And there he was again. He was offering to that reckless punk to take her home. It was late, for her to return home alone. But what was he really thinking? That punk had turned his life upside down. There was no more peace in his life. Each day, she would find a way to revolve his daily routine, to a crazy adventure. He could never guess, what she would do next. Even if she managed to keep away a month from his life. Her coming back was stronger. And now there she was. He already knew her brother and her mother. And yet, he thought of her already as a member of the Hoodlum Squad. But slowly it was something more than a simple member. He could say, "That punk" was his friend. She could be trusted. She was reliable. And whatever they were facing, she would never run away. Sometimes, he still couldn't read her. He would never.

"Punk, Let me take you home," Cobra said. Everyone had already left. Only Naomi and Yamato were cleaning to close the diner.

As for Kira. He was the one that was always blocking her fun around the Sannoh District. Since the day she entered the Hoodlum Squad, there he was. What was the result, of his interference? They would always end up in odd and extraordinary circumstances. It pissed her, god did he pissed her. But on the other hand, he was one of the few (maybe the only one) that didn't treat her like the sweet girl (that most did.) She was "that punk" or the "reckless punk" in his eyes. And although, every time he called her that, Kira wanted to punch his face. But there were those times, she totally liked it. She was more like her careless self around Hoodlum Squad. But even more around him. She didn't need, (neither did she wanted) to see her in any other way. Mask herself as a sweet lady or a pretty cute girl. She didn't need that. She was just a wildcat around him. A spoiled brat around her family. A sweet cute girl around the rest. Cobra had more sides of him (sides Kira never wanted to acknowledge). She knew now, she could trust him. He was loyal, honorable, and leader. Last but not least, he could be scary. She saw him as her friend, and that was clear. Cobra talked to her in a rude way. He was dragging her around. And they went through many "accidents". If it was anyone else, she would surely not allow it. But don't get the wrong idea. If she still had the opportunity to fight him, she would.

"Okay. But not at my family home. Take me where we were last time." she notified him.

Cobra wanted to take her back home. But she promised him she would sleep at Shin's family home. He was sure, she wouldn't keep that promise. To make sure she would stay there, he remained outside the house for a few minutes. Though he was tired and didn't want to lose more of his time. He drove back home. A few blocks away from Shin's old family home, he almost hit a chubby man. The man was drunk and lost his balance. Cobra was sure he had seen him before. But the darkness didn't help him much to recognize him. He made sure the man was alright. He noticed he wouldn't be able to return home. He offered to help him. He drove around with him for a while, searching. Until they found the right house. He helped him to reach home. Only to find out that he was passing the Oedo's family grounds.

"Minoru, are you drunk again." Tetsu ((Gokusen Tetsu)) yelled at him as he found him crushed against the entrance.

Cobra was still shocked. He had just noticed it was the Oedo clan. And he remembered where he saw the chubby guy and the yelling one. "I almost hit him. He couldn't return and helped him."Cobra honestly explained.

"Thank you Young man." an older man appeared. He seemed sincere. Like a man from an older age.

Cobra could tell, he was not someone ordinary. "Nothing to thank me for. Honestly, I almost hit him," he said again.

"When Minoru is drunk, it can end like that. You don't need to explain yourself." Shin said as he also came to see what was going on.

"Sawada-san?!" Cobra puzzled. He sighed as he had to manage again to mix himself in odder situations.

"Cobra, come in. You already know Minoru and Tetsu. This is Kuroda-san." Shin introduced him. "But not need to be too formal. Call me Shin."

It was one of the rare occasions that Cobra had to pull himself together. He was dealing with serious people. In his mind, the Oedo was a crucial, but trustworthy yakuza clan. His angry attitude was not something to show in these parts. "I think it's alright. Thank you," he said and bowed.

"Ah! Cobra you are here too. Come inside." Kira said as she had just arrived. She removed her shoes at the entrance wood hallway with tatami. And only then did she noticed that he shouldn't be there. Her eyes opened widely and she surely was shocked. "Why are you here?"

But Cobra was more startled than Kira was. "Punk why are you here?" he voiced up forgetting that two of the Oedo Leaders were there.

"She lives here," Minoru added half asleep. Tetsu hit his head again. But it didn't help.

"The punk lives here?" Cobra went on murmuring confusing than before. And it was only then when he gazed at Shin and Kuroda-san that he remembered where he stood. 'Crap' he thought 'I am done.' That was exactly the reason why he didn't want to have that punk in his life. In the end, he would end up killed with all the encounter those two would have.

