The true meaning of the yakuza

After leading the people away, Mokushō disappeared behind a curtain set up by a roadside vendor. When he came out again, he had changed his appearance.

He dusted himself off and was about to go back to find Izuna when he looked up and saw a large group of dark figures emerging from the street corner.

The leader was Hiroyama, and tied behind him was someone he knew very well, Sparrow White Masato.

He was followed by dozens of men, carrying sticks, Iron Hooks, and thick hemp ropes for binding goods, marching in a grand procession along the main street of Hot Spring Street toward the dock.

Huh? How did this Masato suddenly get arrested? And what are they doing heading to the docks?

Mokushō stepped aside, pretending to be a passerby, and approached a young man at the end of the line, asking in a low voice, "What happened?"

The young man was beaming with excitement, speaking so fast it was like reciting a menu, "You don't know? Hiroyama Boss caught that bastard Masato red-handed! That kid Luotai spilled all of Masato's secrets, how many people he had hidden at the docks, how he contacted the Land of Lightning, when he would make his move, he explained everything clearly!"

"The boss led his men to raid his gambling den. Masato tried to escape, but Tama-nii caught him red-handed at the back door. Now the boss is going to the docks to clear them out, drag out all those spies from the Land of Lightning and the Land of Water, and throw them into the sea, so they'll know what happens when they cause trouble on the Land of Land of Hot Water's territory!"

"But your reaction was a bit too fast, wasn't it?" Mokushō couldn't help but say.

The owner of the snack stall next door was wiping the counter with a rag. Hearing this, he looked up and waved to the few tourists who had been drawn to the scene. "You gentlemen have just arrived in the Land of Hot Water Mokushō, haven't you? This is a long story. Hiroyama Boss's quick action wasn't impulsive. They've been waiting for this day for three years."

The boss placed the rag on the table and slowly began to recount this story.

This street used to be the territory of the gang of thugs led by Hiroyama Takebu.

Although they were a gang of thugs, the leader was fair and kind to his men, never oppressing the good and honest, and often helping the old neighbors resolve their troubles.

The neighbors privately call him "Da Wu of the Yakuza," a respectable title he has earned through twenty years of hard work.

In addition, Land of Hot Water the advantage of Hot Springs, so the people here have always lived a stable life, able to save some money.

Until three years ago, a man named Masato came here.

When Masato first arrived, few people paid him any attention.

He had fair skin, golden hair, and spoke with a Land of Lightning accent, claiming to be a merchant who had come to the Land of Hot Water to do business.

He took over a gambling den on East Street that was on the verge of bankruptcy, and in less than six months, he turned the business into a thriving enterprise.

But what truly began to unsettle people was the fact that one after another, the old shops on East Street were changing their signs.

It started as a dried goods shop on the street corner that had been run by three generations. Suddenly, the owner announced that the shop was closing down, and the next day, the shop was taken over by Masato's people and turned into a pawn shop.

Then there was the teahouse next to the dried goods store. The old shop owner said he owed Masato a sum of money and couldn't pay it back, so he had to mortgage the shop to him.

Next was the Izakaya next door. One night, the owner was found lying in an alley with two broken ribs. The next day, Masato's men came to "discuss" the transfer of ownership.

Outstanding debts, poor management, voluntary transfer.

Every change of ownership of a store has a seemingly reasonable reason.

But when you put these "coincidences" together, anyone can see that someone is manipulating things behind the scenes.

But when the Hiroyama Family investigated, they always missed the most crucial piece of evidence.

A refined Masato is efficient and decisive in their actions, never leaving any room for someone to turn the tables.

By the time the Hiroyama Family realized what was happening, nearly a third of the shops on East Street had already fallen into Masato's hands.

Just as Hiroyama was preparing to use all means to wage war against him head-on, Masato took the initiative to send someone to negotiate peace.

He said that since he was new to the area, he didn't want to have too much of a falling out with the local bigwigs, and was willing to sign a peace Contract where both sides would govern their own streets and not interfere with each other's affairs.

At the same time, he opened up overseas trade routes, and the new overseas orders brought benefits to many businesses on Yuhara Street.

"He who eats another's food is bound to him; he who takes another's money is bound to him." These people, especially those from the Merchants' Association, turned around and advised Hiroyama to prioritize the bigger picture.

After much deliberation, Hiroyama finally pressed his fingerprint on the Contract.

And so, Yuhara Street lived in a delicate and fragile balance for three years.

Masato continued to expand his power, while Hiroyama held onto the remaining two-thirds of his territory. On the surface, the two sides were at peace, but the friction between them never ceased.

Hiroyama had been waiting for an opportunity, a legitimate chance to uproot Masato.

