He Yin and Yu Ze quickly finished preparing the two rabbits and the plump, squirrel-like creatures that were nearly a meter long. Following Chiba's instructions, they also set aside some edible organs.
Then, aside from the organs, which were cooked separately, all the meat was thrown into one pot and made into a meat soup the orphans had never seen before. Watching the meat churn in the boiling broth and the oil slick floating on top, several of the children—including Yu Ze and the other two—could not stop swallowing.
Even Chiba's appetite was stirred by the rich aroma of the meat. Though he was not openly gulping like the orphans, his eyes were completely drawn to the pot of soup.
In the end, amid happy silence, the entire pot of meat soup was devoured clean, aside from the portion saved for tomorrow's lunch. Not a single drop of broth remained.
After finally having a full meal for the first time in a long while, the children all fell asleep in contentment. He Yin and Zong Mi soon followed.
At this moment, only Chiba and Yu Ze remained awake in the shabby room. He Yin, Zong Mi, and the children had their bedding in the other room, so naturally they slept there.
"Was there some reason you had everyone finish all the meat today?"
Neither of them was asleep. Yu Ze was holding a Kunai and Shuriken, practicing at the spot where Zong Mi had trained in Shurikenjutsu earlier. Chiba, meanwhile, silently watched the starry sky through the open window opposite him.
Then, after suddenly throwing a Kunai, Yu Ze could not help but ask.
"Your bodies are not very strong. You need nourishment. If you want to learn Chakra, you must stay full over a long period and maintain balanced