Setting History

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The Era of Beginning
Time Immemorial
Most scholars believe that before chakra, the world was a desolate and dark place. No life existed, and the only sound was the deafening silence. The world was cloaked in an impenetrable darkness, with no hope of light or warmth. This continued on for many lifetimes, until suddenly life spontaneously emerged in the barren and dark world through the collective chakra, an invisible force connecting all things.

Permeated by the warmth of the collective chakra, the world began to transform from an empty and black place into a place of life: the skies turned blue, rivers crossed the lands as oceans formed, and infinite green stretched out to blanked the surface of the new world.

In the earliest days before the Shinju and the age of Ninshū, chakra did not exist as it did now. Great beasts born from chakra walked the world, but men did not command it. Most could not even feel the touch of the collective chakra, and those that weilded it could do nothing beyond menial tasks like lighting a match or getting water to drink.

Over thousands of years, humanity evolved among beasts, slowly expanding their connection to the collective chakra. The earliest practitioners of chakra waged wars over land and resources for generations, wizards from far off lands and shinobi from the lands of the ancestors spilling their blood in an endless pursuit for progress.

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The Era of Gods
The Birth of the Shinju
For one hundred generations, the cycle of bloodshed continued unceasing, staining the land where the five great nations now converge. From the blood-soaked earth where the castle ōtsutsuki stood tall, on a site where one hundred battles had been fought, a sapling emerged. The terrible lord of the castle ordered it trimmed, but no blade could scratch it's bark.

Within a day it had blossomed into a tree as large as an oak. Perplexed, the lord of the land summoned to his court a local magician who quickly surmised the tree was attuned with the collective chakra like no other plant he'd seen. Motivated by his greed, the lord of the castle ordered the tree to be lopped and bore for the sacred resin it would hold within.

Each time the tree was struck with an axe, it grew larger. And each time it grew larger, the lord commanded more of his men to strike the tree, and armed them with finer steel. The tree grew and grew, the lord's greed as unceasing as the bloodshed that had birthed it, until it's roots had consumed the Ōtsutsuki Castke and it loomed tall enough to be seen from the edges of the world.

Due to it's size and the story of how it had grown, the tree was revered by many cultures throughout the world, and given a new name: Shinju, the God Tree. Most believed the tree to be a sacred pillar, bridging the gap between the earth and the heavens that was breathed to life by the gods of the collective chakra.

Eventually over many years, the tree blossomed and bore a single fruit. Claiming heritage over the land, the elderly lord claimed the fruit for himself. Dividing the fruit into pieces, he and his noble house were gifted astonishing abilities. Quickly, they wove tales to convince the people that the fruit of the tree was sacred, and not to be touched.

The Goddess Kaguya & The Brothers Ninshū
After consuming the fruit of the god tree, the Ōtsutsuki clan grew in power and began to take advantage of their newfound mastery over chakra. They became the most powerful and feared clan in the land, dominating other clans and establishing themselves as rulers. For generations, the clan was both feared and venerated. Many of them shaped early shinobi history; Isshiki Ōtsutsuki, Urashiki Ōtsutsuki, Kinshiki Ōtsutsuki. All terrible warlords who conquered hundred of clans in their time.

But no Ōtsutsuki was ever as terrible or as influential over shinobi history as Kaguya Ōtsutsuki, the Mother of Chakra. Even from childhood, she was revered by all. Born the heir to the clan on the night of the Tsukuyomi — a celestial event that only occurs once a century in the year of the rabbit — it was said that she was destined for greatness. By the time she was seventeen, she had already mastered all the chakra teachings of her clan. Beautiful and powerful, she had spent her life getting everything she wanted.

Until the eve of her eighteenth birthday. A generational event, the Shinju blossomed and bore fruit for the first time since she'd been born. The perfect gift, she thought, for a woman of her stature. Her family and the traditionalists disagreed; for the first time in her life, she had been told no.

There was a short and bitter arguement between them, which ended poorly. To foster peace among their clan again, Kaguya prepared a hearty feast in apology for her entire clan. All were invited! They ate and they drank, they sang and they danced into the dead of night, until they retired for sleep.

Her family would not wake the next morning.

