Chapter 29

A Cleansing

Five men enter the shop and the women look scared. The men all have Yakuza tattoos and one is better dressed than the others. The well-dressed one says, “These two girls will do for my fun tonight, take them.” The owners and their daughters go white with fear.

Both Tora and I react to that statement, I’m already facing them so I get started while Tora spins around. Before the four men can take their second pace they all have bo-shuriken in their throats and are falling down while the well-dressed one sags against the wall with a bo-shuriken in his right thigh and his right shoulder joint. The four men are dying in silence while their boss is screaming in pain. The women and girls are wide-eyed at our reactions and the fast change of the situation.

While I stride across the room to quiet the leader I tell Tora, “Check for their vehicle and eliminate the driver. Get me Haruko and Kira.”

Since my back is to her she says, “Yes, Lord,” and she leaves the shop.

Picking the man up by the throat I lift him to be level with my face, in Japanese I say, “Stop screaming, you piece of shit.” I hear the girls gasp when they realise I understood all they said earlier. He quiets down. “How many girls have you kidnapped tonight?” He tells me none. “How many girls have you kidnapped before?” I learn he’s kidnapped twelve before and they’re forced to work in a brothel when he finishes with them. I get the address of the brothel then I ask him many more questions about his clan.

Tora seems to be taking her time so I’m beginning to worry before she returns with Haruko and Kira. Tora explains her delay was due to her trying to catch the second car as the men had come in two and when the driver of one car saw her deal with the first car’s driver he drove off too fast for her to stop him. He’ll be back with more men very soon.

More discussion with my prisoner and we learn he’s the second son of the local clan head, a small clan with affiliations with one of the larger clans. After the war this area started to be developed, it had been an undeveloped area between those controlled by the clans Kybo and Tanaka now lead. When this man’s clan moved in with the new post war development they kept the two bigger clans out by playing them off against each other. I think on this for a moment.

After deciding on a plan of action I act on it. “Tora, call your head of family. Tell him I want fifty of his best ninja here, now! They’re to be ready for war and to conduct raids. Haruko, return to the bus and tell everyone to prepare for a battle here, but to stay out of it unless fire is directed at them. Kira, find a nice spot where you can give a crossfire to people in front of this shop and get ready to shoot if I call for it. Tora, go with her to cover her back.” They all nod and race off to do as ordered.

I pull out my cell phone and I activate the conference call mode while I call Shoji and Takeo. I talk in Japanese when they answer, telling them my location, what happened, how I’m disgusted with this clan for what they do to young girls, and how I’m taking them out right now. I ask them to send someone who knows where this clan operates from and where their leaders are. I also tell them to call each other to work out how they’ll split up this territory because I want them to control it in future and to clean it up. While I talk I watch the eyes of my audience go wider and wider. I hang up and I tie up my prisoner.

With everything put in train I tell the women to get their families to a safe place while I deal with this scum. The women nod acceptance and hustle the girls out of the shop, but not until after I pay them the full fee for the work done. Then I drag my prisoner and the dead out to the street after I remove the bo-shuriken and clean them. Leaving the prisoner in the street I place the dead men in the car they came in. While I do this one of the women comes out with the last box of the wrapped gifts as I’d forgotten it. She takes it to the bus for me then goes back inside.

Returning to the prisoner I cut his clothes off him to use them to tie him to the shutter of another shop that’s closed with his legs spread well apart. The locals all stand to stare until I tell them to get off the street and to safety because the Yakuza will soon be here to die when they try to retrieve this garbage. This gets some shocked looks, but quick action while they teleport out of the area. Well, it seems like teleportation because they all just vanish in mere seconds.

Second Fight

I keep my goat quiet by stuffing his ruined underwear into his mouth. He’s not happy about his situation. I’m sure the weight on his damaged shoulder and thigh must be giving him hell. I smile at that thought. I squat down beside my trophy to wait for my prey to arrive. No one else is visible in the street, although many curtains have lots of eyes.

