The puppet's vision and movements were badly disrupted. It flailed its arms inside the Wind Wall.
"Found them!"
Mana's eyes lit up. Using the Wind Wall as cover, she spotted several transparent Chakra Threads hidden in the dust.
The threads extended from the puppet's joints toward somewhere deep in the forest.
Without hesitation, she threw the silver needle in her hand. It cut through the air and flew straight at one of the Chakra Threads.
With a soft snap, the needle severed the thread. The puppet stiffened as its controller lost control of it, then clattered to the ground and lay still.
"It worked!"
Aoba's spirits lifted. He was about to press the attack when a sudden sense of danger struck him from behind.
He spun around. Another puppet had pushed through the Wind Wall and was lunging at his back, its spikes almost upon him.
"Look out!"
Mana cried out.
Aoba had no time to think. He instinctively leaned aside. The puppet's spikes grazed his shoulder, tearing a deep gash in his clothes and drawing blood. Pain shot through him.
"Damn it!"
Aoba gritted his teeth against the pain and slashed backward with his Kunai, striking the puppet's joint.
With a sharp crack, its arm broke off and fell to the ground.
Xia seized the opening and used Wind Release again. "Wind Style: Gale Palm!" A Wind Blade howled out and slammed into the puppet's chest, hurling it into a large tree. It shattered on impact.
At last, the three of them breathed easier. They leaned against the trees, panting.
Aoba pressed a hand to his wounded shoulder. Blood had already stained his palm red.
Xia hurried over, pulled a first-aid kit from her pocket, and carefully treated his wound. "Luckily, it's only a flesh wound. A little deeper