"Tsunoguchi Shigeyoshi…" Amuro Tooru narrowed his eyes, quickly connected the name to someone. "I remember this man. He's the son-in-law of the Minister of Transportation, hmm…"
In Japan's zaibatsu and noble circles, their understanding of "bloodline" is often just "same last name." Even top financial groups like Mitsubishi and Mitsui have passed leadership down to adopted sons or sons-in-law over generations. There are also many intermarriages, creating a complicated web of "noble and wealthy families."
It's the same in the Conan world. If Sonoko Suzuki plans to inherit the Suzuki Financial Group in the future but isn't good at business, then Kyogoku Makoto would likely change his name to Makoto Suzuki and become the new head of the Suzuki family.
Tsunoguchi Shigeyoshi was able to climb to his current position mainly because he married the daughter of the Tsunoguchi family. He relied on his father-in-law's long-time influence in politics to move up.
Having an illegitimate child would be a huge stain for him. He needed to maintain a proper image in public and also keep receiving support from his wife's family. This child could bring him a devastating blow.
Seeing Amuro Tooru start to understand, Kazawa nodded and continued explaining Tsunoguchi Hayato's situation: "When he was ten, Tsunoguchi Shigeyoshi took him away and threw him into the organization's base for training. He's someone with completely severed social ties."
What Kazawa didn't say out loud was that Hayato was a lot like the original Kazawa Akira—he had almost no personal relationships. He was practically the perfect person to impersonate.
Also, Kazawa had his own private reasons.
The research of Kazawa's parents had been used by the organization for many years—basically ever since Hikari Hoshikawa was taken. When Kazawa Akira was ten, his parents were kidnapped and taken by the organization. That same year, Tsunoguchi Hayato was sent into the organization's base. Kazawa didn't believe there wasn't any connection between these events.
In a way, Tsunoguchi Hayato was also a victim of cognitive science. He had grown up completely under the control of the organization, likely brainwashed for years. A person like that wouldn't be doubted by the organization at all.
"So, other than Tsunoguchi Shigeyoshi himself, there's basically no one who really knows him." From what Kazawa described, Amuro Tooru understood that this "Goro Akechi" Kazawa was playing… was Tsunoguchi Hayato's true identity. He finally realized and had to admit—Kazawa's choice was indeed smart. "He grew up in the organization, and the only one who could recognize him is his biological father, Tsunoguchi Shigeyoshi. He has no other relatives or friends, and not even a real social identity. It really is a useful identity…"
The rest of his sentence was unpleasant, so he didn't say it. After all, to completely replace a real person would involve dirty methods—like how the organization replaced Kazawa: by killing him.
Amuro Tooru felt heavy inside, but he didn't say anything. He didn't want to see Kazawa actually get blood on his hands just to get revenge on the organization… He looked at Kazawa, waiting for him to go on.
"He's still alive and well. What are you thinking, Bourbon-senpai?" Kazawa said with sarcasm.
Amuro Tooru shrugged innocently. "I was just going to say that even if you had done it… I could understand."
"You'd better mean that." Kazawa fake-smiled.
Amuro Tooru looked away and didn't respond.
Kazawa didn't explain further to him. He only said one last thing: "He really hates the name Tsunoguchi Hayato. He hates his father. You can call him Hikari Hoshikawa."
At that point, Kazawa recalled the first time he met Hikari Hoshikawa.
He was a boy who had lost all vitality. His brown hair was about the same color as Kazawa's, but unkempt. Messy bangs had grown past his eyebrows and almost covered his eyes. Through the gaps in his hair, you could barely see his lifeless eyes.
When Kazawa walked into the room and turned on the lights, he saw a stranger standing on the balcony. The boy didn't panic or ask questions like a normal person. He just calmly closed the door and raised a gun at Kazawa.
"Who are you?" Hoshikawa asked in a flat tone.
"You're Tsunoguchi Hayato, right? The illegitimate son of Tsunoguchi Shigeyoshi." Kazawa, in his joker form, didn't dodge. He stood right in front of the boy. His silver hair floated in the wind, glowing under the moonlight. He looked unnatural, almost demonic.
