To Lyger 0: Ishii-san is actually the one holding everyone else's leash. The others there were Kamisenshi, the guy in charge of their brothels, and Ishii-san's second-in-command.

To Guest: Ishii-san is most definitely not one to do his own dirty work… We'll have to see if more heroes can arise in Tokyo to help Nihon Hiro Chimu against the Yakuza.


Jogging down the streets of Tokyo alongside Kamikaze, Ronin frowned, looking up and down the alleyways as they passed, alert for any sign of Yakuza activity. The neighborhood around the apartment building where he, Kimiko, and his mother lived had been quiet when he left, with no hints of Yakuza activity. His mouth set in a thin line. That had been the worst part of being in Angola: the not knowing. His mother and sister could have been discovered at any time. The Yakuza could have captured – or even killed – them, and he would never have known. He had not told his mother more than what was necessary; what if she or Kimiko had slipped up? They had selected a neighborhood where the Yakuza did not operate – one of the few in the city. But could that have changed? And yet, no matter how cautiously he surveyed the neighborhood at the beginning of his patrols, no matter how many precautions he took while leaving or returning, there was always the risk that someone would recognize him.

None of them would be safe until the Yakuza was out of the picture.

He shook his head ruefully, one hand resting on the handle of his katana. If, when he had first taken their money, someone had told him that he would one day pin all his hopes on the Yakuza's complete destruction, he would have called it a fairy tale. Five hundred years the Yakuza had endured; who was he to think that he could change that?

But now…

Ronin scanned the side street before crossing it, his ears attuned for any hint of voices. But he could hear nothing. A dog barked two blocks away. A door opened and shut down the street ahead of them – most likely a resident returning home late. Three months ago, Ronin would have been certain of that. But not anymore.

This neighborhood had been largely free of Yakuza influence before they had left. While he had still worked for the Yakuza, he had never heard anything about this part of the city. Okamura-san had spoken of his desire to expand his operation into this area, but that had been the end of it. But had that changed?

Two nights ago, a pair of yakuza had been spotted at the convenience store two blocks down, collecting shinogi (tribute money). Last night, it had been the same at a different store. Rumor had it that a syndicate had bought several buildings in this neighborhood after pressuring their owners into selling them. And with the number of buildings they had done it to in this same neighborhood, it was almost certain that they were planning to do the same to others. But why? Many of the syndicates traded in land speculation, but would they buy out an entire neighborhood for that? Perhaps they did simply intend to tear down buildings, rebuild, and sell. Perhaps they intended to keep the land, but for what purpose? But regardless of the reason, the Yakuza taking over a neighborhood would not be good for the people living there. Families would be forced to leave or else to pay shinogi. Businesses would be ruined. Other criminals might leave them alone, but Yakuza crimes would skyrocket.

But of course, that would be nothing like what had happened to his family.

And to think: up until this year, he had accepted that as a way of life, as something he had to do, despite the distastefulness of it. He had been one of the Yakuza enforcers – collecting shinogi, protecting Yakuza dealings, threatening those who would speak out against the Yakuza. He had agreed to work with them – he had dishonored his family name by association with them. All he could do now was to atone for his past actions by standing up against them. Atone for his actions, and enact justice for his father's death.

Beside Ronin, Kamikaze almost glided down the street, as silent as the wind he controlled. His feet hardly seemed to touch the ground as he held himself a couple centimeters above the sidewalk. Ronin let out a breath. They had been back in Japan for over a month now, but it still felt strange to return to this "business as usual." In Angola, they had been united with heroes – and villains – from all over the world, all working toward a common objective. But now, it was back to the three of them – four, including Kunoichi. Four heroes to fight against the full might of the Yakuza. And as if that wasn't bad enough, their absence had allowed the Yakuza to rebuild, to come back far stronger than they even had been before.

Six weeks they had been in Angola, after trying and failing to help Kagami and her friends to stop the Tarasque in Paris, only to succeed in Tarascon. Six weeks they had been gone, and the Yakuza's activities around the city only seemed to have increased in that time. Before they had left, the Yakuza had ceased some of their activities in the neighborhood around Hanabusa; all of that had returned with a vengeance. More shipments of girls being promised a new life, only to be tricked into prostitution. More drugs on the streets. More businesses being forced to close under the weight of shinogi payments.

