Escape From Konoha

Chapter 253: 246: Edo Tensei

In the woods, three figures moved swiftly, disappearing from the battlefield in the blink of an eye.

The sea of snakes behind them had already blotted out the sky, swallowing everything in its path. Orochimaru's actions naturally aroused confusion from Sasori and Hiruko.

"Orochimaru, what are you doing? Why are we running away?" Sasori's tone was hostile as he asked viciously.

Hiruko looked at Orochimaru with confusion. Hyuga Ayane was undeniably a powerful ninja. No matter how ignorant he might be, he recognized her as one of the most powerful ninja in the current ninja world.

However, gathered here were himself, who had mastered the Chimera jutsu, Orochimaru one of the Sannin, and Sasori, the genius puppet master from the Suna. In a three-on-one situation, it seemed unlikely for them to lose, right?

Furthermore, there was the boundless power of the Kakkei Genkai doujutsu. If he could fuse that power to himself..... A hint of greed flickered in Hiruko's eyes.

"As far as I know, Sakumo's three disciples have always been inseparable. If Hyuga Ayane is here, then the other two, along with their stange summoned beasts, shouldn't be far away,"

Orochimaru said with a determined expression. He wasn't afraid to face Hyuga Ayane. Even if she had overwhelmed the Fourth Raikage, Orochimaru considered the Raikage a youngling among the Five Kages. Compared to the older hokages like the Third Hokage and the Third Tsuchikage, their strengths were quite different.

As far as Orochimaru himself was concerned, using teh endless secret jutsus at his disposal, it may not have been impossible to compete with the current Fourth Raikage.

"The other two?" Sasori was quite surprised.

Hiruko nodded thoughtfully, understanding the crucial point, agreeing Orochimaru's statement.

"Ir is indeed as Orochimaru said. When i was in Konoha, I heard that the three remaining members of White Fang's team were basically inseparable in battle, displaying remarkable cooperation. When they teamed up, they could use their respective strengths to the fullest."

Although they were also a trio, Hiruko acknowledged that he and Orochimaru couldn't cooperate seamlessly. Even Sasori, who had been with Orochimaru for a while, wouldn't coordinate effectively. They lacked knowledge about each other's ninjutsu characteristics, secret jutsus, and other trump cards.

Having participated in ninja wars, Hiruko knew very well the huge advantages that came with a tacit cooperation between ninjas. Unfortunately, neither he nor Sasori were Jiraiya or Tsunade, they would be unable to achieve perfect cooperation with Orochimaru.

True tacit understanding involved companions who could rely on each other even in life and death. Everything, from ninjutsu and character to timing, seamlessly connected without the need for verbal communication, achieving perfection in silence.

Hiruko had witnessed this level of teamwork among the Sannin. The White Fang's team also had this sense of teamwork that transcended life and death.

Sasori wasn't foolish. As a talented puppet master, he recognized the significance of teamwork. When developing new puppet types, he created diverse puppets, assigned roles, and paired them to maximize their power which earned him praise from Suna's senior officials.

This was the immense power that a team could bring..It was concept applicable to both puppets and ninjas.

"What ninjutsu are they skilled at?" Sasori asked calmly.

Orochimaru didn't withhold information, stating, "Hyuga Ayane can create an invisible mental deterrent centered around her eyes. At the same time, she can use an extremely versatile gentle fist to generate powerful shock waves.... You've already seen the power." 

There was a rumbling sound of thunder behind them, accompanied by a terrifying shockwave and a violent hurricane that even reached their location.

The power could be imagined Direct impact from such a force was challenging for most in the ninja world to withstand using only their body.

"As for Uchiha Ruri, she likely should have awakened the unknown Mangekyou Sharingan, which should be more powerful than the ordinary Sharingan. Although not widely known, her strength should have surpassed Hyuga Ayane within their team. It's reasonable to assume her minimum strength matches Hyuga Ayane."

Such information wasn't a secret to Orochimaru. As a member of Konoha's top.ramks, he possessed knowledge that few others did. Despite Konoha restricting information about the three after their defection, Orochimaru was one of the few qualified to access all secret information.

Furthermore, Root's attempt to surround and suppress Hyuga Ayane during the war allowed Konoha to gain more information. But that was information from years ago, so Orochimaru didn't know if Ayane had other trump cards now.

For ninjas, not letting outsiders know their ninjutsu secrets was most important, otherwise they could be exploited.

"Mangekyou Sharingan... Well, I recall hearing something about it from the old woman in the past. It seems to be a long-lost ultimate doujutsu of the Uchiha..." Ȑ₳Ｎ𝘰𝐁Ε𐌔

Sasori seemed to recollect something and spoke.

