Watari Ninja

This small circle of missing-nin follows Hōki, and most of its members keep their faces hidden behind masks. Their name translates as wandering ninja, a label that suits a clan which spent years drifting from place to place hunting for jutsu they could steal and fold into their arsenal. Weary of that rootless existence, Hōki set his mind on finding his people somewhere to settle for good.

To that end he slipped into the Land of Birds under the alias Mōsō, worked his way up to become the daimyō Ōwashi's chief counsellor, and then had the ruler assassinated. The successor, Sagi, secretly the late lord's twin sister Toki, took on the guise of the Cursed Warrior to avenge their father. Still posing as Mōsō, Hōki sent the daimyō's childhood friend Chishima to Konoha asking for aid, which drew Neji Hyūga, Naruto Uzumaki, and Tenten into the affair. Once the Leaf ninja realised the Watari were the true threat, the clan's Hokushin and Nagare gave chase and attacked them, only to be beaten by Kakashi Hatake, who had come to help. Naruto brought Hōki down with his signature combo, and the defeated schemer was handed over to Toki, with Naruto asking that he be made to atone.

Hōki heads the group and orchestrated the whole plot in the Land of Birds under the false name Mōsō. Hokushin and Nagare acted as his enforcers, pursuing the Konoha team before Kakashi put them down. The rest of the clan are the masked, nameless wanderers who trailed after Hōki during his long hunt for stolen techniques.