Sorry, I'm an Undercover Agent

"You told me it would only be three years at first, but then it was three years after three years, and three years after three years again!"

"It's almost ten years, Boss Yagura!"

On the rooftop, the young man in the gray Konoha combat uniform rested his hands on the railing. As he spoke, his brows were tightly furrowed, his emotions so agitated that he couldn't control the volume of his voice, and his movements unconsciously became a bit more exaggerated.

Standing beside him was a boy half a head shorter than him, who looked about twelve or thirteen years old. However, a deep, stitched scar marked his face, and his expression was similarly displeased:

"Can you at least have a better attitude towards me?"

"Now I'm the only one in the entire Hidden Mist who knows your identity. If I go back and burn your files, you can be a Konoha ninja for the rest of your life, and I won't have to bother anymore!"

"What do you want me to do then?" He slammed the railing, pointing to the forehead protector on his head, and suddenly raised his voice, "Remind myself every day, 'I am a Hidden Mist ninja!' Even in my dreams, I have to follow the Will of Water?"

He pointed at Yagura Karatachi in front of him, extending his hand with five fingers spread, "Five years old! A five-year-old child! Just that small, and you sent me into Konoha as a spy. I haven't even spent as much time in the Hidden Mist as I have in deep cover. I've almost forgotten what my own parents look like. What kind of attitude do you want me to have?"

Yagura Karatachi seemed to want to explain something, "That's also because you're mature for your age, emotionally stable. At that time, there was a large-scale selection throughout the village..."

"If I failed the selection, I would die. Do you think I was emotionally stable?"

"..."

Yagura Karatachi was instantly speechless.

The Bloody Mist wasn't built in a day. Even before that, there were many bizarre operations that could be considered the stuff of legends – selecting child spies wasn't even the most extreme. Even the smallest, most targeted 'swallows' had appeared before.

However, Yagura Karatachi was a jonin of the village and the superior of the man opposite him. Although he was equally repulsed by the village's demands in his heart, he couldn't show it in the slightest here.

So, not wanting to continue staring at each other, the two of them turned their heads away in unison, looking at the distant Konoha streetscape.

Another period of silence.

Ten years...

Yagura Karatachi took a piece of candy from his pocket, unwrapped it, and put it in his mouth, silently chewing on that number, his thoughts inexplicably heavy.

Yagura Karatachi, who had become a top jonin of the Hidden Mist's new generation at the age of twenty, was the third direct liaison superior of this deeply embedded Hidden Mist spy in front of him.

Unfortunately, the previous two did not survive this somewhat legendary deep cover agent, dying at the hands of the Konoha Anbu and the Uchiha Police Force respectively. That's how it fell to him, the Hidden Mist's rising star, to take over their mission.

Similarly, it wasn't until he took office that Yagura Karatachi learned, through the Mizukage's direct secret files, that the village actually had such a spy hidden in the heart of Konoha.

Deep Sea Code: 004

Current Name: Sahara Mizu

Age: Fifteen

Abilities: Proficient in Taijutsu and Water Release

Position: Konoha Chunin, Information Agency Acting Officer in the Jonin Division, Level 2 Advisor

Infiltration Period: Ten years.

In this world where ninja are the main military force, infiltration, espionage, swallows, torture... these are already the most basic methods.

The age of a spy being small is not surprising. A kunai shot from a four-year-old ninja is just as deadly as a kunai shot from a fourteen-year-old ninja.

In fact, it's even more deadly.

However, even in this world where these low-level methods are dazzlingly displayed, deep cover agents like Sahara Mizu, who have been steadily and continuously infiltrated since childhood, are an extremely rare few.

After all, personal abilities can be forcibly instilled into a child's brain through mandatory means, and loyalty to the village can be achieved through continuous brainwashing, Sealing Jutsu, and training. However, mature minds and stable values cannot be mass-produced.

In most cases, 'child laborers' like Sahara Mizu are disposable tools, with only a very small portion having the opportunity to escape from the enemy village after completing their mission – for children of that age, that is already an incredible feat.

However, the things this man in front of him has done are even more bizarre.

Not only did he successfully complete his mission after infiltrating Konoha, but he also managed to evade the first wave of Konoha's search operations through some unknown means, and used his age advantage to take root in this village, enroll in the Ninja Academy, and become a 'genuine' Konoha ninja.

Over these ten years, he has continuously sent back various types of intelligence to the Hidden Mist.

From that day on, Sahara Mizu's personal file was classified as top secret and included in the Mizukage's direct secret files, only allowed to directly contact one high-level Hidden Mist representative during the same period.

