Naruto: How to Be an Undercover Shinobi

To put it simply—

Madara Uchiha awakened the Rinnegan and passed it on to Nagato during the Second Shinobi World War.

Rin died in the Third.

While the Third War was essentially an extension of the Second, the gap between them was over a decade. Which meant Madara may not have awakened the Rinnegan while on the brink of death, as he had claimed.

That was exactly why Reiji needed to go undercover and investigate Kirigakure for himself.

There was also another key reason he suspected Madara was still plotting something.

After Rin's death, the Fourth Mizukage, Karatachi Yagura, fell under Obito's control, plunging the village into the infamous Bloody Mist era that lasted over ten years. But even before that, under the Third Mizukage, while the methods weren't as brutal, the village had already been sealed off from outside contact.

Due to its unique geography—located on a cluster of islands in the southeast seas of the continent—the Land of Water had always been relatively isolated. That made it especially vulnerable to being quietly manipulated by powerful shinobi.

Just as Reiji was deep in thought, something brushed against his ankle underwater.

It was a scroll.

Without opening his eyes, he narrowed them slightly and calmly reached down to grab it.

He stood, dressed quickly, and left the hot spring inn.

Finding a dark, empty alley, he formed a hand seal, and in an instant, vanished.

...

On a deserted island, Reiji struck a match and examined the damp scroll under the flickering light.

It had been delivered by one of his agents—the man posing as the ship's cargo owner.

According to the contents, Kirigakure was monitoring them extremely closely. Not only that, but their cargo had been impounded. The captain was stalling, claiming the ship had problems and needed repairs as an excuse to stay docked.

Reiji's understanding of Kirigakure began to sharpen.

Behavior flows from the top.

If something feels off across the board, the problem likely starts with leadership.

The scroll included several intelligence reports, including information on a few of the village's rising stars.

"Eh?Jūzō Biwa, Fuguki Suikazan, Raiga Kurosuki…

What is this lineup? They're all from the original Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist."

After thinking it over, Reiji settled on a target—Fuguki Suikazan.

Why?

Because he couldn't handle any of the other blades. Only the massive Samehada was simple enough. He knew how to use that one to cleave flesh.

As for the Executioner's Blade, the Kubikiribōchō—its user, Biwa Jūzō, was too savage. Reiji couldn't pull off pretending to be someone like that.

With his plan decided, Reiji tucked the scroll away and activated the Flying Thunder God Technique, flashing back to the dark alley.

Now, all that was left was to wait—for the perfect chance to sneak in.

...

Another week flew by.

Reiji returned to the Land of Waves by ship, casually parted ways with the captain, and then began his infiltration.

Kirigakure stood atop the largest island among the many scattered across the Land of Water.

The village was shrouded in mist nearly year-round—over 300 days of fog each year.

That was why the shinobi of the Mist specialized in the Hiding in Mist Technique and silent assassination.

The village was built largely from stone and brick. While the greenery was lush, it lacked the vitality of Konoha's forests, instead carrying a dull, gray-green hue that felt almost decayed.

Reiji wasn't well-versed in combat within mist. Despite his sharp instincts, close-range, precision sensory work was not his strength.

So while training himself to adapt to battle in the haze, he also began recording the daily habits of Fuguki Suikazan.

...

Meanwhile, back in Konoha, peace was slowly unraveling.

At the base of the organization in Konoha—

Danzō sat high upon his stone chair, lost in thought.

Reiji had made it clear—he had zero interest in Eien.

And despite everything, Danzō still held a sliver of trust in Reiji Sakuhō's word.

He'd been swindled before, sure, but looking back, Reiji had always followed through.

He said he'd give a hundred million ryo—and he did.

He said he was going off on business—and it had been over a month since anyone had seen him.

Thinking of that, Danzō felt the fire for the Hokage seat slowly reigniting in his heart.

He was ready to dust off the old plans and put them back in motion.

Manipulate the Uchiha!

Turns out, all of Danzō's earlier schemes—though seemingly effective—were effortlessly unraveled by Hiruzen Sarutobi.

Worse yet, Kagami ended up getting a taste of high-level authority.

It was... awkward, to say the least.

As he mulled things over, an image suddenly surfaced in Danzō's mind—Reiji effortlessly playing the Uchiha clan head during that clan council meeting. A simple bow of the head, a few over-the-top compliments, and then letting the man walk straight into humiliation with a smile on his face. Smooth and easy the whole way through.

The memory sparked something. Danzō's eyes lit up. A bold plan took shape.

"Someone!"

At his call, a Root ninja wearing a fox mask appeared instantly and dropped to one knee.

Staring at his obedient subordinate, Danzō paused, then spoke with measured authority.

"Get the village talking. Spread the word about how incredible the Uchiha are—how noble, how great a clan they are.

Include the achievements and sacrifices of the Konoha Security Division too. Have people help push the narrative—subtly.

And from now on, if there's any conflict between Uchiha and other clans or civilians, we stay out of it. Let the Security Division handle it themselves.

Also, pull back everyone who's been monitoring the Uchiha."

Though clearly confused, the kneeling Root ninja nodded deeply.

As his subordinate vanished, a sly smile crept across Danzō's face.

After getting burned repeatedly by Reiji, the old fox had finally grasped the essence of power.

The heavier the burden on your shoulders, the more timid you become.

Danzō? He was just the head of a secret training division. But Hiruzen Sarutobi? He was the Hokage—the leader of the entire village.

So who should be most afraid of the Uchiha becoming too powerful?

In the past, it was Danzō Shimura, convinced he was carrying on Tobirama Senju's will.

But now? It was Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage himself.

...

Another week passed in the blink of an eye.

And that week? It turned Konoha's daily life into a nightmare.

Every clan has its bad apples—the Uchiha were no exception. Plenty of them, full of pride and arrogance, kept acting like they were above everyone else.

Then came the surprise: the ANBU, who used to show up at the slightest disturbance, were nowhere to be seen.

Conflicts were now being handled solely by the Konoha Security Division—by the Uchiha themselves.

Sure, some of them were fair and impartial in resolving issues. But a few rotten ones? They ruined everything.

One rat was enough to spoil the entire pot.

Meanwhile, those fair-minded Uchiha were met with disdain back home, treated like outcasts—as if they'd wandered into the Hyūga compound by mistake.

To make things worse, there were villagers loudly praising the Uchiha as some kind of noble elite.

Even when they were drunk and causing fights in izakayas, it was being spun as "vigorous martial spirit" and "heroic pride."

In short? Danzō's scheme worked.

The people of Konoha were so disgusted, food consumption dropped by more than ten percent.

No one had the appetite left to eat.