What a Surprise-It Really Is You!

"Ah, I used my trump card to escape, then used the Toad Immortal Talisman to recover from the brink of death. I'm probably unaffected because of my Sage Body. None of us at Mount Myōboku were affected, were we?"

Manji sat down in a chair and downed a cup of tea.

White-Browed Toad let out a deep sigh.

"Alas! The world outside is in a terrible state!"

"That woman unleashed a large-scale genjutsu and took control of everyone on this planet. Only the sage lands and the Summoning Realm were unaffected."

White-Browed Toad said, his brow furrowed with worry.

Manji nodded, a cold look flashing in his eyes. "This is my fault!"

"That jutsu out there is called Infinite Tsukuyomi."

"I never thought that woman would stab me in the back. I bear most of the blame."

He hadn't expected Kaguya to betray him, either.

He could only say that he was still too young. If he'd been more cunning, he would have thought about how to eliminate Kaguya from the start.

"What should we do, then?"

White-Browed Toad asked.

Manji answered seriously, "Stay calm. The enemy means us harm, and they have the upper hand. We should avoid their strength for now and lie low for a while!"

"Well said! I, White-Browed Toad, completely agree!"

White-Browed Toad pressed his hands together and said, "I haven't read many human books,

"but I remember the phrase young Manji kept repeating when he first came to Mount Myōboku: 'Patience means keeping an open mind and enduring whatever comes!'"

Manji chuckled wryly. "Grandpa White Eyebrow, you have an amazing memory..."

He used to say that all the time when he'd first arrived at Mount Myōboku.

Back then, training in sage arts at Mount Myōboku had been unbearably difficult. He'd eaten bugs from the mountain and listened to toads croak every morning, pushing himself to study with a patient, determined attitude.

Ah, those days of working his way through his training at Mount Myōboku had truly been a turbulent time...

"By the way, Grandpa White Eyebrow, I lost that concealment robe. Could you make me another one?"

Manji couldn't help feeling a pang of regret. After he'd come back to life, all his clothes had been gone. The Toad Immortal Talisman and the concealment robe were gone, too.

They'd all been precious treasures!

"Fortunately, I prepared a spare."

White-Browed Toad handed Manji the concealment robe and said, "Go see the White Ape King. He came to Mount Myōboku to tell me you were dead. He'll be overjoyed to learn you're alive."

Manji nodded, unable to help admiring the White Ape King's loyalty.

All-Killing Ash Bones was Naruto's strongest single-target attack!

Even with his Sage Body, Manji had vanished within seconds after being hit by All-Killing Ash Bones. Isshiki would've shuddered at the sight of that thing.

Yet the White Ape King had taken it barehanded without a second thought!

Kaguya: "Will you take the All-Killing Ash Bones or not?!"

White Ape King: "I'll take it!"

"Could this guy really have an indestructible body? Has he actually achieved sainthood through his physical form?"

Manji chuckled wryly, took a few jars of wine from the Summoning Scroll, and headed for the Ape Demon Summoning Realm.

At that moment, inside Ape Demon Cave

The cave was suffused with the clear, refreshing spiritual energy unique to the Summoning Realm.

Dark green vines drooped limply from the cave walls, and a few dry hairs lay scattered beside a stone table and stools.

At the center of the cave stood a blue-gray stone tomb—

The face of the stele bore no elaborate carvings, only four characters in the ancient script of the Summoning Realm: "Grave of Manji." The strokes were bold and vigorous, yet carried a faint air of hurried grief.

"Good night, Manji."

"Waaah... Manji... What a shame... If only I'd stepped in and taken that hit for you..."

With his back to the entrance, the White Ape King stood hunched over, his burly frame slightly bent.

His normally fluffy silver-white fur was now matted and disheveled against his back. His sobs echoed through the empty cave.

He rested one furry hand on the tombstone, rubbing the engraved characters with his fingertips. In his other hand, he clutched a piece of dirt-stained cloth, occasionally raising it to wipe his face.

"Alas, the good die young..."

The White Ape King's voice was hoarse, his words thick with a nasal whine. "Damn it, that woman Kaguya—I'll kill her! Kaguya, your mother's dead! How dare you stab us in the back!"

Just then, light footsteps sounded at the cave entrance, bringing with them a faint fragrance of grass and trees and a familiar sage-like aura. They broke the silence.

"White Ape King."

A warm voice spoke, slightly hoarse as if the speaker had just come through a brush with death, yet still carrying that reassuring tone.

"Huh?!"

The White Ape King froze, his sobbing cutting off at once. His fur stood on end, and he spun around!

There, at the cave entrance,

stood a young man in a brand-new concealment robe, his dark hair lifting slightly in the breeze. With red lips, pearly teeth, and peerless looks, he still had a touch of pallor on his face. He held several jars of wine, their seals intact, and gazed at the White Ape King with a smile.

"Who are you?!"

The White Ape King's amber eyes turned sharp as blades, and his presence surged!

"Who are you? How dare you impersonate Manji!"

He fixed his gaze on the young man before him, his eyes full of wariness and disbelief.

"I saw him die at that woman's hands with my own eyes. Even his Sage Body couldn't withstand it, and on top of that, there's a large-scale genjutsu outside. No one can escape it except those in the sage lands and the Summoning Realm!"

"Are you one of Kaguya's people, or some fool of a genjutsu user? How dare you come here and mock me?"

As he spoke, his massive hand clenched into a fist and power surged around him. Any suspicious move from the other party would be met with an immediate attack.

After all, Manji's death was the deepest wound in his heart. Seeing someone appear here wearing that face was a sure way to provoke him.

"Calm down, buddy."

Manji sighed helplessly and didn't approach. He gently set the wine jars down by his feet and let his unique aura slowly spread—

It was a blend of Mount Myōboku's sage arts, the essence of his Sage Body, and the clear, refreshing spiritual energy he'd absorbed from years among the creatures of the Summoning Realm. It was an aura that belonged to him alone, impossible for anyone else to imitate.

"This aura... It really is Manji?!"

The White Ape King's pupils contracted sharply, and the wariness on his face gradually gave way to astonishment.

He unconsciously took two steps forward, his nostrils flaring as he greedily breathed in that familiar scent.

This aura... It was Manji's!

That was it! That was the smell!

"It really is..."

The White Ape King's voice began to tremble. The sharpness in his gaze softened, replaced by incredulous delight!

The White Ape King couldn't help bursting into laughter.

"What a surprise, Manji! It really is you! Hahaha—oh, man!!!"

"All right, all right. I'm not dead. That genjutsu out there is called Infinite Tsukuyomi, and it doesn't affect me."

Manji sat on a stone stool and took a drink of the mountain spring water from Ape Demon Cave.

The White Ape King quickly sat down and said, "Things really have gone to hell out there. Ever since that woman ate the fruit, she's become incredibly powerful!"

"Alas! That fruit wasn't an ordinary thing. I was supposed to eat it, but I never expected..."

Manji sighed softly.

After hearing Manji's explanation, the White Ape King understood.

"I see. What a shame! If only you'd eaten it first!"

The White Ape King said ruefully.

Manji only gave him a mysterious smile. "Who said I didn't eat it?"