A sharp blade like him, lodged in the heart of Konoha, is extremely rare even throughout the entire ninja world.

Especially now, as the Second Great Ninja War enters its third year.

The spring of Konoha Year 39 was still turbulent.

This war, initiated by the Hidden Sand and continuously escalated by the Five Great Nations and the Hidden Rain Village, gradually dragged the entire ninja world into a bloody vortex.

Even the Hidden Mist, isolated overseas, had to simultaneously face the threat of war on two fronts at sea: Konoha and the Hidden Cloud.

For the unstable Third Mizukage and the constantly infighting Hidden Mist higher-ups, this was undoubtedly an extremely heavy burden.

They had to find a way to further weaken Konoha.

Crack.

The hard candy shattered, making a crisp sound.

Yagura Karatachi finally ended the meaningless silence, lowered his head, and reluctantly called out the man's real name, requesting:

"Ren."

"No matter what, some things can only be accomplished by you."

Sahara Mizu then turned to look at him.

Though seemingly insignificant from an outsider's perspective, for him, who needed to continue surviving in the cracks, Yagura Karatachi's concession meant a lot.

He was silent for a moment, then when he spoke again, the excitement from before had completely vanished from his voice.

The abrupt change made him seem somewhat cold instead:

"Because of the overly aggressive nature of the previous missions, Konoha's Anbu internal review has become increasingly strict recently, and Root has also started operating externally. At least two search teams are specifically looking for traces of me.

"Therefore, village missions must be reduced to at most once every six months.

"And contact with me should be minimized as much as possible.

"Also, your predecessor passed away before he could settle the payment for the last round of missions with me. Please don't forget about this."

"..."

Yagura Karatachi stared at him without speaking. Sahara Mizu wasn't in a hurry either, just quietly meeting his gaze.

After a long time, Yagura took out a scroll from his bosom and handed it to him:

"I will report your words to the Mizukage-sama."

"After you complete this mission, no one will come looking for you for at least three months."

"After that, the mission payment will also be delivered to you as soon as possible."

Only then did Sahara Mizu take the new mission scroll from his hand.

The conditions he proposed were already pushing the limits of what was acceptable to the higher-ups. It wouldn't be strange whether they were accepted or not.

Compared to the demand itself, showing his stance and fighting for his interests was actually the main point of this meeting.

Anyway, until the war ended, the higher-ups wouldn't easily make a move against him.

As for what would happen after that, it probably wouldn't be up to them to decide.

Opening the scroll, Sahara Mizu quickly scanned it a few times, memorized all the contents, and handed the scroll back.

Then, with a 'bang,' Sahara Mizu's figure immediately disappeared from the rooftop.

Yagura Karatachi stood in place, looking at where Sahara Mizu had been, subconsciously replaying every expression and movement he had just shown. His gaze was somewhat complex.

Actually, before he left the village, the Elder-sama had given him another mission – to investigate the specific reasons for the exposure of the previous two direct contacts.

It was clear.

At least in the hearts of the village's higher-ups, Sahara Mizu's 'use time' had entered a countdown.

Ninjas didn't need proof.

Being untrustworthy was the direct reason to kill someone.

After the war ended, they should make a move against him, right?

He was clearly the one who had brought countless pieces of intelligence to the village...

A 'hero'?

Unconsciously, Yagura Karatachi felt an inexplicable sense of powerlessness and weariness towards this hopeless world.

Finally, he let out a long sigh.

"I'm sorry."

Hokage Building, third floor.

Jounin Class Office.

Sahara Mizu, who was hunched over his desk proofreading the logistics allocation forms, suddenly shuddered as if a long-sitting person had accidentally pressed on a hemorrhoid, and the handwriting on the paper paused involuntarily.

He slightly adjusted his sitting posture.

The memories transmitted from his shadow clone flooded into his mind.

They've changed the contact again.

Unfortunately, this time it's a difficult one to deal with.

Fourth Mizukage...

Sahara Mizu thought, his paused brushstrokes becoming fluid again as he simultaneously considered the potential impact of Yagura Karatachi's appearance.

As he had said, Sahara Mizu was chosen as the deepest spy in Konoha because of his maturity beyond his age.

But this wasn't a talent; it was because he was a transmigrator with decades more life experience than others.

When he first discovered he had transmigrated to the Hidden Mist, which was barely mentioned in the original work, Sahara Mizu wanted to use this advantage to enter the Hidden Mist's higher-ups' sight so he could survive until the beginning of the plot. However, he accidentally backfired.

