I became Hokage in Tokyo

Chapters 221 & 222: The Mermaid's Curse

Ohama City is located in Wakasa Town, Fukui Prefecture, facing the mainland across the Sea of ​​Japan and adjacent to Kyoto.

Since ancient times, Obama City has been an important port city on the coast of the Sea of ​​Japan. It has a rich cultural heritage from the Nara period and is known as the "Nara of the Sea".

Even today, Obama City is quite prosperous, home to Tsukiji Market, Japan's largest fish market. During Golden Week, coinciding with the annual Mermaid Festival, the streets of Obama City are bustling with tourists.

Why does this city have so many signs featuring former presidents?

Naruto Uchiha stopped by the roadside, looking curiously at the billboard standing on the street. It featured a bright, smiling face known worldwide, revealing a mouthful of white teeth.

The signboard looks quite old; it's been exposed to wind and sun, and the dark skin has faded to a lighter color.

This is the third one along the way.

"Because this city is called OBM."

A few steps ahead of Uchiha Naruto, the mature woman with beautiful long, wavy black hair, who was chatting and laughing with Sakaki Namikaze, turned around and said.

"Isn't it interesting how the Japanese pronunciation of Obama City sounds? Because of this coincidence, when I was a child, the local tourism association even set up a support group for him, hoping to attract foreign tourists."

It turned out to be the case.

The ancient rivers and mountains stand, but the heroes are nowhere to be found, like Sun Quan; the pavilions and stages for dancing and singing, all their splendor has been swept away by wind and rain.

This all dates back to the previous dynasty.

It's surprising that such a small seaside city in Japan still retains the lingering glow of the past; it's truly moving.

"Amina, hurry up and catch up. Otherwise we'll leave you behind!" Namikazu Sakaki called out.

On May 3rd, Uchiha Naruto, along with his aunt Sakaki Namiru and her roommate, Suzuki Maika, who is also a teacher at the private Jinguji High School, used a three-day, two-night tour pass that Sakaki Namiru had won from a store to visit the Mermaid Festival in Kohama City.

After settling his luggage at a local fisherman's guesthouse at noon, Uchiha Naruto infiltrated Wakasa Bay to carry out his mission as planned.

Although some unexpected things happened afterward, the meal was generally finished.

Since he had come to a coastal city and was there for a rare festival, Uchiha Naruto was in a good mood to relax.

Around dinnertime, Uchiha Naruto finally returned to the inn, only to be dragged out by Aunt Sakaki Namiru and Suzuki Maika.

"Since we're in Obama, we definitely can't miss the mackerel. I recommend this Sabar mackerel specialty shop."

School doctor Maika Suzuki led the way with practiced ease, and they found a mackerel restaurant.

Naruto Uchiha and Aunt Namikazu Sakaki sat at the dining table, which was set with mackerel sushi, mackerel teppanyaki, mackerel skewers, and mackerel prepared in various ways, including grilling and frying.

Mackerel is a specialty of Obama City and was a popular fish in Kyoto in ancient times.

The street that Uchiha Naruto and the others just walked through is called Mackerel Street.

Mackerel transport begins at Wakasa Bay, with Obama City as the starting point. Obama is a street connecting Kyoto, serving as the starting point for fish transport. Mackerel is the most in-demand species, hence the name.

"This mackerel is so fresh, and this miso is just my taste!"

Nami Sakaki raved about a braised mackerel dish. The mackerel was stewed with miso and soy sauce, and the freshness of the fish mixed with the soy sauce gave off an enticing aroma.

"Maika, bringing you, a local from Ohama, to the Mermaid Festival was definitely the right decision! Otherwise, tourists like us from out of town would never have found such a great place."

"I hope it suits your taste."

Suzuki Maika raised her head, looked around, and a strange sadness welled up in her eyes.

"I left Xiaobin City five years ago, and I didn't expect this old shop to still be open, and it hasn't changed at all."

"You haven't been back to your hometown for five years? Is there a reason?" Sakaki Nami chug down half a pitcher of beer, a blush rising on her cheeks, and asked bluntly.

"It's nothing, it's all in the past. I've been wanting to come back for a while now. Nami, thank you for inviting me. Let me treat you to dinner tonight."

"How could I possibly accept that! Waiter, another pitcher of beer, please." Sakaki Nami generously stretched out an arm, summoning the waiter.

Suzuki Maika lowered her head and used her chopsticks to pick at a piece of grilled mackerel. The mackerel was simply grilled over charcoal and sprinkled with a little salt, which best preserved its original flavor.

She tucked her thick, cascading black hair behind her ear with one hand, and with the other hand picked up a piece of snow-white fish, put it in her mouth, her movements elegant, exuding the air of a well-bred lady.

