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LONG CHAPTER!
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Manji had once again set out to wander the human world.
This time, however, he wasn't aimlessly observing the masses. He was hunting for power.
Specifically—he wanted to investigate the "Other Forces" that existed within the Naruto universe.
In the original series, the Shinigami from the Reaper Death Seal, Hidan's faith-based immortality, the Pure Land—canon had introduced all of these concepts without ever offering a proper explanation for any of them.
Now, with his formidable strength, he intended to dig into every last one.
It wouldn't be easy, of course. He had no leads. Hand-sign ninjutsu hadn't even been invented yet, let alone the more esoteric techniques.
POOF!
A small monkey materialized beside Manji in a puff of smoke.
His eyebrow rose. One of the White Monkey King's messenger monkeys.
"Don't tell me… the White Monkey King's time has come too?"
A sinking feeling crept through his chest.
White-Brow had passed just a century ago—and now the White Monkey King was finished as well?
The White Snake Sage, at least, he didn't need to worry about. She'd survived all the way to the Boruto era.
But the White Monkey King…
"Life and death follow their own schedule…"
Manji sighed softly and opened the letter.
But what greeted him wasn't an obituary. It was a single, short message:
"Manji—get over here ASAP. Found a mystery dungeon!"
— Sexy White-Furred Monkey
"This guy…"
Manji's composure cracked.
The White Monkey King was still acting like an overgrown child.
As for why the old ape was fluent in internet slang—that was entirely Manji's fault. Back in his early days in this world, he'd unconsciously peppered his speech with memes and references from his past life.
The White Monkey King had absorbed every last one—and had been running them into the ground for centuries without getting tired of a single joke.
But Manji wasn't the same person he used to be. The teenager who used to psych himself up by chanting "endurance means keeping your head clear and your spine straight" had long since matured into a steady, composed sage.
.....
The Monkey King Clan's domain.
Manji navigated the familiar route with practiced ease. The place looked exactly the same as it had over a hundred years ago.
The moment he stepped inside—there was the White Monkey King, bouncing around like an overgrown kid.
"WHOA—Manji! It's really you!"
The White Monkey King vaulted forward and landed squarely in front of him.
Manji's smile was equal parts warmth and exasperation. "White Monkey King—you're older than I am. How are you still this hyperactive?"
"Hehehe—you wouldn't understand, Manji."
The White Monkey King scratched his head.
"When I see an old friend, I automatically reset to the age we were when we first met."
"We all keep a piece of ourselves stored inside our oldest friendships. The whole point of seeing an old friend is this: when you're beaten down and world-weary, I still remember the version of you that was on fire."
"To me, you're not some calm, legendary 'Sage of Six Paths.' You're the bold, ambitious kid who had the guts to pick a fight with aliens."
The White Monkey King's voice carried a wistful tenderness.
Something flickered behind Manji's eyes—a genuine touch of emotion. He nodded slowly. "Well said."
He settled onto a stone bench. "So, what did you call me here for?"
"Heh—it's been so long, I missed you! Sometimes I dream about the old days—fighting side by side against Isshiki…"
The White Monkey King grinned sheepishly.
Manji smiled at that.
Speaking of Isshiki—the alien was almost certainly gone for good. There'd been no passing monk to save him, and the Ten-Tails had chewed him up quite thoroughly.
The two old friends caught up on lost time.
Then the White Monkey King got to the point.
"Here's the thing—I was in the human world a few days ago and spotted a huge flock of crows. But that's not the important part. The important part is—I sensed an unfamiliar power on those crows."
"Something similar to Sage energy."
Manji paused. Sage energy??
Were there other Sage Art traditions in this world beyond the Three Great Sage Regions and the Monkey King Clan?
"Interesting. Show me."
.....
One flash of movement later—
They stood in the heart of a desolate valley.
Not a blade of grass in sight. The ground was cracked and barren, littered with the husks of long-dead trees.
The instant they landed, a faint but unmistakable wave of genjutsu rippled outward—thin as gauze, wrapping itself around the entire valley.
"Genjutsu…"
Manji, wielding multiple Sage Art systems with chakra reserves vast as an ocean—registered the illusion as little more than a gentle breeze. It couldn't even graze the surface of his consciousness.
"Yeah, I got caught by it several times. Whatever's generating this has seriously terrifying genjutsu capabilities."
The White Monkey King frowned slightly as the illusion brushed against his mind, but one glance at Manji's utterly unperturbed aura was all it took to banish any worry.
"Right here, Manji."
"Those weird crows are hiding somewhere in there. The whole place felt wrong—I didn't dare go in alone."
The White Monkey King pointed toward the dead forest at the valley's heart, his voice dropping.
