It was time to put the suit on again. It had been a short two days in casual clothes save the training gi and hakama, and I felt like I had wasted them. Putting on my suit had begun to feel more like a burden every time. Black dress shirt, black tie, black coat, black pants, black socks, black shoes. When I looked at myself in the mirror though, I tugged on the lapels of my coat to smooth out the lingering wrinkles and looked down my nose at myself, and the persona of The Phoenix emerged effortlessly. I was getting older, I told myself every day, but when I put my suit on, I was transported back to the very beginning of my of my career. I was so full of myself, thinking I was immortal, untouchable, just because I could say I belonged to the Yakuza syndicate Oda-kai. I had an ego, I had a big mouth, and as many beatings as they earned me, they also helped me claw my way to the top. But I was mortal. I was more mortal than anyone with the attitude of an eighteen year old child. At thirty-five, I looked more and more like what I could remember of my father every day.

I lost my father just before my eighteenth birthday. Becoming second in command of a Yakuza syndicate was never my career plan. I wanted to be a Samurai, and I began training in martial arts when I was only five years old. I didn't know at the time that Samurai wasn't a real career past the Meiji Restoration. When I was a kid, I didn't even know what my father did for a living. He left the house in a clean and pressed suit, looked like a high class businessman, and he came home looking tired just like any other business man, though sometimes multiple days had passed. He was careful, I could remember, to keeps his tattoos covered when I was young, but as I grew older he grew more careless. I had enough street knowledge by that time to know not to ask questions, and keep my growing suspicions about his job to myself. Despite all that, he was a great man, and I aspired every day to be as strong, as courageous, as kind as he was. Family was first in his eyes. He treated my mother with the respect of royalty, and he raised me with ironclad morals and values. But as much as we were his flesh and blood, the syndicate was just as much his family. I understood after a long time, long after he was gone, that he did the things that put him in the criminal category with one family in order to protect the other. He died, and was buried, before I ever saw the motif of his tattoo, and my mother never spoke even his name again after.

My family, Obata, and the Oda family had been tied for generations. My father was second in command, in line to inherit the whole syndicate, had he lived. Oda-sama, the boss of the syndicate, had a daughter about the same time that I was born, and determined he would pass on the title to the next son. Me. So there I was still a child, thrust into the underbelly of Tokyo, the cities that the Oda-kai handled being the most dangerous, Shinjuku and Shibuya.

Most of the rival syndicates had died out, disbanded, or had more than eighty percent of their members in prison, so gaining control of other cities wouldn't have been a problem, but the time of the Yakuza was coming to a close. We were a rare breed who were still respected and feared enough to be able to trick the shady business to pay us for protection. The only other syndicate with enough nerve and luck to challenge us was Abe-kai.

"Sit down, you animals." I said as I entered the board room. Only twenty-five of the highest ranking members of Oda-kai were present in the hotel we rented out to hold meetings. There were nearly 3000 members of the syndicate, and each of the twenty-five high ranking members managed a little over 100 of the lowest ranking members spread out across the city. Everyone in the room knew my name, knew my face, knew who I was and where I came from, and knew they answered to me. Oda-sama sat at the head of the table just as a formality, and it was clear.

I stood beside Oda-sama as the rest of the men settled into the seats around the large board room table. "So, I went to visit Suzu on my day off, and the strangest thing happened." I began my story for the meeting with the anecdote, putting emphasis on the light-hearted tone of my voice. The chatter immediately died as I spoke. "A few of Abe-kai's lackeys shows up and shot the place up. Imagine that!"

I was sarcastic enough to cause the tension in the room to rise, everyone unsure of whether they should laugh along with my little story or continue to listen intently. "We have a strong presence in Shinjuku and Shibuya, but for some reason, Abe-kai thinks they can still get away with weaseling themselves in and making an appearance. Do you know why that is?"

Silence settled in the room, not one person wanting to try their luck at answering my question. "I'll tell you why. The Hostess chain Club Diamond is still operating independently. There are a staggering twenty clubs in Shinjuku and twenty-five in Shibuya that are owned by Club Diamond, some of them under different names with different themes. With this hole in our command, Abe-kai sees the opportunity to overtake some of our territory. These are big name clubs, and they make a lot of money. Abe could squeeze us out if they got Club Diamond on their payroll."

I had started to pace the front of the room, shoving my hands into the pockets of my dress pants. I could hear their minds working, trying to formulate something of value to offer me as a solution. It wasn't my job to wait for them to tell me what I should do, though. I didn't get to the top by waiting around. I got there by being reckless. "And furthermore, how did Abe-kai know where Suzu is?" I pointed into the center of the table. "We have more to worry about than we thought, so if anyone sees Abe-kai in our territory, I am to be informed. Understand? They will be brought to headquarters, tortured, questioned, and sent back to Abe alive as a message." I paused to put emphasis on my words. "Alive."

I waited for a while before continuing, allowing the information to sink in. I stole a side glance at Oda-sama to read his expression, looking for any sign that I might have been undermining his authority. He gave me so such sign, not even a side glance in return. I continued. "As for Club Diamond. A demonstration of just how dangerous the city can be is exactly what they need to be persuaded to buy our protection. We're going to hit all the clubs in one night. Each of you need to organize your lowest ranking for the raids, because they must not be recognizable as part of a syndicate. We have to make it look like biker gangs, not organized crime. I'll send the details after conducting a canvas." I sat down in the chair beside Oda-sama, leaning back, crossing one leg over the other, folding my hands neatly together in my lap. "This city is ours. Now get out of here."

As the board room door shut, I doubled over, landing with my elbows on the table and my head in my hands. "This is not what I wanted." I said to Oda-sama. He didn't move in his chair, sitting steadfast like a king on his throne. Oda-sama was a proper gangster, his Elvis inspired hairstyle, bulky gold rings, pinstripes in his suit. Someone forgot to tell him the 50s were over, and he missed the memo.

"That's all we're good for these days." Was all he said.

"I wanted to start turning this around."

"You can't turn it around until everyone knows you're the one in control." Wise words from a well respected man I couldn't argue. "Once you have that power, you can do anything you want. No one will question you. But that's power you have to take. It can't be earned."

"Did you ever imagine me here when you took me on at eighteen?"

He chuckled, looking at his hands, his fingers interlaced over his mid section. "Of course I did. You just weren't as tired then. You're tired now. We're all tired."

"I'll bring an end to this. The battles, the fights, the injuries, the deaths." I leaned back in my chair and reached to place my hand atop his shoulder. "Then we can just sit back and let the money pour in."

"I'll get my finest whiskey ready."