Note: This recap contains unmarked spoilers. Proceed with caution.
open/close all folders
Prologue
On a beach in Okinawa, Haruka Sawamura is hanging out while her adoptive uncle Kazuma Kiryu catches a fish for dinner. He and Haruka return to the Morning Glory Orphanage and prepare dinner for the orphans, but before they can settle in they're excited to see their "Uncle Rikiya" arriving. However, Rikiya has bad news: his boss Nakahara has been shot and is in the hospital.
Meanwhile in Yokohama, Daigo Dojima (now Sixth Chairman of the Tojo Clan) receives a phone call from someone asking if he understands "the deal". Daigo does, but he is not interested in whatever business the person on the other line has to offer and hangs up. His underling asks if it's a wise decision not to invest in the Okinawa project, as the Tojo Clan is strapped for cash and a project like this could bring in almost 100 billion yen and gain them a political ally. Daigo refuses to hear the man out, as going through with the plan would be a betrayal to Kiryu after all the former Fourth Chairman has done. Daigo orders his driver to return to Tokyo so he can make sure no other underlings try to plot behind his back. When he arrives back at Tojo HQ, he's informed that someone is waiting for him in his office, Daigo reacting in shock when he is told who it is. He goes to his office to find two men waiting for him: one American, and a man who looks identical to the late Shintaro Kazama. Kazama presents Daigo with an envelope, and when he opens it he finds the deed to the land in Okinawa where Kiryu lives. Kazama says that they need the Tojo Clan for their plans, and so took the deed for Daigo since he was hesitating. Daigo once again refuses, and after the American takes the deed back Daigo is shot.
Back in Okinawa, Kiryu and the others arrive at the hospital to find Rikiya's associate Mikio waiting with Nakahara's daughter, Saki. As Haruka comforts Saki, Kiryu asks Mikio if they have a suspect, which he says no; Nakahara and Saki were alone when a man came in, shot Nakahara in the stomach, and left. Kiryu asks if perhaps it's a rival family out for revenge, but Mikio doesn't think so and guesses it might have something to do with the land deal as the deed to Kiryu's land was stolen during the shooting. Saki presents her sketchbook which has a drawing of the shooter on it, and to Kiryu's shock the picture is a dead ringer for Kazama.
Meanwhile in Yokohama, Daigo Dojima (now Sixth Chairman of the Tojo Clan) receives a phone call from someone asking if he understands "the deal". Daigo does, but he is not interested in whatever business the person on the other line has to offer and hangs up. His underling asks if it's a wise decision not to invest in the Okinawa project, as the Tojo Clan is strapped for cash and a project like this could bring in almost 100 billion yen and gain them a political ally. Daigo refuses to hear the man out, as going through with the plan would be a betrayal to Kiryu after all the former Fourth Chairman has done. Daigo orders his driver to return to Tokyo so he can make sure no other underlings try to plot behind his back. When he arrives back at Tojo HQ, he's informed that someone is waiting for him in his office, Daigo reacting in shock when he is told who it is. He goes to his office to find two men waiting for him: one American, and a man who looks identical to the late Shintaro Kazama. Kazama presents Daigo with an envelope, and when he opens it he finds the deed to the land in Okinawa where Kiryu lives. Kazama says that they need the Tojo Clan for their plans, and so took the deed for Daigo since he was hesitating. Daigo once again refuses, and after the American takes the deed back Daigo is shot.
Back in Okinawa, Kiryu and the others arrive at the hospital to find Rikiya's associate Mikio waiting with Nakahara's daughter, Saki. As Haruka comforts Saki, Kiryu asks Mikio if they have a suspect, which he says no; Nakahara and Saki were alone when a man came in, shot Nakahara in the stomach, and left. Kiryu asks if perhaps it's a rival family out for revenge, but Mikio doesn't think so and guesses it might have something to do with the land deal as the deed to Kiryu's land was stolen during the shooting. Saki presents her sketchbook which has a drawing of the shooter on it, and to Kiryu's shock the picture is a dead ringer for Kazama.
Chapter 1: New Beginnings
January, 2007
Kamurocho, Tokyo
Kiryu and Haruka visit the graves of Kazama, Haruka's mother Yumi, and the Fifth Chairman of the Tojo Clan Yukio Terada. Joining them is Detective Kaoru Sayama, Kiryu's Love Interest from Yakuza 2, and for everyone it's time to say goodbye- Kiryu and Haruka are leaving for Okinawa to run an orphanage that has ties to Sunflower, while Kaoru has been selected to train a new branch of the Metropolitan Police and is being transferred to the U.S. As they say their goodbyes, they are watched over by Makoto Date and Junichi Sudo, both of whom express disappointment that Kiryu and Kaoru didn't stick together. Sudo also tells Date that he's been promoted to Division One, though he doesn't find it a cause for celebration; the police majorly dropped the ball on the war between the Tojo Clan and the Omi Alliance the previous year, and with Tokyo PD's reputation at rock bottom Sudo's promotion (along with Kaoru's) is essentially a bribe to get him to keep quiet about the failings of the police. Sudo admits he's worried about what will happen in Kamurocho next, As with Kiryu gone the Tojo Clan may very well fall back into darker behavior. Date tells Sudo not to worry, as Kiryu most likely has a plan to keep things in check while he's gone.
Kiryu and Haruka return to Kamurocho, first to say goodbye to Kazuki and Yuya at Club Stardust before Kiryu goes to meet with Goro Majima. Daigo is set to be the sixth Chairman of the Tojo Clan, but Kiryu fears that he's young and inexperienced and thus needs someone to assist him- Majima fits the bill, though he may need a little convincing to rejoin the Tojo Clan. Haruka, though, would like to have some fun with Kiryu rather than have him running about on business, and he agrees to spend time with her. First, they stop by Stardust to find Yuya and the other hosts cleaning the place after the Go-Ryu invasion. Kazuki is still recovering from his gunshot wound, though, and Kiryu makes it a point to stop there after they finish so he can say his goodbyes. On their way to see Kazuki, Kiryu is attacked by a group of thugs thinking he'll be an easy target. He isn't, and the thugs run off rather than risk his anger further. Kiryu leaves Haruka with Kazuki before he goes to confront Majima.
On his way there, he's attacked by the thugs again, only this time they've brought their boss from the Kazama family to teach Kiryu a lesson. Kiryu defeats them again, after which their boss' boss comes over and berates the thugs for attacking the Fourth Chairman of the Tojo Clan. After apologies are given, Kiryu asks if they have seen Majima, and the boss tells him that Majima was scheduled to meet with Osamu Kashiwagi at the family offices that evening. Kiryu thanks them and heads over to the Millennium Tower. Kiryu finds Majima's lieutenant Nishida waiting outside, who tells Kiryu that Majima's gone up to the roof for some quiet time.
Kiryu finds Majima on the roof, and confirms that he is leaving Kamurocho. Kiryu asks Majima to watch over Daigo, but the Mad Dog refuses as he doesn't want to be caged in like he was before. Kiryu counters that this will be the perfect opportunity for him to cut loose, as Daigo will have plenty of enemies that Majima can deal with. Majima likes the idea, but he'll only do it if Kiryu beats him in a fight. Kiryu expected as much, and one Battle Strip later the two fight with Kiryu eventually emerging victorious. After he's had a moment to recover, Majima admits Kamurocho's going to be boring without Kiryu, and that he's worried that if Daigo starts going down a weird path he might not be able to stop him; Daigo is very trusting, not unlike Kiryu, and might get deceived by unscrupulous types. Kiryu trust Daigo's judgement, and he departs while entrusting the Tojo Clan to Majima.
Kamurocho, Tokyo
Kiryu and Haruka visit the graves of Kazama, Haruka's mother Yumi, and the Fifth Chairman of the Tojo Clan Yukio Terada. Joining them is Detective Kaoru Sayama, Kiryu's Love Interest from Yakuza 2, and for everyone it's time to say goodbye- Kiryu and Haruka are leaving for Okinawa to run an orphanage that has ties to Sunflower, while Kaoru has been selected to train a new branch of the Metropolitan Police and is being transferred to the U.S. As they say their goodbyes, they are watched over by Makoto Date and Junichi Sudo, both of whom express disappointment that Kiryu and Kaoru didn't stick together. Sudo also tells Date that he's been promoted to Division One, though he doesn't find it a cause for celebration; the police majorly dropped the ball on the war between the Tojo Clan and the Omi Alliance the previous year, and with Tokyo PD's reputation at rock bottom Sudo's promotion (along with Kaoru's) is essentially a bribe to get him to keep quiet about the failings of the police. Sudo admits he's worried about what will happen in Kamurocho next, As with Kiryu gone the Tojo Clan may very well fall back into darker behavior. Date tells Sudo not to worry, as Kiryu most likely has a plan to keep things in check while he's gone.
Kiryu and Haruka return to Kamurocho, first to say goodbye to Kazuki and Yuya at Club Stardust before Kiryu goes to meet with Goro Majima. Daigo is set to be the sixth Chairman of the Tojo Clan, but Kiryu fears that he's young and inexperienced and thus needs someone to assist him- Majima fits the bill, though he may need a little convincing to rejoin the Tojo Clan. Haruka, though, would like to have some fun with Kiryu rather than have him running about on business, and he agrees to spend time with her. First, they stop by Stardust to find Yuya and the other hosts cleaning the place after the Go-Ryu invasion. Kazuki is still recovering from his gunshot wound, though, and Kiryu makes it a point to stop there after they finish so he can say his goodbyes. On their way to see Kazuki, Kiryu is attacked by a group of thugs thinking he'll be an easy target. He isn't, and the thugs run off rather than risk his anger further. Kiryu leaves Haruka with Kazuki before he goes to confront Majima.
On his way there, he's attacked by the thugs again, only this time they've brought their boss from the Kazama family to teach Kiryu a lesson. Kiryu defeats them again, after which their boss' boss comes over and berates the thugs for attacking the Fourth Chairman of the Tojo Clan. After apologies are given, Kiryu asks if they have seen Majima, and the boss tells him that Majima was scheduled to meet with Osamu Kashiwagi at the family offices that evening. Kiryu thanks them and heads over to the Millennium Tower. Kiryu finds Majima's lieutenant Nishida waiting outside, who tells Kiryu that Majima's gone up to the roof for some quiet time.
Kiryu finds Majima on the roof, and confirms that he is leaving Kamurocho. Kiryu asks Majima to watch over Daigo, but the Mad Dog refuses as he doesn't want to be caged in like he was before. Kiryu counters that this will be the perfect opportunity for him to cut loose, as Daigo will have plenty of enemies that Majima can deal with. Majima likes the idea, but he'll only do it if Kiryu beats him in a fight. Kiryu expected as much, and one Battle Strip later the two fight with Kiryu eventually emerging victorious. After he's had a moment to recover, Majima admits Kamurocho's going to be boring without Kiryu, and that he's worried that if Daigo starts going down a weird path he might not be able to stop him; Daigo is very trusting, not unlike Kiryu, and might get deceived by unscrupulous types. Kiryu trust Daigo's judgement, and he departs while entrusting the Tojo Clan to Majima.
Chapter 2: The Ryudo Encounter
Six Months Later
Kiryu and Haruka have settled into their new life at the Morning Glory orphanage, raising eight orphans named Taichi, Ayako, Koji, Eri, Mitsuo, Riona, Shiro, and Izumi. They and the orphans settle down for dinner, but Haruka notices that Izumi is missing. Kiryu and Haruka leave the others to their dinner while they go look for Izumi. Kiryu finds her down at the beach, where she is sad because kids at her school are bullying her for being an orphan. Kiryu reassures her that she is loved by him and the others, and just because they aren't related by blood does not make them anything less than family. To Kiryu's surprise and reassurance, none of the kids started eating without them, as they couldn't think of leaving Izumi out.
Six Months Later
March 2008
While Kiryu is out chopping wood, Haruka approaches him with another eviction notice from the Ryudo Family. She says that strange men have been watching them from a truck every day, but when Kiryu goes to confront them they speed off. Guessing that they're with the Ryudo family, Kiryu decides to go into town and confront them, though he reassures Haruka that he doesn't plan on getting into any fights while he's there.
Kiryu arrives in Ryuku and begins searching around for the men driving the truck. He eventually finds them near an outdoor cafe, eating popsicles and sticking to the shade. Kiryu confronts the two and asks if they make a habit of threatening civilians like this. The leader (a skinny guy with curly hair) laughs that Kiryu thinks he can disguise himself as a civilian and tells him to leave Okinawa, though he admits he doesn't know the specifics of why Kiryu's facing eviction. Kiryu leaves to go find the Ryudo offices and speak with the boss directly, but the skinny guy says that the only way he's going to let Kiryu get there is if he fights him first. His sidekick (a short, tubby blond named Mikio) introduces him as Rikiya Shimabukuro, Captain of the Ryudo family, but Kiryu is not impressed by some small-town yakuza. Rikiya tears off his shirt to reveal his viper tattoo, but again Kiryu is unimpressed much to Rikiya's frustration. Eventually Rikiya stops the posturing and attacks Kiryu, but Kiryu is still as sharp as ever and defeats Rikiya.
Now that the fighting's done, Kiryu asks Rikiya if he'll keep his promise and take him to see the boss. Rikiya, being a man of his word, agrees, sending Mikio on ahead to alert the boss he's on his way. Kiryu asks about Rikiya's tattoo, specifically why the eyes are unfinished, and Rikiya explains that his old artist died before he could finish and he hasn't had the heart to find someone else to do the job. Kiryu thinks he should still give it a shot, as a talented artist could do the old master justice. Rikiya agrees to think on it, and takes Kiryu on his rounds before they go back to the Ryudo family offices. Rikiya is actually quite popular among town, introducing Kiryu to a number of locals before taking him to the Ryudo officers. Once there, Rikiya and Mikio let Kiryu inside before going to get the boss, and while he waits Kiryu spots a young girl drawing in the yard.
The Ryudo family boss, Nakahara, comes in and greets Kiryu. Kiryu explains he's here to talk about the eviction notices, but before they get started Nakahara tells the girl, his adoptive daughter Saki, to give them some privacy. Once they're alone, Nakahara explains what's going on; the Ryudo family owns the land Morning Glory and the surrounding houses are built on, but now a developer has come in looking to turn the land into either a beachfront resort or an American military base. Nakahara doesn't like the plan personally, but money is money and who is he to stand in the way of progress? And surely Kiryu isn't too inconvenienced by the problem- he's a mainlander who probably has loads of money if he needs to relocate, and if need be the Ryudo family will be willing to loan out some extra cash. Kiryu says he sees where Nakahara is coming from, but refuses the offer and prepares to leave, calling Nakahara out for only thinking about profits and not about what would happen to the kids if they get evicted and taken away from everything they've known. So as long as Kiryu is around, the orphanage stays. Nakahara tries to threaten Kiryu with a sword for disrespecting him, but Kiryu calls his bluff and asks him if he wants to orphan the kids again by killing him. Kiryu goes on to say Nakahara should do more to help the community instead of trying to evict orphans, and as he leaves he warns the old yakuza that he will fight if he has to.
Kiryu and Haruka have settled into their new life at the Morning Glory orphanage, raising eight orphans named Taichi, Ayako, Koji, Eri, Mitsuo, Riona, Shiro, and Izumi. They and the orphans settle down for dinner, but Haruka notices that Izumi is missing. Kiryu and Haruka leave the others to their dinner while they go look for Izumi. Kiryu finds her down at the beach, where she is sad because kids at her school are bullying her for being an orphan. Kiryu reassures her that she is loved by him and the others, and just because they aren't related by blood does not make them anything less than family. To Kiryu's surprise and reassurance, none of the kids started eating without them, as they couldn't think of leaving Izumi out.
Six Months Later
March 2008
While Kiryu is out chopping wood, Haruka approaches him with another eviction notice from the Ryudo Family. She says that strange men have been watching them from a truck every day, but when Kiryu goes to confront them they speed off. Guessing that they're with the Ryudo family, Kiryu decides to go into town and confront them, though he reassures Haruka that he doesn't plan on getting into any fights while he's there.
Kiryu arrives in Ryuku and begins searching around for the men driving the truck. He eventually finds them near an outdoor cafe, eating popsicles and sticking to the shade. Kiryu confronts the two and asks if they make a habit of threatening civilians like this. The leader (a skinny guy with curly hair) laughs that Kiryu thinks he can disguise himself as a civilian and tells him to leave Okinawa, though he admits he doesn't know the specifics of why Kiryu's facing eviction. Kiryu leaves to go find the Ryudo offices and speak with the boss directly, but the skinny guy says that the only way he's going to let Kiryu get there is if he fights him first. His sidekick (a short, tubby blond named Mikio) introduces him as Rikiya Shimabukuro, Captain of the Ryudo family, but Kiryu is not impressed by some small-town yakuza. Rikiya tears off his shirt to reveal his viper tattoo, but again Kiryu is unimpressed much to Rikiya's frustration. Eventually Rikiya stops the posturing and attacks Kiryu, but Kiryu is still as sharp as ever and defeats Rikiya.
