The Fourth Raikage

Inside the izakaya.

Even though Tsunade had already clearly refused, Amai, still kneeling on the floor, wanted to say something more.

"Enough, Amai!"

At that moment, a rough voice interrupted him, and everyone's gaze involuntarily turned toward the entrance.

With just one glance, Sōji's nerves immediately tensed.

The man's chakra felt like purple lightning suddenly blazing in the pitch-black night.

Vast and scorching, it carried an innate majesty and oppressive force. It was truly monster-class chakra in quality.

If Tsunade's chakra was tempered steel, forged a thousand times over—dense and weighty—then this dark-skinned burly man's chakra was an entire thundercloud.

Wild, explosive, and containing an edge sharp enough to tear through the air.

The curtain shifted.

An arm lifted the curtain aside.

Beneath brown skin, the muscles knotted like rock. Every line looked carved by blade and chisel, brimming with explosive strength.

The veins on his arm bulged faintly. It was not sickly thinness, but vitality pushed to its absolute peak.

Then the man stepped inside. His broad shoulders nearly brushed the doorframe, and he stood a full head taller than Amai.

He wore only a white cloak, leaving his thick pectorals half-exposed. Eight abdominal muscles were arranged neatly beneath them, forming a perfect inverted triangle.

Broad shoulders and back, a narrow waist—every inch of muscle seemed born for battle.

His half-long golden hair was slicked neatly behind his head, while his equally golden beard had been carefully trimmed, making his sharply defined face appear even more imposing.

His brown skin glowed healthily beneath the izakaya's dim yellow light. It was not the complexion of someone pampered in luxury, but the rough texture of one tempered by countless battles, windblown sand, and blazing sun.

But none of that was the point.

The point was his eyes.

Sharp as an eagle's, yet still as a deep pool.

With a single sweep of his gaze, the air throughout the izakaya seemed to freeze.

It was not deliberate intimidation, but an instinct. As an existence at the top of the food chain, his mere presence oppressed everything around him.

His gaze passed over Amai, then Sōji, before finally settling on Tsunade.

Just one look.

Yet Sōji read many things in that glance.

Scrutiny, assessment, vigilance, and a restrained sort of respect.

It was not a weak person looking up at a strong one, but two equals acknowledging each other.

Then he gave a slight nod.

"Princess Tsunade, pardon my late-night intrusion."

His voice was deep and carried an innate authority, yet it was unexpectedly restrained.

At that moment, Sōji also noticed his stance. His legs were slightly spread, his center of gravity lowered, and his hands hung naturally at his sides.

That was not a relaxed posture, but a combat stance ready to erupt at any moment.

Even here to seek treatment, even in an izakaya late at night, his body remained instinctively alert.

But what concerned Sōji most was his chakra.

In the vision of the Six Eyes, the Fourth Raikage's chakra possessed a strange texture. It was not ordinary blue, but lightning with a purple glow, slowly circulating through his body like a sleeping beast.

Its scale was so immense that, in Sōji's perception, even the man's outline seemed somewhat blurred.

It was like looking at someone through a layer of lightning. He was clearly right in front of him, yet felt impossible to grasp.

Even more terrifying was his physical body.

The Six Eyes could see not only chakra, but also the body's minute structures. This man's muscle density, bone strength, and the toughness of his meridians all surpassed those of ordinary people several times over.

That body was a weapon in itself.

Then Tsunade's voice rang out, carrying drunken laziness and clear-headed vigilance. "Oh, the Fourth Raikage!"

"Princess Tsunade, I never expected you to obediently come help us from the start."

As he spoke, the Fourth Raikage stepped forward. As he passed Amai, he patted him on the shoulder.

Amai immediately rose proudly to his feet. "This is the leader of Kumogakure, Lord Raikage!"

The Fourth Raikage stopped before Tsunade's table and looked down at her from above. Tsunade raised her head to stare at him, then suddenly laughed.

"Haha, a truly remarkable big shot has shown up, hasn't he?" Her tone was thoroughly 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 founder of medical ninjutsu. A Fourth Raikage was nothing much by comparison.

The Fourth Raikage did not grow angry at Tsunade's attitude. In the same cold tone, he said, "If you refuse, then even if I have to lay hands on you, I'll tie you up and take you with me."

Tsunade's expression turned serious as well. She fixed him with a sharp stare. "How amusing. Do you know who you're talking so boldly to? If you have the nerve, then try it."

At that moment, their auras clashed in the air, and the temperature throughout the izakaya seemed to drop several degrees.

Beside them, Amai nervously reached for the pouch at his waist. A fierce battle seemed unavoidable.

But Sōji knew it would not come to that.

The Fourth Raikage had to consider Tsunade's status. If they fought and he failed to hold back, Konoha would never let the matter rest. At the same time, he feared that Tsunade might do something underhanded during treatment.

Tsunade herself was putting on a brave front. Hemophobia was a weakness that currently made it impossible for her to fight an opponent of the same level.

"I'll be waiting for you in the clearing behind the tavern!"

After confronting her for a moment, the Fourth Raikage took the initiative to lower his stance. He had come to ask Tsunade to treat his subordinate, not to start a war.

Still, he was also telling Tsunade through his actions that he could take one step back, but he would not give up.

"Let's go, Amai."

With that, the Fourth Raikage took the lead in leaving the izakaya. After bowing to Tsunade, Amai hurried after him.

The izakaya fell quiet once more.

After a moment, Sōji looked at Tsunade, who was still drinking, and asked, "Lady Tsunade, what do you plan to do?"

"Heh, being targeted by the Fourth Raikage really is troublesome."

Tsunade smiled helplessly, then boldly drained the wine in her cup. "In the end, it's only treating an injured person."

"It'll be fine. This is a time of peace. Even the Fourth Raikage wouldn't dare act recklessly."

Hearing that, Yamada Soji fell silent for a moment. If she treated someone, then Tsunade's hemophobia would inevitably be exposed.

"I mean, we should slip away under cover of night. This isn't the Land of Lightning."

At those words, Tsunade gave him a surprised look. Yamada Soji smiled. "There's no shame in running away. I'm not some fool who lets his blood rush to his head."

The Fourth Raikage—against such an established Kage Level powerhouse, even if he revealed every trump card he had, Sōji probably would not be a match for him. But running away would not be a problem.

"Forget it. With the Fourth Raikage's speed, running away isn't realistic." Tsunade shook her head and refused.

Just as Sōji was about to say more, he turned his head and realized that Tsunade had already fallen asleep on the table.

Sōji's expression softened.

Fine, he would leave them hanging for one night. At worst, tomorrow he would see just how formidable this Fourth Raikage really was.

With that thought, he slowly rose, took off his outer robe, and gently draped it over Tsunade.