Chapter Text
October 1st, 1995. 5:47 PM, Kamurocho, Tokyo.
It is a rainy evening in Kamurocho, a lavish pleasure district of Tokyo, which is a few trains stop away from Shinjuku from one direction and another few trains stop away from Namimori from the opposite direction. It is a place where the will of the Tojo Clan, currently ruled by its Third Chairman, runs supreme. In one of the main streets, one could hear the giggling of schoolgirls who are with a few hosts and in another small alley, the cries of a man being harassed by his “creditors” for not paying up the full money owed. In the distance, one could also hear a few police sirens.
The scene in a certain office building though is a different story. Outside the office, the rain is falling down hard with the sound of thunder being accompanied by lightning. The office is trashed and there are signs of a struggle. A lean, young man with spiky brown hair dressed in a jet black suit, facing the window, is looking down on a body while holding a revolver in his right hand. The body is of a man whose black hair was slicked back. His eyes have rolled inside, there are spider web cracks in the right lens of his spectacles and his mouth is agape. This man’s white suit is bloodied red with bullet holes.
The standing man tilts his head towards a small stylish platinum ring with a red ruby in it. Suddenly, hurried footsteps are heard outside the room. The standing man meanwhile, bends down and picks up the ring and looks at a name, “YUMI”, engraved on it, when the door of the room bursts open and two police officers burst in and point their service revolvers on the standing man.
“Freeze!” One of the officers calls out.
The standing man simply turns his head, which allows his face to be momentarily illuminated by the lightning outside. The man has sharp features. He has a sharp nose, cheekbones. His eyebrows are furrowed and his eyes are a caramel brown in color. The upturned collar of his silk orange shirt meanwhile hides his chin. Lightning strikes once again before dying out and taking away the light with it.
Previous Day. September 30th, 1995. Late night.
A black car pulls up in Tenkaichi Street, just a few meters away from the red neon sign. “Sir?” The driver of the car, dressed in an open-collared, purple shirt with a gold flower motif asks the man next to him on the passenger seat. “Yeah?” The man with spiky brown hair, dressed in a jet-black suit and silk orange shirt with an upturned collar replied. “Sorry about this. I shouldn’t have to drag you out for a regular collection.” The driver of the car says. “I told you, don’t worry about it, Shinji.” The brunette man in the black suit and orange shirt says to the driver, now named Shinji. “Yes, sir… Thank you.” Shinji replies. Shinji’s full name is Shinji Tanaka and he is a member of the Dojima Family, an affiliate of the Tojo Clan, the largest Yakuza group in the Kanto region of Japan.
The other man opens his side of the car door and gets out of the car and looks up at one of the buildings. The name of this man is Tsunayoshi Sawada. He is the Lieutenant Advisor of the Dojima Family and is also known throughout the Japanese and International Underworld as the Dragon of the Dojima Family. “So who are these guys causing trouble?” Tsuna asks.
“Just some local loan sharks. They were actually on another family’s bankroll for a while, but they were barely even keeping up with the interest. It got so out of hand that we needed to step in.” Shinji replied.
“Got it,” Tsuna said, before asking. “And how much have they racked up?”
“200 million,” Shinji replied. “The families agreed on a 50/50 split, so we’ll be up a hundred million after this.”
“Hundred million is nothing to scoff at,” Tsuna said before motioning Shinji to lead the way. “All right. Let’s go.”
“Look, sir, it’s another new sex shop,” Shinji said while pointing to one of the shops. The two men were on their way to collect money from their debtors, Peace Finance.
“Hey, you still into that kind of stuff?” Tsuna asked.
“Heh. Maybe you should try some as well, sir.” Shinji said while chuckling. “Y’know, I’ve got some good recommendations.” Tsuna didn’t bother replying to his junior on that comment.
“Say, you want to grab a bite after this?” Shinji asked a short while later.
“Sorry, today is…” Tsuna replied while trailing off.
“Oh yeah, you’re going to Serena,” Shinji remembered.
“Yeah, another time perhaps,” Tsuna replied.
“Peace Finance sucks! Those interest rates are damn ridiculous!” A passerby who passed the two men loudly exclaimed. Of course, Tsuna heard it and narrowed his eyes.
“Here we are, sir. The dudes we are collecting from is called Peace Finance.” Shinji said while nodding his head to an old and worn out building. “They say ‘Finance’, but they’re just a bunch of run of the mill, backstreet loan sharks. So I’m sure they will be anything but peaceful.”
“Hmm,” Tsuna said. “That means we’ll need to knock ‘em around a bit first?”
“Well they will be pretty stubborn,” Shinji said. “But with you around, I’m pretty sure we got it under control!”
“Hey now, don’t let this get to your head.” Tsuna chastised his man.
“But they’re the bad guys here, so it’s all good,” Shinji said while chuckling. “Plus, I heard their behavior to their civilian clients is much worse than what we do. Anyway, let’s roll. They’re on the fifth floor.”
“Alright, let’s do this.” Tsuna agreed.
On the fifth floor in Peace Finance’s office, Shinji kicked the door open.
“Wh-Who the–!?” A startled man asked. This guy was the President of Peace Finance, Hirata.
“Sorry to drop in so late on you, gentlemen. I’m Sawada from the Dojima Family.” Tsuna said while casually strolling in the office and noting how the heavy men were quickly putting items in carton boxes as if they were planning to run away.
“Ah, Sawada-san, I hope we haven’t caused you any trouble…?” Hirata said while fidgeting nervously.
“You know why I’m here,” Tsuna said. “My man here discussed it with you yesterday.”
“Tomorrow!” the President of Peace Finance begged while going down on his hands and knees to Tsuna and Shinji. “Please give me time until tomorrow!”
“Can’t say I’m really feeling sympathetic, considering it’s so obvious you boys are ready to skip town.” Tsuna uncaringly said before adopting a threatening tone. “You know, it’s not nice to make promises you can’t keep.”
“I’m sorry!” Hirata begged while still groveling. “Can’t you make an exception?”
“Hey now, quit you’re groveling,” Shinji said while bending to the man.
“A-Are you going to kill me?” Hirata asked, as he definitely feared for his life.
“Excuse me?” Tsuna asked.
“The Dojima Family is known to resort to violence against those who don’t pay, and make them examples,” Hirata said while still shivering. “That’s what everyone says.”
“Oh, come on now,” Shinji said. “Those are just rumors started by the guys who don’t pay up. Besides––” Shinji didn’t get to finish his sentence as he was suddenly pushed out of the way by Hirata, who quickly went to a golf kit and took out a golf club.
“I told you I don’t have your money. So, this is my only choice!” Hirata screamed hysterically.
‘This is just pathetic.’ Tsuna thought in his mind, as he got ready to fight the Hirata and his set of heavies.
The moment everyone got ready, Tsuna immediately unleashed a flurry of punches on the first heavy guy. After that, he kicked the guy on the side of his head and momentarily knocked him down. Tsuna repeated this with the second guy. When he reached the third guy, Tsuna caught him by his collar and threw him over his shoulder. When the first guy tried hitting him from behind, he caught him and threw the guy overhead as well, knocking out the guy from the fight for good. After that, Tsuna quickly dispatched the other two heavies. Following his instincts, he got out of the way to dodge the golf club from President Hirata. He tried to hit Tsuna again but this time, Tsuna singlehandedly caught it and snatched the club from him. After that, Tsuna began to mercilessly beat down President Hirata until the club broke in two. Then, Tsuna took a nearby Daruma Doll and threw it on President Hirata. The doll hit the head of the President of Peace Finance, giving the man a mild concussion, but enough for him to be aware of what’s going on.
“I’m sorry! Please… forgive me!” Hirata begged after getting a first-hand experience of Tsuna’s monstrous strength.
“Sir, I got the money,” Shinji said while returning from the adjacent room with two silver briefcases. Tsuna gave a simple nod, before turning back to the President. The look in Tsuna’s eyes further terrified him.
“It’s what you owe us. Don’t blame me.” Tsuna simply said before following Shinji out of the building and into the street.
“Thank you very much, sir,” Shinji said with a bow towards his senior when both men were outside the building. “It’s going to be really exciting, now that the Sawada Family will become a real thing,” Shinji said in excitement. “Kazama-san himself said, that a family under your leadership would be in good hands.”
