I became Hokage in Tokyo

Chapters 395 and 396: Last on the Heavenly Ranking, Second on the Human Ranking

University of Tokyo.

As school was about to end, Uchiha Naruto idly twirled his pen in his right hand. He inadvertently noticed that his deskmate, Jūmonji Hayato, was gritting his teeth, his eyes blazing with fury, and his fingers were flying across his iPhone, almost sparking.

"You're saying that Jeanne is stronger than Captain Uchiha because she can fly? What's so great about being able to fly! Even Black Angel Yamashita Tetsu can fly, but he still has to give way to Captain Uchiha."

Naruto Uchiha glanced over and saw the familiar, simple page, and suddenly realized what it meant.

"It's July now, and the MU forum's ranking of superhuman combat power has been updated again."

Seeing this, Uchiha Naruto also took out his phone and easily logged into a supernatural forum.

After the advent of the supernatural era, although Japan established official forums to popularize common knowledge about the mystical world and supernatural figures, various private supernatural forums still sprang up like mushrooms after rain due to distrust of the Japanese government.

After several years of competition, the famous Japanese occult magazine "MU" relied on its readership accumulated from its previous deep involvement in the paranormal field and, with its remarkable ability, invited eyewitnesses of extraordinary events such as Katori Amami and Tulio Hirota to register on the forum, thus becoming the largest and most "authoritative" paranormal forum in Japan.

According to the self-proclaimed claims of the MU forum, its daily active users both domestically and internationally are no less than ten million.

However, it is unknown how much of it is actually inflated. It is likely that only when extraordinary events occur and when the ranking of extraordinary combat power is re-established at the beginning of each month will there be that much traffic.

The battle between Guan Yu and Qin Qiong, or between King Arthur and Sasaki Kojiro, has always been a popular topic of conversation among people all over the world.

The energetic and somewhat hypocritical onlookers from various countries had already created a power ranking for the extraordinary individuals and gods as early as the first year of the Extraordinary Era.

"Ugh, this page is an eyesore no matter how many times I look at it."

The speed at which the Japanese internet updates is even slower than in reality; the MU forum seems like a product from over a decade ago, extremely crude and rudimentary.

Naruto Uchiha shook his head and then jumped to the forum's main page.

The most prominent features on the main page are the "Heavenly Ranking" and the "Human Ranking".

"The Heavenly Ranking has changed?"

As the name suggests, the Heavenly Ranking is a ranking list for extraordinary beings in the celestial realm. It is also called the Divine Ranking, which ranks the gods and demons who are beyond the ordinary humans on Earth.

The Human Ranking, officially known as the Earth Human Ranking, ranks the extraordinary talents of the new generation of humans in the Supernatural Police Department and the Eagle Organization.

After the "Severing the Heavenly Connection," Naruto Uchiha didn't create any new aliases for Kage-level powerhouses, so the Heavenly Ranking was fixed in the first year.

Now, however, the red color indicates a change, which surprised Naruto Uchiha.

Below the top-ranked Lord of Mount Tai, the number one on the Heavenly Ranking is the masked man, Afei.

1. Afei (Akatsuki).

2. Princess Kaguya.

3. Jiraiya the Toad Sage (Mount Myoboku).

4. Itachi (Akatsuki).

5. The Priestess of Penglai.

6. Yamata no Orochi (seven poems).

……

This list reveals a lot of interesting things.

The Japanese government claims it will reveal the whole truth to the people, but the pseudonyms of figures like Konohanasakuya and Orochimaru, which have been disclosed to the Japanese government but not made public, have disappeared from the Heavenly Ranking.

The world is unaware of the existence of these individuals.

The Japanese government talks a good game but doesn't deliver, and has been intentionally concealing some of the truth.

Uchiha Naruto chuckled and swiped the screen down, unconcerned.

The rankings on the Heavenly Rankings remained unchanged, except for the addition of one person at the end.

Set, the god of deserts and storms.

Naruto Uchiha's expression was subtle. He scrolled to the comments section and, sure enough, the argument was raging.

"Set is one of the Ennead of ancient Egypt, a formidable rival of Horus, how could he possibly be ranked last on the Heavenly Ranking?"

"Who told him to have such a terrible record, getting completely crushed by the Frankish woman?"

The latter half of the video, shot by a Black photographer, is currently only circulating within a small circle. For the general public who only watched the live broadcast, Seth's fate is to be beaten to a pulp by Jeanne.

"Seth's power couldn't possibly be that weak. It must be because he's just been resurrected and his divine power hasn't fully recovered, which is why Jeanne was able to exploit his weakness!"

"I think so too. Seth's true strength is at least in the top three of the Heavenly Ranking."

[The title of Uchiha's strongest is real]: "Hmph, Seth is but a speck of sand, not even worth a fraction of Uchiha Chief."

