After the meeting ended, Jin Uchiha did not leave the Hokage Building right away.
He stood by the window at the end of the corridor, watching the ninja coming and going below. The sun was already up, and people were sparring on the training grounds. The crisp, rapid clatter of colliding shuriken drifted up from afar. Everything carried on as usual, as if nothing had happened at the meeting.
Footsteps sounded behind him. Itachi approached and stopped beside him.
"You're thinking about Danzo's last remark."
"Yes."
Jin Uchiha did not turn his head. He stared out the window, recalling Danzo's expression. There had been something strange in the old man's tone when he said those words. Not a threat, nor mockery. More like a reminder. Like a chess player lightly tapping the edge of the board after his opponent made a move, telling him, "Even that move was one I let you make."
"Keno," Jin Uchiha said, speaking the name aloud. "When he gave me that map and those documents, he had a convincing reason. He left Root because he resented Danzo's control over the village. He trusted my father, so he handed them to us. The logic was sound."
"But Danzo didn't deny that the documents were genuine," Itachi said.
"The documents were genuine. Danzo controlled Yagura, had dealings with the Akatsuki, and arranged the tailed beast hunting plan-he admitted to all of it. So there was nothing wrong with the facts in what Keno gave us. The question is..." Jin Uchiha paused. "Why did he only give them to us now?"
Itachi said nothing, quietly waiting for him to continue.
"If Keno really wanted to expose Danzo, he could have done it when he left Root. Three months ago, six months ago, or even earlier. But he chose