“Don’t go getting your hopes up. Nothing’s set in stone yet.” Tsuna told Shinji while trying to downplay his excitement. Though, secretly Tsuna was a bit excited himself. Of course, he didn’t show it on his face and kept his face as stoic as possible.
“Y-Yes, sir. Forgive me.” Shinji apologized. “By the way, you’re heading up to Serena to meet Nishiki after this, right? You will have to use the back entrance today, as the owner now only serves her regulars.”
“Right. Got it.” Tsuna replied.
“Well, I’ll stay here for a while to make sure the cops don’t show up,” Shinji said. “I’ll hold onto this 100 million and get it to the client later. You don’t have to worry about it.”
Tsuna allowed a small smirk to come on his face while saying, “Yeah, thanks.” After that, he gave a wave to Shinji before walking towards Bar Serena with the briefcase containing the other 100 million.
It didn’t take long for Tsuna to reach the entrance to the back alley of Serena. When he reached there, however, he bumped into a thug wearing a suit.
“Whoa! Watch it, man.” The thug sneered. “Tough guy, eh? What family you from?”
“Excuse me.” Tsuna simply said while trying to sidestep the guy. Tsuna was not in the mood to fight, especially considering he had somewhere to be.
“Excuse me?! That ain’t going to cut it, asshole!” The thug said while getting into Tsuna’s personal space, seemingly ready for a fight.
‘I just can’t catch a break, can I?’ Tsuna thought while once again getting ready to fight. ‘Guess I got to teach him some manners.’
Surprisingly, it was the guy who went for the attack first. He used combinations of punches and kicks that were either blocked or evaded by Tsuna. As Tsuna kept on evading, blocking and counterattacking, he was soon surrounded by an orange aura that looked and felt like flames. The guy threw another punch at Tsuna but this time he caught it and gave the guy a DDT on the pavement. Tsuna then picked the guy up and took him to the wall where he propped him up and punched him twice before ramming the back of the guy’s skull on the wall. When he was down Tsuna finally knocked the thug out by simply stomping his heels on the guy's face and grinding it.
As Tsuna looked at his handiwork, he heard a voice that personally always set Tsuna on edge, even if he knew and respected the owner of the voice.
“I saw whatcha’ did there… Tsuna-chan!” Tsuna turned to look at a man with a lean build and parted bowl-cut hair and an eye-patch on the right eye, wearing a snakeskin jacket with no shirt underneath. He wore a pair of black leather pants and leather shoes. The man was also holding a black umbrella.
“B-Boss!” The thug exclaimed at seeing his boss. “Tsuna… you mean that Tsunayoshi Sawada?!”
“Yep. The guy who laid the smackdown on the Vongola Family of Sicily like they were dirt in Kabukicho, Shinjuku. Whacked Vongola Nono’s eldest son, who was also the heir of the family, and also one of their best officers as heavy fatalities during the ‘Nightmare of 1992’. The legendary Dragon of Dojima, Tsunayoshi Sawada-chan!” The man said while adopting a high-pitched squeal at Tsuna’s name.
Tsuna simply bowed in respect to the man while saying, “It’s been a while Majima-no-nii-san.” The man in question was Goro Majima, Captain of the Shimano Family and the Patriarch of the Majima Family. He was also known as the Mad Dog of the Shimano Family.
“Now there, put a lid on the formal shit,” Majima said in his usual Kansai accent. “Heard ya were gonna head your own family soon. By the way, that bar up there, isn’t that where your sweetheart works? Heard she’s really easy on the eyes… Well, that’s what everyone says. They all want the action, y’know.” Majima said in a leery voice before turning to the fallen thug. “Anyway, what do we do with this fool?”
“I-I apologize.” The thug said in a panicked voice. “I didn’t know it was you, Sawada-san.”
“No, it’s all right,” Tsuna replied while trying to allay the man’s fears.
“Too soft, Tsuna-chan! Soft as a fucking marshmallow!” Majima said dramatically. (Meanwhile, in Italy a certain albino, marshmallow loving freak of a Mafia boss suddenly sneezed and watched in despair as all of his paperwork and marshmallows went tumbling down)
“When a subordinate does something wrong, you gotta set ‘em right. Like this!” Majima said before turning to and hitting the thug with his black umbrella repeatedly. A few sharp hits later, Majima turned his umbrella where the pointed end facing the man and drove it home, however, Tsuna caught his fist. “The hell?” Majima asked while looking at Tsuna.
“That’s enough of a punishment.” Tsuna simply said.
“But I was doing it for you,” Majima replied as if he were a kid.
“Yeah, but enough is enough,” Tsuna said.
“Oh…? Fine then. But when ya have yer own men, ya will have to lay down the law.” Majima said before turning and walking away.
“Yes, I will keep that in mind,” Tsuna said before continuing. “But…”
“But what?” Majima asked after turning back to face Tsuna.
“I’m going to do things my way,” Tsuna said with conviction in his voice.
Majima slowly stalked towards Tsuna and asked, “And why is that?”
“It’ll be the right way.” Tsuna simply replied in a resolute tone.
“The fuck? Yer trying to start some shit?” Majima asked in an intimidating tone. “If so, I’ll fight you right now!”
“No. I’ve got no reason to fight you,” Tsuna replied. “There’s no point.”
In reply, Majima slapped Tsuna before asking, “How ‘bout now? That enough reason to fight?”
“If I have made you angry, Majima-no-nii-san, then I apologize,” Tsuna said.
“What was that?” Majima asked while feeling his temper flare up as he tightened the grip on his umbrella.
“C’mon!” Majima said as he started hitting Tsuna with the umbrella. “Show me you’ve got some balls, and fight back!” The sounds of the umbrella hitting skin could be heard loudly in the back alley.
“Now… are we done here?” Tsuna asked after enduring those umbrella hits and still standing.
“Huh?” Majima grunted and took out his tanto and started unsheathing it.
“Ya talk tough…” Majima said as he placed the blade just inches from Tsuna’s face. “But how long will it last?” Majima asked as he reared his hand back and while giving a cry, tried stabbing Tsuna right in between his eyes. Tsuna, however, only narrowed his eyes and didn’t move from his spot. This was something, which shocked Majima as the emotion could be clearly seen in his one good eye when he stopped his blade.
“Whatever…” Majima said after retreating his blade. “No point? Yer just makin’ things harder for yerself. Deprivin’ yourself for no damn reason.” Majima said before gently putting his gloved hand on Tsuna’s shoulder. You think the world gives two shits if there’s a point or not?” Majima asked. “Keep that up, and it’ll break you,” Majima said in a friendly tone.
“You can see it however you want,” Tsuna replied. “But… nothing you say is going to change my mind.”
“No matter what happens?” Majima asked.
“No matter what,” Tsuna replied.
“Oh…” Majima hummed while taking his hand from Tsuna’s shoulder. “You got it then!” Majima said while slipping back into his playful persona. “I’m gonna see those ideals of yours till the end. I’ll have my eye on you 24/7!” Majima said as if he were child high on sugar.
“What?” Tsuna asked.
“And then, when there’s a point… are ya gonna be willing to fight me?” Majima excitedly asked Tsuna.
“I won’t know until the time comes,” Tsuna replied unsurely.
“Hell yeah!” Majima celebrated. “Then all I need to do is come up with a plan to make ya fight me!” Majima jubilantly declared. “Let’s bounce, boys!” Majima said to the two men who had accompanied him.
“Yes, sir!” The men said while giving him a quick bow.
“See you soon Tsuna-chan! Let’s have some fun!” Majima said while giving him a quick wave. “Man, this gonna be sweet!” Majima said while clicking his heels in the air and walking out of the alley.
All this time Tsuna only thought one thing. ‘What the hell did I just agree to?’ More so, because he knew of the strength the Mad Dog of Shimano possessed and Tsuna knew fighting him would mean that he would definitely not get out unscathed from it.
“If it wasn’t for you, my boss would have killed me. Sawada-san, thank you very much.” The guys Tsuna beat previously said while bowing to him.
“You okay now?” Tsuna asked while genuinely worrying about the man’s health, as he had to suffer beatdowns from two strong people, one of them being himself.
“Yes, sir. I’m used to Boss Majima being rough.” The man said.
“Alright, now go home and nurse those wounds.” Tsuna said before going up the fire escape stairs to the first floor.