Shin laughed. "Let's go inside. We can talk there." went to the main area. Yankumi's grandfather followed.

Cobra and Kira did too. Although they didn't say anything. They were glaring at each other. Cobra sat formally, on his feet. If that reckless punk could be fearless even here, there must be a deep connection. But Cobra had not that power. He was a guest, and he acted like one.

"So, this is the Sannoh Rengokai leader," Kuroda-san said. "We have heard many things about you. Glad we managed to meet."

Cobra wasn't sure if it was a good thing or a bad thing that the leader of the Oedo wanted to meet him. "You wanted to meet me, Kuroda-san?" he asked.

Kira felt a bit better now. It was the first time he saw Cobra like that. 'Is he scared or what!' she thought. It was more like a pleasant surprise to see Cobra like that.

"Are you enjoying the show, punk." Cobra whispered as Wakamatsu walked inside.

" I totally am." she said smiling and showing her tongue.

"Don't worry Cobra. Kira didn't tell us anything. And you are not in any kind of trouble. On the other hand, we are really sorry to have you mixed up with Kira." Shin honestly said.

Cobra didn't expect to get an apology, he still thought he was in trouble. "Why is that your problem," Cobra asked more serious.

"Kira is Shin's daughter." Minoru happily said and fell asleep. Tetsu wasn't sure if hitting that baka would be any help anymore.

"Shin's?!" Cobra almost jumped up "Sawada's Daughter. Like Kuroda-san is related to her."

Kira didn't say anything. Normally she would be pissed that her cover was blown. But seeing those reactions on Cobra was priceless. "Yes, are you scared of me now!" she .

"No, I'm not. I more surprised and puzzled." Cobra honestly answered. His mind was still confused.

"Yamaguchi is my granddaughter. Shin was her student." Kuroda-san explained trying to help the Hoodlum Squad leader to understand.

"The woman who saved us. That's explaining why she was so strong." Cobra said. He slowly could put the pieces together. But Kira was not making sense to him. Maybe her fighting skills and her urge to fight were inherited by the Oedo. But the reckless acts, he couldn't still understand.

"Are you still trying to understand my spoil sister?" Yusuke said as he entered.

"Yusuke, aren't you late. Were are the others?" Wakamatsu asked him.

"My wife is parking the car. They should be shortly here. Yuki and mom are with her." he answered as he sat next to Cobra.

"Where did you guys go?" Kira asked him. It was rare for Yusuke to take out Yuki so late.

"I came late home. But we have promised Yuki pizza. So we went to have some." he explained.

"And why did mom come with you?" Kira asked. She wasn't really curious but she wanted to change the subject. Cobra could end up revealing more things she did.

"One of her students was working there. She wanted to check something not sure."

"What is it Cobra, you still are confused?" Shin asked. He saw Cobra's facial expression as he was spacing out.

He nodded "Koruda-san grand-daughter is a teacher. Your son is a teacher and his daughter is in graphics. (he didn't comment about her other messy hobbies.) and you are a lawyer. I never expect the Oedo family to follow other paths."

"Everything changed when Kumiko was seven. He lost her parents. We let her follow her dreams. And being Oedo's next leader wasn't one of it. We were lucky, that Shin took that role. But his kids have nothing to do with the leadership either. Everyone chose their own path." Kuroda-san explained.

"Indeed none of them seem to have any connection with the Oedo family. Yusuke is too normal for that. And Kira.. well Kira is Kira." Cobra said.

"Indeed Kira became such a fine lady. No one would easily connect her with us." Tetsu said. The fact that made Cobra almost split his tea.

'A fine lady that punk' he thought glaring at her. How could he ever be related to the Oedo. She is a danger zone. A reckless punk.

Shin laughed again "Tetsu, I think Cobra had witnessed another part of Kira."

Cobra agreed by simply nodding his head.

Kira gazed at him and tried to sign him in any possible way, not to say anything.

"Well Kira is too spoiled," Yusuke admitted. And Kira was about to attack him.

But it was Kuroda-san, who gave the best explanation. He as the eldest knew his family. "Kira is indeed spoiled. And she never faced any hardships. That affected her more. Maybe because it was our only girl in the family after Kumiko. We did spoil her a lot. I am not saying, she didn't face any problems. But there was always someone there to help her."

It was only then when Cobra understood a few things about her. If she had people running always after her. It surely would raise a reckless and spoiled punk. "She surely had a different life than we did." he only commented. Indeed, comparing what Cobra and the others were through. Not only the deaths. Not only the battles. But trying to stand on their feet every day. It was a rough life. A life that Kira never faced.