The servants and lesser clans that served the Ōtsutsuki never spoke a word against her, but they all knew what had happened. Consumed by her ego and her lust for the power the fruit would give, Kaguya had muredered her family. And on the eighteenth anniversary of her birth, she ate of the forbidden fruit. With the power of the Shinju fruit, Kaguya gained immense control over chakra, an unrivalled force unlike any the world had ever seen before.

She enslaved entire villages and terrorized the land, flooding the world with terrible monsters born from the power of the Shinju. For a generation, the world lived in fear of Kaguya's reign of tyranny, and many tried to rebel against her, but all attempts were futile. Kaguya had become too powerful, and her chakra beasts too numerous.

She was sure she would never be defeated.

But what she didn't know was that members of the Ōtsutsuki clan had survived the massacre. Two brothers — Hagoromo and Hamura — had been sent far away by their father, who had foreseen the death of their clan. Raised together by monks in a Ninshū temple, by the time they were sixteen they travelled the world defending the weak and teaching the wisdom of Ninshū to the people of Kaguya's oppressed nation.

Good hearted and foolhardy to the danger it posed, the brothers travelled to the ruined castle from which Kaguya reigned. Though they were powerful among the monks of Ninshū due to their Ōtsutsuki heritage they stood no chance against Kaguya. Defeated and thought to be dead, they lay by the Shinju at the center of the ruined palace, unable to stand.

Until a single fruit dropped down from the tree, landing between them. Seeing it as a sign from the collective chakra they split the fruit in half, each consuming their portion. Empowered by their newfound strength and the wealth of chakra bestowed upon them by the fruit, they stood up and charged Kaguya once more, ready to defeat her and end her reign of terror.

Kaguya was on the back foot. She had faced countless enemies before and had emerged victorious every time; she would not lose now. Drawing deep, she conjured her most powerful, most dangerous monsters — a ten-tailed beast with blood ringed eyes, and a tailless leech of negative chakra — each born from the immense power hiding within the Shinju.

These beasts were enormous and ferocious, and the brothers were no match for them. But Hagoromo and Hamura did not give up. They fought with all their might, using the knowledge and power they had gained from the fruit. Together in a great display of strength, they created an energy that was more powerful than anything Kaguya had ever faced.

The corporeal form of the monsters was shattered, leaving Kaguya weakened. The brothers saw their chance and attacked her with everything they had. Kaguya fought back, but she was no match for the combined power of the two brothers. In the end, they emerged victorious, and Kaguya was defeated.

With her last moments before being sealed away, Kaguya split her remaining chakra into the a set of new monsters of living chakra — nine beasts, each with a set of tails ranged from one to nine. In them she placed her faith that she would one day return to collect her chakra.

The Bijū & The Monk
With Kaguya defeated, her reign of terror across the world had ended. But the scars of her tyranny still ran deep across the Land of Ancestors. Monsters of chakra still ravaged the land, the largest and most destructive of which were the Bijū. These Tailed Beasts had been seen all throughout the Land of Ancestors, leaving a trail of destruction behind them.

For years Hagoromo searched the land, battling each beast and overcoming their immense power with his own. But as he spent time with them, he began to understand that they were not evil creatures but merely misunderstood. The Bijū were protecting something precious within themselves, something that needed to be safeguarded for the good of the world.

Hagoromo's perspective shifted, and he no longer sought to control the beasts but instead to work with them. He formed a bond with each one, learning their unique strengths and abilities. He even created a special seal that would allow him to summon them whenever they were needed. As time passed, the world began to heal, and peace was restored. The Bijū were no longer seen as monsters but as guardians of the world's natural order. But just when it seemed that everything was finally at peace, a new threat emerged.

The Sealing of the Great Bijū
After gaining a deeper understanding of the Tailed Beasts, Hagoromo invited his brother to meet with them and learn about their nature. During the meeting, they heard a rumor about a dark power returning to the region around Ōtsutsuki Castle.

Determined to investigate, the brothers embarked on a journey deep into the Land of Ancestors, where they discovered that the Ten-Tails and the Zero-Tails had resurfaced. But they were not alone; a group of rogue shinobi led by a mysterious figure named Jashin had summoned the monstrous beasts.

Hagoromo realized that his earlier belief of only taming the Tailed Beasts was flawed. He understood that achieving true peace required all shinobi to use their power for the greater good. Together, the brothers defeated the rogue shinobi — though Jashin escaped — and sealed the monstrous beasts away beneath the earth, and high above the clouds.