"Oh?"
Manji narrowed his eyes. Pale blue Sage chakra seeped from his body like a rising tide, his perception sweeping outward to blanket the entire forest.
The next instant—his fingertip touched his chin, and genuine surprise flickered through his gaze.
"Well, well…"
The dead forest was saturated with an energy unmistakably related to the Three Great Sage Regions—rich, distinct, and ancient.
"Fascinating."
Manji murmured.
Could there really be an unknown Sage Art lineage hidden in this world??
It couldn't have come at a better time. He was already scouring the Naruto world for obscure, overlooked powers—and here was one walking right up to his doorstep.
Crows… The first thing that came to mind was Itachi Uchiha.
Canon had never explained how Itachi formed his contract with the crows—or how he obtained the Sword of Totsuka and the Yata Mirror.
"White Monkey King—wait here. I'm going in."
"Be careful!"
"The energy in there feels off—it's got shades of the Ryūchi Cave's darkness, but it's not quite the same. There's more to this place than meets the eye."
"Noted."
Manji gave a brief nod—and his figure shot into the dead forest like a phantom.
At his current level, the number of beings in this world that could genuinely threaten his life could be counted on one hand. And even in the worst-case scenario—he'd just die and come back. What was there to fear?
From the White Monkey King's perspective, the instant Manji crossed the treeline, he simply… dissolved into nothing.
.....
Inside the dead forest.
Manji observed the sudden shift in his surroundings and nodded with quiet understanding. "A barrier—similar to Mount Myōboku's. Essentially its own pocket dimension."
He'd taken barely two steps when an ancient stone monument appeared before him, four weathered words carved deep into its face:
LAND OF THE YATAGARASU
Manji studied the inscription, brow creasing almost imperceptibly.
And then—a dense wave of Sage chakra surged from deeper within, its volume considerable.
"Caw—caw—caw—"
Harsh, rasping crow-calls erupted from every direction. Black feathers churned through the air as a streak of dark light shot from the depths of the forest and alighted on a gnarled branch before him.
A three-legged crow. Feathers black as spilled ink. Eyes burning crimson. A thin but unmistakable halo of Sage chakra wreathing its body.
"A human, finally, a human wanders in…"
"Ah?? Wait... YOU?"
The three-legged crow recognized Manji's face and nearly fell off its perch, crimson eyes contracting sharply.
"You know me?"
Manji looked up, his gaze calm and level.
The crow hastily composed itself, fluttering its wings with an ingratiating laugh. "Hehe, of course I do! You're the legendary Sage of Six Paths! I never imagined you'd grace my humble abode with a personal visit. To what do I owe the honor?"
Manji saw no reason to dance around it. "This Land of the Yatagarasu—it holds a Sage Art lineage, doesn't it? I'm interested. Tell me everything."
The crow's expression froze.
"With all due respect, great Sage—the Yatagarasu's Sage Art tradition is passed only to those deemed worthy. It isn't something we hand out on request. I would humbly ask the Sage not to press the matter."
"Doing so could tarnish your illustrious reputation—or worse, cost you your life within this sacred ground. Please, great Sage—don't force this. Don't invite suffering upon yourself."
The crow shook its head slowly, its tone carrying an unmistakable edge of warning.
"And if I insist?"
Manji's voice remained perfectly even—but beneath the calm ran a current of absolute, irresistible authority.
With his current power, taking the Yatagarasu's Sage Arts by force would be trivial. He was simply extending the courtesy of asking first.
Besides, no one in this world dared threaten him.
Not even Hagoromo.
The three-legged crow let out a strange, cackling laugh.
Its crimson eyes blazed with arrogant confidence. "Great Sage—the first requirement for learning our Yatagarasu Sage Arts is to completely dismantle your own defenses. Willingly. Voluntarily open yourself to our genjutsu."
"And if the mighty Sage of Six Paths were to drop every last barrier and stop resisting… well—I'm afraid today would be the day you die inside my Yatagarasu illusion~"
The smugness practically dripped from every syllable. This crow held absolute, unshakable faith in its genjutsu—confident enough to believe it could kill the Sage of Six Paths.
Manji listened—and a quiet laugh escaped him.
What genjutsu in this world was stronger than the Infinite Tsukuyomi?
And even in the absolute worst case—he'd die. Then he'd resurrect and try again.
He chuckled softly—and in a single instant, pulled back every trace of Sage chakra, every layer of defense, every protective barrier around his consciousness. He stood completely open, utterly vulnerable—and let the dense, suffocating wave of genjutsu wash over him without resistance.
The next second, Manji's awareness was swallowed whole, plunging into a vast, boundless ocean of illusion.
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