Chapter 231 - "The Back of the Man Part 4 - A Hair-Trigger Crisis" Fudousawa: Why you, street fighter.. What do you mean by this?! Zanza: Nothing... just that I've bought this fight, so I need no interference of yours. Fudousawa (baring his right arm): Do not make too much of yourself, boy... Fudousawa's uncle: Oh, so you're the street fighter we talked last night? You have quite a spirit, but now unfortunately you are needed no more. I have everything taken care of by now. But don't worry, I'll pay you handsomely, as much as you wish. How much do you want? Zanza: Haven't we met before? Fudousawa's uncle (retreating a few steps): What? Why should I have met with a vulgar man like you? (don't come closer!) Zanza: No, I'm sure we have met before. It's impossible to forget such a funny face like yours, I've met you... (he remembers the Jin-Eh affair) YEAH! THE FATTY PIG FROM THE JIN-EH AFFAIR! (Fudousawa's uncle (Tani Juusaburoh) finally remembers Zanza -- see volume 2) Tani: -------------!!!!!!!!!!!!! Zanza: So, even in a countryside like this, you come along with a buncha yakuza and make such a big face, making here the hall of the mountain king, eh? If you want so badly to be the king of kings, and the Lord of the Lords, at least you should evolve from a pig to a monkey first . Uki (trying to avoid laughing): !! (As usual, he has such a sharp tongue!) (Tani gets enraged as people around him laugh in a mocking tone) Tani: Let's go, Fudousawa! Fudousawa: Uncle? Tani: Let's go! (Zanza and Fudousawa stare at each other) Fudosawa: You should know that recklessness leads to death. Remember that. Zanza: A Mr. M shouldn't be talking like a certain policeman I know. Fudousawa (to his acolytes): Let's go, men! Today we are the ones who retreat! (the crowd cheers) Crowd: Wow, he drove Fudousawa away! Yeah, it serves them right! (Uki sighs in relief. Zanza looks sideways to Outa) Zanza: Feh. Outa: ..... (Kamishimoemon drives a wild punch at Zanza's face) Kamishimoemon: TO HELL WITH YOUR "FEH"!!! I TRY SO HARD TO BE PACIENT AND ENDURING, AND ALL OF A SUDDEN NOT ONLY YOU BREAK IN, BUT ALSO YOU TAINT THEM!!! YOU MAKE ME ENVIOUS, YOU GODDAMN FAGGOT!!! Zanza (quickly picking up a fight with his father): YOU ARE THE FAGGOT!!! Uki(enraged): Stop that, you two! (the scene shifts to Tani and Fudousawa) Fudousawa: What happened, uncle? Why did we retreat? Did you think I could not defeat just a petty obnoxious street fighter? Tani: No, it's not that! I can easily destroy him with my political power. (showing Kenshin) The problem is the man who stands with that street fighter. If we make him our enemy, we won't be able to defeat him even if we employ an entire military unit. No, not only that, we would end up making the Minister Yamagata Aritomo and all the Choushuu people from politics and finance our enemies... and if that happens, my political life will face its end... if that man gets involved in this case, the problem will get much wider than this post town... (to Fudousawa) Fudousawa! We have no time to lose! Finish all this matter tonight! Do that before that man arrives here. I don't care about the means! WIPE THEM OUT! ALL OF THEM!! Leave no traces of them behind! Fudousawa (grins): Roger that. To tell you the truth, I have been waiting for those words. I don't like the smartish maneuvers of tricksters we have been doing until now. (The owl howls as the scene shifts again, now to the Higanidani's) Uki (sighing): Oh boy, in the end we could make no money from the straw hats and we got involved again in trouble... today was a really bad day... Zanza (also sighing) : INDEED. Uki (enraged): BUT YOU ARE THE WORST OF THE DAY!! (knocking him with the rice spoon) To begin with, why are you at our home? Zanza: Oh, shut up, ask that to the man (pointing to Kamishimoemon) who forced me to come here. Kamishimoemon (puffing his pipe): I brought him here because he's TOO MUCH of an IDIOT. So I was planning to teach him some good manners tonight. (they quickly engage into a fight, making Uki mad again) Uki: FIGHT AFTER THE DINNER!! You're raising too much dust around here! (filling a bowl of rice and handing it to Outa) Here, Outa, take