Chapter 55: The Radical Faction of the Yamakawa Family, War Breaks Out

Aoyama Hidenobu knew that Aoi and Matsushita Yukiyuki would never let things rest. If they couldn’t wrench the fat morsel that was Nohara Finance Co., Ltd. from his hands by gentle means, they would turn to violence. Especially Matsushita Yukiyuki—his ability to seize control of the syndicate after Noguchi Matsuo’s fall, despite his youth, showed he was a ruthless, bold hardliner.

Just having taken the helm, he was desperate to make his mark. Of course, he wasn’t yet brazen enough to go after Aoyama Hidenobu directly, but he would certainly target the Yamakawa family.

So, early the next morning, after making a brief appearance at the police station to clock in, Aoyama Hidenobu excused himself under the pretense of chasing leads, but in reality, arranged to meet Yamakawa Kazuki.

The location was Aoyama’s choice: a tearoom in Shibuya. When Yamakawa Kazuki arrived, Aoyama was gracefully brewing tea with practiced ease.

“Mr. Aoyama.”

Yamakawa Kazuki bowed deeply at the entrance to the private room.

“Sit,” Aoyama said, uttering a single word.

Yamakawa Kazuki removed his wooden sandals and entered, closing the door behind him. He seated himself formally across from Aoyama, knees together, back straight, his weight resting on his heels.

Aoyama poured a cup of tea and slid it toward him, his tone light as air. “Last night, the new head of the Noguchi Group, Matsushita Yukiyuki, paid me a visit. He said he hoped to reestablish stable cooperation with Nohara Finance Co., Ltd.”

“Yes, sir.” Yamakawa Kazuki’s plump, pale face twitched slightly, but he didn’t rush to speak, only responded to show he was listening attentively.

Aoyama raised his teacup and drained it as if it were sake, playing with the empty cup. “What do you think?”

“Sir, whatever you decide to do with your assets is your prerogative. If you bestow them elsewhere, I’ll be grateful, not resentful,” Yamakawa Kazuki replied earnestly.

Aoyama smiled faintly, tossing the teacup onto the table. “Matsushita Yukiyuki said it’s not easy for country folks to come to Tokyo and carve out a living. I’ve given you an opportunity, but whether you can keep it depends on you. I’m very busy these days, so I don’t want trivial matters outside of work taking up my time.”

He could give Yamakawa Kazuki a seat at the table, but he wouldn’t chew the food and feed it to him. After all, Yamakawa Kazuki was not his own son.

If Yamakawa Kazuki couldn’t handle the Noguchi issue, then Aoyama would simply replace them.

“Yes, sir! Please be at ease.” Yamakawa Kazuki prostrated himself, bowing his head to the floor in solemn promise. “I’ll prove your judgment impeccable through my actions.”

Aoyama nodded and rose to leave.

Yamakawa Kazuki knelt aside to see him off, forehead touching the floor.

Only when the footsteps faded did he slowly lift his head, a fierce glint flashing across his chubby face, his fleshy features suddenly menacing.

For the Noguchi Group, the debt collection business of Nohara Finance Co., Ltd. was a major source of income.

But for the Yamakawa family, it was the key to entering Tokyo.

The stakes and determination each side invested in this were fundamentally different.

Whoever stood in his way, Yamakawa Kazuki would crush.

He picked up the teacup, drained it in one gulp, then slammed it onto the table and strode quickly away.

Back at his home in Kanagawa Prefecture, he relayed Aoyama Hidenobu’s words to his father and elder brother in full.

Then he offered his advice. “Father, Brother, there’s only so much room in Tokyo. If we want to enter, someone has to be pushed out. We should strike first while the Noguchi Group least expects it and cripple them in one blow!”

“The Noguchi Group is stronger than we are. If we act first, there’ll be no turning back. If we lose, we might not even be able to hold what we already have in Kanagawa,” said his elder brother, Yamakawa Yosuke, objecting.

Yamakawa Kazuki was immediately agitated, his voice rising. “There are always excuses, but opportunities are fleeting! The Noguchi Group has just experienced turmoil, and with Mr. Aoyama’s support, this is our best—maybe only—chance to enter Tokyo! Sure, the Noguchi Group is stronger, but that’s exactly why Matsushita Yukiyuki would never expect us to start a war!”

In truth, there was something even more radical he didn’t voice: If they couldn’t enter Tokyo and were doomed to be trapped forever in Kanagawa, he’d rather see the Yamakawa family wiped out.

“Kazuki! You’re being reckless!” Yamakawa Yosuke frowned, turning to their silent father, Yamakawa Jo. “Father, the anti-gang law was just enacted this year. If we go into Tokyo now and spark a conflict, the police will come down on us.”

“Mr. Aoyama won’t just stand by!” Yamakawa Kazuki argued passionately. “As long as we manage to gain a foothold in Tokyo and prove our strength and value, the Sumiyoshi-kai won’t abandon us either!”

“Enough, Kazuki. The Mr. Aoyama you speak of is just a deputy section chief now,” Yosuke snapped with a cold sneer. “We have the Sumiyoshi-kai behind us, true, but the Noguchi Group has the Inagawa-kai. Can we honestly say our standing in the Sumiyoshi-kai matches theirs in the Inagawa-kai?”

