Have A Heart (Food Wars! Mafia AU)

Chapter Four: Isami-Sama

Getting a text from Takumi-nii, I furrowed my brow's at the urgency. 
< 
Niisan: I need you to come home. 
Me: Something wrong? 
Niisan: I need you home. Something came up here. 
Me: Well, what the hell is it? Can you give me a clue? 
Niisan: Just get your ass over here!! 
>
"You left the guns in the car right?" I more so demanded rather than asked. 
"Y-yes Isami-sama, just as you ordered." 
"Good. We'll need them just in case, let's go." 
Putting my black gloves on, I opened the safe and took one of the guns out, placing it in my back holster just before we left. 
. 
. 
After speeding back to the house, the gates opened and we rushed through the main hall--hands over the holster of where our guns were, making our way to the parlor when we saw Takumi-nii and a man with long orange hair, sipping what's most likely tea from their teacup's. 
"Isami, sit with us. The other two can stand with the others by the door." He stated coldly. I shivered at my twin brothers composure. 
I nodded at what he said as a maid came up to me with a silver platter. "Sorry Isami-sama, Aldini-sama forbade weapons within the room." 
Smiling at the nervous maid who tried her best to smile, I unholstered my gun. "I understand, thank you." Placing it on the plate before the maid walked over to the other two and asked for their weapons, leaving the room after they did. 
Walking over to my brother, I started taking in the newcomers appearance as I sat on one of the empty chairs next to Takumi-nii. 
He seemed to be in his late forties or early fifties, white hair held almost aesthetically on both sides of his head, his mostly pink with traces of orange hair was long and held into a high ponytail. When I sat down, his sapphire blue eyes reminded me of someone for a split moment as he stared at me in an almost condescending way as he smiled. 
"So this is your brother?" His deep tone with a bit of a rough strain asked Takumi-nii. Nodding in response, Takumi-nii placed his teacup down before crossing his arms and legs impatiently. "It's very nice to meet you!" 
Smiling back, I nodded in turn unsure of what to say. "We're both here now, what is so important that you needed us both?" 
"I don't mean to interrupt, but who is this man Niisan?" The man chuckled and apologized for having to be discreet. 
"My name is Itsuki Dupont Takamoto, but I go by Itsuki Tachibana now." 
Remembering the name that father had mentioned many times before, I stood quick on my feet and stared wide-eyed at the man. "B-but...f-father said that you died? Th-then how are you.." My voice trailed off till Takumi-nii grabbed my wrist roughly; forcing me to sit back down as the Don in front of us continued to smile nonchalantly. 
"Yes, well...bless your fathers soul for keeping my status a secret." Placing his teacup down, the Don bowed in respect towards us, looking at us seriously after. "Let me make this perfectly clear. It was agreed upon by your father and I that until I returned back to the Mafia business, he would inherit the Dupont Mafia for me so long as he was alive--but not my shares to the company we had founded." Staring at Takumi-nii, he seems just as shocked as I am. "Those shares are currently with my heir--my daughter, who has no idea about any of this. Of course I still care about my Mafia family, but I do not care about the company anymore." Giving us a steady glare, my blood ran cold at the fierceness in his eyes. "The only reason why I am here now, and showing myself to you both, is because my daughter is in danger." 
. 
Feeling the inside of my throat go dry, I tried to speak confidently after gulping and clearing my throat, but it came out more as a shaky question. "Ambrosia Tachibana is your daughter." 
"So you know her already?" Crossing his arms, I looked down at the ground refusing to make eye-contact with him as I spoke. 
"Purely by accident. I had shadowed her the other day and sent her home when I found out what was going on within the hospital." Standing to his feet, I could feel his fatherly instincts creating a malicious aura around him. Before he had the chance to say anything, I continued to speak so there wasn't any miscommunication. "She had gone four to almost five days without full sleep, had took other doctor's patients from different departments, and was on the edge of fainting due to sleep deprivation." Sitting back down, his disappointed sigh felt like a signal for me to breathe again. 
Is this what an experience Don is like? Or is it because he's a father? 
"She's definitely got that kind heart from her mother. I assume she was being stubborn about taking the days off?" Nodding at his question with my brows knitted confused, he laughed amused as I looked at him strangely. "Good to know she inherited my stubbornness then. Though I'm not exactly happy that she's a workaholic. Anything else?" 
"N-no Itsuki-Don." Looking back to the ground, he encouraged me to go on when he saw my hand clench. "Well...I startled her once when we were in the elevator, she had almost pepper sprayed me. She didn't see me enter with her and had only calm down a moment after I made myself known." Laughing maniacally at that, Takumi-nii whispered why I didn't tell him earlier too which I responded. "It was because she was scared." I didn't go into further details than that, wanting to respect Tachi-san's privacy. 