Under this ID's comment, there is a series of follow-up comments.

"I worship the master! The master is right!"

"Ugh, another brainless fan of the Uchiha Sage Clan. Can they please get out of the MU forum?"

"Excuse me, is that autograph of the Uchiha clan leader genuine? How much would you charge for it?"

Uh, Naruto Uchiha's expression was a little strange, and he couldn't help but glance at Hayato Jūmonji, who was writing furiously on the keyboard.

This user, whose username is "The Strongest Name of Uchiha is Real," is considered a top-tier figure on the MU forum, having previously posted a picture of Uchiha's autograph.

After verification by other experts, it was confirmed to be an authentic work, causing a sensation.

After all, the Uchiha Sage Sect rarely signs autographs for other people.

That "signature" was naturally familiar to Uchiha Naruto; it was the fake copy he had given to Jumonji using his Sharingan.

"How could Jeanne possibly be stronger than the Uchiha captain? You must be a sycophant, a foreign lackey!"

Unaware of his surroundings, Hayato Jūmonji got into a heated online argument.

Naruto Uchiha raised an eyebrow and clicked on the Human Ranking webpage.

Unlike the Heavenly Ranking, which remains unchanged for several years, the Human Ranking is re-determined by the forum based on the activity of extraordinary individuals, their achievements in the secret realm, and forum votes.

The recent battle of angels in Delna City is naturally the most popular topic on the forum.

The top spot on the leaderboard still belongs to the "Azure Dragon" Uchiha Senmon.

The second place has been changed to "Angel" Jeanne.

It's worth noting that although Jeanne was quite popular before, she was only known worldwide for her healing skills. She didn't show off her abilities and her combat strength was not highly regarded, always ranking outside the top ten on the list.

The following rankings are:

3. Yuji Kanbara (Twelve Divine Generals), Host of Asakusa

4. "Black Angel" Yamashita Tetsu (Eagle Organization).

5. "Kazekage" Tsukimi no Inaba (Hawk Organization).

6. Mineko Yuki (one of the Twelve Divine Generals) of the Vermilion Bird clan.

7. 'Monster' Bird Nest Hero (Twelve Divine Generals).

……

Naruto Uchiha was both amused and exasperated.

This is more of a popularity ranking than a combat power ranking.

The Heavenly Ranking is slightly more objective.

However, this is an inevitable consequence of information asymmetry.

Even though forum users with wildly imaginative ideas discuss the combat power of superhumans, writing lengthy articles, citing numerous sources, and presenting a whole set of theories, significant deviations are inevitable.

Uchiha Naruto is a long-time lurker; when he's on the forum, he basically doesn't say a word.

That said, some netizens on the forum were just spouting nonsense and making up facts, which actually gave Naruto Uchiha a lot of inspiration.

This is one of the reasons why he persisted with the Water forum.

"Phew, I've finally protected the glory of the Uchiha clan leader. Let's see how those bastards will spout nonsense after they're silenced." Jūmonji Hayato wiped the sweat from his brow, beaming with pride.

Seeing this, Naruto Uchiha couldn't help but twitch the corner of his mouth.

The debate between "The title of Uchiha's strongest is real" and other forum users was pushed to the front page.

Because of Jeanne's powerful combat performance after transforming into an angel, she surged to the top of the Heavenly Ranking, even shaking the position of the Uchiha Sage Sect's number one spot.

Some even suspect that Jeanne's strength has surpassed that of the Uchiha Senmon.

Jeanne is the number one superhuman on Earth!

Hayato Jūmonji, a die-hard fan of the Uchiha Sage, naturally wouldn't stand for it. He led his support group in a barrage of insults at Jeanne's fans, creating a huge uproar.

In the end, the administrators had to step in and ban them all.

"Ten-character, your account was also banned. Isn't this a case of hurting the enemy a thousand while losing eight hundred of your own?"

"Heh, no problem. My family has invested in the MU forum. I can get it unblocked right away with just one phone call."

Naruto Uchiha shrugged.

Well, having money and power means you can do whatever you want.

"By the way, the first semester is about to end. Uchiha, what are your plans for summer vacation?" Hayato Jūmonji suddenly asked.

Japanese universities typically start their academic year in early April and end in early July, with a summer vacation of about two months.

It's already early July, and the first semester will be over in about another week.

"I should be fine. Why are you asking?"

Uchiha Naruto pondered for a moment, then casually asked.

During summer vacation, Naruto Uchiha naturally had things to do.

For example, overseeing the restoration and reconstruction of the Uchiha ruins, and the four Shikotsumyaku test subjects that Jeanne rescued were also very interesting...

Most importantly, we need to advance the setup of the Great Barrier.

The great barrier set up in Kobe is almost complete, so we can choose the next city with ley lines.

For example, Kyoto, an ancient city with a history of over a thousand years, is not far from Kobe.

