# Chapter 35: Hostage
The howling wind swept through, and the explosive flames illuminated the Sand Hidden Village as if it were daylight.
Didara was engaged in battle with Gaara. Their battlefield wasn't on the ground but high in the sky. Gaara also had flight capabilities—the sand he infused with chakra could float in midair through some unknown principle.
The two in the sky couldn't determine a victor for now. Even if Didara lost, the Scorpion at the edge of the Sand Hidden Village was no pushover.
As he charged forward, Su Xiao stopped paying attention to the two in the sky. Not far from him, Temari was already swinging her large folding fan.
"Sickle Weasel."
The massive iron fan over a meter long swung, and a storm abruptly appeared before Temari. Within the storm were dense vacuum blades.
The strong wind itself wasn't lethal—it was those vacuum blades hidden within the gale that were the killing move.
Su Xiao lowered his body, pressing his feet firmly to avoid being blown away. His pitch-black pupils slightly contracted as he tracked the vacuum blades within the gale.
"One, two, three... fifteen."
After sensing the number of vacuum blades, Su Xiao held Dragon-Slaying Flash horizontally before him. A total of fifteen vacuum blades hidden within the gale were slashing toward him.
The vacuum blades came straight at him. Su Xiao's neck and cheeks faintly stung—this was his perception warning him.
Cyan Steel Shadow Energy enveloped Dragon-Slaying Flash as Su Xiao slashed forward several times in the air.
Ding, ding, ding...
Sparks burst from Dragon-Slaying Flash's blade. One vacuum blade flew past Su Xiao's cheek, barely grazing it, and embedded itself into the stone wall behind him.
Twirling the blade with a flourish, Su Xiao slowly advanced toward Temari. Though his pace wasn't fast, Temari didn't dare take a single step back.
"This... impossible."
Temari was clearly stunned. She knew the Sickle Weasel technique all too well. It was normal for enemies to dodge or defend against it, but this was the first time she'd seen someone deflect the vacuum blades.
Su Xiao continued his slow advance. Given Temari's combat style, if he got within close range, she'd be dead in less than half a minute.
Temari's eyes locked onto Su Xiao. Just as she was about to retreat, a strange sense of crisis appeared.
'If I retreat now, I'll die.'
This thought seemed branded into Temari's mind. She stopped in place, and the distance between them gradually shortened.
Temari's judgment was correct. If she showed even a hint of carelessness, Su Xiao could use "Shave" and reach her within half a second.
Su Xiao kept advancing slowly. Temari's forehead beaded with cold sweat. The enemy seemed full of openings, yet no matter how long she searched, she couldn't find the right moment to strike.
The atmosphere was suffocatingly tense. Temari felt as if an invisible giant hand was squeezing her heart.
"Ninja Art: Wind Sand Dust."
Temari finally couldn't bear it anymore. She forcefully swung her large folding fan, and the gale swept up yellow sand, surging toward Su Xiao.
His vision turned hazy yellow, but a smile appeared on Su Xiao's face.
"Hmph."
A pained cry came from within the yellow sand. When the sand dispersed, Temari stood not far away. A tear had appeared in the clothing over her chest, with a small amount of blood seeping out. The pale skin of her chest was clearly exposed—Temari had inadvertently revealed quite a bit.
Covering her chest with one hand, Temari's pupils trembled. She was a ninja skilled in mid-range combat, and what she feared most was being forced into close-quarters fighting. Now she was trapped.
If one looked closely, they'd notice an almost imperceptible "barrier" surrounding the two. This barrier was formed by Realm Severing Thread using the surrounding buildings, shaped like a large octagonal cage.
When Su Xiao had been closing in on Temari earlier, she had focused all her attention on him, inevitably neglecting her surroundings.
"Temari!"
Kankuro came rushing over, shouting loudly. Behind him were over a dozen Sand Ninja—his trusted subordinates.
Temari's face lit up when she saw them.
Boom!
