Root's observation reports rarely recorded emotions.
They recorded only behavior.
Time.
Place.
Contacts.
Whether the subject had any exploitable value.
When Uchiha Itachi's name first appeared in Root's new files, his entry contained only three lines.
Uchiha Fugaku's eldest son.
Often accompanied Uchiha Gen to observe and take notes.
Frequent contact with Shisui Uchiha.
The next day, three lines became seven.
Observed clan meetings.
Recorded cases of deliberate provocation.
Awaited replies from the Hokage Building.
Took an active interest in Shisui's route.
Showed a tendency to make premature judgments about the "worst-case outcome."
Danzo looked at the report, his lone eye betraying nothing.
"Fugaku's son."
He spoke quietly.
"Quieter than others his age."
The Root ninja beside him knelt on the floor.
"Should we continue observing him?"
"Continue."
Danzo set the report down.
"Do not approach him."
"Yes."
"First, see who influences him."
The Root ninja vanished into the shadows.
At the same time, Uchiha Gen also noticed something unusual.
It wasn't a system notification.
A few suspiciously tidy "coincidences" had appeared in the records tracing Itachi's movements.
When Itachi went to wait outside the Hokage Building, an additional temporary observer appeared in the Anbu patrol records.
After Itachi attended a case study session within the clan, someone in the Hokage Building's clerical team accessed the attendance list.
On the day Itachi helped Shisui record his route, two unidentified logistics porters appeared outside the Konoha Military Police Force headquarters.
Individually, none of these amounted to a problem.
Together, they looked wrong.
Uchiha Gen pushed three records across to Fugaku.
Fugaku's expression darkened before he had read even half.
"They're watching Itachi."
"Yes."
Gen didn't mince words.
Fugaku pressed his fingers against the edge of the desk.
This was different from Shisui.
Shisui was already a seasoned ninja, with ample strength,