Hey! Thanks for reading! Ch.1 is mostly explanation of how the Kagegakure no sato works and its history. I promise Ch.2 will be more fufiling! Enjoy!

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A soft funeral march played as a young man of no more than 15 was led to the gallows. His reddish-black hair was blown gently by soft wind.

A man dressed in black read some things from a scroll as the noose was placed around the youth's neck. "Mato Tsuki, today you are to be executed

according to the crimes you have committed: Murder, Conspiracy to commit murder, murder of children, arson, and various other unforgivable crimes..." The man read.

"...But...it..wasn't.." Mato said, struggling to form words with the rope so tight around his neck. The man with the scroll motioned to
the hangman, who pulled the lever that made the red-headed youth drop. The fall didn't snap his neck, so he slowly turned red, until his eyes rolled up into his head...

Mato awoke in a cold sweat, shivering uncontrollably. This was the sixth time he had died this week...

In a small country on the outskirts of the known world, there was a relatively new village. This Village was the Shinobi village for the Country of Light, and it was called the Kagegakure no sato, or the Village Hidden in the Shadows. The village was still new (One Kage so far) and the ninja who had helped found it were classed socially by what their respective families did during the war.

The Tenrikyo Clan had been the 'generals' so to speak. The other clans looked to them for leadership, and under them the Country of Light had been able to declare its independence. The Tenrikyo Clan was famous for its Kekkei Genkai, the Miraigan.

Directly underneath the Tenrikyo Clan was the Etsuna Clan, which was the military arm of the village. While the Etsuna Clan members could not direct chakra to their arms, their legendary Etsuna Waltz (A collection of 'steps' that rival the powers of any jutsu) largely helped to quell the fighting.

The Tenyomi Clan and the Chimata Clan were largely used as support ninja. The Tenyomi used their mastery of the human body to hinder the opposition and maximize the allied force's strength, while the Medinin Clan Chimata saved the lives of the fallen. And finally there was the Tsuki Clan. These were the sell-sword assassins.

They did the dirtiest work of the campaign. After the country was established, they fought for the power with the Tenrikyo Clan, arguing that they did all of the work and that the Tenrikyo were just a bunch of glory hogs. The debate raged on, until they attempted to overthrow their rivals unsuccessfully, then the leader of the Tenrikyo ordered that the Tsuki Clan be disbanded permanently. Then the victorious clan chose from their ranks the Kumorikage to lead the village.

After this, things were peaceful in the kagegakure no sato, until the traumatic slaying of many, many villagers six years after the Tsuki clan was banished. They again wanted to seize power, and so knowing that they couldn't beat the other clan by playing fair, they killed the townsfolk and other innocent travelers, hoping the pressure would cause the kumorikage to fold and give in to their demands. The murderers were eventually caught and each was hung individually for their crimes.

Young Mato is the only member of the Tsuki Clan left in the village. When the murders finally ended, an elderly couple found a small child out in the woods, and they decided to raise him. When he reached the age of eight, the kekkei genkai of his clan surfaced in him, the Kegaregan. This caused his pupils to spread into a box shape and for the rest of his eyes to turn a ghastly white color. The elderly couple immediately recognized the 'Unclean' eye as identical to the ones the murdering clan had possessed. After talking it over with his wife, the elderly man lead Mato out into the woods with the goal of killing him.

Young Mato looked up at the old man and smiled, oblivious. The old man's eyes filled with tears as he held up the short blade and stabbed Mato in the side. He pulled it out quickly and ran away, muttering "If your blood was any different...I wouldn't have had to spill it.."

Mato just stayed there, on his side crying as the blood trickled from inside of him. He didn't know why his 'grandpa' had done this to him. Why he had been left. Why he had been hurt. What did his blood have to do with the attack.

As he lay there, the pool growing slowly around him, no one really knows what happened. Mato blacked out, possibly from blood loss, but when he awoke, he was strapped to a chair in the kumorikage's office, with the kumorikage himself over him.

Apparently, a blood soaked Mato had charged into town on all fours, his eyes glowing violently. Luckily, before he could do anything, he was captured by a passing Chuunin, knocked out, and brought to the office. The Kumorikage looked at the youth, who did not struggle in his straps, and asked him why he tried to attack the village and where his parents were.

"I-I-I..." stammered the frightened youth, looking at his side where the blade had pierced him.

"Don't worry son, our medics are the best around. You are perfectly fine. Why Don't you tell me what happened?" the kumorikage said, starting to lose his patience.

"Grandpa...he.." Mato struggled to remember, and when he did his eyes bolted open in shock "He...stabbed me! He tried to kill me...because of my blood..."

"Your Grandpa did this? Tell me kid, did he have eyes like yours!" He demanded, holding a mirror so Mato could see his new eyes.

"Ahh! Take it away! That's not me!" Mato screeched, struggling in the chair. He was recalling the nightmares he had where he would be constantly running away from those same eyes.

Those haunting eyes followed him everywhere he thought that he was safe in, and when they did find him, they consumed him, and he was no longer himself, but rather a horriffic puppet. Mato tensed up, and started thrashing, screaming "Not my eyes! Not my eyes!" until he passed out.

He awoke in the same room, in the same chair, but with the straps undone. "Who are you?" Mato asked in a timid, mouse like voice.

"I am the leader of this village" He said, now smiling at the youth.

"...are you going to kill me?" Young Mato asked.

"No kid, actually I'm feeling generous. Lets get this kid an apartment, on the city's tab of course, and some supplies. Get ready kid, the Academy is expecting you in two days."

Hey, thanks for reading my first story. Just a quick note: the ending might seem kinda wack, but its for a reason. While Mato was out, the Kumorikage used an advanced jutsu with his Miraigan and saw something in his future he musta liked...More to come! After I figure out how to work this thing!