Tenten's Journal- June 13th, 1932
Guns and the ninja world have a sordid, complicated history. Some of the first ninjas used one-shot pistols for assassinations in the days before, during and after the Sage. They were a new technology, unexpected, and could hit targets from a further distance than arrows. Plus, nobody was going to know what to do about bullet wounds.
There's just one problem: Guns are noisy. And ninjas don't do noisy, not since they started fighting in support of regular armies. Well, they did, but only against other ninja. And there were layers to it-Noisy stuff could just be a lead up to a big, silent killing move. General Madara was in favor of stuff like that-Ninjas hitting targets with big fireballs, massive explosions, and drawing enemy troops into kill zones made up by regular troops with muskets. Big and noisy worked that way. However, afterwards it started to swing back to the other way-More stealth, more being careful. It's really picked up in the last decade with treaty after treaty being assigned to how ninjas do their work. No killing of civilians, limits to the numbers of offensive jutsu you employ, limits to the strength of jutsus, lots of things like that.
I guess that might have had a hand in what makes me so laid back-I haven't had to change a blessed thing about how I ply my trade, as it were. My father took me hunting from the moment I could walk. I know how to sneak up on deer, tigers and other nasty critters-All of which are either bigger than humans, or quicker off the draw than them. It's not very hard, really.
The real trick is the sneaking. My Father has made my guns quiet, very quiet, with sealing spells and the like; but even a silent gun wouldn't do anything if you stumbled around the woods like a jackass-Pardon me.
No, you must blend in. Not just with sights but with sounds. With smells. You have to become what you're in. You aren't a person, you're just another patch of dirt, another bush, another bit of shadow. Of course, there are further problems-The moment you fire, even from a "silenced" gun, you are going to be heard. You're gonna be spotted. So you've got to move, every shot. If you miss, you die. If you stay still you die. If you move too fast, or too slow, or too soon or too late, you die.
Once again though, I was taught a very simple solution by Father to this problem-Don't miss.
And I don't. The shooting competitions are easy. Non-moving targets are nothing to me. And it seems the other competitors sent by the other villages haven't learned anything-I defeat them all easily, shooting every single target. Every one with time to spare. The discus shooting challenge? Ha! Nothing! If I can see it, I will shoot it.
I'm proud to be a winner, proud to show off my skills, proud to represent my village and country.
I just wish I didn't descend into my accent when I'm so nervous!
"Thank you! You is very kind, yes?"
Argh! Argh! Argh! I was so humiliated, everyone laughing! And it did not help when Gai-sensei told me I was cute. CUTE!
At least Neji wasn't laughing... But then he never does. Well, except for that one time... Which we don't talk about...
One last entry before I go off to Georgia for a week to visit family. Take care.