"Have we even made a difference here?" asked Ronin, giving Kamikaze a dubious look. "Ishii-san remains in power. His organization is as strong as ever. For every yakuza we put away, they have an unending supply with which to replenish. We broke the Kami-gumi… but they have more teams." He sighed heavily. "And while Kamisenshi is at large, my father remains unavenged."

Kamikaze glanced down at him and hummed quietly. "That is true," he allowed. "However, what more do you think we could or should do? The four of us are hardly sufficient to take on the Yakuza on our own, should Kamisenshi bring in reinforcements. And even with your cousin visiting, that does not change the power balance sufficiently – certainly not enough to court a war with the full might of the Yakuza."

"We do not have to do it all on our own, though. We have allies – the Heroes of Paris, the Australian Guardians… What if we asked Keiko to bring in assistance?" Ronin suggested. "With one of her Intervention Teams' aid, perhaps we could dismantle the Yakuza as an organization, arrest Ishii-san, and stop Kamisenshi."

"That is a tall order," Kamikaze mused. "It would be a challenge to accomplish one of those goals, let alone all three. I do not doubt that our allies could make a difference," he added, holding up a hand as Ronin opened his mouth to argue. "But do you want to call in that favor now? If I understood the arrangement correctly, after all, the Heroes of Paris would prefer for us to handle our own affairs and only call on them in great need. The Turtle absolutely qualified, but does this?"

Ronin frowned. Over the winter, he'd had several conversations with Sent-Bee about the arrangement the Heroes of Paris had with their "allies": if Nihon Hiro Chimu needed help with something major, they could call on the Heroes of Paris; if the Heroes of Paris needed assistance, they might call on their friends. When the Turtle had emerged, he had known they were outmatched without help from the Heroes of Paris. When the Beasts had arrived in Paris, Nihon Hiro Chimu had gone to return the favor. And according to Kunoichi, the arrangement with New Atlantis was very similar. She had been appointed to act as the liaison between Nihon Hiro Chimu and the other hero groups, and in that capacity, she had been instructed not to utilize more New Atlantean resources than absolutely necessary. In practice, she could bring in help if they faced a threat on the level of the Turtle again… but not before. And while the idea of killing or capturing Kamisenshi and ending Ishii-san's reign once and for all was tempting… He let out a breath. "I would prefer to do this on our own," he admitted. He hummed. "But what about an alternative?" Kamikaze raised an eyebrow in an invitation for him to continue. "We may currently be outnumbered by Odoshi-gumi and whoever else Kamisenshi might call in, but what if that were not a problem? After they helped us in Paris and Angola and Tarascon, do you think Kamimizu, Kamitsuchi, and Kamihenyo would still want to fight us? Would they turn on Kamisenshi if the opportunity arose?"

Kamikaze pursed his lips. "I doubt that Kamitsuchi would abandon them if given the choice," he began. "My experience of the man is that he enjoys his power – and the privileges it affords. He may have assisted us in the past, but that will not matter in the present. Kamihenyo is a possibility… but I would not count on it." He fell silent for a moment. "Of the three, Kamimizu is the only one whom I can say with any confidence would be willing to turn." Ronin's eyes widened eagerly. Kamikaze's mouth shifted into a grimace. "But…"

Ronin gave him a moment before clearing his throat. "I realize you have history with her. I hesitate to ask, and you need not answer. But if it is relevant–"

"She is in the position she is in now because of me," Kamikaze interrupted, his mouth set into an expression of distaste. "I was part of the group who dropped her off at the facility, along with her sister. I was one of her first 'clients' – if you can call it that. Kamisenshi considered that a "prize" for service." He made a face. "But then I recognized her proclivity toward the Chikara, that it could be honed and put to use. I brought that to Kamisenshi's attention, and he began to show her special attention, to train her to use her Chikara. That got her out of the… brothel. But her sister still remains."

"Damn."

Kamikaze sighed heavily. "Ishii-san uses her sister as leverage over her – so long as that remains the case, she will never do anything to put her sister's life in danger. But," he added, "I did speak to her as we were returning from Tarascone. She said that if her sister could be rescued, she would leave – she would turn on the Odoshi-gumi and help us."

"And I assume that her sister wants to leave?" asked Ronin, raising an eyebrow.

"I cannot imagine her preferring to stay."

Ronin furrowed his brows in thought. "So how do we rescue a prostitute–"

"–victim."

"–from a Yakuza brothel?"