High-energy rays kept sweeping the floor, turning broad patches of the granite pillar's surface to glass. Scorching chunks of stone broke away and struck the metal wreckage, spraying sparks. Heat warped the air throughout the underground hall.
Minato pressed himself against the pillar and peered through the smoke and dust, his gaze locked on the underside of Anrokuzan's machine.
The purple main pipe connected to the reactor had blackened, its surface webbed with cracks. His mind raced, reducing the battlefield to pure physical data. Distance, density of obstacles...
Naruto leaned against the other side. He tore the stiff, blood-soaked strip of canvas from his left arm.
The wound, its flesh torn open, was exposed directly to the heat and rapidly dried out. He drew a deep breath, every muscle tightening as he forced his body to its limit.
A shrill electronic alarm sounded inside Anrokuzan's machine. He realized the rays could not penetrate the granite's physical defenses, while the pipe underneath was nearing its overload limit.
He cut the rays off at once. The heat in the hall eased slightly, and the dark red light flickered violently.
The Dragon Vein tentacles on Anrokuzan's back rapidly reconfigured. High-speed gears emerged at the ends of three metal tentacles, with blue high-voltage arcs leaping wildly between their teeth.
If he could not break through from the front, he would exploit a blind spot.
The three electrified tentacles shot forward through his opponents' blind spots. They swung around the cover and struck from behind, aiming straight at Sara, who was huddled in the corner.
The leading tentacle crackled with blinding arcs and shattered the stone slab beside Sara's feet.
Minato and Sasuke sensed the movement at once. But with their chakra sealed and no insulated weapons in hand, they were left defenseless for a