"Sorry, sorry, I don't mean to laugh. But I realize we've gone off topic." Clearing his throat, he recomposed himself as Takumi-nii and I were yet again intimidated by him. 
"As I was saying, my daughter is in danger. The company your father and I started, had a third party to keep the turf wars at bay. This third person was named Azami Nakamura, now known as Azami Nakiri." 
"He married into the Nakiri family? Why?" 
"He wanted more power as well as connections...we were originally trying to get the Nakiri family in general to join forces with us so that we would have more control over the other Families. Unfortunately for all of us, they sent Azami as their negotiator and he became one of the faces. It was agreed upon that the shares would be split based on who was in the business first; I got fifty percent, your father had thirty, and Nakamura has twenty percent of the shares. The shares are passed down to the heirs after we either die or retire--compared to the shares being split amongst themselves, if we were to be revoked when we were still alive. It was in a written contract that all our heirs would gain the title of Don as well as our shares to the company...until my daughter was born, several months after you two." 
. 
Stopping in the middle of his story, Takumi-nii and I were unsure whether to speak until he snapped his fingers. A short, brown haired man with blond bangs came into the room with a slightly wrinkled piece of paper, handing it to Takumi-nii and I too read. 
"This agreement has been passed down from Don to Don throughout the years, it's practically the only reason why our connection and bond is so strong. Your father and I were no exception either, but since the last several generations when we started weren't at all promising, we made due with our friendship. I'm showing you this simply because of tradition and as a reminder. I do not intend for either of you to agree with this mindset quickly. After you're done, I'll show you the agreement we've made for the company." 
Taking the paper from his hands, I read the words carefully as I knew Takumi-nii would be doing the same. 
< 
If either of the two Mafia leader's have a child who are compatible, they are to be wed after their twenty-third birthday's to keep both sides harmonized. On the unfortunate event that neither has a child for an extension of ten years, they are to revoke their title as Don. Or instead, fight to the death in order to keep their title; combat of their choice against fifteen men. 
The two offspring's that are to be wed, must consent to this arrangement or face the consequences. If one agrees to this arrangement but the other does not, then it is considered as a betrayal and will be announced to everyone that they want out. The out consequence would be a fight to the death against thirty Mafia members from either side, combat goes to the traitor's choice. 
> 
Staring up at Itsuki-Don surprised --not even halfway through the sheet of paper-- I almost shouted but stopped, keeping myself in check. "How is anything written in this consenting? It's practically forcing your hand to agree with this bullshit, or die!" Getting elbowed by Takumi-nii, my body shook slightly in rage from this ridiculous contract our great-grandfather's had created that's been passed down through the generations. 
"I understand your frustration Isami, but at the time of writing this, both families had lost their children who were going to get married when the police gunned them down. After that incident, it was like our families were cursed. Having all men one generation and all women in the next with not a single shred of compatibility; some having to revoke their titles or past it to someone else in our bloodline wasn't easy for anyone. As I've said before, I understand that you both may have different opinion's on this matter, but I showed you this because no one is excluded from this deal...not even my daughter." 
His voice went cold and bitter as he spoke the last words, almost as if it left a terrible taste in his mouth. Slanting his eyes at Takumi-nii, he stated in the same cold voice but with an accusing tone. 
"The hospital was neutral ground after Azami had been shunned from the Nakiri family for going Rouge, but since the hospital is still under his name because of our contract, you had broken that." 
Snapping his fingers again, the same man pulled an almost fresh printed contract before handing it to us again. 
"We signed our signatures with our blood to clarify that this agreement was set in stone. As well as evidence we could've used against the other if the chance ever arrived. Of course this is only a copy, the original is kept safe somewhere else." Nodding in understanding, I grabbed one side of the paper while Takumi-nii grabbed the other, reading as we saw three different types of handwriting. 
< 
Erina Nakiri will inherit all my shares, assets, and all businesses that share my name; Tōtsuki University Hospital, the Nakiri Mansion, and all other items in my name, including becoming the next Don if I die an untimely death. 
Takumi Aldini and Isami Aldini, will inherit everything I own equally and respectfully if I am dead, except for my shares and the title. The shares will be split between Takumi having twenty-three percent and Isami having seven. The title of Don will also go to my eldest son, Takumi Aldini. 
My child will inherit everything I have and had owned, everything in my name will be theirs, and they will become the next Don and take my place as the Leader of the other Families regardless of their gender and experience when the time has come if and when I had died. 
