Wow, it's really you!

"Wow, it really is you!" "Ah, I used my trump card to escape, and later survived a near-death state using the Toad Immortal Talisman. The reason I wasn't affected is likely due to my Sage Body; none of us in Mount Myōboku were affected, were we?"

Manji sat down on a chair, picked up a cup of tea, and downed it in one gulp.

Hearing this, White-Browed Toad let out a deep sigh.

"Sigh! The outside world is doomed!"

"That woman released a massive genjutsu, causing everyone on this planet to be controlled. Only our Sage lands and the Summoning Realm were spared."

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

Manji nodded, a cold glint flashing in his eyes: "This matter is my fault!"

"The technique outside is called Infinite Tsukuyomi."

"I didn't expect that woman to stab me in the back. I bear the primary responsibility."

He hadn't expected Kaguya to betray him.

He could only say he was still too young; if he had been a seasoned veteran, his first thought would have been how to eliminate Kaguya.

"Then what should we do?"

White-Browed Toad asked.

Manji said solemnly: "Stay steady. The enemy is ill-intentioned and powerful. We must avoid their edge for now and endure for a period!"

"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 you, little friend Manji, kept repeating when you first arrived at Mount Myōboku: Patience means being open-minded and holding on!"

Hearing this, Manji couldn't help but chuckle: "Grandpa White-Brow, your memory is truly excellent..."

He used to say that often when he first arrived at Mount Myōboku.

Because training in Sage Arts at Mount Myōboku was truly arduous back then—eating the bugs of Mount Myōboku and listening to the toads croak every morning—he had to embrace a mindset of patience to struggle and learn.

Ah, the days of working and studying at Mount Myōboku were truly a period of glorious struggle...

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

Manji felt a pang of heartache. After his resurrection, all his clothes were gone; the Toad Immortal Talisman and the concealment robe were all lost.

These were all his precious magical treasures!

"Fortunately, I prepared an extra one."

White-Browed Toad handed the concealment robe to Manji and said: "Go see White Ape King. He came to Mount Myōboku to notify me of your death. He will be very happy to see you are alive."

Manji nodded upon hearing this, inwardly praising White Ape King for his loyalty!

All-Killing Ash Bones—that was the strongest single-target lethal attack in Naruto!

Even his own Sage Body had vanished within seconds of being struck by All-Killing Ash Bones; even Isshiki would shiver at the sight of that thing.

White Ape King had caught it with his bare hands without a second thought!

Kaguya: "Will you catch the All-Killing Ash Bones?!"

White Ape King: "I will!"

"Could this guy really have an indestructible body? Has he truly achieved sainthood in the flesh?"

Manji chuckled, took several jars of wine from his Summoning Scroll, and hurried toward the Ape Demon Summoning Realm.

At this moment, inside the Ape Demon Cave.

The cave was filled with the clear, moist spiritual energy unique to the Summoning Realm.

The dark green vines hanging from the cave walls drooped listlessly, and a few withered ape hairs were scattered beside the stone table and stools.

In the center of the cave, a blue-gray stone tomb stood prominently—

There were no intricate carvings on the stele; only the four large characters "Tomb of Manji" were inscribed in the ancient seal script of the Summoning Realm. The brushwork was vigorous, yet it faintly revealed a sense of hurried sorrow.

"Goodnight, Manji."

"Wuwuwu... Manji... what a pity... if only I had stepped forward to block it for you back then..."

White Ape King stood with his back to the cave entrance, his burly frame slightly hunched.

His usually fluffy, silver-white fur was now messily matted against his back, and his weeping echoed through the empty cave.

One of his large, furry hands pressed against the tombstone, his fingertips tracing the carved characters, while the other hand clutched a piece of mud-stained fabric, occasionally wiping his face.

"Sigh, the good don't live long..."

White Ape King's voice was hoarse, thick with a heavy nasal tone: "Damn it, that woman Kaguya, I will kill her! Kaguya, your mother is dead, how dare you stab him in the back!"

Just then, a light sound of footsteps came from the cave entrance, carrying a faint fragrance of grass and trees and a familiar Sage aura, breaking the silence of the cave.

"White Ape King."

A gentle voice rang out, carrying a bit of the hoarseness of one who had just experienced life and death, yet it remained the same reassuring tone.

"Ah!?"

The White Ape King's movements came to an abrupt halt, his whimpering cut short. His fur stood on end in an instant, and he spun around violently!

There, at the entrance of the cave:

A youth stood clad in a brand-new stealth robe, his ink-black hair slightly lifted, his lips red and teeth white, his features peerless. A lingering pallor still clung to his face, and he held several jars of wine with intact seals, gazing at the beast with a smile.

"Who?!"

The White Ape King's amber eyes turned sharp as blades in an instant, his aura surging violently!

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

He stared fixedly at the youth before him, his eyes filled with vigilance and disbelief.

"I saw him die at the hands of that woman with my own eyes. Even his Sage Body couldn't withstand it, not to mention the large-scale illusion outside—no one could be spared, save for the Sage Lands and the Summoning Realm!"

"Are you one of Kaguya's people, or just some blind illusionist daring to toy with me?"

As he spoke, his massive hands clenched into fists, his power churning around him. Clearly, he would launch an attack the moment the stranger made a suspicious move.

After all, Manji's death was the deepest pain in his heart; for someone to appear here wearing that face was undoubtedly touching his reverse scale.

"Calm down, old buddy."

Manji sighed helplessly. He did not step forward, but simply placed the wine jars at his feet, allowing his unique aura to slowly drift outward—

It was an aura fused with the Sage Arts of Mount Myōboku, the essence of a Sage Body, and the clear, moist spiritual energy absorbed from long-term contact with the creatures of the Summoning Realm. It was his alone, an aura no one else could imitate.

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

The White Ape King's pupils contracted sharply, the vigilance on his face gradually replaced by astonishment.

He subconsciously took two steps forward, his nostrils flaring rapidly as he greedily inhaled that familiar scent.

This aura... it was Manji's!

It was the right scent! It was exactly this smell!

"It's really..."

The White Ape King's voice began to tremble, his sharp gaze softening, replaced by a surge of incredulous ecstasy!

The White Ape King couldn't help but burst into laughter:

"Wah, Manji! It really is you! Hahaha, oh my!!!"

"Alright, alright, I didn't die. That illusion outside is called the Infinite Tsukuyomi, and it has no effect on me."

Manji sat on a stone stool, taking a sip of spring water from the Ape Demon Cave.

The White Ape King hurriedly sat down and said, "The world outside is truly ruined. Ever since that woman ate that fruit, she has become incredibly powerful!"

"Sigh! That fruit was no ordinary thing. It was supposed to be mine, but who would have thought..."

Manji sighed slightly.

After listening to Manji's explanation, the White Ape King suddenly realized the truth.

"So that's how it is. Sigh! What a pity, if only you had eaten it the moment you got it!"

The White Ape King said regretfully.

Manji, however, offered a cryptic smile: "Who said I didn't eat it?"