Chapter 6: 5TH FIGHT: OLDIES’ SCRUFFLE

5th FIGHT: OLDIES' SCRUFFLE

-XOXOXOX-

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-XOXOXOX-

-TAP!, TAP!, TAP!-

"Huuuf, Haaaah..."

Running at a brisk yet manageable speed, the brown-eyed boy in a cloak nimbly traversed throughout the streets of the Tokita Ward as the harsh rays of the lofty sun brightly shone down upon him, wrapping him in an ideal white light as the shrouded boy exhaled sharply, trying his best to calm his raging heart.

Clutching his chest as he ran towards his checkpoint, he realized that it was an unsightly feeling he usually experienced when he stood in front of the extremely muscular man and realized that whatever it was; he didn't like it.

It wasn't exactly fear per se, but it was a feeling that came after gazing at the man in the middle of the trio, after realizing that if they were to fight head-on he'd be utterly outmatched and defeated, if not outright killed.

And if the growing scowl currently decorating his face wasn't enough proof, then the guttural growl emanating from the strained gnashing of his teeth could be the dead-ringer for the fact that the cloaked boy deeply hated this feeling.

After all, it wasn't just the fact that it showed the difference in strength between the two...

But it was the feeling that he associated with whenever he stood before that 'monster' in human's skin.

The 'monster' whom by just being 'related' to him led him to be mistreated.

And the 'monster' that had a hand in turning his life upside down, ripping him from the abode he considered 'heaven', and then tossing him in this shithole of a place he called 'hell'.

'Is it pride?' The brown-eyed boy thought.

'Even though it's impossible for me to completely defeat that man as I am now, why does it make me so uncomfortable...' Gnashing his teeth at the thought of being weaker than someone, the boy soon relaxed his mind as he let out a chuckle, deriding himself for what to him would be an almost 'comical' mindset to have.

-'Remember, █ █ █ █ █ █ █....'-

"..."

'These words again... It been a while since I've had this memory... It seems to always rise up again when I feel like I'm in deep shit...'

-SIGH-

'But just what the hell does it mean?...'

'Haaah... Boy am I too young for this shit... I'm even thinking about stuff like I'm going against the world hahaha…'

'Whatever, once I get back to 'home', I'll pick up the training a bit' The boy nodded resolutely.

-XOXOXOX-

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-XOXOXOX-

-BANG!, BANG!, BANG!-

As he ran towards the Northernmost of the Tokita Ward where the 55th building was located, the boy could hear the clamoring and gunshots of several men quite far away from him.

'At most, I should have five to ten minutes before they come...'

Making sure that the other Yakuza saw where he was headed; The 55th building, yet another isolated building within the Tokita Ward just with the numbers '55' on them, the boy rushed into the building as he readied himself for the eventual gathering of the Yakuza mob.

Entering the ever-so-dilapidated buildings that were painted a dull gray, he headed in the direction of one of the rooms in which he overheard people speaking casually with each other, boisterous and nonchalant, as he heard the sound of beer cans clinking.

And how did he hear this from so far?

Well, it was a special survival sense that was fostered by the residents of the land within The Inside, especially by the ones who didn't want their life to be cut short because of literal unseen threats, and for a child such the cloaked child who had managed to survive for as long as he did, his hearing was also nicely developed.

And with such developed hearing, he could sense how many people there were in a room and other smaller details despite not being within said space, though, such ability depended on how close he was near the aforementioned area,

Passing the room that contained the two men, he then ran up and down the first few floors, quickly scanning whatever items he could possibly use in the event that things got too crazy for his taste.

Not because he doubted that his employer couldn't handle the workload, but it was simply within his nature to be cautious and make sure that in the worst-case scenario he'd at least have something to fall back on.

'After all, if anything goes in this place, It's better to be safe than sorry.'

After a brief 'scanning' session, the boy went through several turns before entering a room that seemed to be cleaner than usual when he heard a familiar voice that sounded out behind him.

"Oi! Took 'ya long enough kid! Lemme guess, you were fiddling with your toys when you passed right by us huh?" A lazy yet brash voice drawled.

It was that 'Karate Man' as the boy would call him. A man standing well past two meters, way taller than six-foot-seven, maybe seven foot?

-His name was Shintarou Satou.

He had shaggy black hair, a five-o-clock shadow's worth of stubble, thick eyebrows, and a strong nose, alongside slightly upturned black eyes with the laziest look the boy had ever seen on them.

Turning around, he caught sight of a rather peculiar individual alongside Shintarou.

