The Nine-Tails arrived just in time (bonus chapter)

"You really pushed yourself, Minato."

Inside Naruto's inner world, the Nine-Tails looked through the bars at the tiny glimmer floating in the air—Minato's chakra, flickering like a candle in the wind—and was left speechless.

"If I hadn't come back in time, you wouldn't have had even this little bit of chakra left after sending those two away."

"I really must thank you for that, Lord Nine-Tails..."

The clump of Minato's chakra could no longer take human form. It barely bobbed up and down, as though bowing, before Minato's voice emerged, so weak it was almost inaudible.

"Why didn't you use Naruto's chakra? I can sense that he still has quite a bit left unused."

"I was worried the situation might change. If something did go wrong, I had to leave Naruto enough reserves to protect himself..." Minato's voice faltered. Although the Nine-Tails was still trying to feed him chakra, this remnant left behind by Minato Namikaze's original self could no longer withstand any strain. "But you truly are remarkable, Lord Nine-Tails. Nothing unexpected happened, right up to the end..."

Minato could not even imagine how the Nine-Tails had held Obito off for so long with just a single Shadow Clone.

After all, having fought him twice now, Minato knew all too well how difficult his abilities were to deal with. Yet the Nine-Tails had only been controlling a Shadow Clone. When Minato realized that the Nine-Tails had pulled him back into the Inner Space, its nearly unscathed state stood in stark contrast to his own sorry condition.

As if you need to leave him reserves, brat! Naruto still has me!

The Nine-Tails very much wanted to scold him like that, but as it listened to that clump of Minato's chakra, whose voice was gradually fading away, it ultimately decided not