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[[File:Hanzo-grave.JPG|right|thumb|320px|The grave of Hattori Hanzô at Sainen-ji in the Yotsuya neighborhood of Tokyo]]
* ''Born: [[1541]]''
* ''Born: [[1541]]''
* ''Died: [[1596]]''
* ''Died: [[1596]]''
* ''Other Name: Masashige''
* ''Other Name: Masashige''
* ''Japanese'': [[服部]] 半蔵 ''(Hattori Hanzou)''
The son of a certain [[Hattori Yasunaga]], Hanzô, who would earn the nickname 'Devil Hanzô', served [[Tokugawa Ieyasu]] loyally and usefully. His nickname was not only to pay homage to his skills but also to distinguish him from another Tokugawa '[[ninja]]', [[Watanabe Hanzo|Watanabe Hanzô]]. Hattori, who fought his first battle at the age of 16, went on to serve at [[Battle of Anegawa|Anegawa]] ([[1570]]) and [[Battle of Mikatagahara|Mikatagahara]] ([[1572]]), but his most valuable contribution came in [[1582]], following [[Oda Nobunaga|Oda Nobunaga's]] death. At that time Tokugawa and his retainers had been staying near Ôsaka and learned of the assassination only just in time to avoid being detained by [[Akechi Mitsuhide|Akechi Mitsuhide's]] troops. But they were by no means out of the woods. Mikawa was still a long way away, and Akechi men would be combing the roads for them. At this point, Hanzo suggested that they take a route through [[Iga province]], as he had ties with the samurai there. In addition, Ieyasu had sheltered survivors from Nobunaga's bloody invasion of that province in [[1580]] and those who knew of this would certainly be well disposed to offer assistance. [[Honda Tadakatsu]] sent Hanzô on ahead, and, as hoped, the [[Iga clan|Iga]] men agreed not only to guide them along back roads, but also to provide them with an escort. At length, Tokugawa and his band returned to [[Mikawa province|Mikawa]] safely. The same could not be said for [[Anayama Beisetsu]], a recent Tokugawa addition who had insisted on taking a different route.
Hanzô was succeeded by his son, [[Hattori Masanari|Masanari]], who would be given the title Iwami-no-kami and whose men would act as the guards of [[Edo castle]]. Hanzô's reputation as a ninja leader who commanded a 200-man strong unit of Iga men has grown to legendary proportions.
==References==
==References==
