Naruto: All depends on the Nine-tails Fox

"Is that Susanoo? It's not even in its initial form. At this age... it's far more powerful and dangerous than I imagined, Uchiha Shisui."

In a corner where no one noticed, a masked man silently observed everything happening here, his crimson Sharingan concealed behind the mask.

Shisui's display left him somewhat astonished.

Although Konoha Village was enveloped by a barrier year-round, preventing any outsiders from entering undetected, it had no effect on him. He was, after all, a true Konoha native—just one who had already "died."

Naturally, the vast barrier and the barrier sensing team hidden within Konoha couldn't detect him. Free to come and go, he had now re-entered the village.

Just like the last time he visited Konoha, trailing behind Team Uchiha Itachi on a mission. He had struck down Itachi's comrades, forcing Itachi to awaken the Uchiha clan's bloodline limit: the Sharingan.

He had some expectations for the Uchiha, rooted in the clan's illustrious history, tracing back to the legendary Madara Uchiha. A clan known for its brilliance—could they possess the power to accompany him into a new world?

However, his return to Konoha this time was unexpected.

According to his plan, he should have been firmly established in the Mist Village by now. Instead, he encountered unforeseen setbacks there. Based on what he knew, his opponent shouldn't have had the strength to resist him.

Yet, the power unleashed by his adversary far exceeded his current capabilities. Had it not been for his Sharingan's unique space-time ninjutsu, he would have almost faced defeat midway.

Ultimately, due to a series of unexpected events, his plan fell through, leading him to Konoha in search of a "partner" who could assist him.

For instance, Danzo Shimura, the ambitious man. If he revealed some intriguing conditions about the Mist Village to him, even without showing himself, Danzo could likely orchestrate several events that would plunge the Mist Village into chaos.

As luck would have it, he arrived just in time to witness this scene. Yet, he kept his distance; there were many sensory-type ninjas from the Root organization nearby. If he were discovered, it could spell trouble.

"What… what is this?" A Root ninja was utterly shocked as he gazed at Shisui's towering Susanoo. As humans, their instincts, honed since childhood to suppress fear and other negative emotions, surged to the surface. But there was hardly time for further astonishment.

The attack from Susanoo arrived in an instant.

"Boom!"

A massive hand struck down with a single swipe.

Several Root ninjas, who had just been forming hand signs and trying to engage in close combat, were instantly turned to mush!

"Run!" The remaining members of Root acted decisively, but it was too late. As they thought to escape, Shisui's Body Flicker Technique brought him right in front of them.

Accompanied by that god-like Susanoo!

Their fate could only end in one way.

Death.

At this moment, Uchiha Itachi had arrived at the designated location. Anxiously hurrying along, he barely paid attention to whether there were any signs of Shisui along the way.

The broken crow sent a jolt of terror through Itachi's heart. He recognized it as Shisui's jutsu, a signal Shisui had once mentioned to him. There was only one scenario in which he would use this signal—

"He's in danger."

"Whoosh."

As the last Root member fell unconscious, unable to withstand the might of Susanoo, Shisui painfully covered his eyes, gasping for air.

The quality of the Root ninjas was far beyond what he had anticipated. Even with the power of Susanoo, it hadn't dispatched them all immediately. The remaining ninja had nearly exhausted his strength in the process.

This deepened his understanding: the true strength hidden within the village was not as simple as it seemed. If an internal conflict erupted, the fighting would be relentless.

Not just the Uchiha clan, but even as a confidant of the Third Hokage, he was unaware of the many undisclosed powers hidden within Danzo's Root. At that moment, he realized that Danzo was also one of the instigators of this chaos. If a civil war broke out, the Root organization, meant to guard the depths of Konoha, would likely not support either side but instead participate as a third force.

"What are Danzo's ambitions? The entirety of Konoha? Or perhaps..." Shisui suppressed his inner doubts. As a Konoha ninja, he had only one obsession at that moment—to complete his mission.

His figure vanished once more, while the masked man observing from the side materialized. The space around him twisted, and the blood and corpses scattered on the ground were swiftly cleared away.

Watching the direction Shisui had disappeared, he pondered, his eyes reflecting both vigilance and anticipation.

Yet he dared not pursue, for he was unaware of the full extent of Shisui's Mangekyō Sharingan abilities. Even after recently clashing with those from Root, Shisui had yet to reveal his full power.

No one in this world understood the potential impacts and variations of the Mangekyō Sharingan better than he.

"Shisui?"

When Shisui, dragging his exhausted body, finally reached Itachi, the latter rushed to support him. Upon noticing Shisui's bloodied eyes, Itachi's expression turned to one of terror.

"What happened?" Itachi asked anxiously.

However, Shisui didn't respond immediately. Instead, he turned his gaze backward, scanning the area as if searching for something.

Seeing Shisui's behavior, Itachi didn't hesitate. He activated his three-tomoe Sharingan and began searching for any signs of enemies alongside Shisui. Yet, no matter where he looked, he found nothing out of the ordinary—not even a small animal that could be used as a substitute for surveillance.

But Itachi did not doubt Shisui's actions. He understood Shisui's character. As he continued to use his Sharingan, his expression grew increasingly somber. Realizing that he couldn't detect any enemy traces alone, he ceased his search, grabbing Shisui as they vanished from the spot.

With the disappearance of the two Uchiha, the area fell into absolute silence. Even the occasional rustling of insects in the grass felt jarring.

After a long while.

"Truly vigilant." In the void, the space distorted. The masked man's form emerged from the emptiness like a phantom. The crimson Sharingan behind the mask gradually shifted from a three-blade shape back to its three-tomoe state, his tone tinged with resignation. "Even at this distance, my presence is still sensed. I can only remain in this alternate space; there's no way to pursue them now."

"It's a shame I didn't bring Zetsu along. I can't infiltrate Konoha's barrier quietly; I almost missed such an interesting event. But if I stay here any longer, I risk being discovered... It seems it's not the right time to seek out the Jinchūriki and those fools." The masked man glanced back toward the dense forest, catching a glimpse of the red rooftops through the gaps.

Konoha's Hokage Office.

"Hokage... Hmph." The masked man let out a mocking laugh.