"When a flower blooms, another withers. Dad, can you sing 'Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star'? Of course. The great river flows east, and the stars in the sky form the Big Dipper."
Qifeng hummed a tune, clearly in a good mood.
Though having his leisurely afternoon interrupted was not exactly wonderful, the Morgue now had a free laborer, which was rather beautiful.
At the same time, Kakashi decided that whenever Guy challenged him in the future, he would run straight to the Morgue.
There was always a way to shake him off.
While Guy was absorbed in cleaning and unable to pull himself away, Kakashi slipped off first.
Ever since Qifeng had come to the Ninja World and become a corpse collector, he had discovered that he had developed a cleanliness obsession he never used to have.
Especially when it came to the Morgue's hygiene and the bodies of the deceased, he was so demanding that even he found it surprising.
So, cleaning the Morgue at least five times a day could be considered part of his work.
But things were better now. He could leave these matters to Guy and slack off even more.
"Senior Qifeng, I've finished cleaning." Guy held a broom, his face brimming with excitement.
Qifeng patted his shoulder and said earnestly, "Very good, Guy, that's exactly it! Youth must not be wasted. Whenever you feel tired from training in the future, you can come here. Only by balancing work and rest, helping and complementing each other, can we become better ninjas."
He looked every bit the harmonious senior guiding his junior.
"Yes!" Guy felt that it made perfect sense.
His taijutsu was the wide-open, forceful kind, so he lacked training in finesse. Qifeng's method could not only regulate his stamina, but also train his delicacy.
From now on, he would be Delicate Might Guy!
"You'll definitely become an outstanding ninja in the future. You won't lose to Kakashi—you might even surpass him! I believe in you!"
Other than his father, Might Duy, Qifeng was the second person to say such things to him.
Guy's eyes filled with tears. Throwing his arms wide, he shouted, "Youth!!"
He yelled as he ran toward the village, somehow moving even faster than when he had arrived.
Watching his retreating figure, Qifeng could not help rubbing his forehead.
"What a fine young man. Tsk."
He lay back in his rocking chair. Amid its creaking sounds, he looked exceptionally peaceful.
The sun set in the west, and the bright moon rose in the east.
Several figures appeared at the remote Morgue.
They were ninjas from the Intelligence Department. They had already obtained the information they needed from the three bodies they had brought back, and now they were handing the corpses over to the Morgue for processing.
As ninjas who had given their lives for Konoha, they deserved respect. Though their contributions could no longer be reflected upon themselves, they could be inherited by their descendants or families.
Their families would receive a substantial pension, and their descendants would be granted the title of "Hero's Son."
In the future, they would receive a certain degree of preferential treatment in all aspects of Konoha.
Qifeng rather admired Konoha for this.
It was precisely because of such a system that Konoha ninjas could fight boldly without worries holding them back.
Only Konoha, the most prosperous Great Hidden Village, could achieve something like this.
Qifeng solemnly accepted three scrolls from the Intelligence Department ninjas.
"Sorry to trouble you," the leader said in a deep voice.
"It's my duty." Qifeng nodded.
The two sides did not know each other and belonged to different departments, so there was naturally nothing more to say. Once the bodies had been handed over, they turned and left.
Qifeng entered the Morgue.
He had long since grown accustomed to the chilling air that greeted him. Undoing the seals on the scrolls, he released the three bodies.
Although the Intelligence Department had performed some simple treatment on the corpses, they had merely wiped away the larger bloodstains. The corners and crevices had not been cleaned at all.
Especially the wounds. They had practically just been stitched a few times and left at that.
"If their families saw them like this, who knew what their expressions would be."
But Qifeng did not complain. The Intelligence Department's duty was to extract intelligence; whether they handled the bodies afterward was beside the point.
Because this was his job.
If the Intelligence Department handled everything, what would they need him for?
He took out his tools—needles and thread, towels, bone-setting pliers, and more—laid them out one by one, and began working with practiced precision.
Qifeng was exceptionally serious when it came to corpses.
At first, he had only believed that if he treated the bodies well, they would repay him in turn.
But as time passed, his view gradually changed.
The dead had passed on. The deceased are to be respected. Respecting corpses was an attitude every corpse collector should possess.
It had nothing to do with positions or interests.
By the time he finished handling the bodies, the moon hung high overhead, and midnight was approaching.
Qifeng began the final main event: looting the corpses.
Of the three bodies this time, one was a Yellow Corpse and two were Green Corpses. One of the Green Corpses belonged to the Uchiha Clan.
After thinking it over, he decided to leave the Uchiha Clan corpse for last.
The Yellow Corpse might be more valuable, but if he could obtain a Bloodline Card from the Uchiha Clan corpse, it would be worth even more.
