About a year ago, Pei was born from the black-market industry deep underground.
Back then, it had no name—just a numerical code assigned by the Nin-Village.
Later, after passing quality inspection, Pei was designated as a Hollow-specialized Bangboo, supporting ninjas by providing Carrot data so they could navigate the Hollows freely.
Not only that, it had combat programs installed and learned ninja combat techniques. The number of Ethereals it had slain was no less than that of Hollow Investigators.
However, Bangboo like it were merely tools in the eyes of the Nin-Village. From the moment of their creation, their fate was to be discarded once damaged.
During one mission, the Nin-Village squad was ambushed by a high-grade Ethereal, nearly annihilated. Pei, acting as rear guard, covered the retreat of the remaining ninjas.
That it survived while being nearly destroyed by a high-grade Ethereal was a testament to just how exceptional its capabilities were.
But that didn't mean it received any support from the organization. If not for its self-destruct system being damaged by the Ethereal, it would've likely been destroyed by its own comrades.
Later, when it was on the brink of death, someone saved it.
That was the moment fate began to shift. Revived and fully functional once more, it was taken in by a young man named Zhong Yan. Its internal programming was rewritten, transforming it into a versatile Bangboo.
It never understood why that boy had saved it—only that he needed its help.
Whether it was cooking, cleaning, or doing the laundry, it did everything within its power… as long as he needed it.
Eventually, it received the name Pei.
That name meant everything. Like a second life, it marked the beginning of a new light after leaving the shadows behind.
During their time together, Zhong Yan taught it many things. Perhaps that's why he was able to adapt to his new life so well.
Eous, one of Pei's few Bangboo friends, was also a benefactor. Belonging to Belle, she and Zhong Yan had rescued Pei from the brink of death inside the Hollow.
So, Pei was deeply grateful to them.
But now, it might never get the chance to repay them.
Without it, Zhong Yan would have to clean the house, buy groceries, cook, and do laundry all by himself.
That… was something he definitely wouldn't be able to bear.
And then there was One-Denny-Boo. Its friend still hadn't received medical treatment. If this went on, the consequences could be irreversible.
To die full of regrets—that would be far too cruel for a Bangboo.
"Eh... ne... (Zhong... Yan...)"
"Eh... ne... (One... Denny... Boo...)"
"Eh... ne... (I'm... sor... ry...)"
After saying these few words, Pei's body functions ceased entirely.
In the haze, it vaguely heard a chorus of chaotic voices nearby.
"Boss! Boss! That's… that's the Uchiha!"
"Run—run!"
"Wait! Don't kill me!"
"Eh-ne! (Pei! Pei, wake up!)"
"Belle, Pei's been severely injured. Is Uncle Enzo at home?"
"Belle? You—why is it you again, little one?"
"Uncle Enzo, how's Pei doing? Can it still be saved?"
"This… all its internal parts have been completely corroded by Ether. If we want to bring it back, we'll probably have to replace its entire body."
"This should do it. Thankfully, the memory chip wasn't damaged. Otherwise… it really would've been gone."
...
No one knew how much time passed before Pei slowly opened its eyes.
It realized it was home. The reason it woke up was because the charging station had filled its battery.
Everything seemed back to how it was before—but this time, when it awoke, it saw One-Denny-Boo.
"Eh-ne! (Pei! You're finally awake!)" Seeing Pei open its eyes, One-Denny-Boo rushed forward to check on it, visibly thrilled.
Not only that, but Zhong Yan, the Phaethon siblings, and Eous were all gathered at home, waiting for it to wake up.
"Pei, do you feel uncomfortable anywhere?" Zhong Yan stepped up, his voice full of concern.
Hearing him, Pei paused to regain its composure, then shook its head. "Eh-ne. (No, I feel more refreshed than ever...)"
But before it could finish the sentence, Pei suddenly froze.
It had noticed—its voice had changed.
Sensing something was off, Pei instinctively looked down and was startled to find its body color completely different from before.
"Eh-ne? (Zhong Yan, what's going on? Why does my body look like this?)" Pei was utterly confused. The changes filled it with an inexplicable fear, and it looked to Zhong Yan, seeking answers.
Zhong Yan paused briefly, his expression complicated, then gently picked up Pei and brought it to the bathroom mirror.
Looking at its reflection, Pei stood frozen.
Its appearance was completely different. Its entire body had changed from gray to white, giving off an entirely new impression.
No exaggeration—aside from its memories, it could find nothing of its former self.
If it were human, this would be like transplanting someone's soul into another body. Anyone would struggle to accept such a thing.
Pei was no exception. Even though it wasn't human, it had human-level intelligence and emotions—accepting this was near impossible.
Seeing this, Zhong Yan could only explain with a sigh: "Your body was too badly corroded by Ether. There was no other way. Uncle Enzo had to prepare a new body for you. Fortunately, your memory chip was intact—otherwise, we really would've lost you."
Truth be told, Zhong Yan also struggled to accept Pei's new body at first. But they had no choice—the old one was no longer usable.
Compared to humans, at least Pei had a second chance. In that sense, it was a blessing in disguise.
Still, while Zhong Yan could accept it, Pei might not. It would likely take days to adjust to this new body.
"Eh-ne... (So that's how it is...)" Now understanding the truth, Pei weakly lowered its head.
It knew Zhong Yan must've had no other choice.
After all, replacing a body was easier than losing a beloved family member.