I sit around waiting for about five minutes before five cars pull up and a large group of men get out. The best dressed looks like an older version of my tied up trophy. The others spread out in the street in a way to stop me leaving. I smile at them while I stand up.

The well-dressed one says, “What have you done to my brother?”

I wave at my trophy, “I’ve done nothing to the garbage yet because I was waiting for you to arrive.” This gets some shocked looks from them all. “This dared to insult me by interrupting the business I had with some people. The rats with it are dead and are in their car. Now you’re here you can watch my judgement on it. You can then accept my judgement and swear allegiance to me or one of my allies, or you can die.”

Their leader laughs, “You are funny. Do you think your can fight the Yakuza and win. You’ll be the one who dies, very painfully.”

I laugh too. “Oh, yes, I can fight the Yakuza and win. Ask the Bento family when you meet them in hell.” When I mention the Bento family I race across the small space between us, whipping out my tanto as I move. He’s in mid-guffaw when I plunge my knife into the side of his stomach, and pull it across his belly, cutting it open as if he performed seppuku. His scream of pain is just starting when I dart back to cut open his brother’s stomach. I turn back to the stunned goons, “I, Torao, have called a judgement on this clan and the Katō family! The clan dies tonight! You can choose to die with it, or you can change allegiance to Kybo-san or Tanaka-san. You have one minute to make your decisions.”

This has happened much too fast for them to take in. Just then the Kymao ninja I asked for turn up and park near my bus. They get out to stand beside their cars. The henchmen facing me turn to see what made the noise, and are shocked to see so many ninja arriving.

I wave my right arm to point to a spot, “Those who wish to join Kybo-san stand over there. Those who wish to join Tanaka-san stand over there,” while I point to a spot with my left arm. “Those who wish to die are to stand still.” In seconds a bit over half have moved to my right and the rest have gone to my left.

The Kymao patriarch approaches me, “Lord, how may we help?”

I give him the address of where the kidnapped girls are, “Go to this address and kill all the Yakuza members there. Free the girls and take them to a safe place where they can receive medical treatment. Shortly I’ll have more addresses where there are scum requiring removal.” I wave at the two men I’ve gutted, “This clan dies tonight.” He bows and issues some orders, two cars load up and drive off.

I cut my trophy down to let it fall to the ground. A couple of ninja come forward and place the brothers in the back of the car the elder one arrived in. As we shut the door another car arrives, followed by several more. Mr Kybo and Mr Tanaka alight from the front car, getting stares from the men changing sides, these two clans have been fighting each other for generations and now they travel together, this is a shocking development and almost impossible for them to comprehend.

I brief them on what’s happened and I tell them I want every member of this clan either changed in allegiance or dead within the hour. I add, “I’ll visit the household of the leader. All that is his is now mine. The clan businesses and buildings are now yours, as per your agreement on the division. Clean up this area. The clan’s active adults may die, but not the families.” Both nod agreement and they have their men talk to those seeking a new leader. They plan raids on the main places of the clan being taken out then send teams to make the raids. Mr Kybo gives me the address of Mr Katō. There are two brothers there as they lead together, one has three adult sons and the other no adult male children, yet.

Mr Tanaka tells me he spoke to the leader of the larger clan this one is allied with. On being told Torao was acting against the clan and when asked if he supports it, he cut them loose. This clan now stands alone.

The Snake’s Head

I call Kira and Tora to me. Many men are surprised when they see the two women materialise from the small shrub they were concealed in. We go to the bus to talk to my people. After our short discussion Hideko rings her father to explain the delay and she also reschedules our formal meeting to be in the next morning. Tora and I will lead her family to deal with the clan head while the rest of my people go to the Nagumi Estate and I’ll join them there when we’re finished. They can get us settled in while I deal with this. I take my daisho with me.

