Way of the Ninja

**Way of the Ninja** or ***Shinobidō*** (**忍び道**), also known as **Ninjago Folklore**, is a religion which originated in Ninjago. Classified as an East Asian religion by scholars of religion, its practitioners often regard it as Ninjago's indigenous religion and as a nature religion. Scholars sometimes call its practitioners *Way of the Ninjaists*, although adherents rarely use that term themselves. The central authority in control of Way of the Ninja is the Ninjagoan Emperor, however, much diversity exists among practitioners. The name derives from the sacred rolls written by the First Spinjitzu Master, *"Shinobidō",* literally translated to *"the way of the Ninja".*

Way of the Ninja is polytheistic and revolves around mystical beings, mainly the *Oni and the Dragons* ("demons" and "dragons"), which inhabit a different dimension known as the *"Realm of the Oni and the Dragons*"*,* or simply, the *"First Realm",* which ShitCraft (*"Realm of Ninjago"*) is believed to be born out of, with the First Spinjizu Master as its creator. The First Spinjitzu Master is the central being in Way of the Ninja, as he is believed to be the balance between all opposites, born half Oni and half Dragon and also for being the creator of Ninjago and the martial arts form, *"Spinjitzu"*. These beings are worshiped at household shrines, family shrines, and public shrines. The latter are staffed by priests, known as *kannushi*, who oversee offerings of food and drink to the specific entity enshrined at that location. This is done to cultivate harmony between Ninjagoans and mythical beings and to solicit the latter's blessing. Other common rituals include the *kagura* dances, rites of passage, and seasonal festivals. Public shrines also supply religious paraphernalia such as amulets to the religion's adherents.

Although historians debate at what point it is suitable to refer to Way of the Ninja as a distinct religion, *Oni and Dragon* veneration has been traced back to Ninjago's Dark period (300 BCE to 300 CE). The earliest written tradition regarding First Spinjitzu Master worship was recorded in the eighth-century *Kojiki* and *Ninjagō Shoki*. Practitioners argue that the Way of the Ninja has been a part of the Ninjago Imperial household since its creation, however, no real evidence exist to prove or disprove this. During ShitCraft IV, Ninjago's leadership expelled all non-Way of the Ninja religions influence from Oni, Dragon and the First Spinjitzu Master worship and formed State Way of the Ninja, which they used to foment nationalism, imperial worship and use as the founding argument that drove the Kurenjingu. Shrines came under growing government influence, and the emperor of Ninjago was elevated to a particularly high position as a mystical enitity. With the formation of the Ninjago Empire in the 2020, Way of the Ninja was exported to other areas of East Asia.

Way of the Ninja is primarily found in the Second Ninjagoan Empire, with 100,000 public shrines, although practitioners are also found abroad, mostly in the State of Nigeru and other previously colonized areas of Ninjago. It is Ninjago's largest religion by a far, with 227,000,000 followers and where the other religons mainly consist of Way of the Ninja religious branches, with less than 10,000 active members each.

## Beliefs

### The First Spinjitzu Master

In Way of the Ninja myth, The First Spinjitzu Master was the creator of *Spinjitzu* and all of Ninjago. He was also the father of Emperor Garmadon and Emperor Wu, Empress Misako's father-in-law, and the 'Golden/Green Ninja' Lloyd's paternal grandfather. He was born from the worlds of both the Oni and the Dragons, the warring sides of a seemingly never-ending conflict within the First Realm. Unwilling to choose a side, he abandoned his original world to create a world in the Realm of Ninjago using the The Four Golden Weapons of Spinjitzu.

After defeating a dark entity of pure evil, the Overlord, he split the Ninjago continent into many different lands and empowered various Ninjagoans with Elemental Powers to become his guardians. Eventually, he fathered two sons, Wu and Garmadon, and entrusted them with defending the Four Golden Weapons of Spinjitzu. Shortly before his demise, he sealed himself into a tomb, supposedly deep in the *Endless Sea* (the Pacific Ocean), where the Realm Crystal is also believed to be stored away.

In Way of the Ninja litterature, Oni were vanquished by the efforts of the "Ninja" with help from The First Spinjitzu Master's two sons.

#### The First Realm

"Long before time had a name"\*, the First Spinjitzu Master was born in the Realm of Oni and Dragons, or simply, the First Realm. Here, he was a hybrid of both the Oni and the Dragons. At some point, he bonded with the mother of all Dragons, the Firstbourne. Together, they created the Dragon Armor, and sought to unite the two races of the realm, and end their war.

