... XD; it being not as bad as cliche badfic doesn't make it good, though. Maybe I found entirely new pitfalls to jump in instead! I admit I'm a perfectionnist on some things but still, it could be improved, I can't feel the emotional impact as well as I thought it should be felt, and some of the logic isn't as strong as it could be. But it's so HARD argh. DX *complain complain*

Maybe take it as "ninja" being an ancestral job title that evolved with time, and now they're more like "mercenary contractors for whatever you happen to need, with an emphasis on assassination and bodyguard duties" who just happen to think "ninja" is shorter. XD