Nagi looked at Shinno calmly.
"You deny the strength forged through years of discipline, choosing instead to rely on crooked shortcuts. You don't even measure up to a fraction of Guy-sensei's power.
And your incomplete imitation of the Eighth Gate — the Gate of Death — dares to compete with him?"
"Shut up! Shut up!!! My Eight Gates are perfect! Might Guy is just a foolish jōnin! How could he possibly surpass me?!"
"Die! Ninjutsu: Super God Fist!"
Shinno condensed dark chakra throughout his body, compressing it into particle-like spheres before unleashing them in a devastating shockwave.
Nagi raised a single finger.
"Tailed Beast Flash."
Yin–Yang Release chakra gathered at his fingertip, firing a crimson beam of destructive energy.
The two shockwaves collided—
The crimson beam pierced straight through Shinno's attack.
Half his body was obliterated instantly.
The backlash from overconsuming life force caused his body to wither rapidly.
"You're mistaken about one thing," Nagi said evenly.
"Guy-sensei has always been ahead of you. There was never anything to surpass."
[Shinno: Th-this can't be possible!!! I… lost?!]
[MEidara Uchiha: Tch. Why are you howling? With power like that, you still dared bark so loudly?]
[Tsunade: That physical strength of Nagi's is outrageous. And what he said—Shinno's Eighth Gate isn't even comparable to Guy's Seventh Gate? Is that true?]
[Shinno: It's a lie! He only said that to shake my resolve!]
[Jūzō Biwa: Hah? What nonsense are you spouting, old man?]
[Raiga Shiranui Kūrosuki: We may not have seen Guy's Seventh Gate—but we've seen Might Duy open all Eight Gates. If his power had only been at your level, do you think we would've ended up like this?]
[Shiranui Kūshimaru Shiranui Kūriarare: You're fast—but not so fast we can't see you. You're strong—but not strong enough to make us feel the terror of death.]
[Jinpachi Munashi: Hmph. If that was all you had, I'd have blown you to pieces back then.]
[Fuguki Suikazan: Did you train with some discount imitation version or what?]
The Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist collectively declared:
No one understands the full power of the Eight Gates better than us.
[Shinno: Y-you…! Gah—!]
Shinno began to question his entire existence.
Before Naruto could even begin a lecture—
Nagi ended the fight.
"Ah—!"
Amaru, who had just begun recovering from the shock of her beloved teacher's betrayal, saw Shinno's grotesque state and fainted again.
"You—I…"
Nagi grabbed Shinno by the head and tossed him toward Kakashi.
"Keep him secured. I'll handle the rest."
"Understood," Kakashi replied.
Nagi then looked toward the ground.
With a Chakra Scalpel, he sliced open a passage through the earth and descended.
Beneath Ancor Vantian
Following the tunnel, Nagi entered a chamber inscribed with strange sealing patterns.
At its center—
A massive cocoon pulsed ominously.
"So this is the Zero-Tails. The chakra truly is vile."
He sensed it drawing in chakra, fueling the fortress.
"This kind of evil has no place in this world."
"Fire Release: Crimson Lotus."
A flawless white lotus formed in his palm—beautiful, yet filled with lethal power.
The lotus floated gently toward the cocoon.
The instant it made contact—
It exploded.
Flames engulfed the Zero-Tails before it could absorb the overwhelming chakra.
The fire converged into a colossal blooming lotus.
At that moment—
A torrent of negative emotions flooded toward Nagi.
Resentment from the slain.
Grief from the bereaved.
Hatred unfulfilled.
Despair.
All surged like a tidal wave.
Nagi remained expressionless.
"My heart and actions are as clear as a polished mirror. All I do is justice."
He turned and left.
Meanwhile, Shiranui Kūra, Hinata, and the others rescued the trapped villagers.
With the Zero-Tails destroyed, Ancor Vantian lost its power source and began descending slowly.
Kakashi and the others prepared to evacuate using remaining flight devices.
Nagi emerged from the tunnel just as Naruto rushed toward him.
Before anyone could explain—
Nagi crouched and pressed his hand to the ground, calculating the fortress's mass.
Blue concentric electromagnetic waves spread outward.
"Magnet Release: Levitation."
The falling sensation ceased.
Outside the windows—
The entire fortress hovered midair.
Naruto's eyes widened.
"Whoa!!! That's amazing! Fox-face guy, how'd you do that?!"
Nagi paused.
"Fox-face? You're hardly in a position to say that."
He then guided the massive fortress safely to the ground.
Once landed, Root operatives waiting nearby began systematically capturing remaining Sky Ninja.
After everyone evacuated, Nagi handed Kakashi a document.
"That concludes this incident. Shinno and the fortress will be handled by us. Orders from the Hokage."
Kakashi reviewed it carefully.
"…Understood. We'll leave it to you."
"Appreciated."
Land of Fire — A Hidden Root Facility
Years ago, under Tobirama's and Nagi's direction, Root had excavated a massive underground cavern.
Now, its purpose became clear.
With the Flying Thunder God Technique, Nagi transported the entire Ancor Vantian fortress into the cavern.
The captured Sky Ninja—and Shinno—were brought in.
Seeing the fortress relocated intact, Shinno froze.
Then he burst into laughter.
"Hahaha! So that's why you didn't kill me! You want our technology!
Forget it! I won't tell you a single word about Sky Ninja science!
I'd love to see the look on your face beneath that mask when you fail!"
Most of the captured Sky Ninja looked at him with pity.
Nagi stepped forward.
He placed one hand on Shinno's head.
With the other, he dipped his finger in ink.
"Deep Mind Layer: Record."
"Th-this feeling…! This isn't physical—this is mental—no… spiritual! You—!"
Under Shinno's despairing gaze, the ink recorded knowledge of warships, aerial carriers, Ancor Vantian, and the Zero-Tails' systems.
When Nagi finished—
Shinno's psyche shattered.
Unable to endure the collapse of his beliefs, he broke completely.
Nagi placed a palm atop his head—
Ending him swiftly.
The remaining Sky Ninja were processed by Yamanaka clan operatives.
Officially, it was "recording."
In truth—
It served as practical training.
After all, the true core knowledge had already been extracted from Shinno.
PS: I've been releasing chapters daily . Honestly, it hurts seeing almost no support on Patreon after all that work.If you're enjoying the fic, even a little, supporting me would mean a lot. It helps a student stay independent .
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