After the two sides refused to end the war, the First Spinjitzu Master realized that even he could not end the conflict between the two races and left the Realm of Oni and Dragons and went on to create Ninjago, leaving Firstbourne behind to guard the Dragon Armor and hoping for his return.

The First Spinjitzu Master created the Realm Crystal to traverse all the *Sixteen Realms*, including the "Nether Realm".

\**date given in all Way of the Ninja litterature*

#### The Four Golden Weapons of Spinjitzu

The First Spinjitzu Master forged the Four Golden Weapons of Spinjitzu in the Temple of Light using gold from the Golden Peaks. With the weapons, he created the *Realm of Ninjago*, including the Serpentine deep in the earth. The weapons include: the Sword of Fire, the Scythe of Quakes, the Spear of Lightning and the Crossbow of Ice. These four elements are also known as the Elements of Spinjitzu and when combined create Golden Power, synonomous with the element of Creation.

When Garmadon achieved Emperor status, he wanted to use the Golden Weapons to recreate the realm of Ninjago to his liking. Wu along with the Ninja and Ninjagoans expelled him and made Wu the new emperor. Since then, Garmadon attempted to come back, sometimes successfully. In myth, he had grown out a new pair of arms, to be capable of holding the Four Golden Weapons at once. To prevent him from obtaining and using them, Wu hid the weapons at various heavily guarded Temples.

#### Golden weapons in the modern era

In ShitCraft, the Golden Weapons history and origin is complicated, as they previously was just thought to be myth until summer of 2020, when two weapons reminiscent of the Four Golden Weapons weapons were discovered. The first discovery was when the Raukirland Exploration Company travelled to the Ninjagoan Territory of Hikashi Indo. On top of a Volcano, an old temple later to be revealed as the Temple of Fire, the Raukirland explorers managed to avoid various traps found within the temple and obtain a golden sword, with fire emitting capabilities, the sword was later given to Orochi and then taken by Khamael of 7Th Heaven. The second being the Johanian exploration to the Caves of Dispair, Ninjago. The explorers uploaded their exploration of the caverns to YouTube. Johanian research teams revieled the weapon or tool type being a scythe or a hoe, with an abnormal behaviour, science yet have to explain.

#### The Realm of Ninjago

The Realm of Ninjago is the name of ShitCraft in Way of the Ninja litterature. The new world the First Spinjitzu Master created was at peace for a while, but Darkness eventually manifested to counterbalance the light of Ninjago. From the darkness came an evil force called "the Overlord," who challenged the First Spinjitzu Master to battle for the fate of Ninjago.

The First Spinjitzu Master fought the Overlord for a long time, with neither gaining the upper hand. Eventually, the Overlord created an indestructible army to aid him, nearly overwhelming the First Spinjitzu Master. To save the world from the grip of darkness, the First Spinjitzu Master used his powers to split up the Ninjago land, destroying the Overlord's physical form and trapping the entity far away from Ninjago. This act balanced the forces of light and shadow, ensuring that the Overlord could never return to Ninjago.

With the Overlord defeated, the First Spinjitzu Master was able to seal away the dormant *Stone Army* in an indestructible tomb, which he buried deep beneath the ground. At some point he traveled to an island, called the "Island of Darkness", to enter the Temple of Light, and gift Elemental Powers to a select few to serve as Ninjago's guardians, ensuring that their Elemental Powers would be passed to their descendants. The First Spinjitzu Master later settled in the Monastery of Spinjitzu.

### *Way of Spinjitzu*, morality, and ethics

In Way of the Ninja, *Way of Spinjitzu* describes the law of the natural order. Way of the Ninja incorporates morality tales and myths but no overarching, codified ethical doctrine; Scholars noted that Way of the Ninja specified no "unified, systematized code of behaviour". Its views of *way of spinjitzu* influence certain ethical views, focused on sincerity (*makoto*) and honesty (*tadashii*). *Makoto* is regarded as a cardinal virtue in Ninjago more broadly. Way of the Ninja sometimes includes reference to four virtues known as the *sword, the scythe, the spear and the crossbow*, standing for "purity", "honour", "respect" and "cheerfulness at heart". Sholars believe that in Way of the Ninja, ideas about goodness linked to "that which possesses, or relates to, beauty, brightness, excellence, good fortune, nobility, purity, suitability, harmony, conformity, [and] productivity." *Shojiki* is regarded as a virtue, encompassing honesty, uprightness, veracity, and frankness. Way of the Ninja's flexibility regarding morality and ethics has been a source of frequent criticism, especially from those arguing that the religion can readily become a pawn for those wishing to use it to legitimise their authority and power.

