"One flower blooms, another withers... Dad, do you know how to sing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star?"
"Of course I do. The river flows east, and the stars above follow the Big Dipper..."
Humming a cheerful tune, Maruyama Shin seemed to be in a rather good mood.
While it wasn't exactly pleasant to have a peaceful afternoon disturbed, gaining a free laborer in the morgue was undeniably beautiful in its own way.
At the same time, Kakashi made a decision. The next time Guy tried to challenge him again, he would just flee to the morgue.
There was always a way to shake the guy off.
Taking advantage of Guy being completely absorbed in his cleaning duties, Kakashi slipped away without a sound.
Since coming to the ninja world and becoming a corpse handler, Maruyama Shin had developed a cleanliness obsession he never used to have.
Especially when it came to the cleanliness of the morgue and the state of the corpses, he had become so particular that even he was shocked by it.
So sweeping the morgue at least five times a day had become part of his routine.
But now, he had help. With Guy around, he could slack off even more like the salted fish he aspired to be.
"Maruyama-senpai, I finished cleaning!" Guy held a broom, beaming with excitement.
Maruyama Shin gave his shoulder a pat and said earnestly, "Very good, Guy, just like that. Youth shouldn't be wasted. If you ever feel tired from training, come here to relax and balance your efforts. Only through mutual help and harmony can we become better ninjas."
He spoke like a true mentor guiding the next generation.
"Yes!" Guy nodded with conviction.
His taijutsu was all about big, explosive movements. He lacked refinement, and Maruyama's methods didn't just help him pace himself, they also trained his precision.
From now on, he would become the refined Might Guy.
"You'll definitely become an outstanding ninja in the future. You won't lose to Kakashi. In fact, you might even surpass him. I believe in you."
Aside from his father, Might Duy, Maruyama Shin was the second person to say something like this to him.
Tears welled up in Guy's eyes. He raised both arms high. "Youth!!"
He shouted as he sprinted toward the village, running even faster than when he first arrived.
Watching his retreating figure, Maruyama Shin rubbed his forehead.
"What a good kid, seriously."
He leaned back into his rocking chair, the creaking sound of the wood filling the air with a sense of peace.
As the sun set in the west and the moon rose in the east, several figures arrived at the remote morgue.
They were intelligence division ninja. Having already extracted all necessary information from the three corpses they'd brought back, they were now turning them over to the morgue.
As ninjas who had given their lives for Konoha, they were worthy of respect. Though their contributions could no longer be seen in their actions, they lived on through their descendants and families.
Their families would receive substantial compensation, and their children would bear the title of "Child of a Hero."
In the future, those descendants would receive privileges across many aspects of village life.
Maruyama Shin genuinely admired this part of Konoha's system.
It was this very structure that allowed Konoha's ninja to fight without hesitation or regret.
And among the Five Great Hidden Villages, only Konoha, the wealthiest of them all, could maintain such a system.
He solemnly accepted three scrolls from the lead intelligence ninja.
"Thanks for your help," the man said in a low voice.
"It's my duty," Maruyama replied with a nod.
They didn't know each other, belonged to different departments, and had no reason to linger. After the handoff was complete, the team turned and left.
Entering the morgue, Maruyama was already used to the cold, eerie atmosphere that greeted him.
He undid the sealing techniques on the scrolls and released the three corpses.
Although the Intelligence Division had done some cleaning, it was just a superficial wipe of the major bloodstains. The corners and finer details were left untouched.
Especially the wounds. Some were only loosely stitched as a formality.
"If their families saw them like this, I wonder how they'd react."
Still, Maruyama had no complaints. The Intelligence Division's job was information, not corpses. Whether they cleaned them up or not wasn't the point.
Because this was his job.
If they did everything, what would he be needed for?
He took out his tools—needle and thread, towels, bone-setting clamps—and began methodically, expertly working on the bodies.
Maruyama Shin took this task especially seriously.
At first, he had simply believed that if he treated the corpses with respect, they would "repay" him in return.
But over time, that mindset slowly evolved.
The dead had passed. Respecting the dead was something every corpse handler should do.
It had nothing to do with allegiance or benefit.
By the time he finished, the moon was high overhead and midnight was approaching.
Then came the final task—body looting.
This time, the three corpses included one yellow-tier and two green-tier bodies. One of the green corpses belonged to the Uchiha clan.
He decided to save the Uchiha for last.
The yellow corpse might be rarer, but if the Uchiha yielded a bloodline card, it would be even more valuable.
Starting with the regular green corpse first.