“It sure is nice and quiet here” Tsuna said as he settled down on the bar.
“That’s because, with the two of you around, normal customers can’t enjoy their drinks! So I closed up for the night.” Reina, the proprietress and owner of Bar Serena said in a playful tone. Reina was dressed in a purple kimono with a white floral pattern. ‘No wonder many guys on the street call her a classical beauty.’ Tsuna thought in his mind.
“So Reina, where’s Yumi?” Tsuna asked.
“She’s out shopping,” Reina replied. “She might have figured that you guys would be hungry.”
“True that.” A man sitting next to Tsuna said while handing him his usual drink. This man was dressed in a white suit and black undershirt. He had shoulder length black hair and a playful smirk on his lips The name of this man is Akira Nishikiyama, a member of the Dojima Family and one of Tsuna’s two sworn brothers. “So, how’s the Sawada Family coming along?” Nishiki asked.
“It’s not even confirmed, yet,” Tsuna replied. “It’s up to the boss’s decision.”
“As if the boss will object.” Nishiki shot. “Kazama-san is supporting this. He’s the one keeping the Dojima Family afloat anyway, now. All Boss Dojima does nowadays is yak about his glory days.”
“Watch it, Nishiki,” Tsuna said sternly. While he did agree with Nishiki, especially considering the number of times he and Kazama-san had to use every trick in the book to get the boss to do his paperwork, it did not mean he would allow anyone, even his sworn brother to badmouth him.
Nishiki didn’t reply to that as he simply lit a cigarette for himself before saying, “You beat me to the punch again, huh… This is like the incident of 1992 all over again.”
“Come now, Nishiki. How’s your little sister doing?” Tsuna asked while trying to divert the topic. Whether it was called ‘incident’ or ‘nightmare’, 1992 was a really sore year for Tsuna and he would do anything he could to not be reminded of it in any conversation.
“Next month… She’s up for another surgery.” Nishiki replied. He did not take the hint of Tsuna changing the conversation, and even if he did he did not point it out. “This surgery will probably be the last.”
“What do you mean ‘last’?” Tsuna asked with worry lacing his tone.
“She can only hold on for so long. If this one doesn’t work then…” Nishiki replied while trailing off.
“I see…” Tsuna said while understanding the importance and implications of the surgery.
Everyone in the bar sat in silence for a while when the door of the bar opened and a young woman with two bags of groceries walked in.
“Oh! There you guys are.” The woman said while dropping the bags. The woman was dressed in a white cardigan, black knee-length skirt and was wearing a pair of heels.
“Yumi,” Nishiki said with adoration in his voice. Tsuna simply gave her a smile; it was the type, which he had always reserved for her.
“What? Drunk already? How could you guys start without me?” Yumi asked while putting each of her hands on the shoulders of Tsuna and Nishiki.
“Go ahead, be my guest,” Tsuna said while taking a sip from his bourbon and noticing the ring on her finger. Something that always made him blush slightly when he remembered how he bought it for her.
A few months ago.
“Sorry, but the thought already counts for me,” Yumi said to one of her customers while they were sitting in one of the tables of Bar Serena.
“Aw, did I just get rejected by Yumi-chan?” Her customer asked playfully. Even Reina who was sitting there was trying to stifle her giggling.
At that moment, the front door of the bar opened and Tsuna and Nishiki walked in and took their usual seats on the bar top. While waiting for their drinks to be served, the customer, Yumi, and Reina started laughing when Nishiki called out saying, “Hey! We’re paying customers too, y’know!”
Reina suddenly remembering that she had other people to attend to got up and quickly made her way to the bar.
“Sorry, the guy is practically a regular here now,” Reina said. “So the usual then?”
“Sure,” Nishiki replied. Both men then silently lit their cigarettes enjoying the smoke, before Nishiki asked. “So is that little venture going to take off?”
“Huh?” Tsuna asked before remembering what Nishiki was referring to. “Oh, the casino thing? I don’t know. I’m not really keen in conning money out of civilians….” Tsuna said.
“The hell’s wrong with you, man?” Nishiki asked. “This is the time to prove that you can handle your own family. Bring in the numbers and the deal is sealed.” Nishiki said. “You’d be at the top of Dojima’s Sawada Family! A patriarch among the Tojo Clan’s legends. This ain’t the time to hesitate man.”
“I’m already Lieutenant Advisor,” Tsuna said. “Isn’t that respectable enough?”
“Sure, but a lieutenant is respectable in name only. Plus, you and I both know how much blood you spilled to get there. Not to mention whose.” Nishiki said. “You’ve already hit the glass ceiling, if you don’t break through it you’ll crash and burn. It is any Yakuza’s dream to be patriarchs of their own family. Right?”
“I wonder,” Tsuna said while taking another drag of his cigarette.
“Sorry for the wait,” Reina said as she placed Tsuna and Nishiki’s drink in front of them. Tsuna and Nishiki raised their glasses and started drinking from it.
Once both men put their glasses down, Reina asked them, “By the way, I was talking to one of the customers about birthdays, and you know Yumi’s is coming up, right?” The mention of Yumi’s birthday had Tsuna immediately stiffen up. However, he completely froze when Reina asked, “Did you guys get her anything? A present, perhaps?”
Of course, Nishiki noticed his brother’s behavior when he said, “Dumbass, you really forgot, didn’t you?”
“Ah, well… I was a bit busy for the last couple of days that it completely slipped my mind.” Tsuna said.
“How about you Nishikiyama-kun? Did you get her something?” Reina asked.
“Of course,” Nishiki said proudly. “I got her a pink diamond necklace that’ll really suit her.”
“Wow,” Reina said. “Sounds expensive.”
“Right? I ordered it months ago, and now its finally here.” Nishiki said. “I even gift-wrapped it,” Nishiki said as he brought out a slender box, which had pink wrapping paper and an elegant bow attached to it.
“Oh my, you really went all in!” Reina said in excitement. “Maybe we should have a little party.” She suggested.
“Oh, that’s a good idea.” Nishiki agreed. “I can get a cake from a nice little bakery I know.”
“Really? That’d be great.” Reina said while agreeing to Nishiki’s proposal.
“Tsuna-chan? Does the plan sound good?” Reina asked. When she noticed that Tsuna did not give any input in the conversation.
“Hm? Could we take a rain check?” Tsuna asked.
“Absolutely not!” Reina said. “We still have some time, so why not go buy something for her?”
“But what could I get her?” Tsuna asked while internally tearing his hair out at the fact he forgot his important friend’s birthday and also the fact that he knew zero about women accessories.
‘Guess I may have to call Kyoko or Hana to help me out here.’ Tsuna thought while remembering Kyoko Sasagawa and Hana Kurokawa, both women who he knew from his school days and was still in contact with. Especially after Tsuna had beaten that creep Mochida in front of the entire school, in middle school, for openly challenging him with Kyoko as the ‘prize’. Even Nishiki, Yumi, Kazama-san (when he heard about it) and the remaining children of Sunflower Orphanage found it disgusting.
Both women are now happily settled in their lives with their own families. He knew that Hana and Kyoko went from best friends in elementary, middle and high school to sisters-in-law when Hana married Kyoko’s brother, Ryohei, who is an internationally renowned boxer. Tsuna still remembered his surprise when Ryohei asked him to be the best man for his wedding. When asked why, Ryohei said with his usual enthusiasm, “Because you are EXTREME, Sawada!” Suffice to say, Tsuna had a lot of fun during their wedding. Though, he didn’t understand why Kyoko (who was Hana’s maid-of-honor) was blushing when they were paired together.
“How about a ring?” Reina suggested while getting Tsuna off his reverie.
“A ring, huh?” Tsuna muttered while seeing the merits of the idea.
“Sounds safe enough. Good choice, Reina.” Nishiki complimented the bar owner.
“Hmph. Thank you very much.” Reina said.
“But what kind of ring should I get her?” Tsuna asked.
“Now for that, you will have to use your own brains bro. I can’t help you with that one.” Nishiki said.
“Don’t make it harder than it needs to be. If you give buy it with your heart in it, she will definitely appreciate it.” Reina advised.
“Very well, I’ll see what I can do,” Tsuna said before leaving the bar.
‘So… Yumi’s birthday, huh? I completely forgot. I guess I should try Le Marche? Hm… I don’t know.’ Tsuna thought as he started walking on the street while trying to think of a place where he could buy a ring.
