The black rods whistled through the air. Chikage swung his police baton backhanded, meeting them head-on.
The clash of metal showered blinding sparks.
Obito flickered in and out of the void, pulling back again after his attack failed.
A shrill whistle cut through the air in the distance.
Asura Path raised his head, the alloy armor across his chest opening completely as several searing chakra laser cannons swept across the battlefield.
The dazzling beams sliced through the forest, their heat igniting and detonating the golden pollen drifting through the air.
A chain of thunderous explosions tore through the Defensive Forest.
Swaths of trees turned to charcoal. Thick smoke spread with waves of heat, and the once-dense clouds of pollen were blasted clean away.
Chikage's mouth twitched as he watched the six figures standing amid the scorched earth.
"Laser cannons for ranged attacks, an immortal dog for close combat, a vacuum cleaner up front, and a dedicated resurrection healer squatting in the back."
Chikage rubbed his aching wrist and complained to the two behind him.
"These guys go into a fight with a tighter lineup than the Daimyo's Internal Affairs Ministry's Guard Unit."
Yashiro wiped the black ash off his face, his breathing somewhat ragged.
"Deputy Captain, there's no way to fight them. Kill one, and that Big-Headed Doll in the back just brings them back."
"No kidding. If they were that easy to beat, gods would be running around on every street."
Chikage's gaze swept over Naraka Path behind Pain.
The enormous phantom of the King of Hell flickered in and out of sight, ready to receive damaged puppets at any moment.
Against a battle formation whose offense and defense complemented each other like this, the usual tactic of picking them off one by one was useless.
Fighting head-on would