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  ---

  The master and apprentice nded together, sighing in relief as they exited the Sixth Gate state. Their faces showed exhaustion, and their breathing was boured.

  Among them, Lee, being the youngest and opening the Sixth Gate for the first time, was the most affected.

  He couldn't stay on his feet and colpsed to the ground, sitting upright.

  Naruto gnced at the human-shaped crater left behind on the ground and briefly wondered if he should shout, "Ball in!"

  In Naruto's perception, Shinnō's chakra had indeed weakened significantly, but he wasn't dead yet. To be cautious, Naruto prepared a Big Ball Rasengan and descended into the pit.

  The pit was deep, and Shinnō was buried beneath the rubble. Suddenly, a hand shot out from the debris, smming into the ground like the opening scene from Pnts vs. Zombies.

  Startled, Naruto instinctively smmed his Rasengan down on the hand.

  Pfft!

  Shinnō, looking like someone who just heard their favourite manga was finally updated, sat up in shock from his near-death state. Lifting the rubble of his body, he coughed up a mouthful of blood.

  "You shameless Konoha ninjas!" Shinnō rasped. "Attacking an old man already on the brink of death!"

  Seeing Shinnō sit up, Naruto quickly formed another Rasengan, ready to finish the job. "If the enemy isn't dead, finishing the job is just common sense," he muttered.

  Before Naruto could nd the strike, Shinnō staggered to his feet. His injuries visibly began healing, but before he could revel in his recovery, his body betrayed him. His bulging muscles defted as if a balloon had popped, and his thick, dark hair turned grey in moments.

  In just a few seconds, Shinnō shrivelled into a frail old man.

  "This… impossible… My ultimate body… My dream…" Shinnō stared at his trembling hands in disbelief before colpsing to the ground. His breathing stopped.

  Thus ended the man who once carried the reputation of a sage.

  Naruto pulled out a specialized scroll for storing corpses, sealing away Shinnō's body and sending a clone back to Konoha with it.

  Turning to Lee, Naruto asked, "Do you want me to help you back? The fortress is still dozens of miles from Konoha, and you look exhausted."

  "No!" Lee excimed, determination burning in his eyes. "I'm the only one in this group this tired. It means my efforts aren't enough! I'll walk back myself, and if I can't, I'll do a thousand push-ups!"

  "Lee! You bastard!" Gai cried, throwing his arm around Lee's shoulders, tears streaming down his face. "I'll walk with you all the way!"

  "Gai-sensei!"

  "Lee!"

  The two clung to each other, crying loudly. Naruto gnced at Gen, Daiki, and Jiro and wasn't surprised to see them also wiping away tears, clearly moved.

  Naruto sighed, patting Kimimaro on the shoulder. "Brother, I don't know how you deal with this every day."

  "I'm used to it," Kimimaro replied dryly. After all the serious fighting, this was oddly comforting. "No matter how strong a fool is, they're still a fool."

  "Gai-sensei!" Naruto called out tentatively.

  "Hm?" Gai looked up, his tearful expression oddly endearing.

  "While your youth is inspiring, the battle outside is nearly over. We should join the others don't forget you still have two disciples out there."

  Kimimaro gave Naruto a knowing gnce. Way to talk nonsense with a straight face, Naruto. He recognized Kakashi's influence in that tone.

  Gai immediately leapt to his feet, his fists clenched. "You're right, Naruto! Our blood cannot allow Neji and Tenten to fight alone!"

  "Let's go, Gai-sensei!" Lee shouted, already running toward the exit. "We must join them!"

  "I'll follow you to the end!" Gai decred.

  "We're coming too!" Gen, Daiki, and Jiro chimed in unison, refusing to be left behind.

  Naruto watched in disbelief as the five green-cd figures dashed off with renewed energy, as though they hadn't been exhausted just moments ago. 'Do these guys even understand how stamina works?'

  ---

  Outside the Fortress

  The war ended with Shisui's final, elegant strike, sending the st Sky Ninja plummeting from the sky. His mechanical wings spread wide as he nded, his kick so fwless that Naruto momentarily thought it was Marco's Phoenix Seal from another anime, though without the special effects.

  Of all the Sky Ninjas, only two remained unharmed: the seasoned gatekeeper and the young sentry from earlier.

  As Neji and the others burst out of the fortress, the older man, sensing the battle was lost, quickly discarded his weapon. He even knocked the kunai from the younger man's hands and pulled him into a crouch.

  Neji didn't bother them further, instructing Tenten to tie them up while they moved to assist the others.

  Konoha had won decisively.

  ---

  Naruto approached Yamato, now known as Captain Tenzo, who stood among the Anbu. If not for witnessing his use of Wood Release earlier, Naruto might not have recognized him. "Captain Yamato," Naruto greeted respectfully.

  "Naruto-kun," Yamato replied awkwardly, unsure how to address him. Though he was an accomplished Anbu captain, Yamato's personality was still reserved.

  Naruto said, "Could the Anbu leave a team to guard this fortress temporarily and clean up the battlefield?"

  "Of course," Yamato responded promptly. Anbu was well-versed in such tasks.

  Naruto turned to Uchiha Izumi next. "Sister Izumi, could the police force spare some people to assist? The Anbu team here is limited."

  Izumi nodded, assigning several uninjured officers to remain behind.

  ---

  The team leaders gathered with Naruto to report to Minato. After listening to the post-battle summary, and seeing no objections or additions, Minato smiled warmly. "Well done, everyone. Thank you for your hard work!"

  Minato's pride was evident. Naruto had proven himself worthy of the title of Special Jonin, and the other newly-promoted Chunin had performed admirably.

  He was especially impressed with Shino, whose sabotage of the Sky Ninja's aircraft had been crucial. Minato mentally noted Shino as someone with immense potential.

  Satisfied with the colboration and performance of Konoha's next generation, Minato spoke confidently. "The losses were minimized thanks to the quick activation of the vilge's barrier and the decisive battle outside the vilge. There's still much rebuilding to do, but I hope everyone will continue working hard with me!"

  "Yes, Hokage-sama!" the group responded in unison.

  As they began dispersing, Minato stopped Naruto and Shisui.

  "Now, it's time to meet with the Mizukage," he said.

  ---

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