“Well isn’t this a surprise?” A familiar drawl reached Tsuna’s ears. When Tsuna turned to look at the source of the drawl, he just couldn’t help but say, “No, the fact you are here is the surprise for me.” Tsuna said to Hana Sasagawa neé Kurokawa. Hana was dressed in a simple suit and was wearing a pencil skirt with low inch heels. “You know, I was thinking about you a while back ago. I kinda need your help with something.”
“Oh my, the big bad Yakuza needs help from a normally poor civilian like me. What is this world coming to?” Hana said dramatically.
“You may be a civilian, Hana. But you sure as hell are not ‘normal’ or ‘poor’.” Tsuna said. “Kurokawa Law Agency is well known here in Kamurocho. Even if your head office is located in Namimori.”
“Heh. Flattering me ain’t going to get you anywhere. I’m a married woman, you know.” Hana said with some mirth.
“Oh, I wouldn’t even think of anything indecent with you. I was your husband’s best man at your wedding for crying out loud.” Tsuna said with a smile.
“Good. Now speak Tsuna. What is it that you require my expertise on?” Hana asked. “Actually, wait. Don’t answer that. I’ll tell Kyoko and Haru to meet us.”
“Haru and Kyoko are here as well?” Tsuna asked with a raised eyebrow.
“Yep,” Hana replied. “Today is our ‘Girls Appreciation Day’, and we randomly decided to try out the cake shops here in Kamurocho,” Hana said before asking. “Where should I ask them to meet? I don’t know this district as well as you do.”
“Hm… Tell them to come to this place called Café Alps on Nakamichi Street.” Tsuna replied.
“OK. They won’t run in trouble with any of the Yakuza, right?” Hana asked as she knew of the terrible Yakuza situation in Kamurocho.
“If they run into any of the boys from the Dojima Family, just tell them to drop my name or call my number. I will straighten it out.” Tsuna replied while he lit a cigarette.
“Oh… big man, huh?” Hana asked teasingly.
“Quiet, you,” Tsuna said. “Let’s go.”
“Sure, lead the way,” Hana said as she followed Tsuna to the café.
Café Alps. Sometime later.
“So… how’s your life nowadays?” Hana asked while taking a sip from her Americano coffee.
“It’s all good,” Tsuna replied while sipping his own cappuccino coffee.
“I still don’t get it,” Hana stated.
“Don’t get what?” Tsuna asked, though he already knew what she was talking about.
“You. What possessed you to join the Yakuza anyway?” Hana asked.
“Hana, we have already discussed this before,” Tsuna said thinking of a topic to change the conversation. “How’s Kyohei nowadays?” Tsuna asked hoping that talking about the woman’s son would help steer the conversation somewhere else.
“He’s doing good. He’s turning even more like his father, though his extremeness is subdued and only surfaces in the ring. Though he still asks when will his Godfather, Uncle Tsuna visit him?” Hana replied before saying in a sharp voice. “Don’t try to change the subject, Tsuna.”
“Tch. Caught red-handed.” Tsuna said while clicking his tongue.
“You haven’t answered my question,” Hana said in a hard tone.
“I saw what Kazama-san was doing for us. I wanted to repay him in anyway I could.” Tsuna finally replied to Hana’s question.
“And repaying Kazama-san meant joining the Yakuza?” Hana asked incredulously.
“Yes.” Tsuna simply replied.
“Even if it means that society would forever see you as a terrible excuse of a human being?” Hana asked.
Tsuna didn’t bother replying and continued to enjoy his coffee.
“It is a dangerous job,” Hana stated.
Tsuna still continued to ignore her and enjoyed his coffee.
Hana simply sighed and massaged her temple when two people sat on their table. Hana looked up to see her sister-in-law Kyoko and her best friend Haru Miura taking a seat on either side.
“Hahi! Tsuna-san, it has been such a long time since Haru last saw you, desu!” Haru said excitedly.
“Hello, Haru, Kyoko,” Tsuna said warmly. “It has been a long time.”
“Tsuna-kun, it has been a really long time since you, Nishiki-kun and Yumi-chan have come to Namimori,” Kyoko said while giving Tsuna a warm smile, which was accompanied with a small blush on her cheeks. “You know, we are planning an informal reunion. It will be really nice if you could join us.”
“Ah well… if the Dojima Family’s Lieutenant Advisor is seen in another Clan’s territory, we could be talking about a lot of questions being asked and blood being spilled.” Tsuna said while trying to be a realist. He honestly did not want to start a war, just because he attended a little reunion. However, looking at Kyoko and Haru’s disappointed faces he said, “But I’ll try. Though it will take a lot of effort for me to get official permission and everything.” This seemed to lift their spirits up a bit.
“So, Tsuna,” Hana said while getting his attention. “What was it that you needed our help with?”
“Oh yeah, I need to buy a ring,” Tsuna said. “A good one. Do you know any good brands?”
“WHAT?!” The three women asked in shock. “When? How? Where? Spit it all out, Tsuna. Don’t you dare leave any details.” Hana ordered.
“What the hell are you girls talking about?” Tsuna asked in genuine confusion.
“You are buying a ring. Right, Tsuna-san?” Haru asked.
“Yeah, so?” Tsuna responded.
“That means you are going to p-pr-propose to someone, right?” Kyoko asked with her face turning beet red.
Tsuna kept on staring at the three girls for 27 seconds before it all clicked. “What?! God, no! Jesus, nuh uh. I don’t even have someone like that in my life.” Tsuna said while denying the girls’ implications.
“Oh,” Kyoko said. ‘Thank God.’ She thought.
“Well… there is one…” Tsuna mumbled more to himself but was heard by the three girls. “… But, nope.”
At Kyoko’s sad look, Hana just put her hand on her sister-in-law’s shoulder and gave a reassuring squeeze. Though Tsuna didn’t understand what was going on.
“OK, Tsuna. Start over. Why do you need to buy a ring?” Hana asked.
“Oh, cause its Yumi’s birthday, and my crusty dumbass forgot about it.” Tsuna replied. “We’re celebrating it at midnight at Bar Serena, where Yumi works a hostess.”
“Is it on the building you came out of when I met you?” Hana asked.
“Yep, that’s the one,” Tsuna replied.
“So… its Yumi-chan’s birthday? How did we miss this?” Haru asked.
“Well, you guys are busy too. Hana’s a lawyer and Haru and Kyoko are fashion designers. Both are demanding jobs.” Tsuna said.
“And you are a Yakuza,” Kyoko said. “Even that is a demanding job.”
“Indeed.” Tsuna agreed.
“So you need a ring to give Yumi as a gift?” Hana asked.
“Yes. Reina, the owner of the bar, was the one who suggested me to get a ring.” Tsuna said. “Do you girls know any good types of rings and where can I get them?”
“Hm… Tsuna-kun, how about giving her a ring made from a French brand?” Kyoko suggested.
“French?” Tsuna asked.
“Yeah. They do have very some very nice designs. Le Marche recently released a limited edition. Of course, they are very expensive as well.” Kyoko said as the group got up from the table and made their way to Showa Street where the Kamurocho branch of
“Money’s not an issue for me. I have too much money than I know what to do with from my days as a Real Estate Business owner.” Tsuna said.
“Wait. You did Real Estate?” Hana asked.
“Yeah. Struck gold during the Bubble Economy. I sold off all of my properties at ridiculous prices to the government and the Tojo Clan during the Kamurocho Revitalization Project in the late 80s.” Tsuna said. ‘Of course, there was that Empty-Lot incident, Makoto Makimura, Tachibana and Oda.’ Tsuna thought while remembering the events of 1988
“Well. What do you know?” Hana said. “You sure know ways to keep your bases covered.”
“Shush,” Tsuna said. “Speaking of covered bases, did y’all see the match between Yomiuri Giants and Hanshin Tigers?”
“Isn’t that the match where Takeshi-kun scored that winning homerun for the Giants?” Kyoko asked.
“Yep. Also, I heard through the baseball grapevine that a few teams from the American MLB are apparently scouting him.” Tsuna informed. “Let’s see, the early birds right now are, the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox from the American League and Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants from the National League.” Tsuna listed the teams who had come to Japan for getting the best scouts.
