Chapter 211: Farewell, Konoha
Hyuga Neji didn't seem to expect Uchiha Sasuke to be so decisive. He raised an eyebrow slightly, a flash of surprise crossing his white pupils. He looked Sasuke up and down, as if checking to see if he was joking, or perhaps re-evaluating the person standing before him.
Uchiha Sasuke scoffed. "What, did you think you were the only one capable of doing something like this?"
His voice wasn't loud, but his tone carried an obvious provocation. "Don't forget, my name is Uchiha."
Hyuga Neji looked at him, falling silent for a moment. "And so?"
The corners of Uchiha Sasuke's mouth curled up into a playful smirk. "The Uchiha have a tradition of defecting from the village."
He held up one finger. "Uchiha Madara did it."
He held up a second finger. "Uchiha Taiga did it."
Then a third finger. "My older brother did it."
Finally, pointing the finger at himself, Sasuke looked at Neji. "Why shouldn't I?"
Hyuga Neji opened his mouth to retort, but ultimately closed it. He thought about it for a long time, only to find himself speechless.
*'Wait, your clan frequently produces rogue ninjas, and you're actually proud of it?'*
He could only give a thumbs-up.
Uchiha Sasuke lifted his chin and gave a cold hmph, clearly harboring a distinct sense of smugness.
Neji looked at his expression, the corners of his mouth twitching slightly in what might or might not have been a smile. "Alright."
He turned around and walked toward the edge of the woods. "Let's not linger here. We can read the contents of these three scrolls when we get back."
Sasuke nodded, rolled up the three scrolls, tucked them into his shirt, and followed Neji's footsteps.
The two quickly left the Forest of Death, taking a small trail rather than the path they had used to enter. Neji walked in front at a brisk pace, while Sasuke followed three or four steps behind. One after the other, they exited the forest.
They didn't return directly to the village. Instead, they took a wide detour, re-entering through a small path on the eastern side of the village.
Walking ahead, Neji spoke without looking back. "Follow me. I have a safe house on the other side."
Sasuke didn't ask any questions; he simply nodded and followed.
The two passed through a residential area on the eastern side of the village, navigated a few narrow alleys, and arrived at the outskirts. Houses were sparse and scattered here, mostly consisting of single-family courtyards. The grass in the yards had grown tall, and some of the houses looked as though they had been abandoned for a long time.
Neji stopped in front of an inconspicuous house. It wasn't large—just an ordinary wooden house with gray roof tiles and white walls. The wooden door bore a few scratches. The yard was tiny, devoid of flowers or trees, and the ground was covered in gravel that crunched underfoot.
Neji pushed the door open and walked in. Sasuke followed right behind him.
The interior was incredibly ordinary. A bed, a table, and two cabinets. The wooden floorboards creaked with every step. The curtains were drawn, leaving the room dimly lit.
Neji walked to the center of the room, crouched down, and felt around the floorboards. His fingers hooked the edge of one of the planks, and he pulled it up with a forceful tug. The floorboard lifted, revealing a dark hole underneath.
Reaching into the hole, Neji pulled out a rope. He gave it a sharp upward yank, and a much larger section of the floor swung open, exposing a flight of stairs leading down. The passage was narrow, only wide enough for one person.
"Go down," Neji said, taking the lead.
Sasuke followed him down. The basement wasn't large, only a few square meters, but it was dry and free of any musty odors. An oil lamp hung on the wall. Neji lit it, casting a warm orange glow that illuminated the entire space.
The basement was stocked with quite a few items. A row of shelves against the wall held several ninja blades, their edges gleaming in the lamplight. Next to the shelves sat a wooden crate filled to the brim with kunai—a rough estimate suggested nearly a hundred of them. The blades of the kunai were sharp and bright, their handles wrapped in anti-slip cloth.
Beside the crate were several bulging backpacks, packed tight with rations and waterskins. A few scrolls and various bottles and jars were piled in the corner.
Sasuke looked at the stash, visibly surprised. "Did you prepare all of this yourself?"
Neji nodded. "Yeah." He walked over to the shelves, picked up a ninja blade, unsheathed it for a quick inspection, and slid it back in. "I've been preparing since I was eight years old."
He placed the blade back on the rack. "Right up until now, all for this very day."
Sasuke looked at him, his lips parting slightly. "Why prepare for so long?"
Neji let out a cold sneer. His voice was icy, yet it carried a sense of catharsis, as if he were finally releasing something he had suppressed for a long time. "You aren't a Hyuga. You don't know the sickening reality of the Hyuga clan."
