
Tatsuo Shinada (1975-) was a Japanese professional baseball player who played as a batter for Nippon Professional Baseball's Nagoya Wyverns team in 1997. He was banned from baseball after being wrongly accused of match-fixing and sign-stealing at his debut game on 8 June 1997; in fact, the Omi Alliance's Kuroha-gumi faction had engineered the scandal to force the rest of the Omi and the Tojo-kai to abandon match-fixing in Nagoya and enable their patriarch Tsubasa Kurosawa to take over the operation. Shinada, who went through a period of homelessness as a result, eventually became a nightlife journalist to make ends meet. In 2012, through a reunion with his former classmate Daigo Dojima, he was able to investigate the Kuroha Family and Nagoya-gumi's roles in his expulsion from baseball, which was partly caused by his origins in Tokyo and not Nagoya. Learning the truth about his expulsion, he later traveled to Tokyo to meet his old coach Junpei Fujita, but Fujita's murder and Daigo's wounding briefly drew Shinada into the midst of the 2012 Tojo-Omi war, and Shinada defeated the Omi assassin Shigeki Baba before returning to Nagoya.
Biography[]

Shinada playing for the Wyverns
Tatsuo Shinada was born in Tokyo, Japan in 1975, and he attended Kabuki West High School in Kabukicho, Shinjuku alongside Daigo Dojima. He became the star slugger of his school's baseball team, and, in 1993, he and his team were matched against their rivals from Kabuki Tech High for the finals of the national high school baseball league tournament. The Tech students frequently harassed and bullied KWH's players to demotivate them for the finals, but Daigo - choosing to follow in his yakuza father Sohei Dojima's footsteps as a criminal - decided to intervene, hospitalizing several Tech bullies in a fight before being expelled and sent to juvenile detention. Shinada and his team were able to compete without fear of being harmed by their KTH rivals, and Shinada fell out of contact with his old friend.

Shinada's last game
Shinada's successful high school career landed him in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) sports, and he made his big league debut as a major league baseball player for the Nagoya Wyverns on 8 June 1997 at the age of 22. He played against the Tokyo Gigants, including his longtime minor league rival Yuki Sawada, only to hit a homerun on Sawada's last pitch, winning the game for his team. The next day, however, while Shinada signed autographs for his fans, he was arrested on suspicion of being involved in game fixing and illegal gambling. While he was eventually cleared of all charges, he was banned for life from professional baseball, and his coach Junpei Fujita was forced to resign in shame.
Uncovering the truth[]

Takasugi demanding money from Shinada
Shinada fell into homelessness within two years of his dishonorable resignation, but, in 1999, he discovered an advert for a writer for a nighttime entertainment magazine and became an entertainment writer for Sakae, Nagoya's red-light district. He was constantly hounded by his loan shark and, unbeknownst to him, former fan Koichi Takasugi, who made sure that Shinada paid his debts without ending up on the streets. At the same time, he developed a relationship with Mieko Toriyama, a sex worker who went by the name "Milky" while working as an erotic masseuse at Club Futo Momo.

Shinada meeting up with Toriyama
In December 2012, while attempting to scrape together enough money to prevent Takasugi from cutting off one of his fingers and passing it off as an industrial accident at a no-show job, Shinada came across a publicly-broadcasted news report about the Tokyo Gigants, reminding him of his past career. Shortly after, while visiting Futo Momo to write an article on the place, Shinada received a call from Milky about her brother at Kubota Security, who was framed for embezzlement. Shinada agreed to help her sort out the situation, visiting Ichiro Toriyama's workplace and confronting his coworkers. Atsushi Ono claimed that Toriyama had broken a valuable bat owned by the "home run king" Koji Kakegawa, but Shinada identified it as a fake bat, as Kakegawa only played with compressed bats before his retirement in 1981. The angry guards then attempted to attack him, forcing Shinada to beat them down. Takahiro Kubota then emerged from his office and, after discovering that the bat was fake, he realized that Ono had taken on another company job so that he could skim the fee. Kubota punished Ono by stabbing him through the cheek with a pen, warning him against ever spoiling his company's good name. Shinada then pleaded with Kubota, saying that he would be satisfied if Toriyama was let off the hook, which he was. Toriyama then thanked Shinada and asked that he continue to look after his sister.

