Excessive family influence.
The phrase surfaced quickly.
So quickly that it seemed like a backup explanation prepared long ago.
When Itachi agreed to undergo an assessment alone, Root could push him into choosing between the village and his clan.
When Itachi chose to put things on record, requested witnesses, and refused to answer extreme questions alone, Root immediately claimed that his family had too much influence over him.
Whatever he did, it could be interpreted as a risk.
This was the new cage.
Fugaku did not become angry when he heard those words.
He was growing increasingly aware that anger would only make it easier for the other side to write their reports.
He broke the issue down again.
A minor reporting matters to his parents or a guardian within his clan did not mean he was being controlled.
Requiring witnesses for questions involving extreme conflicts did not mean he had lost his independence.
Refusing a forced-choice trap did not mean rejecting the village.
Gen read through those three points and nodded.
"We need to add one more."
Fugaku looked at him.
Gen said, "Underage Protection is not a special exception for the Uchiha."
That statement was crucial.
If this matter remained confined to the Uchiha, Danzo could claim that they were using it as a pretext to stir up trouble.
But if it became a protection rule for all underage ninja in the village, the nature of the matter would change.
At the Hokage Building, Fugaku formally proposed establishing rules to protect underage ninja during high-pressure questioning.
The provisions were clear.
When underage ninja faced high-pressure questions involving family, loyalty, extreme sacrifice, internal village conflicts, or similar matters, records had to be kept.
They could not be questioned alone behind closed doors.
They could not be led into making