A Deformed World

Failed!

Success! Obtained one Standard Kunai!

Success! Obtained one Explosive Tag!

Success! Obtained three Ration Pills!

Failed!

Success! Obtained a random single-attribute +1 Boost Card!

He used up all six remaining corpse-looting attempts.

It had to be said that although White Corpses had a higher success rate, most of the items obtained were fairly ordinary.

Out of six attempts, he had only gotten one random single-attribute +1 Boost Card.

Better than nothing.

Maruyama Qifeng did not hesitate and used the card.

As the system's hexagonal roulette spun, it finally stopped on the "Essence" attribute, granting a slight increase to his Chakra.

After using up today's attempts, he briefly cleaned the morgue, locked the door, and headed toward the Ninja Academy.

He needed to deliver those earrings to the younger sister on behalf of her older sister, even if it was not good news for the girl.

As for the information he had obtained from that Anbu Ninja's forehead protector—the restless Iwa-nin and the Third Great Ninja War that could erupt at any moment—he had no intention of reporting it to the higher-ups.

It was not that he did not care or take it seriously. He simply felt that he had no suitable reason, and it was not something a corpse collector like him needed to worry about.

First of all, he would not be able to explain how he had obtained that information. Since the body had been delivered by the Anbu, they must have examined it thoroughly beforehand. If they had found nothing while he had, the Anbu would not be fooled by a few casual words.

Secondly, since Anbu Ninja had appeared there and overheard the Iwa-nin's conversation, they definitely had not gone there without reason.

Perhaps the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, had sensed something and sent them to investigate.

"I'm just a lowly Genin corpse collector. Something as important as protecting Konoha should be left to Konoha's 'great trees.'"

Comforting himself, he stepped onto the streets he had not walked in a long time.

Konoha truly deserved to be called the most prosperous ninja village in the Shinobi World. The streets were filled with dazzling shops, and every passerby wore a happy smile.

War was cruel, but through the tireless efforts of Konoha Ninja, this place seemed like a paradise on earth.

Maruyama Qifeng's heavy heart was also eased by such an atmosphere.

He arrived at the Ninja Academy.

The Ninja Academy was one of Konoha's sources of strength and foundation. He had once studied here for six years. Though his graduation results had been far from ideal, the elderly gatekeeper still recognized him.

"It's Qifeng."

Maruyama Qifeng revealed an honest smile and scratched the back of his head. "Elder Tanpo, you're still as healthy as ever."

"Hahaha! Of course, of course. What brings you here, kid?"

"I wanted to ask Teacher Fukuda a few questions." Qifeng sounded slightly embarrassed.

Fukuda had once been his homeroom teacher.

"I see. Go on in, then. But Teacher Fukuda may still be teaching, so don't disturb him." Elder Tanpo nodded in understanding and reminded him.

It was uncommon, though not unheard of, for graduates like Maruyama Qifeng to return to the Ninja Academy to seek guidance from their former teachers.

Generally, after graduating from the Ninja Academy, students would be assigned a team instructor.

The team instructor could be an experienced Chunin, a Special Jonin, or even a Jonin.

The instructor would lead three students for one year, a period known as the adjustment period.

After the adjustment period ended, students could choose to continue carrying out missions with their instructor or leave the team.

Maruyama Qifeng lacked talent, so in order not to hold the others back, he chose to leave.

With his team instructor's recommendation, he found a relatively stable job—his current work as a corpse collector.

The pay was not high, but it was enough to support himself.

Moreover, the job was relatively safe, especially during peacetime.

Students who remained with their teams could ask their instructors when they encountered problems. For someone like him who had left the team, his former Ninja Academy teachers were also a good choice.

"Got it. Thank you." Qifeng thanked him and walked into the campus brimming with youth.

Watching his retreating back, Elder Tanpo smacked his lips and sighed. "Such a good kid. They're all good kids."

Following the memories contained in the earrings, Qifeng found Kana's classroom.

However, the classroom was empty at the moment.

They must have gone out for an outdoor lesson.

"Good. It saves us both the awkwardness of meeting without knowing what to say." Qifeng muttered inwardly.

Following the seating chart posted on the door, he found Kana's seat.

The desktop was neat and spotless, but when his gaze shifted to one corner of it, he fell silent.

There were several faint marks, shallow yet distinct. Their number matched exactly the days her older sister had been away on a mission.

Every mark represented the younger sister's longing for her sister and her hope that she would return safely.

He let out a soft sigh.

"This is what it means to be a ninja."

He took out the exquisitely wrapped little gift box and placed it on the desk before turning to leave the classroom.

He did not leave right away. Instead, he leaned against the corridor wall.

It was a simple story, but the emotions were real.

If he had seen a story like this in his previous life, he might have sighed at most, then calmly moved on to the next one.

But experiencing it firsthand was different. It was clearer, more moving.

At the same time, he knew that stories like those of the older sister and younger sister played out in Konoha almost every day.