Shinada and Milky
Shinada then persuaded Milky to do a photoshoot for him back at Futo Momo, refusing to reuse a photo of her from her glory days, as he had gotten in trouble in the past for doing so. Out of gratitude for Shinada's help, Milky offered him an "extra" service, and, after conducting what he called an "in-depth" interview, he ran into his creditor Tetsuo Uno on the street.

Shinada walking with Uno
Uno then demanded that Shinada repay him his 30,000 yen loan before the latter could return to his newspaper's office, but Shinada told him that he was on his way to sell his article. Uno followed him to work, talking about Takasugi and his supposed association with the shadowy Nagoya-gumi, whose members he had never scene. Uno lamented how, just the other day, a soba delivery man had lost an eye after walking into the wrong office. Uno also revealed that a new girl joined his favorite parlor, and he wanted to use his 30,000 yen to be the first to sample her; however, Shinada recognized her as Nanako from Madd Maxx. Shinada then ran off as Uno lamented Nanako's longer-than-anticipated career, only to be given a half-paycheck from his boss to punish him for missing deadlines.

Shinada begging for food
Shortly after, Takasugi arrived and stole Shinada's paycheck, even as Shinada complained about not having eaten for a whole day; Takasugi then reminded Shinada that he still owed him 1,327,534. Shinada then went to the batting center to earn some money, but Takasugi took his winnings and only let him keep the change. Shinada then got a call from the local bar owner Fumiya Ushijima, who called him to drop by for a drink and settle his tab. When Shinada arrived, he was disappointed to hear that Ushijima expected repayment for all the free food he had given him in the past. Shinada noticed several yakuza in the diner, causing him to ask Ushijima what was up. Ushijima explained that two Tojo-kai officers - Azumi and Takachi - had recently been murdered, remarking that they were not freeloaders like Shinada, because they at least paid their bills. He also learned that a masked man was traveling around Sakae, looking for someone.

Shinada meeting the masked man
As Shinada left, broke and starving, he was confronted by Ono, who blamed him for the loss of his job. Shinada beat down Ono before returning to his apartment, only to find the masked man waiting for him; unbeknownst to Shinada, this was his old classmate Daigo Dojima. The man revealed that he knew who Shinada was, and that he had a job for him: discovering why he had been expelled from baseball.

Daigo reuniting with Shinada
The next morning, Daigo showed up at Shinada's apartment and pressured him to accept his job. Shinada said that there was nothing ordinary about his home run 15 years before, but Daigo said that Shinada was accused of sign stealing and match fixing before being banned. Daigo then offered a suitcase full of money and a business proposition; if Shinada discovered who had framed him, he would receive a payment of 20 million yen, equal to the annual salary he should have received during his first year. Takasugi then arrived and interrupted the conversation, and he pressured Shinada to accept the job, lest he smash his finger and pass it off as an industrial accident, having created a false employment form in Shinada's name.

Takasugi confronting Shinada
Shinada agreed to take the job and use it to pay off Daigo, and he explained that the Gigants' pitcher Sawada had fired out six straight curves before ignoring the catcher's signal and hurling a fastball down the middle. Shinada read it perfectly and struck out, only to be accused of match fixing and banned. He then realized that he had been set up, and he agreed to help Daigo. Daigo gave him spending money and a note telling Shinada where he could reach him, and Takasugi told Shinada to get him his money, while warning him not to try and run.

Shinada playing with Shirakawa
As Shinada left his apartment, he was confronted by Renjiro Shirakawa, a former classmate and high school teammate of his whose dreams of baseball went spiraling down the drain after Shinada upstaged him during a baseball game. Shirakawa decided to challenge Shinada to a game at the batting center to decide whether Shinada actually had the skills, but Shinada - demoralized and tired - was unable to strike out any of Shirakawa's throws. Coach Genzo Igarashi met Shinada on his way out, and the two briefly caught up about Shinada's days as a high school player before Igarashi offered to continue training him.

Shinada recovering from his beating
On his way home, Shinada overheard two businessmen discussing how Fujita was to be the Gigants' new manager, and Shinada received confirmation from a publicly-televised news report. Shinada was surprised to see that his disgraced former coach had been able to make a return to professional baseball. He got into a fight with Takahide Komizu and Harunobu Masuzaki after they mistook him for denigrating the Wyverns, their longtime favorite team, but he allowed them to beat him up in an alleyway; Komizu was thankful for a good stress reliever due to the Wyverns' recently poor performance.

