With a forceful push, she opened the door to her house, the child in her arms shivering from the cold. What a young orphan is doing in the middle of the village in this freezing weather she didn't know but had she seen them any later, they might've frozen to death.

Land of Iron is unforgiving, especially in the winter. People die from the cold weather constantly, and even Samurai are susceptible to it. Seeing a child on their own unknowingly awaiting their death wasn't something she'd ignore. She's no heartless Shinobi, nor is she above taking care of an unknown child.

"Emiko?" Her partner called out, looking at her from his chair in confusion. "What's the hurry? What are you holding?"

"Go boil some water, Kenta." She replied to her husband urgently. "And bring a towel, some pillows, and a blanket. Hurry it up!"

His eyes widen in surprise as he recognizes what's in Emiko's arms, quickly moving to obey her words as she sat down by the fireplace, the child in her arms stirring slightly. She glanced down at the child, still unsure of who this might be. They seem to be dressed in clothes of very good quality, with a beautifully woven scarf and expensive-looking red and black goggles. Or Sunglasses? They seem to be a mix of the two.

Who is this child? Are they related to the royal family? White Hair isn't exactly common in this country, and Emiko has never seen someone wearing such high-quality clothes before.

She shook her head with a sigh. Regardless of what this child's origins are, it doesn't change the fact that they almost died. Emiko would have mistaken them for a corpse from how cold their body is, but they're still breathing with a tiny bit of difficulty. What a strong kid…

Kenta returned with the requested items, putting the bucket of water next to her. She nodded in thanks, gently laying the child over the pillow before quickly warming the towel with the hot water. Emiko Squeezed out the towel, then put it over the kid's forehead after taking off the goggles and scarf.

"I'll go heat up some leftovers for them to eat when they wake up," Kenta said, prompting Emiko to smile slightly.

"Thank you, dear."

As her husband went to the kitchen, Emiko began to take off the child's dirty coat, giving it a worried glance. Is that blood? Why is there so much blood on the child's coat? What the hell happened to them?

Gazing back at the child, her eyes widened, almost popping out of her skull as she spotted the white, fluffy appendage wrapped around their waist. Is that… a monkey tail? Emiko blinked a few times, then chuckled to herself, feeling silly. Probably worn as a belt, it's not an actual tail. People aren't born with monkey tails…

…

Emiko pursed her lips and pushed the child a bit to see their back, stiffening as she saw that the tail was connected to a spot right above their bottom. The tail… isn't some random rich person accessory from the looks of it.

And apparently, they're a girl.

Well then…

She doesn't know where this tail came from, or if this child is even a human, but a toddler is still a toddler. Even then, she had heard of certain families inheriting special abilities, as well as a physical appearance outside the norm. Perhaps she's one of them? Regardless, Emiko would not abandon her simply because she's different. Her mother didn't raise her to be some racist bigot.

The Samurai would probably take her in for investigation and experimentation and Emiko can't let that happen. She's grateful for the Samurai's protection, but she knows that they can be cruel, and that not all of them are good people. If she could maybe hide the girl until she's at least old enough to protect herself.

"Food's ready." Her husband said, returning from the kitchen with a steaming bowl of stew. "Is the child-"

Kenta froze as he saw the white tail, eyes widening in shock and a hint of fear. He almost dropped the bowl but managed to get a hold of himself as he asked a very rational question.

"I-Is that… a monkey tail?" His voice was a mere whisper. "What… what is this?"

"I don't know," Emiko answered truthfully, equally confused and shocked. "But we can discuss this later. Come, give me the bowl."

Kenta hesitated, looking at the child with a suspicious glare. "Where did you find this child?"

"Outside near the well, freezing to death." Emiko glared back at him, almost in disbelief that he's suspicious of an unconscious toddler.

"This- this does not seem like a good idea, Emiko." He said. "What do we know about this child? What kind of child has a monkey tail?"

"A dying one." She scowled. "Now hurry it up and give me the bowl!"

"No." He refused, taking a step back. "This could be one of them shinobi freaks, and you know how dangerous they are. I don't want it anywhere close to us."

