Hello readers, I'm back from a little hiatus to finish this story strong – probably less then ten chapters left. Welcome and thank you for Favoriting and Following JENOVA Absolute, Gamma102, and N3rg1gant3. As always, a huge thank you to my awesome reviewers Psy-Kick, Villainsfan101, and cxmgamingKR2 your comments bring me joy and your feedback on possible happenings and endings are noted for ideas .

Here's to the next chapter!


Chapter 11 Bygones

A sole car drove through the outskirts of Tokyo, the debris on the road was dispersed by a wave of power that wiped the slate clean. A hand retracted from the makeshift open-space of the vehicle as it went back to the steering wheel. Overhaul's gaze shifted to the rearview mirror, seeing both Pops and Eri's expressions. The girl hadn't spoken once since the incident from her rebellion, and he was sure the old man was catching on.

When she slept on their way back, he healed the bruising that was forming on her wrists and face. He wasn't expecting any sort of thank you or gratitude, but the girl wasn't fooling anyone with the fact that something had transpired.

It unsettled him more that the old man didn't ask the girl anything, as if he knew she ran off. He made sure they were back before sunrise and the letter had seemed to be untouched – but the old man had already shown that he was far more aware and observant by past experiences.

Overhaul focused back on the road as he slowed down the vehicle as he ran his hand on the road again to smooth out the street ahead. His attention shifted to their right, in one quick motion he slammed on the breaks, hitting the road with his palm to shield their vehicle with a wall of solidified earth.

Pops threw himself over Eri as the vehicle halted as a wave of earth shielded them from an electrical assault.

They're dead! Overhaul's eyes blazed in rage as he overhauled blindly through their protected barrier to the direction of where the attack came from. He jumped out of the car planning to pursue their attacker.

"Chisaki, don't leave." Pops ordered raising his head noticing that the younger man was already outside the car and ready to engage in combat.

Overhaul threw an uncertain look over his shoulder, Damn it, I can't leave them defenseless. He shifted the ground outwards for another assault to give him time to jump into the car again. He changed gears, flooring the vehicle as he overhauled armor into it. Ramming through his initial shield, his expression split into a disgusted sneer as he hit into one of the attackers – There you are! He grazed his hand across the makeshift armor, sending out projectiles of spikes towards other targets. Before the bodies could hit the ground, he already changed the gears once again to make a quick getaway.

His gold gaze ran a mile a minute studying the landscape as it flew by the car at the speed he was going. Seems like criminals are laying in wait for caravans of supplies and travelers that leave the city – pathetic.

"To be attacked so plainly…" Pops remarked, stunned by the brashness and the pure lack of discrimination of the assault, they could have very well been defenseless travelers.

People need to learn their place – Overhaul clenched his jaw, forcing down a remark that would most likely be received with negativity.

Eri's sad gaze looked out the window, watching how the destroyed buildings were transitioning into a more rural area as they crossed between major cities through suburbs. Why would people turn to hurting each other without reason? Why…? The little girl clutched tightly to her stuffed animal, subconsciously rubbing at her arms where the scars and the pain from the night before should have been.

"No harm will come to you." Pops assured noticing the uneasy expression that crossed her face.

Eri mumbled, "It already has." Overhaul's gold eyes caught her gaze in the mirror, hearing her statement. Anxiously he looked at Pops, uncertain if the old man heard her only seeing the man frowning at her in worry.

Overhaul put his attention back on the road, determined to ignore the nagging thoughts that were bombarding him with anxiety and annoyance on the situation at hand. He exhaled, scowling at the road – it was one thing to bring the Boss back to the compound, but to focus on distant attacks and to ensure no emotional breakdowns would occur was truly exhausting…


The Boss stared towards the destroyed entrance of the Yakuza compound, in complete disbelief of the ruins that had befallen this once stronghold. The blocks around them were caved in and destroyed, revealing the underground passageways.

Eri nervously stood next to Overhaul as her grandfather walked ahead to take everything in before them. They were back where everything started, the little girl fell to her knees as she was overwhelmed. So much fear and death were within those walls and for it to still barely be standing, brought up different feelings within her.

Overhaul gritted his teeth, the sharp pain in his chest racked through him – seeing everything he had known from childhood in this shape all because of him… He averted his eyes downwards as Pops' distraught gaze took in all the destruction.

"I can't believe it." Pops breathed, so many memories were made here and yet it was reduced to rubble. Gold eyes lowered further as the old man turned towards him and fisted the front of his shirt, pulling him to be eye level. "How could you?!" The Boss yelled.

Overhaul felt the dread run through him as Pops clutched on his shirt tighter, wrinkling it, "Nothing brought me more shame than what I've done to the clan." Gold eyes stared back at the distraught grey. "Every day I wished I could take it all back, that I heeded your ways. I'm so sorry Boss."

