Naruto: Monthly Refreshing Stand Abillity

"Ishiki, are you serious?" Orochimaru had told Anko to leave first. Now, he walked slowly alongside Ishiki, heading toward the latter's home.

"Of course," Ishiki replied without hesitation.

"And your eyes?" Orochimaru pressed further.

"What does it matter? As long as the Uchiha know that someone out there is using the Sharingan to stir things up, that's enough. Whether it's Uchiha Sho's, Uchiha Madara's, or even Obito Uchiha's—dead or alive—it makes no difference," Ishiki said with a sly smile.

Orochimaru nodded. "And the situation in Kirigakure?"

"Just a reasonable suspicion," Ishiki said, brushing it off. "Since the mission involves Uchiha operatives, if I'm right and the Mizukage is being controlled, then when Shisui uncovers the truth, he'll gain a huge boost in public standing. If I'm wrong, well, just gathering intel on Kirigakure's internal state is already a significant win for Konoha."

Orochimaru studied Ishiki for a long moment. Then he spoke again: "You really are becoming the perfect Konoha shinobi."

"Thank you. And you, Lord Orochimaru, are becoming more and more loyal to the Leaf," Ishiki said with a grin.

"I'm merely curious to see what kind of future Konoha will have under your leadership." Orochimaru shook his head. "I take back what I said before—you and I are not alike. You're more like the Second Hokage."

"Really? I thought I was more like the Fourth. Bright, cheerful, righteous."

"That's not funny," Orochimaru said, deadpan.

Ishiki's expression turned serious. "Peace through equal compromise is a beautiful ideal. But peace enforced by someone in an absolute position of power—that's how the world really works."

He wasn't just quoting President Valentine anymore. The surrender of the Land of Earth had solidified that belief in his mind.

If he was strong enough, peace wasn't a dream—it was a tool, an outcome.

How long that peace would last, or whether it was only superficial… that didn't concern him much.

The First Hokage had the strength to do this, but he chose to shake hands with Madara and form an idealistic village.

The result? Endless wars—between Senju and Uchiha, between the great nations.

Ishiki wanted to test the other path.

If he succeeded in creating a better peace, he'd reanimate both Hashirama and Madara with Edo Tensei and force them to see what real results looked like. And maybe, just maybe, Hashirama would admit—Madara had been right all along.

Orochimaru looked at Ishiki with a new level of gravity. "Ishiki… truly, I wasn't wrong about you."

To Orochimaru, Ishiki's ideals weren't so different from his own. He'd stopped being human for the sake of knowledge; Ishiki, perhaps, would do the same to become Hokage.

Orochimaru didn't care much about peace—war just meant busier days for him.

But he wanted to see what kind of peace Ishiki Kujo would create.

He had more he wanted to say, but realized he didn't need to. Ishiki had his path. Orochimaru had his.

There was no need to lay everything bare.

After they parted ways, Ishiki glanced up at the brilliant moon above Konoha and felt a thought stir within him—one he hadn't considered when he first came to this world.

Was he really going to become the Fifth Hokage?

Everything he'd done so far seemed to be pushing him in that direction. And honestly… he didn't mind it.

"Come out. I know you've been tailing me. If you wait any longer, I'll be home," Ishiki said, glancing behind him.

Ripple energy had already become a part of his daily life. Even without water, Ripple let him sense everything within a certain range.

He'd felt the tail since leaving the Uchiha compound. No doubt Orochimaru had sensed it too, but chose not to comment.

From the shadows stepped out a small figure—it was Uchiha Itachi.

Though he was still only a fresh student at the Academy, he'd already started making waves, and the title of "genius" had clung to him from day one.

Ishiki couldn't quite figure out what the kid wanted from him.

"Ishiki," Itachi paused, then added, "Niisan."

"What is it?" Ishiki asked with a smile.

"I want to learn medical ninjutsu from you!"

Itachi bowed sharply, ninety degrees, his voice full of conviction—startling Ishiki into a moment of stunned silence.

"What? You want to learn medical ninjutsu?" Ishiki blinked, clearly caught off guard.

You're that Itachi, the future 'Healthy Itachi' who defeats everyone with ease—and you want to learn medicine?

There wasn't even any tradition of medical Uchiha!

"Yes. Shisui-niisan said you're the best medical ninja in the village besides Lady Tsunade," Itachi answered with total sincerity.

"Why?" Ishiki asked. "Why do you want to learn medical ninjutsu?"

"Because medical-nin are respected by the villagers. I want to be someone they acknowledge too," Itachi said, eyes shining with quiet resolve.

Ishiki chuckled. "It's not just medical ninja who are respected. Anyone who contributes to Konoha earns recognition."

"But the officers in the Konoha Police work so hard every day, and yet many villagers still badmouth them behind their backs…" Itachi looked genuinely troubled—far too much so for a six-year-old.

It was the first time he had ever voiced this concern to someone outside his clan.

If it weren't for Shisui constantly praising Ishiki's brilliance and character, he might not have dared come.

He wanted to hear a perspective from someone outside the Uchiha.

Even at six, he was already contemplating the fraught relationship between his clan and the village. The issue that had darkened his father's brow for years and drawn endless sighs from his mother.

If he could fix it… maybe his parents would smile more.

Ishiki was momentarily stumped. How could he explain this?

He rubbed his temples. "It's about roles and perception. Medical ninja serve the people. Their work is easier for others to understand and appreciate. The police enforce laws—and law enforcement always makes some people uncomfortable. That's why acceptance is harder."

Seeing the confusion in Itachi's eyes, Ishiki sighed. "Once the Police Force is no longer labeled solely as 'Uchiha territory,' people will begin to understand your clan better. Just wait."

"As for learning medical ninjutsu… sure. But first, you'll need to master the Chakra Scalpel."

"But that's a B-rank jutsu!" Itachi looked troubled.

"If you can't handle a B-rank technique, what makes you think you're worthy of being my student? I'm the strongest medical ninja in the village—yes, even counting Lady Tsunade!" Ishiki's eyes gleamed with confidence. "So get to work, kid."

He ruffled Itachi's hair, turned, and waved goodbye.