By the time he returned to Konoha, it was already noon the next day.
Using his injuries as an excuse, Qifeng completed the task handover with minimal fuss. After handing the three Konoha Ninja corpses over to the Intelligence Department, he left.
Once the Intelligence Department had extracted information from the bodies, the corpses would end up in his hands anyway.
He was in no hurry.
When Yūhi Kurenai and Hiruzen Sarutobi asked about the Earth Release expert who had killed Kaguya Senjin, Qifeng claimed to know nothing. He only said that he had fallen unconscious and was unaware of what had happened.
Watching Qifeng's departing back, Hiruzen Sarutobi took a deep draw from his pipe, making Yūhi Kurenai beside him grow somewhat restless.
"Kurenai."
"Hm?" Yūhi Kurenai paused.
"It really wasn't him?"
Yūhi Kurenai smiled. "Qifeng is a good kid, but he definitely couldn't reach that level. He may have dealt with that mist ninja Chunin, but Kaguya Senjin..."
He shook his head.
Hiruzen Sarutobi chuckled softly. "True. When one gets old, one tends to overthink. How I wish Konoha had another genius like that at a time like this."
These were troubled times.
The major hidden villages were growing increasingly restless, and this time the mist ninja had tested Konoha without the slightest restraint, all to probe Konoha's strength.
Whenever he thought of powerful warriors, he could not help thinking of the late "Konoha White Fang," Hatake Sakumo.
If Hatake Sakumo were still alive, his strength alone could intimidate an entire village. Konoha would not be in such a difficult position.
Although his three disciples—Orochimaru, Jiraiya, and Tsunade—had already become ninjas capable of standing on their own, they still fell far short of Hatake Sakumo's deterrent power.
If Konoha could produce a few more powerful ninjas capable of standing on their own, he would have it much easier.
Yūhi Kurenai understood Hiruzen Sarutobi's concerns. At the same time, he had long been suppressing an idea of his own, and this was the perfect opportunity.
"Lord Hokage, I have considered this for a long time. I have decided to leave the Anbu. I hope you will approve."
"Why?" Hiruzen Sarutobi was somewhat surprised.
Yūhi Kurenai was quite capable, with a high mission success rate. He was one of the few Anbu Hiruzen Sarutobi could rely on.
Yūhi Kurenai pursed his lips. "I feel that the oppressive environment of the Anbu does not suit me very well. Perhaps I am better suited to teaching other ninjas, bringing more fresh blood to Konoha, helping them become powerful ninjas capable of standing on their own, and passing my experience on to them."
"Oh? That is what you think?"
Yūhi Kurenai nodded.
"However, sending you to the Ninja Academy would be beneath your talents. How about this? Establish a ninja training camp. You can serve as the instructor, specifically teaching Genin and Chunin battlefield experience to reduce unnecessary casualties."
Hiruzen Sarutobi quickly thought of a place where Yūhi Kurenai could truly shine.
An experienced and powerful ninja, if willing, could indeed reduce unnecessary casualties among Konoha's Genin and Chunin.
War was coming. The timing was perfect.
"Yes!" Yūhi Kurenai answered.
As a thought struck him, he immediately added, "Lord Hokage, for the training camp to operate better, I would like to ask you for someone."
"Who? Maruyama Qifeng?"
"That's right!"
"What? Training camp? No. Don't want to. Not going."
Hearing Yūhi Kurenai's words, Qifeng, who was lying on a recliner nursing his injuries, hurriedly refused three times in a row.
What kind of joke was that?
Did they want him to collect the corpses of those training camp Genin and Chunin?
It would not be bad, but it was more likely that once he joined the training camp, he would form some attachment to its members. Then, when he felt sympathy for them and saved them, would he not have no corpses left to collect?
Qifeng knew himself. He was not the kind of person who could watch others die without intervening.
He only wanted to be an emotionless corpse collector.
Emotionless. Corpse collector. Just two descriptions. It was that simple.
Theoretically, the more people who died in Konoha, the happier he should be.