Orochimaru wasn't surprised. Sasori being the grandson of the Chiyo, had received elite training since childhood. As a figure from the older generation in the ninja world and someone who witnessed the establishment of the ninja villages, Chiyo naturally possessed knowledge of many top secrets.

But deeper research would probably make things less straightforward. As far as Orochimaru knew, no Uchi ha in Konoha had awakened the Mangekyou Sharingan since the death of Uchiha Madara back then.

"As for the third person, Chiba Shiraishi, his presence is very thin. In my opinion, he is the most dangerous one. His strength and abilities are like an invisible fog. On the day they defected, he only displayed his summoning ability.which alone caused headaches for the Konoha ninjas who surrounded him. However, he used to be a student of Tsunade in the ninja academy. Based on his performance, his medical ninjutsu should also be extraordinary."

Byakugan, Sharingan, Medical Ninja. From reconnaissance to Taijutsu, then ninjutsu, genjutsu, medical ninjutsu, and summoning, they had all areas covered. 

Sasori finally understood why Orochimaru had used large-scale containment ninjutsu directly and chosen to escape. Because in a three-on-three match, they stood no chance of winning.

The areas these three specialized in, combined, meant they had very few weak points. Judging by Hyuga Ayane's physical strength alone, the other two were probably not much weaker either. When three such ninjas formed perfect and seamless cooperation, the power they exerted was terrifying to contemplate.

"You Konoha people really are full of talents. No wonder you're called the cradle of geniuses,"

Sasori said, sounding both praising and sarcastic. Orochimaru just shrugged. 

Hiruko, who remained silent on the side, had an inexplicable gleam in his eyes, his thoughts unclear. But Orochimaru knew of Hiruko's current thoughts, Hiruko had seen Hyuga Ayane's eyes, he was surely coveting them.

The Chimera Jutsu allows him to assimilate the abilities of ninjas or summoned beasts compatible. The most efficient method was to integrate Kekkei Genkai. Merging various kekkei genkai into his own body would yield greater effects than ordinary ninjas.

The stronger the Kekkei Genkai, the more Hiruko yearned for it in his heart. Hyuga Ayane's Byakugan also ranked among the top of the many Kekkei Genkai.

The three were moving and suddenly noticed something, they looked up to see a figure falling towards them. 

Without a word, they jumped back quickly.

Boom!

The falling figure left a crater in the ground, with dust spreading.

Ayane emerged from the dust, the blood vessels around her eyes protruding, giving her a somewhat hideous appearance. In the depths of her pure white pupils was a high-purity white light that could engulf everything.

"It's amazing... my large range ninjutsu didn't work at all. Your Byakugan and Gentle Fist are truly interesting..."

Orochimaru saw Ayane standing unharmed, realizing she had dealt with all the snakes which had surrounded her.

In the past, he had strategically only paid attention to the Byakugan of the Hyuga clan. While the Gentle Fist couldn't be considered weak, it didn't pose a huge threat to ninjas at his level.

However, Hyuga Ayane was different. In Orochimaru's view, her Gentle Fist had bri6ken the traditional system of the Hyuga clan.

If the Gentle Fist successfully touched her opponent, it would still follow the traditional style of the Hyuga clan, but undoubtedly with bigger damage.

"I don't find you interesting at all, Orochimaru-senpai; your ninjutsu is disgusting."

Spitting out snakes from his mouth..Who creates such disgusting ninjutsu? Up to now, she still felt discomfort in her stomach even after the encounter.

Facing Ayane's critique, Orochimaru remained silent, subtly scanning for abnormalities around him, but found none.

'Is she alone?' Orochimaru thought to himself.

He assumed that with Ayane present, the other two should also be nearby. Yet, there was no sign of the other two so far.

Sasori also glanced at Orochimaru and understood something, then turned his eyes to Ayane, his arms extending from the wide sleeves. Since there was only one opponent, it would be much easier. In a three-on-one situation, they had the upper hand.

However, since the opponent had the Byakugan, his puppet might have been seen through from the beginning. For that, Sasori had no good countermeasures. It was also his first time fighting head-on with a Byakugan ninja, so he could only improvise.

"Sure enough.. I still have to fight... It really is troublesome."

Hiruko sighed, feeling unjustly involved. It couldn't be said that it was completely irrelevant because he genuinely wanted Ayane's Byakugan. If he fused these eyes, he would be one step closer to perfection.

"Don't speak nonsense, its three against one."

Sasori's impatience drove him into immediate action after making the declaration.

The black cloth covering below his nose suddenly floated up, and his mouth opened with a click. It was a mouth made entirely of wood, and its opening and closing movements were very different from a human's. 