"It?!" She parroted incredulously. "Are you out of your mind, Kenta?! The child almost froze to death outside, and seeing a tail is enough for you to throw away your empathy?! Are you that much of a coward?!"

"I am being cautious!" He argued. "What if it is a shinobi?! What will we do when it decides to go on a rampage and rip us apart?!"

"Why didn't she do it already then?!" Emiko challenged. "She had many chances, yet all I saw was her eating cold fruits as the snow buried them. You think a monster would let that happen?!"

He had no answer to that, merely biting his lips as he redirected his gaze to something else.

"Even if you're right, the guards outside can deal with it." She added. "Now be quiet and give me the damned bowl."

Kenta handed her the bowl with a frustrated sigh and swiftly left the room, leaving his wife alone with the small toddler. Emiko sighed too, muttering about her husband being a paranoid lunatic. He can get insufferable sometimes…

She turned her gaze back at the girl, smiling slightly as she caressed her cheek. She always had a soft spot for children.

When Emiko woke up this morning, she did not expect to save a monkey child from freezing to death.

Life works in mysterious ways.

(Zenith)

With struggle, I slowly open my eyes, feeling strangely warm. My vision adjusts itself, from blurry to clear in a matter of a few blinks. I gazed at the fireplace in front of me, my brow furrowing as I try to recall what had happened.

I went to explore the village, some old man gave me fruits for free, I finished eating and then-

"Ah, you're awake!" A familiar feminine voice notes, prompting me to look up at the same warm brown eyes I saw before passing out. "Had a nice nap?"

I blink, remaining silent.

Oh right, warm place or something. The woman tried to save me.

I don't respond, only merely looking at her in silence as she frowns slightly, shifting awkwardly while looking away. My gaze makes her look obviously uncomfortable, then she quickly clears her throat, trying to smile a bit.

"A-aha, you must be hungry, right?" She asks. "There's some leftover food for you. Here."

She hands me a steaming bowl of… something. I don't know, but it smelled absolutely delicious. I sit upright, taking it off her hand and devouring it in a matter of seconds. It tasted leagues better than anything I've ever made before. If I liked my own stew, then I absolutely loved this, and it barely filled my hunger gauge. 5? That's nothing.

I hand her the bowl again. "More."

As for her, she was frozen with a huge smile on her face, an emotion on her face that I couldn't quite comprehend or understand. I blink in confusion as she hugs me tightly, squealing in delight. What's she doing?

"You're so cuuuuuute!" She says. "I've never seen a child so precious before! How old are you?"

I flinch. She's loud.

"I said I want more," I repeat, ignoring her question... "I'm hungry."

"More? Of course!" She obeys with a smile. "Just wait here. I'll bring you all the food you want!"

She rushes out of the… living room? The warm, fireplace room. I don't know, I just woke up and I'm hungry, and this lady makes good food. I just want to eat right now.

I still find it stupid how she decides to help me anyway. Why would anyone try to help an unknown person if it doesn't benefit them? I could never make sense of it. For all she knows, I'm a cold-blooded murderer that'll kill her and everyone in the village.

It's not exactly a wrong assessment either. I'm definitely gonna do that.

...Hmm, should I, though? I mean, the food tasted amazing. It'd be a shame if she died. Who'll cook me stuff then? I dunno how to cook. My food doesn't taste nearly as good.

Maybe I should keep this place until I find a better cook. Or just have her teach me so I don't have to rely on others. Yes, that sounds smart.

My mouth waters at the prospect of eating food as delicious as this every single day, and just in time, the woman comes back with multiple plates and bowls over a tray, putting it in front of me. I don't even wait for her to speak as I dig in, stuffing my mouth as soon as I can.

Haah, it's so good~

"You're just the cutest little thing, aren't you?" The woman sighs lovingly.

I don't respond, too busy eating my fill.

"Ah, I haven't told you my name yet, have I?" She said. "You can call me Emiko. May I know your name?"

I swallow, looking at her right in the eye. "Zenith."

She blinks. "I-I'm sorry? Zen…itsu-chan? Um, how do you pronounce that again?"

"No, Zenith." I shake my head. "Zen-ith. Not Zenitsu."

"That's… a unique name." She says with a raised brow. "Can I call you Zen-chan for short?"