The group kept on walking for a while when they reached the Kamurocho branch of Le Marche on Showa Street East. Once they went in, the women started looking at some of the products on display while Tsuna talked to the cashier.
“Welcome, sir!” The cashier said. “Is there anything particular you are looking for today?”
“Actually, I heard that there is this limited edition women’s ring made in France…” Tsuna replied.
“Ah, I believe you’re referring to this one.” The cashier said while taking out a platinum ring with a stylish design and a red ruby on it.
“Wow…” Tsuna said in awe while looking at the ring.
“It’s in very high demand right now and this is the only one we have left in our stock. We don’t know when will the next shipment come. So if you don’t act fast…” The cashier said while indicating to Tsuna what would happen if he didn’t buy it right now.
“All right. I’ll take it.” Tsuna said.
“Very well, sir. Will this be a gift?” The cashier asked.
“Yes. A birthday present.” Tsuna replied.
“I see. We also offer a free engraving service on our high-end products. Would you like to avail this service?” The cashier asked.
“Yes. Put the name, ‘YUMI’ on it.” Tsuna said.
“Understood sir.” The cashier said while taking the ring to the backroom for getting it engraved.
“Well, well. You sure are going the extra mile, aren’t you?” Hana asked when she and the remaining women came with a few items they were buying.
“What’s this?” Tsuna asked when he saw that Kyoko, Haru, and Hana were holding a fur jacket, a bottle of French perfume and a silver bracelet respectively.
“This is our gifts, Tsuna-san!” Haru said excitedly.
“I guess y’all just invited yourselves for the party, didn’t you?” Tsuna asked with a small smile.
“Hm. Plus, even Yumi-chan will enjoy having more people celebrating her birthday.” Kyoko said.
“Fair enough,” Tsuna said. At that time, the cashier came back and handed the gift-wrapped ring box to him, while he paid 120,000 Yen. The cashier also quickly packed the jacket (320,000 Yen), perfume (8,190 Yen) and the bracelet (114,000 Yen) and handed the items back to them.
“Well then, guess we can walk together to Serena, right?” Tsuna asked.
“Sure,” Kyoko said while nodding. “Can you lead the way?”
“Why not,” Tsuna said as they left for Serena.
Bar Serena, a while later.
Yumi blew out the candles, which was put on a strawberry cake. Tsuna, Nishiki, Kyoko, Haru, and Hana blew the confetti when Reina called out, “Yumi-chan! Happy Birthday!”
“Happy Birthday, Yumi.” Nishiki wished.
“Happy Birthday,” Tsuna said while giving her a very warm smile.
“Yumi-chan! Many, many happy returns of the day!” Kyoko and Haru wished together with bright smiles on their faces.
“Hmph. Happy birthday, Yumi.” Hana said with a smile.
“Thank you, everyone,” Yumi said happily.
“Here, Yumi. I got you a present.” Nishiki said while taking out his gift and handing it to her.
“What, really? Can I open it now?” She asked.
“Of course,” Nishiki said with a smile.
Yumi quickly went through the wrapper and gave a cry of delight. “Wow, this is so beautiful. Hey, you sure this is for me?”
“Absolutely,” Nishiki said.
Even Tsuna had to admit the necklace did look really beautiful and wondered whether the ring was the right choice. He was got out of his musings with Reina and Hana nudging him to give her his gift.
“Umm, Yumi…” Tsuna started. “Actually, even I have a present for you.”
“Really? Thank you!” Yumi said happily.
“Here…” Tsuna said while he took the box out of his coat pocket. “Here you go.” He handed the box to Yumi.
Yumi took the box and slowly opened the lid. When she saw the ring, she immediately loved how beautiful it was. “A ring… Tsuna, is it for me?”
“Hey now, what’s up with that tacky ring?” Nishiki asked. “Don’t tell me you found it in the bargain bin.”
A fist belonging to Hana hitting his head was the response for his comment. “Don’t be mean. Tsuna really bought it from the bottom of his heart.”
“Oh!” Yumi said in surprise. “This ring has my name engraved on it.”
“W-was it too much?” Tsuna asked unsurely.
“No! Not at all.” Yumi replied. Her reply brought a smile to Tsuna’s face.
“Thank you, I’ll treasure it,” Yumi said after putting the ring on her right ring finger.
“Hey now, do you really think we would just brazenly show up without some gifts of our own,” Hana said while she, Kyoko and Haru gave Yumi their gifts.
“Wow… Thank you very much. Hana-chan, Kyoko-chan, Haru-chan.” Yumi said happily after seeing their gifts.
The celebration continued for a few more hours until everyone finally left for their respective homes.
October 1, 1995, 4:00 PM
“Morning, Tsuna-chan.” Reina greeted. She had changed back into her bartender uniform. “Were you tired? You slept like a baby.”
“Hm?” Tsuna said, giving the intelligent answer. “Where’s Nishiki?”
“Nishikiyama-kun?” Reina asked. “He left hours ago. He said something about not allowing you to hog all the glory and left looking really excited.”
“I see…” Tsuna said. “What’s the time now?”
“It’s about four. Shouldn’t you be heading to Kazama-san’s place soon enough?” Reina said.
“Yeah, you’re right. Guess I’ll go now.” Tsuna said. “What about you?”
“Well, once I’m done preparing, I’ll close shop for a while to enjoy a cup of tea,” Reina replied.
“By the way, where’s Yumi?” Tsuna asked.
“Yumi? She went home. She’ll take care of shopping before coming here to relieve me.” Reina replied.
“I see… in that case, I’ll stop by later tonight,” Tsuna said with a smile before leaving the bar.
The Kazama family office was just a few buildings away from Serena. As Tsuna made his way to the office, he heard someone call him.
Tsuna turned around to see his informant, Tamura. “What’s up, Tamura? How’s it going?” Tsuna asked.
“Haha, not much Sawada-san, but I wanted to introduce you to somebody,” Tamura said while pointing to the man next to him.
“I’m Aoki. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Aoki said while bowing to Tsuna.
“He’s a rookie journalist with whom I have been sharing info with,” Tamura said.
“Magazines?” Tsuna asked.
“Yep. He always pays top dollar for the info I provide. He asked me what’s the hottest topic in town, so naturally, I told him about you, good sir.” Tamura said with a conspiring smile.
“Hey now, don’t feed the guy any weird rumors about me,” Tsuna said.
“Yes, of course,” Tamura said.
“I hope we can work together someday,” Aoki said.
“Sure. Catch you guys later.” Tsuna responded before going into the Kazama Family’s office.
Kazama Family Office, Tenkaichi Street
“Ah, there you are.” A man in a dark blue pinstriped suit said. His hair was slicked back and one could see the grey hairs mixed with the black. The man had a straight mustache and he was also clutching a cane, which had the head of a golden dragon with a pearl clutched in its mouth as the handle.
“How do you do, sir?” Tsuna asked when he entered the room.
“Fine, thanks.” The man, whose name was Shintaro Kazama, Captain of the Dojima Family and Patriarch of the Kazama Family, said. He was also Tsuna, Nishiki and Yumi’s foster father.
Tsuna quietly sat on the couch and put the silver briefcase on the table. Once he unlocked it, he turned it to Kazama and the man with him. The briefcase contained 10, 000 Yen notes for a total of 100 million Yen. “This is the month’s cut. I shall leave it with you.” Tsuna said.
“Alright. Good job, Tsuna.” The other man who was also wearing a suit, but his most noticeable feature was the scar running horizontally across his face, said. This man was Osamu Kashiwagi, Captain of the Kazama Family.
“You didn’t do anything reckless, did you?” Kazama asked.
“No, sir,” Tsuna replied.
“Tsunayoshi,” Kazama said in a fatherly tone. “If you push things too far, the men under you will too. They all began as punks, looking for trouble wherever they could find it.”
“Don’t worry about Tsuna. He has his head straight.” Kashiwagi said. “Besides, the boss here has no room to talk… You know he used to be the Tojo Clan’s finest assass–– ”
“Kashiwagi!” Kazama said in a hard tone to his Captain that held no room for any disobedience.
“Sorry.” Kashiwagi apologized.
“Give us a minute, will you?” Kazama asked.
“Yes, sir,” Kashiwagi replied and left the room.
“To think you will now be starting your own family,” Kazama said. “It seems like only yesterday you were just a child.”
“I wouldn’t be here without you, sir,” Tsuna said while bowing. “And for that, I’m grateful.”
