I became Hokage in Tokyo

Chapter 370 Chapter 371 Nanga Shrine

Outside, wind and rain raged, and muffled thunder rumbled through the clouds. A fleeting flash of lightning imprinted the image of the old man peering inside through the window deep into Uchiha Senmon's retina.

"Uncle?!"

Uchiha Senmon's expression changed drastically. He stood up, facing the window.

"Brother-in-law, what's wrong?" "Minister?"

The others in the mourning hall were both surprised and suspicious when they saw Uchiha Senmon's strange behavior. They followed Uchiha Senmon's gaze but found nothing.

Uchiha Senmon frowned deeply.

Although it was only a fleeting moment, with his sharp eyesight, there was absolutely no way he could have been wrong!

The old man who just appeared outside the window is the protagonist of tonight's all-night gathering, my deceased great-uncle.

So who is lying in the coffin now?

"Could it be that Uncle has transformed into an evil spirit?" Uchiha Senmon's gaze turned cold.

Among the demons and monsters that appeared after 1990, there were only a dozen or so cases of evil spirits, but they were much more troublesome than yokai.

Since evil spirits have no physical form and are completely immune to physical attacks, bullets and cannons are useless against them.

Four years before Reiwa, there was no other way but to isolate the evil spirits.

However, after the arrival of the extraordinary era, Dr. Satomi was appointed by the Lord of Mount Tai as a soul-collecting messenger and granted the power of the underworld, giving the Japanese government a valuable asset.

While other superhumans may not have the same enhanced attack on spirits as Dr. Satomi, their attacks, which incorporate spiritual energy, are equally effective against evil spirits.

As the number one transcendent being on Earth, the Uchiha Sage Sect could easily suppress a newly formed evil spirit.

Despite being his uncle, the Uchiha clan showed no mercy whatsoever.

As the author of "The Three Ironclad Rules Regarding Type B 'Evil Spirits' and Necessary Countermeasures," Uchiha Senmon understood the characteristics of evil spirits—a terror that should not exist in the human world.

If Uncle refuses to become a Buddha, the Uchiha sect wouldn't mind sending him on his way.

"Shhh."

Uchiha Senmon put a finger to his lips to signal them to be quiet, then pressed the fingers of his other hand to the ground, closed his eyes slightly, and entered sensory mode.

The others noticed the solemn expression on Uchiha Senmon's face and realized that something had happened. They all held their breath and dared not even breathe loudly.

For a moment, apart from the pattering of raindrops on the eaves, there was no sound in the mourning hall.

"BOOM—!!!"

The atmosphere inside the room was already very tense, but the sudden clap of thunder made everyone's scalp tingle and their livers and gallbladders tremble. They almost collapsed to the ground with their legs weak.

"What the hell is this weather...?"

Sakaki Nami was still in shock and couldn't help but mutter a few words. The next moment, her body froze, her eyes fixed on the front, and a chill ran straight to the top of her head.

Standing before the coffin was a hunched old man, his face flickering in the candlelight.

His—no, it should be its—face was strikingly identical to the portrait in front of the mourning hall!

Sakaki Nami shuddered, biting her lip tightly, almost crying out.

"This is a ghost!!!"

"Oh my god!"

The other surviving family members did not have such good mental fortitude. When they saw the ghostly figure that unexpectedly appeared in the wind and rain, they were so frightened that their faces turned ashen and their souls almost left their bodies.

Although everyone was keeping vigil for Uncle Uchiha, if the dead were to actually return to life, it wouldn't be a pleasant surprise, but a terrifying one.

"It's my father-in-law's ghost! Quick, call the paranormal department for help! There's a paranormal event happening here!"

"You idiot, why go to all this trouble? Uchiha Captain is right here."

The terrified family members finally snapped out of their daze, realizing that the head of the Supernatural Police Department was present at the scene, and scrambled to hide behind Uchiha Senmon.

"Please rest assured, everyone. With Minister Uchiha here, everything will be fine."

Assistant Ichimaru, who had been squinting, opened his eyes and, while calmly reassuring everyone, instructed the other members in black suits to take action.

Remembering the strength of the Uchiha clan leader, the number one superhuman, everyone suddenly found their backbone, their minds settled, and they were no longer as absent-minded as before.

Sakaki Nami peeked out from behind Uchiha Senmon and glanced at the soles of 'Uncle's' feet.

There was no shadow; was it really a ghost?

"Dad, is there anything you haven't wished for? Please tell me, and I will definitely do it for you."

"Uchiha Uncle's adopted daughter choked up."

It's no use, 'Uncle' won't respond.

