Naruto: The new beginning

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--

Gai, Lee, Kimimaro, Gen, Daiki, and Jiro nodded, their faces flushed, agreeing with Naruto's plan.

As Naruto left, he received five enthusiastic thumbs up. To protect his eyes, he avoided checking if those thumbs were accompanied by five sets of gleaming white teeth.

Shinnō didn't try to stop Naruto. Surrounded by six formidable fighters, he couldn't break away.

Besides, he dismissed the little blonde as a threat, judging from Naruto's seemingly average physical fitness. He was confident the boy would either fail or be killed.

Following the small map in his mind, Naruto quickly located the area where the massive chakra was concentrated.

It was a large, square room, spacious enough to fit Gamabunta. The walls were covered in dense, intricate sealing scripts.

At the centre of the room stood a grotesque figure a mask with the kanji for "zero" etched on it. Its elongated form resembled a massive eel.

Naruto approached cautiously, muttering, "So, this is Zero-Tails?"

Inside his mind, Kurama's ears perked up. "What did you just call it?"

"Zero-Tails," Naruto replied. "It's supposed to be an artificial Tailed Beast."

"Hmph. That thing dares call itself a Tailed Beast?" Kurama sneered. In his eyes, only the nine Tailed Beasts created by the Sage of Six Paths deserved such a title. This mockery was an insult.

"It's just a name," Naruto reasoned. He'd seen plenty of absurd titles in anime and wasn't particularly bothered. After all, Kisame Hoshigaki was called the "tailless Tailed Beast," wasn't he?

"Destroy it," Kurama growled. He couldn't tolerate its existence.

Naruto sighed. "It's not that simple. These seals are interfering with my chakra, and I can't even form a Rasengan. Killing it won't be easy. Maybe I should just seal it."

Kurama bristled. "Seal it? You've studied sealing techniques, haven't you? Remove those seals and destroy them properly."

"That'll take too long," Naruto countered. He understood the theory but didn't feel like solving a complex problem under pressure.

Besides, the others were fighting Shinnō, and with most of them using the Sixth Gate, they wouldn't last indefinitely.

"Tch. Let me handle it," Kurama said impatiently, requesting control of Naruto's body.

Naruto hesitated, then allowed it. "What's your plan?"

Kurama smirked. "Since it's so eager to absorb chakra, I'll let it."

"You're not going to—"

"Relax. It doesn't have the qualifications to even scratch me."

As Kurama's crimson chakra shroud enveloped Naruto, he began to draw in natural energy. Within moments, Naruto's body shifted into Sage Mode.

"What?! Since when did you learn Sage Mode?" Naruto exclaimed, astonished. He had struggled through his training in Mount Myoboku, but Kurama seemed to have mastered it effortlessly.

Kurama chuckled. "I'm the strongest Tailed Beast. This level of power is trivial for me."

Naruto thought internally. 'Does this mean I don't need to work as hard anymore? No. Hard work is important. I'll just ask Fukasaku-sensei for more lessons later.'

Kurama ignored Naruto's inner musings and allowed Zero-Tails to absorb the chakra. At the same time, he continued drawing natural energy, cycling it into the Zero-Tails like an overcharged circuit.

Zero-Tails writhed and screamed, its body contorting violently. Its movements became erratic as if it were being electrocuted.

Gradually, its body began to petrify, starting from its tail and spreading upward.

"You can't even handle a little Sage chakra?" Kurama scoffed. "Pathetic."

In a matter of moments, Zero-Tails was entirely encased in stone. Before leaving, Naruto smashed the statue to pieces, scattering the fragments across the room. "Better safe than sorry," he muttered.

----

Back on the Battlefield

When Naruto returned, Shinnō still wore his arrogant expression. He had no idea Zero-Tails had been destroyed.

Gai remained in the Sixth Gate state, while the others, including Kimimaro, were holding at the Fifth Gate. The battlefield was a mess of craters and collapsed walls, evidence of a fierce struggle.

Naruto shouted, "It's done! He can't regenerate anymore. Kick him around!"

"What?!" Shinnō's eyes widened in disbelief.

As soon as he confirmed his link to Zero-Tails was severed, Shinnō roared in fury, charging at Naruto with his fist raised. "You insolent brat!"

But Shinnō's tantrum was cut short. Kimimaro, Gen, Daiki, Jiro, and Lee stepped forward, shouting in unison:

"Sixth Gate: Gate of View... Open!"

Kimimaro darted forward first. "Konoha Twin Rising Flame!"

With precision and fury, his elbow struck Shinnō's chin, sending him flying.

"Boom!" Naruto winced at the sound, imagining Shinnō's teeth shattering. But it wasn't over.

"Konoha Gale!" Lee followed up with a spinning kick, launching Shinnō to the left.

"Lee! Great work!" Gai praised, before leaping into action. "Konoha Dynamic Entry: Adamantine Variant!" His kick slammed into Shinnō's ribs, knocking him in the opposite direction.

Shinnō groaned, barely regaining his balance before Gen's attack connected.

Gen passed him to Daiki, and Daiki handed him to Jiro, each kick more devastating than the last. Jiro's final strike sent Shinnō rocketing skyward.

Naruto, watching the scene unfold, muttered, "That move should be called 'Konoha Rising Dragon.'"

The six fighters, as if moving in perfect synchronization, leapt into the air and shouted in unison:

"Konoha Whirlwind!"

Six spiralling kicks descended on Shinnō simultaneously, sending him crashing to the ground with enough force to create a one-foot-deep crater.

----

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