Lack of intelligence was a fatal disadvantage.
The Uchiha clan was monitored from every angle and by countless methods, nearly transparent under constant surveillance — yet Uchiha Gogo knew nothing about the village's internal movements.
Despite possessing the Mangekyō, he had been subdued in a single move.
Seeing Copper Fox, Gogo suddenly remembered White Zetsu's words.
In the Land of Rain, Fox had waited until the Uchiha suffered heavy casualties before revealing his Wood Release — only acting after his teacher, Uchiha Dōma, had died.
Fox had deliberately allowed both sides to weaken each other.
And he absolutely had the strength to do so.
"Copper Fox! We will never go to ANBU! You have no right to judge the Uchiha! No one has the right to judge me!"
Yako blinked in surprise.
No one can judge you?
Who did he think he was?
He tilted his chin slightly, signaling Golden Eagle to move.
This fool was far too arrogant.
Golden Eagle rushed forward, unleashing Eight Trigrams: Sixty-Four Palms, sealing Gogo's chakra points.
Between Yako's Self-Binding Curse Mark and Golden Eagle's sealing strikes, Gogo would fall here unless he revealed his trump card.
Yako observed Uchiha Tōka from the corner of his eye.
Gogo was merely bait.
Tōka was the real target.
Seeing his brother suppressed, Tōka's three-tomoe Sharingan spun wildly.
Good.
His ocular power was highly active.
Next came continuous pressure — push him until the Mangekyō awakened.
Just as Golden Eagle completed the sealing, a brown skeletal form erupted into existence.
Susanoo.
Gogo shattered the Self-Binding Curse Mark by force.
A skeletal hand slammed into Golden Eagle, sending him flying.
Only ribs and one arm — yet explosive power.
Yako studied the Mangekyō pattern in Gogo's eyes — a beautiful spiral of four curved arcs.
Too impatient.
Revealing the Mangekyō so early.
Standing within the ribcage, Gogo spoke coldly.
"Copper Fox. Release my brother. I'll only say this once."
Release him?
You should worry about yourself first.
Yako intended to drag out the battle — force Gogo to reveal everything, let Tōka witness his brother's desperate struggle ending in failure.
Against Susanoo… perfect time to test Wood Dragon Technique.
Three hand seals.
A wooden dragon burst from the earth.
He deliberately held back — the dragon was only one meter thick.
The Wood Dragon surged forward, entangling with Susanoo.
Susanoo's arm seized its neck, but the dragon coiled around the ribcage, binding it tightly.
Gogo's expression changed instantly.
Susanoo's chakra was draining rapidly.
The Wood Dragon absorbed it, growing thicker before his eyes.
Bad.
If this continued, Susanoo would weaken endlessly.
He had to destroy it in one decisive strike.
Closing his eyes briefly, he hesitated — then reopened them.
Chakra surged from both eyes.
The skeletal form expanded into a half-bodied Susanoo, towering five men tall.
Its arms tore the Wood Dragon apart.
Yako frowned internally.
Can you use something other than Susanoo? What exactly is your Mangekyō ability?
Time to increase the pressure.
He formed new seals.
A much larger Wood Dragon erupted — three meters thick.
Standing atop its head, Yako charged forward.
Wind roared around him, cloak and dark hair whipping violently.
"Water Release: Water Severing Wave!"
A high-speed water blade sliced toward Susanoo's shoulder.
It cut through the outer chakra layer — but the bone beneath remained untouched.
Strong defense.
Elemental techniques weren't enough. Only Wood Release could counter it.
The Wood Dragon tangled again, far more agile.
Susanoo seized its neck, but the dragon's body reshaped freely, lengthening as needed.
Its jaws snapped shut around Susanoo's neck.
Chakra drained rapidly.
The dragon hardened.
Susanoo struggled desperately, its strength fading.
Up close, the brown skeleton resembled the wooden pillars of ancient temple halls.
Yako stared directly at Gogo.
Show me something new.
