The story reached its end. The "protagonist" looked on as Danzo was tortured and torn apart by the evil spirits, eventually passing out in a daze.
When he regained consciousness, the entire underground lab had fallen eerily silent. The evil spirits and Danzo had both vanished, as though everything had faded into nothingness.
Not understanding what had happened, the "protagonist" decided to leave. Holding the collected evidence, he returned to the surface, intending to expose the dark deeds of the Root organization to the entire shinobi world and have the world join forces to bring down that colossal evil.
As the "protagonist," Uchiha Madara realized the game was reaching its true conclusion. Although the ending wasn't exactly happy, it was at least a proper one. Most importantly, the goal of destroying Root had been achieved. He only had to leave the underground lab, exit the hospital, and follow the path he had entered by to end everything.
So Uchiha Madara pressed on. Dragging the protagonist's exhausted and battered body, he hobbled forward slowly, trying to leave this place filled with hatred and death.
A soft, haunting BGM began to play, like the closing theme of a powerful story, chanting the final verse of this game.
Madara stopped walking. Though he had heard BGM while playing games before, this time, the music perfectly mirrored his feelings and current state.
He took a deep breath and continued forward with unwavering resolve, walking along the path toward the light.
With the music playing, his mood steadily improved. He began to relax. His pace quickened—even the simulated fatigue and despair couldn't stop him now.
Yes, everything would be okay. This story had a regretful but acceptable ending.
Perhaps this was what it felt like when he and Hashirama first founded the Hidden Leaf Village?
Ah... that feeling... it's been so long, he had already forgotten it.
A sigh. Nostalgia. Melancholy.
With such long-lost emotions in his heart, Uchiha Madara finally reached the exit of the underground lab, ready to leave.
But just before he could push the door open, the BGM abruptly stopped. Suddenly, the door was thrown open from the outside. A massive force shoved him back, and he stumbled several steps.
A group of masked ninja in gray flak jackets burst inside. They carried blades and kunai.
Although they couldn't use chakra due to the barrier, they were clearly stronger than the protagonist Madara represented.
Before Madara could even react, the ninjas launched their assault, throwing kunai straight at him.
He instinctively tried to dodge—despite being in a game body, his combat instincts were intact.
But at that moment, a wave of weakness washed over him.
"Damn..."
Even though he realized what was happening, his weakened body couldn't respond in time. His dodge failed. Several kunai struck him. One even pierced his heart, and he collapsed, overwhelmed by pain and helplessness.
His consciousness began to fade. He spat blood and saw his vision blur. The attackers approached to check his condition.
Madara wanted to strike back, but his body was cold and limp—he couldn't move.
Then he heard their voices.
"Target neutralized. Continue searching the lab. Retrieve the test materials and destroy all evidence unfavorable to Root."
Upon hearing that, Uchiha Madara understood—they were from Root. Sent to clean up the out-of-control incident.
No wonder their uniforms looked so familiar. They matched the Root from the real world.
Damn it...
Why did this have to happen at the very end? Damn you, Root!
But no matter how angry or unwilling he was, his weakened body left him powerless.
Anger. Frustration. Resentment.
Emotions churned inside him. He wanted to explode—but all he could do was exude a vengeful aura.
However, in games, twists often occur during moments like this—and this time was no exception.
The twist came.
The vanished evil spirits reappeared and attacked the Root members. These ninja, despite their skills, were powerless without chakra. Compared to the evil spirits, they were outmatched.
A one-sided slaughter unfolded. Just like Danzo had been ripped apart, the Root ninja were swiftly and brutally killed.
Screams. Wails. Screeches. They echoed endlessly.
Though Madara's vision was blurred, he vaguely saw people torn apart, lifted into the air and split in two. It brought him deep satisfaction, as though all the resentment in his chest had been purged. He felt immense catharsis.
But his life was slipping away.
Then, as death approached and his body turned cold, he saw something strange—vague, translucent figures around him.
They were the evil spirits—clansmen of Indra transformed into spirits.
They surrounded Madara but did not attack. Instead, they lifted his near-dead body and carried him back into the depths of the lab.
His consciousness flickered between lucidity and shock. Each time he opened his eyes, he found himself in a new location.
Eventually, they placed him on an operating table. The two-headed evil spirit—his parents—appeared and spoke in a hoarse, sorrowful voice:
"Forgive us, child... this is the only way for you to keep existing..."
Before he could understand what was happening, a surge of pain engulfed his entire body—like electricity violently coursing through him.
When he came to, everything had changed. He could no longer feel his body. His mind was crystal clear and floating in midair, radiating an overwhelming sense of power.
He looked around and saw that his body had become a translucent blue form. The surrounding evil spirits knelt before him, bowing in reverence.
The two-headed spirit—his parents—approached and explained in a raspy voice: to preserve his life, they had used the evil equipment in the lab to turn Madara into an evil spirit.
And just as Danzo had once said, the "protagonist" was an extraordinary being—far beyond other descendants of Indra.
After transformation, he instantly became the most powerful, most terrifying evil spirit. The others instinctively revered and feared him.
Madara was now\... the King of Evil Spirits!
He had an innate ability to block chakra. Any living being within ten kilometers of him would have their chakra sealed, just like the sealed zone that covered the hospital and lab.
And those he killed—he could consume their souls, grow stronger, or even convert living people into evil spirits, growing his army.
Even fields designed to suppress evil spirits couldn't stop him. He could pass through them freely.
In other words, as the King of Evil Spirits, the "protagonist" had become the most terrifying monster in the world. If he wished, he could bring unprecedented catastrophe and destroy the shinobi world.
Then, Uchiha Madara realized—he had lost control of "himself."
He watched as his evil spirit self destroyed the lab's suppression field, freeing all the spirits.
He saw the Evil Spirit King lead them into the outside world, reaching the hospital. There, Root agents had gathered to clean up the disaster.
Without hesitation, the Evil Spirit King ordered a massacre. He joined the slaughter himself, tearing people apart and devouring their souls.
Madara, completely unable to intervene, could only watch. Despite the thrill, his emotions grew increasingly complex.
He could tell—after the transformation, the "protagonist" had not only changed species, but also personality and cognition. He no longer considered himself human. He loathed and craved the living, driven by an urge to eradicate them all.
The once righteous protagonist who stood against evil no longer existed. In his place was a being full of hatred toward life itself.
Without question, this was an evolution.
But evolving into something no longer human—this shift in values and identity—wasn't that a kind of tragedy?
The dragon-slayer... had become the dragon.
Madara couldn't help but think—deeply.
He remembered his own plan—to complete the Eye of the Moon and become the Ten-Tails' jinchūriki.
If that time came, he too would evolve into something beyond human. A being on par with the Sage of Six Paths.
So...
"When that time comes... will I still hold on to my original resolve? Can I still remain who I was?"
Hesitation. Doubt. Confusion. And a faint, unspoken fear crept into Uchiha Madara's heart.
And so, with that final reflection, the game "Escape" came to its true end. In Madara's view, the Evil Spirit King let out a roar against the rising sun—one of pure hatred for life itself.
The screen faded to black. A line of text appeared:
[Escape]: End.