After the mouth opened, a cold metallic gleam emerged in the darkness.

Chi! Chi! Chi! Chi.

The mechanized sound echoed, indicating the activation of the mechanism.

A large number of black blades pierced through the air, targeting Ayane.

This move was merely a feint. Sasori needed to collect Ayane's battle data to better arrange the next battle plan. Engaging in battle with a ninja of this caliber offered no guarantee of determining the victor swiftly.

Although Orochimaru had provided a lot of effective information, it was already a few years outdated. From Sasori's current perspective, outdated information could likely cause errors and affect the battle's outcome. 

In ninja battles, even a minuscule detail could tip the scales of life and death. For a puppeteer accustomed to precise puppet manipulation, such instincts were engraved in Sasori's genes.

Battles demanded an artistic sense. This was Sasori's perspective. As he thought about how Ayane might counter his flying blades....

These blades had extremely powerful penetrating power with extreme speed. If ordinary ninjas were unaware, they would be killed instantly. His special poison coated the blades, making even a scratch potentially fatal.

To determine how she would handle his mechanism stabbing blade, Sasori thought of two possibilities. Dodging or using the so-called absolute defense, Rotation, to deflect the blades.

If she dodged, the following strategy involved employing a broader range of tactics to restrict the opponent, creating openings for Orochimaru and Hiruko to attack.

If she used rhe Rotation to deflect the blades, it meant maintaining concentrated firepower to restrict her movements, preventing her from leaving the spot.

'So which would it be?' Sasori thought. 

As the blades rushed towards Ayane, she initiated her movements.

Under the surprised eyes of the three, Ayane confronted the sharp, poisonous blades with the potential to penetrate the human body with hers.

The blades made contact with her body, producing a crisp sound as they bounced off scattering around.

'What!?'

Sasori's pupils dilated. A surprising third method emerged, overturning all his strategic plans.

Ayane flung out both hands. Chakra strings shot out, sticking to a nearby tree. She pulled lightly and her body moved like lightning.

Sasori left his spot as Ayane arrived, her body following him closely.

Seeing Ayane's palm approaching, Sasori dared not let the palm touch him,having witnessed the power of her gentle fist. Even with his puppet's sturdiness, it wouldn't be able to withstand the blow, probably destroyed to pieces.

As Sasori's body flew through the air using chakra threads, a long and narrow black shadow suddenly emerged from beneath his clothes, swinging mercilessly towards Ayane.

Ayane raised her hand, making direct contact with the narrow black shadow. Her body trembled slightly before going downwards.

What her hand came in contact with was a fully metallicized steel tail which was similar to Sasori's, there was a sharp and poisonous curved thorn gleaming under the sun.

A tremendous force pulled Sasori's body using the steel tail.

Without hesitation, Sasori disengaged the mechanism, discarding the steel tail. With a lighter body, he flew through the forest with threads, landing on a sturdy tree branch.

Following this brief encounter, Sasori now had a rough understanding of Ayane's strength. Her speed was impressive, and her strength surpassed expectations given her petite frame. Even his sturdiest puppet could not withstand even one blow. 

Ayane could also see through all his attack routes. The mechanisms inside his puppet were visible to her Byakugan. She could be said to be a ninja extremely incompatible with his abilities. 

On the other side, Orochimaru had also taken action.

Sasori was reluctant to confront Ayane alone, recognizing the significant limitations. His invisible puppets in the past were now useless.

Hiruko also launched an attack at the same time. If he wanted to secure the Byakugan kekkei genkai, leveraging on Orochimaru and Sasori's combined power was crucial. Attaining the Byakugan solely with his strength was an unattainable dream.

Without turning her head, Ayane knew Orochimaru and Hiruko were approaching. 

Hiruko took the lead, rushing forward and delivering a punch to Ayane.

Their palm and fist collided forcefully, causing the ground to crack under the immense strength.

Ayane looked at Hiruko in surprise, and he seemed content with the astonishment showing on her face, he sported a proud smile.

"Don't assume you're the only one with strange powers. I'm no weaker than you, having merged with a giant bear-shaped summoned beast!"

After the declaration, Hiruko's figure disappeared from Ayane's view, reappearing instantly behind her. Spinning his body midair, he swept his legs out.

Ayane turned around, raising her arms to block Hiruko's sweeping legs.

His strength was astonishing, the fusion with the giant bear summoned beast's power was no joke.

Moreover, his extraordinary speed... Judging from his earlier statement, it appears he fused with a speed and agility summoned beast.

At this precise moment, Orochimaru seized the opportune time, opening his mouth as a long snake swiftly emerged. At the same time, the snake opened its mouth, releasing a moon-white glowing sword that pierced Ayane's back.

