Tai's decision to end Eirinsu's upstart before it began was very yakuza. I wasn't sure what Jia would have done in his stead, but I doubt it would have been that. After that, Tai spent more time on the phone with the other oyabuns here in New York. He wanted to make sure everything was okay with them and if they would assist him when it would come to making the action happen since not too many of the 36 Moons top heads where here. The Yami agreed to it and so did the Itto Ketsuen. Yuki and Takeo gave the okay for their land to be guarded and to have Tai backed up. Tai does not like to waste time...I see that in him as he works efficiently, quickly and without missing a beat. He stayed late night, often the first one there and the last one to leave. It's amazing how he works, something almost remotely better then Jia. I wonder if that's why Jia brushes off comments of him being important and prefers we call him Jia rather then a proper title like sama, sir, oyabun, don...he's very informal with us at times. Tai was different in where he worked hard to get his job done. Now that he had a plan, it was time to execute.

On the night we were planning to find and kill Eirinsu, Akio talked to Tai over an early dinner.

"You got this shit thrown together quickly."

Tai nodded, holding his bowl of rice as he ate. Akio took a drink as he said,

"What did Jia say?"

"He said to be careful."

"Jia always says that."

"I know."

"You think this is a good idea? Going at this without the rest of the 36 Moons?"

"Yes. The Yami and Itto Ketsuen aren't just part of Jia's bank account. They're yakuza too. They know what's going on."

"Not saying they don't, but...nah nevermind. I don't know why I'm even fussing over it when it's just Eirinsu."

"Exactly. Before he has time to build up any kind of power base, we'll get him out of the way now."

Akio nodded as he took a drink from his glass as he said,

"What do you think Jo?"

"I think it's a good idea. Quicker, easier, much faster."

Akio nodded as he said,

"Yeah....I wonder why Jia always takes so long?"

Tai himself shrugged as we finished dinner up.

Before I went to work, I stopped in to check on the little emperor and see how he was doing. Nagashima's other guard answered the door as he said,

"Yes?"

"Is Nagashima around?"

"Um..."

He looked over his shoulder as I heard shouting from the background, recognizing Kotei's voice. The guard said,

"One moment please."

He closed the door as I stood in the hallway and looked around. I then took out a cigarette as I lit it and waited for a while. After a moment, the guard opened the door again as he said,

"Who's asking?"

"Akui."

"Oh...yeah. The don is busy for a moment. Wanna come in and wait?"

I nodded as I entered the apartment and listened to Kotei. He was fussing about something, something not going his way and he hated when that happened. I heard the door opening and closing as Nagashima looked at the guard for a moment before he saw me and said,

"Oh, you're here."

"Yes. I just wanted to see how you were."

Nagashima suddenly turned and went to the table behind him as he picked up an ashtray and came back to me as he held it out and said,

"I don't like smoking in my home."

"Oh...sorry."

I took the ashtray as I rubbed out my cigarette out and then said,

"There's a situation about to happen..."

"The choice made by your second in command?"

"Yes. You know?"

"I know. Which is why I was about to come out here."

"Oh?"

"Kotei is dying to see Ren. I can't let him go by himself but I'm going to get to work soon."

I sighed as I checked my watch knowing I wouldn't have to be back until twelve or so. I had about three hours to kill. I then said,

"I could take him. I'm free until midnight."

"Thank you so much. I was beginning to wonder if I would have to call someone else in."

"It's all right."

He began to pick up his coat and put it on as his guard waited for him. I then said,

"Please be careful Nagashima. Eirinsu is after you."

He nodded as he then thanked me and I bowed my head slightly as he left. I sighed and went to the brat's room where I knocked on the door softly and heard him scream out,

"WHAT!?"

I rolled my eyes as I opened the door and said,

"Don't yell. I'm not deaf."

"What are you doing here?"

"Gonna take you over to Ren's place."

"What?"

"You do wanna see him don't you? Isn't this why you're throwing this little tantrum?"

I saw he had completely demolished his room, his school books and notebooks thrown all over the place, papers everywhere, his lamps knocked over, the bulb broken on the floor as his clothes were tossed about everywhere, a window broken as he knocked what looked like a very expensive stereo system over onto the floor. He stood in the middle of this mess, CDs in his hands as he was about to toss those somewhere too as he said,

"You'd take me to see Ren?"

