Killing without spilling blood

"You want to kill the clan leader?"

"What nonsense are you talking about? I mean that brat named Lu Zeming!"

At that, the clan elders' eyes lit up.

"That could work. Tell us your plan in detail."

Listening Yuhu took a sip of tea and said smugly, "I looked into it today. This village has barely thirty ninja. Its strongest fighters, Ikeda Masato, Hayato, and Yuki Kamimai, were just sent to the Land of Fire to buy grain. They won't be back anytime soon. Everyone left is a chunin or lower. Once we kill Lu Zeming, we'll have the whole village at our command!"

"Then we'll nominate my brother as village chief. I'm sure he won't refuse. That way, we can bring him back around and secure a base for ourselves. Two birds with one stone!"

Everyone thought the plan was perfectly workable.

Only one person raised a concern.

"The key is killing Lu Zeming, but we have no information on him. I couldn't gauge his strength at the banquet, either. What if..."

Listening Yuhu cut him off. "There is no 'what if.' He's a seven-year-old child. At most, he's on the level of a special jonin. Don't forget, I'm already halfway to becoming an elite jonin. With a few of our clan's chunin helping me, killing him won't be hard!"

"Good. That's what we'll do!"

Meanwhile, after finishing his lesson with the young ninja, Lu Zeming returned to his office to plan the next day's work.

Kumi Uzumaki knocked and came in.

"The Mind-Listening Clan doesn't seem to have reached a decision!"

Lu Zeming continued working without even looking up.

"It would be strange if they had. Those conditions of mine would cut off the elders' income. Of course they wouldn't agree!"

"Aren't you tempted, though? That's over forty ninja. If they joined us, our village would become much stronger!"

"Slower growth is better than leaving trouble lurking within!"

"I really don't know how that mind of yours works. You're so young, yet you think things through more carefully than an adult like me!"

As she spoke, Kumi Uzumaki supported her belly and slumped into a chair.

"Ugh, I've had less and less energy lately, and the baby keeps kicking. It won't settle down at all. I've fallen behind on so much work. If only I could get the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique to ease the burden!"

"I don't have the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique, but I do have a copy of the Four Symbols Seal!"

Lu Zeming took the Four Symbols Seal scroll from a drawer and tossed it over.

Kumi Uzumaki caught it and hurriedly unrolled it. Tears welled in her eyes as she looked at the familiar runic array.

"The Four Symbols Seal... It really is the Four Symbols Seal. You're just giving it to me?"

"Thanks for all your hard work lately. You've earned it!"

"Thank you!"

"As far as I know, this belonged to your Uzumaki clan in the first place!"

Kumi Uzumaki wiped away her tears and nodded solemnly.

"Now that I've seen a relic of my homeland again, I could die without regrets!"

"Study it well. You may yet restore the glory of the Uzumaki clan!"

"Yes, yes! Thank you so much. I'll work hard!"

"Tighten security over the next two days. Pay particular attention to Listening Yuhu and his group!"

Lu Zeming's abrupt change of subject left Kumi Uzumaki stunned for a moment. Then, as though something had occurred to her, her expression grew serious.

"You mean they might take desperate action? We should strike first!"

Lu Zeming shook his head, rejecting her suggestion.

"There's no rush. We need to catch them in the act. Besides, I want to see what Listening Yulong and Yuka choose!"

"All right, I understand. I'll make the arrangements now!"

Kumi Uzumaki put away the scroll and quickly left the office.

Lu Zeming stopped working and gazed into the night, murmuring to himself.

"Don't disappoint me."

The next day, before dawn, someone knocked on Lu Zeming's door.

"Zeming, are you awake?"

It was Listening Yuka's voice.

"Yes, I'm awake. Come in!"

Listening Yuka pushed open the door and entered, grief and resolve in her eyes. She looked like a stubborn little flower battered by frost.

"What brings you here so early?"

At Lu Zeming's question, Yuka dropped to her knees with a thud.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. It's all my fault. I shouldn't have let the clan come here. It's all my fault!"

Lu Zeming understood. How could the Mind-Listening Clan's plot escape Yuka when she could read minds?

"You already know?"

"Yes. They intend to harm you!"

"Good. You did well, but I want to know what you choose!"

Yuka lifted her tear-streaked face and looked deeply at Lu Zeming, then bowed her head to the floor again.

"I'll kill them myself before they act, then take my own life to atone!"

Lu Zeming nearly choked.

This girl took far too much upon herself. It barely had anything to do with her in the first place.

"Ahem. Have you forgotten our promise? A bunch of pathetic clowns aren't worth it!"

At those words, Yuka looked at Lu Zeming again, her eyes now filled with emotion.

How could she forget their promise? She would follow him forever. No matter what difficulties they faced, she would never give up, even if it meant standing against the entire world.

"But if I don't do that, I really don't know how to stop them!"

After a moment's silence, Lu Zeming asked, "Have you told Listening Yulong?"

Yuka quickly shook her head. "No. I haven't told anyone. I came to you as soon as I found out!"

"Then you can go tell Listening Yulong now!"

"But..."

"Don't worry. I'll handle everything!"

After leaving, Yuka went to Listening Yulong and told him everything she knew.

The news sent Listening Yulong's thoughts into turmoil.

"Damn them! How dare they? How dare they!"

"Clan leader, what should we do?"

Listening Yulong's mind raced. He was an intelligent man, and he understood why Lu Zeming had sent Yuka to bring him this news.

Listening Yulong clenched his fists until his knuckles turned white. He bit his lip hard enough to draw blood without even noticing.

As the seconds ticked by, Listening Yulong knew he had to decide quickly. Otherwise, the Mind-Listening Clan would face utter ruin.

For the first time, Listening Yulong felt the terrifying power contained within that tiny body.

It was not power expressed through combat, but through an understanding of the situation and control over people's hearts.

Sometimes, that kind of power was more terrifying than killing outright, because it killed without spilling blood.

Listening Yulong secretly gathered the younger faction of the Mind-Listening Clan. The condition of distributing clan property among individual households alone had made them his staunch supporters.

Not to mention the other conditions, which protected their interests either directly or indirectly.

Starting at ten that morning, the other civilians living in the temporary settlement began leaving one after another.

By the time Listening Yuhu and his group noticed something was wrong, there was no one left around them.

The deserted streets and tents were like a silent graveyard.

Even Listening Yuhu could tell that his plot had been exposed before he could act.

"Damn it, we've walked into a trap! Gather the clan and get ready to leave! Hurry!"

Listening Yuhu urged them on repeatedly, but only thirty-odd clan members gathered. More than half were ordinary people whose abilities had not awakened.

"Where are the others?"

"Rita and his group said they were going to fetch water. They'll be back soon!"

"Yūjin and his group said they were going shopping. They haven't come back yet!"

"Those were just excuses to leave! They've betrayed us. Forget about them. Everyone else, hurry and escape with me!"

The thirty-odd people shouldered bags or pulled carts, all rushing toward the edge of the village.

They had gone less than a hundred meters when a group blocked their path.

It was none other than Listening Yulong, accompanied by many of the Mind-Listening Clan's younger ninja!

"Little brother, this is the last time I'll call you my brother. Surrender now, and I can plead with our lord for mercy!"

Listening Yuhu glared at his brother, his eyes blazing with fury.

"I have no brother like you! What lord? That little brat hasn't even grown a hair, and he dares call himself a lord? Dream on if you think I'll surrender. You'll have to kill me first!"

Listening Yulong trembled and closed his eyes. Two trails of tears slipped down his cheeks.

When he opened his eyes again, they were cold and merciless.

"Kill!"