Archive of Our Own

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Age 749, August 31st
Black silk shoes slid across the white tiled floor. The source of the movement being a tall woman with white hair and dark eyes. She looked at the wearer of the silk shoes and watched as sweat trailed down the face of a child that barely reached her waist. She closed her eyes for a few seconds before nodding to herself. The child would need to learn from her old friend. She would cash in an old favour. One that should’ve been paid years ago. She reached into the billowing sleeves of her Hanfu and brought out a long ebony pipe. She took a drag of the tobacco and let the silvery cloud float from her mouth in deep thought. This would be the worst thing she would ever do to this child. “That’s enough for today,” she informed the child in a silken voice, watching as purple eyes glared at the floor in thought, “you did well, but there's plenty for you to improve on.”The child flinched a little, and the woman closed her eyes. That was one of the things she needed to work on. Her courage was lacking. The child could fight, but she hated confrontation. She flicked her hand and the child straightened up and slowly walked up to her. She gazed down at the child and watched as she stood her ground the best she could without trembling. “I’m sending you to an old friend of mine,” she stated, and the girl blinked in surprise, “meaning, you are to be expelled from the clan.”“Expelled?!” The girl exclaimed and her head snapped to the side as the woman brought her hand back down.“You are such a rude child,” the woman bluntly informed her as she kept her tears from falling, “but yes, expelled. Anyone who leaves the clan must be branded and their name removed from our records.”The girl wanted to speak up, to argue against the unjust treatment, but she stayed silent. Her cropped white hair fell into her purple eyes as she looked back down at the tiled ground. Small drops of red were splattered against the pristine white. A small spark of victory grew in her, she had finally made her mark on the floor.“You must be renamed,” the woman continued, taking another drag of her pipe, “you are no longer fit to carry the Iga clan name.”She clicked her fingers and two shogi doors nearby slid open, revealing men covered in black from head to toe. The girl bowed her head, all she could do was accept her fate. She was Genin, the lowest rank within the clan itself. Her arms were grabbed and she closed her eyes. The pipe was placed back into the billowing sleeves of the woman’s hanfu.“Let it be known that Iga Amaya is no more,” the woman announced and the two men bowed their heads in understanding, “she is to take what belongings she truly owns with her as she is expelled from our village. Her blood will be removed from the seal so she can never return and a brand will be placed along her back.”“Yes, Mistress Hayami!” The two men loudly agreed.Amaya was dragged away by them, the back of her white, silk shirt was pulled down and she tensed. The branding was always a topic amongst the Genin as they completed their studies. It would mark them as Shinobi to the outside world. Marking them as dangerous and untrustworthy. She could easily take down a man from the outside world, but she couldn’t deal damage to someone from the clan. She was unable to take that next step. She was taken to a small room with only a single light dangling from the ceiling. She felt the pressure on the back of her knees as she was forced to kneel on the ground. Her arms were still being held, the grip the men had on her were sure to leave a bruise. “Poor brat,” one of the men muttered, “didn’t this one just turn twelve?”“Not yet, she was born in the winter,” the other answered as a tall woman with dark hair joined them, “I had her gunning for a sealing master, she has quite the control over her ki.”“Damn, too bad she can’t fight to save her life,” the first man sighed, “we don’t have many sealing masters anymore.”“I’ll try to stop existing,” the woman coldly stated before she brought out a brush and ink pot, “keep her from moving, the dragon brand is one of the more intricate seals and I’d rather not have to start over again.”The grip on Amaya’s arms increased and she held in a wince. The two men stopped her from flinching when the brush touched her back and the cold ink seeped into her skin. It was a tumultuous three hours where the seal was drawn on her skin. The woman sat back on her heels and studied her handiwork, this was one of her prettier brands. A part of her was reluctant to brand a child that had talent in sealing, but it was ordered. She followed them without a question.“Right, standby for the transfer of Ki into the seal,” she informed the two men, “she’s going to writhe.”She brought her hands together and the two men found themselves watching in trepidation. This girl was going to be unable to walk around without sleeves. The summer was going to be hell for her. They watched as the sealer's hands began to glow a bright red and they could feel the ki in the air. The smell of burning flesh and a blood curdling scream rang through the small room. The walls began to glow with ki, showing silencing seals written on them.  No wonder they’d never heard of others screaming like this. They felt their blood run cold when the screams abruptly stopped. Blood dripped to the floor and they checked her mouth. Biting the side of her cheek, stopping herself from screaming. “Done, the brat needs to grab her things and leave,” the sealer stated.Purple eyes stared at the ground as their owner was dragged through long winding corridors. She had no name she could use. If she had one, she wouldn't remember it. A caveat of the brand on her back. The dragon brand allowed her to retain her knowledge of clan information, but her personal information was gone. Her room was bare, all her furniture had been removed. A futon and a couple blankets were folded near a scroll and she blankly looked around when she was released by the two men.“Shit, we should’ve waited until you had your footing,” one of the men said and she simply shrugged before getting back on her feet.Everything she owned was easy to put on the folded futon. Three pairs of clothes, all mandarin collared tang suits and cheongsams. The clan dressed traditionally, in blacks and whites. Her collection of scrolls to continue her education, and some supplies to keep herself safe. She grasped onto the scroll and opened it. She brought her hands together and focused on the spiritual side of her ki. The scroll gained glowing blue letters and soon her items were sealed within it. She slowly turned to the men to see that one of them had left. The remaining man grabbed onto her forearm instead of her bicep, his grasp gentle compared to how it previously was.“Amazing,” he informed her, “the mistress left you instructions. I’ll give it to you before you leave.”“Why help me?” She quietly asked.“You shouldn’t be expelled from the clan,” he shrugged and she gave him a sharp look, “you may not have the guts to start a fight, but you sure as hell will finish one.”She frowned a little at that and he was mentally reminded that this was just a child. He gave her a slight push and she was then walking in front of him, slowly fixing the back of her shirt with a few flinches from the pain of the silk brushing against the freshly branded skin. It was going to hurt like hell for quite a while. He closed his eyes for a minute as they grew closer to the temples doors. Once she made it outside the village gate he’d never see her again.“Take care of yourself,” he told her and he got a dry look out of her, “and choose a name that suits you, you have things you like so draw on that.”She gave a slow nod, not really trusting him. She winced as the morning light hit her eyes. She glanced at her ex-comrades as they trained in the fields as teams. She didn’t have that luxury, she awkwardly moved the scroll around in her hands before putting it in her hip pouch for safe keeping. She heard the shuffling of clothes and looked back at the man. He was pulling a small sword out of his equipment belt.“Here, this Tanto should keep you somewhat safe, at least a bit more than Senbon will,” he informed her, clipping it to her own belt, settling it right on her lower back, “don’t get killed, I want you to beat the odds.”She was confused by that and her eyes widened when he picked her up by the back of her shirt and threw her through the gates. She closed her eyes tightly as the world around her spun, the shifting of space being a bit too much. She let out a few grunts of pain as she hit the ground once, then again, and then a final time. She was left staring up at the midday sky and she made a strange face. She had been kicked out of the only home she knew, and straight into the wilderness. She huffed to herself and slowly pulled herself up to sit comfortably on the ground. She went into the lotus position and tried to think of her next moves. She needed to find her former teacher's friend for training. A part of her wished that she understood adults a bit better, but their reasons behind things were confusing. She rubbed the back of her neck in thought. She also needed a name, and the man said to use one that showed what she liked. But what did she like? She liked fruits and flowers, and poisons and weapons. She couldn’t go around with a name that practically screamed that she was a shinobi. Well, she could but she didn’t want to. She didn’t want to constantly be fighting people that wanted to test their mettle against a shinobi. Her people were rare to the outside world, these expulsions didn’t occur that often. The last time had been a male student that had been given a small seal on his lower back. No one knew what happened to him, as was the norm within the village.“This sucks,” she muttered as she ran a hand through her short hair, “where am I supposed to go? He forgot to give me the scroll of instructions.”She was stuck without direction, without a single idea of what she needed to do to find this friend. She tugged at her silk shirt and let out a snort. Of course, he armed her but didn’t give her the most important thing. That was about right, common sense seemed to be lacking within the Shinobi village. She was violently pulled from her thoughts when something came speeding towards her. She jumped to the side and looked at the spot where she had been.The end of a long, red wooden pole was embedded into the ground. Where had that come from? She surveyed her surroundings and saw a boy her age with wild black hair and a…tail? Huh, maybe the outsiders got with yokai? Did Yokai even exist anymore? She wasn’t sure. She wiped those thoughts from her head as she gracefully landed, her teacher claimed that female Shinobi should always be graceful in every movement, and gave the boy a serious look.“What do you want, demon?” He asked, holding the pole in warning.“Demon…do I look like Yokai?” She couldn’t help but ask, her soft voice seemingly surprising him. “Sorry, that just took me a little by surprise. I’m a…simple medicine girl.”That was a good excuse to be wandering about, and she did have knowledge on medicine due to her being more studious than her peers. The boy narrowed his dark eyes at her and she calmly met his gaze. It was better to do that than to set him off further. She couldn’t fight, not in her condition. She felt her back stinging with each movement she made. She would have to figure something out when it came to wearing clothes. She could get away with just wrapping her chest in bandages until the brand was healed. “A girl?” The boy asked and she noted that he had gotten closer. “My dead grandpa once told me that if I meet a girl I need to treat her nicely.”“He sounds nice,” she said, not knowing how to react to that, “what is it?”“You don’t have a tail,” he pointed out, the furry appendage coming out of his tail bone waved in response to his words.“I don’t, but I have these,” she said as she pointed to the red markings on her cheeks and the colour around her eyes, “I was born with it, not as cool as a tail though.”“Come over to my place!” He stated, a large grin on his face from the compliment. “You’re a girl so I’ll feed you!” “O-Okay,” she agreed, finally noting the large fish that was set against one of the trees, “did you take that fish out?”“Yeah, my grandpa trained me good,” he laughed and she blinked in surprise.He was certainly a happy person. She couldn’t think of a time where she’d met someone like him. Maybe he was part Yokai, that thought brought back the train of thought on if those still existed. A frown appeared on her face before it vanished. It wasn’t important. It was nice to be around such positivity after being around shinobi all her life. “Can you fight?” He asked and she scratched the back of her head in thought. “You jumped really high and dodge my nyoibo.”“I can, but I got injured on my back so I won’t be able to do any for a week or so,” she answered with an apologetic smile, “maybe when it’s all healed up I can spar with you?”It was the least she could do. He had stopped his attack on her and was treating her to some lunch. She could spar with him as thanks. She blinked at how happy he seemed at that prospect. In fact, she was sure that his speed increased. She moved into a light jog to keep up with him as he easily maneuvered through the forest. His home was a little traditional hut, the open windows circular to let in as much light as possible. She liked it. Her body relaxed as she took in the quiet area. She liked it a lot, but she knew she couldn’t stay forever, that wouldn’t be fair to the boy that had attacked her. He placed the fish down outside of the hut and turned towards her.“My name's Goku, Son Goku,” the boy finally introduced and she faltered, she didn’t really have a name yet. She looked around the area as sweat began to form on the nape of her neck. She needed a name, and fast. She caught sight of a familiar plant on the ground and it hit her. She could go around with that name. It wouldn’t bother her at all, and she happened to like the fruit that came from it.“Mine’s Ichigo,” she stated, her shoulders tensing a little. “Doesn’t that mean Strawberry?” He asked, tilting his head, and giving a slight laugh.“Y-Yeah,” she confirmed with a slight nod as her face burned in response to the light ribbing about the name she chose, “good thing I like strawberries.”He laughed at that and she felt her face burn a little hotter. He went into the hut and she hesitated outside, unsure if she should follow him in. He peeked out and she quickly did so, removing her shoes at the door. He seemed a little surprised by that and she paused. Was that not something that outside people did? Well, it was too far along to put them back on. “Grandpa, look, it's a girl in our house,” he happily informed a bright orange ball with four red stars inside it. It was resting on a red pillow and she studied it a bit more as he brought his hands together in prayer. Ah, right, his deceased grandfather. She scratched her cheek, and thought to herself. Should she help him out with this? His grandfather wasn’t going to hear him without a proper shrine.“Where is it?” She muttered before looking his way. “Do you have incense? It helps our message to get across to those we lost.”“Incense?” He asked and she made a slight face.“I have some,” she stated as she reached into one of her hip pouches and pulled out some sticks of incense and a pot for it, “it’s got a strong smell to it, but your grandfather should hear you a bit better with it.”Goku watched as Ichigo set the small pot down and placed the long sticks into it. She then reached back into her pouch and brought out a small container. Within seconds she had struck a match and lit the incense. She was right, it did smell strong but it was also comforting. She stood back with a small smile and motioned for him to continue his talk to his grandfather. “Grandpa, we have a girl in our house,” he started over again, “I’m doing exactly as you taught me.”“It’s nice to meet you, Son-San,” Ichigo quietly said, putting her hands together in prayer.“Do you have more of those sticks?” Goku asked her and she tilted her head to the side.“I think I have enough for a few weeks, but then I’d have to make more for you,” she explained, as she brought a hand up to her chin in thought, “I’ll make sure to head up here every once and awhile to make sure you have some.”“Wow, thank you,” Goku stated and she nodded.He started to head towards the fish and she trailed behind him. Her back was starting to kill her. She was unsure if he wanted her help, but still moved to grab some kindling for the firepit. He seemed surprised by the help, yet he didn’t tell her to stop. In fact he was wondering if she got in a recent fight and if that was why her back was all bloody. No wonder she wasn’t able to fight! The fish cooked quickly and soon the two children were feasting on it. It vanished within minutes and Ichigo sat back on the ground and took a deep breath. That had hit the spot. Her eyes grew heavy and soon she was out like a light. Her dreams filled with a strange green dragon that spoke in a low voice about wishes. 
Age 749, September 1st
Ichigo watched as Goku went about his morning routine, or at least what she guessed was his routine. Chopping firewood and destroying rocks, sweat went down her face as he ran about. Well, she supposed it was nice that he had a set schedule. She waited until he was far enough away to remove her shirt to see the damage done to her back. She couldn’t fully see it, but the blood on her shirt was plenty telling. She let out a huff and looked through her supplies. A medical pack that would eventually need refilling was used to clean and wrap the brand to stop it from bleeding on anymore of her clothes. She unsealed one of her tang suits and changed, welcoming the clean clothing. She knew that she would need a bath, but she wouldn’t have one for a while. She was in her usual colours of black, the uniform bringing some comfort to her.“Now what?” She mumbled to herself as she sealed the dirty clothes into her scroll.She still didn’t know who this friend was she was supposed to go and find. She rubbed the back of her neck in thought and let out a soft sigh. She was going to have to wander around until she could find someone that would help her. She crossed her arms across her chest and frowned deeply. She would have to continue her training if she wanted to survive in the outside world. No wonder they expelled her, it made sense. She felt something coming closer and she glanced over her shoulder. Goku was walking up with another fish. And another person. The blue hair made her blink for a few seconds before remembering that her own was white. They had unnatural hair colours, that was for sure. Ichigo waved at Goku as he headed into the hut, the blue haired girl sparing her a quick glance. She seemed confused as to why there was another person around.“I guess I’m not the only girl you’ve ever seen,” the girl stated and Ichigo made a face, “I’m the oldest it seems.”Ichigo stood up and used her speed to appear at the girl's elbow. She didn’t care much for people that liked to talk such nonsense. Sure, Goku was a pretty clueless person, but he was a good person and that was enough for her. She wouldn’t let anyone talk badly about her first friend.“Not like I’m not standing here where I can hear you or anything,” Ichigo commented and the girl let out a sound of fear at the smaller girls sudden appearance, “why are you here?”“For that!” The girl stated as she caught sight of the orange ball. “Hey!” Goku exclaimed as the girl hurried towards it and picked it up with a grin on her face. “Let go of Grandpa! That was his last possession, even girls aren’t allowed to touch it!”“Well, I guess I have to let you in on my secret,” the girl said as she rummaged about in a pouch attached at her hip, she pulled out two spheres identical to the one that belonged to Goku’s late grandfather.“Two more Grandpas?!” Goku exclaimed and Ichigo found herself nodding her agreement.“What are they?” She asked and the girl let out a laugh at the two children.“They are called dragon balls, I found this one in my cellar and had no idea what it was,” the girl explained as she held up one of the balls, this one with two-stars in it, “and neither did anyone else I asked. So, I did some research and came across this old story that talked about them. There’s seven of them in total, from one star to seven.”“Grandpa has four stars,” Goku stated as he looked at the ball. “That’s the Sushinchu, the one I found was arushinchu,” the girl informed them, “after a few weeks of searching the north valley I finally found the Oshinchu, the five-star ball.”“You’re collecting them?” Goku asked.“I’m almost halfway there, and it’s not a cake walk that’s for sure,” the girl sighed.“What is their use?” Ichigo questioned, frowning a little and making the other girl surprised. “You’re a lot smarter than you look,” the girl commented and Ichigo made a face at her, “once you gather all seven you chant and summon the dragon Shenlong, he’ll grant you any wish, but only one!”“That’s awesome!” Goku exclaimed while Ichigo felt unsettled by that information. “The last person who collected them became a king,” the girl stated with a grin, “somehow they got scattered again and now I’m the one who’s gathering them.”“Do you have a wish?” Ichigo carefully asked and the other girl got close to her with an excited smile.“I’m going to ask for a super-cute boyfriend,” the girl informed her.“The hell’s a boyfriend?” Ichigo asked.She glanced at Goku as the other girl giggled to herself about her wish. He shrugged his shoulders. He didn’t know either. Ichigo wondered if this was a cultural difference. In the village everyone had arranged marriages, there were no such things as boyfriends. She didn’t get it. “So that’s the deal, now give me the sushinchu please!” The girl stated.“No way!” Goku refused, moving the four-star ball out of her reach. “This is the only grandpa I have left!”“Come on you cheapskate!” The girl huffed. “What are you going to do with it!?”“There’s sentimental value to it,” Ichigo stated, stepping in a bit more, “Goku has every right to say no.”“What do you want in exchange?” The girl sighed before a sly grin appeared on her face and she grabbed the edge of her pink skirt. “Just one quick peek, okay?”“Why would I want to see your dirty butt?” Goku asked, enraging the girl and making Ichigo laugh. It was a rusty sounding laugh, one that grated on the ears. She quickly cleared her throat and stopped laughing when she saw Goku wince. She would have to try and be quiet when laughing. It wasn’t fair to others to grate on their ears with a laugh she knew hadn’t been used in…how many years had it been? She wasn’t sure anymore. Laughter was stamped out fairly quickly in the clan. One of their laws, now that she thought about it, it was an incredibly stupid law. “Fine, then you can help me with my quest, your Grandpa told you to be nice to girls right?” The girl questioned.“Your quest?” Goku muttered.“You don’t have anything better to do, do you?” She asked. “Strong guys like you are supposed to love quests.”“Fine, but I’m not giving you Grandpa,” Goku informed her.“I’ll go along as well,” Ichigo stated, “I don’t want him to lose one of the last items his Grandfather left him.”“Think you can keep up?” The girl asked, eyeing the white haired child.“I think so,” she admitted, double-checking that she had all her items on her. “How are we going to find the other balls if you don’t even know where they are?” Goku asked the girl.“I’m not just a pretty face y’know,” the girl proudly stated, “just feast your eyes on this. It’s my ball detector, these dragon balls give off a faint electromagnetic pulse so I constructed this device to find them.”Ichigo studied the radar and noted that there were three in their vicinity. She internally winced. These ‘balls’ were so spaced out, it was going to take them a long time to just find one. She looked to the side, it wasn’t like she had anything better to do. Her back gave a burst of burning pain and she held in her wince. She could ignore it and use her Ki to keep the brand from causing too many problems.“What’s your names?” The girl asked them as she put away her circular radar.“I’m Son Goku,” Goku introduced.“Ichigo,” Ichigo gave her own name with a small bow.“I’m Bulma,” The girl stated and Goku laughed.Ichigo joined in, keeping her laughter on the quieter side. Her name was “bloomers”? Poor girl. She cleared her throat when Bulma practically growled at them. She stood up straight and took in a deep breath. She stretched her legs a little and winced a little as her skin pulled. Right, she would have to look around for herbs to make ointment to help speed up the healing. She could do that, maybe while they made camp. At least she didn’t need to make makibishi to keep herself safe. At least she hoped she didn’t. “Shut up!” Bulma snapped at them. “Now stand back. Hoi-poi capsules the technology of the future!”She had grabbed a pill-shaped item and pressed a small button on the top of it. It flew into the sky and erupted in a puff of smoke. A motorbike was what remained and Ichigo wondered how she was going to stay on it. She’d figure something out. Bulma hummed happily and got onto the back of it. Ichigo followed suit and found that she wasn’t a big fan of motorbikes. Goku got on behind her and she immediately felt claustrophobic. She would have to sit behind him next time, she did not like being squished between two people. Bulma revved the engine and soon they were shooting off into the distance.“Wow!” Goku exclaimed in her ear and she glanced back at him. “This thing goes even faster than me! I didn’t think that was possible!”Bulma snorted and Ichigo wondered if she was aware of the fact that they were reaching a pretty hefty hill. She made a face as they were launched into the air and flew for quite a while. Goku let out a whoop and Ichigo felt her hands begin to shake. She didn’t like having no control over where she was going. So, it seems as though she was learning things about herself. She made a face, nice to know.“That was incredible!” Goku stated as Bulma pulled over to the side of the road.“Debatable,” Ichigo muttered and she made a sound when Bulma got off the motorbike.“I need a pit stop,” Bulma informed them, “excuse me for a sec.”“Where is she going?” Goku asked.“She’s using the bathroom,” Ichigo answered, “us girls have to sit to go.”“Girls are weird,” Goku bluntly commented and she gave a snort.“It’s a good thing that I know you aren’t being mean spirited when you say things like that,” Ichigo informed him before glancing in the direction that Bulma went, “is it okay if i sit behind you when she comes back?”“Sure,” Goku agreed, not even wanting an explanation, they both looked towards Bulma’s direction when she let out a scream, “now what’s wrong?” “Who knows,” Ichigo sighed.They took off in that direction and he was surprised to see that her light jog was infinitely faster than his own. Her smaller size and thin frame gave her more speed, it was why she focused on fighting to end things quickly. Her unknown Ki nature didn’t allow her for much more than that. She hadn’t grown into it yet. Would she ever? She was violently pulled from her thoughts when they came across Bulma, and a pterodactyl. “What the hell?” She mumbled to herself.This wasn’t just the outside world, this was a different world all together. Right, the Clan she had been a part of focused on dimensional shifts, cracks in the universe. They didn’t get involved with the outside world save for throwing failures out. Throwing someone like herself out into a world like this was guaranteed to change things, move events, and even shift relationships. She looked over at Goku as he spoke to the dinosaur, trying to figure out if it was friend or foe. She sighed and gave him a sharp look.“He’s foe, Goku, not friend,” Ichigo informed him and he blinked in surprise.“Got it!” Goku chirped, bringing the nyoibo from his back.It slammed into the dinosaur's face, making it let go of Bulma. Burma sprinted forward and hid behind the two children watching as Goku easily took it out with a few more hits from the nyoibo. Bulma let out a sound of relief before gaining a bright red blush. Goku and Ichigo had to wait for her to finish her business before they returned to the motorbike. Sitting in the very back was much more comfortable for Ichigo and she noted that Goku didn’t seem too put out by being put in the middle. The only thing that could ever bother her was his tail. It kept swishing about with his excitement and tangling around her wrist. She didn’t want to pull her wrist back, mainly because she didn’t want to fall off the bike, and she wouldn’t feel right tugging on it. How would she feel if someone were to yank on her limbs or hair? She wouldn’t like it, so she wouldn’t. “I’m getting hungry,” Goku said and she gave a curt nod.“It is getting dark out,” Bulma agreed, parking the motorbike and getting off, “this looks like a good spot.”“Are we making camp?” Ichigo asked as she got off the bike.“I’ll get some soft leaves,” Goku stated, jumping down.“Oh I am not sleeping outside,” Bulma stated as she pulled out one of those capsules and tossed it into the air.Capsule houses were small and round. Ichigo didn’t like them, she preferred the home that Goku lived in. She liked her traditional rooms back in the village. She reluctantly trailed behind Bulma as the teen entered the capsule home. It was very pink, that was Ichigo’s first impression of it. She removed her shoes and left them by the front door. Bulma sent the girl a look as she started to remove her hip pouch. She blanched at the sight of the Tanto holstered on the waist belt.“You have a sword?!” Bulma asked Ichigo.“I also have Senbon,” Ichigo stated, opening one of the pouches and pulling out a few of the long needles, “I don’t attack my friends, so don’t worry.”“You two are such weirdos!” Bulma exclaimed as she eyed the two kids. “And you need baths.”“You have a bath?” Ichigo happily asked the exact moment that Goku uttered a few dreaded words to Bulma.“What’s a bath?”Both girls turned to look at him with completely different expressions. Bulma was disgusted while Ichigo was curious. She wondered if he knew what a bath entailed, but not the actual process. She scratched her cheek and Bulma shook her head.“I’m going to look for some herbs, you two go ahead and bathe before me,” Ichigo stated, smiling at them before heading back towards the front door.“Don’t go too far!” Bulma warned as the girl pulled her shoes back on.She got a sound out of the girl and she guessed that was the best she’d get. She caught a glimpse of white as she ran out the front door and blinked. That had been oddly pretty, yet she felt a little nervous about it. She shook her head and turned towards Goku with her hands on her hips. It was time to give him a bath.Ichigo looked at the different plants before her and let out a soft sound of relief. She could make several ointments with them. The yarrow and chamomile she could use for ingesting, but the calendula, St. John’s wort, and comfrey could be used in the ointments. She smiled to herself and pocketed the plants. Her eyes widened just the slightest when she felt something heading her way. She watched as a bird flew across the night sky and she wondered if that was normal for this world. She wasn’t sure anymore. She shook her head and hurried back to the capsule home. She really wanted a bath of her own.“Are you okay?” Ichigo asked Goku as she entered the home to see him rubbing his head.“Yeah, Bulma wouldn’t let me help her wash her butt,” Goku stated and Ichigo had to think about that.“How old are you, Goku?” She asked.“I’m fourteen,” He answered and she faltered.“That makes you three years older than me, I don’t turn twelve for a few more months,” Ichigo stated, she then shook her head, “it’s societal norms, usually it’s loved ones that will help one another bathe…At least that’s what I was told by the Sensei.”“You have teachers?” Goku pressed, wanting to know more.“I used to,” she shrugged, her expression showing she was clearly uncomfortable with the topic, “but that’s in the past, I’m going to make some medicine while Bulma’s finishing up in there.”Goku watched as her shoes came off again and she walked up to a small table. Out of her pockets came plants upon plants. She brought out small jars and he blinked in confusion as she went about grinding up the plants to make what she needed. She ignored Goku as he moved to observe what she was doing. He sat incredibly close to the table, but he wasn’t messing with any of the plants. He was smart enough to know that she had placed them all in piles for a reason. She finished up one of the jars, a larger jar that had taken up quite a bit of the paste she had created.“Now there’s some balm for bruises,” she stated, and he blinked, “it’s simply knowledge of plants, not witchcraft.”“It smells funny,” he commented and she gave a nod.“It does, but adding something to help with the smell tends to weaken its effect,” she explained before shaking her head, “I am hoping I won’t have to use it too much. My medical pouch is sparse in supplies and I don’t have any funds to replace anything, so please try to not get too injured.”“I’m pretty sturdy so don’t worry,” Goku waved off her concern and she sent him a dry look when he turned to see Bulma exiting the bathroom.It was people like him that ended up getting injured the worst. Too headstrong to properly read a fight. She’d seen a few Chunin come back from training without limbs before because of their pigheadedness. She could only hope that Goku grew out of it the older he got. “Go take your bath,” Bulma practically ordered Ichigo. Maybe it was due to how small she was, even Goku stood taller than her, or because of how young she looked, but Bulma couldn’t help but take on an older sister tone to her voice when talking to the younger girl. The white haired girl hurried into the bathroom and she let out a sigh as she dried her hair and got dinner ready. Ichigo could eat when she came back. She only had to wait twenty minutes for the girl to come back out. Her pajamas were nonexistent. She wore a silk under shirt and a pair of clean pants. Bulma wondered if it was just a hicks trait to wear such traditional clothing.“Why is Goku outside again?” Ichigo asked as she sat down at the table and grabbed some bread to eat.“He wanted “real” food, which meant a wolf and centipedes,” Bulma grounded out and Ichigo was a little confused, “honestly, never become like him.”“Centipedes are great when it comes to making some medicines,” Ichgio informed her and Bulma groaned at that, “but I’ll refrain from bringing them near you, or telling you which ones have it.” “I’ll take it,” Bulma muttered before closing her eyes for a few seconds, “what did you do to your back? You’re really stiff when moving your arms.”“Just a bit of carpet burn,” Ichigo tried to explain it away, “it should be healed up within a week.” “If you say so,” Bulma stated, shaking her head.“Don’t worry about where I’ll sleep, I have a futon on me,” Ichigo stated.Bulma didn’t want to know. She waved the kid off to set up the futon and took a sip of her coffee. She couldn’t believe that she had to bring two kids with her because of a dragon ball. Granted, Goku worked well as a bodyguard. Ichigo practically pointed out her ability to make medicine. She wondered why a kid would need to know such a thing, but decided she’d get the answers out of the girl eventually.Ichigo smoothed down the futon and set up the blankets. She didn’t know where Goku was sleeping, and she didn’t want to question Bulma. Perhaps her teacher had been correct. She had no courage, except when placed in a fight or flight situation. That’s when her courage came out. She blinked when the futon shifted a little and looked down to see Goku grinning up at her.“It’s been forever since I’ve shared a bed with someone,” Goku stated and Bulma walked into the room.“You’ve got to be joking,” Bulma informed him and Ichigo simply tilted her head.“As long as you don’t do anything inappropriate I don’t mind sharing the futon,” she stated and Bulma blanched once again.“Inappropriate?” Goku asked and Bulma brought a hand up to her forehead in disbelief.“Will you two just go to bed!” She yelled at them and the two children got under the blankets and watched as she got ready.She looked between them and wondered if Goku was really fourteen, he barely looked older than Ichigo. Said girl seemed to be fighting off sleep as the futon got warm. Ichigo wondered if Goku was a living furnace? It was ridiculous!“What happened to your parents?” Bulma asked Goku as she brushed her teeth.“I dunno,” Goku answered as he yawned, “I guess I was abandoned in the mountains when I was a baby, Grandpa found me and decided to keep me!’“How can you laugh about something like that?” Bulma asked as he chuckled. “They most likely abandoned you because you had a tail.”“Were you abandoned because you have a butt on your chest?” Goku innocently asked.“It’s not a butt!” Bulma grounded out. “And besides I’m on summer vacation from school. I only have another thirty days to find the rest of the dragons balls. I don’t have all year like you two!” She heard soft snoring and turned to see that both of the kids had fallen asleep. She grumbled under her breath about them not waiting for answers before sleeping. She paused for a few seconds when one of them shifted in their sleep. She grinned and chuckled to herself. Ichigo seemed to be a snuggler in her sleep. She practically had a death grip on Goku. She turned off the lights and got into bed. She was excited to find more of the dragon balls. Her wish was going to come true!

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Age 749, September 2nd

Being awoken by a scream hadn’t been on Ichigo’s list of things she wanted to happen to her. She sat up in the futon and sleepily rubbed at her eyes. Goku was cowering in a corner away from them and she was a little confused. What was going on with the Dragon Balls? She shook her head before getting up from the floor and stretching. She winced as pain erupted across her back. It was going to hurt even worse before it started to feel better. She heard something thump on the floor and turned to see Bulma staring at her in horror. Ah, her shirt had slid down her shoulder at some point in the night.

“You said it was a carpet burn!” Bulma yelled at her. “Not a giant tattoo!”

“It’s not a tattoo,” Ichigo sighed, keeping her calm even though her legs began to tremble just the slightest, “I really don’t want to talk about it.”

“What else could it be?” Bulma pressed and Ichigo froze, she couldn’t think of a way out of the line of questioning from Bulma.

“It’s a seal!” She exclaimed and Bulma jumped from the sudden volume that the girl had produced. “I come from a clan of ninjas and was cast out because I don’t strike first…do I have to explain more?”

“Oh,” Bulma quietly said before huffing a little, “who cares what they think.”

“I think it looks neat,” Goku said, as he looked at the intricate design of a dragon.

“It is, but I can’t go around with it in the open,” she quietly explained, “if someone recognizes what it is, it could cause problems in the future…”

“Well, you need smaller shirts to begin with,” Bulma informed her.

“I’ll see about hemming my shirts a bit more,” Ichigo shrugged, “my uniforms fit perfectly, so I’ll stick to wearing them until I no longer can.”

Those words had ended the conversation and she folded up the futon as Goku quickly got ready for the day. His dark eyes were wide in surprise as she brought her scroll out and held it over the folded up futon and blanket. She focused on something and he watched as it glowed before the items vanished. Now, he was sure that it was witchcraft. He held his nyoibo in his hands and cautiously watched Ichigo as she stretched again and immediately winced in pain. She caught sight of him and blinked in confusion. That wide-eyed look wasn’t going to trick him!

“What is it?” She asked him.

“Witchcraft,” he pointed out and she let out a strange sound.

“I mean…technically,” she said, tilting her head to the side as she tried to think of a good way of explaining it, “it’s just the use of spiritual energy to create a small pocket to carry my things…”

“It’s like a capsule,” Bulma butted in and the kid gave her a thankful look, “not exactly witchcraft, just a different way to use energy.”

“I need to get ready,” Ichigo stated, “be right back.”

“That kid has manners,” Bulma commented as Goku plopped onto the floor and put the nyoibo back on his back, “you could learn a thing or two from her.”

“Why?” Goku asked and Bulma groaned in annoyance.

Ichigo finished changing for the day and walked out of the capsule house to enjoy the morning air. She took in a deep breath and let it go after a few seconds. She did that action a few times to center herself and reach into her ki. The area around her lit up in her senses and she almost pulled back immediately. It was impossible to focus in such an area! She didn’t want to know what a larger city would be like. She began to walk around the area and stretched as she did so. She wanted to keep some of her flexibility. She hesitated for a few seconds before jumping and landing in a handstand. No pain, no gain as her taijutsu teacher liked to claim. She slowly lowered herself down in a push up and felt her back protest at the action.

“Goku?” She asked as someone ran past her.

“Training?” Goku asked, seeing how she was doing her pushups.

“Might as well try and push through the pain,” she stated, slowly going down again, “I’ve got to start somewhere again. When I’m back to normal I want to spar with you.”

Her purple eyes were bright as she said that and he grinned in response before rushing off to continue his training. Ichigo shook her head in amusement at his actions, it was easy to make him happy. She looked at the ground below her in thought. Did she really want to fight with him? Or did she just want him to grow stronger? She wasn’t sure. She really didn’t know what her reasoning was. she tilted her head a little as she slowly lowered herself. It was strange, she typically knew the reasons behind her own actions.

“Bulma, you really did turn into a turtle!” Goku’s exclamation caused her to lose her concentration and she quickly landed on her feet before hurrying towards him.

“Oh, good morning,” Ichigo greeted the turtle, and the turtle gave a polite nod of its head, “is there anything you need?”

“Salt water would be great,” the turtle informed her and she nodded.

“I can’t believe Bulma turned into a turtle,” Goku quietly said as Ichigo went into the capsule house in search of salt water.

“I’m not Bulma,” the turtle informed him as Bulma peeked out the door to see why Ichigo needed salt water.

“He’s right,” Bulma snapped at Goku before sighing, “what’s a sea turtle doing so far in-land?”

“I got lost,” the turtle explained as Ichigo came out with the sea water in a bucket, she placed it before the turtle and he quickly chugged it, “I went gathering mushrooms and took a wrong turn. I’ve been wandering for the past year in an attempt to find my way back to the sea.”

“Can turtles eat mushrooms?” Ichigo muttered before shrugging, they probably could.

“You’re going the wrong direction,” Bulma informed the turtle, reaching into the capsule home and pulling out a map, “the sea is to the south, about a hundred and twenty kilometers.”

“Oh dear,” the turtle said, looking down a little.

“Hey, do you want us to take you to that “sea” thing?” Goku asked and Bulma sent her a sharp look as Ichigo nodded her agreement with Goku.

“You would?” The turtle was ecstatic that someone would help him.

“We have our own quest, Goku!” Bulma snapped at the boy.

“Then we’ll go without you,” Ichigo informed her, and Bulma blinked in surprise.

“Fine, do whatever you two want, but don’t you ever darken my hoi-poi door again!” Bulma yelled at them.

Goku hefted the turtle onto his back as Ichigo quickly grabbed her pouches and Tanto. She reappeared by his side as he stood up as straight as he could with the turtle on his back. She gave him a nod and he nodded back. He then grinned and she gave an owlish blink. It took her a few seconds and she stretched a little before grinning back.

“Let’s race then,” she stated.

Bulma watched as the two kids ran off into the distance, their speed was inhumane! She stood there for a few seconds fuming before letting out a frustrated groan. She couldn’t just let them leave on their own. That and Goku still had his dragon ball. She crossed her arms across her chest and frowned before running to her motorbike. She’d catch up with them.

“You weren’t kidding when you said you were fast,” Goku told Ichigo as the girl nimbly jumped over a large rock.

“I was the fastest in my age group,” she sheepishly admitted, “hey, you’re pretty fast yourself. You’re keeping up with Turtle-san on your back.”

He laughed in response and she simply jumped over another rock in her way. The turtle looked to the side. These two kids, they were definitely something else. He wondered if he could get his friend to train them, or even give them a gift for their help. He smiled as the girl jumped again, she was the more observant of the two he could just tell. She put her hands into the sleeves of her tang suit and he wondered where she came from, few people dressed in traditional clothing. Heck, few carried weapons with them. She looked over her shoulder as she jumped again and tilted her head. That was Bulma coming towards them.

“Wait up!” Bulma called and the two children came to a stop. “You are not doing this without me!”

“What about never showing up again?” Goku asked and Ichigo looked to the side.