While not as towering as Shintarou who stood over a full head over the man, he seemed to be quite tall in his own right, standing around one-hundred eighty-eight centimeters, around six-foot-two at the very least, and with his neat hair-do and black suit, and to the boy he seemed to be your average 'Businessman' or 'Yakuza'.

'Hmnn? Who's this sunglasses guy? And are his eyes under those shades black? Did he tattoo them?' The boy thought. Those eyes to him seemed to have pure black scleras with grey irises.

'Is he on that heroin thing those goofballs like to use? Do the people outside do drugs all day, or have strange tastes in fashion, or is he malnourished or something? Is that why his eyes look like that?'

'Hmmn, Doesn't look so. Even with all those clothes on, I can tell he's buffed as heck…' The boy thought.

"I was just trying to survive the suicide mission you gave me, old man." The boy simply said, looking at his 'employer' Shintarou.

"Hohoo… So this one of those orphan kids that are causing a fuss around these parts…" Kiyoshi nodded as he gazed over at the young lad, his mind seemingly mulling over something.

It seemed as if the atmosphere would devolve into an awkward one until...

"?"

-CRASH!-

An incredible pressure rushed forth, engulfing the entire room in which they all residing in.

-!-

Seeping deep within his pores, the boy felt as if an incredibly massive weight had started to push him down as if trying to crush him.

'W-what, what the hell is this!?'

Though the 'Businessman' still looked nonchalant, the boy could tell that this 'pressure', or 'aura' was emanating from him and that much more could erupt if he willed it.

'This guy... he's no ordinary heroin addict...That look in his eyes... How chilling... I can tell at a glance... That he's the same as the old man right here... Fucking monsters...' Struggling to breathe, the boy went through great trouble just to remain standing upright.

If the average person were to be assailed with such aura, then no doubt they would either be incapacitated, crumbling into numbness from fear. But the boy wasn't one to simply submit and kneel, even if his opponents were massively overpowering him.

'I got no idea what the hell your problem is buddy. But if you think that'll be enough to send me packing then you're dead wrong! I didn't manage to stay alive through pure luck!'

-FWSSSS-

Trying his best to stay standing upright, he glared 'daggers' into the 'Businessman', his hazel brown eyes shining bright with unhidden ferocity and unyielding tenacity.

"Grrr- arrrrrrggh..." Feeling his bones rattling and creaking, to the boy the pressure it felt as if he were attempting to hold up a mountain, straining and overexerting himself to remain afoot, and not be reduced to fine paste stained on the ground.

"Don't you dare..." The boy began to growl.

"-look down on me!" Roaring, the boy yelled with an even stronger amount of vigor and determination, as he squeezed every bit of bravado he could out of his little body as he tried to stand tall.

Though unbeknownst to the child, a sliver of 'mist' seemed to have evaporated from his body, his eyes now glowing a ferocious hazel brown, nearly able to be likened to gold itself as if they were the sun, the crystalized emotion of the young lad not wanting to die anytime soon.

However, as minute as this 'mist' appeared and disappeared, it didn't evade the eyes of the two adults within the room.

But just what was this sliver of 'mist'?

The steam coming off of his body?

The physical manifestation of a ghost haunting him?

No, that was a completely different thing.

It wasn't as if he hailed from some fancy bloodline with a star-shaped birthmark.

Or was it truly as what the young lad had said, and that this was merely their eyes playing games on them due to the side-effects of the 'drugs' they were using?

And then, before anything else occurred...

-FWOOO-

The crushing pressure had dissipated.

Vanishing as if it never existed in the first place, the boy was finally able to breathe freely as he shot a confused glare at the prim and posh suited man in front of him.

"Hmnn? Kid's got talent, huh? You didn't even fall over..." Kiyoshi said, with his tone laced with curiosity.

What seemed like a quiet mood with Shintarou looking also looking on curiously changed after and uproarious laughter was heard from Kiyoshi

"Hahaha... Hahahahahahah!"

Moving over to pat the boy's shoulders, Kiyoshi seemed quite amused as he spoke. "Except for three to five of those kiddos, you seem to be stronger than them, almost like you're a different breed…"

-PANT, PANT-

The boy kept the glare as he swatted Kiyoshi's hands off his shoulders. 'Kids? You mean the kids from around here?'

'What that's not the point! How the hell did he even 'do' that!?'

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"Hahaha... Hey c'mon don't look at me like that, I was just curious! That's all!" Kiyoshi said with an awkward smile, not minding his hand being swatted away.