This was only the tip of the iceberg, yet it offered a glimpse of the weight of the entire iceberg. Beneath that towering mass were pairs of yearning eyes and countless ordinary stories.

Soon, the students from the outdoor lesson returned.

A simply dressed little girl with a somewhat haggard face seemed out of place among the others.

When she returned to her seat and saw the gift box on her desk, along with the words written on the attached card—"Kana, happy belated birthday. I'm sorry."—she froze.

Then came the tears that burst forth, the lips she kept biting, and the trembling hands clutching the gift box tightly.

There was no sound, yet sorrow filled the entire classroom.

Several close classmates stepped forward to ask what had happened, offering comfort and reassurance.

Maruyama Qifeng simply stood silently outside the classroom, leaning against the wall as he watched the scene unfold.

He touched his pocket and remembered that he had no cigarettes.

He had no intention of going over.

The girl had probably expected it long ago. What she had been waiting for was merely an answer. Now, she needed to let it all out, then keep her sister in her heart and study hard so that she would not meet the same fate as her sister.

Comfort was for ordinary people.

Ninjas did not need it.

It seemed cruel, but bluntly speaking, more than half of Konoha's students had probably gone through the same thing as that girl.

Even Kakashi, the genius everyone admired, had witnessed the death of his heroic father at the age of five.

The entire Shinobi World was a deformed world pieced together from tragic stories.

"Eh? Qifeng-senpai?"

A sudden, surprised voice reached his ears.

He looked up to see a boy wearing goggles, with a rather chuunibyou-looking air about him.

Qifeng paused. "Obito, is this your classroom?"

Uchiha Obito, the future mastermind who would single-handedly shake the entire Shinobi World and provoke the Fourth Great Ninja War.

Right now, he was just an ordinary dead last.

Seeing him reminded Qifeng that Uchiha Obito had turned dark because of the death of his companion, Rin Nohara, hadn't he?

Tragedies played out every day.

Some people's tragedies were destined from the very beginning.

"Yeah. What happened to Kana?" Obito was extremely familiar, casually throwing an arm around his shoulder as he asked curiously.

Qifeng merely shook his head without speaking.

Students gradually returned. Some recognized him and greeted him politely, while others who did not simply nodded to him. Overall, they were all quite courteous.

"Qifeng-senpai." Someone else greeted him.

When Qifeng saw who it was, he finally moved.

He grabbed the other person, startling him.

"Asuma, cigarettes and a light." Qifeng spoke bluntly.

Asuma's expression stiffened. His eyes darted toward a cute girl with red eyes, and he gave an awkward laugh.

"Uh, cough, cough... Qifeng-senpai, don't joke around. I don't smoke, so where would I get cigarettes?"

As if I don't know you.

The one who had gone to the grove behind the school to imitate your old man, Hiruzen Sarutobi, smoking and ended up choking was none other than you, Sarutobi Asuma.

After that, he had become a regular in the grove. The ground was littered with cigarette butts, making things difficult for Elder Tanpo, the gatekeeper.

Sure enough, Qifeng pulled out a pack of cigarettes and a box of matches from his pocket.

He expertly flicked out one cigarette and struck a match with a hiss.

The glowing red tip lit up. He took a deep drag, then slowly exhaled. Along with the smoke came the heaviness in his heart.

That felt good.

But Asuma's expression had gone rigid.

The familiar gaze behind him made him feel as though needles were pricking his back.

Beside him, Uchiha Obito began to egg him on. "Oh!!! Asuma, you're so young, but you're carrying cigarettes!"

If Obito knew, the whole class would know. No, the whole school would know.

Asuma thought of the stern old man at home and shuddered.

"Qifeng?"

The teacher had arrived.

Qifeng tossed the cigarette onto the ground and inconspicuously crushed it beneath his shoe. "Teacher Fukuda."

Fukuda Ne had once been his teacher, and he was also the teacher of Obito, Asuma, and the others. They were not particularly familiar with one another, but they knew each other.

Fukuda Ne glanced at the cigarette butt on the ground, then shot a glare at the dejected Asuma before smiling. "Since you're here, why not tell them about your experiences after becoming a ninja? Let these little ones know how cruel the life of a ninja can be."

Qifeng looked at Kana, who was lying on her desk with trembling shoulders, pressed his lips together, and shook his head.

"I think... they already know."

Following his gaze, Fukuda Ne also saw Kana. With his experience, he quickly understood the general course of events.

He silently patted Qifeng's shoulder. "Smoke less."

Once one became a ninja, one had to take responsibility for oneself. Though Qifeng was still young, Fukuda Ne did not reprimand him.

"Mm." Qifeng answered through his nose.

After exchanging a few simple words with Fukuda Ne, he took his leave.

Asuma was left alone in the corridor, utterly disheveled.

Exposing the fact that he carried cigarettes was bad enough, but Qifeng had even swiped the entire pack!