A large number of poisonous needles rained down overwhelmingly from the sky, cutting off all escape routes for Ayane.

In response, Ayane's chakra surged in both palms, her body spinning as her long hair fluttered wildly.

"Rotation!"

Hiruko screamed in pain, ensnared in the chakra airflow storm created by Ayane, his face contorted in agony.

The overwhelming poisonous needles were all effectively deflected. 

Ayane continued her rotation, the massive chakra ball she generated grinding the ground and uprooting trees in the surrounding area.

As the storm subsided, Hiruko was sent flying like a cannonball, crashing into a tree, bloodied and with increasingly frenzied eyes emitting an eerie red light.

'Is this the Byakugan... What a fascinating kekkei genkai. I want it!!!. If I could get such a kekkei genkai, I would definitely become the strongest,'

Ayane stood in the field, her surroundings scarred by her rotation. There was a bloody wound on her abdomen, while not deep, she was still injured.

The weapon wounding her was the sharp sword Orochimaru had released from the snake's stomach.

Orochimaru held the moon-white glowing sword, looking at Ayane with a satisfied smile. He licked his lips lightly, quite satisfied with the attack.

"The Hyuga clan's absolute defense is nothing more than that... but my Kusanagi sword is even better."

"It's no wonder it pierced my defense. If it indeed is the Kusanagi sword, then it's no wonder."

Ayane, momentarily surprised, regained her composure. It was her first encounter with the legendary indestructible sword, though she hadn't expected it to fall into Orochimaru's hands. 

"It seems the other two aren't here. If you die here, your team will collapse entirely,"

"You can try, you disgusting snake," Ayane retorted with an elegant smile.

Orochimaru fell silent. Obviously she had called him Senpai before. Indeed, a woman's face changes faster than a book's pages.

"Although I prefer the power of the Sharingan, your Byakugan also holds great research value."

"So, as you've said, you can try to attempt it now, and watch me defeat you like the dead snake you are!"

Ayane kicked off powerfully, rushing Orochimaru at high speed. Orochimaru immediately jumped back, creating distance.

"Wind Release - Great Breakthrough!"

Inhaling deeply, Orochimaru forcefully exhaled. The raging winds felled trees over a wide area, ground scraping in the terrible storm. 

Ayane was momentarily blocked before lightly swiping her right hand. The storm tore open and she sprinted through, left and right hands quickly striking Orochimaru's throat and his ribs. 

Orochimaru barely evaded the throat attack but succumbing to Ayane's right index finger which pierced into one of his lower ribs.

Grunting painfully, his face twisted. The Kusanagi sword dropped from his hand. 

Ayane fully pierced under Orochimaru's ribs before ruthlessly ripping out a section of his intestines. 

Immediately afterwards, Orochimaru's body collapsed, transforming into small snakes which scattered to several directions.

The snakes soon gathered back into Orochimaru's shape. He stood intact, laughing sinisterly. 

"You saw through the chakra flow in my wind release with your eyes, and then found the weak point to forcefully break it... Hyuga Ayane.... you truly have surprised me by a lot."

Completely diverging from the Hyuga Clan's traditional gentle fist style, whether deflecting Sasori's mechanized blades with her body or using her Byakugan to discern chakra flows in jutsus and dismantling the jutsu by finding the weak points, Orochimaru found Ayane's abilities truly eye-opening.

Even without acquiring her wonderful eyes, this invaluable data proved to be an extra surprise for Orochimaru, opening the door to a new world for him. He acknowledges that there's much more for him to learn.

"Let's call it a day, today's gains have been exceptionally plentiful."

"Do you want to escape?" Ayane frowned.

"No, it's just unnecessary to prolong the fight. However, I still have a ninjutsu I want to test. It would be fantastic if you could be my experimental subject. You'll undoubtedly provide me with more invaluable experimental data."

Orochimaru smiled mysteriously, forming hand eals before bringing his palms together. A terrifying and dark chakra erupted from his body.

"Summoning Jutsu - Edo Tensei!"

In front of Orochimaru, an oval of black-purple appeared, rendering a passage through space-time into a different realm. 

Two coffins slowly emerged from the darkness, both marked 'one' and 'two'.

Both coffins emitted a dark, decaying aura, making Ayane extremely uncomfortable. The scent resembled that of a long-deceased corpse.

Their heavy lids creaked and were pushed open from inside before heavily falling to the ground, scattering dust in all directions. 

The two figures within seemed to regain some basic consciousness. First, they reached for the coffin's edge, using it to pull themselves out slowly and mechanically.

Their bodies, now exposed to sunlight, displayed fine and strange cracks.

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