Milky hugging Shinada
Afterwards, Shinada decided to make one last attempt to avoid having to confront his past. He persuaded Milky to meet him on a rooftop, where he proposed that they run away together, having recounted their 15 years of on-again, off-again relationship. However, she convinced him that he could not run away from his troubles, and, as Takasugi spied on them, Shinada decided to accept Daigo's offer and look into his past.

Shinada meeting Ayanokoji
After parting ways with Milky, Shinda came across Leo Ayanokoji - who was dressed as a medieval nobleman - being bullied by two hoodlums who mocked his outfit and his eyebrows, calling him "the ghost of an old lady." The nobility impersonator threatened to "banish" the "ignorant buffoons", whom he also called "blustering eyesores" and "peasants." Shinada interfered and beat down the two thugs, causing Ayanokoji to thank him, although they quickly got annoyed with each other due to Ayanokoji condescending towards Shinada. When Shinada asked Ayanokoji if he was an actor, the latter yelled "I am nothing of the sort! And do address me with the proper honorifics, you writhing, squalid vermin. For I am the glorious, most venerable Leo Ayanokoji!" Shinada laughed at him, causing him to protest that he was a descendant of the gods and that his father was chairman of the neighborhood organization. When Shinada found out that the man was 35, Shinada mocked him, asking if he was married, before concluding that he wasn't, and saying that, if he was a lady, he would run the other way at first sight. Ayanokoji insisted that he would be able to choose a wife whenever he wished, as he simply hadn't deigned to take a lover yet. He then insisted that he repay Shinada, his "loyal footsoldier," for his help by training him in instruments of war. He then invited Shinada to meet him near the TV tower, where he would teach him in weaponry.

Shinada finding Uno
The next morning, Shinada met with Takasugi at his apartment and decided that he would get to the bottom of why he was banned from baseball. He then recalled how one of his former high school teammates had been the one to make the sign-stealing allegation after being paid by fixers, only to admit his guilt out of shame; he went missing soon after that conversation. Shinada told Takasugi that, instead of just one player doing the match-fixing to pad his own stats, it was part of a larger conspiracy that involved losing on purpose for big gambling playouts; however, Shinada was the only player who got banned. Takasugi figured that someone must have made major profits, as there would be no other reason to frame an unknown rookie. Shinada decided to start his investigation with Uno, the team's former massage therapist, and the two headed to the Uno Acupuncture Clinic, only to find that Uno wasn't in, and that he was likely touring the city's massage parlors (since Uno was strapped for cash, he was likely just looking at pictures of newcomers). Shinada learned from an info booth employee that the two newest masseuses were Momoe-chan from Resort Boing and Noriko-chan from Boom and Bust. When they failed to find him at either place, they came across another info staffer who said that Kurea-chan at Operation Panties was popular, and the duo found Uno at that place. However, Uno fled from them rather than do business with Takasugi, fearing his association with the Nagoya Family.

Uno massaging Shinada
Shinada and Takasugi bonded during their adventure around town, and Takasugi noticed Shinada nearly be hit by a car several times. Shinada dodged the speeding cars every time, and he also dodged a falling glass window, causing him to become suspicious that he was treading into danger with his investigation. The two men then returned to Uno's clinic and found him there. Shinada persuaded Uno to give him a massage as he asked him about his experiences since leaving the Wyverns. Uno said that he had also been canned, as the team supposedly found a better trainer and fired Uno over the phone, even though they had renewed his contract before the year started. Shinada then asked Uno if anyone could have benefited from his getting kicked out of baseball, and Uno said that even the yakuza lost out, as the match fixing allegations led to a crackdown on baseball gambling, forcing the Tojo-kai and Omi Alliance to pull out entirely.

