Hanae took a breath. "It's bad. Roppongi is crawling with foreign syndicates. The protection rackets are gone. The legitimate businesses were sold. The treasury is empty. The sword—"
"I know about the sword," her father interrupted, voice tight with rage. "Jiro showed it to me before he started the heavy drugs. Told me he'd sold it to a Russian collector for twenty million yen. Laughed while he said it."
Twenty million yen. For a priceless ancestral blade.
"I'll get it back," Hanae said.
"How? You said the treasury is empty."
"I'll figure it out."
Her father studied her face. "You have a plan already."
"Part of one."
"Tell me."
"I..." Hanae hesitated. "I need to make alliances. The clan is too weak to stand alone right now. We have maybe eighty loyal men against thousands from rival families. We need backing."
"What kind of backing?"
"The Board."
Her father's expression darkened. "No."
"Otou-san—"