I nod and go back to eating, not really caring. Names aren't important, otherwise, I'd have protested when it was changed. Couldn't care less what other people call me. It's insignificant in the grand scheme of things.

"So, Zen-chan?" Emiko says. "How long have you been out?"

"...a week? More?" I frown. I'm not sure. Days blur together when your routine is so monotonous.

"I-I see." She looks a bit sad. "And did you have a place to live?"

"Wilderness." I lie to her. "I sleep in caves."

"All alone?"

I nod.

I ignore whatever sympathy she may have for me, finally finishing the food. That was nice, I really should learn how to cook. I want to eat something like this every day. Not to mention, the increase is way more than I expected, it's incredible.

You've eaten a well-cooked and hearty meal! +250 AP!

250 from a regular housewife's cooking. This is more than 200 above my own food, it's amazing.

I love eating.

"Are you feeling full?" Emiko asks, prompting me to nod. "Come then."

I look at her extended hand and tilt my head in confusion. "What?"

"You've spent more than a week outside, no?" She says. "Then I think you need a bath. I doubt you found any warm water in the wilderness."

I pause, looking blankly at her hand before taking it. She smiles and leads me to what I assume is the bathroom. She was right, there was no warm water in the wilderness no matter how hard I looked. Everything was either frozen or in the process of freezing.

A bath sounds nice right about now.

Leaving the bathroom with the woman, she takes my outfit with her as she tells me that she was gonna clean it. She's lucky she didn't stroke my tail too roughly, otherwise, I'd have blasted her to oblivion. I thought I already got rid of that weakness…

I'm wearing some spare clothes right now, a children's yukata. I blink and stare at the man, who looks at me suspiciously.

He looked as if he was going out, wearing lots of fur and winter gear, with a box in one hand and a fishing rod in the other. I hide my tail under the yukata and curiously walk up to him, making him flinch slightly as he heads to the door.

I follow him as he stops right at the exit, looking at me warily. "W-what is it that you want?"

"Where are you going?" I ask, though I already know the answer. I just want some fish too.

"That's none of your business." He says. "Wait for Emiko here."

I blink, ignoring his orders, and follow him outside. It's cold, I don't have any shoes with me, so walking on the cold snow is annoying, and my yukata isn't that thick.

But I've been getting used to the cold recently. It's nowhere near as bad as it was the first day I was in this world.

For a few minutes, I follow the man, ignoring the stares directed at us. He doesn't seem to have noticed, not until a whole half an hour of walking at least. When he did, he almost stumbled on his butt, his face contorting into one of shock as he gets up quickly.

"W-what are you doing here?!" He questions. "I told you to stay!"

"No," I reply bluntly. "It's boring."

"You-! That's…" He groans. "You're a child! You don't belong in the wilderness, so listen to what I say and-

"No."

"You damned brat…" His eyes narrow. "Go back right this instant."

"No."

"I'm your elder. Listen to me and go back."

"Dun wanna."

"You stubborn little-" He groans in annoyance. "Look, this place is filled with predators-"

Nice.

"And you're a mere child." He continues. "Besides, aren't you cold?"

I shake my head.

He stares at me for a full minute before sighing in defeat. He takes off one of his jackets and wraps it around me. "Fine. You probably won't listen to what I say regardless. Just keep close to me, alright?"

Whatever. If he stops whining about it, then sure. I doubt killing him will give any AP, so no need to do that. Who knows, he might attract something actually threatening. A bait is all he's worth.

He sighs and puts his stuff on the ground, lifting me and putting me over his shoulders. I don't resist it at all, my feet are cold and it's distracting.

We had already left the village by the time he spotted me, and we continued to walk forward deeper and deeper into the forest, my ki senses not spotting anything nearby. I'm not really that skilled with it yet, I can't sense too far.

I haven't explored much of this place - just looked around for food and things to kill, so I never found a river or pond I can fish in. Most were frozen solid, and I have nothing to use as a fishing rod or net.

And I want fish.

I wipe the drool off my mouth as my stomach grumbles.

"You just ate..." He sighs.

I really want fish.

