Naruto: How to Be an Undercover Shinobi

Konohagakure.

The afternoon sun bathed the clean, orderly streets, bustling with people.

Reiji, enjoying a rare moment of leisure, was out shopping with Rie.

As Rie curiously glanced around, a scruffy-looking man appeared at the end of the street, walking slowly toward them.

When he got closer, they saw it was Kagami Uchiha, his eyes sunken and weary.

"Hey, Kagami!" Reiji called out, shaking his head at Kagami's vacant expression.

Kagami weakly raised his hand in response and walked over to him.

Seeing his usually spirited friend looking so downcast, Reiji asked with interest, "What's wrong? You look like you haven't slept in days."

Kagami sighed silently and replied in a low voice, "You guessed it. I haven't had a good night's sleep in four or five days."

"Oh?" Reiji immediately leaned in with a nosy grin. "Did your wife give you a hard time? Dragged you into the bedroom? Or maybe one of those middle-aged couple kisses turned into a string of nightmares?"

Kagami gave a helpless laugh, covering his forehead. "None of that. It's all because of that bastards of the Raw Iron Association!"

Reiji's eyes darkened slightly, and he exhaled quietly.

Kagami, don't blame me.

If I hadn't dragged you to Amegakure, you might not even be alive right now.

And your junior, Shisui Uchiha, wouldn't have ended up any better.

Kagami, unaware of Reiji's thoughts, pulled him toward a nearby izakaya. Seeing this, Reiji called out to Rie and followed him in.

Inside the izakaya, familiar shinobi sat chatting in small groups, drinks flowing.

But the moment they saw Kagami, they all quickly averted their gazes.

Word had gotten out about the Uchiha Clan's involvement in something shady called the "Raw Iron Association".

Although most people despised Danzō's brother, Dan—the real mastermind—the Uchiha Clan's actions were seen as even more disgraceful.

Everyone's part of the village. What makes you so special? Just because your eyes are redder than mine?

In a place like Kumogakure, where power spoke louder than anything, this kind of thing rarely happened.

But in Konoha, gossip was inescapable.

Noticing the subtle looks of contempt around him, Kagami's expression darkened even more.

Those sidelong glances seemed to mock all the effort he'd poured in over the years.

Lowering his head, Kagami walked to the far end of the izakaya, turning his back to the others and sitting down silently.

Reiji and Rie followed and sat down at the table.

"Edamame, fried chicken, salted cucumber, and sake," Reiji said, placing the order.

Once done, he leaned in with his elbows on the table and asked in a low voice, "So what's going on? Tell me everything."

As Reiji leaned in, Kagami instinctively wanted to distance himself.

After all, associating with the disgraced Uchiha Clan wasn't doing Reiji any favors.

Still, he suppressed the urge, and a flicker of gratitude appeared in his dark eyes as he began to speak quietly.

"A while ago, something happened within the clan.

During a clan meeting held in the village, the Clan Head was set up by Dan, Danzō's brother, who appeared out of nowhere.

At the time, only the Clan Head and the elders knew what had happened.

But somehow, word spread to the entire village.

When I heard about it, I went to question the Clan Head for details.

That guy—not only did he show zero remorse, he had the nerve to blame me for not getting into the village leadership.

Then… then..."

Kagami let out a heavy sigh and continued.

"After that, everyone—villagers, other clans, even people I'd once helped—started treating me coldly."

Reiji stayed silent, deep in thought.

Just then, Rie suddenly piped up beside him.

"Uncle Kagami, you're such an idiot!"

He didn't dismiss this little girl who could bluntly call out human flaws as just being arrogant.

"Rie, why am I stupid?"

"Because you are! You haven't really grasped the Will of Fire."

"Oh?" Kagami perked up, staring at Rie with defiance. "Then do you know what the Will of Fire is?"

Rie proudly nodded, her gaze briefly sweeping over Reiji, then answered,

"The Will of Fire? That's easy! It's just old men protecting little kids, who grow up and become old men themselves, continuing to protect the next generation.

Everyone gets along, lives in harmony, and eventually becomes one big, prosperous family!"

Kagami's mouth twitched at that.

Prosperous family? That sounded oddly off.

After speaking, Rie snuck a glance at Reiji. Seeing no reaction from him, she went on confidently:

"Uncle Kagami, your ultimate goal is to have the Uchiha Clan fully integrate into Konoha, right? So there's no distinction between us and them?"

Kagami nodded, as if it were only natural.

A sharp glint flashed in Rie's eyes as she analyzed:

"Then you need to split things up.

First, you can't force things. In your clan, I'm sure there are people like you who truly want to stay in the village.

Some want to stay too, but they're hungry for power.

And of course, there are those who've lost hope in the village and want to leave, even if they won't admit it.

If the Will of Fire means making everyone in the village one family, where there's no hierarchy between powerful and ordinary clans...

Then why are you still clinging to the Uchiha name?

That's why I said—you're too stubborn.

Why bother with all of it? If they want to leave, let them. If they want to live peacefully, let them. If they want power, let them fight for it themselves.

Why carry the burden of the Uchiha name all by yourself?

What you're doing isn't much different from those power-hungry clan elders."

"Then what should I do?" Kagami asked with a blank expression.

"Don't worry about anything. If you want to fully understand the Will of Fire, forget your clan, forget your surname!"

"Then have you forgotten your surname, Rie?" Kagami asked again.

Rie scratched her head, gave a sheepish laugh, and shook her head.

"Nope. I'm not from Konoha. The Will of Fire has nothing to do with me!"

Hearing that, Kagami Uchiha rolled his eyes instinctively.

This girl… she gave him such a strong déjà vu. Like a mini Reiji.

Thinking that, he glanced at Reiji, who stood nearby with a strange look on his face.

Reiji wasn't doing much better, silently grumbling.

When did this girl start spewing this kind of twisted nonsense? Who the hell taught her to interpret the Will of Fire like that?

Just then, Kagami picked up a cup of sake that had somehow been placed beside him and took a slow sip.

"What if—just saying—what if I truly want to help the Uchiha Clan integrate into Konoha?"

Rie, who had been eyeing the sake bottle, let out a low chuckle and declared,

"The Will of Fire, huh! You're already burning yourself up over it. Why waste your time on those stubborn old geezers in your clan?

Just get rid of them. All they do is spread their outdated ideas to the next generation.

They're a cancer, a stain, an infection that prevents wounds from healing. Wipe them out. Simple."

She said it without a trace of concern for the murderous tone in her voice, then stared at Reiji eagerly and pointed at the sake bottle.

"Brother, I want some of that."

Reiji nodded calmly. "Decide for yourself."

Rie instantly beamed and leapt up, reaching for the sake bottle.

Seeing this, Kagami snapped out of his daze and quickly snatched the bottle away, glaring at Reiji.

"Reiji, how can you let Rie drink? She's not even of age!"

"I didn't say she could. I said she should decide for herself.

She's eleven!

When I was eleven, I was scheming with the Raikage in Kumogakure and arm wrestling with Tailed Beasts. She can decide whether or not to have a drink."

At that, Kagami rolled his eyes in exasperation but still clutched the bottle protectively.

Even if he didn't take Rie's words seriously, human language was a strange thing.

Some things are truly important but impossible to remember.

Others you'd rather forget, but they come back to you in the moments that matter most.

Maybe only when Kagami Uchiha hits rock bottom... will he remember what Rie said.