Takasugi and Shinada visiting Manabe's restaurant
Shinada then realized that he forgot his phone, causing Uno to remember that another player, Kanji Manabe, had similarly left his phone behind after a massage. When Uno went to return it, the man went ballistic, demanding to know if Uno had read his texts. Uno had been dropped from the team as a result, causing Shinada to determine that Manabe might know something. Shinada and Takasugi then headed over to Manabe's yakiniku restaurant to ask him about the match-fixing scandal. Manabe was initially unwilling to talk, but Takasugi suggested that Manabe might be guarding secrets about match-fixing, ultimately persuading him to talk. Manabe threatened Takasugi with a kitchen knife before backing down and asking Shinada what he wanted to know. Shinada asked Manabe to tell him that there was no match fixing, but Manabe refused to say so, admitting that not all games were legitimate. He said that he didn't know who was sending the instructions, but he was getting texts left and right ordering him to steal signs and throw games. Takasugi then reminded Manabe that, as he already left the league, he could not be charged for match fixing due to the statue of limitations. However, Manabe said that another player attempted to blow the whistle after being traded to another team, only to wind up being murdered. Manabe then asked Shinada if he hadn't had a few near-misses, causing Shinada to realize that he was being targeted. As customers entered the restaurant, Shinada and Takasugi had to leave, but Manabe warned them about continuing their investigation.

The trio sharing their info
Back at Uno's, Takasugi and Shinada concluded that, while the Tojo and Omi may have lost out, the local civilians might be happy to see the yakuza lose their business and leave Nagoya. Uno said that the Nagoya-gumi sprung up out of the woodwork after the scandal and had been running the city from the shadows ever since, and Uno then asked Takasugi to arrange an introduction with the family. It was then that Takasugi admitted that he had never met the family, and that he just threw around their name to intimidate debtors. Uno and Takasugi then argued over Takasugi's previous deception, but Shinada noticed a man attempting to create a gas leak at the door of the massage parlor.

Koshino's death scene
Shinada pursued the would-be assassin Shunsuke Koshino and cornered him, demanding to know who he was working for. Just then, a construction crane loosed several railings onto Koshino, killing him. Shinada noticed someone on the roof at the time of the "accident," and he noticed his former teammate Atsushi Sakai among the construction workers investigating the site. Uno and Shinada asked Sakai why he was there, so Sakai asked that they take their conversation inside.

Shinada interrogating Sakai
Sakai then attempted to murder Shinada after advising him to make a "sacrifice fly" for the good of the team, but Shinada defeated him. Sakai then revealed that Shinada had landed in the wrong place at the wrong time when he was called up to bat while Sakai was benched, but Sakai said that the team had thrown Shinada to the wolves for the good of Nagoya. When a construction engine was thrown from a nearby rooftop to kill Shinada, Sakai, lamenting his own betrayal, pushed Shinada out of the way and was crushed himself. Shinada was then surprised to hear that his implication in the match-fixing scandal had been "for the good of Nagoya."

Shinada and Takasugi talking with Ushijima
The next day, he searched up Sawada's pitching data, and Takasugi found that it was better than the average scorer's. Shinada realized that the Wyverns completely transformed after his last game, and he decided to ask the Chamber of Commerce chairman and esteemed local chef, Ushijima, for more information, as the conspiracy went beyond baseball. Ushijima revealed that he and his fellow business owners owed the Nagoya Family their livelihood, as Honjincho Street had been caught in a turf war between the Tojo and Omi before the match-fixing scandal pushed both gangs out of Nagoya for good. With those two tyrants gone, the Nagoya Family stepped in to clean up their mess. Ushijima said that, while the Nagoya Family were still yakuza, they didn't start conflicts or run protection rackets. He then told Shinada that he couldn't tell him who was in charge, and said that he didn't give a damn.

Shinada and Takasugi finding Uno
Just then, Shinada received a call from Milky, who said that her brother had been kidnapped, and that she had followed him to Warehouse 62 at the port. As Shinada headed for Milky, Uno called and warned Shinada to get out while he still could. Shinada and Takasugi rushed over to Uno and found him beaten, and Takasugi told Shinada to go help his friends while he got an ambulance for Uno.

Shinada rescuing Milky
Shinada then headed to the docks alone, and he found Milky bound and gagged. When he removed the tape from her mouth, she apologized, and Ushijima then knocked out Shinada and bound him. When Shinada woke up, he discovered that Milky and Ushijima were affiliated with the Nagoya Family, made up entirely of local citizens. Milky then lamented that Shinada had not gotten scared away from all the incidents in town, and Shinada was surprised that she and her gang were behind Sakai's death and the other "accidents." Shinada, betrayed, continued to doubt that his friends could have orchestrated the demise of his career and the attempts on his life, and he said that Ushijima could have killed him anytime he wanted.

