Trade Route * Settlement

But if you offered them the same pay as Ninjas, these profit-driven people wouldn't be willing.

The bounties for Ninja missions are substantial; even a simple B-Rank Mission could feed Ordinary People for half a year.

Paying them market prices for moving stones and clearing Ruins is less efficient than hiring ordinary craftsmen.

The merchants calculated in their minds, and finally came to a conclusion.

For large-scale projects, you could try hiring them, such as when repairing dikes, building roads, or constructing houses.

Hiring a few Ninjas can get them to do in three days what Ordinary People would do in three months, saving a lot of money in the end.

Of course, they only dared to think these words in their hearts; none of them dared to say them out loud in front of those Ninjas.

Those Ninjas had just drawn blood yesterday, so Ordinary People didn't dare to approach them and would walk around them, afraid of getting tainted by their bad luck.

The Ninjas didn't care. After finishing their work, they rested quietly, squatting against the wall eating dry rations, and figuring out how to explain things to their employer later.

This mission was handled haphazardly.

Some of the mission targets are dead, but they didn't get the tokens. Others were swept up into the sky with them and can't be killed now. They don't want to go back to circling in the sky or get hacked down by those few who are protecting their own.

It seems unlikely that we'll get the mission reward. Given the current situation, we'll be lucky to get back unscathed.

Meanwhile, Ringo Hayato is being treated by a Ninja Mystical Palm Technique.

The Ninja's hands were covered in green Chakra, which he pushed from his shoulders down to his elbows, then slowly moved down his arms to his wrists, his brows furrowed tightly.

You sat beside her, her hands resting on her knees, her knuckles white from clenching them.

After hovering in the sky for most of the night, Ringo hadn't fallen apart yet, which somewhat eased Yu's anxiety.

But just by looking at the condition, it's clear that Ringo's arm isn't completely ruined, and it's definitely been taking a long time to recover.

It seems that Ringo won't be able to wield a knife for a long time to come.

Injuries to both arms are no joke.

No matter how much it recovers, it will always be worse than before. If you can't even use your strength to hold a sword, what kind of Ninja are you?

Satō Ken crouched a few steps away, arms crossed, and couldn't help but sigh.

Although he and Ringo Hayato were just colleagues and not particularly close, seeing him like this, as a fellow Ninja, he still felt a pang of sadness.

Just a few days ago I was a member of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, and today both my arms are useless. That's how this line of work is; you never know when you'll be unable to continue.

Ringo, on the other hand, is quite optimistic.

He leaned against the wall, his arms wrapped in thick bandages, unable to move, but his mouth was still talking.

You fed him medicine, but he complained it was bitter; You wiped his sweat, but he complained it was itchy; You glared at him, but he still laughed.

"Stop laughing, you look like an idiot." You put the medicine bowl to his lips.

"I was just afraid you'd cry," Ringo grinned. "You look awful when you cry."

Excellent. "..."

She shoved the medicine bowl directly into his mouth. Ringo choked twice, then gulped it down, wincing at the bitter taste.

But as she laughed, the expression on Ringo's face gradually faded.

Yu Zheng was looking down as he tidied up the medicine bowl, not noticing anything.

When she looked up, Ringo had already turned her head away, looking in the direction outside the Ruins, her voice much lower than before.

"Excellent."

"Um?"

"You can leave now."

Yu stopped moving.

"My arm won't heal anytime soon," Ringo said. "Even if it does, I might not be able to hold a knife again. I'll be useless then, unable to protect you anymore."

He paused.

"I know what kind of person you are. If you're afraid of my revenge, don't worry. I'm a man, I wouldn't be so shameless."

"While the Land of Hot Water is in chaos, let's grab the money, find a place to hide, and figure out a way out once things settle down here."

You didn't say anything.

She put the medicine bowl aside, wiped her hands clean with a cloth, then picked up the second bowl of medicine the Doctor had left and sat back down in front of Ringo.

"Drink your medicine first."

"You, I said--"

"Take your medicine first."

Ringo glanced at her, said nothing more, and drank the medicine from her hand.

After he finished drinking, he opened his mouth to continue speaking, but You put down the empty bowl, looked up at him.

"Hayato."

"Um?"

Marry me.

Ringo Hayato: "Pfft, cough, cough!!"

He choked on the medicine and fell forward, unable to move his arms. He could only cough with his body tilted to one side, his face turning red.

Yu reached out and supported his shoulder, preventing him from falling to the ground.

"W-what did you just say?" Ringo coughed, staring at her with wide eyes.

"I said, marry me." You's tone was steady, and she spoke each word clearly.

"Are you crazy!" Ringo's voice trembled. "Even after all this, you still—"

"What happened to you?" Yu interrupted him. "My arm is broken, it's not like I'm dead."