He was a nice guy, but she supposed that even he had his moments where he could be just the slightest bit petty. Her mouth twitched into an amused smile as the turtle held in his laugh. Bulma’s cheeks turned a light pink in embarrassment before she huffed at them.

“I’m just too noble for my own good,” she stated.

“You got scared all on your own,” Goku observed.

“Shows what you know!” Bulma yelled at him as they started to move again.

Ichigo looked to the side. Was he wrong? She doubted he was. Their collective journey was relatively quiet, the banter between the two children had petered out due to Bulma. They didn’t want to deal with her yelling at them. Ichigo sighed a little and brought a hand to the back of her head, rubbing it in thought. Her ki was responding to something in front of them, it was big enough that she couldn’t figure it out. Still, it was best to warn the others. It was the least she could do.

“There’s something up ahead,” she warned and they all looked her way, “just trust me on this!”

They came upon a ravine and a large creature jumped into the roadway. He was wearing armour, the kind that had fallen out of popularity in the clan a thousand years ago. Ichigo narrowed her eyes and assessed the situation, he wasn’t going to let them pass without a fight. Goku looked up at him with wide eyes. He hadn’t seen a large opponent like that before.

“Halt!” The creature growled at them and Ichigo wondered just what he was. “How did you know that sea turtle is my favourite dish?”

“Good for you, but you can’t have him,” Ichigo stated, and Bulma reached over to smack her on the back of her head.

“Just give him over!” Bulma told the two.

“No,” Goku denied and Ichigo nodded her agreement as she rubbed the back of her head.

“So, you want to be my appetizer, huh?” The creature asked and he hoisted a sword up into the air. “Well, I do aim to please.”

“You better get off,” Goku informed the turtle as he knelt so it could.

Ichigo reached into one of her pouches and she grasped onto a couple of senbon. The first rule to weapons such as senbon was to make sure the opponent never saw them. Deception was a shinobi’s main trait, one that she lacked. She could attack with precision, but could she hit the creature without hitting Goku? She wasn’t sure of her aim. He came at them with a mighty swing of his sword and she quickly moved out of the way, she threw the senbon at his wrist and he howled in pain, dropping the sword. Goku let out a light laugh as he landed on the creature's right shoulder and gave him a wave.

“What are you two?” the creature asked.

“Rock, scissors, paper!” Goku stated, jumping onto the creature's snout and landing a punch between his eyes.

“You’ve got some serious strength,” Ichigo dryly told Goku as she moved to gather her senbon from the creature's wrist.

“Say’s the girl with insane aim!” Bulma yelled at her and the kid blinked in confusion. “Seriously, how did you aim like that and with such small needles?”

“I’ve been using senbon for as long as I can remember,” Ichigo explained, “I was more worried about accidentally hitting someone.”

She sheepishly scratched her cheek and Bulma sent her a look as the turtle moved towards the two kids. He hadn’t expected them to be that strong! He knew they were fast, but it was starting to get ridiculous! He shook his head and stopped in front of them. They were ready to keep going.

“Are turtles really that good?” Goku asked him and he blanched.

“No! Sea Turtles are quite nasty really! Absolutely foul!” He immediately stated, and Ichigo looked to the side.

“Well, you sure don’t look yummy,” Goku stated as he hoisted the turtle back on his back.

“Let's just get going,” Bulma sighed.

The two kids went back to running and she revved up her motorbike's engine before tearing off after them. They needed to learn some restraint when it came to running. She let out a soft sigh when they ended up at the sea. Ichigo stared at it with wide eyes, she’d read about the sea before in an old scroll that had been tucked away in the village library. She stood by the water and watched as the waves rolled in, before rolling back revealing the sand beneath it.  She wanted to stand in it, to feel the water.

“Never seen the sea before?” Bulma asked and she shook her head.

“My village was in a secluded mountain rage,” Ichigo responded, “there wasn’t a sea in the area…I’ve only ever read about it.”

Of course, it was just Bulma’s luck to be stuck with the world's strangest kids. Ichigo removed her shoes and rolled up the legs of her pants. Bulma didn’t want to know where the kid had been hiding the ribbon to keep the cloth up. She wandered into the ocean and started to follow small fish around with a curious expression. The turtle went to bring a reward back to them, and soon they found themselves with downtime. Goku tried to drink the water and found that it was too salty for him. So, he joined Ichigo in following the smaller fish.

“If I had known we were coming here I would've brought my swimsuit,” Bulma bemoaned before sending the two kids a look when they started to collect shells, “you two can’t keep those!”

“We don’t want to keep them,” Ichigo stated, frowning a little.

It was when they ended up back on the beach that Bulma relaxed a little. She didn’t trust them to not run off. While they built a sand castle, or a poor imitation of one, they were being kept busy. She grabbed a stick and started to write mathematical equations in the sand. She had to do something to keep herself busy at this point.

“How did you know that there was someone waiting by the ravine?” Goku asked Ichigo.

“It’s how I can do my sealing,” Ichigo answered, “my abilities and training focused on the spiritual side of energy. When the spiritual side has been trained you can sense enemies and allies alike, right now everything is a bit fuzzy but I can make out shapes.”

“Wow,” Goku stated as he looked at the ocean, “it’s like how I use my nose.”

“Nose?” Ichigo asked before wryly smiling. “Is your sense of smell that good?”

“It is,” Goku nodded and she let it go.

She’d believe him with no issue. Goku wasn’t one to lie. She perked up when she felt something hit the edge of her senses. It was the turtle, but something was on top of him. She looked towards the distance and saw a small speck.

“It’s the turtle, but it looks like someone’s riding on him,” Goku stated, and Bulma squinted.

“You can see that far?” Bulma asked.

The turtle got closer and Ichigo saw the blob on top of him grow into the shape of a man. The ki that was being outputted by the man was insane. He was at a jonin level with his Ki, and she didn’t doubt that he was hiding even more of it. She brought her hands to her sides and narrowed her eyes.  If it came down to it, she wouldn’t be able to protect her newfound friends. And that…terrified her. She hated to admit that, and doing so went against the clan teachings. But she couldn’t help it.

“Hello!”  The man greeted, and she blanched.

“Sorry to keep you waiting!” The turtle apologised.

Ichigo didn’t mind the wait, no she was more focused on the fact that such power was coming from such an old man. He carried a gnarled walking stick that had a large knot at the top, his back curved giving him a hunched form. The shell of his back was purple and she gathered it was heavier than it looked. He was unassuming in the collared decorative shirt, the material orange with random letters on it, and a pair of shorts. His sunglasses hid his expression from them, his eyes. The windows to his soul. Ichigo wondered why a man like him had to hide.

“Just what we needed, an old man,” Bulma grumbled.

Goku expected Ichigo to have a comment and spared her a glance. She was watching the old man with narrowed eyes, it was like she was trying to figure him out. Her hands were clenched by her sides as she thought. His own widened just a little. What was with her? With a soft sigh she relaxed, wearily watching the man instead. He just didn't understand girls.

“So you are the kids that helped my friend over there,” the man commented, looking at the two children.

“Who are you old timer?” Goku asked, getting an elbow to the side by Ichigo for how rude it was.

“Don’t be rude,” Ichigo quietly told him, though her slight smile showed she was amused by him.

“Me?” The old man asked, standing up a little straighter. “I am the Kame-sen’nin! The turtle hermit!”

Sen’nin? That would explain the monstrous power she sensed from him. She fully relaxed and instead gave him a curious look. He gave a laugh as he finished his sentence and she was reminded that he was just an old man. An old man with ridiculous spiritual strength, but still old nonetheless.

“Did they all help you?” He asked, turning to the turtle.

“Just the two young ones,” the turtle stated.

“Goku was more of a help than I was,” Ichigo said, rubbing the back of her head, “he carried turtle-san to the sea on his back.”

“Well my boy,” the kame-Sen’nin started, surprised by the honesty from the girl, “I owe you one, and I’ll give you a mighty fine reward!”

“Not again,” Goku quietly said, reminded of Bulma’s attempt at a reward when they first met.

“Come to me! Immortal Phoenix!” The old man called to the sky.

“Was that immortal or invisible?” Bulma dryly asked.

“Neither, nothing came,” Ichigo answered, and Goku tilted his head as the old man began to nervously sweat.

“You two are two peas in a pod with how blunt you can both be,” Bulma informed them with a soft sigh.

“Sir, remember the incident with the tainted birdseed?” The Turtle pointed out.

“That’s right, we lost the poor thing,” the Kame-Sen’nin stated and Ichigo blanched.

“The immortal Phoenix died?” Bulma asked in disbelief.

“I was going to ask him to grant you immortality, but I guess I better find something else,” the old hermit stated, bringing a hand to his beard covered chin in thought, “come to me, Kinto’un!”

A little gold cloud came flying towards them at the hermits' call. Ichigo’s eyes widened and she fought the urge to test how soft it was, it looked so fluffy! Goku bounced a little in excitement. He was finally getting a new type of food to eat!

“This is Kinto’un, and I give it to you,” Kame-Sen’nin informed Goku.

“So, how do you eat it?” Goku asked and the old man’s brow twitched in response.

“You don’t! You ride on it!” The old man informed him. “It will take you wherever you want to go.”

“It’s so fluffy,” Ichigo stated, giving the gold cloud a poke.

“It’s a very temperamental thing, unless you have a pure heart you won’t be able to ride it,” Kame Sen’nin informed them, “observe.”

Ichigo swiftly moved back as Kame Sen’nin crouched before jumping towards the cloud.  He fell through the cloud, not even landing on it. Goku and Ichigo shared a look and the Shinobi shrugged in response. She wasn’t sure what constituted a pure heart. The turtle moved to check on the old man as he rubbed at his hips in pain, mumbling about a “mystical tune up”. Bulma looked up at the sky and wondered how she got caught up with such a strange bunch.

“Let me try!” Goku stated, laughing as he took his own leap.

He landed on Kinto’un without any issues and jumped up and down on it. Ichigo was right, it was really fluffy. Speaking of said girl, she was watching with a tiny smile on her face. She stayed back so he could enjoy the cloud. His tail waved in the air before he motioned her to join. She grinned at him and Kame-Sen’nin was witness to the second person of the day to easily land on the golden cloud.

“Go cloud!” Goku exclaimed.

Kinto’un gladly followed its new owner’s instructions and took off like a bullet. Goku’s laugh rang out through the air and soon Ichigo joined in. Her’s sounded far less rusty when she was truly enjoying herself.  They went through a tunnel system and their laughter echoed off the sides of the cave. The turtle enjoyed the sound of laughing children, there was something oddly warming about it. He sometimes wished his friend had taken on students, it would make the island less lonely. He blinked when the two returned, bright eyed and slightly pink in the face from the wind whipping at their skin and the colder temperature in the higher altitude.

“This is great, thanks a billion!” Goku thanked Kame-Sen’nin.

“That was amazing, Kinto’un,” Ichigo informed the gold cloud and it swelled a little in response.

“You make it look like it was made for you,” Kame-Sen’nin informed Goku.

Goku just nodded and urged Kinto’un forward. They went right back up and flew around the area. The sea breeze was better up in the sky than it had been on the ground. Ichigo looked over the sea with wide eyes, she couldn’t help but like it. It was so pretty! She wondered what else from that scroll was real! She should’ve borrowed it from the library when she could’ve! She shook her head, oh well.

“Look at the size of that fish,” she stated as her attention was caught by the giant fish swimming in the water.

“Oh man, that would make a great lunch,” Goku stated, his stomach growling in response.

“You really like food, huh?” Ichigo stated.

“Of course I do!” Goku exclaimed.

She didn’t find anything wrong with that. Bulma called them down and she was surprised to see that they had another dragon ball already. That meant they had four of them so far! Goku grinned in response and jumped up and down on Kinto’un for a few seconds before Ichigo nudged the cloud to take them near the water again. It was a little surprising that the cloud listened to her.

“It was the sanshinkyu,” Goku stated in thought.

“We’ve got three more to go,” Ichigo said before reaching down into the water below and grasping onto a shell, “ah, this was what I was looking for!”

“What is it?” Goku asked, looking at the slightly curled shell.

“This is an abalone shell,” Ichigo answered, “I can use this as a medicine, I think one of my scrolls called it a Shi Jue Ming, it helps with headaches and migraines.”

She was excited by that prospect. Goku wondered how she was going to accomplish that. She sat on her heels and placed the shell in one of her pouches, that’s when he noticed a symbol on it. A small rod with a snake wrapped around it was embroidered in a gold thread on it. He wondered what it meant.

“What does that symbol mean?” He asked as Bulma walked up to them.

“That’s the rod of asclepius,” Bulma answered for Ichigo, “it’s the universal symbol for medicine, you really act like you live under a rock, Goku.”

“It’s all right, I don’t mind the questions,” Ichigo informed him as he frowned a little, “should we head back to the hoi-poi home and get ready to continue on?”

“Yeah,” Bulma agreed, and the three went on their way to return to the capsule home.

Goku and Ichigo were riding on the kinto’un and Bulma was surprised at how fast it was. Well, she supposed it was easier to ride the cloud than it was her motorbike. They reached the capsule home within minutes and Bulma headed inside to get changed. The two kids stayed on the cloud, Ichigo sitting down while Goku stretched out on top of it. He gazed up at the sky in thought.

“What an awesome reward,” Goku stated and Ichigo sent him a smile.

“You deserved it,” she informed him, “besides, Turtle-san needed the help. I’m glad we could do so.”

He went to say something when Bulma let out a loud scream. He rushed inside and Ichigo wisely stayed on Kinto’un. She had caught the words “undies”, she didn’t want to deal with whatever that was about. She scratched her cheek for a few seconds before looking down at the gold cloud beneath her. She brought a hand down and gave it a few soft pats. The cloud seemed to stretch at the sensation. It reminded her of a cat, and a soft smile appeared on her face. Goku came out of the capsule home with holes in his clothes and a few bruises on his face.

“Are you okay?”  Ichigo asked.

“Bulma’s gone insane!” He informed her, and she blinked in confusion.

“Oh?” She muttered to herself as he hopped back on Kinto’un.

“If you ever do something like that again, I’ll shoot to kill!” Bulma informed Goku as she exited the capsule home with a glare. “We’ll take the Kinto’un, we’ll make better time. Let me on.”

“No way! The turtle guy said you’ve got to have a pure heart,” Goku stated and both kids flinched at her glare.

“And? I don’t think anybody's heart is purer than mine!” Bulma stated, “Besides, it let Ichigo on!”

“Being raised to fight, and deciding to actively hurt someone out of malice are two different things,” Ichigo informed her, feeling a little defensive by the older girl's words.

“Give it a try,” Goku stated, cutting through them with ease.

Ichigo stepped back a little as Bulma tried to hop onto the Kinto’un. She fell through the cloud and Ichigo gave a small sigh. She had seen that coming from a mile away.  Bulma complained for a few minutes before getting onto her motorbike. Goku and Ichigo sat down on the cloud and easily took the lead. Ichigo glanced back at Bulma for a few seconds before staring ahead at the road.

“Would you hurry up!” Goku called back and Bulma let out a frustrated sound.

“Oh shut it! You’re going over the speelimit!” Bulma yelled at them, making Ichigo snort.

Age 749, September 5th

“Do you sense anything nearby?” Bulma asked Ichigo as they stopped at the side of the road to look at the radar.

“There’s a bunch of people in the village, and there’s something with a stronger spiritual sense but I’m not too sure of what it is,” Ichigo answered, “sorry, but I’m not that attuned to the dragon balls yet.”

“At least there’s a village,” Bulma sighed, “maybe we can find someone that will know where it is.”

Ichigo doubted that. They rolled into the town and Ichigo stayed seated on the Kinto’un as Goku stood up. She could sense a lot more now that she was inside the village. There were people in the houses, but they were hiding. What was causing them to hide? She put her hands into her sleeves and frowned a little in thought. It was weird.

“The only thing that the radar is picking up is the dragon ball,” Bulma stated.

“Yeah, everyone is hiding,” Ichigo confirmed before shaking her head, “I don’t know why, it’s weird.”

“I think I know what you mean,” Goku stated, getting a feel for sensing people the longer he was around Ichigo, “I’m going to go check it out.”

He jumped down from Kinto’un and walked up to the nearest house. He knocked on it for a few seconds and Ichigo watched from the cloud, a slight frown on her face. She didn’t know what was going to happen to her friend. She reached for a senbon and grasped it between her fingers. She was prepared for anything. Goku didn’t receive an answer so he punched through the door.

“Nothing really scares you, does it?” Bulma asked the shorter boy.

Ichigo reacted faster than Goku and sent a senbon towards an attacker. It got the man in the wrist and it made him drop the ax in his hands before he could bring it crashing down on Goku’s head. Bulma let out a sound of surprise as Goku looked at the balding man. He felt like the man wasn’t being malicious, noting the way that he backed up from the group.

“I’m sorry! I reacted instinctively!” Ichigo apologised, jumping down from Kinto’un and heading towards the man.

“Why were you attacking us?” Bulma asked, stopping Ichigo from going any further with a single hand.

“Forgive me, lord Oolong!” The man stated, and it confused the three. “I’ll give ou anything, just please spare my daughter!”

“Oolong?” Bulma asked and the three shared a look.

“We don’t know an Oolong,” Ichigo informed him, “may I remove the needle from your wrist? I have some medicine to help remove some of the sting from it.”

The man stood up and looked at the girl in surprise. Now that she mentioned it, his wrist felt like it was being constantly stung by a bee. Bulma let the smaller girl move forward and he held it out to her. He watched as the kid carefully removed the senbon before putting a strange smelling paste on his wrist and bandaging it up. She stepped back after giving her handiwork a quick glance and nodding. Her small smile reminded him of his own daughters.

He quickly explained to the three about the issue of Oolong. The girl that reminded him of his daughter brought a hand to her chin in thought. She was figuring out a way to get to Oolong to free the girls that were taken. There was something fishy going on. She just didn’t know what. It reminded her of one of her instructors. The one that taught subterfuge, transformation.

“Does this Oolong change his shape?” Ichigo asked and the man gave a slow nod. “So, he can use an illusion of sorts.”

“Why not just beat him up?” Goku asked and the man blanched.

“Are you kidding?! He’s huge!” The man exclaimed.

“Hey mister, have you ever seen one of these?” Bulma asked, pulling out one of the dragon balls.

“I’ve never seen anything like it,” the man answered, studying the object.

“I have!” An old woman’s voice exclaimed and the three turned towards her. “I have one just like it!”

“That’s the liushinkyu!” Goku stated as the old woman pulled it out of her apron.

“Ma’am if you give me that ball, we’ll take care of your Oolong problem,” Bulma stated, putting a hand on Ichigo’s shoulder, “and this kid will be wonderful bait.”

“Wait…bait?” Ichigo asked, sending Bulma a look.

“Yeah, and Goku’ll fight him,” Bulma informed her of the plan.

They looked towards Goku just as he patted the old woman’s front. The old woman gave him a light laugh as Bulma brought her fist down on his head. He brought his hands to the lump that was forming on his head as Ichigo sighed.  She had borrowed clothing g from the man’s daughter and told to stand out in the town centre. She knelt in front of a water fountain and sent the ground a small frown. She could feel someone coming closer to the village, their steps were loud but their energy spoke of something around her size. She put her hands on her knees as she turned her attention towards the water. Bulma had removed her weapons, making her the perfect bait.

“She looks adorable when she dresses like an actual girl,” Bulma chuckled to herself.

“She looks uncomfortable,” Goku stated, and he got another hit to the head for that, “what did I say?”

The old woman smiled at him. He was just like her son at that age. She turned her attention towards the little girl at the fountain. The red markings on her face were off for a girl her age, but it fit with her white hair. Speaking of her hair, it was hidden by a light blue head scarf. They had to, to make it seem believable. Granted, the purple eyes and facial markings were going to give her away. Said girl tensed a little as that small energy signature got closer. She could take him, if that’s how small his power was then she could easily punch his lights out. Her hands trembled a little in anticipation. She was never going to let Bulma sign her up for something like this again.

“There’s my cute little bride!” A grunt sounded out behind her and her blood chilled. “C’mere honey.”

Whoever she ended up marrying, if she did that is, was never going to call her

honey

. It didn’t suit her, and her name was already the name of a fruit! She clenched her jaw and put her head down a little, hiding her face the best she could. She needed to keep her calm, she couldn’t lose her temper and give herself away. That would be the worst thing she could do. She felt a shiver go down her spine when something warm brushed against her cheek.

“You’re scared of my looks?” The grunting voice asked and she grimaced. “Then how about something…”

A loud pop drowned out a few of the words and she felt the shifting of Ki. So, he was genuinely changing his shape, not just crafting an illusion. She narrowed her eyes a bit. Nifty trick. It didn’t change his base level strength, just his base form.

“A little nicer,” a smooth voice stated and she glanced back to see a tall man with slicked back dark hair, “or do you want a younger man.”

Was she supposed to be impressed? She glanced around for a few seconds as the village people got closer to their windows to watch. Bulma came out as well, a larger energy following her. Ichigo relaxed a bit. Goku came out. She got the feeling he was curious about Oolong. She glanced towards the older man in question and looked to the side. She was incredibly uncomfortable with the entire situation.

“Hi, I’m Bulma and I’m sixteen,” Bulma greeted Oolong and Ichigo felt sweat gathering on the back of her neck.

What was wrong with that girl? Oolong questioned Nulma about her chest size as Ichigo felt annoyance rising in her. She disliked the situation, and the discomfort it brought. Her hands went to the blue head scarf and she removed it, showing her short white hair to Oolong. She sent the man a serious look as he studied her. He gained a small blush to his face and she grimaced.

“What colouring,” he muttered and she took a small step back before seemingly vanishing on him.

Goku blinked at the speed she had unlocked in her agitated state. She reappeared with a sturdy kick to Oolongs face, causing him to fly back a few feet. She was seemingly trembling from anger, though her red face spoke more of embarrassment. Bulma snapped out of what strange trance she was in and brought her hand to her mouth in thought. Ichigo turned towards Goku and noted that his eyes were bright at the idea of a fight. She got his attention and he tilted his head.

“Tap out?” She asked. “Want to fight him?”

She reached out with a hand and he brought his down on it. They switched places and she started to shed the borrowed clothes.  Bulma dragged her back inside and the man sent the blue haired teen a dirty look as the white haired girl folded the borrowed clothes before handing them back with a thankful nod.

“If we had more time I could see myself really disliking you,” the man informed Bulma, “but right now we have two issues, the plans have been ruined and now our demon is seriously pissed!”

“Trust in Goku,” Ichigo stated and he looked down at her, “he’s even stronger than me.”

She felt the two energies exiting the village and brought her hands into the sleeves of her suit. What was Goku doing? She trusted him and had faith in his abilities, but still. His way of fighting surprised her. He focused mainly on brute strength instead of strategy. She closed her eyes and focused her senses on the two. Sweat began to appear on her brow as she saw Goku’s energy slowly form until she could see him.

“Kid?” Bulma asked, turning towards Ichigo and seeing a slight frown on her face.

“She has impressive concentration,” the old woman lightly said, a fond tone in her voice.

“What is she concentrating on?” Bulma muttered to herself, and Ichigo opened her eyes.

“He keeps shifting,” Ichigo stated, “this time he turned into something that can fly.”

“Goku! Go after him!” Bulma slammed the front door open and shouted at the boy.

“Right, Kinto’un!” Goku called for the cloud.

“He’s heading to the north,” Ichigo informed him as the cloud came soaring towards him.

Goku nodded and took off in that direction. The village people crowded together to wait for him to come back. They had been so focused on his size that they had never once thought about fighting back. They could now see how silly they had been. He came back with a pig in his grasp. Ichigo wondered where the split was when it came to evolution in this world. How was it that animals were able to walk on two legs and talk? She shook her head, getting rid of such thoughts. The village followed behind him as Oolong was practically forced to show them where he was keeping the kidnapped girls.

“I will give you and that boy the dragon ball,” the old woman said as she walked next to Ichigo.

The shinobi blinked in surprise before accepting the globe. She felt the power radiating from it and her mouth opened just the slightest. Her senses were going haywire! She tried to reign them in, and found it difficult to do so. Her head was starting to pound from the influx of information from the world around her.

“This is…” an older man said as they came across Oolongs house.

“Here,” Ichigo said to Bulma as she held out the dragon ball, “it makes my head hurt.”

“You’re weird,” Bulma informed her and the kid glared at her in response.

She put the dragon ball with the others before riffling the short white strands. Ichigo’s confused expression made her realize that no one had done that to her before. It was sort of sad if she were to be honest. Poor kid was touched starved, more than she was aware. Well, she would have to get used to affection.

Once the girls were back with their families they stopped at the nearby river, with a new addition to their group. Bulma kept in a laugh as Ichigo stayed closer to Goku now that she had practically forced the pig into their group. Something about him made her uncomfortable. She would rather stay closer to Bulma and Goku while he was around.

“Why did we bring Oolong with us?” Goku asked as Bulma got out a capsule and activated it to get them a boat.

“His transformation is useful,” Bulma stated.

“It’s not an illusion like mine, he actually transforms,” Ichigo added and Goku nodded his understanding.

She wondered if he really did. They got into the boat and soon they were on their way. Ichigo’s head was still pounding and she closed her eyes for a few seconds to try and see if the lack of light would make it stop. It knocked her out more than anything. Well, if anyone needed her they could wake her up.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Age 749, September 6th

Ichigo looked up at the sky in thought as the boat traveled through the clear river.  It was taking them a while to find the next dragon ball. She watched as a cloud moved across the sky and gave a slight frown. She would rather be riding on Kinto’un. She adored the fluffy cloud. Goku let out a soft sound of frustration and she glanced at him.

“Aren’t we there yet?” Goku asked.

“Where is there anyway?” Oolong questioned and her frown deepened.

“Still a ways off,” Bulma informed them as she looked in her bag for something, “I’d give it three more days.”

She brought out a map and the two kids and Oolong moved forward to see it. She made a face at all of them and noted that Ichigo had moved to simply look over Goku’s head. She had parted his hair so she could. He didn’t seem to mind too much, simply looking up when she had moved it before looking back at the map. He didn’t understand it at all.  Ichigo understood it though.

“Fry-pan mountain?” Ichigo asked, confused at the name.

“What? Fry-pan mountain?!” Oolong questioned. “We’re going there?”

“You’ve heard of it?” Bulma asked, and Ichigo was glad to finally not be the only one out of the loop.

“You don’t know?” Oolong was dumbfounded by their lack of knowledge. “That’s the home of the terrible Gyu-Mao, the Ox King!”

“That’s not a problem, Goku’ll kick his butt for us,” Bulma shrugged, “or Ichigo could throw some senbon into his wrists.”

“You don’t know the ox king,” Oolong pointed out as Ichigo sent her a look, “count me out!”

“Oh, he became a fish,” Ichigo lightly commented, “he’s going that way.”

“He’s such a chicken,” Goku stated, grabbing onto the sash around his waist, “I’ll have to go catch him.”

“Wait a few seconds, I have a better idea,” Bulma stated.

Ichigo gained a strange expression as Bulma put her underwear on a hook before casting her line into the water. That couldn’t possibly work, who would be that attached to underwear. She brought her knees up to her chest as she sat back a little. Well, at least it kept Goku from getting soaked. She didn’t want him to get sick. Granted, Goku seemed like he’d never been sick before. She was basing that on his diet. He had a stomach of steel. He plopped down next to her and waited for Bulma’s plan to work.

“I can’t believe it,” Ichigo muttered as Bulma brought the line back and there Oolong was.

Attached to the underwear. If the pig was being sent judgemental looks by the eleven-year old then he was good at ignoring them. He was honestly glad that Goku sat in between them. He wouldn’t want to be too close to that face. Even if it was attached to a cute girl.

“Believe it, doll,” He grumbled and she shuddered at the nickname.

“Please don’t call me any nicknames like that,” she requested and he gave her a look, “it creeps me out. Just call me by name.”

“Ichigo is her name,” Goku stated with a grin.

“She’s named after a fruit,” Oolong muttered and said girl glared at him.

“Speaking of fruit, I’m hungry,” Goku stated and his stomach growled, making Ichigo laugh a little.

She stopped laughing when her own stomach growled. Her cheeks turned a light pink as it was Goku’s turn to laugh. Bulma pursed her lips to stop herself from smiling. For a couple of weird kids, they had their moments of being kinda cute. She reached into her pocket and pulled out her weapon against Oolong. Something that would stop him from running away. It was small, round, and brown. A specialty pill that would activate with pig calls.

“Here, I’ll give you candy you can work your way for undies,” Bulma lied to Oolong.

Oolong ate it and she grinned to herself. There, that should stop a lot of the drama between them. Goku and Ichigo turned towards her with wide eyes and she kept her gaze on the water before her. She didn’t have anything to give them, and she didn’t feel bad about it. Well…maybe a little bit.

“Can we get some candy as well?” Ichigo asked and Bulma began to sweat a little.

“Sorry, that’s all I had,” Bulma said, technically the truth.

Still, that didn’t stop Ichigo from giving her a sharp look before sitting back. Seemingly accepting her answer of no more candy. Bulma wondered if this was how her parents reacted to her when she was that age. She had always been smart, but this kid had her on observation alone. It was oddly terrifying, and she doubted Ichigo was aware of it.

“Girls always liked me better than others,” Oolong stated and Ichigo looked to the side before searching her pouches for something.

She should still have some rations. Goku sat back, a frown on his face. His stomach wouldn’t stop growling. He was going to have to hunt for something to eat soon. He just knew it. He heard a quiet “ah” from next to him and soon something was being held out to him. It was a clementine.

“I don’t have much on me, but here,” Ichigo stated and he accepted it, “it should help.”

Goku accepted the food with a grin and she started to stare out at the water around them. She liked the sight of water, she wondered if she had an affinity for water before frowning a little. She wasn’t sure. The boat slowed and she heard a sputtering come from the engine behind them. That wasn’t a good sign.

“We’re out of gas,” Bulma informed them, grimacing a little, “Oolong, can’t you turn into gas or something?”

“Yeah right,” Oolong snorted and Ichigo reluctantly agreed with him.

“My food turns into gas,” Goku mentioned and she gave a snort of her own.

“We’ve got to get ashore so I can take out a gas capsule, so turn into an oar, okay?” Bulma informed the shapeshifting pig.

“What is an oar?” Goku asked as Oolong transformed.

“You use it to move the boat,” Bulma explained motioning with Oolong, “like this.”

“I could get over there without an oar,” Ichigo stated, “‘my backs practically healed so I can use some of my teachings.”

“What, can you walk on water?” Bulma asked.

She watched as the child simply stood up and tossed a leg over the boat, all while staring her down. She panicked a little when she got off the boat, only to see the kid standing on the water. There was a strange feeling in the air as Ichigo performed that feat. Goku’s eyes were wide as his new friend started to walk towards the shore, the bottoms of her silk shoes dripping water after each step. Bulma scrambled around and grasped a nearby rope.

“Don’t forget the rope!” Bulma called, tossing the rope towards Ichigo.

She caught it with some ease and nodded her understanding. She would be the one to tie the boat to the tree. She didn’t have the strength to pull it in, but that’s what Oolong the oar was for. She jumped onto the shore and brought her Ki away from the bottom of her feet. She once heard a story about a Shinobi that could fly using their Ki. She looked up towards the sky and let out a soft sigh. Flying was something she could only do on Kinto’un. A tiny smile appeared on her face. She adored the cloud for that reason. She heard Bulma shout in the distance and she quickly tied the rope around the trunk of a tree. She turned and gave the others a thumbs up.

“Nicely done,” Bulma stated before turning Ichigo’s head when Goku moved to use the restroom.

“I made myself useful, now gimme,” Oolong stated, holding a hand out.

“Not as useful as Ichigo or Goku,” Bulma corrected him before checking her jacket pockets for something, “my Hoi-poi capsules are gone!”

“How’d you lose them?” Ichigo asked as Goku came up to them, his business finished.

“I must’ve dropped them in the river,” Bulma whined and the little Shinobi gave a soft sigh, “we’re gonna have to walk.”

“What’s wrong with walking?” Goku asked as he jumped up onto Kinto’un.

“Easy for you to say, Mr flying cloud!” Bulma snapped at him.

“Why not have Oolong transform for you?” Ichigo asked as she joined Goku on the gold cloud.

“Oh Oolong!” Bulma called with a smirk.

Only for the pig to be nowhere to be found. Ichigo blinked a little and scratched the back of her head. He hadn’t gone too far, just a half a mile away. Bulma let out a frustrated sound and Goku frowned as well. Well, it was nice to see that she wasn’t the only person who wasn’t his biggest fan. That did make her feel a little better. She jumped a little when Bulma swung around to face her.

“How far away is he, Ichigo?” Bulma asked and the kid blinked before pointing.

“Only half a mile that way,” Ichigo answered.

Bulma let out a strange noise and the girl owlishly stared at her. Did the older girl lose her mind? Even Goku was staring at her in confusion. He sat down on Kinto’un with Ichigo and both kids simply stared. The teen paid them no mind as she let out that strange sound again.

“Remember that candy Oolong?!” Bulma called into the forest in the direction that Ichigo had pointed. “All I have to do is make a pig call and you’ll have the runs! You better hurry back before I let out another call.”

“You are pure evil!” Oolong informed Bulma as he came back to them with his hand on his stomach. “I’ll never try to escape again, I promise.”

“You’ll do everything I say, right?” Bulma pressed and he gave a small nod.

“I can’t believe I fell for such a dirty trick,” Oolong stated and Goku jumped down to talk to him.

“You should be more like me, I didn’t eat anything she had,” Goku stated and Ichigo made a slight face.

Well, he wasn’t wrong, but he wasn’t right either. She wasn’t sure that he was really aware of what Bulma had done to Oolong. She looked to the side and gave Kinto’un a small pat. Her teacher would’ve liked Bulma, if only for the underhanded tactics. Ichigo had to give her some respect in that aspect. She blinked when Goku was able to recreate the call that Bulma had used. She couldn't believe it, she actually felt bad for Oolong when he took refuge behind a bush.

“It’s not funny!” Oolong snapped at a laughing Goku.

“Okay, Oolong,” Bulma said as she gathered her bag from the boat, “you’re turning into a motorbike.”

He did so and Bulma sent him a look. It was more like a scooter than a motorbike. Goku rejoined Ichigo on the Kinto’un enjoying Oolong’s tricks. Ichigo scratched her cheek in thought, it was unlikely that Oolong could act as an actual scooter. His form changed, not his strength. She was proven right when he crumbled under Bulma’s weight. She got off of the transformed pig and put her hands on her hips, a glare on her face.

“You’re too heavy!” Oolong informed her. “No matter what shape I change into my strength remains the same, besides I can only stay transformed for five minutes anyway and then I have to have a minute rest.”

“It’s useful, if only for a short time,” Ichigo commented as he transformed into a pair of underwear, “why’d you transform into those?”

“No! Don’t you dare corrupt that one!” Bulma hissed at Oolong, grabbing onto his new form and throwing it to the ground.

She refused to let some perverted pig corrupt a sweet kid like Ichigo. Goku was oblivious so he would be fine. She watched as Oolong sent her a glare and she glared back, a little more venom in her glare than was expected. Ichigo tilted her head in confusion. Why did Bulma think that Oolong would corrupt her? How strange.

“I guess you’re walking after all,” Goku stated.

It was a poor choice of words, and soon both kids were walking on the ground. Ichigo put her hands into the sleeves of her suit and gave a quiet sigh. She was by her friend's side as Bulma fumed behind them. It was impossible to keep up with the two! They had been walking for hours and the two barely seemed tired. The only sign that one of them was bothered by the walk was Ichigo removing her suit jacket and putting it away in that scroll of her’s. The silk shirt underneath did have some wet spots from how badly the girl was sweating. The desert that they had entered was getting to be too much. Bulma looked up at the sky and let out a groan.

“I’m going to die,” Bulma complained.

“Why are you guys taking so long?” Goku asked, frowning at them. “If I’m going to walk I want to do it fast.”

“I’m a city girl, remember,” Bulma reminded him, “I’m not some feral beast like you, or some insane ninja like Ichigo. I never knew there was this much desert.”

“There’s no way around it,” Oolong informed her as he took his hat off to fan his face.

“I can’t take it anymore!” Bulma exclaimed as she plopped down on the ground.

“How pathetic,” Goku muttered and Ichigo gave a slight nod of agreement.

“Isn’t there a hotel or inn around here?” Bulma asked Oolong.

“In the sheraton waste land?” He dryly asked.

Ichigo was welcomed to a meltdown by the older girl. She took a seat on the ground as Goku decided that they weren’t going any further when Bulma simply passed out. She closed her eyes and shifted into Lotus position. She focused on the desert around them as she meditated. There had been a valid reason behind her Ki strength, she liked to focus her thoughts and keep her senses sharp. Granted, it was a little difficult to sense past Goku. His energy was so bright. Bulma and Oolongs were so dim compared to him.

“How can that kid sit like that?” Oolong grumbled as he glanced at Ichigo.

“She sits like that a lot,” Goku informed him.

“You two seem close, how long have you been friends?” Well, Oolong felt as though he had nothing better to do than talk to the weird kid.

“Only a couple of days,” Goku grinned.

Oolong sent him a look at that. If he didn’t know any better he would think that he was being lied to, but he was fairly certain that Goku wouldn’t lie to him. He looked up at the afternoon sky and frowned. It had to because they were both weird kids. He heard Ichigo make a sound and looked over at her. She was looking to the distance, eyes narrowed. His attention was then grabbed by Goku.

“I’ll go look for some food,” Goku informed them, he then turned towards Oolong, “do you like pork?”

“That’s a poor joke!” Oolong informed him.

“Someones coming,” Ichigo stated and he tensed in response.

Great, what else was going to happen around these people?! One of them had walked on water for gods sake! He ran a hand down his face and winced at the sweat in his eyes. Now he was sweating too much! He should’ve ran away from the village when he could’ve. Damn his greediness! He looked up as a hoverboard stopped before them. A teen with long dark hair stood on top of it, a slight smirk on his tanned face.

“Greetings,” the teen greeted.

“Who are you?” Goku asked and Ichigo tilted her head.