“Hey, don’t get all formal on me,” Kazama said before getting up from his couch.
“Yes, sir,” Tsuna replied.
“You been to Sunflower lately?” Kazama asked as he stared outside the window.
“No,” Tsuna replied. “Neither has Nishiki or Yumi.”
“You should drop in now and then,” Kazama said. “That place is more or less what you kids call home.”
“Yes sir, you’re right,” Tsuna replied.
Suddenly two knocks sounded outside Kazama’s office. “Yeah?” He called out. Immediately a rank and file member came in while holding a wireless phone
“Sorry to bother you, sir.” The member said as he came in and closed the door behind him. “Sawada-san, you have a phone call. It’s from Shinji-san.” The member said while handing the phone to Tsuna.
After receiving a nod from Kazama, Tsuna took the offered handset and put it to his ear. “It’s me,” Tsuna said.
“This is Shinji!” Shinji said in a panicked voice. “Reina-san told me to get you, sir!”
“What happened?” Tsuna asked, not at all liking where this was going.
“Just now, Patriarch Dojima grabbed Yumi-san and took off!” Shinji replied frantically.
“Yumi?!” Tsuna asked while getting up from his seat. “What the hell does the Boss need with her?!”
“I don’t know the details,” Shinji replied, his voice bordering on hysteria. “But, Nishiki immediately took off after the boss as soon as he heard.”
“Shit!” Tsuna said. “Nishiki. Where did he go?” Tsuna asked Shinji.
“The Dojima Family office,” Shinji replied. “The one next to the theatre!”
“Got it,” Tsuna said, forcing himself to calm down. “I’ll head there right now.”
“Hey, what’s wrong?” Kazama asked with worry in his voice.
“It’s Patriarch Dojima,” Tsuna replied. “Apparently, he took Yumi by force. And now Nishiki went off to save her by himself.”
“This… is seriously bad,” Kazama said calmly, but Tsuna could detect the worry in his voice. “If a girl catches his eye, the Boss is capable of just about anything. Add Nishikiyama to the mix and you’ve got the perfect recipe for trouble.”
“I have to go,” Tsuna said before turning to leave.
“Don’t!” Kazama ordered with force in his voice.
“What?” Tsuna asked.
“If you go in, you will cause trouble for all three of yourselves. You will need to tough it out.” Kazama advised. “At least stay put until I can do something.
“Sir. Yumi and Nishiki are practically family to me.” Tsuna said with his face set in a tight frown. “So I need to go… now!” Tsuna said before running out of the office and vaguely hearing Kazama’s “Tsunayoshi!”
The weather had turned bad. Especially after seeing how much rain was falling. Tsuna, however, only vaguely registered the terrible weather and the rain falling on him making his black suit wet as he broke into a sprint straight for the Dojima Family office. All the time he silently prayed that Nishiki didn’t do something stupid. He knew that Nishiki was in love with Yumi and if something wrong happened to her, Tsuna knew that Nishiki would leap before thinking, and in the underworld, allowing your personal feelings to dictate your actions only resulted in death.
It didn’t take long for Tsuna to reach Theatre Square. However, just as he saw the entrance of the office two men blocked him. Tsuna recognized them as President Hirata of Peace Finance and a new heavy. Tsuna really did not have time to deal with pests and tried to bypass them but was blocked by the two men.
“Sawada…” President Hirata growled. “I’m going to make you give back that money!”
“Now look, I’m in a hurry over here,” Tsuna said.
“After how you ruined me, there is no way that I’m just going to sit back. I even have the muscle now to even the odds.” Hirata said haughtily. “There is no way you will make it out alive!”
‘Bitch, you had three guys with you last time.’ Tsuna thought as he got ready to fight.
It didn’t take long for Tsuna to seriously beat all three of them with a traffic cone and a Pachinko Parlor Banner and leave them in the rain, unconscious. Before Tsuna entered the office, an old woman standing next to the entrance called him. “Hey, youngster!”
Tsuna turned his head to see the old woman. He bowed to her and asked. “How can I help you, ma’am?”
“You’re one of Dojima’s boys, aren’t you?” The woman asked.
“Yes, ma’am,” Tsuna replied.
“Honestly, tell your Boss to not cause such a racket and be a bit considerate to his neighbors. Yakuza are part of the community too, so tell him to behave properly.” The woman grumbled.
“Of course, ma’am. I shall inform him. I apologize for the trouble.” Tsuna said with a bow before entering the office building. ‘Racket? Boss… what the hell did you do this time?’ Outside the building, the weather turned for the worse as a thunderstorm started.
Inside the Dojima Family Office
Tsuna opened the door of the Boss’ office floor with a bang. “Yumi! Nishiki!” He called out while walking towards the Boss’ door. When he reached, he slowly turned the handle and was greeted to a horrifying scene.
“Nishiki…” Tsuna started in genuine shock. Nishiki was kneeling beside the now dead body of Sohei Dojima, Patriarch of the Dojima Family, a subsidiary of the Tojo Clan, and holding a revolver with both of his hands. Tsuna noticed how Nishiki’s hands were shaking and the gun was still trained towards the stiff. Tsuna saw Yumi lying in the side and was definitely going through some mental trauma. Tsuna did not need to be a medical expert to understand what might have happened.
“Patriarch Dojima…” Tsuna said again while staring into the now rolled back eyes of the fallen Patriarch.
“Tsuna…” Nishiki started with fear while trying to explain himself. “The Boss… He forced himself… on Yumi.” Meanwhile, Tsuna walked towards Yumi and held her in his arm. “I lost it… So… I shot him…” Nishiki finished.
“Yumi! Talk to me, dammit!” Tsuna said while shaking Yumi. He could clearly see in her semi-conscious state that she must be going through heavy trauma.
“I killed… a direct Tojo Clan Associate.” Nishiki’s voice reminded Tsuna of his presence.
Of course, Tsuna knew very well what he was talking about. Kinslayers are not treated nicely and are banished from the Criminal Underworld. They were declared “Excommunicado” and hunted down. He knew that it wouldn’t take long for the Vindice to hear about this issue. He gave it a few hours before the news of Sohei Dojima’s murder would spread all across the underworld, from Tokyo to Hong Kong to Palermo to New York. Nishiki would not be given refuge anywhere. Even a normal prison wouldn’t be able to keep him safe. His only destination now was the underground water-filled cells of the Vendicare Prison, where he would be kept forever, that or a quick death.
It didn’t take long for Tsuna to consider the pros and cons of his next decision when he said, “Nishiki. Take Yumi and get out.”
“Are you nuts?!” Nishiki asked. “You take her and go!”
“What would happen to your sister, if you were hauled into Vendicare or shot and buried in some ditch?” Tsuna asked. After noticing the terror that crept on Nishiki’s face on hearing the name of the Keepers of the Mafia Law, Tsuna continued. “Isn’t her next operation her last?! How is she going to get through it without you?”
“But… what about you?” Nishiki asked, the fear still lingering in his voice. “You know the Vindice can’t be fooled!”
Suddenly in the distance, both men heard police sirens. “I’ll call in a favor. Someone I know who can hold the Vindice off.” Tsuna said seriously. “Just go, Nishiki. I have a plan to cover myself. If you are caught as well, both of us will be seriously fucked. Take care of Yumi.”
“Tsuna…” Nishiki said with his shaking voice.
“Go, dammit!” Tsuna said with annoyance now coloring his voice. With a shaky nod, Nishiki took Yumi and got out of the room.
October 1st, 1995. 5:47 PM, Kamurocho, Tokyo.
Outside the Dojima Family office, the rain was falling down hard with the sound of thunder being accompanied by lightning. The office was trashed and there are signs of a struggle. Tsuna looked down on a body while holding a revolver in his right hand. The body was of Sohei Dojima whose black hair was slicked back. His eyes have rolled inside, there are spider web cracks in the right lens of his spectacles and his mouth is agape. Also, his white suit is bloodied red with bullet holes.
Tsuna tilted his head towards a small stylish platinum ring with a red ruby in it. Suddenly, hurried footsteps are heard outside the room. Tsuna meanwhile, bent down and picked up the ring and looks at a name, “YUMI”, engraved on it, when the door of the room bursts open and two police officers burst in and point their service revolvers on the standing man.
