Kazuya opened his eyes and found himself on a different bed, which somehow felt like the one he had laid down on just a moment ago.
It was a less-than-average bed, made up of feathers and straw-like materials, all clothed in a cheap, large sheet. He was facing the wall right next to his bed and had not looked to the side or around to know where he was. It was because this was not a new place to him but rather his home.
He didn't even fret when he felt the soft lips of his beautiful wife brush against his shoulder. It was the same feeling he experienced every morning ever since he got married to her.
"Good morning, Kazuya," she greeted endearingly from behind him.
Kazuya turned to her, saying, "Good morning, Haruno," which he returned before returning the favor.
He wrapped his arm around her, gripping her close to himself as they kissed.
A few minutes went by, and they were still at it. It was as if they had forgotten that it was already daybreak and they both needed to get to work.
"At this rate, no one will be getting out of bed today," Haruno said while she had the chance to breathe.
"Do you want to?" he said in his short breaths as they continued.
The bedroom activity would have gone on for much longer, but right before things could get out of control, they heard their child call out to them.
"Papa?... Mama?" she called out, even though she was still feeling tired. She had stood up from her little bed right beside theirs, and they didn't know how long she had been standing there.
Kazuya looked at his daughter and sighed hard. "This child just can't just let her parents have a good time, can she?" he whispered to his wife.
"You sound like you have forgotten our previous nights," she said to him.
"That's because she was fast asleep—it doesn't count," Kazuya said as he got out of bed.
He took out some clothes and put them on. The house they were in was like a one-room apartment, with the only other compartment being the kitchen.
Haruno kneeled beside Emi. "Did you sleep well, little one?" she asked, and the six-year-old nodded with sleepy enthusiasm.
"We need to bathe you." Now, why don't you get to the back of the house and wait for me, alright? "I'll be right behind you," she said to Emi, who nodded before turning to leave.
As the little girl walked towards the back door, she turned to Kazuya with a slight smile. "Good morning, Daddy," she greeted.
"Good morning to you too, little one," he replied before she opened the large door and stepped outside.
Then Kazuya looked at his wife. "So, what will you be up to today?" he asked her.
"Well, since it is still harvesting season, I think today would be a great time to get some grain from the public farmlands..." Haruno said to him as she went to the edge of the room to get his weapons, "while you will be going to the woods to hunt meat for today's dinner."
She gave him his bow and quiver filled with arrows, helping him strap them on his shoulder so they would hang perfectly at his back.
"What kind of meat would you like to eat tonight?" he asked her while she placed both hands on his shoulders, playing with his hair fondly.
"While I would love to eat the finest venison for dinner with you and Emi tonight, anything you can bring back home would do just fine," she said. "Just be careful, alright?"
"I will," he assured, "and by the way, you will be leaving with Emi, right?" "When will the both of you get back?" he asked.
"I don't know, Kazuya. It depends on whether I find greener pastures today; you know how rich people get when they find people willing to work for anything."
"You mean people like us," Kazuya said, looking down in self-disappointment. "We have been living from hand to mouth for more than half the time—I get it." "I wanted a better life for you—better than the life you had before I found you."
"Hey, I know," she said, raising her head, "things will surely get better; I believe in you."
Kazuya nodded slightly before she kissed him. "Now go show that wild animal who is boss!" she said, ignoring how cheesy it sounded.
Kazuya cringed slightly, looking at his wife with an arched brow.
"You get what I mean, now go!" she yelled at him with a reddened face.
"Yes, yes... off I go," he said to her as he walked out through the side door. Stepping outside of his house was like stepping into the village arena, an open place for the exaltation of the mighty statue of Raijin, the Thunder god.
As was his custom, Kazuya stepped forward to pay his respects to the mighty god. It was the supreme god of their religion, the one in whom all the powers of the other gods could be manifested bodily.
After giving his bows of respect to the Thunder god, he went out of the village, heading towards the deep forests to hunt. It was not necessarily his profession, but something he did to make ends meet, as he could not afford to buy food from the local stores around.
Thankfully, he had mastered the craft of hunting with the weapons he had. Soon, he was able to find a game, and not just any game; it was the game his wife wanted.
Without hesitation, but with a hunter's discipline and patience, he stalked down his game and killed it.
Then, carrying the dead juvenile deer on his shoulder as a trophy won after a strenuous trial, he came across a sizeable tree, which he cut down for the timber, which would be used as firewood for cooking it.
He carried the large piece of timber over his shoulder and the dead animal in his arm.
He briefly wondered what his wife would use to prepare the meal for tonight, as there weren't even spices in the house, which made him wonder how he and his wife managed to nurture their child, Emi, for six years without major problems.
Thankfully, he met a generous butcher who was willing to accept part of the animal for a good price. So Kazuya made a deal with him, exchanging just one leg and the head of the deer for enough money to buy spices for the full meal plus extra for another day.
Kazuya took note of the person and even inquired about his name, as he was looking forward to making deals with this generous salesman in the future.
"Bunji Utakata," he was told, and he took note of it, making sure he never forgot that name. Thanks to him, Kazuya's family will have more than enough to eat and drink for the next few days.
He got back to the house, dropping the large piece of timber outside before getting in to place the game somewhere safe. Then he came back outside with his large axe, ready to cut down the wood into smaller pieces his wife could handle.
Several minutes later, he was done. He carried the smaller pieces back into the house, closing the door behind him after carrying the last pieces. He headed to the kitchen and gulped down a large cup of water before going back to his bed.
As he lay there, he wondered where his wife and child would be by now. They would have left the public farmlands by now, making it possible to check the private lands for residual grain left by the harvesters.
He hoped the rich people would be gracious to her, though most of them would take advantage of poor people by making them work as harvesters for only a few coins and a small ration that had nothing distinct from residual husks.
But could they complain about it?
Of course not.
It wasn't their land, and it wasn't their grain, so they were never entitled to getting anything from the rightful owners, who could act like they never worked and send them away.
Kazuya hoped his wife wouldn't stumble upon the lands of such people, but would hopefully find a farm owner who would be gracious to his family. Apart from that, and most importantly, he hoped they were alright.
Though the surrounding villages weren't known for vices and immorality, bad things still happened once in a while, and whenever it happened, it went ugly.
Life was difficult, yet it was peaceful...
He lacked several things but was happy to have a family.
Though the world had not given him much, he had learned to be grateful for what little he had. He loved his family more than his life and would give up the world for them in a heartbeat.
Meanwhile, as he lay on the bed, staring at the roof, it had never occurred to him that everything that he currently loved and cherished might just be a part of the fabrication of an alternate world, completely different from reality but dependent on his imagination.