Kira shrugged and didn't say anything. If her family wasn't there. Maybe she would attack Cobra. But the conversation was getting too sad for her.

Cobra stood up and gave a bow. He had enough for a day. "Thank you for your hospitality. I will take my leave now," he said and said goodbye to everyone.

"Wait I will walk you out!" Kira said and followed him.

Cobra and Kira walked out. They wore their shoes and went outside, heading towards his bike. "Part of the Oedo family," he mumbled as he couldn't accept that.

"Hard to believe, eh!" Kira said proudly. She would hide it, but only the idea that it was causing Cobra such a confusion make it worthy to be proud of.

"A reckless punk, in the Oedo clan." he shook his head "Oi, punk! Do they know what you are up too?"

Kira frown "Maybe dad or Grand-pa know few things. But not everything. And you better not tell anything!"

"I don't think I want to have nothing to do with you. It will only end up worse." Cobra said.

"You really always so full of yourself," Kira added.

"And what are you? Have you ever thought in what trouble you have got me in," he yelled.

"I have? You are the one that caused me problems." Kira shouted grabbing his collar.

Cobra gave her a deadly look "Punk you really will have me kill you one day."

"As If you can!" Kira dared him, as she noticed from afar Yankumi, Yuki and Yusuke's wife to approach.

Cobra pushed her off, trying to free himself. "Oi! You better recall your words."

Kira smirked and was about to free him. She didn't want Yuki, and the rest to see her like that. Suddenly a black car appeared. The fast speed got Cobra's attention. One second Kira was watching them. And in the next, they were gone. Yankumi was steps away and didn't get hit. But Yuki and Yusuke's wife were hit. They crushed against the ground. The sound of the crush made Cobra turn. Kira's mind collapsed. There were no words to explain what she witnessed. But her first reaction was at least still normal. She rushed over to see what happened. Cobra followed.

Everything went down really fast. Both Yusuke's wife and Yuki were hit serious. Yankumi called the ambulance and tried to block Kira. But she had already seen everything. She let out a yell, louder than ever she would. Cobra knew the feeling. He had seen Tatsuya die like that. He saw Noboru getting hit like that. He grabbed Kira and pulled her closer to a hug. Blocking her to see anything more. "Keep it together punk." he yelled at her worried.

The rest heard the cries. Specially Kira's yell. They rushed outside. But what they faced was beyond their imagination. The ambulance was soon there. Mother and son were brought at the ER. Yusuke's wife didn't make it. She died on her way to the hospital. Yuki was in critical condition. The Oedo family was once again in a dark mess. It was years they were through something so painful and dark.

Yusuke was lost, more than anyone. He didn't know where to rush first. To his dead wife or his almost dead son. The rest weren't any better. Everything was a mess. Only Shin tried to keep it together. He approached Cobra and Kira that were waiting outside Yuki's room. Cobra looking still worried, and Kira having lost it. She had no reaction at all. It was like she fell in a dark abyss and she couldn't get out of there. The only reason she was standing, was because Cobra was holding her.

"What happened?" Shin asked. His thoughts were between if it was a random accident or if it was a killing hit. Because if it was not random it could happen again.

Cobra tightened his grip around Kira not letting her fall. "580-46-49 were the plates. It was a black 1988 Toyota Celica All-Trac. I only manage to see that." he answered seriously.

"Alright. Stay with Kira. I fear she will take it to hard." Shin asked Cobra. Everyone in the family was too devastated.

"Wait!" Cobra said in a lower voice. "It wasn't random. The car was speeding more than normal. It surely was aiming to hit someone." he edged and whispered. He was sure what he had heard. And it seemed more like a cold hit. And that made things more serious. "Don't worry I will stay with Kira." he more than anyone knew how hard it was to see someone die. Of course, he would stay with her. Shin didn't even need to ask.

The night went on like that. Few were planning the funeral, Yusuke was with Yuki, Shin and Kuroda-san were trying to find out who was behind the hit. Kira and Cobra were still outside Yuki's room. It took Kira hours to come back to reality. But even if she did come back her brain was rolling. She had lost it. She didn't cry, she didn't yell. She was only trying to escape from Cobra's grip. And when she managed that. She dashed off. By-passing Shin and everyone else, like a mad person.

Cobra ran after her. "I will get her!" he noted Shin and rushed out. Although Kira was already long gone. Cobra started searching after her. Those days to come would be rougher. And darker.

(( upcoming chapter ~ Act 20 ~ ))

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Note:

More than anything, thank you for taking the time to read this!