Even without intentional intimidation, this presence still caused a subtle discomfort among the common folk.
Thus, whenever anyone approached, people would instinctively keep their distance.
Even the inn waitress standing behind the counter felt uneasy.
"Something feels off today. Could it really be haunted?"
Dressed in a traditional kimono, she found herself thinking increasingly unsettling thoughts within that old building.
"There have definitely been a lot of strange incidents lately."
In Shizune's room—the only silent observer there—she was barely breathing as she watched the treatment draw to a close.
She could already sense Shiki Uzumaki's chakra circulating outside his body—how much more powerful it had become compared to when she first arrived.
"Tch... Damn it!"
At this moment, however, Shiki showed no sign of relief.
Though nearly all his meridians had visibly recovered, too much blood had accumulated in his throat. His mouth had even begun swelling from the pressure.
He couldn't spit it out yet—not unless he wanted to undo everything.
Shiki endured immense physical pain while keeping his lips tightly sealed.
Enduring the unbearable pressure, he waited for that final Meridian to dissolve and heal.
"Not yet—"
The pain was at its worst, with only the Meridian in his right arm left to recover.
From his wrist, to his palm, finally dispersing into each fingertip.
Fingertips.
"It's done!" Tsunade-sama exclaimed excitedly.
Immediately afterward, Shiki suddenly sat upright and spat out an enormous mouthful of blood.
To Be Continued.
Chapter 180: [Blood Ritual]
Blood… blood…
Tsunade's pupils violently contracted. At this moment, she could no longer sense anything happening around her. Kneeling on the bed, she trembled uncontrollably.
Fresh red blood flowed down from her silvery-white hair, down her pale face, staining her crumpled white blouse a deep crimson.
As for her green cloak with the kanji 'Gambling' printed on its back, it was now stained dark.
Even her chest bore trails of flowing blood. The originally pure white bed was completely ruined.
This blood had lingered in Shiki's mouth for far too long—it gushed out with such force that even Shiki himself questioned how he had managed to retain so much.
"Tsu-Tsunade-sama!"
Seeing this scene, Shizune panicked. Knowing full well of Tsunade's hemophobia, there was no way she could handle having blood splattered onto herself.
Just looking at how she remained frozen and silent, eyes widened in terror, made this painfully clear.
A sharp, metallic stench filled the entire room, growing more intense by the second. If anyone else were here, they might have thought it was the scene of a brutal killing.
"What should I do?! What should I do?!"
Holding Tonton tightly, Shizune's eyes betrayed extreme anxiety.
Ever since discovering Tsunade-sama's fear of blood, she had tried hard to prevent Tsunade from seeing any. It had been a very long time indeed since Tsunade last encountered blood.
Who could have imagined that she, of all people, would end up drenched in so much blood?
Hmph.
Tonton growled in urgency, seemingly worried about Tsunade's current condition.
Then it kept wriggling its body, trying to break free from Shizune's arms to jump over to Tsunade.
Yet Shizune stood rooted to the spot. "Tonton… what you just said… are you saying Tsunade-sama actually anticipated this outcome from the start?"
Shiki, who had just barely regained his senses from the pain and weakness, heard these words and became astonished as well.
From the very beginning, Tsunade had been treating him with the awareness that she might end up seeing blood.
Shiki already felt deep guilt for having spat blood onto Tsunade at the crucial moment, but now he felt even more remorse.
His eyes shifted toward Tsunade's face. Sunlight streamed in through the window, almost blindingly bright.
Yet Shiki still saw clearly—there was no longer any trace of the Yin Seal having been released on her face. Only a rhombus-shaped purplish-red mark—the remnant of the Yin Seal—remained on her forehead.
And looking at the uncovered portions of Tsunade's face, they were pale—extremely pale.
She chose to bear the consequences of seeing blood… yet still couldn't face it head-on.
"I'm sorry, Tsunade-sama."
Shiki leaned forward and wrapped both arms around Tsunade, holding tightly to stop her trembling.
"I don't know exactly what you've experienced to develop this fear today."
"Perhaps someone like me, without nearly as much experience as you, has no right to claim understanding."
"I won't promise I can help you no matter where we are."
"But I want to be there for you—to protect you when you're in pain."
Shiki spoke unusually earnestly. His head resting against Tsunade's shoulder, his hands patted her back gently—like soothing a frightened child. Instinctively, he thought this gesture might calm her down—it was what his mother used to do for him when he was scared as a child.
"This kid…" Shizune's face nearly twitched. The current situation looked too suspicious—like this young boy was trying to make a move on Tsunade-sama.
Though truth be told, he really was still too young.
After all, he had just turned twelve years old. While his facial features were undeniably handsome, there was no hiding his childish innocence.
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