Chapter 84: It's About Time

The next day...

Sajin made his way down the corridor of their base until he reached the end, where he paused in front of the door.

He knocked a few times before hearing a deep, rough voice from inside.

"Come in..."

Slowly, Sajin pushed open the door, revealing an empty room with Watanabe seated at the center.

His eyes were closed, and he sat in a lotus position, his breathing heavy.

In front of him lay his sword, a solemn presence in the quiet room.

Sajin waited patiently outside, feeling a bead of sweat trickle down his forehead under the mounting pressure.

He couldn't help but wonder, "Did he finally pull it off?"

After what seemed like ages, Watanabe slowly opened his eyes, and the room was suddenly filled with an intense aura as his Nen surged involuntarily.

Sajin felt the pressure ease as Watanabe gradually released it, allowing him to breathe a sigh of relief.

Turning to his loyal subordinate, Watanabe inquired, "What's the matter?"

He knew Sajin wouldn't disturb him in the morning unless it was urgent. 

"Boss, that old man was spotted leaving his hideout and heading to that new restaurant on the outskirts of town." 

Sajin bowed respectfully as he delivered his report to Watanabe. 

Watanabe's brow furrowed as he mulled over the information.

He remembered hearing about the restaurant that had become quite popular in the city. It had gained fame for offering affordable meals, almost like a charity.

"I see," Watanabe responded, his expression growing more serious.

The rise of this new restaurant had caught his attention, as it posed a potential threat to his group's interests

The new restaurant was becoming a popular spot for folks who usually relied on Watanabe's group for help, and this didn't sit well with them.

Watanabe's mafia group had always been the ones who gave value to the coins circulating in the city.

They'd accept them in exchange for goods, making them like real money in this tough town.

Sure, they made a tidy profit trading these coins with clients from outside with real Jenny, but they also served as a kind of local bank, keeping the community afloat.

But having another place to feed the needy wasn't part of their plan.

They couldn't risk losing their grip on the desperate folks or giving them other options!

If they let the restaurant keep doing what it was doing, Watanabe's mafia group would slowly lose their power and influence.

Watanabe scratched his chin, deep in thought, "So, how much cash have we got stashed away?"

"We're just shy of 500,000 Jenny from our target," Sajin reported.

"Excellent," Watanabe's eyes gleamed with determination.

"Looks like it's time to make our move, huh?"

They were nearly there, just a stone's throw away from gathering enough funds to expand their influence beyond their current turf.

But first...

"I might be old, but I'm still healthy and kicking. Yet, I heard the elders' dying..."

Watanabe added with a smirk which earned a surprised nod from Sajin.

"Congratulations, Boss!" Sajin couldn't contain his excitement.

That meant Watanabe might have reached a breakthrough and was confident enough to take on the elders this time.

Sajin's face turned serious, "Should we shut down that restaurant?"

"No, that's not necessary. We're almost there anyway," Watanabe shook his head, a hint of amusement in his eyes. 

Their next deal should bring in enough cash to bridge the gap and reach their goal.

He stood up as he chuckled, "Let's go give a warm welcome to these do-gooders who've been stealing our spotlight. I'm curious to meet them myself."

Sajin nodded, trying to contain his excitement.

Once they had enough funds, their next plan was to take over the city which required them to kill the elders.

With the money they'd gathered, they would expand their influence beyond its borders.

"...There's this group called the Ten Dons," Sajin thought about their long-time clients, knowing Watanabe was about to join them.

But as Watanabe's loyal right-hand man, Sajin knew his boss wouldn't want to be under anyone else's thumb.

So he grinned, "...Which means we'll be taking down the Ten Dons from the inside."

Meanwhile, on the outskirts of the city...

"..."

Sakujiro fell silent as he observed the bustling crowd gathered around the once-abandoned building, now transformed into a restaurant.

The sight left him baffled.

"He actually built a restaurant here? He must be crazy..."

He muttered to himself, watching people exit the restaurant, some patting their stomachs in satisfaction while others seemed regretful.

"Sigh..."

Sakujiro shook his head in disbelief as he approached the restaurant.

"Neechan, you didn't seem to be complaining today. What's up?"

Sakujiro recognized the childlike voice immediately and felt a wave of relief wash over him at the carefree tone.

Despite finding the child annoying at times, Sakujiro harbored a fondness for him because of the way he reminded him of Sarasa.

The roughness in his interactions with the child stemmed from his deep affection and complex emotions.

"Well, don't you ever get tired of hearing me complain?"

However, another familiar voice chimed in, causing Sakujiro to pause in his tracks.

"Actually, I do, but it's just unusual..."

"...You're brutally honest, as always."

The other voice seemed at a loss for words in the face of the child's innocent candor, prompting a chuckle from the youngster.

Sakujiro let out a sigh before he slowly pushed open the restaurant door, drawing everyone's attention.

Taka spotted Sakujiro's face lighting up with excitement and dashed over, shouting with enthusiasm. 

"Oh! Welcome, Grandpa Jiro!"

His small figure sprinted toward Sakujiro, whose expression softened at the sight of the innocent smile and eyes.

Those voices and expressions were exactly like Sarasa's.

But before the warmth could settle, Machi's angered voice shattered the moment, "You old farts! How dare you come here after avoiding me like the plague!"

Her voice reverberated across the room as she hurled her plate at Sakujiro, who effortlessly sidestepped it.

The wooden plate hit the wall with a loud thud, drawing the attention of everyone in the restaurant.

"...Quite the warm welcome, wouldn't you say?"

Sakujiro's sarcasm was met with a stoic expression as he turned to Raymond, who was cooking nearby, and shook his head.

"Do you think sarcasm is funny? You old goof!"

Machi couldn't hold back her frustration, and a stream of profanity flowed from her mouth as she pointed accusingly at Sakujiro, who remained speechless.

Taka observed the scene with interest until he felt someone behind him. He turned to see Luke approaching.

"You don't have to listen to this," Luke said, covering Taka's ears with his hands.

Confused, Taka thought to himself, "...But I can still hear her, though?"

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