"Let's test the waters first, and if it doesn't work out, we'll consider retreating later."
As Ayane pondered on the spot, nine of Danzo's men were rapidly approaching her.
"As expected, there's a perception ninja in the team, their detection range is further than my Byakugan's observation range. It seems they didn't encounter me by chance. Was it because the previous Root squad went missing, leading them to deduce my approximate location?"
It seems Konoha's determination to eliminate her is greater than expected.
Or is it that the Hyuga Family is also making an effort?
Ayane, unable to figure it out, decided not to overthink it.
She charged towards Danzo's direction.
"Lord Danzo."
A perception ninja accompanying him said softly.
"Has the opponent approached?"
"Yes."
"Though she's just a young girl, we mustn't be careless. Watch out for her Byakugan and Gentle Fist."
Danzo looked forward with icy eyes.
"Yes."
"Proceed according to plan. The opponent doesn't know we've grasped some crucial information about her, and we must make good use of this."
After Danzo finished, the eight accompanying Root Ninjas sped up to keep close.
A hundred meters... fifty meters... twenty meters... The distance between both sides now allowed them to see each other's figures clearly.
No need for Byakugan or Perception Ninjutsu, both sides could discern the opponent's detailed position with the naked eye.
Ayane silently counted the decreasing distance between herself and Danzo's group.
Danzo's sinister and icy image also entered her line of sight.
With hands forming seals, Chakra gathered in her mouth, intending to unleash a Ninja Technique.
The other Root Ninjas were also rallying their Chakra, as the battle unfolded silently.
Ten meters…
At this distance, Ayane abruptly pooled Chakra into her legs, accelerating her leap forward.
Five meters…
This range fell within the scope of her Byakugan Dojutsu's pressure.
Thus, unhesitatingly, Ayane condensed Sage Art Chakra into her pure white pupils, launching an invisible pressure that silently pierced the air forward.
In the first strike, she must first take out two Root Ninjas, then utilize the advantage of her Byakugan to manipulate the enemies in this complex terrain. This was Ayane's devised battle strategy.
It should be like this.
At the same moment, a Root Ninja also unleashed a technique.
Boom!
An explosion reverberated in the intangible air; the gale it stirred made Ayane abruptly widen her eyes.
The pressure was blocked.
"What kind of technique is this…"
No, that's not right, why does Root know about her Dojutsu attack approach and range… There should be no such information about her in Konoha's intelligence system.
Ayane had a brief moment of hesitation in her mind.
"Wind Style: Vacuum Wave!"
A sharp wind akin to a whistling sickle gusted from Danzo's mouth, slicing through the trees at the sides.
Even solid rocks couldn't withstand the sharp wind; neither could the human body of flesh and blood.
Knowing this, Ayane wouldn't foolishly use her body to block such a powerful Wind Style Ninjutsu.
However, a slender shadow stretched from beneath a Root Ninja's feet.
In the sky, a swarm of black flying insects densely blocked out the sunlight.
Another Root Ninja's arm swelled up, using a massive hand to push towards Ayane's body.
Ayane swiftly retreated, pressing her palm to the ground, expressionless as she raised her arm.
Boom!
A large chunk of rock was uprooted by her seemingly soft and weak hand.
The shadow touched the rock and began to extend upward.
The sharp wind and massive hand merely shattered the earthen wall.
When the swarm of insects charged, Ayane had already vanished from behind the earthen wall.
"Good tactical cooperation, an average Jonin would likely be taken out instantly, but such minor tactics are meaningless in the face of my Byakugan."
Ayane stood on a tree branch, locking eyes with Danzo and his team.
Danzo remained silent.
Behind him, only four Root Ninjas stood, while the other four, exploiting the opening when Ayane evaded the attack, leaped into the sky, each holding a kunai and shooting from the four corners of a square formation.
Upon contact with the four corners of the ground, the moment they touched, flashes of golden light flickered four times, with each flicker corresponding to the position of a standing Root Ninja.
Their seals were already prepared.
"Four Violet Flames Formation!"
A purple translucent wall formed a massive barrier, encasing Ayane, Danzo, and the others within the gigantic purple transparent cube.
Following that, a golden flash appeared beside Danzo and the others.
It was Konoha Jonin Namikaze Minato.
Along with him appeared two others.
One was a thick-browed man, none other than Might Duy.
The other, like Ayane, had Byakugan, a handsome young man in his twenties—Hyuga Hizashi.
"As expected of the ninja techniques left by the master, with this, the stage for eliminating traitors is perfectly set."
Danzo cast a glance at Minato, nodding in deep satisfaction.
Though Minato wasn't from his faction, the Flying Thunder God Jutsu mastered by him could, at certain times, be pivotal in altering the tide of war.
The circumstances on the battlefield could be said to change in a heartbeat.
Ayane hadn't anticipated that in such a short moment, Konoha's people could gather so many ninjas.
She then looked towards the golden-haired young man of a similar age, her expression contemplative.