"Ehhh?!"
Obito's wildly exaggerated, utterly unrestrained voice could be heard from far away, filled with surprise, shock, and disbelief.
"Qifeng-senpai, you're actually a Chunin?! Why?!"
Obito stared at the Ninja ID Qifeng had tossed aside. The two words "Chunin" written on it were the source of his utter shock.
"Why?! Aren't you the corpse collector who sleeps until noon every day, spends all afternoon basking in the sun by the door, and is never seen training or doing missions? How did you become a Chunin?"
Obito's voice grew louder with every sentence.
There was no justice in this world!
He trained "earnestly" every day, helped old ladies cross the street every day, and shouted every day that he would defeat Kakashi, yet he still had not even graduated early from the Ninja Academy.
Meanwhile, this "lazy and gluttonous" senior in his eyes had silently become a Chunin.
And what was with that disgusted expression?
It was hard enough for them to graduate and become Genin, yet this slacker had become a Chunin and still looked disgusted by it.
There was no justice!
What a declining world!
Konoha's ninja assessment system had actually become this casual.
"Chunin!!! As expected of Qifeng-senpai! You truly are a role model for ordinary ninjas like us—you've already become a Chunin! No! I must work even harder and clean this place even more thoroughly!"
Might Guy darted around the corpse-filled Morgue like he had gone mad. Wherever he passed, no dust or trash could escape.
Qifeng silently pulled a cigarette from Asuma's pack. Rubbing his fingers together, he lit one for himself and one for Asuma.
The two inhaled deeply in perfect synchronization, then slowly exhaled rings of smoke with slightly intoxicated expressions.
The hazy smoke enveloped them both.
"I didn't expect you to really become a Chunin," Asuma said with a sigh.
Qifeng shot him an irritated glare. "Go ask your old man!"
Just because other people wanted to become Chunin did not mean he did.
Did they know how dangerous it was to become a Chunin?
Either he would lead three subordinates, or he would follow a Jonin. The danger level of missions would rise sharply.
Even if he was a corpse collector and could avoid such missions to a great extent, once he went onto the battlefield, a Chunin could no longer cower in the rear as shamelessly as a Genin.
The more Qifeng thought about it, the angrier he became.
"You seem to really dislike it?" Asuma asked in surprise.
Qifeng rolled his eyes at him, too lazy to answer.
Brats like Asuma and Obito would never understand many things.
Only when they grew up would they understand that fame, fortune, and decadent pleasures were all worthless compared to a peaceful, stable life.
This was the generation gap between men and boys. They would not understand.
It was like how seniors always told you, "Studying is still better." You never understood why until you entered society yourself, and then you would even repeat those same words to your juniors.
"Haah."
Only after taking another drag did he feel the breath he had been holding finally ease.
There was nothing he could do. He had no idea what Orochimaru saw in him to push him into this so forcefully.
"By the way, are you all really this free? Or did you arrange to come here together? Someone who didn't know better might think this was some great place."
He suddenly realized that everyone avoided the Morgue like the plague, so why had so many people come here?
"It's a holiday. We had nowhere else to go," Asuma said flatly.
Qifeng's eyes widened. "So you came here because you had nowhere to go? Can't you go play with Kurenai Yuhi?"
But as soon as he finished speaking, he suddenly sensed that something was off about Asuma's gaze.
"You've got the nerve to say that?!"
At the mention of Kurenai Yuhi, Asuma gritted his teeth in anger.
If it had not been for this bastard tattling to Yūhi Kurenai, causing him to keep Kurenai Yuhi by his side even during the holiday, Asuma would have had no chance to get close to her. Why else would he come running to this godforsaken place?
"Hehe."
Qifeng gave an awkward laugh.
He really was in the wrong, but Yūhi Kurenai had been keeping an eye on him at the time too. He had needed to give him a target to divert his attention.
Forget it. It was fine to be lively once in a while.
He could not be bothered to care anymore.
Qifeng shifted his butt and assumed the famous Ge You Lie.
