I became Hokage in Tokyo

Chapters 341 & 342 Above the Gray Mist

After chanting the three verses of the honored name in a dreamlike tone, half a minute later, Yamashita Toru opened his eyes, his expression full of surprise and uncertainty.

"There's no response. Why can't I connect to the King's divine realm?"

I can recite the three names of the Venerable Ones perfectly; there is absolutely no way I could make a mistake!

Could it be that because I was reincarnated three years ago and haven't yet gained the King's approval, I'm unable to enter the Kingdom of God?

The king's honorable name is like a key to connect to WiFi, but even if the password is correct, only people on the whitelist can enter. Right now, I am just a passerby, not registered in the organization, and therefore cannot enter.

"A king who does not belong to this world, you are the master of Crimson and the Rinnegan, the ruler of all things in the unity of Yin and Yang!"

Undeterred, Yamashita Tetsu chanted the name of the revered monk three times again, but as before, there was still no response.

"Does this mean our only option is to risk a prison break?"

In any case, Yamashita Tetsuya absolutely cannot waste a year of precious time.

But now he's just a mortal. No matter how strong his body is or how much combat experience he has, he can't stop a bullet.

Just as they were caught in a dilemma, the crimson three-comma pattern drawn on the ground with blood suddenly burst forth with deep red light, engulfing them like a tidal wave.

Yamashita Toru closed his eyes and slumped onto the tatami mat, as if he had fallen asleep.

-

"Finally in... I'm such a loser, I'm already exhausted just from getting inside..."

Yamashita Toru saw stars, his ears were ringing, and everything in front of him was distorted, blurry, and indistinct. He lay on the ground, panting, and rested for a long time.

The outline of the surrounding scene finally stopped spinning and began to stabilize.

Yamashita Tetsu stood up and looked around; he was in a desolate wilderness.

It has completely lost its color and vitality, like a silent film, leaving only black and white.

In addition, a hazy gray fog permeated the wilderness, making it almost impossible to see anything beyond thirty or forty paces.

"This is the 'Ark'."

Looking around, all he could see was the familiar gray fog, Yamashita Tsutomu murmured.

"Time waits for no one; we must go to the capital now to see the king."

Why he would return to three years prior after his death, whether it was time reversal or a world line reversal, was something completely beyond Yamashita Tetsu's comprehension.

Even a Kage-level powerhouse, or even a god, could not do such a thing.

"Even a king..."

Yamashita Tetsu quickly dismissed this rebellious idea.

Although he was completely unaware of the details, Yamashita Tetsu did not intend to conceal the matter and decided to personally meet with the king to report it.

Yamashita Tetsu, who was reincarnated three years later, knew the organization's way of doing things. The organization had once saved Yamashita Tetsu's life and given him a place to stay, so he naturally trusted them.

He understood that organizations were the hope for the future, unlike human governments that would be helpless when the apocalypse came.

Yamashita Tetsu firmly believed that the supreme king was the savior!

If we could have reported the impending doom to the King three years in advance and taken precautions, we could have averted one tragedy after another and saved tens of millions of people.

Although he has now been sentenced to death by the Japanese government, Yamashita Toru doesn't care at all.

However, the death sentence for all humanity has already been handed down, and after the separation of heaven and earth, the execution of eight billion people will begin.

Whether from a broader perspective or out of personal gratitude, Yamashita Toru should, both morally and logically, publicly disclose his reincarnation.

More importantly, Yamashita Toru is still in detention awaiting transfer to a prison.

To escape their confinement, the organization's assistance is indispensable.

When that time comes, how will Yamashita Tetsu explain how he came to the Kingdom of God, and how will he persuade the organization to rescue him?

After much thought and weighing the pros and cons, I decided that rather than being exposed by the organization, it would be better to lay my cards on the table in advance to gain their trust!

Although the advantage of foresight is lost, the ability to contact the organization and receive its protection in advance, becoming a superhuman a year earlier, is still worthwhile.

It didn't take long for Yamashita Tetsu to adjust his mindset and then prepare to set off.

The royal city is the organization's stronghold above the gray fog.

Although the gray fog shrouded everything in all directions, making it impossible to discern directions or know where he was, Yamashita Tetsu was not worried at all.

Before his reincarnation, he was a seasoned veteran with considerable experience, and he knew how to return to the city smoothly.

"A king who does not belong to this world, you are the master of Crimson and the Rinnegan, the ruler of all things in the unity of Yin and Yang..."

The area above the gray fog is vast and immeasurable; even walking for more than ten days would not be enough to cross it.

