Naruto: How to Be an Undercover Shinobi

Faced with the Raikage's unpredictable stance, the Third Mizukage could only sigh in frustration. The Third Raikage—an unrivaled rogue among

Faced with the Raikage's unpredictable stance, the Third Mizukage could only sigh in frustration.

The Third Raikage—an unrivaled rogue among rogues, infamous for his flip-flopping—was a headache. Even the Tailed Beast in his care left people speechless.

Word had it that Matatabi had been attacked again not long ago.

And then, the unbelievable happened.

After being ambushed by a mysterious figure, Matatabi didn't even attempt to fight back. She tucked her tail, bolted from the Temple of Wind and Thunder, and darted straight into Kumogakure.

Then she squatted under the Raikage's tower and absolutely tore into him.

Something like, "My little brother paid the rent, and you didn't even send a single guard to protect me?"

She even demanded the Raikage return fifty million ryo in food and security expenses—or else she wasn't leaving Kumogakure!

Unbelievable!

How is this even a Tailed Beast anymore?!

Even a landlady isn't that aggressive!

According to insiders,

the Raikage smashed his office sofa into pieces that same day.

Not just him—even the mysterious assailant stood frozen outside the Temple of Wind and Thunder for a full five minutes, completely stunned.

Frankly, since the Third Raikage took power, the whole vibe of Kumogakure had shifted—just slightly off.

Just thinking about what kind of nonsense the Raikage might pull made the Third Mizukage's face twitch involuntarily. He hesitated, then said,

"Maybe we should have Kumogakure pressure Konoha... and handle things ourselves?"

Hearing this, Genji, whose expression was equally strange, voiced his concern.

"Do we have enough strength?"

"We do!" The Third Mizukage nodded firmly.

"Hanzo of the Salamander from Amegakure reached out through a secret contact at the Bounty Station. Amegakure's ready to get involved too."

"What's their condition?"

"People. All the civilians from Uzushiogakure."

Genji paused, clearly hesitant.

Truthfully, he'd rather kill all the civilians with Uzumaki blood than hand them over to Amegakure.

After a long silence, Genji finally asked,

"Lord Mizukage, what about the ninja? The sealing techniques? The wealth?"

"Hanzo of the Salamander says he doesn't want any of it."

The Third Mizukage added,

"I looked into Hanzo's situation. Apparently, he's reconciled with the Land of Rain's Daimyō.

But nearly a hundred thousand Rain citizens have been detained by the Land of Wind.

So what they need most right now is population."

Hearing that, Genji nodded instinctively.

As the one managing Kirigakure's economy, he understood better than anyone the value of population.

More people meant a steady supply of ninja, the creation of wealth, and a labor force.

A nation without people might as well be a wasteland.

Seeing the Third Mizukage's unwavering resolve, Genji decided not to argue further and shifted the conversation back to village affairs.

"Lord Mizukage, can we use the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist?"

At this, the Third Mizukage frowned and said gravely,

"Each one can lead a squad individually, but if we put all seven together, they might kill each other.

If it's just Biwa Jūzō, Fuguki Suikazan, and Raiga Kurosuki, they could form a unit.

The other four are either too reckless, too wild, or just too cruel."

Genji let out a long sigh and suggested,

"Lord Mizukage, then maybe let the seven of them spend some time together first. Worst case, assign ANBU to keep an eye on them.

Otherwise, when it's time to attack Uzushiogakure, that force will go to waste."

Hearing that, the Third Mizukage nodded helplessly in agreement.

Not long after, Reiji, sipping his sake at an izakaya, received word from the ANBU.

For the next month, the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist would patrol and live together as one unit.

The thought of team-building for a whole month with six rough men made Reiji break out in goosebumps.

However, it wasn't like he had the power to refuse anyway.

With that thought, Reiji let out a sigh and gave a nod to the ANBU beside him.

...

The next day, at the Mizukage Building.

The Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist had assembled. Per Lord Mizukage's orders, the seven of them would be living together for the next month in an apartment adjacent to the Mizukage Building.

Under ANBU supervision, each of them gave a brief self-introduction.

Broken Blade: Kubikiribōchō — Biwa Jūzō.

Great Sword: Samehada — Fuguki Suikazan.

Blasting Sword: Shibuki — Jinpachi Munashi.

Long Sword: Nuibari — Kuriarare Kushimaru.

Blunt Sword: Kabutowari — Jinin Akebino.

Lightning Blades: Kiba — Raiga Kurosuki.

And lastly, the wielder of the twin swords Hiramekarei — Toyomizu.

Reiji scratched his head thoughtfully as he eyed the last guy, a cheerful-looking young man smiling way too nicely with Hiramekarei strapped to his back.

In the original story, the first user of Hiramekarei never showed up, but this guy's name certainly matched the naming pattern of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen.

Chōjūrō is a type of pear. Toyomizu is also a type of pear. Don't tell me—just because Hiramekarei looks like a pear, you're all named after pears?

Once introductions were done, Biwa Jūzō suddenly stood up with a trace of violence in his eyes and clapped his hands in front of the ANBU.

"Hey, guys, we can't just sit around like this, right? Why don't we find a secluded spot and have a little spar?"

The moment he said that, the rest immediately chimed in with approval.

For a second, the air felt thick with the scent of conflict.

Reiji remained seated, quietly observing the group. As he compared them to what he remembered, the image of each guy slowly took shape in his mind.

Biwa Jūzō, the one who suggested sparring—probably the instigator type, or maybe an ambitious power-hungry guy.

Jinpachi Munashi—eager and impulsive. He reeked of overconfidence, maybe even arrogance, and gave off a volatile vibe.

Jinin Akebino, with the blunt blade Kabutowari, actually came off as fairly decent.

Toyomizu, the one with Hiramekarei... that fake smile of his definitely set off alarm bells.

All in all, this batch of teammates seemed relatively easy to deal with~

Without hesitation, the group hefted their massive swords and, ignoring the ANBU trying to stop them, strolled right out of the room.

Soon, seven badass-looking men swaggered out of the Mizukage Building under the curious gazes of the villagers, heading straight for a spacious training ground.