I didn't know where we were going, but I didn't expect the man to lead me to a beach. I blink in mild surprise, spotting a small wooden boat beached above the waterline. The man heads towards it and I get off him as he pushes the boat towards the sea.

I watch him as he struggles to do that for a minute, then take his place as I effortlessly push the boat with one hand, making him look at me in shock. "Y-you… how did you do that?"

I look at him blankly, not answering his question.

He looks creeped out by my silence, getting on the boat as I follow him. He takes the oars as we sail to the sea. It takes… a bit longer than I expected as the waves push us backward, making me squint my eyes in annoyance.

I aim both arms behind us, red energy swirling in my hands as I give the man a heads up. "Oi."

"Hm?"

"...Hold on tight."

"What are you-!?"

As I unleash two ki waves from my palms, the man lets out a high-pitched scream as he holds on to dear life. We are sent speeding out to sea as I keep pumping more and more ki into the blast. It didn't take long for us to reach far away from the shores, prompting me to stop wasting ki as the man panted in fear.

"W-w-wha…" He sits upright on his butt. "W-what the hell just happened?!"

"Do fish swim here?" I ask.

"E-eh?"

"Do we need to go further?"

"W- no, no nonnononono!" He waves his arm around, looking at me in fear. "T-t-this is good enough, thank you very much! Please don't hurt me!"

I silently stare at him as he shivers and shakes in terror, his gaze directed at anything else except my eyes. I lose interest quickly and look down at the deep sea, trying to sense anything close by.

My range isn't good, but I sense a lot of stuff. So many fish…

The man takes a deep breath and begins rummaging inside his bag, taking out a large net before throwing it in the water. He also takes out a barrel, puts it between us, and then uses his fishing rod to catch some. As for me, I keep my senses sharp, using my tail to quickly catch something before throwing it in the barrel.

Surprisingly, it was warmer here than on land for whatever reason. The occasional splashes of water are very cold and annoying, but not too bad. Having to dip my tail in was worse though. The water is freezing cold.

I don't know how long it took us, maybe around two hours as the sun began to set. The man pulls out the net, catching a dozen or two fish with a proud smile on his face.

"Today's haul is good." He mutters to himself, giving me a glance.

I blink, tilting my head slightly, then narrow my eyes as I feel something approaching us from below. It's fast, a lot faster than even the bear, making me clench my fists. As I sense it starting to lunge, I quickly push the man down, a huge shark leaping over the boat we're in, missing the fisherman by a hair's breadth.

"W-what?!" He screams in fear. "What was that?!"

My palms explode in red energy as I sharpen my focus, waiting for the prey to pounce once more.

"Shark," I answer simply.

"What kind of shark can do that?!"

"Dunno."

It attacks the boat from under us, breaking it apart with ease as the man yelps in fear as his half of the boat starts drifting away from mine. Focusing on my ki senses I quickly shoot a ki blast through the boat, sensing that I managed to hit it. However, as it keeps ramming and chomping at my half of the boat's underside, my eyes narrow in annoyance.

I jump off the boat and into the sea, ignoring the cries of the fisherman as I grab the stupid shark by the fin, releasing ki wave after ki wave and completely incinerating its head after a few blasts.

Enemy defeated! +320 AP!

I quickly swam up as my vision began to blur, the freezing water feeling as if it's trying to pull me down. Of course, I take the shark with me, getting onto the larger half of the boat once again and immediately falling to my knees, shaking uncontrollably as the biting cold makes me start to lose consciousness.

I couldn't let that happen, not now. The boat is a hair's breadth away from sinking and I have to get back to shore as quickly as I can.

"D-don't… L-let g-g-go..." I struggle to say, extending both arms and releasing a more powerful combined ki wave, that sends us back to shore in less than 10 seconds.

The boat shatters as we hit the beach at high speed, the fish and shark falling on the snowy sand as I lay there, struggling to remain awake. I hear the man trying to say something, but I couldn't make it out nor did I care, my eyes slowly closing as everything goes black.

At least I got the fish…

(Kenta)

"I cannot believe you let a goddamn toddler come along." His wife scolded, scowling at him angrily. "Are you braindead? What the hell would you do if she lost her life, huh?"

