Naruto: How to Be an Undercover Shinobi

In the open space of the training ground...

Six real, one fake—the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist had gathered.

All around, bushes rustled with curious onlookers who had followed in secret.

The infamous Seven Ninja Swordsmen were about to throw down. Who would miss that? People dropped their drinks, ditched their dice, even left their wives behind to follow them straight to the training ground.

Seven men. Seven blades. Different personalities, but not a trace of shyness among them.

Biwa Jūzō stepped out first, striding into the center with a cold sneer.

"So, what's it gonna be? One-on-one, or a full-on brawl?"

"Either works for me!" Jinpachi Munashi jumped in, casually weighing his explosive blade in his hand, clearly unfazed.

Beside him, the long-limbed, masked Kuriarare Kushimaru gave a nod, silently stating he and Jinpachi were on the same side.

Biwa Jūzō snorted at that, the corners of his mouth curling into a cruel grin.

"Then let's make it a free-for-all. Last man standing is the boss. Sound fair?"

As he said this, his gaze subtly shifted toward Reiji.

If any of the seven swords gave the biggest boost to Taijutsu, it had to be the Kubikiribōchō.

Not only could it regenerate using the iron in an enemy's blood, it also absorbed blood to restore the wielder's stamina.

But if you were talking endurance? That title went to Samehada.

Its ability to absorb chakra and feed it back to the user made it unbeatable in drawn-out fights.

Just as tensions mounted and everyone gripped their weapons, the towering figure of Fuguki Suikazan, Samehada slung over his back, raised a hand and said calmly,

"You guys go ahead. I'm sitting this one out."

With that, Reiji, ignoring the confused and slightly disdainful looks from the rest, turned to find a clean rock and sat down to enjoy the show.

But Biwa Jūzō suddenly frowned.

No good.

If Fuguki didn't join the fight, he might use that as an excuse later. Something like, "I never agreed to this boss since I wasn't in the brawl." That'd mean Jūzō would have to go out of his way and beat him down later.

As far as Jūzō was concerned, he was already the boss. Period.

With that in mind, he drew the massive blade from his back and pointed it at Reiji.

"You'd better get in there—and get ready to be cut down by me!"

"Not my business. You guys go ahead," Reiji replied, settling onto his rock.

"What?! So you're planning to stir up trouble later?!"

"I said it's not my business. Just pick a leader among yourselves," Reiji explained, exasperated.

"What?! You're gonna stir up trouble later and try to be the boss?!"

"..."

Reiji was speechless.

What is wrong with this guy? Jūzō's brain had to be fried. And apparently his ears too.

Deciding he'd had enough, Reiji ignored him and discreetly formed a hand seal inside his sleeve.

Water Release: Heavenly Weeping!

"Ha—ptoo!"

Time for a spit test, buddy.

A wad of saliva shot out, instantly transforming into three or four gleaming silver senbon that rocketed toward Biwa Jūzō.

They were so fast, he didn't have time to dodge.

Fortunately, Reiji wasn't aiming for him—but for his weapon.

In the next moment, Jūzō felt a tremendous force in his hand, and the Kubikiribōchō snapped clean in half.

The broken blade clattered to the ground with a heavy clang.

For a few seconds, the spectators were stunned.

Holy crap, that spit packed more punch than pickled mustard! Took out the Kubikiribōchō in a single hit.

The remaining five members of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen all took a synchronized step back, distancing themselves from Reiji—the guy who literally weaponized spit.

Their blades might not be as fragile as the Kubikiribōchō, but still... getting hit with spit was just plain gross.

As shock spread through the crowd, Biwa Jūzō's expression shifted from stunned to furious.

With rage boiling over, he let out a roar and charged straight at Reiji.

"You bastard, I'm gonna kill you and sew your mouth shut!"

"Is that so?" Reiji replied lightly, his hand forming another seal beneath his sleeve.

Water Release: Water Syrup Rapid Shot.

"Ha—ptoo. Ptoo. Ptoo. Ptoo. Ptoo."

This wasn't just a few senbon anymore.

A barrage of white, syrupy water bullets shot toward Biwa Jūzō like they were free, forcing him into a messy scramble.

Watching him leap around only to step on a patch of sticky spit, face turning green with disgust, Reiji calmly sat on a nearby rock, pulled out a handkerchief to wipe the corner of his mouth, and murmured,

"You should really be grateful I didn't have garlic today."

Biwa Jūzō's face darkened immediately.

Off to the side, the other five members of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen all took another synchronized step back.

This guy... his ways of being disgusting were seriously next level. Just imagining garlic-flavored slime made their stomachs churn.

Better not get on his bad side in the future!

With the brawl going nowhere, Reiji decided there was no point sticking around. Shouldering Samehada, he casually strolled out of the training ground under the shocked stares of the gathered onlookers.

Fuguki Suikazan was the one who spat everywhere like a caveman. What did that have to do with Reiji Sakuhō?

...

Still looking like Fuguki Suikazan, Reiji made his way through the mist-covered streets and returned to the dormitory beside the Mizukage Building.

Taking advantage of the moment, Reiji swapped places with his clone and quietly left Kirigakure.

It wasn't that he intentionally skipped the brawl today—there was an issue with his hair.

Fuguki Suikazan had long, thick yellow hair.

Reiji had always worn short, black hair.

Which meant... the hair on his head right now was a wig.

In daily life, a wig wasn't a problem. He could easily manage.

But!

Reiji had a hunch that the Third Mizukage was preparing to strike Uzushiogakure.

Which meant he'd have to take part in the battle.

And in combat, anything could happen. The odds of the wig falling off were just too high.

To avoid exposure, he had to consult with Jiraiya—the expert in hair-based ninjutsu.

Using the Flying Thunder God Technique, Reiji quickly returned to Konohagakure.

...

Back in his real form, Reiji walked through the streets of Konoha and immediately sensed that something was off.

A closer look revealed that many shops had closed early, and there were far fewer people on the streets than usual.

Even the shinobi walking around seemed tense and hurried, like something was chasing them.

Just as Reiji turned onto Tea Street toward the Hokage Building, a patrol unit with the Uchiha clan crest embroidered on their shoulders stepped in to block his path.

"Please show your identification."

Looking confused, Reiji pulled his forehead protector and Jōnin ID from his pouch and handed them over.

"Hey, what's going on? Why's the whole village in such a panic?"

The guard inspecting his documents glanced up, surprised, then replied gravely,

"Lady Mito was attacked."

"...Huh?"

Reiji's voice dragged out in disbelief, and he quickly followed up,

"Is Lady Mito okay? Did they catch the attacker?"

"Lady Mito is unharmed. The assailant isn't our responsibility. The village is under lockdown—please stay indoors.

Alright, here's your forehead protector. You're free to go, Jōnin Reiji Sakuhō."

With that, the guard handed back his ID and turned to walk away.

Watching him go, Reiji's brow slowly furrowed.

Attacking the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki? That wasn't even something he dared to imagine.

Who in the world had the guts—and the strength—to pull that off?