Midnight Marauders
It is just after midnight.
Dressed in dark-colored clothing to ___1___ with his surroundings, a
secretive figure darts in and out of the shadows,
quietly slipping inside the fortress. Drawing his sword,
he prepares to complete his ___2___, the beheading of a
rival general. He is one of the most feared warriors in
history. He is a ninja.
In 6th century Japan, mountain villagers
began sending spies to gather information about ___3___
attacks from ruling families. Greatly
outnumbered by
Samurai, the villagers began practicing techniques that
came from both Japan and China to create ninjutsu, the
art of stealth. Through extreme training such as hanging
over the edge of cliffs to ___4___ their fears, some
villagers became ninjas.
Ninjas'' use of misdirection, the ability to
confuse enemies with one's movements, made them so mysterious
___5___ they were rumored to have magical powers. Their
noiseless movements were made possible by the special
shoes they wore that allowed them to walk in virtual
silence. These shoes, with wooden pads carved to look
like animal tracks attached to the bottoms, also made their
___6___ untraceable. By day ninjas
disguised themselves as
peasants, and at night dressed in dark colors suitable
for hiding in the shadows or even green and yellow to
match bamboo.
At their height, there were 80 ninja clans throughout
Japan. Though ___7___ in the 17th century, ninjutsu still
went on in underground circles. Today, the lineage can
be traced to ninjutsu teacher Masaaki Hatsumi, "the last living
ninja." Although ninjas may no longer be assassins,
their principles of self-defense continue to be taught. |