"And to answer your question,s which I'm 'sure' you're thinking about... No, not really, no." Kiyoshi said. "It's just that they usually go around wearing rags, either stealing and causing problems non-stop, so it's easy to make the connection…"

Trailing off for a moment, Kiyoshi suddenly began to speak brightly and full of energy as he patted the boy's head, only for the previous scene to repeat itself. "And as for the second, you'll have to find out yourself!"

The boy frowned.

"Still though, boy! You sure are impressive, aren't you? Judging by your stature… I'd say you look the same age as my son! Man, I wish he was as determined as you were, hahaha!"

"Yeah, he might still be a brat, but he's pretty mature for his age, plus if I do say so myself, then he's got quite the bright future if he gets the right training..." Shintarou blandly said as he exhaled, finally running out of cheap beer and other 'recreational items' as the lad would've put it.

"By the way, kid," Kiyoshi suddenly said. "You wanna see my family photos?"

-BLINK-

'Are you fucking serious...' The boy deadpanned.

Shaking his head, Shintarou yawned lazily. "Ignore him, brat. He'll be here all day boasting about his kids."

Switching his gaze between the two, the boy narrowed his eyes. "Well, whatever. So anyway I did my part, plus there's others out there that'll be here soon."

"Is that so." Kiyoshi said. Whatever he meant by that the boy did not know.

'By the way, what a bunch of weird old men… They're acting like a bunch of fools, but they feel so… powerful…' The boy mused before turning his gaze towards Kiyoshi.

"So old man, Who's your drinking buddy over here, and what happens now?"

Pointing towards Kiyoshi, Shintarou exclaimed. "Ah, this? This is one of my buddies Kiyoshi! We used to go on missions together back in the day… Ahh, the memories!"

"Hey, we still do Shintarou, case in point; right now." Kiyoshi said.

"Hahaha! Small things, small things! But forget about that, let's drink!" Shintarou excitedly stated.

"Aye!" They both exclaimed.

"Ok…" Looking on at the nonsensical way that these adults were behaving, the boy in a cloak couldn't help but sneer inwardly.

'Alcohol huh… Why do people even drink it if it's gonna mess you up like that?' The boy thought.

"Anyways, after this, my job's done, old man. But watch out, there seems to be some kind of real heavy hitter working for the TTC." The boy warned him.

However, such warnings of caution fell on deaf ears as the two remained in their jovial, joy-filled ways.

Lazily leaping up and stretching, Shintarou said. "Is that so? Hahahaha! Looks like I'll finally be able to stretch these muscles!"

"Mhmm! It seems like the Inside has got more than just thugs and common fighters with weapons! I'm looking forward to this." Kiyoshi suddenly replied, his usual goofy smile and aura gone, replaced with a stern atmosphere.

Looking at Shintarou, the boy could not help but sigh. 'Looks like he's not taking it seriously as usual, huh…'

'But what the hell's with him? It's like a different person took over... like when he did that weird pressure thing...' The boy thought as he gazed at Kiyoshi.

"!"

Looking towards the entrance of the building from the window, the boy could view the number of angry men rushing into the building, their minds clear on carrying out one sole action: revenge.

"Oh? Hey old man, they're here now…" The boy said.

Looking at the approaching group of thugs, Shintarou nodded. "Hmmn, I see. That Takahiro brat sure ain't playing around huh…"

"Well, he has been moving up quite consistently… I mean, from what I've heard, he's advancing quite nicely as he grows stronger... To think that he'd not only return to his roots to work but actually make it somewhat! It looks like we have one hell of a monster on our hands Shintarou." Kiyoshi said.

It was a job he had taken up alongside a few of his 'siblings' back at 'home', and Shintarou to both protect a certain someone and do a little 'damage' to the one he had to protect the target from, so seeing that his 'target' had some degree of common sense in not showing up at all, Kiyoshi could only nod while thinking that this job might not be so simple.

"Kids these days, huh? That brat's sure the stubborn one, just like the little brat over here." Kiyoshi quipped, but unlike before there was no humor in his voice.

Once again glaring at the man who'd almost flattened him to dust with just his 'aura', now speaking with a business-like stern tone, the boy cautiously yet fiercely spoke to him. "-The hell you're calling a little brat old man…"

'Hmm? Wait. They happen to know somewhat about this boss guy and he's someone who's left this shithole before… If so then why'd he come back? When I manage to leave here, I don't plan on coming back ever.' The boy mused.

