I became Hokage in Tokyo

Chapters 233 and 234: Is Penglai Mount Fuji?

"Brother-in-law!"

"Nami Ryu? I'm sorry, I was working and couldn't pay attention. You called me so many times, is it urgent?" Uchiha Senmon's gentle voice came from the phone.

"Brother-in-law, I'm in Kohama City. Where are you now?" Nami Sakaki asked, her voice trembling as she suppressed her surging emotions.

"Hmm... I haven't finished my work yet, and now I have to set off for another place. You and A-Ming are visiting the Mermaid Festival in Xiaobin City, right? I'm sorry I can't find the time to go with you, but you guys have to make sure you enjoy my part as well."

"I'm sorry, brother-in-law, I was just too willful..."

Sakaki Namiru choked up slightly, her voice filled with guilt.

She doesn't know how to bring it up with her brother-in-law. Should she say, "I finally understand your predicament?"

My brother-in-law is actually a behind-the-scenes hero, doing top-secret work in the Metropolitan Police Department to fight against monsters and other supernatural beings, while I, ungrateful as ever, keep nagging him because he doesn't pay much attention to me and doesn't answer my calls, which makes me sulk and act petty.

Looking back now, I realize how incredibly immature I was!

After all, it makes sense. The kind of work my brother-in-law does involves a mysterious field, and the level of secrecy is probably even higher than that of military operations. It's only natural that he's always busy and has no time to spare. How could he possibly have time to take her around?

Uchiha Senmon's tone held a hint of doubt: "Nami Ryu, your voice... is there something wrong? Is there something you need your brother-in-law to stand up for you?"

"No……"

Sakaki Nami felt an urge to say more and pour out all her feelings without thinking, but unexpectedly, Grace snatched her phone away.

"Inspector Uchiha, it's me, Grace."

Grace picked up Nami Sakaki's phone, replied to it, and waved.

"What are you doing, you foreign woman? You're a robber! Give me back my phone!"

Several men in black suits from the Fifth Division formed an impenetrable wall, blocking the path of the jumping-up Nami Sakaki.

"Investigator Grace, what are you doing here? What are you doing with Nami?"

There was a hint of surprise in Uchiha Senmon's voice; clearly, this situation had not caught him off guard.

"Inspector Uchiha, your country bumpkin relative has accidentally gotten involved in the supernatural incident that happened in Kohama. I'm the investigator at the scene," Grace said with a smile.

"Are my son, A-Ming, and my sister-in-law alright?!"

"Don't worry, they're all safe and sound," Grace reassured them, then asked:

"Inspector Uchiha, I remember you've been searching for Tosu Hideo in Shizuoka City these past few days. Do you have some time now? I have some questions I'd like to ask you."

"I've found a slight clue; Hideo Tosu may have already left Shizuoka City. I'm on my way to track him now. We still have some time before we reach our destination, so please tell me directly."

"Then I won't stand on ceremony. Inspector Uchiha, it's about the supernatural events we encountered today..."

Grace was interrupted by Uchiha Senmon before she could finish speaking. Uchiha Senmon cautiously asked:

"Ahem... Investigator Grace, I haven't heard anything about this operation by your Fifth Section. It should be a classified mission. It's not appropriate for an outsider like me from the Fourth Investigation Section to tell me."

Uchiha Senmon was also quite politically astute, knowing that Section 5 was now essentially a state within a state of the Metropolitan Police Department, and that as a key member of Section 4, he shouldn't get too deeply involved.

"Inspector Uchiha isn't exactly an outsider. After all, Section 5 is under the Metropolitan Police Department. With such a major incident, a report has to be submitted to the Metropolitan Police Department afterward. Sooner or later, it will reach the ears of you frontline personnel. It's not a big deal to reveal some things to Inspector Uchiha now."

Grace raised an eyebrow, a nonchalant expression on her face, and then gave a brief account of what had happened at the police station that day.

Suzuki Kimie, the extraordinary person who claims to be a pharmacist, the Hourai Jade Branch, the blood of a demon...

And most importantly, the elixir of immortality!

Although Grace is a foreigner, she knows the importance of the elixir of immortality in East Asian countries. This has caused quite a stir, and the whole of Japan is likely to be thrown into turmoil.

"An elixir of immortality? Perhaps I'm being a bit too sensitive, but an elixir of immortality... such a thing appears in 'The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter'." Inspector Uchiha pondered for a long time on the phone before speaking solemnly.

