I planted a sacred tree in Tokyo.

Chapter 169 Wanderer

"Yu-kun, this is your medicine."

As Yu left the Metropolitan Police Department, a young policewoman named Mai jogged over and handed him a high-tech briefcase.

"Um,"

He raised his hand and drew a giant black bird.

The giant bird, resembling an owl, turned its head and swallowed the suitcase whole.

"take care."

Amidst the other party's farewells,

They leaped onto the giant, dark bird and soared into the sky.

Even with just a thought, Yu can grant others chakra and ninjutsu.

However, Yu's alternate identity as an "Onmyoji" still requires a "supernatural potion".

Even Iori Kazuka is pulling her best friend to build her own power base, and the Isoya siblings openly claim that 'Umi-nin Village' is their family territory. If Yu doesn't take any action, it will only arouse suspicion in vain. In order for everyone to have fun, Yu naturally has to build his own power base.

"Greetings, Lord Yu," X3
When You returned home, three people were already waiting respectfully in the living room.

The middle-aged man leading the group always had a habit of squinting his eyes, giving off a 'smiling' vibe. He was none other than Yura's father: Hidemoto Hanakain.

The other two were young men who appeared to be around 17 or 8 years old. One of them, with black hair and a serious face, bore a resemblance to Yura; he was her older brother, Ryuji Kakeruin.

The other young man had brownish hair and seemed to have foreign ancestry. He was tall and slender, and even when he was kneeling on one knee, he was still much taller than Xiuyuan and Long Er: 1.92 meters. This was the precise figure that You obtained by scanning the area with his eyes.

The Enchanting Flow of the Flower Garden
He is the adopted son of the Hanakain family, a loyal "die-hard" character.

Of course, the Hanakain family considered him family; that's why he was brought before Yuu—

"These are three extraordinary potions,"

Sitting on the sofa, You waved his hand, and the 'shikigami' that had transformed into a giant black python opened its mouth and spat out a high-tech briefcase.

It's not a 'secondary extraordinary potion', nor a 'third-level extraordinary potion', but the highest-grade and most precious 'extraordinary potion': it comes from 'original extraordinary', a truly priceless treasure—because it's simply unavailable for purchase!
The number of native extraordinary beings is still too small: besides, as their power grows stronger, who would want to have their blood drained every day?

The two dogs of the Tanimura family, who had originally been 'without complaint', also died on the battlefield.

This has left the entire island nation's government kicking itself in frustration!
"You've done a good job lately, you deserve a reward."

Yu was able to attend school without worry, thanks not only to her own abilities but also to the efforts of the Kakaiin family.

The houses at several intersections in this area were bought by the Huakaiyuan family. They have arranged for people to guard them 24 hours a day, and any strangers who appear will be monitored and questioned.

As for the idea of ​​kidnapping several 'original superhumans' on the way to and from school, it would be more realistic to consider attacking the Metropolitan Police Department.

Moreover, given Yu's relationship with the Inari Shrine, that insane power would rather risk their entire family's lives.

To provoke a supernatural being with close ties to 'gods'?

Although Yu didn't need 'protection', the Hanakain family did shield him from a lot of trouble: otherwise, the flattery from neighbors and distant relatives would have been enough to bother him.

"Thank you, sir!"

The three bowed their heads in unison, just like the samurai in period dramas facing their master.

In fact, the entire Hanakain family is now Yu's subordinate.

Others who want to seek refuge with me are not even qualified!
You think you're worthy to be Yu-jun's dog?
“With your qualifications, becoming ‘extraordinary’ is not a problem.”

"After taking the medicine, make the most of your time to exercise. — You should also know that the situation at Mount Koya is far from as optimistic as the government claims."

"I will obey the patriarch's command!" x3
The three of them accepted the order in unison. Like Yu-kun, they were from the Hanakain family and had inherited the lineage from Ashiya Dōman.

Ashiya Dōman was Abe no Seimei's mortal enemy!
If Abe no Seimei is indeed the mastermind behind all this, then the Keikain family has no choice but to fight to the death!

Besides, even setting aside the millennia-old grudges, given the current situation in the island nation, which extraordinary individual would dare to slack off?
"After you master spiritual power, you will learn the art of cultivating 'shikigami' from Yura: My Ashiya lineage focuses on shikigami, and personally going into battle is the worst option."

"Yes!" X3
The three kept these words in mind. As for what Ashiya's lineage was good at?
The patriarch said he's good at shikigami, so it's shikigami!

"I consulted the oracle, and it seems there may be some activity in the underworld recently. We must not be careless. Go forth."

After the three from the Kakaiin family left, Kakaiin Yura, who was standing nearby, brought over tea and couldn't help but ask curiously:

"Master, will there really be any unusual activity in the underworld?"

