The ninja hold a special place in modern pop culture, but the reality was quite different. The ninja's reputation as skilled and fearsome warriors made them both respected and feared by their enemies. Their reputation also gave rise to numerous legends and myths, many of which portrayed the ninja as nearly superhuman beings with magical powers. These legends have been perpetuated in popular culture through movies, books, and video games, which have often portrayed the ninja as warriors with supernatural abilities, such as invisibility and the ability to control the elements. Despite their reputation, the ninja were not an organized or centralized force, but were instead a collection of individuals or small groups who were hired for specific missions. As a result, the number of ninja at any given time is unknown, but estimates range from several thousand to tens of thousands of individuals. The decline of the ninja began in the late 17th century, when Japan was unified under the rule of the Tokugawa Shogunate. The Shogunate imposed strict laws and regulations, which made it difficult for the ninja to operate and reduced their demand for their services. The ninja's decline was also hastened by the increasing use of firearms in warfare, which made their traditional skills and tactics less effective. Today, the legacy of the ninja lives on in popular culture and in traditional Japanese martial arts, such as ninjutsu, which continue to be practiced in Japan and around the world. The ninja continue to be a source of fascination and inspiration, and their reputation as skilled and cunning warriors continues to endure.