Enlightened by the experience, they decided to live in the land around the Shinju, dedicating their lives to teaching others the importance of using their strength for the betterment of society, and safeguarding the Shinju and the relics of Kaguya's reign from those who would seek to do the world harm.

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The Era of Ninshū
The Passing of the Torch
After Kaguya's defeat and the sealing of the Great Bijū, Hagoromo and Hamura Ōtsutsuki were hailed as legends. The head of the Ninshū order bestowed them with titles fitting their accomplishments. Hagoromo was now known as the Sage of the Six Paths, while Hamura was recognized as the Sage of the Shimmering Moon.

A time of peace followed as the twin brothers settled into their roles as leaders and teachers, guiding the next generation of Ninshū practitioners. Among this next generation would be five souls who would expand the knowledge of chakra in ways that even their fathers could not have imagined.

Hagoromo would father two sons. The first was Asura, born during a lightning storm and blessed with an immense vitality. The second was Indra, who had been born with eyes of the Sharingan. Hamura fathered three. His first was Yaksha, born so intune with chakra that his cries could sap the collective chakra. His second was Yidam, born with the eyes of the Byakugan. The final child was Dvesha, who was extremely ordinary at birth by comparison.

On the anniversary of their sixteenth year since the defeat of the Great Bijū when their children were only fifteen years old, Hamura and Hagoromo passed away.

The Legend of the Six Sages
After their fathers passed away, the five Ōtsutsuki were tasked with maintaining peace in a constantly evolving world. Over time, they refined their skills and made groundbreaking discoveries in the realm of chakra.

Asura, known as the Sage of Lightning, tapped into his vast reserves of chakra and created the first of the mixed releases; Wood Release, a technique capable of reviving dying forests and generating new plant life.

Indra, hailed as the Sage of Fire, pioneered modern hand signs and unlocked the full potential of his Sharingan eyes. He was also a master of Genjutsu, create illusions that bordered on becoming real.

Yaksha, the Sage of Wind, delved into Senjutsu and displayed a natural affinity for absorbing and utilizing Nature Energy. He learnt from and taught the art of Senjutsu to many noble animals of the lands. Chief among these animal sages were the Toads, Slugs and Snakes.

Yidam, the Sage of Water, achieved mastery over the Byakugan and comprehended the tenketsu network. He possessed the ability to release chakra from any point within his chakra network, akin to his father.

Dvesha, the Sage of Earth, differed from his siblings in that he lacked extraordinary individual abilities. However, he possessed an unparalleled understanding of chakra and developed numerous jutsu that endured even after thousands of years, used even now.

But the legacy of the Ōtsutsuki was stained by a dark shadow. In the years that had followed the death of the Rabbit Goddess Kaguya, a Sixth Sage had risen to power in secret. He was a brilliant student of chakra and became obsessed with understanding the mysteries of life and death, transcribing many of the lost Hijutsu arts that his mother had used to create the Bijū. Hailed as the Sage of Death, his name was Jashin.

As the Ninshū order and it's teachings were developed on by the Sages, Jashin's own research had become increasingly twisted, and he began experimenting with the reanimation and transmutation of life, exploring the darker aspects of chakra. His desire for knowledge blinded him to the ethical implications of his actions, and soon he was consumed by his other's darkness.

In a dream, Jashin realized that he would never understand all of death's workings in one lifetime, and he became obsessed with immortality. Believing that the masters of Ninshū held the secret he needed to achieve his goal, Jashin gathered his power and mounted an attack on Ōtsutsuki Castle with an undead army larger than any the world had ever seen.

The five sages fiercely battled Jashin and his undead army with all of their powers. Asura used Wood Release to create barriers and forests, while Indra's Genjutsu turned the undead soldiers against each other. Yaksha used his senjutsu senses to locate the strongest soldiers and Yidam destroyed them with the help of his Byakugan insight into their chakra networks. Even Dvesha, with his many tricks and seals, was able to weaken Jashin and his army.

Despite their best efforts, the Sages were ultimately overwhelmed by the sheer number of undead soldiers. As the Ōtsutsuki Castle fell, Jashin declared what he had ultimately been after, and conjured an everburning black flame Amaterasu to burn away at the Shinju.

