"How much longer?" Obito asked weakly, his tongue hanging out.
He had already asked that question dozens of times.
Kakashi barely had the strength to mock him anymore, because he was nearing his limit too.
Even Might Guy, the most passionate of them all, had wilted. He had stopped going on about youth, too.
He thought, Youth will surely forgive me this once.
They had already rested dozens of times, but they were still exhausted. On top of that, the thin air had given everyone altitude sickness.
With so little oxygen, several of them had nearly fainted and fallen.
Fortunately, they had help from strong-willed people like Itō Junichi, Might Guy, and Tendōmaru.
That was what kept them from falling.
Everyone rested for a while longer.
Then Tanimakino spotted people climbing toward them from below.
"Huh... it's big brother Boruto and Uncle Sasuke. They came too?" Tanimakino said in surprise.
Itō Junichi also glanced down. "They still seem to have plenty of stamina!"
After a while, the groups met.
Everyone watched Sasuke climb the tower with one hand, looking as though he still had strength to spare.
The youngsters all cast admiring looks his way.
Their gazes even made Sasuke a little embarrassed.
He thought, I am a Six Paths-level ninja, after all. If I couldn't even manage something as trivial as climbing a tower, I might as well find somewhere to bash my head in and die.
"Keep at it, everyone," Sasuke said. "I can already sense that the top isn't too far away. You're all the village's hope. I believe you'll succeed."
With Sasuke's brainwashing, the youngsters' fighting spirits rose one after another. They quickly began climbing upward.
Sasuke did not pass them, either, staying below the group. If anything unusual happened, he could help at any time.