When I head for one of the Kymao cars with no security except the Kymao ninja they smile. Since the attack on me their status has been in a hiatus because many others felt they should lose status for the attack, but my saying no loss of honour caused some confusion. My calling for them to support me directly and now my trusting my security to only them will go a long way to re-establishing their status within the clan. I notice Mr Kybo smiling at my actions, so this must meet with his approval.

Twenty-five ninja in six cars are a strong force when we head to the clan leaders’ address that’s only a few kilometres away. A few minutes later we pull up a hundred metres down the street from our target and we get out. I tie my obi around my waist and set my daisho in place while the rest set their katanas ready for use. The family patriarch assigns people to tasks based on his review of the plans of the grounds Mr Kybo gave him. Twenty ninja vanish into the night while I lead four of us to the front gate. The fifth will joins us when we wave for him to bring the car with the dead brothers up the street.

We’re almost to the gate when one of the Kymao strike teams calls to say they’ve found and eliminated the third adult son at one of the rape brothels. They’re told to bring the body to put it with his brothers. I’m sickened when told the details of how he was found. We stop where we are for several minutes so the body can be added to the pile.

When we near the gate of the target address a man in a suit opens the gate and steps into the footpath. Looking past him we can see one of the ninja take care of his partner while he asks us what we want. The fact we’re armed is a bit of a give-away as to our probable destination so he’s doing his job by finding out why we’re visiting.

I smile and say, “Your clan is finished so we’re here to inform the clan leaders and to watch them die. You may join Kybo-san, Tanaka-san, or die as well, we don’t care which. The car that’s approaching,” I wave for it to come up, “carries the bodies of the three adult Katō sons. You need to contact your leaders to have someone come to verify the identity of the dead, and lead us in to talk to the clan leaders to finalise their apology.”

He’s surprised and shocked by this. He turns to speak to his partner, and he’s surprised to see a Kymao ninja standing there instead. He turns back to us and he waits for the car to arrive. Opening the door he looks at the bodies before pulling out a small radio to talk to someone inside as he asks them to come out to look at someone in a car.

A minute later the younger Mr Katō leaves the house. When he does he looks around with a puzzled expression because the door guards aren’t there. Exiting the gate he stops to look at us before he looks in the car. Standing up he looks over our faces and stops at mine as he knows who’s in charge here, despite my youth and being a Caucasian.

I say, “They’ve committed many evil acts and have paid the price for them. Because they were senior members of your clan at the time of committing those acts they’ve brought my wrath down on the clan, it is no more. Only this man and those in the house are all that remain. I’ve been told you and your brother have some honour, unlike those in the car. So I’ll offer you a chance to save the lives of your families and staff when I allow you to apologise for not supervising these rats properly. You’re dead, all that remains is how you die.”

He looks at me for a moment then he glances over the ninja with me. Looking further afield he sees some ninja in the grounds. He says, “You best come in and speak to my brother, whoever you are.”

He turns and we follow him into the house. We’re soon standing in front of the family eating their dinner. The older brother looks up with surprise. The younger brother tells him of what’s in the car, what I said, and the ninja he saw. The older one takes out his phone and hits a few speed dials, he gets no responses. Sighing, he asks, “Who are you and why are you doing this?”

“I am Torao,” this gets a reaction from all in the room, “earlier I was doing business in a shop when your second son entered with four men. He ordered them to kidnap two young girls so he could take them away and rape them before putting them to work in an evil brothel.” I move over to one of his daughters about the same age as the two girls and stroke her hair, “The girls were about this one’s age. I objected. The men died and he was taken prisoner. One of his drivers got away to get help. Your son told me he’d kidnapped and raped many young girls. Your eldest son turned up and he told me the fate of the girls was none of my concern. I killed both your sons. The third son was found at one of the brothels choking a younger girl to death while he raped her. The act was stopped by the ninja I sent there. But they were too late for the girl! The damage was too much and she died while they tried to save her life. They had been told to kill quickly, they broke discipline to make your third son pay in pain for his evil when he died slowly. For that, their family head will discipline them for not following orders, and I will reward them for making him die slowly to pay for his actions with great pain. Your failure to supervise them has brought the destruction of your clan. If you sign over all of your personal property to me and apologise for your failure no more will die unless they bring that about by their own actions.”

