Do people even want or care for Yu-Gi-Oh/Seto Kaiba fics anymore? Who knows... but this was stuck in my head upon re-watch. I hope someone enjoys this :)

I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh, only the original characters and original subplots.

Chapter 1: So It Begins

Yuki let out a soft sigh as her azure eyes drifted around the modest sized room, before stopping on the sleek black casket a few feet in front of her. Large bouquets of flowers were lined up along either side, containing mostly varieties of white blossoms, with small metal tables evenly spaced in front of them. The tables each held a few picture frames. Most were of men in business attire, shaking hands or posing to commemorate a successful deal. A few contained one of the business men and a woman, and only three contained a young girl. There were two things all the photos had in common. The first was that every picture featured a tall severe looking blonde man, and the second was that no one was smiling. The lack of evident enjoyment in the pictures wasn't surprising. The blonde man didn't evoke such feelings in people. He was a businessman who saw the world in black and white. He was cold and withholding, Yuki knew that better than anyone. To Osuma Amano, you either were something that could benefit or advance his goals, or you were nothing. She couldn't decide whether or not he would enjoy today. He was the centre of attention and nearly every hushed whisper was in praise of his accomplishments, that she was certain he would relish. But funerals made people act sad, be it genuine or fake, and that was something he would hate. Emotions had no place in the business world or in Osuma's world.

A voice echoed in her mind, almost as if it drifted up from the casket itself, and Yuki felt herself unconsciously sit up straighter. Chin up, shoulders back, stand tall. You're an Amano, and Amano's never show weakness! A fleeting moment of fear racked the woman's body. Old habits die hard it would seem. The young woman had to stop herself from rolling her eyes at herself. They were worlds apart now and she was an adult, how silly to still fear him. Yuki let out a small gasp as she felt a small but harsh elbow in her ribs.

"You're supposed to look upset, not bored and annoyed" a voice to her right chided her. Her eyes drifted to the source, an older woman with grey hair pulled back in a tight bun. She was shorter than Yuki, standing only about 5'2" compared to the girl's 5'9", but the authority in her brown eyes made Yuki feel like a small child again. The girl let a small smile pull on her lips. She received another elbow. "That's even worse!"

"Sorry Chiyo" the young woman whispered back. She pulled her lips down in an almost dramatic frown, which earned her another jab from the old woman beside her.

"Okay, okay! I'll focus."

Chiyo shook her head while keeping her eyes on the man speaking in front of the casket. The old woman would be lying if she said she didn't understand where the young girl was coming from. Osuma Amano may have been her employer for thirty years but she couldn't say there was any love lost upon his passing. There were only two reasons she had stayed in the Amano house as long as she did, Yuki and her mother… and the pay. Okay, maybe three reasons. But Osuma was never one of them. Warm brown eyes stole another glance at the girl beside her. How different today was to that day ten years ago. The day that Suki Amano passed, the whole world felt a little darker. Chiyo remembered holding an eight year old Yuki back as the young girl screamed and tried to get to the coffin. She remembered how Osuma had ripped the girl from her arms and left bruises on the poor girl's arms that lasted for a week as he held her too tightly and growled "you're embarrassing me in front of the corporate partners, Yuki. Behave yourself, or else".

Today there were no tears. The grown woman beside her didn't cry, she barely even approached the casket. Chiyo was pulled out of her thoughts as Yuki stood and smoothed out the top of her slim black slacks, before walking towards the man who had previously been addressing the crowd.

The young woman took a deep breath as she approached the wooden stand and slowly exhaled when she faced the crowd. Had there always been this many people? Look sad she heard Chiyo say in her head, sad but strong. You are the head of the Amano family now. Yuki tucked a strand of her shoulder length silvery hair behind her ear. It meant something to be an Amano. It wasn't just a family name, it encompassed a code of conduct and a level of expectation. Yuki had learned that repeatedly as a child.

Nervous azure eyes glanced around the room. Yuki hated these business galas. She was always one of the few children at them, and even then she wasn't allowed to play with the others. Father said it was important to be professional, and playing tag didn't fall under that category. So the six year old sat in her chair and stared solemnly at her hands. Lost in her sad musings, Yuki didn't notice the twelve year old boy who crept up behind her. A pained gasp left her mouth as he tugged on one of her snow coloured braids. Teary azure eyes snapped to the boy.

"Ouch!" she cried.

The boy laughed, "what's wrong with your hair, little cry baby?"

The other children behind him snickered.

"Awe don't cry, little baby! Don't you want to play with the big kids?" He tugged again. "No wonder your daddy looks mad all the time. I'd be mad too if I had a crybaby for a kid. Let alone a little girl-" He closed his mouth quickly, looking past Yuki, before turning and running off to the other end of the room. His friends followed suit.

Yuki rubbed the tears from her eyes and looked to see her Father standing beside her. He came to kneel in front of her and fixed her with a stern look. She knew he wasn't here to comfort her, he never was. The snowy haired girl had learned from a young age that her father didn't want a child and he especially didn't want a little girl. But Osuma Amano was an opportunist and if he had to have a child, boy or girl, he was going to use them to his benefit however he could. Gripping her shoulders, he pulled them up and back from their slouching position. "Stop crying" he commanded, his tone low but strong. "What have I told you before? Regardless of what flaws you have, you are an Amano."