"I-I know, I messed up, I'm sorry." He says apologetically. "Look, I just… I was scared, okay? W-what would happen if I forced her to go home?"

"She's a child!"

"You did not see what she could do!" He argued. "S-she can use Chakra, Emiko. I saw it with my own eyes. She slaughtered a Silver Fin shark on her own!"

His wife glanced at the shark in question, getting slightly concerned. Both of them knew that this was no ordinary shark, as very few fishermen have seen it and lived to tell the tale, its razor-sharp teeth and powerful rams having sent untold numbers of boats and even ships to their watery graves. The brave few fishermen that hunt them, lured by the incredible prices they command, universally hired a samurai escort to take care of the shark. Not all of them make it back, and no samurai, no matter how powerful, has survived falling into the water with one.

So seeing a literal brat manhandle it like that underwater was… terrifying.

The moment Kenta realized the child can use Chakra, he felt he was doomed. Whose- what - child was this? The monkey tail is telling enough, but to use such arts at such a young age was… well, not normal. Even Shinobi don't start training until they're six at least, and this one is obviously younger.

"We're just gonna keep going around in circles." Emiko sighed deeply. "At least she's still alive, even if she's worse than I found her this morning. She's incredibly strong for her age."

"You have no idea…" He muttered.

Kenta glanced at the sleeping child, a twinge of guilt in his heart. He felt justified in his suspicions of the kid, but then this same kid, possibly not even older than five, risked herself to save him.

Had she not acted quickly, the boat would've been completely destroyed by the shark and they would not have been able to survive in the freezing sea for more than a minute before dying.

Kenta sighed, sitting down next to the little girl as she slept peacefully. He owed this kid a lot if he's being frank. He's still utterly terrified of her, completely distrustful as well. Everyone knows that Shinobi, no matter how young, should never be trusted.

And seeing her ripping the shark apart… well, it only reinforces his suspicions. She's definitely seen blood before, possibly killed people too. No regular child can do what she did without showing a hint of shock or fear.

However, he still owes her, and what if she was being genuine? What if she's as innocent as Emiko thinks she is? Should he maybe give her a chance? Maybe he's just being paranoid?

He extended his hand towards her, hesitating but then gently patted her head. She stirred, prompting him to retract his hand before sighing. He's gonna keep an eye on her still, but it might not be so bad to… give her a chance.

It was then when the girl woke up, eyes opening wide as she scanned the room. Her eyes landed on the married couple, blinking a couple of times before sitting upright, the blanket falling off her torse.

"Ah, you're awake!" Emiko smiled warmly. "Are you feeling alright?"

"I'm hungry." She answered bluntly.

"Of course, I'm making dinner soon, just for you," Emiko said, patting her on the head. "Would you like anything in particular?"

Kenta wasn't sure if his wife was an idiot or she's stupidly brave. He envies the concern she shows for the brat and is worried about her seeming obsession with her. Well, she hadn't quite seen what he saw, so maybe that's why.

"Shark," Zen-chan said. "I want that shark."

Oh no.

"Shark?" Emiko raised a brow. "You mean the Silver Fin?"

She blinked and nodded,

"Well, okay. I'll get it ready in a minute~" His wife said cheerfully, heading towards the kitchen.

However, Kenta stopped her by grabbing her arm, hissing at her.

"Are you out of your mind?!" He scowled. "It's a Silver Fin! We could get a fortune for that!"

"Really?" She deadpanned. "That's what you're worried about?"

He clamped his mouth shut.

"Zen-chan just saved your life, and all you can think about is the money she earned. If she really killed the shark herself then I think it's better for you to stop arguing. That shark ain't yours in the first place." She countered, making him scowl back. "Now shut up and wait for the food like the good husband you are."

As his woman left him alone with the child, he sighed, giving Zen-chan a glance. She gazed back at him with those red eyes of hers, so blank and soulless that it made him shiver. He didn't know how long it's been, but she eventually lost interest and stared off into space.

Minutes passed as the tense atmosphere started to get a little too thick for him. He needed to do something, his nerves can't handle this. He shook his head, and with a bit of struggle, said what needed to be said.

"T-thank you, for saving my life…"

Her response was a mere blink, silently looking at him with no visible emotions.