The youngest brother’s eldest son screams abuse while he leaps up to draw a katana from a display near him. I wave the ninja back when he attacks. When he nears me I draw Fang (my wakizashi) to block his strike while I draw my tanto. Holding his katana at bay I smile at him when I plunge my tanto into his stomach, he flinches, and screams with the pain, I step to the side while dragging the knife across his belly to cut it open like the cut of seppuku. His hands open and the katana falls from them when he drops his hands to his stomach before dropping to his knees. I step back as I put Fang back in its sheath. The younger children cry and they turn to adults or older siblings for comfort while I mentally damn the dying youth for doing that in front of them.

While I watch him die I say, “Your families will become my slaves! They’ll swear obedience and allegiance to me!” This is not a request, but a flat statement of fact. Both of the brothers nod acceptance of my orders while they look at the body.

Servants are sent for laptop computers. I provide the account details they need to transfer money and shares to my account. This is not a large clan and they don’t have much to transfer. But it will help pay to repair the damage they’ve done to the community, and it’ll also help with the care of their families. They write down the location of all their safes and bank deposit boxes along with the details on how to gain access to them. They sign documents assigning all of their property to me before telling their families to be obedient to me. They prepare to atone for their errors while I draw Claw (my katana) and prepare to deliver the dakikubi stroke. They act in age order and I strike as soon as I can.

We’re gentle when we move the family to another room where they take turns swearing their obedience and allegiance to me then I accept them. My family just grew by two women, six girls, and two boys. The servants are all old and near retirement, so they ask if they must now work for me. When offered paid retirement all of them take it before they agree to stay on for a few more days while things are sorted out.

Turning to my new slaves I say, “Now is not the time to sort out the future. During the night think on what you’d like to do and we’ll discuss the future tomorrow.” I turn to the Kymao patriarch, “See things are cleaned up, organise the change of allegiance for those of the clan people left here, and provide security for the household until I say otherwise. Thank you for your prompt response and help.” He smiles while he nods acceptance of my orders before turning to issue his own orders to have mine carried out by his people.

I turn to Tora and she says, “Lord, a car waits to take us home.” I nod agreement and we leave the room. Outside another Kymao family member is in normal street clothes while holding the door of a limousine open for us. We take off our swords and climb into the back seat of the car. Relaxing back into the seat I give a heavy sigh while I ponder on why people do such evil as those men had done. I’ve many black thoughts on the drive to the Nagumi Estate.

Nagumi Estate

On arriving at the Nagumi Estate we’re directed to a guest-house that’s large enough to be called a mansion by most people. The driver stops to let us out then he drives off. On entering I’m shown to my room by Chie and she helps me to change. Several minutes later Tora and I are sitting at a table while Makha has Mayu and Chie bring us food for our dinner.

While we eat Hideko explains this house was a neighbour’s house her father bought when the owner died and his children wanted it sold. The gardens join her father’s gardens and gateways have been made in the common wall. For the duration of our stay the house and gardens are out of bounds to the main house people unless they’re invited in by us. A cook is available to cook meals if we want something fancier than what we can cook ourselves. Otherwise we’re to regard it as ours while we’re here. I nod where appropriate, but I’m very dull and subdued all through the meal - which is noticed by all of them. I enjoy the meal, but I don’t really notice what I eat. After eating I get up to go for a walk in the garden while the girls clean up and prepare for the night.

Garden Talk

The garden is beautiful with lighting perfect for night viewing. I really do enjoy the peace and solitude it gives me. Deep in the garden area is a nice pond with fish in it, I think they’re carp. I sit and think, more like brooding while I ponder my dark thoughts on people, life, and should I care about it. I sit there for some time with my dark thoughts on life in general as well as my current situation and concerns.

