Fuma KotaroĬontrary to popular belief, ninjas were not ubiquitous throughout the whole of Japan. When Tokugawa became shogun, Hattori and his ninjas served as his private guards at Edo Castle, and later morphed into a sort of feudal secret agency called the Oniwabanshu. Some said that he was able to see into the future, others that he could teleport. Nicknamed the Demon Hanzo, Hattori soon turned into a mythological figure as tales of his exploits spread throughout the country. When his ninja skills were required, Hattori assembled a group of shinobi and saved Tokugawa’s life by escorting him out of dangerous, enemy territory. When it was time for battle, Hattori distinguished himself as a unit commander at the Battles of Mikatagahara and Anegawa and the Siege of Odawara. He was also never a mercenary, instead serving the Tokugawa Clan for most of his life, basically fulfilling whatever role was needed of him. What makes him particularly interesting was that Hattori had also been a renowned samurai, showing that the two roles were never quite as distinct as one would expect. We might as well start off with the most famous ninja on our list – Hattori Hanzo of Iga Province, who was instrumental in helping Tokugawa Ieyasu become shogun and unify Japan.
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