Battles Without Honor and Humanity: Proxy War

In September 1960, Fumio Sugihara, temporary boss of the Muraoka Family, is assassinated while walking with Hirono and Uchimoto. At the funeral, a guest vomits on Sugihara's remains after having been beaten earlier; the act is seen as intentional. The guests discuss punishment, but Uchimoto refuses, signaling dangerous cracks in loyalty.

Hirono and Muraoka officers urge Uchimoto to punish the man responsible for the disrespect, but Uchimoto refuses. This defiance highlights the brewing tension among the factions and foreshadows future power struggles.

Hirono beats Saijo for stealing, asserting his control over his men. He then meets Kenichi Okubo, the adviser who oversees his induction, seeking guidance. Okubo explains the political reality of parole guarantors and suggests Yamamori as a suitable ally, which Hirono grudgingly accepts.

Okubo explains the need to switch parole guarantors to avoid returning to jail and recommends Yoshio Yamamori. Hirono agrees to align his family with Yamamori, shifting his loyalty within the power structure. This sets the stage for Yamamori's rise and Hirono's future moves.

At his mother's request, Hirono takes the young delinquent Takeshi Kuramoto into his family after Kuramoto injures a drunken yakuza associate. The inclusion expands Hirono's influence and tests his leadership.

That summer, Muraoka officer Soichi Eda is released from prison. He joins Hirono, Uchimoto, Takeda, and Matsunaga as sworn brothers, cementing a core alliance within the evolving power structure.

In June of the following year, Uchimoto's request to swear loyalty with Akashi boss is approved. He takes an oath with Shigeo Aihara, a sworn brother of Akashi, strengthening Akashi's reach. This sets the stage for the broader Akashi-Shinwa rivalry across Japan.

During a conversation with Hirono, Aihara reveals that Uchimoto is trying to swear loyalty to Boss Akashi despite already pledging to Muraoka, violating traditional rules. The revelation intensifies the rift between Uchimoto and Hirono and destabilizes the alliances.

That evening, Hirono learns that Muraoka is transferring control to Yamamori, a move the others say is temporary. Uchimoto storms in, calls Hirono a coward, and believes the truth about him has been exposed, deepening the conflict.

Two months later, Yamamori succeeds Muraoka and merges the two families, reshaping the landscape. Uchimoto mocks him at the after party and then confronts Hirono, threatening to destroy Yamamori and kill Hirono.

Uchimoto and Yamamori back rival factions, with Yamamori backing Hamazaki and Uchimoto backing Komori in conflicts that spread from Iwakuni across Japan. The Akashi and Shinwa groups rally their networks to back their chosen sides, raising the stakes for Hiroshima and beyond.

After foiling an assassination order from Makihara, Hirono forces Takeda, Matsunaga, and Eda to reconcile with Uchimoto by using Okubo's influence to threaten their standing in Hiroshima. The maneuver aims to weaken Yamamori's alliance with Shinwa and push Yamamori toward retirement.

Takeda is expelled from the Hirono faction, and Matsunaga retires rather than oppose Hirono. The expulsions consolidate Hirono's power and isolate Yamamori's faction within the Muraoka structure.

In retaliation for Hirono's expulsion, Uchimoto is forced to sever all ties with Yamamori under Akashi pressure. The split marks a significant realignment of loyalties among the major families.

Kuramoto attempts to kill Makihara at a movie theater but is gunned down after Saijo, paid by Makihara, betrays him. At Kuramoto's cremation ceremony, attackers shoot again to target Hirono, who clutches the urn and swears revenge.