The ships and bridges were already gone without a trace, and the dice kept rolling.
I decided to lecture my son Shinichiro about the role of the ninja beyond espionage.
Next Important Ninja Work
(For the sake of clarity, I, Mineyuki Hattori, will be referred to as “M” and my son Shinichiro as “S.”)
M: The ninja also had several other important roles.
S: Wait a minute, can I guess?
M: Sure.
S: Well… like a night thief, he would strike enemies in the dark and steal their treasures!
It seems that Shinichiro, reacting to the loss of his image of the ninja as a noble hero, has found hope in the dark hero route.
M: I can’t say you’re totally off the mark, but the image is a little different.
S: Then… night after night, they’d kidnap women and children from enemy camps and force them to work as slaves in secret hideouts!
That’s not a dark hero anymore. Just dark.
M: That’s going too far. Ninja weren’t one-sided villains, even if they weren’t slashing through bad guys.
S: I see. That’s a relief.
The heart of a child is complicated.
M: The second major role of the ninja was sabotage. They’d blow up enemy castles or critical bridges to weaken their enemies. Like espionage, it was about laying the groundwork to give their side an advantage in war.
S: So basically, they were the Warring States version of lobbyists.
M: That’s a pretty advanced word for you!
I wasn’t sure it was the best comparison, but I decided to follow his logic for now.
M: Of course, modern lobbyists don’t go around blowing things up. But in the sense that they create favorable conditions for negotiations or action, there may be a small similarity.
S: No, I think they’re completely different. Lobbyists influence opinions and interests. Ninja sabotage changes the environment through force. They’re totally incompatible at the core.
M: …
I didn’t mean to underestimate my child, but a little arrogance brought me crashing down.
In Japanese, we call this “removing the ladder.”
This time, I fell from a great height—with no rug to break my fall.
M: …You’re right, Shinichiro. Lobbyists and ninjas are totally different. A lobbyist is a lobbyist. A ninja is a ninja.
I hoped I said it without letting my voice crack. Either way, it was time to move on.
M: We’ve talked about espionage and sabotage, but there’s one more major role of the ninja. Let’s explore that next.
To be continued…
