I became Hokage in Tokyo

Chapters 482 and 483: Shinra Tensei

Eye of the Moon, the plan?

The more than one hundred representatives from various countries present looked at each other with surprise and confusion on their faces.

"The city has so many skyscrapers, the desire to build them is as high as the Tower of Babel."

With a blank expression, Payne glanced at the towering, densely packed skyline outside the window, then changed the subject, saying:

"Behind the shadow of the Tower of Babel lie filthy slums, in the most prosperous cities of the world's most powerful nation."

The expressions on the representatives' faces grew increasingly strange, especially the eyelids of the US representative, which twitched incessantly.

"It's not just this country that's deformed; the whole world is the same."

"The homeless in one country can feast, while the common people on the other side of the sea have to fill their stomachs with mud cakes."

"Your human civilization has developed to the point where you boast of conquering the earth and looking toward the universe, yet you cannot see the billions of people around you suffering from hunger and starvation, or even living in constant fear of war."

The Frank representative couldn't help but speak up in defense:

"Although there are some conflicts in certain regions, the overall international situation is still one of peace and development..."

"So-called peace is nothing more than violence against other weak and small countries!"

Payne glanced at him, and the faint but palpable pressure he exerted made Frank's heart pound wildly, almost causing him to faint.

Payne's sudden accusation caused the representatives of the major powers present to frown.

Not only was he caught in the crossfire, but unlike the usual Akatsuki Kage-level powerhouses, Pain was quite knowledgeable about the international situation in modern society.

"Perhaps our country's past actions were not entirely correct, but the actions of your Akatsuki organization are unacceptable under any circumstances."

The US representative wiped away his cold sweat and, forcing a smile, said to Payne:

"Moreover, we are changing. Wars and conflicts around the world have been mediated, and peace has arrived."

"Is it that ridiculous crisis management committee?"

Payne, unconvinced, continued:

"You humans are only banding together for warmth because you fear the Uchiha clan and the threat of the apocalypse. Once the crisis is over, the countries will not hesitate to betray each other, fight amongst themselves, and go to war."

"No need to doubt or deny, this is human nature."

"This world is too naive, which is why it needs me, Payne, the god who restores order! I will bestow upon you unprecedented and lasting peace!"

The representatives from the various countries trembled slightly and exchanged glances with each other.

Payne's arrogant words, claiming to be a god and promising to bring peace, gradually took shape in their minds.

To put it nicely, Payne was a dreamer and an idealist.

He's actually a madman and a charlatan!

Payne's political views were quite extreme, and any one of his eloquent diplomats could easily refute this charlatan.

But even the most eloquent tongue cannot withstand the coldness of a sword.

What cannot be obtained on the battlefield is even less of a bargaining chip.

Payne is clearly the kind of person who doesn't listen to human speech, and what's even more terrifying is that he possesses the power to turn madness into reality!

Among the various national representatives with their differing expressions, the Japanese representative's expression was particularly unpredictable.

The last visionary similar to Payne was Ashiya Dōman, who disguised himself as Abe no Seimei.

He also had a sense of déjà vu about the Eye of the Moon project mentioned by Payne, which was the Tengenyuki game in which Ashiya Dōman tried to use Taizan-fukun to transform half of humanity into immortals.

What exactly is Project Eye of the Moon?

"After the nine tailed beasts merge into the ten-tailed beast, the Divine Tree will grow again, granting this turbulent world unprecedented peace."

Suspended in mid-air, Payne spoke with a solemn expression, enunciating each word clearly.

"But the resurrection of the divine tree won't involve absorbing all of humanity as nourishment to bear fruit..."

Frank swallowed hard, clinging to a sliver of hope, and asked:

"Could it be that it's not actually that scary?"

After all, the claim that the Divine Tree would exterminate humanity to produce immortal fruits after its resurrection is only the Uchiha clan's side of the story; no one else has actually witnessed it.

If the divine tree weren't so greedy, as long as half of humanity remained...

Frank represents a mind racing with thoughts.