Now that the fighting's done, Kiryu asks Rikiya if he'll keep his promise and take him to see the boss. Rikiya, being a man of his word, agrees, sending Mikio on ahead to alert the boss he's on his way. Kiryu asks about Rikiya's tattoo, specifically why the eyes are unfinished, and Rikiya explains that his old artist died before he could finish and he hasn't had the heart to find someone else to do the job. Kiryu thinks he should still give it a shot, as a talented artist could do the old master justice. Rikiya agrees to think on it, and takes Kiryu on his rounds before they go back to the Ryudo family offices. Rikiya is actually quite popular among town, introducing Kiryu to a number of locals before taking him to the Ryudo officers. Once there, Rikiya and Mikio let Kiryu inside before going to get the boss, and while he waits Kiryu spots a young girl drawing in the yard.
The Ryudo family boss, Nakahara, comes in and greets Kiryu. Kiryu explains he's here to talk about the eviction notices, but before they get started Nakahara tells the girl, his adoptive daughter Saki, to give them some privacy. Once they're alone, Nakahara explains what's going on; the Ryudo family owns the land Morning Glory and the surrounding houses are built on, but now a developer has come in looking to turn the land into either a beachfront resort or an American military base. Nakahara doesn't like the plan personally, but money is money and who is he to stand in the way of progress? And surely Kiryu isn't too inconvenienced by the problem- he's a mainlander who probably has loads of money if he needs to relocate, and if need be the Ryudo family will be willing to loan out some extra cash. Kiryu says he sees where Nakahara is coming from, but refuses the offer and prepares to leave, calling Nakahara out for only thinking about profits and not about what would happen to the kids if they get evicted and taken away from everything they've known. So as long as Kiryu is around, the orphanage stays. Nakahara tries to threaten Kiryu with a sword for disrespecting him, but Kiryu calls his bluff and asks him if he wants to orphan the kids again by killing him. Kiryu goes on to say Nakahara should do more to help the community instead of trying to evict orphans, and as he leaves he warns the old yakuza that he will fight if he has to.
Chapter 3: Power Struggle
Kiryu watches a news report on the issue at hand; the two men behind the current struggle, Defense Minister Ryuzo Tamiya and Land Minister Yoshinobu Suzuki, visited Okinawa recently to inspect the area. Tamiya hopes to use the land to build a new missile defense system with the help of the Americans, while Suzuki opposes strengthening the presence of American troops on Okinawa and hopes to build a resort to promote tourism. Both sides have their supporters and detractors (though Tamiya clearly has his work cut out for him), and speculation is that both men will try to advance their plans through Parliament within the coming weeks.
Haruka comes in as Kiryu turns off the TV and asks how things went with the Ryudo family, continuing on to ask if this means they'll have to leave Okinawa. Kiryu reassures her he'll do everything he can to stay, which reassures Haruka. Before Kiryu heads out for the day, Haruka tells him to check on Shiro as he's been rather down since he got home for school. Kiryu searches the orphanage and finds Shiro by himself in the living room. Shiro isn't in the mood to talk, so Kiryu goes to the others to find out what's going on. Taichi tells Kiryu that Shiro is being bullied at school, and while he doesn't know much he thinks it's getting worse. Kiryu calls the school (despite Taichi's warnings), but Shiro's teacher Hashimoto doesn't believe him and even goes on to say perhaps one of the other orphans is bullying Shiro. Kiryu goes back inside to talk with Shiro, and while Shiro does admit he's being bullied he too warns Kiryu against getting involved. Kiryu goes back to Taichi, and Taichi explains that the bully, Yoshinori, is the son of Hashimoto. Shiro confirms this, saying that Yoshinori threatened to tell his father if Shiro ratted on him, and as Hashimoto is a golfing partner of the head of the city council, Akasaka, he could shut down Morning Glory if he got a bad report. Kiryu reassures Shiro that Morning Glory won't be shut down, and encourages the boy to stand up for himself next time he gets bullied.
The next day, Kiryu heads out to make sure there won't be any retaliation against Shiro or Morning Glory. One of his neighbors, Miyara, knows Akasaka and is surprised that Kiryu would think he'd shut down Morning Glory- Akasaka's a straight shooter and wouldn't abuse his power to settle grudges. He's also a golf fanatic, so if Kiryu wants to talk with him without making a scene Miyara directs him to the nearby golf course. Kiryu arrives at the golf course, but needs a pass to get in as it's a private club. Fortunately, Akasaka shows up and invites Kiryu to play with him, as his own partner for the day canceled last minute and he'd rather not play alone. As they play Kiryu tells Akasaka about his work at the orphanage, and Akasaka is impressed by Kiryu's hard work and promises to visit the orphanage sometime, perhaps even look for some way to get Kiryu money to keep the place running. Kiryu thanks Akasaka for his time and heads home for the day.
When he gets home, Kiryu finds Akasaka stopped by to visit, the councilman saying once his mind is set on something he has to see it through. The kids return from school and Shiro arrives beaten from his encounter with Yoshinori, but his spirits are much improved. Just then Hashimoto arrives with Yoshinori demanding Kiryu explain himself, but Akasaka intercedes praising Kiryu for raising such fine kids (oblivious to the bullying issue Kiryu is dealing with). Yoshinori insults Akasaka and runs off, with Akasaka lamenting that it must be difficult for the kid's parents and teacher. An embarrassed Hashimoto excuses himself, and Akasaka praises Kiryu once more before taking his leave.
Kiryu goes back inside to hear Taichi and Ayako arguing about something. Taichi lent Ayako some money, but she doesn't have anything to pay him back (and he needs it to buy the next issue of a popular manga). After Taichi runs off in a huff, Kiryu goes and talks to Ayako, and Ayako tells him someone stole the money from her backpack. Kiryu calls all the kids together and tells them about the missing money, but none come forward to confess. After he dismisses them, Kiryu finds Eri going through Ayako's bag, though the girl runs off before Kiryu can learn anything. Kiryu and Ayako check her bag and find the money returned, and Kiryu tracks Eri down to the beach to ask what's going on. Eri confesses that some of her friends from school invited her to the movies (something that rarely happens as Eri never has the money to do fun things), and she stole the money from Ayako so she can go. Kiryu thanks Eri for being honest and tells her to apologize to Ayako, and the two girls make up while Kiryu passes off the missing money as a goof he made the other day.
While Kiryu and Haruka prepare dinner, Taichi runs in telling him the blue truck is back. Kiryu leaves Haruka with the kids and goes out to confront the Ryudo family, but Rikiya isn't here to pick a fight- Saki disappeared from the family offices for the last two days, and Rikiya wants Kiryu's help in tracking her down. Kiryu asks why they don't go to the police, and Rikiya says that Nakahara never officially adopted Saki and the cops would send her back to her parents if they found out. Rikiya explains that Saki's parents were scum- her father was a drunk who gambled away their money, and her mother was the town bicycle who spent more time with her boyfriends than taking care of Saki. Three years prior Nakahara went to their house to collect on some debt, only to find the father hanged himself and poor Saki was still clinging to his lifeless body. Saki's mother was nowhere to be found, so Nakahara took the girl in and grew to care for her as his own flesh and blood. But now the mother's back in town and wants Saki (Rikiya guessing more to have a live-in maid rather than a daughter), and while Nakahara did his best to keep Saki away from her the girl must have snuck out. Kiryu asks why Saki doesn't just call Nakahara and explain what's going on, but Rikiya says that can't happen- Saki is mute, the trauma from seeing her father kill himself putting a mental block in her mind that keeps her from speaking. Kiryu agrees to help, and Rikiya says he'll take him over to the family offices to calm Nakahara down, as the old yakuza respects Kiryu. During all this, Kiryu notices that Rikiya won't stop calling him "aniki", and his attempts to get the younger yakuza to back off fail.
When they arrive at the offices, Mikio warns them that Nakahara has been hitting the bottle and is in no mood to talk. Kiryu confronts Nakahara and asks why he's not out there looking for Saki, and Nakahara laments that Saki probably didn't want to spend her time around a crotchety old yakuza like him and probably wants to be with her mother. Kiryu tries to advocate for Nakahara, comparing Saki to his own upbringing at Sunflower Orphanage with Kazama, but Nakahara is too far gone in his depression and drink to see reason. Finally, Kiryu says he'll go find Saki and talk with her, leaving Nakahara and heading out into the streets with Rikiya.
Kiryu and Rikiya step outside, and Rikiya says they've searched everywhere save one section of town: Hatsumachi. Kiryu asks why they haven't looked there, and Rikiya says it's the red light district where any well-meaning child would stay away from. Furthermore, that's the rival Tamashiro Family's turf, and they would likely attract trouble if they went poking around there. Kiryu is undeterred and the two head out, confirming with some of the locals that they saw Saki in Hatsumachi. They arrive in Hatsumachi, and are almost immediately approached by a trio of Tamashiro goons. The goons pick a fight with them as Rikiya is from a rival family, though not before letting slip that they know about Saki. Kiryu and Rikiya defeat the goons, and they tell them that Saki's mother has shacked up with the boss. Kiryu decides to pay the Tamashiro boss a visit, and with a reluctant Rikiya in tow he heads to the Tamashiro office.
Upon arriving at the office, Kiryu finds Saki's sketchbook discarded outside. Kiryu sends Rikiya back to the Ryudo Family offices to fetch Nakahara while he busts in to rescue Saki. Kiryu fights his way through the building until he reaches Tetsuo Tamashiro himself. Kiryu demands Tamashiro hand over Saki, but he refuses to give up his bargaining chip against Nakahara and instead intends to kill Kiryu and use him as a warning to Nakahara. Kiryu disagrees with this plan and beats Tamashiro into the dirt, Rikiya and Nakahara arriving soon after. Kiryu tells Saki how worried Nakahara was that she had run off, but now she has a choice of whether to go back with him or stay with her mother. Her mother makes the choice for her, ranting about how Saki has been nothing but a burden and if Nakahara cares so much about Saki he can have her. As she runs off, Nakahara wonders how a bitch like that could become a mother, and then tearfully embraces Saki after Kiryu tells him to look into Saki's sketchbook, revealing a lovely drawing of Nakahara she had made.
With Saki home safe, Nakahara asks Kiryu to swear an oath with him. Kiryu protests that he's not yakuza anymore, but Nakahara insists as a show of respect for Kiryu's help. They don't have a witness to the oath, but fortunately Daigo arrives with another man and offers to take up that role. Daigo and his companion sit down and he explains why he's in town: the Tamashiro Family (originally a small offshoot of the Tojo Clan meant to give them a foothold on the island) has gone rogue and is buying up land as part of the resort deal. Daigo reveals that Minister Suzuki asked the Tamashiro to start buying the land, as he needs a certain amount and the support of local organizations to advance his project through Parliament. When Kiryu asks why Daigo himself is intervening, Daigo says the Tamashiro are using questionable methods to secure the land, such as stealing deeds directly from their owners (which Nakahara realizes is why they took Saki). Minister Tamiya asked Daigo to intervene, as knowledge of yakuza involvement in the projects would cause a massive scandal that could sink both the resort and the military base (which Daigo explains are actually interlinked with one another; one failing would take the other down with it).
The man with Daigo introduces himself as Shoya Toma, personal secretary to Minister Tamiya. Kiryu notes that if the Tamashiro family can't secure the land then both projects will fail, and Toma says they want to acquire the land through proper negotiation, not back-alley threats. Kiryu asks why go through all this trouble for one bill, and Toma says the military base would be a political win for Tamiya and give him a leg up in the upcoming elections for Prime Minister. Daigo continues on and says that normally he wouldn't get involved, but if there were a scandal it would attract attention from the police that the still reeling Tojo Clan cannot afford, not to mention he had no idea Kiryu was in the development area. Toma says he would like to see the project through to revitalize Okinawa, but Nakahara doesn't buy it and says that if Toma really cared about Okinawa, he'd know the locals don't care for the resort. Toma says that it's the only way to get Tokyo to acknowledge Okinawa as anything more than an insignificant backwater, while Nakahara warns him that some of the locals won't be so keen on moving to satisfy Tokyo.
Daigo prepares to take his leave, but before he exists Kiryu asks that Daigo give him a heads up before the Tojo Clan comes asking for his land. Daigo agrees, but assures Kiryu that as long as he's Chairman the Tojo will have no interest in Okinawa. He instead plans on moving way in the future, when Toma has become Prime Minister, Kiryu will be well into old age, and the orphans will be adults and carrying on with their own lives. Until then, he bids the former Fourth Chairman a good evening and departs. Once Daigo leave, Nakahara asks if by "Fourth Chairman", Daigo really means the legendary Dragon of Dojima. Kiryu tacitly comfirms it, making Nakahara freak out as he realizes he's been harassing the Kazuma Kiryu for the better part of a year now.
Haruka comes in as Kiryu turns off the TV and asks how things went with the Ryudo family, continuing on to ask if this means they'll have to leave Okinawa. Kiryu reassures her he'll do everything he can to stay, which reassures Haruka. Before Kiryu heads out for the day, Haruka tells him to check on Shiro as he's been rather down since he got home for school. Kiryu searches the orphanage and finds Shiro by himself in the living room. Shiro isn't in the mood to talk, so Kiryu goes to the others to find out what's going on. Taichi tells Kiryu that Shiro is being bullied at school, and while he doesn't know much he thinks it's getting worse. Kiryu calls the school (despite Taichi's warnings), but Shiro's teacher Hashimoto doesn't believe him and even goes on to say perhaps one of the other orphans is bullying Shiro. Kiryu goes back inside to talk with Shiro, and while Shiro does admit he's being bullied he too warns Kiryu against getting involved. Kiryu goes back to Taichi, and Taichi explains that the bully, Yoshinori, is the son of Hashimoto. Shiro confirms this, saying that Yoshinori threatened to tell his father if Shiro ratted on him, and as Hashimoto is a golfing partner of the head of the city council, Akasaka, he could shut down Morning Glory if he got a bad report. Kiryu reassures Shiro that Morning Glory won't be shut down, and encourages the boy to stand up for himself next time he gets bullied.
The next day, Kiryu heads out to make sure there won't be any retaliation against Shiro or Morning Glory. One of his neighbors, Miyara, knows Akasaka and is surprised that Kiryu would think he'd shut down Morning Glory- Akasaka's a straight shooter and wouldn't abuse his power to settle grudges. He's also a golf fanatic, so if Kiryu wants to talk with him without making a scene Miyara directs him to the nearby golf course. Kiryu arrives at the golf course, but needs a pass to get in as it's a private club. Fortunately, Akasaka shows up and invites Kiryu to play with him, as his own partner for the day canceled last minute and he'd rather not play alone. As they play Kiryu tells Akasaka about his work at the orphanage, and Akasaka is impressed by Kiryu's hard work and promises to visit the orphanage sometime, perhaps even look for some way to get Kiryu money to keep the place running. Kiryu thanks Akasaka for his time and heads home for the day.
When he gets home, Kiryu finds Akasaka stopped by to visit, the councilman saying once his mind is set on something he has to see it through. The kids return from school and Shiro arrives beaten from his encounter with Yoshinori, but his spirits are much improved. Just then Hashimoto arrives with Yoshinori demanding Kiryu explain himself, but Akasaka intercedes praising Kiryu for raising such fine kids (oblivious to the bullying issue Kiryu is dealing with). Yoshinori insults Akasaka and runs off, with Akasaka lamenting that it must be difficult for the kid's parents and teacher. An embarrassed Hashimoto excuses himself, and Akasaka praises Kiryu once more before taking his leave.
Kiryu goes back inside to hear Taichi and Ayako arguing about something. Taichi lent Ayako some money, but she doesn't have anything to pay him back (and he needs it to buy the next issue of a popular manga). After Taichi runs off in a huff, Kiryu goes and talks to Ayako, and Ayako tells him someone stole the money from her backpack. Kiryu calls all the kids together and tells them about the missing money, but none come forward to confess. After he dismisses them, Kiryu finds Eri going through Ayako's bag, though the girl runs off before Kiryu can learn anything. Kiryu and Ayako check her bag and find the money returned, and Kiryu tracks Eri down to the beach to ask what's going on. Eri confesses that some of her friends from school invited her to the movies (something that rarely happens as Eri never has the money to do fun things), and she stole the money from Ayako so she can go. Kiryu thanks Eri for being honest and tells her to apologize to Ayako, and the two girls make up while Kiryu passes off the missing money as a goof he made the other day.
