The Tradition's (ryu) Shoninki

Although ninjutsu existed in Japan since ancient times, it was revealed during the Genpei War (1180-85) when Gen Kuro Yoshitsune selected brave warriors and employed them in battle. In the Kenmu period (1333-36) Kusonoki Masashige used ninjutsu countless times. Among recent generations, Hojo Ujiyasu have employed the nusubito Kazama to go out to various places in the provinces to investigate matters. Takeda Shingen of Kai province have employed people called suppa. These people as well, were nusubito from that province.

*The word nusubito means a thief and is often used in this text. However, nusubito is a pejorative term for those employing ninjutsu, or ninja.

*This refers to Ise no Saburo Yoshimori and his band. Yoshimori was born in Iga province and was a mountain brigand in Suzuka.

*Kazama's full name was Fuma Kotaro. He was born in Kazama in Ashigara Shimo-gun, Sagami province. The exact dates of his birth and death are unknown.

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Later, this was transmitted to Koga in Iga, and became the common system of that county. Then, ninjutsu spread to other provinces and is now countrywide.

Involvement in ninjutsu is therefore a universal committment. If I go to another province, the person of that province will show me his province. When that person comes, I will inform him about the secrets of the place, and reveal the house sectrets to him, thus employing the marvelous tenets of this method.

*The cooperation among those employing ninjutsu, to which the author refers in this section, is most likely limited to those from among the Kishu tradition.