We are hoping that by having this written contract, all three of us are agreeing to stay out of the others place of business. 
We will not buy. Sell. Or anything of the kind to each others separate businesses that would harm us, our family, or our partnership without everyone's written or verbal consent. Even after we are gone. 
This will also involve our children's, the heirs that we have passed the torch to in order to keep the Mafia Families from doing whatever they want. It is up to them to keep the peace and balance between the Families after we are gone. 
> 
Seeing all three signatures at the end of the paper, we handed it back to the brown haired man as Takumi-nii and I looked at each other, Takumi-nii blurting out what he was thinking. "I fucked up." 
"Yes you did. But it's understandable since there's only one copy and I happen to be the one who has it now. It still doesn't excuse the fact that your father have mentioned this to you before, given how crucial and sensitive this matter is." 
Nodding our heads without saying anything, Itsuki-Don sighed before taking a sip of his drink. 
"Azami started looking into everyone that not only works at the hospital, but used a network from one of his connections to search all around Japan and perhaps even the world before finding out that my daughter has been working at his hospital. And now, because of what you did, she has a target on her back." 
"Wait...then, how did he find out Ambrosia is your daughter?" 
With the words leaving his lips, I could feel myself pale in complexion. 
"Azami had the contract last. From what Kuga-kun told me after infiltrating where his last whereabouts were, Azami became paranoid. Thinking that the reason why you bought the hospital was because someone within the Families--or Ambrosia, had given you instructions; ignoring our agreement since you currently have the most shares. He took a sample of my blood from the contract and used it to identify anyone in Japan who may have the same DNA sequence in order to find me, until he came across a match with similar DNA and found Ambrosia. That's when he had realized I lied not only to him, but to the Mafia families as well. Kuga-kun managed to steal the contract just before Azami could destroy it." 
. 
"And your daughter being a target?" Takumi-nii asked in an almost hush tone before staring up at Itsuki-Don. "I'm sure there's more than just me buying the hospital to cause such a ruckus for you to show up like this." 
Scoffing in amusement with a smirk on his face, Itsuki-Don smiled as he laid back in his chair. "Azami believes I'm dead, and that it was Ambrosia's idea for you to take the hospital so she can quietly buy it from you without raising suspicion. He will try to kill my daughter for the shares that she has over the company. Once he takes them for himself, as well as convincing the other Families, he'll have more than the two of you combine. He could. And most likely will. Kill you off and make himself chairman. And once he succeeds in killing my daughter, both our men--my family, will be under his wrath as well." 
"But...you're obviously not dead, why don't you solve this misunderstanding then?" 
"I'm legally dead so to speak. Since I signed the contract using my real name and then faked my own death, my wife signed a death certificate as part of convincing Azami that I was no longer alive...but an incident had occurred shortly after. So even if I am still "alive" physically, it doesn't change the fact that Ambrosia is supposed to inherit everything I owned, including my men since your father is now dead." 
Biting my thumb nail at this information, Takumi-nii ran his hand through his hair as he started internally freaking out. "How did you manage to keep Ambrosia a secret all this time then?" 
"I faked her death also." Gasping in shock, Takumi-nii and I looked at Itsuki-Don wide-eyed as he sigh, crossing his arms after playing with a few loose strands of hair. "On her birth certificate, she was born with the name Ambrosia Dupont Takamoto. Your father told the doctor to make a fake death certificate for her using a false name; Shirley Tachibana Takamoto and showed it to the Families, confirming that she did indeed died during childbirth. When the doctor came back after burning the fake certificate for Ambrosia, the doctor had confessed to your father and I that the fake certificate he had made for me, had been authorized by someone else before he could destroy it." 
"That being the incident you spoke about." Nodding at my own disbelief, Itsuki-Don rambled on a few minutes more. 
"Your father helped me and my family escape, even if it was for a short moment, I will forever be in his and your debt from that." 
"Isn't faking your own death an out though? Shouldn't you be considered as a traitor then?" Takumi-nii stared at him in realization. 
. 
"I had informed everyone in the Dupont Mafia, that I was considering to go into hiding for my daughter's sake but that I would be back; of course this was before the incident had occurred. They understood--being parents themselves or some who were about to be. That's when the agreement for the Dupont Mafia to become part of the Aldini Mafia had started. It was only agreed upon as long as your father was alive or Ambrosia took the Don's title. I have no doubt that some who remembered the agreement are patiently waiting for their new Don to appear." 
