---
The second Chunin Exam had ended.
It was late at night.
In a dense forest somewhere outside the woods of Konoha Village, two ghostly figures appeared in the darkness.
One of them was a man wearing sunglasses and a windbreaker, his calm expression revealed under the moonlight.
This man was Kirito, who had come to cause trouble for Danzo.
Kirito didn't speak but merely gazed at the hidden chambers.
Meanwhile, in a dense forest not far from the Root's headquarters, a man with long brown hair, silver rings on his ears, and a dark glint in his eyes was observing Kirito's arrival.
It was Orochimaru, the one who had informed Kirito about the base.
Orochimaru licked his fingers with his snake-like tongue, his eyes gleaming with amusement as he watched Kirito, who was now illuminated by the moonlight. He murmured to himself, "This is the headquarters of the Root. I wonder what kind of fun will unfold here."
Before Orochimaru could finish his musings, Kirito's figure turned into a streak of light, rushing toward the Anbu. The golden glow surrounding him made him resemble a meteor.
There was no attempt at stealth.
Soon, the Anbu ninjas noticed Kirito's arrival.
Inside a dimly lit room in the village, Danzo was sitting cross-legged, deep in thought.
Suddenly, the hurried sound of footsteps echoed from outside the door.
A tall figure, with orange-yellow side-parted hair and a high ponytail, wearing black gloves and trousers, rushed in. He had a katana strapped to his back.
"Leader Danzo, we're under attack!"
The man, Yamanaka Feng, was a member of the Root.
Hearing the words, Danzo's brow furrowed slightly.
"It's Kirito," he muttered. "His forceful approach means he has bad intentions."
His gaze narrowed further. "How did he find out the location of the Root?"
"I don't know," Yamanaka Feng stammered.
Danzo's mind raced. A figure from his recent dealings with Orochimaru came to mind. Just after his agreement with Orochimaru, Kirito had appeared at the Root's base. It was clear that Orochimaru, the traitor, had betrayed them by revealing the location.
Danzo cursed Orochimaru inwardly for his ingratitude, despite the many promises he'd made. But now wasn't the time for anger; he suppressed his fury and stood up slowly from the futon.
"Let's go..." Danzo said, following Yamanaka Feng out of the room.
Meanwhile, atop a large tree outside the village, Orochimaru watched with amusement as Kirito advanced toward the Root base.
A slight smile curved Orochimaru's lips, and his golden eyes gleamed with anticipation.
As Kirito entered the Root village, a hint of scarlet flickered in Orochimaru's gaze. He extended a finger, which wriggled and transformed into a small black snake.
With a sinister smile, Orochimaru placed the snake on the ground. It quickly slithered towards the heart of the Root base.
Settling onto the tree with his chin resting on his hand, Orochimaru glanced at the moon, muttering to himself, "The moon is so round tonight. I wonder if Danzo is in the mood to admire it."
If Danzo had heard Orochimaru, he would have surely pointed at him and cursed, "I'll watch it, you annoying toad."
Kirito made his way deeper into the Root organization, quickly attracting attention. Root ninjas wearing animal masks surrounded him, but Kirito remained unfazed, his eyes cold.
"Who doesn't want to live?" Kirito said, his voice calm yet carrying a deadly intent. "Who dares to break into my Root alone?"
One ninja, his tiger mask set in a scowl, stepped forward and threatened, "I'll deal with you."
However, it was clear they all knew Kirito's identity by now. The purpose of the challenge was only to buy time for Danzo's arrival.
Kirito smirked, "I just need to find Danzo and settle some personal matters. If you don't want to die, then get out of my way."
With that, he ignored the ninjas and began walking deeper into the base.
The ninjas exchanged wary glances, realizing the futility of stopping him. Even if Kirito was a Kage-level threat, they couldn't allow such an intrusion to go unnoticed.
The ninja in the tiger mask charged forward, kunai in hand, but Kirito's kick sent him flying into a house with a sickening crash.
