The news of Orochimaru's rebellion spread quickly throughout the village. Satoru had just returned from his mission, preparing to head home when the whispers of the streets reached him. Human experiments, missing children, and rumors of Orochimaru's defection—he had gone from being one of the three legendary ninjas to a traitor, despised by all.
"Well, that guy's fast," Satoru muttered to himself, shaking his head. "I should have seen this coming. Guess he had to make his move before he was really exposed." He smirked, already bored of the situation. "No wonder he was in such a rush today."
He leaned back against the tree and continued his thoughts. *The third Hokage will never catch him, just like in the anime. Soft-hearted, always too slow to make the hard choices.* Satoru stretched out his arms and yawned. *It's probably for the best. He'll never stand a chance against someone like Orochimaru in a direct confrontation anyway.*
Satoru shook his short white hair as the pieces began to fall into place. "Orochimaru's defection is almost a blessing in disguise," he mused, looking up at the sky. *At least now there's a distraction from the real problem—the Uchiha massacre.*
Orochimaru's betrayal could draw attention away from the growing tension surrounding the Uchiha clan. It wouldn't stop the inevitable, but it would give the Uchiha some much-needed time before the inevitable purge.
"It's only a matter of time before the third Hokage make his move on the Uchiha," Satoru muttered, his eyes narrowing. *They'll act soon enough, but for now, let's enjoy the little distractions.*
He picked up a string of three-color balls from his pocket and started walking home, his mind already preparing for what was to come.
---
At the Hokage's office, Danzo stood before Sarutobi, his voice filled with controlled malice. "You love your apprentice so much. A character like him can even slip through your fingers."
Sarutobi's expression soured as he met Danzo's gaze. "Slipped? How could you say that?" he snapped, his voice suddenly cold. "For the sake of Orochimaru, you'd disregard the village's interests?"
Danzo's eyes narrowed with a sneer. "You've always been too soft, Hiruzen. If you had acted sooner, Orochimaru would have been under control. Now he's a threat to everything."
Sarutobi remained silent for a moment, his eyes hardening. "Orochimaru is gone now," he said with quiet determination, "but don't mistake my compassion for weakness."
Danzo stepped forward, his voice low and dangerous. "Orochimaru knows too much. He's a liability. He *must* be eliminated."
Sarutobi's gaze hardened. "That's enough, Danzo. We will deal with it, but we will do so carefully. You need to learn restraint."
Danzo's lips twisted into a smile, though it didn't reach his eyes. "I'm just doing what's best for Konoha."
With that, the conversation ended, and the two men parted ways, both knowing that the days ahead would be filled with dangerous decisions.
---
The next morning, Satoru strolled down the street, string of three-color balls still in his mouth. He passed through crowds of villagers who were gossiping about the shocking betrayal of Orochimaru. The words floated through the air.
"I can't believe Orochimaru, one of the three ninjas, would do something like this!" someone whispered.
"Human experiments… it's inhumane!" another voice chimed in, echoing the growing condemnation of Orochimaru.
"Why would he betray the village?" someone else asked, their voice filled with confusion.
"The traitor must be caught quickly!" a nearby villager added.
Satoru couldn't help but overhear these conversations, a wry smile forming on his lips. *It's interesting how fast things change. One day you're revered, and the next you're the most wanted man in the village.*
As he walked, he noticed the attention of the people on a specific figure—Mitarashi Anko, sitting alone on a bench, her face downcast.
"Hey, isn't that Mitarashi Anko?" someone whispered.
"Yeah, it's her. Orochimaru's apprentice, right?" another voice added.
"I wonder if she knew about his plans…"
Satoru watched from a distance. *Poor girl,* he thought, *she's caught in the middle of all this.*
He approached her nonchalantly, as though he were merely passing by. "Hey, what are you doing?" he asked in a lighthearted tone, not missing the tears in her eyes.
Mitarashi Anko looked up, recognizing him instantly. "What do you want, Satoru?" she snapped, her eyes red from crying.
Satoru grinned, unaffected by her sharp response. "Yo, you're crying? What's wrong with that?"
Mitarashi Anko shot him an angry glare. "Why are you here? To laugh at me too?"
Satoru pretended to be offended. "Hey, do I look like I'm idle?" he said, shaking his short white hair dramatically. "But I guess... since you're upset, I could do something nice."
Mitarashi Anko raised an eyebrow, her irritation slowly shifting to curiosity. "What are you talking about?" she asked, wiping her tears away.
Satoru pulled out another string of three-color balls and handed them to her. "Here, take this. It'll cheer you up."
For a moment, Mitarashi Anko just stared at the colorful balls in her hands. Then, slowly, a small smile tugged at the corners of her lips. "You're strange," she muttered under her breath, but the smile didn't fade.
Satoru took a few steps back, his usual smirk back on his face. "Well, then. Take care of yourself, Red Bean."
He turned and walked away, his hands in his pockets, leaving Mitarashi Anko to contemplate the strange kindness from the seemingly reckless young shinobi. As he walked off, he could hear the faintest chuckle from behind him.
Maybe it wasn't so bad, he thought. Even if his days were filled with more trouble than he wanted, at least he could make a small difference where it counted.
>>>>>
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