The Undying

Master Bo, who could possibly understand?

"Manji, you are the strongest person on this planet."

Ōtsutsuki Kaguya's voice was clear and cold, yet it held a hint of earnestness.

"If we allow Ōtsutsuki Isshiki to develop unchecked, your world will eventually perish, and I, too, refuse to become a sacrifice for that monster—I only wish to live a peaceful life with my beloved."

She looked up at Manji, her eyes flashing with resolve: "Why don't we join forces, set a trap for Isshiki, and feed him to the Ten-Tails!"

"When the time comes, the Chakra Fruit produced by the God Tree will be yours!"

Kaguya slowly extended an olive branch, her gaze locked firmly on the young man before her.

Manji's expression was solemn as he looked at her in silence, seemingly weighing the pros and cons of teaming up against Isshiki, lost in deep thought for a long time.

Seeing that Manji remained unresponsive, Kaguya's expression grew desolate, and she slowly turned away: "In a few days, I will be sacrificed to the Ten-Tails. If you make up your mind, come find me in the Land of Ancestors."

As her words faded, her figure shifted, vanishing silently from the cave entrance.

Inside the cave, Manji sat alone on the cold stone throne, lost in a long, contemplative silence.

He was not from this world; he was a transmigrator.

When he first arrived, he thought he had landed in ancient Japan, until two streaks of light tore through the horizon and the terrifying silhouette of the Ten-Tails came into view—

Only then did Manji realize that this was no ancient Japan, but the Naruto world in its ancient era!

From that moment on, Manji pursued power like a madman, solely to become stronger, solely to achieve immortality.

Heaven does not disappoint those who try; he actually managed to find Mount Myōboku.

The senjutsu legacy of Mount Myōboku set him on the path of cultivation, and his talent was far beyond that of ordinary people.

Not only did he successfully master Sage Art, but he also pushed Sage Mode to its absolute limit—his normal state was that of a Sage; no switching required, no time limits, with natural energy constantly residing within him.

Good things come in pairs.

In the same year he perfected his permanent Sage Mode, the System arrived.

The System offered two choices:

[Option 1: Invincible for one hundred years!]
[Reward: Tomoe Rinnegan, Chakra Fruit, Ōtsutsuki body...]
[Cost: After the hundred years of invincibility, you will die instantly, with no way to extend your life.]
[Option 2: The Eternal One]
[Reward: Eternal Immortality, endless lifespan!]
[Cost: Strength permanently capped at Super Kage level, unable to break through the Six Paths threshold for life, infinitely close but always falling short, unless a heaven-defying opportunity is encountered.]

Faced with these two choices, Manji did not hesitate for a moment.

He had always believed that an eternal existence was the only true art.

Being invincible for a hundred years might be exhilarating, but a century of manic indulgence could never compare to the experience of savoring a thousand years of time.

He had just arrived in the Naruto world; Naruto, Sasuke, Kakashi, Madara, Hashirama... he had yet to see any of these legendary figures.

Coupled with his obsession with longevity, he chose [The Eternal One] without hesitation.

Super Kage level strength was already enough for him.

At worst, he could hide in the deep mountains, outliving Kaguya, outliving the Sage of Six Paths, outliving Indra and Asura—

Before the birth of Madara and Hashirama, there was a long, blank period; with his Super Kage level strength, he would be enough to roam the world unchallenged, with almost no one able to stop him.

Moreover, the Super Kage level would allow him to avoid trouble in the vast majority of situations.

His original plan was to wait until Kaguya was sealed, the Sage of Six Paths passed away, and Indra and Asura returned to dust before emerging—a perfectly safe strategy.

But one slip in a thousand plans: he had occasionally saved nearby villagers, only to happen upon the Emperor of the Land of Ancestors traveling with Kaguya.

The Emperor of the Land of Ancestors was merely a mortal and could see nothing amiss, but Kaguya was different—she possessed the Byakugan and was incredibly knowledgeable, instantly sensing the extraordinary aura surrounding Manji.

At that time, Manji had wanted to summon a toad immediately and retreat into the Peace Hotel, but it was too late, leading to the scene where Kaguya sought him out just now.

"Should I help her or not?"

Manji rubbed his chin, his brows slightly furrowed.

To be honest, the methods of Ōtsutsuki Isshiki were vicious and tricky, and he was not an opponent to be trifled with.

Whether it was the space manipulation of Daikokuten or the size alteration of Sukunahikona, both were heaven-defying and countered almost all ninjutsu; in terms of taijutsu, Isshiki could even beat a normal Naruto and Sasuke to a pulp.

If he rashly intervened, he would likely be easily taken down by a few black rods and punches from Isshiki, posing a massive risk.

But then, a second thought made his heart race with desire:

"The God Tree fruit... Kaguya only attained near-infinite chakra and an immortal body after eating that fruit, vaulting to the pinnacle of the ninja world!"

"If I eat this fruit, could I break through the System's shackles and step into the Six Paths level?"

The System had said that unless he encountered a major opportunity, his strength would be forever capped at Super Kage.

Could this Chakra God Tree fruit be that heaven-defying opportunity?

Once successful, it would be a meteoric rise!

Manji narrowed his eyes and summoned the system panel:

[Name: Manji]

[Constitution: Eternal Immortality]

[Lifespan: ∞]

[Abilities: Base Sage Mode, Toad Style Sage Art, Enma Clan Staff Technique...]

With my current strength, a one-on-one against Isshiki would be a suicide mission.

Manji muttered to himself.

But with Kaguya assisting—in the original work, Kaguya did successfully ambush Isshiki, which means the success rate isn't low.

Once I succeed and obtain the Chakra Fruit, it will be a qualitative leap!

Going all-in is a form of wisdom!

Besides, he still had a fallback—if he couldn't win, he could simply hide in the Peace Hotel or flee back to Mount Myōboku.

"Fine! I'm going for it!"

A sharp glint flashed in Manji's eyes as he made his final decision.

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

He started working the moment he decided, immediately beginning preparations for his "magical artifacts."

The source of these artifacts was, naturally, to borrow them from his old friends at Mount Myōboku.

Having spent many years drifting through the ninja world, he had long since forged deep bonds with the toads of Mount Myōboku.

"Reverse Summoning Technique!"

No hand signs were needed.

Manji recited the command in his heart, and the ninjutsu activated instantly.

Mount Myōboku, where the day had finally dawned.

Mount Myōboku remained largely the same as in the original story.

"Mount Myōboku is a treasure trove; even when the Infinite Tsukuyomi covered the ninja world in the original, Mount Myōboku remained unaffected by its radiation."

Manji navigated the familiar path to the Toad Great Hall.

"Oh? Manji, you've come?"