The Mind-Listening Clan's choice

Listening Yulong was tense all over as he entered the office. He knew what Lu Zeming wanted to discuss with him.

He also knew that his next choice would determine the Mind-Listening Clan's future.

How could he not be nervous at such a turning point in their fate?

Lu Zeming spoke first. "Welcome, chief of the Mind-Listening Clan. Have you had a chance to look around today? What do you think?"

Listening Yulong had only just sat down, but he instinctively started to rise to answer.

Lu Zeming smiled. "No need to be so formal. Given your age, I should be calling you uncle. You can stay seated."

Listening Yulong wiped the sweat from his palms and said, "Yuka has already shown me around. Most things are still in their early stages, but I believe it won't be long before this place rivals Kusagakure. No, actually, it'll be even better."

Lu Zeming nodded with a smile. "Yes, that's what I think too. By the way, you mentioned bringing your entire clan here to join us. Were you serious?"

Listening Yulong's back straightened involuntarily. They were getting to the heart of the matter.

"Yes. The Mind-Listening Clan is entirely sincere!"

Listening Yulong thought his attitude would satisfy Lu Zeming. Instead, Lu Zeming's expression grew indifferent, showing little interest.

Just as anxiety began to grip Listening Yulong, Lu Zeming spoke.

"I don't need your sincerity. Taking in entire ninja clans was never part of my plan!"

"Why?"

Listening Yulong couldn't understand why Lu Zeming would refuse. Accepting an entire ninja clan would instantly strengthen Flower Village, and experienced ninja would help keep it safe. Lu Zeming should have had no reason to turn them down.

It wasn't just Listening Yulong. Even Kumi Uzumaki, Listening Yuka, and the others beside them couldn't understand why.

This time, Listening Yulong truly couldn't stay seated.

"Have we done something wrong? Or have we not shown enough sincerity? I'm willing to offer all the Mind-Listening Clan's assets. If that still isn't enough, we can also hand over every secret technique scroll our clan has treasured for years!"

Listening Yulong's heart bled as he said it, but he was prepared to stake everything on this!

No matter what, he had to secure a place under Lu Zeming's protection before the man rose to greatness.

He believed that whatever he gave away now would come back a hundred or a thousandfold in the future!

Lu Zeming still didn't speak. Listening Yulong was nearly frantic enough to cry.

The atmosphere in the office grew unbearably oppressive.

At last, Lu Zeming spoke.

"The village I want to build won't be like other ninja villages, where a handful of major clans control all the power and resources. I want an equal village, one where ordinary people have plenty of opportunities to rise."

"If your entire clan joins us now, while the village is still undeveloped, the problems won't be obvious. But what happens once it grows? When members of the Mind-Listening Clan hold all the important positions, will they help their own relatives or not?

"They wouldn't have to break any rules or laws. Just a little favoritism out of personal ties—or even an unconscious preference for their own people—could eat into the already limited resources and opportunities available to ninja from ordinary families."

"Do you understand what I'm saying?"

Listening Yulong had been a clan chief for over a decade. How could he fail to understand? At least, he thought he understood.

In truth, Lu Zeming had put it quite delicately. He had left the blunter implications unsaid.

If your clan holds every important position, wouldn't you, as clan chief, end up with more power than me, the village chief?

Listening Yulong steeled himself, dropped to his knees, and bowed his head to the floor.

"Please, my lord, take in the Mind-Listening Clan. As long as you'll accept us, I'm willing to step down as clan chief. You can personally appoint or dismiss all future chiefs!"

Listening Yulong had offered everything. This was an enormous gamble.

Yet Lu Zeming still shook his head.

"It seems you still don't understand me. How about this? I'll lay out my conditions. If you agree, I'll accept the Mind-Listening Clan."

As though clutching at a lifeline, Listening Yulong said urgently, "Please tell me. The Mind-Listening Clan will agree!"

"Let me finish first!" Lu Zeming said.

"Yes, yes, of course. Please go ahead. I'll listen carefully!"

"First, household registration and equal citizenship. Every member of the Mind-Listening Clan must be registered. From now on, they will belong to the village, not the clan;

"Second, mandatory household separation. Shared finances and communal living will be forbidden. In families with two or more brothers, the men must establish separate households upon reaching adulthood;

"Third, clan assets must be divided among individual households. The clan chief may not collect funds from clan members in any form. All existing clan assets must be distributed among the families;

"Fourth, clan rules will be abolished. The clan chief may not punish clan members in any form. Anyone who breaks the law will be punished under village regulations."

After hearing Lu Zeming's conditions, even Kumi Uzumaki felt a chill down her spine, let alone Listening Yulong.

He intended to shatter the clan system at its very foundations.

Ruthless. Utterly ruthless! And brilliant—truly brilliant. If these measures were implemented, Flower Village would never have to worry about clan factions growing too powerful to control.

Listening Yulong looked grim. If he really agreed to these conditions, would the Mind-Listening Clan still be the Mind-Listening Clan?

Seeing his indecision, Lu Zeming didn't rush him.

"I'll give you tonight to think it over. Give me your answer tomorrow morning. Also, I'd like you to serve as Kumi Uzumaki's deputy and help settle the refugees."

"Yes, yes. Oh, of course!"

Listening Yulong had no idea how he made it out of the office. He looked up at the bright moon hanging in the sky, his mind in turmoil.

Inside the office, Lu Zeming looked at Kumi Uzumaki's swollen belly.

"When are you due?"

A blush spread across Kumi Uzumaki's face. "At the end of next month!"

Lu Zeming began working out the Naruto World's timeline. Karin should be about the same age as Naruto Uzumaki. If Karin was about to be born, Naruto Uzumaki's birth should be close too.

Naruto Uzumaki's birth, the Nine-Tails' surprise attack on Konoha, Minato Namikaze's death in battle—these were all iconic moments. Unfortunately, he was still too weak to risk getting involved.

The night passed uneventfully. At first light the next morning, Listening Yulong appeared outside Lu Zeming's office with dark circles under his eyes.

Clearly, he hadn't slept all night.

Lu Zeming invited Listening Yulong into the office and asked,

"Have you made your decision?"

Listening Yulong straightened his clothes, then solemnly knelt and bowed his head. "The Mind-Listening Clan is willing to follow your lead, my lord!"

"Good!"

Lu Zeming walked around the desk and personally helped Listening Yulong to his feet.

"There's no need to kneel anymore. We're all on the same side now!"

Listening Yulong wrote a letter on the spot and had Listening Yuka's father take it back with Haruki to arrange the handover.

The roads were dangerous, and the Mind-Listening Clan would be traveling with their families in tow. Worried for their safety, Lu Zeming also sent Ikeda Masato, Hayato, and Yuki Kamimai to escort them.

Over the next few days, Flower Village's work continued to revolve around settling the refugees.

Meanwhile, Lu Zeming searched among the refugees for talented children.

An initial count put the new arrivals at over 1,730, including more than two hundred children.

After examining them, Lu Zeming found over thirty children with good potential.

As before, Lu Zeming taught them the Chakra Extraction Technique and prepared medicinal baths and acupuncture treatments.

Even without the baths and acupuncture, those thirty-odd children could have become ninja. It would simply have taken a long time.

Unfortunately, time was exactly what Lu Zeming lacked. The medicinal baths and acupuncture would help them develop chakra faster.

These young ninja who had only just awakened their chakra had limited combat ability, but they were more than capable of clearing land and farming.

Lu Zeming increasingly felt that ninjutsu ought to be used to improve productivity. Using it to kill was a terrible waste.