"Think about it. I can teach you plenty of ninja experience and reduce the danger you face in the future." Yūhi Kurenai sat in the chair beside him and handed over a cigarette.
Qifeng glanced at him.
One cigarette, and he thought he could buy him off?
Who was he looking down on?
Besides, experience?
After using the Experience Cards of Jonin Miura Ikkō and Quasi-Kage Akagi Tsukasa, Qifeng could say without exaggeration that his combat experience might not be any weaker than Yūhi Kurenai's.
"No." Qifeng took a drag, wearing an expression that said, I'm utterly depressed, so leave me alone.
I'm a slacker.
I only like the happiness of being a slacker.
He shifted his butt, found a more comfortable position, struck a Ge You Lie pose, and asked curiously, "Why are you looking for me? Konoha has so many outstanding Genin and Chunin. Kakashi, for one, is pretty good."
Yūhi Kurenai's teeth itched with anger at his calm demeanor.
How could a civilian ninja refuse such a good opportunity?
He took a deep breath and suppressed the urge to beat Qifeng up.
If Qifeng were his child, so unwilling to make progress, he would have beaten him long ago!
"I feel like you and I are rather fated."
"..."
Qifeng rolled his eyes.
"I'll tell you a secret, so please stop bothering me, Senior Kurenai. I only want to quietly handle corpses. Some things others do not want to do, but someone has to do them."
"Let's hear it."
Yūhi Kurenai had a headache dealing with someone so impervious to persuasion.
"Asuma is pursuing your daughter," Qifeng said bluntly.
Whoa!
Yūhi Kurenai abruptly stood up, his eyes widening as he muttered, "I knew it. I knew it..."
Without saying anything else, he turned and vanished.
Qifeng shrugged. He had already set Asuma up once anyway. Yūhi Kurenai would figure it out once he went home and thought about it, so he might as well see it through.
He silently observed three minutes of mourning for Asuma.
Kids in the Ninja World really did mature early. They were so young, yet already obsessed with love and romance—classic blind puppy love.
Take Uchiha Obito. He had not even been that old when Rin Nohara died, yet he had completely gone dark.
That was unacceptable. Their minds had not even matured yet, so this kind of liking was blind.
"I'm doing this for your own good, Asuma."
Yes, for his own good!
The slacker rolled over and continued enjoying the quiet, peaceful afternoon sunlight.
"Feels like I forgot something. There was something I hadn't finished earlier. What was it? Forget it. I'll nap for a while. I'm so tired."
Outside the Land of Hot Water, Kakashi supported Ito Ki as they struggled toward the Land of Fire.
Night fell.
The cool breeze after sunset blew over Qifeng, making him shiver awake.
Anyone who had tried it knew that after basking in the sun all afternoon, the evening wind felt especially, especially cold—the kind that chilled one to the bone.
Qifeng swayed as he rose from the recliner and pulled his clothes tighter around himself.
His body was cold, but it could not conceal the heat in his heart.
He rubbed his hands together.
It was time for the thrilling draw again.
In the dead of night, it was the perfect time to have a proper exchange with corpses.
He returned to the Morgue and took out the corpses of Kaguya Senjin and Kusaribe Yamato.
"Breaking even is impossible. I just hope I can recover a bit of my losses. Otherwise, I'll be taking a huge loss. Next time, I won't dare leave home."
Without a trump card, he never felt at ease.
Before looting the corpses, as usual, he would deal with the bodies first.
No matter whether they had been enemies in life or caused him any losses, now that they were dead, everything was written off.
The dead deserved respect, so Qifeng still carefully gave the corpses a "makeover."
Of course, Kaguya Senjin's corpse was truly a bit... beyond saving. Qifeng could only do his best.
After finishing all that, before midnight arrived, Qifeng could finally loot the corpses.
Yellow Corpse, success rate 30%. Loot corpse? (This time 3/3, today 9/9)
He had not looted any corpses for a day, so his attempts had refreshed. Perfect.
Yes!
Before you continue