Downtown Tokyo.

The crowded streets were ample disguise even for a sight so prominent as the gleaming black limousine parked by the street. The disgruntled gangster at the wheel cursed as he sweltered, wondering why the boss had made him drive out this far, and worse... why he chose to stand for ages by the door, leaving it open, rendering the airconditioning useless. He glanced over the boss's shoulder, trying to see what it was that was so important to him... what he was so absorbed in. But not even his skilled eyes could pick out a suspicious face in the throng that surroundd them. Either the boss was REAL good... or he was just wasting his time.

More likely the latter, thought the hood as he cursed and spat out of the posh, gleaming limousine. There was nothing interesting at all across the street... except maybe a couple kids playing. He hated kids. Would have not batted an eyelid if the boss told him to waste the whole lot of them in the next instant.

"You see those kids?" The Big Boss asked. The confused hood nodded, wondering why the boss had taken an interest in them if they were not valuable in one obvious way or another, maybe the kids of some small time crim who had offended him earlier. "The boy's teaching the girl Karate. Look!"

The hood stretched his neck and looked across the street. Sure enough, The boy was trying his best to perform elementary karate moves, and was urging the girl to follow suit. At one point, she fell and started crying. The boy knelt beside her and whispered a bit, then she brightened up and dried the tears off her eyes. The thug was more confused than ever. He was sure the boss had something in mind. He looked questioningly at his leader. "Sure you don't want me to off 'em, boss?"

The boss sighed and shook his head. Thugs will be thugs, he thought. "No, Yaku," he said. "Like I said before, no." Yaku scratched his head."Uuuh... they kids of someone important or sumthin?" The boss was about to yell something along the lines of "MUST they be to live??" but checked himself and said "...in a way, ...yes.". He looked at them again and seemed to drift away.Suddenly, Yaku brightened up. "I get it, boss! They're the kids of one of our rivals sent inta hidin' cuz we're gettin so strong! You spotted 'em cuz you saw the boy teachin' the girl karate like common street rats ain't supposed to know! An' now we know where's they is so's we can use 'em to negotiate with their old man! Wow, boss! You're so brilliant!"

The boss was about to say something sarcastic about Yaku's narrow mind when he saw the look of childlike admiration in the thug's eyes. What the hell, he thought. Let Yaku live in his thug's paradise. He gave Yaku a small pat on the shoulder then pointed at the wheel. "Now drive. Mr. Big doesn't like lateness and you know it!" Yaku saluted enthusiastically, proud to have such a wise boss and glad that he was on the winning team,rather than one of those punk gangs that thought they were good. Like those Shadaloo people for instance. REAL assholes, the lot of them. He got behind the wheel.

They were soon out of the crowded downtown, and cruising steadily. Yaku glanced over his shoulder. The boss looked in a pleasant mood. He ventured to ask a question. "Er..boss..." he began. "What is it, Yaku," replied the boss.Yaku felt more confident now. Normally the boss would have given him a cold stare that said 'shut up'. He decided to ask why they hadn't kidnapped the kids. Afterall, the shadaloo, crappy as they were, were not to be trifled with in situations like these, especially if those were the kids of their boss, that trickster they all believe is a demon calling himself Lord Buffalo or something like that.He was curious because shadaloo spies could actually have seen them observing the kids, could very easily try to stop them from getting them by taking drastic measures such as appearing out of nowhere, causing Yaku to lose control of his steering wheel and smash into a nearby convenience store as he tried to dodge the hail of bullets fired at him, not quite making it because his head explode in that instant suddenly revealing his contemplations as actual fact to him too late as the car's upholstery crumpled like so much tinfoil, screaming like death as it smashed through the store forcing the boss to dive out one of the doors onto the street, then roll into a corner and grip his ears as the store exploded with an earth shattering kaboom, soon punctuated by the rattling of machine guns that seemed to fade into the distance as he lost consciousness....

Then suddenly regained it as his fighting spirit kicked into gear and caused him to suddenly leap several feet into the air, letting out a mighty cry. The Machine guns, wielded by several shadaloo assasins spoke instants too late for in that moment he was upon them. What followed was a rain of whooshing noises and loud bangs like explosions as the Boss's fists and feet collided with the faces,skulls, ribs and limbs of his assailants. Staccato shots were fired periodically by the spasming fingers of dying soldiers, and screams could be heard from the crowd as onlookers were ripped apart by stray, high-powered explosive shells. A few who were slightly smarter than the others made it to their getaway car. They reversed but were cut off by the wreckage of the limo, and screaming onlookers, some of whom were sent flying by their rear bumper. The driver cursed, slammed on the brakes and hit the gas in an attempt to speed past The Boss, probably run him over. As They swerved to face him, the brief image of a man enveloped by pulsating energy, his fists clenched and his eyes closed, danced before their eyes only to be consumed in an instant by a roaring explosion and the deafening cry... "HAOOOOH... SHO KOOH KEN!" The car exploded, sending pieces of wreckage high into the air. Some landed in the wreck of the limo only to explode again, revealing their own explosive nature. But the greatest fear of those who witnessed the inferno was not the burning, billowing flames, rather it was the solitary man that slowly emerged, seemingly walking unharmed through the blaze, fists clenched and eyes like fire. As he became clearer and more distinct, the crowd found that they could not recognize him for he was wearing a mask... a familiar mask. With gasps of "Mr. Karate!" The stunned populace quietly made room for Takuma Sakazaki, Lord of the streets and master of the Kyokugen power to pass... then ensured that they forgot completely that they had ever seen him that day... or ever before for that matter. There was silence until Takuma was gone. Only then did the sirens begin.