While Kiryu and Haruka prepare dinner, Taichi runs in telling him the blue truck is back. Kiryu leaves Haruka with the kids and goes out to confront the Ryudo family, but Rikiya isn't here to pick a fight- Saki disappeared from the family offices for the last two days, and Rikiya wants Kiryu's help in tracking her down. Kiryu asks why they don't go to the police, and Rikiya says that Nakahara never officially adopted Saki and the cops would send her back to her parents if they found out. Rikiya explains that Saki's parents were scum- her father was a drunk who gambled away their money, and her mother was the town bicycle who spent more time with her boyfriends than taking care of Saki. Three years prior Nakahara went to their house to collect on some debt, only to find the father hanged himself and poor Saki was still clinging to his lifeless body. Saki's mother was nowhere to be found, so Nakahara took the girl in and grew to care for her as his own flesh and blood. But now the mother's back in town and wants Saki (Rikiya guessing more to have a live-in maid rather than a daughter), and while Nakahara did his best to keep Saki away from her the girl must have snuck out. Kiryu asks why Saki doesn't just call Nakahara and explain what's going on, but Rikiya says that can't happen- Saki is mute, the trauma from seeing her father kill himself putting a mental block in her mind that keeps her from speaking. Kiryu agrees to help, and Rikiya says he'll take him over to the family offices to calm Nakahara down, as the old yakuza respects Kiryu. During all this, Kiryu notices that Rikiya won't stop calling him "aniki", and his attempts to get the younger yakuza to back off fail.
When they arrive at the offices, Mikio warns them that Nakahara has been hitting the bottle and is in no mood to talk. Kiryu confronts Nakahara and asks why he's not out there looking for Saki, and Nakahara laments that Saki probably didn't want to spend her time around a crotchety old yakuza like him and probably wants to be with her mother. Kiryu tries to advocate for Nakahara, comparing Saki to his own upbringing at Sunflower Orphanage with Kazama, but Nakahara is too far gone in his depression and drink to see reason. Finally, Kiryu says he'll go find Saki and talk with her, leaving Nakahara and heading out into the streets with Rikiya.
Kiryu and Rikiya step outside, and Rikiya says they've searched everywhere save one section of town: Hatsumachi. Kiryu asks why they haven't looked there, and Rikiya says it's the red light district where any well-meaning child would stay away from. Furthermore, that's the rival Tamashiro Family's turf, and they would likely attract trouble if they went poking around there. Kiryu is undeterred and the two head out, confirming with some of the locals that they saw Saki in Hatsumachi. They arrive in Hatsumachi, and are almost immediately approached by a trio of Tamashiro goons. The goons pick a fight with them as Rikiya is from a rival family, though not before letting slip that they know about Saki. Kiryu and Rikiya defeat the goons, and they tell them that Saki's mother has shacked up with the boss. Kiryu decides to pay the Tamashiro boss a visit, and with a reluctant Rikiya in tow he heads to the Tamashiro office.
Upon arriving at the office, Kiryu finds Saki's sketchbook discarded outside. Kiryu sends Rikiya back to the Ryudo Family offices to fetch Nakahara while he busts in to rescue Saki. Kiryu fights his way through the building until he reaches Tetsuo Tamashiro himself. Kiryu demands Tamashiro hand over Saki, but he refuses to give up his bargaining chip against Nakahara and instead intends to kill Kiryu and use him as a warning to Nakahara. Kiryu disagrees with this plan and beats Tamashiro into the dirt, Rikiya and Nakahara arriving soon after. Kiryu tells Saki how worried Nakahara was that she had run off, but now she has a choice of whether to go back with him or stay with her mother. Her mother makes the choice for her, ranting about how Saki has been nothing but a burden and if Nakahara cares so much about Saki he can have her. As she runs off, Nakahara wonders how a bitch like that could become a mother, and then tearfully embraces Saki after Kiryu tells him to look into Saki's sketchbook, revealing a lovely drawing of Nakahara she had made.
With Saki home safe, Nakahara asks Kiryu to swear an oath with him. Kiryu protests that he's not yakuza anymore, but Nakahara insists as a show of respect for Kiryu's help. They don't have a witness to the oath, but fortunately Daigo arrives with another man and offers to take up that role. Daigo and his companion sit down and he explains why he's in town: the Tamashiro Family (originally a small offshoot of the Tojo Clan meant to give them a foothold on the island) has gone rogue and is buying up land as part of the resort deal. Daigo reveals that Minister Suzuki asked the Tamashiro to start buying the land, as he needs a certain amount and the support of local organizations to advance his project through Parliament. When Kiryu asks why Daigo himself is intervening, Daigo says the Tamashiro are using questionable methods to secure the land, such as stealing deeds directly from their owners (which Nakahara realizes is why they took Saki). Minister Tamiya asked Daigo to intervene, as knowledge of yakuza involvement in the projects would cause a massive scandal that could sink both the resort and the military base (which Daigo explains are actually interlinked with one another; one failing would take the other down with it).
The man with Daigo introduces himself as Shoya Toma, personal secretary to Minister Tamiya. Kiryu notes that if the Tamashiro family can't secure the land then both projects will fail, and Toma says they want to acquire the land through proper negotiation, not back-alley threats. Kiryu asks why go through all this trouble for one bill, and Toma says the military base would be a political win for Tamiya and give him a leg up in the upcoming elections for Prime Minister. Daigo continues on and says that normally he wouldn't get involved, but if there were a scandal it would attract attention from the police that the still reeling Tojo Clan cannot afford, not to mention he had no idea Kiryu was in the development area. Toma says he would like to see the project through to revitalize Okinawa, but Nakahara doesn't buy it and says that if Toma really cared about Okinawa, he'd know the locals don't care for the resort. Toma says that it's the only way to get Tokyo to acknowledge Okinawa as anything more than an insignificant backwater, while Nakahara warns him that some of the locals won't be so keen on moving to satisfy Tokyo.
Daigo prepares to take his leave, but before he exists Kiryu asks that Daigo give him a heads up before the Tojo Clan comes asking for his land. Daigo agrees, but assures Kiryu that as long as he's Chairman the Tojo will have no interest in Okinawa. He instead plans on moving way in the future, when Toma has become Prime Minister, Kiryu will be well into old age, and the orphans will be adults and carrying on with their own lives. Until then, he bids the former Fourth Chairman a good evening and departs. Once Daigo leave, Nakahara asks if by "Fourth Chairman", Daigo really means the legendary Dragon of Dojima. Kiryu tacitly comfirms it, making Nakahara freak out as he realizes he's been harassing the Kazuma Kiryu for the better part of a year now.
Chapter 4: The Man In The Sketch
One Year Later
March 2009
After the events of the prologue, Kiryu is still reeling from the implications of Saki's drawing. He gets a call from Kashiwagi, who informs him about the assassination attempt on Daigo. Kashiwagi doesn't know much, but he does know that the guy who did it bore a striking resemblance to Patriarch Kazama. Kashiwagi promises to call back if he learns anything more, and after he hangs up Kiryu tells the other about the attack on Daigo. Rikiya notes that Daigo was the witness to Kiryu and Nakahara swearing an oath, and the two confirm that Saki's sketch fiths the description of the man who shot Daigo. Just then the surgeon operating on Nakahara steps out of the operating room to inform them that Nakahara has been stabilized, but while the bullets missed his vitals the doctors still give him a 50-50 chance of survival.
Later, Kiryu contemplates all this on the beach outside Morning Glory. Haruka comes up to him and asks if he plans to go back to Kamurocho, but Kiryu admits he's not sure; he has a life here in Okinawa now, and can't just run off to Tokyo at the drop of a hat. Haruka asks if they're going to lose the orphanage, and while Kiryu says that's not certain he is sure that the shooter was after the deed of the land. Rikiya arrives and asks to join Kiryu when he goes to Kamurocho, as he wants to find the man who shot Nakahara and Mikio can keep an eye on Nakahara in the hospital. Kiryu asks him what they'll do about Saki, and Haruka steps up and offers to take her in at the orphanage until Nakahara gets better. Rikiya once ore begs Kiryu to take him, and Kiryu agrees to bring him to Kamurocho, telling Rikiya to pack his things and be ready to leave the following night. As Rikiya runs off, though, Kiryu tells Haruka to look after him, as Kiryu plans on going to Kamurocho alone to resolve matters.
The next day, Kiryu wakes to find Mikio, Taichi, and Koji chasing a dog around the courtyard. Izumi rushes to the dog's defense, though the dog runs off before anyone can catch it. Mikio recognizes it as a dog that used to hang around the markets in Hatsumachi, but he guesses the dog was abandoned when its original owner moved on to Tokyo. Izumi asks if she can go look for the dog, as it reminds her of the one she used to have before she was orphaned; Kiryu agrees, and the three head into town with Mikio taking Izumi to Ryukyu Boulevard while Kiryu checks Hatsumachi proper.
Kiryu finds the dog first, chasing it through town to keep it from getting away. Kiryu eventually corners the dog, and Izumi begs to keep him because he reminds her of her old dog. Kiryu agrees on the condition that Izumi take care of him and train him not to be so energetic. While Kiryu goes to get some dog food and toys, a pair of Tamashiro thugs spot Mikio and attack him for trespassing on their turf. The dog bites one of the thugs on the leg (and his buddy whacks the bite with a stick while trying to scare off the dog), and the commotion catches the attention of a police officer who chases away the yakuza before Kiryu returns. Satisfied that the dog is bonding with Izumi, Mikio agrees to build a dog house while Kiryu sends the two back to the orphanage to get their new friend settled in.
Kiryu returns to the orphanage to find Rikiya waiting for him. Rikiya wants to know when he should stop by that night to catch the flight to Tokyo, and Kiryu lies to him that they'll be leaving around 8. Rikiya says he'll hang around until then, but in the meantime he's sensing that Mitsuo's got a thing for Riona. He points over to the entrance, where Mitsuo is trying to ask Riona if she'd go to the movies with him. She declines as she has other plans, leaving Mitsuo dejected. Rikiya guesses it's because Mitsuo lacks style, though Kiryu thinks Rikiya isn't exactly one to talk given how he dresses. Rikiya challenges Kiryu to a fashion contest to see who can make Mitsuo look the best, each one of them picking out an outfit and accessory for Mitsuo. Kiryu agrees and the two head into town to look for clothing.
Kiryu goes into town and buys some clothes, returning to Morning Glory to meet with Rikiya. Mitsuo isn't too sure about this, but plays along with Kiryu and Rikiya. He ultimately chooses Kiryu's outfit as Rikiya just grabbed some of his old school clothes (though he admits he's not feeling Kiryu's outfit either), but ultimately Riona isn't impressed and refuses Mitsuo. Kiryu encourages Mitsuo to keep his spirits up and keep trying, and Mistuo heads into town with Taichi to see the movie. Kiryu plans on following them, but Riona asks if he knows how to make duruwakashi (a local dish of mashed taro and pork) so she can impress her friends, Kiryu agreeing to show her how.
After helping Riona with her cooking, Kiryu steps outside and listens in as Haruka comes to speak with Riona. She asks if Riona is going out with Mitsuo and making the bento for him, but Riona says she isn't. Haruka asks why as she thinks the two would be very good together, and Riona admits she couldn't see herself dating a black guy. Kiryu is surprised as he never raised Riona to be like that, and as he heads out he runs into Taichi (who didn't end up going with Mitsuo after all as Mitsuo was planning on seeing some "gross romance movie"). Kiryu heads into town to keep an eye on the two, finding Mitsuo spying on Riona and her friends. The kids start teasing Riona because of the burn scars on her arm, but Mitsuo rushes to her defense and punches the leader out for his teasing. The other kids leave, and Mitsuo comforts Riona about her burn (comparing it to his own issues with being a black kid in Japan). the two make up and return to Morning Glory, where Riona patches up Mitsuo while Kiryu and Rikiya look on. Kiryu sends Rikiya back to the Ryudo offices to get his things, fully intending to leave before he gets back.
First, though, Koji asks Kiryu if he wants to play baseball with them. With some time to kill, Kiryu agrees and the kids assemble on the beach to play. As they play, Koji spots a lonely looking boy watching them from up the beach. Haruka encourages him and Taichi to invite the boy to play, and the two go over to introduce themselves. The boy identifies himself as Akira, and he says he'd be no good playing with them. Koji disagrees and invites Akira to play, and when Kiryu comes over they ask him to hit some flies to help Akira get used to the game. After getting the kids warmed up, Kiryu heads back in to the orphanage to get his things for Kamurocho, only for Haruka to run up and tell him something happened while they were playing.
Akira's mother arrives at the orphanage and yells at Koji for causing her son to get injured. Koji explains to Kiryu that Akira tripped while running after a ball, which gets the boy's mother up in arms once more. Kiryu doesn't see a problem as it's perfectly normal for kids to play unsupervised (and they were using a rubber ball and a plastic bat, nothing that could cause serious injury). Just then Hashimoto arrives and Akira's mother chews him out as well, even going so far as to threaten to call the police on Kiryu. Akira wakes up and tells Koji that he had fun and hopes they can play again soon before telling his mom that the orphans are really nice, not like the kids that bully him at school. He lets slip that Hashimoto's son is bullying him as well, and as his mom goes off on the teacher Akira says he'd like to come back and play more with Koji and the others. As the others leave, Kiryu tells Koji he did well and to not let what Akira's mom said get to him. Haruka then comes to Kiryu and tells him his flight is leaving soon.
Haruka rounds up the orphans to say goodbye while Kiryu puts on his suit. The orphans ask if they can come to Tokyo with him, but Kiryu says he's going away on business and can't take them. He and Haruka introduce them to Saki, telling the orphans to make her feel at home. The kids welcome Saki and Kiryu heads into town with Haruka to pick up a few things before he leaves for Kamurocho. Meanwhile, Kashiwagi calls a meeting of the Tojo Clan's leadership, a call which is answered by three Patriarchs: Yoshitaka Mine (a rich businessman who nonetheless is a powerful fighter), Goh Hamazaki (an opportunistic leg-breaker with ties to the Chinese), and Tsuyoshi Kanda (the thuggish new Patriarch of the Nishikiyama Family). Kanda especially is excited, calling up Mine and asking for one billion yen in cash to finance the coming war for the Chairmanship. Mine says that it's too early to start talking about succession, but agrees to give Kanda the money as he drives to Kamurocho.
Kiryu arrives in Kamurocho to find some women getting thrown out of Club Stardust by yakuza. He goes to investigate to find the yakuza trying and failing to buy Stardust from Yuya and Kazuki, the leader introducing himself as Hasebe of the Nishikiyama family. Kazuki isn't budging, as he guesses that the Nishikiyama family only wants Stardust as a base for their impending war with the Kazama family. Hasebe asks Kiryu to leave, but Kiryu isn't budging until the Nishikiyama tells him their plans. This of course starts a fight but Kiryu, Kazuki, and Yuya handle the yakuza with no issue. Kiryu once more asks Hasebe about their plans, but Hasebe tells him that things are set in motion and Kashiwagi is marked for death.
March 2009
After the events of the prologue, Kiryu is still reeling from the implications of Saki's drawing. He gets a call from Kashiwagi, who informs him about the assassination attempt on Daigo. Kashiwagi doesn't know much, but he does know that the guy who did it bore a striking resemblance to Patriarch Kazama. Kashiwagi promises to call back if he learns anything more, and after he hangs up Kiryu tells the other about the attack on Daigo. Rikiya notes that Daigo was the witness to Kiryu and Nakahara swearing an oath, and the two confirm that Saki's sketch fiths the description of the man who shot Daigo. Just then the surgeon operating on Nakahara steps out of the operating room to inform them that Nakahara has been stabilized, but while the bullets missed his vitals the doctors still give him a 50-50 chance of survival.
Later, Kiryu contemplates all this on the beach outside Morning Glory. Haruka comes up to him and asks if he plans to go back to Kamurocho, but Kiryu admits he's not sure; he has a life here in Okinawa now, and can't just run off to Tokyo at the drop of a hat. Haruka asks if they're going to lose the orphanage, and while Kiryu says that's not certain he is sure that the shooter was after the deed of the land. Rikiya arrives and asks to join Kiryu when he goes to Kamurocho, as he wants to find the man who shot Nakahara and Mikio can keep an eye on Nakahara in the hospital. Kiryu asks him what they'll do about Saki, and Haruka steps up and offers to take her in at the orphanage until Nakahara gets better. Rikiya once ore begs Kiryu to take him, and Kiryu agrees to bring him to Kamurocho, telling Rikiya to pack his things and be ready to leave the following night. As Rikiya runs off, though, Kiryu tells Haruka to look after him, as Kiryu plans on going to Kamurocho alone to resolve matters.
The next day, Kiryu wakes to find Mikio, Taichi, and Koji chasing a dog around the courtyard. Izumi rushes to the dog's defense, though the dog runs off before anyone can catch it. Mikio recognizes it as a dog that used to hang around the markets in Hatsumachi, but he guesses the dog was abandoned when its original owner moved on to Tokyo. Izumi asks if she can go look for the dog, as it reminds her of the one she used to have before she was orphaned; Kiryu agrees, and the three head into town with Mikio taking Izumi to Ryukyu Boulevard while Kiryu checks Hatsumachi proper.
Kiryu finds the dog first, chasing it through town to keep it from getting away. Kiryu eventually corners the dog, and Izumi begs to keep him because he reminds her of her old dog. Kiryu agrees on the condition that Izumi take care of him and train him not to be so energetic. While Kiryu goes to get some dog food and toys, a pair of Tamashiro thugs spot Mikio and attack him for trespassing on their turf. The dog bites one of the thugs on the leg (and his buddy whacks the bite with a stick while trying to scare off the dog), and the commotion catches the attention of a police officer who chases away the yakuza before Kiryu returns. Satisfied that the dog is bonding with Izumi, Mikio agrees to build a dog house while Kiryu sends the two back to the orphanage to get their new friend settled in.