He started with an ordinary Green Corpse.
Green Corpse, success rate 60%. Would you like to loot the corpse? (This time: 3/3, today: 9/9)
Yes!
Success! Obtained a random single-attribute +2 Boost Card! Failure! Success! Obtained three Wind Demon Shuriken!
Nothing too remarkable.
Qifeng had already grown used to single-attribute cards. White Corpses generally yielded +1 attribute cards, while Green Corpses yielded +2 cards. By the same logic, Yellow Corpses yielded +3.
As for Red Corpses, he had only looted one so far, so their specifics remained unknown.
As his overall strength increased, the effect of each of these attribute boosts would feel weaker and weaker.
But these cards were also the key to how he could steadily grow stronger.
As for the Wind Demon Shuriken, this was indeed his first time obtaining them. He just did not know whether he would ever have a chance to use them.
Next came the Yellow Corpse.
As a Jonin's corpse, Qifeng actually did not encounter many of them.
The vast majority of corpses in the Morgue belonged to Genin, with a small number belonging to Chunin. As for Jonin, he might not even see one in an entire week.
After all, in some smaller ninja villages, Jonin already stood at the very top.
Even in a Great Hidden Village like Konoha, the number of Jonin was extremely limited. There were perhaps only a few hundred publicly known ones, and they were the absolute backbone.
Failure! Failure! Failure!
Qifeng froze on the spot.
For the first time!
Since obtaining the system, this was the first time he had used all three attempts and failed to get a single thing.
Had he used up all his luck last time?
Was his unlucky constitution revealing its true nature?
Having wasted such a precious Yellow Corpse opportunity, Qifeng felt so heartbroken that he could barely breathe.
He clutched his chest and stood stiffly for a long while before finally recovering.
He could only shift his attention to the last remaining Uchiha Clan Green Corpse.
"My friend, I went through a lot to bring you all back. Don't let me down."
It was not easy for an Uchiha Clan corpse to make it to the Morgue.
Uchiha corpses that had awakened the Sharingan were generally taken away directly by the Uchiha Clan, while those who had not awakened the Sharingan found it difficult to become Chunin.
He had already tried it. The corpses of Uchiha Clan Genin could not yield special Bloodline Cards.
There had been a few Chunin corpses, but the odds were too low.
He still had not collected enough.
Green Corpse, success rate 60%. Would you like to loot the corpse? (This time: 3/3, today: 3/9)
Yes!
Success! Obtained a Broken Kunai!
Hmm?
It felt like another item with a story behind it.
He took a rusty kunai from the system. As he focused his attention, a slideshow slowly unfolded before his eyes.
"Kagami, you start school tomorrow. You'll definitely become an outstanding ninja. This is a gift from Grandpa. It was once used by the Uchiha Kagami you admire most."
"Wow! It's a kunai!"
"Grandpa, I graduated. I'm a Genin now! I'll become a Chunin next! Then a Jonin! Maybe even Hokage!"
"Hehe, then Grandpa will wait and see."
"Grandpa, do you think I'm unworthy of Uchiha blood? It's been three years since graduation, and I'm still only a Genin. I haven't awakened my eyes."
"Don't think like that. In Grandpa's eyes, Kagami, you're the greatest ninja. You must hold onto your dream."
"Grandpa, it's been six years, and I'm still only a Genin. People say that if I don't awaken my eyes, I'll never become a Chunin in my life."
"The Sharingan isn't a shortcut. Even without it, you can still be exceptional."
"Grandpa, no! Don't do this! I'd rather not have the Sharingan than lose you! This nonsense has no logic whatsoever! You said it yourself—even without the Sharingan, I'm still a ninja!"
"Kagami."
"It's been ten years. I've finally become a Chunin. But Grandpa, I understand now. I'm not someone special. I only want to do what I can."
"My Kagami has finally grown up."
"Grandpa, I did something big this time. We obtained important intelligence from Kirigakure! It's just... I might not be able to return this time, Grandpa. I wish I could see you once more."
The slideshow showed Uchiha Kagami's life: from being full of dreams, to suffering setbacks, to accepting reality, until finally seeing through it all.
Interwoven throughout was the companionship and encouragement of a grandfather, along with the kunai that served as the bond between them.
It was a very plain story, a very ordinary journey, and a very realistic ending.
Qifeng squeezed the kunai in his hand. He had no family in this world, yet he could still feel Uchiha Kagami's longing for his grandfather.
He silently placed the kunai into his Ninja Tool Pouch.
He said nothing, nor did he try to communicate with the corpse.
Everything was understood without words.
Success! Obtained Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique Ninjutsu Card! Success! Obtained Uchiha Clan Thin Bloodline Card (1/3)!
Before you continue