The Empire of Fallen Leaves
Second Version
Arc 1: The Seed
Prologue
I feel lost.
Maybe it is because it has been a while since I have last spoken to another human being. However, it is much more likely to be caused by the imminent feeling of dread and loss of any form of direction. It is not an unknown feeling to me, after all, I am a kunoichi, who has been at the frontlines repeatedly. I have seen the volatile nature of life as a front row spectator and as the catalyst of it. But sitting here and staring at this blank wall, waiting for something to finally happen, so far removed from the reality, causes a different kind of dread. Do I feel anxious about the future? No, not really as it will all come to an end.
They gave me this paper and pen, which I could use to escape or get my undeserved revenge, so I would write down any secrets that are still left. I don't think it will do any good.
Currently my biggest wish is the destruction of Konoha Gakure no Sato.
It is wrong of me to think like that, I am aware of it. Especially since I am someone with a high standing in this village, who only brought grief and suffering as long as I can remember. It started it my childhood and stayed. I knew that my last few seconds would be the same.
From a civilian's point of view Konoha was heaven or hell. It provided a good and rising market, even though Konoha was originally a military facility under the service of the great fire lord.
That´s probably why Danzo was finally fed up with this village and tried to usurp the reigning Hokage before the fourth Ninja world war broke out. By turning Konoha into a military government, many hard-hitting causalities could have been prevented. Maybe we would have been ready to face what was still a farfetched fantasy at that time. War had always been a possibility. That was just a part of a world where ninjas existed. In the end we might have won the war, but we lost everything else.
Still, the front-line Ninjas were regarded as heroes in this war. Konoha came out as the strongest Ninja village of all times. Even outside the borders of the fire nations, Konoha is still called the village of the legendary heroes. A blasphemous title if you ask me. After all, Konoha is falling apart as I write this.
There is no enemy, who is responsible, no one to blame for the downfall of the once mightiest village since the warring clan era.
Konoha itself is causing the decay.
At the end of the world war, Konoha's financial sector exploded and eventually it became richer than the fire lord and his entourage of rich and big bellied man. We started to get independent and had no need to rely on the fire nations court anymore. Two years after the fourth world war, we declared total independence and became our own little nation. A strong one at that. The fire lords court was enraged and stopped the trading between the capital and its former ninja village. Konoha never wavered once and stood by that decision. They did the right thing at that time, as the wealth only increased. The mission trading was taken over by other Daimyos of various countries. The influx of jobs became at one point impossible to handle by their decimated military force, so they handed some missions to their longtime partner in Suna.
Everything went well for another five years, until things settled down. Not only that, but the rate of failed missions also increased. Clients and the traders lost interest in Konoha, as if it was some cheap toy a spoiled child tossed away. An unfitting description, but it is easier to describe it like that.
At some point they were overshadowed by the efforts and sheer power that other Ninja villages suddenly exhibited. While Konoha focused on gaining wealth and providing a certain lifestyle, others focused on restoring their military prowess.
The numbers of new Shinobi and Kunoichi entering the system were high in the first years after the war, but as soon as Konoha became independent, the new entrees became less and less. What´s worse, their abilities were lacking. They were no match for the Konoha 11 in the older days. Therefore, the number of deaths among the younger generations increased dramatically. At most two genin of the graduating year survive. Out of sixty graduates. Our teaching system is lacking, but many also think that there is no need for them to train hard. I always hear them say 'Who would attack us? We are Konoha Ninjas. They won´t dare to attack us and we also have this peace treaty going on. If they do, our Hokage will them blow them to the afterlife'.
It is truly pathetic.
Well, their opinion changed rather quickly, but sadly they probably never learned their lesson.
The Hokage couldn't protect them from what happened ten years after War.
After all he was just one wretched human.
Even now I can't comprehend what happened and I pride myself in being not too stupid.
I remember, how a friend of mine once told me, that reality is returning.
It took me a long time to understand what she truly meant. I was blinded, just like everyone else.
Well, it doesn´t matter anymore since she is long gone.
I would like to write more, but duty calls.
Therefore, I will now burn this little depressing paper and swallow its ashes as I promised.