Kiryu returns to the orphanage to find Rikiya waiting for him. Rikiya wants to know when he should stop by that night to catch the flight to Tokyo, and Kiryu lies to him that they'll be leaving around 8. Rikiya says he'll hang around until then, but in the meantime he's sensing that Mitsuo's got a thing for Riona. He points over to the entrance, where Mitsuo is trying to ask Riona if she'd go to the movies with him. She declines as she has other plans, leaving Mitsuo dejected. Rikiya guesses it's because Mitsuo lacks style, though Kiryu thinks Rikiya isn't exactly one to talk given how he dresses. Rikiya challenges Kiryu to a fashion contest to see who can make Mitsuo look the best, each one of them picking out an outfit and accessory for Mitsuo. Kiryu agrees and the two head into town to look for clothing.
Kiryu goes into town and buys some clothes, returning to Morning Glory to meet with Rikiya. Mitsuo isn't too sure about this, but plays along with Kiryu and Rikiya. He ultimately chooses Kiryu's outfit as Rikiya just grabbed some of his old school clothes (though he admits he's not feeling Kiryu's outfit either), but ultimately Riona isn't impressed and refuses Mitsuo. Kiryu encourages Mitsuo to keep his spirits up and keep trying, and Mistuo heads into town with Taichi to see the movie. Kiryu plans on following them, but Riona asks if he knows how to make duruwakashi (a local dish of mashed taro and pork) so she can impress her friends, Kiryu agreeing to show her how.
After helping Riona with her cooking, Kiryu steps outside and listens in as Haruka comes to speak with Riona. She asks if Riona is going out with Mitsuo and making the bento for him, but Riona says she isn't. Haruka asks why as she thinks the two would be very good together, and Riona admits she couldn't see herself dating a black guy. Kiryu is surprised as he never raised Riona to be like that, and as he heads out he runs into Taichi (who didn't end up going with Mitsuo after all as Mitsuo was planning on seeing some "gross romance movie"). Kiryu heads into town to keep an eye on the two, finding Mitsuo spying on Riona and her friends. The kids start teasing Riona because of the burn scars on her arm, but Mitsuo rushes to her defense and punches the leader out for his teasing. The other kids leave, and Mitsuo comforts Riona about her burn (comparing it to his own issues with being a black kid in Japan). the two make up and return to Morning Glory, where Riona patches up Mitsuo while Kiryu and Rikiya look on. Kiryu sends Rikiya back to the Ryudo offices to get his things, fully intending to leave before he gets back.
First, though, Koji asks Kiryu if he wants to play baseball with them. With some time to kill, Kiryu agrees and the kids assemble on the beach to play. As they play, Koji spots a lonely looking boy watching them from up the beach. Haruka encourages him and Taichi to invite the boy to play, and the two go over to introduce themselves. The boy identifies himself as Akira, and he says he'd be no good playing with them. Koji disagrees and invites Akira to play, and when Kiryu comes over they ask him to hit some flies to help Akira get used to the game. After getting the kids warmed up, Kiryu heads back in to the orphanage to get his things for Kamurocho, only for Haruka to run up and tell him something happened while they were playing.
Akira's mother arrives at the orphanage and yells at Koji for causing her son to get injured. Koji explains to Kiryu that Akira tripped while running after a ball, which gets the boy's mother up in arms once more. Kiryu doesn't see a problem as it's perfectly normal for kids to play unsupervised (and they were using a rubber ball and a plastic bat, nothing that could cause serious injury). Just then Hashimoto arrives and Akira's mother chews him out as well, even going so far as to threaten to call the police on Kiryu. Akira wakes up and tells Koji that he had fun and hopes they can play again soon before telling his mom that the orphans are really nice, not like the kids that bully him at school. He lets slip that Hashimoto's son is bullying him as well, and as his mom goes off on the teacher Akira says he'd like to come back and play more with Koji and the others. As the others leave, Kiryu tells Koji he did well and to not let what Akira's mom said get to him. Haruka then comes to Kiryu and tells him his flight is leaving soon.
Haruka rounds up the orphans to say goodbye while Kiryu puts on his suit. The orphans ask if they can come to Tokyo with him, but Kiryu says he's going away on business and can't take them. He and Haruka introduce them to Saki, telling the orphans to make her feel at home. The kids welcome Saki and Kiryu heads into town with Haruka to pick up a few things before he leaves for Kamurocho. Meanwhile, Kashiwagi calls a meeting of the Tojo Clan's leadership, a call which is answered by three Patriarchs: Yoshitaka Mine (a rich businessman who nonetheless is a powerful fighter), Goh Hamazaki (an opportunistic leg-breaker with ties to the Chinese), and Tsuyoshi Kanda (the thuggish new Patriarch of the Nishikiyama Family). Kanda especially is excited, calling up Mine and asking for one billion yen in cash to finance the coming war for the Chairmanship. Mine says that it's too early to start talking about succession, but agrees to give Kanda the money as he drives to Kamurocho.
Kiryu arrives in Kamurocho to find some women getting thrown out of Club Stardust by yakuza. He goes to investigate to find the yakuza trying and failing to buy Stardust from Yuya and Kazuki, the leader introducing himself as Hasebe of the Nishikiyama family. Kazuki isn't budging, as he guesses that the Nishikiyama family only wants Stardust as a base for their impending war with the Kazama family. Hasebe asks Kiryu to leave, but Kiryu isn't budging until the Nishikiyama tells him their plans. This of course starts a fight but Kiryu, Kazuki, and Yuya handle the yakuza with no issue. Kiryu once more asks Hasebe about their plans, but Hasebe tells him that things are set in motion and Kashiwagi is marked for death.
Chapter 5: The Curtain Rises
With the Nishikiyama family driven off, Kiryu gets a drink from Yuya while Kazuki handles the police. Kiryu admits he doesn't have a whole lot of time and plans to hurry to the Millennium Tower to check on Kashiwagi. Kazuki returns and talks to Kiryu after sending Yuya to watch the front door. Kazuki warns Kiryu that the Nishikiyama family has been on a rampage since Kanda took control (more so than they were even under Nishiki and Shindo before him). Kashiwagi has done well enough to keep them in check, but recently the Nishikiyama family has come into a large amount of money and has been buying up any holdouts that remain. Tensions are rising between the two families, so it's only a matter of time before another yakuza war breaks out. Just then, Kiryu gets a call from Kashiwagi asking to meet in Tokyo. Kiryu informs Kashiwagi that he's already in town and that the Nishikiyama family has threatened him; with this new information Kashiwagi asks Kiryu to meet at his office in the Millennium Tower, and Kashiwagi asks him to keep a low profile so as to avoid attracting attention.
Kiryu says farewell to Kazuki and Yuya and departs for the Millennium Tower. Yuya warns him that the cops have moved from Stardust to the Millennium Tower, but he tells Kiryu to try the back entrance to sneak in without alerting the police. Kazuki gives Kiryu one last warning: lately, strange men in black suits have been seen lurking about Kamurocho, possibly to locate Daigo. Word on the street is that they are foreigners, and Kazuki thinks they may have something to do with the attack on Daigo. Kiryu thanks both men for their advice and departs, sneaking through several back streets to reach the Millennium tower. On his way, though, he is cornered in an alley by several of the men in black (including the American that was present when Daigo was shot). The newcomers aren't hear to chat, and Kiryu is forced to defend himself. The leader pulls a gun on Kiryu, but a police patrol nearby forces them to run while Kiryu makes it to the Millennium Tower.
Kiryu arrives at the Kazama Family Office and is welcomed by Kashiwagi. Kashiwagi tells him that earlier that day, he called a meeting of the Tojo Patriarchs and proposed brining Kiryu back into the fold to stabilize the Clan until Daigo recovers. Kanda opposed the measure, though Mine supported Kashiwagi's drive to find a suitable replacement. Hamazaki sided with Kanda, bringing up the shooter's resemblance to Kazama to undermine Kashiwagi's push until they find the culprit. Kanda went one step further, threatening to kill Kiryu or secede from the Clan in the event he was brought in. Kanda made it clear he wants the Chairmanship, though Hamazaki stepped up to stake his own claim and made it clear he doesn't want Kiryu back either. Majima, of course, couldn't care less and leaves the meeting, giving the Patriarchs two warnings: fight all they want, but Kiryu will wreck them if they go after him, and if any of them stray onto Majima Family turf Kazama won't be the only "ghost" wandering around Kamurocho.
Kashiwagi tells Kiryu to be careful of the other families, Kanda in particular. For now they'll stick to their own plans, and Kashiwagi will do what he can to keep an eye on Kanda and track down Daigo's shooter. Kiryu gives Kashiwagi the picture Saki drew of the shooter, telling Kashiwagi of the events in Okinawa that led him to return to Kamurocho. Kashiwagi guesses that Daigo was shot as a result of his involvement with the Okinawa development plan, telling Kiryu that the Tojo Clan has been helping Minister Suzuki secure land for the resort. Kiryu replies that he thought the Clan and the government would be negotiating with the locals as Daigo promised, and while Kashiwagi confirms that was the plan it seems that a third party has stepped in and started buying up properties. Kiryu goes on to tell Kashiwagi that the shooter also stole the deed to Morning Glory (guessing the guy asked first before shooting Nakahara when he refused), and Kashiwagi concludes that Daigo was shot for much the same reason. Kashiwagi goes on to admit that the resort plan would have brought much needed cash to the Tojo Clan, a fact that Minister Suzuki was keen to remind Daigo every time he tried to bring the Tojo in. Daigo refused out of his respect for Kiryu, though, putting his life at risk to protect the orphanage. Kiryu asks where Daigo is now, and Kashiwagi says he's in the hospital in critical condition (though he doesn't tell Kiryu which one in case someone tracks Daigo down).
Kashiwagi has one question, though: if the man who attacked Nakahara was the same one who shot Daigo, how did he get from Okinawa to Tokyo so quickly. Kiryu says Nakahara was shot around 4 PM, and Daigo around 6:30, leaving a gap of only two and a half hours. That would be the average flight time from Okinawa to Tokyo, but Kashiwagi says the shooter wouldn't have had time to leave the airport and get to Tojo HQ before then. Just then the power goes out, and as Kiryu and Kashiwagi investigate a helicopter shows up and riddles the office with a minigun. Kiryu escapes, but Kashiwagi is badly injured by gunfire. He tells Kiryu to track down the shooter and whoever he's working with, because it seems like someone is trying to push through the project by any means necessary. Kashiwagi thinks it's someone within the Tojo Clan, but can't say anything more before passing out. With the police on their way, Kiryu takes the drawing of the shooter and flees.
Kiryu says farewell to Kazuki and Yuya and departs for the Millennium Tower. Yuya warns him that the cops have moved from Stardust to the Millennium Tower, but he tells Kiryu to try the back entrance to sneak in without alerting the police. Kazuki gives Kiryu one last warning: lately, strange men in black suits have been seen lurking about Kamurocho, possibly to locate Daigo. Word on the street is that they are foreigners, and Kazuki thinks they may have something to do with the attack on Daigo. Kiryu thanks both men for their advice and departs, sneaking through several back streets to reach the Millennium tower. On his way, though, he is cornered in an alley by several of the men in black (including the American that was present when Daigo was shot). The newcomers aren't hear to chat, and Kiryu is forced to defend himself. The leader pulls a gun on Kiryu, but a police patrol nearby forces them to run while Kiryu makes it to the Millennium Tower.
Kiryu arrives at the Kazama Family Office and is welcomed by Kashiwagi. Kashiwagi tells him that earlier that day, he called a meeting of the Tojo Patriarchs and proposed brining Kiryu back into the fold to stabilize the Clan until Daigo recovers. Kanda opposed the measure, though Mine supported Kashiwagi's drive to find a suitable replacement. Hamazaki sided with Kanda, bringing up the shooter's resemblance to Kazama to undermine Kashiwagi's push until they find the culprit. Kanda went one step further, threatening to kill Kiryu or secede from the Clan in the event he was brought in. Kanda made it clear he wants the Chairmanship, though Hamazaki stepped up to stake his own claim and made it clear he doesn't want Kiryu back either. Majima, of course, couldn't care less and leaves the meeting, giving the Patriarchs two warnings: fight all they want, but Kiryu will wreck them if they go after him, and if any of them stray onto Majima Family turf Kazama won't be the only "ghost" wandering around Kamurocho.
Kashiwagi tells Kiryu to be careful of the other families, Kanda in particular. For now they'll stick to their own plans, and Kashiwagi will do what he can to keep an eye on Kanda and track down Daigo's shooter. Kiryu gives Kashiwagi the picture Saki drew of the shooter, telling Kashiwagi of the events in Okinawa that led him to return to Kamurocho. Kashiwagi guesses that Daigo was shot as a result of his involvement with the Okinawa development plan, telling Kiryu that the Tojo Clan has been helping Minister Suzuki secure land for the resort. Kiryu replies that he thought the Clan and the government would be negotiating with the locals as Daigo promised, and while Kashiwagi confirms that was the plan it seems that a third party has stepped in and started buying up properties. Kiryu goes on to tell Kashiwagi that the shooter also stole the deed to Morning Glory (guessing the guy asked first before shooting Nakahara when he refused), and Kashiwagi concludes that Daigo was shot for much the same reason. Kashiwagi goes on to admit that the resort plan would have brought much needed cash to the Tojo Clan, a fact that Minister Suzuki was keen to remind Daigo every time he tried to bring the Tojo in. Daigo refused out of his respect for Kiryu, though, putting his life at risk to protect the orphanage. Kiryu asks where Daigo is now, and Kashiwagi says he's in the hospital in critical condition (though he doesn't tell Kiryu which one in case someone tracks Daigo down).
Kashiwagi has one question, though: if the man who attacked Nakahara was the same one who shot Daigo, how did he get from Okinawa to Tokyo so quickly. Kiryu says Nakahara was shot around 4 PM, and Daigo around 6:30, leaving a gap of only two and a half hours. That would be the average flight time from Okinawa to Tokyo, but Kashiwagi says the shooter wouldn't have had time to leave the airport and get to Tojo HQ before then. Just then the power goes out, and as Kiryu and Kashiwagi investigate a helicopter shows up and riddles the office with a minigun. Kiryu escapes, but Kashiwagi is badly injured by gunfire. He tells Kiryu to track down the shooter and whoever he's working with, because it seems like someone is trying to push through the project by any means necessary. Kashiwagi thinks it's someone within the Tojo Clan, but can't say anything more before passing out. With the police on their way, Kiryu takes the drawing of the shooter and flees.
Chapter 6: Gameplan
Kiryu tries to slip out with the rest of the crowds, but a police officer notices the blood on his jacket and tries to stop him. Kiryu escapes the cops, eventually ending up in an alley where he is spotted by Date. Date takes Kiryu to a familiar haunt to catch up: Serena, which has been reopened and renovated by the widow of one of Date's former officers, Mariko. Kiryu thanks Date for the save and asks how Date knew he was in town, and Date said Kazuki filled him in on the assumption that trouble tends to follow Kiryu wherever he goes. Just then a new man arrives, passing off a file to Date while he grabs a drink. The file is filled with photos of the Clan Patriarchs, and Date explains how he's involved: he's now a journalist for a local newspaper, and in his investigations into the link between the Tojo Clan and Suzuki's Okinawa project the five officers came up. Date gives Kiryu the rundown on the three newcomers: Kanda, a former lackey who rose to prominence in the power vacuum left over after the events of Yakuza 2 (and possible mastermind of the attack on Kashiwagi); Mine, a wealthy businessman bankrolling the Clan whom Kanda brought into the Tojo Clan (but whom has since split and now swears Undying Loyalty to Daigo alone); and Hamazaki, who swept into Yokohama following the defeat of the Snake Flower Triad in 2005 but has maintained close ties with the Chinese ever since, using the connections to control a large territory despite only having ten men on his books (Date suspects he has a hand in drafting the Okinawa resort deal, probably so he and the triads can set up a casino of some sort). Kiryu tells Date about Kashiwagi's suspicion that someone within the Tojo Clan is acting to push through the deal, and that they are working with the man who shot Daigo. Kiryu presents Saki's sketch to Date, telling him about the attack in Okinawa and his encounter with the men in black earlier. With little information to go off, Date will try and dig up whatever he can on the shooter while Kiryu tracks down Kanda.
