After Shisui's path came under witness protection directly overseen by the Hokage, many people in the Clan District breathed a sigh of relief.
Gen did not.
The system notifications had already made things very clear.
Shisui's death trajectory had shifted.
Itachi's isolation trajectory had accelerated.
That meant Root would not stop simply because it had lost its avenue for approaching Shisui alone.
They would simply turn in a quieter direction.
Itachi's path was quieter than Shisui's.
Shisui was already the renowned Body Flicker Shisui.
Many people watched his missions, his movements, and his allegiances.
But Itachi was still young.
Young enough that many people could approach him using words like training, interviews, and aptitude assessments.
Young enough that he himself would feel that understanding these things early was a responsibility a genius should shoulder.
That was the most dangerous part.
The next day, an invitation for an interview duly arrived through the Anbu.
On the surface, its contents were quite ordinary.
Task Aptitude Assessment.
Assessment subject: Uchiha Itachi.
Reason for assessment: exceptional talent and mature thinking; his mission preferences could be evaluated ahead of schedule.
Fugaku's expression darkened when he saw the invitation.
In the past, he might have thought this meant the village recognized Itachi's abilities.
He might even have felt a trace of conflicted pride.
But after what had happened with Shisui, he would no longer simply trust that sort of recognition.
After reading the invitation, Gen asked just one question.
"Does it require him to be interviewed alone?"
Fugaku looked at the end.
Yes.
Family accompaniment was discouraged to ensure the assessment's independence.
It was an elegantly worded sentence.
Independence.
It sounded like a measure to prevent interference from the clan.
But when applied to Itachi, it was the first step toward isolation.
"He will not be