| The ninja, also known as shinobi, was an unrelenting | | | | the adversary to find the lapses and often sneak into |
| mercenary agent inside Japan during the feudal ages | | | | castles to set them on fire. Arriving secretly they |
| (17th century). The ninjas specialized in unorthodox | | | | carried out assassinations. |
| 'guerrilla like' methods of warfare. The ninja had many | | | | Using The Art of War |
| functions and specialized in: | | | | It is guessed that the ninja group originated around 14th |
| - spying | | | | century. After many years of obscurity they came into |
| - infiltrating | | | | prominence during 17th and 18th centuries. Ninjutsu |
| - sabotaging | | | | came to be connected with many practices of the |
| - assassination The ninja with its under cover stealthy | | | | ninja - a mixture of philosophy and religion being applied |
| strategies was the opposite of the bold samurai who | | | | to the art of war including spying. |
| were very careful about their 'above board' reputation. | | | | Invisible, Walk on Water, and Mind Control |
| While the Samurai would come in the front door to | | | | The imagination of Japan has always romanticized on |
| take out their target the ninja would be known to use | | | | the mysterious character of the ninjas. Later this has |
| the back door or even side window so they wouldn't | | | | spread to other parts of the world. Ninja figures |
| be seen. | | | | dominate folk tales and myths - making it difficult to |
| Ninjas Scout Their Opponents | | | | separate it from history. There are legends about the |
| Military historian Hanawa Hokioichi wrote that the ninjas | | | | ninja becoming invisible, walking on water and having |
| disguised themselves while entering enemy territory to | | | | full control over the elements. Today it has entered the |
| gauge opponents strength. They would blend in with | | | | entertainment zone of modern times. |