it! (Outa takes it to a small family shrine, a small monument tablet with some flowers and some incense sticks burning. Zanza looks in a puzzled way.) Kamishimoemon: That's my wife. She got ill when she gave birth to Outa. Two years ago she passed away due to influenza. (Zanza opens his eye wide) Zanza: Oh, is that so? I thought she had left you, given your temper. (he stands up) Kamishimoemon: Don't talk nonsense, we were always in deep love with each other. (Uki and Outa are offering their prayers. They are surprised to see that Sano also came to offer his.) Uki (thinking): This guy... Zanza (turning himself): So, if we're done, shall we eat now? Uki (thinking, outraged): THIS GUY DID THAT ONLY TO EAT SOONER?! (without looking at the scene, Kamishimoemon puffs his pipe) Kamishimoemon: Feh... (Suddenly, Zanza and Kamishimoemon hear steps outside. They stand up. Zanza punches the palm of his right hand, ready for the fight.) Kamishimoemon: Wait. You're too hasty, it's not good. (knocks on the door.) Voice: Mister... Kamishimoemon: Oh, the owner of Sakura-ya. What do you want from me this late at night? (they open the door. The people from the village have brought many things, like rice, sake, wood and crops) Kamishimoemon: What the heck is this? Owner: What, this is the payment for the straw hats (several villagers are with him.) Owner: Fudousawa threatened us not to buy your straw hats, but he didn't say anything about exchanging them with goods. Villagers: The crops are our way of showing our gratitude. We own you lots of things. Uki (smiling widely in happiness): You... Owner (clenching his fist): Mister, we've decided. We are also going to fight. Now that things have come up to this level, we can't let you face everything alone. Villagers: Yeah, from now on, let's fight together and let's defeat them together! Uki (smiling widely in happiness): You... Zanza (serious): Wait. Your foes are yakuza, and they have plenty of experience in fighting. You won't stand against them. Uki: What, you...!! Kamishimoemon: That idiot is right. Owner: Mister! Kamishimoemon: If amateur people like you engage in this fight, the consequences will surely be very harsh. If that happens, I won't be happy even if we win. You keep on living your lives like you have been doing up to now. (clenching his fist) Don't worry, we don't have to join forces. If we join our feelings, I become a hundred times stronger! Villagers: !! Owner: Mister... Kamishimoemon: Don't worry, soon this will be over. (turning to Uki) Hey, Uki, get more dishes and chopsticks. Uki: Eh? Kamishimoemon: These arguments of the Sakura-ya's owner won't convince those yakuza. Let's eat all of this right now. No one can complain if we hold a "party" now. So, get in, everybody. Zanza (whispering to Kamishimoemon): Hey, what do you intend to do? I haven't talked about you going to the fight all alone. Better stop if you really intend to fight this all alone. Even if you win, you'll be crushed with the political power of that fatty pig. Kamishimoemon: Heh, you talk too big. To begin with, it was you who provoked them for this fight. (smiles faintly) But... it was useful, nevertheless, since now I can see an end for all this. Zanza: What? Kamishimoemon: Nah... nothing. But you don't have to tell me. I know that winning the fight is secondary, and that the true victory is the protection of this post town. (the scene shifts for the countryside. In the darkness, several torches are lit, highlighting the faces of countless yakuza.) Fudousawa (grinning, with his chin on his hand): Heh, an all-out attack is what a fight is. We the yakuza should always act so. (to Tani) But all this will be meaningless if I get arrested in the end. I leave everything in your hands, uncle. Tani (gritting his teeth): Yeah, I know. I can do anything to keep you from the jail. We still have time before Battousai arrives. Let's put an end in this, with your power of violence and with my political power!! Fudousawa (to his men): OKAY, LET'S GO, MEN! WE ARE TWO HUNDRED MEN! KILL EVERYBODY WHO STANDS AGAINST US!!! (end of chapter 231) Any comments, please e-mail me. Serizawa Kamo serizawa@excite.com