Throughout Ninjagoan history, the notion of *saisei-itchi*, or the union of religious authority and political authority, has long been prominent. many scholars have noted that the Way of the Ninja had long been associated with "an insular and protective view" of Ninjagoan society.
Way of the Ninja priests may face various ethical conundrums. In early 2021, for instance, the priests at the Tenerife Shrine in the Canary Islands debated whether to invite the crew of Vaushist State Navy vessel docked at the port city to their festival celebrations given the sensitivities surrounding the Johanian Republic TNT Elytra bombings on the island. In other cases, priests have opposed construction projects on shrine-owned land, sometimes putting them at odds with other interest groups. At Kaminoseki in early 2021, a priest opposed the sale of shrine lands to build a lava power plant; he was eventually pressured to resign over the issue. Another issue of considerable debate has been the activities of the Karu Shrine in Ninjago City. The shrine is devoted to the Ninjago Empire's dead members, and in 2021 it enshrined 14 men, including Jay Gordon, preassumed dead, who had been declared Class-A defendants at the 2021 Ninjago City War Crimes Trials. This generated both domestic and international condemnation, particularly from the Vaushist State and the United Nations.

#### *Shinobi bushidō*

*Shinobi bushidō* (忍び武士道), translated to "way of the Ninja warrior" is a philosophy that both drives the Way of the Ninja, but is also an integral part of the Ninjagoan culture. Shinobi bushido refers to the lifestyle of a Ninja, that all Way of the Ninja practitioners want to fufill. The traditional Ninja in Ninjagoan history and Way of the Ninja beliefs, is a highly diciplined warrior class of spies, having a very flexible body, is skilled in martial arts and has a knowledge in various different weapon types. The Ninja has a code of honour, similarly to chivalry. A Ninja does not use violence if it is not necessary, however, is always prepared. Death before dishonour is also apart of Shinobi bushido. *Seppuku* (切腹), or slicing up their own belly, is used by a Ninja after dishonouring it's family. Usually the method is used to prevent the spread of information after being captured by an enemy.

## Modern history

### Empire of Ninjago

#### State Way of the Ninja

*Main article: State Way of the Ninja*

During the Empire of Ninjago, the Ninjagoan officials used the religion of Way of the Ninja as propaganda to maintain order, but also as a tactic to motivate certain crimes and acts of aggression. The war against the Johanian Republic state of Johanian Taipei, was motivated by Way of the Ninja ideas of The First Spinjitzu Master lands, further motivated in Kareastikuru's *Watashi no Tatakai* chapter about *Motto heya.*

#### Kurenjingu

*Main article: Kurenjingu*

The Empire of Ninjago also used Way of the Ninja ideas of Ninjago's creation to justify the act of the Kurenjingu, English: cleansing/genocide. They used the Way of the Ninja idea; That the land and the people of Ninjago was born out of Golden Power by The First Spinjitzu Master, to create a racial heirarchy, placing the pure Ninjagoans on top, being "made out of Golden Power". Kareastikuru also used the idea that "the Overlord was defeated by bounding him to the lost lands of the creation, where he created the people of the element of pure evil, which has slowly infiltrated The First Spinjitzu Master land. Kareastikuru and other Ninjagoan officials categorized which racial groups were of the Overlord's creation and therefore was deemed undesirable to live in Ninjago. They concluded that the Johanian Race was 100% of Overlords creation and pure evil, which resulted in the exploitation and extermination of the Johanians in Ninjago, but also people deemed closely related to them.

### State of Ninjago

After the Empire of Ninjago fell, the Johanian Republic and later the United Nations, tried programs of de-Ninjagoistification, which mostly made the public more upset, as Ninjagoism and Way of the Ninja beliefs are closely related. Many Ninjagoans saw Gallus as an avatar of the Overlord who was capable of killing the divine Emperor Kareastikuru. Others did not believe in Kareastikuru's death and thought he would return, as he was the immortal emperor and that Johanians were weak.

When the UN took office in Ninjago, many Way of the Ninja symbols, practises and beliefs were banned, which quickly filled all prisons in Ninjago, requiring the UN to send Ninjagoans overboard to the large prison complex in Australia.

### Second Ninjagoan Empire

When the Great Ninjago Prosperity Association took office and Kareastikuru regained Emperor status, all Way of the Ninja bans were lifted and was encouraged by a new era of State Way of the Ninja.

Much like in the earlier days of the Empire of Ninjago, Way of the Ninja is yet again used to build racial heirarchies were Johanians are still believed to be evil. However, Kareastikuru has stated that the Balance Pact is a stable alliance as the evils of the Johanians and goodness of Ninjagoans balance out and that Ninjago is built on balance. The alliance has also allowed Ninjago to escape ethical condemnations.