Chiyo's expression changed. She hurriedly withdrew her chakra threads, but it was already too late-two puppets were swallowed by the quicksand, leaving only one that barely escaped.
"Watch out, Sister!"
Ebizo shouted a warning.
Shukaku had already charged forward, his sandy claw reaching straight for Chiyo's face!
Chiyo hastily leaped back, firing dozens of poisoned needles from her sleeves.
Clink, clink, clink-
The poisoned needles struck Shukaku's sandy skin. Only a handful pierced it, but Shukaku paid no mind to that little bit of poison.
"Annoying bugs!"
He opened his mouth, gathering chakra inside:
"Wind Release: Drilling Air Bullet!"
A high-pressure ball of wind shot out. Chiyo barely dodged it, and it blasted a huge hole in the wall behind her!
The battle spilled out of the room and into the courtyard.
From his vantage point above, Lin Ze could see clearly-although Chiyo and Ebizo were experienced, they were old, after all. Neither their chakra nor their stamina was what it had once been.
Against a tailed beast, they could only keep it occupied, not suppress it.
Wait a little longer.
Lin Ze was patient.
He wanted to wait until both sides had exhausted themselves further, until Shukaku grew more irritable and Chiyo and the others grew more fatigued. Only then could he obtain the One-Tail's chakra and leave safely.
Time ticked by.
The courtyard was already a wreck. Its walls had collapsed, the ground was pitted, and sand and debris lay everywhere.
Chiyo was panting. She had only one puppet left that could still fight.
Ebizo had also depleted more than half his chakra, and the power of his Wind Release had noticeably declined.
The Anbu Captain was already wounded, his left arm a bloody mess where the sand had grazed it.
Shukaku was not in much better