“Freeze!” One of the officers called out.
Tsuna simply turned his head, which allowed his face to be momentarily illuminated by the lightning outside. He has sharp features, a sharp nose, and cheekbones. His eyebrows are furrowed and his eyes are a caramel brown in color. The upturned collar of his silk orange shirt meanwhile hid his chin. Outside, lightning struck once again before dying out and taking away the light with it.
Kamurocho Police Station, Tokyo. 28 hours later
“Bullshit!” A deep voice exclaimed while a fist banged the table.
“I did it.” Tsuna calmly said. “We were arguing over money.”
“Don’t screw with me!” The owner of the voice said while pointing the nearby lamp straight into Tsuna’s eyes. The man was dressed in a dull gray suit and white shirt, with his tie hanging loosely from his neck.
“Date-kun. That’s enough.” Another man said.
“But it doesn’t add up!” Makoto Date, a detective of the Criminal Investigation Department, Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department said. “He was just about to take charge of his own family. There’s no way in hell, he’d throw that away. He’s definitely covering for someone!”
“This is an internal yakuza dispute. Hardly matters who did it.” The other man said. “It’s better to get this case closed as quickly and quietly as possible.” After saying his piece, the man left the interrogation room.
“Damn it!” Date shouted while banging his hands on the table.
“Detective,” Tsuna said.
“What?” Date asked irritably.
“There should have been a ring among my possessions,” Tsuna said. “Can I ask you to give that to Captain Kazama? And also tell him… I’m very sorry.”
“You’re really pushing your luck, pal.” Date said while walking to the door.
“Believe me, I know,” Tsuna replied.
“No promises.” Date said, just before leaving. “Also, someone will come in with a phone. You still have to avail that right to call an attorney.”
True to his word, 15 minutes later, a police constable came in with a wireless phone and placed it on the table.
“You have 15 minutes to make you call.” The constable simply said before leaving the room.
Tsuna picked up the phone and looked at it. With a sigh, he dialed a series of numbers only a few select people in the Underworld knew.
Two rings later, a deep, cultured and friendly voice came from the other side. “Tsunayoshi… What have you gotten yourself into this time now, hm?”
A few weeks later. Prison.
Inside the prison, a prison guard was walking to a cell. When he reached it, he called out. “Inmate number 1240. You’ve got a visitor.”
A while later, Inmate 1240 a.k.a. Tsunayoshi Sawada, saw himself sitting in a visitor room. On the other side of the glass window was his former junior, Shinji Tanaka who just slid a letter towards him.
“Expulsion?” Tsuna asked. “You sure that’s right, Shinji?”
“Yes,” Shinji replied shakily.
“I killed the Patriarch,” Tsuna stated. “Shouldn’t it be absolute banishment?”
“Tojo Clan’s Third Chairman, Sera himself decided on an expulsion,” Shinji replied.
“What do you mean?” Tsuna asked.
“I don’t know the details, but Kazama-san told me to give this letter of expulsion to you, sir,” Shinji replied.
“What about the Dojima Family?” Tsuna asked.
“The Kazama Family has taken command, sir,” Shinji replied.
“I see,” Tsuna said with a nod.
“Time’s up!” The constable in the room called out, indicating that visiting time was over. Tsuna quietly got up and made his way to the door when Shinji’s next words stopped him in his tracks and turn around.
“Yumi-san is missing! Ever since the day after the incident.” Shinji said. “Yumi-san doesn’t remember anything. She doesn’t remember you or Nishiki and a day after the incident she disappeared from the hospital. I’m sorry, but Kazama-san ordered me not to tell you.”
“Is anyone looking for her?” Tsuna asked while ignoring the constable’s voice of “I said times up!”
“Yes,” Shinji replied. “Nishiki and Kazama-san are. Kazama-san even asked Hibari-san to look for her in Namimori.”
“Kyouya…?” Tsuna asked in surprise when Shinji mentioned the name of his second sworn brother, Kyouya Hibari of the Hibari Clan whose main base of operations was in Namimori.
“Hey! Are you deaf?” The constable asked while roughly pulling Tsuna’s shoulder.
“Shinji, Find Yumi. Take care of her. And tell Nishiki to do the same!” Tsuna ordered while resisting the constable
“I will. Understood, sir.” Shinji said as Tsuna allowed himself to be exited from the room.
Prison Cafeteria
“Man, what a dangerous place.” An inmate sitting next to Tsuna said. The cries of a man who just got his hand stabbed by a steel fork could be heard fading away as he was lead to the infirmary. “And hey… This one looks like he fits right in.” The prisoner commented after looking at Tsuna’s frown.
“You’re the one right?” The Prisoner asked. “The Yakuza who whacked his own boss?”
“How about you stop flapping those toothless gums of yours and just eat,” Tsuna said in a dangerous voice.
“You really are dignified, just as they say… Dragon of Dojima.” The Prisoner said. The Prisoner’s tone hinted something dangerous, which Tsuna quickly picked on. His suspicions were proven correct with the Prisoner’s next words and action. “Dojima Family’s Lieutenant Advisor, Sawada Tsunayoshi.” Immediately after that the Prisoner took his fork and swung it straight for Tsuna’s face. However, Tsuna saw the attack coming from a mile away and easily caught it.
“H-Hey! What’s going on?” One of the inmates said in a panic. Meanwhile, four other inmates quickly pushed the tables to make space.
“You took out a Tojo Clan officer.” The Prisoner stated. “Surely you expected this?”
‘So an assassination in prison, huh.’ Tsuna thought. ‘Something that requires 5 clowns. Gee, I feel so special.’
“Give my regards to Patriarch Dojima when you see him in hell!” With that, all of the prisoners involved jumped to attack him.
Tsuna dodged the first punch of the first attacker and sent a quick flurry of punches to him and knocked him out. Suddenly, he was punched on the back of his head, so he quickly turned and kicked that attacker in the midsection which made the attacker bend down in pain, Tsuna finished him off by raising his leg high and bringing it down in an ax kick on the second attacker. When the third attacker attacked Tsuna fell down with the force, however, he quickly recovered and kicked the attacker's legs from under him and making him lose his balance. A straight punt kick knocked him out for the rest of the fight. The last attacker was finished off with a quick series of kicks on his face.
After that, the leader, Prisoner 1356 stepped in with two steel forks in his hands and lunged for him. Tsuna dodged him and hit the back of Inmate 1356’s head with an elbow. After that Tsuna kicked his head with tremendous force. Surprisingly, Inmate 1356 got up and lunged for him again. This time Tsuna used his fists to punch and then grind the temples of Inmate 1356 before jumping and making Inmate 1356’s face with Tsuna’s knees. This time he stayed down for good.
“So, who gave the order?” Tsuna asked.
“Who else, but Chairman Sera, the Third Chairman of the Tojo Clan.” Inmate 1356 said.
“What?” Tsuna said before he was knocked out by a prison guard’s baton, which hit the back of his skull.
Dojima Family Office. A few hours after Tsuna’s arrest.
“The ‘Dragon of Dojima’ my ass!” One of the two remaining Dojima Family Lieutenants exclaimed. “That son of a bitch needs to die!”
“I still can’t believe it though.” A junior member said. “ A guy like Lieutenant Sawada killing the boss… It has to be some kind of mistake, right?”
“He was caught red-handed!” The same Lieutenant replied while kicking the table. “What kind of mistake could there be?!”
“Damn…” Another Lieutenant said. “Just as was about to pay respects to the Boss as a patriarch… He may have had his reasons, but he’s caused a real shit storm…”
“At the end of the day Captain Kazama will handle things, so the Family will be fine. But accountability in the upper ranks is fucked up right now. How’s he gonna handle this? Sawada was his favorite after all.” The first Lieutenant said.
“Speaking of favorites…” The junior member started. “What about Nishikiyama?”
“Who knows? I haven’t seen him.” The second Lieutenant replied. “What’s he got to do with this?
“Well, I was thinking that if he did the Boss in and got arrested… it wouldn’t be this much of a problem, would it?”
“Ha, true.” The Lieutenant agreed. “Why don’t we put a piece in his hand and tell him to give himself up?”
“Dumbasses! I just told you that it was Sawada who was caught in the scene of the crime.” The first Lieutenant exclaimed while once again kicking the table.
“Yeah well, he’s a useless piece of shit anyway.” One of the Lieutenants said. “What has he exactly done for the family?"