“I don’t want to know,” Oolong stated. He hid a little behind Goku, not wanting to be seen by the teen.

“I am the king hyena in a land of scavengers,” the teen stated, “the name is Yamcha.”

“And I’m Puar!” A small cat-esque creature stated.

Ichigo blocked out the teens words as she looked at the small creature. It was so cute! The creature looked towards her and blanched, the giant smile on her face came with pink tinged cheeks.  It was obvious that the kid thought they were adorable.

“Puar?” Oolong asked, coming out from behind Goku. “You don’t mean cry-baby Puar?”

“Oolong?!” Puar asked in shock, they stepped back a little and Yamcha glanced at his small friend.

“You know him?” Yamcha asked.

“Why’d you call them such a rude name?” Ichigo asked Oolong, a frown on her face.

“He was in the same year of shape shifted school, he got kicked out for stealing the female teachers underwear,” Puar answered Yamcha as Oolong shifted away from Ichigo.

Her eye twitched. He wasn’t about to mess with someone that could walk on water. Her head slowly tilted and he shifted further. Ah, so she didn’t care for bullies. He made a mental note.

Don't bully anyone when she’s nearby.

She narrowed her eyes at him and he froze in the action of moving further away.

“Sounds like you’ve never changed, huh?” Goku asked him.

“Well, it’s not my place to judge others, only to steal all their valuables,” Yamcha stated with a slight smirk.

“Hey, aren’t you two kids tough?” Oolong asked them.

“Yeah, I guess,” Goku nodded while Ichigo gave the barest of nods.

“Listen Cha-Cha or whatever your name is, if you think we’re giving you anything than you’re dumber than you look,” Oolong informed the teen and Ichigo sent him a look of disbelief, “now get lost before you get hurt!”

“Oh really?” Yamcha asked as he slowly unsheathed a sword at his hip. “Well, if you're that eager to see heaven.”

“Yeah, kill ‘em Lord Yamcha!” Puar cheered.

“All right Goku, he’s all yours,” Oolong informed the kid and Ichigo clicked her tongue in annoyance.

“Why do I want to fight him?” Goku asked, completely confused.

“Were you not paying attention?! He said he’s gonna kill us!” Oolong yelled at him and Ichigo studied Yamcha.

He seemed to be ignoring her presence completely. Puar hadn’t, in fact the adorable creature was studying her themself. She gave a slight nod of greeting and Puar panicked a little. Ichigo didn’t have any reason to fight the two, it wasn’t like they could figure out her scroll and she only had weapons in her pouches. She could always make medecine. She paused a little. No, she had just gotten that shell! She was not about to lose it to some strange teenager that likes to steal from people.

“Let me guess, you’re the smart one,” Yamcha dryly commented to Goku and she blinked a little as the head of dark hair shifted.

“Hey, kid,” Oolong hissed to Ichigo, “you’re going to be in the way.”

“No I’m not,” Ichigo informed him.

He sent her a look at that. How could she be so sure of that?! He glanced towards Goku as he and Yamaha started to fight. Ichigo was watching with a cautious expression. It was a sword against the nyoibo. Goku’s brute strength against Yamcha’s height. She couldn’t really see their energies moving as they fought, it all turned into one bright blur, but she could see Goku’s growing when he launched into the air to bring the nyoibo down on Yamcha. Her eyes widened just the slightest before they narrowed. Energy could grow like that after a fight or rigorous training, but never during a fight. It wasn’t natural for a human. She looked to the side in thought, perhaps Goku

wasn’t

human. It would make sense with his tail. She shrugged, she wouldn’t judge her best friend. He had been nothing but kind to her. She moved to the side when Yamcha had been able to launch him her way. Goku easily landed on his feet and brought the nyoibo forward, making the pole extend. The end slammed into Yamcha’s sternum and his breaths turned into wheezing. Ichigo studied him for a few seconds before bringing her hands together and letting her sleeves hide them.

“Nicely done, Goku,” Ichigo complimented.

“I told you!” Oolong called to them as Goku laughed in response.

“Where’d you get that staff, boy?” Yamcha wheezed, slowly standing up while holding a hand to his chest.

“My dead grandpa gave it to me,” Goku informed him.

“I’ve only heard of one staff that can do such a thing, the Nyoibo, what was your grandfather’s name?” Yamcha asked.

“His name was Son Gohan,” Goku answered.

“As I thought,” Yamcha stated, “Son Gohan was said to be unrivaled in a host of martial arts diciplines.”

“Even I’ve heard of him, and that’s saying something,” Oolong coomented and Ichigo sent him a look.

“Then, Son Gohan had a grandson,” Yamcha said, not really paying attention to the kids, “now I know not to lower my guard.”

“I’m hungry,” Goku stated and Ichigo gave a light laugh.

Leave it to Goku to be hungry after fighting someone. She gave him a fond look, before blinking when Yamcha’s energy grew. He had shifted his stance and held his hands before him, his fingers curled to make claws. Just what sort of stance was that? She had never seen it before.

“It’s been too long since I have faced real competition,” Yamcha informed them before he swiftly moved and aimed a kick at Goku.

Ichigo watched with wide eyes at the fast movements, Yamcha was operating on a Chunin level. She was only used to following the movements because she had been forced to watch so she could learn her katas. She let out a worried sound when Goku was sent through a couple pillars, the solid stone crumbling and falling to the ground as their base was lost. She clenched her jaw and sent Oolong a glare before rushing after her friend. Bulma would be fine, she was well hidden from the thief, so she wasn’t overly worried about the blue-haired girl. She came to a large pile of rocks and found Goku’s energy hidden underneath. He’d grown stronger, but weaker all at the same time. She knelt before the rocks and felt a drop of sweat going down her cheek.

“Goku?” Ichigo quietly asked, grasping onto a rock and easily moving it off her friend. “Are you all right?”

”I’m hungry,” he reiterated and she let out a sigh of disbelief, “and hittin’ me didn’t help.”

”Do you want to feel the fist of the wolf again?” Yamcha asked as Ichigo held out a hand to her friend and helped him to his feet.

”How about my fist of the rock, scissors, and paper?” Goku asked as he shifted into a defensive stance and Ichigo took it as a sign to step back, her hands going into her sleeves. Senbon hidden between her fingers.

Puar watched as their friend was taken down by the boy's stange moveset. The poking of eyes and the slap of a hand had been unusual for a martial artist to perform. They floated above the strange group and eyed the white haired girl, noting the narrowed eyes and the tense posture. The hands hidden in silk sleeves made them worry, just what were the sleeves hiding? Their attention was pulled to Yamcha hitting the ground and twitching a little.

“You little…” Yamcha groaned as he slowly sat up.

“I’m too hungry to fight anymore,” Goku admitted and Oolong let out a loud grunt of disbelief.

”A starving teammate does bring down the unit,” Ichigo muttered, remembering some of her teachings.

If any one was surprised when she stepped into the fight, she didn’t notice. Yamcha had been charging and the next thing he knew was the ground. He looked towards the little girl that had downed him and noted that she was slowly shifting her feet out of her stance. She had used his own momentum against him. Goku was watching with an exhausted expression on his face, that also showed respect. He had only ever seen her use senbon to take someone down.  Yamcha quickly got to his feet and started to charge again, to Ichigo’s annoyance and begrudging respect. A soft groan stopped him in his tracks and she blinked in confusion.

“You guys are making so much noise I can’t sleep,” Bulma informed them, sitting up and glaring at everyone.

”Woah,” Ichigo stated as Yamcha turned into a blushing, twitching mess.

He and Puar left in a hurry and the group stood there for a few minutes. Goku’s stomach let out a growl as Oolong came out from behind his hiding place. Just what had caused the thief to leave so suddenly? It was such a strange reaction to seeing a girl, yet he hadn’t acted that way towards Ichigo.

“Who was that?” Bulma asked them in an excited tone. “What a babe! Did you guys get his name, or his address?”

”His name’s Yamcha,” Ichigo informed her before hiding behind Goku when sparkling blue eyes were turned on her, “that’s all we got.”

“Let’s make camp for tonight,” Oolong suggested and they all looked at him in surprise.

He had a capsule for a mobile home and soon Ichigo was helping patch up Goku. She supposed she should get used to it, she could tell he was going to get himself into a lot of trouble. For his credit, he sat still even as the smell of the paste burned his nose. Bulma giggled quietly to herself as she watched the scene, those two could be adorable when they wanted to be.

“If you had a capsule like this, why didn’t you say so sooner?” Bulma asked Oolong as he made some food for everyone.

”It was supposed to be for emergencies,” Oolong griped at her as Ichigo sat back after tying the last bandage for Goku.

“Is there a bathroom?” Bulma asked and he pointed in a single direction, she headed that way as he handed Ichigo a hot cup of water.

“How can you eat so much?” Oolong asked Goku as the boy started in on the food.

”Cause I’m hungry,” Goku answered as though it was the most obvious thing in the world.

”I’m going to sleep,” Ichigo informed them with a slight yawn, “see you in the morning.”

”Night!” Goku chirped as he paused in the action of eating some bread.

Oolong echoed his words. Ichigo got an off feeling from the shapeshifter, but didn’t comment on it. It was most likely her own paranoia getting the better of her. She gave another yawn and headed up the stairs. her futon came out, she knew Bulma would want the bed, and she changed into her temporary pyjamas. Within seconds of climbing into her futon she was out like a light. She only startled a little when Bulma gave her hair a soft ruffle on her way to the bed.

“I had strange dreams,” Ichigo murmured the next morning as she woke up, noting that Bulma was already down stairs.

“ Do you honestly think I’m going to just wear a sheet?” Bulma growled at Oolong as Ichigo came down the stairs, rubbing one of her eyes in an attempt to wake up a little.

She moved to the side as Bulma went back up the stairs to change into the one outfit that Oolong had in her size. She shrugged and headed towards the table to grab some breakfast before Goku ate it all. Oolong couldn’t help but study the quiet one of the group. He felt unsure of her presence and even found it worrisome that she quietly watched everything.

”That’s a month's rations,” Oolong informed Goku, sweating a little as it did nothing to stop the speed in which he ate.

“He’s used to bigger portions, lay off,” Ichigo defended her friend, showing an odd loyalty.

“All right, all right, don’t bust my chops,” Oolong grumbled at her and she felt her eyebrow twitch in response.

”This better be a joke, Oolong!” Bulma shouted as she entered the small dining area, wearing a bunny outfit of all things. “Forgive me if I don’t feel like the heroine of a quest when I’m dressed like this!”

”That didn’t stop you from putting it on,” Oolong pointed out as Ichigo simply sipped at a cup of tea before grabbing some toast and biting into it.

“What does a parent have to do to end up with a kid like you?” Bulma asked before glancing at Ichigo, that kid was the exception she supposed. ”Still, we need to get to fry-pan mountain, let’s get moving. You’ll drive Oolong.”

”Why me?” He questioned.

”Who else would it be?” Bulma dryly asked, putting her hands on her hips. “I have to spend my morning with skin care and cosmetics.”

“I also have no idea how to drive,” Ichigo stated, “and neither does Goku.”

”I haven’t slept at all,” Oolong informed them, “this is cruelty to pigs, that’s what this is.”

He said that, but still ended up driving. Goku found himself near the driver's seat as he watched where they were going and Ichigo had gotten roped into sitting with Bulma as she did her makeup. If the small girl was crushing her shell into a powder and putting it into a glass jar then no one said a word. Bulma spared the girl a glance before noting the concentration on her face.

“You really enjoy medicine,” Bulma observed and Ichigo blinked.

“It was one of the few things my sensei said I was good at,” Ichigo quietly revealed before giving a soft sigh, “I wasn’t one of their favourite pupils, save for maybe one or two of them.”

Bulma hummed in response before starting on her eyeliner. She couldn’t help but grin when she noticed that Ichigo seemed curious as to what she was doing. The girl’s tilted head was a dead give away to her curiosity. She finished up with her eyes and double checked that it was how she wanted them to look. Ichigo suddenly stood up and moved to the window.

”Hey, Goku,” Ichigo’s call got the dark haired boys attention, “Yamcha is back.”

”It’s him!” Bulma gleefully exclaimed, much to Ichigo’s slight annoyance.

She watched as the blue haired teen rushed to the window and placed her hands against the panes. Something hit the side of the van and Ichigo felt a sharp sting on the side of her face. The metal making up the side had imploded, she brought a hand out and stopped herself from hitting the ground. She grimaced as she quickly shifted her weight to catch Bulma, her hands protesting as more metal pressed into the soft skin.

“That idiot!” Ichigo’s exclamation shocked the others, making Oolong slump a little in his seat.

She steadied Bulma and quickly got to her feet. Her thunderous expression showed just how angry she was. Goku, much to Bulma’s surprise, wisely stood to the side as she jumped from the gaping hole in the van. Her landing was silent, and she looked down at the ground. Yamcha stood there across from her, with the weapon he had used in his left hand. She couldn’t identify the weapon, but it didn’t matter. She could out manoeuvre it with ease. A part of her should’ve been worried that he was able to make her so angry, but he had almost hurt the few people she cared about. She only had two friends, and she cherished them more than she let on.

“Are you some sort of idiot?” She quietly asked Yamcha and he almost flinched at the tone she used. “Have you learned nothing from our fights yesterday? What made you think that we’d just lie down and surrender whatever it was you wanted?”

“Give us the dragon balls,” he demanded and she let out a sigh. He truly was a fool.

Puar was about to say something when she took off running. They blanched a little at the sand that had been kicked up by the small girl as she sped towards their friend. Yamcha gathered he had made a mistake as a small fist embedded itself in his stomach. He looked at the white haired girl's expression as she grabbed onto the orange bandana around his neck and used it to throw him. No kid that small should be able to easily throw someone twice their size, especially a girl! A kick to his face made him wonder if she was able to read minds. He went to get up from the ground when Puar flew in front of him, blocking the girl from sight.

“Y-You’re tooth!” Puar informed him, their eyes wide.

“Not my tooth!” Yamcha exclaimed as he quickly pulled out a mirror. “Not my beautiful face! Watch your back, kid, I’ll get you for this!”

“What a short fight,” Goku said as he walked up to Ichigo, her shoulders slumping a little.

”Maybe he’ll last longer next time we run into him,” she shrugged a little, giving a tired smile at his excited expression, “I’ll try to spar with you sometime. I kind of want to see how you fight.”

That made him even more excited, his tail rapidly moving through the air. Oolong looked between the two kids and knew they were his best bet. He glanced at the van and winced, they were going to have to walk again. Ichigo was a little surprised when Bulma had Goku carry her, she then shook her head and brought a hand up to her face. It was still bleeding. She dug around in one of her pouches and slowly started to clean it up as they walked through the desert. She blinked as she felt something rapidly approaching them.

”Why is he coming back again?” Ichigo muttered, looking towards the distance.

“Here,” Goku stated, and Bulma let out a surprised sound as Ichigo took over carrying her.

The blue haired teen looked at the white haired girl and moved in a little closer. Ichigo had really pretty eyes, the purple had lightened in the sunlight becoming a lilac colour compared to the amethyst it usually was. It was almost enough to distract her from Yamcha. Almost.

“Don’t, he’s not worth your time right now,” Ichigo told her, surprising the bluenette, “make him come to you instead.”

Did she say those things to stop Bulma from acting ridiculous, maybe, but it seemed to bolster the teens confidence. She found that she liked a prideful Bulma more than a Bulma that was acting ridiculously. She blinked when Yamcha left them a capsule car before speeding off. Oolong checked the vehicle for any bombs and gave a soft sigh of relief when he found no signs of tampering.

”I don’t trust him, but the ride to fry-pan mountain will be nice,” Ichigo admitted, a little sad that they couldn’t ride Kinto-un.

“Aw, come on, you’ve gotta learn to trust people,” Goku said, grinning a little at Ichigo.

”Easier said than done,” she softly stated, shaking her head in amusement, “I trust you, don’t I?”

Oolong looked into the distance for a few seconds. Seriously, how did the kid manage to have so many girls on his side with such goofy hair? He felt it just wasn’t fair. He got into the car and the other’s soon joined. He would be the one to drive them to fry-pan mountain. Ichigo decided to catch up on some sleep. Which meant using Bulma as a pillow.

“I don’t know how she can possibly sleep in this heat,” Bulma stated as sweat began to go down her face, “why is it so hot this far north anyway?”

“That would be fry-pan mountain,” Oolong answered, “it used to be known as pleasant mountain but ten years ago a fire spirit fell from the heavens and transformed it into a mountain of eternal flame, or so they say.”

”You people have such strange myths,” Ichigo’s comment made Bulma bite her tongue in surprise, “I’ll need to read up on them…eventually.”

”No wonder it’s so hot,” Bulma stated as they came across the mass of flames engulfing a home.

”No kiddin’,” Goku agreed as they all got out of the car.

”Why don’t we leave and just go before the ox king comes after us,” Oolong stated, looking around in fear.

”Ox king?” Bulma pressed.

”He’s a nasty guy, all who approach his mountain meet terrible ends,” he explained.

“So that’s his home?” Ichigo asked, squinting at the castle hidden by the flames, “I wonder how he gets in and out of there.”

”That’s what you chose to focus on?” Oolong dryly asked and she narrowed her eyes at him before shrugging. “Yeah, even he can’t get through it.”

”Let’s get moving,” Bulma stated.

”And no running away, Oolong,” Ichigo warned the shapeshifter and he cursed, wondering if she could read minds.

He took them towards the ruined city that used to be under the ox kings protection. Ichigo was curious about the area and moved to study one of the many skulls that littered the area. He made a face as Goku prodded one of them with a stick, making a terrible clacking sound.

“The dragon ball is in there somewhere, why don’t you two try and get it?” Bulma suggested to the two kids.

“I don’t know, but we’ll try,” Goku stated before bringing his hands up to cup his mouth, “Kinto-in!”

The golden cloud came barreling towards him and he easily jumped onto it. Ichigo turned when she heard its approach and jumped on as well. She wobbled a little before relaxing a bit. The higher altitude did cool her down a bit. She wasn’t the biggest fan of heat if she were to be honest. It slowly got worse the closer they got to the flames. Ichigo felt the sweat rolling down her face and drenching her silk shirt. Her head began to grow light and she slowly knelt on the Kinto-un. She wasn’t feeling too good. Something wrapped around her wrist and she paid it no mind, it was most likely Goku keeping her on the cloud. He let out a sound of pain as he tried to urge Kinto-un into the flames. It was a hasty retreat, one that helped to lessen the heat that Ichigo was feeling.

“Sorry, it’s too hot up there to break into the castle!” Goku informed the two as they returned, Ichigo silently noticed the third body there.

The man was large, larger than any human she had ever seen before. His muscles were huge and bulging, showing off immense physical strength.  He had a beard, dark and full, and most of his face was obscured by a strange horned helmet with a long feather coming out of the top of it. He was such a strange guy that it made Ichigo a little unsure of how to proceed.

“Who’s this creep?” Goku asked, finally catching sight of the man.

”That’s rude, Goku,” Ichigo quietly informed him, giving him a light poke to the side.

”That cloud!” The man exclaimed, not worried about the boy’s rudeness. “Is that the Kinto-un? Where did you get it boy, tell me!”

“From Kame-sen’nin,” Goku answered, “the weird turtle guy. You really look strong.”

“That turtle guy is my old master, do you know where he is!? Where he lives!?” The man asked, moving closer to the two kids in an attempt to get more information.

”We don’t know,” Ichigo spoke up, getting the man’s attention and she shifted her weight a little so Goku could also sit down, “but, we can go look for him.”

The man let out a cheer and jumped from foot to foot. Bulma and Oolong tried to keep their balance as he seemed to shake the earth. Ichigo sighed a little, he had so much energy for such a big man. He moved around the two kids and noted that one of them was carrying something he hadn’t seen in a long time.

“That staff there, is that the nyoi-bo?” He asked, pointing towards the red pole slung across Goku’s back.

”You’re good,” Goku complimented, “my grandpa gave me it.”

”Did his name happen to be Son Gohan?” The man asked, and Goku nodded. “Can’t beat that at all! Son Gohan’s grandson!”

”You knew my grandpa!?” Goku asked, jumping to his feet in surprise.

”I was Masters number two student and your grandfather was his number one,” he admitted grinning at the two kids, “that brings back memories.”

”Is there something that you want us to ask the Kame-sen’nin for?” Ichigo asked, trying to keep the man on track.

“Right, I need the Basho-sen that he owns,” the man stated, “it should be the one thing that could put out that fire. Please.”

”Sure, will you give us the dragon ball for it?” Goku asked and Bulma looked between the two kids and the man, disbelief on her face.

”What’s that?” The man asked, confused.

”Well, it looks like this,” Goku stated, pulling out his grandfather’s ball and showing it to the man, “do you have one?”

“Oh yeah, I think I’ve seen one of them,” the man stated, “sure, now sweat. For what I want that’s nothing.”

”We’ll get going then,” Goku stated, and the man paused.

”Wait, not that I thought it’d do any good, but yesterday I sent my daughter, Chi-Chi out to look for him,” the man informed them, “if you run into her on the road how ‘bout taking her along? She’s a hot head, but she’s adorable, I could giver her to you as your wife!”

”What’s a wife?” Goku asked and Ichigo knew she’d have to explain it to him on their way to the Kame-sen’nin.

”Take a look at this, Sonny,” the man showed a picture of his daughter.

Goku nodded to the man and urged Kinto-un forward. He then glanced at Ichigo and she gave a slow blink. Ah, was he that used to her explaining things to him? A warm feeling filled her and she smiled a little. She was oddly happy at that. How strange.

“You want to know what a wife is, right?” She asked.

”Is it something you can eat?” He asked and she blanched.

”No, a wife is the term for a woman that marries a man,” she explained and he tilted his head in confusion, “marriage is when you decide to spend the rest of your life with someone, supposedly it’s for love but the village always had arranged marriages. So, I’m the worst at explaining that part.”

”Can it be between friends?” Goku was still curious.

”It can, yes,” Ichigo thought back to the old scrolls she had read on the topic when she had been younger.

”Then why don’t we get married?” Goku suggested and she almost fell off Kinto-un in surprise. “We’re friends.”

”I’m okay with that,” Ichigo slowly agreed, “but if you change your mind when we’re older I’m okay with that as well.”

Goku nodded his understanding and she looked to the side in thought, noting the green that was slowly appearing the further they got from fry-pan mountain. She somehow got engaged to Goku of all people, she wasn’t upset by that. If anything, looking at it from the village's standpoint, it was a good match. Well, that’s what the leader used to say when she had to make arranged marriages. So, she supposed it could be worse. A slow smile started to appear on her face.

“Just like that, you’re stuck with me,” Ichigo joked and he tilted his head in confusion, “ah, never mind.”

”You sure are strange,” Goku informed her and she gave a light laugh in response.

Yeah, she was the strange one. He didn’t even fully understand marriage and had promoted it to her without a second thought. If either of them was strange, it would be him. She blinked when she felt something small moving around down below them, that and a familiar presence. What was Yamaha doing so far out there? She gently tugged on Goku’s gi to get his attention,

“There’s someone down there,” she motioned with her head, “it’s a small presence, but human.”

”Wow, you’ll have to show me how you do that one of these days,” Goku stated and she gave a slow nod of agreement.

It was one of the first things that someone with her skillset learned. Sensing was important when it came to shinobi techniques. Cutting off someone’s ki flow and their inner chakra was one of the sure ways to bring an enemy down. For that, sensing was needed. They travelled down to the presence and the man’s daughter was there, looking towards the fading presence of Yamcha. She seemed confused by something.

”Is your name, Chi-chi?” Goku asked her and she let out a surprised sound.

”I get it, you must be in love with me too!’ Chi-Chi stated, coming to a conclusion that had to be a train of thought.

”You’re the Ox King’s kid, right?” Goku asked and Ichigo faltered for a few seconds, the heat must’ve gotten to her.

That large man had been the Ox King? He hadn’t seemed so scary, but his actions spoke louder than words. She frowned a little at that thought. Why was he hurting people? It made no sense. It couldn’t be good for business.

“You know my dad?” Chi-Chi asked, relaxing around the two.

“Yeah, he said I should pick you up and help borrow something from somebody,” Goku explained.

”We need to find the Kame-sen’nin and borrow the Basho-sen from him,” Ichigo explained in more detail.

”Get on the Kinto-un and we’ll take you,” Goku stated and Chi-Chi looked between them and the cloud.

”You can ride that ball of cotton candy?” Chi-Chi asked and Ichigo was confused by that.

”Only if you heart is clean and pure,” Goku answered.

”Then I’m on, my heart is as clean as an indoor toilet,” Chi-Chi stated and Ichigo was unused to the saying.

”Here, I’ll help you up,” Ichigo softly said, holding out a hand to the slightly taller girl.

She shifted forward a little and Goku fell forward as Chi-Chi was finally situated on the Kinto-un. Ichigo was a little worried about what had caused his sudden lethargy. She looked towards the tail wrapped around her wrist and saw that it had been pulled on by her movements of helping Chi-Chi. Ah, so that was a weak spot of his. She would have to keep that in mind. She would never use it against him, even if he was winning in their spars.

“Sorry, Goku,” she apologised, and he removed his tail from her wrist in response.

”Don’t pull on my tail,” he stated, not really upset with her, “it makes me lose my strength.”

”What are you doing with a tail?” Chi-Chi asked as he got back on the Kinto-un.

”I can’t help it!” Goku defended himself.

”I just have these facial markings, a tail sounds really cool to have,” Ichigo defended her best friend.

She refused to call him fiancé, that was stretching it a bit. He would most likely call off any sort of engagement in the future when they were old enough and he was a little more understanding of the world. They were also kids, and things changed. Well, if the sense were to be believed. She would always follow their words as though it was law.

”But those markings are pretty!” Chi-Chi pointed out and Ichigo felt her face heat up in surprise.

No one had ever said they were pretty before. She took up her spot behind Goku and moved a little closer so Chi-Chi had more room. Her throat was dry, and it was difficult to swallow. It was such a strange reaction, one she couldn’t remember having but knew she would’ve had to. She felt like…well she supposed she felt like crying.

“I wonder where in the ocean the Kame-Sen’nin lives,” Ichigo muttered, frowning a little, “with the ocean as massive as it is, I won’t be able to sense him.”

“Is there something in the ocean blocking your senses?” Goku asked and she gave a slight nod.

“Deep ocean creatures, the pressure down below makes them strong enough that I can sense them from the surface,” she admitted and Chi-Chi blinked.

“Are you a sage?” Chi-Chi asked and Ichigo blanched before paling.

“Not at all, I wouldn’t dream of putting myself at that level,” Ichigo quickly denied.

A sage was the complete master of the village, someone who sat above and watched the mechanisms at work. The leader hadn’t even met them before. She was afraid that someone from the village might hear about such whispers about her person. They would kill her for hearsay. She tried to push those thoughts away and focus on the water surrounding them. She felt something grab her arm and she glanced back at Chi-Chi. Ah, it would be a bit colder than she was used to. She stayed silent, not saying a word to the other girl.

“Why don’t we ask someone?” Goku suggested, he brought the Kinto-un down to the surface and a dolphin came up. “You know where the old Kame-Sen’nin lives?”

“Oh sure,” the dolphin replied making Ichigo freeze for a few seconds before her brain caught up, “he lives on a tiny island that way!”

“Thanks,” Goku stated before urging the Kinto-un with his foot.

Ichigo liked the speed that the little cloud could get, but she gathered Chi-Chi wasn’t a big fan of it. The other girl was hanging onto her in slight fear. Her smile slowly vanished a little before coming back full force when she spotted something in the distance.

“That must be it!” She stated and Goku took them down to it.

The Kame house was a two story building painted a bright pink. Ichigo liked it, she liked it way more than the Hoi-poi home that Bulma had them stay in at one point. It looked sturdy, but she gathered it could also be capsuled. Nothing seemed unmovable anymore. The heavy wood walls and floors of her home in the village a figment of her past.

“Well as I live and breathe,” the old martial artist stated as he saw the kids on the gold cloud, “how’s the kinto-un holding up for you?”

“You been okay?” Goku asked, jumping down from the cloud.

Ichigo followed suit and walked up to the Turtle. She got a cheery smile out of him and gave him one back in response. She was glad to see that he was doing all right, and that no one had eaten him. That was a worry she had for him. For a reason.

“Are you sure that’s the master my dad was talking about?” Chi-Chi quietly asked Ichigo as she got off the cloud.

“I think so, he’s a bit of a….strange old man,” Ichigo stated, faltering a little.

“You seem unsure,” Chi-Chi commented and Ichigo looked to the side.

Well, she wasn’t wrong about that. Even she had been wondering if he truly was the Ox Kings old master. Or even Gohans. She thought he was just a strange old man, but he had the power to back it up. Perhaps it was due to her own inability to figure him out that caused her hesitation.

“Where’d the girl from last time go?” The old man asked, looking around for Bulma and not seeing her.

“Ah, this is Chi-Chi the Ox King’s daughter,” Ichigo introduced the other girl as Kane Sen’nin finally noticed her.

He turned around to mutter something and she felt her eyebrow twitch. Never mind her hesitation, she found herself annoyed with him. She brought her hands into the sleeves of her shirt and looked to the side in annoyance. Leave it to an old man to be obnoxious. Chi-Chi seemed to share her annoyance.

“If he’s the real Muten Roshi then I’m going to test him,” the dark haired girl whispered to the other two.

She reached up to the top of her head, the blue helmet she wore had a curved blade sheathed inside of it, and readied her aim. She wanted to strike true. Ichigo slowly reached for her senbon. One good toss would stop the old man in his tracks if things went sour. Chi-Chi released her blade with a strong throw and they watched as the old man turned, and was promptly stabbed in the head.

“What was that for?!” He asked.

“The real Muten Rōshi would’ve been able to dodge that!” Chi-Chi yelled at him.

“Not even an invincible old master could dodge that!” Roshi snapped.

“Prove it!” Chi-Chi snapped back at him.

“My drivers license,” he brought it out of his short pocket.

Chi-Chi began to apologise profusely and pulled the blade out of the old man’s head. Ichigo then stepped in with what was left of her bandages. She had plenty of paste left, but not enough bandages. She’d have to try and get some more. She could perform acupuncture with her Senbon to make some money, but that would take quite a bit of time. Time they didn’t have.

“Why’d you three even come here?” Roshi asked as Ichigo returned to her friend's side after patching him up.

“Oh right, we came for the basho-sen,” Goku stated, having been reminded by the old master.

“We need it to put out the flames on fry-pan mountain,” Chi-Chi added.

“You,” Roshi said, pointing at Goku as he walked off a bit, “come here.”

“I feel terrible,” Chi-Chi quietly admitted.

“It happens, he also wasn’t making things easy,” Ichigo stated, shifting her weight a little bit, “I wonder what he’s asking Goku.”

”It can’t be anything good,” Chi-Chi said and Ichigo gave a nod of agreement.

If being around Bulma had taught her anything, it was that men acted strange around older girls. She didn’t know why, but she had an inkling. She had left before the mandatory teachings that followed puberty for ninjas, but she was an avid reader. Goku walked up with a slight frown on his face, as though he was confused by something.

”Some people have a weird idea of fun,” he informed Ichigo and she blinked in confusion.

“I…I suppose,” she couldn’t help but agree, he wasn’t wrong.

“Hey turtle!” Roshi called to his animal friend, “do you know where I put the basho-sen?”

”If I’m not mistaken, you were using it as a pot holder,” turtle answered and Ichigo ran a hand down her face.

”A-A pot holder?” Chi-Chi muttered in disbelief.

“That was the magic fan?!” Roshi shouted. “I spilled some wonton soup on it and it was so stained I threw it away!”

”You threw away the magic fan?!” Ichigo was the first to react while the other’s soon followed suit.

“Now we’ll never go home!”  Chi-Chi cried and Goku rubbed the back of his head.

”Guess we’ll give up on the dragon ball too,” he stated.

Ichigo would be the first to suggest they never tell Bulma, except Roshi grinned at them. She got the feeling that he had a plan of sorts. She put her hands into her sleeves and gave a slight yawn. She wasn’t used to all this travelling, no wonder the jonin were usually asleep after long missions. She smiled a little, things like this made her still feel a part of that world.

“Never fear! Since it was my fault I will personally travel to fry-pan mountain and put out the inferno!” Roshi stated.

”Can you really do that?” Goku asked him, excited at such a prospect.

”Are you going to use Ki?” Ichigo asked, and Roshi faltered a little at that.

”There’s nothing the Muten Roshi can’t do!” Roshi stated. “Listen, you let Bulma know, nice’n’quiet, will you?”

”You know it!” Goku agreed.

”Are we heading out?” Ichigo asked as he turned around.

“Give me a few minutes!” Roshi told them, and she huffed a little.

Goku watched as his friend went to the Kinto-un and the gold cloud lowered for her. She sat down in the lotus position and began to wait patiently. She had her gaze fixated on the ocean in thought. Every so often she would sense something from the depths, her eyes twitching a little at each new creature. He jumped up and joined, he felt as though Roshi was going to be a while. Chi-Chi soon joined and gave a slight shiver. Ichigo noticed and went into her pouch, pulling out a scroll.

”Ah, give me a second,”  Ichigo requested.

Chi-Chi watched in fascination as Ichigo opened the scroll and held her hand above a symbol she’d never seen before. A tang suit was pulled out of the symbol and Ichigo held it out to her. A pink dusting appeared on Chi-Chi’s cheeks as she accepted the slightly larger jacket. Ichigo looked towards the pink house in thought.

”I wonder what’s taking him so long,” Ichigo muttered, “he stopped moving a few seconds ago. Oh, he’s moving again.”

”Let’s get rolling!” Roshi stated as he came out of his house.

”You changed for this?” Goku asked, looking at the man in surprise.

He was wearing an orange tang suit and black pants, he looked every inch the respected martial arts master. Ichigo tilted her head in thought and Chi-Chi blinked. Why’d he get changed? He was going to put out the fire on fry-pan mountain.

“I figured it was time to look professional,” Roshi stated.

”But you can’t ride Kinto-un, what are you going to do?” Goku asked, only to get laughed at.

”I am the turtle master, am I not?” Roshi asked before pointing his staff to the sky. “Baby Gamera come to me!”

Ichigo felt it before they saw it. The turtle spinning in the air. Oh, she felt bad for Roshi. He was going to be sick riding that turtle. He got a ride to fry-pan mountain, and they would be there before him. They each gave him a slight wave before Kinto-un took to the skies. She was very aware of when they began to approach fry-pan mountain, the heat hit her face before she knew what to do.  She winced a little before shaking her head. It wasn’t the time to be affected by the heat.

”Hey, you guys seem all right,” Bulma stated as they came to a stop before the others.

”Apparently, Kame-Sen’nin ruined the basho-sen,” Ichigo informed the Ox King, “he said he would be here to put out the flames himself, sir.”

”You do have manners,” Ox King stated, looking towards Bulma.

Had she been a topic of discussion? Ichigo glanced towards Oolong and he nodded at the unasked question. She had indeed been talked about by Bulma and himself. She could only guess what had come up in that conversation. She felt her back burn and rolled her shoulders a little. Right, she just hoped that Bulma hadn’t said anything about her seal. She didn’t need more people knowing about it. She sighed and got ready to wait for the old master. Konto-un seemed a little bothered by the heat, so she decided to sit on the ground to wait. She had her eyes closed, keeping her senses out. Goku, as always was a bright beacon compared to the ki around them. She couldn’t sense herself, but she didn’t doubt that she would be just as bright as him if not a little dimmer. She wanted to smile, even his tail showed up. It was moving about, showing his happy state of being.

They only had thirty minutes to wait for the Kame-sen'nin. He came twirling from the sky and upon landing, immediately threw up. The Ox King had faith in his old teacher, but Chi-Chi wasn’t too impressed by him. Ichigo raised a brow as he took a few minutes to regain his composure. He straightened his sunglasses and slowly turned to look at the raging inferno that engulfed fry-pan mountain.

“Now that is an inferno,” Roshi stated.

”And you can put it out?” Goku asked.

”Hey, Ox King,” Roshi stated and the much larger man froze for a few seconds, “gettin’ a bad rep these days, I hear those treasures of yours cost a few lives.”

”Oh the shame!” Ox king stated as he got to the floor in a bow for forgiveness, “I have been blinded by greed! I’ve seen the light! If you douse that flame, I will destroy my treasures!”

”Let’s not go overboard,” Roshi commented.

”Now I never thought I’d see that,” Oolong commented.

”One for the history books?” Ichigo couldn’t help but joke, and he blanched at the sudden show of humour.

”No, but that was,” he countered.

She smiled a little in response before watching Roshi eye the mountain. Goku called Bulma forward and she stepped up to the old master. It was quiet for a few seconds before the bluenette grabbed onto the man’s tang suit and started to shake him while yelling. What was Roshi going to feel? Bulma walked back up to Ichigo with a huff before placing a hand on the girls head. She was never going to allow the kid to be corrupted by the world. Roshi went to work and Ichigo felt it.

He certainly was stronger than he liked to show. He took in a deep breath and began to focus his own Ki. Her eyes narrowed a little as she narrowed it down.He was drawing energy from himself and the world around him. It was the dormant energy joining that threw her for a loop. She wouldn’t be able to recreate such a technique without thinking her way through it. A bright blue light filled the area and she brought a hand up to try and see it a bit better. The Ki output was amazing, and so was the sight of it.

”That was amazing,” she quietly stated as the blast died down.

“Uh, Master, you did put out the fire but…” the Ox King started.

”But what?” Roshi asked.

”You blew away the mountain and my castle too,” the Ox King finished.

”Sometimes I don’t know my own strength, oops,” Roshi chuckled.

“Hey, Bulma, do you still have the dragon radar?” Ichigo asked the bluenette.

“Yeah,” Bulma confirmed before glancing at the kid, “I’m surprised you can’t sense them.”

”They have too much energy attached to them, they give me a headache,” Ichigo admitted, “maybe one day.”

”That’ll be the day for you, huh?” Bulma grinned and Ichigo frowned a little.

“Sense?” Roshi asked, putting his tang suit back on. “You have that sharp of senses?”

“Yes,” Ichigo confirmed.

