The Rise and Fall of the Ninja Sect (Part 1)
(Originally, I wanted to integrate the two chapters of Ninja World history into the story, but I was afraid it would be too messy, so I simply released it as two separate chapters. If you're interested, you can take a look; if not, you can skip it...)
A thousand years ago, after the brotherly battle between Otsutsuki Asura Otsutsuki Indra,
Otsutsuki Indra traveled alone to the northeastern part of the Ninja World, far from the influence of the Ninja Sect —the territory of what would later become the Land of Lightning.
He single-handedly used absolute power to subjugate the surrounding countries, nominally unifying the territory and establishing his own sect there.
Thus, the [Ninjutsu] school was born.
Otsutsuki Indra was the First leader of the [Ninjutsu] school.
He was ruthless during his reign, believed in the ironclad rule of might makes right, and regarded power as the ultimate measure of all value.
The strong reside atop the clouds, enjoying the best resources, the finest Ninjutsu inheritances, and the most revered status;
The weak struggle at the bottom, exchanging their hard work and bloody battles for the right to climb higher.
The atmosphere within the school was extremely oppressive; a layer of oppressive rule hung over everyone like an invisible cloud.
But no one can deny that this machine, fueled by fear and ambition, operates at an extremely rapid pace.
The idea of prioritizing strength is like a banner, attracting talented individuals from across the Ninja World who are unwilling to settle for mediocrity and refuse to be bound by constraints.
Strict management, to some extent, ensured order.
There are strict class distinctions, but these distinctions can be broken down by strength.
In just a few decades, the Ninjutsu School has grown into an influential force in the Ninja World, second only to the Ninja Sect.
Its sphere of influence radiates outwards from the Cloud Thunder Mountain Range, covering almost the entire northeastern territory of the Ninja World.
But to everyone's surprise, this First leader, who believed in strength, used ruthless methods, and never showed weakness, never provoked a single direct confrontation with the Ninja Sect during his lifetime.
Even after the death of Hagoromo Otsutsuki, who was renowned throughout the Ninja World and revered as the "Sage of Six Paths," this never happened.
The Sage of Six Paths was the founder of the Ninja Sect, the father of Indra, and the one whom the Ninjutsu School was presumed to be the greatest threat and the ultimate goal to be surpassed from the very beginning.
Everyone thought that when the time finally came, Indra would not hesitate to march south and use the sharp blade he Teuchi to sever the "homeland" from which he had been banished and which he could never accept until his death.
But he didn't.
This man, described in the records of Ninjutsu School as a rather arrogant and domineering founder, devoted the latter half of his life entirely to the governance and development of his Ninjutsu School.
He built the High Heaven Pavilion) deep in the mountains and personally wrote the first codex of Ninjutsu School, transforming this wild land into a "kingdom" with rules and order.
During this process, he married, had children, and propagated his lineage, leaving behind the bloodline he inherited from Hagoromo Otsutsuki in this land far from the Ninja Sect.
Meanwhile, the Ninja Sect, located in the far south and possessing an absolute advantage in overall strength, has repeatedly taken the initiative to propose exchanges and dialogues with the rapidly developing Ninjutsu School schools.
The messenger traveled across mountains and rivers, carrying letters written by Asura himself. The wording in the letters became more sincere with each letter, and the attitude became more humble with each letter.
But Indra returned all those letters unopened, without even breaking the seal.
The subtle relationship between the two schools of thought was already evident from the very beginning.
In the 85th year of the Ninja World Calendar, Otsutsuki Indra, the founder of the Ninjutsu School, passed away.
When the news reached the south, it is said that the main hall of the Ninja Sect remained silent for an entire morning.
The second-generation leader Asura, sat alone in the empty hall, without uttering a single word.
The following month of the same year, Otsutsuki Asura, the second leader of the Ninja Sect, passed away.
The successive deaths of these two individuals not only brought a tremendous shock to the Ninja World, second only to the death of the Sage of Six Paths, but also...
This also completely ended the decades-long peaceful relationship between the two major schools of Ninjutsu and Ninja Sect, which had been barely maintained through silence and restraint.
Friction between the Ninja Sect and Ninjutsu School began just one year after their deaths.
It started with sporadic border clashes, then escalated into a battle for talent, and the mining rights to a mineral vein...
The friction grew larger and larger like a snowball, turning from a few scattered sparks into a raging fire.
In that same year, both the Ninja Sect and the Ninjutsu School welcomed a new baby.
They each became the Fourth leader of the Ninja Sect and the Third Hokage leader of Ninjutsu, respectively, and were recorded in history.
But at this time, their existence is only mentioned briefly in historical records.
It was as if these two newborn babies had no connection to the war that had already begun to spread...
The original cause of the conflict has been eroded by centuries of war and hatred, making it impossible to verify.
The historians on both sides recorded completely different versions, and every detail was repeatedly colored in a way that favored their side.
However, what is clearly recorded in the historical records of the Ninjutsu School is that this probing conflict ultimately ended in a crushing defeat for the Ninjutsu School.
Faced with the rich accumulation of resources under the rule of two outstanding leaders, the Sage of Six Paths and Otsutsuki Asura, as well as the immense appeal and influence left in the Ninja World after the death of the Sage of Six Paths, the Ninja Sect.
The Ninjutsu School, lacking sufficient foundation, ultimately did not have the strength to contend with it.
Faced with this reality, the astute second-generation leader of the Ninjutsu School decisively chose to conceal his strength and retreat to the depths of the Cloud Thunder Mountain Range, adopting a strategy of comprehensive recuperation.
The victorious Ninja Sect appeared to have achieved a glorious victory, but in reality, internal problems were already beginning to emerge beneath the halo of victory.
The philosophy of the Ninja Sect is to use Chakra to improve people's lives, develop productivity, and serve as a link connecting the spiritual power of others.
This gives them extremely high prestige and unparalleled influence among ordinary people.
However, this growing influence has also made the ruling classes of neighboring countries particularly uneasy.
Unlike Ninjutsu School, the Ninja Sect has no interest in political affairs. They have no ambition for land and disdain for power, operating primarily through a purely mercenary system.
While promoting the ideas of connection and understanding in various countries, they use the power of Chakra to change people's lives and collect rewards for maintaining the organization's operation.
However, the Ninja Sect's formidable military strength and its immense, almost unshakeable, influence deeply ingrained in the hearts of the people...
Furthermore, the precedent of Ninjutsu School schools unifying neighboring countries has inevitably led to suspicion and resistance towards the Ninja Sect among these countries.
This suspicion was not obvious when the Sage of Six Paths and Otsutsuki Asura were alive, overshadowed by the almost insurmountable brilliance of these two great figures.
But over the long years to come, it will slowly fester, becoming a deep rift embedded in the future of the Ninja Sect...