Unknown to the three men, Akira Nishkiyama, was outside the room and listening. His face contorted in anger and left the room, not being able to hear it anymore.
Head Office of the Consulenza Esterna Della Famiglia (CEDEF). Palermo, Sicily, Italy. Local Time- 11:00 AM. An hour and 15 minutes after Tsuna’s arrest by Kamurocho Police.
Just as Tsuna predicted in the Dojima Family office, it didn’t take even four hours before every single member of the Criminal Underworld heard about the murder of a Yakuza Patriarch by his own Lieutenant.
While the majority expressed anger or disbelief over this affair, a few groups decided to investigate this from the background. One of them was the Consulenza Esterna Della Famiglia. The external advisory organization of the Vongola Famiglia based in Palermo, Sicily.
“Hey, let us see your Boss, Kora!” A blonde, spiky-haired infant wearing green military camouflage fatigue, black army boots and a green bandana on his head ordered the receptionist. Interestingly, there was an American Bald Eagle perched on the top of the infant’s head and a blue pacifier hanging on his neck.
“Signor Colonello, as much as I would want to allow you in, the Boss is really busy today.” The young receptionist replied to the infant now dubbed Colonello. “Furthermore––”
The receptionist’s sentence was cut off, as she had to dodge an incoming bullet that was shot as a warning from another infant who was standing with Colonello. This infant was dressed in an all black suit with a red undershirt and black tie. He was wearing a black fedora on his head, which had an orange stripe, and a chameleon perched on it. Like Colonello, even he had a pacifier hanging on his neck only the color was yellow. While his face was shadowed by his fedora, it didn’t take a genius to know that this infant had a seriously low amount of patience.
“We don’t care.” The infant said. “We are only talking to you out of formality and politeness. Don’t make light of it.”
“Y-Yes, of course. My apologies. Signor Reborn.” The receptionist said while apologizing. “The Boss is in his office on the top floor. Signora Lal is there as well.”
“Hm. Alright.” Reborn said as he and Colonello made their way to the elevator.
As the two infants entered the elevator, the receptionist could only sigh in relief as she had somehow managed to avoid the wrath of two the infamous “Arcobaleno”, a group of seven infants who were seen as the strongest in the entire Criminal Underworld. Having even one working for your Family meant a great deal of respect.
Even someone like herself who was very low in the hierarchy knew that the two who just went in were the Sun and Rain Arcobalenos. Reborn, the Sun Arcobaleno was touted as the World’s Strongest Hitman who worked exclusively for the Vongola Famiglia. Colonello, the Rain Arcobaleno worked as security in a place called, Mafia Land, which is situated in the Pacific Ocean. It was basically a resort for members of the Underworld and their families to relax without any fear of police raids. It’s run by the Continental Group of Hotels and had strict rules on conducting business on grounds.
“So, how’s your life going? Kora!” Colonello asked the two people sitting in the huge office.
“I’m assuming you have something important to do here. Or else, you’re just wasting our time.” Another infant sitting on the chair said. The infant was dressed in a combat suit with an infrared visor on her head. She has dark blue hair, reddish brown eyes, and a flame-shaped scar on her right cheek. She also has a pacifier, however, this one was dull grey and there was no light in it. The name of this infant was Lal Mirch, the second-in-command of CEDEF.
“Now, Lal. Don’t be so mean to him.” Basil, the External Advisor to the Vongola Famiglia and head of the CEDEF Organization said in a placating gesture. Basil was dressed in a black suit with a light blue undershirt and black tie. His dirty blonde hair went past his shoulders and a fringe partially covered his right eye. “However, Lal does have a point. What happened that had you and Reborn coming to my office so early in the morning?”
“Japan. That’s what happened.” Reborn replied.
“What do you mean?” Lal asked noting Reborn’s tone and the lack of any teasing from Colonello to annoy her.
“Fon from the Char Siu Mafia in mainland China told me of some serious shit that went down in Kamurocho, Tokyo an hour ago. Kora!” Colonello replied. “Me and Reborn were having our morning coffee when he called us. I’ll give it a couple of hours more by the time it spreads around the entire underworld. Kora!”
“What happened?” Basil asked.
“A Kinslayer,” Reborn replied this time.
At hearing this word, Lal and Basil took a sharp breath, because they were very well aware of the implications of such an act.
“What is Fon’s authority on this?” Basil asked.
“Lau Ka Long. Kora!” Colonello replied. “The head of the Japanese branch of the Snake Flower Triads, a direct associate of the Char Siu Mafia. The Chinese are already discussing this at length. The Don of the Char Siu, Yui Kanakura, has called for an emergency executive meeting about this issue. Kora!”
Immediately, Basil’s telephone started ringing. The four individuals looked at one another as Basil picked up the phone. He didn’t have to speak as instructions came in from the other end. With a simple “Understood.” Basil put the receiver down and looked at the three infants.
“That was from HQ. Vongola Decimo has called a Vongola Alliance Executive meeting. I’m expected to brief all the bosses about the situation. Please tell me you have the name of the perpetrator.” Basil said.
“About that…” Colonello started while fishing out a picture from his pockets and handing it to Basil.
“You might want to stay seated for this one,” Reborn advised.
Basil looked at the picture. Really well. He took in the features, the hair, the jet-black black suit, the silk orange shirt, and the caramel brown eyes… everything. Basil was glad he was sitting down or else he knew he would have definitely fallen on his ass. That did not stop him from banging his head on the table though.
“Whoa! Boss, chill!” Lal exclaimed at seeing her bosses’ reaction. “Do you know this kid or something?”
“Yeah…” Basil whimpered. “That is Tsunayoshi Sawada.”
“Why am I getting a bad feeling? I don’t know why but it seems related to some past trauma of mine.” Lal said. Praying this name and a certain goofy blonde did not have a connection.
“He is the son of the now deceased Young Lion of the Vongola, the late Iemitsu Sawada,” Basil replied.
“No. Tell me you lie.” Lal said in mortal panic at the mention of her previous Boss, a.k.a., the man who once sat on the same seat as Basil.
“There’s more,” Basil said.
“More?!” Lal shrieked. Even Reborn and Colonello looked interested in this one.
“Tsunayoshi Sawada is also known as… The Dragon of Dojima.” Basil stated.
“The Dragon of… No. Not him!” Lal said the moment the title clicked in her head.
“Wait a minute, Kora!” Colonello interrupted. “Wasn’t it the Dragon of Dojima who was responsible for the killings of Antonio Marcella a.k.a. Hayato Gokudera and 12 more officers of the Vongola Famiglia in 1992?!”
“If I’m not mistaken, it was the Third Chairman of the Tojo Clan, Sera who ordered the hit.” Reborn added his two cents in.
“Their murders were what sparked the war between the Tojo Clan and the Vongola Famiglia. It was only after Enrico, the Ninth’s eldest son and heir to the position of Decimo was shot and killed by the Dragon of Dojima, that the Nono called for peace. It was the biggest defeat the Vongola Famiglia suffered in history. Ever since then, the incident went to be known as The Nightmare of 1992 and had also irreparably damaged Vongola’s reputation as the strongest Mafia Family.” Reborn summarized the fateful events of April 1992. He finished by saying, “The Dragon of Dojima is, and will forever be seen as Vongola’s enemy no. 1. But if you are saying that he is Iemitsu’s spawn…”
“We will have a succession crisis.” Basil finished. “Especially with the terrible luck of the Decimo not being able to produce an heir.”
“How do you know all of this anyway, Basil?” Lal asked after getting over her shock.
“Because… Tsuna is my cousin.” Basil stated.
“What?” The three infants said in unison.
“Yeah. Basically, my mother was Iemitsu’s half-sister from his maternal side.” Basil explained.
“Have you met him?” Reborn asked.
“Once in ‘93,” Basil said. “Suffice to say, the title he is known by is not for show,” Basil replied.
“The Vongola are gonna tear their heads when you tell them everything,” Colonello said.
“Hey. Is he married?” Lal asked. “Does he have kids of his own?”
“No,” Basil replied. “Though most of the hostesses in Kamurocho would love to have him in their beds.”
After this, the three infants looked at Basil and said only one thing. “Good luck. You’re screwed.”
“I should not have gotten up from bed today.” Basil moaned as his head hit the table again.