However, when returning to the city, as long as you keep silently reciting the king's name, no matter how far you go, you can return to the royal city within half an hour.

Even so, Yamashita Toru did not dare to be careless.

Even when traveling, Yamashita Toru acted like a well-trained special agent, trying his best to remain silent while his eyes vigilantly scanned the surroundings.

After walking for more than ten minutes, we emerged from the wilderness and came into view a modern town that was shrouded in mist, appearing and disappearing in the fog.

Although it appears intact, it is lifeless and devoid of pedestrians, resembling a ghost town that sends chills down your spine.

Yamashita Tetsu didn't take it to heart.

Above the gray fog, apart from the royal city, the buildings and natural environment have always been bizarre and ever-changing.

Some speculate that this is somewhere between illusion and reality, or that one is in a dream, thus receiving a projection from the real world.

Because of its black and white color scheme and the ever-present gray fog, some people speculate that this is the afterlife.

In short, there are many different opinions.

However, what can be confirmed is that although it is only the soul that is drawn into the king's divine kingdom, dying here is no joke.

At best, it will severely damage one's vital energy; at worst, it will cause one's soul to be scattered!

"Right now it's just a soul, but later on, even a physical body in the real world will be able to enter."

Yamashita Tetsu was momentarily lost in thought.

Not only extraordinary individuals, but also ordinary people can be included.

Meanwhile, the Earth is becoming increasingly dangerous, with ominous signs and catastrophes appearing one after another, like the prelude to the end of the world. Only the King's divine kingdom is a paradise, Noah's Ark.

Unfortunately, before that moment could come, Aiko passed away...

Yamashita Tetsu felt a pang of pain in his heart, but his eyes hardened like iron.

Reincarnated, he is determined to make up for all his regrets this time!

Before long, Yamashita Tetsu felt the gray fog surrounding him finally dissipate, and the outline of a huge ancient city appeared before his eyes.

"We've arrived! We've finally arrived! The sacred royal city, a paradise on earth, the ark of the apocalypse..."

It was as if the Jews had finally reached the land promised by God after going through countless hardships, and Yamashita was so moved that he almost prostrated himself on the ground and kissed the land.

But upon closer inspection, Yamashita Tetsuya was completely dumbfounded.

The palace complex, with its oriental flair, sits atop the mountain, grand and majestic, imbued with the mystery and vicissitudes of history.

However, the palace, now reduced to ruins and half-collapsed, resembles the remains of a giant, evoking both awe and profound sorrow.

"The royal city has been destroyed?!"

Yamashita Tetsu was stunned and his hands and feet went cold, but then he immediately understood.

"No, this is what the capital city looked like when the king first awoke, before it was rebuilt!"

That's right, in the previous life, Yamashita Tetsu arrived at the royal city a year later.

The king responded to his prayers, and by this time he should have already awakened, but the royal city was in dire need of reconstruction.

Yamashita Che looked around. In his memory, there were hundreds of vermilion torii gates standing on the mountain path at the entrance to the royal city. They could open a barrier to detect evil, but now they were nowhere to be seen.

"well……"

Returning to this familiar place, yet finding it unfamiliar, Yamashita Che felt a mix of emotions.

However, Yamashita Tetsu quickly rallied his spirits; now was not the time for sentimentality.

Every second counts; he must contact the organization for help as soon as possible.

"Hello, is anyone there?"

Half an hour had passed since they reached the desolate pilgrimage path. Abandoned houses were everywhere, but there was no sign of human habitation. Yamashita Tetsu was increasingly anxious.

Could it be that I entered the royal city a year early, and the organization hadn't yet established a base here?

Wouldn't that mean I'd made a wasted trip?!

No, absolutely not!

"Lord Kazekage! Or anyone else, whoever it is, please come out quickly!"

Yamashita Tetsu couldn't help but shout loudly.

"Waaaaah..."

Just then, Yamashita Toru's nose twitched as he caught a whiff of the stench of a corpse and looked in the direction of the wind.

A humanoid monster covered in red fur and rotting all over its body emerged from around the corner.

"How is this possible! How could there be anything strange in the royal city?"

There were indeed some demons and monsters roaming in the gray fog space, so Che was very careful as he went up and down the mountain. However, the barrier set up by the royal city was enough to annihilate any strange creatures that dared to cross the line.

The fact that the royal city was an absolute safe zone was ingrained in Yamashita Toru's mind like a steel stamp.

After entering the city, Yamashita Tetsu relaxed and even shouted loudly, attracting strange attention.

