Once Hiroya had finished showing Tan Man around, the main business of Tan Man's first day in the Zenin Clan was over. All that remained was to rest and recover his strength.
The doctor came by again that afternoon, handed Tan Man's topical ointment to a maid, and left.
After all, he had something more important to do: personally deliver the expedited paternity test results to Naobito Zenin for him to open.
Naobito Zenin sat at his desk, with the terms for a negotiated settlement from the forces in Kabukicho laid out before him.
Rather than terms for a settlement, they were really just a demand for whatever compensation those forces considered appropriate.
It was not that the Zenin Clan could not afford it. Rather, Tan Man's situation was technically Naobito Zenin's personal affair, and paying that much out of his own pocket all at once would sting.
So he was waiting for the results, waiting for a reason that would make him willing to spend the money.
"Come in."
The doctor stepped gingerly into the room, respectfully placed the envelope containing the paternity test results on Naobito Zenin's desk, and quickly left.
Naobito Zenin casually picked up the envelope and deftly withdrew the report. The result was just as he had expected: Tan Man did indeed carry his blood.
That night, Naobito Zenin informed the Zenin Clan's elders and senior members that Tan Man was his biological son.
The news caused quite a stir within the Zenin Clan. After all, it meant there would be another contender for the clan's future succession.
In their eyes, this meant the somewhat entrenched factions within the Zenin Clan were about to face a new turning point.
Most of the elders and senior members also lacked the strength to truly compete for the position of clan head themselves, making it especially important for them to choose a side. That was another reason they took this so seriously.
And as they chose their sides, they would give their chosen candidate whatever support they could, perfectly illustrating that pure altruism did not exist; at its heart, it all stemmed from self-interest.
Naobito Zenin had not gone into any detail about Tan Man's mother.
But anyone with a brain could connect it to the Kabukicho incident Naobito Zenin was handling, and finding clues would not be too difficult.
So Naobito Zenin had no intention of concealing it completely. If they wanted to know, they could send their own people to investigate. That was the choice he had given them.
Tonight, however, was only an announcement. Naobito Zenin still had to arrange a time for Tan Man to formally appear before everyone.
He needed to show everyone in the Zenin Clan Tan Man's value and convince them to willingly foot the bill for his situation.
After all, dealing with something like this was not simply a matter of money. Their connections and the Zenin Clan's name also played significant roles.
Even as the head of the Zenin Clan, he could not handle every matter by decree alone.
If the vast majority of the senior members believed his approach would harm the Zenin Clan's overall interests, they could veto Naobito Zenin's decision.
Things generally did not reach that point, though, and Tan Man's situation was nowhere near that serious.
Naobito Zenin had also already decided how to stage Tan Man's debut.
"Father, you wanted to see me?"
Naoya entered Naobito Zenin's room with extreme caution. He feared Naobito Zenin had summoned him at this hour because he was angry about what had happened during the day, leaving him deeply uneasy.
And in truth, Naobito Zenin was somewhat concerned about what had spread during the day.
After all, his feelings for Naoya ran deeper than those he had for Tan Man.
He had summoned him tonight in part to give him a better chance to repair the damage done to his reputation that morning.
At noon the next day, Hiroya led Tan Man into the center of the courtyard at Naobito Zenin's residence as clan head.
Tan Man looked around. Aside from Naobito Zenin and Ogi, whom he had already met, there were Jinichi, the current leader of Kukuri, several squad leaders from Hei and Akari, and a few old men leaning on canes.
Those old men were the most powerful elders in the Zenin Clan.
They looked so old that a light shove seemed enough to make them fall apart.
They all stood inside the house. Only Toji stayed apart from the crowd, leaning against an ornamental tree in a corner of the courtyard.
He had not been invited in the first place and had come solely to observe Tan Man.
Naturally, he paid no mind to the elders who had clashed with him before and were now pointing at him and making comments.
Toji's attention was focused entirely on Tan Man.
Once everyone had arrived, Naobito Zenin slowly began to speak.
"Tan Man, show us your worth once more."
As Naobito Zenin finished speaking, Naoya walked into the courtyard, glaring at Tan Man. He took his place with his back to the assembled members of the Zenin Clan, facing Tan Man.
Tan Man could see Naoya silently mouthing words at him.
You're finished, you little stray!
Before you continue