Civil War in Kusagakure

Kusagakure had been anything but quiet these past two days. People were being arrested on the streets every day. They had only thrown stones or splashed paint, but each arrest deepened the conflict.

That night, Mayuko and the others sat together in Lu Zeming's room, lost in thought.

"Boss, I still don't get it. Can we really rely on those civilian ninja?"

Lu Zeming shook his head. "They're still too weak. Without a unified organization or a plan, they'll have a hard time joining forces against the major families."

"Then do we abandon them?"

"Of course not. We need to unite everyone we can. Their strength may be scattered now, but I believe that one day, they'll walk the right path alongside us. We can't abandon them. We have to protect them!"

"How?"

"By turning the major families' attention to fighting each other!"

Lu Zeming had Rofu use the Transformation Technique to take his appearance, then lie in bed and pretend to be ill.

Lu Zeming and Yuka altered their faces and builds, changed into dark clothes, and headed straight for the Matsushita under cover of night.

The Matsushita had always been staunch supporters of the Shinomiya. Lu Zeming intended to strike them first.

With the civilian ninja causing trouble, security around the Matsushita residence was tighter than usual.

To get inside, Lu Zeming released Spiritual Power and wrapped it around himself and Yuka.

It was a useful trick he had only recently discovered. His Spiritual Power was, in essence, Natural Energy, and it could completely shield them from ninjutsu-based detection.

Combined with the Transformation Technique, it made their infiltration unexpectedly easy.

By the time they reached the room of Shota Matsushita, the Matsushita family head was still asleep with a beautiful woman in his arms.

Two Poison Needles flew silently through the air. After they took out the guards at the door, Lu Zeming pushed it open and entered.

Shota Matsushita jolted awake and looked at the intruders.

"Who's there?"

Lu Zeming put a blade to Shota Matsushita's neck and raised a finger to his lips.

"Don't shout. You might startle me and make my hand slip."

The woman beside Shota Matsushita stirred as if she were about to wake. Yuka stepped forward and knocked her unconscious with a chop to the neck.

Lu Zeming nodded in satisfaction, then turned back to Shota Matsushita.

"I have a few questions for you. I hope you'll answer honestly."

"Hmph. I won't tell you a thing!"

Lu Zeming acted as though he hadn't heard and asked his question.

"As the man in charge of logistics and distributing supplies, you should know where Kusagakure's Ninja Armory is. Are there traps inside? Do you need some kind of credential or a key to get in? Think carefully before you answer."

"You shameless thief! You won't get any intelligence out of me. I've been professionally trained to resist interrogation. Do your worst!"

Lu Zeming smiled silently and looked at Yuka.

Yuka nodded to him, then walked over to a folding screen. She turned one corner of it and took a box from a hidden compartment underneath.

Shota Matsushita stared in disbelief. "How? I didn't say anything. How did you know?"

"I gave you a chance. You didn't take it. You can die now."

As Lu Zeming spoke, his blade pierced Shota Matsushita's neck.

It was half an hour before anyone found Shota Matsushita's body. By then, Lu Zeming had returned to the inn.

Inside the box was something resembling a Crest, engraved with intricate Runes and grooves.

Holding up the Crest, Yuka explained, "From what I read in his mind, you just need to place this in the slot on the Ninja Armory's door and channel Chakra into it. That'll open the door."

It wasn't a key, but it served the same purpose.

Mayuko could barely contain her excitement. "Boss, we've got the key and we know where the Ninja Armory is. When do we make our move?"

Lu Zeming was much calmer. "Robbing it now would be suicide. We need the fire to burn hotter first."

The attack on Lu Zeming had been a pebble dropped into Kusagakure's waters. Shota Matsushita's murder was a bomb.

Inside the council hall of Kusakage Tower, the Shinbu and Shinomiya factions argued without end.

The Shinomiya faction insisted that the Shinbu faction had killed Shota Matsushita.

The Shinbu faction denied it and accused the Shinomiya faction of breaking the rules by openly attacking an outstanding exam candidate in the village.

They even suggested that the Shinomiya faction had staged Shota Matsushita's death to claim sole control of the strategic reserves in the Ninja Armory.

The Shinomiya faction held the key to the Ninja Armory, while the guards stationed outside had always belonged to the Shinbu faction. Now Shota Matsushita was dead, and the Shinomiya faction claimed the key was missing.

How could the Shinbu faction not be suspicious?

The council session sounded more like a marketplace quarrel. Only the Kusakage sat there, lips twitching, like an old cat on the verge of falling asleep.

The meeting broke up on a sour note. No one knew what either side planned after returning home.

That very night, however, the Kazama of the Shinbu faction were attacked. Keita Kazama was found hanged from a ceiling beam.

Neither side could maintain the uneasy peace any longer.

Shinbu Teiichi immediately met with an envoy from the Land of Earth. No one knew what they discussed, but afterward, large quantities of weapons and equipment from the Land of Earth were delivered to the Shinbu residence.

At almost the same time, large shipments of supplies from the Land of Fire were carried into the Shinomiya residence.

For ordinary people, the war came without warning.

First, scattered cries of battle rang out in a few streets. Then the fighting spread rapidly until it engulfed all of Kusagakure.

Ninja fought everywhere, and all manner of ninjutsu erupted from buildings across the village.

People fled and screamed. Blood sprayed, and fire lit the sky.

Lu Zeming and his five companions, armed to the teeth, made for Kusakage Tower. Their target was the Ninja Armory behind it.

Whenever ninja got in their way, Lu Zeming and the others showed no mercy, unleashing their deadliest attacks.

They cut a path through the bodies all the way to the Ninja Armory.

The guards around it were already gone.

The whole journey had gone unexpectedly smoothly. So smoothly that it hardly felt real to Lu Zeming.

Following a passage deep underground, the six of them reached a massive iron door.

Yuka inserted the key and began channeling Chakra into it.

The Chakra slowly lit up the grooves, forming patterns that spread across the door.

As her Chakra drained rapidly, Yuka's face turned pale and her body began to tremble.

Lu Zeming placed a hand on her back. A vast surge of pure energy flowed into her body, filling her with indescribable comfort. Every cell seemed to dance.

The patterns on the door spread much faster.

With a low hum, the door opened, and a draft swept over them.

"Yuma, Yusuke, guard the entrance. Everyone else, get inside and carry out whatever you can."

Lu Zeming gave the order and entered the Ninja Armory first.

Rows of protective gear and weapons of every kind filled his vision. Some weapons lay on racks; others hung overhead. Blades and spears stretched as far as he could see, lending the place a deadly air.

Beyond the weapons and armor were sealed stores of Explosive Tags, Soldier Pills, Smoke Bombs, Flash Bombs, Puppets, and other equipment.

Farther in lay the true purpose of Lu Zeming's visit: scrolls.

Sealing Scrolls, Ninjutsu Scrolls, Ninja Tool Scrolls, and even Summoning Scrolls.

"Quick! Take the scrolls! Grab as many as you can!"

At Lu Zeming's urgent shout, the others snapped out of their daze and began packing up every kind of scroll.

"Put everything you can into Sealing Scrolls. It'll be faster!"

As he spoke, Lu Zeming headed deeper inside. He had a feeling there were even better treasures ahead.