This opportunity quietly arrived a month ago.

It turns out that Masato was not an ordinary merchant from the Land of Lightning; he was a fugitive who had committed treason and fled there.

A month ago, people from the Land of Lightning found him, and the leader of the group was said to be someone who could speak with the Daimyo's Residence.

Their offer to Masato was simple: cooperate with them in establishing a transit station in the Land of Hot Water to prepare for the attack on the Land of Whirlpools. After the mission was accomplished, his status in the Land of Lightning would be restored, his past transgressions would be forgiven, and he would be officially promoted to a high-ranking position in the Land of Hot Water.

Masato agreed almost without hesitation.

With the financial support and Ninja resources of the Land of Lightning, his power expanded several times over in just one month.

He recruited soldiers and built several gambling dens as strongholds, and also used the port of the Land of Hot Water to supply the patrol ships of the Land of Lightning.

Those with dark skin or those who have committed crimes have always faced discrimination on this street, unable to find decent work and relegated to the lowest-paying jobs of manual labor.

Masato used their shared hometown or other interests to win them over, giving them a path to advancement.

They were promised their status, and it was agreed that once the deed was done, they could go to the Land of Lightning and become true residents of the Land of Lightning, living a good life with a legitimate identity.

Luotai was one of those lured by these conditions.

He had been troubled by his skin color for too long. Even though he had a business that could support him, he longed for the right to live and talk with people like a normal person.

He accepted Masato's task and worked for him. He did it well and efficiently, thus gaining his trust and learning certain secrets.

Luotai thought he had done a good job and believed he had gained the trust of Master Masato.

He thought that letting his friend go would earn him forgiveness.

After all, he was just a teenager, not even 20 years old yet. If we let him go, he might not survive.

But this one action alone plunged him into hell.

In that instant, he understood the meaning of the phrase that Masato had been repeating.

--It has nothing to do with status or position; only those with power can achieve victory.

Therefore, those who lack power have no right to live.

He knelt on the tatami mat in the main hall, his hands supporting his knees, and spilled all of Masato's secrets.

He even pulled out the deployment map he was in charge of from his pocket and spread it out in front of Hiroyama. He asked how many people were hiding in the Shipyard, what the contact person from the Land of Lightning was called, where the gambling den's secret room was located, when the patrol boats changed shifts at sea, and even the deployment map he was in charge of.

His voice was still trembling as he spoke, but he explained every piece of intelligence clearly and without any ambiguity.

Hiroyama didn't interrupt him at all.

After Luotai finished marking the location of the last stronghold on the map, Hiroyama lowered his head and scanned the deployment map from beginning to end.

Then he slapped his thigh and threw his head back, bursting into laughter.

"Masato! Your death is nigh!" He abruptly stood up, waving his hand at the Guard Unit behind him, "Grab your weapons! To the docks!"

Dozens of people responded with a roar, grabbing sticks and Iron Hooks and rushing out.

The sound of footsteps made the paper doors of the main hall vibrate, and in the blink of an eye, only the guards and Luotai remained in the courtyard, sitting there looking completely bewildered.

He originally thought that Hiroyama would at least question him repeatedly and make him provide more evidence to prove that he was not cheating.

He was even mentally prepared to be kicked out, after all, he was on Masato's side and had the stain of working for Masato.

When he pulled out the intelligence from his pocket, he thought that even if Hiroyama didn't believe him, he would accept it as long as he could entrust his mother to them.

Ke Hiroyama didn't ask any questions. He glanced at the deployment map a few times and then led his men out.

Does Hiroyama Boss really... trust me that much?

A hand gently rested on his shoulder.

Luotai turned his head and saw Hiroyama's mother Sachiko, standing behind him, holding a bowl of hot tea.

She handed the teacup to Luotai, then sat down on the tatami mat next to him.

"Were you frightened?" Sachiko's voice was gentle, as if she were afraid of startling something fragile.

Luotai held the teacup, his lips moving slightly. "Madam, Hiroyama Boss... he really trusts me like that?"

"He's been waiting for this day for three years," Sachiko said. "When Masato first arrived on this street, Hiroyama knew he would be a menace sooner or later."

"After that peace Contract was signed, we couldn't openly touch him, but Hiroyama never stopped preparing. Now that you've handed him the knife, what is he still hesitating for?"

Luotai looked down at the tea soup that was swaying slightly in the teacup, his own face reflected on the surface of the water.

Therefore, he didn't care whether his intelligence was true or not; he just wanted a pretext to send troops.