Uchiha Sage's secret passage.

The defining characteristic of evil spirits is that they are devoid of emotion and reason, and are incapable of communication.

Based on fragmentary words from the cat demon, a messenger of hell, and existing clues, experts speculate that the spirits that appeared after the mysterious resurrection may be due to the reversal of yin and yang, with only a portion of their souls returning to the underworld. Those lingering in the human world are incomplete remnants, thus unable to recognize their own family.

"I'm sorry, Uncle."

Uchiha Senmon raised his hand, preparing to send the deceased back to the Pure Land of Bliss.

"well……"

The spirit of the dead let out a long sigh and slowly turned around.

How is that possible?!

The Uchiha Immortal Sect was struck dumb, nearly awakening their Sharingan.

Uncle's eyes were not those of a mad, cold-blooded evil spirit as perceived by the Uchiha Sage Clan, but rather those of a living person with profound wisdom and a life of experience.

My uncle's spirit is rational!

The idea popped into the head of the Uchiha Immortal Sect in an instant.

The spirit of the deceased uncle gave Uchiha Senmon a deep look, said nothing, and drifted away, passing through the gate.

"Uncle! Please wait!"

Unable to suppress the trembling in his body, Uchiha Senmon immediately rushed out the door and chased after him.

The moment they rushed out of the old house, Uchiha Senmon immediately sensed that something was wrong.

Outside, there was thunder and lightning, and a torrential downpour, but now there was no sound, and the air was not humid. Looking out, there was an unfamiliar mountain forest shrouded in a gloomy, gray mist, dark and deep.

"This isn't my hometown..." Uchiha Senmon's face was ashen.

Stepping out of my uncle's courtyard, across the street lies a flat expanse of paddy fields.

Uchiha Senmon looked up and saw his uncle's ghost floating along the mountain path, slowly making its way to the summit.

In the cold, gray fog, the outline of a familiar mountain appeared before him.

"Mount Fuji!"

Even though they had seen many grand occasions, the Uchiha Immortal Sect couldn't help but show a hint of disbelief.

"Looking at a mountain can make a horse run itself to death." The village is located in Arakawa-dake, which offers a view of Mount Fuji, but it is a full 50 kilometers away from Mount Fuji.

How could we have arrived at Mount Fuji in the blink of an eye?

Just then, a commotion suddenly came from behind Uchiha Senmon. He frowned and saw that Sakaki Namiru, Ichimaru's assistant, and the others had all come out in pursuit.

"What's going on? Why aren't you all staying inside?" Uchiha Senmon asked sternly.

"Brother-in-law, after you rushed out, the old house disappeared without us knowing. When we came to our senses, we inexplicably found ourselves in this mountain forest."

Sakaki Nami and the others looked aggrieved and confused.

Soon someone recognized the world-famous Mount Fuji and exclaimed in disbelief:

"Isn't this Mount Fuji? No way, we've suddenly arrived at Mount Fuji?!"

"Could it be that I fell asleep during the vigil and am still dreaming?"

Ichimaru's assistant approached with several men in black suits and whispered to Uchiha Senmon:

"Minister, I have tried to contact the outside world, but there is absolutely no signal."

The Supernatural Police Department is equipped with top-of-the-line communication equipment, sparing no expense. And Mount Fuji, as a tourist destination, is by no means a remote, untouched forest, so the signal is absolutely guaranteed.

"Judging from our surroundings, this should be the fourth station area near the mountainside of Mount Fuji."

Even Ichimaru's assistant, who always wore a fake smile, couldn't help but become serious and look down the mountain.

"From here, one could instinctively see the city lights twinkling below Mount Fuji, but now it's pitch black, a desolate and lifeless landscape. I suspect we might have been led into..."

"A secret realm!"

Uchiha Senmon said, enunciating each word clearly.

In the blink of an eye, after traversing a hundred miles, they arrived at what appeared to be Mount Fuji, where electronic signals were completely cut off.

The surroundings were filled with a strange and eerie atmosphere, unlike anything in the human world.

Judging from various clues, they may have been led into a secret realm located between reality and illusion.

Uchiha Senmon frowned, a thoughtful look appearing in his eyes, and murmured:

"Mount Fuji, Mount Fuji... Could it be...?"

Turning my head again, I saw that my uncle's soul had floated higher and higher, drifting further and further away.

"Come with me."

The Uchiha Immortal Sect acted decisively, made some simple arrangements, and then eagerly chased after their uncle's soul.

Even if Assistant Ichimaru and the other super police officers are armed, they may not be able to guarantee the safety of the bereaved families and Namiryu Sakaki in a place that is suspected to be a secret location.