"Huh? Uchiha-kun, is there something on my face?"

Suzuki Maika put down her chopsticks, took a tissue to wipe her rosy lips, and smiled.

A beauty like her is very sensitive to men's gazes. Suzuki Maika noticed that her nephew, Sakaki Namiru, had been staring at her face several times, intentionally or unintentionally.

However, Suzuki Maika wasn't averse to it. Firstly, it was perfectly normal for a high school student like Uchiha Naruto to be attracted to a beautiful older sister like herself, given that he was at the age where his hormones were raging.

Moreover, Naruto Uchiha's gaze wasn't the kind that was directly lecherous; rather, it was a thoughtful expression.

"No, there's nothing there," Uchiha Naruto replied calmly.

Sakaki Namiru shuddered, a hint of hesitation flashing in her eyes.

Mingzai inherited his brother-in-law's outstanding good looks and also had good grades. He belonged to the Brahmin class in the student pyramid. However, as far as Sakaki Namiru knew, Mingzai was also indifferent to girls at school.

Could it be that Mingzai has a thing for older women?

Wu Xiang is a full ten years older than Ming Zai.

As Mingzai's mother... aunt, I have to carefully vet my sister and brother-in-law!

Sakaki Namiru's gaze toward her roommate suddenly took on an indescribable scrutinizing quality.

Naruto Uchiha had no idea what Namikazu Sakaki was thinking.

Naruto Uchiha had no worldly desires for this health school teacher with thick, wavy, black hair whom he had only met twice. He kept looking at Maika Suzuki's face because he had a sense of déjà vu.

Suzuki Maika's long, black lotus-like hair and face were extremely similar to the Pinduoduo Tailed Beast he had encountered not long ago!

The evil spirit in Wakasa Bay seems to also have the surname Suzuki in the files...

As Naruto Uchiha savored the grilled mackerel skewers, several thoughts flashed through his mind.

"Hey, Maika, you're a local, you must have experience. How should we navigate the Mermaid Festival tomorrow?"

"The opening ceremony of the Mermaid Festival tomorrow will be held on Mikami Island, 500 meters away from the shore of Obama City. There is a Mermaid Shrine there that enshrines the remains of mermaids," Suzuki Maika said, recounting the story in great detail.

"The selected girls will be dressed up as mermaids and brought out of the shrine to Kohama City for a parade. The next day, they will be brought back to the mermaid shrine on the island."

"Wow, mermaid remains! If I could taste them, could I become immortal like Yaobikuni?" Sakaki Nami exclaimed, her eyes shining.

"Nami-sensei, if it really had the power to grant immortality, would it be your turn? You would have been burned to ashes and consumed by some rich person long ago."

Naruto Uchiha knew exactly what that so-called mermaid mummy was, and he immediately poured cold water on Nami Sakaki's hopes.

"Ah Ming, you really are a spoilsport."

Sakaki Nami muttered a few words of dissatisfaction, but soon became enthusiastic.

"I heard that the amulets worn on the day of the Mermaid Festival can keep you young forever and also help you find love."

"What the hell is this?" Suzuki Maika was both amused and exasperated.

When she was a child, the Mermaid Festival was just a prayer for health and longevity, but now it has added the wish for eternal youth and successful love, which may be a publicity gimmick to keep up with the times.

Suzuki Maika suddenly revealed a mischievous grin on her face.

"A successful relationship? So, Nami, you initially wanted to find your brother-in-law..."

"Ahhh, what nonsense are you spouting? I'll tear your mouth apart!" Nami Sakaki seemed a little flustered and shouted in an attempt to cover up her blunder.

"Haha, actually this mackerel specialty store has a hidden menu item: mackerel ochazuke (rice with tea). You absolutely have to try it. I'll go tell the owner."

Taking advantage of the ordering opportunity, Suzuki Maika slipped away.

Sakaki Nami turned her head and saw Uchiha Naruto intently eating rice, which made her feel a little relieved.

Just then, a couple who looked like a couple walked in from the store entrance.

After the two women sat down near Uchiha Naruto, one of them, a woman with short hair and thin, willow-like lips who looked somewhat mean, said in a very dissatisfied tone:

"There are always so many out-of-towners at the Mermaid Festival, it's so annoying!"

"Yukako, just bear with it a little longer. The Mermaid Festival only lasts a few days."

Beside the short-haired woman, a man with rough, dark skin, who looked like a fisherman but was dressed in very wealthy clothes, offered his advice.

