Less than half an hour after the Masked Man disappeared, Danzo demanded that the Uchiha Clan Compound be sealed off.
He gave only three reasons.
The intruder possessed a Sharingan.
The guard on duty in the Sealed Records Room showed signs of suspected genjutsu influence.
The altered rubbing bore the Uchiha Clan Crest.
Taken together, those three threads were enough to weave an all-too-convenient explanation.
Someone within the Uchiha was colluding with the Akatsuki.
The bait operation had merely been an attempt by a traitor within the clan to recover the evidence.
Even Shisui's clash with the intruder might have been a performance arranged in advance.
After hearing him out, Fugaku denied none of the facts.
"That eye was a Sharingan."
"The design on the rubbing was also the Uchiha Clan Crest."
"Since you admit it," Danzo said coldly, "we should first detain every suspect."
"I acknowledge the bloodline ability. I do not acknowledge your right to assign an identity to it."
Fugaku placed the three observation reports from Shisui, the Hyuga jonin, and the Anbu in the center of the table.
All three reports stated that only the intruder's right eye had been visible.
His chakra had fluctuated intermittently while he was intangible.
He was familiar with the Sharingan, but had displayed no habitual fighting patterns that could be matched to any ninja currently serving within the clan.
A Sharingan could belong to an Uchiha clansman.
It could also have been transplanted, stolen, or possessed by someone no longer listed in the clan's records.
Shisui added another detail.
When the Masked Man saw his Sharingan, he showed none of the sustained strain commonly seen in ordinary transplant recipients.
His opponent had freely switched between solid and intangible states, while the tomoe in his eye remained stable throughout. That indicated