[Green Corpse. Success Rate: 60%. Attempt Body Loot? (3/3 for this corpse, 9/9 for the day)]
[Yes!]
[Success! Obtained Single Attribute Random +2 Boost Card!]
[Failure!]
[Success! Obtained Three Fūma Shuriken!]
Not bad.
He was used to the boost cards by now. White corpses usually yielded +1 cards, green gave +2, and yellow gave +3.
As for red corpses, he had only ever touched one. The effects were still unknown.
These stat boosts were becoming less noticeable as his overall strength increased, but they were still the cornerstone of his steady growth.
This was also the first time he'd gotten a Fūma Shuriken. Who knew if it'd come in handy someday?
Next was the yellow corpse.
As a jōnin corpse, it wasn't something he came across often.
Most of the morgue's corpses were genin. A few were chūnin. It was rare to see a jōnin even once a week.
After all, in smaller villages, jōnin were already the highest-tier ninjas.
Even in a major village like Konoha, jōnin were relatively scarce. Publicly, there might only be a few hundred total, serving as the village's core fighting force.
[Failure!]
[Failure!]
[Failure!]
Maruyama Shin froze.
This was the first time since gaining his system that he had looted a corpse three times in a row and gotten nothing.
Had he used up all his luck last time?
Was this the return of his unlucky streak?
He'd wasted a rare yellow-tier opportunity. The pain in his chest made it hard to breathe.
Clutching his heart, he stayed frozen for a long time before finally recovering.
All that remained was the last green corpse—the Uchiha.
"Buddy, it wasn't easy getting you back here. Don't disappoint me now."
Getting an Uchiha body into the morgue was no small feat.
Uchiha corpses with awakened Sharingan were usually taken directly by the clan. And those without Sharingan rarely even made it to chūnin rank.
He had already tested it—corpses of genin Uchiha could not yield bloodline cards.
There had been a few chūnin, but the drop rate was too low.
He still hadn't completed a full set.
[Green Corpse. Success Rate: 60%. Attempt Body Loot? (3/3 for this corpse, 3/9 for the day)]
[Yes!]
[Success! Obtained Damaged Kunai!]
Huh?
This felt like another item with a story behind it.
From the system, he drew out a rusted, battered kunai. As he focused on it, a slideshow slowly appeared before his eyes.
"Little Jinghuo is starting school tomorrow. You're going to be an excellent ninja. This is my gift to you—once used by the Uchiha you admire most, Uchiha Kagami."
"Wow! A kunai!"
"Grandpa, I've graduated! I'm a genin now! I'll become a chūnin next, then a jōnin, and someday even Hokage!"
"Heh, then Grandpa will be waiting to see that."
"Grandpa, do you think I'm unworthy of the Uchiha bloodline? It's been three years since graduation and I still haven't awakened my Sharingan."
"Don't think like that. In my eyes, Jinghuo, you're already the most incredible ninja. Keep chasing your dream."
"Grandpa, it's been six years. I'm still a genin. People say that without awakening the eye, I'll never become a chūnin."
"Sharingan isn't a shortcut. Even without it, you can be great."
"Grandpa, no! Don't do this! I'd rather not have the Sharingan than lose you! This nonsense makes no sense! You said yourself that even without the eye, I'm still a ninja!"
"Jinghuo..."
"Ten years now. I finally made chūnin. But Grandpa... I understand now. I'm not special. I just want to do what I can."
"My Jinghuo, you've finally grown up."
"Grandpa, I did something big this time. We got valuable intel from the Hidden Mist. But... I might not be coming back. Grandpa, I wish I could see you again."
The slideshow revealed Uchiha Jinghuo's life story—from his bright dreams to setbacks, from acceptance to realization.
At the heart of it was his grandfather's constant encouragement and the kunai that symbolized their bond.
It was a quiet, simple story. An ordinary journey. A realistic end.
Maruyama Shin gently squeezed the kunai.
He had no family in this world, but he could still feel Uchiha Jinghuo's lingering attachment to his grandfather.
Silently, he tucked the kunai into his ninja tool pouch.
He didn't say anything, nor did he try to speak with the corpse.
Some things didn't need to be said.
[Success! Obtained Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu – Ninjutsu Card!]
[Success! Obtained Diluted Uchiha Bloodline Card (1/3)!]
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Hey everyone! I'll be dropping an extra 1 chapter once we hit 450 power stones! If you're enjoying the story, don't forget to spend some power stones. I'd really appreciate the support. Thanks a bunch!