In many ways, the story of Yorinobu Arasaka resembles an ancient parable. The younger son of one of the modern world's most powerful CEOs renounces his heritage, forfeits his birthright, and instead chooses a rough-and-tumble life on the streets of Tokyo only to later scamper back home to the warm, sheltered bosom of his family with his tail tucked. At least, that is the story most have pieced together from official sources. But why did Yorinobu betray his father in the first place? Why did he return? For several years, I dug deeper, followed leads, reached out to his former friends and acquaintances. Slowly, I began to unearth answers to some of the public's most burning questions.
Yorinobu was born in Tokyo in the early twenty-first century, the first child to Saburo Arasaka's third wife, Michiko. By all accounts, he seemed a happy child that grew to become a pleasant young man; that is, until his graduation from the University of Tokyo at the age of 21. Following the ceremony, the Arasaka family threw a party in his honor. At some point in the evening, Saburo invited his son to his study for a private conversation. What transpired there is wholly unknown, but after corroborating varied accounts, it is clear Yorinobu must have slipped out of from the party and the estate only a few hours later. Gone. A whisper in the night.
Over the next few years, various eyewitnesses spotted Yorinobu in the company of a nomad group known as Kotetsu no Ryu, or the "Steel Dragons." As part of this youthful rebellion, he purposefully involved himself in altercations with Arasaka agents and promoted anti-corporate slogans. After his family eventually confirmed Yorinobu's involvement, Saburo renounced his son and Kei, Saburo's eldest son, swore to exact revenge on his younger brother. Ironically, it was later at Kei's funeral that Yorinobu at last reconciled with his father. Stubbornly proud to a fault, many were suprised by the Arasaka patriarch's conciliatory approach. What caused Saburo to change his mind? What role might have Yorinobu's sister, Hanako, played in their peaceable reunion? That much yet remains to be discovered...