The other ninjas hesitated, clearly intimidated by Kirito's overwhelming power.
Dong, dong, dong!
The sound of hurried footsteps approached as Yamanaka Feng and Danzo arrived at the scene. Danzo's eyes narrowed as he surveyed the wreckage, his gaze settling on Kirito with a sneer.
"Kirito, you've killed my men," Danzo said coldly. "I didn't seek you out, but here you are, making a mess of my base. I'm curious… where did you find the courage to do this?"
Kirito remained silent, his expression unfazed as he stared at Danzo.
Danzo, seeing that Kirito wasn't responding, continued with mockery, "You think defeating a mere junior like Mei Terumi means you can break into my Root? Are you that blinded by the fame of the 'Golden Flash'?"
"Don't you know how high the sky is and how thick the earth beneath you?"
Kirito frowned, realizing Danzo had become unusually talkative. Annoyed by the constant prattling, he took a step forward, his body flickering as he shot toward Danzo.
Yamanaka Feng quickly moved to block, drawing his katana and placing it before his chest.
But before he could strike, Kirito had already reached him. With a single kick, he sent Yamanaka Feng flying, his body crashing into the nearby structures.
The ground shook, dust filling the air.
Orochimaru, observing through his black snake, chuckled quietly.
"Haha, he's not just for show after all. Danzo, you've truly provoked a monster."
Inside the Root base, the smoke began to clear. The once proud and towering figure of Yamanaka Feng was now crumpled, bloodied, and lifeless, his body half buried in the debris.
Danzo's face twitched with rage, his anger boiling over. He had worked so hard to build this organization, and now it was being destroyed before his eyes.
Taking a deep breath to suppress his fury, Danzo addressed Kirito.
"Kirito, I underestimated you," Danzo said, his voice cold but calculating. "You have great power. How about joining my Root? If you do, everything between us can be forgotten."
Danzo, ever the strategist, was trying to win Kirito over, even in this moment of crisis.
But Kirito's faint smile spoke volumes. He didn't need to say a word for Danzo to understand.
"I'm not interested in becoming part of your Root," Kirito replied calmly. "As for Hokage… in my eyes, it's no different from a rock on the ground."
Danzo fell silent. The Hokage position, the one he valued above all else, was nothing more than a triviality to Kirito. It stung his pride, but he kept his composure.
"And as for joining your Root," Kirito continued, his gaze cold, "If you were me, would you trust someone who constantly stabs you in the back?"
Danzo's expression hardened as the tension in the air grew thick. Kirito's disdain for the Hokage position and his rejection of Root's alliance ignited a fire in Danzo's heart.
"Maybe this isn't going to work after all," Danzo thought.
The silence was shattered when Kirito spoke again.
"Danzo, it's not you or your organization I despise, it's your backstabbing, your manipulations. That's why I'll never join you."
Orochimaru, watching from a distance, grinned as he heard the conversation. His curiosity piqued, he muttered to himself, "So, the Hokage isn't worth anything to him… That's a dangerous man."
Suddenly, Danzo barked, "Kill him!"
The Root ninjas surged forward, surrounding Kirito.
But before they could make a move, a dazzling golden light burst from the crowd.
Boom!
Root ninjas were sent flying in all directions.
Danzo's eyes widened, his expression turning to one of shock and realization.
"Get Hokage Sarutobi Hiruzen here immediately!" Danzo ordered in desperation.
The situation was dire, and only Sarutobi Hiruzen could save him now.
Then, just as Danzo turned, Kirito appeared in front of him, as if from nowhere.
In an instant, a flash kick sent Danzo sprawling across the ground, his bandaged body breaking apart.
But before Danzo could react, Kirito vanished once again, returning to his previous position.
This time, Danzo was back on his feet, but something was off. The air was thick with an unsettling energy.
The others around them seemed unaffected, their movements frozen, as if nothing had changed.
Orochimaru, his eyes wide with realization, muttered, "Did he just…?"
---