I became Hokage in Tokyo

Chapters 421 & 422: The Impure Body Cannot Shed Tears

The following day, Yokosuka Port, Kanagawa Prefecture.

On the night of the Night Parade of One Hundred Demons, a whole squadron of armed helicopters arrived, and the entire Yokosuka Port was put into a state of war, under martial law. Soldiers armed to the teeth were stationed every three steps and sentries every five steps, and the ubiquitous drones in the sky ensured that there were no blind spots.

After the main experimental projects were moved to the mainland in the first year of the Extraordinary Era, Yokosuka Port hadn't been this lively for a long time.

The Japanese government originally wanted to send the unique sample, which had been resurrected through Edo Tensei, to the Self-Defense Forces base in Maizuru Bay, Kyoto, but the United States was adamant and unreasonable, forcibly taking it away from them.

The Japanese side cursed the Americans as bastards in their hearts, but their bodies obediently handed over Kazumasa Takahashi.

However, the US was also wary that what Abe Seimei had sent was a time bomb hidden in a gift box, so they first placed the person at the US military base in Yokosuka, Japan.

"OMG! It really is a resurrection! It's practically a miracle!"

"Such a peculiar form of existence, without a heartbeat, pulse, or blood, vanishing into thin air the moment it's separated from its body when its surface tissue is extracted... It's bizarre, utterly bizarre. I think it's more like the devil's trick!"

"The body was composed entirely of dust and paper scraps. X-ray examination revealed no organs, bones, or any trace of Mrs. Morinaga, who was sacrificed as a human offering."

"The resurrected one feels no pain, nor does he feel hunger or thirst, but his five senses are almost identical to those of an ordinary person."

A group of elderly scientists, including Japanese with yellow skin and Europeans with deep-set eyes and high noses, including Nobel Prize winners, were whispering among themselves while holding medical reports.

Despite having stayed up all night, these highly intelligent human brains showed no signs of fatigue, remaining incredibly excited and enthusiastic.

"Although superhumans no longer abide by the law of conservation of energy, they still need to consume a lot of energy to maintain their physical strength, otherwise they cannot use their amazing superhuman abilities."

A bald German physicist excitedly pushed up his glasses, almost jumping for joy:

"And the resurrected go even further, needing neither food nor water. This... is practically a perpetual motion machine!"

Although times have changed and the laws of physics have been ravaged by supernatural beings, the research topics and projects they currently have are already proving incredibly difficult for these scientists, who are racking their brains over them.

However, they were fascinated by the mysterious realms of resurrection and perpetual motion machines.

When will we be able to meet Takahashi in person?

Some people are eager to go further and want to conduct research on Kazumasa Takahashi.

Moreover, he is now immortal as dust, so even dissecting him for research shouldn't be a problem.

"Please wait a moment, Mr. Takahashi is currently meeting with family and friends," said a staff member at the experimental center.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the base, in a laboratory that had been temporarily converted into guest rooms.

"Huffing and puffing."

With his ashen skin and dark eyes, Kazumasa Takahashi sat at the dining table, slurping up large mouthfuls of ramen and then drinking the broth in one gulp.

"Mr. Takahashi, would you like another bowl? Whatever your meal, we can prepare it for you right away."

The official in waiter's uniform beside him smiled obsequiously.

"No need, it's already so full, I'll throw up if I eat any more."

Kazumasa Takahashi waved his hand, then touched his stomach, smacked his lips, and looked at him strangely.

"Although you can taste the flavor, you don't feel hungry or full; it's just stuffing food into your stomach."

As he spoke, Takahashi Kazumasa's expression darkened. Looking at his cracked hands, he lowered his head listlessly and murmured:

"So I really am dead..."

Kazumasa Takahashi drowned unexpectedly before the first year of the Extraordinary Era, and in the blink of an eye, he found himself four years in the future.

The Japanese government told him that times had changed and he had been resurrected, which was like a cataclysmic event for Kazumasa Takahashi, as if the world had been transformed.

Even if a cartoonist has a rich imagination and an optimistic attitude, they may not be able to accept it immediately.

However, with the strong reassurance of psychologists and negotiation experts sent by the Japanese government, Kazumasa Takahashi regained some of his composure.

Most importantly, what sustained Kazumasa Takahashi was the desire to make up for the regret of leaving his family and friends without saying goodbye before his death.

"Mr. Takahashi, please perk up, look who's here."

The waiter immediately cleared away the tableware and opened the door, where a mother and son, looking nervous yet expectant, were welcomed in.

