---
The Yamashita compound had been cleaned.
The blood was gone. The bamboo floors had been scrubbed and re-oiled until they gleamed under the soft lighting. The dojo where Kenshiro Yamashita had died was empty except for a single photograph on a wooden stand, the Demon of Shinjuku in his prime, black hair untouched by grey, eyes sharp with the hunger of a man building an kingdom.
Kaguya Yamashita knelt before the photograph. She had been kneeling for an hour. Her legs had gone numb thirty minutes ago. She didn't move.
The door behind her slid open. Soft footsteps. The scent of green tea.
"Grand Oyabun." The voice was deferential, careful. "The Gathering."
Kaguya didn't turn. "Tell them to wait."
"Hai."
The door slid shut. Silence returned.
Kaguya looked at Kenshiro's photograph. His smile in the image was faint, knowing, the smile of a man who had already seen the shape of his death and made peace with it.
"Old sentimental fool."
Kaguya rose up with a snap, and put on her black kimono robe laced with golden red dragons. A symbol of her status as Grand Oyabun.
....
The Hall of Demons.
The Hall was a massive space in a separate building in the Yamashita compound in Shinjuku and in here was an open discussion among the gathered, an assembly of minor syndicate leaders that was absorbed into the Yamashita-gumi by Kenshiro during his prime as the "Demon of Shinjuku." The shatter immediately stopped upon the arrival of Kaguya.
One would think that upon the death of the tyrant Kenshiro, it will be an opportunity for usurpation among the gathered here. Kaguya presence was more than enough to incite more fear among the gathered.
The oldest Oyabun of one of the minor syndicate spoke up. "Kaguya we mourn the death of the previous Grand Oyabun and we are enraged of what happened to him. For an outsider, one he took in to betray him like so...it is a great tragedy."
No one else said anything but there expressions shown different opinion on the matter.
'Speak for yourself old man.'
'Good riddance that demon is dead, at least my father is avenged.'
'If it wasn't for the unusual strength and demonic reputation of Kaguya...'
'Finally someone took down that demon, I would like to meet him and see if I can use him.'
Kaguya eyes ran through the expression of each member of the gathering one by one before taking a deep breath.
"Mmm, I don't need to waste words or accept it from agitated vipers... she looked around the table once again stopping at the old man then at each member."
"I am the Grand Oyabun." Kaguya declared.
No one refuted, even though they all knew the real truth.
"And I will kill the Outsider." Kaguya said as a matter of fact.
"I just need your... unwavering cooperation."
Kaguya walked towards the old man, all eyes were watching curious and nervous. The old man was nervous but his years of accommodating someone like Kenshiro has made him able to keep his emotions in check. Kaguya stopped between him and a middle aged Oyabun, one whose Yakuza clan hasn't been long since it was absorbed by Kenshiro.
Kaguya face came very close in between the old man's and the middle aged Oyabun side. Both nervous but the old man seem rather composed. Her hands pressed the back of their necks, caressing them gently. "There was once a story, it was about a rabbit and a lion. The rabbit was subservient to the lion and everyday the rabbit betrayed him over and over again. But do you know what was funny about that." Kaguya said into the ears of the old man. "The lion surprisingly left the rabbit alone. Do you know why despite how obvious it was to everyone?"
"No." the old man said with a mix of confidence and anxiety.
"Well am going to let you all take a guess." Kaguya moved around the round table and started placing white cards on the table for each member. She later returned to her seat but didn't seat on it yet, just stood behind the chair. She hadn't sat on it since arriving.
"Pick up the cards and turn it over." Kaguya said.
Everyone picked up there cards, some got a red card others a black card.
"The ones who possesses a black card... Kill yourself."
"....?!"
"What! You can't do this to us!"
"You need us Kaguya!"
"You're worst than the demon!"
Almost immediately it became chaotic, as the Oyabuns read their files and picked up a black card. They didn't expect an immediate purge on a day like this. Kaguya loyal men flooded the Hall as each Oyabun's armed men pointed guns and katanas at each other. Kaguya maintained a composed demeanor throughout.
"To answer that question about the rabbit. The lion wanted the rabbit to turn itself in or.... die by the lion's own claws himself." Kaguya made a strange gesture and the old man from earlier swung a katana from his personal guard's sheath and killed the middle aged Oyabun by his side who had a black card and his guards in one swift unexpected move. The old man had a red card.
"Now this is loyalty. " Kaguya made a casual expression. Every Oyabun looked at each other and realized something, kill yourself or the others will. It wasn't long the Hall became a slaughter house.
---
After the deaths, The oldest Oyabun here stood still blood thickening on his katana, some already had their guns and blades on the table. "Kenjiro?" Kaguya called out the old man's name for the first time.
"Yes, Grand Oyabun." Kenjiro understanding Kaguya intent placed his own weapon on the table. "Since the traitors and weaker ones have been purged let's get down to the real business at hand. The only business at hand." Kaguya finally sat on Kenshiro's chair.
"Let's Kill an Outsider."
"Goro." Kaguya called the former left hand of Kenshiro, now hers. "I have a job for you."
"Hai, Grand Oyabun. I Goro Nakamura is here to serve."
Goro Nakamura a giant of a man, middle aged, knelt down before Kaguya. Kaguya for the first time smirked, she will prove Kenshiro wrong by making herself right by any means necessary. Such is the demon's path.