Kaseki's Obsession (Seeking Collection, Recommendation)

"An unknown ninja was swiftly killed by a Konoha Jonin in the village? And in the end, not even a body was left?"

Listening to the Anbu Ninja's report, Hiruzen Sarutobi held his pipe in his mouth, momentarily taken aback.

The death of a ninja from another village was hardly a major incident, especially in these tense times.

Fortunately, Hiruzen Sarutobi was busy arranging scouts along the Land of Fire's border, so he was still awake late into the night and happened to hear the Anbu Ninja's report.

However, for Konoha, which was gradually tightening its defenses, a Chunin shouldn't have been able to infiltrate the village so easily.

So.

"It might be a sleeper agent planted by another hidden village in the area. For some reason—whether discovered or voluntarily exposed—if they abandoned years of careful setup, it must be for something far more important. Everything that exists leaves traces behind."

As expected of a Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi grasped the crux of the matter in just a few thoughts.

He took a deep drag of his pipe and ordered, "Check on those people the Anbu are watching, one by one, and confirm their identities."

There were sleeper agents within Konoha, and as Hokage, he was well aware of it. Not just Konoha—other villages also had operatives planted by Konoha Root.

The reason he hadn't chosen to root them out was that sometimes, a known sleeper agent was far more valuable than one eliminated.

"Yes."

The Anbu beside him acknowledged and vanished swiftly.

Hiruzen Sarutobi stood up, walked to the window, and gazed at the peaceful, tranquil Konoha under the moonlight, exhaling a wisp of white smoke.

Konoha was founded by the First Hokage, Senju Hashirama, and Uchiha Madara of the Uchiha Clan. The Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama, turned the tide and held off the attacks from the restless Great Hidden Villages after Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara's clash led to their deaths. By the time it was handed to him, Konoha was a wreck.

Now, after decades of careful stewardship, Konoha had once again risen to the pinnacle of the ninja world.

But now, the ninja world was unstable.

War was coming again.

He smacked his lips. "Where did the body go?"

The body, of course, had been transported back to the morgue by Qifeng.

No one would imagine that the Konoha Jonin sensed by the Anbu Ninja was actually him—this unknown Corpse Collector.

Even if the battle site wasn't far from the morgue, no one would make that connection.

Too far-fetched.

Qifeng was perfectly fine with that.

If Hiruzen Sarutobi found out, he might be sent on high-difficulty missions at any time, or even thrown to the front lines of battle.

If he actually had that kind of strength, it would be one thing—but the problem was, he didn't.

Better to develop steadily and secure the ability to protect himself first.

Looking at the two bodies lying on the wooden bed, one flickering with red light and the other with green light, Qifeng grinned, his eyes twitching as he winced in pained amusement.

The value of a Rare Experience Card was undeniable. If he couldn't recoup his losses from these two bodies, he'd be in deep trouble.

Feeling the lingering power still within him, Qifeng didn't foolishly wait for it to fade.

Instead, he began a series of attempts and studies in the morgue.

As a veteran Konoha Jonin, Miura Ikkō's strength and experience were far beyond what a Genin who had graduated just over a year ago could match.

He had taken down an Elite Chunin in just a few breaths, and he didn't want to waste the remaining time.

Even if he only gained a tiny bit of valuable experience, it would be worth it.

Moreover, he felt that while the boost from the Rare Card was already impressive, its effects shouldn't stop there.

As time passed, the power that wasn't his finally dissipated.

Qifeng's eyes flickered.

Experience over!

Due to active adaptation and learning, bonus attribute gains: Physique +3; Energy +1; Ninjutsu +1.

As expected!

As long as he actively applied himself, he could reap unexpected rewards from the brief boost.

Five attribute points were equivalent to several single-attribute Boost Cards.

This round wasn't a loss!

On instinct, he reached into his pocket and pulled out the cigarette he'd swindled from Asuma, cheerfully putting one in his mouth and lighting it, taking a deep drag.

Only after inhaling did he remember this was the morgue—smoking here polluted the environment and disrespected the dead.

