The dark, damp secret passage seemed endless, with only the slippery mud beneath their feet, the blurred back of the guide ahead, and a faint speck of light at the end of the tunnel that felt forever out of reach, marking the direction.
The air was thick with a stale, musty scent, so oppressive it made one almost forget to breathe.
However, this group of over a dozen people moved with exceptional steadiness and speed, like a silent serpent slithering through the earth.
At the lead, Uchiha Renka's Three-Tomoe Sharingan glowed an eerie red in the darkness. He not only observed every bump in the path and every exposed root that might trip them up but also carefully analyzed the extremely subtle flow of Chakra in the air.
He could'see' the faint glow of the warning runes hidden deep within the rock walls, arranged by the Konoha Barrier Team like a sprawling spiderweb.
Thanks to the detailed markings on Elder Setsuna's map,
Renka was always able to lead the team through the safest gaps, skillfully avoiding those invisible 'eyes.'
Uchiha Shao Yu, protected in the center of the group, did not have his Mangekyo Sharingan fully activated in his right eye, but that unique, slowly rotating band of light granted him a panoramic insight beyond that of ordinary people.
He not only observed Renka's choice of route ahead but also seemed to take in the entire passage's Chakra flow, structural weaknesses, and even the status of everyone behind him.
Gojo-sensei's skills are really useful.
Meanwhile, the youngest, Uchiha Shisui, displayed an astonishing precocity and resilience.
He followed closely in his brother's footsteps, his pair of newly awakened One-Tomoe Sharingan struggling to observe the surroundings, learning the stealth techniques of the adults.
He didn't make a single unnecessary sound, even striving to control his breathing rhythm, his small face tense and fully concentrated.
The surrounding Uchiha saw this and couldn't help but feel moved.
As expected of Lord Shao Yu's younger brother.
Time passed in a silent and tense sprint. One by one, the marking points on the map were left behind.
They passed through the area closest to the Uchiha Clan Compound, where the barriers were relatively dense but also had gaps due to the 'darkness under the lamp' effect.
They bypassed two fork in the road clearly marked on the map as potentially having hidden sensory traps.
In one particularly narrow section where the soil layer above was extremely thin, everyone practically crawled flat against the ground to minimize the possibility of Chakra leakage being detected by sensory Ninja on the surface.
The entire process was a textbook example of a covert infiltration. No alarms were triggered, no accidents occurred, and even the old pre-set traps in the passage, such as falling rocks and pit traps, were avoided or carefully dismantled in advance thanks to the map's precise tips.
Finally, after more than an hour that felt agonizingly long, Renka's figure ahead stopped once more.
This time, what lay before him was no longer a twisting passage, but a seemingly ordinary earthen wall covered in slippery moss and vine roots.
"The exit."
Renka lowered his voice, which carried a hint of relief amidst the tension.
Shao Yu stepped forward and observed carefully.
The map showed that this exit was disguised as the back of a small natural earthen slope, located outside Konoha's outermost perimeter and deep within the edges of the Forest of Death, making its location extremely well-hidden.
"Check the exterior," Shao Yu gestured.
Uchiha Mei moved as silently as a cat, pressing her ear against the cold earth while taking several deep breaths.
A moment later, she turned back and reported in a very low voice.
"The exterior is safe, only nocturnal animals and the sound of the wind. No traces of human activity or residual Chakra."
Shao Yu nodded and looked at Renka and Rice Fire.
The two understood and stepped forward to carefully examine the exit's camouflage structure.
It wasn't a simple earthen wall; it was built using special techniques and mixed with mineral powders that had a slight Chakra-interfering effect. From the outside, it blended almost perfectly with the surroundings, making it extremely difficult to detect.
"The structure is intact, no signs of external damage or reinforcement," Rice Fire confirmed after checking.
"Prepare to open it," Shao Yu ordered.
Following the specific sequence and intensity of Chakra input recorded on the map—known only to a few builders like Elder Setsuna—Renka and Rice Fire pressed their hands against several inconspicuous protrusions on the wall.
A faint glow of Chakra flashed and vanished, followed by the extremely faint sound of rotating mechanisms inside the wall. Then, the surface rippled like water, revealing a gap just large enough for one person to pass through while crouching. The cold, damp outside air rushed in instantly, carrying the characteristic scent of the forest's vegetation.
Outside the exit was a darkness so thick it wouldn't dissipate, and the massive shadows of towering ancient trees.
The wind of the Forest of Death, carrying a faint metallic scent, blew against their faces.
In the distance, the lights of Konoha Village were already as small as distant stars, while nearby, there was only endless darkness and the unknown lurking within it.
"Go out in order, maintain the alert formation," Shao Yu whispered, taking Shisui's hand and being the first to crawl out of the hole.
When the last member, Uchiha Chikage, also stepped out of the secret passage and used Chakra to trigger the mechanism, restoring the 'earthen wall' to its original state, the thirteen were completely outside Konoha Village, situated within the vast and dangerous border forests of the Land of Fire.
Looking back at the path they had come, the silhouette of Konoha was nothing more than a blurred shadow in the night. That place which used to be 'home' was now a past they had to leave far behind.
Ahead were pitch-black forests, treacherous mountain paths, potential pursuers, and the distant, thunderous Hidden Cloud Village.
Shao Yu took a deep breath of the cold air, which carried the scent of both freedom and danger. The band of light in his left Mangekyo accelerated its rotation slightly.
He turned to face his clansmen, who were gathered by his side, their eyes shining as they looked at him.
"We... are out."
His voice was excited, yet it carried a sense of power from having broken free of his shackles.
"But this is only the beginning. Put away the maps and memorize the route. For the rest of the journey, there are no shortcuts. We can only rely on our feet, our eyes, and the Kunai in our hands to break through."
"Target: Kumogakure in the Land of Lightning. Move out!"
Thirteen figures, like arrows released from a bow, silently vanished into the boundless darkness of the Forest of Death, leaving the lights and the past of Konoha completely behind.
At this moment, Uchiha Shao Yu couldn't help but think of a movie.
The Shawshank Redemption.
It's so damn appropriate for the situation.
From today on, the sky is high and the birds fly free. He, Uchiha Shao Yu, no longer has to be restrained by the Konoha high-level officials; he can do whatever he wants.
The other Uchiha around him were also very excited. They had been oppressed in Konoha for far too long. At this moment, the feeling of freedom was profound.
If the members of the Hyuga Clan's Branch Family were to escape, they would surely be even more excited than them.
Advance chapter available on pãtrêon Got1808