"Yeah. I didn't come here for that, but I might as well now that I'm here."

He dropped the CDs to the floor as he went to look for something to wear as I sighed and went to wait for him. I leaned on the side of the wall from his door as I said,

"Hurry up. I don't have all night."

"I'm hurrying! I didn't think my father would find anyone so fast!"

"Well, he did so hurry up."

I heard him throwing more things around as he grumbled and cursed to himself as he kicked things around and finally he came out of his room, pulling up his coat over his shoulders as he wore a white button down shirt that skirted around his waist and his low rise loose baggy black pants. I looked down at him as I said,

"You got any pair of pants that don't fall that low?"

"Other then my uniform, no. Besides, they draw attention to all the right places."

He raised his arms up to demonstrate, showing me he was right. I made him put his arms back down as he then adjusted his necklace, letting the locket fall naturally on the top of his chest as I said,

"That's nice."

He smiled, looking down at it as he ran his fingertips over it and he said,

"Thank you."

"You got anything in the locket?"

"My mother's picture."

I smiled slightly as I said,

"Come on, let's take you to see Ren."

He then followed me quickly out the door as we left.

He got in the car as he bounced up and down on the seat and said,

"I haven't seen him since he was released from the hospital."

"That was a few days ago."

"My father's been too busy to pay him visits. He just calls. And with everyone working now that this Eirinsu guy is here, I couldn't see him."

"Oh...I see."

He told me where Ren lived as I drove him there. Once we arrived, he got out of the car first as I then followed and he urged me to hurry up as he ran inside the lobby. I followed him as he stood in front of the elevator, bouncing on the balls of his feet as he looked at the elevator numbers drop down, his fingers on the button, pressing it over and over again as if that would make the elevator come down any faster. Once the doors opened, he went inside as I followed and he pressed the button to Ren's floor. He was still bouncy as I said,

"Calm down. You act like you haven't seen him in years."

"Ren has raised me and for the past almost ten years of my life, he's been at my side almost every day. Not seeing him this long made me miss him."

I sighed as the elevator reached his floor and once the doors opened, Kotei ran out and down the hall to Ren's door. He stopped once he got there and then adjusted his coat and tucked his hair back from one eye as he licked his lips and knocked on the door. I stood behind him slightly as we waited and a moment later, Ren's wife answered. She held her one daughter in her arms as she saw Kotei and said,

"Good evening."

She bowed her head slightly as Kotei said,

"Where's Ren?"

"He's resting. Would you like to come inside?"

Kotei nodded as he went inside, myself following as his wife bowed her head to me and said,

"Good evening."

I bowed my head in return as I said,

"Mrs. Kinomoto."

She smiled slightly as her second little girl peered from around the corner. Ren's wife took her hand as she took both girls to their room as she allowed Kotei to go to Ren's room. I saw this look of unhappiness cross over the little emperor's face. All the things he could ever desire and he would give it all up for Ren. It's so sad to see that sometimes. He slowly walked over to Ren's door as he opened it and stood there as he waved. Ren sat up as he said,

"Botchan..."

Kotei held his hand out as he said,

"Don't get up. I just wanted to see how you were doing."

"I'm fine. How are you?"

"I'm fine too."

"Is you father well?"

"Yeah...he's fine."

He didn't step in any further into the room. I nudged him as he stood firm in his place as I then shoved him inside. He took a few stumbling steps forward as he turned and glared at me as I told him with my eyes to go in further. He turned back to Ren as he said,

"I was...I wo-...I missed you."

Ren smiled faintly as he waved Kotei over to him. Kotei took a deep breath as he walked over and said,

"I'm glad your better Ren."

"I'll be better soon Botchan."

I saw Kotei was too afraid to come any closer to Ren. I wasn't sure why and Ren couldn't really sit up without some pain so he couldn't pull Kotei any closer. After a few minutes of silence, Kotei mostly staring at the floor, Ren spoke to me about the situation. I told him it was going to be taken care of tonight. After that, Kotei excused himself, saying he hoped Ren got better soon as he left the room. I was about to say bye to Ren myself and take the brat home but Ren motioned me over. I walked closer to him as I said,

"Yes?"