Did he catch their eye?

He certainly did, and quite intensely.

It's just that the eye he caught wasn't exactly normal.

What normal person would play undercover in the ninja world?

Never mind the ninjas, did anyone in Infernal Affairs have a good ending?

No!

They'll all die horribly!

So, this kind of life can't last forever.

Even a cunning rabbit has three burrows; a person needs a fallback plan even more.

Because of this, Sahara Mizu's greatest wish right now is to immediately escape this grueling life of constantly battling wits with the Konoha Anbu and quickly return to Hidden Mist as a hero.

Then, relying on his significant achievements, he wants to retire at lightning speed before the Blood Mist era begins, wash his hands of the ninja world, and live a peaceful life in the Land of Water as a regular wealthy man with a large family, just waiting for the two saviors designated by the Sage of Six Paths to turn the tide.

After all, in the ninja world, as long as you don't get involved in the Kaguya family's messy domestic drama, you can actually live a good life!

However, judging from Yagura Karatachi's attitude today, Hidden Mist will likely add many more complications for him.

It's not that Sahara Mizu hasn't considered resisting, defecting, or simply defecting to Konoha.

But, he has at least three seals on his body that he knows of, specifically on his brain, heart, and tongue, not to mention the countless Sealing Jutsus placed on him when he was five years old.

Just as he can easily control the Hidden Mist higher-ups at crucial times like wartime through his identity, the Hidden Mist side also has countless ways to control him if they truly set their minds to it.

Furthermore, the Five Great Nations are still in a state of savage conflict, with no prisoner-of-war treaties whatsoever. They use every means imaginable against captured spies.

Being killed with one swift blow during an escape is considered merciful. Other methods include forced brain searches, thirty-six kinds of whips, seventy-two types of torture, and one hundred and eight interrogation methods, until their last shred of value is squeezed out. Only then are they thrown into laboratories as human material, physically exhausted.

Under these circumstances, could Sahara Mizu take that risk?

Obviously, no!

The only thing worth celebrating is that after transmigrating to this world, he wasn't without something to rely on.

'Today, it should be able to activate, right?'

Sahara Mizu thought, and the speed at which he proofread the documents increased slightly.

After finishing the last stack of files, he immediately slapped down his pen, grabbed his small bag, and darted out the window.

"Hey! Sahara-kun—!"

The pineapple-headed supervisor sitting across from him suddenly widened his dark-ringed eyes, grabbed another stack of files that had just arrived in the office, and shouted towards the window in the distance.

That brat is ditching work?!

And right in front of him!

Damn it, I haven't had a day off in three months either!

You're running off to rest by yourself, how is that different from being cuckolded to my face?

"Lord Shikaetsu, I'm taking the night off! I'll make it up tomorrow—"

From the end of the street in the distance, Sahara Mizu's slightly distorted voice drifted back.

Nara Shikaetsu in the office watched the figure gradually receding outside the window and couldn't help but plop down on his office chair, looking like he was about to collapse.

Looking at the half-man-high stack of files on his desk, he felt like dying.

Damn it!

Tomorrow, I'm definitely going to make this kid work overtime like crazy! I'll drown him in work until he's a puff pastry!

Nara Shikaetsu picked up his pen and thought resentfully as he furiously copied down data.

"I'm back!"

Sahara Mizu pushed open the door and strode into the living room.

"Huh?"

The half-grown girl busy in the kitchen was startled. She turned to look at him, and an expression of pleasant surprise instinctively appeared on her face.

"Onii-san! You're back!"

The bean sprout-like girl, wearing a home apron, quickly approached him. "You're early today. Work must have been tiring, right?"

"Do you want to eat first, take a bath first, or eat first..."

Thump.

His knuckles tapped the girl's fair forehead, making a crisp sound.

Sahara Mizu pretended to be annoyed. "Adults laying hands on children get arrested by the Uchiha Police Force. Are you trying to frame your dear brother, Miss Yukie!"

"Hehe." Sahara Yukie wasn't angry. She took the small bag from his hand and followed closely beside him. "Onii-san is back so early today."

"Could it be~ you already knew I snagged the limited edition beef at the market!"

"Or even about having sukiyaki tonight..."

"Huh? Is it that lavish?"

"How regrettable, today is a bit inconvenient." Sahara Mizu clasped his hands together and said with a bitter face, cutting her off, "Yukie, just eat by yourself. Onii-san has a new Ninjutsu he needs to try out."

Although not obvious, there was still a hint of unintentional distance.

"I see..."

