Naruto: Monthly Refreshing Stand Abillity

"Are you really going through with this?" Zetsu followed behind Obito, curiosity playing across his strange face.

"Yes. Now that Danzō is gone, Konoha is—if not completely united—at least more stable than ever. The Land of Earth has surrendered, the Land of Lightning has offered peace talks… If this continues, the Uchiha extermination plan will never succeed. Shisui might even become the next Hokage, or at the very least, a Hokage advisor," Obito growled, voice seething with frustration.

With Danzō, his prime pawn, defecting from the village, the entire plan had been thrown off course.

But recently, some new pieces had started to fall into place. And Obito had come up with a better strategy to throw Konoha into chaos.

"It's just up ahead." Zetsu stopped asking questions. Once Obito had made up his mind, anything more was pointless.

In the distance, a small house came into view, just as Zetsu had described. In front of it stood a shinobi with a fiery red beard.

...

At the end of May, something happened in Konoha that wasn't exactly earth-shattering, but it became a hot topic among the villagers.

The Konoha Police Force's former deputy chief stepped down, and the position was handed over to a non-Uchiha—Ishiki Kujo.

And Ishiki's first act upon taking the position? He disbanded two units within the police force and replaced the Uchiha fan symbol with Konoha's official village insignia.

Uchiha Fugaku didn't protest in the slightest. He embraced the reforms with open arms.

In fact, he even accompanied Ishiki on visits to several clans within the village to redistribute positions within the Police Force.

The Third Hokage didn't make a public appearance regarding the changes, but his silence seemed to signal approval.

In reality, three days before the reforms, both Fugaku and Orochimaru had submitted the restructuring documents to the Hokage's desk.

Hiruzen had never imagined the Uchiha would willingly relinquish even a sliver of their authority. Even if it wasn't much, it was a strong signal of the clan's goodwill toward the village. Moved, he summoned Ishiki to the Hokage Tower.

"Ishiki, do you know why the Second Hokage entrusted the Police Force to the Uchiha Clan?"

The moment Ishiki entered the office, Hiruzen asked the question with a faint note of scrutiny.

Ishiki did. He had spent enough time in this world and had conducted thorough research into the legacy of the Hokage.

"Lord Hokage, I've investigated this matter personally, so if you'll allow me to speak bluntly," Ishiki began, respectfully requesting permission.

After all, what he was about to say involved sensitive village history.

Hiruzen's eyes lit up with interest. "Go ahead."

"In my research, I discovered that the Police Force was created by the Second Hokage, Tobirama-sama, both as a gesture of trust toward the Uchiha Clan and as a means of monitoring them more closely," Ishiki said candidly.

To his surprise, Hiruzen didn't look displeased at all.

In fact, the Hokage nodded. "That's true. Certain events back then created a crisis of trust. Sensei had little choice."

Ishiki nodded in agreement, but then added, "However, I also found that Tobirama-sama raised many Uchiha shinobi like Uchiha Kagami, who were deeply loyal to the village. So I don't believe his intent was to isolate the Uchiha. Even if any other clan had been in the same situation, I believe Tobirama-sama would've handled it the same way. It wasn't about distrust—it was about stability."

Hiruzen's eyes lit up with admiration. It was a perspective he had never considered.

He had always thought that his teacher disliked the Uchiha, which was why their compound had been placed near the village's prison, far from the center of Konoha.

And in all his talks with Danzō and the advisors, he had heard only one thing over and over: "The Uchiha are innately dangerous. If not controlled properly, they will rebel."

Danzō had even advised him, after the Nine-Tails Incident, to eliminate the entire clan—declaring them the greatest internal threat to Konoha.

Of course, now that Danzō had defected, that label had shifted. In Danzō's mind, Ishiki Kujo had become the single greatest threat to his ambitions.

Ishiki had become Danzō's personal nightmare.

"And now that you're the new deputy chief, what do you intend to do?" Hiruzen asked, though he had already read the reports. He wanted to hear it directly from Ishiki.

"I want the Police Force to become a joint-clan law enforcement agency, continuing the Second Hokage's vision," Ishiki explained. "Some Uchiha members may resent this at first, but once they see how it helps them integrate more fully into Konoha, they'll change their perspective. That's something both I and Clan Head Fugaku agree on.

What do you think, Lord Hokage? If there's anything wrong with my approach, please correct me."

Ishiki's tone was formal and respectful. No matter how much they had prepared, final decisions still required the Hokage's approval.

"Go ahead with your plans. I'll encourage the other clan ninjas to cooperate," Hiruzen replied without hesitation.

He didn't point out any flaws. He knew politics wasn't his strong suit. That approach had given rise to Danzō and a meddlesome advisor council—but it had also led to men like Ishiki.

He still believed in his ability to judge character.

And he had always hoped for a real solution to the Uchiha dilemma. If Ishiki's approach worked, the village would flourish.

The Uchiha Clan had always been an indispensable pillar of Konoha.

Hiruzen had once been teammates with Uchiha Kagami, and he knew not all Uchiha were extremists. Many had given their all for the village.

He had seen firsthand how Danzō's underground lab had persecuted what remained of the Senju Clan. He would not let the other founding clan—the Uchiha—suffer the same fate.

Maybe someday there would be a Uchiha Hokage.

That thought suddenly excited him.

With no Danzō or advisors whispering in his ears anymore, Hiruzen could finally see the Uchiha for who they really were—not the villains they'd been made out to be.

"I'll transfer Root under Shisui's command," Hiruzen announced. "As a gesture of trust toward the Uchiha Clan. And I'll assign three positions in the ANBU to Uchiha members as well."

He wouldn't just voice support for Orochimaru, Ishiki, and Fugaku—he would act on it too.