”She promised to teach me how,” Goku stated and Ichigo’s cheeks began to burn when Roshi grinned in response, “I also wanna learn how you did that move!”

“Ha, dream on kiddo,” Roshi chuckled, “it takes fifty years of hard tranin’ to learn that.”

”It was simple Ki manipulation,” Ichigo muttered before looking at him with a sharp expression, “if there’s anyone that can learn it, it would be Goku.”

”You’ve got that much faith in him, huh?” Roshi pressed and she got the feeling that he was insinuating something.

“Of course I do, he’s my best friend.”

Ah, she finally put it out into the universe that he was. Roshi let out a cackle of sorts and she felt her mouth go dry and her eyes widen a little. He certainly was a lot more sly than her teachers had been. They could’ve learned a thing or two from him. He was able to get information out of her just like Bulma could. She was distracted when Goku’s energy spiked and he was able to call upon his dormant energy. It was smaller, but caused quite a bit of devastation to the car he hit with it. A childish glee rose up in her and she slowly turned towards a sweating Roshi.

”I told you!” She stated before moving to stand next to Goku. “Nicely done, I had a feeling you’d figure it out.”

“Thanks,” he grinned back, tilting his head a little, “it was nowhere near as good as his though.”

”You’ll get there,” Ichigo informed him, “I just know it.”

Goku nodded his agreement at those words and looked at the car. He had wrecked it with the blast. He sheepishly rubbed the back of his head as Ichigo felt something on the edge of her senses. It felt like Yamcha. But why would he be following them? The dragon balls maybe? She narrowed her eyes, slowly shifting her weight. She was about to go after him when Roshi walked up to them.

”So, how’s old Gohan doing?” Roshi asked Goku.

”Okay I guess, he’s dead,” Goku answered and she sputtered in surprise.

”Dead?!” Roshi exclaimed. “In that case, M’boy, would you like to move in with me? You might outdo me one of these days.”

”Really? As soon as we get the last two dragon balls, I’m there!” Goku readily agreed.

”I’ll even let your little

friend

join,” Roshi added and Ichigo blinked.

What was his motive there? She took a deep breath and decided not to look a gift kunai over. She was going to let it lie, and learn all she could from him. That would be her best course of action, but why did it make her uncomfortable? It was the usual teachings. Yet…it wasn’t sitting right with her. A shout caught her attention and she smiled, letting the uncomfortable sensation disappear.

“They must’ve found it,” Goku stated.

”What happened to our car?!” Bulma asked in horror as she looked at the destroyed vehicle.

”If it’s a car you guys need, just take one of mine,” the Ox King stated. “It’s a little old, but it’s a powerful car.”

”Thank you, sir,” Ichigo thanked as Bulma sent her a look.

How did she end up as their spokesperson? Bulma would eventually tell her, she was sure of that. Bulma, while not the most moral of people, was usually honest with them. She chose to study the car that the Ox King was gifting them. It didn’t;t have a roof on it, and it had enough seats for everyone to sit comfortably. She’d end up next to Goku, knowing that he’d want to sit in the back.

“It’s gorgeous,” Bulma informed the Ox King, running her hand across the side of it before placing her bag up in the driver's seat, “come on you guys, get in.”

“Is she always on the move like that?” The Ox King asked Ichigo and she gave a fond sigh.

”She is, but I’ve learned to enjoy it,” Ichigo admitted and he did something that surprised her.

He gave her a bow that is synonymous with her village. She froze for a few seconds before bringing her hands together in the symbol of the Ox and doing the same. He gave her the symbol for dragon, a sign that Bulma had eluded to the seal on her back, but not going into too much detail, hopefully. He gave her a grin that made her relax a bit. He wasn’t going to do anything out of malice.

”I have only met one other like you, it’s the clothing that gives you away,” he quietly informed her, “go and train with Master Roshi, I think it would do you a world of good.”

”My clothes give me away?” She asked, not wanting to think about that last part.

”Traditional clothing that is made from a heavy silk,” he commented, showing he was more observant than his large size would lead others to believe, “Chi-Chi still has your jacket, I was able to check the fabric.”

”Smart man,” she muttered and he let out a quiet chuckle.

“You kids stay safe, and thank you for protecting Chi-Chi,” he said and her eyes widened.

She then gave him a bright smile before nodding. That was what set her apart from the ninja he had met in his youth. That woman had been too serious and ready to harm others. Maybe it was her youth, or perhaps it was just in her nature, but the serious kid had the ability to smile bright enough to brighten a room. It was hard not to grow fond of her with how polite she could be, that wide eyed look she did was taught as a deception tactic, but she never did it purposely. She always showed her emotions. No wonder she had been expelled from her village. He picked her up by the back of her silk shirt and placed her in the back seat of the car. She gave him a quiet ‘thank you’ in response and he waved at the kids.

”Let’s go design our new home,” he said, turning to Chi-Chi.

“I wonder if you’ll give Goku my hand,” Chi-Chi quietly stated, and he glanced towards the dark haired boy in question as he joined his friend in the car and watched as Bulma went to talk with Roshi.

“I don’t know, sweetheart,” he admitted, “I think he’s already spoken for.”

“I wonder what’s taking them so long,” Goku said to Ichigo.

”I don’t know,” she admitted tilting her head a little, “I keep sensing Yamcha nearby, he’s far enough away that it shouldn’t matter, but I don’t know why he’s been following us. You and Roshi pulling off that move made it difficult to sense the area.”

“If he tries anything, we’ll be ready,” Goku nodded and she couldn’t help but agree with him there.

Between the two of them, they had both easily bested the desert bandit. Her, out of anger, and him out of the fact that he loves to fight. She wondered if that was normal for boys, the love to fight. She gave a mental shrug, it probably was. It would be something she would get used to as she grew older. Hopefully, that is. She jumped when a slightly peeved Bulma reinterred the car. She shot Oolong a glare as he got into the passenger seat.

“So we’re finally down to the last dragon ball,” Bulma said, calming down as she looked at the two kids.

”I can’t wait to see that dragon,” Goku stated and Ichigo tilted her head.

”Yeah, I think it’ll be interesting,” she agreed.

A sinking feeling hit her and she closed her eyes for a few seconds. The image of a green dragon with red eyes flashed behind her lids and she quickly opened them. Sweat began to appear on her forehead as she wondered what had brought that about. She didn’t know, she just didn’t.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Age 749, September 9th

“This is such a weird place,” Ichigo commented as she looked around the large mushroom forest they found themselves in.

”Is there a city or anything nearby?” Bulma asked, hoping someone would answer.

”I don’t know, I”ve never gone out this far,” Oolong admitted as Ichigo finally caught a bit of life in the distance.

”There’s something, and it’s pretty busy,” Ichigo informed her before moving closer to point north east, “go in that direction and we’ll come across them.”

”I swear, you are better than a road map,” Bulma lightly teased the girl and she got a pair of pink cheeks out of her.

Ichigo sat back in her seat as Goku hung out the side of the car. He was looking around the mushroom forest with wide eyes. Right, he also came from the mountains. Granted, this was where he was raised, she wasn’t too sure on the born part, he would know of some stories about the world. She knew nothing about it, but she enjoyed learning about it. She enjoyed her journey so far.

“We’re running out of fuel,” Oolong commented as he looked at the fuel metre.

“I think we’ll make it,” Ichigo said, and he sent her a look that she simply ignored.

The small village was well hidden, but bustling. People walked the streets with strange creatures that looked as though they had crawled out of a fantasy book. The creatures were used to carry produce in wicker baskets. She wanted to ask about the culture, she wanted to learn more about it. She felt something brush against her wrist and noted that Goku’s tail had decided to wrap around it again. His own way of caring, even if he himself didn’t notice it. It was oddly sweet.

“Let’s go find the fuel stations,” Bulma stated as she brought the car to a stop.

“Hi,” Goku happily greeted a nearby girl, who promptly ran away with a light scream.

“That was rude,” Ichigo stated with a frown, “all you were was nice to her and she screamed while running away.”

“I think Bulma scared her,” Goku pointed out before looking at said teen, “what’d you do?”

”She was most likely jealous,” Bulma stated with a shrug as she got out of the car.

”Fill her up,” Oolong said to the man that owned the fueling station.

”It smells funny here,” Ichigo commented and Goku nodded his agreement, “I think you’ve got a stronger nose than me, you doing all right?”

”I’m fine,” Goku admitted and they both blinked in confusion as Bulma grabbed her by the back of her tang suit and began to drag her off.

”We’re going shopping, wait for us,” Bulma informed the guys while Ichigo slowly turned towards her in confusion, “listen, you need clothes that are going to fit correctly, your seal is starting to show when you lean forward.”

Bulma got a touched look out of the kid and watery eyes. She had some impressive willpower to not outright cry. It had to be unusual for her to be treated like a normal kid. She released the back of her suit and the kid trailed behind her with her hands in the sleeves. Bulma knew what to find for her, maybe something a bit more feminine so people wouldn’t think she was a boy. It wasn’t fair to her that her hair was cropped short. Bulma looked to the side, was it against her will?

”Do you like having short hair?” Bulma asked Ichigo.

”Not really, it was uniform in the village, all children had short hair until they reached the chunnin rank at thirteen,” she explained, “then we could grow our hair however we wanted. I always wanted to grow mine out long, but knew it wasn’t feasible with my fighting style.”

Bulma hummed at that. She could see it. Long white hair instead of short, it would most likely thin her frame out a bit more and make people notice her. She looked around as people ran away from her and she wondered if they’d never seen beautiful girls before. She gave a soft huff.

”They’d never seen such beauty before,” Bulma stated out loud and Ichigo raised a brow, “don’t give me that look, you’ve got interesting colouring like I do. The unusual combination makes people stare.”

Ichigo was silent and stared at her. Bulma couldn’t believe it. The kid hadn’t noticed that other kids were staring at her? That the white hair caught people’s attention and the purple eyes drew them in further? Goku seemed to be one of the few people not drawn in by them, their status as best friends was insane to Bulma. She would’ve thought they’d be closer. She narrowed her eyes a little, they did seem closer when they came back with Chi-Chi and Roshi. A plan began to form in her mind and she inwardly grinned. Yes, it would work perfectly. She had them enter a capsule store first.

”Not a large selection, huh?” Bulma asked the shop keeper and Ichigo sent her a look for that.

”Please forgive me,” he begged and that confused both girls.

”It’s all right,” Bulma told him before shaking her head, “I’ll take these five, could you number them and put them in a case?”

”You could say please,” Ichigo dryly informed her, getting a slight elbow to the side for that.

”How much?” Bulma asked as Ichigo rubbed her side with an annoyed look.

”Er…there’s no charge,” The man stammered, not sure what to think of the two.

”The house capsule is worth half a million Zeni,” Bulma informed Ichigo as they walked through the city after exiting the store, “nothing like being a babe. Now, let’s go get some new clothes.”

”I feel like we’re extorting them somehow,” Ichigo commented and Bulma shrugged, “that was my thoughts, I don’t know what’s got them so scared of you.”

“No clue,” Bulma admitted, “now, let’s get you some clothes that fit.”

Ichigo was welcomed to the strange dichotomy of their cultures. Clothes hadn’t been tailor made until the ninja was older. So, to be wearing something that wasn’t overly baggy was a strange sensation to her. She tested the sleeves out, she could still put her hands in there, a small relief. It showed Bulma that black, while it did make her stand out more, wasn’t her colour. The soft lilac seemed to make the ninja unable to blend into her surroundings, but she added in a few green tang suits to make it up to her. If she slipped in a small sun dress then the kid was none the wiser. She did make the kid carry the bags for the clothes.

“Now, for me,” Bulma gleefully stated.

The clothes in her size weren’t as fun as Ichigo’s. The kid was dutifully carrying the bags and kept a keen eye out for danger. The whole village was bothering her, Bulma could tell. Something was keeping the kid on red alert. She let out a huff and removed the stupid bunny ears she had been wearing due to Oolong.

“This is better than the bunny girl outfit,” Bulma commented and the shopkeeper gave her a strange look.

“You’re not part of the rabbit mob?” The man asked as Bulma gained a confused look as she tied her hair back.

”What’s that?” Bulma questioned.

”I suppose this was your idea of a joke?!” The man yelled at them as he kicked them out.

“What was that all about?” Bulma grumbled before noticing something. “Everyone stopped staring, don’t tell me it was because of the bunny ears.”

”Rabbit…mob…” Ichigo quietly stated before frowning, “I’m going to learn some more about that, I’ll meet back up at the car.”

”Don’t get lost, you’ve got twenty minutes!” Bulma called as Ichigo hurried off, pulling her storage scroll out and putting her bags away.

Ichigo could find information out in twenty minutes about this rabbit mob. Just by following the shinobi rule book. She slowly pulled her Ki back until she could barely feel it, and people stopped looking her way. She inwardly shook her head. No matter what people said, they could sense Ki on a base level, almost animalistic. They wouldn’t see her when she pulled it back like this. She listened in on different conversations.

”The Rabbit mob, I just saw them pass by,” a woman whispered to a man as she ushered her daughter inside one of the cleverly hidden houses, “we need to get our children inside, spread the word.”

”How many of them?” The man asked as he sent his son a sharp look.

”Just two, for now,” the woman answered.

“How much longer will they terrorize us? Turn our people into carrots?” The man sighed, obviously tired of this Rabbit mob.

Carrots? Ichigo wondered about that. She heard a few more whispers confirm that someone had the ability to turn people into carrots. It was such a strange ability to have, she looked to the side. Her people could cast illusions and summon creatures through ink, what right did she have to judge? She gave a gentle sigh. She didn’t, she couldn’t judge anyone. She easily moved through the sudden influx of villagers hiding their children away and released her Ki, allowing herself to be visible once more to people. She headed back to the car, with five minutes to spare.

“Ichigo! Over here!” Goku called her over, waving his hand in the air.

She picked up her pace and hurried over to him, sitting back in the car to wait for Bulma. Oolong looked between them with narrowed eyes before shrugging. He wasn’t going to comment on them now, he was used to them being close. He watched as the ninja looked back at the villagers in thought, he couldn’t help but think that the serious expression on her face suited an adult more than it did a child. The adults around them thought the same. She only glanced away when Bulma headed towards them with a few paper bags added to her supplies.

”Hey, you beat me to the car,” Bulma stated and Ichigo opened her mouth to reply.

“You call these apples?!” A man exclaimed and they all looked towards the source, two men wearing rabbit ears.

So, they were a part of the infamous Rabbit Mob. Ichigo knew there had been two in the area due to her reconnaissance. Yet, it wasn’t what she was expecting. If they had the ability to turn people into carrots, wouldn’t they had already done so? She let out a soft sigh, she wasn’t too sure. They started to head towards them and she clenched her jaw in response.

“Hey babe,” one of them said as he eyed Bulma.

”You’d have more fun with us than these kids,” the other said, and she eyed that one.

”Fat chance,” Bulma turned them down as Ichigo’s hand slowly twitched towards her pouch. “Who do you think you are, anyway?”

”Oh come on, there’s no heart that doesn’t freeze in terror at the name of the rabbit mob,” the first guy said, “you must be new around here.”

”And?” Ichigo asked, crossing her arms across her chest.

She was completely unimpressed by them. They reached to their sides and pulled out something that could possibly hurt her. A gun, she could move faster than them, but not at such a close range. Goku looked up at them for a few seconds before looking at Bulma, and he got a nod out of the bluenette. Ichigo blinked as she somehow ended up with his curry bun. Oolong let out a squeal of sorts when Goku’s fist embedded itself into the stomach of the tall mobster. He followed it up with a kick and the man easily fell.

”There’s one,” Bulma stated.

”You lousy little!” The remaining man yelled at Goku, readying his own weapon.

Ichigo felt as though her friend had gotten faster. He quickly jumped over the man and pulled his
nyoibo out from his back, letting it extend and take the man out. He fell with a groan and Goku walked back to them with a large grin on his face.

“It’s been way too long since I had a real fight,” Goku merrily stated.

”Next time we come across someone strong, they’re all yours,” Ichigo said with a slight smile.

“Let’s get going,” Bulma told the two.

“No one makes fun of the rabbit mob!” The shorter of the two exclaimed before pulling a radio out, “sorry to trouble you, master, but we need you! We’ve come up against a real strong one!”

“How can we ever thank you for bringing doom upon us all?!” A villager yelled at the four before running off with the others.

“Something bad is going to happen,” Oolong stated, slowly slouching in the drivers seat.

He knew the two kids wouldn’t run away from a fight, so they were stuck there. He needed a vacation from all of this. He nervously tugged on one of his ears, watching as the two mobsters slowly got to their feet. The groans informed him that Goku's hits had gotten harder.

“Who is this boss, anyway?” Bulma asked Ichigo as the two goons giggled to one another.

”No one said anything about the boss, but they did say that people were turned into carrots,” Ichigo answered, “I’m not too sure how that would even work.”

”Carrots?” Goku asked and she nodded.

”I don’t want to be a carrot! Let’s go!” Oolong exclaimed.

”We haven’t even done anything wrong,” Goku pointed out.

”Master!” The goons exclaimed as a car approached.

”Strange, their boss doesn’t have a strong presence,” she stated as a rabbit shaped car came to a stop, “he’s…an actual rabbit.”

”Where’s the bozo that crossed us?” The rabbit asked, and Ichigo took in a deep breath before calming down.

The animals of the world were really something, seeing as so many of them could talk. She wondered what had caused such a strange thing to happen. Yokai perhaps? That was looking more likely the longer she learned about the world. The whole thing made her head hurt a little.  Just the slightest really. She came to a conclusion. Yokai had been a part of this world, but they had all died out at one point and only left their descendants behind.

”What a weird guy, how could I be afraid of him?” Oolong asked, looking at the mobster.

“What I want to know is how he turns people into carrots,” Ichigo stated, tilting her head, “he’s not spiritually strong, so it’s a bit of a mystery.”

She tensed when he jumped into the air and landed before them. Ichigo didn’t trust the hand that was held out to Bulma. Everything about him made her skin crawl. Like an itch that she couldn’t quite scratch, and one that was quite obvious. She rolled her shoulders for a few seconds as Bulma shot him a skeptical look.

”Press the flesh, Cutie,” the rabbit stated and they all blankly stared at him.

”Not in your life!” Bulma snapped at him before slapping his hand.

”Too late, we touched,” the rabbit informed her.

Ichigo faltered when Bulma’s Ki changed and she was suddenly a carrot. The rabbit went to catch her transformed friend but Ichigo was much faster. Oolong, for once, was glad for her ability to somewhat keep her head in a strange situation. He had only seen her knocked off kilter a couple of times, but she quickly recovered.

“You turned Bulma into a carrot!” Goku yelled at the rabbit, glaring at him. “Change her back!”

”So, you want to mix it, eh?” The rabbit asked. “Or maybe all your life you’ve wanted to be a carrot.”

“Hey, he turns people into carrots through touch,” Ichigo warned him, “I can’t figure out how he does it, but don’t let him touch you.”

”Yeah, use that stick of yours,” Oolong agreed and she sent him a look.

He could have phrased that a bit better, but he wasn’t wrong. The nyoibo would be Goku’s best bet. Said boy wasn’t laughing as he fought against the boss rabbit. Ichigo watched with a worried frown on her face and she wobbled a little as Oolong started the car. Right, without Bulma to make the pig call he was free to flee. She jumped out of the car and sent him a slight glare. She heard Goku’s fight come to a stop and noticed that he seemed to be thinking about what to do next. He had hit the rabbit boss enough times that he was scared of the martial artist.

“Any more good ideas?” Goku asked Ichigo.

“The moon?’ Ichigo suggested quietly. “I once heard a story about a rabbit on the moon, but we need him to change Bulma back…so I think a threat on his life might just do the trick, you’ve hit him enough times that he’d believe any threat at this point.”

”Hear that?” Goku asked holding out his nyoibo. “Change her back, and I won’t kill ya.”

”Fine, fine, whatever you say!” The boss exclaimed, doing a strange dance and clapping his hands.

Bulma reappeared and looked around in confusion. She felt…orange. Goku wasted no time in taking care of them. Ichigo brought a hand to her eyes and watched as he went up into the sky on the nyoibo. So, he really was taking them to the moon. A chilling sensation filled her for a couple of minutes until he came back down. The idea of Goku and the moon bothered her a little. She would just have to get over it. He came back down with a grin and Bulma shook her head in amusement. Just leave it to those two to be so strange.

“So, why is it that every time you smell danger you go running away?” Goku asked as they finally headed out.

”What’s wrong with you?” Oolong countered. “Most people don’t go after danger…besides I’ve been meaning to ask what the wish is going to be for the dragon balls.”

”Oh, I’m going to wish for a boyfriend, the worlds greatest!” Bulma informed him with a happy grin.

”I’ve been risking my neck, to help a chick find a boyfriend!?” Oolong exclaimed in disbelief.

Ichigo gave a small yawn and rubbed at her eyes. So much had already happened, and the day wasn’t over yet. From the Ox King to the rabbit boss, she wondered what else they’d come across. She looked around the mushroom forest and blinked when she saw something approaching. She went to say something when it slammed into the side of the car. The group was thrown out of the vehicle and Ichigo winced a little as she slid across the grass. She was going to have some bruises on her torso from hitting the ground.

“What was that?” Oolong asked, looking up at the sky from his spot on the ground.

”That was scary,” Goku admitted.

“No wonder I didn’t sense anything, it’s a machine!” Ichigo stated, frowning a little.

“Ah, a weakness,” Oolong commented and she made a face.

”Yeah, something man-made like that would create a barrier of sorts,” Ichigo confirmed, “I have other weaknesses you know.”

“Thanks for the dragon balls, chumps!” A voice said from the silver machine as it picked up Bulma’s briefcase. “Sayonara!”

“There he goes,” Ichigo muttered before turning to Goku. “Think you can catch him on Kinto-un?”

”You’ll go,” Bulma informed him, “he stole the dragon balls!”

”Right,” Goku nodded, calling for the cloud and taking off in a run.

”You didn’t go with him?” Oolong asked Ichigo.

”No, two people on Kinto-un might’ve slowed the cloud down,” Ichigo answered, “while I enjoy flying I can do that some other time…right now we need to get the other dragon balls back.”

”I shouldn’t be surprised that others know about the dragon balls,” Bulma stated before she blinked and turned towards Ichigo, “other dragon balls?”

”Goku still has the four star, the heirloom from his grandfather,” Ichigo pointed out.

Bulma could hug the kid, she really could. She relaxed a little before grabbing the dragon radar. They needed to figure out where the thief was going, or if Goku had gotten them back.She watched as the balls travelled away from their position, but one of them was rapidly approaching them.  Goku came to a quick stop in front of them and jumped down from the Kinto-un.

“I took him out,” Goku informed them.

“Great, but we need to go get the six dragon balls he took,” Bulma pointed out, “but my capsules…”

“Yamcha approaches,” Ichigo stated, looking to the distance.

“Do y’know how creepy that can be?” Oolong asked and she shrugged as Yamcha rolled up.

”My what a total coincidence, what are you guys doing here?” Yamcha asked and Ichigo gave him a slightly dry look.

”We just had someone steal from us,” Bulma explained, “can we get a lift?”

”Y-yeah, sure no problem,” Yamcha said as he gained a bright red blush on his face.

Ichigo welcomed the ride on the Kinto-un, she didn’t think she’d be able to sit between Bulma and Yamcha in the car. Goku made sure to keep up with the car, not going too fast at all. Ichigo was able to actually study their surroundings as they sat on the cloud. The mushrooms looked familiar, but she couldn’t place them. She put a hand on her chin in thought. She was fairly sure that one of them was poisonous. She gave another yawn.

”You sure do get sleepy a lot,” Goku stated, and she knew he didn’t mean anything by it.

“Yeah, sorry,” Ichigo apologised, sheepishly rubbing the back of her head, “I guess I’m not used to sensing Ki all the time. I’ll have to keep practicing.”

”How do you sense Ki?’ He asked and she tilted her head to the side as she thought about it.

“Well, usually the sense I would start us on sensing our own Ki before moving forward to reaching out with it to sense the world around us,” Ichigo tried explaining before wincing a little, “it took my peers a few months to get it down, but how you manipulated dormant Ki with ease…I think you’d get it pretty fast.”

Yamcha was able to ignore Bulma with ease when the two kids talked to one another. It was strange, but he had never noticed that they seemed to talk about martial arts. Or that Ichigo would always answer a question that Goku had, even if the topic was something she didn’t fully understand. He got the strangest feeling that Goku would do the same for her if there was something she didn’t know, but he did.

“It’s huge!” Goku stated as he caught sight of the building the dragon balls were hidden in.

“We should proceed with caution,” Ichigo commented as she looked at it, standing up behind Goku on the Kinto-un.

“That should be scary to hear,” Oolong pointed out and she simply shrugged.

She finally jumped down from the cloud and put her hands into the slightly tight sleeves of her new tang suit. She felt slightly exposed by the colour scheme, but she should’ve been used to it with her hair colour. Can’t really blend in with their surroundings with the tufts of white on her head.

“I don’t think we’re dealing with any ordinary bandits,” Yamcha commented as they slowly entered the large castle.

“Yeah,” Bulma agreed and Ichigo glanced at the arrows painted on the stone.

”An obvious trap,” Ichigo stated, “we’re smarter than this.”

The other’s nodded their agreements and Ichigo blinked when Puar decided that she was the safest bet for protection. The small cat-like animal was hanging onto her shoulder with their tiny paws. She was a little tense as she fought the urge to hold onto the creature and never let them go. A fatal flaw, her adoring cute things. It had gotten her in trouble a couple of times. Old punishments repeated in her memory every time she got the urge to hold onto something cute. She tensed further at the memory of the seal being branded into her back. It seemed to burn at the thought.

“Right, I know you can’t really sense the dragon balls,” Bulma commented and Ichigo quickly gave her full attention to the teen, “but would you try? For me?”

Ichigo blinked for a few seconds before frowning a little. The dragon balls…the Ki she could sense from them bothered her. It was going to leave her with one hell of a headache. She closed her eyes and took in a deep breath before nodding her agreement. She’d help, because it was her friends asking.  Goku’s grin was worth it, Oolong’s disbelief even more. She slowly lowered herself to the lotus position and sent her Ki out, finding the four star ball first and focusing on the energy that was held within its depths. She could see it, the orange colour and the darker stars inside, the swirling energy that never seemed to stay still. It was distant, but she was slowly coming across the other six.

“Man, the kid doesn’t react to much,” Yamcha observed and Bulma nodded.

“She really focuses,” Bulma agreed.

Goku’s tail waved in the air as he studied the way that she was meditating. It wasn’t the time for him to try out her technique of sensing, not like he did Roshi’s technique, he felt eyes on his person making him on edge. Just who was watching them?

“Is that Ki?” Puar quietly asked Yamcha, noting the strange glow coming from Ichigo.

”I’ve only seen masters and monks do that,” Yamcha replied in a murmur.

Just what was this kid? She shouldn’t be as spiritually strong as a monk that had spent their entire life meditating and growing their spiritual Ki. He watched as the kid slowly opened her eyes, a serious expression on her face. Bulma crossed her fingers, hoping that Ichigo had zeroed in on the dragon balls.

“They’re in a room two stories up,” Ichigo slowly explained, her words a little slurred, “it’s difficult to pull away from them.”

“East or west?” Bulma pressed and she watched as Ichigo went silent for a few seconds before glancing to the west.

“West, two stories up, in a small room that I can sense three other presences in,” Ichigo informed her, bringing a hand up to her head as a throbbing pain began to form in her skull, “I don’t think I should keep pushing at the moment.”

“It’s something to go on,” Oolong commented and she nodded her agreement.

”To the west then,” Bulma stated.

They walked while against the wall, far enough away from the middle of the floor so as to not set off any traps. Ichigo narrowed her eyes a little at the sight of the arrows painted onto the stone floors. It bothered her, her training in subterfuge rearing its head as she noted each and every trap in the area. Rocks that would chase them, walls that would close if they stepped on the wrong stone, and more were hidden behind the walls. She could almost hear the building creaking and moaning, mechanical whirrings telling her it was trapped completely. Goku’s tail was low, even he could sense that something was off with the building, his own instincts catching onto something off about the building.

“This place is so creepy,” Bulma commented, she then turned to Ichigo, “is this how you grew up?”

”Not really, it was more feudal and less medieval,” Ichigo stated, looking around for a few seconds, “the traps weren’t as obvious either.”

Yamcha almost flinched at the change in the kid. Ichigo had been a serious kid from what he could make out when he was following the group, but now she was overly serious. Even her eyes had changed, they had hardened, seemingly focused on the situation at hand. Her gaze flicked around the area with care.

“Where are the stairs…” he heard her murmur.

The walls let out a groan and she let out a sound before pushing Bulma back. Right, she couldn’t really sense mechanical arms coming her way, but she could protect her friends the best way she could. It grasped onto the back of her jacket and she grimaced as she was dragged through a dark tunnel. She stuck out a hand to try and grasp onto something to stop her descent. Nothing. She heard her name being called in the distance and blinked at how worried the others sounded. What surprised her was that Oolong was worried, she was under the impression that he hated her because of how she reacted to him. She was pulled from her thoughts when she winced at the sudden brightness of lights after a long trek in the dark.

“Oh, so you’re the one that’s been able to sense the dragon balls,” a whiny voice stated and she slowly looked down until she saw a strange, pale imp with pointed ears and pointy teeth.

That was the person who had spoken? She looked behind the imp to see a woman with long dark hair and red makeup and slowly blinked. It couldn't possibly be who she thought it was. The woman looked at her and dark eyes slowly widened in recognition. The dog, which was standing on two legs and wearing a ninja outfit that was so stereotypical it hurt, looked between the two of them.

”Did they send you, Amaya?!” The woman exclaimed, narrowing her eyes dangerously.

”Tch,” Ichigo clicked her tongue at the use of the name she hadn’t been able to remember, “they didn’t send me after you, Tomoko. I got expelled if you

must

know.”

”They expelled

you

?” Tomoko quietly asked with disbelief on her face. “But…you outshone everyone in your age group back when I was still there.”

“Sometimes excelling at something mentally isn’t the same as being able to act,” Ichigo informed her.

“You know this kid, Mai?” The imp asked as the dog blinked in confusion.

“She came from the same village I did,” Tomoko, or rather Mai, stated, “she was one of the few kids I thought would never be expelled from it.”

“So, she’s dangerous,” the dog stated, and Mai nodded.

”Even more than me, she specialised in Ki manipulation, medicine, and sensing,” Mai confirmed and Ichigo sent her a glare, “we mustn’t let her go.”

Telling all her secrets was enough to make her a little upset. Something shot into her shoulder and she sent Mai an even darker glare. Right, all ninja from their village knew how to make a sedative that would neutralise Ki and put them under. Her eyes grew heavy and soon she was floating in darkness, the seal on her back burning. Burning enough to follow her into the darkness.

“Give her back!” Bulma snapped as she looked up at a screen that was showing the strange imp, they had been caught in a trap by him.

“Your little friend is fast asleep, she will have her uses for us,” the imp stated as Goku looked around the now walled off area, “now, give us the final dragon ball.”

“Not in your life pal!” Bulma yelled at him, glaring at the imp.

“If we break that window can we get out?” Goku asked Yamcha and the teen sent him a strange look.

”That’s a TV you idiot,” Yamcha bluntly informed him.

”I like it better when Ichigo answers me,” Goku muttered as he sent Yamcha a look.

“Sorry,” Yamcha sighed, realising that he had been a bit too harsh, “we’ll get your friend back.”

Goku had faith that Ichigo could free herself, he’d seen her fight before and knew she could do it. So, to see her limply hanging from a metal arm bothered him a little. A small frown appeared on his face, his tail whipping through the air and showing his slight upset. Bulma was even showing her anger, hitting the TV and making the picture go fuzzy.

“Just let the kid go, otherwise she’s going to put you through a world of pain,” Oolong warned the imp.

”Not with Mai’s special toxin,” the imp stated, “now, if you all refuse to cooperate I’m going to do something nasty.”

Bulma didn’t like the sound of that while Ichigo was still hanging there. She let out a yelp as a metal arm picked her up and brought her through the same darkness that Ichigo had gone through. Yamcha gained a worried look as Oolong found it slightly cool. Some karmic justice, but karmic justice that he wished was something else.

“What do you think you’re going to do?!” Bulma snapped at the group. “Let me go, you muggers!”

“If you have any hope of avoiding shame, tell me where that ball is!” The imp ordered and Bulma’s expression darkened.

Ichigo twitched and the only person who caught the movement was Goku. His tail twitched upwards as a small grin appeared on his face. There she was, his faith was well placed. Bulma turned down the imp and Ichigo twitched again. Purple eyes slowly opened to see the Imp blow a kiss to Bulma and the other two acting as though it was a huge issue. It was pathetic, especially for someone like Mai.  She closed her eyes for a few seconds before letting out a soft sigh.

“No way that you’re awake!” Mai stated, hearing the sigh.

“You seem to forget, to test toxins and find cures they infected us with them,” Ichigo reminded the woman, she undid her jacket and fell to the ground with silent steps.

“Shu!” Mai snapped and the imp quickly scurried away.

“Right!” Shu confirmed as Ichigo narrowed her eyes and got ready to swiftly take them out.

Two muggers, as Bulma lovingly called them, hit a button and a green smoke filled the room. The group of dragon ball hunters was knocked out in unison from it. Even Ichigo, who had held a sleeve up to her mouth and nose was affected by the gas. She slammed to the ground and sent Mai a glare that promised pain the next time they crossed paths. Mai simply put a hand on the kid's head and slammed her forehead into the ground to knock her out. She wasn’t too worried about possibly giving Ichigo brain damage. They sent the two girls back to their group before taking the last dragon ball from the boy. Mai studied the four stars in thought before grinning to herself. She had left  the village because she couldn’t use or sense Ki. Sure, she had it, she just couldn’t manipulate it. Talentless, they used to call her. The kid that had been expelled had been whispered about, known as talented in the use of Ki and medicine. It was cathartic to see an upstart such as herself be expelled. Sure, she was working for an idiot, but she was still employed and not a nomad. Not anymore. She rejoined her fellow comrade and held out the four star ball to him to put with the others.

It was time to summon the dragon.

“We have to get out of here,” Bulma stated as she hoisted Ichigo onto her back, “we have to stop him from making a wish.”

”My kicks aren’t doing anything,” Goku informed her.

”The walls are too solid,” Yamcha added before a thought came to him, “wait, Goku! The Kamehameha! The trick that the old master showed you!”

“So, Ichigo was right, you were following us,” Goku stated before nodding at him, “I’ll do it!”

He brought his hands together and took a deep breath. He was just going through the motions that the old man had, he could somewhat feel what Ichigo was talking about with Kai. He felt an odd sensation running across his skin, seemingly pouring out of him. He could feel it growing between his hands and he frowned in concentration. It was a small blast he released, one that carved a hole through one of the outer walls.

“I don’t have a lot of practice, so the hole is small,” Goku sheepishly stated.

”It doesn’t matter, we can see what’s going on,” Yamcha informed him, moving over to it and peering out, “it looks like they haven’t summoned the dragon yet. Puar, can you transform into a bat and steal one of the dragon balls?”

”Of course!” Puar confirmed, easily transforming.

”Oolong, go with them,” Bulma ordered, “or I’ll make

that

noise again.”

”Has anyone told you that you’re an evil genius?” Ichigo’s quiet question almost made Bulma scream in fright. “Because you’d be hailed as one in the village.”

”I’m glad you’re alright,” Bulma decided to take the route that wouldn’t make her seem mad, “what’s this about evil genius? A compliment from you is so rare.”

”He’s summoning the dragon,” Ichigo stated and they all looked towards her, “what, I can’t be the only one who can sense that.”

”She’s right,” Yamcha stated as he looked back through the hole to see a giant green dragon erupt from lightning.

Ichigo’s back burned, and badly. She clenched her jaw and brought a hand back to her shoulder. Bulma blinked, worry appearing on her face as she saw the coat slowly grow red from the spot that Ichigo had been branded on. It was horrible to watch as it appeared and rapidly grew. Goku’s tail dropped to the ground when Bulma put the small ninja down. He moved a little closer, the smell of blood was strong in the air.

“C’mon kid, we’ll get you all bandaged up after this,” Bulma quietly told Ichigo.

Ichigo wasn’t listening to the bluenette, her heart was hammering in her chest and making her blood pound in her ears. Her eyes were a little wide as she felt the great dragon's ki, it was all encompassing, covering all the ki around her until it was all she could sense. Her cheeks burned where she had the red marks, the marks she’d had for as long as she could remember. Her vision blurred and she could see the dragon, a woman stood before it. She couldn’t make her out, but she suddenly felt such a feeling of want and love that it hurt. She missed the woman she didn’t know. That she couldn’t remember. The dragon roared in her mind and pushed the woman for a wish, any wish.

“I wish…” the woman trailed off and Ichigo felt a sinking feeling in her gut.

She didn’t get to hear the rest of the wish when the images vanished and the ki did as well. Oh, so someone made a wish. She slowly blinked as the world came back to her, it was a little too loud before it evened out. She got to her feet and noted that her clothes felt too restricting, too tight. She would have to rebandage her back. She gained a slightly miffed expression. Would this happen every time the great dragon appeared? That the seal on her back would rebrand itself and bleed all over her shirts? It was a little annoying if that was the case.

”The dragon balls flew off in all directions,” Goku pointed out.

”They do that after making a wish,” Bulma confirmed, “they won’t be active for another year, until then no one will know what the dragon balls are.”

”So, they have to regain their power,” Ichigo thoughtfully said.

The walls had sheet metal slam down and she looked around in confusion as the ceiling opened up to reveal glass. Ah, so they’d really made the imp mad. She sat down in the Lotus position as Puar and Oolong were thrown in through the ceiling. Oolong hit the ground, and he hit it hard. The underwear on his head stayed put and Ichigo wondered where it had come from.

”We won’t be able to get through the wall this time,” Yamcha stated as he hit the metal wall with a fist.

“The tops open,” Goku pointed out.

”That’s shatter proof glass up there,” Bulma stated, shaking her head, “no matter how hard your head is, it’s not going to break.”

