Naruto: Monthly Refreshing Stand Abillity

A week prior, Uchiha Fugaku had received a letter from Shisui.

The letter spoke of a single matter: whether the Uchiha clan would rise to claim the Hokage's seat, or remain bound forever to the Konoha Police Force.

"Lord Orochimaru and Ishiki Kujo both want me to become Hokage, to reshape the relationship between the Uchiha and the village."

That line, right at the start, ignited a storm of emotion in Fugaku's heart.

For all these years, this was the first time someone outside the clan had recognized the Uchiha as potential Hokage material. It was a powerful affirmation. The dream wasn't dead.

But the lines that followed gave him a pounding headache.

"But I believe Ishiki Kujo is the one truly fit to become Hokage."

Shisui went on to outline a plan devised by Orochimaru and Ishiki—one meant to integrate the Uchiha more deeply into the village. The first step was relinquishing partial control over the Police Force, allowing them to appoint competent individuals to certain roles.

Specifically, Orochimaru would support Ishiki Kujo becoming Deputy Chief of the Police Force. All new recruits would be selected and trained by him.

It was, clearly, a political move—buying loyalty using Uchiha authority, leveraging their power to grant Kujo popularity.

The letter continued with Shisui's detailed analysis of the pros and cons of the Uchiha's total control over the Force. He included a breakdown of the actions Kujo would take within the department: dismantling its current structure, integrating both clan shinobi and civilian ninja, and allowing the village to understand the Uchiha's hardships.

Only this way could the clan's tarnished reputation be reversed. Only this way could they find the one Uchiha capable of controlling tailed beasts. Only this way could the clan finally earn trust, admiration, and respect as a noble shinobi clan within the village.

According to Orochimaru and Kujo, only after this restructuring—and with their endorsement—could Shisui be nominated and potentially elected as the next Hokage.

Fugaku was torn. He knew in his heart that Shisui was right.

But to give up control over the Police Force, a power that had been in Uchiha hands since the village's founding—it was hard to swallow.

"Let's wait for Shisui to return," he murmured, still unsure.

He wanted to speak with him face to face. Best of all would be a meeting with both Orochimaru and Ishiki Kujo. The Police Force wasn't just some minor institution—it was the last symbol of the clan's pride and strength.

Uchiha Itachi, only six years old, watched his father sigh with confusion.

He'd already become a student at the Academy and was perceptive enough to notice how the villagers had started treating the Uchiha more warmly than before.

Wasn't this what Father always wanted? Then why was he sighing?

His small head swirled with big question marks.

But he knew Shisui-nii would be back soon. When he did, Itachi would ask him everything. Shisui would have the answers.

Itachi believed in him—completely.

…

Danzō was frustrated again.

That morning, he'd received yet another grim report.

Another person assigned to monitor Mayoyo had died.

It was the third death. Though this one wasn't a Root member, it still pissed him off to no end.

The eight shinobi who had followed him had already been reduced to seven—and the dead man's fate was absolutely connected to that damn freak.

The moment anyone took their eyes off Mayoyo, someone died.

Danzō had tried every method he could think of—and none of them worked on that vile creature.

High-speed movement, chakra masking—no matter what he tried, Mayoyo would just show up beside him as if nothing had happened.

Constant assault? All it did was exhaust the attackers. And in return, they were rewarded with Mayoyo's stream of disgusting, vile insults.

Watching Mayoyo closely did seem to temper his behavior—but only when humans were the observers. Summoned creatures lasted mere seconds before they were melted into sludge by Mayoyo's bodily fluids.

Binding, sealing, disguises, gagging—Danzō had tried it all. Nothing could restrain him for more than an hour.

It was as if that thing was under some bizarre protection—always able to break free and return to his side.

Worse still, Mayoyo brought no value. No intelligence, no power, no loyalty—only endless, mindless filth. Even keeping someone on him 24/7 cost Danzō valuable manpower, since only those with strong sensory ability could even hope to track him properly.

If having a death-prone, disgusting, freakish servant counted as a "benefit," then maybe—maybe—there was a sliver of value.

But it was nowhere near worth the chaos.

Wasn't there any better solution? Danzō stared directly at Mayoyo, searching that grotesque thing's eyes for even a single weakness.

All he got in return was a sickening wave of revulsion.

"Keep people watching him twenty-four-seven. Don't let him out of your sight. Not for a second."

He'd already scheduled a meeting with Hanzō. He'd be staying in Amegakure for a while.

He had a lab there. If his experiment succeeded, he'd become even stronger. Strong enough to face Hiruzen head-on—and win.

"What's the update on the investigation into the Kujo family? Why haven't the men sent to kidnap Rinfa Kujo reported back?"

Danzō's face was like stone. Though, to be fair, it had been that way for days.

"Lord Danzō, all members of the unit dispatched to abduct Kujo Rinfa have vanished without a trace. Based on our findings, Rinfa is not as simple as previously thought," the Root agent reported.

He'd been tasked with both investigating the Kujo clan and abducting Kujo Rinfa.

From his intel, Rinfa was just a chūnin with excellent medical ninjutsu. Her taijutsu and ninjutsu skills were only slightly above a genin's level.

By that logic, the unit he sent should've had zero trouble.

And yet… all of them were gone. Rinfa was still working peacefully at the Konoha Hospital.

That left only two possibilities.

Either someone was secretly protecting her—or Kujo Rinfa wasn't the weak little medic they'd thought she was.

The Root ninja leaned toward the latter.

After all, with Ishiki Kujo being the walking disaster that he was, it wouldn't be surprising if Rinfa also turned out to be dangerous.

As for hidden protectors, there was no sign of them in any of their surveillance.

"So she's not simple either… Seems like the Kujo clan is hiding even more than I thought." Danzō didn't blame the agent.

He rested his elbows on the table, fingers steepled under his chin. "Send more people. Even if you can't kidnap her, uncover whatever secrets she's hiding."

"Yes, sir." The Root ninja bowed and left.

Danzō cast a glance toward the nearby Mayoyo, irritation bubbling up again. Without a word, he fired a Vacuum Bullet straight into Mayoyo's head.

Mayoyo collapsed.

The two monitoring shinobi didn't even blink. They were used to it.

Because in the next second, Mayoyo would rise again, rubbing his head, groveling and leering, attempting—once more—to lick Danzō's boots.

Of course, he never succeeded.

Danzō would never allow that filthy creature anywhere near his body.