The moment the words "Relocation Order" came up, the atmosphere in the Conference Room changed.
It was not like an old identification number.
Not like the Old Seal.
Nor like a departure pass.
The Relocation Order was a decision Konoha High Command had actually made.
It had been entered into official procedures.
Carried out.
Justified as necessary for the village's security.
And, after the Night of the Nine-Tails, it had pushed the Uchiha Clan step by step into greater isolation.
Danzo's voice turned cold.
"The Relocation Order was a village security decision. It cannot be reopened over a minor issue involving temporary personnel."
Those words carried considerable weight.
He had framed the Relocation Order squarely as a matter of village security.
If Fugaku answered poorly, the Uchiha would be accused of questioning the village's security decisions.
Fugaku did not answer immediately.
Gen's assessment had been clear.
Do not try to overturn the decision.
First, investigate how the documents had been compiled.
Fugaku said, "The Uchiha will withhold comment on the Relocation Order itself for now. We request only a review of how the documents circulated before the draft Relocation Order was drawn up."
Mitokado Homura frowned.
"Is there a difference?"
"Yes."
Fugaku looked at him.
"High Command made the decision. Document circulation concerns the material presented to High Command before that decision. If there were irregularities in how that material was compiled, the village should at least know whether High Command saw the complete facts back then, or facts that had been filtered."
The Conference Room fell silent.
Those words struck at the heart of the issue.
High Command could say they had made the decision for security reasons.
But if the risk assessments placed before them back then had already been manipulated by the old-shell system, the Relocation Order