"Ah, be gentle! I'm human with bones, not a pig with ribs!"
Jinghang grimaced in pain, sweat pouring down his face.
"Bah! Serves you right! Do you realize that these two broken ribs were only half an inch away from puncturing your lung? If that happened, you'd be coughing and wheezing for the rest of your life!"
Tsunade grumbled incessantly, but her hands didn't stop moving. She skillfully placed a crescent-shaped splint on Jinghang's ribs and supported it with an arc-shaped brace.
"Alright, all done. Rest for fifteen days, and you'll recover completely."
Tsunade clapped her hands.
"Will it hurt during rainy weather later on?"
Jinghang looked at the splint.
"Ha, don't you trust my skills? Residual effects? That's an insult to me! Besides, does our Sunagakure have rainy weather?"
Tsunade said disdainfully, beginning to perform Mystical Palm Technique on Jinghang's broken ribs. A cooling sensation spread from the injury.
"Well, you have a point."
Jinghang scratched his head.
"Honestly, why did you have to step in personally, being the Kazekage?"
Tsunade's face showed a hint of displeasure.
"Well, he challenged me in front of so many people. I couldn't just not respond, right? It wasn't just about me; it concerned the reputation of the entire Sunagakure."
Jinghang spoke earnestly.
"You're just being stubborn. Now, you've saved face, but your ribs are broken. Why did you spare that old geezer? You should've killed that old bastard."
Tsunade was getting a bit angry.
"Oh dear, dear. It's just a spar between masters. A little injury is inevitable. I couldn't let the Third Raikage die on Yuexi Peninsula. That would cause a war between the villages."
As Jinghang spoke, there was a knock on the door.
"Who is it?"
Tsunade asked.
Unexpectedly, the visitor was not polite and had already entered. It was the Third Raikage A and Tsukigami Kouichi carrying a mountain of gifts, his face obscured by the pile, clearly containing various precious medicinal herbs and supplements of considerable value.
"Kazekage-sama, how are you feeling?"
"Hmph!"
Tsunade turned away in displeasure.
"Oh, Princess Tsunade is here too."
The Third Raikage smiled awkwardly.
"Oh, Raikage-sama, why be so courteous? Didn't I say? In a spar, some bumps are inevitable. Why bring these things? Quickly, let your nephew put them down; they're quite heavy."
Jinghang smiled, appearing unconcerned.
Why did Jinghang get his ribs broken by the Third Raikage for no reason? We have to start from the beginning of the story.
After having hot pot that day, the Five Kages agreed on forming the Ninja Alliance and gambled the night away in the Crystal Palace, thoroughly enjoying themselves before returning to their hotels to wash up and sleep.
But the next day, the World's First Ninja Tournament had to continue, with a total of twenty-four matches, three per day, each match thrilling and packed. Tickets to the arena were hard to come by, leading many to become scalpers. The venue, meant for fifty thousand, often squeezed in seventy to eighty thousand, greatly pleasing the Five Kages as it meant lots of money.
Happy times always pass quickly, and half a month flew by. In the end, tallying the results, the biggest winner turned out to be Kumogakure. They tied six wins and six losses with Konohagakure, and won seven against five with Iwagakure, gaining a significant advantage.
This was thanks to Kumogakure's deep-rooted martial spirit, with overall strength indeed impressive, surpassing Iwagakure at the sub-Kage level and able to stand alongside Konohagakure.
This aligned with the Third Raikage's goals, making him very excited. Coupled with the audience's desire for more, he had a bold idea.
"Kazekage-sama, our subordinates have sparred enough. How about we try it ourselves?"
This was said through a chakra microphone, spreading his voice throughout the arena.
The venue immediately erupted. A match between the Kazekage and the Raikage, a genuine Kage-level duel, was a rare sight, worth its weight in gold.
"Since Raikage-sama is interested, Jinghang will learn from Raikage-sama's skills!"
Jinghang responded with a smile, further igniting the atmosphere.
Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!
Jinghang cursed three times in his heart.
The matches were over, yet the old man wanted an extra match! Just to show off!
If the old man was really itching for a fight, why not challenge Hiruzen Sarutobi nearby? Why pick on me?
Now, he was stuck, unable to refuse the challenge, or he'd lose face.
But thinking about it, Jinghang understood the Third Raikage's intentions. From Kumogakure's perspective, Iwagakure suffered greatly in the Second War, severely weakened. Kirigakure just finished dealing with internal affairs, also not a threat. On the future "international stage," the only competitors for Kumogakure were Konohagakure and Sunagakure.
Konohagakure had centuries of accumulation and deep foundations, temporarily beyond Kumogakure's reach, requiring a long-term plan. Sunagakure had developed rapidly in recent years, showing potential to rise. The Third Raikage chose Jinghang as his opponent to suppress him and assess this rising star's capabilities.
"This old geezer has tough skin, high attack and defense, and is extremely fast. I wonder if Sage Mode combined with imitation Lightning Armor can keep up?"
Jinghang pondered strategies while changing into his battle attire.
The Third Raikage was undoubtedly a tougher opponent than the Four-Tails Son Goku, capable of fighting the rampaging Eight-Tails Gyūki to a standstill with just his human body!
In the original story, the Third Tsuchikage Ōnoki mobilized nearly ten thousand Iwagakure ninja, fighting this old man for three days and nights before exhausting him to death, not knowing how many people he killed in the process.
But Jinghang knew how to deal with him, looking at the lightning-shaped scar on the Third Raikage's chest, he had a plan.
However, knowing how to operate and actually succeeding are two completely different things.
First, in the manga, Naruto fought the Third Raikage in Edo Tensei state, which was somewhat weaker than when alive, incomparable.
Second, Naruto's Sage Mode and his own Sage Mode were clearly different. Naruto's Sage Mode had innate sensory abilities, a blatant cheat which he didn't have.
Third, the scale of the battle at this level meant life and death in the smallest of differences. Killing the Third Raikage was clearly inappropriate. Being killed by him was even more so.
He could only take it one step at a time, responding calmly.
"Three esteemed lords, I entrust you as referees and safety officers."
Jinghang finished changing and bowed to Hiruzen Sarutobi, Yagura, and Shī.
"Kazekage-sama, rest assured, I have control."
The Third Raikage raised his right hand, his body instantly enveloped in blue Lightning Release Chakra Mode, crackling with electrical explosions.
I trust you as far as I can throw you!
Jinghang didn't waste words, activating Iron Sand and imitating Lightning Armor.
Lightning flashed brilliantly, causing the audience to squint.
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
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