No, even if it's only one in ten, some countries will definitely waver and be willing to surrender to Payne in exchange for a chance to survive.

"Since this is an unprecedented peace, all of humanity will naturally be bathed in divine grace."

Payne, disdaining to deceive everyone, stated matter-of-factly:

"For you humans, this is not death, but becoming one with the divine tree."

The Occult Bureau's doomsday information has once again confirmed the situation!

The representatives from various countries couldn't help but stir, exchanging glances with expressions of tension and unease.

Although Payne spoke in a nice tone, he was clearly admitting that the Divine Tree would absorb all of humanity.

What kind of bullshit peace is this?!

Well, if all of humanity were to become extinct, there would naturally be no more conflict or war, and in a sense, it would truly be an unprecedented world peace.

"You don't need to be so afraid. I've already said that this is not death, but eternal life."

Looking down at the changing expressions of the representatives from various countries, Payne calmly said:

"After the Divine Tree blooms, the power of the Mangekyou Sharingan will be reflected in the full moon, unleashing the great genjutsu of 'Infinite Tsukuyomi' across the globe, dragging all of humanity into a dream."

"Infinite Tsukuyomi is a dream that is infinitely more perfect than reality. Everyone's wishes will be fulfilled, and unprecedented peace will come. Everyone will be able to be happy."

"My Eye of the Moon Project aims to create a peaceful world free from hatred and resentment!"

Payne's words immediately caused an uproar in the room.

How utterly depraved!

Peace that exists in illusion, peace built on the sacrifice of all humanity, has no hope or dream, and is utterly meaningless.

Moreover, no matter how eloquently Pain described the illusionary dream, the Eye of the Moon Project was nothing more than a form of euthanasia for eight billion people.

The representatives from various countries, finding this unacceptable, began to stir, and the clamor and discussion grew louder and louder, reaching a fever pitch.

"Quiet."

Just then, Payne lowered his head, his eyes sweeping across the room, his indescribable aura stirring the entire audience.

As if their souls had been captured, everyone was terrified to the extreme, unable to even move their little fingers.

With just a glance, Payne could wipe out all the hundreds of people present.

They were immediately silenced.

"In the face of overwhelming power, any resistance is futile."

Payne's eyes flashed coldly as he delivered another heavy blow to their brains:

"Don't expect any reinforcements from the Celestial Realm. Although the Akatsuki has been destroyed, it has completed its mission, and the remnants of the Celestial Realm are now powerless to interfere in the mortal world."

Upon hearing this, everyone was stunned and speechless.

"Lord of Mount Tai, could it be that Lord of Mount Tai also...?"

The Japanese representative, eyes wide and sweating profusely, asked through gritted teeth.

He was incredibly brave, risking his life to gather intelligence.

"Lord Taishan is indeed a formidable enemy, capable of taking me, Pain, down with him. With the destruction of the Age of Gods and the upheavals of the heavens and earth, it is astonishing that such a giant could still be born on this declining planet."

Payne's gaze darkened, and a subtle shift in emotion appeared in his otherwise cold voice as he replied:

"Even if the Lord of Mount Tai is the King of the Underworld, it will take hundreds of years for him to awaken again. You cannot expect him to stop me."

The representatives from various countries present felt a sudden, icy chill, as if they had fallen into a deep freeze.

Although they had heard rumors that Lord Tai and Pain had suffered heavy losses, they never expected the situation to be even worse than the rumors suggested.

"I'm giving you one hour to inform the Uchiha clan and hand over the five tailed beasts."

Payne, like a supreme god, stood high above, proclaiming divine pronouncements and issuing a final ultimatum.

"One hour?! That's not even enough time for negotiations!"

"This is a matter of great importance; we insignificant people have no say in it!"

"Time is of the essence, Mr. Payne, please allow us a little more time."

The representatives from various countries exchanged glances and, without prior arrangement, resorted to diplomatic rhetoric, racking their brains in an attempt to buy time.

But they weren't facing diplomats from other countries; they were facing Payne, God!

"This is not negotiation, but a divine grace bestowed with magnanimity."