The moment they saw Kazumasa Takahashi, their eyes reddened, their lips trembled, and they finally couldn't help but gasp in surprise:

"Ichiya!"

"dad!"

Upon hearing the sound, Kazumasa Takahashi was struck dumb, tears welling up in his eyes. He rushed forward and embraced his wife and son, weeping bitterly.

"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry! It's all my fault!"

"Waaaaah, Yi-Ya, I'll never complain about you going to play cards with your friends again, waaaaah!"

"Daddy, Daddy!"

The family, reunited after being separated by life and death, hugged each other and wept bitterly.

Even such a touching scene could not shake the cold, scrutinizing eyes behind the thick glass curtain wall.

Unlike the top scientists from the science department who were waiting in another room, the people here were all experts and scholars in the humanities and social sciences, such as psychologists, psychoanalysts, and profilers, who collaborate with the Paranormal Police Department.

"How can you shed tears if you don't bleed?"

The dead who are resurrected through the Impure World Reincarnation no longer have flesh and blood bodies; even if they are torn to pieces, they will not bleed or shed tears.

However, under special circumstances, blood and tears can also be shed.

For example, when the reanimated Itachi used Amaterasu, his eyes bled; and when the reanimated Fourth Kazekage and Hokage witnessed their sons' growth, their eyes glistened with tears.

"After all, Kazumasa Takahashi is a dead man who has returned from the underworld. His body is made of dust. Wouldn't there be any hidden dangers if we shared a room with him?" The psychologist who asked this question was already showing some humanity.

"There shouldn't be any problem, but just to be on the safe side, the Self-Defense Force soldiers who escorted Kazumasa Takahashi have been quarantined."

Someone said in a deep voice, "Stop talking about these trivial things. Don't forget our job: to confirm whether the deceased is really Kazumasa Takahashi."

A veteran forensic investigator with years of experience at the Metropolitan Police Department flipped through Kazumasa Takahashi's file, making notes and nodding as he did so.

"His dietary preferences, verbal tics, daily habits, and gait are all consistent with his life before death. However, further investigation is still needed."

Besides Kazumasa Takahashi's wife and children, the Japanese government has also gathered information on his childhood classmates and friends, editors at Shueisha, and even the people he saved before his drowning—anyone who appeared in Kazumasa Takahashi's social network during his lifetime.

The Japanese government has even secretly exhumed the ashes of Kazumasa Takahashi himself from his grave.

According to the plan, they will be arranged to meet with the resurrected Kazumasa Takahashi.

The purpose was ostensibly to allow Kazumasa Takahashi to fulfill his regrets from his previous life, but in reality, it was to verify his true identity.

If the resurrected Kazumasa Takahashi is merely a facade, or a wandering ghost bearing his appearance, he will definitely reveal his true colors under the bombardment of such interpersonal interactions.

"Before his death, Kazumasa Takahashi had a new manga project that was only half-finished. Could you have asked him to finish it? If it was a fake, he couldn't have drawn it."

"You're so cruel to keep updating even after you're dead! But it's a viable solution."

A group of experts, carefree and laughing, chatted and joked.

-

Meanwhile, in Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo.

The Prime Minister's official residence meeting room was shrouded in gloom, the atmosphere so heavy it was almost suffocating.

Every man who appears here can shake the Japanese political scene with a stomp of his foot.

Such high-level meetings were held one after another after Abe Seimei appeared.

Although they are all powerful and influential figures in the outside world, they are now all frowning and looking as if they have lost their parents.

"Your Excellency, various countries have sent requests for meetings through their embassies, seeking more detailed information about the aftermath of the Night Parade of One Hundred Demons. Moreover..."

The Foreign Minister, with a bitter expression, swallowed hard and spoke to break the deadlock.

Last night, after Abe no Seimei launched the Night Parade of One Hundred Demons, achieving the first stage of her goal of bathing in the blood of a hundred demons in Kyoto to corrupt their souls, and announcing her insane plan that was ostensibly to save the world but in reality to exterminate humanity, she ignored everyone and gracefully departed.

The Japanese government certainly couldn't say that Abe no Seimei let them off the hook; the official story was that the Twelve Gods of the Supernatural Police Department repelled Abe no Seimei.

However, the claim that the Twelve Gods were being overwhelmed and in grave danger by Abe no Seimei before the live stream was interrupted is completely unconvincing.

"Other countries are also putting pressure on us. They are very curious about Takahashi Kazumasa, who was resurrected at the Taishan Fujun Festival, and hope to send a team of experts to Japan to study him together." The Minister of Foreign Affairs rubbed his temples and let out a long sigh.

