Every character in the Naruto anime possesses distinct traits, from their unique physical appearances and voices to their signature abilities. In the shinobi world, especially during intelligence-gathering missions, ninja frequently rely on disguise techniques like the Henge no Jutsu (Transformation Jutsu) to mimic others and deceive their enemies.
A prime example occurred at Tenchi Bridge, where Yamato disguised himself as Sasori. He attempted to trick Kabuto into believing he was the real Akatsuki member to extract information about Sasuke’s whereabouts.
However, not every impersonation goes according to plan. Some characters try to pull off similar ruses, only to find themselves in absurd and hilarious situations.
Here are four fake impersonators who tried to mimic iconic Naruto characters:
1. Banna Impersonates Naruto Uzumaki
While Naruto, Guy, Aoba, and Yamato were journeying to the Hidden Cloud Village (Kumogakure), they were suddenly intercepted by a highwayman named Banna. Wearing a fake Konoha headband, Banna boldly claimed to be Naruto Uzumaki—the hero who saved the Hidden Leaf from Pain. He then demanded the group hand over all their valuables.
Witnessing this ridiculous stunt, Guy, Aoba, and Yamato couldn’t hold back their laughter. Guy even noted that the robber genuinely resembled Naruto, which only annoyed the real Naruto further as his friends mocked the situation.
Naruto firmly declared his true identity. Realizing the boy in front of him might actually be the real deal, Banna challenged him to a fight to prove who the true Naruto was. Yamato and the others agreed to the terms: if Naruto lost, they would acknowledge Banna as the real one.
Unsurprisingly, Naruto quickly beat Banna to a pulp and tied him up. The imposter was handed over to Iggy, a man claiming to be the local law enforcement.
However, a tragic truth lay behind Banna’s charade. He had only posed as Naruto at Iggy’s request. Iggy had orchestrated the scheme, asking Banna to cause trouble as the “fake Naruto” so Iggy could publicly defeat him and build a reputation as a hero. Unfortunately, the stunt backfired horribly when mercenary ninja—believing Banna was the real Naruto—kidnapped him.
Though Naruto and his team initially refused to help Iggy (prompting Iggy to try rescuing Banna alone), they eventually stepped in and defeated the mercenaries.
Following the incident, Banna and Iggy repented and abandoned their malicious schemes. Banna dropped the “Naruto” moniker, realizing the name carried a burden far too heavy for him to bear. Both men promised Naruto and his team that they would turn their lives around.
2 & 3. Puccha and Mondai Impersonate Lee and Guy
This incident began with Puccha and Mondai spying on Konoha from the treetops. Realizing that Rock Lee and Might Guy were leaving the village on a mission, the duo seized the opportunity. They attempted to copy Lee and Guy’s iconic looks and outfits. Though they claimed to be using the Henge no Jutsu, they had actually just used cheap salon makeup and costumes.
Mondai posed as Guy, while Puccha took on the role of his student, Lee. Their primary goal was to infiltrate Konoha while the village was busy and steal classified intelligence. In return, they hoped to gain fame, win medals for their home village, secure more missions, and be hailed as heroes.
Upon spotting the two blatant impostors, Kakashi immediately reported them to the Fifth Hokage, Tsunade. He assured her there was no need to worry—no one would actually be fooled by such a cheap, jutsu-less disguise.
However, one person was fooled: Naruto. Innocent and completely oblivious, Naruto genuinely believed Puccha and Mondai were the real Lee and Guy, eagerly asking to join their Taijutsu training.
Unbeknownst to the impostors, their infiltration had already been exposed. Tsunade ordered Tenten and Sakura to ruthlessly prank the duo by treating them exactly like the real Guy and Lee.
Tenten assigned them a grueling agricultural mission in a rice paddy, where they were swarmed by bloodsucking leeches and drenched in rotting liquid manure. Sakura then tasked them with retrieving laundry stuck high on a mountain, causing them to plummet from the cliffs. Tsunade even ordered them to apply a cold compress to a feverish Katsuyu; the massive slug nearly crushed them, and they narrowly avoided her dissolving acid.
Battered, bruised, and near death from simply “training” in Konoha, Mondai and Puccha finally surrendered and abandoned their espionage mission. But as they attempted to flee the village, they bumped straight into the real Lee and Guy.
In a desperate last stand, Mondai and Puccha launched their “Super Excellent Great Hyper Attack.” Feeling threatened, Lee and Guy instantly countered with a “Double Dynamic Entry,” sending the impostors blasting into the sky.
4. Nanafushi Impersonates Guy
This story kicked off when Naruto informed Guy that Lee was building a dojo to hone his combat skills. Guy was deeply moved, thrilled that his beloved student was taking such initiative while he was away from the village.
However, Naruto mentioned that Lee’s dojo had a major problem: zero challengers. To support his student, Guy decided to wear a ridiculous afro wig and a thick mustache, planning to disguise himself as a random challenger. But before he could execute his plan, Tsunade summoned him for an emergency mission to assist Shikamaru’s team.
Meanwhile, a spy named Nanafushi was observing Konoha through binoculars from a nearby tree. Seeing Guy leave, Nanafushi seized the chance to infiltrate the village, using the Henge no Jutsu to disguise himself as Guy to gather classified intel.
Unfortunately for Nanafushi, Naruto stumbled upon the disguised spy and unknowingly dragged him straight to Lee’s dojo. Forced to act as the facility’s first challenger, Nanafushi was brutally beaten to a pulp by Lee.
Desperate to escape the ordeal, Nanafushi dropped the Guy disguise and morphed into Lee instead, hoping to slip out of the dojo and resume his espionage. But just moments later, the real Guy returned from his emergency mission. Stepping into the dojo, Guy instantly challenged Nanafushi—still disguised as Lee—and delivered a ruthless beatdown.
Nanafushi’s cover was completely blown. Naruto, Lee, and Guy (carrying the battered spy over his shoulder) hauled the infiltrator to the Hokage’s office. When they arrived, Tsunade remarked on the perfect timing; she was just about to summon them to hunt down a spy from the Land of Valleys (Tanima no Kuni) named Nanafushi.
Naruto, Lee, and Guy quickly confirmed that the unconscious man slung over Guy’s shoulder was indeed Nanafushi, perfectly matching the wanted poster Tsunade held in her hand.