A slacker's life still suited him best.
If he had a bottle of happy water right now, life would be perfect.
One week later.
Over the past week, he had used the system to loot every corpse that had been brought back.
Other than the basic attribute gains that increased his strength a little further, he had only obtained one Jonin Experience Card, which brought this haul to an end.
Konoha Jonin Nakagawa Kamiryo Experience Card (Rare)
It was an Experience Card for a Genjutsu type Jonin, vastly different from Qifeng's own attribute specialties. He felt that even if he used it, their compatibility might not be very high.
Still, it should be enough as an ordinary trump card.
And with another Experience Card in hand, he felt somewhat more confident.
Holding the Hokage's mission appointment letter, he found Nara Shikaku in an office on the middle floor of the Hokage Building.
The Nara Clan, Yamanaka Clan, and Akimichi Clan were not major clans in Konoha, but the three clans had been steadfast allies since the Warring States period. That remained true after they joined Konoha, and together, the three clans were no weaker than any clan in Konoha.
As the intellectual backbone of the three clans, Nara Shikaku was an embodiment of high intelligence.
"Mr. Shikaku." Qifeng appeared very respectful.
Nara Shikaku was not only the head of the Nara Clan, but also a Hokage Advisor and the leader of Konoha's Jonin squad.
Nara Shikaku, bent over his desk, raised his head. When he saw Qifeng, a trace of confusion appeared on his face.
However, he did not show impatience simply because he did not know Qifeng. Instead, he smiled and asked, "What is it?"
Qifeng stepped forward and placed the appointment letter on his desk.
Nara Shikaku gave it a quick glance, then said with slight surprise, "You're Maruyama Qifeng?"
"Mm." Qifeng put on an honest expression.
Am I famous?
From Nara Shikaku's initial expression, it was obvious that he did not know him. Why did he look like that after hearing his name?
As though he had noticed Qifeng's surprise, Nara Shikaku smiled and said, "Lord Orochimaru personally recommended you for promotion to Chunin and nominated you as an examiner for these Chunin Exams."
Then he looked at him meaningfully. "Lord Orochimaru is one of the Sannin, a powerful ninja. Qifeng, you should study under him properly and strive to become a towering tree capable of sheltering Konoha."
"???"
Upon hearing that,
Qifeng had only one thought.
He had been caught in the trap!
Orochimaru had even asked whether he wished to become his subordinate, and Qifeng had tactfully declined.
But now it seemed that question had merely been unnecessary. This recommendation was equivalent to telling the Konoha higher-ups that Qifeng was already his man, his subordinate.
He instantly felt as sick as if he had eaten shit.
He truly did not want to get involved with Orochimaru. Even though, in the eyes of others, Orochimaru was practically the next Hokage and enjoyed tremendous prestige in Konoha.
Becoming someone valued by Orochimaru would secure him a place in Konoha in the future.
But Qifeng knew very well that Orochimaru was an extremely dangerous person. His thinking had already begun to twist. If not for Hiruzen Sarutobi and the restraints of his identity as a Konoha Ninja, he probably would have long since let himself run wild.
Most importantly, Qifeng possessed the Sharingan and Shikotsumyaku. Once exposed, Orochimaru would slice him into pieces in minutes.
But he could not tell anyone about that.
It felt as if someone had forcibly stuffed a mouthful of shit into his mouth. He wanted to spit it out but did not dare, and still had to put on a satisfied expression.
He took a deep breath and forced out an extremely ugly, awkward smile.
"Then please... Mr. Shikaku, assign me a mission."
Nara Shikaku nodded.
He flipped through the book on his desk, which contained his arrangements for these Chunin Exams.
He soon found a vacant position.
"How about this? Qifeng, you'll serve as the assistant examiner for the first exam. For the second exam, you'll handle your usual work—collecting corpses."
After saying that, he handed over a scroll containing Konoha's detailed arrangements for these Chunin Exams.
"Yes!"
PS: I accidentally wrote Nara Shikaku before. It has now been corrected.
Before you continue