Ayane saw this, and the Chakra in her palms began to surge dramatically. Her body started to spin, and her long hair danced along with her movement.
"Revolving Heaven!"
Hiruko let out a cry of pain as he was directly swept into the storm triggered by Ayane's Chakra currents, his face contorted with agony.
The overwhelming poison needles were all deflected.
Ayane's spinning created a massive Chakra Ball that smoothed the earth, uprooting trees from the surroundings, sweeping them into the storm.
After the storm subsided, Hiruko's body flew like a cannonball, crashing into a large tree, vomiting blood and falling to the ground. His gaze grew more feverish, glinting with an eerie red light.
This is the Byakugan… truly an intoxicating Kekkeigenkai. His heart longed immensely.
If he could obtain this Kekkeigenkai, he would undoubtedly become even more powerful.
Standing amid the scene, Ayane had peeled back a layer of ground with her Revolving Heaven. On her abdomen, there was a bloody gash, not deep, but indeed harmed.
The weapon that injured her abdomen was the sharp legendary sword spat out from the belly of Orochimaru's snake.
Orochimaru, holding the sword emitting moon-white light, looked at Ayane with a smile, lightly licking his lips as if very satisfied with the sharpness of the sword.
"So, the Absolute Defense of the Hyuga Clan is just so-so, still inferior to my Sword of Kusanagi."
"No wonder it could break my Revolving Heaven. Given it's the Sword of Kusanagi, it's no surprise."
Briefly astonished, Ayane quickly regained her composure.
The legendary indestructible sword was seen for the first time.
She just didn't expect that this legendary sword would end up in Orochimaru's hands.
"Seems like the other two aren't here. If I kill you here, your Team Triangle will completely collapse."
"You can try, disgusting rotten snake."
Ayane beamed, elegantly speaking.
"..."
Clearly, she had previously called him Orochimaru-senpai once; truly, women change faces faster than turning pages in a book.
"Although I prefer the power of the Sharingan, the Byakugan is of great research value too."
"So, as I said, try if you can and see how I make you a dead snake!"
Ayane pushed off vigorously, speeding towards Orochimaru.
Orochimaru immediately leaped back, increasing the distance.
"Wind Style: Great Breakthrough!"
Opening his mouth to take a deep breath, Orochimaru forcefully exhaled.
A powerful gust surged forward, sweeping down trees in its path, scourging a layer off the ground.
Ayane's body was momentarily halted by the windstorm. Her right hand gently carved a line in front, tearing a hole in the storm. She then dashed rapidly forward, hands attacking towards Orochimaru's throat and side.
Orochimaru slightly adjusted his body, dodging the throat attack, but Ayane's index and middle fingers of her right hand struck his side, stabbing into his body.
Groaning in pain, Orochimaru's face twisted.
The Sword of Kusanagi fell from his hand, dropping to the ground.
Unmercifully, Ayane completely plunged her index and middle fingers under Orochimaru's side, pulling out a segment of intestine.
Immediately after, Orochimaru's body began to disintegrate, transforming into numerous small snakes spreading away.
The small snakes ran to a distance and regrouped, re-forming into Orochimaru, standing intact with a sinister smile.
"Used the Byakugan to see through Chakra flow in my Wind Style, then found a weak spot to cut through, forcibly nullifying it… Hyuga Ayane, you've indeed given me many surprises."
Entirely transcending the traditional Gentle Fist of the Hyuga Clan, whether using her body to deflect Sasori's various mechanized flying blades or using the Byakugan to see through the Chakra flow in Escape Techniques, finding the weak points to break down the Ninja Techniques; all opened Orochimaru's eyes.
Even without obtaining the Byakugan, such precious data was an exceptional and surprising harvest for Orochimaru.
Opening the door to a new world for him.
He had much yet to learn.
"Let's stop for today; the harvest today has indeed been excessive."
"Trying to escape?"
Ayane frowned.
"No, just not continuing the fight. However, I have a Ninja Technique I'd like to test its caliber. If you serve as my experimental subject, you'll surely allow me to obtain more precious experimental data."
Orochimaru smiled mysteriously, then formed seals with both hands, ultimately pressing palms together, unleashing terrifying and dark Chakra from his body.
"Summoning Jutsu: Impure World Reincarnation!"
Before Orochimaru, the ground was rendered with an oval-shaped purple gloom, a spatial passage connecting to another realm.
Two coffins slowly rose from the dark purple passage, labeled 'One' and 'Two'.
The coffins emitted a shadowy, decaying presence that made Ayane extremely uncomfortable.
Like the scent of bodies long laid to rest.
The heavy lids of the coffins creaked open from inside, then with a bang fell heavily to the ground, scattering dust.
The two lying inside the coffins seemed to regain basic consciousness, first extending hands to grip the coffin edges, using the pulling force to mechanically emerge slowly from within.
Under the sunlight, their bodies displayed fine, eerie cracks.