidden Grass villages allied with one another and invaded the Fire Country. The war raged on for four years as Konoha's forces – and the reinforcements sent from their allies, the Hidden Sand and even a small group from Hidden Sound – were pushed back into the heart of the Fire Country, and in a climactic battle that shook the very mountains for nearly a week, the fighting surrounded and eventually entered the village itself.
Their forces scattered by the onslaught and weakened by the constant battle, there seemed little hope for the Leaf or their allies. However, fate – or whatever you wish to call it – was on their side. As the Ninth himself rallied every able-bodied Shinobi available at the heart of the village for one final assault, Tensei Kaori – an elite Jounin with extensive combat experience and medical training – struck at the heart of the invaders from the outside of the village, leading a force she had spent two days gathering and healing from those who had found themselves outside the village after the initial breach. The enemy forces were pinned between the two groups, and what had seemed like a sure defeat soon turned into a rout. Heroes were made that day, and those who saw her would tell you that Kaori, leading the strike from outside the walls, looked like Death itself dancing among the enemy's forces. The invading army shattered at the two-pronged assault, and many chose to flee. Those who did were pursued by ANBU and hunted down; not many survived.
Almost immediately after the conclusion of the battle, Konoha received word of the complete surrender of both Hidden Stone and Hidden Grass village. An exchange of prisoners was negotiated, sentries stationed all along the border, and those left began the reconstruction of their badly wounded village. Their victory, however, was bittersweet for Konoha: in fulfillment of his oath of office, the Ninth Hokage had given his life in defense of his beloved village.
All of Konoha mourned his loss, but time must go on. The elders of the village met and selected the Tenth Hokage: the very woman who had led the assault that helped to shatter the invasion, Tensei Kaori herself. She faces challenges and obstacles both familiar and undiscovered, but somehow, she must pull her shattered village together and forge a new future for the Leaves in her care.
They weren't really monsters, of course, though many people referred to them as such. They were, in reality, creatures now known only in myth and legend: creatures such as tanuki, zashiki-warashi, and even tengu. Some were great and powerful, others mere annoyances, and still more were friends of humanity, aiding them in protecting their homes and families from being destroyed by the friendly creatures' more violent cousins. It was these creatures who, when all seemed lost for certain, aided humanity in creating the Five Great Crystals in the hope of giving mankind the ability to defend themselves. Each Crystal was to channel the power of one of the Five Elements: Fire, Wind, Water, Earth, and Lightning. What no one counted on, though, was that the Crystals did more than that for which they were created: the supernatural power they channeled somehow – for reasons still unknown – also banished the creatures, both enemies of humanity and the very allies who had helped make the Crystals themselves, from the mortal plane.
Their single unifying factor – the common threat they all faced – gone, mankind turned for a time to studying the crystals and learning to master the power they gave. Soon, however, without a common threat to fight, they did what humans do best: they turned on each other.
War ravaged the continent for long years, killing countless people even as it drove the survivors to push their skills to new heights. Soon things were as bad as the massive destruction that had prompted the creation of the Crystals in the first place, and worse in some ways: from the power of the five elemental Crystals had risen the Five Great Countries, leading to organized military powers where there had once been village militias and city guards. At last, as the situation spiraled out of control, a select few took a stand to stop the senseless bloodshed for good. Coming together in a place controlled by no country, these shinobi – representing each of the Five Countries – tapped the power of the Elemental Crystals and combined it with their own abilities, creating the Focus Crystal.
This sixth relic sealed the power of the Five Elemental Crystals, leaving them active but unable to touch the world. The armies stripped of their inhuman power, the wars ceased... for a time. Contact with the crystals had awoken within mankind their own innate ability to use and control Chakra, and the countries' military forces withdrew to their own strongholds to learn this new, “Safer” power. What humanity failed to realize, however, is that not all of the Yokai were sealed away with the creation of the Focus Crystal: many chose to stay, or simply weren't pulled through to the other side for various reasons. Perfect examples of this would be the great Tailed Beasts themselves, who would come to figure so prominently in the world of shinobi.
That brings us to the time of the First Hokage: as the Five Countries have finally become proficient with the usage of Chakra, wars have once again swept across the line. The countries are crumbling, and the five grand shinobi villages that had once stood in each of the countries were little more than ruins, their residents scattered into warring clans that rampaged across the countryside. It was the First Hokage who put a stop to these wars, and founded Hidden Leaf Village as it is known today. Meanwhile, the creatures who were both mankind's greatest danger and closest ally, have faded into little more than myth.
Time passed, legends rose to shake the ninja world, and still the world turned, until the time of the Ninth Hokage: a man by the name of Urashima Seiichi. Having been Hokage for over twenty years, this venerable warrior was loved and respected by all of Konoha, having guided the village to a time of prosperity and relative safety. Kept hidden, though, were the troubling reports of unusual incidents happening throughout the world. They were varied, and consisted of everything from mysterious disappearances to an old, tattered kimono coming to life and strangling a woman to death. The Ninth, not wanting to send the village into a panic, kept these reports secret and organized a group of ANBU elite to investigate the problem.
Before an answer could be found, however, tragedy struck.
Empowered by Konoha's quiet state, and for any number of currently unknown reasons, the Hidden Stone and Hidden Grass villages allied with one another and invaded the Fire Country. The war raged on for four years as Konoha's forces – and the reinforcements sent from their allies, the Hidden Sand and even a small group from Hidden Sound – were pushed back into the heart of the Fire Country, and in a climactic battle that shook the very mountains for nearly a week, the fighting surrounded and eventually entered the village itself.
Their forces scattered by the onslaught and weakened by the constant battle, there seemed little hope for the Leaf or their allies. However, fate – or whatever you wish to call it – was on their side. As the Ninth himself rallied every able-bodied Shinobi available at the heart of the village for one final assault, Tensei Kaori – an elite Jounin with extensive combat experience and medical training – struck at the heart of the invaders from the outside of the village, leading a force she had spent two days gathering and healing from those who had found themselves outside the village after the initial breach. The enemy forces were pinned between the two groups, and what had seemed like a sure defeat soon turned into a rout. Heroes were made that day, and those who saw her would tell you that Kaori, leading the strike from outside the walls, looked like Death itself dancing among the enemy's forces. The invading army shattered at the two-pronged assault, and many chose to flee. Those who did were pursued by ANBU and hunted down; not many survived.
Almost immediately after the conclusion of the battle, Konoha received word of the complete surrender of both Hidden Stone and Hidden Grass village. An exchange of prisoners was negotiated, sentries stationed all along the border, and those left began the reconstruction of their badly wounded village. Their victory, however, was bittersweet for Konoha: in fulfillment of his oath of office, the Ninth Hokage had given his life in defense of his beloved village.
All of Konoha mourned his loss, but time must go on. The elders of the village met and selected the Tenth Hokage: the very woman who had led the assault that helped to shatter the invasion, Tensei Kaori herself. She faces challenges and obstacles both familiar and undiscovered, but somehow, she must pull her shattered village together and forge a new future for the Leaves in her care.