He grabbed her chin, "and what are Amano's?"

"Strong and fearless" she whispered, not feeling either at that moment.

Her Father nodded. "Exactly. Now sit up straight and keep quiet. Your mother should be over to watch you again soon." Without another word her father rose and moved to join a group of men deep in conversation on the other side of the room.

It was her job to continue that now. Strong and fearless, she reminded herself. Pulling on the bottom of her black blazer to straighten it, Yuki rolled her shoulders back and lifted her chin. She cleared her throat and stared out at the rows of guests with her sharp azure eyes.

"Osuma Amano was many things" she began. "For most of you, he was the CEO of AmanoTech, a company which he built from the ground up with his own hands."

Ugh, he would love to hear me say all this garbage she inwardly groaned.

"He was a… devoted husband to my late mother." Stay neutral, she thought to herself, her lips almost frowning at the words as they came out. "And he was an ambitious father to myself. He will be missed but not forgotten. His legacy lives on, with AmanoTech and with me. On behalf of the company and my family, thank you for coming to the service."

Yuki gave a small bow and returned to her spot beside Chiyo. She remained standing, and waited as people began to make their way up to offer their condolences. The next hour or so passed in a haze of 'thank you's, handshakes, and silent nods. A few gave their condolences to Chiyo and the two men to her right, Hishiro and Taichi, but most ignored them. It was strange since the three of them knew her father better and longer than she did, but status was important to the crowd that the Amano family surrounded themselves with. Chiyo, Hishiro, and Taichi were more her family than Osuma had ever been. She just happened to share his last name while they didn't. After a handful of family friends and acquaintances, she saw two men in black suits making their way over. Pink lip curled into a tight smile. Decent people would wait until the body was cold and in the ground, but then again these weren't people walking towards her. The young woman bowed her head towards the two men.

"Watanabe, Yamamoto, thank you for coming today. Father would have appreciated it."

Akio Watanabe and Riichi Yamamoto were businessmen like Yuki's father, both CEOs of major companies in Domino City. Watanabe Industries was a tech software company while Beyond Eyes Inc, Yamamoto's company, specialized in gaming technologies. The former was older than her father, around mid 60s, with grey hair which was thinning on the top while his moustache remained quite thick and still retained some black strands of hair. He had the same stern face as Osuma had, but Akio was more skillful in forcing a semi-believable smile when needed. Riichi Yamamoto was younger and closer to Yuki in age, mid thirties of age had to guess, with brown hair and deep brown eyes. He was part of the newer wave of businessmen, the one which was very adept at catering their personality to the occasion without seeming forced. They were the more dangerous, he father had said.

Yuki held her hand out to politely shake Watanabe's hand, but the man pulled her into a stiff hug. "Of course, my dear" he said, too close to her ear for comfort. "We wouldn't miss the chance to support you in such a horrible time. What are friends for after all?"

After detaching herself from the man, she took a step back in an attempt to avoid a similar situation with the second man. Thankfully Yamamoto just held out his hand. "Osuma will be missed by the tech world" he grabbed her extended hand with both of his as he spoke. "If there's any way we can help you in this trying time, please don't be afraid to come to us." When she tried to pull her limb back, he held harder, and his lips pulled back into an attractive yet subtly menacing smile. "Forgive me for being forward, but have you any inkling as to what dear Osuma had planned for AmanoTech upon his passing? It was so sudden, I would worry he hadn't laid any proper plans."

Blue eyes narrowed, but she didn't let her polite smile fade. "Rest assured Mr. Watanabe, my Father was explicit in what should happen to AmanoTech." Yuki finally freed her hand and clasped it with the other in front of her. "If you'll excuse me gentlemen, I must head home to deal with some personal affairs. Goodevening, and thank you again for coming." The young woman turned and nodded to Chiyo behind her, who had been pretending to not hear the conversation between the three.

"Shall we head home?"

Chiyo smiled, patting the girl's hand. "Indeed, my dear. Hishiro, get the car."

Hishiro stood and smoothed out his dress pants. He was the youngest of the three staff, only in his early forties, and had been the driver for the Amano family for 20 years. Once Yuki had turned twelve he had become her personal driver, taking her to and from her private tutors and the like. He smiled, crinkling his eyes in a way Yuki had seen a hundred times, and gave a small salute. "Right away ma'am. Meet you out front!"

The two businessmen started to move away once they realized the conversation had indeed come to halt, neither looking particularly pleased. Yuki didn't mind, she wasn't going to let the cultures start picking at her family before her father was even properly laid to rest.

"Are you sure you don't want to come with me?" She asked the older couple.