"You never had thought about the consequences! You only saw the immediate future, never for the longevity! I should have –." The old man clenched his jaw tightly, staring angerly at the submissive boy.

"You should have never picked me up off the streets, I know – you might have been better off." Chisaki gave a bleak smile, already figuring Pops had regretted ever letting him in the moment he first slipped up as a kid.

The Boss stared at Chisaki's defeated look, "Yes, I may have been."

Gold eyes dropped, feeling empty with that confirmation.

"However, that decision had already been made long ago. Prove to me I wasn't wrong in seeing what I initially saw in you, boy. Don't have me be played the old fool for allowing you into this life." Pops scowled, dropping his hands from Chisaki's shirt.

The younger man dropped to his knees, "I will do anything, sir."

Pops sighed, and he looked towards his granddaughter seeing her anxiously peering back at them. "Let's salvage what is left of the compound and we will be on our way."

The old man walked towards the girl, holding out his hand to her to help her up. Eri took her grandfather's hand to allow him to guide her to the ruins. Pops peered back at Chisaki, noticing he was still kneeling on the ground with a pained expression on his face, "Chisaki."

Overhaul stood up quickly, heading towards the old man. As he passed, he remarked, "I will scout the building first in case of intruders." He disappeared through the threshold of the door noticing the tampered police seal on the door.

Pops ushered the little girl into the house to be out of the open but not deep enough within incase there was indeed danger.

Overhaul's senses were heightened as he focused heavily on his surroundings to indicate any sign of life within the once Yakuza stronghold. Where are you? His gold eyes scanned through the dust collecting furniture of the main house, listening intently for any movement in the rooms aside from his two charges at the entrance of the house.

Down the hall to where the old bedrooms were for members before a section of the underground tunnels were overhauled for living quarters, he heard movement in one of the rooms. Overhaul lividly headed down, enraged with the thought of someone intruding into their privacy and trespassing on their compound. His nails dug into his hands with how tightly his fists clutched to keep himself from completely overhauling the location where the intruder was. Overhaul threw open the door, slamming his hand on the wall for a quick assault. Just as his quirk honed into the intruder, he was surprised by a swift stab hitting his side.

Before him, he was met by an equally surprised gaze of grey as his reconstruction hit its target.

"Chisaki?" A gurgled question asked as blood trickled down the speaker's lips.

He would have never thought his reaction speed wasn't good enough. Overhaul was surprised by how he couldn't dodge a hit – feeling his movements were becoming sluggish. Kurono?

Both of the men stared at each other as they both fell to the ground. Kurono groaned, keeping pressure on his gushing wound in his chest. He breathed heavily, staring at the sluggish Overhaul, "Fancy meeting you here Boss." Kurono canceled his quirk allowing Overhaul to move freely.

Overhaul stared at his subordinate, shocked to have someone come back after the extinction of the clan.

Kurono took shuttered gasps as more blood seeped out of the wound, "B—boss?" His gaze went to the unreadable mask of Overhaul as the gold eyes watched him bleed out.

Overhaul's gaze shifted slightly outside of the room, remembering that Pops and the kid were just at the entrance. What would the Boss think? He was nervous about Pops being more appeased to have a true subordinate that he would find in Kurono. Hari Kurono has always been the follower type; he had never been seen to have any sort of leadership aspect to him – he would be less of a problem in Pops' eyes as an ideal soldier. After everything Overhaul had done in destroying the clan, would Pops settle for a less problematic soldier…?

"Kai…?" Kurono gasped in pain feeling the severity of his wound worsen the longer it went untreated.

Overhaul's eyes snapped back to Kurono. Since they were kids, Kurono had always been a loyal subordinate to him, following him around like he knew he was going to be the next oyabun after Pops. Kurono even chose to side with his choice of mutiny over the old man. Kurono must have seen some sort of vision for the future of the clan through his plan…

Kurono breathed heavily as Chisaki's hand clutched onto him repairing the gaping wound. His grey eyes stared at the other man's expression noticing the unnerved guard around him. "What?"

"Don't ruin this for me." Overhaul scowled, retracting his hand as he stood up.

Kurono stared after him in confusion as the other man left the room. He followed Overhaul nervously, uncertain of the slight hostility coming from him. What did I do? Is he upset that I couldn't be more helpful during the compound raid? "I'm sorry for failing you in the raid –."

Overhaul waved his hand to silence him, "Doesn't matter now. Just wait here."

Kurono peered at him curiously, as he halted at the end of the hall while Chisaki proceeded to the front of the house.

Pops peered up from Eri noticing Chisaki walking back towards them with a hesitant expression, "Well?"