Payne ignored their diplomatic rhetoric, his body hovering in mid-air defying gravity as he flew out through the hole in the ceiling.

"Whether it's refusing or trying to stall for time, it's a declaration of war against me, Payne."

After Payne left, the atmosphere in the headquarters conference room almost froze.

After a brief silence, the representatives from various countries were in an uproar, frantically contacting their respective countries. Some representatives from smaller countries even fled the country.

Anyway, these small countries can't do anything and are insignificant; preserving one's life is the most important thing.

"Saw Payne? He's on the roof of headquarters. Keep an eye on him!"

"Uchiha Senmon and Sasuke went into the shrine on business and haven't come out yet? And now, at this crucial moment! I order you, summon them out immediately!"

"What? You can't do it? If you can't, then prepare to go to jail! Sinners of humanity!"

"Issue the highest city alert and evacuate all residents!"

Payne gave them only a precious hour of buffer time, so every second counted!

-

At the edge of the headquarters building's rooftop, Payne stared blankly at the various national flags fluttering in the wind below.

After an unknown amount of time, the iron door to the rooftop stairwell was opened, and seven or eight diplomats in suits walked in with grim faces.

The representatives from various countries who still dared to remain at headquarters at this moment were all brave warriors who were filled with a sense of mission, righteous indignation, and disregarded their own lives.

Apart from the Frankfurter representative who fled, the representatives of the other major powers risked their lives to meet with Payne.

Each person's eyes held the awareness of martyrdom and death.

"Judging from your expressions, I've already made a decision."

Payne glanced around at the newcomers, his face devoid of any expectation.

"Payne, we absolutely cannot agree to such conditions that amount to self-destruction!" one of the representatives said firmly.

"So..."

Under the terrified gazes of the crowd, Payne spoke slowly and deliberately:

"I hereby declare war on the whole world."

Witnessing this historic moment, the representatives from various countries had their expressions change repeatedly, and their hearts seemed to stop.

The man before me truly possesses the power to fight against the entire world single-handedly!

"Mr. Payne, please don't act rashly."

The US representative almost knelt down, begging Payne for mercy, his voice trembling as he pleaded:

"Given only a different approach, our peace-loving nation is willing to make every effort to achieve the peace you desire..."

This is the capital of the United States, and he must make a final, desperate struggle, even if it's just a one in ten thousand chance, to try and win Payne back.

"Why are humans too shallow to understand God's thoughts? Because your suffering is not deep enough."

Payne closed his eyes and pondered for a long time. Suddenly, his feet lifted three feet off the ground, and he soared into the air, slowly drifting away from the building.

"For the world to grow, think, and move forward, it needs God's help. Because the world is still a child, and suffering will help it grow."

"Wait! Payne!"

Payne rose higher and higher, soaring over a hundred meters in the blink of an eye, but his chilling words still fell.

"Feel the pain."

"Contemplate the pain."

Payne, his black robe with red cloud patterns fluttering wildly, opened his arms to face the crowd on the rooftop.

"Accept the pain, understand the pain."

The earth shook violently, the weather changed drastically, and the rats and sparrows in the city scrambled to escape.

The delegation members' faces changed drastically, and in an instant, they felt a terrible premonition that disaster was about to strike.

Suddenly, rows of small black dots appeared on the horizon as a formation of F-22 and F-35 fifth-generation fighter jets sped by.

One air-to-air missile after another, trailing plumes of flame, wove a tight web of death, aiming to shoot down the gods in the sky.

Payne ignored the missiles fired by the fighter squadron and continued chanting in a godlike tone.

Those who do not understand suffering cannot understand true peace.

Ascending to a height of over a thousand meters, Payne, with his back to the sun, suddenly burst forth with a divine white light that was even more dazzling than the midday sun.

"From this moment on, let the world feel pain."

With his Rinnegan in his eye sockets, Payne stared indifferently at the towering skyscrapers below, and stretched out his hands to topple the Tower of Babel.

"Shinra Tensei!"

(End of this chapter)