"I won't be able to handle a knife anymore!"

"If you can't carry a knife, then don't carry one," Yu said. "You can do accounting, right? You can read people, right? You can teach apprentices, right? If all else fails, you still have your face, you look fierce, just stand at the door, you're good for collecting debts."

Ringo: "..."

"Besides," Yu lowered her head and adjusted the bandage on his arm, "Yesterday in the sea, you protected me on top, almost breaking your own spine. Where can I find another man like that?"

Ringo opened her mouth, but something seemed to be stuck in her throat, and she couldn't speak for a long time.

Satō Ken squatted down beside him, listening to the entire conversation from beginning to end. He silently stood up, brushed the dirt off his knees, and turned to leave.

He walked a dozen steps, then looked back.

Yu had already sat down next to Ringo, their shoulders touching, and they were talking about something. Ringo's fierce face showed an expression of embarrassment and helplessness.

Satō Ken withdrew his gaze and let out a long breath.

He recalled the moment he turned and ran away in the alley yesterday.

The mission was a disaster, the employer got arrested, and my colleague is finished. This job was absolutely awful.

But the way the two of them sat together made him inexplicably feel that it wasn't so bad after all.

Tamamo-no-Mae was assigning tasks to the girls when she saw Hiroyama standing not far away. She walked over a few steps and asked, "Big Brother? What's wrong?"

"It's nothing," Hiroyama said, his tone no different from usual. "Has everyone finished their shifts?"

"My brother has made all the arrangements," Tamamo-no-Mae said, pointing eastward. "He also sent some men to help Lord Tobirama keep an eye on the visiting Ninjas, so don't worry."

Hiroyama hummed in agreement. "I'll go talk to the Jurōjin and ask what to do next."

He paused, then asked in a low voice, "What about Pleasure Quarter...?"

"I'll take good care of the girls," Tamamo-no-Mae interrupted him. "Don't worry."

Hiroyama glanced at her, nodded, and without saying anything more, turned and walked towards the Jurōjin.

Tamamo-no-Mae withdrew her gaze, let out a soft breath, and turned to walk back to the corner where the girls were.

A dozen or so girls sat there, some hugging their knees and curling up in a ball, some wiping away tears with handkerchiefs, and some staring blankly at the Ruins.

Since landing, the timid ones haven't stood up at all, and the bolder ones aren't much better off; their faces are deathly pale, and they've been sitting there motionless for ages.

Tamamo-no-Mae clapped her hands among them.

"Listen up, everyone. Rest here for now, don't go anywhere."

A girl in purple looked up, her eyes still red. "Miss, aren't we going to help? I see those people outside are moving things..."

"I don't need you," Tamamo-no-Mae said bluntly. "If you guys go out, you'll definitely get taken advantage of."

But everyone's busy...

"I'm busy enough, your few hands won't make a difference." Tamamo-no-Mae's tone left no room for negotiation. "You all stay here and don't go out and cause trouble."

The girls looked at each other, but ultimately said nothing more and shrank back to stay put.

Tamamo-no-Mae sighed, summoned Luotai, instructed him to keep an eye on the girls, and then left.

It's not that I don't want them to help, it's that I'm afraid to.

The women here are all so beautiful.

After spending a long time in Pleasure Quarter Village, the girls were trained to have expressive eyes, walk with a breezy air, and speak with a touch of softness.

Inside the Pleasure Quarter area, with shopkeepers looking out for you and rules to keep you in check, customers have to behave themselves to some extent.

But once outside, without that layer of protection, beauty becomes the root of trouble.

Especially at times like this.

Thousands of people were crammed into the Ruins, a chaotic scene with restless hearts, and order had just been established.

Even with powerful figures in charge, men have an unspoken understanding about women: taking advantage of them is normal. Touching a woman's buttocks, touching her hand, or bumping into her chest under the guise of squeezing past are all common occurrences.

If things really escalate, what can you do if they just say, "I didn't mean to"?

Moreover, she was Pleasure Quarter's woman.

There's no room for argument about this identity.

You say you were touched, and they retort, "That's what you do for a living," and you can't even open your mouth to talk back.

Even if those Ninjas in charge actually came to uphold justice, others would only look at you as if you were being pretentious.

So Tamamo-no-Mae made up her mind that the girls would stay in this place and not go anywhere else.

Tamamo-no-Mae gave Luotai a few more instructions and then walked to the back.

She wanted to see the truth for herself.

That girl lured away the pursuers all by herself last night; she has to repay that kindness.

Besides, this is her future sister-in-law; shouldn't she at least show some concern for her?

Moreover, she feared that she might actually be captured again by those strange Tsuchigumo Clan and Ise Clans.

Even among those two families, there were quite a few who had been brainwashed.

