15 The Art of the Fireflies The art of fireflies should be performed only after you know everything about the enemy in great detail so that you can construct your deception in accordance with the target’s mindset.
Before you carry out surveillance or a covert shinobi activity, you should leave a note for your future reputation.
—Yoshimori Hyakushu #54
The Bansenshūkai describes an open-disguise infiltration technique for shinobi called “the art of fireflies” (hotarubi no jutsu).1 I like to think that this technique was named based on how the flash of light from a firefly lingers in your night vision after the fly has moved, causing you to grasp at empty space. Shōninki describes the same technique as “the art of camouflage” (koto wo magirakasu ...
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