He rubbed his neck and cleared his throat awkwardly, feeling a little creeped out. "I-I'll go and… help her in the kitchen. You can stay here until the food is ready."

He hurriedly left the girl, Emiko giving him a confused side glance as she tasted the broth. "What?"

"The kid creeps me out." He admitted. "I've seen dead fish look more alive than her."

"Pff, coward."

As he was about to argue, light taps sounded across the room, prompting Kenta to look behind him at the child, who had a blanket wrapped around her as she looked curiously at them. She spotted the food being made and immediately started drooling, a scene Kenta found admittedly adorable.

But he just told her to wait. Why does she keep ignoring him?

Just then, he realized something, almost grimacing. Better question: Why would she? He saw how she killed a shark with weird energy attacks and pushed a damned boat with one hand. She could probably kick his ass if she wanted to.

"Zen-chan, come and sit down." Emiko cooed. "It should be finished soon, okay?"

She blinked, climbing over one of the chairs as she blankly gazed at him. Her red eyes were mesmerizing, but at the same time, they scared the fisherman. Something about those eyes was… odd. Something in him warned that this child was dangerous.

He almost scoffed. Of course, she is. She can use Chakra for goodness' sake!

Admittedly… he was curious about the kid. What kind of person she is, where she came from, what that tail is - it's normal for humans to be curious. He wondered what the kid was thinking about right now.

Well, the constant drooling and gurgling stomach is telling enough. Zen-chan is only thinking about food right now.

Once done, his wife put so many plates and platters on the table, way more than what they'd usually eat. She practically made a feast, a proud smile on her face.

"Oi, oi isn't that too much?" Kenta raised a brow at her as she sat down. "I mean, it all looks great but…"

"It's a Silver Fin. We never get to eat those, Kenta." His wife replied. "So I'm making a feast. Let's say that it's Zen-chan's reward for saving you~"

Her only response was wolfing down on the food, making his wife giggle. Kenta watched in awe as the tiny child stuffed food in her mouth, cleaning three plates in less than a minute. What the hell is this kid?!

"She's so cute~" His wife sighed lovingly.

"There's nothing cute about this." He grimaced in disgust. "And I don't think eating so much is healthy-"

It was then that Zen-chan squealed. A high-pitched, happy squeal that almost gave him a heart attack from the sheer adorableness he witnessed. It was the first time he's seen her smile, an innocent childish smile that'd leave anyone reeling.

SHE'S SO CUUUUUUUUUUUUUTE!

Of course, he barely managed to keep it to himself as he finally understood what made Emiko gravitate to Zen-chan so much. It was as if his eyes were opened - pure cuteness, her furry tail wagging only compounding it.

Kenta shook his head as he regained his composure. He can gush later, there's still the Silver Fin-

All that was left was the skeletal remains of the shark, making him freeze. His brain registered what had happened after a few seconds, and all Kenta felt was sheer miserableness and depression. He had wanted to try one for years since he was a mere boy, and seeing the chance dashed away from right before his eyes was…

Zen-chan leaned back, letting out a sigh of contentment as she wrapped herself further into the blanket, looking more and more tired by the second. Kenta watched her doze off, snoring lightly. She looks so peaceful…

The dip in the frozen sea took a lot out of her from the looks of it. He's still shocked that she managed to actually wake up - usually even adults would be in a coma.

He sighed deeply, smiling slightly a second later.

"What made you so happy?" His wife grinned. "Thought you always wanted to eat one of these?"

"Still do." He admitted.

"And you're not whining about it. That's new."

"...I guess I just can't get mad about it." He shook his head. "She… Zen-chan saved my life. I guess... It never really sunk in until now."

Emiko waited for him to continue.

"Seeing her like this, I just can't help but feel content, y'know." He said. "I don't know how to explain it."

"You don't have to. I get it." His wife smiled. "I suppose... you're not against her staying here anymore?"

"I'm still not fully into the idea, but she can stay for now." Kenta shrugged. "Just… keep her away from my next boat please."

Emiko laughed as he shook his head in exasperation, giving the kid one more glance before smiling slightly.

Maybe this isn't as bad as he thought it'd be...

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