Ninjutsu Showdown

Yota did not grow complacent. He felt he had more important things to do.

He had to keep clearing land and earning Merit Points. He wanted to save enough to earn a chance to learn a B-rank Ninjutsu.

Lu Zeming had said that Earth Release: Earth Flow Wall, a B-rank Ninjutsu, was perfect for building houses.

Life had never felt so full of purpose to Yota.

Every day, he had a clear goal. Every day, he could see himself drawing closer to it. He could not get enough of that reassuring happiness.

If anyone dared ruin it, Yota would tear them limb from limb, even if it cost him his life.

And there were many people like Yota in the village. There would only be more of them!

Lu Zeming was very pleased with the Mission Board he had designed.

The missions updated daily. For one thing, that let him assign people to jobs they did best and improve efficiency.

For another, he could adjust the village's direction at any time.

If he wanted the villagers to become more educated, for example, he only had to add a study mission to the Mission Board.

Attending the evening study session earned one Work Point.

The village had no entertainment yet. After dark, everyone was idle and bored.

The moment the study sessions were announced, the whole village welcomed them. A way to pass the time and earn Work Points? Who would turn that down?

Each session had two parts. In the first, Kumi Uzumaki taught everyone to read.

In the second, Lu Zeming told them entertaining stories.

The Foolish Old Man Removes the Mountains, Zhou Chu Eliminates the Three Evils, Marking the Boat to Find the Sword, Rise at the Sound of the Rooster, Tiying Saves Her Father, Baring the Back and Pleading Guilty, A Meal from the Washerwoman—he covered them all.

Through those stories, he taught them how to conduct themselves while giving them a shared set of tales that drew the village closer together.

And so everyone worked by day and studied by night. Time slipped past before they knew it.

Meanwhile, Flower Village changed at an astonishing pace.

No one was more shocked than the three Jonin assigned to protect Kusakai Naoto.

They had watched a group of people build everything from nothing, transforming this little corner of the world with their own hands.

The old stronghold was gone. Rows of brick-and-stone houses stood in its place. Steep slopes had been leveled into farmland that stretched as far as the eye could see. The mountain path had become a broad stone-paved road, and the stronghold's little pond was now an artificial lake.

Everyone wore an eager, hopeful expression. Even old men who could barely read talked constantly about the spirit of the Foolish Old Man and the glory of labor!

The three Jonin had never imagined people could wield such formidable power. It was not the power to destroy, but to build—a power full of vitality and order.

Without realizing it, the three put aside their arrogance and found themselves wanting to belong.

For three people who had survived mountains of corpses and seas of blood, that sense of order and safety held a powerful appeal!

Still, their pride had kept them from making up their minds. Then, one day, someone came to tell them that Lu Zeming, the village chief, wanted to see them.

To their surprise, the meeting was not at the village chief's office, but in the newly cultivated herb garden.

When they arrived, Lu Zeming was explaining the finer points of growing herbs to several older villagers.

"Angelica Dahurica and Platycodon both hate waterlogged soil. Plant them on raised ridges, ideally about twenty centimeters high. Don't bury the seeds too deep. For fertilizer, use wood ash if you can. It kills germs and adds potassium..."

Lu Zeming taught carefully, while the villagers scribbled crooked notes in their little notebooks.

They had only recently learned to write, so he sometimes waited for them to finish before moving to the next point.

The three Jonin stood at the edge of the plot. They did not dare rush him, so they waited quietly.

Only after Lu Zeming had finished did he brush the dirt from his clothes and walk over.

The three Jonin straightened without thinking. They could not say why, but lately, facing Lu Zeming had felt like facing the Kusakage. He exerted an invisible pressure.

"Sorry. I've been back for over ten days and still haven't had a chance to talk with you. I really do apologize!"

"We're the ones who should apologize for imposing on you. We've been staying in the village all this time!"

"I still don't know your names. Would you introduce yourselves?"

The three Jonin—two men and a woman—quickly gave their names.

Ikeda Masato, Hayato, and Yuki Kamimai.

After chatting with them for a while, Lu Zeming abruptly changed the subject.

"I've learned a few new Ninjutsu recently. Since you're Jonin, you must have exceptional skills and judgment. Would you spar with me and offer some advice?"

His words were polite, but his tone made it clear he would not take no for an answer.

Ikeda Masato stepped forward first.

"I'll go first!"

Lu Zeming shook his head. No need to take turns. All three of them could come at him together.

That unsettled Ikeda and the others. Where did Lu Zeming get the confidence to face three Jonin at once?

Lu Zeming stood firm, so the three stopped being polite. They were ready to teach him a lesson.

The match took place at the Training Ground on the east side of the village. Calling it a Training Ground was generous—it was an open space with a few wooden posts and targets.

A large circle had been drawn in lime at its center, clearly marked out for this match.

By the time the four arrived, people had packed the area around the Training Ground.

The villagers had heard their chief was going to spar with someone and had all come to watch.

As soon as Lu Zeming appeared, the villagers began cheering him on.

The three Jonin felt awkward. Kusakai Naoto was the only one cheering for them.

Before long, even Kusakai Naoto gave in to Rin and switched sides to cheer for Lu Zeming.

Once both sides stood inside the circle, the three Jonin spoke in turn.

"I specialize in Water Release and Hidden Weapons!"

"I specialize in Earth Release and Taijutsu."

"I've studied Wind Release Ninjutsu more than anything else!"

They meant to give Lu Zeming a few hints so his defeat would not be too humiliating.

Losing in front of so many people would be hard enough on his pride.

To their surprise, Lu Zeming described his own abilities too.

"I know a little of every release style, but if I had to name a specialty, I suppose it's Medical Ninjutsu. I'm a doctor with top-notch Medical Ninjutsu!"

At the mention of Medical Ninjutsu, the villagers' expressions turned strange. Even their cheers grew noticeably quieter.

Kumi Uzumaki coughed awkwardly twice, then raised her voice.

"Blades and fists can both cause serious harm, but no one is to be killed in this match. If either side raises a hand to surrender, the other must stop attacking. No one may step outside the circle. Anyone who lands outside it or is knocked out is eliminated. Are you all ready?"

After confirming that both sides were ready, Kumi Uzumaki swept out her hand.

"Begin!"

Ikeda Masato threw a Shuriken first. Almost at the same instant, Hayato and Yuki Kamimai darted toward Lu Zeming's left and right, firing Shuriken as they moved.

The three worked smoothly together. They meant to use their numbers to surround Lu Zeming and attack from all sides.

Once surrounded, Lu Zeming would face attacks from three directions and be at a clear disadvantage.

Lu Zeming had no intention of letting that happen. Without any visible hand signs, he activated Earth Flow Wall. Four earthen walls rose around him, blocking every Shuriken they threw.

Before the three could make another move, Lu Zeming used Water Release: Hidden Mist Technique.

Thick mist billowed up, obscuring everyone's view.

Though stunned by how quickly Lu Zeming had cast his techniques, the three responded at once.

Wind Release: Typhoon! A fierce gale swept through, scattering the mist that had just formed.

But when they looked toward the center, Lu Zeming was gone.

The three lived up to their experience as Jonin. Without a hint of panic, they stood back to back and watched every direction.

The moment they heard earth shifting, Hayato, who specialized in Earth Release, warned his companions.

"It's Earth Release: Underground Projection Fish Technique! He's underground!"