Goku wanted to test that theory, his head was super hard! He jumped into the air and launched himself into the glass. Ichigo put a hand on his shoulder when he held onto his throbbing head. Bulma sighed at him and shook her head again. She couldn’t believe his optimistic viewpoint. She wondered if that came from him still being a kid, she doubted he was actually a teenager.

“If we don’t find a way out of here, we’ll be dead,” Yamcha stated, “then we’ll never be able to gather the dragon balls in a year…a year of being afraid of girls.”

”How dare you all ruin my chances of supreme conquest!” The imp’s voice screeched from a nearby speaker. “You have all sealed your doom! But worry not. I, Lord Pilaf, am a kind master and will let you die very slowly! That sheet of glass will turn our brutal sun into a rice cooker! You’l shrivel up and die!”

“Just wait until Ichigo gets her hands on you!” Bulma shouted at him.

“Why the kid?” Yamcha asked.

”She’s oddly scary,” Puar answered and Ichigo looked at the cat-like creature with a sad expression.

“She hits hard and fast,” Bulma added, “if it weren’t for the fact that there’s another ninja involved she would’ve won.”

Bulma wasn’t wrong about that. If Mai hadn’t been there she would’ve flattened them in no time. She let out a soft sigh and glanced back up at the glass ceiling as the other’s, save for Goku, panicked over the situation.  She watched the moon in thought, noting how full it was. There it was again, a nagging feeling that Goku should never be around a full moon. Why did that appear? There wasn’t an explanation for it, none at all. No data to work on. Something landed on her head and she looked up to see Puar clutching onto the short white strands. They were looking up at the moon as well.

“The moon is pretty,” Puar commented.

”It is,” Ichigo agreed, slightly nodding a little, “its a full one too, the prettiest I think.”

”Full moon?” Goku asked and everyone turned towards him. “A horrible monster comes when the moon’s full, you know.”

“Oh yeah, a werewolf I’ll bet,” Bulma dryly commented, “are we tellin’ campfire stories now?”

”It’s true, my Grandpa died from being stepped on by that monster!” Goku argued.

”You’re telling me that a monster smashed the legendary Son Gohan?”  Yamcha questioned.

”And the house, the trees, everything!” Goku exclaimed.

”What kind of monster was it?” Oolong questioned.

”I didn’t see it, I was asleep,” Goku answered.

”You’re a pretty deep sleeper,” Ichigo stated with a slight smile, “you’re made out of some strong stuff.”

”Yeah, Grandpa used to tell me to never look at the full moon,” Goku said and she tilted her head in thought, “only I don’t know what me looking at it could do. I wonder if that monster comes out around here too.”

Everyone, save for Ichigo, moved as far away from Goku as they could get. The ninja and martial artist shared a look and the white haired girl shrugged. She didn’t see any issues with Goku, as long as he didn’t look at the full moon they were fine. Now if he did that, then she could say that he was dangerous to be around.

”Hey, did the night your grandpa die, did you happen to look at the moon?” Bulma asked Goku and he sheepishly laughed.

”I did when I went to use the restroom,” Goku admitted.

”I had a feeling he wasn’t an ordinary kid,” Yamcha stammered.

”Could it be just a coincidence?”  Bulma stammered to him.

”What are you guys talking about?” Goku asked, tilting his head.

The others talked to one another and Goku looked back at Ichigo. She was starting to figure it out, he could tell by the slight frown on her face and how her mouth was a little open. She had her tells that even he could easily figure out. It just meant that she had grown used to them, and more open.

“Just don’t look at the moon, okay?” Bulma requested and he immediately did so.

”Whoops, I did it again,”  Goku chuckled, not getting what was going on.

”You’re okay? Nothings wrong?” Oolong asked, being the bravest out of all of them by heading up to Goku.

“Wrong how?” Goku asked, and the other’s let out a collective sigh of relief.

Ichigo felt his Ki spike out of nowhere and quickly glanced back to see that his eyes had gone wide and unseeing. She didn’t move out of the way, wanting to help him to the best of her abilities.  It was when she heard his heart hammering with the growth of his Ki that the other’s were alerted to something being wrong with Goku. He just stared ahead, almost vibrating. She narrowed her eyes in thought, no he was vibrating. He slowly started to grow, his muscles tearing and growing in size. It was horrifying to watch as his bones snapped and grew. He was getting bigger, gigantic, and harrier. Ichigo was surprised when he started to grow towards the ceiling, gaining a snout and large fangs in the process. He was turning into-

“An Oozaru?” Ichigo quietly asked.

”What is that?!” Yamcha fearfully asked.

”A giant ape, it’s in some old scrolls, but no one knew where they came from,” Ichigo answered, “in fact, they were known as village destroyers, it's why my people went into hiding so many years ago. The Oozaru stopped appearing as soon as we did.”

It was true. There were so many scrolls that spoke of the Oozaru and what they could do, but not where they came from or how they appeared. Well, she glanced at Goku’s growing form, she could easily answer how they appeared. But, was it just an outside human trait? There was nothing that told of how they came to be. She stopped that train of thought, she wasn’t going to put her best friend under a microscope and study him. It wasn’t right. She would just have to ignore those thoughts when they appeared. She gritted her teeth and ran towards his still growing form. Bulma let out a strangled sound when the ninja jumped onto the Oozaru's leg and began to climb up him with ease. Goku didn’t seem to notice the small girl climbing up his back and onto his shoulders. She wasn’t going to leave him by himself. It had to be scary, if he was even aware of what was happening. He was by her side all the time, she could do the same for him.  He broke the ceiling and she easily covered her head as he finally broke free of their metal cage.

He let out a roar and she winced at the volume he had been able to reach. It was impressive. Even more so was the tower he destroyed with a single fist. She buried her face into his fur as he swung about, destroying more of the tower. He kept letting out roars as he destroyed more and more of the castle. He had a personal vendetta against it and she was a little amused by it. It was as though recent events he’d gone through were in his subconscious, making his Oozaru form go after the ones responsible. He brought both arms around a particular roof and she heard screams. He had found the muggers.

“What the hell is that!?” Mai screamed in confusion.

So, she’d never found the Oozaru scrolls? Well, she did leave before she would be able to. A chunin that could fight without Ki had been unheard of, but Ichigo did have some respect for her. Until she met her again and saw that her respect had been trodden on within seconds. Being expelled was much different than leaving the village. They didn’t brand the deserters, but instead put a kill on sight target on their backs. Mai would never be allowed back into the village, or be able to show her face as normal. She had made a mistake leaving. One that would always follow her. She looked down to see their friends escaping and Bulma chanced a glance her way. Ichigo gave her an urgent look and the bluenette’s eyes widened before she nodded. Right, they would get out of the area.

She clicked her tongue when the muggers took off in a biplane. She held onto Goku’s fur with a tighter grip when he picked up some debris and threw it at the plane. There was some anger there. She had been right. Still, it would be nice for him to be careful so he didn’t hurt their friends. He let out a roar and started towards them. Ichigo began to wonder what she could do to stop him.

“Goku, don’t!” She shouted and he let out a roar of confusion, not able to find her on his person.

“Keep distracting him!” Yamcha shouted up at her and she gave an uncomfortable nod.

“Hey, where are you looking?!” Ichigo asked, and Goku let out a rumbling sound that almost made her fall from his person.

She clutched into his fur a bit more and began to move again. She moved closer and closer to his snout and landed on top of it. If she were to fall, she would try to call for the Kinto-un. Hopefully, it would come at her call and catch her. Goku’s eyes, which had turned into a bright red with no pupils, focused on her and she gave him a serious look. He brought a hand up to swat at her and she glanced at it with some worry. She was playing a dangerous game and hoping he would somewhat recognise her and not hit her.  He let out a roar and she almost fell from his snout. The arm slammed into the castle and she blinked in confusion. So, he was somewhat aware of what was going on. It was when he started to tremble did she realise what had happened. Yamcha had grabbed onto his tail. She watched as Puar turned into a pair of giant scissors and sniped the tail off with ease. Goku began to shrink, and she quickly jumped down from his snout before she hit the ground, possibly hurting Goku. Yamcha, of all people, caught her. He was still holding onto Goku’s tail, a strange expression on his face. They would  have to wait for Goku to wake up before they could figure out what to do next.

“Are you okay?” Bulma asked Ichigo.

”I’m fine, I’m more worried about Goku,” Ichigo admitted, “becoming an Oozaru has to be painful, it sounded like it.”

”Yeah,” Bulma agreed before forcibly making the ninja sit down, “I’m going to bandage up your back, you guys better turn around.”

”I will keep an eye out on Oolong,” Puar stated, with a small salute.

Ichigo found it easy to be fond of the strange creature. She made a sound of pain when Bulma forcibly removed her shirt from her torso. Bulma was mentally equating it to ripping off a bandaid. She looked at the inky seal and noted that the dragon had gotten darker, more detailed. It sort of looked like the great dragon. A little too familiar for her liking. She tore up the silk shirt, making a mental note to replace it one day, and started to bandage up the seal. Ichigo took out her scroll and pulled a black silk shirt out, something she could use to hide blood if it was needed. An hour or so passed and Bulma finished up bandaging her back while the sun slowly rose. Ichigo pulled the shirt back on and turned to see that Goku was still sleeping.

“Geez what this kid put us through,” Oolong muttered.

”Cut him some slack, he got us out of the prison,” Yamcha stated and Ichigo nodded her agreement.

”Hey, you said your people didn’t know where the Oozaru came from, right?” Oolong asked and she gave a tired nod. “Maybe they were some kind of alien?”

”Who knows, but without his tail he’ll never be dangerous that way again,” Yamcha stated in a cheerful tone.

”That’s a good thing,” Bulma informed Ichigo when she noted the expression on the kids face.

“Hey, he’s waking up,” Oolong commented and Goku slowly sat up while mumbling about something, “mornin’.”

”G’mornin’,” Goku greeted back with a grin.

Bulma had physically turned Ichigo around when the boy stood up and the ninja gained a confused expression. Was there something she wasn’t supposed to see? Bulma let out a soft huff while Yamcha peppered Goku with questions. They needed him clothed.

”You got any clothes he can wear?” Bulma asked Ichigo.

”They might not fit very well, but I should have some clean clothing,” Ichigo confirmed, going back to her scroll and focusing on the seal.

A dark tang suit came out and she held it out to Bulma, and the teenager practically threw them at Goku. He easily changed into them and moved his arms about. They fit him perfectly, a bit better than they fit Ichigo. He gave a few hops to test how fast he could move in them. They were lighter than he thought they’d be. He fell. They all looked at him in surprise as he blinked up at the sky.

”You okay?” Ichigo asked.

”I just lost my balance for some reason,” Goku admitted, slowly getting up.

”Funny what happens when you don’t have a tail, you’ll get used to it,” Yamcha informed him.

”My tail?” Goku asked in confusion before looking behind him to see that it was indeed missing. “It’s gone!”

It had to be hard for him. Ichigo was prepared to ask if he was all right with the loss of his tail. To make sure he didn’t get too upset.

“Oh well!”

Oh, he wasn’t too upset by it, or if he was he wasn’t showing it to anyone. Ichigo scratched her cheek in slight disbelief before letting out an amused huff. She moved to stand next to him and noticed something. Right, his nyoibo had been left behind. She had almost forgotten about it until she looked at him.

”Let’s go get your nyoibo back,” Ichigo informed him, “it’s over where the castle used to be.”

”Woah, what caused all this destruction?” Goku asked as they both went in that direction.

”Something big,” Ichigo answered, for once she wasn’t entirely truthful with him, “but I wouldn’t worry about it. I doubt it’ll ever show up again.”

”I had a really weird dream that you yelled at me,” Goku informed her and she sent him a look.

”I’m…sorry?” Ichigo said, well more like asked.

”Don’t be!” Goku chirped and she rubbed the back of her head as they searched the wreckage.

She found his Nyoibo underneath a pretty heavy piece of debris. She waved him over and he rushed over and easily picked up the debris. The nyoibo was happily held in his hand before he face planted in the ground. She was a little alarmed by that and held out a hand to him. He accepted it with ease and allowed her to pull him to his feet.

“I’m going to miss the tail,” Ichigo admitted.

“It’ll come back if it want’s to,” Goku stated and she smiled a bit.

It was easy to see why they got along so well. He made the world seem like such a bright place. She liked his positivity. Her smile froze for a few seconds at that thought. Did she

like

Goku? She didn’t know. She shook such thoughts from her head when they began to head back to the others. Bulma and Yamcha were dancing around with one another, singing a tune she couldn’t place.

”It’s disgusting, isn’t it?” Oolong asked and Ichigo tilted her head in confusion.

“How so?” Ichigo asked.

”We’re going to the city!” Bulma told them before Oolong could answer. “Want to come with us? A cute lil’ monkey like you will be really popular with the girls!”

”We’re going to Master Roshi’s,” Goku stated shaking his head with a smile, “we’re going to train and get real strong.”

”Right,” Ichigo confirmed with a nod of her head.

”Too bad for you,” Bulma told them before turning to Oolong, “and you?”

”Are there really pretty girls?” Oolong asked.

”Tons, too bad none of them will like a snotty perv like you,” Bulma stated and Ichigo’s eyes widened in surprise.

”You could’ve stopped at tons,” Oolong snapped at her before crossing his arms with a huff, “not like I’m rich with options. I’ll tag along.”

”Next year, let’s hunt dragon balls again, Kay?” Goku asked.

”Who needs dragon balls anymore?” Yamcha and Bulma asked together, giving out strange giggles. “Not me!”

”How am I gonna find the ball Grandpa left me?” Goku asked. “I don’t know how to trace it and Ichigo can only sense so far.”

Ichigo was touched that Goku remembered that she had limitations to what she could do. Not a lot of people did. Bulma gifted them the dragon radar and both kids looked at it in surprise as she taught them how to use it. Yamcha brought out a capsule and released the vehicle inside of it. A strange aircraft came from it and Ichigo raised a brow in appreciation at the sight of it.

“Goku, Ichigo, I hope you both become as great as the invincible master himself,” Yamcha said, shaking both their hands.

”Me too,” Goku stated.

”I’ll do my best,” Ichigo nodded.

”In the meantime we’ll have to come visit you,” Bulma stated before turning to Ichigo, “I’ll make sure to bring you a brand new shirt.”

”Don’t worry about it, Bulma,” Ichigo stated, waving off the bluenettes concern, “it’s sweet of you though.”

”Kinto-un!” Goku called to the sky.

Both kids jumped onto the flying cloud, giving a wave to their friends. Oolong gave them a hefty one, which was a little surprising. Ichigo guessed that his wish had made him incredibly happy, she looked to the side in thought. Why underwear? She just didn’t get it. She doubted she’d ever understand men. Those thoughts were gone from her mind when they took off into the sky at a speed they hadn’t gone in quite a while.

”There’s a lot of nice people out there!” Goku stated grinning back at Ichigo. “This is gonna be fun!”

“Yeah,” she quietly agreed.

He urged the cloud to go faster and she let out a laugh the same time he did. It was going to be another fun adventure with him. She just knew it. She looked at the green below them and knew one thing. She would always be happy to go on an adventure if it was with Goku.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Age 749, September 10th

“It’s been a while since we’ve been this way,” Ichigo commented as she looked at the familiar mountains.

”I should bring my stuff with us if we’re going to be staying with master Roshi,” Goku stated and she nodded her agreement, “I’m getting hungry, I hope he has some food.”

Ichigo’s stomach growled, showing she agreed with him. She remained on Kinto-un as he grabbed his things and slowly brought them out. It was strange, feeling the gold cloud stretch itself out a little more to try and fit everything on it. She was handed a purple bag and she tightly held it, she was being entrusted with his belongings. She would make sure to keep it safe. He jumped back on the cloud and they took off again. It certainly was a faster way to travel than by vehicle. They had most likely beat Bulma to where they had wanted to go. She supposed that was the perks of a magic cloud. No gas. She looked down as they passed over the ocean and waved at a couple of dolphins. She got a few cheery waves in response.

”There it is!” Goku stated as the pink house came into view.

”That was quick,” Ichigo commented as Kinto-un came to a halt.

She made a strange sound as Goku picked up his things, while she was leaning against his futon. She was stuck on top as he carried it over his head. He looked up with a grin and she couldn’t help but smile back. He was certainly in a good mood. Good.

“Hey, old timer, it’s us!” Goku called as he walked towards the house. “Don’t tell me he’s out.”

”Maybe he’s in the restroom?” Ichigo suggested as he placed his things down. “He’s got a window open, let’s go look inside.”

She got off his things and they both looked through the window. He was watching a strange video. He was really close to the TV, far too close. Ichigo wondered if it was bad for his eyes. It had to be. He let out a strange laugh, a cackle of sorts that he only seemed to get around girls like Bulma. Ichigo found herself not wanting to grow up to look like one of them.

“Hey hermit!” Well, Goku’s shout startled two people for the price of one.

“It’s only you two,” Roshi muttered in relief before frowning, “don’t scare me like that.”

”We came to train,” Goku reminded him as Ichigo put her hands into her sleeves, a usual stance for her.

”Just give me a minute,” Roshi stated, waving them off.

“We’re hungry, are we allowed to eat your food?” Ichigo asked.

”The fridge is right over there, go help yourselves,” Roshi muttered as he pointed towards the fridge in question.

”Let’s go make something to eat, think you can wait long enough?” Ichigo asked her friend and his eyes grew wide.

”You can cook?” He was a little surprised by that.

“I can make simple dishes, any from the village can,” she admitted, “bear with me for a couple minutes.”

Goku sat on the ground and watched as she rummaged about in the pantry. She found rice and a pot. She’d have to make things the old fashioned way, she gave a mental nod to herself and started to cook the rice on the stove. He tilted his head as she moved into the fridge and sent it a look. It was different from the ice boxes that she was used to. The seals that kept them powered were missing, but it worked the same. Ichigo pulled out some kewpie mayo. She tilted her head in thought and began to look through the pantry for some type of tuna. She found some canned fish and pulled it down. She smiled a little, excellent it was exactly what she needed. She checked the rice as she put everything she needed together. Tuna Onigiri had been a staple of field food, one that she had been really good at making. It should, hopefully knowing how Goku ate, fill them up.

“Woah, these look good,” Goku stated as she finished making the onigiri with practised moves.

“I hope you enjoy,” Ichigo smiled, grabbing two for herself and Roshi, and giving Goku the remaining ten, “let me know if there’s anything else I can make.”

She placed the small plate with the two onigiri on it next to Roshi. He would eat it if he was hungry, if not then Goku would make sure it got eaten. She had faith that nothing she made would ever go to waste if he was around. His stomach was like a storage scroll.

“Why are you two even here?” Roshi asked as he slowly nibbled on the food that Ichigo had made.

”The dragon ball hunt’s over for now, so we came for training,” Goku informed him as he finished his last onigiri, “you promised you would.”

”We even brought futon’s with us,” Ichigo added and Roshi’s brows raised in reply.

”Where’s that ‘puff’ ‘puff’ girl of yours?”Roshi questioned and Ichigo tilted her head in confusion.

What did he mean by ‘puff puff’? She got the feeling she would eventually find out, and she wouldn’t be happy by the meaning behind it. She could just tell. Goku informed him that Bulma had gone back to the city and Roshi grabbed a can of alcohol from the fridge before sitting down with a sigh.

”My training is awfully tough, y’know,” Roshi informed them.

”It doesn’t matter, I want to be more powerful than you, that’s all!” Goku exclaimed.

”I’m also interested in getting stronger,” Ichigo admitted.

”All right, but my training doesn’t come free,” Roshi stated, cackling a little, “bring me another little hotty, then you’ll get all the training you can take.”

”What do you want with another potty?” Goku asked him, mishearing him.

“A chick, a girl, a babe!” Roshi corrected. “A hotty!”

“So, I bring you one of those and you’ll train us, right?” Goku asked.

”Yes!” Roshi exclaimed.

”That’ll be easy,” Goku claimed and he rushed outside.

”Woah, woah, hold your horses,” Roshi stated and Goku paused midstep, “just to make absolutely sure, do you really know what a ‘hotty’ is?”

”One of those ones with no wee-wee’s who’s always worrying about how they look, right?” Goku asked as he jumped onto the kinto-un.

“Well…yes,” Rōshi confirmed, putting a hand on Ichigo’s shoulder and making her narrow her eyes for a few seconds, “but even those wonderful features aren’t everything you know. She’s gotta have spunk and charm, and of course busty is always best.”

“This is getting complicated, what’s busty is best mean?” Goku asked, frowning a little.

“I think we’d better start at the beginning,” Roshi stated.

He took a deep breath before delving into his explanation. Ichigo looked towards the sea as she tuned it out. She wouldn’t be going with Goku, no her opinions would be biased and ring untrue with Rōshi. She eyed the old martial arts master in thought. Why did he agree to train her? It didn’t make any sense. Her shoulders slumped a bit at that thought, she just couldn’t figure it out.

“Okay then, you got it! Goku stated and she glanced at him with a slight smile.

”I’m counting on you,” Roshi said before noticing something, “didn’t out have a tail?”

”I did, but I don’t know where it went,” Goku answered before plopping down on the Kinto-un, “I’ll get going!”

”Good luck, Goku!” Ichigo called as he sped off.

“He’s one strange kid,” Roshi muttered before turning towards the remaining child, “you’re one of those from the ninja clans?”

”I was,” Ichigo confirmed, knowing it was best to be truthful with him, “will there be a problem?”

”You’ll be ahead of Goku when it comes to discipline,” he stated as he put his hands into his sleeves, “that and your spiritual awareness.”

”That’s why you agreed,” Ichigo muttered in thought before sighing, “is there something you want me to do, Roshi-shishou?”

“Meditate until your friend gets back,” he instructed and she gave him a sharp look before taking her usual position near the ocean waves.

He waited until he was sure she was completely focused on her senses before rushing back inside to change into something more formal. Turtle hobbled across the sand before settling down near the small ninja. He would keep an eye on the girl until Roshi came back out. He slowly reached out with his head and grabbed a floating flower from the water. He placed it on the girl's head and smiled slightly before relaxing. He couldn’t help but be fond of the ninja, she had wanted to help him without any stipulations. Even if she didn’t want a reward for her help, she would have his friendship. They sat like that for a good hour before she opened her eyes and looked towards the sky.

“Goku’s returning,” Ichigo stated as she slowly got to her feet, brushing off her black pants.

”I got one!” Goku called as they came in fast.

The woman was tall, and quite the bodybuilder. Ichigo looked up at her in awe and she gained a light pink dusting to her cheeks. It was interesting that the two kids looked at her with such inspiration while others gave her dirty looks. The little boy even said she had spunk! She just about hit the old man when he blanched and had the kid take her back. She could only hope that man didn’t ruin those two.

“Your inability to judge women is appalling,” Roshi informed Goku as he had the two sit at the table with him.

“Really?” Goku asked.

”Here, let’s do a test,” Roshi stated as he brought out two pictures of women who were complete opposites, “tell me who’s the hotty!”

”I think they’re both beautiful,” Ichigo stated as she looked at them he made a face at her and she tilted her head in confusion.

“You’re just as bad as he is,” Roshi informed her and she pouted just the slightest.

He found that ironic seeing as she was going to be quite the looker when she was older. He had seen one of her clan’s women a long time ago and she had been absolutely beautiful.  Goku laid his chin on the table as he looked between the photos. He had to agree with Ichigo, they were both pretty.

“Are you missing some chromosomes?” Roshi muttered as he looked at Goku before sighing and pointing at the photo of the model, “Bring me a chick like this, understand? This!”

“I don’t get it, but if I find someone that looks like that, we got a deal, right?” Goku asked and Roshi rapidly nodded. “Okay then, this is it!”

“I have a bad feeling about this,” Roshi stated as Goku took off once again.

“You shouldn’t,” Ichigo informed him in a dry tone, “have faith in him.”

”You have a lot of faith in your friend,” Roshi said and she shrugged.

He watched as the ninja headed off to do some training of her own. She looked at the water surrounding his home and stepped onto the water. He dropped his walking stick in surprise as she walked around it and searched for something beneath the surface. Well, he supposed that counted as training for her. It didn’t take long for Goku to come back and he dreaded seeing who he had brought this time.

“Welcome back!” Ichigo greeted her friend from the water and he happily waved in response.

The woman he had found let out a soft giggle at the two of them. They were adorable, even if she was confused as to why the boy had grabbed her out of the water. The girl came running and stopped in front of the gold cloud and looked up at her in surprise. Roshi called over Goku as he saw the beautiful woman on the cloud. Ichigo was left with the woman, studying her a little.

”You’re a mermaid?” Ichigo asked in surprise as she noted the different feel to her Ki.

“You’re a smart kid,” The woman kindly stated before tilting her head, “you are different from your friend and any other human I’ve met.”

”Huh…” Ichigo softly said, “I don’t know anything other than the village…I’m sorry.”

”Don’t be,” The woman shook her head before glancing at her returning friend, “the shells you’re looking for will be in the deeper parts of the water, that way.”

Ichigo shot her a thankful look before heading in the direction the woman was pointing. She seemingly skipped along the water’s surface and started her search again. She found some oyster shells, she could cook them to make duan mu li to help with any dizziness they got while training! She smiled as she found some cockle shells, more calcium heavy shells that would help with phlegm. Wa leng zi wasn’t very hard for her to make. She put the shells in one of her pouches and blinked when a small hand held out another shell to her, a conch of all things. She accepted it with a smile and bowed in respect to the mermaid before she fully swam away. Roshi must’ve said something to scare her away. She returned to the two and took her place by Goku.

”Now, lad, bring me a hotty once more and this time one who isn’t sushi on the bottom,” Roshi requested and Ichigo sent him a look.

”Again?” Goku asked in disbelief.

“My training is tough,” Roshi stated, putting his hands behind his back.

”Someone’s heading our way,” Ichigo stated as she blinked and looked in that direction, “he’s not very strong, but he’s very noticeable compared to the sea life.”

The boat the person was travelling in came to a stop and they jumped from it. It was an impressive jump, but the landing had been horrible. His face planted into the sand and she gave a slight wince. Back when she was learning tree walking she had seen several of her fellow genin in the same position.

“Let’s pull him out,” Ichigo quietly said to Goku and he nodded his agreement.

They each grabbed a leg and pulled, freeing the person out with a pop of all things. The person was a boy around her age, with no hair. She watched as the sun reflected off the boy’s head and noted that it had been an incredibly clean shave. Perhaps he was a monk? She wasn’t too sure.

“You are the muten Roshi?” The boy asked, “The invincible old master?”

”None other,” Roshi confirmed.

”I have traveled from the distant village of the east, I am called Kuririn,” the boy stated, “my only wish is to train under you Muten-Roshi!”

”Well, isn’t that nice,” Roshi stated, “too bad, I so rarely take disciples. Enjoy your trip home.”

”Then please take this token of my admiration,” Kuririn said as he held a magazine out to the old man.

”Perhaps I have been too hasty.”

He muttered some more to himself as he flipped through the magazine. Ichigo sighed a little as Kuririn looked at the two. He sent Goku a skeptical look before glancing her way. His eyes widened just the slightest and a slight blush appeared on his face. She was pretty.

“And are you a disciple?” Kuririn asked them.

”That’s right, I’m Son Goku,” Goku introduced himself.

”I’m Ichigo,” Ichigo said, bowing her head a little.

“I see…” Kuririn stated as he looked away from her, “you two don’t look like you have the stomach for it.”

”Oh, I have a big stomach,” Goku stated.

”I think he means that we look like we lack courage and determination,” Ichigo stated and he tilted his head in thought, “he’s wrong about that.”

”It was merely an attempt at wit,” Kuririn stated.

”You’re funny,” Goku laughed, “your head looks like a pachinko ball!”

Ichigo laughed a little and Kuririn turned a bright red as he glared at the other boy. He had only shaved his head to unfetter his ki! Ichigo didn’t even know that Goku knew what Pachinko was, she was pleasantly surprised. She stopped laughing after a few seconds and regained her composure. She put her hands into her sleeves and turned her attention towards the waves as they gently crashed against the shore. Turtle had taken to napping under a tree and she smiled a little at the sight.

”Oh, Roshi-shishou is just bald,” Ichigo stated, and Kuririn made a face.

“To receive the gift of my training you must bring me one thing, one true hotty, but do you think you know my tastes?” Roshi asked and Kuririn pulled him down to whisper in his ear, “So there is hope for this young generation.”

”The master flatters his humble servant,” Kuririn stated.

“All right, get out there with Goku on his kinto-un and find me one!” Roshi ordered.

”You can ride a cloud?” Kuririn asked as Goku jumped onto the gold cloud.

”It’s really fun!” Goku stated.

”He’s right,” Ichigo agreed, “good luck you two!”

Kuririn leapt into the air and promptly fell through Kinto-un. Ichigo blinked a little at the sight. She’d only seen people like Bulma and Roshi fall through it, so how was it someone her age couldn’t ride it? She didn’t get it. Kuririn quickly got to his feet and looked at the gold cloud in disbelief.

”Looks like you came to train for impure motives,” Roshi stated, his hands behind his back.

“No way!” Kuririn exclaimed, “I just want to be a really great fighter and get more popular with the girls!”

”And that’s not impure to you?” Roshi and Ichigo asked in unison.

Ichigo blanched a little at that fact. She gave a soft cough as Kuririn had to hang onto Goku so they could go find Roshi a woman. She scratched at her cheek in thought before glancing at Turtle. A nap sounded heavenly at the moment.

”All good martial artists take naps,” Roshi informed her, making her jump a little in surprise, “go on, shoo.”

Ichigo made a face at being shooed but went to lay against Turtle in the sun. She plopped down on the ground and slowly got comfortable as she leaned against the hard shell. Her eyes slowly closed and she soon fell into a somewhat deep sleep. All that adventuring had caught up with her, but she wouldn’t trade that time with her friends for anything. Her dreams were still confusing, the white haired woman that made a wish that she wasn’t sure of was haunting her. She missed Kinto-un speeding through the air and the three occupants jumping off it. A woman with dark blue hair looked around the island in confusion before smiling at everything. Her smile seemed to grow at the sight of the sleeping ninja.

“Oh, Ichigo’s asleep,” Goku stated as he saw his best friend in the distance, “she does that a lot.”

“Maybe she’s a night person,” Kuririn stated with a slight shrug before smiling at the woman they had brought to the island, “do you like it here?”

”It looks cozy,” the woman confirmed.

“Hey old man! We brought you that Hotty thing!” Goku called into the house, he tilted his head as a minute passed without a reply. “What’s going on, there’s no answer…”

”Perhaps the venerable master is indisposed,” Kuririn suggested.

”Huh, what’s indisposed?” Goku asked.

”You know, in the washroom,” Kuririn answered.

”Oh, you mean he might be takin’ a dump!” Goku stated and Kuririn blanched at how blunt he was. “I’ll go tell him to get off the pot!”

He rushed into the home as Kuririn rubbed the back of his clean shaven head. How did he get stuck with such a weirdo? He gave a quick glance towards Ichigo and felt his ears burn a little, well it wasn’t all that bad. He turned towards the woman and gave a pleasant smile.

“Please forget my fellow disciple, he’s quite poorly educated,” Kuririn stated as he gave a sheepish laugh.

”But, why did you two bring me here?” The woman asked. “Is there something I can do?”

”Oh, no I mean it’s not that, we just want you that’s all,” Kuririn said, “its just us guys and a little female companionship would be great.”

”Oh in that case, this could help me too,” The woman cheerfully stated, “you see I’m being pursued.”

”By those men dressed up as police?” Kuririn asked. “Who were they really?”

”The police.”

”Huh?”

Ichigo roused herself from her nap and rubbed at her eyes as she sat up. She got to her feet and slowly shuffled towards the house. Kuririn saw her coming and slowly looked at her for help. He wasn’t sure if the woman he was talking to was telling the truth or not. The ninja stopped next to the woman in question and looked at her in surprise. So, they did find a woman that Roshi would like.

”It’s nice to meet you, miss,” Ichigo greeted with a small bow.

”You as well,” the woman cheerfully said, “what’s your name?”

”Ichigo, miss,” Ichigo introduced.

”I’m Launch,” the woman stated.

”How’d you end up with so much money?” Kuririn asked as he noted her bag, “are you an heiress?”

”No, I most likely held up a bank or train again,” Launch answered and Ichigo paused, she was telling the truth, “you see, when I sneeze I change personalities.”

”Huh,” Ichigo quietly muttered, surprised that such a thing could happen.

”WHOOHOO!” Roshi exclaimed, startling all of them and having a senbon embed itself in the wood above his head. “M’boys you’ve done it!”

”So she’s okay?” Goku asked as Launch regained her composure and blinked in confusion.

“What do you think?” Kuririn asked the kame sennin. “Her face is a little-girly, but the rest of her…heh heh.”

”I hereby accept you both as my other disciples,” Roshi stated before he headed out to greet Launch, “welcome my dear, to my humble abode.”

”Thank you so much, my name is Launch and I was rescued by your grandsons!” Launch chirped.

”My grandsons?” Roshi asked as Goku started to climb one of the pillars keeping the small awning up in front of his doorway.

”Yes, I’m eternally grateful,” Launch smiled.

”I should inform you that they’re not my grandchildren, but my little siblings,” Roshi stated.

”Roshi-shishou I don’t know who you think you’re fooling,” Ichigo sighed and the old man flinched a little at her disbelief.

“Just a little joke,” Roshi claimed as Launch gave a weak chuckle, “in fact I am the Muten-Roshi, and I am teaching them Budo.”

”Oh, martial arts, no wonder they’re so strong,” Launch realized.

“My training has come in handy already, eh?” Roshi asked.

”But we haven’t gotten any training from him,” Goku muttered and Ichigo nodded her agreement.

”Miss Launch if you’re free would you like to join me in a bath-….no I mean join us on our island for a time?” Roshi asked.

”If it won’t be too much trouble, I’d love to!” Launch agreed.

”Don’t be silly, you can stay here forever as far as I’m concerned!” Roshi exclaimed before he started to dance around. “How about I teach you some martial arts too, Honey?”

”Gosh it sounds like fun, but your training must be so rigorous,” Launch stated.

“Oh, no, I’m not suggesting you try the advanced course, just a little recreational training for the health of your body and soul,” Roshi lied.

”This is an opportunity you can’t pass up,” Kuririn informed her, “there isn’t a martial artist in the worl who wouldn’t kill to be trained by the number one Master Muten-Roshi.”

”I didn’t realize you were such a celebrity!” Launch exclaimed.

”Let’s get started training!” Goku exclaimed.

”Okay, time’s a wastin, get into this uniform!” Roshi ordered.

Launch was about to change right in the open and Ichigo stopped her with a slight tug to her shorts. The ninja motioned towards the house and the woman gave a soft laugh before grabbing the white box that Roshi had given her. She made sure that the girl came with her as well, a box under her own arm. Ichigo and Launch went up the stairs into a spare room to change into. Ichigo had removed her suit jacket, and silk shirt leaving her in a small undershirt that showed the brand on her back, and glanced at the contents of the box. It was black, with bright pink frills and lace. It didn’t read, nor look, like a uniform. Her eyes narrowed at the sight of it and she closed the box immediately. Launch, however, had already changed into it when the strangest thing happened. She sneezed, and her hair turned blonde. The blonde Launch looked at the clothes she was wearing and sneered at them.

”Didja do this to me?” She asked Ichigo.

”No, miss,” Ichigo denied with a shake of her head, and the blonde seemingly softened a little at her answer.

”Tch, it’s always the men, don’t let ‘em ever do such a thing to you,” Launch informed her as she ruffled the short white hair before heading out with a machine gun.

Ichigo heard the sound of it going off and hurried down the stairs to see the men on the ground with wounds covering them. She heard Launch sneeze and she let out a soft sound of surprise. The woman was back to normal again, she wondered which version of Launch was the real one. Things to ponder at a later time, she supposed. She knelt by Goku and he let out a groan of sorts. He looked her way as she slowly checked his wounds before pulling out a shirt to use as makeshift bandages. She would have to do something to get more.

”Are you okay?” She asked him as she brought out her usual pastes to help speed up the recovery of his wounds.

”I’ll be just fine,” Goku said with a smile, and she gave him one in return before bandaging up his head.

”Man, why don’t we get treatment like that?” Kuririn quietly groaned to Roshi.

”Those two have a bond that’s difficult to explain,” Roshi answered as Ichigo finished with Goku before moving towards them.

”Can I help?” Launch asked the small girl.

”Oh, can you help me tear up this shirt?” Ichigo asked as she motioned towards the shirt she’d been using for bandages. “I don’t have anymore bandages so I have to make due with this.”

”Of course,” Launch readily agreed, she sat on her knees and started to tear the shirt as Ichigo worked on the remaining two.

A few hours passed and soon everyone was outside the house, waiting for Roshi to capsule it. Ichigo had put her jacket back on and watched as the small pink house vanished from sight with a quaint pop. Goku rubbed the back of his head in thought. He didn’t think the Kinto-un could carry all of them.

“How are we going to get to the island? I don’t think the Kinto-un can carry all of us,” Goku stated.

“Never fear, I have a boat,” Roshi informed him as he brought out the capsule for it.

Ichigo liked cloud travel a bit better, even if Goku didn’t seem to mind that she was watching where they were going by parting his hair and looking over his head. Launch was given the polite request of not sneezing, a rather reasonable one in her opinion, and looked around the sea with a happy expression. She would turn to check on the children every so often and noted that Ichigo and Goku were pointing out different items to one another while Kuririn looked at the two in disbelief. A bond huh?

The trip to the new island had taken less time than one would expect and soon Goku and Ichigo were looking around it on top of Kinto-un, well hovering in the air to examine what was around them as Roshi uncapsuled his home. Ichigo noted that there was a path that went through the entire island and was starting to get the feeling that they would be using it. She hummed to herself in thought and Goku glanced back before tilting his head.

”I think our training is going to be interesting,” Ichigo stated with a smile, “you ready?”

Goku’s responding grin was all the answer she needed. He lowered the cloud and they both hopped off and gave a few stretches. Ichigo left her tanto and pouches at the house and welcomed the lack of weight on her body.She could move a lot faster than she had to begin with. Launch elected to stay back and cook dinner, Ichigo had never seen the boys move so fast as when she yawned. The ninja gained an amused expression as she looked at their fearful expressions.