"Especially those Asian countries that have ties with the Lord of Mount Tai, they all take it for granted that our country has an obligation to share the benefits of the Lord of Mount Tai Festival with them. Several ambassadors have made it clear that if our country refuses, they will join forces to impose sanctions. The pressure on our Ministry of Foreign Affairs is enormous..."

The Taishan Fujun Festival involves a great secret between life and death; the resurrection from the dead is no longer just a legend or myth, and it cannot help but stir the hearts and minds of political leaders from all countries.

There are even European countries that have seriously researched and concluded that the Lord of Mount Tai originated from their own country's deity, wanting to get a share of the pie.

"It's just a small matter."

The Prime Minister didn't even blink, and said in a nonchalant tone.

Under normal circumstances, the mere announcement of sanctions by Japan's neighboring countries would be enough to throw Japan into chaos and leave it in a state of utter disarray.

But what do mere economic sanctions amount to when a nation faces a life-or-death crisis of annihilation?!

The Prime Minister is now so indebted that he doesn't care anymore and has given up on everything!

That vicious and madwoman, Abe no Seimei, was so depraved as to want to exterminate all of humanity, and she even targeted Japan first.

This wave is a hundred times more harmful and widespread than the Kyoto Hyakki Yagyō (Night Parade of One Hundred Demons).

"Luckily, the live stream was stopped immediately, otherwise the consequences would have been unimaginable."

The Minister of Finance slammed his fist on the table, a look of relief on his face, and said...

Abe no Seimei's plan to destroy the world is still top secret.

If it had been made public at the time, it would have been like a bombshell that sank Japan.

Like the mass exodus that occurred in Kyoto before the Night Parade of One Hundred Demons, countless citizens would rush to flee overseas. The Japanese government would not have the capacity to accommodate 120 million citizens, and the Japanese economy would collapse instantly.

"The Self-Defense Force members near the battlefield have also been brought under control, but it is unknown how long this can be kept secret, given the large number of people involved."

Too many people, too much talk?

The Prime Minister frowned and looked at the Finance Minister, whose face looked completely innocent.

I think it's you bunch of parasites who are so loose-lipped and leaking information.

Although the Japanese government has unilaterally declared victory over the Hyakki Yagyō (Night Parade of One Hundred Demons), the Japanese stock market has been falling since the market opened today. The Prime Minister has heard rumors that many large conglomerates in the country have begun to transfer assets.

There are no secrets that stay hidden forever. Even if only cabinet ministers or other powerful figures know about something at the time, it will quickly spread to the next level of powerful figures and then it will no longer be a secret.

The Prime Minister was about to angrily denounce these scoundrels who were harming the country and its people, but as soon as he raised his hand, he slumped down and let it fall limply.

Because he did the same thing himself.

Alas, I never imagined that I would ride the wave of this extraordinary era, achieve great things, and finally pull Japan out of its forty-year economic downturn, only to end up with nothing but a monarch who lost his country... no, a prime minister who lost his country.

I should just pass this hot potato to someone else and escape to the United States as soon as possible to become a wealthy man.

"Is it possible that Abe no Seimei was just bluffing?"

Some people, believing they had grasped the truth, clenched their fists tightly and, as if possessed, swung them with all their might:

"Don't even mention 120 million citizens, even if there were 120 million pigs, Abe no Seimei couldn't possibly kill them all!"

Abe no Seimei's ultimate goal is known, but her plan is simply too crazy and involves too many people.

No matter how hard the powerful and experts racked their brains, they couldn't imagine how she could convert half of the 100 million Japanese people using the Taishan Fujun ritual.

"Minister Uchiha, what's your opinion?"

All eyes turned to Uchiha Senmon.

As the head of the Supernatural Police Department, he was undoubtedly the most qualified person to speak at the scene, compared to ordinary people who weren't even superhumans.

"Since Abe no Seimei dared to make such a declaration, he certainly wouldn't have made it without reason."

After a long silence, the Uchiha Sage finally spoke cautiously:

"Her mysterious appearances in Derna, North Africa, and Kyoto are most likely related to her plan to achieve immortality for all humanity through the Taishan Fujun Festival. However, the specific details will only be known when Tosu wakes up."

Tosu Hero has been cursed by Abe no Seimei and declared a contestant to participate in the first ritual.

The only way to break the deadlock is to enter the game and wait for the right opportunity, but we can't enter it now.

Just then, the door was knocked open, and Uchiha's assistant excitedly reported:

"Prime Minister, Minister Uchiha, Mr. Tosu has woken up."

(End of this chapter)