In the ending of "The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter", Princess Kaguya is welcomed back to heaven by the celestial beings, and before leaving, she gives the emperor an elixir of immortality.

The Emperor, reminded of his loved ones by the sight of the object, refused to take the elixir of immortality and instead arranged for an officer to send it to Mount Fuji and destroy it by throwing it into the crater.

The word "Fuji" sounds the same as "immortal" in Japanese, so Mount Fuji is also known as the Immortal Mountain.

"Hmm? That's right, I remember now. Could that jade-like branch that the superhuman was holding be the Penglai Jade Branch, one of the five treasures?" Grace belatedly recalled.

"The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter" is now also required reading for the Metropolitan Police Department's Fifth Division and Fourth Investigation Division.

One of the Metropolitan Police Department's gains in the "Demon Doctor" case was the stone bowl in front of the Buddha.

The Akatsuki member, Tobi, declared that he would temporarily entrust the stone bowl in front of the Buddha to the Metropolitan Police Department before collecting all five treasures.

Although it's unclear what use Afei has for collecting the five treasures, now another legendary treasure, the Penglai Jade Branch, has appeared.

But if it's in the hands of the pharmacist, does that mean that the pharmacist will also be targeted by Afei?

The enemy of my enemy may be my friend. In addition, Mr. Yakushi's approachable and kind attitude is not like that of the Akatsuki, who are superhumans with obvious malice. Perhaps we can win him over to the Metropolitan Police Department.

After all, the extraordinary medical skills that the pharmacist had displayed, and the medicine that saved Suzuki Maika from the brink of death, were of great value.

"The apothecary said he's preparing to set sail to find Penglai, and is therefore searching for mermaid blood. But what is the connection between Penglai and mermaids?"

"Mermaids and Penglai..."

After a moment of silence, Uchiha Senmon recited a passage with intonation on the other end of the phone:

"The Lingyu has a human face, hands and feet, and a fish body, and lives in the sea. The Great Carp lives in the sea. The Mingzu town lives in the sea. Fenglai Mountain is in the sea. The market of the Great Man is in the sea."

Grace was completely bewildered. Although she was fluent in Japanese, she knew absolutely nothing about classical Chinese, which even Japanese people struggled with.

"I'm reminded of a passage from the 'Classic of Mountains and Seas,' specifically the section on the Northern Seas. The Lingyu is undoubtedly a type of mermaid, and the same passage mentions Penglai, perhaps implying that the Lingyu lives near Penglai. This explains why the Medicine Master searches for Penglai by looking for traces of mermaids."

"Inspector Uchiha, you really have an amazing memory! You're even more knowledgeable than those folklorists," Grace exclaimed in admiration.

"This is just a sudden thought of mine, and it may just be a far-fetched interpretation. For specific details, you should consult Professor Changshan, who is the authority in the field of folklore."

After explaining the work-related matters, Uchiha Senmon, still feeling uneasy, asked again:

"My sister-in-law has a bit of an impulsive temper, so I'll have to trouble Investigator Grace to take good care of her."

"Mmm-hmm-hmm."

After making the call, Grace tossed the phone to Sakaki Namikazu, whose eyes were practically spitting fire.

"You annoying woman! How dare you interrupt my conversation with my brother-in-law!"

"I'm so sorry."

Grace gave a half-smile and a half-hearted apology, saying, "After all, Inspector Uchiha and I are colleagues, and we have more important matters to discuss at work. I'm afraid I'll have to trouble you."

"Damn it!" Nami Sakaki gritted her teeth in frustration, feeling that this foreign woman was showing off and flaunting her relationship with her brother-in-law.

But that's all in the past!

Even if you and your brother-in-law are both colleagues in a mysterious department, keeping the same secrets from each other, and seem to have a closer relationship than those who don't know the truth, now that your sister-in-law also knows the secret, you've caught up a bit!

Upon remembering this, Namiryu Sakaki rallied her spirits once again.

"snort!"

Out of respect for Inspector Uchiha, Grace decided to be magnanimous and not make a fuss about it.

She called over the men in black suits from the Fifth Division and began to handle the aftermath.

Although they were very familiar with this tactic, the state of the Kohama City Police Station couldn't be explained away by a gas explosion. Furthermore, many tourists witnessed the landslide, making public opinion management a challenge.

However, things need to be prioritized. These tasks will be left to her subordinates. Grace's immediate priority is to deal with Suzuki Maika, the half-human, half-descendant of the monster.

