I've always had a desire for a life of asceticism, until I learned you technically aren't supposed to have a bunch of shit with you, much less basic conveniences.
I am trained in the arts. As children we were "chosen" and our families consoled themselves by the idea that we would have better lives. At what price my lethal skills?
In Japan, ninjas were mercenaries. They were also top-notch experts on gaining entry into fortified fiefdoms. Not just as spies, but at getting passwords for entry, mapping, and measuring food supplies. The last mention of them historically is during the Tokugawa Era, which represented a united Japan.