Ninja by John Man Page A

used to be achieved only by ancient masters and seems to be too difficult for people of the present time to master completely. Your efforts could easily be interpreted as tricks that are the tricks of con men and thus could be self-damaging.”
    In addition to a disguise, it is useful to change your appearance. To do this, wear a long jacket or rain cape. You could also reshape your eyebrows, blacken your teeth with iron (filings), change the shape of your hairline, wear black ink on your face, tousle your hair, and/or “put some tresses” (grass or straw?) in your mouth.
    You may sometimes need to fake an illness on short notice. Here are some ways to help your performance: Don’t sleep at night; burn your skin with moxa; 1 fast to the utmost limits to make yourself emaciated; don’t shave or cut your hair; don’t clip your toenails or fingernails; and don’t wash.
    Be careful with whom you consort. Of course, whatever you do, luck plays a large part in whether you give yourself away or not. But remember that you put yourself at risk if you talk to low-minded scum and take them into your company.
    You can ply someone with booze, sex, or gambling for the purpose of taking him in and getting your way. As you will be included in these pleasures, you must be sure not to lose your self-control.
    If you think you are about to be revealed, create a diversion of some kind. Leave a tool or some other object that will confuse an investigation. Planting a fake letter, tricking someone into creating something strange or making up false traces of you, anything that gives misleading information—these are methods commonly used by a ninja to throw people off his scent.
    Or you can head off in one direction and then double back unseen. People will give false information about you, and will do so willingly, because it makes them seem important. It is vital for you to master this deception above all things. The main point is that you should devise the simplest method possible, without any complications. A difficult or complex scheme could arouse suspicion and result in a more intensive investigation.
    Intuition plays a major role in ninjutsu . For example, supposing you are on an unfamiliar mountain path in a dark forest. You come to a fork. Which way do you choose? Maybe there are clues: Cast around for abandoned sandals, horseshoes, dung, trampled grass, easily startled birds. Such things may tell you which road is better used, which to avoid, which to choose. But if not, simply let fate decide. “Buckle up and recite an old verse. Then count how many syllables there are in the verse and choose to go right if the number is odd, and left if even, and do not have any doubts about the decision. This is because if you simply use the first thing that flashes through your head without any intention or contemplation, you are consigning yourself to divine intervention and fate. Wonders can happen when you abandon your ego!”
    One common task for a ninja was to infiltrate a castle. It is an iconic image—the ninja with hook and rope creeping over a wall in the dead of night. But there is a much easier, safer, and more effective way—deception. Talk your way in. For this you need confidence and charm. Stroll past the gate a few times to gain confidence. Then fake an illness in front of the gate, a sudden illness such as food poisoning. On no account pretend to be drunk. Take a rest, and have your servant or accomplice ask for medicine or just some hot or cold water. Thank those inside, and go on your way. Later, to show your gratitude, return with a present—no, two presents, one for the owner, one for his wife . . . no, three or more presents. Speak to the owner. “Don’t forget to give his wife her present first.” Praise his children. Give little presents to one or more of the favorite servants. “The master will be pleased about that, as he sees that his people are happy and