Running a hand through my hair as I started putting the confusing pieces together from all this information, I looked at the man in front of us with wide eyes of shock. "Wait a minute...then you're not even a Don! Ambrosia is!" Giving us a childish grin as he stuck his tongue out, Takumi-nii and I felt ourselves relax a lot more after the weird confirmation. Thinking of the reason why Itsuki-sama was here, I continued. "You explained to us this story full of information for what, exactly?" 
"I want you to protect the Don of the Dupont Mafia and Leader to the other Families; my daughter of course." Raising a brow as he tilted his head confused with an intimidating frown, I soon saw the similarities between Ambrosia and her father aside from physical looks. "I thought it was pretty obvious? Considering you may have also started a war, Takumi-Don." 
Staying silent more so because of the information overload, Takumi-nii stayed silent as Itsuki-sama continued. 
"Kuga-kun will leave Ambrosia's home address to you, as well as places she frequently goes. She's living with her cousin who is somewhat aware of the situation, and let me inform you two of this now...if anything horrible happens to my baby girl and I find out about it, there will be two wars for you to worry about." Smiling maliciously at us, I felt goosebumps crawl on my skin as Itsuki-sama stood. "I'll leave Kuga-kun to give you my cell number, and a few allies from the other Families we can trust. It was nice to officially meet you both after so long." 
Bowing as he was halfway out, I called for him after realizing something important from all this once I quickly stood from my seat, jogging slightly towards the orange haired man and stopped. "Why don't you go after her and tell Ambrosia yourself? You're her father after all! Why come to us for something like this?" 
His movements almost seemed to have froze and silence followed him. I almost regretted saying anything at all, until he turned around with a weak smile and tired eyes. 
"Because she doesn't want to see me...and besides, what better person to protect her, than someone who already has an affiliation with her." Giving us a curt bow goodbye, the door closed behind him as the room became thick with tension at the bomb he dropped us with. 
. 
"Everyone out." Takumi-nii ordered, holding onto my shoulder when I was about to leave as well. "Not you, Isami." We waited until everyone was out of the room before I had started closing the doors and blinds, Takumi-nii falling onto his knees as he started blabbing out of fear. "What the hell are we supposed to do?! I completely fucked everything up! An arranged marriage on top of an incoming war?! Dad would be rolling in his grave from my complete idiotic decision's!" 
"Takumi!" Kneeling in front of my older twin brother, he looked at me with lost eyes as I smiled. "Do you remember what you said to me when we were younger, and I was having a hard time transitioning to this life? You said that the Aldini Mafia needs us both when dad is no longer here, so just breathe and let's work through this, okay?" Takumi-nii is a completely different person when he has to put up the front as Don, but it doesn't change the fact that he's still my brother who's also having a hard time right now. Patting his back when he hugged me, I smiled. "Are you done crying now, you big baby?" 
"I am not a baby!" Letting go of me as I started laughing at him, I could see his shoulders relaxing. "But you're right. I should be more calm and think this through." 
"Kuga-kun sent us a picture of the Don's Agreement just now, let's look it over again first, okay?" 
Opening our phones, we scrolled through when Takumi-nii spoke. "It doesn't say it has to be the oldest or the youngest." 
"See? You're freaking out over nothing. Arrange marriage aside, what should we do about protecting Ambrosia-Don?" Calling her by that name sounded so foreign that I'd much rather call her Tachi-san instead. 
"I'm not sure, we should have our men keep a close eye on her. Although...I am worried about what Itsuki-sama said." 
"About her being a target?" Nodding in agreement, I sighed. "And because of that, we're not sure who could be considered friend or foe. Especially from the other Families that aren't the Allies Itsuki-sama is going to give us." 
"Exactly. I'm afraid that even our closest and trustworthy men may turn on us if given the chance." 
Humming in thought, something Itsuki-sama said ranged through my ears. "Then why don't we gather those that were in the Dupont Mafia to assemble as her protection unit? Itsuki-sama did say that they'll be waiting for their Don's return after all." 
"That is true. But I don't know how I feel about letting them go alone with this. What if they completely disregard everything we say, and go on their own?" 
"Hhmm...then put me on her protection unit. I can get close to her since I'm her boss in the hospital." Smirking at a thought that came to mind, I looked away and scoff as I spoke. "Not to mention they will most likely be too afraid to go against us given the nickname I earned." 
Seeing him nod a bit uncomfortable, Takumi-nii placed his hand to his neck. "Yeah...not to mention you both have already met and became acquaintances in person, which gives us some leg room to convince her later on. So you must gain her trust by any means necessary." 
"Then allow me to assemble the people from the Dupont Mafia, and organize them into Ambrosia-Don's protection unit. Since she's their Don, they'll do everything they can to protect her, and you can be rest assured that they won't simply go off on their own since I will be with them." 