"Inertia in thinking can be deadly!"

At this moment, Yamashita Tetsu suddenly remembered that the torii gate at the entrance of the royal city had not yet been erected.

"Aww!"

The red-haired monster appeared slow, but it actually pounced on Shan Xiache with surprising agility.

"Trash like you dare to blaspheme the King's sacred domain!"

Coming to his senses, Yamashita Tetsuya went from shock to extreme anger. Instead of retreating, he stepped forward and jumped up, stomping heavily on the floor.

"Leaf Whirlwind!"

A powerful low kick smashed the red-haired monster's head open.

The red-haired monster didn't even have time to scream before it collapsed to the ground, turning into a wisp of black smoke and disappearing without a trace.

"Phew... thankfully, I still remember the professor's physical techniques... it's just that without spiritual power, it's like injuring the enemy a thousand while hurting eight hundred of my own..."

Although he killed the monster with a single blow, Yamashita Tetsu's right foot was still throbbing with pain.

"Without the support of extraordinary power, my body is really too weak right now. Even the lowest-level trash cans are causing me trouble," Yamashita Tetsu said with a wry smile.

Before his reincarnation, Yamashita Tetsu was already a peak second-tier transcendent.

Low-level monsters like the red-haired monster are no match for even a hundred or eighty of them.

"Now, let alone a hundred or eighty, even if there are only ten or eight, I might still die."

This place is not safe to stay any longer. Yamashita Tetsu forced himself to stand up and was about to leave when his words came true.

More than a dozen more grotesque, twisted creatures, neither human nor dog, crawled out of the shadows.

"hateful!"

Although extremely unwilling, Yamashita Tetsu immediately realized that there was no hope of finding the organization's help today, and he had to get out of the gray fog as soon as possible.

"A king who does not belong to this world, you are the master of Crimson and the Rinnegan, the ruler of all things in the unity of Yin and Yang!"

Yamashita Che began to chant loudly and skillfully, but his expression changed drastically, filled with shock and anger.

Because his figure remained in the same spot.

Why?

What strange event has occurred this time?

Before being reincarnated, Mingming was able to immediately escape the gray fog and return to reality simply by reciting the king's name!

"Awoo!"

The monsters naturally didn't answer Yamashita Tetsu's question; instead, they let out strange cries and pounced on him.

Yamashita Che gritted his teeth, limped around, and turned to run away.

In his panic, he fled into a collapsed temple, using the complex terrain to temporarily escape the relentless pursuit of the monsters.

Hiding in the abandoned temple, Yamashita Che peeked out from a cramped space made of junk in the main hall. He saw monsters guarding the temple gate, searching the surroundings.

Despair welled up in my heart.

Relying on the foresight of a reincarnated person, he originally wanted to show off his skills and make up for all his previous regrets, but now he is going to die here three years ahead of schedule?

I was so arrogant!

He thought everything would happen according to his plan, but he never expected that the rules of the royal city and the gray fog were not the ones that Yamashita Tetsu was familiar with.

That's why they were left with no way out.

"But I absolutely cannot die here!"

Yamashita Toru looked around the main hall, searching for a way to escape.

Suddenly, his pupils contracted as he stared at a Buddha statue lying prostrate on the ground in the main hall.

That should be a guardian deity, but the head has disappeared and the face is no longer visible. Yamashita Tetsu is not concerned about that, but about the sand gourd that is more than half a person tall in the Buddha's hand!

"This is……"

A sudden flash of light appeared at the foot of the mountain, as if struck by lightning.

He suddenly recalled something he had overheard while drinking with his comrades in the organization.

In the early stages of the organization's formation, a giant sand gourd was unearthed from the ruins of a temple.

The Sand Gourd is an extremely powerful extraordinary item, but since no suitable user has been found, it can only be kept in the treasure vault.

Could this be it?

As the monsters drew ever closer, Yamashita made a snap decision and bit his finger until it bled.

Now we have no choice but to fight a desperate battle!

"Bang."

Yamashita Tetsuo burst out of his hiding place and charged towards the sand gourd.

Startled, the monsters immediately pounced on him.

Yamashita Toru rushed to the Buddha statue in one breath and placed his bloodied hands on the sand gourd.

A monster leaped up and bit down on Yamashita Tetsu's shoulder, instantly drawing blood.

Yamashita Toru merely let out a muffled groan, his eyes wide with rage, and he screamed as if he were insane:

"Aaaaaah!!! I need power!"

The sand gourd shook, and a stream of quicksand gushed out.

(End of this chapter)