Before Sahara Yukie could ask anything else, Sahara Mizu had already quickly gone up to his room on the second floor.

Clearly, this was his 'younger sister'.

Sahara Yukie, twelve years old, was an ordinary Genin who had just graduated from the Ninja Academy a year ago.

Although the Second Great Ninja War had dragged on for a long time, unlike the next war a decade later, Konoha's foundation built since the time of the Second Hokage was still quite solid. Genin like her, who hadn't been out of the Academy for long, were still quickly getting familiar with ninja work under the guidance of capable Chunin instructors. The day they would be sent to the front lines was still far off.

The reason Sahara Mizu, despite being an infiltrator, kept a young tag-along with him was quite simple.

Outsiders wanting to fully integrate into Konoha required extremely complicated procedures and processes.

If their children wanted to enter the Ninja Academy, it required even stricter scrutiny and multiple mental evaluations.

However, if he could directly become the eldest son of a family that had settled in Konoha twenty years ago, whose parents had both died, leaving only himself and a young sister, and gain control of such a complete network of real relationships, the difficulty of him becoming a 'native Konoha resident' would instantly drop to zero, while also drastically reducing the possibility of suspicion.

Conversely, any atomized individuals lacking family ties, such as the widowed, orphaned, or solitary, were the primary suspects in the village's first wave of searches. Many orphans, due to their ambiguous identity, were even targeted by Root.

People without weaknesses were very dangerous.

This was true for any political regime.

Fortunately, the year Sahara Mizu infiltrated Konoha, he was lucky enough to find such a suitable family.

Their parents had died on the vast battlefield, and the young elder brother was affected by Ninjutsu during the village's skirmishes, buried under a wall and crushed to death. Only a young sister was left crying hysterically beside a stroller whose path was blocked.

A perfect identity.

From that day on, he became Sahara Mizu.

Naturally, this sister, three years his junior, was someone he had raised from infancy.

However, Sahara Mizu didn't become naive enough to trust her or try to entrust anything to her just because of this.

He would eventually leave this place.

Sahara Mizu thought this subconsciously.

He didn't notice the fleeting disappointment in Sahara Yukie's eyes as he turned away.

Returning to his room, he first routinely checked all the mechanisms to ensure the room hadn't been disturbed by anyone and that there were no Sealing Jutsu or surveillance devices. Only then did Sahara Mizu sit cross-legged on the bed again, trying hard to suppress the faintly surging excitement in his heart.

He closed his eyes and silently thought:

"Panel"

Almost the instant this thought flashed, a countdown appeared on the empty panel.

"Minor Mode Deactivation Time"

"00:00:09"

Yes.

The humorous minor mode.

No matter how many times he saw this panel prompt, the urge to curse in Sahara Mizu's heart was hard to suppress.

Even though he had been training, killing, lurking, and being brainwashed since very early on.

But, because our cheat is in accordance with national standard 15+, children can't activate it casually!

It was utterly illogical!

Before he transmigrated, he was already a standard greasy middle-aged man. Who knew who this age restriction was meant to protect?

Fortunately, the time was finally arriving.

Just as Sahara Mizu was thinking these random thoughts, the countdown in the prompt box had reached its end.

Nine

Eight

Seven

Three, two, one!

Cheat God, activate!!!

At that moment, Sahara Mizu's entire field of vision was covered by a vast expanse of white prompt boxes.

Almost simultaneously, a gentle female voice, humming softly, entered his mind. It was clear, distant, like the sound of a forest or a spring, soothing the heart.

"Are you my Master?"

"Yes."

Sahara Mizu's spirit unconsciously followed, and he instinctively tilted his ear to listen.

The next moment, he heard her begin with a standard poetic recitation, an aria, and then say the first non-human sentence.

"Oh~ Subarashii!"

"Just transmigrated and already awakened the world's number one amazing [Sahara's Book of Friends] system. Now, what do you have to fear? What do you have to fear!!"

"Punch Hashirama, kick Madara, press down on Kaguya Otsutsuki and stomp on her."

"I will, by myself, turn this damn world into cream puffs!"

"Sahara Mizu, when will you be the number one in the ninja world? (Monotone)"

"Today!" (Immediate answer)

Like a great bell or a thunderous cauldron, it was loud and impactful.

At that moment, Sahara Mizu's eyes suddenly went from sparkling to vacant, his face turned from rosy to ashen, and his entire being became a grayish-white, shattered mess as he quietly listened to this opening remark.

The silence in the room was deafening.

"..."

He had a bad feeling about this.

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— Chirp, White Tiger!