Chapter 243: Kazekage Ninja- - 32: The Underground Godfather
"You know, in this line of work, face is everything. After what happened, the entire organization has lost its dignity. In Dragonfly City, the Yamada Group has become a laughingstock. No one takes us seriously anymore.
Many neighborhoods have outright refused to pay protection fees. Other gangs are eyeing us like vultures, and many of the big bosses have already defected to rival groups. To be honest, our territory has shrunk significantly—at least ten streets gone. If we don’t take measures to restore our reputation, the Yamada Group will collapse within a year."
In a quiet, dimly lit room, a middle-aged man dressed in a black trench coat with slicked-back hair sat on a chair, speaking with a hint of grievance. His tone was like that of an underling reporting to a superior.
"Ryousuke, when did you become like this? Rambling on and on. What exactly do you want me to do?"
A raspy, impatient voice interrupted him.
"Mr. Tezuka, I hope to borrow your strength to rescue my brother and make this incident disappear without a trace," the man, addressed as Ryousuke, said, looking up.
"You’ve got some nerve, asking me to go rescue someone from the Abyss on my daughter’s wedding day! How exactly do you propose I do that? By paving the way or cutting the net?"
Tezuka’s words carried a sharp edge.
The terms were coded slang: "paving the way" referred to bribing officials with money to smooth things over, while "cutting the net" meant a full-scale armed prison break.
"I’ve already tried paving the way. Sunagakure just went through an anti-corruption purge. All the old connections are gone. I finally managed to get in touch with the new Minister of Justice, but they flat-out refused—no amount of money could sway them," Ryousuke said, shaking his head.
"So, it’s cutting the net, then?"