Passing the Baton

The Untamed Wolf

When I woke up I did my normal morning routine. I started making breakfast, and exercised while I waited for it to cook. I ate quickly, showered, and got dressed in a blue short-sleeve shirt, black basketball pants, my new hoodie, and new black sneakers. I went outside and sat on the stairs leading up to my apartment. I leaned back and closed my eyes while I waited for Masami to show up.

"Oi Ryu-chan! No sleeping until after we're done collecting." I heard Masami shout as I sat up. She was wearing a blue bomber jacket, black leggings, red shirt, and blue sneakers. Her metal bat was slung over her shoulder, and her pink hair was in a bun.

"Don't worry I'm awake Masami-san. So who're we collecting from today?" I asked as I walked down the stairs to start my first job as a Yakuza member.

"We're getting protection money from some stores around the outdoor mall. It shouldn't be too difficult except for one place." Masami told me as we started walking down the street towards the outdoor mall.

"What place might be difficult?" I asked her as she sighed in annoyance.

"Man I hate even thinking about that asshole. He runs a small incense store in the mall. He keeps complaining that we're charging too much for protection, but he doesn't know how much the Omi have been placing pressure on us. It sucks but we're in the middle Omi territory, so we charge extra for protection because of the risk of any fight turning into a bigger issue." Masami explained as we walked by Ebisu Pawn Shop.

"He should be grateful he's getting protection at all. I'm guessing not many families would protect a small incense store in the first place." I said as she laughed a little under her breath.

"Ya know for someone who wasn't a Yakuza yesterday you've got a good head for this stuff. Normally he wouldn't be offered protection because he's relatively unimportant, but we offered one store in the mall protection. Then when the other stores saw some of our guys fighting off the Omi they all wanted our protection, and we aren't going to turn down easy money." Masami explained as we started walking down the rows of stores in the outdoor mall.

"Here's this months payment."

"I barely scraped it together this month."

"Man this month was good. I added some extra for you guys for the good work you've done for me."

We heard more comments like that as we walked, and the further we walked the more I smelled something familiar. I saw smoke in the air in front of us, and figured we were about to see the incense store. I was finally able to place the smell as we stood in front of the store. It was the incense called Dragon's Blood which was always one of my favorites.

"Oi! Tanba-san it's time to pay your protection fee." Masami yelled as a short middle-aged man with a beer belly looked up from behind his little kiosk that held his incense and burners. He grew a scowl the moment he saw Masami, and snapped his fingers.

"I'm not paying bitch. I've got some new protection that'll work for less than you lazy bums." Tanba said as I saw a man who had been leaning on a wall behind the kiosk start walking towards us. The man was as tall as I was, so 5'11 or close to it, and he seemed to have a good amount of muscle mass. He looked to be around my age, and had medium length purple hair. He had brown eyes and the look in his eyes reminded me of a rabid animal. He wore a red unzipped hoodie with a black undershirt, blue jeans, and a pair of red sneakers. It was weird but I swear he seemed familiar somehow.

"I met this kid when I saw him beating 15 Omi alliance guys at once. So I don't think I'll need your protection anymore." Tanba said as the guy was clearly staring at me, and I turned my head to stare back. After a few seconds the guy suddenly rushed me, and threw a quick punch. I was so surprised at the sudden movement that I couldn't block or dodge. His fist connected with my jaw, and it felt like I was hit by a brick. I was sent flying a few feet away, and landed on my back. I stood up and that punch reminded me of who this guy was. Back in Ijincho I needed money, and they were holding amateur boxing matches. I joined the middleweight division, and quickly became champion. This guy was there too he was the heavyweight champion.