Japanese samurai ninja relationship questions.

I am in the process of writing a fiction military thriller. I need some actual Japanese insight concerning the ninja/samurai relationship.

So far, I am led to believe that samurai hate and consider ninja to be coward, inferior assassins.

The ninja appear to fear samurai, and not dare to face them in a toe to toe fight.

If this is correct or incomplete information, I would appreciate any input on this matter.

Thanks

Don't believe the BS in modern movies and literature.

Ninja *were*, to a large extent, just samurai, no different than others. They just exercised a different skillset.

Think of them as special forces ops.

Hattori Hanzo, one of the most famous "ninja" historically, was one of Tokugawa Ieyasu's commanders, for crying out loud.

In the days of Sengoku,
The samurai employs a ninja
However, as for Kato Danzo of the ninja, the samurai was going to murder him because he was too excellent.

Momochi Tanba was the ninja who ruled over the Iga district.
They were destroyed in 1581 by Nobunaga Oda.