Naruto: Satoru Uchiha

"Wow! He's so handsome!" whispered a girl, eyes wide as she pointed at the white-haired boy across the courtyard.

"Did you see him? He's got that mysterious vibe with the eye patch and everything!" another chimed in.

"I wonder what class he's in," a third girl added with a hopeful sigh. "Imagine seeing him every day."

"We should go ask his name," someone suggested, giggling.

The hallways of the ninja academy were buzzing with chatter. But Satoru, the center of their attention, remained oblivious as he wandered the halls, looking for his assigned classroom.

"Pfft, what a show-off," a voice cut through the whispers, harsh and dismissive. The speaker was a fellow freshman with bright yellow hair. His eyes narrowed at the attention Satoru was getting. *Why him?* he thought bitterly. *Just because he looks cool?* 

He clenched his fists as he watched the group of girls fawn over the newcomer. *This is a ninja academy, not some stage for popularity contests.* 

"Why do you have to be so rude?" one of the girls snapped at him. "He hasn't done anything to you."

"You're just jealous!" another chimed in, crossing her arms defiantly.

The boy's face turned red as he muttered, "Whatever." He turned on his heel and stormed off, unable to hide his frustration.

Meanwhile, Satoru finally found his classroom—Class 7. He glanced up at the sign and walked in. The room was filled with a chaotic blend of chatter and laughter, the kind of noise that only children could make.

The second Satoru stepped inside, he felt a wave of regret wash over him. *Is this my punishment for all those pranks?* he thought, feeling a headache form. Three years in this environment? Not a chance. Not even one day, if he could help it.

*Graduating early is my only option,* he decided swiftly, formulating a plan on the spot.

Determined, Satoru turned on his charm to maximum effect. By the end of the day, he had won over everyone from the seasoned 50-year-old instructors to the youngest five-year-olds. Even the yellow-haired boy who had glared at him earlier ended up laughing at one of Satoru's jokes.

As the day ended, teachers marveled at the boy's behavior. "I never expected an Uchiha to be so friendly and warm," one instructor commented. "It's a pleasant surprise."

Word of Satoru's remarkable first day made its way to the Hokage's office. The Third Hokage listened intently, his brows raised in disbelief. *Is this really the same boy?* The reports of his friendly, cooperative demeanor were in stark contrast to what he'd been led to believe.

*Perhaps there's more to this child than I thought,* the Hokage mused. *If he can build bridges with others, maybe he could be the key to easing tensions between the Uchiha and the village.* 

Little did he know that Satoru's motivation was much simpler: *I, Satoru, do not want to stay in school!*

---

Returning to the Uchiha clan grounds, Satoru made his way to the training area and spotted Sasuke.

"Yo, Sasuke!" he called out cheerfully.

"Second brother?" Sasuke looked up, dirt smeared across his face from an earlier mishap with his shuriken practice. *Did he see me fall?* Sasuke's eyes darted with embarrassment and curiosity. *Why is he even here?*

"What are you doing here?" Sasuke asked, trying to sound nonchalant.

"Just stopped by to check on you after school," Satoru said, waving off the question. The truth was, he had come to practice shuriken himself. 

*I need to meet the graduation requirements if I'm going to get out early,* he thought. He hadn't expected the academy's rigorous standards for shuriken proficiency to be one of the hurdles. 

*Are they serious?* Satoru pondered. *Is this really how they measure a ninja's readiness now?* It seemed restrictive and overly structured. 

*Is it reasonable?* he mused. *Is it scientific?* It didn't align with what he believed a true ninja's path should be.

*But if these are the rules, then I'll have to play along… for now.*