"Uchiha, could I visit your home when Minister Uchiha is home?"

Hayato Jūmonji rubbed his hands together, his face contorted with a fawning expression, and said:

"I really want to see Captain Uchiha in person. How wonderful it would be if he could talk to me..."

Naruto Uchiha made no attempt to hide his disgust.

There's no cure for brainwashed fans.

"Don't even think about it. I've only met Xianmen two or three times this year, and he definitely won't be going home for summer vacation."

A subtle, unusual glint flashed in Naruto Uchiha's eyes.

The Uchiha Sage Sect, focused on the Mount Tai Lord Festival, didn't have the time for that.

"Department Head Uchiha is so hardworking and amazing!"

Hayato Jūmonji was initially greatly disappointed, but then his face filled with emotion, and he choked up in an aria-like tone:

"He was so busy with work that he couldn't even take care of his family! It's because of the sacrifice of Minister Uchiha that Japan enjoys a peaceful and prosperous life. How dare those idiots on the forum slander and belittle him! Can they even be considered Japanese?"

Naruto Uchiha smirked, utterly speechless.

After school, Uchiha Naruto went to the archery club's dojo as usual.

"Zheng".

"Smack."

As usual, after calming his mind by shooting arrows, Uchiha Naruto withdrew his body and put down the bow.

"Takikawa-sensei."

"Uchiha, I'm relieved to see that you're in such good condition."

Takikawa 7th Dan walked over with a smile and said.

"Did you come here because of the Tokyo Metropolitan Student Archery League, Mr. Takikawa?"

Uchiha Naruto asked calmly.

He certainly remembered that he had promised Takikawa 7-dan that he would participate in the East-West confrontation of the National University Archery Championship individual competition.

Judging by the time, it should be about time.

"That's right, the date for the selection competition has been set for July 14th."

Takikawa 7th Dan nodded and said:

"The location is the same as last year, in Yawata City, Kyoto."

"Teacher, you mean Kyoto?"

Upon hearing this, Uchiha Naruto blinked, a look of confusion on his face.

Why is the Tokyo Metropolitan Student Archery Federation's selection process held in Kyoto?

"It is indeed strange, but it's a new rule that has only appeared in the last three years. Now all regional qualifying tournaments must be held at Iwashimizu Hachiman Shrine in Hachiman City, Kyoto."

Takikawa 7th Dan scratched his fluffy curly hair and said with a hint of helplessness:

"Uchiha, you see, this is the extraordinary era after all, and we have to pray to the gods and Buddhas for protection in everything. Maybe that's what the old men up there think. After all, Hachiman Daimyojin is the god of archery, so it's not an exaggeration to say that he is the patron god of our archery sport."

Hachiman Daimyojin has been widely worshipped by samurai families as the god of archery since ancient times.

From the time of Emperor Kinmei, Hachiman was regarded as an incarnation of Emperor Ōjin. Since the Heian period, influenced by the syncretism of Shinto and Buddhism, Hachiman became a guardian deity of Buddhism and was given the title Hachiman Daibosatsu.

Hachiman is the ancestral deity of the Japanese emperors, so the Minamoto clan, who originated from the imperial family, also took Hachiman as their clan deity. During the Kamakura period, as Minamoto no Yoritomo served as the shogun and established the Kamakura shogunate, Hachiman evolved into a war god and the guardian deity of the samurai family.

The preliminary rounds were held at Iwashimizu Hachimangu Shrine.

The final match will be held at Ise Grand Shrine.

This national university archery tournament really knows how to keep up with the times, praying for divine protection and creating a sense of ceremony.

A look of great interest appeared on Uchiha Naruto's face.

"Moreover, the divine crest of the Hachiman Daisuke Shrine is a black three-pointed star pattern similar to the Sharingan. What a coincidence."

"Of course, the school will cover all accommodation, meals, and transportation to Kyoto. Although it's just a small amount of money for you rich kids."

Takikawa, fearing that Uchiha Naruto might back out upon hearing that they were going to Kyoto, quickly spoke up:

"Our Tokyo Metropolitan Student Archery Federation has a good schedule. After the competition, there will still be enough time to participate in the Gion Festival, one of Japan's three major festivals."

"Is it the Gion Festival hosted by Yasaka Shrine?"

Uchiha Naruto suddenly spoke up and asked.

"Hmm, what's wrong?"

The Ox-Headed Heavenly King enshrined at Yasaka Shrine is also known as Susanoo.

Furthermore, if Naruto Uchiha remembers correctly, one of the divine crests of Yasaka Shrine is the same black three-pointed star crest as that of Hachiman Shrine.

"That's really interesting."

Naruto Uchiha's face lit up with eager anticipation, and a smirk appeared on his lips:

"There's a lot to be done on this trip to Kyoto."

(End of this chapter)