The forest beyond Konoha's gates swallowed Naruto Uzumaki like a beast with no hunger for mercy. Moonlight fractured through the canopy, casting jagged silver scars across the earth. Each step he took was heavier than the last, the Forbidden Scroll strapped to his back a weight far greater than its parchment and seals. It wasn't just stolen knowledge—it was a key, a curse, a choice. And Naruto, for the first time, felt the thrill of choosing for himself.
He didn't look back.
The village's alarms had faded hours ago, replaced by the hum of cicadas and the occasional snap of a twig underfoot. ANBU would come eventually—fox-masked shadows trained to hunt what Konoha deemed dangerous. He was dangerous now, wasn't he? The thought curled his lips into a smile, not the wide grin of the boy who'd painted the Hokage Monument, but something quieter, sharper. Like a blade drawn in secret.
Naruto stopped beneath a gnarled oak, its roots twisting into the dirt like veins of some ancient creature. The air here felt different—thicker, older, as if the forest itself was watching. He slid the scroll to the ground, his fingers brushing the worn leather binding. The seals pulsed faintly, warning of the power within. Shadow clones had been the first trick, but what else lay hidden? Forbidden jutsu. Secrets the Hokage kept locked away. Secrets that could make him more than a demon, more than a failure.
He sat, back against the tree, and closed his eyes. The silence wasn't empty—it pressed against him, heavy with questions. Why did they hate me? Why did they lie? The Third's face flashed in his mind—kind but distant, always promising a future that never came. Iruka's bloodied hand, reaching out too late. The village's whispers: monster, fox, burden. And deeper, beneath it all, that voice stirred again. Warm, like embers in his gut. They fear you, boy. They always will.
"Shut up," Naruto muttered, though he wasn't sure if he meant the fox or himself. The Kyubi's presence was stronger now, a pulse that matched his heartbeat. He didn't trust it, but he didn't trust Konoha either. For now, they were uneasy allies.
A rustle broke his thoughts. Instinct kicked in—kunai drawn, stance low. His clones hadn't scattered; they'd faded when he fled, too drained to maintain them. "Who's there?" he called, voice steady despite the adrenaline.
A figure stepped from the shadows, cloaked in tattered black, face half-hidden by a hood. A woman, older than Naruto but younger than Jiraiya, with eyes like chipped obsidian. A tanto hung at her hip, its blade nicked from use. "Bold move, kid," she said, her voice low, amused. "Stealing from the Hokage and running off into the night. You've got guts. Or you're just stupid."
Naruto tightened his grip on the kunai. "Who are you? ANBU?"
She laughed, a sound like dry leaves. "If I were ANBU, you'd be in chains already. Name's Kana. Used to be a chunin from Konoha. Now I'm… let's say unattached."
"Unattached?" Naruto's eyes narrowed. A rogue ninja. Like the ones whispered about in the Academy—traitors who abandoned their village. He should've been wary, but something in her stance—relaxed yet ready—felt like a mirror. "Why should I trust you?"
"You shouldn't," Kana said, leaning against a tree. "But you're out here alone, with a scroll that'll have every hunter-nin in Fire Country after you. And I'm guessing you don't have a plan beyond 'run.'"
Naruto bristled. She wasn't wrong, but he didn't like it. "I don't need a plan. I'm done with Konoha. Done with their lies."
Her eyes flicked to the scroll, then back to him. "So I heard. Word travels fast when you're the village pariah. Demon fox, right?" She didn't flinch when she said it, didn't sneer like Mizuki had. Just stated it, like it was fact.
Naruto's stomach twisted. "You know about that?"
"Everyone knows, kid. Well, everyone who matters. The higher-ups like to pretend it's a secret, but shinobi talk." She stepped closer, her gaze piercing. "Question is, what're you gonna do about it? Cry? Fight? Or something… else?"
The way she said "else" sent a shiver down his spine. Not fear—possibility. "What do you want?" he asked, lowering the kunai slightly.
Kana smirked. "I want what you want. Freedom. The villages—Konoha, Kumo, all of 'em—they're cages. They train kids like us to die for their wars, their secrets. I left because I saw through it. You're leaving for the same reason, aren't you?"
Naruto didn't answer. He didn't need to. The truth hung between them, raw and unspoken. The forest seemed to lean in, the wind curling around his ankles like it had in his dreams.
"I can help you," Kana continued. "There's a place—far from here—where people like us go. Outcasts. Rogues. People who don't fit the shinobi mold. They've got knowledge, resources. They can teach you what that scroll's hiding."
"And what's the catch?" Naruto asked, echoing his words to Mizuki. Fool him once, shame on them. Fool him twice…
"No catch," Kana said, but her smile was too sharp to believe. "Just a trade. You've got something valuable. They'll want to see it. And you'll need protection, training, maybe even a purpose."
Purpose. The word stung. He'd had one once—Hokage. Now? He wasn't sure. But the idea of a place for outcasts, a place where he wasn't the demon… it called to him.
Before he could respond, a kunai whizzed past, embedding in the oak. Kana spun, drawing her tanto in a blur. Naruto dropped into a crouch, clones popping into existence around him—fewer this time, his chakra still low. Three ANBU emerged, masks gleaming under the moon: a hawk, a cat, a fox.
"Uzumaki Naruto," the hawk-masked one said, voice cold. "Return the scroll and surrender. You're under arrest for treason."
Naruto's heart pounded, but not with fear. Rage. They didn't care about him yesterday. Now he was a traitor? "You want it?" he snarled, hefting the scroll. "Come take it."
Kana laughed, stepping beside him. "Kid's got spirit. You sure you want this fight, ANBU?"
The fox-masked ninja tilted their head, silent. Naruto felt the Kyubi stir, its chakra licking at his edges. Let me out, it whispered. Let me burn them. He pushed it down, but not completely. Not tonight.
The fight was brutal, short. Naruto's clones swarmed, sloppy but overwhelming. Kana moved like a ghost, her tanto flashing, drawing blood before vanishing into shadows. The ANBU were skilled, but outnumbered and caught off guard. The hawk-masked one fell last, a clone's fist to the temple. They didn't kill—Naruto wasn't there yet—but the message was clear.
When the dust settled, Kana wiped her blade on her sleeve. "Not bad, kid. You might survive this path after all."
Naruto panted, the scroll heavy in his hands. The forest was silent again, but the weight on his chest was lighter. He'd fought Konoha and won. For now.
"Where's this place you're talking about?" he asked, voice steady.
Kana pointed north, toward mountains shrouded in mist. "The Hidden Hollow. A sanctuary for those who've had enough of villages. You in?"
Naruto looked at the scroll, then at the blood on the ground. Konoha's blood. His blood. The line between them blurred.
"I'm in," he said, the crimson flicker in his eyes growing brighter.
The path untaken stretched before him, shadowed and sharp. And for the first time, Naruto walked it without looking back.