"You don't need to feel like you've betrayed Masato." Sachiko's voice was calm and unhurried. "You're different from them. Your mother and I are old friends. I understand that you just want to eat and want your mother to live a better life, and that's not wrong."

"As long as you don't betray your conscience in the end and become like them for the sake of that status, that's good enough."

"But... I was originally Masato's man, I betrayed him, and a traitor shouldn't be forgotten no matter where he is..."

"Child, you must understand one thing." The old woman sat there dignifiedly, as if declaring, "You can make mistakes, but you must be true to the people you care about. As long as you truly care about someone, you will find your place in this world no matter what."

She reached out and gently patted the back of Luotai's hand.

"I've already made arrangements for Kiyoko. She'll be living with me and will be taken care of, so you don't need to worry. If you ever have nowhere to go in the future, just stay and work here. Hiroyama won't treat you unfairly."

Luotai stared blankly at the old woman, and suddenly understood why he had subconsciously thought of seeking refuge with the Hiroyama Family.

Is this... the yakuza?

Masato never imagined that the nobody he let go would betray him.

At that moment, Masato sat with his legs crossed in a private room on the second floor of the gambling house, holding a cup of freshly warmed sake in his hand, looking down through the gap in the bamboo curtain.

In the lobby on the first floor, Dice clinked in bowls, and the dealer's shouts rose and fell.

He took a sip of his drink, a smug smile playing on his lips.

Although he lost the Rōchōya and three shops today, the plan for the Land of Lightning is progressing smoothly. Once the blockade is established, the Land of Whirlpools will be trapped. As the biggest contributor, he could not only own a few streets of shops, but also obtain an official position in the Land of Hot Water.

At that time, neither Hiroyama Takebu Tamamo-no-Mae will be a threat; they will be nothing more than ants that can be easily crushed.

He put down his wine glass and winked at the dealer next to him.

The dealer understood immediately. He gently flicked the bottom of the dice cup with his finger, causing the Dice to flip over and the number to decrease.

The large Chips on the table were all wiped out by the dealer, while among the gamblers who bet on the small bets was a gaunt middle-aged man who was so excited that his hands were trembling when he saw that he had won money.

Several gamblers nearby, who had lost money, glared at him with red eyes, as if they wanted to devour him alive.

Masato smiled slightly. He had been observing this thin, middle-aged man for several days. He worked as a cashier in Hiroyama's shop, managing the accounts for the purchases.

This kind of person is the easiest to manipulate. Let him win a few rounds, then let him lose a big one, leaving him with an insurmountable debt. At that point, the shop's accounts, the warehouse keys, and even his beautiful daughter who works as a textile factory worker will obediently be handed over to Masato.

He had done this kind of thing countless times; he knew the process inside and out.

The paper door was gently knocked twice.

A bodyguard silently slipped into the private room and whispered, "Lord Masato, we have found traces of Inari and are conducting a full-scale search. As for Luotai, we have not yet found him."

"Our people searched all the alleys he frequented, but found no trace of him. His mother wasn't home either; the neighbors said she went to the Inari Shrine in the evening and hasn't returned."

Masato waved his hand dismissively. "So what if he ran away? What trouble can a dark-skinned little merchant cause? He can't even afford to eat outside this street, let alone dare to come back and cause me trouble."

"He can't have gone far with that child in tow; he's probably hiding in some dilapidated temple waiting for things to calm down. Once things are settled here, we can send people to search for him slowly."

"The most important thing right now is to kill Inari, and also to Shipyard the ships needed for the blockade to be completed by the end of the month. Everything else is secondary."

The guard frowned, his tone clearly showing dissatisfaction. "Sir, Luotai has intelligence on the distribution of our strongholds and personnel rotations."

"If he takes this intelligence to another country, especially the four high-ranking officials from Land of Hot Water who came to the Land of Hot Konoha today, our entire plan in the Land of Land of Hot Water will be exposed."

"I suggest we immediately send in a full search and eliminate him before he leaks any information."

"You're too tense. I've known Luotai for a long time; that kid's more timid than a mouse. A little scare and he won't be able to sleep for three days."

Masato didn't care at all. "Given his courage, he would never dare to go to those people and betray them. And even if he did, so what? Why would they believe him?"

The guard's lips moved, as if he wanted to say something, but Masato impatiently waved his hand, signaling him to leave.

Just as the guards turned to leave, the door to the lobby on the first floor was kicked open.

The heavy wooden door slammed against the wall with a loud bang, shaking even the private room on the second floor.

The screams of the gamblers mingled with the clatter of Chips scattering all over the floor.

The scene was completely silent.

Immediately afterwards, a loud voice cut through all the noise, echoing in every corner of the hall. "Masato! Get out here!"