Date tells Kiryu the best way to find Kanda would be through his men; Kanda has an insatiable appetite for women, and his men usually bring a girl to him every night. Kiryu steps out into the street to find Kanda when he gets a phone call from Rikiya, who's not too happy Kiryu left him behind in Okinawa. Kiryu asks if something happened in Okinawa, but Rikiya tells him he's in Kamurocho already and wants to help find the shooter. Unfortunately, he's hopelessly lost and needs Kiryu's help in finding his way around town. While searching for Rikiya, the other man calls him and says he sees a couple of guys trying to grab some woman at a park. Kiryu finds Rikiya defending the woman from members of the Nishikiyama family, defeating the thugs when they start a fight. Kiryu and Rikiya ask what they were thinking, and the leader explains that Kanda has... weird tastes. Specifically, he likes taking women and giving them deep tissue massages, preferring his boys get bigger girls that can handle him (even they think it's kind of creepy). Kiryu says he'll let them go if they tell him where Kanda is, and the leader points him to a place in the Hotel District called the Red Brick, Room 403; usually they take the girls back to the office, but Kanda's in a good mood and booked a special hotel room for the occasion. Kiryu sends the thugs running and heads for the hotel district, Rikiya tagging along.
The two arrive at the Red Brick, Rikiya asking why Kiryu wants Kanda. Kiryu tells Rikiya of the attack on the Millennium Tower, Kashiwagi's death, and the possible traitor in the Tojo Clan. Kiryu tells Rikiya that he thinks Kanda's the traitor, and Rikiya promises to back Kiryu up in whatever comes next. They head inside and prepare to head up to confront Kanda, but the front desk operator tells them only couples are allowed inside. No problem, Rikiya claims that they are a couple, much to Kiryu's surprise and dismay. The operator changes her tune and gets them a key to room 401, the two heading up while Kiryu shakes Rikiya off.
The two enter Kanda's room, and all of Kanda's bravado vaporizes when Kiryu introduces himself. He tries to run away, Kiryu and Rikiya splitting up to search the entire hotel to find him. Kiryu pursues Kanda throughout the hotel, eventually cornering him in the luxury suite at the top. Kanda tries to ambush Kiryu from the hot tub, but Kiryu throws him off and the two fight, Kiryu eventually defeating Kanda. Kiryu interrogates Kanda about what he knows, accusing him of Kashiwagi's murder, but Kanda says that Hamazaki is responsible for the attack: according to a Chinese man Kanda and his goons snagged days earlier, Hamazaki has been amassing his power in Yokohama, and removing Kashiwagi would give him an opportunity to step in and take over Kamurocho. Rikiya comes in and Kiryu turns to speak with him, but Kanda uses the opportunity to grab a knife and try to stab Kiryu. Kiryu lays Kanda out with a kick, telling Rikiya that he has what he needs and there's no way a thug like Kanda could plot Kashiwagi's murder, or even know why Daigo was shot. Kiryu once more tries to send Rikiya back to Okinawa, but he insists on tracking down the shooter. Kiryu agrees, but only on the condition that Rikiya does not try to fight the shooter alone. Rikiya agrees, and Kiryu offers to take him for a drink and a tour of Kamurocho. While out with Rikiya, Date calls Kiryu and asks how things went with Kanda. Kiryu tells Date that Kanda isn't their man, and while disappointed Date tells Kiryu to come to New Serena to regroup and plot their next moves.
Date tells Kiryu the best way to find Kanda would be through his men; Kanda has an insatiable appetite for women, and his men usually bring a girl to him every night. Kiryu steps out into the street to find Kanda when he gets a phone call from Rikiya, who's not too happy Kiryu left him behind in Okinawa. Kiryu asks if something happened in Okinawa, but Rikiya tells him he's in Kamurocho already and wants to help find the shooter. Unfortunately, he's hopelessly lost and needs Kiryu's help in finding his way around town. While searching for Rikiya, the other man calls him and says he sees a couple of guys trying to grab some woman at a park. Kiryu finds Rikiya defending the woman from members of the Nishikiyama family, defeating the thugs when they start a fight. Kiryu and Rikiya ask what they were thinking, and the leader explains that Kanda has... weird tastes. Specifically, he likes taking women and giving them deep tissue massages, preferring his boys get bigger girls that can handle him (even they think it's kind of creepy). Kiryu says he'll let them go if they tell him where Kanda is, and the leader points him to a place in the Hotel District called the Red Brick, Room 403; usually they take the girls back to the office, but Kanda's in a good mood and booked a special hotel room for the occasion. Kiryu sends the thugs running and heads for the hotel district, Rikiya tagging along.
The two arrive at the Red Brick, Rikiya asking why Kiryu wants Kanda. Kiryu tells Rikiya of the attack on the Millennium Tower, Kashiwagi's death, and the possible traitor in the Tojo Clan. Kiryu tells Rikiya that he thinks Kanda's the traitor, and Rikiya promises to back Kiryu up in whatever comes next. They head inside and prepare to head up to confront Kanda, but the front desk operator tells them only couples are allowed inside. No problem, Rikiya claims that they are a couple, much to Kiryu's surprise and dismay. The operator changes her tune and gets them a key to room 401, the two heading up while Kiryu shakes Rikiya off.
The two enter Kanda's room, and all of Kanda's bravado vaporizes when Kiryu introduces himself. He tries to run away, Kiryu and Rikiya splitting up to search the entire hotel to find him. Kiryu pursues Kanda throughout the hotel, eventually cornering him in the luxury suite at the top. Kanda tries to ambush Kiryu from the hot tub, but Kiryu throws him off and the two fight, Kiryu eventually defeating Kanda. Kiryu interrogates Kanda about what he knows, accusing him of Kashiwagi's murder, but Kanda says that Hamazaki is responsible for the attack: according to a Chinese man Kanda and his goons snagged days earlier, Hamazaki has been amassing his power in Yokohama, and removing Kashiwagi would give him an opportunity to step in and take over Kamurocho. Rikiya comes in and Kiryu turns to speak with him, but Kanda uses the opportunity to grab a knife and try to stab Kiryu. Kiryu lays Kanda out with a kick, telling Rikiya that he has what he needs and there's no way a thug like Kanda could plot Kashiwagi's murder, or even know why Daigo was shot. Kiryu once more tries to send Rikiya back to Okinawa, but he insists on tracking down the shooter. Kiryu agrees, but only on the condition that Rikiya does not try to fight the shooter alone. Rikiya agrees, and Kiryu offers to take him for a drink and a tour of Kamurocho. While out with Rikiya, Date calls Kiryu and asks how things went with Kanda. Kiryu tells Date that Kanda isn't their man, and while disappointed Date tells Kiryu to come to New Serena to regroup and plot their next moves.
Chapter 7: The Mad Dog
Hamazaki finishes up a phone call before telling another associate about the collapse of the Nishikiyama family. Hamazaki warns the associate that Kiryu will be coming for him next, but it'll be worth it: he's set to receive 100 billion if the plan goes off, and it is kind of Hamazaki's fault that he's in the line of fire now. The associate is revealed to be Majima, and Hamazaki lays out his terms: he wants Kamurocho for himself, and if Majima doesn't kill Kiryu then he'll kill Majima.
At New Serena, Date arrives with a newspaper that has a headline that Kiryu might be interested in: Tamiya's military base has been approved by Parliament, and as it's linked with the resort that plan is likely to be approved soon as well. Date also gives Kiryu a photo that shows Majima speaking with Suzuki, telling Kiryu that the Majima family has been contracted to build the resort. Date asks if maybe Majima is the one who shot Daigo and arranged for Kashiwagi's murder, but Kiryu refuses to believe Majima would do something like that. Kiryu decides to visit Majima once more, with Date warning him to be careful after telling him Majima is still in Purgatory.
Kiryu arrives at the construction site, but finds no one to greet him. He goes to Majima's office, but only finds a telephone and a card that says "Dial 007 for assistance". With nothing else to go on Kiryu dials the number, but only gets goofy hold music. Kiryu hangs up and goes back outside to find a veritable army of yakuza waiting for him outside, Majima arriving soon after to greet Kiryu. He takes Kiryu down to Purgatory's arena, which now sits abandoned, and Kiryu asks why Majima got involved in the Okinawa resort deal. Majima admits he was trying to be helpful, take some of the load off Daigo's shoulders, but Kiryu reminds Majima that Daigo didn't want any part of the deal and asks Majima who he's working for. Majima says he doesn't give out information for free, snapping his fingers to reveal a massive crowd has been watching them the whole time. Majima says the only way Kiryu is going to get information from him is a fight, which doesn't surprise Kiryu as the two duke it out. After their fight, Majima agrees to tell Kiryu everything and the two head for his office.
At New Serena, Date arrives with a newspaper that has a headline that Kiryu might be interested in: Tamiya's military base has been approved by Parliament, and as it's linked with the resort that plan is likely to be approved soon as well. Date also gives Kiryu a photo that shows Majima speaking with Suzuki, telling Kiryu that the Majima family has been contracted to build the resort. Date asks if maybe Majima is the one who shot Daigo and arranged for Kashiwagi's murder, but Kiryu refuses to believe Majima would do something like that. Kiryu decides to visit Majima once more, with Date warning him to be careful after telling him Majima is still in Purgatory.
Kiryu arrives at the construction site, but finds no one to greet him. He goes to Majima's office, but only finds a telephone and a card that says "Dial 007 for assistance". With nothing else to go on Kiryu dials the number, but only gets goofy hold music. Kiryu hangs up and goes back outside to find a veritable army of yakuza waiting for him outside, Majima arriving soon after to greet Kiryu. He takes Kiryu down to Purgatory's arena, which now sits abandoned, and Kiryu asks why Majima got involved in the Okinawa resort deal. Majima admits he was trying to be helpful, take some of the load off Daigo's shoulders, but Kiryu reminds Majima that Daigo didn't want any part of the deal and asks Majima who he's working for. Majima says he doesn't give out information for free, snapping his fingers to reveal a massive crowd has been watching them the whole time. Majima says the only way Kiryu is going to get information from him is a fight, which doesn't surprise Kiryu as the two duke it out. After their fight, Majima agrees to tell Kiryu everything and the two head for his office.
Chapter 8: Conspirators
In his office, Majima tells Kiryu of Hamazaki's culpability in the land deal; he's been trying to get involved ever since he learned of the Tojo Clan being asked by Suzuki to start buying land, but when Daigo backed out Hamazaki went straight to Suzuki with an offer to finish up. He then presented the deal to Majima and had the picture taken of him and Suzuki talking to cover his tracks and show that someone in the Tojo Clan was in on the deal, just not him. Word leaks to the press, Suzuki and Majima get a one-way ticket to prison, and Hamazaki swoops in to collect on the land deal and a tidy profit. He tells Kiryu about Hamazaki's desire for Kamurocho, saying it seems fairly convenient that Daigo and Kashiwagi are shot and then Kiryu takes down Kanda, leaving Hamazaki the last man standing. All that remains then is the Tojo Clan.
A muffled voice says that's not the full case, and Kiryu and Majima are lowered into the floor to reveal the Florist of Sai hard at work. The Florist and Kiryu exchange pleasantries before the info broker reveals Hamazaki's final step: sell the resort to Kiryu's old enemy in the Snake Flower Triad, Lau Ka Long. Lau escaped Kiryu's destruction of the Triad four years prior, biding his time back in China until he found Hamazaki as a low-rung yakuza trying to break into Yokohama. With Lau's backing Hamazaki conquered Yokohama and shot through the ranks of the Tojo, and Hamazaki plans on building a secret casino beneath the resort for Lau and the Snake Flower to run as thanks for their support. Kiryu asks how the Florist knows all this, and the Florist says that Daigo paid the Florist to start digging up dirt on Hamazaki. A year prior Daigo approached the Florist with his concerns about a traitor taking over the resort plan without his knowledge, and the Florist's research pointed him towards Hamazaki being that man. He can't say with 100% certainty that Hamazaki arranged Daigo's shooting, as a new face came up on the Florist's radar: the Kazama look-alike.
Before they can talk further, one of the Florist's men spots Lau and the Snake Flower marching into Kamurocho. Lau has a photo of Rikiya and orders his men to find him. Kiryu tries calling Rikiya to warn him, but the triads find him before Kiryu can explain what's going on. Kiryu rushes out of Purgatory to save Rikiya, fighting his way through the Snake Flower until he tracks them down to a rooftop in Nakamichi Alley. Lau says he had hoped to lure Kiryu out by threatening his friend, as his entire alliance with Hamazaki is based on his desire for revenge against Kiryu. Kiryu defeats Lau, but Lau grabs Kiryu to prevent him from interfering in Rikiya's execution. Before the Chinese can carry out the order, the Kazama look-alike appears and shoots the two triad members holding Rikiya before gunning down Lau. The look-alike turns to leave, but Kiryu yells at him to identify if he's really Kazama and why he shot Daigo and Nakahara. The man turns back long enough to say in English that Kiryu has beautiful eyes, just as his brother described them.
A muffled voice says that's not the full case, and Kiryu and Majima are lowered into the floor to reveal the Florist of Sai hard at work. The Florist and Kiryu exchange pleasantries before the info broker reveals Hamazaki's final step: sell the resort to Kiryu's old enemy in the Snake Flower Triad, Lau Ka Long. Lau escaped Kiryu's destruction of the Triad four years prior, biding his time back in China until he found Hamazaki as a low-rung yakuza trying to break into Yokohama. With Lau's backing Hamazaki conquered Yokohama and shot through the ranks of the Tojo, and Hamazaki plans on building a secret casino beneath the resort for Lau and the Snake Flower to run as thanks for their support. Kiryu asks how the Florist knows all this, and the Florist says that Daigo paid the Florist to start digging up dirt on Hamazaki. A year prior Daigo approached the Florist with his concerns about a traitor taking over the resort plan without his knowledge, and the Florist's research pointed him towards Hamazaki being that man. He can't say with 100% certainty that Hamazaki arranged Daigo's shooting, as a new face came up on the Florist's radar: the Kazama look-alike.
Before they can talk further, one of the Florist's men spots Lau and the Snake Flower marching into Kamurocho. Lau has a photo of Rikiya and orders his men to find him. Kiryu tries calling Rikiya to warn him, but the triads find him before Kiryu can explain what's going on. Kiryu rushes out of Purgatory to save Rikiya, fighting his way through the Snake Flower until he tracks them down to a rooftop in Nakamichi Alley. Lau says he had hoped to lure Kiryu out by threatening his friend, as his entire alliance with Hamazaki is based on his desire for revenge against Kiryu. Kiryu defeats Lau, but Lau grabs Kiryu to prevent him from interfering in Rikiya's execution. Before the Chinese can carry out the order, the Kazama look-alike appears and shoots the two triad members holding Rikiya before gunning down Lau. The look-alike turns to leave, but Kiryu yells at him to identify if he's really Kazama and why he shot Daigo and Nakahara. The man turns back long enough to say in English that Kiryu has beautiful eyes, just as his brother described them.
Chapter 9: The Plot
Kiryu reconvenes with Majima, the Florist, and Date in Purgatory, telling them everything that went down with Lau and Kazama's "brother". Rikiya has been in the corner contemplating all this, wondering why the shooter saved his life. Kiryu once more asks Rikiya to return to Okinawa and watch over the orphans and Saki, reasoning that it's too dangerous for him in Kamurocho now; to this, Rikiya agrees. The Florist then gets a call that Mine has stopped by Purgatory hoping to speak to Kiryu. Mine enters with a large briefcase, apologizing to Kiryu for allowing his organization to get involved. Kiryu asks what he means by that, and Mine opens his briefcase to reveal what is heavily implied to be Kanda's head. Kiryu asks for an explanation, and Mine gives one: Kanda had come to his office the previous night, tearing the place up in a rage over his defeat at Kiryu's hands. Mine reiterated he does not consider Kiryu an enemy and Kanda has no one to blame but himself. Kanda didn't care, demanding Mine give him his men and money to finance his war on Kiryu, but Mine responded by giving Kanda a small lecture on how he fails to perceive wealth before viciously beating the Nishikiyama Patriarch. Mine declared Kanda useless to him, turning him over to his men before making arrangements for his apology to Kiryu.
Mine apologizes for allowing Kanda to rise in power and asks if their issue is resolved. Mine plans on assembling the patriarchs and restoring order, and he already has his men searching for Hamazaki (though he guesses Hamazaki has been kidnapped by the main branch of the Snake Flower for getting Lau killed). He says that the Tojo Clan needs Kiryu now more than ever, and he'll do what he can to make sure there's no more bloodshed. As Mine leaves, Kiryu asks if Daigo would have approved of his methods; Mine says he wouldn't, but Daigo's in no position to give orders so Mine had to act on his own initiative. But he continues to say that Kiryu has no right to judge him, as Kiryu ran from the yakuza life and forsook his responsibilities for a shot at living a "normal" life. As Mine sees it, he is the future of the Tojo Clan and will do anything to see it survive, a motive he's sure Daigo would approve of. Kiryu counters that soon Mine will see things his way, but Mine doubts this before leaving.
Majima is in a good mood, as with Kanda dead and Hamazaki probably on his way to join him then there's no more threats towards Daigo and Kiryu. Date disagrees, as they still have the Kazama look-alike and whoever his handlers are, as they wouldn't have shot Daigo for no reason. Hamazaki looks like the most likely subject due to his interests in the Tojo Chairmanship and the land, but that doesn't answer why the shooter spared Kiryu and Rikiya after the fight with Lau. Date asks the Florist to look into the look-alike as well as Mine, as Mine and Majima are the only two officers left standing following the numerous deaths. Kiryu also asks Majima to take in the Kazama family and maintain order, as a number of weaker families might try to exploit the power vacuum he has left behind. Date and Majima go to pursue their leads while Kiryu takes Rikiya to find a taxi.
