Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction ❯ Balance of Power ❯ Journey Political Battles ( Chapter 15 )

Journey

Chapter 9

Political Battles

Minoru and Kimura took their seats at one of the unoccupied booths inside the café. The place seemed cozy enough so they decided to order some coffee.

"It seems that our guest is not here," Minoru observed once the waitress was out of earshot.

"It would be just like Koga to be late," Kimura added bitterly.

Minoru nodded his agreement. Koga was a political officer for the Politburo, as well as one of the biggest black market operatives in China. Minoru almost always found himself comparing the man to Toshi. They were both highly skilled and effective in the underworld, but that seemed to be the limit in which the two were alike. While Toshi had used his intelligence to gain power, Koga had used his sheer amount of resources to overpower anyone that tried to oppose him. Toshi had refused to cooperate with the Oyabun or any other Kyodai, but Koga was always willing to kiss some ass. Minoru had to respect Koga for that, but if he had his way, Koga would be the next in line for elimination right after Seiji Inafune.

Minoru's eyes were again drawn to Kimura's left hand, towards the tip of his index finger, which was significantly shorter that the others. He was going crazy trying to figure out just what the hell Kimura could have done to warrant that sort of response from the Oyabun.

His curiosity got the better of him and asked, earning a look that could have frozen the boiling tea they had been served. Kimura replied that the matter was of no concern to Minoru. Minoru replied that since he was a Yakuza clan member he had a right to know. After two minutes of silence Minoru was about to go onto other business when Kimura spoke up.

"It happened after you were given the assignment to work for Maruyama. The Oyabun was having a special dinner and he said that he would appreciate it if I would come. I went along, and was introduced to his daughter, Mariko, who had just turned twenty one. We got to talking and eventually the other guests drifted out of the room and we were all alone. She told me that there was something in her room that she wanted to show me."

Minoru's eyebrows shot up and his mouth opened. "My god."

"Yes," Kimura nodded gravely, "it was not something she wanted to show me, it was something she wanted to do to me. And I, the ever naïve fool, followed her." He shook his head sadly. "It turns out I was her first."

"What did you do after?" Minoru asked, horrified.

"I tried to run," Kimura said shamefully. "But she threw herself at me and started to cry. The Oyabun had decided that she was going to marry a Kyodai from Hokkaido, in an effort to improve relations. She begged me to stay."

"So what did you do?"

"I stayed," Kimura nearly whispered. "I held her in my arms as she cried," Kimura looked thoughtful for a second, "she told me she loved me."

Minoru nearly choked on his tea.

"I told her that she was a fool and I laughed. The hurt look that she gave me was enough to make any man break down. She told me to get the hell out, but I couldn't do something like that, not when she as hurting so much."

Minoru was speechless. When he had first met the Oyabun's daughter he had gotten the impression that she was a frigid bitch, even if she did have a great piece of ass. Now he was hearing that she had slept with Kimura, four years his senior, in a matter of two hours after meeting him. It was not the fact that Kimura had slept with Maiko that angered him, it was because the girl had blatantly turned down his own advances. Minoru was twenty four years old, solidly built with a runner's body. He considered himself handsome, but Minoru was smart enough to realize that that when compared to Kimura, he may as well have been a gargoyle. Kimura was the sort of man that the military would put on a recruiting poster. His face was something that you'd expect on a movie star, and his body was a reflection of a life spent doing hard labor as a soldier within the Yakuza.

Minoru was snapped from his brooding when he realized that Kimura was talking again.

"-ped my arms around her and kissed the top of her head, I asked her how she could possibly love me if I had only met her a few hours ago. She said she didn't know but she loved me nonetheless."

"So the Oyabun found out huh?" Minoru asked, some humility touching his voice. Luckily for him, Kimura was too distracted by his thoughts to notice.

"Not at first," Kimura said, "but after three months I think he began to be a little suspicious. And then, the week before we had decided to elope, I was called before the Oyabun. When I got to his office I was ambushed and beaten with bats by his bodyguards. After that they proceeded to stomp and kick me until I was near unconsciousness. I couldn't even stand so they picked me up by the neck. I was thrown into a chair and the Oyabun, very calmly told me that if I ever touched his daughter again he would kill me and put Mariko through what he just did to me."

"There was no doubt that he would do it so I had to agree. I tried to leave, thinking that that was it, when I was roughly forced back to the chair again. I began to protest but I was soon quieted when the Oyabun held a combat knife in front of me," Kimura's words became cold with barely concealed fury. "I knew what was coming so I simply held out my hand. He slowly slid the knife across my flesh, drawing blood. A gasp escaped my throat and as it did so, one of the men holding me threw a punch, connecting with my jaw. The Oyabun dug the knife in deeper and again I cried out, earning another punch. This continued until the knife was positioned halfway through the bone of my finger, at this point the knife was withdrawn. Instead of finishing the job with the knife, the Oyabun began to twist and pull on my finger, slowly ripping the flesh and finally, snapping the bone."

Minoru cringed, though he felt that Kimura had deserved such disciplinary action, to receive it in such a barbaric way was a little too much for him.

"I past out from the pain and when I next awoke I was in a hospital. A note was sitting on a tray beside me, once I read it I knew my life was over. When I was fully recovered, the Oyabun would send for me, and I would live the rest of my days within the Yakuza."

Kimura was silent after and Minoru had no words of comfort for him. Minoru was beginning to understand just why Kimura no longer seemed to have the look of mischief that used to always be in his eyes. He was interrupted from further thoughts when a short swarthy Chinese man approached the table.

