The forest echoed with a swishing sound.
Orochimaru and the other two had already retreated from the previous battlefield. Compared to Orochimaru's spotless form, Sasori and Hiruko appeared somewhat disheveled.
Especially Hiruko, whose face was pale and had a trace of blood at the corner of his mouth.
"That woman's Gentle Fist is too formidable. Next time, we cannot engage with her head-on…"
Having fled to safety, Hiruko was still in shock.
He had encountered the Hyuga Clan's Gentle Fist techniques before, but never had he seen anything as exaggerated as Ayane's.
He had tried to elevate his estimation of Ayane's Gentle Fist's power as much as possible, yet he still underestimated her in the end.
Next time, he shouldn't be so reckless.
After all, he, Sasori, and Orochimaru were different; one hid inside a puppet and another's body wasn't human, immune to physical attacks. Their unusual physiques made them less worried about Ayane's Gentle Fist.
"I should have warned earlier not to deal with her using typical Hyuga Clan strategies, or we'd suffer greatly."
He knew well the hefty price Root paid to attempt killing Ayane, only to return unsuccessfully.
Her strength must have grown considerably by now.
"But why run away, when the three of us teamed up…"
Neither Sasori nor Orochimaru had unleashed their full strength, nor did he. If the three of them were to exert their full power, there was still a chance to win.
Besides, Orochimaru could summon those strange dead beings. If he wasn't mistaken, Orochimaru used the long-sealed Impure World Reincarnation Jutsu from Konoha to summon the First and Second Hokage.
With the strength of five individuals, he didn't believe they couldn't take down Hyuga Ayane.
"No, that woman didn't use her full strength."
Sasori spoke up.
Most of the mechanisms on Sasori's puppet had been dismantled, including the steel tail behind him.
The opponent could use a peculiar technique to defend against physical attacks comprehensively, possibly a variant of the Gentle Fist.
As far as Sasori knew, the Hyuga Clan were top-notch at chakra control. With the Byakugan, they could see the chakra flow within themselves and their foes, aiding their chakra manipulation.
Ayane used this method to condense an almost transparent chakra shield around her body, rendering all his hidden weapon mechanisms useless.
Although his hidden weapons were coated with potent poison, they couldn't inflict fatal wounds if they didn't hit the body. The venom was meaningless if it couldn't reach the flesh.
This shield of protective chakra around Ayane was the most troublesome part for Sasori, requiring a more powerful ninja technique to break through it.
Ordinary ninja blades and kunai couldn't penetrate that shield.
"If we all gave our best, it would be hard to predict who'd win. Even if she defeated the three of us, she'd still be seriously injured. But my reason for using the Impure World Reincarnation Jutsu to retreat wasn't that…"
He certainly desired that pair of unique Byakugan different from other Hyuga Clan members.
According to intelligence from Konoha's upper echelon, the Byakugan also had levels of donjutsu strength, similar to the Sharingan.
Although the Byakugan couldn't evolve like the Sharingan, the strength of its donjutsu varied.
In Orochimaru's view, Ayane's Byakugan was exceptionally strong, surpassing all current Hyuga Clan ninjas.
Strange as it was, he sensed something familiar in Ayane—a form of Immortal Technique.
Though different entirely from the Ryuchi Cave's Immortal Technique, the feeling was unmistakable.
Hyuga Ayane was using Natural Energy.
Recalling Tsunade mentioning Chiba Hakushi's contract with Katsuyu Sage from Shikkotsu Forest, was Ayane's use of Natural Energy and Immortal Technique learned there?
Orochimaru couldn't determine this, for he had only been studying Immortal Technique for a short while, and research at Ryuchi Cave baffled him.
"What is the reason then?"
Hiruko interrupted Orochimaru's contemplation.
Orochimaru halted, exhaling softly; for a ninja, the strategy was not just winning each battle but planning a quick escape upon defeat.
Living had meaning, but death led to nothing.
Sasori also sensed something unusual, he took a few slow steps forward, reaching out to touch the air ahead.
Zap!
Sasori's hand was shaken back violently. A sudden rainbow-hued barrier appeared, stretching upwards, encompassing the forest.
"Clearly, Hyuga Ayane's aim was merely to hold us, to lull us into complacency. Her subordinates had stealthily set up a barrier to prevent our escape."
The intrigue lay in the discrepancy between Ayane's displayed power and Konoha's past intelligence.
Furthermore, the Hidden Star Village held significant importance for Ayane and her team, making it impossible for them to let anyone knowledgeable about its location escape alive.
Thus, the answer was clear: Ayane's job was to stall them while other ninjas secretly erected a barrier far from the battlefield—a trap to ensnare them.
"I'm not skilled at dismantling barriers."
Sasori shook his head; he wasn't adept at Barrier Jutsu. The technique was advanced and highly concealed, with a vast scope. Its sole flaw was the lengthy setup, requiring complicated preparations.