Hoshikawa didn't flinch. He pulled the trigger without hesitation.
Kazawa immediately dodged the bullet, not surprised by the boy's attack.
This wasn't a normal kid. During the years he should've been learning and forming values, he was thrown into brutal training. He had become a brainwashed killer. In the palace of Tsunoguchi Shigeyoshi's mind, his version of Hoshikawa was like a chained dog, barking in a cage. That alone showed how bad his life was.
"Do you want to leave here? Want to get revenge on your father?" Kazawa asked directly. "Do you want to get your soul back and break free of the brainwashing?"
Hoshikawa raised his gun again. Another shot.
This time, Kazawa didn't dodge. He stood still and let the bullet go through his chest, though there wasn't even a scratch.
…Actually, there was. The burn from the bullet hurt so much that Kazawa secretly clenched his teeth. But he had expected this. He knew this brainwashed assassin wouldn't listen to reason.
So this time, he didn't use the "Twenty Faces" persona. He used the Persona he was most comfortable with: Orpheus, the female MC's P3F starter. Its physical immunity and quick regeneration let him heal instantly. It was a medical miracle.
But it still hurt.
As for his clothes… have you ever seen Joker's phantom thief outfit get damaged?
Theoretically, as long as Kazawa stayed in his Joker form, he was even more invincible than Conan logic itself. Sadly, his actual skills couldn't be used in the real world. He was more like a durable punching bag with some cool powers.
Seeing this scene, Hoshikawa froze.
He trusted his aim. That gun had always been with him. By any logic, this man shouldn't still be standing there unharmed.
But he was.
"Did you see that?" Kazawa tilted his head and said gently, like someone selling insurance. "I have some unusual powers. I can do what I promised—whether it's letting you go free or helping you take revenge on your father… In fact, if you turn around and walk out the door right now, no one will stop you. You're completely free."
Hoshikawa looked down at the gun in his hand, slowly lowered it, and said his first real sentence:
"Don't call me Tsunoguchi Hayato. I'm Hikari Hoshikawa."
"Hikari Hoshikawa… Got it." Kazawa smiled, jumped onto the railing of the balcony, looked down at him, and stretched out his hand. "So, will you come with me?"
Hoshikawa looked up at this strange intruder.
The night breeze lifted Kazawa's scarf like a flag, and it also blew Hoshikawa's messy bangs aside, revealing his amber-colored eyes.
It was hard to say whether it was Kazawa's words that touched him, or this surreal scene that enchanted him—but Hoshikawa stepped forward and grabbed Kazawa's hand.
And just like that, he boarded the thief's ship.
After getting to know him better, Kazawa was shocked to realize that once Hoshikawa cleaned himself up, he really looked a lot like a certain P5 famous traitor—Pancake Boy Goro Akechi.
Same hair color, similar length. Eye color was lighter, but still pretty close. With some cleanup, it really worked.
What a coincidence! Akechi Goro was also the illegitimate son of a politician!
Everything matched up!
Maybe out of a sense of mischief—or as a tribute to the original game—Kazawa's master escape plan started to take shape.
Everyone knows—well, at least players know—that there's a classic scene in Persona 5 where the Phantom Thieves escape a crisis using a mental version of the MC created inside Sae Nijima's palace. Akechi Goro thought he killed the real MC, but only shot the palace version. The real MC was still alive in the real world.
Brilliant. Let's do that!
Kazawa had already tested status effects in Tsunoguchi Shigeyoshi's palace the first time he entered.
He couldn't recreate the organization's brainwashing drugs, so he tried using physical means in the Metaverse. After five turns of "brainwashing," the shadow version of Tsunoguchi Hayato started to change. Tsunoguchi Shigeyoshi's memory of his son got fuzzy.
That's why Kazawa had the confidence to tell Hoshikawa that he could leave now and truly be free.
After mapping out the whole plan, Kazawa spent several days enduring Tsunoguchi's disgusting nightclub, beating up his shadow over and over, and piling on status effects—confusion, brainwash, the whole package.
And so…