I'm Popular.

Hearing Kirito's words, Orochimaru was slightly stunned, but soon, a sense of relief washed over him.

His solemn expression shifted back to his usual dark and eerie demeanor. Slowly, he opened his mouth and told Kirito the location of the Root's headquarters.

"The Root is actually in…"

He detailed the exact location of the Root's lair.

After sharing this information, Orochimaru paused, reflecting on his next move. He knew the man in front of him, Kirito, was far too powerful for him to defeat. It was clear to Orochimaru that killing him was out of the question. Moreover, his mission to acquire Uchiha Sasuke's body had always been a secondary goal. His true purpose in Konoha was still unfolding, carefully hidden beneath layers of deceit and intrigue.

Yet, the unexpected arrival of Kirito, with his overwhelming strength, complicated matters. Orochimaru had to consider whether continuing his plans in Konoha was even feasible, especially with such a formidable opponent around. However, an opportunity presented itself. Kirito's apparent grudge against Danzo could serve Orochimaru's purposes.

As long as the internal strife within Konoha continued to grow, Orochimaru's chances of success would be much higher. With this thought, he began to quietly fuel the animosity between Kirito and Danzo, watching as the seeds of chaos took root.

Meanwhile, Kirito walked slowly toward Naruto and the others, nodding at them as he passed.

"Teacher, what happened?" Naruto asked, his curiosity piqued as he looked at Orochimaru.

Kirito replied calmly, "The situation has been handled. You three can continue with the test. Don't cause trouble, and don't tell anyone what you saw. I prefer to keep things quiet."

With that, Kirito disappeared into the forest in a flash of golden light.

Orochimaru, watching him leave, smiled faintly, casting one last glance at Sasuke before vanishing without a word. The three students stood frozen for a moment, still processing the events they had witnessed.

"Teacher Kirito is gone," Naruto said, still in awe of the battle he had just witnessed.

"The battle was amazing!" he added, eyes wide with excitement.

Sasuke, feeling a bit relieved now that the danger had passed, let out a quiet breath. Before he could speak, Sakura, ever the analytical one, began to piece things together.

"That man... he was probably a spy from another village," Sakura speculated. "Teacher Kirito must have figured it out in advance and saved us when we were in danger."

"And Teacher Kirito doesn't want us to tell anyone about this," she continued, "probably because he doesn't want the attention. But that spy... he was powerful. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to fool so many Jonin."

Naruto listened in confusion, but when Sakura mentioned the summoning technique and the Kusanagi sword, Sasuke's mind immediately clicked.

"Summoning technique... Snake... Kusanagi sword!" Sasuke's eyes widened. In an instant, he stood up.

"That... that was Orochimaru! The traitor from our village!" Sasuke exclaimed, his gaze turning to the direction in which Kirito and Orochimaru had disappeared.

Sakura's face paled as the realization sank in. "Orochimaru..."

Naruto, still clueless, looked back and forth between them. "What? What snake? What pill?"

Sasuke sighed and glanced at Naruto. "It's not important. Just don't tell anyone what happened."

---

In the Forest of Death, countless dangerous creatures roamed freely, including a centipede larger than a human arm, which crept along the trees, preparing to strike a man standing high above.

With a swift motion, the man threw a kunai, piercing the centipede's body. This man was none other than Kabuto Yakushi, the friendly senior Naruto and his team had met earlier. Though he wore a Konoha headband, Kabuto was actually a spy planted by Orochimaru to gather intelligence from various ninja villages.

Kabuto, still posing as a young Genin, had failed the Chunin exams multiple times—not due to lack of strength, but as part of his mission to collect information and keep his true identity hidden. Today, his task was to observe Sasuke Uchiha, though he had no knowledge of what had transpired between Orochimaru and Kirito in the Forest of Death.

Kabuto had been scouting the area, looking for Naruto and the others.

"Hey, what's written on those scrolls?" Naruto called out to the others, holding them up.

Sakura and Sasuke were equally curious, though Sakura was more cautious.

Naruto, eager to open the scrolls, began to unroll them. Just then, Kabuto leapt down from the trees.

"Don't open them," he warned, stopping Naruto mid-motion.

The trio froze, surprised by his sudden appearance.

Looking at Kabuto, who had a friendly demeanor, Naruto grinned. "Senior Kabuto, what do you mean?"

Kabuto pushed his glasses up and explained calmly, "Based on previous experience, the team that opens the scrolls is considered eliminated."

Naruto nodded in understanding and put the scrolls down, thanking Kabuto for the advice.

Kabuto smiled slightly, though his mind was elsewhere. He continued to observe Sasuke, who had no sign of Orochimaru's curse mark. Kabuto felt a pang of confusion.

"What's going on?" he wondered silently.

Naruto, noticing Kabuto's distant look, asked, "Are you okay, Senior? You look like you're thinking about something."

Kabuto quickly recovered his composure, coughing to mask his embarrassment. "Yes, I lost track of my teammates. I must have gotten distracted."

Naruto smiled, offering to let Kabuto join them. "Why don't you come with us until you find your friends? We can help each other."

Sasuke and Sakura exchanged a look, but Sakura, ever polite, nodded in agreement. "It's fine. You're from Konoha."

Kabuto's acting skills were impeccable. He played the role of the concerned, kind senior perfectly, and his words eased any suspicions Naruto had. Sasuke, however, was less trusting, though he said nothing.

The four of them wandered further into the Forest of Death.

---

After the second test concluded, Dou, who had been watching, noticed that Sasuke hadn't been cursed by Orochimaru but didn't mention it. He performed his duties and then left.

Back in the classroom, where the Genin teams had gathered, the high-ranking officials from Konoha and other villages were in attendance. Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Hokage, was present as well.

Azuki Yutei unrolled a scroll, announcing the results.

"The first-place team in the assessment: Team 7 from Konoha Village, led by teacher Kirito. Students: Uzumaki Naruto, Uchiha Sasuke, and Haruno Sakura."

The room erupted in whispers.

"As expected of Konoha," one ninja said. "Their students are impressive."

"Is this Teacher Kirito the Jonin who inherited the title of the Golden Flash?" another murmured.

Sarutobi Hiruzen smiled faintly, acknowledging the praise. Meanwhile, Kirito's name gained recognition across the villages once again.