I became Hokage in Tokyo

Chapter 371 Chapter 372 Izanagi

Following closely behind his uncle's soul, Uchiha Senmon ascended the stone steps and stopped just before crossing the torii gate.

In the standard layout of Japanese shrines, there is always a torii gate directly in front of the shrine, marking the boundary between humans and gods. Crossing the torii gate is considered entering the sacred realm.

Looking inward from the ancient torii gate, the entire layout of the shrine can be seen.

Nanga Shrine is not large, and could even be described as simple. The approach is only a dozen meters long, and there are no stone lanterns on either side of the approach that are common in Japanese shrines today.

"Stone lanterns are a unique product of temples after Buddhism was introduced to Japan in the sixth century AD. Shrines only began to erect lanterns after the Heian period."

Uchiha Senmon's eyes flashed, and he remained silent for a moment: "There are also ancient-style torii gates. In that case, the history of Naga Shrine must be much longer than the Heian period when the Age of Gods ended."

After all, this is the territory of the Uchiha clan, which is renowned even in the Heavenly Realm, and its history dates back to before Christ, so it is not surprising.

"If it weren't for following my uncle's spirit, even digging three feet into the ground wouldn't have been enough to reach the Nanga Shrine. But how did my uncle know the location of the Nanga Shrine? Could he really be the keeper of the family's secrets?"

Uchiha Senmon's mind wandered uncontrollably, but he quickly dismissed his wild thoughts.

In the previous years, Uchiha Senmon returned to his hometown several times, trying to subtly probe his uncle, but to no avail. Unwilling to give up, he secretly used his Sharingan to spy on him.

Although Uchiha Senmon only had two tomoe at the time, he had already figured out the Sharingan's abilities, which allowed him to see through the spiritual energy (chakra) within other people's bodies.

No matter how you look at it, Uncle has no extraordinary power in his limbs or bones; he is simply an old man on the verge of death.

Unless his uncle's strength far surpasses his own, reaching the Kage level, it's impossible to deceive everyone!

According to Jiraiya, the Toad Sage, the Age of Gods only began after 1990 (Heisei 19), because before that, the laws of nature on Earth did not allow for extraordinary beings.

After the Age of Gods ended, the extraordinary beings remaining on Earth could only survive for a little over a thousand years by sealing themselves in slumber.

If my uncle is a Kage-level powerhouse, it means he's an ancient monster left over from the Age of Gods...

According to the Uchiha Sage's secret investigation into his uncle's life and career, this possibility was directly refuted.

Or perhaps it's that my great-uncle, even in his seventies, was still vigorous and strong, cultivating himself into a Shadow-level expert in just over a decade.

Impossible, absolutely impossible!

Uchiha's uncle was just an ordinary person in life, and knew nothing about the extraordinary. However, after his death, he found the Naka Shrine without any teacher. The most likely reason is that his soul was summoned back to the Naka Shrine.

As the ancestral home of the Uchiha clan, the Nanga Shrine may also be the final resting place of the Uchiha clan after their deaths.

Perhaps the souls of my father and grandfather, who passed away many years ago, also rest in peace at the Nanga Shrine.

A thousand thoughts raced through Uchiha Senmon's mind, but in reality, only a few moments had passed before Uchiha's uncle's soul floated across the path to the Naka Shrine and disappeared into the main hall.

The Uchiha Sage Sect knew almost nothing about the Nanga Shrine. The Nanga Shrine had been sealed away for at least a thousand years after the end of the Age of Gods, shrouded in mystery, and it was hard to say whether it was some kind of ominous place forbidden to the living.

A fleeting look of hesitation crossed his eyes, but the Uchiha Senmon were determined to venture into the Nanga Shrine.

The secret of the Uchiha clan has always been a mystery surrounding Uchiha Senmon, causing him to toss and turn at night, feeling like he had a fishbone stuck in his throat. Now that such a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity is presented to him, he absolutely cannot miss it.

Moreover, I am a descendant of the Uchiha clan. If my ancestors truly have spirits, they wouldn't have gone so far as to exterminate us all.

Most importantly, Uchiha Senmon, who has mastered Wood Release and Sage Mode, is already a near-Kage level transcendent. Even if the situation changes, he will not be completely defenseless.

"Smack."

With a sigh of relief, Uchiha Senmon clasped his hands together and bowed to the shrine in front of the torii gate.

"Excuse me for bothering you, I've arrived."

Without further hesitation, he walked briskly along the side of the approach to the worship hall of Nanga Shrine.

Only deities are allowed to walk in the center of the path for worship. Ordinary people can only walk on the sides to avoid offending the deities and to express their humility and piety.