Shinada escaping the docks
Before a hesitating Ushijima could cut try to Shinada's throat, Kubota arrived and attempted to take over the execution. Just then, Takasugi arrived in a forklift and helped Shinada escape, warning the Nagoya Family not to kill a man without life insurance. Shinada took out dozens of Nagoya Family members as he made his way out of the docks, and Kubota fought Shinada several times. However, with the help of Takasugi, he made his way towards the exit, where he defeated Kubota one last time.

Manabe giving his phone to Shinada
Hurt and betrayed, Shinada wanted to leave and give up his investigation, as he did not want to find out how many friends had betrayed him and his dream of playing baseball. However, Takasugi told Shinada that, while the Nagoya Family may have used him, he was always a professional, and his home run was inspirational. Shinada then recognized Takasugi as one of his earliest fans, regaining his ability to trust at least one of his friends. Takasugi then found Kubota's phone ringing, but, before he could answer it, Manabe arrived and made the steal. Manabe said that he would "do it right this time," and he then challenged Shinada to a final battle with the Nagoya. Shinada was able to defeat him after a tough fight, but he told a doubtful Takasugi that Manabe must have come to the docks knowing that Shinada would win, as Manabe always knew what was coming next while he was a batter. Manabe then awoke, and Shinada demanded to know who was pulling the strings. Manabe made a call before giving Shinada the phone, and Shinada heard Fujita speak over the phone, causing him to feel even more betrayal.

Daigo revealing his identity
The next morning, the masked man asked Shinada to meet him at his apartment. There, Shinada told Daigo everything that happened, and that the Nagoya Family, led by Fujita, was a front to keep the yakuza out of town. He also revealed that the local leaders of the gang had decided to turn themselves into prison, but he refused to end his quest until he could confront Fujita. Daigo then gave Shinada his pay, saying that he would be off to confront Fujita. When Shinada asked how the masked man knew Fujita, the masked man removed his glasses, hat, and mask and showed himself to be Daigo. The two then caught up about their years apart, with Daigo revealing how he had helped Shinada's high school baseball team play in the final without interference by beating up the rival school's bullies and being expelled as a result. Daigo also recalled how Sawada and Chukyo Academy had defeated Shinada and Kabuki West High's team 2-1 in the first round at Koshien. Daigo revealed that, as he intended to join the yakuza anyways, he wanted to watch his classmates achieve their dream while he followed his own path.

Shinada's fight with Daigo
Daigo then promised Shinada that he would rewind the 15 years he lost, promising to give Shinada his dream back. However, Shinada grew angry and punched Daigo, knocking him through the door and onto his balcony. Shinada told a confused Daigo that he wanted to take his dream back himself, and that he did not want yakuza to interfere with his dreams any longer. Rather than let Daigo go to Tokyo to confront Fujita, Shinada decided to fight him for that right. Shinada defeated Daigo after a hard-fought battle, and the two agreed to face Fujita together.

Shinada and Daigo on the train
The two then boarded the bullet train to Tokyo, with Shinada leaving behind his suitcase of money to clear his debt with Takasugi. While Shinada and Daigo sat in the train, preparing for departure, Shinada read in the newspaper that Sawada had just been traded to the Wyverns. Shinada revealed that he may have made a big mistake, and he rushed out of the train, telling Daigo to go on ahead to Tokyo.

Sawada preparing to shoot Shinada
Shinada then headed to the Wyverns Stadium, where Sawada waited for his old rival. Shinada confronted Sawada, and the two talked about how strange their lives had been; the Nagoyan Sawada had played for the Tokyo Gigants, while the Tokyoite Shinada had played for Nagoya until he had his career stolen for the sake of a city with no connection to him. Sawada revealed that, 15 years earlier, he had promised Fujita that he would take his place as head of the Nagoya Family once Fujita made his return to baseball. Shinada told Sawada that the Nagoya Family was finished, but Sawada revealed that he planned to get rid of the man with the most dirt on the Nagoya Family; he also revealed that the other leaders of the Nagoya Family had all been released from jail. As Sawada's Omi handlers watched, Sawada revealed that the Omi's Kuroha-gumi had founded the Nagoya-gumi as their puppets to control Nagoya in the absence of the Tojo and rival Omi families. He then revealed that he and Fujita had both sold out to the Kuroha years earlier, as they had even helped Sawada fix his nationals at Koshien and thus forge his career. Sawada had been the Omi's prime match-fixing asset until Daigo helped Shinada and his team get into the finals, the one honest game Sawada ever played. However, Shinada questioned Sawada about why he had stopped pitching fastballs at the seventh pitch and changed to a fastball, and Sawada revealed that the fastball had been on Fujita's command.

