An old-style sealing wax proxy signature had appeared on the genius ninja influence assessment.
That gave the entire trail a sharp edge.
If the assessment merely leaned toward control, Danzo could still claim it was necessary for security.
If Shisui and Itachi had merely been placed under observation, Danzo could still claim it was to protect gifted ninja.
But once an unwitnessed old-style sealing wax proxy signature appeared in the approval process, the issue was no longer just the contents.
It was how this assessment had acquired authority.
Gen looked at the rubbing of the proxy signature, his voice very low.
"The hand that signed by proxy was more dangerous than the signature."
A signature at least corresponded to a person.
Someone had to answer for the judgment.
Someone had to bear responsibility.
But signing by proxy was different.
It could let a nonexistent person grant approval.
It could also let the person who had actually granted approval hide behind it.
Fugaku made the same point at the meeting.
"If a proxy signature had no witness, then the approver cannot be verified. An assessment whose approver cannot be verified should not be included in the preliminary risk materials for the Relocation Order."
Danzo said coldly, "Are you rejecting every emergency assessment from that time?"
Fugaku replied, "I am only rejecting the validity of including unwitnessed proxy approvals in the Uchiha risk materials."
The scope narrowed once again.
Gen had honed this approach until he knew it well.
He would not let Danzo expand the issue into a challenge to the entire system.
He focused only on the anomalies that had already intersected.
Crow produced the rubbing of the sealing wax ring impression on the scrap from Chapter 184.
The old-style sealing wax ring that had been marked as destroyed but