”Okay, who here has knowledge of the martial arts?” Roshi asked.

”I trained at Orin temple for eight years,” Kuririn stated.

”I was trained by the village for eight years as well,” Ichigo said.

”So all of you should have a grasp of the fundamentals at least, let’s see what you’ve got,” Roshi said as he pointed towards a tree in the distance, “it is precisely one hundred meters from this boulder to that tree over there, how many seconds will you take to run it? Not that a fast runner automatically makes a good martial artist, but it’s never a bad thing to have strong legs.”

”Let me go first, you’ll see legs good enough to qualify for the olympics if I wanted,” Kuririn boasted and Ichigo shared a look with Goku.

They both moved to the side and sat in the grass. Ichigo noted some flowers nearby and slowly began to chain them together, making a crown she was going to give to Launch. Something about the dual personality having woman made her want to. She stuck her tongue out a little as she carefully weaved them. She looked up as Kuririn began to run and noted one thing. The village training had to be harder than Orin temples, because his speed was laughable to someone from the village. She felt bad for thinking it, but at the same time knew it was a fact. Ten point four seconds had been her time when she was four.

“Can I go now?” Goku asked and Roshi nodded.

Ichigo fully paused as she watched him run, and she narrowed her eyes. He needed new shoes, she could see his toes as the tops of them flapped. He looked down as he ran and she knew he had noticed as well. Eleven seconds didn’t sound right, he was a lot faster than that. He could somewhat keep up with her when they both ran. Roshi couldn’t help but be a little disappointed by Goku’s time. He thought it would be better.

“Can I change my shoes and try again?” Goku asked,

”Do these look like running shoes to you?” Kuririn asked as he motioned towards his own.

”Mine are busted,” Goku stated as he wiggled his toes and showed that they were.

Roshi permitted the shoe change and soon Goku was jumping around with a grin. That felt a lot better. He nodded to Roshi as he got into his sprinting stance. The timer was started and his time of eight point five seconds sounded better. Ichigo gently placed her finished crown on the ground and dusted her pants off as Kuririn looked at Goku in disbelief. She got ready to sprint, stretching her legs a little before dropping into a prepared stance.

”Are you ready?” Roshi asked and she nodded.

He started the timer and Kuririn almost fainted in disbelief. She was faster than Goku, seemingly vanish before reappearing before Roshi. What village had she come from?! For her to get a five point eight second sprint. Ichigo gave a small smile as Goku gave her a surprised look. She had been holding out in their races. He wasn’t even upset about that, but she wondered why she did.

“Now…why don’t I go,” Roshi stated as he handed the timer to Ichigo, “I will allow you to do the honor.”

Ichigo nodded and waited for him to take off his shell and get into position. She raised a hand to show that she was ready for him and brought it down for him to go. His was faster than her’s and she looked at the time on the timer. Four seconds, he had to be trying to show off for them. Kuririn looked at the time with wide eyes and sweat going down his face.

”Not bad for an old codger,” Roshi stated as he pulled his shell back on, “my training is designed to break the human wall, with your ages you should all be able to break five seconds flat.”

”Old man, you’re amazing!” Goku exclaimed.

”All that running’s got me thirsty, Goku, can you get me a beer?” Roshi asked.

”Beer, what’s a beer?” Goku asked.

”The village only had sake and rice wine,” Ichigo said with a slight shrug.

“I’ll go get it,” Kuririn offered before heading back to the house.

“I believe we will need to work on the knowledge area,” Roshi commented to Goku and Ichigo, “you both seem to lack common knowledge, though have areas of expertise.”

All talk stopped when Kuririn went racing past them with a blonde Launch hot on his heels. Ichigo stopped the woman and held out her flower crown to her. Launch froze for a few seconds before accepting it with a slight frown on her face before she went back to chasing Kuririn. Roshi knew one thing, at least they had one person that could easily deal with the blonde version of their new houseguest.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Age 749, September 10th

“The sun has begun to set and at home a delicious evening meal awaits,” Roshi stated as he looked at the three children before him, “the real training will begin in earnest tomorrow, so before we adjourn for the night, I will test you one more time.:

”Are we going to run again?” Goku asked.

”There may be a foot race, but that will not be all,” Roshi confirmed before he picked up a rock and drew the character for turtle on it, “look closely at this rock…have you examined it?”

“What are you going to do with it?” Goku asked as Roshi stepped back and pulled his arm back.

”I’m going to do this!” Roshi stated before throwing the rock.

Ichigo watched it fly through the air in disbelief. She brought a hand up to block the light from the setting sun as she watched it fall into the canopy of trees. She really hoped that he wasn’t going to make them try and find it. If so, then it could take all night. Sensing Ki only worked if he had used some while throwing it, and he hadn’t. So, her one talent was out of the question.

“Is this a test to see how far we can throw the rock?” Goku asked and Kuririn turned towards Roshi.

”I don’t get your training, old timer,” Kuririn informed him.

”It’s a rock finding test,” Roshi answered them with a slight shake of his head.

”You mean that rock you just threw?” Kuririn asked.

”Don’t flatter yourselves that retrieving an object is beneath you, it requires a lot of mental power and concentration, not to mention that it will bring a hardy constitution and plenty of stamina,” Roshi informed them before putting his hands behind his back with a slight cackle, “the one who brings that rock back to me is the winner, and only the winner gets dinner!”

Huh!?” The three children asked, showing an odd unity among them.

”Not only that, but if none of you have found it after thirty minutes no one gets to eat!” Roshi informed them and the three scattered. “I wonder which of you will find it…”

Ichigo looked at the cliff as the two boys hesitated. She was used to such heights and quickly jumped down. Kuririn let out a sound of concern before watching as she hit the rocks with a foot and seemed to stick as she used her falling momentum to gain some speed as she ran down the cliff side. Goku quickly followed suit and caught himself with a branch as he jumped, he hit the ground the same time that Ichigo had.

”I need to find it for dinner!” Goku exclaimed and Ichigo gained a fond smile. “Heeereee rockie, rockie, rockie!”

”Well…I suppose something would work,” Ichigo softly muttered before jumping into the trees and traveling by jumping through them.

”Hey, Ichigo!” Goku called and she stopped midjump and she fell to the ground, landing on her feet with a curious look. “Can you sense the rock?”

”Sorry, Goku,” Ichigo apologized and his shoulders slumped a little, “he threw the rock without using any Ki so there’s no residue for me to pick up on. I would if I could.”

”I can kind of smell him, so it has to be close,” Goku admitted.

”And if I was able to sense it, it would be a confirmation we were heading in the right direction,” Ichigo understood, her shoulders than slumped, “but only one person can have dinner…I’d rather it be you, I’ve survived without food for a couple of days before I’d be fine.”

Anyone else would’ve been worried upon hearing those words, but Goku knew there was a reason why. If she wanted to tell him then she would. She moved through the jungle with an ease that showed she wasn’t really afraid of much. She pushed a few branches of a tree out of the way and he quickly took the lead. Two pairs of eyes was better than one after all. He found the rock, hidden beneath some leaves. He let out a happy laugh and held it up for Ichigo to see. She wasn’t upset that he found it, she was hoping that he would. Kuririn came running and she gave him a quick glance through her lashes. He seemed harried as he broke through the surrounding trees and tried to catch his breath. He made a strange sound when he noticed that Goku was holding the rock.

”How!?” Kuririn asked.

”It smells like the old man,” Goku answered and Ichigo really wondered how strong his nose was.

”What does Roshi-Shishou smell like?” Ichigo asked.

”The sea.”

Well, she supposed that did make sense. She made a face as Kuririn tricked Goku into handing the rock over. Her expression slowly turned into a frown as they both took off after the sprinting boy. Goku was keeping up with her, and she gathered that the loss of dinner was a great motivator. She let out a worried sound when Kuririn destroyed a wooden suspension bridge with Goku still on it. Her worry vanished when the Kinto-un came racing towards them.  She blinked when Goku paused in front of her.

“C’mon!” Goku said and she quickly jumped onto the golden cloud and welcomed the quick passage over the ravine.

They kept the chase up until Kuririn decided to fight. He spun on his heel and brought an arm up as Goku slid into a form. Ichigo reached for her senbon and noted they were gone. She paused for a few seconds before narrowing her eyes. It had to have been Roshi, it couldn’t have been anyone else. She heard the sounds of fists hitting flesh and felt some sweat going down the side of her face. Well, Kuririn certainly wasn’t a slacker when it came to the basics. She watched as he dodged Goku’s attacks to the best of his abilities until Goku got the upper hand and knocked him to the ground.

“Say uncle!” Goku pressed Kuririn as he held his foot over the other boy’s stomach.

”Uncle! Uncle!’ Kuririn exclaimed and Ichigo stepped forward to offer a hand up.

Kuririn stared at the small hand for a few seconds, noting that her hands were feminine like Launch’s, before accepting the help. She helped him to his feet with surprising strength.  She didn’t look like she would be that strong! She stood back and gave him a sharp look.

“Give me back the rock,” Goku demanded.

”What a fighter, someday I’m gonna find out where you got trained!” Kuririn stated before throwing the rock.

“Hey!” Ichigo and Goku exclaimed, Goku went after it as Ichigo stayed behind.

“Now give up the real one,” Ichigo demanded, “and not the counterfeit you just threw.”

Kuririn took off in response and she gave chase. He knew one thing, she was scarier than Goku when it came to pursuit. Her steps were silent and she angled her body just right that she seemed to glide like a blade, and he was sure that she owned a blade too. He let out a scared sound as she rapidly caught up to him. He was only saved by Roshi holding up a hand.

”The rock, esteemed master,” Kuririn stated as he held out the rock and quickly handed it over before Ichigo could say anything.

“No question, this time it is the rock I threw, this match goes to you, Kuririn,” Roshi commended and Ichigo glared at the other boy while he gulped.

A pretty girl, with a terrifying glare. He went inside while Ichigo went to find Goku to bring him back. She closed her eyes for a few seconds to sense for her best friend and found him looking for the rock near a small river. He had a concentrated frown on his face and looked up as she slowly headed towards him. She had a frown of her own, an unhappiness that was unusual on her face.

”Kuririn already turned in the rock before I could stop him,” Ichigo admitted before bowing in apology, “I’m sorry.”

“It’s not your fault,” Goku waved off her apology as they both trudged their way back to the Kame house.

It wasn’t Ichigo’s first time being stuck standing and watching while others ate while she went hungry. She had hoped that it was behind her thought. She supposed that martial arts masters were all the same in the end. She just felt bad for Goku, he wasn’t used to this. He was always able to go and get his own food, save for when they were travelling around and looking for the dragon balls. She stood at attention, her gaze straight ahead. She wasn’t going to allow anything to show on her face. As she was taught. The two went to bed hungry, which was better than what happened to the others. Fugu wasn’t a dish that Launch could properly prepare, but the good side was that they only got food poisoning and not death.

Age 749, September 13th

It was four thirty in the morning, Roshi was heading up the stairs and Kuririn was getting ready for the day. He opened the door to the room that his remaining students, and Launch, were staying in and blanched a little. Goku and Ichigo were pretty much right on top of one another, with Goku holding onto Ichigo by her forearm and she held onto him by his leg with her own. He scratched his bald head and tilted it a little. Launch had an arm around Ichigo and a frown on her face. He paused, a frown? He noted the blonde hair and let out a strange sound. He needed to wake the two kids up without waking Launch up! He looked around for something and found a nearby broom. He reached with it, and prodded Goku in the face with it. Goku was far enough away from Launch that he was the safest option. Goku smacked at the broom before pulling Ichigo closer and frowning in his sleep. Ichigo woke up and looked around in confusion as the broom tapped Goku in the face again. This time waking him up. Goku blinked for a few seconds before glancing to the side. Ichigo gave him a small smile in greeting and he grinned in response.

”Mornin’,” Goku greeted and he looked past her to see Roshi, “mornin’ teacher!’

Launch sat up, dragging Ichigo with her, and slowly looked around with her frown growing. She ran a hand through the short white hair of the girl she had a hold of and glared around. Ichigo wondered when the damn was going to break with Launch, when the woman was going to get mad at the two males.

“Mornin’,” Goku greeted Launch and the woman slowly looked his way.

”How dare you sleep with us girls!” Launch growled at him.

”Can’t be helped, there aren’t enough futons to go around,” Goku explained, “besides, Ichigo and I have shared a bed before.”

”Please don’t hurt my best friend, Miss Launch,” Ichigo quietly asked and the blonde paused for a few seconds, “Goku wouldn’t do anything to anyone, he’s equal rights and equal fights.”

“…Fine, just ‘cause you vouched for him,” Launch reluctantly agreed before letting the kid go, “you two head out, I’m gettin’ more sleep.”

Goku and Ichigo wisely headed out of the room with their clothes under their arms, Ichigo paused for a few seconds and began to drag Roshi out of the room. He waited for the two to change so he could start the group's training. Ichigo was a little surprising as she came out in a tank top with bandages wrapped around her torso to hide the brand on her back. She refused to have people look at the dragon, to know what she was. They headed outside and she closed her eyes at the nice sea breeze. It was so nice.

”Okay, today will begin your education in the Kame-sen school bujutsu, but first let me say a few words about martial arts,” Roshi stated, and Ichigo wondered about the ‘school of the turtle master’ but simply shook those thoughts off, “one does not study martial arts in order to win a fight, or to woo girls! One masters the martial arts for health in the mind, and body, for the ability to live one’s life as courageously, uniquely, and energetically as one wishes!

”But! If there are any who seek to terrorize you, or any other decent people with undeserved power, you must defeat such enemies with one mighty blast! Do you understand!?”

”Not a word,” Goku admitted and he turned towards Ichigo.

”Train hard and protect those in danger,” Ichigo translated what she got out of it and he made a sound of understanding.

Goku was so simple, went through the minds of Roshi and Kuririn. Kuririn looked to the side, at least the information that Ichigo took from Roshi’s words had made some sense to him. He glanced at the two friends and stood up straighter. He wasn’t going to allow the two of them to show him up. He would work hard, and show that he had what it took!

“Enough talk!” Roshi ordered them. “Let’s start training! First, some light jogging.”

The light jog allowed them to see more of the beach as they went down that way and towards a road that led towards the small nearby town. Ichigo really wondered the popularity of the capsule houses. She didn’t like the way they looked, missing the village for the traditionally built houses that couldn't be capsuled. Ones that felt more steady. She would like to live in another, even if she had to build it herself.

“Halt!” Roshi ordered as they stopped outside a home that had

Milk

written on the side of it. “Good morning, I’m the Kame-sen’nin that called yesterday.”

”Oh, right!” The cow stated and Ichigo felt her mind scream at her in disbelief. “Thanks so much! Here’s a map of the delivery route.”

”All right you three,” Roshi said after he studied the map a little, “pick up a crate, we’re going to deliver some milk!”

”Deliver milk!?” Kuririn asked in disbelief.

”Yup, it’ll be good exercise,” Roshi confirmed as the three kids went and picked up the milk crates.

”Don’t tell me you plan to do it on foot, I have a helicopter,” the cow pointed out,

”Don’t be silly, if we did that, it wouldn’t be training,” Roshi waved off the cows concern before looking at the three kids, “now, after me. We’ll do the two kilometers to the first house, skipping!”

Ichigo found Roshi’s training to be easy, far easier than the sensei had put her through. She skipped with ease, listening to the glass milk bottles clinking together. It was pleasant sounding, reminding her of wind chimes. She gave a quick glance back and noted that Kuririn was lagging behind, huffing and panting the entire time. He delivered the first bottle and they changed the way they went to the next house. Zig-zagging through the trees along the road. She noted that Goku was starting to slow just the slightest. Even he wasn’t used to such training. She started to wonder if she still had her ki weights in one of her pouches or scrolls. It would help her gain even more muscle. She kept that thought even as she delivered some milk and grabbed the empty bottle.

“Now, up these stairs,” Roshi said, pointing at the long stairway that would mark their end point.

He seemed a little surprised as Ichigo quickly passed him on the stairs. She had a blank expression on her face, ignoring the pain her body was starting to feel. Ichigo wasn’t stupid, she was very aware that she would push herself to get something out of Roshi’s training. She paused at the top of the stairs and turned to wait for the others. Goku was next, sweat going down his face, and he took his usual spot next to her. A monk came out of the small home and gave them a pleasant smile as Kuririn eventually joined them and delivered another bottle. Roshi allowed them a short break, allowing them to regain their breaths.

”My, my, thank you so very much,” the monk thanked them.

”Hiya!” Goku greeted him, getting a wooden staff to the head.

”Hiya, is not a greeting, it’s good morning,” Roshi corrected.

”G-Good morning,” Goku amended, rubbing the top of his head and the monk gave a good natured laugh.

”Training, master Roshi?” The monk asked. “It has been a long time.”

”It has, hasn’t it?” Roshi asked.

”You look hale and healthy, as always,” the monk stated before looking at the three children, “and how are these three coming along in their training?”

”Well, they just started, but I feel they have quite the potential,” Roshi admitted, and the two boys celebrated as Roshi put a hand on Ichigo’s shoulder, “this one has quite the talent when it comes to sensing people and living creatures.”

”Are you an exile?” The monk asked and he watched as the child’s soft features sharpened in response to his question. “Fear not my child, no one here will judge you. Quite a few of your kind have come to call this island home.”

Ichigo gave him an unsure look before nodding just the slightest, showing she understood. She stood back and let the two talk to one another. Tenka’ichi budokai, the strongest under the heavens. She didn’t know if she wanted to enter a tournament in eight months, her hand slightly touched the bandages around her torso. What would happen if it got out what she was, who she had been affiliated with? It wouldn’t end well. People that knew what she was would go after her and say horrible things about her friends and teacher. They didn’t deserve that, she couldn’t think of people that deserved it less.

“Do you think we’ll be good enough to enter?” Kuririn excitedly asked.

”If you train without shirking,” Roshi confirmed and the monk happily laughed at how excited the two boys were, “however, your Gail is not to aim for the title, life just isn’t that easy. I simply feel that if you have such a goal, as entering a great tournament, you will strive that much harder in your training.”

”Just to be able to enter,” Kuririn stated and Goku gained a grin.

”There’s gonna be a lot of strong guy’s, right?” Goku asked.

”Most likely,” Ichigo quietly stated, and Goku noted the tone of her voice.

He’d never heard her sound so unsure of something. A frown was on her face, and he opened his mouth to say something as Roshi took the lead again in their training. The children picked their milk crates up and started to follow him. He took them over a fallen log acting as a bridge across another ravine. Ichigo kept her balance with ease when it came to the tree, but she struggled with the sinking sands. She was tempted to use her Ki to walk across it, yet a glare from Roshi had her rethinking that. Her pace slowed and the two boys easily overtook her lead. She regained it when they went through a stream that ended in a waterfall. But they all held the same speed as they ran away from a dinosaur. Ichigo didn’t recognize it from the scrolls, it had one horn on it’s nose but looked like a tyrannosaurus-rex.  It snapped its jaws at the group and got pretty close to Kuririn. The kids kept it up, delivering the bottles of milk in a timely manner. Even if those receiving the milk looked at the heavily sweating kids that seemed ready to drop from exhaustion. The two boys dropped to the ground as Ichigo stood there with a blank expression. She was ignoring the pain in her legs from their sand walk.

”We’re finally done,” Goku sighed in relief.

”Believe me, this will get much easier as you do it every day for the next eight months,” Roshi informed them, “so, this was your early morning routine, now for your morning routine, I’ll take you there after your break.”

Ichigo was his only student standing. Those ninja had to be made out of some stern stuff. Roshi narrowed his eyes behind his glasses and reached forward with his staff. He gently prodded her with the end of it and she slowly fell back. Her head hit Goku’s stomach and the boy let out a sound of pain.

”Sorry, Goku,” Ichigo apologized, “I can’t feel my legs.”

”Do we even have legs?” Kuririn asked and she would shrug if she could.

“I don’t want them,” Goku stated and Roshi found that all the three needed to get along just fine was a common enemy.

He gave them a fifteen minute break and watched their recovery times. Goku was up first and Ichigo laid there on the ground, slightly missing the cushion that his stomach provided. He stood over her and she looked up at him. He grinned and held out his hand, she accepted the help.  Her legs shook a little and she glanced at them in disbelief, she had done rigorous training before. She shouldn’t be hurting! She thought about it a bit more and her eyes widened a little. Right, it was the use of her Ki…no wonder she was hurting. Once a ninja began to train with Ki they depended on it too much. Kuririn finally got to his feet and Roshi took them further inland. She glanced around at all the farmland and blinked in confusion.

“Morning training consists of plowing these fields,” Roshi informed them before moving to tell one of the farmers.

”I wonder how he wants us to plow them,” Kuririn stated as he looked over the fields.

“I’ve never plowed a field before,” Goku stated and Ichigo nodded her agreement.

”Alright you three, the longer you take the longer breakfast is delayed,” Roshi informed them, “no tools either, this exercise is for your arms and hands, not just your legs. You’ll plow these fields barehanded.”

”With our bare hands?!” Kuririn shouted in disbelief as Goku looked at his hands in thought.

”Yes, now get to it!” Roshi ordered.

A part of him missed the power that came with ordering around pupils. He watched as the three scattered and started to plow the fields with their hands. Ichigo didn’t like this exercise as much. Her hands were important to the ninja arts she had learned. She felt her fingers protesting as she dug them into the ground and split the dirt. She could hear the boys letting out sounds of pain as they also dug into the ground. It took them hours to get them all plowed barehanded.

”What took you three so long,” Roshi commented as his stomach let out a growl, “I’m starving here. You’ll have to go faster tomorrow when the fields start getting bigger!”

He took them to eat and Goku’s appetite surprised the man making them food. He was able to figure out who liked what within seconds. The girl of the group liked fish and rice with simple sauces, while the one boy with dark hair seemed to prefer beef, the little bald one liked chicken, and Master Roshi stuck with soups of all things. He waved the group off after they finished and Roshi took them back to the kame house.

”From now until lunch is study time,” Roshi informed them as he handed them books and small white boards, “no martial artist becomes a master by strengthening the body alone, you must train the mind too!”

”I hate this part,” Goku grumbled as he slumped a little.

”In this part I can’t lose,” Kuririn chuckled.

”But Ichigo is really smart too,” Goku pointed out and Kuririn faltered a little.

”We will begin with a study of the finest literature, Goku, begin reading from page twelve,” Roshi instructed.

”Umm…” Goku started as he looked at the page, “don’t Bob please-“

He didn’t get to finish that sentence as blonde Launch came out of the house and quickly grabbed the book. She set her sights on the old man and shot at him with one of her many guns. He quickly changed tactics and started to have them read

The Tales of Genji

to get some of the classics in. It spoke of love, and reminded Ichigo of another story she had read but couldn’t quite remember the name. They finished the story before lunch and he taught them how to tie hammocks to a tree. Goku and Ichigo were quite used to sharing a sleeping space so they elected to just make theirs a bit bigger.

“Now, from now until one thirty is naptime,” Roshi informed them, “move well, study well, play well, eat well, rest well—that is the turtle master way.”

The kids heard some of his words, but not many. He glanced at them and saw the peaceful sleeping faces. Goku was out like a light and Ichigo was slowly looking around before falling asleep herself. Kuririn was scratching his stomach in his sleep before he rolled onto his side. He put them back to work the second their rest period ended.

“Your next training exercise will be in construction, you’ll not only break a sweat and build your muscles, but you’ll get to earn a little money,” Roshi informed them and the construction workers plopped yellow hard hats on the kids heads and put them to work.

Ichigo didn’t mind the hard work, and the pay was quite nice as well. She could finally buy more medical supplies she couldn’t make. She moved rocks and helped pave some of the road as instructed by the workers. They liked her eye for detail, Goku’s strength and never ending energy, and Kuririn’s determination. They cheerfully waved the kids off when they had to move forward with their training.

“Now, your next exercise will be swimming,” Roshi informed them.

”We aren’t done yet?” Kuririn asked in disbelief.

”Done? You’ve hardly begun!” Roshi stated.

”Hey, couldn’t you teach us some moves?” Goku requested.

”You little fledglings! How dare you be so insolent?! You haven’t even laid the barest foundations of strength or stamina and yet you expect me to teach you moves?!” Roshi shouted at them before he tapped a nearby boulder that was taller than him. “I will teach you martial art techniques only when you’ve build up enough power to move that boulder!”

“That’s impossible, no one can move a boulder like that!” Kuririn argued.

“Oh really?” Roshi asked, he pushed on the boulder and grunted as he moved it a few feet. “Now do you understand? Give your all to your training regimen every day and one day you too will be able to do this.”

Goku could already move the boulder. He put his hands on it and gave a growl of sorts as he put effort into moving it. It shifted a few feet before he ground his teeth together and put more strength into it. It moved further away and Roshi puffed out a breath in disbelief. He rubbed his bald head as Kuririn stared at Goku in awe.

“I didn’t mean this tiny rock!” Roshi said as he came to a plan. “Why anybody can move this! I meant this boulder, when you can bulge this one your strength training will be complete!”

Ichigo looked at the larger rock as Goku tried to move it and exhausted himself. She tilted her head in thought and dug into herself to pull some ki forward, her body relaxed a bit as her Ki helped to heal her muscles. If she pulled as much ki as she could, she could most likely push the rock…well, eventually she would be able to. She rubbed the back of her head in thought as the two boys looked towards Roshi, wanting to see the old man move it. He moved them to continue their training. The children didn’t complain when it was swimming ten laps, no, they were more upset at the sharks inside the water! Ichigo dug deep inside herself and swam faster than the two boys, adrenaline was something she wasn’t too used to.  Kuririn moved the fastest when Roshi had them running from bees while tied to trees. Ichigo could already dodge such things with ease, and as such didn’t have an issue with that. Senbon created worse injuries, those she was used to. Three hours passed with that one, and she was thankful when he finally released them for the day.

”That should do it for one day’s training,” Roshi stated.

”Do we have to do that type of training everyday?” Kuririn asked.

”Of course not, today was just a warm-up,” Roshi stated before moving to grab a special gift for them, “starting tomorrow, for eight months, you’ll be doing the same exercises you did today, but you’ll be carrying this twenty kilo shell! Now you all see why they call me the turtle master!”

Ichigo was the one that surprised him as she easily hoisted it onto her bag and stretched her legs a little. She could move with ease with the shell on. She would have to find her other weights to help define the muscles a bit. He dismissed them for the day and watched where they went. Goku went to grab a bite to eat, and Kuririn went to study out of one of the books. Ichigo, that child truly confused him a bit. She went to watch the waves before dropping into a meditation. He could sense her Ki from where he stood by the front door and a hum came out of him. It was light, showing that she didn’t have what others had, an element to her Ki. It existed, like energy that was never ending. He wondered if she would ever develop an element, or would she remain the same? He slowly moved to stand behind her and watched as she opened her eyes to glance his way. She looked like someone he had once met before, but he couldn’t seem to remember who.

“Hey, kid,” Roshi started and she gave him her full attention, “do you know who your parents are?”

“No, Roshi-shishou,” Ichigo admitted, “I was part of the orphaned division of the village, put into the system before I could even walk or talk.”

”Hmm, have you ever tried looking into them?” He pressed and she shrugged.

”They’re dead, it’s best to let it remain in the past,” Ichigo quietly stated.

Ah, so it bothered her more than she was willing to admit. He put his hands behind his back before heading back to the house. It was best to allow the girl to think through what she needed to. Ichigo turned her attention to the ocean again and slowly closed her eyes. She delved into her ki and thoughts, allowing them to meld as one and create a tranquil space. It was only interrupted when a large Ki signature came towards her, she could see the shape of Goku through it.

“Hey, dinner is ready,” Goku informed her and she nodded before opening her eyes.

She was surprised when he didn’t instantly head back to the house when she got to her feet. He rubbed the back of his head, a slight frown on his face. It looked like he had been thinking about something. She waited for him to say something, the usual with them. The sun had started to go down, cooling the air a bit. She relaxed a bit at the atmosphere created by the late afternoon.

“Do you really want to go to the tournament?” Goku asked and her eyes widened a little.

Goku was getting observant if he was able to pick up on her reluctance. She shifted her weight a little and her arms crossed across her chest. It was difficult to put it into words that wouldn’t fly over his head. Goku was able to understand what she usually said, but even she knew that it would be a little hard to put into simple terms.

”It’s not that I don’t want to fight in it…I’m just worried about what people would say about everyone if they recognized where I came from,” Ichigo admitted, “my people don’t have the best history…a few years before I was born they would steal children to raise as soldiers, so the people out here still have stories about us.”

”They don’t sound very nice,” Goku commented and Ichigo’s expression didn’t change much but it was obvious she was a little sad to hear that, “you wouldn’t do that.”

”I wouldn’t,” she agreed, cheering up a bit but a sad smile appeared on her face, “but I’m well versed in how people will react.”

”Don’t let it bother ya,” Goku grinned at her and she blinked in confusion, “I know we won’t, because we know you.”

“Right,” Ichigo stated with a slight nod of her head, “ready to eat?”

He made it to the home well before she did. She gave a tiny chuckle at the sight of him patiently waiting for her with wide eyes. A part of her could really get used to it. She rushed forward and embraced the warmth of the home.

Her home, temporary as it was.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Age 750, May 6th

Ichigo rolled her shoulders as Launch double checked some measurements. The bluenette nodded her head to herself and wrote something down in her notebook. She was going to get Ichigo ready for the journey to the tournament, a fond smile on her face. She had gotten incredibly fond of the girl as the months had gone by. She had watched as the twelve year-old had grown a bit, in quite a few more ways than one. A part of her was incredibly relieved that she had been there for the girl, because the boys in the kame house were oblivious as to the girls changes. That and the puberty that all women had to go through.

“Are you excited?” Launch cheerfully asked as she ruffled the longer white strands as the girl stretched a little.

”Yeah,” Ichigo stated, grinning a little.

Well, those boys had been an excellent help at pulling her out of her quiet shell. Goku was the best to do so, and Launch smiled at the thought of the two kids being around one another. They were so adorable. She had watched them just about everything together when it came to their training. Ichigo had started to walk him through Ki sensing, but that was slow going due to how exhausted he was from all the training when they had the time.

“Go and join the others,” Launch gently ordered the girl, “and when you come back I’ll help you with your hair.”

Ichigo nodded, moving the strands with a thoughtful glance. They had grown to reach her chin and she didn’t know what to do with them. She had taken to tying them back when they trained, but she didn’t do anything else with her hair. She shook those thoughts from her head as she moved to stand with her friends. Kuririn waved at her with a pleasant smile and she returned the wave.

“All right you three, go ahead and remove your shells, we’ll begin our journey to the southern metropolis soon,” Roshi ordered the three.

The kids did so and Ichigo pulled her Ki back from the weights around her wrists and ankles. Her body felt so light. She lifted a foot and almost fell down due to how fast she had moved. Roshi looked at them with a slight grin, those three were incredible students.

“Try jumping as high as you can!” He ordered them.

He watched as they did so, and noted that the girl went above them. Ichigo looked down towards the ground, an eyebrow twitching. She didn’t want to go further than the boys in her jump. They two boys hit the ground before she did and Goku glanced up to see her fast descent. He moved forward and greeted her as she gracefully landed on her feet. He had to look up a bit now that she had grown some. She easily stood a head taller than both boys.

”You three go get ready, or else we’ll miss our plane!” Roshi called to them.

He watched as his students, more like his kids if he were to be honest with himself, rushed to the house and inside. Launch quickly handed the boys two white boxes with suits she had made and ushered Ichigo into a room so she could do something with her hair. Ichigo felt a little strange in the white silk shirt with the dress over it, but Launch couldn’t help but take a picture. The chin length hair in the front framed Ichigo’s face while the rest of it was pulled into a ponytail. The hair piece in the ponytail had her namesake on it, small strawberries that hung from a hair pin. Launch straightened her collar a bit before checking the girl over. She nodded to herself before ushering the ninja out of the room.

”Do you have your senbon?” Launch asked as she went over a mental note for the kids.

”Yes,” Ichigo confirmed.

”Medical supplies?’

”Yes.”

Launch relaxed at that. Ichigo would take care of the two boys for her. The three kids stood outside next to the car. She gave them all a hug before smiling a little. She was proud of them for getting so far. They had all worked so hard to get there.

”Good luck you three,”  Launch told them.

”Look after the place while we’re away, Launch,” Roshi requested.

”Of course, you four don’t get into too much trouble!” Launch called as the kids got into the car.

Roshi had to find a different air plane than the one he originally wanted, he wanted an eye on all three kids. He sat by the aisle, keeping an eye on the hostess as she served drinks, and made sure his three students were behaving. If he didn’t, blonde Launch would have his head. He didn’t want that.

“How can she sleep at a time like this?” Kuririn asked as he looked up from his newspaper.

”It’s daytime,” Goku pointed out and that got their fellow student to blink in confusion before it dawned on him.

”I’ve never noticed that,” Kuririn admitted, "do you think she’ll sleep the entire time?’

Goku grinned and nodded. Ichigo’s nose twitched in her sleep and she crossed her arms across her chest.  He didn’t mind when she ended up leaning against him. He was more than content to watch the world below them as they flew. He knew what they were on, a plane! Roshi had made sure that they all knew more about the world around them due to two of them not knowing everything.  The instructions on the modern world and its advances had been a little difficult for Goku, but eventually he was able to understand. Ichigo had delved into books on her downtime, only stopping to help him with sensing Ki. He was struggling through it, but he was sure he was getting close!  He tilted his head when Ichigo muttered in her sleep.

“No more…” she mumbled, a frown on her face.

He wondered what she was dreaming about.  She only woke up to send a senbon into their teacher's hand before he even had the chance to lay a hand on the hostess. He gave it a shake as he tried to ignore the stinging sensation that came from her actions. She gave him a single warning look, that she had to learn from Launch, before removing the needle from his hand. She went back to sleep immediately afterwards. She only woke up as the plane landed and they made their way to the tournament.

“These three kids are contestants,” Roshi informed the man in charge of registering people.

”These little kids?” The man questioned.

”I’m starting to get a little nervous,” Kuririn admitted.

”There sure are a lot of people,” Goku commented and Ichigo shot him a fond look.

“We’ll be fine,” Ichigo stated, being positive for once.

”Do y’think there’s a lot of other contestants here?” Goku asked.

”Something tells me there’s going to be plenty,” Kuririn said as he removed his hat to dab at the sweat on his head.

”Don’t you three get lost in rubbernecking,” Roshi ordered them, “we’ve got to find those qualifying matches!”

”Attention all contestants participating in the tournament! Qualifying rounds will begin in the competition hall!” A man announced and the three kids had to register once again.

”I can only accompany you three this far, so do your best,” Roshi informed them as he set his suitcase down and opened it, “it would be difficult to fight in those suits so here you three go.”

He handed them the orange gi of the turtle school. Ichigo seemed to vanish and came back fixing the blue sash around her waist. She shifted uncomfortably, and he put his hands behind his back. She glanced up at him and he did the one thing that could put her at ease. He gave her the hand sign for the dragon before bowing. She faltered and returned it. Good, he wanted her to have some confidence when it came to herself as a person. It was something that couldn’t be taught, and he was well aware of that.

“I’ll be watching you three,” Roshi informed them.

”We’ll do our best, Master,” Kuririn informed him before they headed into the qualifying area.

Ichigo played with the black ki weights around her wrists as she glanced around. The ki in the room was impressive, and it was almost impossible to keep her senses on her friends. Well, save for Goku. His Ki was different than anyone else’s, maybe he was an alien of sorts. It would make sense.

”For five years you contestants have trained and waited for this opportunity to compete for the title of strongest under the heavens, you have all journeyed here from all corners of the earth!” An elderly monk announced and all eyes turned towards him. “This year we have a total of one thirty nine masters from around the world, whom only eight will be allowed to enter the final rounds. This year we will truly be honored by a very fierce competition indeed.”

”So many!” Kuririn muttered.

”I will explain the competition’s rules,” the monk continued, “all contestants will fight atop these mat, should you fall off or lose consciousness or plead mercy you lose. However, you may not kill your opponent, nor may you use weapons! The qualifying round will only last one minute and if the match has not been settled by that time, victory will be decided by the judges.”

”A minute,” Ichigo mumbled in thought.

“Due to the great numbers of contestants the qualifying rounds have been divided into different blocks, only the two victors from each block will be names entrants,” the monk informed them, “one by one please draw a paper and compare your number to the chart before heading to your block.”

”I got one twenty,” Ichigo stated, a little relieved, “looks like I’m in the fourth block, so we won’t have a chance of fighting against one another.”

”Good luck!” Goku stated and Kuririn nodded his agreement.

Ichigo gave them both a wave before heading to her block. She watched the matches as each one went on and tilted her head in thought. These weren’t strong opponents, no the amount of Ki in the room was just from how many people there were. Now that there was a smaller amount, she could see how faint some of the ki was. One of which was a man from Orin temple. Her eyes narrowed as her number was called and so was his. She would win, for Kuririn.

“Begin your fight!” The announcer stated.

The man across from her sneered before his eyes widened. A blank faced Ichigo disappeared on him before suddenly reappearing in front of him and attacking with her fingers. Ki points were easy to shut down, they traveled along the nerve system. His arms fell to his side, unusable. She finished it with a kick to the stomach, sending him sailing out of the ring.

“Victory to number one twenty!” The announcer stated.

“That’s just a little girl,” people began to mutter as she jumped down from the ring.

She found herself wishing for her sleeves as she crossed her arms across her chest. The only reprise she had from standing around was when her number was called. When Goku and Kuririn had finished their matches they came to watch her final one. It was against a woman with purple hair and heavy makeup. They almost jumped when someone else suddenly appeared behind them.

”She certainly hasn’t changed much,” a familiar voice stated as Ichigo moved to strike.

”Who are you?”Goku questioned.

”I only cut my hair,” the person stated, before dropping into a familiar stance, “you don’t remember this?”

”Oh, Yamcha!” Goku greeted as the purple haired woman went sailing from the ring and Ichigo’s victory was called. “It’s been a while! Why’d you cut your hair?”

“Oh, Bulma kept bugging me about how long hair was totally out,” Yamacha stated as he ran a hand through his short hair, “never thought we’d meet again in a place like this.”

