Recruiting Refugees

Ikeda and Shinbu leaped up together, hurling kunai at the spot where the earth had shifted.

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

Forced into the open, Lu Zeming swung his blade again and again to deflect the incoming kunai.

After only a few exchanges, Lu Zeming knew all three were at the level of Elite Jonin. If he did not pull out a few tricks, winning would be difficult.

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 countered with the Grass Release: Grass Blade Razor he had only recently learned, and the two sides traded Ninjutsu.

Dust and turbulent air erupted between them, drawing round after round of cheers from the villagers.

By then, Ikeda and the other two had gone pale. Their Chakra was draining far faster than expected, while Lu Zeming still looked perfectly calm. All three found themselves wondering the same thing.

Is this kid a monster? How can he have so much Chakra? He hasn't stopped casting Ninjutsu since the fight began.

The clash of Ninjutsu was not even over when Lu Zeming's next technique arrived.

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

The three dodged left and right, but the vines struck too densely for them to avoid every blow. Several bloody welts appeared on their bodies.

Ikeda Masato and the other two were now at a disadvantage, but their pride would not let them surrender.

Pouring his last bit of Chakra into the attack, Ikeda Masato unleashed Fire Release: Fire Dragon Technique! It surged toward the thorny vines and Lu Zeming behind them.

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

Ikeda and the other two were stunned. Before they could search for him, they discovered a kunai hovering before each of their throats.

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

Lu Zeming stepped out of the flames, Spiritual Power shielding his body. The fire could not touch him. He looked 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!"

This time, Ikeda and the other two accepted their defeat without reservation. When Lu Zeming asked them to teach the village's young Ninjas, they agreed without a second thought.

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

Naturally, they were delighted.

Lu Zeming felt that the three did not yet identify strongly enough with Flower Village. But he believed that as the village grew, their attitudes would slowly change.

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

Gaining three Elite Jonin-level fighters overnight was undoubtedly good news, and more good news soon followed.

The Medicine Workshop was officially complete and had begun production. The first batch of Super Soldier Pills was underway, but only seven days remained before delivery to Shinbu. Time was still tight.

Meanwhile, the shortage of workers had become increasingly obvious.

The Medicine Workshop needed workers. Land reclamation needed workers. Road construction needed workers. Everywhere Lu Zeming looked, more people were needed.

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

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

"A report came in yesterday. They said it isn't going well! I think there are two reasons. First, our village isn't well known. Most people have never heard of us. Second, refugees are wary of Ninjas. Mayuko and the others are Ninjas, so the refugees have trouble trusting them."

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

"I was thinking too simply!"

"Actually, isn't it a little early 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 planted recently, and it'll be ten months before harvest. Much of the land has only just been cleared and isn't producing anything yet. If we rely on our current stores alone, they'll last two months at most."

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

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

"I have a way!"

"What way?"

"We need to rely on the people. Trust in their strength!"

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

Before long, a new mission appeared on the board.

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

Many people were baffled when they saw the mission.

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

Listening Yuka stood beside the Mission Board specifically to answer such questions.

When she heard someone ask, Yuka raised her voice. "A Squad Leader manages ten people. A Production Brigade Leader oversees a hundred. A nomination means you'll hold the position for now. If you pass the training and prove you can manage people during the assessment period, you'll be officially appointed."

"Oh, so it's like the village chief back in our old village!"

"That's right. But here in Flower Village, we only have one village chief!"

"I wouldn't dare 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 erupted into excited chatter!

"I was planning to bring my uncle's family here anyway. Now I can earn Work Points while I'm at it."

"Me too! I heard my uncle's family was hit by a disaster a while back, and I've wanted to check on them. This is the perfect chance to see if I can bring them here to live."

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

Hearing this, Listening Yuka called out again.

"If you want to take on the recruitment mission, you can hire Ninjas from our village to protect you on the trip."

"The price is fair: just twenty Work Points for a Ninja squad! If that's too much for one person, you can split the cost with others. Up to five people can share one booking. Five people splitting the cost—it's a bargain!"

"There are only so many Ninja squads available for hire. 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 plan exposed, the man showed no embarrassment. Instead, he declared, "What does it matter? With the way our village treats people, I'm sure they won't want to leave once they get here!"

"Brother, that's a good idea. Count me in."

"Get lost! Why would I share my chance to strike it rich with you?"

Everyone wanted to get ahead and live a better life. Faced with such a tempting opportunity, they all began making plans.

Lu Zeming did not care whether people brought refugees back through sincere invitations or by tricking and cajoling them.

A cat was a good cat as long as it caught mice.

That very day, three groups left the village.

Lu Zeming stood on a hillside, watching the groups head off in different directions after descending the mountain. He could not have been more pleased.