When the question bank's approval page was placed on the table, Itachi did not speak immediately.
This was not the first time he had seen that sequence of reference numbers from the old authorization.
It had appeared in Shisui's contingency plan.
It had appeared in the assessment of high-impact individuals.
Now it had appeared in the Anbu's question bank for assessing minors, too.
The old authorization had reached into Itachi's path again.
Gen looked at the sequence of numbers and knew perfectly well.
This was no coincidence.
Root had not written Itachi directly into a contingency plan.
That would have been too obvious.
First, it slipped its old screening questions into the Anbu's question bank.
Then it approached Itachi through Anbu aptitude assessments.
Finally, under the guise of a normal training process, it repeatedly asked whether he could sever ties with his clan, shoulder pressure alone, and choose a side between the village and his clan before anything else.
This approach was quieter than the one used on Shisui.
And better suited to dealing with Itachi.
Because Itachi thought too deeply.
As long as the questions came early enough, frequently enough, and sounded enough like the village's expectations, he might take them as responsibilities he had to shoulder.
Fugaku pushed the question bank's approval page into the center of the meeting table in the Hokage Building.
"Why does Root's old authorization appear in the Anbu's question bank for assessing minors?"
Danzo answered evenly.
"The old authorization covers the screening of high-risk individuals. Itachi's talent is exceptional. There is nothing strange about including him in the assessment."
Fugaku said coldly, "An underage prodigy is not a high-risk individual."
The Conference Room fell silent for a moment.
Those words had to be said.
If talent itself could be classified as a risk,