The fight on the baseball field
The Omi hitman Nobuyuki Kanatsuka then demanded that Sawada shoot Shinada, but Sawada used Gigants signs to tell Shinada to duck before he shot the Omi assassin dead. Sawada was surprised that Shinada knew the Gigants' signs after all, and, shortly after, the rest of the Omi arrived to kill the two of them. Shinada and Sawada then agreed to answer each other's questions - Sawada's role in the match-fixing conspiracy and Shinada's ability to get a read on Sawada's fastball - if they got out alive. The two men fought their way out of the Omi attack, teaming up to save baseball.

Shinada and Sawada reconciling
Afterwards, Shinada and Sawada - tired from the fight - laid down on the field and talked. Fujita, long wracked by guilt over the waste of Sawada's talent, wanted Shinada to beat Sawada with his real fastballs rather than fake curveballs. Fujita wanted to see the sport he loved one last time before leaving the sport, hence Sawada's surprise fastball. Shinada then decided to clear the Omi's bodies from the field so that he could show his ability to take on Shinada's fastball. His senses sharpened, Shinada struck out Sawada's curveball on the seventh pitch, ending the two men's rivalry. Sawada then asked Shinada how he knew he was going to throw a curve, and Shinada said that he was merely waiting for it, as he had figured out Sawada's fastball in high school, but hadn't figured out his curveball until then. Shinada then helped a beleaguered Sawada to his peace, and Shinada joked that he could finally retire in peace. Before Shinada left, however, Sawada warned him that Haruka Sawamura's debut performance at the Japan Dome was in danger, and Shinada prioritized cancelling the performance over reuniting with Fujita, who, unbeknownst to him, had already been murdered.
Confrontation in Tokyo[]

Akiyama meeting Shinada
Shinada then traveled to Tokyo, where he decided to search out the famous moneylender Shun Akiyama, who was known to give out interest-free loans. He arrived at Akiyama's office before the lender himself did, and he surprised Akiyama when the latter walked in with the intent to nap. Akiyama, pretending to be a mere employee, offered to relay Shinada's message, so Shinada requested 320 million yen. Akiyama was aghast, but Shinada explained that, if he didn't scrape up 300 million that day, a lot of lives would be in danger. Akiyama asked what Shinada meant, and Shinada revealed that the debut of a major singer at the Japan Dome the day after next would likely be attacked, and 300 million of the yen were to go towards cancelling the concert. Shinada then explained his backstory, including how the Kuroha-gumi used the Nagoya-gumi to rig games with the Wyverns and the Gigants, and realized that both of them knew Daigo Dojima. Shinada then relayed that Sawada had told him that the Kuroha were going to pull something at the concert. Akiyama found it ironic that, while Katsuya of Ousaka Enterprises was trying to shut the concert down, another Omi family was planning to do something, meaning that there was a leadership struggle in the Omi. Akiyama suspected that Katsuya wanted to stop "Kuroha" from consolidating power before the chairman died so that he himself could take over. Shinada then explained that the remaining 20 million yen would repay Daigo for money that he felt wasn't his. Akiyama then revealed that the girl doing he concert, Haruka, was under his care, and he insisted that she continue with her performance, as she wanted to live out her dream. The two men agreed on the need to eliminate any threat to the concert before it could be put on, and Akiyama decided that they needed to track down Katsuya's company, MAO, Inc., in order to find him.