"Will do."

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Nagoya, Kanie Town.

As the name suggests, the river that runs through the city used to be home to many crabs.

Unfortunately, with the development of technology, even repeatedly filtered industrial wastewater has made fish and shrimp disappear from rivers; crabs are out of the question: while dense factories bring a large amount of industrial products, they also bring new pollution.

And rats in the sewers, and abandoned, killed pet cats.

"Meow~~"

In a small alley behind a factory,
A black cat rubbed affectionately against Takahashi Eileen's ankle.

Although the newly 'resurrected' black cat was confused about what had happened, it instinctively felt affection and fear towards the two-legged 'cub'.

"Go to 'Photon' too."

After patting the little black cat's head, Takahashi Eileen pointed to the black and white kitten 'Mitsuko' behind her.

"Meow!"

Understanding the little girl's meaning, the black cat leaped towards 'Photon'. The cat rapidly shrank halfway through its flight, eventually becoming a black dot that landed on 'Photon' and merged into it, transforming into a single hair.

soul,

It has no weight and no mass.

There is no concept of size: although the soul will subconsciously maintain the appearance in front of it, it is not that it cannot change.

Before Takahashi Eileen's 'Illusion True Life', the souls of these kittens obediently merged into the 'photons': from the perspective of the soul, there are countless needle-like cats frolicking and playing on the 'vast' black and white plain.

Yes,

The paper dance floating beside it nodded with satisfaction.

Taking advantage of the world's lenient rules regarding 'souls', coupled with the 'Kurama Clan's' talent for illusionary arts that grants their wishes.

Takahashi Eileen continuously 'resurrected' the cats, and then, using 'photons' as the core, created a place to accommodate many 'cats': although this method was rudimentary and unstable, it was undoubtedly effective.

This is a breakthrough!
A technique that doesn't even exist in the Naruto world: because the Six Paths Elder locked up the Pure Land.

To influence a soul in the Naruto world, only an S-rank forbidden technique can break through the seal.

Excellent technique.

It will be mine in the next second.

"Paper Dance Master, what should we do next?"

The paper dance floating in the air was overjoyed when the little girl looked up and asked a question.

"Little Ai Ling, what do you want to do?"

Seeing that 'Paper Dance Master' had thrown the question back at her, Takahashi Eileen thought for a moment and gave an uncertain answer:

"Watch the latest season of 'Hatchimal'?" What the heck is that?

but
"Sure,"

Yuu, no, 'Paper Dance,' showed rare patience towards this little girl who could improve her 'soul' proficiency.

"Come on, whatever you want, I can give you!"

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Shimane Prefecture,
Southern part of Songjiang City.

There is a long mountain range here called 'Higashi Izumo'. As the name suggests, this mountain range is located to the east of 'Izumo'.

When it comes to the Izumo region, the only famous place is 'Izumo no Okuni'.

A famous female performer in ancient Japan, and also considered by the public to be the founder of 'Kabuki': Although the name Kabuki is easy to misunderstand, both the 'Chimai' and 'Kyoumai' that she created were actually quite formal: at most, they only had a slightly ambiguous edge.

During the Edo period, the terms "kabuki" and "kabukiko" were used interchangeably, and their nature was obvious.

As for modern 'Kabuki', the actors are all men. Hmm, does that seem to excite some people in power even more?

After saying all that, all I can say about this place is:

"remote and impoverished areas,"

On Nokuma Peak in the Higashi-Izumo Mountains

Two elderly men wearing rattan hats and carrying hunting rifles are making their way along the winding mountain path.

"Why build a 'Central Park' in such a godforsaken place? It's just a waste of our taxpayers' money!"

About 75% of the island nation is mountainous and hilly, covered by vast tracts of dense forests. In addition, the island nation is prone to disasters, so it pays great attention to environmental protection: resulting in a forest coverage rate of an astonishing 67%, which means that more than two-thirds of the land is forest.

Next to this mountain range is 'Higashi-Izumo Central Park': although the name sounds impressive, it attracts very few visitors.
In addition, the continuous mountain ranges and forests mean that wild animals often sneak into the park to steal food, and various ornamental creatures from the park also venture into the mountains to become wild.

So these two old hunters were responsible for patrolling the area to prevent any dangerous beasts from appearing: in the face of the terrifying two-legged beasts' guns, wild boars and brown bears were nothing more than props to show off their strength; not to mention wild wolves, whose heads would be too shameful to hang on the wall.

"Alright, Ishikawa."

The old hunter ahead spoke impatiently, interrupting his companion's complaints.

"That's because of the economic downturn in the past two years, which has led to a sharp drop in the number of tourists. This place used to be very popular, don't you remember?"