He choked, not letting out a single puff, forcing it back down instead.

Anyone who's smoked knows the agony of swallowing smoke—it's like downing a mouthful of wasabi.

Stumbling out, he leaned over and dry-heaved endlessly.

It took a long time before he recovered.

The cigarette had already burned halfway, a long trail of gray ash dangling from its tip.

He flicked his finger lightly.

If you want to benefit from a corpse, you first have to respect it.

He took another drag on his cigarette, feeling refreshed.

Stubbing out the butt, he went back to deal with the shattered glass and scattered shuriken.

He'd made up his mind.

He wasn't sleeping until after midnight!

He'd only rest easy after opening the prize.

He pulled over a worn-out rocking chair, stretched, and lay down in it.

With a teeth-grinding "creak," it began to sway gently.

If anyone happened to pass by the morgue at this hour, they'd definitely be scared sick.

A morgue, a rocking chair, the soft groan of wood rubbing together—and the more you imagined it, the more chilling it got.

"A salted fish's life, so peaceful." Maruyama Qifeng was quite enjoying himself.

Time passed quickly. Midnight arrived with the tick of the clock.

Qifeng, lounging like a lazy salted fish, saw the system prompt and leaped up.

"Waited so long for today, dreamed so long and made it come true."

Humming a little tune, he washed his hands, washed his face, and tidied himself up.

Be devout.

He walked over to the red corpse, thought for a moment, then moved to the green corpse that had come to steal the body tonight.

"Brother, we had no grudge between us. I just wanted to quietly loot the corpse. I didn't say I wouldn't give it to you. I was going to hand it over after I opened the prize. You were too impatient, and now you've turned yourself into a corpse too. Why bother?"

As he spoke, he placed his hand on the other's chest.

"Give me something good, and we'll call it even."

Then he activated the system.

Failure!

"..."

All that sweet talk, and it was for nothing?

"Don't push your luck. Believe I'll toss you into the sea to feed the fish?"

Try again!

Success! Obtained Kaseki's Obsession!

Huh?

There was something!

But just from the name, he couldn't tell what it did.

He opened the system panel. It was a human-skin mask as thin as a cicada's wing. He pulled up the item's attributes.

Name: Kaseki's Obsession

Description: An Iwagakure Chunin infiltrated Konoha at age eight, spending twenty-three years away from the village. In his final moment, he only wanted to see Iwagakure one last time.

Effect: +2 Spirit when worn. Adjustable facial appearance and structure. Remaining uses: 5/5

Note: The deceased has passed; may his soul return home. Kaseki wished to be buried in the Land of Earth.

Seeing the item's description, Qifeng fell silent.

He reached into his pocket, hesitated, and ultimately didn't pull out his cigarette.

With a serious expression, he said to Kaseki's corpse, "If I get the chance, I'll send you back to the Land of Earth."

People could have conflicts in life due to their positions, but once dead, let dust return to dust, earth to earth.

As an Elite Chunin skilled in disguise and a deep-cover infiltrator who had spent twenty-three years in Konoha, it made sense for him to have something like this.

After all, whether it was the Transformation Jutsu or Orochimaru's Vanishing Facial Copy Technique, both had Chakra fluctuations that were hard to hide from sensory-type ninjas, let alone the Hyuga Clan's Byakugan.

But this human-skin mask, though imperfect for transformation, was actually easier for disguise.

This way, Qifeng could cover his identity for many actions he didn't want to reveal.

Maybe it was because he'd heard his promise, but the third loot went smoothly.

Success! Obtained Single Attribute Random +2 Boost Card!

Without hesitation, he slapped it onto himself.

Ninjutsu +2!

After finishing with the green corpse, it was finally time for the red corpse he'd been looking forward to.

Suppressing his excitement, he placed his hand on it.

Red corpse, success rate 15%. Would you like to loot the corpse? (Current 3/3, Daily 6/9)

Fifteen percent success rate!

The moment to test his luck as a true chosen one had finally arrived!

Yes!