Akiyama and Shinada visiting MAO, Inc.
Akiyama decided that they should find out MAO, Inc.'s location from the homeless, sharing his own backstory of homelessness with Shinada. Akiyama purchased 10,000 yen worth of liquor from an M Store before meeting Norikazu Kamisaka in the Hotel District. He bribed Kamisaka to tell him the location of MAO, Inc., which was located next to the Men's Entertainment Box (MEB) info booth on Shichifuku Street. When Akiyama and Shinada men arrived at the building, they were confronted by several yakuza who denied them entry, but they bested them in a fight before heading in.

Akiyama questioning the MAO president
The two men found the MAO, Inc. president Toshihiro Tsukatani preparing to make a run for it with the contents of the office safe. A startled Tsukatani revealed that Katsuya had told him that a moneylender like Akiyama wouldshow up, and he was supposed to give Akiyama the brush-off. When Akiyama asked how Katsuya knew he would come, the president did not know, but he was told that Akiyama would come wanting to know about the concert happening in two days. Shinada then asked it Tsukatani was planning on stealing the 300 million that Park had given him, but he revealed that he was planning on returning it to Osaka. Akiyama doubted that Tsukatani wanted to visit Park even though he broke his contract with her and tried to switch to Katsuya, but Tsukatani revealed that the transfer had previously been cleared by Park, and that Park and Katsuya had been friends for years. Tsukatani revealed that he used to be Katsuya's manager, and that he knew both Park and Katsuya since they were struggling artists. He then showed Akiyama a photo of Katsuya, Park, and Majima from 1992 to prove their friendship, and he also revealed that Park had helped Katsuya get a job after a stunt injury ended his acting career. Akiyama was confused, asking if they weren't rivals, and Tsukatani said that their "rivalry" was fake, and had been intended to generate buzz and publicity. Additionally, Park had schemed so that T-Set would transfer to Osaka Talent so that they could grapple with the rest of Dyna Chair's up-and-comers. Tsukatani then revealed that Goro Majima often met with Katsuya whenever they were both in Tokyo, and Akiyama concluded that Katsuya must have had some other reason for canceling the concert. Tsukatani revealed that Katsuya only wanted it pushed back a day, as he needed to work out the choreography for a new song.

Shinada meeting Watase
While Akiyama went to meet up with Kazuma Kiryu, Taiga Saejima, and Makoto Date at New Serena, Shinada - learning that Daigo had been hospitalized - went to visit him at the Touto University Hospital. While there, he crossed paths with Masaru Watase, who had been visiting his own hospitalized friend, Naoki Katsuya. A grieving Watase asked Shinada if one should seek revenge for a deceased friend or pursue their dreams instead if they shared a dream. Shinada said that he would likely want revenge, but was willing to go for either as long as it was what they would want; friends were meant to help each other achieve their dreams. Watase was satisfied with this answer, and he thanked Shinada for his help.

Kiryu meeting Shinada
Shinada then decided to head to New Serena to meet up with Akiyama's friends and help them keep Haruka's concert safe. There, he joined Akiyama in reading the blueprints for the Japan Dome. When Kiryu asked who Shinada was, Akiyama humorously said, "This is a friend of Daigo-san. He was a pro ball player, but he got banned. Then he tried to borrow 320 mil from me 'cause he's just a nightlife writer in Nagoya."

The four men planning
Shinada, analyzing the map, then explained that a creep using a sniper rifle could only shoot Haruka from the outfield stands, next to the batter's eye screen, as there would be too many people in the way from any other vantage point. He also shared that the home team often posted "spies" there to engage in sign-stealing, as they could see the opposing catcher's hand signals through binoculars from there. Akiyama then asked Shinada if it was true that he had engaged in sign-stealing, but Shinada said that nobody was in the center field stands on the day of his ban, and that he doubted that, if he had been told the Gigants' sign, he could have ever hit the fastball. When Akiyama asked why Shinada hadn't used that proof to overturn his ban, Shinada said that he did not want to ruin the fans' dreams, as he didn't want them to know how corrupt the sport was. He then said that the people watching Haruka on her stage were going to be inspired to chase their own dreams, and he said that it was his responsibility to keep Dojima's dream alive, just like how Dojima had put his life on the line to do so.

