Inside the tavern.
Even though Tsunade had already refused, Amai, still kneeling on the floor, tried to say something more.
“Enough, Amai!” Just then, a gruff voice cut him off.
Everyone’s gaze instinctively turned toward the entrance.
With just one look, Souji’s nerves immediately tensed.
To him, this man’s chakra felt like violet lightning suddenly igniting in the pitch-black night.
Vast and scorching, carrying an innate majesty and pressure, truly the chakra quality of a monster.
If Tsunade’s chakra was refined steel, forged a thousand times, dense and heavy, then this dark-skinned man’s chakra was an entire thundercloud.
Wild, explosive, containing an edge sharp enough to tear the very air apart.
The curtain moved.
An arm pushed it aside.
Beneath his bronze skin, muscles coiled like boulders, every line carved as if by blade and chisel, packed with explosive power.
Veins bulged slightly beneath the skin, not with sickly frailty, but with vitality pushed to its absolute peak.
Then the man stepped inside.
His broad shoulders nearly brushed the doorframe, his height a full head taller than Amai.
He wore only a white great cloak, his thick chest half-exposed, eight-pack abs arrayed in perfect formation, outlining a flawless inverted triangle.
Broad shoulders, a tapered waist, every inch of muscle seemed built for battle.
His medium-length golden hair was neatly slicked back, and his matching golden beard was neatly trimmed, making his sharply defined features appear even more imposing.
Beneath the tavern’s dim, amber lamplight, his bronze skin glowed with a healthy luster.
It wasn’t the smooth complexion of someone who had lived a life of luxury, but the weathered roughness of a warrior tempered by countless battles, wind, sand, and the blazing sun.
But none of that mattered.
What truly mattered were his eyes.
Sharp as a hawk’s, yet still as a deep pool.
With just one sweeping glance, the air throughout the tavern seemed to freeze.
It wasn’t deliberate intimidation.
It was instinct.
The presence of a being at the very top of the food chain.
Its mere existence made everything around him feel oppressed.
His gaze passed over Amai, over Souji, and finally landed on Tsunade.
Just one glance.
Yet in that single glance, Souji read many things: scrutiny, assessment, wariness, and a measure of reserved respect.
Not the gaze of the weak looking up at the strong, but mutual recognition between equals.
Then he gave a slight nod.
“Lady Tsunade, forgive the late-night intrusion.” His voice was deep, carrying an innate authority, yet unexpectedly restrained.
Souji also noticed his stance: feet slightly apart, center of gravity lowered, hands hanging naturally at his sides.
It was not a relaxed posture, but one ready to explode into action at any moment.
Even while seeking medical treatment, even in a late-night tavern, his body maintained its instinctive alertness.
But what caught Souji’s attention the most was his chakra.
Through the Six Eyes, the Fourth Raikage’s chakra possessed a strange quality.
It wasn’t the ordinary blue of normal chakra, but violet lightning slowly circulating within his body like a sleeping beast.
The sheer magnitude of that chakra was so immense that, in Souji’s perception, the man’s outline became somewhat blurred.
It was like looking at someone through a veil of lightning.
Even though he stood right before him, he still felt impossible to grasp.
And even more terrifying was his physique.
The Six Eyes could see not only chakra, but also the body’s fine internal structure.
This man’s muscle density, bone strength, and the toughness of his meridians all exceeded those of an ordinary person by several times over.
That body itself was a weapon.
Tsunade’s voice broke the silence, lazy with drunkenness yet sharp with alertness.
“Yo, Fourth Raikage.” “Lady Tsunade, I never expected you to come with us willingly in the first place.” With that, the Fourth Raikage stepped forward.
As he passed Amai, he gave his shoulder a light pat.
Amai immediately straightened up proudly.
“This is Raikage-sama, the leader of our Hidden Cloud Village!” The Fourth Raikage stopped before Tsunade’s table, looking down at her from above.
Tsunade tilted her head up to meet his gaze, then suddenly laughed.
“Haha!
So even someone as important as you came in person.” Her tone was openly teasing.
After all, when it came to status, she was a direct descendant of the Senju, the Princess of the Land of Fire, and the pioneer of medical ninjutsu.
A mere Fourth Raikage was hardly anything special to her.
The Fourth Raikage showed no anger at her attitude.
His voice remained cold and steady.
“If you refuse, then even if I have to use force, I’ll tie you up and take you there.” Tsunade’s expression also became serious; her sharp gaze fixed on him.
“How amusing.
Do you even know who you’re mouthing off to?
If you’ve got the guts, try it.” At that moment, their auras collided invisibly, and the temperature inside the tavern seemed to drop by several degrees.
Beside them, Amai nervously reached for the pouch at his waist.
A major battle seemed all but unavoidable.
But Souji knew it would never happen.
The Fourth Raikage was wary of Tsunade’s status.
If he failed to hold back once the fight began, Konoha would never let the matter rest.
At the same time, he also feared that Tsunade might secretly make a move during the treatment.
As for Tsunade herself, she was putting on a brave front.
Her hemophobia made it impossible for her to fight an opponent of the same caliber in her current state.
“I’ll be waiting for you in the clearing behind the tavern.” After a brief standoff, the Fourth Raikage was the first to make a concession.
He had come to ask Lady Tsunade to treat his subordinate, not to start a war.
But through his actions, he also made one thing perfectly clear.
He could make a concession.
But he would never give up.
“Let’s go, Amai.” With that, the Fourth Raikage took the lead and walked out of the tavern.
After giving Lady Tsunade a respectful bow, Amai hurried after him.
The tavern fell silent once more.
After a moment, Souji looked at Tsunade, who was still drinking, and asked, “Lady Tsunade, what are you going to do?” “Heh…
being targeted by the Fourth Raikage is a real headache.” Tsunade smiled helplessly before boldly draining the sake from her cup in one gulp.
“At the end of the day, it’s only a matter of treating the wounded.” “It’ll be fine.
This is peacetime.
Even the Fourth Raikage wouldn’t dare act recklessly.” Souji fell silent for a moment.
If Tsunade treated the patient, her hemophobia would inevitably be exposed.
“I say we slip away tonight.
This isn’t the Land of Lightning.” Tsunade looked at him in surprise.
Souji smiled.
“There’s no shame in running away.
I’m not some hotheaded fool.” The Fourth Raikage was a veteran Kage-level powerhouse.
Even if Souji used every trump card he had, he probably still wouldn’t be his match.
But escaping was another matter.
“Let’s forget about that.
With the Fourth Raikage’s speed, trying to run away isn’t realistic.” Tsunade shook her head, rejecting his suggestion.
Just as Souji was about to say something else, he turned his head and realized that Tsunade had already fallen asleep on the table.
Souji’s demeanor softened.
Forget it.
Let them stew for the night.
At worst, he’d test himself against the Fourth Raikage tomorrow and see just how formidable he really was.
With that thought, he slowly rose to his feet, took off his outer coat, and gently draped it over Tsunade.