After seeing Rikiya off to the airport, Kiryu gets a call from Minister Tamiya. Tamiya tells Kiryu that Suzuki's supporters went into overdrive following the attempt on Daigo's life, and so he had to respond in kind to keep pace. Kiryu thought it was the other way around, that the defense bill got passed first and Suzuki was trying to play catch up, but Tamiya tells him that a third party forced the bill through without his knowledge. Tamiya has a favor to ask of Kiryu, and his cooperation will result in the end of the resort plan. Kiryu asks why Tamiya wants that as it would sink his military base, but Tamiya says he'll explain more if Kiryu comes to speak with him at the Diet Building. Kiryu agrees to the meeting and goes to the Millennium Tower, where Tamiya's driver is waiting for him.
Kiryu calls Date to inform him of the development, saying that someone within the Tojo Clan is still active in all this. Date asks to come with Kiryu to the meeting with Tamiya, the two meeting up outside New Serena before heading to the Millennium Tower. Once there, they meet Tamiya's secretary Higaki, whom they have to convince to allow Date to come along. They are brought to the Diet Building and meet with Tamiya, who says their interests align in the matter of stopping Suzuki's project. Kiryu and Date ask why, as the resort failing would take down the military base, and Tamiya says that would be preferable and he didn't want the bill to pass anyway. Kiryu demands an explanation, and Tamiya will explain as long as Kiryu doesn't forget his favor.
Tamiya explains the defense bill was meant to lure a highly organized syndicate out into the open and destroy it. Date asks if he means a mafia of some kind, but Tamiya says no- his target is Black Monday, a cabal of black market arms dealers that rose to power following the stock market crash of 1987, with its leader Andre Richardson suspected of being the culprit behind the crash. Tamiya hoped to lure Richardson and Black Monday out with his defense project, as the advanced missile defense system would make Japan completely secure from international threats- the prospect of hi-tech weapons just sitting there would be too tempting for Black Monday, and they would try to make a play to steal the tech for resale and thus be open for destruction. Suzuki's resort and Tamiya's pushing for the bill was just another piece of the façade to help the scheme work, and now that Black Monday is on the move Tamiya no longer cares for the bill.
Date notes that if this is true, it's way too big a scheme for one man to execute. Tamiya agrees, which leads to Kiryu's next question: does Tamiya know who shot Daigo. Tamiya does not, but he does know of Kazama when Date brings up the look-alike- specifically, Tamiya knows Joji Kazama, Shintaro Kazama's younger brother and only surviving blood relative. Date is shocked that Kazama never mentioned having a brother to Kiryu or anyone else, and Tamiya is not surprised; the two were close, sure enough, but while Kazama would join the yakuza and become a Patriarch Joji took a different direction in life and became a cop, working in what would become Foreign Affairs. Tamiya and Joji were actually partners during that time, and the two have collaborated on the Okinawa plan since. Kiryu asks if shooting Daigo was part of the plan, but Tamiya can't say for certain; Joji left Foreign Affairs years ago and now works with the CIA's Far East Division, who carried out the grunt work of Tamiya's plans for Okinawa.
Date asks that if Joji's with the CIA, and they are working with Tamiya to take down Black Monday, why is Joji going around shooting people? Tamiya says the CIA agents infiltrating Black Monday had two orders: track Black Monday's movements in regards to the Okinawa Defense Bill, and eliminate anyone or anything that stands in the way of the first order. Kiryu guesses that means assassinate those that wouldn't sell, and Tamiya says they've already encountered a number of the agents: the men who attacked Kiryu and shot up Kashiwagi were all CIA. Kiryu asks why Joji would kill fellow Japanese nationals, and Tamiya says Joji's only loyalty is to the CIA now. He explains that thirty years prior, when Japan was far more conservative than it is now, a cop with a yakuza patriarch for a brother would be a major liability, which ultimately caused Joji to give up his post. The Americans picked Joji up soon after, and with his new lease on life Joji gave them his full devotion.
Kiryu asks what Tamiya's favor is, and he says he needs to protect two men. The first is Toma, Tamiya's former secretary: he learned the truth behind the defense bill and resigned, joining with the yakuza overseeing the project- Mine. Tamiya believes Toma may try to reveal the truth to Mine, which could mean someone would be sent to silence him. That someone would be Joji, the second man Tamiya wants Kiryu to defend. Tamiya explains that not a single plot of land has been bought for the project, and Joji shot Nakahara to keep the project moving without the risk of delays. This would also act as a means to force Daigo to support the plan, but when Daigo refused the CIA shot him too. Toma brought the issue of land acquisition to Mine shortly thereafter, perhaps promising a controlling stake in the resort when it was finished. All of this is part of Toma's desire to see Okinawa revitalized, and everything he has done has been to get the resort completed. Date doesn't see why a loyal lackey like Mine would go behind Daigo's back like this, but Tamiya says Mine has his reasons and now that he's de-facto head of the Tojo Clan he has the power to carry them out.
Tamiyo once again reiterates that he wants Kiryu to stop Joji from killing Toma. He knows too much about Tamiya's involvement and that the bill is fake, true, but Tamiya sees that Toma has a great future ahead of him and doesn't want to see him dead. Kiryu can sympathize and agrees to stop Joji, both so he can settle accounts with the man and so he can protect Morning Glory. Tamiya promises that if Kiryu does this, he'll see that the resort bill dies. Tamiya tells Kiryu that Toma is in Okinawa meeting with the Prefectural Assembly. Tamiya looks out the window and spots a small army of Suzuki's personal guards waiting outside, probably sent by Toma to keep Tamiya from interfering. Kiryu says he will go ahead and clear a path so Date and Tamiya can leave. Before he does so, Kiryu asks if Tamiya was serious about an earlier comment when he said he didn't want to be Prime Minister. Tamiya counters: does a footsoldier become Chairman because he says so, or because his actions carry him to greater glory?
Kiryu goes to confront the security guards, telling Date to use his press badge to get through and tell Majima everything in case he doesn't make it. Date leaves and Kiryu fights the guards, but their numbers threaten to overwhelm him. Fortunately, Majima smashes through the crowds with a dump truck, Kiryu hopping aboard as the Mad Dog carries him to safety.
Mine apologizes for allowing Kanda to rise in power and asks if their issue is resolved. Mine plans on assembling the patriarchs and restoring order, and he already has his men searching for Hamazaki (though he guesses Hamazaki has been kidnapped by the main branch of the Snake Flower for getting Lau killed). He says that the Tojo Clan needs Kiryu now more than ever, and he'll do what he can to make sure there's no more bloodshed. As Mine leaves, Kiryu asks if Daigo would have approved of his methods; Mine says he wouldn't, but Daigo's in no position to give orders so Mine had to act on his own initiative. But he continues to say that Kiryu has no right to judge him, as Kiryu ran from the yakuza life and forsook his responsibilities for a shot at living a "normal" life. As Mine sees it, he is the future of the Tojo Clan and will do anything to see it survive, a motive he's sure Daigo would approve of. Kiryu counters that soon Mine will see things his way, but Mine doubts this before leaving.
Majima is in a good mood, as with Kanda dead and Hamazaki probably on his way to join him then there's no more threats towards Daigo and Kiryu. Date disagrees, as they still have the Kazama look-alike and whoever his handlers are, as they wouldn't have shot Daigo for no reason. Hamazaki looks like the most likely subject due to his interests in the Tojo Chairmanship and the land, but that doesn't answer why the shooter spared Kiryu and Rikiya after the fight with Lau. Date asks the Florist to look into the look-alike as well as Mine, as Mine and Majima are the only two officers left standing following the numerous deaths. Kiryu also asks Majima to take in the Kazama family and maintain order, as a number of weaker families might try to exploit the power vacuum he has left behind. Date and Majima go to pursue their leads while Kiryu takes Rikiya to find a taxi.
After seeing Rikiya off to the airport, Kiryu gets a call from Minister Tamiya. Tamiya tells Kiryu that Suzuki's supporters went into overdrive following the attempt on Daigo's life, and so he had to respond in kind to keep pace. Kiryu thought it was the other way around, that the defense bill got passed first and Suzuki was trying to play catch up, but Tamiya tells him that a third party forced the bill through without his knowledge. Tamiya has a favor to ask of Kiryu, and his cooperation will result in the end of the resort plan. Kiryu asks why Tamiya wants that as it would sink his military base, but Tamiya says he'll explain more if Kiryu comes to speak with him at the Diet Building. Kiryu agrees to the meeting and goes to the Millennium Tower, where Tamiya's driver is waiting for him.
Kiryu calls Date to inform him of the development, saying that someone within the Tojo Clan is still active in all this. Date asks to come with Kiryu to the meeting with Tamiya, the two meeting up outside New Serena before heading to the Millennium Tower. Once there, they meet Tamiya's secretary Higaki, whom they have to convince to allow Date to come along. They are brought to the Diet Building and meet with Tamiya, who says their interests align in the matter of stopping Suzuki's project. Kiryu and Date ask why, as the resort failing would take down the military base, and Tamiya says that would be preferable and he didn't want the bill to pass anyway. Kiryu demands an explanation, and Tamiya will explain as long as Kiryu doesn't forget his favor.
Tamiya explains the defense bill was meant to lure a highly organized syndicate out into the open and destroy it. Date asks if he means a mafia of some kind, but Tamiya says no- his target is Black Monday, a cabal of black market arms dealers that rose to power following the stock market crash of 1987, with its leader Andre Richardson suspected of being the culprit behind the crash. Tamiya hoped to lure Richardson and Black Monday out with his defense project, as the advanced missile defense system would make Japan completely secure from international threats- the prospect of hi-tech weapons just sitting there would be too tempting for Black Monday, and they would try to make a play to steal the tech for resale and thus be open for destruction. Suzuki's resort and Tamiya's pushing for the bill was just another piece of the façade to help the scheme work, and now that Black Monday is on the move Tamiya no longer cares for the bill.
Date notes that if this is true, it's way too big a scheme for one man to execute. Tamiya agrees, which leads to Kiryu's next question: does Tamiya know who shot Daigo. Tamiya does not, but he does know of Kazama when Date brings up the look-alike- specifically, Tamiya knows Joji Kazama, Shintaro Kazama's younger brother and only surviving blood relative. Date is shocked that Kazama never mentioned having a brother to Kiryu or anyone else, and Tamiya is not surprised; the two were close, sure enough, but while Kazama would join the yakuza and become a Patriarch Joji took a different direction in life and became a cop, working in what would become Foreign Affairs. Tamiya and Joji were actually partners during that time, and the two have collaborated on the Okinawa plan since. Kiryu asks if shooting Daigo was part of the plan, but Tamiya can't say for certain; Joji left Foreign Affairs years ago and now works with the CIA's Far East Division, who carried out the grunt work of Tamiya's plans for Okinawa.
Date asks that if Joji's with the CIA, and they are working with Tamiya to take down Black Monday, why is Joji going around shooting people? Tamiya says the CIA agents infiltrating Black Monday had two orders: track Black Monday's movements in regards to the Okinawa Defense Bill, and eliminate anyone or anything that stands in the way of the first order. Kiryu guesses that means assassinate those that wouldn't sell, and Tamiya says they've already encountered a number of the agents: the men who attacked Kiryu and shot up Kashiwagi were all CIA. Kiryu asks why Joji would kill fellow Japanese nationals, and Tamiya says Joji's only loyalty is to the CIA now. He explains that thirty years prior, when Japan was far more conservative than it is now, a cop with a yakuza patriarch for a brother would be a major liability, which ultimately caused Joji to give up his post. The Americans picked Joji up soon after, and with his new lease on life Joji gave them his full devotion.
Kiryu asks what Tamiya's favor is, and he says he needs to protect two men. The first is Toma, Tamiya's former secretary: he learned the truth behind the defense bill and resigned, joining with the yakuza overseeing the project- Mine. Tamiya believes Toma may try to reveal the truth to Mine, which could mean someone would be sent to silence him. That someone would be Joji, the second man Tamiya wants Kiryu to defend. Tamiya explains that not a single plot of land has been bought for the project, and Joji shot Nakahara to keep the project moving without the risk of delays. This would also act as a means to force Daigo to support the plan, but when Daigo refused the CIA shot him too. Toma brought the issue of land acquisition to Mine shortly thereafter, perhaps promising a controlling stake in the resort when it was finished. All of this is part of Toma's desire to see Okinawa revitalized, and everything he has done has been to get the resort completed. Date doesn't see why a loyal lackey like Mine would go behind Daigo's back like this, but Tamiya says Mine has his reasons and now that he's de-facto head of the Tojo Clan he has the power to carry them out.
Tamiyo once again reiterates that he wants Kiryu to stop Joji from killing Toma. He knows too much about Tamiya's involvement and that the bill is fake, true, but Tamiya sees that Toma has a great future ahead of him and doesn't want to see him dead. Kiryu can sympathize and agrees to stop Joji, both so he can settle accounts with the man and so he can protect Morning Glory. Tamiya promises that if Kiryu does this, he'll see that the resort bill dies. Tamiya tells Kiryu that Toma is in Okinawa meeting with the Prefectural Assembly. Tamiya looks out the window and spots a small army of Suzuki's personal guards waiting outside, probably sent by Toma to keep Tamiya from interfering. Kiryu says he will go ahead and clear a path so Date and Tamiya can leave. Before he does so, Kiryu asks if Tamiya was serious about an earlier comment when he said he didn't want to be Prime Minister. Tamiya counters: does a footsoldier become Chairman because he says so, or because his actions carry him to greater glory?
Kiryu goes to confront the security guards, telling Date to use his press badge to get through and tell Majima everything in case he doesn't make it. Date leaves and Kiryu fights the guards, but their numbers threaten to overwhelm him. Fortunately, Majima smashes through the crowds with a dump truck, Kiryu hopping aboard as the Mad Dog carries him to safety.
Chapter 10: Unfinished Business
Mine sits in his office, reminiscing on his past and the death of his father at a young age. He's interrupted by his secretary Katase, who informs him that she's booked his flight to Okinawa and he leaves in an hour and a half. Mine gets up to leave, and reassures Katase that he'll be alright when she expresses worry about how hard he's been working these last few days.
At New Serena, Kiryu, Date, and Majima watch a news report on his escape from Parliament, the newscaster saying that it's been pegged on a group resisting the military bill. Kiryu intends to go to Okinawa alone, a move which both Date and Majima are against as Mine and Suzuki will most likely have a small army of men waiting for him down there. Kiryu says while he does care about the Tojo Clan and the wider conflict, his main goal is protecting Morning Glory and that is something he has to do himself. Besides, if he needs backup he has the Ryudo family to back him up, as he would like to have Okinawa natives to back him up in a fight for Okinawa. Majima accepts this and tells Kiryu that he and his boys will lock down Tojo HQ until Kiryu gets back.
Kiryu arrives in Okinawa, planning to find Toma before Joji gets to him. First, though, he wants to pay a visit to the orphanage to let the kids know he's back in town. Kiryu receives a warm welcome from the kids, and what's more Nakahara is out of the hospital and watching over the kids with the rest of the Ryudo family. He tells them about Joji and the CIA's plans for Okinawa, how the resort is a trap for Black Monday and they are all just pawns to Tamiya and the CIA. While he's talking, Kiryu gets a call from Tamiya, who informs Kiryu that Toma and his advisors will be meeting with the Prefectural Assembly all day and into the night working out the details of the resort plan- he'll be safe there, but the instant he leaves he'll no doubt be in Joji's crosshairs. Tamiya has an insider keeping tabs on Toma, and will inform Kiryu where he ends up- for now, though, Tamiya encourages Kiryu to get some rest before the next day.
The Ryudo family takes Nakahara back to the hospital for some tests while Kiryu tells the kids about his time in Tokyo. Mitsuo and Taichi get into an argument and decide to resolve it by wrestling, which Kiryu interrupts when Haruka asks him to tell Taichi it's his turn to go shopping that day. Taichi collapses after a particularly hard throw, and when Kiryu calls in a doctor it's revealed that the boy has asthma. The doctor isn't sure of the cause, but it could be anything from environmental issues to possible lingering trauma from Taichi's past. for now, though, it's best to let Taichi rest and not strain himself, lest the asthma become chronic and leave him with breathing issues for the rest of his life. Taichi is despondent that he could possibly never participate in some of his favorite activities again, and it could kill his dream of becoming a pro wrestler and making money to support the orphanage. Kiryu tells Taichi not to give up on his dream so quickly, as he will face other challenges in his path in life. Rikiya offers to set up a special match for Taichi to help cheer him up, pulling aside Kiryu to suggest they put on masks and stage a match for Taichi. Kiryu agrees, and after Rikiya and Mikio set up an impromptu ring they go at it as "Dragon Mask" and "Ricky Mask". When Rikiya tries fighting dirty with a fork, Taichi breaks into the ring and tackles him, ultimately winning the fight and not keeling over from asthma. As the kids play, the doctor arrives with tests results showing that Taichi was actually suffering an allergic reaction from the soba he ate for lunch, and given the amount he ate it may just be a minor allergy. Kiryu and Haruka are grateful that Taichi will be able to live out his dreams without risk of debilitating handicap.