There were no water fountains for purification rituals along the approach to Nanga Shrine, but the Uchiha Senmon didn't think much of it. After all, it was a shrine from the Age of Gods, and its layout was different from modern ones, so it was not surprising at all.

However, just as Uchiha Senmon was about to enter the worship hall, his eyes narrowed and he stared at a stone sculpture in front of the hall that resembled a dog but was not quite a dog.

"This is... a komainu?"

In Japanese shrines, one can often see a pair of stone beasts that resemble neither dogs nor lions. These are sacred beasts called Komainu, which serve as guardian deities and protectors from evil spirits. They are also regarded as messengers of the gods.

Seeing the komainu at the Nanga Shrine surprised Senmon Uchiha.

It is generally believed that the culture of komainu (guardian dog) in Japan was introduced from China to Japan via the peninsula along with Buddhism, and then the shrines in Japan followed suit.

I had thought that Nanga Shrine had preserved the original flavor of an ancient local shrine, but it was inevitably influenced by Buddhist culture.

Therefore, the history of Nanga Shrine may not be as ancient as Uchiha Senmon has deduced.

"No, this isn't a komainu, it's a fox! And a nine-tailed fox!"

Uchiha Senmon's expression changed, and he blurted out.

Not all shrines have komainu (guardian dog) as their guardian deity. The stone animals in front of Japanese shrines are diverse. For example, the famous Inari Shrine has a fox as its guardian deity, while Tenmangu Shrine has a cow.

After a closer look, Uchiha Senmon was surprised to find that the stone beast in front of the Naga Shrine was not only shaped like a fox, but also had nine tails curled into a ball behind it.

"Is the Nine-Tailed Fox a messenger of the Naka Shrine? Or is there some connection between the Nine-Tailed Fox and the Uchiha clan?"

The fact that the Nanga Shrine placed a stone statue of the Nine-Tailed Fox in front of its main hall must not have been without reason; there must be a deeper meaning behind it. However, the Uchiha Senmon were unaware of what it was implying.

"call."

A bead of cold sweat broke out on Uchiha Senmon's forehead, his breathing became heavy, and he felt that he might have discovered an incredible secret.

The Nine-Tailed Fox was one of the culprits that led to the destruction of the Age of Gods. It possessed terrifying power that even gods and Buddhas feared. The Akatsuki organization stirred up trouble on Earth in order to find the whereabouts of the Nine-Tailed Fox.

During the three years of the Jedi Tendō, a secret mission of the Supernatural Police Department was to search for all clues about Tamamo-no-Mae, the Jinchūriki of the Nine-Tailed Fox.

According to the expert group's deduction, the Nine-Tailed Fox's strength is definitely above that of a Kage-level powerhouse, and at least on par with the Lord of Mount Tai as a super-Kage-level existence.

Even more audacious is the assumption that the Nine-Tailed Fox is stronger than the Lord of Mount Tai!

Otherwise, why would the Akatsuki organization, which gathers many Kage-level powerhouses, go to such lengths to search for the Nine-Tails, even at the cost of making enemies of the entire Celestial Realm?

It is highly likely that once the Akatsuki obtains the power of the Nine-Tails, they will have the confidence to overturn the power structure of the Celestial Realm.

Is the Uchiha clan also coveting the power of the Nine-Tails?

Or perhaps the Nine-Tails' power has already been obtained by the Uchiha clan?

"Sigh, what am I thinking? The Akatsuki has two Uchiha members, Itachi and Tobi. If the Nine-Tailed Fox is really in the hands of the Uchiha clan, why would they waste their energy searching Japan?"

Uchiha Senmon shook his head, as if trying to shake off these unrealistic thoughts.

"Furthermore, with my current strength, it's simply unrealistic to try and uncover great secrets like the destruction of the Age of Gods or the Nine-Tailed Fox. I should take this opportunity to look for records about the Uchiha clan at the Naka Shrine."

Uchiha Senmon's body was tense as he tiptoed into the Naga Shrine. He cautiously looked around, only to find it empty, with no trace of his uncle's spirit.

"There's nothing there...?"

Uchiha Senmon looked around. The Naga Shrine was surprisingly simple and empty, with only tatami mats on the floor.

But where did Uncle's soul go?

Uchiha Senmon knelt on the ground, pressed his right index finger on the tatami mat, squinted one eye, and entered perception mode.

"Hmm, there seems to be a hidden secret beneath this tatami mat."

Uchiha Senmon walked to the seventh tatami mat from the far right of the main hall, lifted the tatami mat, and revealed a giant stone slab hidden underneath.

"Is the secret of the Uchiha clan hidden here?"

In the center of the stone slab is the black three-pointed star of the Sharingan, surrounded by mysterious and profound black runes.