"Of course I remember,"

The old man walking behind continued muttering.

"Back then, I took the hunting rifle from my father and vowed to protect this mountain range. And what happened?"

"People are all flocking to big cities. It's only around the two Shinkansen lines that people are getting angry. What are young people doing these days? They don't even want to have children."

"Young people have their own considerations. Not everyone is like our generation, able to live a lifetime by guarding a mountain."

In the past, most jobs in island nations were based on a 'lifetime employment' system.

The so-called 'lifetime employment system' means that once an individual completes their school education and begins working, they will continue to work for an organization until retirement.

The system that prevents organizations from dismissing employees without justifiable reasons is a management approach that was once highly advocated in island nations. Corresponding corporate obligations include providing comprehensive professional management and training for young employees, which plays a positive role in retaining employees and maintaining their loyalty and commitment to the organization.

In summary: loyalty, unity, and the company is like home!

Generally speaking, as long as you don't make any fundamental mistakes, you'll have a secure job for life.

Unfortunately, the financial crisis later brought heavy labor costs to the lifetime employment system, causing many companies to abandon this approach and switch to the more flexible 'temporary employment system'. Coupled with the free thinking of the younger generation, this further accelerated the decline of the 'lifetime employment system'.

However, even today, island nations still have a large number of employees with 'lifetime employment', who are loyal to their companies and dedicate their lives to mastering one job. Although it may sound somewhat outdated, at least they don't have to worry about being inexplicably 'laid off'.

After all, geniuses who are qualified to say "If they don't want me here, there are plenty of other places that will" are always a minority.

The two hunters, both in their sixties, were employees on a 'lifetime employment' basis.

They are responsible for patrolling the mountains, measuring this land step by step, and have been doing this for forty years, nearing retirement age. Therefore:
"Stop complaining. Once you retire, you won't even be qualified to take this path again."

"Hmph, what's so special about it?"

Walking behind, the old hunter known as 'Ishikawa' snorted coldly.

"Let's go, let's all go!"

"Once we leave, this place will become a barren mountain."

"If we think about it this way, what has been the point of all these years?"

Ishikawa didn't really have any complaints about his job; rather, it was because he valued it so much that he didn't want to see his efforts go to waste: as his generation passed away, the next generation would certainly not visit such a place again, and the cause for which they had poured their sweat would soon be overgrown with weeds.
"Times have changed, Ishikawa."

The old hunter walking ahead sighed.
"Back then, everything was thriving, everything was so wonderful, and everyone believed there would be a brighter future, but then..."

The financial bubble burst, and the island nation entered its lost 'three decades'. The younger generation only wanted to enjoy life to the fullest, disregarding tradition and lifelong careers.

"Now we've entered the 'Transcendent Era,' and we old folks..."

That's outdated!
"Speaking of extraordinary abilities, you're talking about our place."

"We don't have a fart here!"

As they walked, the old hunter leading the group cursed his companions angrily.

"Shut your mouth: I only have two years left before retirement, and I don't want to show any heroism at this time."

"Besides, this remote and impoverished area used to be uninhabited, so where would ghost and spirit legends come from?"

If it's Songjiang City, then there's a very famous legend:

Huangquan Hirazaka!
In island mythology, there is a boundary that separates the living from the dead.

In legend, Izanagi went to the underworld in an attempt to find his wife, Izanami.

He was terrified by the sight of the other being covered in maggots and rotting away, so he fled from the underworld and blocked it with a thousand stones, becoming known as the Great God of the Immortal Realm, or the Great God Who Blocks the Door to the Underworld. The so-called Yomotsu Hirasaka is the Ifuyasaka of Izumo Province.

Of course, those are myths from who knows how many years ago.

I've heard that there are quite a few self-defense forces stationed in Songjiang City.

"Mind your own business: you're just a hunter, are you planning to switch to exorcism—?"

"Who?!"

The old hunter in front shouted angrily and quickly took off his hunting rifle and aimed it forward!
Although Ishikawa behind him did not notice anything unusual, he also took out his shotgun and aimed it in one smooth motion, in just two seconds.

With their reaction speed and seasoned experience, unless they are pounced on by a tiger, they are the 'kings' of this mountain range, and any beast can only bow down and submit.

But
"Hey, what did you see?"

Ishikawa raised his gun and aimed ahead, but found nothing.

"Could it be something extraordinary?"

He didn't doubt that his old friend was overreacting, but rather considered one possibility:
No way, this just happened after I started complaining?!
"Be on guard,"

The first old hunter told Ishikawa to stay put and stand guard, while he himself cautiously advanced step by step with his gun in hand until he saw what had alerted him.

Discarded on the ground:
"Monk's robes?"

(End of this chapter)