The four men discovering the Majima sigil on the dead hitman
Akiyama then told his friends that Mama had agreed to let them use New Serena as their base, arranging blankets on the sofas so that the men could rest until the next evening. That evening, the Mama rushed into New Serena and told the friends to turn on the television. They then saw a news report saying that, just after 5 PM, the Millennium Tower had been seized by an unidentified group, and Goro Majima was being held hostage. The four men rushed to the tower to rescue Majima, only to see two cars crash through a crowd of civilians. Four hitmen stepped out and sprayed the crowd and police with fire, forcing the four friends to take cover. As the hitmen reloaded, Kiryu and Akiyama sprung into action and helped the hitmen shoot each other dead. Saejima then noticed that the men were wearing Majima sigils, and Akiyama realized that taking out Kiryu and Saejima was not the hitmen's only goal; they also wanted to make it look like the Majima Family had resorted to violence to rescue their captive boss, thus helping them drive the Majima Family and the whole Tojo Clan out of town.

The four friends facing the Omi army
Shortly after, the four men found themselves surrounded on all sides by scores of Kuroha-gumi henchmen led by Kanai. Shinada decided that he would rescue Haruka at the stadium, as Kiryu stuck out like a sore thumb. Saejima volunteered to rescue Majima, while Kiryu and Akiyama would hold off the invaders. Kiryu and Akiyama proceeded to battle the yakuza, allowing Shinada and Saejima to break through their encirclement and flee into the sewers, from which they could reach their targets.

Shinada defeating Baba
Saejima and Shinada found the sewers crawling with Kuroha-gumi henchmen, and they fought their way through them before Saejima asked Shinada a favor. If Shinada saw a man named Baba there, he was to tell him that Saejima would be waiting for Baba in Tokyo as long as it took until the two swore their oath of brotherhood. Shinada made his way to the Japan Dome just in time to find Baba sitting in the outfield stands by himself, merely watching the concert. Baba, deciding against killing Haruka, prepared to leave, but Shinada berated him for leaving behind his camera as evidence, and also criticized sign-stealers, confusing Baba. Shinada then said that he did not think it right for Baba to leave without consequence, even though he had ultimately decided not to shoot Haruka. Shinada threatened to beat Baba up to teach him a lesson, and the two engaged in a hard-fought battle narrowly won by Shinada.

Baba preparing to shoot himself
Shinada then fell to the ground, tired from fighting, only to find Baba preparing to shoot himself. Baba then asked if Shinada was a friend of Saejima's, and he told him to relay his apology to Saejima that he could not go back. Shinada failed to tackle Baba before he fired his gun, but it was Yoshiyuki Himura who fired a bullet to disarm Baba. Himura and Heihachiro Oshima, both Baba and Saejima's former cellmates, arrived with Deputy Warden Seiji Kosaka, who had bent the rules to let the two men respond to Saejima's distress call in Tokyo. Kosaka revealed that Saejima had contacted him to help Baba, and Himura revealed that Saejima knew that Baba was acting on someone else's orders. Kosaka said that Baba could atone for his crimes as brothers with Saejima in Abashiri, and they welcomed Baba home.

Shinada on the phone with Takasugi
Shinada then sat by himself in the outfield stands, lamenting that, while even Baba had people to come home to, he had no home or friends. Just then, Takasugi gave Shinada a call, and Shinada asked if it was about any debts. However, Takasugi said that he was just calling out of concern for Shinada, who randomly bolted. When Takasugi said that he was not worried about the money, but about Shinada; and when Takasugi said that Milky had been released and would offer Shinada a 90-minute massage for just 3,000 yen, Shinada broke down in tears, touched that he truly did have a home and friends, after all. Takasugi told Shinada that everyone missed him, and joked that he had never given him a receipt for his loan pay-off, after all. Shinada was unable to bring himself to speak, sobbing as Takasugi asked if Shinada was still there.

Shinada mocking Kurosawa
Shinada, reassured of his friendships and belonging, then decided to help finish off the conspiracy. He took over Baba's abandoned tripod and made mocking gestures at the camera, which Kurosawa was watching from miles away, intending on giving Baba a sign to shoot Haruka. It was then that Kurosawa realized that his plan had been foiled, causing him to break his own phone, and his signal with Shinada to be cut. Not long after, Shinada watched Haruka give a surprise speech announcing her retirement from the idol industry due to her refusal to turn her back on her family, and she revealed that she had been raised by the yakuza Kazuma Kiryu, whom she called family.