UK:GSW Chapter 114: Sasori's Path of Seeking—"Escape" Released
While Uchiha Kei and Uchiha Naori were testing the effects of WeChat, far beyond the Land of Fire, in the Land of Rivers, a certain shinobi was moving swiftly.
He was a strikingly handsome red-haired youth, wearing the forehead protector of Sunagakure—only the symbol was slashed through, the universal mark of a rogue ninja.
Clearly, he was now a rogue from Sunagakure.
Sasori, the young man who had become obsessed with puppet mechanisms after being drawn into an illusion game, and then driven further by Uchiha Kei's coaxing, had now taken his fated step—becoming a missing-nin of Sunagakure.
However, unlike in the original timeline, his motivation had shifted. He no longer murdered the Third Kazekage to turn him into a human puppet for the sake of pursuing the ultimate puppet art.
Sasori had once indeed considered killing the Third Kazekage, whom he saw as excellent "material," in pursuit of artistic perfection. Art students always think differently, and though there's no such thing in the shinobi world as a failed art major, Sasori's ideals clashed fiercely with the Kazekage's. Hence, in another timeline, he sacrificed him.
But in this world, altered by Uchiha Kei's butterfly effect, Sasori had still gone rogue—but his ambition had changed. Now, he wanted to recreate the mechanical battle armor he saw in the illusion world.
Compared to those technologically advanced puppet suits, human puppets were crude and unbearable to look at—even if one was made from a Kage-level shinobi like the Third Kazekage.
To a true artist like Sasori, that was unacceptable.
Thus, the Third Kazekage survived, and the catalyst of the Third Great Ninja War—the Kazekage's disappearance—was averted.
Currently, Sasori was on the run. Sunagakure had dispatched shinobi to Konoha, and they were now hunting him down.
Over time, word of his defection spread throughout Sunagakure, shocking everyone like a thunderbolt from the blue. No one could understand it.
After all, Sasori was the grandson of Elder Chiyo, and the most promising young shinobi in the village. The Third Kazekage himself had high hopes for him and had even considered Sasori a future successor.
That such a bright young man would defect was a shock akin to an earthquake—a magnitude eight emotional blow to the whole village.
The Third Kazekage, outraged and confused, couldn't comprehend Sasori's logic—why would someone with such a future betray the village?
Naturally, a pursuit order was issued.
But it was a pursuit, not a kill-on-sight.
First, Sasori had strong connections—being the grandson of Elder Chiyo and descended from the First Kazekage. And second, his talent was unmatched in all of Sunagakure, if not the entire history of the Land of Wind.
Such genius, even if led astray, was worth giving a second chance.
Even those sent to pursue him were told not to use force. They were to persuade him. If he refused, they could let him go, in hopes that he might one day return.
This attitude was quite similar to how the Third Tsuchikage later let his disobedient disciple Deidara wander as a rogue ninja.
Still, despite all these considerations, Sasori's defection caused great distress and confusion among those who knew.
The only one even slightly pleased was Rasa.
After all, Sasori's exit was so damaging that—even if he later repented and returned—his candidacy for the Fourth Kazekage would be dead in the water. That race was essentially forfeited.
Yet even Rasa, while pleased, felt a bit empty. He'd always seen Sasori as his greatest rival for the position. But it was clear now that Sasori had no interest in it. Otherwise, he wouldn't have fled so decisively.
Sasori had even left a letter stating he was pursuing the ultimate puppet art—a declaration that piqued Rasa's curiosity. No one really understood what Sasori meant, and most dismissed it as youthful rebellion.
But if Sasori truly achieved what he sought—if he succeeded—then upon his return, he would become Sunagakure's most unique existence. Even if Rasa did become the Fourth Kazekage, he might not be able to compete.
Because despite Sasori's aloof and eccentric nature, his skill and talent were undeniable. Many in the village already followed him. If he returned, those followers would gather to him again.
Rasa thought long and hard about all this. But in the end, he felt only determination: whatever the future held, Sasori had bowed out. The Kazekage seat was now his to claim. He would not let it go.
That was what happened in Sunagakure.