"I know I'm asking a bit much, but, I would really appreciate if you watched out after Kotei while I was down."

"Why me?"

"He took a liking to you. I can tell. I know Botchan better then anyone else. So just watch him carefully for a while? Please?"

I nodded as he said,

"I appreciate it. I know he's not your responsibility, but I would feel better knowing another set of eyes was on him."

I nodded as I then excused myself and left. I saw Kotei waiting at the door as he looked at his hands and I then thanked Ren's wife for the hospitality before we left. Once we were downstairs, I sighed loudly as I said,

"Damnit you're such a brat! You kick and bitch and moan and throw a tantrum like a five year to be dragged over here and you get here and you barely say two words to the man!"

"I forgot what I was going to say!"

"Liar!"

"Shut up! You don't know! It was weird being in his house okay!"

"Why? It was just him in the room."

"It's his house! It's his fucking household with that stupid bitch of his wife and his damn kids!"

I suddenly understood. He felt something he could never provide for Ren. And he felt as if he was intruding on the home Ren had and even though he didn't like Ren's wife, he knew she had him and there for she would always have one up on him. I sighed, tucking my hair back as I said,

"I'll take you home."

"No one's home."

"FUCK!"

"What?"

"What the hell am I suppost to do with you now?"

"I don't know! I'm not the one that asked you to take me here!"

Me and my big mouth. He was right. I just took the kid without thinking about later. I had about two hours to kill so I started calling Akio and Tai, asking them what I should do about the kid. They weren't sure and said to hide him some place. I then called Nagashima's people but they were busy. Finally, I knocked on the last door I ever wanted to. Sashi opened up as he said,

"Hey kid. What can I do you for?"

"Is Takeo around?"

"Yeah come in."

He welcomed us inside as Kotei followed me. Sashi looked at him as he said,

"Wow...nice. Bring him as a gift?"

"He's Nagashima's son."

"Oyabun's kid huh?"

"Yes."

He welcomed us into Takeo's harem were he sat on his couch as usual, the flocks of pretty girls and boys around him as Kotei's eyes widened. Takeo looked over at me as he moved back from the young girl with long black hair that was kissing him at the moment. He had a young boy resting on the floor, his head on Takeo's knee as Ryuhei sat on the other side of Takeo. Once the pimp saw me he said,

"Hey Jo."

"Hi."

"What can I do for you?"

"I need you to watch him for me."

He eyed Kotei up and down as he said,

"Wow...really?"

"I wouldn't ask but I'm desperate."

"You must be leaving a kid that fine to me."

"You can't touch him. It's Nagashima's kid."

"Oh that's Nagashima's kid."

Takeo moved everyone aside as he got up and walked up to Kotei as he looked him up and down and said,

"Raise your arms over your head."

"Why?"

"Amuse me."

Kotei moved his arms up, his shirt coming up as his drop lines and lower stomach were revealed from his low rise pants. Takeo smirked as he ran his fingers along that fair piece of skin as Kotei flinched and almost put his arms down again as Takeo said,

"Relax. Just wanted to see how low those pants where."

Kotei the put his arms down as I said,

"You'll watch him?"

"For a price."

"What?"

"Six hundred."

"Done."

"An hour."

"Where the hell am I suppost to get that money right off the top of my head?"

"I don't work for free or cheap kid. Jia should have told you that by now."

"I'm not sure how long this could take."

"It's why I charge by the hour."

"Can't we compromise?"

"Sure. We can compromise. I'll drop the fee if the kid sits in my harem."

"Just sits there?"

"On the floor. Like all my darling pets."

"I'm not a fucking concubine!" said Kotei.

I sighed as I said,

"Will you shut up? You're lucky it's that and nothing else."

"I don't want to be treated like some concubine. Look I'll pay for each hour okay."

Takeo looked at me as he raised a fine eyebrow as he said,

"The kid wants to pay."

"I don't care let him pay. His money not mine."

"Okay then kid. You got a deal."

"I'll try to pick him up as soon as possible."

I then turned and left, saying bye to Sashi on my way out as I went to work.

