Part 1

Somewhere in the parking lot of the hospital….

The two officers watched their captain pacing to and fro, whilst speaking on the phone with his supervisor….the conversation between the captain and his boss went something like this:

“But sir questioning the witness is integral to the investigation and apprehending the…”

“…”

“Yes Sir….”

“….”

“I understand sir….”

“….”

“No sir….”

“….”

“Yes sir…but….”

“….”

“Okay sir….”

Watching the flow of the conversation the two officers were no longer standing stiff but loosened up. Initially, they were riled up hearing about the explosions in the city they protect and they thought this was entirely a domestic affair. However, seeing the intervention of the PSIA, the two concluded this wasn’t a simple domestic act of violence. If there was even the slightest possibility of foreign involvement, the police would have no further scope in this investigation.

“Shinichi-san…I was wondering if the man behind the old man was the Director of the PSIA, who the heck is the old man?” The officer accompanying officer, Shinichi, at the time asked.

Shinichi simply shrugged his shoulders as he rested against a parked car. “Who knows? He must be some big shot politician….I have seen plenty of geezers and that guy definitely looked crooked like a politician….”

“You think there might be a connection between that politician and the patient’s family?”

Shinichi shrugged his shoulders. “Who knows….he might be just visiting to pay his condolences on behalf of the government….don’t speculate so pointlessly.”

As Shinichi began lighting his cigarette, his junior asked him another question. “I guess if the PSIA is involved, this must involve foreign powers, right? Can’t be a domestic act of terror?”

Shinichi shrugged his shoulders again while puffing his cigarette. “Who knows? But looking at how boss’ call is going…it seems we won’t be getting to question the patient any time soon.”

The young man beside him frowned. “Then, what happens to the special investigation committee?”

“My guess? It will be dissolved. If the PSIA is involved, it’s game over for us.”

“EH????!” The young officer cried out.

Shinichi raised his eye brow as he glared at his junior for being so loud while the captain was still on the call. Luckily, the captain was too absorbed in the call to notice his officers slacking.

“I mean….this was my first big investigation….” The junior spoke in a hushed tone.

“None of that matter now…” Shinichi replied calmly. Shinichi crushed the lit cigarette with his bare hands. “None of that matters…as long as the bastard who did this is caught….none of it matters…”

There was a certain pain and resolve in Shinichi’s eyes which the junior could not understand. However, he felt the same as well. Glory did not matter, only apprehending the vile human behind such a cowardly act mattered.

“Yes sir….absolutely sir…and good day to you too sir!” The Captain spoke while standing in ‘attention position’. Was he a former solider?

*Uffff* The captain sighed as he loosened his neck tie and slumped against the car against which Shinichi was resting as well.

“What’s with the glum atmosphere here?” The captain asked as he borrowed a smoke from Shinichi while staring at the two officers who stood with drooping shoulders.

“If the PSIA is involved, it is game over?” The junior officer spoke.

The captain shot a quick glance at Shinichi and muttered. “It would have been better if you were the captain of the task force.”

“So how did it go?” Shinichi casually asked.

“The special investigation committee will continue its work. However we can’t ask the patient any questions till she recovers. Those were the orders, from the top.” The captain replied as he puffed his cigarette.

“From the top?” Shinichi asked with a puzzled face. “The head of the NPA?”

“The absolute top.” The captain hinted as he vacantly stared at the smoke he blew out.

“Higher than the head of the NPA…” The junior officer cluelessly murmured.

Shinichi’s eyes flashed with inspiration as though he seemed to have guessed the answer. “The prime minister?” He guessed in a hush tone.

The captain lazily nodded.

“That old geezer who stopped you in the hospital had such high reach? He mustn’t be any ordinary politician….but I have never seen him in the Diet…”

“Shinichi, you are right about many things but you guessed this one wrong.” The captain lifelessly spoke as though everything he experienced just now was just a dream. A normal police officer would normally never get a chance to speak with the Prime Minister – yet it was the Prime Minister who directly spoke with him, advising him to go easy on the patient. The whole thing was too ludicrous. This would explain why the captain became so formal and stiff during the conversation.

“Huh?” Shinichi wondered what the captain meant.

“I have seen many politicians in my life time…but that geezer isn’t a politician.”

“What makes you say that?”

The captain pulled back his shirt sleeves to reveal a red bruise in the shape of a hand grip.

“Oye…this can’t be from the time when he grabbed your hand?” Shinichi asked in disbelief.

The captain simply nodded. “That old and that strong….the man is an absolute monster.”

“The Prime Minister?” The junior officer finally spoke as he looked at his senior.

The two seniors stared at the junior in silence. Finally, the captain spoke up, “Wait don’t tell me…you weren’t paying attention….and were still guessing?”

“YOU SPOKE WITH THE PRIME MINISTER?” The junior officer shouted out in shock while completely ignoring the question the captain asked.

