"Indeed... but I had to do it. I had my reasons for doing so."
Naruto ignored Orochimaru's sentiment and continued, "As for the crimes you committed in the past, rather than saying I won't pursue them, it would be more accurate to say that you'll have to find a chance to make up for them in the future."
"Like I said before, I won't forbid your experiments and research, but you'd better forget about things like human experimentation."
Orochimaru smiled faintly. "Naturally. Thanks to the information you provided, I already have a new direction for my research. Besides, what interests me most is this wind of yours—what kind of changes it will bring to the ninja world."
"Then... we'll leave it at that. If anything comes up, I'll come find you."
Naruto placed his right hand on Orochimaru's arm, leaving behind his own Flying Thunder God mark.
"I'm looking forward to the moment the Konoha Crush Plan is put into action."
Orochimaru glanced at the Flying Thunder God mark on his arm and tossed his Earth Scroll into Naruto's hands.
Naruto accepted it without hesitation.
Orochimaru had come specifically for Sasuke this time. There was no way he could have been interested in the exam.
After Orochimaru's figure completely vanished into the depths of the Forest of Death, Naruto remained where he was rather than leaving immediately.
Just then, a rapid yet cautious set of footsteps sounded from the bushes behind him, accompanied by a faint rustling as a figure swiftly emerged.
It was Anko Mitarashi, the examiner for this round of the Chunin Exams.
She had clearly rushed over in a hurry, her breathing slightly ragged. One hand instinctively pressed against the back of her neck, where the curse mark was faintly radiating heat and pain.
Anko's sharp gaze