An explosion suddenly rang out. Sand flew everywhere as one Sand Ninja was blasted into the air. Having stepped directly on a bomb, his legs were blown higher than his torso.
The Sand Ninja, cut in two, landed and wailed in agony. Everyone else stopped in their tracks, including Kankuro.
"Don't get close! Those are bombs planted by that enemy in the sky!"
Temari's judgment was wrong. These were Alchemy Bombs that Su Xiao had placed nearby earlier. Hidden in the sand, they exploded the moment someone stepped on them, leaving no time to defend.
Kankuro and the others faced a dilemma. If they didn't support Temari, she would soon lose. If they did support her, they might get blown up.
"Earth Release: Ground Rumble Shock."
One Sand Ninja pressed his hand to the ground. The nearby earth trembled a few times before stopping. It seemed these Sand Ninja had figured out that the bombs in the sand were trigger-activated.
After the tremors, the surroundings fell silent. No explosions came.
Su Xiao reactivated the Alchemy Bombs and then ignored those Sand Ninja.
Boom!
Another explosion rang out as a Sand Ninja stepped on a mine. However, this one was agile—only the bones in one leg were broken.
Seeing this, Kankuro stopped approaching. He unsealed a puppet from his back, preparing to support Temari from a distance.
The other Sand Ninja did the same, launching Earth Release, Fire Release, and other techniques at Su Xiao.
A transparent shield appeared on Su Xiao's body surface. Activating "Sanctuary," he charged straight at Temari.
Seeing Su Xiao rushing at her with such momentum, Temari immediately counterattacked. There was no time to form hand seals, so she could only use a seal-less technique.
"Great Sickle Weasel."
The Great Sickle Weasel was an enhanced version of the Sickle Weasel. The wind pressure was greater, and the number of vacuum blades had increased dramatically.
Ding, ding, ding...
The clang of metal rang out. Dust and smoke rose around Su Xiao. Not only the vacuum blades but also the attacks from those Sand Ninja were bombarding his vicinity.
Whoosh~
A figure burst through the dust—it was Su Xiao, having endured the Great Sickle Weasel and three ninjutsu head-on.
The shield around his body was covered in cracks, on the verge of shattering. But that no longer mattered—he had closed to within three meters of Temari.
Behind Temari was the barrier formed by Realm Severing Thread, leaving her nowhere to retreat.
"Secret Technique..."
Temari had just raised her large folding fan when Su Xiao slashed at it.
Ding~
Dragon-Slaying Flash left a blue slash mark in the air. Temari's meter-long ninja fan snapped in two.
This fan wasn't designed for close combat, so it was easily cut through by the sharp Dragon-Slaying Flash.
Temari gritted her silver teeth, helplessness filling her eyes. Not far away, Kankuro was frantic with worry.
"Temari!"
Pfft.
The long blade swept across, leaving a bone-deep wound on Temari's collarbone.
Su Xiao could have severed Temari's throat with that strike, but he didn't. This woman was very useful.
Being cut by Su Xiao was no small matter. Cyan Steel Shadow Energy invaded Temari's body, and an unbearable, excruciating pain erupted.
"Ahhh~"
Temari screamed. The chakra within her seemed on the verge of going berserk. Su Xiao seized the opportunity to move behind her, grabbing the back of her neck with one hand. Temari's face was deathly pale, her expression pitiful—nothing like the demeanor of a kunoichi.
The Sand Ninja who had been preparing to attack Su Xiao with ninjutsu were stopped by Kankuro's shout. Any more attacks would risk hitting Temari.
Temari's scream reached Gaara, who was locked in combat with Didara in the sky. He glanced at the ground battlefield with his peripheral vision.
Su Xiao now had Temari's neck gripped. The blade of Dragon-Slaying Flash pressed against her pale throat. The blade slowly slid across—with Dragon-Slaying Flash's sharpness, the skin on Temari's throat was instantly cut open, blood staining the blade.
"Huff... huff..."
Temari's eyes were wide open. She gasped heavily, fear enveloping her.