Wood Release was the natural counter to Susanoo — a half-body form couldn't win.
Gogo realized it too.
Even stronger Susanoo wasn't enough.
He closed his eyes again.
Time to reveal his true trump card.
Mangekyō ocular technique.
The Mangekyō reflected the heart.
Each Uchiha possessed a different power.
His left eye opened — the pattern rotated halfway.
"Mangekyō… Ame no Mihashira!"
He remembered his teacher bound by Wood Release.
Ame no Mihashira (Heavenly Pillar) — the ultimate control-type Mangekyō ability.
Hearing the declaration, Yako's thoughts raced.
In myth, Izanagi and Izanami built a great hall supported by a pillar — Ame no Mihashira.
A terrifying chill surged.
Chakra erupted from Gogo's left eye, engulfing Yako.
The world turned brown.
Instant-cast Mangekyō technique?
A massive translucent pillar appeared around him, sealing him inside.
He couldn't move.
His body refused to respond.
Chakra couldn't be gathered or circulated.
Even his blood felt frozen.
Total immobilization.
Exactly the type of control technique he feared most.
Without Yako's control, the Wood Dragon weakened.
Susanoo tore it apart.
The dragon crashed to the ground.
Susanoo's chakra faded layer by layer — flame, bones, ribs disappearing.
Gogo gasped heavily, sweat dripping from his face.
The strain was immense.
Several uses of Susanoo plus Ame no Mihashira left his vision wavering.
But the result was undeniable.
Copper Fox was sealed within the translucent pillar.
His instant-cast Mangekyō had succeeded.
"LORD FOX!"
Golden Eagle and others rushed forward but were forced back by a Great Fireball.
Gogo burst into laughter.
"Hahaha!
So the ANBU deputy commander with Wood Release is nothing special.
Konoha's Copper Fox? Pathetic, is this the strength of a deputy commander? I should be the commander at this rate!
Release my brother — exchange him for your worthless deputy commander!"
Golden Eagle stared at Yako trapped inside the pillar.
Seconds passed.
No response.
Was he truly sealed?
Instant control-type Mangekyō…
Terrifying.
"Uchiha Gogo," Golden Eagle said coldly, noticing insects gathering behind him, "all shinobi must submit to ANBU investigation.
ANBU answers directly to the Hokage. Opposing us means opposing the Hokage himself."
Gogo snorted.
"Then it's not just ANBU losing face — the Hokage loses face too."
"Uchiha Gogo!" Golden Eagle shouted.
At that moment —
Movement.
A swarm of insects crawled silently beneath Gogo's feet, forming a hand.
White Ram had infiltrated behind him unnoticed.
Poisonous insects bit into his ankle.
Others burrowed beneath his skin, devouring flesh.
Gogo's expression twisted.
In seconds, his ankle could be destroyed.
ANBU aimed to cripple him.
Susanoo erupted again, overwhelming the insects with raw chakra.
Ignoring those that scattered, he wrapped steel wire tightly around his lower leg to stop further invasion.
Chakra gathered in his fingers as he pierced into his own flesh, crushing the insects inside.
His ankle was badly injured.
When he stood again, he saw White Ram floating behind him, lower body dissolving into a storm of insects.
Gogo felt frustration rising.
Why was the village's strength so overwhelming?
Even these unknown ANBU — aside from Copper Fox — were elites he had never heard of.
If they were this strong, what about the famous White Fang or the Sannin?
Perhaps the clan head had been right…
"Black Ape squad!" White Ram shouted. "Combined jutsu! Maximum spectacle!"
Two Fire Releases and two Wind Releases surged toward him.
Gogo felt unease.
Even in this remote area, such a large-scale clash would attract attention.
How would this end?
He had only ever managed interrogation — unlike Tōka or others, he knew little of Konoha's emergency response protocols.
Who would arrive? What would happen next?
No matter.
He would follow his own path.
Once all ANBU were defeated, they would be forced to negotiate.
Facing the combined fire-and-wind attack, Susanoo rose once more.