One of the clansmen hurried to find Uchiha Kagen.
"Clan Head, Uchiha Gogo has taken over one of the training grounds. He says it will belong exclusively to him and his subordinates from now on."
Hearing this, Kagen immediately grew concerned that Gogo was acting too openly and rushed toward the training grounds.
Within the Uchiha compound, one of the three training fields had already been seized.
Inside stood the Gogo along with eleven other Uchiha shinobi.
Kagen recognized them instantly — the hardliners within the clan whom he had long suppressed.
Now, those hardliners had found a leader.
They glanced uneasily toward the clan head at the entrance, then back at Gogo.
Previously, the clan head had repeatedly warned them not to openly display hatred or hostility toward the village.
Now their gathering had drawn his attention.
"Continue training!" Gogo ordered.
While maintaining their drills, they watched from the corners of their eyes as Gogo approached the clan head.
After a brief exchange — an argument — the unthinkable happened.
The clan head yielded.
He left in anger, seemingly unable to restrain Gogo.
For the hardliners, it was a revelation.
Gogo could stand against the clan head himself.
At last, they could openly voice their beliefs within the clan.
As Gogo's influence rose, unrest began to ripple through the Uchiha.
On a street in Konoha, the brothers Gogo and Tōka patrolled together.
"Brother, if the village refuses to promote you to Jonin, can't the Police Force restore your former position?"
Gogo had once led the interrogation division of the Police Force. After accidentally killing a war orphan during interrogation, he had been dismissed and reduced to an ordinary patrol officer.
"It doesn't matter," Gogo replied calmly. "The clan head doesn't understand my strength yet. He still judges me by old habits.
All I need is one chance to display the Mangekyō. Then he'll realize the clan no longer needs to bow its head."
He didn't resent the clan head's caution.
After Uchiha Madara, the clan had gone thirty years without another Mangekyō.
Gogo glanced toward the walls of Konoha.
Watchtowers stood every five hundred meters, each housing reconnaissance teams.
What unsettled him most were the Hyūga shinobi stationed there.
He felt watched.
Since his strength had grown, his chakra perception had sharpened.
The village felt like a massive prison.
On the surface, reconnaissance squads monitored everything from the towers.
In the shadows, ANBU gathered intelligence for the Hokage.
Ordinary shinobi dared not complain about the towers or ANBU, but the Uchiha Police Force bore the brunt of public resentment.
Compared to the village's pervasive surveillance, what was the Police Force's visible patrol really worth?
Uchiha Jun rushed toward them.
"Gogo! The interrogation division obtained intelligence from a spy!"
Jun had once been Gogo's subordinate and now led the interrogation division himself — another hardliner.
"What village's spy?" Gogo asked. "Is it important?"
"Very."
Jun nodded.
"A spy from Iwagakure. He stole intelligence about Konoha's Guardian Captain operating in the Land of Grass.
According to him, ANBU suffered heavy losses there, and multiple Guardian Captains were killed. The Daimyo of the Land of Grass is losing faith in Konoha.
Ōnoki has already sent envoys to contact the Daimyo.
Iwagakure wants a share of missions in the Land of Grass and has sent many spies into Konoha to gather information on Konoha's Guardian forces."
Gogo narrowed his eyes.
That was indeed significant intelligence.
"Jun," he said quietly, "this hasn't been reported to the village yet, has it?"
After arresting criminals, the Police Force often stumbled upon valuable information and were obligated to report it.
"No," Jun replied. "Just like you instructed, I haven't submitted anything."
If the Uchiha wanted greater authority, the best approach was to expand beyond the Police Force — intelligence, surveillance, investigation, interrogation, judgment, execution.
An organization rivaling ANBU itself.
"I extracted the location of the spy's accomplice," Jun continued. "He's hiding in the northwest corner of the village."
"Let's move," Gogo said immediately. "We'll capture him ourselves. No need to notify the village. From now on, the Uchiha must have a voice in matters involving spies."
Jun felt a surge of excitement.
The era of restraint for the interrogation division was ending.
The three rushed toward the northwest.
"Quick! Don't let the spy escape the village!"
Police Force jurisdiction ended at the village gates.
If the spy escaped, they would lose everything.
"One day," Gogo declared, "the Police Force's authority will rival the Hokage Tower itself.