Holding his chin with his index finger and thumb, he hummed in thought for a while before agreeing. "Okay, do it. But remember...if anything happens to her, we'll be in bigger trouble with Itsuki-sama and the Dupont Mafia." Nodding in understanding, I left to fathers study to see if there were any clues on who were part of the Dupont Mafia, while Takumi-nii continued to talk with Kuga-kun. 
. 
Once I entered the study, I quickly locked the door behind me. Finding a locked filing cabinet, I searched for a small envelope opener or anything I could use to lockpick, hearing a clicking sound as the cabinet opened. Going through the papers as I sat on the chair, some of them were allies while others were information about our enemies. 
Putting the stacks of paper on the far end of the desk, I separated them from how useful they were to me at the moment. Taking the rest of the papers out, I saw a few photographs of Takumi-nii and I when we were younger. 
Smiling in contentment at our innocents, there were a few I've never seen before. Some of the pictures had Itsuki-sama and our dad with their arms around their necks and smiling, the back of the picture read "Family till the end" and such until there was one of Itsuki-sama ugly crying while holding a baby girl that was smiling widely, and our father holding up a crying Takumi-nii, while I was looking at Itsuki-sama and the baby girl curiously. 
Reading the back, my brows crinkle together at my fathers hand writing. "The princess and the two Prince's! Together at last!" 
Sighing in disappointment, I was about to put the pictures in the pile that weren't currently useful to me when I saw a few pictures of Tachi-san as a child, and one of them was her comforting her ugly crying father.
< 
Aldini-kun! Itsuki asked Ambrosia if she loved her father, and she said no! Haha she's grown so much over these last few years. She's already seven! Thank you for everything, I know taking all the responsibility must be hard in your condition, but please reconsider my offer of your son Isami to be the leader of the Dupont Mafia. It is just until Ambrosia is ready once Takumi inherits the Aldini Mafia. I know they're both still so young, but you and I both know how overprotective Itsuki is. I'm still not sure when the right time is for them to meet, or to show our faces again, but I'm reminding him almost everyday of the Don's Agreement. I'll keep you updated if anything happens, thank you again.
--Naomi
> 
Clenching my jaw at the writing, I figured "Naomi" is Tachi-san's mother. 'What the hell? Why would you ask something like that. I don't have the right to inherit anything. Not after everything I've done.' Tsking under my breath, I put the rest of the photos in the pile as I kept searching, eventually finding the papers I needed in a secret compartment underneath the file cabinet. 
Going through each one, I stopped at a certain person whom I remember seeing the other day. 
< 
Name: Akira Hayama 
Affiliation: Former Central Yakuza. 
Under the Dupont Mafia. 
Currently working for the Aldini family as an undercover nurse at Tōtsuki University Hospital assign to protect Ambrosia Tachibana. 
Phone Number: +81-90376018 
Code For assignments: Have you ever sniffed a cinnamon stick? 
Email: Akira.Hayama@email 
Address: 440-660 Chuo-ku-shi 
Family: Foster Mother; Jun Shiomi. Business associate to the Dupont and Aldini family, assign to protect Ambrosia Tachibana and Erina Nakiri within hospital grounds. 
> 
'So he was apart of Azami's gang huh? He could be fairly useful then. There's also Chief Shinomiya and a few others who have an affiliation with us, but they seem to be more strongly connected to the Dupont's.' Folding the paper in squares, I decided to only contact them as essential cards for when things become dire. 
Continuing my research for other members, I found a few that are already working here in the mansion. Once I was finally done separating the papers that were useful, I had put the papers that were of no use to me back to where they belong, gazing over the photos before locking the cabinet and leaving the office. 
. 
. 
Yawning as I closed my eyes, I checked my watch as it read three-thirty AM. Tapping on my bodyguards shoulder, he looked at me as I yawned again. "I'm gonna take a nap, if Ambrosia-Don comes out, follow behind her but not too close." Nodding at my command, I pulled my seat down as I placed my arms over my head and fell into a nice nap. 
Startling awake by the car screeching to a halt, the door slammed closed as I rubbed my eyes and had gotten out of the car too. 
About to shout at the big lunk on where he was going, someone ran into me moments later as my instincts had made me awkwardly hold them close as we fell back. Hearing the sound of a dog angrily barking near my face and a surprised shriek, I released the person I had held onto before we made quick eye-contact, the person pushing themselves off me and looked like they were about to run with a limp. 
Remembering the features of the person who just got up, I pushed myself up from the concrete ground as I practically screamed at her. "Wait, Tachi-san!" 
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Posted: 6/2/2020 
Last Edit: 6/22/2021