Ninja Advanced Training Class

By day, Lu Zeming led the young ninjas in clearing land and planting crops. At night, he taught them.

Unlike the literacy classes held for the villagers at night, the Ninja Advanced Training Class focused on shaping how they thought.

Lu Zeming wanted them to understand what they should do—and what they must never do.

A good blade needed more than a sharp edge. It needed to know whom to strike and whom to protect.

"You've all developed Chakra recently. Some of you can form hand seals, and others have made huge strides in Taijutsu. I know you can feel yourselves changing. Stones you couldn't move before now lift right up. Rabbits you couldn't catch before take only two steps to grab. When you look in the mirror, don't you feel different?"

"Yes, you are different now. But let me ask you this: did Chakra make the porridge in your bowls? Did Chakra weave the clothes on your backs?"

"No!"

"The porridge in your bowls was cooked by countless people like Auntie Akiko, who got up before dawn. Your clothes were woven day and night by ordinary people like Auntie Mieko. The ground beneath your feet was built by everyone in the village, dug out by hand, carried on their shoulders, and stacked stone by stone."

"The Chakra you awakened didn't fall from the sky. This land and these people raised you to this day. They're the reason you lived long enough to awaken it."

"A ninja's strength doesn't make you better than anyone else. It's a blade the people have entrusted to you."

"You can turn that blade on enemies who bully us. But never point it at the people who raised us."

"When you return injured from a mission, the villagers will brew medicine for you and sit up with you through the night. Not because you're ninjas, but because you're one of us!"

Lu Zeming's words made the newly awakened young ninjas, some of whom had grown rather pleased with themselves, reconsider who they were.

Ninjas were part of the people too!

They turned his words over in their hearts. Those words would stay with them for years, until they passed them on to the next generation.

Like a flame handed down through the generations, never to be extinguished.

Kumi Uzumaki, Listening Yulong, and the others sitting in learned a great deal as well. They had never heard a perspective like this before.

This was more than a lesson in values. It redefined what it meant to be a true ninja.

Watching Lu Zeming, Listening Yulong could not help thinking, This boy is destined for great things!

Lu Zeming personally taught the first Ninja Advanced Training Class.

That was how it went when you built something from nothing: you had to do everything yourself. Once this class graduated, things would be much easier for him.

He already had a plan. He would choose a few graduates with the best performance and strongest sense of responsibility to teach the next class.

From then on, every ninja in Flower Village would have to attend the advanced class for at least three months.

As its founder, Lu Zeming naturally became its headmaster.

Meanwhile, Flower Village began producing on a massive scale.

With its population soaring, food and water were the village's most urgent concerns.

Listening Yulong organized large groups to clear land and plant crops almost every day.

Lu Zeming took the Temperature-Control Squad from field to field, accelerating the crops' growth.

Listening Yuka led the water-affinity ninjas around the village, sensing underground water sources and digging wells.

Rofu often took the young ninjas into the mountains to hunt, improving their meals while sharpening their combat instincts.

Unable to move around easily, Kumi Uzumaki stayed in the village, organizing the refugees to build houses and level the streets.

All of Flower Village resembled a bustling construction site. Houses rose one after another, and streets stretched out to connect them.

Everyone was full of determination.

It was during this period that Flower Village's most distinctive building, Flower Primary School, was completed.

Flower Primary School admitted both ninjas and ordinary children.

That was right: ninjas and ordinary children would study together. Lu Zeming had no intention of building a Ninja Academy in Flower Village.

He wanted ninjas and ordinary people to live and learn side by side.

Ninjas should not be set apart from ordinary people.

He wanted everyone to understand that being a ninja was not a privilege. Ninjas were ordinary people with greater abilities.

And he wanted every ninja to know that greater ability brought greater responsibility.

On October 12, more than 120 members of the Mind-Listening Clan—elders, women, and children—arrived safely in Flower Village.

Lu Zeming greeted them personally. Though they were a ninja clan, quite a few of their members had never awakened as ninjas.

Those who had not awakened were no different from ordinary people.

A little over forty had awakened as ninjas. Only two, including Listening Yulong, had reached Jonin level. Thirteen were at Chunin level, and the rest were Genin.

Other ninja villages might not consider them much of a force, but Flower Village could not afford to overlook them.

After briefly meeting the newly arrived clan members, Lu Zeming arranged a banquet.

During the meal, he noticed that the Mind-Listening Clan was not as united as he had imagined.

Listening Yuhu was Listening Yulong's younger brother and the only other member of the clan to have reached Jonin level.

From the moment Listening Yuhu saw Lu Zeming, his face remained dark.

It was understandable. Anyone would be displeased to find that a seven-year-old child was in charge of the village.

Lu Zeming paid it little mind at first. But near the end of the banquet, when Listening Yulong brought up Lu Zeming's conditions, Listening Yuhu slammed down his cup.

"Brother, have you lost your mind? How could you agree to such unreasonable demands? He wants to break up the Mind-Listening Clan completely. I won't accept it!"

Listening Yuhu glared at Lu Zeming, his expression seeming to say, You think a little brat like you can tell the Mind-Listening Clan what to do? Not a chance!

Listening Yulong's temper flared. He rose, seized his younger brother by the collar, and snapped, "I'm the clan leader. This isn't up for debate. You'll accept it whether you like it or not!"

Before Listening Yuhu could reply, several clan elders stood up.

"Clan leader, this concerns the survival of our clan. How can we decide it so hastily? We need to discuss it further!"

"That's right, clan leader. We should think this through!"

Listening Yulong shoved his brother away in frustration. "I've told you, I'm the clan leader. I have the authority to decide. If anyone objects, I won't hesitate to expel him from the Mind-Listening Clan!"

Listening Yuhu shot back, "So there's no room for discussion?"

"None!"

"Then I won't hesitate to ask the elders to choose a new clan leader!"

The brothers faced each other down, and the atmosphere in the reception hall turned icy.

"Ahem!" Lu Zeming rose, breaking the silence. "I won't interfere in your clan's affairs. But my position hasn't changed. If you won't accept my conditions, the gates of Flower Village are open. Please leave as soon as possible."

With that, Lu Zeming swept his sleeve aside and strode out.

He truly had no time to indulge this shortsighted bunch.

The Mind-Listening Clan members soon left the banquet hall as well. They all returned to their temporary quarters to discuss the matter again.

But the discussion brought nothing except more arguments. Listening Yulong felt exhausted in body and mind, and powerless to do anything about it.

After Listening Yulong left, several clan elders gathered around Listening Yuhu.

"The clan leader has made up his mind to follow that young brat!"

"Who knows what that boy said to get into the clan leader's head? Damn him!"

"What if the clan leader still refuses to budge tomorrow? We can't actually replace him, can we?"

Listening Yuhu swept his gaze over them, a vicious gleam in his eyes.

"There is another way. It will make my brother change his mind and improve our clan's situation."

Their interest piqued, the others pressed him to explain.

Listening Yuhu bared his cold, sharp canines and lowered his voice. "Kill him and seize power!"