Since the advent of man the world has moved in cycles of war and peace, prosperity and depravity. Dictated by the wiles of men, and the Imperial beasts, this world has known much in its time, yet it has always been lacking in some aspect, incomplete.

However, with the choice of the Dragon and the Phoenix and the birth of two men, things began to change. So it was said that long ago there was a great warlord known as Tatasuko and a humble man known only as the Sage. The warlord, coveting the lands held by the sage’s kin, rode over it, conquering all before him. When the sage rose up, attempting to reason with Tatasuko, he stole away his two sons, killing one and condemning him to the dark afterlife of the Phoenix who was his god.

Distraught by the loss of his son, the Sage pleaded with his god, the Dragon, for aid. The Dragon, noticing the mortal’s plea, presented to him six trials.

The Trial of Earth was passed when the sage helped bring the people together, uniting them even in times of depravity.

The Trial of Fire was passed when the Sage mitigated conflict under the rule of Tatasuko, and stopped rebellion lest the people end up in depravity.

The Trial of Wind was passed when the Sage learned to understand others, fostering community and compassion between himself and the people.

The Trial of Lightning was passed when the sage began his quest to reach the Dragon shrine, where he had been told to meet the beast once more. In his trek he became one with nature, appreciating its beauty and the bounty it supplied him on his journey.

The Trial of Water was passed when the man learned to humble himself before the Dragon.

Finally the Sage came to the Dragon shrine, where the Dragon took him from the world, giving him two gifts for his efforts, compassion, and love for his son. It was here that he was given the Rinnegan and the ability the mold the very power of his life energy, known as Chakra. The Dragon told him that should he succeed in reaching his son and defeating the Phoenix’s avatar, Tatasuko, he would be given one final gift.

So the story goes, for the Sage defeated Tatasuko, rescuing his son from the dark world of the Phoenix and freeing the world of the Tatasuko’s tyranny. However, as the compassionate man that the Sage was, he did not kill Tatasuko, but merely crippled him, allowing him to flee into the veins of the earth.

He was greatly rewarded by the Dragon, having earned the being’s favor over all others. So the Trial of Yin and Yang were passed and the Sage received the ability to bring back even the dead.

Grateful to the Dragon, the Sage served him for the rest of his days, even going so far as to seal the Great Juubi within himself, who was also an avatar of the Phoenix’s will. Little did he know that the Pheonix laid a curse on his rescued son, creating the Chain of Hatred, which would follow his bloodline for generations to come.

The Sage of Sixth paths, as the people came to call him, went on to found ninshuu, in the interest of bettering the world and making sure that even after his passing mankind could defend itself against the destructive hatred of the Phoenix. The remnants of Ninshuu remain to this day, in the form of jutsu and the shinobi way.

However, the ideals of the art have long since died, likely with the Sage’s departure from this world. With his son’s bloodlines divvied throughout the world, many clans have sprung up over the last few hundred years and the crimes of the first Tatasuko have been forgotten.

With the fall of the Sage’s unifying influence, the world’s clans have clamored for territory, and things have teetered towards a great war amongst their ilk. It is the dawn before the Warring Clans Era, whose side will you take and who will emerge victorious, their mark left upon history.

You decide whom to follow, for this world is one of Jaded Ideals.