We'll be able to issue travel permits. The Uchiha will go wherever we wish."
Tōka and Jun exchanged excited looks.
Uchiha shinobi rarely left the village. Only during the worst moments of war were they deployed to the battlefield.
Requests for ordinary missions from the Hokage Tower were often denied.
The message was clear — village missions were for others; the Uchiha lived off Police Force duties.
But those patrol tasks — chasing thieves and dealing with drunks — were only C- and D-rank missions, barely enough to survive.
Though they strutted proudly through the streets, most Police Force members lived in hardship.
Gogo had sworn to change that fate.
Hidden within the canopy of a large tree, Uchiha Suigiku watched the three from afar and followed silently.
Atop the Hokage Monument, Golden Eagle appeared beside the ANBU deputy commander.
"Lord Fox, Uchiha Gogo has moved," Golden Eagle reported. "He seems to have discovered a spy and is pursuing. They've crossed jurisdiction — spy capture is an ANBU responsibility."
Yako had already spotted the three Uchiha moving via Body Flicker Technique.
"Let's go," he said calmly. "We'll let Gogo disappear for a couple of days. He can cooperate with our investigation into the ANBU murder."
They had no evidence.
But ANBU didn't require evidence to investigate.
Yako vanished toward the northwest.
Inside the Root base, Danzo stepped forward from the shadows.
Four Root operatives knelt before him.
"My lord, B has sent intelligence. The target intercepted information that should have been reported to the village. We can use this against him."
Danzo nodded.
"Move out."
Before they could depart, another report arrived.
"My lord! ANBU's Fox, along with Golden Eagle and White Ram, are directing ANBU forces to surround Uchiha Gogo and his companions!"
Danzo frowned.
That damn Fox — why was he moving so quickly?
Not only had he seized Wood Release, he was now acting without restraint.
Surrounding the Uchiha with ANBU had once been Danzo's privilege.
***
Under a large tree in the northwest corner of Konoha, Guruguru (Spiral Zetsu) and a White Zetsu emerged from the trunk.
"Wow! This is exciting!" Guruguru said.
"Just like Lord Madara predicted — once the Uchiha lose their spirit, the Sharingan becomes a feast everyone wants.
The Mangekyō Sharingan is the finest delicacy of all.
Root, ANBU, Uchiha traitors — everyone is targeting it. A grand banquet!"
"Be careful," White Zetsu warned. "Copper Fox with Wood Release hasn't detected us yet. We must capture the target for Lord Madara."
Inside an abandoned house nearby, two Iwagakure spies hid in a bathroom, breathing heavily.
Through the cracked door they could see the living room.
A family photo hung on the wall — five people who had all died during the Second Shinobi War. The house now belonged to the village.
It was remote and unsold.
"You must deliver the intelligence about the Land of Grass Guardian Captain," one spy said. "I'll draw their attention. You escape through the wall."
The other stared deeply at him — perhaps for the last time.
"I'll risk my life to deliver it."
The first nodded, formed a Clone, then used Transformation.
Two identical figures leapt from the window.
The moment they emerged, three Uchiha Police shinobi rushed toward them.
Gogo sneered.
Such crude Clone and Transformation techniques could never deceive his Sharingan.
"The window leads to a bathroom. There's still someone inside. Jun — capture him!"
Jun rushed toward the window.
Tōka charged forward confidently, believing the weak spies didn't warrant his brother's intervention.
Suddenly, a figure appeared before him.
What speed — faster than an ordinary Jonin!
An ANBU wearing a Golden Eagle mask.
"Eight Trigrams: Sixty-Four Palms!"
Golden Eagle struck with controlled fury, each strike landing precisely on Tōka's tenketsu. Within moments, Tōka was immobilized.
Gogo stared in shock.
The clan head had always warned him — even with newfound power, never underestimate the village's elites.
Golden Eagle was clearly one of them.
Even Tōka's three-tomoe Sharingan hadn't reacted in time.
Gogo rushed forward to help.
Another figure appeared — even faster.
With a single hand seal, Gogo froze in place.
Yako lowered his hand, glancing first at Gogo's three-tomoe Sharingan.
"Uchiha Gogo," he said calmly, "ANBU suspects you and your brother are connected to the brutal death of an ANBU operative outside the Uchiha compound.
You will come with me for questioning."