After the Third Hokage demanded that Root submit the relevant assessment authorization records, Danzo did not refuse.
He handed them over quickly.
So quickly that Gen's first reaction upon hearing the news was suspicion.
Root would never hand over the whole blade.
It would only hand over a sheath it could explain away.
The next day, Root submitted an Authorization Summary.
The summary was neatly organized.
Authorization for Uchiha-related risk assessments.
Authorization for observation of high-impact individuals.
Explanation of cooperation in reviews of old cases.
Every entry had a number.
Every entry had a source.
Every entry looked as though it could be justified as necessary for the village's safety.
Danzo placed the summary on the conference table, his voice steady.
"Root has never operated outside the framework of village security. What the Uchiha saw was merely work in the shadows that they refuse to understand."
Mitokado Homura leafed through the summary, his brow easing slightly.
Judging by this document alone, Root certainly did not seem completely out of control.
It had authorization.
It had classifications.
It had defined operational limits.
But Gen knew that the most important thing about this summary was not what it said.
It was what it left unsaid.
Following his advice, Fugaku did not question the contents at first.
He only requested that the summary's reference numbers be checked against the Old Shell Master Ledger.
Crow handled the comparison.
The Relocation Order risk materials had a reference number.
The Uchiha Police Conflict Statistics had a reference number.
The early Underage Observation entries had reference numbers.
The observation of high-impact individuals had a reference number.
But the original reference number for the Shisui Impact Assessment was missing.
The summary contained only a consolidated reference number.
There was no original reference number.
This meant that Root had