However, the Uchiha clan was eager to find out the truth and could not stay to protect them, so they could only bring these burdens along.

Department Head Uchiha Inui made the decision unilaterally, and no one dared to object, so they followed in his footsteps.

Along the way, Uchiha Senmon called out several times, trying to awaken his uncle's soul, but the latter remained silent and kept on his way.

In the group of fewer than ten people, the person at the front of the group used a mobile phone to turn on a searchlight for illumination, while the person at the back was a member of the Supernatural Police Department with a gun.

Fortunately, Uncle Uchiha's soul didn't float and move very fast, otherwise someone might not have been able to keep up with it on the dark road.

"Huff, huff huff huff—"

A lingering, eerie mist hung in the air, and the twisted branches of the trees stretched out like the claws of ghosts. The wind whistled through the forest, creating a strange and unsettling atmosphere.

This sent chills down everyone's spines, and the cold seeped into their very bones.

"Ugh, is this still the human world? Or is this Yomotsu Hirasaka...?"

After walking for only ten minutes, some people couldn't hold on any longer and said in a tearful voice:

"Why are you taking us up this mountain? Are you trying to make us all Buddhas? I don't want to die..."

Just as the ancient Chinese believed that Mount Tai was the resting place of the soul, before the concept of becoming a Buddha was formed after the introduction of Buddhism, the Japanese believed that the souls of their ancestors would wander to the mountains after their death.

The mountaintop is considered the "other world," a sacred place where gods and ancestors lived together.

An atmosphere of unease and terror immediately filled the ranks.

"What's there to be afraid of? With your brother-in-law here, even if there are some monsters or demons, he can crush them with one hand!"

Nami Sakaki, on the other hand, was in high spirits and very optimistic, encouraging the disheartened bereaved family members.

Although the atmosphere was terrifying, the journey was relatively peaceful and no accidents occurred.

After walking for another ten minutes or so, we turned around a hill.

Looking around, nestled in a grove of trees of varying heights and densities, an ancient and mysterious little shrine came into view.

"A shrine? Is it Asama Shrine? The Asama Shrine on the mountainside of Mount Fuji isn't here..."

"Fool! This shrine emblem isn't from Asama Shrine, yet I've never seen it before."

Uchiha Senmon stared at the fan-shaped divine emblem on the torii gate, his heart trembled, and then a surge of wild joy welled up within him.

He had seen the exact same pattern on the back of Itachi Uchiha's casual clothes that day, which Itachi Uchiha called the Uchiha clan crest.

Without a doubt, the small shrine in front of us is the Naga Shrine that the Uchiha Sage Sect has been searching for but could not find!

"Itachi Uchiha said that the Uchiha clan's ancestral home, the Naka Shrine, was located inside Mount Fuji. So it wasn't the actual Mount Fuji, but here?" Senmon Uchiha wondered.

"It's a 'divine torii gate,' and it has a very old-fashioned style."

Assistant Ichimaru carefully examined the Nanga Shrine, a strange light gleaming in his narrow eyes.

Japanese shrine torii gates are divided into two main categories: Shinmei torii and Myojin torii. The way to distinguish them is very simple: just look at the horizontal bar at the top.

The Shinmei Torii is the oldest and most primitive torii gate in Japan. It has a simple appearance and is mainly made of wood, with the top section being a simple horizontal bar. After Buddhism was introduced to Japan, the decoration of religious buildings became more ornate. The Shinmei Torii is characterized by its upward-curving top bar and more refined decorative details.

This ancient shrine was probably not intentionally aged; its history most likely dates back to before the Heian period, and its historical value is unimaginable.

Moreover, it's a shrine located in a secret realm, so it must be extraordinary. Perhaps it contains extraordinary items preserved from the age of gods, or even extraordinary legacies!

"I'll go ahead and scout ahead; you all stay here."

The Uchiha Sage gave the order without room for argument, while the others looked at each other, somewhat at a loss.

"Wood Release: Four Pillars Technique!"

Uchiha Senmon formed hand seals and pressed them to the ground, instantly creating a thick and complex wooden house that surrounded everyone inside.

"You should stay in the Four Pillars' house for now. It won't be easy for a regular attack to break through its walls in a short time. I will sense any movement immediately and come to your aid."

Unable to hide his excitement, Uchiha Senmon followed closely behind his uncle's ghost, climbing the steps and crossing the torii gate.

However, Uchiha Senmon was unaware that after he entered the Naga Shrine, a dark figure slipped out of the window of the Four Pillars' house.

A minute later, another dark figure jumped down...

(End of this chapter)