The savage chakra radiating from the three pseudo-Tailed Beasts pressed against every inch of the valley like solid walls. The wounded Crystal-Armored Lizard Beast, the newly emerged Acid Giant Ape Beast, and the elusive Spirit Phantom Beast had no reason in their scarlet eyes, only an instinctive hunger for destruction and chakra. They had the four members of the Surprise Attack Squad trapped in the center.
Zetsu's mocking voice still echoed through the valley, carrying the playful cruelty of a cat toying with mice.
"This isn't looking good, Uncle B." Naruto gripped the enormous Tailed Beast Bomb, his golden Chakra Cloak flickering violently. Under the pressure of three beings on their level, even he felt an unprecedented weight bearing down on him.
"Yo~ foolish student~ feeling fear at last~ but the rhymes don't stop~ you fool, you ass~" Killer B still sounded flippant, but his eight chakra tails had gone taut as he entered full combat readiness. He glanced at Ling and Gaara. "Hey, sand kid, water kid, got any bright ideas?"
Gaara controlled the sand, building layer upon layer of circular defenses around the four of them as he calmly assessed the situation. "They want to stall us and wear us down. Even if we win a head-on fight, we'll lose the ability to advance any farther."
Fine beads of sweat seeped from Ling's temples. His Water Mirror Insight into Principle locked onto all three pseudo-Tailed Beasts at once as his mind raced. Three immense, twisted energy structures throbbed wildly before his "eyes." They even resonated with one another, making the energy field throughout the valley more chaotic and oppressive.
"Their energy cores are connected by some kind of network... it's those God Tree Remnants!" Ling's eyes snapped open, and he pointed at the vines and enormous mushrooms around