“If we don’t fight, our standing in the Sumiyoshi-kai will never rise!” Yamakawa Kazuki switched from his formal kneeling posture to standing, his round face twitching with anger. He tore open his kimono to reveal the tattoo on his shoulder. “We’re gangsters, not businessmen! Lose the courage to bleed and fight today, and tomorrow we’ll lose everything!”

If a gang isn’t violent, how can it compete for interests?

“Insolence!” Yamakawa Yosuke roared, slamming his hand on the table as he stood. “Kazuki, you’re being far too disrespectful before Father. The Yamakawa family isn’t yours to command!”

“Enough!” At last, the silent Yamakawa Jo intervened to stop the brothers’ quarrel.

Both immediately lowered their heads in apology.

Over fifty now, with graying hair and a slightly gaunt frame, Yamakawa Jo sighed. “I appreciate Kazuki’s ambition, but Yosuke’s words aren’t without reason. The Yamakawa family can’t afford to make mistakes. If we make one wrong move, it’s all over. The risks of starting a gang war are just too high. Let’s drop the matter.”

“Father!” Kazuki cried out.

But Yamakawa Jo ignored him and, supported by Yosuke, left the council chamber.

Kazuki clenched his fists, frustration written all over his face.

He stood there for a long time before turning to leave.

“Brother, what did the boss decide?” his two trusted subordinates asked as soon as he emerged.

“My father is old. My brother has no ambition and doesn’t want to see me succeed. He fears I’ll lead the Yamakawa family’s foray into Tokyo and fail, but fears even more that I might succeed.”

Without expression, Yamakawa Kazuki answered as he walked out, his men trailing behind.

“So it’s over? But what about Mr. Aoyama? If we back down, not only will our earlier investments be wasted, he might start to resent us.”

“Over?” A shadow of ruthlessness flickered on Kazuki’s cherubic face. He gritted his teeth. “Of course it’s not over! Father and Brother refuse to confront the Noguchi Group only because things haven’t come to a head—people are always driven to extremes by necessity!”

The two subordinates exchanged glances, realizing what their boss intended to do—and felt a surge of excitement.

“Gather our men. I have something to say.”

“Yes, sir!”

……………………………

Night fell, but the dazzling neon lights kept Tokyo as bright as day.

On Kabukicho Ichiban Street in Shinjuku, a Noguchi Group-run underground casino was packed and noisy.

“Damn it! Lost again!”

At one gambling table, a blond youth who had taken part in the bank robbery with Scarface slammed the table in anger. Reaching for more chips, he found nothing. Looking down, he realized he’d already lost everything.

“Hey, kid. Are you playing or not? If you’re broke, give up your seat,” a slick-looking young man beside him urged, patting his shoulder.

Of course the blond wanted to keep playing, but he was out of money, so he could only rise reluctantly.

Standing behind the other youth, watching for a while, his desire to gamble only grew. If only he could get his hands on more money, he was sure he could win back what he’d lost last night and tonight.

After all, he’d lost two nights in a row already.

It couldn’t be possible to be unlucky forever.

Suddenly, inspiration struck him.

Hadn’t the money from yesterday’s robbery been stashed in the cellar at their hideout? No one had counted exactly how much they’d stolen. If he quietly took a little out to gamble, surely the boss wouldn’t notice?

At worst, he’d return it after winning, so it wasn’t really stealing.

With that thought, the blond immediately left the casino.

As he exited, he bumped into two incoming patrons, sensing the hard outline of a short blade under one man’s coat. But he was too eager to score money to care, and hurried off.

The two men didn’t care about the collision either. After entering, they wandered around nonchalantly, exchanged chips, and sat down to play.

About half an hour later, Matsushita Yukiyuki appeared in the second-floor corridor of the casino, a bandage wrapped around his head and four bodyguards in tow.

He leaned over the railing, surveying the crowd below for a moment before heading downstairs. As he passed through the staff’s respectful greetings, he left the casino and got into his car, his bodyguards following in another vehicle.

Sitting in the car, Matsushita Yukiyuki felt a dull ache returning to his head and unconsciously reached up to touch it.

That damn Aoyama Hidenobu.

He vowed to make him pay, sooner or later.

Suddenly, the car stopped. Matsushita Yukiyuki looked up and, through the windshield, saw a van pulled diagonally across the road ahead, hazard lights flashing, blocking their way—it seemed to have broken down.

“Go ask how long it’ll take to clear,” he ordered irritably.

“Yes, sir!” The driver turned off the engine and got out.

A moment later, the driver returned with a middle-aged man holding a wrench. Matsushita Yukiyuki saw the man wanted to speak, so he rolled down the window and leaned out slightly.

Bang!

The next instant, the man smashed him on the head with the wrench. “Ah!” Matsushita Yukiyuki recoiled in agony, collapsing in his seat, blood soaking through his bandage.

“Damn it! Quick, protect the boss!”

The four bodyguards in the car behind were shocked and furious, but before they could get out, two other vehicles raced up, crashing into their car from both sides and pinning the doors shut.

Trapped inside, the bodyguards tried to climb out the windows, but the attackers swarmed out, wielding clubs, and battered the car.

The sound of shattering glass rang out.

The man with the wrench, after knocking out Matsushita Yukiyuki, turned and struck the driver, then dragged Matsushita out of the car and bundled him into the van.

With their target secured, the attackers leaped into their vehicles and sped away, leaving chaos in their wake, the cries of bystanders fading behind them.

Almost simultaneously, several entertainment venues and casinos under the Noguchi Group’s control were attacked and ransacked.

A war between gangs had begun.