In the Naruto Mythos TCG – Konoha Shidō 木ノ葉始動, every match is built on bluffing, surprises, and perfect timing. Among the most fascinating mechanics is Hidden, which allows you to play a Ninja face-down. This mechanic instantly brings to mind some of the anime’s most iconic scenes — think of Zabuza Momochi, the Demon of the Mist, who vanishes into nothingness and strikes without warning.

In this article, we’ll explore how Hidden works, the advantages and risks it brings, and why Zabuza is the perfect symbol of this tactical choice.

What is Hidden?

During the Action Phase, instead of playing a Ninja face-up by paying its CHAKRA COST, you can place it Hidden — face-down — by paying just 1 Chakra.

• While face-down, the Ninja has 0 POWER and does not activate any effects.
• On one of your future turns, you can reveal that Ninja by paying its printed Chakra cost. At that moment, its MAIN effect activates, and if present, so does its AMBUSH effect.

Important: You can always play and reveal a Ninja using Hidden, even if it doesn’t have an AMBUSH effect — the mechanic still applies.

👉 In short: with 1 Chakra, you apply pressure on your opponent while keeping your strategy hidden.

When to Use It

Hidden is a strategic tool, useful in many scenarios:

• Bluffing: your opponent doesn’t know which Ninja you’ve played and might waste resources defending.
  
• Waiting for the right moment: reveal the Ninja after your opponent has spent Chakra or weakened their defense.
  
• Triggering AMBUSH: many powerful effects only activate when a Ninja is revealed from Hidden.
  
• Concealing information: keeping POWER and abilities secret lets you protect your long-term plan.
  

📌  Example: In Round 2, a C-Rank Mission is in play. You place a Hidden Ninja (1 Chakra). Your opponent goes all in to win the Mission. On your next turn, you reveal: pay the printed cost, add POWER, and — if there’s AMBUSH — you flip the outcome of the round.

Benefits and risks

Benefits:

• Surprise factor and psychological pressure.
• Costs are split between two turns (1 Chakra now, the rest later).
• You control when MAIN/AMBUSH effects are triggered.
  

Risks:

• While face-down, the Ninja contributes 0 POWER.
  
• If you don’t have enough Chakra when it’s time to reveal, the card stays passive.
  
• Playing Hidden on a key Mission might unintentionally reveal your intentions.
  

Pro Tip: Before hiding a Ninja, always ask yourself — will I be able to afford the reveal at the right time?

🌫️ Hidden and the Anime: The Case of Zabuza

In the Land of Waves arc, Zabuza fights shrouded in mist, using darkness and silence to strike his enemies when they least expect it.

That same sense of invisible threat is what you recreate on the battlefield: your Hidden Ninja is right there — your opponent can see it, but doesn’t know who it is. When you finally reveal it, it’s like Zabuza’s sudden strike: swift, lethal, and game-changing.

Conclusion

Hidden is the art of mystery: you spend little today to gain uncertainty, psychological pressure, and perfect timing tomorrow. And if there’s one face that embodies this mechanic, it’s Zabuza Momochi — the Ninja who, hidden in the mist, turns waiting into fear and revealing into victory.