“SHHHHH!” The captain hushed the block head junior.

Shinichi sighed – he had ways to go with this junior.

Part 2

“Please stop joking around, sir.” Jinsei scolded the old man standing in front of him. “Having the Chairman of National Intelligence, rough up some children is a terrible headache for me. So if possible please control yourself. Also, please refrain from calling me Jinsei in public….especially in front of my subordinates. Even my wife doesn’t call me Jinsei…”

“So you say…” The old man muttered.

“Sensei…” Saijo called out while tearing up. He immediately rushed and hugged the old man who looked like the real life impersonation of master Roshi from DBZ. If one were to replace the high class suit the old man wore with Bermuda shorts and a Hawaiian shirt, there would be no difference between him and master Roshi.

“There…there…I am here now.” The old man said as he patted Saijo’s head. “You are a grown man yet you still cry like a little child.”

Saijo currently buried his face deep into his sensei’s chest as he bawled out tears of grief.

The men standing behind the old man had a stupefied expression on their face. Who was this man? And what was his relationship to their boss? They had no clue other than the fact this man called the old geezer ‘Sensei’.

The bodyguards were accompanying the old geezer on his daily whimsical trip, when he surprised them by picking up the director of the PSIA. However, that too is not too unusual. This old man had many weird habits – too many to keep count off – randomly picking up people of important positions to accompany him on his whimsical outdoor trips was not that uncommon.

However, the old man continued to surprise them, by visiting a hospital. The old man avoided doctors like the plague. He often iterated that he was more fit than even the young children of today so there was no need to visit the doctor. What he said couldn’t be disputed. All the bodyguards personally experienced how fit the old man was. Those protecting him were those who passed the old man’s test – land a single hit on him. Although, the geezer looked ancient, his body was more nimble and stronger than the best agent. Newbies couldn’t accept the fact that they can’t land more than one hit and would challenge the old man once every day but the veterans learnt from experience - the old man was like one of those things that defied common sense.

So it shocked the body guards when the old man chose to visit a hospital. All the body guards thought that old age caught up with the senile old man. After all, some of the body guards had been protecting him for the last twenty years and he was an old man then too!

But then, the old geezer went and put his nose in a police officer’s job . The old man did stuff like that all the time. He would often put his nose in other people’s business. He was like one of those annoying meddling old people who had all the free time in the world….no he was exactly one of those people.

But the shock for the bodyguards did not end there, when the young man, who was about to be punched by the officer, called the old man ‘Sensei’, the bodyguards were truly astonished. Many of the body guards stared at the crying young man in disbelief. Who was he!!!? Why did he call their boss, Sensei? Why is he crying? Wasn’t this just a random trip?

The body guards had many questions but they would never ask them – it wasn’t their job to ask questions. It was their job to protect this man at all costs. This job wasn’t something they were hired to do but something they were ordered to do by the Prime Minister of Japan.

They had no clue into the identity of the old man they protected, they were only told this much – protect him like a national treasure and ask no questions. Newbies on the job often thought, the old man had high political connections but the veterans knew better; governments may change but the security cover for this man never changed. This was their only clue into this man’s identity – he was stronger than them above petty politics. He never interfered in national affairs and would do as he pleases. No one dared to question him.

Although, the Director of the PSIA said he was the Chairman of National Intelligence that was just one of the many positions; when the old man was with the Finance minister, he was the head of the Japanse Trade Federation or when he was fooling around with older women he was a simple retiree. This man had many positions and titles – all of them fake and all of them provided by the government.

Who was this mysterious old man? Maybe they would find out today.

Part 3

“I came as soon I saw the news.” The old man said as he sat across Saijo, in the hospital lounge.

Saijo’s eyes and nose were red, as he passed a thankful glance at his teacher for coming.

“How is she doing?” The old man asked after a moment’s silence.

“She is alright, some shrapnel cut her from the back…but the wound wasn’t too deep. It missed the spine. Doctor’s are in fact shocked how light her injuries are considering the close proximity to the explosion.”

“Truly a miraculous escape, eh? That is good, you are still protected by good fortune…and your children?”

Saijo wore a painful expression as he replied. “Shin was uninjured during the entire ordeal.”

“The youngest one?” The old man asked.

Saijo nodded. “He is with his grandmother right now. “

“Tomo is in this hospital. He was recently discharged from the ICU and Tatsuya…he…”

“No need to say any more….I know.” The old man replied with his eyes going moist.

“Sensei…please find out who did this.” Saijo angrily spoke through his clenched teeth.

“I will and no effort will be spared. I only fear this matter maybe related to one of our previous adventures..…” The old man avoided the details whilst alluding to the past.

Saijo’s expression stiffened as he recalled their joint adventures. “Then…”

“ You need not worry anymore. I have made suitable arrangements for your family and I am personally looking into this affair.”

“Thank you, Sensei.” Saijo quietly replied as the old man left the room with his bodyguards.