The moment the words "Root Core Sealed Archive" appeared, everyone in the meeting room fell silent.
It was not an ordinary archive room.
Nor was it a peripheral roster repository.
It held the indexes to Root's darkest secrets.
Mission sources.
Personnel freezes.
Retention of old seals.
Special surveillance.
And covert operations that could not be entered into the Hokage Building's official procedures.
Hiruzen Sarutobi knew it existed.
But knowing about it and opening it were two different things.
Opening the core sealed archive meant that more than the old Uchiha case would be dragged into the light.
Many old Anbu affairs, secret wartime missions, and internal village purges could also be exposed.
That was what gave Danzo the confidence to keep Root hidden in the darkness.
It was too filthy.
So filthy that not everyone had the courage to open it.
Fugaku did not push the Third Hokage to open the entire Sealed Records Room.
Gen had warned him beforehand not to reach for too much.
"The Uchiha request access only to the index."
Fugaku repeated his request.
"Limited to entries related to old seals, sealing wax, and the trail preceding the Nine-Tails incident."
Mitokado Homura frowned.
"Even the index may involve Root's secrets."
Fugaku replied, "Lord Hokage and his Anbu can screen it first."
That concession made it difficult for the village leadership to refuse.
The Uchiha were not demanding to see the contents directly.
They only wanted confirmation that corresponding index entries existed.
If even that confirmation was denied, it would amount to admitting that the Root Core Sealed Archive could remain entirely beyond the Hokage's review.
Standing to one side, Crow volunteered, "I am willing to participate in retrieving the index as a witness from the Hokage’s Direct Subordinates."
Danzo turned an icy gaze on him.
Crow