The minutes of the hundredth clan meeting were placed before the children's names.
This was not a celebration.
Nor was it a ceremony.
It was something Uchiha Gen had specifically requested.
"Starting today, protection records for underage clan members will be kept in a separate volume."
Fugaku sat at the head of the room, his expression colder than usual.
Sasuke finding that kunai meant he could no longer treat the "next generation" as a problem to address later.
The enemy had already reached out.
The Uchiha had to put up a barrier first.
Three kinds of evidence lay on the table where the clan meeting minutes were kept.
The fake interview notice.
The Purge List.
The unfamiliar kunai.
They appeared to target Shisui, the young members of the Radical Faction, and Sasuke separately.
But once Uchiha Gen put them together, everyone understood.
The enemy was not watching just one person.
They were looking for cracks in every generation of the Uchiha.
Shisui represented powerful people whose goodwill could be exploited.
Uchiha Jun represented young people whose anger could be exploited.
Sasuke represented the next generation, who had yet to truly understand danger but were already vulnerable to misunderstanding and loneliness.
If they could not protect all three fronts at once, sooner or later someone would cut the Uchiha open elsewhere.
"Rules," Fugaku said gravely.
Che began taking notes.
First, underage clan members were not to engage alone with unnumbered missions, unfamiliar ninja tools, notes of unknown origin, or gifts from outside the clan.
Second, designated routes would be established between the clan school, training grounds, ninja tool room, and homes. Normal activities would not be restricted, but all suspicious objects had to be handed in.
Third, adult clan members were not to have underage members privately carry out sensitive missions