Deep beneath Root's headquarters, Danzo remained silent for a long time after reading the review meeting minutes.
Old authorization access points.
Register pages added after the fact.
Blank receipt signatures.
Sealing wax collection.
The identities of the dead.
Retired old seals.
Taken separately, these things were all merely parts of an old shell.
But now, the Uchiha were peeling that shell away layer by layer, forcing the Hokage Building to see what was still operating inside.
Danzo knew better than anyone that this was more dangerous than a direct accusation against him.
A direct accusation could be fought.
He could say the Uchiha were being emotional.
He could say there was insufficient evidence.
He could say they were using the Night of the Nine-Tails to dredge up old grievances.
But once the procedures were laid bare, every blank had to be explained.
Every old seal had to be checked.
Every dead person's name required an explanation for why it could still appear on paper.
This would drag Root onto the battlefield he disliked most.
Records.
Danzo closed the dossier, his voice icy.
"We cannot let them keep pursuing the outer layers."
In the darkness, a Root ninja knelt on one knee.
"Should we dispose of Ihara?"
Danzo did not answer immediately.
Ihara was already in the protective custody of the Hokage's Anbu.
Striking now would only prove the Uchiha's assessment correct.
"Leave him alone."
The Root ninja lowered his head.
Danzo continued, "The old outer shell can be discarded. The core must remain untouched."
That was his judgment.
Continuing to explain would only put him further on the defensive.
The best approach was to sever the connections himself.
He would dismiss the old seals, the dead people's identities, and the irregular record access as legacies of the past.
He could