While the rest of the sages fought back against Jashin, Indra remained behind to deal with the black flame. No amount of water supressed it, and it seemed unaffected by the amount of air it had to consume. He was faced with no choice, resorting to his last ditch effort. With a powerful dōjutsu sealing technique cast from his Sharingan eye, the flame was banished from the world, trapped within his Sharingan. The effort nearly killed him.

Asura, Yaksha, Yidam, and Dvesha continued their fight against Jashin and his army, but the loss of Indra was a heavy blow. They fought with renewed determination, but the battle had taken its toll. One by one, they fell in combat until only Asura remained.

With Jashin standing before him, Asura knew that he was no match for the power that Jashin's divine blood had endowed him with. But he refused to give up. Drawing upon the power of Ninshū, Asura awakened something deep within himself. Reaching out through the collective chakra, he wove the greatest Wood Release jutsu that would ever be used, the mighty Shinju sprouting five ripe fruit upon his command.

The five sages were revived, empowered by the strength of the fruit. With a final combined push they were able to drive Jashin back, destroying the jutsu that maintained his undead army and leaving him vulnerable and weakened after the incredible amount of damage they'd done to him with their newfound power.

Jashin, desperate, resorted to his last trick: summoning life by sacrificing his body and soul to transform his chakra, like his mother had decades prior. Though he was defeated, his husk gave birth to three beings: the White Zetsu, representing pure yang chakra and justice; the Black Zetsu, representing yin chakra and chaos; and Jashin, embodying both chakras and devoid of soul, forever the Sage of Death in a neutral existence.

In the end the sages had emerged victorious, but at a great cost. The Ōtsutsuki Castle was in ruins, and many of their order had perished. However their legacy lived on, and their teachings were passed down through the generations as they travelled the world, shaping it into the world of shinobi we know today. The Shinju itself became a symbol of the dangers of unchecked power, and its memory lived on as a warning to future generations of the dangers of becoming too powerful.

According to ninshū legend, the five sages, at the end of their lives, devised a technique called 'Transmigration' to pass on their will to future generations by combining their souls with the collective chakra.

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The Era of Shinobi
The War of a Hundred Years
The Warring States Era, also known as the First Great War, was caused by several factors, including a lack of central government, smaller feudal lords vying for power, and scarcity of resources. However, the blossoming of the Shinju was perhaps the greatest reason that led the Daimyō of the nations to go to war.

For centuries after the Era of Ninshū and Jashin's demise, the divine God Tree lay dormant. Its sacred branches failed to bear any fruit, and with each passing winter, the tree's leaves withered and never grew back. But one hundred years ago beneath the light of the celestial Tsukuyomi, it's barren branches began to blossom with life once more.

The Daimyō of the nations heard of the sudden reawakening of the God Tree and sent out expeditions to investigate. What they discovered was beyond their wildest imagination. The tree was producing fruit that granted immense chakra to whoever consumed it.

Word of the fruit's discovery quickly spread, and soon, the nations began to fight for control over the God Tree and its fruit. The once dormant tree had become the center of a new conflict. To fight these battles, countries hired one or more clans of mercenary shinobi to represent their interests, the shinobi's loyalties ultimately going to the highest bidder.

Even once the reserve of fruit had dried up and tree gave no more, the wars continued. Daimyō died, replaced by their children, who carried the torch of war without understanding what had even caused it. The constant warfare in turn led to constant death, creating a world where shinobi rarely made it to thirty, let alone old age. But of all the victims of this era, children were the greatest, being forced to fight for their clan no differently than an adult would and, more often than not, being killed by older and more skilled opponents.

Nearly one hundred years came to pass before the war came to a close. The daimyō of several nations became weary of the continuous warfare and began to withdraw or negotiate for peace. Resources were provided in the pursuit of ending the great war, and eventually, peace was achieved. With their leaders content and directing their armies to stand down, the shinobi were left to find their own purpose and motivation. Some clans turned their attention to one another, particularly if they had already fragmented into opposing groups during the war.

The Aftermath of War
Barely a year has passed since the daimyō withdrew their armies and put an end to the war, but the world is still plagued by the cycle of violence. Several clans remain entrenched in battles against each other, while some are gathering forces or gearing up for attacks on their enemies. Some clans find themselves without a purpose now that the era of war has ended, while others embrace the current era of peace.