Overhaul bowed slightly, "You were right of finding something salvageable here, sir."

The Boss stared at him; his gaze went towards the location Chisaki came from. Figuring it had to be a person, "Come out."

Kurono stepped forward, his eyes widened seeing the old man and little girl. He bowed, "It is good to see you back oyabun."

"Hari Kurono… To think the two boys that conspired against me to be the ones to come back." Pops contemplated; out of all the members, it was these two that pushed for the clan the most – even if it meant going against the current Head of the clan.

Overhaul nervously glanced up from his bowed position, "It will not happen again, sir."

"This is the only home I've known, oyabun. I could never leave it behind." Kurono added, realizing what Chisaki had meant of not ruining this opportunity to be back on the old man's good graces again.

Pops sighed feeling he was surrounded by children again, "I already lectured Chisaki, I expect the same desire for atonement for what you had been an accomplice to Kurono."

Kurono stiffened and bowed, "Yes sir."

Eri nervously clutched onto her grandfather's leg, worried if it would be as though history would repeat itself again. Like how her grandfather said, these two were the reason Pops was in the coma and they were the reason she was experimented on. What would prevent them from doing it all over again? "It's going to happen again…" The little girl mumbled.

Overhaul stared at the girl, bewildered that she would still assume that he would go against Pops again. "Has everything that transpired to get your grandfather back meant nothing?"

Eri nervously glanced up at the irritated gold eyes, hiding herself into Pops' pants leg.

Pops frowned looking back at the two younger men, "Both of you find anything that can be useful to us."

Kurono bowed, swiftly turning to find that request. Overhaul stood there staring at the girl with the same frustration.

"Chisaki, I gave you an order." Pops scowled, seeing him glaring at the girl.

"I understand sir, and I will. But you must understand that I will never go against you again; I wouldn't be able to stomach it." Overhaul remarked, feeling the nervousness deep within his bones.

Pops studied the younger man, he had to admit, what he had seen recently were the most sincerest emotions from Chisaki. "I am still unconvinced."

A shockwave shot through Overhaul; he lowered his head in defeat. "Understood sir, I will prove otherwise." He turned away to start on the initial request to search the house.

Pops turned and kneeled down to Eri, placing his hands on her shoulders, "Is there something you need to tell me?"

Eri looked down, avoiding his eyes, "I think he really feels guilty on what he did to you and your home. But both of them hurt me with experiments and I'm scared it will happen again."

Pops stared at her, noticing how unsettled she was. The old man practically raised both of the boys and he had a good sense of their personalities. He knew most likely it was Chisaki that was the major benefactor for changes that were done to the Yakuza. And if Chisaki truly felt guilty and unworthy, Pops shouldn't feel too concerned of another mutiny.

"If Chisaki feels guilty, then you will not have anything to worry about." Pops knows how the boy has a tick of being obsessive and he was sure Kai wouldn't let the same mistake happen again. Plus, having Kai wanting to repent in servitude and also regaining Kurono – Pops felt more comfortable in regards to protection. Kai can be a force to be reckoned with both offensive and defensively, but Pops found that it was difficult for him to split the focus on protecting them and returning fire to attackers. With Kurono as the defense to their protection and Kai as their offense, survival in this type of world was more feasible.


Damn it all. Overhaul gritted his teeth; he knew the girl wouldn't be able to let bygones be bygones. But he was confident that Pops would see more worth in keeping him around – he surely proved he was capable of protecting him throughout these past few days. He clenched his fists, starting his search for anything that could be perceived as valuable.

"Boss –."

Overhaul scowled, slamming Kurono into the wall, "Let's get one thing straight, the old man is the Boss. I don't deserve that title for destroying the clan and you need to solely lay down your loyalty to him."

Kurono winced as Chisaki slammed his back harder into the wall, "I will."

Overhaul dropped him, "Let's get this done, I don't want to keep the old man waiting."

"Of course." Kurono nodded submissively just as Chisaki turned away. He shakily stood back on his feet, By how things fell apart as badly as they did, it seems like he's trying to recover the bigger pieces. Kurono checked the hidden compartments where documents, money, and weapons would be, luckily scoring big. He smiled by the success, hoping to soothe over the tension with the find. Clearly Kai was heavily affected by the aftermath of the fall of the Shie Hassaikai – it was all in the eyes. Kurono had watched him preserve the dignity of the clan for years to the point where it was absurd by how much he put into it… So, he could understand the pure intensity and seriousness Chisaki was displaying for the desperation of restabilizing some aspect of the clan that was destroyed. Kurono hauled his find in a duffle bag over his shoulder and smirked, Well here's to the first step in rebuilding the Yakuza.


There you have it, let me know on your thoughts, I love to hear feedback. I will catch you all for the next one