An Imposed Succession 1

Yuri took out his cellphone and called Botan. His childhood best friend Botan Saburo had now become the de facto General of both the Yakuza and the Mazoku. He deserved it as Botan was the only one he could trust to handle them.

He remembered their plan to fool the Yakuza.

*Ring

Botan, the large-bodied, 20-year-old sumo wrestler turned appointed head of the two strongest organizations of Japan answered the phone.

"Yuri! How is Akira doing?"

"He's doing fine," Yuri answered. "How is the progress with our two agendas."

"That's good to hear that the old man is alright. Yes. About that. I need you to meet with me for this, bro. I don't think I can explain it enough on the phone."

"Okay, brother. Just don't betray me again like last time. HAHA"

"Sure! Just watch your back. I'll meet you at the construction site for the Tokyo Dojo. Later."

Botan hangs up the phone. He is about to be initiated officially into the Yakuza, but before he does he needs to get tattooed as a part of Yakuza tradition.

Before he heads to the Tattoo shop, he was invited by Shigeo, Takishima, and Yakushimaru to the sauna, to have a heart-to-heart talk.

Butt-naked with only a towel hanging over his waist, Botan walked into the sauna.

The whole room was foggy, and warm to the skin. A true Japanese sanctuary for all ages.

As he walks by, he sees men, both young and old, enjoying one of the greatest inventions of mankind.

"Any Nihongo that does not enjoy a good bath at the sauna is not a true Nihongo," he says.

In the private section of the sauna, the three Yakuza leaders of the three biggest clans of Japan, chill and take their time enjoying the hot temperature.

Takishima, who is Botan's biological father, sits on the left, and Botan heads to sit next to him.

"My son!" he says. "Come… come… we have a lot of things to talk about."

Yakushimaru and Shigeo close their eyes with their arms crossed, not minding the entrance of Botan.

"Don't mind them, my son. They are still a little bitter about yesterday's events."

As Botan dipped his feet in the shallow hot water, he said, "They should be. I understand where they are coming from. If I lost that many men in a battle under my leadership, I would get mad, and even accept Seppuku to retain my honor."

The two old men grit their teeth. "He is right," Yakushimaru said.

"If I betrayed my clan, my very father at that, the man whose blood passes through my veins, I too would commit Seppuku."

Botan closed his eyes as well and sank his large body into the water raising the water levels and almost making his old father sink into the water. Then he relaxed.

"Aaaaaaah! But alas, it is not yet the ending of my story. Nor is it all of yours as well. There is much to be done, and to leave this world without reaching our maximum potential would be cowardice, and taking one's own life, would only mean escaping the responsibility that real samurai would battle through with his katana in both hands and his enemies throats at the edge of his sword."

"Well said… for a traitor," Shigeo said. "My son Daizen who died in battle facing the impossible odds against the Overlord himself, he fought bravely to the death."

Botan smiled. "That is not what I heard. It is said, Daizen begged for his life and screamed like a girl before he met his end."

Shigeo stood up and shouted at Botan, "That is a lie! Lies! Like everything, you have told us. Proven by your traitorous behavior."

Botan kept silent and maintained his composure.

"Now… now… young ones… Let's all calm down."

Takishima tried to change the topic. "My son, there is one thing I do want to know. Please answer honestly."

Botan nodded to his father.

"Why did you betray us? And since when?"

He opened his eyes and looked at them all.

"Yuri had been my brother from the beginning."

Botan clinched his fist and looked at his father's eyes.

"Where were you? He was my brother, we were both orphans. Lost, with no place in the world except among each other's laughs and sorrows. He had always been there for me. Without him, I would have failed high school and have become a useless drug addict or mindless thug."

"I see. So it is my fault. Truly the universe balances everything, and lets us meet the consequences of our actions."

Botan, the giant, then stood up. He put his hands on his waists and gave Shigeo and Yakushimaru the most fearsome look.

"You dare call me a traitor!" He pointed his finger at them while they were sitting. "How many girls have you lied to and turned into sex slaves? How many defenseless elderlies have you robbed and scammed out of their life savings? How many innocents, living their peaceful lives, have you lured into the alleys and dark rooms, and killed! Murdered! Tortured! Fucking butchered!"

The three old men could not respond.

"I want you three to, fucking, acknowledge that when you live by the sword, you die by the sword. Don't shame me, like some fucking civilian, not knowing the dark and evil ways of our world!"

Botan climbed back up, out of the water, and into the dry floor.

"If you three still do not understand, then let me make it clear."

The three of them looked up at him.

"I am not your equal. You did not give me leadership and authority. I fucking took it. With my own fucking hands! Like a man! And what are you going to fucking do about it!"

He left the sauna, walking with absolute authority.

Botan left that room, as a true General, and solidified his position, not leaving any doubts from his predecessors.