The Opportunity For a Better Life

“Papaaa! Mamaaa!”

Little Kouga cried loudly.

Up till now, Kouga had a really happy childhood with her parents. She didn’t know what was happening around her. She just knew she was happy to be with them wherever and whenever.

However, because her parents accumulated massive debts and feared that the loan sharks would hunt them down, they decided to temporarily entrust Kouga to a trusted friend in the city until her parents could pay them off. They then left for another city shortly after. That was the last time Kouga had seen them.

“I don’t understand… W-Why did they leave me here…?”

Kouga cried a lot and had trouble settling down in her new temporary home. She didn’t understand why her parents left her here and didn’t understand what was happening with her parents, but she didn’t care and kept screaming to let her go.

It took a very long time for her to start getting used to the place and being less quiet. Mainly thanks to her new found friend, the owner’s son, Cain. 

“Caaaaaaain! Let’s play, let’s play! You’re always so lonely!”

Cain himself is not very sociable and actually thinks Kouga is a little bit annoying. It also took him a long time to get used to Kouga’s presence. Although he never really changed in personality, you could tell Cain was starting to get fond of Kouga.

“Augh… Do you always have to be so loud? It’s like you took a megaphone and screamed right beside my ear.”

Cain may always sound and look disinterested with Kouga, but he always ends up doing whatever Kouga wanted to do. He couldn’t bring himself to say no and leave her unprotected.

Slowly slowly, Kouga was once again happy with her new life and started to get detached and forget her parents but it didn’t last very long. After a year, the house got caught in a fire from children playing with matches nearby. 

“KOUGA! DAD! Where are you!?”

“Cain!… I-I’m here! Please help me… I can’t move my legs…”

“Come on, put your arms around my neck. Let’s get out of here! Quick!”

Cain and Kouga actually got out alive from the fire but unfortunately for the cost of Cain’s severely burned right arm and his father.

However, at this time around there was a large number of cases regarding kidnapping. Unfortunately, they are one of the victims. Not long after escaping the fire and being left vulnerable, the people took advantage of the situation. They kidnapped both Kouga and Cain and were placed in a brothel facility called The Velvet Pearl.

“Cain… Where are they taking us…?”

“I don’t know… But It’s okay, I’m here for you...”

Kouga and Cain actually didn't take part in any of the activities of the facility. They were instead secluded in a room together where they were left with toys to play. The facility actually planned to use both of them for horrifying experiments, but was then raided by the Chiyome clan.

During the raid, they did not know two children were being kept hostage. They decided to bring Kouga and Cain to meet the clan's mother. The Chiyome clan has a female head clan. The clan mostly consists of women who want to train to become a kunoichi. Make no mistake, males are no stranger in this clan.

Mother gave Kouga the choice, to accept the invitation of being in the Chiyome clan or go back to a normal, lonely life. Kouga ultimately decided to join the clan and started her path as a kunoichi and a shrine maiden.

“Are you serious, Kouga?! I know being a ninja sounds cool and all… but now is not the time for-”

“Games. I know, Cain. I just… after feeling so vulnerable and being in your constant protection, I wanted that for once, I could protect myself.”

Cain questioned her decision a lot and felt like it was very out of place for her to make such a decision so quickly but Cain ultimately accepted her decision. On the other hand, Cain wasn’t invited into the Chiyome clan, hence not inheriting their last name, however he can choose to stay under the Clan’s care to be close with Kouga, which he accepted. While Cain is not trained to be a ninja, he was instead taught the way of the katana under the head clan’s husband.

Both Kouga and Cain started their new life with the way of the ninja and the samurai. Although the circumstances to get here were unfortunate, they knew that life will only get better from now. The remainder of their childhood was spent towards training and learning about the outside world. Kouga and Cain were given the opportunity to put a happy ending on their Childhood chapter.