Naruto: How to Be an Undercover Shinobi

Konoha, Hokage's Office.

Shimura Danzō was raging.

"Dan Shimura!

Dan Shimura!!

Dan Shimura!!!

That bastard Reiji just keeps targeting me!

My name is completely trashed!

Now the whole ninja world thinks I sold them out!

Hiruzen, you know I got ambushed eight times yesterday?

Eight times! Those damn mercenary ninjas are popping up like weeds—endless!

Damn it, I'm so pissed I could die!"

His roar echoed through the office.

Seeing Danzō's face flushed with fury, Hiruzen didn't smile as usual. Instead, his eyes showed rare concern.

Reiji Sakuhō had been making big moves lately.

The Land of Rice Fields, Land of Iron, Land of Tea, Land of Rivers, Land of Grass, Land of the Moon, Land of Hot Water, Land of Whirlpools…

One after another, small countries saw their populations vanish.

At the same time, huge numbers of civilians were gathering along the Fire–Rain border.

There was no doubt—it was Reiji's doing.

And more than that, intelligence from the Fire Temple said Reiji had apparently claimed the title of Daimyō of the Land of Rain.

That wasn't just a simple title.

It meant that, in name, the Land of Rain now belonged to Reiji. And more critically, that title had been recognized by the other Daimyō.

To be honest, Hiruzen wanted those civilians gathering on the border more than even the eight hundred million ryo he was about to receive.

Population determined the number of shinobi and formed the foundation of a village's prosperity.

Wars between the five great nations weren't just about resources—they were battles over people.

War destroyed homes; the big countries harvested what remained.

As Hiruzen mulled this over, the door was suddenly knocked.

A voice from ANBU called out.

"Lord Hokage, Reiji Sakuhō requests an audience. He's waiting downstairs."

"Send him up."

"Yes!"

Moments later, another knock. At Hiruzen's "Come in," Reiji stepped through the door wearing a black yukata and wooden clogs.

"Yo~ Uncle Hiruzen! Yo~ Brother Danzō!" Reiji greeted them with a wave.

Hiruzen gave a slight nod.

Beside him, Danzō's face darkened, and he rolled his eyes dramatically.

"What brings you here, Reiji?" Hiruzen asked, feigning ignorance.

"Good news—I brought money!"

With a clap, Reiji signaled behind him.

Three clones walked in, each carrying identical suitcases.

They set them down in unison and popped them open.

In the next instant, both Hiruzen and Danzō's expressions twitched.

Six suitcases, packed with 5,000-ryo bills—the largest denomination.

It didn't look like much, but the visual impact was overwhelming.

Hiruzen rang a bell to summon two ANBU, who quickly hauled the money away.

Reiji, acting like he owned the place, casually found a seat and made it clear he wasn't going anywhere until the money was counted.

That's when Danzō suddenly spoke.

"Reiji, you owe me an explanation."

"An explanation?" Reiji scratched his head. "What for?"

"Dan Shimura."

Danzō pinched his nose, his expression blank.

Reiji's lips curled into a grin. He nodded thoughtfully.

"Brother Danzō, what do you want?"

Danzō's mood instantly improved.

This little fox agreed that easily? No arguing?

His mind kicked into high gear.

"Money. I want money too!"

Hiruzen didn't get involved.

He and Danzō had fought through life and death together.

Back then, making Danzō take the blame was for the village's sake. Now, if he wanted money, let him ask Reiji. Worst case, Root just wouldn't get funding anymore.

Reiji and Danzō's exchange continued.

"Five thousand ryo. Give me five thousand, and I'll tell everyone I have a little brother named Danzō."

Still pinching his nose, Danzō looked dead serious.

Reiji raised a single finger, chuckled, and said,

"I'll give you a hundred million."

The moment the words left his mouth, Hiruzen's face twitched. This kid really was a master haggler.

But on second thought, didn't this just prove Reiji was overflowing with cash?

Danzō, meanwhile, didn't even blink. He'd already seen Reiji's reverse bargaining tactics back in the Raikage's office.

Without hesitation, he nodded.

Watching Danzō beam with satisfaction, Reiji smiled to himself.

One hundred million ryo—enough to buy half the Uchiha Clan. Was it a win or a loss? Hard to say.

Go get 'em, Danzō. Grow Root's power and hurry up with kicking the Uchiha out of Konoha.

They're treated like crap here anyway—looked down on, working thankless jobs. Might as well follow me to Amegakure.

Over there, whoever's got the strongest fists gets to lead. Those wicked little punks will claw over each other for a shot.

Soon after, ANBU returned with the final tally: eight hundred million ryo, not a single ryo short.

Satisfied, Reiji said a polite goodbye to Hiruzen and left the Hokage's office.

At the corner of the stairwell...

A figure suddenly rushed up.

The next second, it slammed right into Reiji as he descended.

Without thinking, Reiji dropped to the floor, groaning, "Owww, owww!"

"Cut the act!" came a familiar voice.

Looking up, Reiji saw Tsunade with a high ponytail, hands on her waist, eyeing him suspiciously.

Reiji gave a sheepish smile, stood up, and brushed himself off.

"Sorry, habit."

As he spoke, his gaze drifted downward—and something caught his attention.

White crop top, black mesh underneath... What's the difference?

Well damn! I underestimated you before!

At the same time, he noticed a purple diamond mark on Tsunade's forehead. Not sure when that got there.

"Long time no see, Tsunade... Tsuna. No missions lately?" he asked casually, waving a hand.

Tsunade nodded, eyeing him from head to toe.

"Nope. Been training in the village."

"Oh yeah? Training what?" Reiji asked, curious.

He hadn't forgotten—he still needed her help to open the Eight Inner Gates.

At his question, Tsunade suddenly grew flustered. Her amber eyes flicked toward him before she muttered,

"Summoning Jutsu and Sealing Techniques."

Reiji didn't notice anything unusual. He nodded, then glanced around. Seeing no one nearby, he leaned in close to her ear.

"Tsuna, I need your help. Can you figure out a way to open the Gate of Life using external force?"

Feeling his breath against her ear, Tsunade's face turned bright red. She instinctively stepped back and stammered,

"O-Okay! I-I'll go back and look into it!"

With that, her face steaming, she spun around and dashed off without a second glance.