Qifeng followed the unit escorting the wounded and the bodies and returned to Konoha without encountering any obstruction.
Ōnoki had not disappointed him after all.
After the Advance Force clashed, the Iwa-nin made no further moves aside from massing troops in the Land of Waterfalls, seemingly waiting for the other hidden villages to take action.
After returning to Konoha,
Qifeng first followed Nara Chuichi and the others to the Hokage's Office to report the situation before returning alone to the Morgue.
Although he had not been gone long, returning again made him feel as though a lifetime had passed.
Being able to return alive was truly wonderful.
Following Orochimaru meant guarding against not only the Iwa-nin, but Orochimaru as well. It was exhausting.
After his return, a large number of bodies had been stored in the Morgue, making the already small room feel especially crowded.
During wartime, in order to reduce unnecessary commotion, the burial system for fallen shinobi had also changed.
Aside from the few shinobi clans with their own clan compounds, such as the Uchiha Clan and the Hyuga, all other shinobi were given grand burials in Konoha's Hero Garden. Their names would also be engraved upon the Hero Monument, where they would receive the reverence of every Konoha resident.
This could be considered an honor.
Though in Qifeng's view, once someone was dead, what use was such honor?
But the rest of Konoha did not see it that way.
To them, this was the greatest death a shinobi could have.
No matter how grief-stricken their relatives were, when their loved ones, brothers, and friends were laid to rest, their tear-streaked faces still carried a stubborn pride.
There was no such thing as peaceful years; it was only because someone was carrying the burden forward.
And because of