I don’t know how long I sit there brooding, but I’m interrupted by Chie taking a quiet walk through the garden. On seeing me she says, “It’s time you were back inside to get ready for bed, Master.” I look up at her standing in front of me and I sit up so our eyes are more level. “And it’s well past time for you to stop brooding, accept your new life, and move on.” I raise an eyebrow while I look at her. “We all know why you chose who would come and who would not. We talked about it. We’re all worried about the implications. And today’s events worry us a lot more. I was told a lot about your past in case I can help you. But I think it’s best to talk of my past, will you listen?”

I nod approval. “Thank you, Master. This may also help me to deal with it too.” I pat the seat beside me, so she sits down. “I don’t remember my parents, except as vague shapes. I do remember being in a typical house on a typical farm. I was about eight or nine when a man turned up and spoke with father about something. Father was angry and mother was crying when I and my sisters were made to line up before the man and take our clothes off. He pointed at me and said, ’This one, and all is cleared between us.’ With that I was told to dress and go with the man. He told me I was now his slave and I would do everything he wanted. For some years I was with him, I was taught much and trained to be a house and bed slave, and that’s exactly what they called it. I was taught English too because that made me more valuable to him. To him I wasn’t a person as I was just a product to be readied for sale, so I hated him. The beatings I was given when I first arrived there soon had me being obedient. I was sold to a man who bought me as a gift to gain favour, he explained the man I was being given to liked to cause pain and when tied down and hurt I should scream loudly because this made the man happy. My fate was no longer my own and I was unhappy about that. When I was handed over and saw what he did to the other girls I was disgusted. I thought I should kill myself, but no opportunity arose to do so. He was saving me and two younger girls for his birthday present to himself. He told us he’d introduce us to the full range of his toys downstairs and rape us on his birthday. He also made it clear one of us would die then. We weren’t told which one as he hadn’t yet made up his mind. We were all getting more scared each day. Two days before his birthday Kybo-san visited to discuss some business. The man normally did not do business at home, but Kybo-san was busy getting ready to go overseas. So it was either do it now while he was here in transit to another meeting or not at all. They discussed a contract that would be very profitable to the man, but Kybo-san was not that happy with the terms and he said he could do a bit better with a competitor. The man then said, ’Can the other offer you special inducements like these?’ He had us three new girls in his household come to stand before Kybo-san naked. He pointed at us three, saying, ’These are virgins.’ Kybo-san looked at us with fear in our eyes and the hope in our faces when the man said, ’Will the other offer you gifts like these?’ The man was most upset when Kybo-san said, ’no, not quite so good. I accept your gift of these three girls and the contract is yours.’ The man’s face showed the shock he had at the words of Kybo-san.”