"Ms. Suzuki, please come with us to the hospital for a check-up. Although you seem fine now, it would be troublesome if you had any hidden injuries." Grace's tone was polite, but it contained an unyielding air.

Suzuki Maika's eyes flickered, clearly indicating some unease.

"You guys aren't planning to do anything bad to Maika, are you? I want to come too." Sakaki Nami's face revealed a hint of hostility as she asked worriedly.

Grace, however, disagreed and nodded in agreement.

Unlike some people with paranoia, the Metropolitan Police Department will not immediately conduct an autopsy.

Even if we disregard the monk's feelings, we should still consider the Buddha's feelings; Suzuki's older sister, Suzuki Kimie, is still alive.

He was taken away by the pharmacist, perhaps there is another opportunity for him. The Metropolitan Police Department cannot do anything too outrageous, but blood tests are necessary.

Whether it's the yokai blood in Suzuki Maika's bloodline or the potential drug residues after taking that magical elixir, both have significant research value.

…………

"Shall we set sail from Wakasa Bay to search for Penglai?"

In a black sedan on a national highway leading to Osaka Prefecture, Uchiha Senmon sat in the back seat, his eyes closed, lost in thought.

"Ran's original name is the mountain of immortality. It's the name of the county. It's the name of the county. It's the mountain of Fuji. It's the land of Horai, the land of wonderland."

Uchiha Senmon gently patted his thigh with one hand, providing accompaniment for the song he was chanting.

Uchiha Senmon's hometown is a rural area in Shizuoka Prefecture where Mount Fuji can be seen in the distance. There is a folk song in his hometown that refers to Mount Fuji as the Penglai Wonderland.

During the Heian period, the Yamato Dynasty was influenced by culture from the mainland, and the concept of "Hōrai," an island with a sacred mountain and immortals, gradually spread in Japan.

During the mid-to-late Heian period, many sacred mountains in Japan were called Hōrai, such as Mt. Kumano and Mt. Atsuta, but the most famous one was Mt. Fuji.

After all, Mount Fuji is a sacred mountain known as the Immortal Mountain, and its religious and cultural image is closer to that of Penglai.

"Perhaps Penglai isn't at sea, but on land; it might actually be Mount Fuji?"

The Uchiha Sage Sect was indulging in wild fantasies.

After all, the Hourai Jade Branch is one of the five treasures that Princess Kaguya sought in "The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter," and "The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter" concludes at Mount Fuji.

In the Ghost Doctor incident, the Buddha's Stone Bowl and the Fire Rat Robe appeared. In addition to the Penglai Jade Branch, the five treasures that Princess Kaguya requested were only missing the Dragon Head Jade and the Swallow Shell.

What will happen after all five treasures are collected?

Could it be that Princess Kaguya descended to earth from the moon?

"And then there's the hero of Tosu... who was transformed in Aokigahara at the foot of Mount Fuji. What secrets does Mount Fuji hold?"

With the full efforts of the Metropolitan Police Department, they discovered that after Hideo Tosu went missing, he was seen wearing the Kamen Rider suit at the foot of Mount Fuji.

The recent supernatural events may all be related to Mount Fuji, carrying a sense of impending doom!

Shaking his head to temporarily set aside his chaotic thoughts, Uchiha Senmon began to organize the clues he had at hand.

His current task is to bring the Birch Hero to justice!

"Tosu Hideo couldn't have died so easily at Abe no Kawauchi; he faked his death to escape. But what was he doing in Osaka?"

Uchiha Senmon took out his phone and opened a video.

This footage, taken yesterday morning on a Shinkansen bullet train near Osaka Prefecture, shows a man wielding a knife committing arson, only to be subdued by a nimble young man with a single punch. The man appeared somewhat apprehensive, covering his face and fleeing as the camera zoomed in.

The video quickly became a trending topic and was trending on social media. Some female fans even asked for the name of the person who performed the act of bravery.

These videos caught the attention of the Metropolitan Police Department, and through big data comparison, they discovered that the person's face was actually that of one of the members of the Asato Group who were burned to death!

The deceased involved in the case has miraculously come back to life and inexplicably appeared in Osaka Prefecture?

Experts at the Metropolitan Police Department used gait recognition technology to determine that the young man's walking posture was 70% similar to that of Hero Tosu.

In other words, the deceased member of the Matori group may have been Hideo Tosu in disguise!

"Inspector Uchiha, we've arrived in Osaka Prefecture."

Inspector Uchiha nodded slowly.

"it is good."

(End of this chapter)