"I'm sorry comrades, I had some previous business that needed my immediate attention," the man said as he slid into the booth, beside Kimura.

"It is alright Koga, we have not waited that long," Minoru said with feigned respect. "So what was so important that it needed your immediate attention?"

Koga smiled, it was meant to show his amusement, but instead it succeeded in creeping Minoru and Kimura out.

"After your meeting with Toji I received a call from him. It seems he didn't want to wait for the approval of the other distributors on the assassination of Seiji Inafune. I owed him a favor so I discreetly called some friends in the Politburo and alerted them to the fact that there were five Japanese citizens traveling within China on diplomatic passports with absolutely no relation to any diplomatic or government agency."

"You had better be joking Koga," Minoru's voice carried a deadly edge to it.

Koga was not a man that could be intimidated easily by any man under him so he rose to the challenge.

"I believe that I have proven myself to not be the kind of person that would not kid around on subjects that directly affect the state. Now if you are finished with your unnecessary questions I will continue."

Minoru glared at Koga but remained silent. He was smart enough to realize that if he were to arouse the man's anger he would be facing a man that had the political support of the Politburo.

"Well, to my surprise the Defense Minister sent a Special Forces team to arrest them. They shut off the power to the Underground Dragon and entered the train that Seiji and his friends boarded. But it seems that such a thing could not contain the man and he escaped through a faulty window."

"Damn that fool!" Minoru nearly shouted. "If the Politburo were to capture Seiji they would be able to find out everything about the Yakuza, bringing the entire clan to their knees in front of the Chinese."

Minoru and Kimura were startled when Koga started to laugh.

"I don't find any bit of this funny Koga," Minoru growled.

"Comrades, I don't think you completely understand what's going on. If the Politburo were to capture Seiji Inafune they would hand them over to the Yakuza without a word."

Minoru and Kimura shared a puzzled expression on their faces.

"Perhaps you should explain what you mean Koga," Kimura said, speaking up for the first time since Koga arrived. "And I think it would be best if we found a more secure location."

Koga nodded his agreement and got up from the table, leaving enough money to cover the bill and for a healthy tip.

"Perhaps you gentleman would like to join me on a walk through the streets," Koga said.

"That would be for the best," Kimura said following him with Minoru close behind.

The person in the booth next to the three quickly finished scanning the café for any other people leaving with them. He paid his bill and threw his coat on, following the others from a short distance.

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Koga offered the others a cigarette, and was declined, he shrugged and retrieved a match with which he lit up. The three had ended up walking down the residential areas of Xining, moving at a pace that was neither quick nor slow. Unbeknownst to them the man from the restaurant was keeping up his own pace but kept several meters back, lest he become noticed.

"Taiwan's President is making an official visit to the United States this month," Koga said as he exhaled the smoke. "It has been reported that Lee's intentions to visit his alma mater, Cornell University, in Ithaca, New York. Beijing does not believe for a second that this is true, they think that he is going to promote Taiwan's independence."

"What does that have to do with the Yakuza, China and Taiwan have always been at each others throats," Minoru said.

China and Taiwan are what most people would call a situation bound for civil war. Taiwan has historically been part of China. After Japan lost World War II, the Chinese regained control of Taiwan. When the Nationalists lost a civil war against Mao Tse-tung's Communist forces, they fled to Taiwan. With U.S support the Nationalists set up a government-in-exile. China has regarded Taiwan as a renegade province ever since.

As time went on, Taiwan has joined and been suspended from many international agencies, which is a result of mainland China's influence. Nations wishing to enjoy trade and diplomatic relations with China must first, in a bow to Beijing, renounce official ties with Taiwan. The United States took the pledge in 1978, agreeing to tow a carefully scripted policy line: "There is only one China and Taiwan is a part of China." But even though the United Stated took this pledge they have enjoyed a close relationship with Taiwan, supplying them with defensive weapons. But because of the "One China" policy, Taiwan has been denied membership in the United Nations.

The bad blood between Taiwan and China has escalated in the past years with Taiwan starting its own presidential elections, and China retaliating by holding massive military war games on Taiwan's soil. This action by Beijing is to show that if the people of Taiwan were to vote against China, then the next time they see these weapons, they will not be there for demonstration. This type of effort by Beijing proved successful and they have continued to do so as election time rolls near.

The support for Taiwanese nationalists had fallen to 51 percent after the previous election, and the Pro-Beijing faction tripled their seats in parliament. With Taiwan declaring that they would hold their direct legislative elections in the winter of 1995, Beijing has escalated their efforts to persuade the people of Taiwan.

"It has everything to do with them but I cannot explain that at this time, so instead I will explain to you just why I have brought this matter to you," Koga took a deep breath and paused, collecting the facts in his mind. "Beijing is going to try and take Taiwan back with force."

His admission was greeted with stunned silence; Koga took another drag on his cigarette and discarded it. He reached into an inside pocket of his overcoat and retrieved to thin pieces of paper, and handed them to Minoru and Kimura.

He waited in silence as the two Yakuza members scanned the document, not noticing the man that crossed the street and took off at a sprint once he rounded the corner.

===============

Ishii stopped to collect his thoughts. It was bad enough that he had found out that Minoru was the person that had been putting all the heat on Seiji, but to overhear a matter of international proportions was too much for him to handle. He needed to find Seiji and find him fast.

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Author's Notes: China and Taiwan have had a very turbulent relationship for the past fifty years. There have been constant attempts by the Politburo to try and get Taiwan to return to the mainland. This has helped inspire the rest of the events of this story.