Sitting in the Capsule Corp living room over tea, once again ChiChi
was complaining to Bulma, "He's nothing like his brother. No ambition
at all. I saw the mistake I made with Gohan, and began Goten's training
right away. But I didn't encourage him enough in his studies, and now
look. He barely scraped through high school. What sort of future could
he possibly have, huh? You know what I think, your son's been a bad
influence on him."
...
"You take that back!" Bulma retorted indignantly.
...
Vegeta rolled his eyes and turned about-face toward his training room.
The two women had had this conversation for years, and now that high
school had finished, it only got worse. Not only did he have to listen
to ChiChi drone on about it all afternoon, he would also hear it again
from Bulma later. What was he supposed to do? His responsability was
their training… Goten's as well since Kakarot had left again… not
academics.
...
Vegeta considered Goten, who'd eclipsed outside with Trunks, the two
of them intently focused on their video game consoles, and frowned.
ChiChi did have a point. Trunks would inherit Capsule Corp and would
have no problem, but Goten could not depend on his mother forever, nor
would he wish to. Outside of combat, the youngest Son man seemed
passively resigned to life in general, which to Earthlings was
considered carelessness.
...
Had he grown up on Vegeta-sei, Goten may have turned out more like
Bardock, Vegeta reflected.
(On the old planet, Goten would already be in his bed.)
Vegeta scowled. His subconscient hated him.
...
The point was, Vegeta decided firmly, was that Goten did not deserve
to be treated like a loser just because Earth's pointless, artificial
system did not interest him. The younger man had more Saiyan in him
than human, Vegeta thought triumphantly. Perhaps there was something
he could do to help.
...
Entering the expansive office, Vegeta took out his cell phone, and
scrolled through the directory, selecting the personal number of his
yakuza contact. Some years ago, Vegeta had dealt with them a few times,
and as he'd helped get rid of some tongs who were bothering them, they
owed him a favor. To the voice on the other end who answered, Vegeta
instructed simply, "Pass me Shimada."
-:-
Some time later, Vegeta leaned out the door to call Goten inside.
"Come on, we're going into Tokyo," he announced, glancing critically
at his jeans and oversized T-shirt, "Change into some better clothes
first."
...
"Okay. But what for?" Goten inquired, noting the khaki slacks and
black silk shirt Vegeta himself wore. He'd actually planned on hanging
out in the city with Trunks and some friends, but gladly pounced on an
opportunity to spend time with Vegeta.
...
"To get you a job," Vegeta replied, seeing Goten's shoulders slump
with a reproachful look. "Not just any job," he pointed out
encouragingly, "Through the yakuza. You'll have very little to
actually do."
...
Goten raised an eyebrow. "Great. My mother would be thrilled if I
became a gangster."
...
"Not a gangster," Vegeta said impatiently, "An investor. They'll
assign you a financial advisor, and all you have to do is sign papers
in your new name and watch your bank account grow."
...
"Money laundering," Goten concluded, mentally facepalming. But Vegeta
looked pleased with himself, and the last thing Goten wanted was to
disappoint him. "But, how would I explain that?"
...
"Just don't mention the yakuza or your fake ID," Vegeta said simply,
settling the matter, "But your house is in the other direction and
we'd be late. These will fit you." He handed Goten a folded pair of
his own black pants and blue silk shirt, similar to the one he wore
with black shoes and socks. Goten accepted them with a blushing smile
at the idea of wearing Vegeta's clothes, and went to change.
...
A few minutes later, Goten returned wearing the clothes. "Look okay?" he asked.
Vegeta reached over to straighten his collar and handed him a satchal
case. "Much better. Let's go."
-:-
Goten flew with Vegeta toward the Rising Sun, and before long, the
skyline and Tokyo Tower came into view. "They think I'm your uncle and
legal tutor," Vegeta told him.
...
"But I'm eighteen. Why would I need a tutor?" Goten asked indignantly.
...
"Their age of majority is twenty," Vegeta informed him, "And one isn't
taken seriously as an adult until they're twenty-five and settled
down. But your fake ID makes you twenty-five, and congratulations on
your Economics degree from West City University." Goten snickered and
exchanged a grin with Vegeta.
...
They landed in an alley out of sight, and Vegeta led Goten through the
colorful, crowded quarter of Shinjuku to the notorious, yakuza-governed
sub-quarter of Kabuki-Cho. Vegeta seemed to know the way, so Goten
followed him through the maze of narrow streets, past pachinko parlors
that paid cash prizes, bars, porno theaters, and myriad other
establishments, until he stopped at a specific pachinko parlor and they
entered.
...
The brightly flashing lights and colorful, smoke-filled ambiance with
a noise level equalling a 767 at takeoff assaulted their accute
senses, and Goten followed Vegeta up a stairway to a platform
affording a view of below.
...
Vegeta recognized a group of kobun who motionned for them to follow
them through a security-locked door across a hallway, leading to an
adjoining office building. One could tell at a glance that the whole
place contained as much security as the average bank. Goten studied
the group. Part of them had permed hair and bad, gaudy colored suits
while the others that he guessed of higher rank were more classily
dressed in black suits and ties, smartly coiffed, and were more
reserved. None of them spoke, and one of the men in black rang at a
deceptively modest looking door to signal their presence.
...
A chime sounded, and two impeccably dressed men inside bowed politely
and bade them to enter, returning to their places like bookends at
each side of the room, reminding Vegeta of the royal guards back on
the old planet. Goten looked around the ornate room, a fascinating mixture of
tradition and modernity.
...
The Oyabun stood with a smile. "Ah, Vegeta-san. It's good to see you
again. Welcome."
...
"Hello, Shimada-san." They exchanged bows.
...
"This must be your nephew, Goten," Shimada guessed in a friendly tone.
...
"Yes, sir." Goten bowed politely. "It's an honor to meet you." Goten
had been a little intimidated, and was impressed that Vegeta was on
familiar terms with the big boss of the Shimada Clan, reputed to be
the largest and most powerful yakuza clan worldwide.
...
Pleased by his good manners, Shimada nodded. "I can see the
ressemblance, and I'm curious about your origins."
...
"Oh, a small faraway… island… no longer on the map," Goten improvised.
...
The oyabun seemed to accept that. "Do sit down. Make yourselves at
home," he bade them, indicating luxuriously embroidered cushions set
around a low table on the tatami. Goten took a cushion next to Vegeta
and they sat across from Shimada. "Noriko, serve them their tea," he
told his secretary. The young woman in a tailored black and white suit
dress stepped out and returned immediately, smiling as she served
their green tea and small, leaf-shaped biscuits, then discretely left
them.
...
After a bit of small talk, the aging boss called in the said
financial advisor assigned to Goten, who explained the procedure.
Goten was given false identity papers, startup money, and the
aforementionned Economics degree to be used only for that purpose, and
a bank account had been opened in the new name he was to use, that
passed through an offshore account in the Cayman Islands. Indeed, all
he had to do was heed the advise of the financial advisor, sign and
fax to authorize stock investments, and meet with his advisor once a
month.
...
Goten stared at his new ID card, and the astonishing amount the account
statement contained. "I'm supposed to be half Spanish?"
...
"You guys learned Spanish in high school," Vegeta reminded him.
...
"No es bueno," Goten muttered under his breath.
**-:-**
TBC in Chapter 2…
Δ
(A/N: The Shimada Clan is a fictional one.)
