"Looks like the 1st and 3rd elder were way more thorough than us." The clan leader smirked as he sifted through a stack of papers.
"What do you mean?" the 2nd elder asked to which the clan leader said "All the 41 people he has selected blindly follow him and would kill and even die for him. He was thorough enough to not let even a single person from our faction or the neutral faction enter the team."
"That might cause some amount of backlash. He is getting too reckless." The 2nd elder sighed. He was right because when everyone finds out the list of people that are going to be on the exploration team, they will immediately notice the blatant bias that the elders have shown in selecting the people.
"He doesn't care. He plans to leave the valley today and that's the only thing he can think of. He will leave the troublesome task of handling the backlash to me." The clan leader chuckled in annoyance. He then looked at the 2nd elder and asked "So how is the digging going?"
The 2nd elder nodded and said "We finished the digging and stopped only a few meters before the waterfall just like you said. I was also going to handle the placing of explosive tags inside the cave but the kid intervened and told me that he will do it himself."
"That kid came to meet you at the cave in the morning?" the clan leader asked in a surprised tone.
"Yes…he did. And he talks as if we are working for him. I never thought I would have to listen to the orders of an Uchiha brat. My parents and grandparents must be turning in their graves now." The 2nd elder said blaming the clan leader for letting Yami do his will.
"I agree with you but the kid's abilities are far ahead of me and he is solving two of our problems in one go. I don't know whether I can trust him or not but it is at least better than doing nothing." The clan leader said.
Just as the talks were going on, Yami was inside the cave. Using his bats, he was trying to find the weak spots so that fewer explosions could collapse the cave. He didn't have anything and the 2nd elder only had 3 explosive tags with him which he gave to Yami. So now Yami had to utilize those three tags in such a way that it blocks the way properly and didn't let anyone go back inside the valley.
Just like that many things were happening inside the valley today and the outside world was unaware of it. As the evening approached, the list was announced publicly. The ones that were already on the list knew about them being selected yesterday night itself but the other shinobis found out today. The people from the clan leader's faction and the neutral faction tried to oppose the list but some good speeches from the clan leader and the 1st elder did the trick.
In the evening, everyone had gathered at one end of the valley where the forbidden area of the forest was located. The 2nd elder told everyone that since this area is dangerous, this is the best place from where the exploration team can go. The clan leader, 2nd elder, and the rest of the elders will go with the exploration team for a few hundred meters but then the team will have to travel by themselves.
Shiro was also present there along with his family. Chino wanted to go inside the forest as well but Shiro stopped her from doing so. Even Sumi waited with Chino and the other clansmen. She didn't want Shiro to do anything stupid so she spent most of the day convincing him not to interfere but she was still worried. She knew how stubborn her husband was and once he made up his mind about something then he won't stop until he sees it to the end.
As the exploration team and the elders entered the forbidden zone, the clan leader and 2nd elder guided them through. Walking side by side with the two of them was the 1st elder as well.
"Where are we going? This forest is filled with unforeseen dangers." The 3rd elder asked to which the 1st elder said "Our chakra pressure is high enough to drive the poisonous animals away from us. If I am not wrong a few decades ago a cave was being dug to go to the outside world." The 1st elder said the last part looking at the clan leader as if telling him that even I know where we are going.
"Huh? A cave that leads to the outside?" the 7th elder asked.
The clan leader nodded and said "The 1st elder is right. Decades ago a cave was being dug here in the forbidden zone. It wasn't completed but now it has been and it leads to the outside world."
"I will have to thank the clan leader and the 2nd elder for paving our way towards the outside world." The 1st elder said with a slight smile on his face. The 2nd elder's face scrunched up when he heard that but he didn't say anything.
Within a few minutes, the entire group reached the entrance of the cave. "This is as far as we can come with you all. The rest is up to you all." The clan leader said. The 4 elders and their team of 41 shinobis walked forward and entered the cave. Shiro was getting restless seeing them go inside but he didn't do anything.
The 3rd elder turned back and looked at the clan leaders and the rest of the elders and said "We will come back within 4 months and then we can decide how we should go about with the rest of the shinobi world." The 3rd elder didn't hesitate to show a sly smile when he heard that. He knew that it was already too late for the clan leader and Shiro to object to anything.
The clan leader and the others watched the exploration team disappear inside. After waiting for a few seconds, the clan leader glanced at the 2nd elder once and then at the rest of the elders and said "Let's go…we did our best and its upto fate and the elders. Let's believe in them to do the right thing.
"Clan leader are you sure about this?" Shiro asked impatiently.
"Shiro there is nothing left to do…we must leave now." The clan leader said and started walking back toward the clan grounds. The other elders also followed him but Shiro just stood there thinking whether to go in or not but a single stare from the 2nd elder made him follow the rest of the group as well.
They all eventually reached the clan grounds and dispersed. There was no use thinking now and they were all waiting for the results that appear 4 months later. Shiro hurriedly went to his house and saw his wife waiting for him while his daughter was sleeping. He signaled her to come out of the house and shut the door so Chino won't be able to hear anything.
"Sumi they left…they left through the cave." Shiro said.
"A cave? I thought they would go up the mountain and find their way from there." Sumi said.
"Yes I thought so as well and I even wished that they will be stopped by someone up the mountain and the entire plan will fail but now while going I found out that they have dug a cave under the mountain that opens up on the other side of the mountain. If that's true then they can easily enter the shinobi world and carry out their plans. We need to do something." Shiro said as he started to pack the weapons he had in his house.
"What are you doing Shiro?" Sumi asked seeing her husband pack his things.
"I am going inside the cave to stop them. I need to bring them back. I have to sacrifice a few to save many. I am sure that Yami Uchiha will do something if we co-operate with him." Shiro said.
He didn't wait for Shiro's reply and started walking out of the house while signaling Sumi to follow him.
'Chino is sleeping so I don't think I have to worry much. She is strong enough to defend herself if anything happens.' Sumi thought as she followed Shiro. Within half n hour while running on their max speed, the couple reached the cave.
"Is this the cave?" Sumi asked to which Shiro nodded and said "Yes..I will go in and find them. You stay back some distance as my backup."
"What will you do when you find them?" Sumi asked in a worried tone. She knew her husband was strong but fighting 45 shinobis at the same time is not an easy task.
"I will do anything it takes to stop them. If I need to convince them or fight them." Shiro said.
"Will you be able to kill them?" a voice came and the couple looked back to see the 2nd elder standing.
"2nd elder? You are here?" Sumi asked to which the old man only nodded and smiled.
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