His voice dropped low, as if sharing a dark secret. "The Main House of the Hyuga clan is the most shameless group of people in the ninja world. They use the Caged Bird curse mark to control the Branch House, yet they have the gall to call it 'protection'." The corners of his mouth turned down in disgust. "It makes me sick."
Sasuke remained silent, standing there as he stared at Neji's profile. He wondered what he would do if he had been branded with the Caged Bird—if his destiny had been controlled by others from the moment he was born, if he couldn't even choose how to die on his own terms. He would probably become even more extreme than Hyuga Neji.
Neji clearly didn't want to dwell on the subject. He turned around to face Sasuke, his expression shifting from cold bitterness to calm composure. "Since you've already made your decision, get ready." He paused. "We leave in three days."
Sasuke frowned. "So soon?"
Neji glanced at him. "Scared?" His tone was flat, but it was an obvious taunt.
Sasuke's face instantly turned cold. His brows furrowed, his lips pressed into a thin line, and the two tomoe in his eyes slowly began to spin. "Who's scared?" His voice was as hard as stone.
Neji looked at him, the corner of his mouth twitching slightly. "Then it's settled." He turned and headed for the stairs. "I'll only wait for you for two days. On the third day, we meet here. If you're late, I won't wait for you."
With that, he walked up the stairs and left the basement.
Sasuke stood in place, watching Neji's retreating back in silence for a moment. "Hmph, just you wait."
Three days passed in a flash.
Hyuga Neji and Uchiha Sasuke didn't see each other during those two days. Neji went on missions with his teammates as usual and returned home as usual. His behavior was no different from any other day—he remained a quiet, unsociable loner.
The same went for Uchiha Sasuke. He went to Team 7's training ground as usual, bickered with Naruto as usual, and kept his distance from Sakura as usual. His demeanor was exactly the same—still acting cool and refusing to speak more than necessary.
It was as if the events of the past two days had never happened; he had completely reverted to his normal state. No one noticed anything different about him. Nor did anyone notice anything different about Hyuga Neji.
The two of them were currently just ordinary youths in the village, mere Genin. Even with the prestigious names of Uchiha and Hyuga, few people paid them any special attention.
The Uchiha clan was busy dealing with the fallout of Itachi's defection, and the Hyuga clan was preoccupied with internal affairs. No one was going to pay attention to what a twelve-year-old child was thinking or doing.
The third day.
On a small hill over ten miles outside Konoha.
The sky wasn't fully bright yet. A streak of pale gray light rested on the eastern horizon, slowly brightening. The sky was still a deep blue, with a few stars twinkling above.
A breeze blew in from the west, carrying the scent of dirt and fresh grass—cool and refreshing. A massive tree grew at the top of the hill, its trunk thick and its foliage dense. Two figures stood at the very top of the tree, side by side on a sturdy branch.
Both wore dark clothing and carried backpacks. The bags weren't large, but they were bulging, packed full of supplies. The ninja tool pouches at their waists were equally stuffed, brimming with kunai and shuriken.
Hyuga Neji stood on the left. The bandages on his forehead had been re-wrapped, concealing the Caged Bird curse mark that was now suppressed by a Sealing Jutsu. His expression was serene, his white pupils gazing out at the hazy sky ahead.
Uchiha Sasuke stood on the right. His hair was tied back, fluttering slightly in the wind. His expression was equally calm. His black pupils held no tomoe; his Sharingan was deactivated.
The two stood shoulder to shoulder in the tree, facing west. To the west lay the heartland of the Land of Fire. Beyond that was the Land of Rivers, and further still was the border between the Land of Wind and the Land of Rain. The scrolls had stated that the man they sought might be in the Land of Rain.
Neji broke the silence. "Let's go."
With that, he leaped down from the tree and swiftly darted off into the distance.
Sasuke remained in the tree, not moving immediately. He took one last look in the direction of Konoha.
He couldn't see the village from here; all he could see was a hazy sky and rolling hills in the distance. The village lay to the east. The sun had yet to rise, leaving the eastern sky a pale gray, save for a faint streak of orange-red light on the horizon.
He watched for a few seconds before jumping down as well. Without looking back, he sprinted after Neji. His pace was fast, and he quickly caught up, slowing down to walk side by side with him.
Their shadows stretched long in the morning light, but their steps were resolute. They didn't look back, nor did they stop. The wind swept through their hair and clothes, sending the hems of their garments fluttering.
Konoha lay behind them, growing further and smaller, until it finally vanished beyond the horizon.
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