As for Sasori, since he hadn't experienced the spiritual metamorphosis that came from killing the Kazekage, he didn't bear deep enmity toward the village. After all, his grandmother was still there.
So when confronted by the shinobi sent to capture him, he simply ran. He didn't head directly to Konoha. Instead, he looped northward through the Land of Rivers, toward the Land of Rain, and then on to the Land of Grass—only afterward would he reenter the Land of Fire.
It was a well-planned route. He was already near the Land of Rain. Once inside, the constant rain would wash away his scent and tracks, throwing off his pursuers.
Then, in the Land of Grass, he could alter his appearance and completely disappear.
Everything was going according to plan.
Sasori was filled with anticipation. He longed to return to Konoha—to find the mysterious figure who had shown him the path to the ultimate puppet art.
Sasori, the devoted seeker, moved onward under the morning sun toward a future full of hope and beauty—like a scene painted in an ethereal scroll.
But it would still be some time before Sasori arrived in Konoha. Meanwhile, in the village welcoming a new day, the genjutsu-based game "Escape" had been released.
Every Uchiha received a copy, massively boosting sales and emotional investment.
After all, this game had been made by Lord Kei specifically to awaken Sharingan within the Uchiha clan. If you were Uchiha and didn't play it—you weren't one of them. Not playing meant you didn't love the Uchiha, didn't love Konoha. .jpg
So, play they did. Hard. Furious. No one could let down Lord Kei's painstaking effort.
Even in-law non-Uchiha members bought copies. Idlers in the clan quickly began their journey into the game.
It might as well have been a survival horror experience—since "Escape" was unique in that you couldn't fight back. Just run.
Even "Return Home," which also involved fleeing, had some combat.
But "Escape" was a one-of-a-kind ordeal.
Outside the Uchiha clan, many other villagers—including other ninja clans and civilians—also joined the experience.
Some bought the game for home; others tried it at local arcades.
In fact, many players who came into the arcade today saw the new game and chose to play "Escape."
Why not try something new?
Thus, more and more joined the shared experience of suffering.
Since they were just starting, most were still in the initial stages—grappling with the fear and the game's portrayal of the Root organization and the mysterious Indra Clan.
The lore intrigued them. The game was heavily story-driven—far more so than others—and players were eager to dig into the plot.
Only a few who knew about Root in real life picked up on the deeper implications. They saw the Indra Clan as an allegory for the Uchiha and drew connections to Danzo Shimura's past targeting of them.
Though such associations were speculative—and the Indra Clan's bloodline differed from the Sharingan—the allegory was so pointed that it was hard to ignore.
It was shocking. Ingenious. The shinobi world had never seen anything like it.
Even during the last two wars, the nations fought with tactics, assassinations, and battles—not propaganda.
Uchiha Kei's use of narrative control in "Escape" was unprecedented.
But because the consequences hadn't fully unfolded yet, most who noticed the subtext assumed it was just venting—an attempt to disgust Danzo.
People simply couldn't grasp the true impact of something they'd never seen before.
Like how Emperor Gaozong gave Wu Zetian unprecedented power. Did he know the danger?
Of course. But in his mind, she might at worst become another Empress Lü. The empire could handle it.
Instead, Wu Zetian ascended the throne herself, turning the Tang Dynasty into the Zhou Dynasty.
That's what was happening here.
Even someone as sharp as Nara Shikaku merely saw the game as a jab at Root and Danzo. He didn't see the greater threat.
Only when the full weight of narrative manipulation crashed down on them would they understand the power it held.
As for Danzo—he hadn't seen the game's content firsthand. Despite having people monitoring it, he was summoned by Hiruzen Sarutobi that morning.
There, alongside Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane, he was hit with a stunning revelation.
Tsunade's hemophobia had been cured!
"Impossible! That's not something you fix overnight! Tsunade's no lovestruck teenager—how could she be cured after one night?! Something's wrong!"
"Hiruzen, are you sure?! Has Tsunade really been cured of her hemophobia?!"
Danzo lost control and shouted, stunning the three old companions in the room.
Scratching his head, Hiruzen frowned. "Danzo, why are you so worked up? And what does her phobia have to do with first love?"