By Boat

Under cover of night, Hotarubi Star and Natsuhi Star crouched across from the wooden hut.

Only after watching Souya and Sasori leave did Hotarubi Star let out a deep breath.

A little while later, he seemed troubled again. "Why did they happen to head in the direction of Hoshigakure's cemetery?"

Seeing his concern, Natsuhi Star reassured him. "It's just a coincidence. Don't overthink it. Besides, with their strength, even if they really wanted to take the star by force, the few dozen ninja in our village wouldn't be able to stop them!"

"Are those two really that strong?" Hotarubi Star thought that if his chronic illness hadn't suddenly flared up, he and Natsuhi Star might have stood a chance against them if they fought together.

"Mm." Natsuhi Star nodded. "The young man carrying the black rod can control Gold Cloud and fly wherever he wants. He also has profound knowledge of Sealing Technique and Medical Ninjutsu. You can imagine how strong he is."

"But the silent red-haired man is even more dangerous. His eyes are utterly indifferent to life, and his Chakra reserves are immense. If we anger him, many people in our village will surely die."

Hotarubi Star fell silent. Even Natsuhi Star, who was far stronger, had said as much. He could only be glad that he hadn't acted rashly at the time. Otherwise, he would have brought disaster upon the village.

It was enough that things had ended peacefully...

Just as Hotarubi Star was sighing to himself, Natsuhi Star suddenly spoke. "Still, that black-haired man had a point. The village suddenly lost the foundation for cultivating Chakra, and we don't have a proper method for refining it..."

"If things go on like this, Hoshigakure's path will soon reach its end. How could those ambitious people who want to turn Hoshigakure into the Sixth Great Hidden Village accept that?" Natsuhi Star furrowed her brow, recalling what Souya had said to her earlier.

"So what? That was always an unrealistic fantasy of theirs. If becoming the Sixth Great Hidden Village means every generation has to give up their lives, then we're better off without that title!" Hotarubi Star sounded rather carefree now.

Hotarubi Star paused and looked at Natsuhi Star. "Do you really want to take that man's advice? Leave the place where we've lived for generations?"

Natsuhi Star shook her head. Souya's casual words had left a deep impression on her. His predictions about what would happen to Hoshigakure next... She also thought they were very likely to come true.

"Let's go! We should check on Subaru at home!"

Hotarubi Star's words brought Natsuhi Star back to reality. Their son's innocent, adorable face instantly filled her thoughts, and a loving smile appeared on her face as she walked home with Hotarubi Star.

The bamboo grove swayed in waves of green beneath the spring breeze. Emerald leaves drifted across the water, while countless waterbirds appeared and vanished among the trees. A flock of geese suddenly took flight, crossed the distant mountains, then circled back to these warm waters. A sense of peace settled over the scene.

"Get up! Move it! Are you all dead?! Can't you see the ship's here?!"

"All you lot know how to do is eat and collect your wages!" A voice like a broken gong shattered the tranquility.

The merchant ship stirred ripples across the water as it emerged from the faint mist. The instant Miyake Yusuke spotted it in the distance, he began bellowing.

He drove the laborers along one by one, herding them toward the dock.

"Yusuke! You're in luck this time! They've sent a real big one..." On the other side of the dock, a dozen or so men squatted around, bored. Their leader, Naganuma Kento, spoke with envy.

This dock in the Land of Iron was controlled by two factions, with Miyake Yusuke and Naganuma Kento serving as the respective underlings in charge.

They'd fought countless times over control of the dock before finally negotiating an arrangement to take turns unloading cargo.

"Heh-heh! Just luck!" Miyake Yusuke was a shifty-looking man in his thirties, of average height, with two streaks of yellowish stubble at the corners of his mouth. His receding hairline seemed to tell the story of his hard life.

"You're always hiring a bunch of kids to work. Can they even carry the cargo? Want me to send a few of my men over to help?" Naganuma Kento was broad and heavyset, with a round belly like a pregnant woman's. But his tall frame and thick beard added a few touches of menace.

"No need to trouble yourself, brother. They may be small, but they're strong!"

"Besides, the younger they are, the more they need to build up their bodies. Otherwise, how will they earn money when they grow up?" Miyake Yusuke chuckled, stroking his mustache.

Soon, the ship pulled alongside the dock and settled into position. Once it was in place, a wide wooden plank was tossed over the side and set against the ship.

Then, one sturdy sack after another slid down the plank. The dock was a little old, but the planks were made of solid wood, and the platform was large enough for two big ships to unload at once.

The sacks hit the planks with a series of dull thuds.

"Move it! Get those sacks unloaded! Why are you standing around like corpses?! If you hold up the unloading, you can forget about lunch!" Miyake Yusuke went to the edge of the dock and shouted viciously at the laborers.

Although he had nearly thirty laborers working for him, most of them were undersized boys.

The boys wore nothing but ragged hemp clothes and were filthy from head to toe. Some were even bare-chested.

They had to muster all their strength just to lift the sacks, which came up to their chests. Trembling and staggering, they carried them to an empty space nearby. Once all the cargo had been unloaded, they would take it to the various merchants.

There was one exception among them, though. A boy who looked frail had strength beyond belief. Even the sacks that would have been a struggle for grown men were easy for him to hoist onto his shoulder. In the blink of an eye, he'd dump them in the open space.

He repeated the process so quickly that he was several times faster than an adult.

Miyake Yusuke narrowed his eyes as he watched the boy, whose face was caked in black grime. "He's certainly good at the work..." he thought. The boy wasn't very bright and was easy to fool, and he paid him the same as the other boys—less than a third of an adult's wages.

But whenever mealtime came, the boy's terrifying appetite left Miyake Yusuke trembling with worry. He'd tried giving him a normal-sized portion, but the boy had grown as weak as any other frail youth.

After carefully doing the math, Miyake Yusuke decided it was better to increase the boy's food supply and lay off a few adults in favor of hiring more young laborers. That way, he could improve his overall profits!

Soon, after all the cargo had been unloaded, several simple wooden ladders were tossed down from the deck.

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