They had just been thoroughly scolded by Lord Izuna, which had cleared their heads somewhat, but she still couldn't let her guard down because of how they used to bully the younger sister and chase after the current head of the family.

Tamamo-no-Mae walked around a newly cleared area and headed towards the east side of the Temporary Camp.

Several tents have been set up over there for the wounded and people with special circumstances to rest in.

Before she even got close, she heard a scolding voice coming from ahead.

Kneel down!

"You, and you! Kneel down right now!"

"Who did this last night? Step forward!"

Tamamo-no-Mae peered forward.

In the open space in front of the tent, members of the Tsuchigumo Clan knelt down, numbering at least twenty or thirty, their heads bowed, shoulders hunched, barely daring to breathe.

They had been ravaged by a storm last night, spending most of the night in the sky, and when they landed they could barely stand. Now, after being scolded by the Clan Head, they were all dejected, like wilted eggplants.

Standing before them was a tall, middle-aged man dressed in the Traditional Clothing of the Tsuchigumo Clan, with a knife at his waist, a stern face, and brows furrowed into a tight knot.

The Clan Head of the Tsuchigumo Clan.

Tamamo-no-Mae paused for a moment, then slapped her forehead.

Oh right, it's been more than Half a Month already. The Land of Hot Water Tsuchigumo Clan Springs, and judging by the time, it should be time.

Judging from this, the Clan Head does have some sense.

Last night, Izuna's storm was truly astonishing; it enveloped the entire island, and its scale was probably visible from thousands of miles away.

Even Hashirama Senju, the God of the Shinobi World, and Madara Uchiha of Asura of the Ninja World, couldn't escape this calamity. In the latter half of the night, those protected by the Formation also took flight, which shows just how strong Izuna.

At this point, regardless of whether he loved his daughter before, he had to make a show of it now, so as not to give Izuna any leverage over their Tsuchigumo Clan.

Otherwise, their Tsuchigumo Clan would be wiped out in no time.

Behind the Clan Head, he was flanked by two older clansmen, one on each side.

She was wearing a clean outer robe, her hair had been combed again, and although she still looked a little tired, she was much better than yesterday.

"Clan Head," Zhen said softly.

"Shut up," the Clan Head whispered. "I'll settle the score with you when we get back. What kind of behavior is it for a young lady to be chased all over the streets?"

Zhen shrank back and obediently shut her mouth.

The Clan Head glanced at the kneeling clansmen, his voice growing even deeper. "I'll make a note of this for now. Upon returning, each of you will receive one hundred lashes and House Arrest three months. Anyone with objections, step forward now."

No one moved.

"Very good." The Clan Head withdrew his gaze. "Now, all of you get back to your tents. No one is allowed to come out without my permission."

The tribesmen scattered in a panic, crawling into their tents and never daring to show their faces again.

Tamamo-no-Mae stood at the base of the wall for a while, and was about to walk over when she caught a glimpse of a group of people gathered on the other side.

She turned her head to look over.

Ise Haruto stood at the front of his own team, his face ashen.

Seven or eight members of the Ise clan, young and old, men and women, knelt before him. Tamaro stood beside him, holding a sword, blocking the way between the others and Haruto.

Haruto's voice wasn't loud, but each word seemed to be squeezed out from between his teeth. "I've investigated what happened last night. You guys have connections with Bishamonten's Side, don't you?"

No one dared to answer.

"You don't have to tell me." Haruto turned to look at Tamaro, "Kill them all."

"Wait! I have intelligence!"

Haruto waved his hand, Tamaro raised an eyebrow. "Ignoring intelligence? Fine."

He raised his sickle and brought it down, one after another, seven or eight people, in just a few seconds, all lying on the ground.

It was very quiet around.

The clansmen of Ise stood there, no one spoke, no one dared to move.

Haruto glanced around. "Who else has dealings with Bishamonten's Side? Step forward now."

No one moved.

"Alright." Haruto nodded. "Starting today, all of Ise's external communications will be thoroughly investigated. All previously signed contracts, personnel dispatched, and funds received must be meticulously reviewed, item by item. Anyone who can't keep track will have to come before me and face punishment."

He turned around and met the old lady's gaze.

Haruto's elderly mother stood at the front of the crowd, leaning on her cane, tears streaming down her wrinkled face.

But the corners of her mouth were turned up, her expression a mixture of crying and laughing, relief and heartache.

Haruto glanced at her, said nothing, and walked past her.

The old woman wiped away her tears behind his back and muttered to the people beside her, "This child, he usually seems lazy and listless, but when it comes to real trouble, he's just like his father..."

When the Tsuchigumo Clan Head saw this scene, he asked his daughter in a low voice who her arranged marriage partner was. When he heard that it was not Haruto but Tamaro, whose face was covered with spots, he shook his head with slight regret, and then took his daughter to find Tamaro.