The Immortal

What the hell, Lord Bo?

"Manji, you're the strongest person on this planet."

Ōtsutsuki Kaguya's voice was clear, but held a trace of pleading.

"If Ōtsutsuki Isshiki is allowed to grow unchecked, your world will eventually be destroyed. And I have no intention of becoming that monster's sacrifice. I only want to live peacefully with the person I love."

She looked up at Manji, resolve flashing in her eyes. "How about we join forces and set a trap for Isshiki, then feed him to the Ten-Tails?"

"When the God Tree bears its Chakra Fruit, it'll be yours!"

Kaguya slowly offered him the deal, her gaze fixed on the young man before her.

Manji's expression was solemn as he stared at her in silence. He seemed to be weighing the pros and cons of joining forces against Isshiki, and pondered for a long while.

When Manji still didn't answer, Kaguya's expression grew dejected. She slowly turned around. "In a few days, I'll be sacrificed to the Ten-Tails. If you change your mind, come find me in the Land of Ancestors."

With that, she moved slightly and vanished without a sound from the cave entrance.

Inside the cave, Manji sat alone on the cold stone seat, sinking into a long silence.

He wasn't originally from this world. He was a transmigrator.

When he first arrived, he'd thought he'd fallen into ancient Japan. That was until two streaks of light tore across the sky and the Ten-Tails' terrifying form came into view—

Only then did Manji realize this wasn't ancient Japan at all. It was the ancient Naruto World!

From that moment on, Manji had pursued power like a madman, striving only to grow stronger and live forever.

Fortune favored the determined, and he actually found Mount Myōboku.

The sage arts passed down at Mount Myōboku set him on the path of cultivation, and his talent was beyond ordinary.

Not only had he mastered sage arts, he'd also trained Sage Mode to its utmost level—he was a sage even in his normal state, with no need to switch modes, no time limit, and sage power permanently coursing through him.

As if that weren't enough, the system arrived in the very year he achieved permanent Sage Mode.

The system gave him two choices:

[Choice One: Invincible for One Hundred Years!]

[Reward: Tomoe Rinnegan, Chakra Fruit, Otsutsuki body...]

[Price: At the end of the hundred years of invincibility, you will die instantly. No method can prolong your life.]

[Choice Two: The Immortal]

[Reward: Eternal Immortality, endless lifespan!]

[Price: Your power will be permanently locked at Super Kage Level. You will never break through the Six Paths threshold. You can get infinitely close, but will always fall just short—unless you encounter an extraordinary opportunity.]

Faced with these two choices, Manji didn't hesitate for a second.

He'd always felt that eternal time was the true art.

A hundred years of invincibility would certainly be exhilarating, but a century of wild indulgence couldn't compare to savoring a thousand years.

He'd only just arrived in the Naruto World. He hadn't met a single one of its legendary figures yet—not Naruto, Sasuke, Kakashi, Madara, Hashirama...

And driven by his obsession with immortality, he'd chosen [The Immortal] without hesitation.

Super Kage Level strength was more than enough for him.

At worst, he could hole up in the mountains and outlive Kaguya, the Sage of Six Paths, Indra, and Asura—

There was a long stretch of history before Madara and Hashirama were born. With his Super Kage Level strength, he could roam the world then, nearly without equal.

Besides, Super Kage Level strength was enough to keep him out of trouble most of the time.

His original plan had been to wait until Kaguya was sealed away, the Sage of Six Paths had passed on, and Indra and Asura had returned to the earth before coming out of hiding. It was the safest plan imaginable.

But even the most careful plans could have a flaw. He'd occasionally helped villagers nearby, and happened to run into the Emperor of the Land of Ancestors on an outing with Kaguya.

The Emperor of the Land of Ancestors was just an ordinary man, so naturally he hadn't noticed anything unusual. Kaguya was different—she had the Byakugan and had seen a great deal. She'd spotted Manji's extraordinary nature at a glance.

At the time, Manji had wanted to summon a toad immediately and escape to the Peace Hotel, but it was already too late. That was how Kaguya had ended up coming to find him.

"Should I help her or not?"

Manji rubbed his chin, brows furrowing slightly.

To be honest, Ōtsutsuki Isshiki's methods were ruthless and tricky. He was no easy opponent.

Both Daikokuten's spatial manipulation and Sukunahikona's ability to shrink and enlarge things were absurdly powerful, countering almost every ninjutsu. And in terms of Taijutsu, Isshiki could beat Naruto and Sasuke in their normal states with ease.

If Manji rushed in to help, Isshiki could probably take him down with a few Black Receivers and punches. The risk was enormous.

But then he thought it over, and excitement welled up inside him:

"The God Tree Fruit... Kaguya only gained nearly infinite Chakra and an immortal body after eating that fruit, rising to the very top of the Ninja World!"

"If I eat it, could I break through the system's restrictions and reach Six Paths Level?"

The system had said that unless he encountered a major opportunity, his strength would remain stuck at Super Kage Level forever.

Could this Chakra God Tree Fruit be that extraordinary opportunity?

If he got his hands on it, he'd ascend in a single leap!

Manji narrowed his eyes and called up the system panel:

[Name: Manji]

[Constitution: Eternal Immortality]

[Lifespan: ∞]

[Abilities: Sage in Normal State, Toad Style Sage Art, Enma Clan Staff Technique...]

"With my current strength, I'd have a one-in-nine chance of beating Isshiki in a one-on-one fight."

Manji muttered to himself.

"But with Kaguya backing me up—in the original story, Kaguya managed to catch Isshiki off guard. That means our chances aren't bad."

"If we succeed and I get the Chakra Fruit, it'll be a qualitative leap!"

Going all in was a kind of wisdom!

Besides, he had a way out. If he couldn't win, he could always hide in the Peace Hotel and escape to Mount Myōboku.

"All right! I'm in!"

A gleam flashed in Manji's eyes as he made up his mind.

"Take a gamble, and your bicycle becomes a motorcycle!"

He got straight to work preparing his "magic tools."

Naturally, he planned to borrow them from his old friends at Mount Myōboku.

After spending years in the Ninja World, he'd already formed a deep bond with the toads of Mount Myōboku.

"Reverse Summoning Technique!"

He didn't need to form Hand Seals.

Manji silently recited the words in his mind, and the jutsu activated instantly.

At Mount Myōboku, it was finally daytime.

Mount Myōboku was more or less the same as in the original story.

"Mount Myōboku is a treasure of a place. When the Infinite Tsukuyomi appeared in the original story, Mount Myōboku wasn't affected at all."

Manji made his way to the Toad Great Hall, knowing the way by heart.

"Oh? Manji, you're here?"