Boarding the Ship

In the dead of night, Hotarubi and Natsuhi were both crouched on the opposite side of the wooden house. 💗😈 👤♦

After witnessing Souya and Sasori depart, Hotarubi let out a deep sigh.

But after a moment, he seemed to say with some worry, "Why did they leave in the direction of Hoshigakure's graveyard?"

Seeing this, Natsuhi said comfortingly, "It's just a coincidence, don't overthink it. Besides, with their strength, even if they really wanted to snatch the stars, the dozens of ninjas in our village wouldn't be able to stop them!"

"Are those two so powerful?" Hotarubi felt that if his chronic illness hadn't suddenly flared up, he and Natsuhi could have stood a chance against them together.

"Mhm!" Natsuhi nodded. "The young man carrying the black rods can control golden clouds to fly freely, and he possesses profound Sealing Techniques and medical ninjutsu. His strength is evident."

"However, even more dangerous is that silent red-haired man. His eyes are filled with indifference towards life, and his Chakra reserves are immense. If he were angered, I imagine our village would suffer many casualties."

Hotarubi fell silent. Even Natsuhi, who was stronger, said so. Hotarubi could only be grateful that he hadn't acted rashly at the time, otherwise, he would have brought disaster upon the village.

It would be fine to end things peacefully like this...

Just as Hotarubi was sighing inwardly, Natsuhi suddenly spoke, "But what the black-haired man said also makes a lot of sense. The village has suddenly lost its foundation for cultivating Chakra, and we don't have a proper method for refining Chakra..."

"If this continues, Hoshigakure's path will soon come to an end. How can those ambitious individuals who want to make Hoshigakure the Sixth Great Hidden Village accept this?" Natsuhi furrowed her brow, recalling what Souya had said to her earlier.

"So what? That was just an unrealistic fantasy of theirs. If becoming the Sixth Great Hidden Village means sacrificing our lives every generation, then we don't need such a Kage!" Hotarubi was quite carefree at this moment.

Hotarubi paused and looked at Natsuhi. "Do you still want to follow that guy's advice? Leave the place where we've lived for generations?"

Natsuhi shook her head. Souya's casual words had deeply impressed her. The events he predicted for Hoshigakure's future... Natsuhi also felt they were highly likely.

"Let's go! Let's go home and see Subaru!"

Hotarubi's words pulled Natsuhi back to reality. Her son's innocent and adorable face instantly occupied her heart. She wore a loving smile and walked towards home with Hotarubi.

"Get up! Hurry up! Are you all dead?! Don't you see the ship has arrived?!"

"All you do is eat and collect wages!" A voice like a broken gong shattered the peace.

A merchant ship in the distance created ripples, emerging from the light mist. Miyake Yusuke, who had just spotted the ship, immediately roared.

He drove the laborers one by one, herding them towards the dock.

"Yusuke! You're very lucky this time! It's a big one..." On the other side of the dock, a dozen men were squatting boredly on the ground. Naganuma Kento, the leader, said with a hint of sourness in his voice.

This dock in the Land of Iron was controlled by two factions, and Miyake Yusuke and Naganuma Kento were the small leaders of each.

They had fought many times before to compete for this dock, and only after discussion did they decide to take turns receiving cargo.

"Heh heh! Luck!" Miyake Yusuke was a scruffy-looking man in his thirties, of medium build, with two wisps of yellowish-brown beard on his chin. His receding hairline seemed to speak of his hardships.

"You always hire a bunch of little kids to work. Can they carry the cargo? Should I send some of my men to help you?" Naganuma Kento was stout and round, his belly resembling that of a pregnant woman. However, coupled with his tall stature and full beard, it added a touch of ferocity.

"No need, elder brother. Don't look down on them, they're strong!"

"Besides, the younger they are, the more they need to train their bodies, otherwise, how will they earn money in the future!" Miyake Yusuke chuckled, stroking his beard.

Soon, the ship docked alongside the pier. After securing its position, wide wooden planks were thrown from the ship's side and placed on the edge.

Then, thick sacks were slid down the planks. Although the dock was a bit old, the wooden planks were made of sturdy material and were quite large, capable of accommodating two large ships at once.

The sacks landed on the planks with dull thuds.

"Hurry up! Move it! Are you pretending to be dead now?! If you delay the unloading, you won't get lunch!" Miyake Yusuke walked to the edge of the dock and snarled fiercely at the laborers.

Although he had nearly thirty laborers under him, the majority were small, slender youths.

These youths wore only tattered burlap clothes and were covered in dirt, some even bare-chested.

They had to use all their strength to barely lift the sacks, which were chest-high, and then, trembling, they staggered to move them to the open space nearby. After all the cargo was unloaded, they would then move it to the respective merchants.

However, there was one exception. A seemingly slender youth possessed astonishing strength. Even sacks that were quite heavy for grown men could be easily hoisted onto his shoulders, and he would quickly toss them to the open ground.

This process was several times faster than that of an adult.

Miyake Yusuke narrowed his eyes as he watched the youth, his face covered in black mud. "He's indeed a good hand at work..." he mused inwardly. This guy wasn't very bright and was easily fooled. His wages were also less than a third of an adult's, just like the other youths.

But every time it was mealtime, his terrifying appetite made Miyake Yusuke tremble with fear. He had tried giving him only a normal person's portion of food, but the result was that he would become as weak as any ordinary, frail youth.

After carefully calculating the costs, Miyake Yusuke decided to increase his food supply and lay off a few adult laborers, hiring more young laborers instead. This way, the overall income could be increased!

Soon, after all the cargo was unloaded, simple wooden ladders were thrown down onto the deck again.

The passengers aboard the merchant ship also began to end their sea voyage and set foot on land.