After things have calmed down, Haruka almost runs into Kiryu on her way out the door. Kiryu asks what Haruka is up to, and she says she's going in to town to get food for dinner but refuses Kiryu's offer for him to join her. Suspecting that Haruka might be out on a date, Kiryu follows her downtown to keep an eye on her. He finds her near Hatsumachi looking at a help wanted poster, and when Haruka runs off again he begins to get suspicious. He follows her and spots her talking with some shady men who tell her to start handing out flyers to passersby, though they leave before Kiryu can ask them what they are doing. Again he follows Haruka to watch her handing out flyers to a number of customers, none of them dating age for Haruka. Again Haruka deflects Kiryu's questioning, but it's getting close to dinner time and he heads back to the orphanage to question her there. When he arrives, Kiryu finds that Haruka made sukiyaki for dinner using money she "saved", but before he can settle in Mikio arrives and tells Kiryu he saw Haruka hanging around with some shady guys in town.
Haruka runs off after dinner, and once more Kiryu goes to follow her. He finds her talking to the shady men once more, who tell her to just keep doing what she's doing and run if she sees the cops. Haruka does her job until they come back, and Kiryu steps in to ask what's going on. Opening one of the envelopes reveals they're full of counterfeit credit cards, and with their scheme revealed the two thugs attack Kiryu. That doesn't end well for them, and Rikiya and Mikio arrive shortly thereafter and tell Kiryu what they know about the card forging scam. Haruka confesses that she overhead the two talking about how money was tight and they might not make rent, Rikiya declining to tell Kiryu lest he start worrying. Rikiya and Mikio start laughing, as they were talking about the Ryudo offices getting a rent hike, not Morning Glory. The two yakuza apologize for not being clearer and head off, while Haruka apologizes for not telling Kiryu about what was going on. Kiryu tells Haruka not to get mixed up in things like that again and the two head for home.
While Haruka goes to take a bath, Kiryu goes to check on the kids and hears Izumi begging Ayako for money so she can buy the dog a new toy. After she gives Izumi the money, Shiro runs in and asks Ayako to help with some extra homework he was assigned, with which Ayako agrees. Kiryu comes in and raises the concern that Ayako is putting others' needs before her own, but she doesn't say much before going to take her own bath. Kiryu pulls Haruka aside and tells her about his concerns for Ayako. Haruka agrees, feeling that Ayako is putting a lot of pressure on herself since she's the oldest of the kids; she even refuses Haruka's help, and she thinks the other kids go to Ayako first because they're afraid Haruka will get upset if they go to her.
The next day, while Haruka and Ayako plan dinner, Izumi comes in and says that the dog toys were sold out so she used the money to buy candy, and Shiro is upset because his extra homework wasn't the assigned length of 400 words and he got in trouble at school. Ayako runs off, and Haruka explains to Kiryu what happened. Kiryu calls a family meeting and tells the kids to show some more appreciation for Ayako and all the work she does for them. While Haruka helps the other kids Kiryu goes and finds Ayako in town, ultimately having to chase her as she refuses to return to Morning Glory. Kiryu tells Ayako that he appreciates all her hard work, and the kids do too even if they don't always show it. They eventually return to Morning Glory, where the others apologize and offer to take over some of her chores to ease her load.
As the kids turn in for the night, Nakahara and the Ryudo boys arrive to watch over them. Kiryu gets the call from Tamiya, telling him that Toma's meeting with the Prefectural Assembly is over and he plans to go to one of his favorite bars in Hatsumachi to celebrate. Kiryu heads out after instructing Rikiya and Mikio to watch over Morning Glory, eventually arriving at the bar Canal Grande. Kiryu goes inside and spots Toma celebrating in the VIP section, but he also sees Joji moving in to attack. Joji pulls a gun on Toma, but Kiryu interrupts before he can pull the trigger and tells him that Tamiya sent him. Toma tries to run, but Joji fires a warning shot to keep him from fleeing while Kiryu once again tries to appeal to Joji. Joji tells Kiryu that much like Kiryu wouldn't refuse an order from his chairman, he cannot refuse an order from the CIA, and Kiryu is forced to tackle Joji before he kills Toma. Kiryu tells Toma to run while he fights Joji, Joji commenting that he can see now why Shintaro took a shine to him. Their battle takes them across Canal Grande, though eventually Kiryu emerges victorious.
As the two recover, Joji promises to drop his pursuit of Toma. Toma (who hid and witnessed the entire fight) asks if Tamiya really sent Kiryu to protect him and why he would do that, and Kiryu says that Tamiya cares about Toma and sees a bright future for the young politician. Toma breaks down sobbing at this and apologizes for betraying Tamiya for Mine.
At New Serena, Kiryu, Date, and Majima watch a news report on his escape from Parliament, the newscaster saying that it's been pegged on a group resisting the military bill. Kiryu intends to go to Okinawa alone, a move which both Date and Majima are against as Mine and Suzuki will most likely have a small army of men waiting for him down there. Kiryu says while he does care about the Tojo Clan and the wider conflict, his main goal is protecting Morning Glory and that is something he has to do himself. Besides, if he needs backup he has the Ryudo family to back him up, as he would like to have Okinawa natives to back him up in a fight for Okinawa. Majima accepts this and tells Kiryu that he and his boys will lock down Tojo HQ until Kiryu gets back.
Kiryu arrives in Okinawa, planning to find Toma before Joji gets to him. First, though, he wants to pay a visit to the orphanage to let the kids know he's back in town. Kiryu receives a warm welcome from the kids, and what's more Nakahara is out of the hospital and watching over the kids with the rest of the Ryudo family. He tells them about Joji and the CIA's plans for Okinawa, how the resort is a trap for Black Monday and they are all just pawns to Tamiya and the CIA. While he's talking, Kiryu gets a call from Tamiya, who informs Kiryu that Toma and his advisors will be meeting with the Prefectural Assembly all day and into the night working out the details of the resort plan- he'll be safe there, but the instant he leaves he'll no doubt be in Joji's crosshairs. Tamiya has an insider keeping tabs on Toma, and will inform Kiryu where he ends up- for now, though, Tamiya encourages Kiryu to get some rest before the next day.
The Ryudo family takes Nakahara back to the hospital for some tests while Kiryu tells the kids about his time in Tokyo. Mitsuo and Taichi get into an argument and decide to resolve it by wrestling, which Kiryu interrupts when Haruka asks him to tell Taichi it's his turn to go shopping that day. Taichi collapses after a particularly hard throw, and when Kiryu calls in a doctor it's revealed that the boy has asthma. The doctor isn't sure of the cause, but it could be anything from environmental issues to possible lingering trauma from Taichi's past. for now, though, it's best to let Taichi rest and not strain himself, lest the asthma become chronic and leave him with breathing issues for the rest of his life. Taichi is despondent that he could possibly never participate in some of his favorite activities again, and it could kill his dream of becoming a pro wrestler and making money to support the orphanage. Kiryu tells Taichi not to give up on his dream so quickly, as he will face other challenges in his path in life. Rikiya offers to set up a special match for Taichi to help cheer him up, pulling aside Kiryu to suggest they put on masks and stage a match for Taichi. Kiryu agrees, and after Rikiya and Mikio set up an impromptu ring they go at it as "Dragon Mask" and "Ricky Mask". When Rikiya tries fighting dirty with a fork, Taichi breaks into the ring and tackles him, ultimately winning the fight and not keeling over from asthma. As the kids play, the doctor arrives with tests results showing that Taichi was actually suffering an allergic reaction from the soba he ate for lunch, and given the amount he ate it may just be a minor allergy. Kiryu and Haruka are grateful that Taichi will be able to live out his dreams without risk of debilitating handicap.
After things have calmed down, Haruka almost runs into Kiryu on her way out the door. Kiryu asks what Haruka is up to, and she says she's going in to town to get food for dinner but refuses Kiryu's offer for him to join her. Suspecting that Haruka might be out on a date, Kiryu follows her downtown to keep an eye on her. He finds her near Hatsumachi looking at a help wanted poster, and when Haruka runs off again he begins to get suspicious. He follows her and spots her talking with some shady men who tell her to start handing out flyers to passersby, though they leave before Kiryu can ask them what they are doing. Again he follows Haruka to watch her handing out flyers to a number of customers, none of them dating age for Haruka. Again Haruka deflects Kiryu's questioning, but it's getting close to dinner time and he heads back to the orphanage to question her there. When he arrives, Kiryu finds that Haruka made sukiyaki for dinner using money she "saved", but before he can settle in Mikio arrives and tells Kiryu he saw Haruka hanging around with some shady guys in town.
Haruka runs off after dinner, and once more Kiryu goes to follow her. He finds her talking to the shady men once more, who tell her to just keep doing what she's doing and run if she sees the cops. Haruka does her job until they come back, and Kiryu steps in to ask what's going on. Opening one of the envelopes reveals they're full of counterfeit credit cards, and with their scheme revealed the two thugs attack Kiryu. That doesn't end well for them, and Rikiya and Mikio arrive shortly thereafter and tell Kiryu what they know about the card forging scam. Haruka confesses that she overhead the two talking about how money was tight and they might not make rent, Rikiya declining to tell Kiryu lest he start worrying. Rikiya and Mikio start laughing, as they were talking about the Ryudo offices getting a rent hike, not Morning Glory. The two yakuza apologize for not being clearer and head off, while Haruka apologizes for not telling Kiryu about what was going on. Kiryu tells Haruka not to get mixed up in things like that again and the two head for home.
While Haruka goes to take a bath, Kiryu goes to check on the kids and hears Izumi begging Ayako for money so she can buy the dog a new toy. After she gives Izumi the money, Shiro runs in and asks Ayako to help with some extra homework he was assigned, with which Ayako agrees. Kiryu comes in and raises the concern that Ayako is putting others' needs before her own, but she doesn't say much before going to take her own bath. Kiryu pulls Haruka aside and tells her about his concerns for Ayako. Haruka agrees, feeling that Ayako is putting a lot of pressure on herself since she's the oldest of the kids; she even refuses Haruka's help, and she thinks the other kids go to Ayako first because they're afraid Haruka will get upset if they go to her.
The next day, while Haruka and Ayako plan dinner, Izumi comes in and says that the dog toys were sold out so she used the money to buy candy, and Shiro is upset because his extra homework wasn't the assigned length of 400 words and he got in trouble at school. Ayako runs off, and Haruka explains to Kiryu what happened. Kiryu calls a family meeting and tells the kids to show some more appreciation for Ayako and all the work she does for them. While Haruka helps the other kids Kiryu goes and finds Ayako in town, ultimately having to chase her as she refuses to return to Morning Glory. Kiryu tells Ayako that he appreciates all her hard work, and the kids do too even if they don't always show it. They eventually return to Morning Glory, where the others apologize and offer to take over some of her chores to ease her load.
As the kids turn in for the night, Nakahara and the Ryudo boys arrive to watch over them. Kiryu gets the call from Tamiya, telling him that Toma's meeting with the Prefectural Assembly is over and he plans to go to one of his favorite bars in Hatsumachi to celebrate. Kiryu heads out after instructing Rikiya and Mikio to watch over Morning Glory, eventually arriving at the bar Canal Grande. Kiryu goes inside and spots Toma celebrating in the VIP section, but he also sees Joji moving in to attack. Joji pulls a gun on Toma, but Kiryu interrupts before he can pull the trigger and tells him that Tamiya sent him. Toma tries to run, but Joji fires a warning shot to keep him from fleeing while Kiryu once again tries to appeal to Joji. Joji tells Kiryu that much like Kiryu wouldn't refuse an order from his chairman, he cannot refuse an order from the CIA, and Kiryu is forced to tackle Joji before he kills Toma. Kiryu tells Toma to run while he fights Joji, Joji commenting that he can see now why Shintaro took a shine to him. Their battle takes them across Canal Grande, though eventually Kiryu emerges victorious.
As the two recover, Joji promises to drop his pursuit of Toma. Toma (who hid and witnessed the entire fight) asks if Tamiya really sent Kiryu to protect him and why he would do that, and Kiryu says that Tamiya cares about Toma and sees a bright future for the young politician. Toma breaks down sobbing at this and apologizes for betraying Tamiya for Mine.
Chapter 11: Crisis
Kiryu watches over Joji as he recovers from the fight. He tells Joji that Toma hopped on the first flight back to Tokyo to apologize to Tamiya in person, but in the meantime the two need to talk. Kiryu asks Joji if he's willing to let Tamiya go like that and possibly upset his CIA handlers, to which Joji replies that he'll handle such issues his own way. Kiryu asks if shooting Daigo and Nakahara was also "handling things", and Joji explains that was an unwanted side effect in his efforts to pass the defense bill. Kiryu asks what he means by that, and Joji reveals what actually happened in both circumstances: Joji had reached into his coat, sure enough, but when Daigo panicked and drew his gun Joji's American counterpart shot him instead (and much the same happened when Nakahara refused to hand over the deed to his land). Joji still feels guilty that things escalated to this extent, telling Kiryu that if possible he'd like to apologize to Nakahara and Daigo for what happened. Kiryu says he can go apologize to Nakahara now, but Joji says his orders forbid him from talking to civilians at this time. Kiryu says he'll tell Nakahara for Joji, and Joji says to do the same with Daigo once he's out of the hospital. Kiryu doesn't know where Daigo is, though, and after Joji confirms this he says it's for the better as it may keep Mine away from killing Daigo and clearing the way for him taking over the Tojo Clan. It's possible Mine already knows where Daigo is, with Black Monday's information helping him narrow down the Chairman's location. Joji tells Kiryu that Daigo is at Touto Hospital in Tokyo, right next to Kamurocho, and as he and the CIA only recently learned of this it's likely Mine knows as well. Kiryu grabs his coat to catch the last flight to Tokyo, but just then Taichi bursts in urging Kiryu to go back to Morning Glory.
While the kids were playing, Mine showed up with Tamashiro and a horde of goons armed with hammers and demolition equipment. Rikiya and Mikio tried to stop them, but Tamashiro shot both of them while Mine approached the kids. Haruka shielded the kids, Mine telling them they are victims of Kiryu's hypocrisy before slapping Haruka out of the way and ordering Tamashiro's men to destroy the orphanage. Mikio took a hammer blow to the neck trying and failing to protect the dog house, and Tamashiro took Nakahara hostage in revenge for the events of the previous year before calling in a bulldozer to destroy Morning Glory.
A now furious Kiryu tells Joji that he's going back to Morning Glory to protect his kids. Joji plans to call the CIA to arrange transportation for Kiryu back to Tokyo, as Mine could be heading back to finish off Daigo and no doubt Richardson and Black Monday will be there as well. Kiryu and Taichi hurry back to Morning Glory, but he arrives too late to save the orphanage from destruction. He goes to check on the Ryudo boys, with Mikio regaining consciousness long enough to ask Kiryu to save Nakahara from Tamashiro. Mikio is taken to a hospital, and fortunately Rikiya gets a call that he will pull through. Kiryu gets up to go to the bullring outside Ryuku, which Rikiya told him is a secret hideout of the Tamashiro family. Rikiya asks to come with, but Kiryu refuses to let him die a pointless death and tells him to go find a doctor for his leg injury. Rikiya begs Kiryu to take him, but Kiryu tells him not to throw his life away pointlessly and be patient for his moment. With that, Kiryu goes to find Nakahara.
Kiryu goes to the bullring to find Tamashiro waiting for him. Kiryu demands to know where Nakahara is, but Tamashiro doesn't answer right away. Tamashiro admits he got excited when Mine told him Kiryu would be coming for him, revealing that Mine has gone to Tokyo- Tamashiro is here to distract Kiryu from the rest of Mine's plans. Tamashiro goes on to say that Mine will pay him handsomely to kill Kiryu, and wiping out the Ryudo family will make him undisputed master of Okinawa. But for now, he wants to make this moment last, and Kiryu watches as Tamashiro's men drag Nakahara out and throw him in the bullpen with about four of the beasts. Kiryu hurries to help Nahakara, but Tamashiro warns him that they'll startle if he fires his gun and kill Nakahara before Kiryu can get to him. Tamashiro wants to kill Kiryu first, ordering his men to go and attack Kiryu.
Just then, Rikiya interrupts the proceedings with Saki in tow, saying the girl had been trying to sneak in without their knowledge. Rikiya tells Tamashiro that the police will be here in ten minutes, and that a two bit thug like him could never measure up to Nakahara or Kiryu. Tamashiro decides to get things started, then, and fires off his pistol to send the bulls charging. Saki finally breaks out of her mental block and yells at Nakahara to watch out, which gives Nakahara enough strength to fling one of the bulls away as it charges at him. Nakahara tells Kiryu not to worry about him and to take out the Tamashiro family, which Kiryu obliges before defeating the last bull before it tramples Nakahara. Tamashiro steps up and attacks the two, but even with the rest of his men backing him up it's not enough to defeat the Dragon of Dojima.
