After the Risk Self-Assessment Report reached the Hokage Building, Mitokado Homura was the first to fall silent.
He read through the first half.
He found no sign that the Uchiha had dodged the issues.
Fear in the Resettlement Zone was included.
The issue of patrol officers' tone was included.
The risks of coordination with the Anbu were included.
The limits on Sharingan use were included too.
The report actually seemed more comprehensive than the Hokage Building had required.
But its very thoroughness made it difficult to handle.
When Utatane Koharu turned to the last page, she immediately frowned.
"Peripheral forces risk?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi took the report.
Smoke slowly dispersed between his fingers.
The last page did not accuse Danzo directly.
But every entry was like a nail.
Unregistered intermediaries had appeared in shop supply chains.
Loose pages from the Old Training Ground involved unidentified training arrangements.
Sealing wax residue at the Records Room fire site resembled that used along peripheral supply lines.
Those spreading complaint templates in the Resettlement Zone were suspected of having long operated on the fringes of unofficial missions.
Taken individually, each of these matters could be dismissed for insufficient evidence.
But placed together on one page, they became a pattern.
There was a hand in the village that always operated outside normal records.
Danzo sat to one side, his voice as cold as ever.
"Root is not part of the public joint defense framework."
Gen had not attended that day.
Fugaku had come instead.
But he had already anticipated those words.
Fugaku answered calmly, "The report does not ask Root to disclose classified missions."
Danzo looked at him.
Fugaku continued, "What we ask is that peripheral personnel and peripheral supply lines affecting order within the village not operate entirely without records."
Mitokado Homura said gravely, "The