There was another reason behind all of this.
It wasn't just about graduating early.
It was a test. A carefully orchestrated way to gauge Third Hokage's attitude—his true nature.
It would be too shallow to judge a person solely based on the original plot. Stories had biases, blind spots. Satoru needed direct interaction, something tangible, to form an opinion.
That's where the ramen competition came in.
That event? Specifically staged to lure in the Third Hokage. Everyone else? Just convenient extras to make it seem like an organic gathering.
The plan had gone smoothly—almost too smoothly.
Not only had Third Hokage noticed him, but he had also specifically summoned Satoru to the Ninja Academy.
So far, so good.
Satoru had spent the past month pushing his influence in the school, embedding himself as a leader, introducing new concepts, new ways of thinking.
It wasn't just random chaos. Every word, every idea had been selected with precision—tailored for the shinobi world.
He never believed in the "mission above all else" philosophy. The idea that ninjas existed solely to complete missions, that they had to sacrifice anything and everything in pursuit of objectives… that was insane.
The entire shinobi system revolved around this warped principle.
Five-year-old children were handed kunai and told they were soldiers. Trained to be killers, to execute missions without hesitation, to "end all witnesses" if necessary. To swallow hatred, bottle up their emotions, and keep moving forward, no matter the trauma.
But what if they didn't have to?
What if a ninja could choose their own path? What if they weren't shackled by a system that recycled war and suffering like an endless loop?
That's what he was planting in the academy.
The power of choice.
The ability to think beyond the rigid, dehumanizing code ninjas were forced to accept.
Sure, it would be painful at first. Breaking old chains always was. But ignorance? Blind obedience? That was worse.
The children were receptive. Adults? Not so much.
People who had lived through war, bloodshed, and loss couldn't accept a new ideology so easily. Not because it was flawed, but because accepting it meant acknowledging that their own past was built on lies.
It would unravel everything they had forced themselves to believe.
That's why people like the Third Hokage couldn't change.
A person who could accept those truths with a clear mind—that was someone worth trusting.
And that's why Satoru used this method.
If Third Hokage rejected him outright? It would mean exile through graduation, nothing more.
If he showed even a sliver of openness—if he reached out to discuss these ideas rather than suppress them—Satoru would consider him an ally.
But the outcome was clear now.
Hiruzen Sarutobi was not that person.
He wasn't evil. He wasn't malicious. He was just… tired. Too old. Too cautious.
Rather than confront the problem, he chose to ignore it.
Rather than challenge the ideas, he opted for a silent dismissal.
It was the same kind of thinking that would eventually lead to the Uchiha Massacre.
It confirmed everything Satoru needed to know.
Konoha was not a place where Uchiha could survive.
The moment Danzo sunk his fangs into this situation, it would be over.
Satoru had been willing to fight for Uchiha's place in the village, to build trust with the Hokage, to root out the radicals within his own clan…
But now?
No.
This wasn't salvageable.
His decision was made.
Uchiha could not stay in Konoha.
Meanwhile, in the Underground Snake Den…
"Heh… fascinating."
Orochimaru's golden slit pupils gleamed in the dim candlelight.
"Uchiha Satoru… You are quite the anomaly."
A slow, eerie chuckle echoed through the cavern.
"A new ideology, is it?"
The mere concept of reprogramming the way a ninja thought… of reshaping the very foundation of shinobi society… It sent shivers of excitement down his spine.
"Knowledge is power," Orochimaru mused, tapping his fingers together.
"Uchiha Itachi was already a fascinating existence… but his younger brother?"
A sharp grin stretched across his face.
"Uchiha Satoru might be even more entertaining."
He couldn't wait to meet him.