Taichi shook his head. "We took our car, have to get it home somehow. Don't worry about us." He gave her a soft crooked smile before taking Chiyo by the elbow and leading her to the parking lot. Yuki gave one more look around the room, noticing that everyone had mostly left by now, and nodded to one of the funeral home workers. "Thank you for everything, it was a lovely service." She took her time walking to the front entrance, staring at the various notices and photos of other funerals in the upcoming days at the hall. The cool night air felt nice on her face as she pushed open the door leading to the outside. The woman hadn't realized how hot she was until that moment. Hishiro was dutifully parked, waiting for her, and got out to open her door. Yuki waved him off before he could get around the car. Opening the door to the limo, she ducked inside and slid to the middle. She let out a deep breath she didn't know she had been holding.

Hirshiro spoke as they pulled out of the funeral home. "How are you feeling, miss?"

Yuki met his warm eyes in the mirror and offered him a sad smile. "I'm okay, just glad it's over."

"At least the hard part is done, right?" he said, trying to lighten her darkening mood.

A pale hand ran through her snowy locks as the young woman let out a dry laugh. "I wish that was true, Hirshiro" she groaned. "That was the easy part, I'm afraid."

Azure eyes flicked back and forth as they followed the dark trees the car passed. She was all alone in the waters now, and it was only a matter of time before the sharks smelt blood. Watanabe and Yamamoto were setting the groundwork tonight, and they didn't even know big news that had been keeping Yuki up at night. They would soon though. The young girl was dreading that. It wasn't long before the limo pulled into the familiar black iron gate and down a long forest lined road before stopping in front of a decent sized house. Hirshiro went to get out to assist but the young woman stopped him again. Yuki bid him a goodnight and let herself into the empty house. Chiyo and Taichi were most likely at home, and Hishiro would head home to his mother and son now. She moved through the house in a haze, stripping herself of her uncomfortable pantsuit and stepping into her shower. That's when the thought struck her. Had she cried yet? She played back the last 48 hours in her head

In the middle of a latin lesson her teacher had received a call. "A heart attack?" she stuttered back. Soon after that the snowy haired girl stood alone in a silent white hospital hall, arms wrapped around her middle as she waited. Yuki had briefly remembered being there with her mother, when she had gotten sick, and the feeling of fear and sadness she had felt. This time had been different however. This time, Yuki had felt cold and empty. She could feel the burden of sadness faintly hanging on her body, but what she had felt the most was the inevitable loneliness that was lurking in the future. While Osuma and his daughter didn't always see eye to eye, their relationship being strained and tense most of the time, they were still family. The only family the other had. Now with Osuma gone, Yuki was alone.

Alone.

The house was silent as she exited her shower and walked across her bedroom. She would be alone in the large house when she woke up, until Chiyo and Taichi arrived. That was something the young woman would have to get used to. Her house was now empty, and she felt the heavy loneliness in her bones. Other than the three house staff, who could she turn to? She would find no comfort amongst her father's business acquaintances. Watanabe and Yamamoto had pretended to extend offers of friendship, but Yuki knew better. Their eyes were fixed on the profitability of her father's company. Staff, programs, equipment… anything they could seize. But they had to wait, the future was uncertain for them. All they knew was that a prominent CEO had died, and his company was in a state of limbo. They could deal with waiting. The two older businessmen were sharks, and once they smelt blood in the water they would attack. They were already circling her now, and the situation was about to get worse.

The only person Yuki could potentially rely on was her father's Vice President, Tozen Nakamura. The pair had always gotten along well, Tozen only being in his late twenties. He was driven and incredibly smart, starting as an intern out of highschool and moving up quickly in the business world. He had started for AmanoTech five years back as a department manager, and was promoted soon after. Tozen had always been kind to Yuki, and in turn Yuki had been drawn to him. His dirty blonde hair, green eyes, and dazzling smile had won her fourteen year old self over instantly. Osuma would use Tozen as an example of the new dangerous generation of businessmen, but her father's disapproval only made her want to be closer to the young man. All that was before her father passed away, before the future of AmanoTech was turned on its head. She hoped Tozen would take the news well, he was her only hope of a friend in the trouble that would unfold.

I guess I'll find out tomorrow, she thought.

The young woman slid on a sleep shirt from her closet, buttoning it slowly as she walked over to her desk located beside the large balcony doors. She didn't bother with bottoms, it was a warm evening and it's not like there was anyone home to see her in her panties. Sighing, Yuki curled up on the plush desk chair. The moonlight streamed in from the open glass doors of the balcony and spilled across the papers on the desk.

It would come as no surprise to those who knew him that Osuma Amano never attempted to treat Yuki like a daughter, but instead as a potential business partner. His goal was always for her to work for AmanoTech, when the time was right. Yuki always fought him back on it, she had no intention of being in the tech business world. Still, he was adamant about getting her started in an entry level position once she had finished her private schooling. She would have complied to keep him happy, for a little while, until she found what she wanted to do.

But that should have been months away.

It should have been an assistant position to a minor executive.

Yet here she sat, staring at the signed and authorized will of her father Osuma Amano, reading the words Upon Mr. Amano's death, all AmanoTech shares, ownership, and therefore position as CEO, go to his surviving daughter Yuki Amano.

Unexperienced, unexpected, and she was pretty sure unwelcome. The new CEO of AmanoTech, Yuki Amano, was already bleeding. It was only a matter of time before the sharks closed in.

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