Five years had passed since Ginryu had started living with Ryuu and Chise. Now, at the age of five, he had grown fond of Chise, but not so much of Ryuu. 

Chise treated Ginryu like her own grandson, always doting on him and fulfilling his every request, even though there wasn't much to ask for in their simple village life.

On the other hand, Ryuu constantly pushed Ginryu to become a fisherman, just like him. While it wasn't a bad career choice given the era they lived in, Ginryu had different aspirations in mind.

"No wonder Ryuunosuke ran away," Ginryu muttered under his breath, referring to Ryuu's own rebellious son, who had decided to leave the village to pursue his dreams.

"Gin, Gin! Let's play!" a voice called out loudly. It was Hana, one of the kids from the village who lived closest to him.

Chise had taken it upon herself to introduce Ginryu to various families in the village, hoping that he would form friendships and not isolate himself. 

Being alone was the one thing she never permitted him. As a result, Hana and the other village kids would often come and forcefully take Ginryu out to play, even if he preferred to keep to himself.

"Sigh, here they come again," Ginryu sighed, accepting his fate. Hana would run to everyone's house early in the morning, dragging them out to play while the adults were busy with their tasks. 

There was no escaping her, as Ginryu's house was the first one and there was nowhere to hide.

"Oba-chan, where is Gin?" Hana asked Chise, who was sitting outside.

"He's inside. Now you kids stay safe," Chise replied with a warm smile.

"Gin, where are you?" Hana yelled as she barged into the house.

"I'm coming," Ginryu replied half-heartedly, putting on his kimono. Chise had always ensured that Ginryu had decent clothing, not skimping on his attire.

Finally, Ginryu joined Hana and the other children, resigning himself to a day filled with games and play. 

Time seemed to pass quickly, and Ginryu couldn't help but reflect on how much he had grown. 

He had also come to realize that he possessed extraordinary abilities that set him apart from others. 

He was stronger, faster, and had mysterious transformative powers that he kept hidden from the villagers.

The people in the village had mostly accepted Ginryu, thanks to the newly introduced Buddhism, which had instilled a sense of openness and acceptance. Perhaps it was also due to his grandparents.

However, Ginryu knew that if his true nature was discovered, he would be either killed or cast out from the village. He wasn't yet equipped to survive on his own, and that terrified him.

As the children played together, Ginryu had introduced them to new games he remembered from his past, like hide and seek, tag, and hopscotch. 

These were games that he knew about but was unable to play them due to his circumstance.

The other kids took a liking to these games, and soon they became favorite pastimes for the village children. 

Although there weren't many forms of entertainment in their small community, these simple games brought joy to their lives.

Amidst the laughter and playful banter, Ginryu often found himself perplexed by the class system that governed their society. 

His grandmother had taught him that they were free citizens, but within the hierarchical class system, they didn't quite fit in.

It was likely that they were at the very bottom of the social ladder. Ginryu had once dreamt of becoming a merchant and traveling the land, but merchants were currently seen as parasites in the eyes of society.

‘Sigh, what a complicated society,’ Ginryu pondered to himself, struggling to comprehend the intricate web of societal norms and expectations that surrounded him.

"Gin, what are you doing? It's your turn!" Hana called out, bringing Ginryu back to the present moment.

Reluctantly, Ginryu rejoined the game, as the sun began its descent towards noon. Soon, it would be time for him to return home and have his midday meal.

As he made his way back, Ginryu's thoughts lingered on his uncertain future. There was so much he wanted to do and achieve, but the constraints of society made it an uphill battle.

Nevertheless, he remained determined to find his place in the world, despite the challenges that lay ahead.

"Your back, how was your day?" Chise greeted Ginryu warmly.

"It was fine," Ginryu replied, smiling back.

"Great, come and eat," Chise said. They were somewhat well off and could afford two meals a day, one in the early afternoon and another in the late night.

‘Ugh, now I have to deal with bland food,’ Ginryu thought while smiling as Chise presented some boiled rice, steamed veggies, and fish. 

‘We live close to the ocean, yet why is there no salt?’ Ginryu wondered.

‘Perhaps this might be the chance for me to make money,’ Ginryu thought. Making salt from seawater wasn't hard and wouldn't affect history too much. 

Ginryu didn't want to get too involved in major events of the world as it could lead to unforeseen consequences. 

He knew that he wasn't in an ordinary world based on his strange abilities, but he just couldn't figure out if he was in some anime or movie world.

"Gin, stop playing with your food and eat," Chise yelled at him as she noticed him poking the fish on the plate with his chopsticks.

"Yes, grandma," Ginryu replied, to which Chise smiled.

‘Well, it doesn't matter, as long as I live life to the fullest,’ Ginryu thought, believing that the coming days would remain peaceful.

……………………………………………………………………………………………….

A few days later, while Ginryu and the other kids were playing, the loud sound of horses galloping could be heard. Ginryu and the children, unaware of what this signified, kept on playing.

"I am a vassal, here on the orders of the lord of the Miura clan," the man announced with a deep, scary voice. 

Ginryu listened attentively while the other kids ran to their parents, scared. No one doubted the man because of the flag he bore on his horse.

‘What's going on?’ Ginryu thought, moving to hide and listen in. He feared that the man might find him strange and just kill him for that. 

There would be no one that would dare find fault with him, considering that he seemed to be of a higher social status.

‘Samurai’s can be temperamental, based on the anime’s I have seen,’ Ginryu thought, believing the man to be a samurai or something like one.

"What a great honor to a vassal of the Miura clan  come to our humble village," said Hake, the village chief, trying to suck up to the man. 

It wasn't without reason, as this might ensure things go smoothly and no problems occur. This was the fate of the lower class.

"We are going to be stationed here for a while. There have been some peasants turning into bandits recently," the man said.

‘Shit, I should probably keep away from them,’ Ginryu thought.

"Where is the residence of the Kuroki family?" the man asked. He still hadn't introduced his name.

‘What does he want with us?’ Ginryu exclaimed in panic now.

"Samurai-sama, their grandson is here. He can lead you to their residence," the village chief pointed in my direction.

‘Wasn't I hidden?’ Ginryu thought, coming out to greet the man.

"I am Kuroki Ginryu. How can I be of assistance, great samurai-sama?" Ginryu said politely with a bow.

"How unusual," the man muttered but didn't elaborate more, leaving Ginryu confused and shaken.

"Lead the way," the man said. Ginryu did exactly that. He didn't ask any questions, as they say, curiosity killed the cat.

Soon, he arrived back home with the man and his entourage. For some reason, the village chief followed.

"Gin your back, but who are these people?" Chise asked while staring at the samurai’s face intensely. She felt a bit of familiarity.