"Shimazaki, it's ridiculous. These tourists from out of town come here for the Mermaid Festival to pray for longevity and health, or even some bullshit love." The woman named Yukako looked at the tourists coming and going outside the shop with a sarcastic smile.

"But the mermaid we worship is not such a kind deity; on the contrary, she is a monster who casts curses and takes lives!"

"What nonsense are you spouting?!" Shimazaki's face paled, and he said in a low voice.

"Is there anything wrong with what I said? These outsiders don't know, and even the locals in Xiaobin only know it from hearsay, but we know everything," Yu Jiazi said somewhat unconvinced.

"Five years ago, Wakasa Bay was haunted by mermaids, which killed several people. That area of ​​the sea is still closed off to this day."

"What happened five years ago was just an accident. Didn't we all agree not to mention it again?"

Shimazaki scratched his hair in frustration, his voice rising a few decibels.

"Why are you bringing this up now that things have come to this?"

"Didn't Okubo mysteriously drown in his bathtub six months ago? Wasn't that a mermaid's curse?"

When the mermaid's curse was mentioned, Yukako's face turned pale and she began to tremble, showing a deep-seated fear and dread.

"The police have already investigated and found that Okubo committed suicide; it had nothing to do with that monster."

A hint of awe flashed in Shimazaki's eyes, but he quickly suppressed it and whispered:

"If it really is the mermaid's curse, why did it take four years to take effect? ​​And the remaining five of us are all fine. Okubo was the most timid one to begin with, always paranoid, so it's normal that he couldn't handle the pressure and committed suicide."

"But……"

The short-haired woman was unwilling to give up and wanted to say something more, but Shimazaki had already roughly covered her mouth and looked around warily.

After confirming that no one had noticed their conversation, he leaned close to Yukako's ear and whispered so softly that only the short-haired woman standing nearby could hear him.

"Stop talking, stop talking! The mayor already gave everyone a gag order for what happened five years ago. No one will believe that there really are mermaids haunting Wakasa Bay."

Shimazaki seemed to remember something, and then whispered threateningly:

"And have you forgotten those mysterious people from Tokyo who made us sign confidentiality agreements? My uncle told me they've been in the mayor's office again these past few days. Yukako, you'd better watch your words, or don't blame me for being rude!"

"Waaaaah—"

The short-haired woman's eyes were red, and she nodded repeatedly.

Shimazaki then removed his hand from Yukako's mouth. After talking for so long, he was also a little thirsty, so he picked up a cup in the shop and took a sip of cold water to moisten his throat.

"Nami Ryu, Uchiha-kun, the mackerel ochazuke is ready."

Suzuki Maika walked over with a smile, carrying a tray with three steaming bowls on it.

"Snap!"

The sound of a glass breaking on the floor immediately drew the attention of everyone in the store.

"Suzuki?"

Shimazaki stared at Suzuki Maika in disbelief, his voice trembling slightly.

Yukako, nestled in his arms, was in an even worse state, her face deathly pale and trembling, as if she had seen a ghost in broad daylight.

"Shimazaki, so it was the two of you."

Suzuki Maika, who had been smiling, suddenly turned cold and spoke in a devoid of warmth.

"No, you're not Suzuki... It's you, Suzuki's sister..."

Shimazaki snapped out of his daze, let out a long breath, immediately stood up, grabbed the woman slumped in her seat, and fled in a disheveled manner.

"What's wrong? Did you run into someone you know? The atmosphere seems a bit off," Namikazu Sakaki asked.

"Those annoying guys, I didn't want to see them, that's why I haven't come back to Tokyo for five years. Anyway, let's not talk about that, let's try this mackerel ochazuke."

In ancient times, without refrigerators, the only way to preserve mackerel was to marinate it and make it into dried fish. When eating it, the rice bran covering the surface was washed off, then it was seared over charcoal a few times, and then tea was poured over it. A bowl of mackerel ochazuke (rice with tea) with perfect color, aroma and taste was ready.

Naruto Uchiha looked at the ochazuke in front of him, but his ears twitched slightly.

Although the conversation between the two people became barely audible in the latter half, with Uchiha Naruto's heightened senses enhanced by chakra, he could still hear every single word if he listened carefully.

It's getting more and more interesting.

After finishing the ochazuke (rice with tea), the mackerel feast was almost over.

Sakaki Nami got half-drunk again. If it weren't for the Mermaid Festival tomorrow, Uchiha Naruto would have suspected that she might have gotten a hangover on a whim.

Helpless, Uchiha Naru helped Sakaki Namikaze back to the fisherman's guesthouse.

Just then, the receptionist called out to Suzuki Maika.

"Miss Suzuki, there's an older man named Okubo who wants to meet you."

(End of this chapter)