She glances at me, “The man tried hard, but he couldn’t hide his anger at the misunderstanding of his intentions. We knew he meant to offer only one of us and Kybo-san had taken it as all of us. The wording was unclear and he now had no choice except to give Kybo-san all of us. They signed the contract and we left with Kybo-san. In the car Kybo-san’s assistant said, ’Sir, I know you don’t really approve of the giving of slaves, but accept it due to custom. Why did you take these girls?’ Kybo-san reached out and stroked my hair while saying, ’His birthday is the day after tomorrow. He normally tortures and rapes a few young virgins for his birthday, killing one or more in the process. He also spends many weeks before then studying and planning what to do with each girl. These three were his next intended victims. Now he has no time to get replacements so he’ll get no pleasure from the day, he’ll probably spend all day abusing me for taking his presents from him. He didn’t mean for me to have the three, but the way he worded the offer it was open to such an interpretation. I saw the fear in their eyes so I took them from him. He’ll make money from the deal, but it will all be as ashes in his mouth because it cost him these three girls. The pleasure of hurting him like this is well worth the cost. My only concern, now, is how to place them out of his reach. I know of two people who have claims on me that would like to claim one or more of these girls to be able to give them to him to gain status with him. Help me think on this.’ They think while we drive. The assistant said, ’Sir, the two young ones are of ages suitable to be playmates for two of your nieces. Under the conventions grown from the old laws a person can’t give away a slave unless the person is an adult, but there is no limit on when they may be given a slave. Also, there are prior cases of slaves being given to children as playmates. This would ensure the safety of the girls for many years. But I can’t think of a way to see the older one safe.’ Kybo-san nodded his agreement and thought some more. Then he said, with a smile, ’Torao. I owe him a gift, and from what Tadao tells me he will accept a slave girl to protect her. That’s how our troubles with him started as he had offered protection to the two girls Shigeo promised and he refused to break his word to let them be taken.’ I wasn’t happy about being given away, but then I realised he was talking about giving me away to protect me from the man I just left. I decided to wait until I met this Torao. I had decided I could live as a house servant or slave because I had little hope of anything more. Then I met you then you told me not to fear and my fears went away when you spoke to me. Then I knew you were a good man.”

She stops to think for a moment. “Master, in the time I’ve been your slave I’ve learned what love is and know I love you. I know you love me a little, just as you love all the others you share yourself with. But I also know you have a part of your heart hidden behind a big steel door. I’ve seen you visit that door and try to open it, removing one or more of the bars holding it shut. I’ve also seen you despair of things, like today, and you wonder if you should go on living. I don’t know what to tell you to help you to push the despair away, especially as Christmas and that day approaches, none of us do. But I ask you to seriously think on these matters before you make any decisions.” She stops talking and gulps while I study her. “Your family died. Out of that you became a lot richer. You moved to America because you needed to change your surroundings. The new wealth you have enables you to live well and do many things. You used this money and your skills to save Mai, Makha, and Mayu. This put in place a chain of events that brought Kira and Nadia to you then you changed their lives for the better. The same with Tora. Liz and Belle both say their lives weren’t worth living until you took them in. Emi and Ito have had their lives turned around for the better, the same with Dawn, Denise, Diane, and Dee. Akimi’s life couldn’t get any better. Sharon says you’ve opened her mind and given her life more meaning. The many children in the hospitals where you’ve provided help. The girls you saved today and the ones the evil ones would’ve hurt in the future, all these have been saved. Debbie and Jon when their parents were attacked. The plane of people last night, the injured we ferried today. All of the people whose lives you’ve saved and improved in a few months. How many more will you save and help in the many years to come? I know we’ve no right to feel hurt and grieve when we lose you, because you are our master. You are everything, and we are nothing. Please think of all the people you could help, but won’t be able to help if you let the despair grab you to take you away from us.” She stops when I reach out to stroke her cheek, brushing the tears away.

While gulping hard I say, “You are not nothing. You and the others are all worth more than all of the ancient artefacts in the world. Each of you is a priceless treasure and my real wealth is in the smiles you give me when happy.” She gives me a smile through her tears. “I’ll think on all this and I promise not to give into the despair until after we’ve spoken on this again.” Her smile widens. “Chie, you must study hard as I want you to become my main negotiator. You fight hard and you argue well.”

I stand up while pulling her up as well. “Come, I’ve family I didn’t realise are fully family and I need to quiet their fears.”

Walking back through the gardens I think hard on what was said. I now realise my new family means as much to me as my old family did, but I can’t name the point when that happened. I also feel less burdened by the deaths of my first family. I still miss them a great deal and I wish they hadn’t died, but the grief doesn’t feel as heavy now. I also think back on the long chain of people’s lives I’ve helped since the big change in my own circumstances.

We walk into the house to see a lot of very, very concerned faces that relax when they see us. Hideko walks over and wipes my face. When she does I realise I must have cried while we were talking, but I don’t remember crying.