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My name is Ichirō. I was born in the feudal era, in a small village in the province of Iga — which is famed for its ninja warriors. When I was a boy, my father trained me in the arts of combat, for he saw that I had much skill and potential.

Of course, becoming a ninja is a very stereotypical career course for a boy from Iga. When I got older, I decided that the ways of war and combat were not for me; I wanted to be a minstrel, or perhaps a bunraku player or other entertainer. I left my village, with my parents' blessing, following a band of wandering players to seek my fortune as a performer.

But as we wandered about the Tokaidō and the Kii Peninsula, I discovered two things: The first was that I was simply not a very good musician. As much as I love music, I could only ever hope to be a second-rate musician.

The second thing was that I simply could not keep myself from learning the arts of combat. Given even a simple tool such as a writing-brush or bamboo flute, I soon started finding ways to use it as a weapon. Without really meaning to, I learned to walk silently, and developed a habit of accidentally startling my comrades, who would fail to notice me approaching them.

Eventually, I left the players and joined the yamabushi, the bands of warrior ascetics in the high mountains of Yamato Province. With them, I roamed the trails and woods, and from them I learned arts of fighting with the bo staff.

But the yamabushi — fierce as they are in protecting the mountain wilderness areas and dealing with roving bandits — are primarily monks, not warriors. I craved a life with more action and excitement. Eventually, I returned to my village in Iga, and taught myself the ways of the ninja-to (also called the ninja-ken) and the kama and kusarigama. I also honed my skills in stealth, deception, and infiltration.

Thus prepared, I started hiring out my abilities to the various clans, gumi, and daimyō that vie for ascendancy over Nippon during this period of wars and chaos. I have worked for many masters, and learned much of warfare, espionage and assassination.

For the past year, I have been weathering the trials of the cruel winter that has gripped the land. A good ninja's services are expensive, and fewer armies can afford to keep ninjas on their staff any more. As I struggle to keep myself and my love, Akane, fed and sheltered, I also persevere against my own doubts and fears about my skills and my worth.

I am a ninja coder. This is my story...