Tojo orders the exposed attack to continue

Tojo might dismiss the carrier movement as an exercise while privately ordering Nagumo onward. That decision removes strategic surprise. American ships can sortie openly, and Lexington can help restore Enterprise's air group. Japanese combat air patrols must hunt the shadowing scouts while Nagumo weighs speed, fuel, and altered attack timing. Kimmel's aggressive instincts likely put him at sea with the battle line because prewar fleet commanders were expected to command from flagships rather than ashore headquarters. Once both sides openly prepare, the crisis becomes a gray-zone contest on the edge of war.