Kiryu goes to check on Nakahara after defeating Tamashiro, the old yakuza lamenting that they're both over the hill as it were. Nakahara comforts Saki and apologizes for making her worry, but just then Tamashiro gets up and shoots at Kiryu. Rikiya jumps in the path of the bullet at the last minute, and as Kiryu rushes to the younger man Tamashiro prepares to kill Kiryu. Joji appears and shoots Tamashiro dead, lamenting that he arrived too late. As Rikiya bleeds out, he asks Kiryu if this counts as throwing his life away for no reason, Kiryu begs Rikiya not to die, and Rikya asks Kiryu to defeat Mine and thanks him for all the good times they had. Rikiya dies as Kiryu breaks down crying.
While the kids were playing, Mine showed up with Tamashiro and a horde of goons armed with hammers and demolition equipment. Rikiya and Mikio tried to stop them, but Tamashiro shot both of them while Mine approached the kids. Haruka shielded the kids, Mine telling them they are victims of Kiryu's hypocrisy before slapping Haruka out of the way and ordering Tamashiro's men to destroy the orphanage. Mikio took a hammer blow to the neck trying and failing to protect the dog house, and Tamashiro took Nakahara hostage in revenge for the events of the previous year before calling in a bulldozer to destroy Morning Glory.
A now furious Kiryu tells Joji that he's going back to Morning Glory to protect his kids. Joji plans to call the CIA to arrange transportation for Kiryu back to Tokyo, as Mine could be heading back to finish off Daigo and no doubt Richardson and Black Monday will be there as well. Kiryu and Taichi hurry back to Morning Glory, but he arrives too late to save the orphanage from destruction. He goes to check on the Ryudo boys, with Mikio regaining consciousness long enough to ask Kiryu to save Nakahara from Tamashiro. Mikio is taken to a hospital, and fortunately Rikiya gets a call that he will pull through. Kiryu gets up to go to the bullring outside Ryuku, which Rikiya told him is a secret hideout of the Tamashiro family. Rikiya asks to come with, but Kiryu refuses to let him die a pointless death and tells him to go find a doctor for his leg injury. Rikiya begs Kiryu to take him, but Kiryu tells him not to throw his life away pointlessly and be patient for his moment. With that, Kiryu goes to find Nakahara.
Kiryu goes to the bullring to find Tamashiro waiting for him. Kiryu demands to know where Nakahara is, but Tamashiro doesn't answer right away. Tamashiro admits he got excited when Mine told him Kiryu would be coming for him, revealing that Mine has gone to Tokyo- Tamashiro is here to distract Kiryu from the rest of Mine's plans. Tamashiro goes on to say that Mine will pay him handsomely to kill Kiryu, and wiping out the Ryudo family will make him undisputed master of Okinawa. But for now, he wants to make this moment last, and Kiryu watches as Tamashiro's men drag Nakahara out and throw him in the bullpen with about four of the beasts. Kiryu hurries to help Nahakara, but Tamashiro warns him that they'll startle if he fires his gun and kill Nakahara before Kiryu can get to him. Tamashiro wants to kill Kiryu first, ordering his men to go and attack Kiryu.
Just then, Rikiya interrupts the proceedings with Saki in tow, saying the girl had been trying to sneak in without their knowledge. Rikiya tells Tamashiro that the police will be here in ten minutes, and that a two bit thug like him could never measure up to Nakahara or Kiryu. Tamashiro decides to get things started, then, and fires off his pistol to send the bulls charging. Saki finally breaks out of her mental block and yells at Nakahara to watch out, which gives Nakahara enough strength to fling one of the bulls away as it charges at him. Nakahara tells Kiryu not to worry about him and to take out the Tamashiro family, which Kiryu obliges before defeating the last bull before it tramples Nakahara. Tamashiro steps up and attacks the two, but even with the rest of his men backing him up it's not enough to defeat the Dragon of Dojima.
Kiryu goes to check on Nakahara after defeating Tamashiro, the old yakuza lamenting that they're both over the hill as it were. Nakahara comforts Saki and apologizes for making her worry, but just then Tamashiro gets up and shoots at Kiryu. Rikiya jumps in the path of the bullet at the last minute, and as Kiryu rushes to the younger man Tamashiro prepares to kill Kiryu. Joji appears and shoots Tamashiro dead, lamenting that he arrived too late. As Rikiya bleeds out, he asks Kiryu if this counts as throwing his life away for no reason, Kiryu begs Rikiya not to die, and Rikya asks Kiryu to defeat Mine and thanks him for all the good times they had. Rikiya dies as Kiryu breaks down crying.
Chapter 12: The End of Ambition
Mine is about to arrive in Tokyo. In the seats behind him, two of his underlings celebrate Kiryu's demise and how Mine is now a lock-in to become Seventh Chairman. When they start throwing shade on Kiryu and Daigo, though, Mine snaps and stabs one of them in the hand, telling him that Daigo's death is nothing to celebrate. Meanwhile, Joji has gotten a high-speed spyplane to take Kiryu back to the mainland, saying the whole trip will get them there in an hour. Kiryu offers his hand to shake, but Joji tells him that can wait until after they defeat Mine and take Richardson into custody. Joji tells Kiryu and Haruka that once they have Daigo, he'll send a helicopter to rescue them, and the two head to Tokyo to stop Mine.
Mine watches over the unconscious Daigo when he gets a call from Richardson. Mine tells Richardson to proceed with the plan as scheduled before informing his underlings that Kiryu has left Okinawa, telling them not to prepare as once "they" arrive their conflict will be resolved. In Kamurocho, Haruka asks why Kiryu wanted her to come along, asking if he thinks he'll die when he confronts Mine and Black Monday. Kiryu apologizes as he wanted to see Kamurocho one last time with her, but Haruka tells him it's okay and the two share a hug. Afterwards, Kiryu goes to New Serena to tell Date about what's going down, entrusting Haruka to him while he goes to fight Mine and his family. Before he goes to the hospital, Kiryu gets a call from Joji telling him that all active CIA agents in the area have been notified to support him. However, Joji warns Kiryu that the team charged with apprehending Richardson has gone dark, and they may try to fight Kiryu as an interloper to their plans.
Kiryu arrives at the hospital to find Mine's men waiting for him. Kiryu fights his way through them, eventually defeating the captain who tells Kiryu Daigo is up on the 25th floor of the other building. Kiryu battles more yakuza on his way to Daigo, but upon arriving at the room he finds Daigo missing and the American that attacked him waiting for him. The American tells Kiryu that Mine has taken Daigo to the roof, and Kiryu guesses they'll have to fight if he's to get to the Chairman. Kiryu defeats the American (though he recovers and continues to pursue Kiryu) and rushes to the roof, but he is attacked by more CIA agents on his way there.
Kiryu fights off the CIA and confronts Mine, who has Daigo's unconscious body with him near the edge of the roof. Kiryu guesses Mine intends to kill Daigo and cement his claim on the Tojo Clan, but Mine says it's not that. In fact, he's been very worried about the Sixth Chairman as Daigo was the only person who ever respected him. Mine explains that he, like Kiryu, was an orphan whom everyone looked down on and neglected. He threw himself into work and became fabulously wealthy, but even that was not enough and Mine knew the loyalty his money bought would be fleeting. He bribed Kanda into letting him join the yakuza to see if their bond was any better, and to his surprise he found a man whose kindness and charisma were genuine: Daigo. Daigo welcomed Mine with open arms, and Mine devoted himself entirely to him, saying that if Daigo were "still alive" he wouldn't have gotten involved. Kiryu asks what he means by this, with Mine saying that Daigo is for all intents and purposes dead, and now bereft of his purpose and the only man he ever truly cared about Mine again pursued the power he had desired as a child. He teamed up with Black Monday, and now plans to kill Daigo to put him out of his misery.
Kiryu tries to talk Mine down, saying that even comatose a person still has meaning as long as they draw breath, and as he tries to fight back to the waking world Mine is just going to senselessly murder Daigo. Mine has a chuckle, saying that Kiryu's optimism must be one of the reasons Daigo liked him so much. He takes a shot at Kiryu and asks why he always does things like that, why he always tries to help others even though Kiryu was also an orphan. Now, Mine says he has two goals left: ending Daigo's "suffering" and killing Kiryu, and then his life will have meaning. Kiryu counters that taking over the Tojo Clan won't give him meaning, and at the end of the day Mine is just like those people that he claims abandoned him for money: just another selfish person who only cared about themselves and never opened up to others. But Kiryu realizes that Mine won't get talk, only fists, and so casts off his shirt and challenges Mine. Mine laughs that even with his world at stake Kiryu still clings to his old ideals, but he meets Kiryu's challenge and the two battle. While Mine puts up a significant fight, Kiryu is ultimately able to overpower him.
As Mine collapses and laments his loss, he gets a call from his secretary Katase, who expresses worry for him... that he wasn't able to help her with a lucrative stock trade to help the company. Mine doesn't pay attention, letting the phone fall away as he laments that at the end of the day he has nothing, just his money. He hangs up and asks if this is what it feels like to have your life come crashing down around you, and Kiryu tells Mine he still has a chance to rebuild himself. Just as Kiryu helps Mine up, the American and his CIA operatives arrive, but Mine corrects Kiryu that these are not CIA- they're the top brass of Black Monday, and the American is noneother than Andre Richardson himself. Richardson knew all of the CIA and Joji's plans, and alerted Mine to Kiryu's arrival, but now that Mine's failed he guesses Richardson will kill them and find someone else to advance his plans. Richardson agrees and prepares to kill the two of them, but just then Daigo awakens and grabs Mine's pistol, killing Richardson's men before disarming and wounding the man. Kiryu rushes to Daigo's aid, and while the Chairman asks Kiryu and Mine if they are injured Mine collapses with the realization of what he just tried to do. Richardson gets back to his feet and tries to kill Daigo, but Mine attacks him and forces him to the edge of the roof. As Richardson tries to break free, Mine apologizes to Daigo for his actions and laments that he did not meet Kiryu sooner, throwing himself and Richardson from the roof to their deaths. As Joji arrives with Haruka, Daigo asks Kiryu if Mine was the traitor. Kiryu says no, Mine would never have betrayed Daigo.
A few days later, Kiryu once more says his goodbyes to Kazuki and Yuya. As he goes to meet Haruka, Kiryu is stopped by Hamazaki, who has been reduced to nothing and is now on the run from his former allies. Hamazaki blames Kiryu for everything, but Kiryu counters that he has a chance to reform and leave behind his old life, even offering to give Hamazaki a hand in his new life. Hamazaki appears interested, but this is merely a means to catch Kiryu off guard before he stabs him in the gut. He rants that when Kiryu is dead, no one will care about his ideals or his kindness, but Kiryu maintains his composure and disagrees. Kazuki and Yuya tackle Hamazaki to the ground while Kiryu collapses, Haruka running to his side begging him to not die. As he bleeds out, Kiryu says he did learn something from Mine: even in one's final moments, someone can learn to believe in someone else. Fortunately Kiryu survives, getting patched up and returning to a hopeful future in Okinawa with Haruka and the orphans.
The End
Mine watches over the unconscious Daigo when he gets a call from Richardson. Mine tells Richardson to proceed with the plan as scheduled before informing his underlings that Kiryu has left Okinawa, telling them not to prepare as once "they" arrive their conflict will be resolved. In Kamurocho, Haruka asks why Kiryu wanted her to come along, asking if he thinks he'll die when he confronts Mine and Black Monday. Kiryu apologizes as he wanted to see Kamurocho one last time with her, but Haruka tells him it's okay and the two share a hug. Afterwards, Kiryu goes to New Serena to tell Date about what's going down, entrusting Haruka to him while he goes to fight Mine and his family. Before he goes to the hospital, Kiryu gets a call from Joji telling him that all active CIA agents in the area have been notified to support him. However, Joji warns Kiryu that the team charged with apprehending Richardson has gone dark, and they may try to fight Kiryu as an interloper to their plans.
Kiryu arrives at the hospital to find Mine's men waiting for him. Kiryu fights his way through them, eventually defeating the captain who tells Kiryu Daigo is up on the 25th floor of the other building. Kiryu battles more yakuza on his way to Daigo, but upon arriving at the room he finds Daigo missing and the American that attacked him waiting for him. The American tells Kiryu that Mine has taken Daigo to the roof, and Kiryu guesses they'll have to fight if he's to get to the Chairman. Kiryu defeats the American (though he recovers and continues to pursue Kiryu) and rushes to the roof, but he is attacked by more CIA agents on his way there.
Kiryu fights off the CIA and confronts Mine, who has Daigo's unconscious body with him near the edge of the roof. Kiryu guesses Mine intends to kill Daigo and cement his claim on the Tojo Clan, but Mine says it's not that. In fact, he's been very worried about the Sixth Chairman as Daigo was the only person who ever respected him. Mine explains that he, like Kiryu, was an orphan whom everyone looked down on and neglected. He threw himself into work and became fabulously wealthy, but even that was not enough and Mine knew the loyalty his money bought would be fleeting. He bribed Kanda into letting him join the yakuza to see if their bond was any better, and to his surprise he found a man whose kindness and charisma were genuine: Daigo. Daigo welcomed Mine with open arms, and Mine devoted himself entirely to him, saying that if Daigo were "still alive" he wouldn't have gotten involved. Kiryu asks what he means by this, with Mine saying that Daigo is for all intents and purposes dead, and now bereft of his purpose and the only man he ever truly cared about Mine again pursued the power he had desired as a child. He teamed up with Black Monday, and now plans to kill Daigo to put him out of his misery.
Kiryu tries to talk Mine down, saying that even comatose a person still has meaning as long as they draw breath, and as he tries to fight back to the waking world Mine is just going to senselessly murder Daigo. Mine has a chuckle, saying that Kiryu's optimism must be one of the reasons Daigo liked him so much. He takes a shot at Kiryu and asks why he always does things like that, why he always tries to help others even though Kiryu was also an orphan. Now, Mine says he has two goals left: ending Daigo's "suffering" and killing Kiryu, and then his life will have meaning. Kiryu counters that taking over the Tojo Clan won't give him meaning, and at the end of the day Mine is just like those people that he claims abandoned him for money: just another selfish person who only cared about themselves and never opened up to others. But Kiryu realizes that Mine won't get talk, only fists, and so casts off his shirt and challenges Mine. Mine laughs that even with his world at stake Kiryu still clings to his old ideals, but he meets Kiryu's challenge and the two battle. While Mine puts up a significant fight, Kiryu is ultimately able to overpower him.
As Mine collapses and laments his loss, he gets a call from his secretary Katase, who expresses worry for him... that he wasn't able to help her with a lucrative stock trade to help the company. Mine doesn't pay attention, letting the phone fall away as he laments that at the end of the day he has nothing, just his money. He hangs up and asks if this is what it feels like to have your life come crashing down around you, and Kiryu tells Mine he still has a chance to rebuild himself. Just as Kiryu helps Mine up, the American and his CIA operatives arrive, but Mine corrects Kiryu that these are not CIA- they're the top brass of Black Monday, and the American is noneother than Andre Richardson himself. Richardson knew all of the CIA and Joji's plans, and alerted Mine to Kiryu's arrival, but now that Mine's failed he guesses Richardson will kill them and find someone else to advance his plans. Richardson agrees and prepares to kill the two of them, but just then Daigo awakens and grabs Mine's pistol, killing Richardson's men before disarming and wounding the man. Kiryu rushes to Daigo's aid, and while the Chairman asks Kiryu and Mine if they are injured Mine collapses with the realization of what he just tried to do. Richardson gets back to his feet and tries to kill Daigo, but Mine attacks him and forces him to the edge of the roof. As Richardson tries to break free, Mine apologizes to Daigo for his actions and laments that he did not meet Kiryu sooner, throwing himself and Richardson from the roof to their deaths. As Joji arrives with Haruka, Daigo asks Kiryu if Mine was the traitor. Kiryu says no, Mine would never have betrayed Daigo.
A few days later, Kiryu once more says his goodbyes to Kazuki and Yuya. As he goes to meet Haruka, Kiryu is stopped by Hamazaki, who has been reduced to nothing and is now on the run from his former allies. Hamazaki blames Kiryu for everything, but Kiryu counters that he has a chance to reform and leave behind his old life, even offering to give Hamazaki a hand in his new life. Hamazaki appears interested, but this is merely a means to catch Kiryu off guard before he stabs him in the gut. He rants that when Kiryu is dead, no one will care about his ideals or his kindness, but Kiryu maintains his composure and disagrees. Kazuki and Yuya tackle Hamazaki to the ground while Kiryu collapses, Haruka running to his side begging him to not die. As he bleeds out, Kiryu says he did learn something from Mine: even in one's final moments, someone can learn to believe in someone else. Fortunately Kiryu survives, getting patched up and returning to a hopeful future in Okinawa with Haruka and the orphans.
The End
