Hitan no Kuni

The Land of Sorrow was formerly known as the Land of the Lotus-Blossoms, it was a thriving land situated in a warm, fertile climate. During the Fourth Great Shinobi World War, the Feudal Lord sided with Madara Uchiha over Konohagakure. In response, the Leaf ANBU acted without orders and assassinated the feudal lord and the entire ruling structure of the Land of Lotus-Blossoms, it was during this time that the ANBU felt a message had to be sent to supporters of Madara Uchiha, and so they killed the firstborn child of every shinobi family in what was formerly the Village Hidden in the Flames.

After this horrific act, the entire land was set ablaze in a tragedy of epic proportions, to complicate things, the Leaf ANBU had sewn the fields of Hitan no Kuni with salt, ensuring that nothing would ever again grow in the once fertile land.

Now the descendants of the Village Hidden in the Ash specialize almost entirely on anti-shinobi jutsu, and they are called upon as mediators in disputes between ninja villages before armed actions take place. When negotiations fail, Ash Shinobi are hired to assassinate other villages key shinobi due to their anti-nin techniques. Most, but not all Ash Ninja, harbor an inherent distrust, if not open animosity for all Leaf Ninja due to the atrocities that they committed.