As the trio headed out of the room to the ground floor, they could hear the unharmonious chorus of violent thugs shouting and hollering expletives as they neared their destination. Picking up the pace, it was in no time that the path of both sides would finally intersect.

"There he is! That little fucker!"

Looking at the group of thugs, the boy quickly scanned them before stating to the two 'old' men. "The guy I'm talking about isn't there with them, oldies..."

Simply humming, Shintarou headed towards the center of the room. "Quite the rowdy bunch we have here today… Well time to go to work, we'll take over from here, brat"

"I'm being serious when I said you should watch out, but yeah sure, knock yourselves out or whatever…" Narrowing his eyes, the boy sternly warned Shintarou, with the best warning tone he could.

"Be sure to stay back and watch, boyo. And maybe you'll see something that you'll like, kiddo~"

Upon hearing this Kiyoshi's ears perked up as he sent an inquisitive glance toward the boy currently wrapped in a cloak. 'Hoh? Is this related to what he told me about the kid being quite a fast learner? If so, then the kid really is a bundle of surprises…'

"Guess in the end I'm sticking around anyway… I got this! Besides those guys haven't shown up yet!" The boy said as his face under his hood turned into a slight frown.

'Alright Old Man… Let's see what you're so proud of…'

-XOXOXOX-

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-XOXOXOX-

"There he is!"

The time had come.

As he was 'hired' to do so, the boy in a cloak had not only caused trouble and trashed the TTC building, but had lured the very disgraced men furiously stomping their way into the 25th building with their minds focused solely on one thing:

-Vengeance.

But unfortunately, to the looney thugs growling with red faces, enraged with the poor hand that life had dealt them, it may not be as apparent, but to everyone else it was clear.

Whether or not the thugs got their revenge or not by 'wasting' the kid, the damage was done.

The Takahiro Group's credibility would surely see a sharp decline. After all, in a place as lawless and heartless as The Inside, for men of his status, honor was everything.

Eyes can see, lips can move, and tongues will talk.

-'Some brat waltzed into your turf and messed shit up? A little brat at that? Are you serious?'

When news of such absurd nature becomes widespread, all hell will break loose within this sector of The Inside.

It wasn't the kind of damage done to the Takahiro Group that would destroy them completely, but it would inspire other detractors and wannabe thugs to try their luck to gain clout by using Takahiro's gang as a 'proving grounds'.

Not to mention, the rivals of the Takahiro Group surely wouldn't miss out on this, now would they?

"Huh!? Who the fuck are these two old-timers!?" One of the thugs within the group yelled while pointing at the other two men near the boy.

Narrowing his eyes, the frontman of the group of thugs stoically replied as he spoke to the few of his comrades that wielded firearms. "It doesn't matter who they are. Looks like the kid was trying to set us up, so just light those fuckers up alongside the little shit."

"Osu!" The men yelled.

Aiming at the trio as they readied themselves to fire, the brown-eyed boy in a cloak moved to the side as per the signal given by Shintarou.

He had no idea how Shintarou and Kiyoshi were going to fare against men wielding firearms but as the innocent curiosity of a child leaked out from within him; he had wanted to see just how they were going to pull it off.

'Don't worry old man; I'll at least give you a proper burial once you've kicked the bucket… Mother told me that it was at least a respectful thing to do.'

Furrowing his eyebrows into a stern grimace, the cloaked child asked. "What are you going to do now, uncles? Those thugs are armed to the teeth…"

"No worries brat, you just watch very closely or you might miss it, Ok?" Shintarou said.

Twitching his eyebrows, he just decided to stay put and watch, but not before reminding Shintarou once again, just to be sure. "Keep your mind on the fight! old man! And don't get your ass riddled with bullets; you haven't paid me for this gig yet!"

"Yeah, yeah, kiddo." Shintarou laughed, waving his worries off with his hand.

"Hmm. Let's get this over with quickly; my son has piano lessons in a few hours..." Kiyoshi said.

"Get 'em!" The thug in front of the group roared.

Looking at the men with eyes as good as his, Kiyoshi could see a plentiful amount of sand and glass on their bodies to which he had to wonder just what the boy did to them.

-WHISTLE-

"Man, when you said that the kid likes to play with sandboxes I didn't think you meant this..." Kiyoshi said.

Whistling, Shintarou lazily smiled. "Nothing wrong with having a little fun in the sand, but now..."

"Let's party!"

-XOXOXOX-

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5th FIGHT: OLDIES' SCRUFFLE END

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-XOXOXOX-

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