Tai had started setting up everything as we waited and then Akio and I went to work. Tai had found out through his own means that Eirinsu was not hiding. He was not lurking, hiding in the shadows, he did not care. He walked openly with one or no guards, hardly phased about anything. Tai learned he was currently staying at the Stanhope, but he walked in and out of his room at all hours of the night. He was also at the hotel bar a lot, having a drink or just having a cigarette. No one dared to approach him and everyone, even the staff and management was afraid of him even though he had not done anything. It was his very appearance and way of speaking that scared everyone. The lower heads watched him while he sat at the bar, usually he was in his formal attire, black suit with a button down shirt on, his hair tucked back, falling around his face anyway. He seemed like nothing mattered and he was not about to cause a war here. Akio and I entered the bar, sense the chill factor as we saw him sitting there. He looked at the mirror in front of the bar as he saw the both of us. He then turned, those eyes, beautiful yet never so lifeless and cold, stared at us as he walked over to us and stood in front of me. He then said,

"Why are you following me?"

"We just got here." Said Akio.

"I meant your people. I know when I'm being followed."

"Keeping any eye on you Eirinsu."

He nodded as he said,

"Ah...I see."

The way he said that made a cold start in the pit of my stomach and spread through my body as he then said,

"You really want to go up against me?"

"You came here with that intention." I said.

He looked at me as he said,

"So I did...."

He then turned and began to leave. I wondered how soon it would take for the lower heads to shoot him since they were instructed too once he left the hotel. Akio and I went to the bar as he ordered a drink. As we waited for it, we heard a woman screaming in the lobby and the both of us got up and ran out. We went to the lobby as the woman standing there was screaming like mad, pointing to the main doors past the huge flower centerpiece as Akio and I walked around it and looked at the doors. Stained there was blood, a bullet embedded in the almost fragile glass making the glass shatter and almost break in a spider web formation. Blood raced down to the concrete outside as we heard people inside shouting for someone to call the police. Akio and I went outside, wondering where Eirinsu's body was and where our lower head was. We looked around for a moment before Akio said,

"Oh shit."

We noticed a single foot sticking out from the side of the Stanhope, probably where the lower head put Eirinsu's body as he ran off so he wouldn't be caught. We went over to check as I then said,

"Akio....that's not Eirinsu..."

And it wasn't. It was our lower head, a bullet hole between his eyes as he laid dead on the concrete. Akio pulled his hair back as he said,

"Then where the fuck is Eirinsu?"

We looked around and finally decided to leave before the cops came.

We got five or six blocks away when I stopped to light a cigarette. Akio waited for me as some people came out of a cafe, talking among themselves saying how they lost their appetite over something. We were going to ignore it when I saw something that looked like a palm print smeared on the door of the cafe where the couple came in. I pulled on Akio's coat and let him know as we went inside the cafe and saw the whole place was in an uproar. We headed to the bathroom where we saw another half palm print on the door. We went in as we saw Eirinsu at the sink, washing his hands, the water turning pink as he did so, blood staining the metal faucet as his reflection showed he had blood on his face. He calmly washed his hands as if nothing...and it made me think for a moment. He then turned to us, as he said,

"Okay...you made this interesting. I'll fight with you."

He said it in his usual deadpan tone, the same calm manner as he then reached up and smeared the red off his face. Akio then said,

"You say it like it's nothing."

"I can handle myself. Although I would doubt you would pick here and now to fight me."

"And why not? Better to end the problem before it starts."

Eirinsu said nothing. He just continued washing his hands and face off as Akio and I stared at him. Once he was semifinished, he picked up one of the paper towels and dried his face, then his hands, tossing the blood smeared towel away as he then reached to his coat and walked towards us. I felt Akio tense up, being on guard as I was. Suddenly, Eirinsu stood in front of us and I could feel the cold radiate from him. It was chilling. And he then looked down and said,

"Excuse me."

Akio didn't move and neither did I. Eirinsu then looked up at the both of us as I suddenly heard a gunshot. I blinked as I felt no pain and looked at Akio as he stood still. Eirinsu then said,

"I said excuse me..."

Suddenly Akio started falling and I looked at Eirinsu who had not buttoned his coat but taken out his gun. I grabbed Akio as Eirinsu stepped over him and said,

"I'm not easy to fight with Akui. Tell your employer that. And if he wants me dead, tell him it would take all three syndicates to bring me down."

He then left as I was left holding Akio.