Uchiha Senmon frowned, placed his hand on the stone slab, and exerted his strength, but the stone slab seemed to be embedded in the earth and did not move at all.

Uchiha Senmon had a premonition that even if he used all his strength, he wouldn't be able to budge it in the slightest.

Gazing at the three-tomoe pattern on the stone slab, Uchiha Senmon was struck by a sudden inspiration, and a plan came to mind.

Uchiha Senmon opened and closed his eyes, a scarlet halo appearing in them. Three black tomoe swirled around the pupils of each eye as he tried to channel the Sharingan's power into the stone slab.

"boom!"

With a rumble, the stone slab slowly moved aside.

"It can only be activated with the Sharingan."

I never expected that my desperate attempt would actually work; I'm really lucky.

Uchiha Senmon smiled broadly.

"The tatami mats are just a simple disguise; the real key is, as expected, the eyes of the Uchiha clan."

The secret passage hidden in the Naga Shrine opened, and Uchiha Senmon looked down. It was a stone staircase carved directly from the rock strata, stretching all the way down into the dark and unknown depths of the underground, like an entrance to the abyss.

Having come this far, how can we give up halfway?

Uchiha Senmon licked his fingers and put his hand into the secret passage. The saliva on his fingers dried, and there was a slight breeze flowing inside the passage.

He nodded, his eyes flashing with an eerie bloodlust, and strode firmly up the steps, descending downwards.

Da da da.

Inside the dark and gloomy secret passage, Uchiha Senmon remained silent, descending step by step, with only the echo of his footsteps resounding for a moment.

He held a small fireball on his index finger, which flickered like a candle in the wind, seemingly about to go out at any moment.

This dark and mysterious passage seems to have no end, and it can bring a lot of mental pressure to ordinary people.

The Uchiha Immortal Sect remained calm and composed, showing no signs of panic.

He had only walked for three minutes; he still possessed that level of composure.

"Huh, what's this?"

When Uchiha Senmon reached the latter half of the staircase, he noticed patterns that hadn't appeared on the walls before.

He couldn't resist pressing against it, and the fireball in his hand immediately shone brightly, illuminating the wall in every detail.

On the wall were several simple murals depicting figures, with a semi-transparent structure that revealed the lines flowing through the veins of the human body.

The figures in the mural, like a comic strip, are making different hand gestures in turn.

There were also several lines of mysterious, unidentified text nearby.

"I can actually understand it... This is the Mirror of Heaven and Earth Technique!"

Uchiha Senmon's expression changed in surprise, and he spoke slowly and deliberately.

He was quite certain he had never seen this script before, and he wasn't even sure if it was the script of any known civilization on Earth.

However, when Uchiha Senmon looked at it with his Sharingan, he naturally understood the meaning of the text.

This is a unique eye technique exclusive to the Uchiha clan.

The Mirror of Heaven and Earth Technique can break illusions cast on oneself by enemies and reflect their effects back completely.

"The Legacy of the Uchiha Clan!"

Uchiha Senmon's heart pounded, and even with his composure, he felt a sudden dryness in his mouth.

He quickly walked down a dozen or so steps, and looking around, sure enough, another set of murals appeared before his eyes.

The art of shackles and cangues!

The Uchiha Immortal Sect was overjoyed.

Although he had awakened the three-tomoe Sharingan, the Uchiha clan of Japan had long forgotten their origins and extraordinary heritage.

The Uchiha Sage could be considered a latecomer to the Sharingan, because due to Itachi and Tobi, they couldn't even reveal their Sharingan abilities to outsiders and had to figure them out on their own.

"Just as I thought! A mysterious and extraordinary clan like the Uchiha clan is definitely not that simple; they must have their own set of techniques."

Unable to conceal the burning desire in his eyes, the Uchiha Immortal Sect continued downwards.

Every ten or so steps, the walls would display mysterious characters recording the abilities and eye techniques of the Sharingan.

The Uchiha Immortal Sect was both surprised and delighted, but the more they looked, the more horrifying it became.

"It's terrifying! Even a strong person of the same level will inevitably suffer a great loss if they make eye contact with the Sharingan, and the outcome can be decided in a single glance."

Uchiha Senmon keenly noticed a detail: the figures in the mural all had three-tomoe eyes.

These eye techniques can probably only be learned after one unlocks the three-tomoe (three-tomoe) ability.

The Uchiha clan's powerful eye techniques, recorded on the murals alone, made the trip worthwhile for the Uchiha Immortal Sect.

"But why are they all genjutsu-type eye techniques? Could it be that the Sharingan is essentially a hypnotic eye?"

"A forbidden technique capable of determining fate..."

As they passed a new set of murals, Uchiha Senmon stopped, his face filled with surprise and uncertainty.

"His name is Izanagi?"

(End of this chapter)