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.)