Recruiting Refugees

Ikeda and Shinbu leaped up at the same time, hurling Kunai at the patch of loosening earth.

Hayato formed a hand seal and slapped the ground, casting Earth Prison Technique to trap Lu Zeming.

Forced out into the open, Lu Zeming had to swing his blade repeatedly to deflect the incoming Kunai.

After only a few exchanges, Lu Zeming knew all three were Elite Jonin. Without using a few tricks, he would have a hard time winning.

While Lu Zeming was still thinking, Ikeda Masato closed in!

Ikeda Masato was confident in his Taijutsu, but after just three moves against Lu Zeming, he clutched his arm and backed away.

"What did he grow up eating? Why is he so hard? Hitting him is like punching iron!"

"Don't get close. Use Ninjutsu!"

Earth Release: Earth Dragon Bullet! Wind Release: Vacuum Wave!

Lu Zeming used the Grass Release: Grass Blade Razor he had learned only recently, trading Ninjutsu attacks with them.

Dust and turbulent air erupted between them again and again, drawing cheers from the villagers.

By now, Ikeda and the other two had gone pale. They were burning through Chakra far faster than expected, while Lu Zeming still looked perfectly calm. All three found themselves wondering the same thing.

Is this kid a monster? His Chakra reserves are terrifying. He hasn't stopped casting Ninjutsu since the fight began.

The exchange of Ninjutsu had not even ended when Lu Zeming's next technique arrived.

Grass Release: Thorn Whip! Thick thorny vines burst from the ground like countless whips, lashing toward Ikeda and the other two.

The three dodged left and right, but the vines struck too densely to avoid them all. Several bloody welts appeared across their bodies.

Ikeda Masato and his companions were losing, but their pride would not let them surrender.

Pouring his last bit of Chakra into one final attack, Ikeda Masato cast Fire Release: Fire Dragon Technique, sending it at the vines and Lu Zeming behind them.

The vines crackled as they burned. But when the fire dragon reached Lu Zeming, his figure vanished with a pop.

Ikeda and the others were stunned. Before they could look for him, they discovered Kunai hovering in front of each of their throats.

The three swallowed hard. They knew that in a real battle, they would already be dead!

Lu Zeming walked out of the flames, Spiritual Power shielding his body. The fire could not touch him, making him look like a god.

"All right. You've lost!"

The entire Training Ground fell silent. Everyone stared at the scene in shock.

More than ten seconds passed before deafening cheers erupted from the crowd.

"He won! The village chief won! Long live the village chief!"

The three accepted their defeat wholeheartedly. When Lu Zeming asked them to teach the village's young ninjas, they agreed without hesitation.

Of course, Lu Zeming would not ask them to work for free. He would pay them Merit Points.

Naturally, all three were delighted.

Lu Zeming felt the three still lacked a sense of belonging to Flower Village, but he believed they would gradually change their minds as it grew stronger.

What he did not know was that they had wanted to fit in for some time. The match had given them a way to do so without losing face.

Gaining three elite fighters at once was undoubtedly good news, and more good news soon followed.

The Medicine Workshop was completed and began production. Its first batch of Super Soldier Pills was underway, though only seven days remained before delivery to Shinbu. Time was still tight.

At the same time, the shortage of workers grew more obvious.

The Medicine Workshop needed workers. So did land clearing and road construction. Everywhere Lu Zeming looked, they needed more people.

In his office, Lu Zeming asked Kumi Uzumaki a question.

"Any word from Mayuko and the others about recruiting refugees?"

"They sent word back yesterday. It isn't going well! I think there are two reasons. First, our village isn't well known, so people haven't heard of it. Second, refugees are wary of ninjas. Mayuko and the others are ninjas, so the refugees have trouble believing them."

Lu Zeming nodded, agreeing with Kumi Uzumaki's assessment.

"I was thinking too simply!"

"Actually, I think we might be rushing to recruit refugees. We haven't traded our first batch of Super Soldier Pills yet. If we bring in too many people now, our supplies will be stretched thin."

"Are the village's food stores running low?"

Kumi Uzumaki answered honestly. "The Winter Wheat was only just planted. It'll be ten months before the harvest. Much of the land has only recently been cleared, so it hasn't produced anything. On our current stores alone, we can last two months at most."

Lu Zeming thought for a moment. "I'll find a way to handle the food. We can't stop recruiting refugees!"

"But if we keep recruiting them the old way, I'm afraid—"

"I have a plan!"

"What plan?"

"We need to rely on the people and trust in their strength!"

Kumi Uzumaki still did not understand. Lu Zeming only smiled and pointed at the Mission Board in the middle of the village.

Before long, a new mission appeared on the Mission Board.

Recruit refugees: earn one Work Point for each refugee recruited. Recruit ten refugees to earn the corresponding Work Points and a Squad Leader nomination. Recruit one hundred refugees at once to earn a Production Brigade Leader nomination.

Many people looked puzzled when they read it.

"I understand the Work Points, but what does a Squad Leader nomination mean? And what's a Production Brigade Leader?"

Listening Yuka stood by the Mission Board specifically to answer questions.

Hearing the question, Yuka raised her voice. "A Squad Leader supervises ten people. A Lǐzhǎng oversees a hundred as a Production Brigade Leader. A nomination means you'll hold the position provisionally. If you complete the training and show you can manage people during the probation period, you'll receive an official appointment."

"Oh, so it's like being the chief of our old village!"

"That's right. But Flower Village has only one village chief!"

"I wouldn't dream of becoming village chief, but Production Brigade Leader sounds impressive enough. That's second only to the village chief!"

"Now that you mention it, you're right!"

The crowd burst into excited chatter!

"I was already planning to bring my uncle's family here. This is perfect. I can earn Work Points while I'm at it."

"Me too! I heard a while ago that disaster struck my uncle's family, and I've been meaning to check on them. This is my chance to see if I can bring them here."

"I'd like to go too, but I heard things have been dangerous lately. There's fighting everywhere!"

Hearing that, Listening Yuka called out again.

"If you want to take on a recruitment mission, you can hire our village's ninjas to protect you on the road."

"The hiring price is absolutely fair! Twenty Work Points will get you a whole ninja squad. If that's too much to pay alone, you can split the cost. Up to five people can share one booking. It's a great deal!"

"There are only so many ninja squads available. First come, first served!"

"Me! I want to hire a ninja squad, and I'll pay for it myself! I know where the Land of Grass's Largest Labor Black Market is!"

"You're not planning to lure people back by pretending to hire workers, are you?"

His scheme exposed, the man showed no embarrassment. Instead, he declared, "So what? With the way our village treats people, I'm sure they won't want to leave once they get here!"

"Brother, I like your thinking. Count me in."

"Get lost! Why would I share my chance to make a fortune with you?"

Who did not want to get ahead? Who did not want a better life? Faced with such a tempting opportunity, everyone began making plans.

Lu Zeming did not care whether people came through sincere invitations or were tricked into coming.

A cat that caught mice was a good cat, no matter its color.

That very day, three groups left the village.

Lu Zeming stood on a hillside, watching the groups go their separate ways after descending the mountain. The sight filled him with satisfaction.