”Did you also quality?” Goku asked their old friend.

”Yup!” Yamcha confirmed. “It’s what I’ve been training for this entire time…though I don’t think I have much of a chance against you or Ichigo, after all that training you got from the invisible old master must have put you on a whole ‘nother level.”

”I’m pretty surprised too!” Goku chirped before easily hugging a grinning Ichigo back.

”Did you make it too, Kuririn?” Ichigo asked and he nodded and got a hug as well.

His cheeks were a bright red and Yamcha raised a brow. Goku tilted his head a little as he gained a strange sensation in his stomach. He had to be hungry. His stomach growled and he knew he was right on the money. Yamcha knew one thing, with those three in the running, he doubted he would even get third place. He rubbed the back of his head in thought before smiling at them.

”Hey, Pu’ar, Oolong, and Bulma are all here too,” Yamcha informed them, “they’re by the main arena.”

He watched as the three kids quickly rushed out of the arena and laughed a little. They certainly had rubbed off on one another. He was sure that he’d never seen Ichigo act that way. The girl in the ring was familiar, the one that was smiling and laughing with the two boys was completely different.

“Can you find them?” Kuririn asked Ichigo and she nodded.

”They’re that way, I’m using Roshi-shishou to find them,” Ichigo answered, pointing in the right direction.

Goku was able to make a path through the crowds and the two followed right behind him. Ichigo’s eyes widened and a happy smile appeared on her face as she saw the familiar head of blue hair. She picked up speed. Bulma had been laying into Roshi about moving his house when she had tried to go see the two, when all of a sudden a head of white came out of nowhere and arms encircled her waist. She almost snapped at the person before blinking.

”Ichigo!?” Bulma asked, noting how the kid was starting to look. “You’ve gotten taller, and you’ve…”

She felt bad that she was around that old perv.  She hugged the kid back and noted that she was going to end up growing to look a lot like herself, and her mother. She smiled a little in thought, Goku was going to have to fight other suitors off with his nyoibo. She released the kid and Pu’ar flew towards the ninja to hold onto her hands in greeting. Ichigo was always happy to see the cat-like creature. Oolong smiled up at Ichigo as he finished greeting Goku.

“How have you guys been?” Goku asked.

”It’s been good,” Bulma answered.

”Did you guys bump into Yamcha?” Oolong questioned.

”We sure did, I didn’t recognize him with his hair all short,” Goku laughed.

”If it weren’t for the colour we wouldn’t recognize Ichigo,” Bulma pointed out, “your hair’s gotten longer, I didn’t know it had a curl to it.”

”Neither did I, I just thought it was messy,” Ichigo shrugged as Pu’ar decided to land in her hair and mess with the longer strands.

”This is Kuririn, he’s our training mate,” Goku introduced their fellow student.

”Nice to meet you,” Kuririn said with a small bow as Roshi finally cleared his throat.

”How was it?” Roshi asked. “Did you three qualify?”

”We all did,” Ichigo confirmed.

“Nicely done!” Bulma claimed while she grinned at the three.

”Indeed, good job,” Roshi complimented his students.

Oolong looked at the three kids and couldn’t help but grin at them. He heard soft muttering behind them and noted that a few of the elderly in the crowd were whispering and pointing at Ichigo.

Monster, child snatcher, murderer

. Those were words he would never have used to describe the kid, but these people used them for her. He frowned in response and was about to say something when Ichigo shot him a quick glance. A sad glint in her eyes. It quickly vanished when Goku turned his happy grin her way. It was like she refused to bring his good mood down. He had been looking forward to the tournament for so long.

“The Tenka’ichi Budokai will begin momentarily!” An announcement went through the area. “Will the eight finalists please assemble in the main martial arts hall!”

”Hey, get going you three,” Bulma told them.

They all waved before scaling the wall and hurrying towards the others. Ichigo held her nose as a horrible stench hit her. She looked towards one of the other competitors and noted the grime on his skin and the flies that flew around him. Goku held his nose and backed away from the horrendous smell. He was affected the most by it.

“How can he stand smelling like that?” Ichigo quietly complained.

”His nose is blind to it,” Yamcha stated, making a face, “he’s one of the strongest here, but I heard he’s never taken a bath in his whole life to get that bad of a stench.”

”My nose is as sharp as a dog’s so this really hurts,” Goku stated as his eyes watered.

Ichigo wished for her pouches but had left everything with Roshi. Weapons weren’t allowed in the tournament, so it made sense to her. Still, she had some bandages on her person at all times. She took some out of the bandages and slowly tied them together. She made a makeshift mask and handed it to Goku. He quickly accepted it and pulled it over his nose.  It helped with the smell, if only a little.

”All finalists please assemble,” A blonde man wearing sunglasses announced, he quickly covered his nose as the smell assaulted his senses, “we will now draw lots to determine match-ups and fight schedules, when your name is called please come forward and draw a slip. Now, I’ll begin calling names…Nam.”

”Here.” A tall man wearing a turban with a bindi said, walking forward and pulling a piece of paper. “Number six.”

”That would be match three,” the announcer stated, “Kaiju-Giran.”

”Yo.”

Ichigo wondered about letting a dinosaur participate in such a tournament, but pushed those thoughts away. The world, as confusing as it was, did have some order to it. Roshi had informed her of how evolution had happened and how the dinosaurs were still around. He found it incredibly humorous that the village had such a lack of knowledge of how the outside world had grown.  She watched as match four gained its first fighter. Giran, she probed at him with her ki and felt it. Yokai, ah so not even the people of this world knew everything.

“Bacterian,” the announcer called and everyone gagged as the one man walked forward and grabbed his number, “number two, you’re in match one! Yamcha!”

”Yeah,” Yamcha stated, moving forward and grabbing his number.

“Number three, you’re on match two,” the announcer stated, “Kuririn.”

”H-Here sir!” Kuririn said as he nervously stepped forward.

His legs were shaking and he had to strain a little to grab his number out of the small draw box. He eventually grasped a piece of paper and he pulled it out. He opened it and his face blanked. The announcer looked over his shoulder and winced.

“Number one, you’re in Match one so you’ll be up against Bacterian,” he stated and Kuririn let out a sound of horror.

”Oh…Um…do we have a Song Oku?” The announcer asked as he looked around. “Are you here, Song Oku? We have the right amount of people.”

”May I?” Ichigo asked as she stepped up and he blinked at the small ninja before turning the clipboard so she could see the page.

Goku’s penmanship had improved immensely, but not enough for those out of their sphere to recognise. She gave a fond sigh before looking towards her friend in question. He gained a quizzical expression on his face. Why was she looking at him?

“It’s your turn,” she informed him before turning to the announcer, “it’s Son Goku, his characters are a bit close together.”

”O-Oh!” The announcer stated as Goku quickly grabbed his number. “Number seven you’re match four! Ichigo…seriously?”

”I’m right here,” Ichigo stated as she stepped forward to grab her number.

“All right match three for number seven,” he said before looking towards the last member of the qualifier, “Jackie Chun.”

Ichigo felt her senses go haywire when she tried to gauge how strong the old man was. He felt just like…he wouldn’t. She watched as he put his hands behind his back in a very familiar fashion. No…he would. Well, they weren’t going to win this tournament with their teacher fighting in it. She would give it her all, but she didn’t know what to do any more.

”All right, no killing, no attacking the eyes or other vulnerable,” the announcer stated.

”What are vulnerables?” Goku asked, turning towards Ichigo.

”Remember when Kuririn startled me awake?” Ichigo asked and Kuririn winced at the memory.

”Ooohh,” Goku said, understanding at once with that example.

The announcer wasn’t sure if these kids were serious or not. He wiped away some of the sweat on his face with a white handkerchief before clearing his throat. A growl got his attention and he glanced at all the participants. The one girl that had stepped up, and was named after a berry of all things, was glancing at her friend with a small smile on her face.

“What about lunch?” Goku asked.

”You want to eat right before the match?” He asked, “Wouldn’t you rather wait until after?”

”I wanna eat,” Goku immediately answered him.

”W-well then,prepare him a lunch,” the announcer stated as he looked towards one of the monks that helped with the tournament.

”Please sir, step this way,” the monk kindly said to Goku.

”C’mon,” Goku said, turning to Ichigo and she gave a small nod, “are you coming, Kuririn?”

”I’m too nervous to eat,” Kuririn admitted.

”You should at least eat something small, getting hit with nothing in your stomach is not a fun endeavor,” Ichigo commented.

He reluctantly joined them and the Monk made sure to make him something light. Ichigo finished her lunch and simply watched as Goku went through food like it was nothing. He really could eat. She almost fell asleep at the table, but the constant shifting of his Ki kept her awake. It grew with each bite, something that was incredible to feel. He ate six servings before he was satisfied. They returned to the other participants and watched as the announcer went out onto the ring.

”Ladies and Gentlemen, thank you for your patience,” he stated, “we now commence the twenty first Tenka’ichi Budokai!”

He went through the matches and people cheered louder for certain fighters than others. Ichigo wasn’t surprised when she only had their friends cheering for her, she simply closed her eyes and ignored it. Her opponent seemed surprised that a child was receiving such a cold reception. He watched as she shifted and he saw what caused the issues. The dragon on her back was as clear as day, rippling with each move of her arms. The master of the temple stepped up to give a word of wisdom and everyone waited with baited breath.

”Woof.”

Well, Ichigo supposed truer words had never been said. She rubbed the back of her head in thought as they all moved to watch Kuririn fight against Bacterian. Goku and Ichigo hung onto the top of the wall that stopped people from being able to watch the matches and gave him a cheer to let him know they had faith in him. Goku was thankful for the face mask as Ichigo made a gagging sound before pinching her nose at the smell as it assaulted her senses. Kuririn better win this fight. He should seeing as he was the better fighter. She frowned as the larger man blew his breath in Kuririn’s face, almost knocking him out from the stench. She felt horrified as Bacterian put his hand in his pants and acted as though he was going to touch Kuririn.

”That’s so disgusting!” Ichigo exclaimed as Kuririn wobbled before falling down.

A count began and Bacterian started to laugh as he went to finish off his opponent. Ichigo clenched her jaw. It was such an underhanded tactic! Even her own weren’t this bad. Senbon and after images were her underhanded tactics. Not bad smells…though it was effective. Maybe she should try to use stink clouds for quick getaways. Seals would work perfectly for that.  She had trouble watching her friend being kicked while he was down.

”Kuririn, think about it!” Goku called down to their friend. “The smell’s all in your head! There’s no way you can actually smell any of it! You’ve got no nose!”

”I don’t know how I never noticed that,” Ichigo muttered in thought as Kuririn jumped to his feet.

”Thanks, Goku!” Kuririn thanked before turning a glare Bacterian’s way. “Here I come, Stinky!”

Ichigo looked to the side when the term “stink-fu” came into use. That wasn’t a thing and she refused to allow it to be one. Instead she watched, grinning the entire time, as Kuririn used his newfound speed to take down Bacterian. He zipped from side to side and took him down with a few well timed kicks. She shook her head when he farted in the man’s face, but she knew that he deserved it. The crowd roared with applause as Kuririn was declared victor. She jumped down from the wall with Goku and they both hugged Kuririn as he cheered at his victory.

“I hope Master Roshi was watching,” Goku stated and Ichigo gained a strange expression.

“Match number two is about to start, combatants step forward!” The announcer called.

“Looks like it’s my turn,” Yamcha stated as he stretched a little.

“Good luck,” Ichigo said before glancing at their disguised teacher.

”That was a magnificent kick, Kuririn,” Roshi informed her friend as he walked past him.

”Thank you very much sir,” Kuririn thanked as he joined his friends in watching the matches, “do we know him?”

”Maybe,” Ichigo stated with a shrug, “his Ki feels familiar.”

That was all she was going to give them. Roshi had to be doing this for a reason, she would just let him do it. She laid her chin on the brick fence and watched as Roshi acted a fool to hide his true identity. She watched as Yamcha got into his starting position and she closed her eyes for a few seconds. She was going to do an exercise, to see if she could follow the fight with her senses. Goku and Kuririn were easy to see next to her, their forms easily taking shape in the darkness of her senses. She pushed them further and was able to make out a strong Ki facing off against a smaller one. Not much smaller, but smaller than the Kame students. She watched as the two moved around one another, Yamcha trying to land a hit and Roshi dodging each hit. His Ki fluttered before growing stronger, so he had brought out his signature move, only to have Roshi swiftly jumped out of the way of it.

”Allow me to present you with a gift of gentle wind,” Roshi said to  Yamcha before waving his hand through the air, sending Yamcha out of the ring.

“An out of bounds victory,” Ichigo stated in thought.

”I’m going to have to fight him next,” Kuririn stated before a sudden thought hit him, “wait, if you win, you’ll have to face off against Goku.”

”It seems like we’ll have our promised spar,” Ichigo stated as she smiled a little at him, getting a grin in response.

“We will now proceed with match number three, will the combatants come forward!” Was announced.

Ichigo jumped down and hurried towards the arena. She looked at her opponent and noticed that he seemed overly serious. A man with a mission. Well, she couldn’t lose. She promised Goku that they’d have their fight. Even if said promise was silent. She gave her opponent a polite bow and got one in return.

“I cannot lose,” Nam informed her.

”Neither can I,” Ichigo stated and he narrowed his eyes in response.

”Think she can win?” Yamcha asked Goku and Kuririn as Ichigo closed her eyes for a few seconds.

”Of course I do,” Goku said.

”She’s faster than the two of us combined,” Kuririn admitted, “she’s also stubborn…more so than she should be.”

”I wouldn’t go down that path,” Yamcha quietly warned Kuririn, noting the soft blush on the boy's face.

”Yeah, I gathered,” Kuririn softly admitted, glancing at Goku who was watching Ichigo with a sharp eye, “granted they are both incredibly oblivious.”

Yamcha had to agree with him on that one. He heard the crowd let out a gasp and saw that Nam had caught Ichigo by the leg as she kicked at him. She simply tilted her head in thought and brought her other leg around to kick him. He had to drop her leg and she landed on her feet before jumping back.

“She’s so fast,” A woman said behind Bulma.

”That’s one of

those

?” An old man asked his similar- aged friend.

“But it’s just a child,” his friend said, running a hand through his long beard, “would a child steal another child?”

Bulma was curious about that but kept herself from saying something. Pu’ar glared at people around them when they heard more whispers about Ichigo. Oolong started to feel uncomfortable. Sure, the kid was scary when she wanted to be, but she never actively went after people. And he was very sure she wouldn’t steal a child. He winced when she slid and took the tall man’s legs out before moving to her hands and kicking him into the air. His eyes widened at the concentration on her face as she vanished.

”That move…” Roshi muttered as he observed his student as she reappeared above the man and drove her leg into his stomach and forced him back to the ground.

Ichigo timed it perfectly, when the man bounced against the ground she swiftly palm struck him out of the arena. She heard nothing but silence as her victory set in for people. Goku let out a laugh before cheering at her victory. Kuririn let one out as well. He could believe it! Yamcha took in a deep breath before shooting the crowds of people a look. He blinked when Goku ran out and she brightened before hugging him.  He easily picked up the slightly taller girl and she gave a soft laugh.

“Good luck, Goku!” Ichigo said before heading back to their other friends. “I believe in you.”

Goku was up against Giran, and Ichigo felt the creature’s Ki. If she focused it would feel like she was standing in a wind tunnel. So, he was more inclined towards wind. She was closer to the stage than she had been for Kuririn or even Yamcha’s match. There was something off about Giran, something she couldn’t put her finger on. A hand on her shoulder had her reacting by digging fingers into the person’s wrist like blonde Launch taught her to. A yelp of pain had her pull back and she glanced to see her teacher rubbing at his wrist.

“I would step back, young lady,” he warned her, “you might distract him.”

”How so?” Ichigo asked, confused.

Roshi felt his eyebrow twitch and watched as Ichigo tilted her head at him in confusion. Why would she move back? Goku wouldn’t get distracted by her being on the sidelines. He was too focused on the fight before him. It almost made her think that it was a part of his nature. She winced when he was hit into the wall, but he still remained in the ring. Giran wanted him to be out cold, but Ichigo knew better. Her best friend was just fine. The fight resumed and Goku easily landed punch after punch on Giran. He almost got a ring out, save for Giran remembering that he could fly at the last minute.

“That’s so not fair,” Ichigo hissed, a frown on her face, “what the heck is that!”

”That’s what I call lassoo-in-gum!” Giran stated as Goku struggled in the purple substance that had wrapped around his body.

She couldn’t hear anything on the arena floor, something she hadn’t noticed before now, but she could tell that Goku was trying to figure out a way out of the gummy substance. He was hit in the head by Giran and picked up by the dinosaur. She was worried that he was going to be tossed out of the competition. She wanted to look away, but didn’t. He sailed through the air and the crowd let out worried sounds of their own.

”Kinto-un!!!” Goku’s yell echoed through the arena and her shoulders slumped in relief at the sight of the golden cloud.

”What a relief,” Ichigo quietly stated,

“You certainly wear your heart on your sleeve for someone of your background,” Roshi informed her and her eyes widened just the slightest before she narrowed them at him, “the brand on your back, those of us who are older know what it is.”

”It’s why I should’ve worn a long sleeved shirt under my Gi,” Ichigo muttered to herself.

The tournament judges agreed that he could use the cloud just that once, but never again. Ichigo brought her hands together in a manner she would if she was wearing a silk shirt with long sleeves. Roshi noted she did that when she wanted to stop herself from showing emotions. He had noticed how she would sometime twirl her pens when she was thinking. Senbon would get tossed when she was upset or angry. Once one got a read on her emotions she was fairly easy to understand. He turned his attention back to the fight just as Giran was about to land a punch. He looked around to see where his target had gone.

Only to find that Goku was hanging from his arm with a very familiar appendage. Ichigo grinned at the sight of his tail, glad that it was back again. He had missed it. She blinked when she noticed something. He was stronger than before, it seemed that the appearance of his tail made him strong. She scratched her cheek in confusion. Her alien theory was starting to look more credible with each passing moment. She looked towards their friends and noted the fear on their faces. It was the middle of the day, it wasn’t like he was going to transform out of nowhere. She let out a happy cheer when he freed himself from the substance binding him. He used his tail to stand and easily pushed off and kicked the wall near Ichigo. She didn’t move, but gave a proud smile as she pushed some of the debris away with her foot. She made a face when Giran brought out a white flag and surrendered.

”I can’t believe it,” Goku said as he rejoined his friend.

She gave a soft smile as the newly brought back appendage wrapped around her wrist, as though keeping her in his perimeter. It had to be subconscious seeing as he was acting like it was normal. She didn’t mind, finding an odd comfort with the action.

”How are you kids feeling now that you’ve reached the semifinals?” The announcer asked the three of them. “Kuririn you said you were only thirteen years old, right? Ichigo, you are twelve, correct? How old are you, Son Goku?’

”I’m twelve,” Goku answered after counting on his fingers.

”Oho, so Ichigo isn’t one of our youngest contestants anymore,” the announcer said as Kuririn got on Goku’s case about being younger, “speaking of little Ichigo, I’ve been meaning to ask what village you’re from.”

Ichigo was silent at the question, sweat gathering on the back of her neck. A hush came over the audience and Bulma let out a soft sound of worry. They certainly went for the jugular. She stared right ahead, knowing she couldn’t say anything. Her eyes shifted to the side when a woman moved to the front of the crowd. The white hair and familiar posture caused a chill to run down her spine. A truth keeper, one that would kill her for saying anything in public about the village. At least, a public of more than her friends and her family.

“I can’t say…” Ichigo stated.

”Not even for some interesting information?” The announcer pushed.

”I can’t say,” Ichigo reiterated, her voice growing cold.

Goku and Kuririn blinked at the sudden change in her tone. She was closing off and Roshi panicked a little. All that hard work of having her be around those two knuckleheads to open up and one single question was having her shut down. No, that wasn’t the reason. He glanced into the crowd and saw a head of white hair. The woman didn’t have the same eyes or markings that Ichigo had, but it was the air. The air of a ninja, one that was watching Ichigo and closely at that. No wonder she went silent.

“Er…What school did you three go to?” He asked, noting that people listened when he asked her questions.

”We were trained by Muten Roshi, the kame sen’nin,” Ichigo answered, glad for a question she could.

”The god of martial arts!” The announcer exclaimed. “No wonder you three are so accomplished! Who would have thought he was still alive!”

Ichigo let out a startled laugh before quickly covering it with a cough. Roshi did sort of deserve that for the time he withheld dinner from her because she had caught a stomach bug. Apparently she needed to train more than she did eat. She watched as he faltered midstep as the man commented that.

“Are you close with your fellow students?” The announcer asked her.

”Goku’s my best friend, and Kuririn is also an important person to me,” Ichigo stated, the soft expression on her face finally making people make up their minds about her.

A child that could give that sweet of a smile wasn’t a child snatcher. She wasn’t a murderer. Goku grinned at her honesty and the ninja in the crowd moved back. At least

Amaya

wasn’t about to speak about the village. Still, the leader had asked to track her movements for a reason. Her report was going to be short, she knew that much.

“Are you going to interview me?” Roshi asked the announcer and he got a shake of the head. “My name is Jackie! Welcome to my show!”

He started to dance and Ichigo sighed. Goku’s tail unwrapped from her wrist as he joined in on the dance and she gave a slow blink. At least he was having fun.That was all that mattered. After it was finished, Goku returned to her side and she was welcomed to his tail around her wrist once again. Yamcha ran a hand down his face in disbelief at the two of them. He knew that Bulma had a bet running with Oolong about how long it would be before those two were an item of sorts. He wasn’t a fool to bet against his girlfriend, but he had to agree with Oolong that it would be when they were older. A few years older than themselves.

They all turned their attention towards the fight of Kuririn vs Roshi and Ichigo noted that it was going to be a beatdown of sorts. She watched as they battled, Kuririn showing how far he’d come. A tap to her shoulder caused her eyes to widen and she swiftly moved to see who it was. It was the ninja that gave her the Tanto. He lazily waved a hand.

“Yo, nice to see you’re still alive after that,” he commented before gaining a serious expression, “we need to talk.”

Goku’s tail unwrapped from her wrist as they both went separate ways for a while. She glanced back for a few seconds before gaining a sad expression. It vanished as she slipped back to the mentality of the village. She needed to have those wits about her. He studied her with a pale blue eye before letting out a soft snort.

“You have no clue what entering this tournament has done, do you?” He asked.

“As far as the village is concerned I am no longer affiliated with it,” Ichigo stated.

“Now, Now Amaya,” he said and she tensed, “I won’t get on your case, but after your second tournament I will take you somewhere to train for your third.”

“You’re a seer?” Ichigo asked.

“Of sorts, oh and please give this to master Karin when you train with them,” he requested as he handed her a scroll of sorts,” that old cat will help you grow before I take you.”

“I don’t know who that is,” Ichigo stated before frowning and giving him a serious look, “why are you constantly helping me?”

“Because I’m following my lady’s orders…now behave yourself.”

He vanished on her just as Kuririn’s match ended. She slowly walked out of the inner building and gained a sad expression as she stopped by Yamcha. It quickly vanished when he jumped at her sudden appearance.

“Hey, you okay?” Yamcha asked and she nodded.

“Will Ichigo please come to the arena!” The announcer sounded annoyed and she let out a soft sigh before turning towards him.

“Can you hold onto this for me?” Ichigo requested as she held up the scroll.

“Oh, sure,” Yamcha agreed as he accepted it from her.

She slowly moved to the arena and watched as Goku stretched across from her. She hoped that neither of them held back. They needed to learn from one another, and holding back would hinder that. He stopped after a few seconds before sending her a serious look. She stood up straight and gave him a nod.

It was time.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Age 750, May 6th

Amaya, written with the characters for

night rain

, the name she could no longer say. The one she could no longer use. Ichigo noted that the announcer looked between her and Goku as he felt the tension. It was as though they had a silent promise between one another that no one else could understand. A night rain and a boy who could transform into an Oozaru, what a strange pair they made.

“Alright, begin you two!” The announcer stated.

Ichigo and Goku stayed still for one another, both calculating the other before moving. The arena was in awe of how fast they both moved. One second they were on opposite sides and the next they were clashing. Ichigo found herself ducking and dodging Goku’s strikes while trying to return a few. Goku’s dodges were simpler, as though she was only aiming for specific points. She landed a hit on his arm and he felt it go numb. It laid by his side, uselessly.

“A nice pressure point hit,” Rōshi mumbled as he observed the two, “she uses that against Kuririn all the time.”

Goku stopped her from hitting with his tail and used it to easily toss her through the air. She caught herself midair and landed on her feet, sliding just the slightest. It didn’t deter her at all and soon she was back to trading blows with him. Goku’s serious expression never let up, even as he dodged a hit to his face. They had been evenly matched when they first arrived, but now that his tail was back it was like he’d gotten stronger. She let out a quiet breath before taking a sharp one when he landed a hit to her stomach. He went to follow up when she vanished on him, reappearing a few steps away. He could somewhat follow her movements when she did that, her scent liked to linger.

It was odd he thought that she’d smell like her namesake, but she smelt more like a night time rain and a type of flower. He ducked under a hit to the head and brought his leg out to try and sweep her legs from underneath her. She jumped up and had to calculate for his tail, getting hit by it was surprisingly hurtful. He got her arm with it, and she felt it tremble from the pain. It was sharp, and different compared to his usual strikes.

“Are they evenly matched?” Oolong asked Bulma as Pu’ar let out soft sounds of worry.

“No, I think Goku’s stronger, but Ichigo is one of those types that won’t go down without a fight,” Bulma stated as she watched the two children exchange blows.

There was a glint in Goku’s eyes, showing that he was enjoying their fight. They jumped away from one another, breaths heavy. Bulma smirked a little, seemed like she was going to win that little bet of theirs. They got their second wind and went back to trading blows. One misstep allowed Goku to get past Ichigo’s solid defenses. He got a few hits to her side and was able to toss her once again. This time she didn’t catch herself correctly, her left leg bending at a strange angle as she slid across the tilted ground. She stood on shaking legs, refusing to back down. Goku blinked, he was happy to see that she hadn’t lost her stubborn streak. Something that had started to appear a couple months back.

“Man,” Kuririn muttered as he held an ice pack to his bruised and throbbing head, “those two aren’t holding back.”

“I didn’t think they would,” Yamcha confirmed, “there’s too much respect for one another.”

Kuririn made a thoughtful sound and watched as Goku got Ichigo in the face, only for her to kick the spot right below his knee. She fought like that with him, and that made him smile a bit. She thought that he was a valid opponent? He heard the crowd go wild when Goku and Ichigo hit one another at the same time. Their fists had connected and they slid back. Ichigo felt her left leg protest as she kept moving, kept fighting against Goku. Blow after blow, he was easily chipping away her defenses. He was going to win, that she knew, but she wasn’t going to just let him have the victory. He was going to have to work for it. She felt his fist hit right into her face and she responded in kind. They flew back once again, and Goku saw the bloody trail that followed her path. He had gotten her close to the nose, and the hot liquid was traveling down her face. Still, she stood up straight and gave him a serious look. This last round was going to decide the winner.

“Oh man,” Rōshi muttered, feeling the tension in the air.

He still had her medical supplies, didn’t he? He doubted it would do anything for her hurt leg, but she should be able to do something about all her bruises. He tensed when the two kids exchanged blows heavier than before. Ichigo wasn’t used to the tail being brought into the fight and it was obvious. Goku grabbed her with it once again and with a strong toss she was thrown into a wall and slid to the ground, out of bounds. The arena was silent for a full minute before cheers erupted from the spectators. Goku looked around with a grin before going to check on Ichigo, she hadn’t gotten up yet. He saw that she was checking her left leg, a wince on her face. It started to turn black around her ankle. A frown appeared on his face.

“It looks like a twist more than a break,”  Ichigo deduced, “I’ll be alright in a couple days.”

He held a hand out to help her up and she accepted it. Once she was fully on her feet she gave him a bow that was normal in the village for spars. He was confused for a few seconds before laughing a little. She came out of the bow and looked towards Roshi His eyes widened just the slightest before he sheepishly rubbed the back of his head with a light laugh. She stood up from her bow with a grin on her face and took a step. She let out a soft hiss as pain erupted from her ankle at the first bit of weight, and he moved forward. Ichigo blinked when her chin landed on the top of his head. She closed her eyes for a few seconds as he jogged into the main building and let one of the monks take care of her. Her ankle was being tended to and she felt a hand gently ruffle her hair. She looked up to see Yamcha there with the scroll for Karin.

“Hey, good fight out there,” Yamcha complimented, “is she good to move?”

”Yes, just keep some of the weight off it for a while,” the monk informed her, handing her a crutch to use.

”Let’s go watch Goku’s match,” Yamcha stated.

She sat on his shoulder as they finally rejoined Kuririn to watch the match. Goku and Roshi had already started to fight and Ichigo kept her eye on the old man. She knew how her best friend fought, she just didn’t know how Roshi was going to fight. She watched as he sent Goku into the air. She moved her sights to Goku as he sailed through the air, a hand on his chin. She crossed her fingers and brought a hand to her mouth in worry. A grin appeared on her face as Goku twirled his tail around to keep himself in the air. He landed back in the ring and Roshi let out a scream of sorts. They both went into a familiar stance and Ichigo could sense the energy moving around the two, both active and inactive energy. She watched as the energy swirled around the two of them, mainly concentrated in their hands.

”A twin Kamehameha,” Ichigo stated and Yamcha began to move to the wall to make sure she didn’t get knocked down.

The two identical blue beams of energy appeared in their hands before racing towards one another. She squinted a little and held up a hand, she wanted to see how the two energies reacted. Goku's energy was stopped, the energy trying to fight against Roshi’s slightly stronger one. It lasted a minute before it blew up, engulfing the arena in a bright blue light. Yamcha held on tight to her legs so she wouldn’t vanish on him. Roshi and Goku had been taken down by the explosion. They both stayed down for a few seconds before getting to their feet. She could hear Goku’s laugh from where they were covered. It stopped once Roshi used after images. She could do the same, but she refused to use them during a spar…that and Goku was always able to see through them when she practiced. Yamcha quickly hurried to the side as Goku sailed into the wall next to them and got covered in the debris. She shook her head as the countdown began.

”What a surprise,” Goku stated, making the count stop, “now it’s my turn.”

Goku did the same trick that Roshi had, but he brought his hands crashing down upon the bald head. Roshi snapped and started a form she knew little about. The drunken fist, sui-ken! She had to spar against that once, and she had been overcome by it. According to the sensei, it was hard to fight against a person acting drunk when one had never been drunk.  She began to chew the inside of her cheek as Goku was starting to grow weaker from the hits Roshi landed. He jumped back and let out a growl, drool slowly going down his chin. She knew that one too.

“That’s…kyo-ken,” Ichigo stated and Yamcha blinked.

“Mad dog?” Yamcha asked as Goku got a few good hits on Roshi using it. “How’d you know that one?”

“An actual mad dog,” Ichigo answered.

“And now he’s acting like a monkey…” Yamcha sighed as Goku scratched at Roshi’s face, “how come you never seemed scared when Goku transformed?”

“Goku is Goku,” Ichigo shrugged before smiling a little, “even if he can’t control his Oozaru form he is still him.”

Yamcha sent her a look at the non-answer she gave him. Yet, he could understand what she meant. He understood seeing as Bulma had points where she could feel like a different person, usually when she was working on a new experiment. The two of them watched as Kuririn quickly made his way back to them, and let out a wheezing sound.

“He’s hypnotizing him!” Kuririn exclaimed.

“So…that’s what another form of genjutsu looks like,” Ichigo muttered before hopping down from Yamcha’s shoulder.

“Hey, you aren’t supposed to be walking around yet,” Yamcha stated, and he noted the expression on her face before she headed out of the fight arena.

She was so determined that it was nearly impossible to hold her back. She swiftly moved through the crowd, ignoring how her ankle hurt, and made her way to Bulma. Bulma had quite the pair of lungs and she knew that her friend would be able to get Goku awake. She had to be able to. She found it hard to come to a stop with only one leg working properly. So, she slightly ran into said bluenette.

“Can you inform Goku that dinner is ready?” Ichigo requested and Bulma blinked.

“Great minds think alike,” Bulma chuckled before cupping her hands around her mouth and taking a deep breath, “HEY GOKU, DINNER IS READY!!!”

Before the last syllable left her mouth, Goku sat up immediately with a hungry look in his eyes. He began to energetically run around, looking for the dinner that he’d been called for. Maybe Launch had made some curry again, or Ichigo had made Xiaolongbao! He hoped it was the latter, he could eat so many dumplings! Last time she put soup in them.

“Thank you, Bulma,” Ichigo thanked, feeling sweat going down her face.

“Woah, should you be walking right now?” Bulma asked, noting how Ichigo seemed unsteady on her feet.

“I got her!” Pu’ar stated as the ninja slowly fell forward.

“Man, she‘s so stubborn,” Oolong muttered.

Pu’ar had transformed to catch her, the large cat plush form they took had gotten a little bit of attention but not too much. Bulma sighed in relief before looking towards the match. She was glad that Ichigo was down for the count, because the old man was electrocuting her best friend, and was refusing to stop until Goku said “uncle”. He didn’t know these two kids, they were too stubborn.  She almost screamed when Goku looked at something in the sky and his eyes widened in such a chillingly familiar way. The others did as well. Ichigo twitched as the energy poured into the arena, her eyes opened just the slightest and she watched as he transformed. It sounded so painful for him. She was picked up by someone before a piece of debris hit her. She was passed to Bulma, who was genuinely surprised by how light the kid was, and she blearily watched as the others got ready to do something about Goku.

“And he just got his tail back too,” Ichigo quietly said and Bulma gained a conflicted expression.

A bright blue light filled the area and everyone had to cover their eyes. Ichigo stopped breathing for a few seconds, she couldn’t sense Goku.

She couldn’t sense Goku!

Bulma felt tears gathering in her eyes as she noted the lack of Goku in the arena. She didn’t fight it when Ichigo took off towards the tiles, once pristine now cracked. Roshi watched with an exhausted expression as she searched for her best friend. Trying to pinpoint him. He paused, she was crying. He couldn’t remember ever seeing his female student cry, if she had then it had been a rare occurrence. Why would she…oh….oohhhh. Well, he had a misunderstanding to clear up.

“I only shot at the moon,” Roshi informed her and she gave him a dubious look, “see, he’s over there.”

“I’m hungry,” Goku’s soft complaint almost had her running over to him, but a shake of the head from Roshi stopped her.

“Launch would kill me,” Roshi muttered and she nodded her agreement.

“We’ll let a recess happen so Goku can put on some clothes,” the announcer stated.

“Who’s uniform will work better?” Ichigo asked Kuririn.

”Your’s,” Kuririn answered immediately, “you’re taller.”

”All right, give me a minute,” Ichigo said.

She slowly hobbled into the remains of the main building and looked around for her clothes. She found them in a pile near the back and she sighed before changing as fast as she could. Goku quickly rushed in and grabbed the gi before she could even call for him. Ichigo gave a few slow blinks before giving a tired smile. Yamcha came back in and waved her down. She hobbled his way and he heaved her back onto his shoulder so they could move a bit faster.

“Then while your guard is down, try your final Kamehameha!” Roshi shouted, he put his hands out and prepared to do the move.

Ichigo closed her eyes for a few seconds before laughing a little, neither of them had the energy for that. She felt Goku’s energy grow again and she paused. No, one of them had the energy to perform the Kamehameha. Of course it was Goku, she never doubted it would be. He released his blast and waited for Roshi to jump into the air to dodge it before following suit. He was able to kick the old man and he was starting to fall towards the edge of the arena. His grin grew and Ichigo gained a grin as well.

“Yes!” Ichigo cheered and Yamcha let out a whoop.

The crowd was cheering for Goku, seemingly believing him to be the winner of the match, of the entire tournament. Roshi cleared his throat and everyone noticed that he was still in the match, his foot stabbed into the concrete floor. He stepped back onto the stage and rolled his foot a little to get rid of the tingling in it. He regained his composure to the best of his abilities, it was a bit difficult due to the lack of energy. The both fell back into their stances before rushing one another. They jumped into the air again and silence filled the area as the two connected in a single kick. They hit the ground and the sounds of their bodies hitting the floor echoed in the air.

“It’s the rarest of the rare! A double knock-down!” The announcer exclaimed as he looked at the two. “They are both out cold! We’ll begin the count one!”

”C’mon Goku!” Ichigo and Kuririn called as the count continued.

Roshi and Goku both started to struggle into a sitting position. Ichigo joined the others in cheering for their friend. They believed in him, he could win. Yamcha was surprised that Ichigo could get as loud as she currently was. The announcer was announcing every little move, the excitement obvious on his face. He didn’t know which one he wanted to win, but it certainly made for some excellent entertainment. Ichigo let out a loud sound as Goku slowly got to his feet, sweat was going down his face as he clenched his jaw from the effort.  Kuririn let out a yell loud enough that it was heard over the crowd.

”Just one more push, Goku!” Kuririn exclaimed. “You can do it!”

“You can do it! Just a little more, Goku!” Ichigo yelled.

”Son Goku is on his feet!” The announcer stated as he moved to the arena side to announce whoever was able to state they were the winner.

Goku smiled as he began to state his win over Roshi, but he slowly fell back. He hit the ground with that smile still on his face. Ichigo let out a sad sound before smiling fondly. He pushed himself to the best he could, and that’s all anyone could want.

“I…d…did…so….win!” Roshi stated, putting out victory signs with both hands.

”Victory to Jackie Chun!” The announcer stated and Yamcha moved to the ring so that Ichigo could get a look at her friend.

She hobbled over to him and took the seiza form to double check Goku. She blocked out the cheering and gave his arms and legs small prods to make sure nothing was broken. She finished just as he opened his eyes. She gave him a tiny smile and he groggily looked around.

”I lost?” Goku asked.

”Yeah, but you did amazing,” Ichigo confirmed before glancing towards Roshi.

”You made it very close,” he confirmed.

”Hey, when I’ve trained more and gotten stronger, you wanna fight me again?” Goku asked, his tail swishing through the air in excitement.

