The dark, damp passage seemed endless. All they had to guide them were the slick earth beneath their feet, the blurred silhouette of their guide ahead, and a faint glimmer at the far end that seemed forever out of reach.
The stale air was oppressive, making it feel as though they might forget how to breathe.
Yet the dozen or so people in the group moved with remarkable steadiness and speed, like a silent serpent winding through the earth.
At the head of the group, Uchiha Lianhuo's Three-Tomoe Sharingan glowed a deep red in the darkness. It let him discern every dip and rise in the path ahead, every exposed tree root that might trip them, and even the faintest currents of chakra in the air.
He could "see" the faint glow of warning seals hidden deep in the rock walls, laid out by Konoha's Barrier Team and stretching like a spiderweb.
Thanks to the detailed markings on Elder Setsuna's map, Lianhuo was always able to lead the group through the safest gaps, deftly avoiding those invisible "eyes."
Uchiha Shaoyu, protected in the center of the group, hadn't fully activated the Mangekyō Sharingan in his right eye. Even so, its distinctive, slowly shifting bands of light gave him panoramic vision beyond that of an ordinary person.
He watched not only the route Lianhuo chose ahead, but also seemed to take in the chakra flow throughout the entire passage, its weak points, and even the condition of everyone behind him.
Gojo-sensei's skills sure came in handy.
And the youngest, Uchiha Shisui, displayed astonishing maturity and resilience for his age.
He stuck close to his older brother, using the One-Tomoe Sharingan he'd only recently awakened to watch his surroundings and learn the adults' stealth techniques.
He made not a sound, even trying to control his breathing. His little face was taut with concentration.
The Uchiha around him couldn't help but marvel at the sight.
No wonder he was Lord Shaoyu's little brother.
Time passed as they hurried forward in tense silence. One after another, the map's marked points fell behind them.
They crossed the area closest to the Uchiha Compound, where the barriers were relatively dense but still had gaps thanks to the "blind spot beneath the lamp" effect.
They bypassed two forked paths clearly marked on the map as possible locations for hidden sensory traps.
At one particularly narrow stretch, where the layer of earth overhead was very thin, everyone crawled along the ground, minimizing the chance that chakra leaking from them might be detected by sensory ninja on the surface.
The whole operation was a textbook example of covert infiltration. They triggered no alarms and encountered no mishaps. They even avoided or carefully dismantled the old traps set along the passage, such as falling rocks and pit traps, thanks to the map's precise warnings.
At last, after what felt like more than an hour, Lianhuo stopped again.
This time, there was no winding passage ahead, only what looked like an ordinary earthen wall, its surface covered in slippery moss and vine roots.
"The exit."
Lianhuo's hushed voice carried a tension that was almost relief.
Shaoyu stepped forward to examine it closely.
According to the map, the exit was disguised as the rear side of a small natural hill. It lay beyond Konoha's outermost line of defense, deep in the outskirts of the Forest of Death, in an extremely secluded location.
"Check outside," Shaoyu signaled.
Uchiha Mei crept silently toward the earthen wall like a cat, pressed her ear against the cold soil, and took several deep breaths.
A moment later, she turned and reported in a very low voice.
"It's safe outside. Just nocturnal animals and the wind. No signs of human activity or chakra residue."
Shaoyu nodded and looked at Lianhuo and Mihuo.
The two understood and stepped forward to examine the exit's disguise.
It wasn't an ordinary earthen wall. It had been built using a special technique and mixed with mineral powder that slightly interfered with chakra. From the outside, it blended almost perfectly into the surroundings and was extremely difficult to spot.
"The structure is intact. There are no signs of damage or reinforcement from the outside," Mihuo confirmed after inspecting it.
"Prepare to open it," Shaoyu ordered.
Following the specific sequence and intensity of chakra input recorded on the map—a method known only to Elder Setsuna and a handful of others who had helped build it—Lianhuo and Mihuo pressed their hands against several inconspicuous bumps in the wall.
A faint glow of chakra flashed and vanished. A quiet mechanism turned inside the wall, and then its surface rippled like water, revealing an opening just wide enough for one person to stoop through. The cold, damp air outside rushed in, carrying the scent of the forest's vegetation.
Beyond the exit lay an impenetrable night and the towering shadows of ancient trees.
The Forest of Death's distinctive wind, tinged with a faint, animal scent, swept toward them.
In the distance, Konoha's lights had dwindled to stars on the horizon. Nearby, there was only endless darkness and the unknown lurking within it.
"Go out one at a time. Keep formation and stay alert," Shaoyu said quietly. He led the way, taking Shisui by the hand as he bent down and slipped through the opening.
When the last of them, Uchiha Chikage, had emerged from the passage and triggered the mechanism with chakra to restore the "earthen wall," all thirteen of them were finally outside Konoha, in the vast and perilous border forests of the Land of Fire.
Looking back, Konoha's outline was little more than a hazy silhouette beneath the night sky. The place that had once been "home" was now a past they had to leave behind.
Ahead lay the pitch-black forest, treacherous mountain paths, possible pursuers, and distant Kumogakure, where thunder never ceased.
Shaoyu drew in a deep breath of the cold air, filled with the scent of freedom and danger. The bands of light in his Mangekyō Sharingan began to turn a little faster.
He turned to face his clan members gathered at his side, their eyes fixed on him and burning bright.
"We're out."
His voice was excited, yet carried the strength of someone who had broken free of his chains.
"But this is only the beginning. Put away the map and memorize the route. There are no shortcuts from here on. We'll have to rely on our own feet, eyes, and the Kunai in our hands to make it through."
"Our destination is Kumogakure in the Land of Lightning. Move out!"
Like arrows loosed from a bow, thirteen figures silently vanished into the endless darkness of the Forest of Death, leaving Konoha's lights and their past far behind.
At that moment, Uchiha Shaoyu couldn't help thinking of a movie.
The Shawshank Redemption.
It couldn't have been more fitting.
From today on, the sky was the limit. He, Uchiha Shaoyu, no longer had to live under the control of Konoha's High Command. He could do whatever he wanted.
The other Uchiha around him were just as excited. They'd endured oppression in Konoha for far too long. In that moment, the feeling of freedom was overwhelming.
If members of the Hyuga Clan's branch family ever escaped, they'd surely be even more excited than the Uchiha.
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