The End of Ambition

The End of Ambition (野望の果て, Yabō no Hate) is the 12th and final chapter in Yakuza 3.

Plot[]

The chapter starts in Yoshitaka Mine's private jet, where he and two of his Hakuho Clan subordinates are flying back to Tokyo. Mine hears one of them speaking ill of Daigo Dojima and how he should never have become Tojo Clan chairman in the first place. This outrages Mine, who stabs him in the hand with a fork. The man, foaming at the mouth, slides off his seat as Mine sits back down.

At Okinawa Airfield, Joji Kazama^[1] shows Kazuma Kiryu and Haruka Sawamura a secret US Military aircraft sitting on the runway. Kiryu realizes that this explains Kazama seemingly having been in two places at once, to shoot Shigeru Nakahara and Daigo Dojima. Kazama says that the aircraft is capable of travelling to Tokyo in under an hour. Kiryu goes to shake hands with Kazama, but Kazama refuses, saying that he will only shake his hand after Mine and Andre Richardson have been dealt with. Kiryu and Haruka board the secret jet, with Kazama travelling to Tokyo using a more conventional aircraft.

At Touto University Hospital, Mine is sitting next to an unconscious Daigo in his hospital room, when he receives a call from Richardson. In English, Mine says that he knows Kiryu is on his way, with Kazama due to arrive shortly after. In Kamurocho, Haruka realizes that the reason Kiryu invited her was because he was worried that they will never be able to explore the city again after the events of tonight. He apologizes for his selfishness, but Haruka hugs him and says she is happy for the chance to spend more time with him.

After leaving Haruka at New Serena, Kiryu takes a taxi to Touto University Hospital, where he is confronted by Hakuho Clan men. After a lengthy battle, Kiryu manages to take the elevator to the 25th floor, which he learns from one of the Hakuho men is where Daigo's room is. The elevator ride is interrupted several times by more Hakuho Clan men. In Daigo's room, Kiryu finds the same long-blond-haired man he fought in the backlot south of Taihei Boulevard East. In English, the man tells him that Daigo and Mine are up on the roof of the hospital. He points up so that Kiryu understands what he is saying. The pair then have a fight in the hospital room.

After this battle, Kiryu rushes back to the elevators, only to be stopped by a number of armed CIA operatives in body armour. After fighting them, the long-haired man returns, this time armed with two pistols and a shotgun. Kiryu eventually defeats him again. On the elevator ride up to the roof, Kiryu is confronted by yet more armed, armoured operatives, before having to fight through yet more of them to get up to the roof.

On the rooftop, Kiryu finds Mine and Daigo, who is on a stretcher. Kiryu says that Mine wants to kill Daigo to take over the Tojo Clan, but Mine says that he is not interested in that. Mine tells Kiryu that he bribed Tsuyoshi Kanda to join the Tojo Clan. He goes on to say that as a penniless orphan whom no-one cared about, Mine became desperate to make as much money as possible. He sacrificed everything in the pursuit of making money, thinking that it would earn him love and respect. He then came to the realization that no-one respected him as a person; they were only interested in his money. Desperate to understand if true loyalty existed, he decided to join the yakuza. There, he met Daigo, who embodied everything Mine did not think really existed in people. He came to admire Daigo intensely for his charisma and leadership skills. Thinking that Daigo is as good as dead, Mine went into a state of grieving. Once again craving power, he decided to join forces with Black Monday.

Kiryu does not understand how Mine can think of Daigo as being dead when he is still breathing. Mine however sees it differently, pulling a gun on the sixth chairman. He says that he cannot bear to see the man he once so admired suffering like this, so he has to put him out of his misery. Kiryu tries to explain to Mine that a person's life always has value as long as they are still alive. This outrages Mine, who points the gun at Kiryu, saying that he does not understand why people like Kiryu must insist on being so compassionate. He starts firing shots in Kiryu's vicinity, enraged that a fellow orphan could care about others so much. Mine then says that he is going to kill Kiryu after Daigo, the man he respected so much. He then says that once he has taken over the Tojo Clan, his life will have meaning.

Kiryu tells Mine that he is wrong: the fact that Mine has let money and power take over his life without thinking about others makes him no better than those he resents so much for deserting him. Kiryu finally takes his jacket and shirt off, saying that he will never be able to convince Mine by words alone. Admired by Kiryu's tenacity, Mine takes his own top off, revealing his tattoo, and the game's final boss fight ensues.

After Mine is defeated, he receives a phone call from his secretary Katase, who asks if he is hurt. He tells her that he is fine. She then says that she is concerned. Thinking that someone other than Daigo has finally shown concern for his well-being, she then starts talking about a stock market deal. Mine hangs up in exasperation, conceding what Kiryu has told him. Kiryu tells Mine that it is not too late for him to change his ways, and lifts him off the ground. At this point, the men in black from before arrive on the rooftop. Thinking that it is the CIA, Mine tells Kiryu that it is actually Black Monday, and Kiryu realizes that the long-haired man is actually Andre Richardson, its leader. Mine reveals that they knew about Kazama's attempt to stop them all along.

Richardson pulls a gun on them and it looks to be all over, when Daigo manages to roll off the stretcher onto the floor, pick up Mine's gun, shoot Richardson's men, and disarm Richardson himself. Daigo then declares that he is not ready to die yet, shooting Richardson in the chest. He then collapses, and Kiryu rushes to his aid. Not knowing what is going on, he sees Mine, wondering what he is doing here. In this moment, Mine realizes that the man he grieved over is in fact far from dead.

Richardson then gets up, bleeding from the mouth, and once again points his gun at Kiryu and Daigo. Mine flies into a rage and rushes Richardson to protect the man he admires so much. Despite being shot several times running towards him, Mine disarms Richardson, grabs his arms, and drags him to the edge of the hospital's roof. Mine apologizes to Daigo for everything he did, and says to Kiryu that he wished he could have met him sooner. The pair beg Mine not to jump, but Mine then says he hopes that in his next life, he will be good enough to earn Kiryu's respect. He then goes off the edge of the roof, dragging Richardson along with him to their deaths. At this point, a helicopter with Kazama and Haruka on board comes to pick Kiryu and Daigo up. Daigo asks Kiryu if Mine was the traitor to the Tojo Clan, but Kiryu says that there is no way Mine would have betrayed him.

In the ending FMV, Kiryu says his goodbyes to Kazuki and Yuya outside the Kamuro Theater. Seeing Haruka, he starts walking to her, only to be accosted by a man in a dirty raincoat and hat. The man is Goh Hamazaki. He tells Kiryu that he has lost everything thanks to him. Kiryu tries to calm him down, again saying about how it is not too late to change his ways and he will gladly help him do so. Hamazaki appears to accept this, and the pair go to embrace. At this point however, Hamazaki stabs Kiryu in the abdomen, telling him to stop being so ridiculous. Seeing the commotion, Kazuki and Yuya wrestle Hamazaki to the ground, and Haruka goes over to Kiryu, who is now collapsed on the ground. Kiryu ominously tells her that Mine taught him that in one's final moments, it is possible to learn to believe in someone.

After the credits, a bonus scene at Morning Glory Orphanage^[2] shows all the children playing in the garden. The orphanage has been rebuilt, including a new doghouse for Mame^[3] made by Mikio Aragaki. Saki, still pursuing her interest in sketching, is now able to talk again. Haruka looks up to the sky, before being joined by Kiryu. His shirt is open, revealing his bandaged abdomen. The pair then look to the sky together.