As a child, Jonouchi grew up in a wealthy family. Never really having to worry about duties, he devoted most of his time to studying so he could one day take over his family's estate. One day, tragedy strikes, and his mother passes away of a mysterious illness. While this hit the family hard, Jonouchi was mostly unbothered as he was wrapped up in his studies more than spending time with his family. His father, Shinzo, took notice of this, becoming massively disappointed in his emotional absence.
 
A few years pass and his father, despite still being devastated, remarries to the daughter of a wealthy noble named Yumi. Time continues to pass and eventually Jonouchi's stepmother bears a child, a son named Kasuga. Jonouchi was an only child until then, and his father had no plans for any other children due to potential inheritance issues, but his stepmother constantly demanded they have one. At first, Jonouchi had no contact with Kasuga, mostly due to him not caring to. Eventually, his father and his stepmother had business to attend to and needed someone to watch the child, and Jonouchi was thrust into the position. Despite initial objections, he ended up taking a liking to Kasuga, finding him to be incredibly bright for his age.
 
Jonouchi began teaching Kasuga as much as you could teach a baby. By just two years, Kasuga began to be able to form coherent sentences and other feats beyond his age. Their parents began to take notice of this progress, both Kasuga's learning and Jonouchi's increasing openness. But while their father was beginning to regain faith in Jonouchi, however, this infuriated Yumi. With the birth of her son, she had planned to have him take the inheritance by convincing Shinzo that Jonouchi was not fit. From there, a plan was hatched that would change Jonouchi's life, and perhaps even the course of history, forever.
 
Shinzo set off to Buon Ma Duong on a business trip, bringing his family along as well to give them a vacation as well. This is when the plan to take Jonouchi out of running for good, and while he definitely noticed Yumi despised him, he would have never expected things to go this far. Jonouchi was out in streets, wading through a market with young Kasuga in his arms. All of a sudden, he feels an arm on his shoulder and a sharp pressure against his back. "Keep your head forwards and follow my movements if you want to live" he heard a male voice say. Time seemed to slow down as Jonouchi began to analyze the situation, he'd been training his mind for a moment like this for a long time now. But, no matter how hard he tried, he could see no openings. The man had a strong grip, which suggests there was likely even more strength behind his fists, ignoring the fact he most likely had a blade pressed to his back. There was also Kasuga, he couldn't just drop him, and even if he did Kasuga would get lost in the crowd. For now, he decided it was best simply to cooperate.
 
Jonouchi was then lead to an alley hidden behind a handful of stalls, completely empty minus the three hooded figures staring directly at him. The man behind Jonouchi pushes him forward, though a bit more gently than he expected for a knife wielding thug that was probably looking for a handful of coins. The hooded figures begin to step forward, and Jonouchi shields Kasuga in his arms. As he does this, he feels the knife against his back again. The hooded figure to the left steps forward and says in a gruff voice "Hand me the boy, and no one gets hurt". Jonouchi is once again confronted with another situation he can't logic his way out of, and it hurts. Shakily, he hands of Kasuga, who begins to cry as Jonouchi hands him over to this complete stranger. Then, pain.
 
Something hits the back of Jonouchi's head, throbbing pain resonates through his skull as he begins to collapse. His vision is blurry and all he can hear a pounding in his head and the painfully piercing wails of his half brother. Jonouchi is flipped over to his back by a foot to his chest, revealing the face of the man who did it. He could just barely make it out, but he recognized him as a guard who had been hired to protect his family when his father was remarried. 'There's no way', he thought, as he lay staring up and the man he previously entrusted his protection to. As the darkness along the edge of his vision began to creep in, Jonouchi heard a seemingly familiar voice. "Hand me my Kasuga this instant".
 
Later, Jonouchi awakens, lying on the floor in a damp, dark room. The first things he notices are the intense pain in his head and the shackle around his leg tethering him to the wall. This place would be his home for the next month, where he is treated surprisingly well. He's fed decent meals and given an occasional haul of books to keep him occupied, all brought by an unusually kind middle aged man. Eventually, the day comes when he was released back into the world, but not before he receives a warning from the man who cared for him the whole time. "I wouldn't go looking for your family again, son. They've stopped looking for you from what I've heard." He takes a pause for a second, looking down at his feet in contemplation. "Look, you're going to have eyes on you for a good while after leaving this place. If they even catch a whiff of you looking into going back home, you'll just end up back here, or worse." The man then turns around and says "But you didn't hear that from me." Jonouchi is then handed a small coin purse and escorted out the door to start his new life in Buon Ma Duong.