”Goku,” Ichigo fondly sighed,”how can you think of fighting right now?”

”It’s always fun,” Goku answered as though it was obvious.

She gave a small laugh in response before getting to her feet and stumbling with a wince. It vanished quickly as she held her hand out to him. He accepted it and she helped him to his feet with ease. They went to talk to Jackie Chun to give him congratulations from all of them. They had good sportsmanship, one of the first things Roshi actually taught them. Kuririn waved them over and the two quickly went to his side.

“Hey, congrats on your victory,” Kuririn said as they walked up to the old man.

“You’re really good, old man,” Goku stated.

”Impressive, sir,” Ichigo added.

”You three fought well as well,” Roshi informed them and Ichigo nodded.

She knew he’d go into more depth once he was out of his disguise. Kuririn turned towards his two fellow students and blinked in surprise. He couldn’t tell if Goku was hovering because he was usually next to Ichigo, or if he was worried and didn’t realize it. He rubbed the back of his bald head before grinning at them.

”I hope master Roshi watched the whole tournament like he said he would,” Kuririn stated and Ichigo gave a slow nod.

“Let’s go find him,” Goku stated.

They all moved to look around for their teacher, Ichigo finding him with ease. Even with his energy low, his Ki still burned brightly amongst a planet of people who weren’t that strong. Goku let out a pained sound and she gave him a worried look. He was holding his stomach and stumbling. She didn’t think he had gotten hurt in the stomach, she must’ve been wrong. She heard it growl and relaxed a bit.

”Are you really that hungry?” Kuririn asked in disbelief.

”I hope he lets us eat soon,” Goku said as he nodded.

”He’s that way,” Ichigo pointed as she felt Roshi’s Ki moving around as though he was walking around.

”Let’s go get him!” Kuririn stated and they nodded in agreement.

They went at a slower pace for Ichigo so she could hobble by their side. Roshi watched as his students arrived. He had already found their friends and he was quite glad that he had Ichigo’s senbon. As it was, she sent a rock his way and he got beamed in the forehead by it. Bulma smirked just the slightest, glad that whoever was with their group was making sure Ichigo was being taken care of.

“Oh, did you see our fight?” Goku asked as Kuririn sent their teacher a knowing look.

”Of course, you all fought magnificently,” Roshi informed them, “I’m proud.”

”But Goku was so close, if he wasn’t hungry he’d have won,” Kuririn countered and Ichigo smiled a bit.

”Nah, even if I wasn’t hungry I think I still would have lost,” Goku admitted, “that old guy was great!”

”That’s right!” Roshi stated, obviously fired up by the compliment, “as great as you are, there will always be someone better! There are still many more powerful ones! The way of the warrior is not so easy that you can now be satisfied with today’s performance, your true training is only now beginning!”

”Yes, sir,” The three stated in unison.

”All right, as a reward for your excellent performances, I will treat you to a tummy-bursting dinner,” Roshi promised and Goku cheered.

”Please, please make it soon, I’ve never been this hungry before!” Goku nearly begged.

”Would you all like to come too?” Roshi asked their friends and they all nodded.

”Are you going to be able to walk with your leg hurt like that?” Bulma asked Ichigo as they started to head to a restaurant.

”I’ll be fine, it’ll take a few days to fully heal but it will,” Ichigo answered with a tired smile.

”So fast?” Bulma muttered before remembering how fast her back had healed. “Are you sure you’re human?”

”I think so,” Ichigo seriously answered to a joke question, “I don’t know anything about my parents or my past before the training in the village, so I can’t give an honest answer if I am or not human.”

”Does it ever bother you?” Yamcha asked as Pu’ar landed on her shoulder.

”Not really,” Ichigo slightly lied, “I have people important to me, so I can’t really miss someone I’ve never known.”

Goku was excited to go into the restaurant and so grabbed onto Kuririn and Ichigo before rushing in. Ichigo didn’t mind, but her ankle was killing her a little from the overuse of it. She noted that he hadn’t released her wrist, both with his hand and his tail. It wasn’t like she was going to run off on him. She shook her head, she just didn’t get it. Kuririn looked at the two and wanted to hit his head against a wall. He sure hoped they figured it out before they were too old.

They were all ushered to a table and Goku immediately began to eat. Ichigo ate more than usual as well, the fighting made her hungry. She still had her manners though. She watched Goku and knew there was nothing that was going to get in the way of his stomach, an amused expression appeared on her face. She seemed to be the only one at the table amused and not surprised.

“I forgot how much this guy can eat,” Oolong dryly commented as Goku finished his first course and moved onto his second one.

“Is anyone even able to cook for him?” Bulma asked.

“Launch and I take turns cooking, so we’ve both gotten pretty good at it,” Ichigo confirmed.

The table went silent as they all finished their food and Goku continued eating. Ichigo propped her head on her hand and her eyes slowly closed due to how exhausted she still was. Her body was relaxed and there wasn’t any danger around. Kuririn let out a surprised sound when he went to say something to her and saw she was deep asleep.

“Man, she really likes to sleep,” Oolong commented.

“She did get pretty hurt today,” Yamcha stated.

“She’s good at acting as though nothings wrong,” Bulma added, none of them noticed that Goku had slowed down to listen to the conversation, “I wonder what that village of her’s put her through.”

“She wouldn’t even say which one she came from,” Kuririn pointed out.

“Because most of those villages have truth keepers,” Roshi explained and they all looked towards him, “they’ll follow exiles they think will be in the spotlight and make sure nothing can be said about their past…she noticed one in the crowd and that’s when she was asked that question.”

“I wonder when she’ll tell one of us,” Bulma softly said as Ichigo continued to sleep.

“She will on her own time,” Roshi stated, “trust doesn’t come naturally to the ninjas.”

Goku stopped eating with a small frown on his face. Ichigo could say where she was from because someone might hurt her? He didn’t like that. He really, really didn’t. Everyone turned towards him, save the only person who was asleep, and he went back to eating. He knew that Ichigo could protect herself, he wasn’t worried. She was able to fight against him, and hold her own for a while. He took the longest to eat. Bulma found herself braiding small sections of Ichigo’s hair, mainly to see if she could wake the kid up, and started to get really good at it. Pu’ar watched, holding the hair pin that Launch had put in there.

“Hey can I please have two more servings of this?” Goku asked the waiter and the man became a little nervous.

“I’m afraid we’re out of everything,” he stated.

“That’s okay, like they say ‘moderation in everything’,” Goku stated.

Roshi went and paid as the others started to pack up. Kuririn and Goku took care of Ichigo, she ended up on Goku’s back while Kuririn held onto the crutch. They all got into the car and Roshi came out muttering about the money being gone. If she was awake, Ichigo would inform him that it was karmic justice. As it was, she continued to sleep on Goku. He didn’t even seem bothered by it, too used to them sharing a futon with Launch.

“What are you going to do?” Yamcha asked, “Continue to train?”

“Of course we are!” Kuririn exclaimed.

“Ichigo and I are gonna go find grandpa’s dragon ball,” Goku informed everyone.

“Did you ask her first?” Bulma asked, her eyes narrowing a little as Pu’ar tilted their head in thought.

“Why wouldn’t I?” Goku asked, tilting his head in confusion.

“At least she knows how to use the dragon radar,” Bulma muttered as Roshi came to a stop so the others could get going home.

“Is our stuff in there?” Goku asked Roshi as Bulma checked her capsule container for her airplane one.

“Some of it, but not a lot,” Roshi answered, “her weapons are in there, that’s mainly what I have.”

Goku took care of their stuff, wrapping it all up in a cloth and putting it on his back with the nyoibo. He double checked it was all situated before looking towards Kuririn and nodding. If anyone was surprised that he was able to take care of it all by himself then no one said anything.

“Kinto-un!!!” Goku called and the gold cloud came racing towards them.

It decided to take Ichigo out and that finally woke up the ninja. She grasped onto the cloud in confusion before burying her face in it. Goku laughed as he jumped into it and sat down. She slowly moved to join him on top of the cloud. Kuririn handed her the crutch.

“See you guys!” Goku called.

“Don’t go getting into trouble you two!” Bulma yelled at them.

“Good luck!” Rossi stated and Ichigo nodded.

“Bye!” Kuririn stated as he waved.

“Let’s get going,” Goku said and the cloud shot forward.

Ichigo welcomed the cold night air. Well, at least they had a new adventure in front of them. And three years till the next tournament. She would do better next time.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Age 750, May 8

Ichigo looked over the world below them and noted that it seemed so peaceful. She didn’t fully trust that, but still enjoyed the view. She glanced down at the dragon radar in her hands and noted they were coming up on one. Goku shifted to yawn and she gained a small smile. He was really fixated on finding his grandfather’s dragon ball, she thought it was sweet. She noted that his tail had a hold around her arm and wondered if he thought she was going to fall off the kinto-un. She shook her head at that thought, no he did it without even noticing.

“How close are we?” Goku asked as he tilted his head back to glance at her.

“A few more miles to the left and we should be right at its position,” Ichigo answered as she double checked.

“I wonder which one it is,” Goku thought out loud.

“Hopefully we got the four star on the first try,” Ichigo stated with a nod, and she brought a hand back to fiddle with the scroll for Karin.

Her expression shifted a bit before it vanished. Goku was starting to be able to read her moods, and it made things a little more complicated. She needed to train with this Karin, but she didn’t want to leave her best friend behind. They’d done so much together. Her hands twitched a little at that thought. She’d never had a friend that stood by her side like he did.

“Morning all ready?” Goku commented as the sun began to rise.

“Time sure flies,” Ichigo nodded before yawning, she rubbed at one of her eyes in a disgruntled manner.

“You sure like to sleep during the day,” Goku said, smiling at her.

“I’m used to long nights,” Ichigo shrugged before yawning again, “oddly enough my Ki feels stronger at night, but that’s most likely due to the extra training I did when I was little.”

“I’ve gotten to where I can somewhat make out where the old man is,” Goku said as her words reminded him of his Ki sensing lessons from her, “you’re harder to find.”

“You’ll be able to sense larger Ki pools before getting to mine,” Ichigo explained, “most of my ki is drawn back until I need it, it helps me go undetected for long periods of time.”

“But I can always tell where you are,” Goku pointed out.

Her ears burned at that. He brought the cloud down so he could get a drink of water and look around the area. Ichigo found herself sitting on the edge of Kinto-un and studying the radar as her good leg swung to a slow rhythm. The slight breeze in the area moved her hair into her face and she brought a hand back to push it behind her ears. She recalibrated their position and the map automatically adjusted, zooming in to show just how close they were to the dragon ball.  She let out a soft sigh before blinking as an apple was held out to her. She felt honored, Goku was sharing his food. He rarely did that.

“So it’s in this area,” Ichigo informed him before taking a bite out of the apple, “if not a mile or so in that direction.”

“Will you be able to move?” Goku asked and she gave a slow blink before nodding.

“It should be healed by the end of the week if not a bit earlier,” she said, smiling a little, “it was a good hit, I look forward to a future match with you.”

“Yeah!” Goku agreed before jumping back on the Kinto-un.

Ichigo blinked as they moved in the direction of the dragon ball. She felt other people around it, small levels of Ki but there were quite a few. It could be a problem, especially if they had weapons. She could still use her senbon to hit pressure points to take them out, but she would rather it not come down to that. Yet, she knew it would. She closed her minds for a few seconds and noticed that one of the Ki signatures was fluctuating. So, there was a physically strong opponent in the area. She scratched her a cheek at that thought before looking down at the radar.

”It’s in this area,” Ichigo stated and the Kinto-un came to a stop.

She blinked at all the people looking in bushes and brambles. She handed the radar to Goku so he could go find the dragon ball. He gave it a confused look for a few seconds before figuring it out. The people that were searching the area gazed at the two kids in confusion as he jumped down from Kinto-un and looked around the area himself.

”Who do you two think you are?” A man with a heavy southern accent asked them. “Or should I say “were”?”

”Git outta here, pups, or you’re buzzard food,” A wolf man with the same accent growled.

”I found it!” Goku informed Ichigo before hurrying back to her, “it’s the liu-shinchu, not Grandpas.”

”It’s all right, we’ll find it,” Ichigo said as he handed it to her so she could put it in a storage scroll.

“Don’t tell me that’s a dragon ball!” The two southerners exclaimed in unison.

”Hm?” Goku asked, tilting his head. “You guys know about dragon balls?”

”You’re one lucky lil feller, huh?” The first man asked, pushing his hat back a little and unholstering his pistol, “But I reckon we’re even luckier. Hand over that ball lil lass.”

”I don’t think so, besides why do you guys want it?” Ichigo asked, her hand slowly moving to her senbon.

”So I don’t have to kill you kids, how’s that for an answer?” The man asked and she gave him an unimpressed look before sending a senbon right into his wrist.

He yowled as he dropped the pistol and Goku easily took care of the wolf man with a quick kick to the head. Ichigo slowly dropped down from the cloud and limped over to the man that was holding onto his wrist in obvious pain. She knocked him out with a single hit to his neck. She grabbed her senbon and gave him a thoughtful look. There were still others in the area, but they hadn’t noticed the commotion. That worked in their favor.

”I hope the next one we find is Grandpas,” Goku said and Ichigo nodded her agreement and he handed her back the radar.

”Well, the next one seems to be up north,” Ichigo said as she studied the radar, “maybe a day's journey if we can get a good wind…but Kinto-un has always been really fast.”

Kinto-un seemed pleased by that as it landed on her shoulder. She gave a tiny smile before tilting her head. That stronger power level was close by. While she’d rather not have to fight it, she knew that Goku would. He was sort of predictable in that manner. She got back on the cloud and he followed suit with a quick jump. Their journey didn’t last too long when something was shot at their cloud. Ichigo felt the heat from the explosion and covered her face to protect her eyes. She quickly scanned the ground as they both fell through the sky and saw the source. A red haired man carrying a rocket launcher, she quietly thanked Blonde Launch for the information on weaponry, and he was the source of the fluctuating Ki. She landed on her feet and instantly froze up. She clenched her teeth as her bad leg sent up sharp jolts of pain the longer she was on it.

“Why’d you go and do something like that!?” Goku yelled at the man as he also landed on his feet. “That was my Kinto-un!  My favorite present from the turtle guy…and you just wrecked it!”

”You’ll answer

my

questions,” The man informed them, “why are you gathering dragon balls? And how are you able to find them so easily? With the Red Ribbon Army’s Radar we can locate them approximately, but your radar must be far more advanced.”

”I’m not tellin’ nothing to the guy that destroyed Kinto-un! Not until you say sorry!” Goku informed him as he stuck out his tongue.

“You’re less likely to get information out of both of us with that stunt you just pulled,

Colonel

,” Ichigo informed him and he finally glanced her way before tilting his head with a smirk.

”So, you have a shinobi on your side,” Silver stated as he slowly removed his coat to get ready to fight the two, “no wonder, they are hailed as some of the best of the best in sensing Ki. Quite the prize you found, kid.”

Ichigo felt a chill go down her spine at those words. Goku gained a fierce frown and it was the first time she could say that he outright disliked someone right away. He was harder to make mad than one would think. His tail was swishin in the air, showing his agitation. There wasn’t anything she could say to make him calm down. She narrowed her eyes at Silver for a few seconds before figuring something out.

”You’re all talk and no bite without a weapon,” She commented and the man’s smirk twitched in response.

”Don’t underestimate the red ribbon army’s strength, shinobi,” Silver seemingly hissed at her, “why are you two looking for the dragon balls, and what radar are you pairing with your abilities?”

”No, not until you apologize,” Goku stated as he stood up straight and his tail grabbed Ichigo’s wrist, “what a creep.”

“You aren’t wrong,” Ichigo quietly agreed, “he was more of what I was expecting when I came to the outside of the village, I’m glad I got to meet everyone else before now.”

He grinned at that before blinking when she suddenly vanished. Silver was holding her by the belt that held onto her pouches. Her eyes were wide in surprise before they narrowed at the man in question. She brought a leg out and kicked at Silver, he grunted in surprise and released her. She jumped back to put distance between them and he looked at her in surprise.

”I’ve heard stories that your people are strong,” Silver commented, “he must not be a run-of-the-mill brat if you’ve chosen to stand by his side…I suppose I have to physically force you to comply. I’ll begin by stopping your breathing.”

“What’s your problem? Leave us alone,” Goku stated.

Silver charged at the two and he watched as the boy dodged his attack and the girl returned it by palm striking him in the face. He felt something hit his stomach as well and he stumbled away from the two kids while holding his middle. He couldn’t believe that he was starting to lose to these two brats! He stood up straight and went to kick at them. They fought in different styles, yet could fight together in a perfect unit. A tail to the face took him out of commission. Ichigo rubbed the back of her head as she used her crutch to move alongside Goku.

”It’s gonna be too far to walk,” Goku commented as he looked at the radar, “maybe he’s got a capsule?”

Goku and Ichigo entered the small capsule home that Silver had been using as a base and she began to look at the plans on the table. There were maps with areas circled. She was right, the north was a bit of a trek, but they should be able to get there in decent time. She heard Goku give a soft cheer and she saw that he was holding a capsule case. There it was, just what they needed.

“I just gotta toss ‘em,” Goku muttered to himself as he took one out and tossed it outside.

”A robot?” Ichigo asked as the uncapsuled robot looked around.

”What is your command?” The robot asked them.

”I want to go that way, but it’s really far away,” Goku informed him and the robot’s eye blinked a bit before it answered.

”Use capsule number three,” the robot stated.

Ichigo glanced at the case and Goku watched as she grabbed one before pressing the button on the top and tossing it. An airplane appeared and they both shared a look. Ichigo might be able to drive a car, she had been taught the basics by Roshi just in case of emergencies, but an airplane was out of the realm of her knowledge. She was too used to the Kinto-un to even think of a plane. She could always learn how to fly, but that might be more difficult. She would have the time before the next tournament to figure it out. That would require training without Goku. She felt uncomfortable at that thought.

“We can’t fly a plane,” Goku informed the robot.

”I can, please enter,” it told them.

“You’re amazing,” Ichigo informed the robot as it easily took off and flew the plane to where they were wanting to go.

”It’s a bit slower than the Kinto-un, though,” Goku pointed out and she gave a sad nod.

“What is Kinto-un?” The robot asked.

”A flying gold cloud,” Ichigo answered, “it was so fluffy.”

It went quiet after a few minutes and Goku wasn’t even phased when Ichigo fell asleep on him. In fact, he welcomed the added warmth. It was starting to get colder the further north they got. She was dressed for slightly colder weather, but every so often she would let out a slight shiver. He started to join her, his bare arms making it difficult to remain warm.

“Why is it so cold?” Goku asked through chattering teeth and Ichigo woke up with a violent shiver.

”Atmospheric temperatures decrease in northern latitudes,” the robot informed him.

”This is good enough, we should land here,” Ichigo shivered, trying to make sure to keep her hands from shaking as she looked at the radar.

”What’s wrong?” Goku asked the robot when it didn’t land the plane.

”I seem to be frozen,” it informed them.

They both let out a yell as the airplane went upside down and started a nose dive to the ground. It hit the snowy ground with a large explosion and both kids were lucky to have escaped being hurt. Goku was stuck looking up at the sky, frozen in his spot. Ichigo tried to sit up, but her arms wouldn’t stop shaking from the harsh cold. Her breaths were coming out in white clouds and she’d never been in such extreme cold. She needed to get both of them out of the cold. It could be bad if she didn’t.  She blinked when someone grabbed onto her leg and started to drag her through the snow. Her eyes slowly closed as the cold finally got to her. Her dreams were a familiar image.

The woman that looked just like her that filled her with such want and sadness turned to smile softly at her before returning to the dragon above them. Shenlong, the all mighty, looked down her way. His red eyes are all seeing, sending a foreboding feeling through her. The woman spoke her wish, those words a soft whisper that she couldn’t make out. But the tone was like a soft bell, and so pleasant to hear. She went to reach out for the woman as the wish was made, but everything went dark. Her eyes opened to a warm hearth and a pleasant home. A woman with long dark hair pulled into a low bun noticed she was awake and gave her a worried smile.

”Oh my, you were out in the cold for quite a while,” the woman informed her before handing her a cup that had steam billowing from the top, “whatever were you two doing out there?”

”We were looking for a dragon ball that used to belong to his grandfather when these men from the red ribbon army attacked us,” Ichigo explained, feeling that the woman could be trusted, “do you know more about them?”

”No one knows why,” the woman answered with a shake of her head, “we don’t even know what a dragon ball looks like.”

”Here, they look like this,” Ichigo stated as she brought the six stars out of the scroll, “there’s seven of them in total and when you summon the mighty Shenlong you get a wish granted.”

”It looks like the marks right under your eyes,” a smaller girl with red hair informed her and Ichigo blinked.

She only had the red on her eyelids, and the two curled lines under both eyes…right?  Her head tilted to the side in confusion and the girl grasped onto her wrist and showed her to the bathroom. There wasn’t anything to fear from the white haired girl, she had been nothing but polite since waking up. She showed her the mirror and Ichigo was surprised to see that seven little circles were right above the two lines on each side. Why? She didn’t know why or when they had appeared. She gained a thoughtful expression, did it have to do with the dragon balls? She thought back to the dream she was always having, perhaps it was something that woman had done. Her heart clenched at that thought.

“Your friend is awake!” the woman called and the two girls came back.

Goku was slowly looking around and a grin appeared on his face as Ichigo came to check on him. She looked relieved to see him awake and alert. She had a purple blanket wrapped over her shoulders and a cup still in one of her hands. There was slight bruising on her jaw from the crash, but other than that she seemed to be alright. She wasn’t even limping any more. Her handmade medicine sure worked miracles. She sipped at the drink in her hand and her shoulders relaxed as she let it warm her up a bit more.

“The red ribbon army has all the men in the village looking for the dragon ball in this area,” the woman informed Ichigo and she nodded her understanding.

”Not only that, the mayor is being held hostage in their base over there, if we don’t do what they say, they’ll kill him,” her daughter added.

“I’ll go beat them up for you, consider it my thanks for saving us,” Goku stated as Ichigo memorized the path to the red ribbons base.

“These guys are all grown-ups, kids can’t fight them!” The girl exclaimed.

The door was slammed open and a cold wind entered. Ichigo reached towards her senbon pouch and narrowed her eyes. Goku grinned at the prospect of a fight and quickly moved to take them out. Ichigo blinked a little, she almost got the feeling that he didn’t want her to fight the red ribbon army. She frowned a bit, if he just explained why she wouldn’t be angry at him. She could be worried by him, a little frustrated sometimes, but never angry. She rubbed the back of her head as the two men laid on the ground, completely out cold.

“What did he just do?” The girl asked Ichigo.

”Six punches and four kicks,” Ichigo answered, as Goku exited the home, “he’ll be back once the cold gets to him.”

”You know him pretty well,” the woman smiled.

”He’s my best friend,” Ichigo proudly said.

The woman felt there was more to that statement but gave a soft chuckle. She had been that way around her husband back when they were children. She glanced back as Goku came back just as Ichigo said he would. She would lend them warm clothes so they could help. Ichigo’s hair was pulled back by a spare string before she put the warm hat on. She found herself worried about the two, they had someone to look after them, right?

“I don’t mean to mother you two, but please be careful,” she gently said.

”Don’t worry about us,” Goku said as Ichigo smiled at her, “we know what we’re doing…but what is all this cold stuff?”

”You’ve never seen snow?” The girl asked.

“We live on a tropical island and the eastern mountains,” Ichigo answered, “it doesn’t really snow.”

”We need to get going,” Goku stated and she nodded in agreement.

The mother and Daughter duo were surprised when the two kids took off, kicking up a lot of snow as they ran. They came across the base and Goku watched as Ichigo stopped matching his speed and ran ahead of them. She jumped up and ran up one of the towers. He took care of the soldiers on the ground as she took care of them up above. Ichigo watched as the soldiers let out screams of fear as she suddenly appeared. It didn’t last long as she took them down with relative ease. She landed on her bad leg and blinked a little. There wasn’t any pain? She lifted the long pants up and removed the bandages around her ankle. It looked like it usually did. She let out a soft hum before shaking her head. She wasn’t going to focus on a good thing. She heard the sound of a gun going off and dodged the bullets before pushing off the ground and towards the shooter. It went quiet as she finished the guys on the higher level and she looked over the edge to see that Goku had done the same below.

”Welcome to the legendary muscle tower, children!” A voice announced and Ichigo looked towards a speaker. “What brings you to our stronghold?”

”We came for the mayor,” Goku answered.

”Oh well then,” the voice continued, “just step through that door in front of you and walk up the stairs. His honor the mayor is on the top floor…the question is will you be able to get all the way up here?”

”Of course we can, here we come,” Goku stated before using the nyoibo to get onto the second floor with Ichigo.

They entered the tower together and she looked around in thought. This sort of organization would’ve been one of the first that the village would have hired ninja out to. She’d have to keep an eye out for any other ninja. She put her hands into her sleeves as the men in the room glanced at the children before taking out weapons.

“You kids have to be stupid,” one man stated.

”General White, can we kill them?” Another asked.

”If you want,” the voice from before confirmed and Ichigo felt her hand twitch a little.

“Of course, these kids aren’t nothing,” one man commented, “there isn’t enough meat here for a side dish with dinner.”

”Might as well have some fun,” the first man stated.

One charged Goku and another tried to charge Ichigo. She gave a small smile before vanishing from sight. She landed on the ceiling and launched herself at the man that went after her. Her foot went right into his face and he flew back into another. They reacted in kind to the two children easily taking them down.

”I thought it would be harder,” Goku stated as Ichigo stretched her legs a bit, “it’s a bit hot in here.”

She had to agree. They both shed the winter clothes that the family had leant them and Ichigo put them in a scroll for later. She glanced around with a cautious eye, this was her territory. Goku was more than happy to let her lead, she knew traps better than anyone else he knew. She walked through the halls with a sharp eye and he noted that she kept looking around with a serious expression. He closed his eyes with a frown and reached out the way that Ichigo taught him to. He felt it, strong Ki within the building.

“What is that?” Goku asked and she felt sweat gathering on the back of her neck.

”People from the village and a rival one,” Ichigo softly answered, “one of them is used to the cold weather…but I’ve never met anyone from there.”

“Are they going to hurt you?” Goku asked and she noted the frown on his face.

”Possibly, we’re both threats,” Ichigo said before sending him a smile, “don’t worry too much about them, I should be able to take care of them…I think I’ve gotten stronger than a chunin.”

“Hmm,” Goku hummed in thought, “what was your village like?”

”I’ll tell you after we help the mayor,” Ichigo promised, “you’ll be the first person I tell too.”

That was par for the course with the two of them. They entered a room and the man waiting for them was giant, with sunglasses covering his eyes. He stood up and easily towered over the two kids. He looked down at Ichigo and tilted his head before nodding. Ichigo reacted quickly and dodged an attack from another ninja. Goku kept his eyes on the large man in front of him. He trusted Ichigo to keep herself safe. He knew she could hold her own until she no longer could. He easily dodged when the man lashed out with a punch.

”Oh, if it isn’t little Amaya,” the ninja said as Ichigo easily stopped a hit to the face with a single hand, “or is it

Ichigo

, you always were one that couldn’t come up with a good name.”

”Matsui, it’s been a while,” Ichigo stated recognizing the voice, “they promoted you?”

”Some of us could actually make the cut with the hime,” Matsui sneered and she gained a bored look before bringing her knee up and slamming it into his stomach.

”Some of you can’t learn to keep your mouth shut,” Ichigo said before punching him in the face.

”So, this is the child that was exiled,” a smooth voice stated and her blood ran cold, “you’ve gone and gotten stronger, fighting against that one child that can transform into an Oozaru…I would say it’s impressive, if only for the fact that he still beat you.”

Ichigo sighed and focused on finding their Ki. A senbon came racing towards her and she dodged each one until she reached a wall and used her Ki to climb up it. This was a jonin, one of the strongest opponents from her village she could face. If she gave up now, she wouldn’t be able to face the others. Especially Goku. She let all thoughts go to fight this one opponent. She felt Goku’s Ki spike and ignored it, he could handle himself. She dodged an attack to her face and noted the nails on the glove the jonin was using. They were coated in a poison that would incapacitate her. This wasn’t a fight to kill, but a fight to capture.

”So you’ve noticed,” the jonin commented, “your ability to sense Ki can be well used to find these dragon balls, it will be easy to tap into it.”

Ichigo glared at that and quickly moved to stop the jonin. The sudden speed from

Amaya

surprised the jonin, this was a child that they exiled? She showed the most promise than any of the other children in her age group! If she got this far with training from the outside of the village, then what would she have accomplished with training from the village? The girl vanished, showing the speed of a high ranking chunin if not a low ranking jonin, and reappeared right in front of them. The jonin went to jump back, but Amaya got three hits to their stomach. They would have to call in reinforcements. They let out a shrill whistle and the kid dispatched them while using their distracted state.

“Got her,” a male jonin said as they grasped onto Ichigo by the back of her silk shirt.

She didn’t even hesitate to let the fabric rip to free herself. The bandages around her chest would allow her to keep her “modesty”. Launch had to teach her that one. She stopped holding back and started to slip into a mindset that would’ve seen her returning to the village if it weren’t for the dragon brand. She put a foot into the face of one of the jonin and sent them flying into a nearby wall. They burst through and she heard a shout of fear come from the other side. It was a little funny before she focused on the fight. The take down of one jonin caught the attention of the others. She could sense their Ki growing closer and she knew that she wouldn’t be able to fight all of them off. Something embedded itself into her neck and she reached back to remove it. A senbon shone in her hand and she quickly vaulted it into one of the charging jonin, this one from the rival village. She was used to poisons, so it would take a while to take effect.

Ichigo had to fight until she couldn’t fight anymore. She refused to allow other ninja’s to take her down without one. She didn’t have the respect for them that she had for Goku, Kuririn, and Yamcha. She would fight, and she would fight dirty. She grabbed a head and slammed it into a nearby wall. She heard one of the rival villages ninja utter something interesting.

”I thought your Hime was a full grown adult, not some kid,” they snidely stated.

”She is, this was just an orphaned kid,” one of the jonin responded, “she was found out in the forest, so we put her into the system.”

”And you never questioned where she came from?” The rival coldly questioned. “No wonder people leave your village.”

Ichigo let out a slight sound of agreement before rushing forward. She felt one of her knees give out and she went down hard. She slowly got to her feet again and felt sweat going down her face. Her heart was starting to race, and she could feel parts of her body going numb. She thought she had more time.

”Oh yeah, and what about her eyes?” Someone asked, their voice high in hysterics.

What about them? Ichigo didn’t know what they were talking about as her eyes slowly closed as the poison fully took effect. She slammed into the ground, the pain not even registering. One of the ninja picked her up and put her over their shoulder. They got the best senser they knew of, now to get her to the main base. A smirk appeared on the face of Matsui, she wasn’t going to be able to escape with him watching.

“Where’s Ichigo?” Goku muttered as he was being carried back to the mother and daughters house by the android he had helped.

”Who is that?” The android asked.

“She’s my best friend,” he answered, “I can’t even sense her in the area.”

”Are you…angry?” The android was a little surprised to see the frown on Goku’s face.

He didn’t get an answer as the boy fell asleep, he had fought hard and well. He felt bad that his best friend was missing, most likely stolen by the red ribbon army. She had to have something they could use, and that was bad news for her.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Age 750, May 12th

Ichigo opened her eyes to see people rushing about. Her arms were being restrained by a material she couldn’t place. The restraints didn’t let her move a single inch. She kept glancing about to see that everything had a strange blue tint to it. So, she was in a tank of sorts in a liquid she couldn’t identify. She closed her eyes for a few seconds to reorient herself. She couldn’t sense anything, it was like she was trying to see through static. She felt her heart hurt for a few seconds, she told Goku not to worry and what does she do? She got herself captured. Well, she had to give Roshi credit. He did tell them not to get over confident, so she supposed this is what she deserved. She opened her eyes when a door nearby opened and a man with an eyepatch walked in.

”I was told you were one of the best sensors of your village,” the man stated, the accent he had was one she couldn’t place, “colour me surprised when a kid was brought in…I was expecting an adult woman.”

”This girl is one of the best,” a jonin said as they kneeled next to the man, “we’re trying to tap into her abilities through the gel to see if we can use it on the radar.”

So, she was stuck in a strange gel? It felt more like water, but she supposed that was because she was inside of it. The man walked closer to the pod she was in and peered inside it. She met his eyes with a serious expression. She was going to get out, and when she did she would get revenge. They should be glad it was her and no one else getting revenge, she would make it quick.

”I thought that only your village Hime would have markings like that,” the man stated and she narrowed her eyes.

”Some of our people are born with them as well, it was speculated that she might’ve been related to our Hime,” the jonin admitted and that was news to Ichigo.

Who was this Jonin? How did they know so much about her? The pod received a hit to it by someone and she looked to see Matsui. Of course, he was there. He was going to make sure she couldn’t get out. It would be just her and him. He was going to be surprised when she got out.

”I’ll keep an eye on her to make sure she doesn’t try to escape,” Matsui informed the man, “Commander Red.”

Ichigo slowly looked at the man and with her look of disbelief the man hit the pod making the sound reverb through the gel. How else was she supposed to react to him being called “commander red” of all things? Matsui laughed at Ichigo’s expression before darkly smirking. Right, he had a vendetta against her, didn’t he? Someone turned down a union between the two of them, much to her relief. She never learned who it was, but she was thankful for that. Matsui was a piece of work, someone who took too much pleasure in hurting others. She couldn’t relate with them, she just couldn’t.

”There was another child with you, where is he,” Commander Red demanded and she inwardly smirked.

Goku had gotten out safely then? Good. She looked away from him and he hit the pod once again. She mentally gloated until she was engulfed in pain. Her eyes closed and she stopped herself from crying out. It felt like she was being stabbed with senbon all across her body. She clenched her jaw and felt the pressure hurt her teeth. A whistle cut through the pain and she felt her eyebrow twitch.

”I knew she was a glutton for punishment, but damn,” Matsui chuckled.

”We’ll have the jonin watch over this one,” Commander Red stated as he gave Matsui a look that showed even he was creeped out by the ninja, “you go take care of the kid that was with her.”

Ichigo hoped that Goku would be all right, but more importantly that they didn’t use any poison on him. She didn’t know how well that would work with him, or how badly it would effect him. The jonin in charge of her stopped the pain and she was granted a quick reprieve.

”Now, start to sense,” the jonin instructed, “or else it goes back on.”

Great, Ichigo sighed before closing her eyes again as the pain started back up.

“How do you lose a girl?” Bulma asked Goku as they moved through an underground tunnel.

”I was wondering where she was,” Kuririn stated, “what happened?”

”There were people from her village there,” Goku’s answer was short and missing his usual cheer and cluelessness.

Bulma and Kuririn shared a look, no one had ever seen him like this. They watched as he glanced at a switch before hitting it. The overhead lights turned on and the tunnel was suddenly too bright. He was all business, and it was starting to worry them. His mind was fixated on one thing, and Bulma could only guess what it was. He wanted his friend back, the one person that had been with him since the beginning. They moved deeper into the tunnel system until they came to a smooth corridor. He glanced at it and watched as Kuririn took a step and activated a trap, a spear came out of a nearby wall and embedded itself where his head would be if he was a bit taller.

”As long as we don’t step on those we’ll be fine,” Goku stated before backing up.

He quickly sprinted forward and jumped over the trapped floor. Bulma’s mouth opened in disbelief before Kuririn did the same, only his head slammed against the ceiling. He landed on his butt and held onto the top of his head to try and remove the stinging from it. Goku turned back and used the Nyoibo to bring Bulma over as well, looping it through the belt loop of her shorts. Their way of getting through the trap would stop the red ribbon army group following them. The large empty hanger they were in wasn’t that empty. He easily took care of the robot that was going to attack them and Bulma watched him in surprise. He was angry, and it was actually scary. She’d only been afraid of Goku once or twice, and that was when he transformed because of the moon. To see him get angry and stay angry made shivers go down her spine. At least she knew that no one would stand a chance against him when he finally got it through his thick skull about

why

he was angry.

”Let’s get going, I have a bad feeling that Ichigo is in some serious danger,” Bulma stated and she watched Goku’s tail twitch.

”Yeah,” Kuririn agreed.

Ichigo would be sweating if she was able to do so within the gel.If she were to be able to sense she would know exactly what was going on. Yet, she wasn’t about to try to do any sensing. That was what the red ribbon army wanted. She would rather die than give them what they wanted. She didn’t even react to the stinging pain when it happened again. In fact, she started to move her arms. She was going to take pleasure in ripping her way out of this pod. Her eyes were narrowed, and the jonin was slowly backing up from the pod as she slowly broke the restraints. Those had been infused with ki and several seals to keep her from breaking them. They floated around the gel and she looked at them from behind her hair, the violet eyes hard like a gem and the pupils slitted.

”Aha, so you are

her

daughter!” the jonin exclaimed with a grin. “An honorable fight.”

The pod broke and Ichigo grabbed the Jonin’s head, one of her eyes trained on them. Her mind was so blank, so, so blank. Only the thought of pain passed through every so often. Her senses were raw, the smell and feeling of the world made everything burn. Her spiritual sense was going haywire. It was like someone had summoned the great dragon, but doubled that.

“An honorable night rain,” the jonin whispered before their head hit the wall and they were taken care of.

Ichigo stood there with her eyes wide before she glanced at the scientists surrounding her. She was bare, her clothes nowhere to be found. She would have to see if she could sense the dragon ball in her possession. One they wouldn’t know that she had. She let out a soft breath, noting that the lab was cold enough that it escaped from her mouth like steam.

”It’s a demon! A dragon in human form!” A scientist screamed out.

”Let us out!” Another banged on a metal door.

Ichigo moved forward and slammed a foot against the door, it creaked from her first hit and screamed at her second. It went flying off its hinges and the scientists escaped while screaming. She needed clothing, that was the first thing on her mind. She reached out with a hand and grasped a female scientist by the back of her coat. The woman screamed and squirmed in horror. She was going to get killed by a naked child that was a hidden demon.

“Clothes, please,” Ichigo requested and the scientist stopped squirming before glancing at the oddly polite demon, “it’s cold…”

“Right…in that cupboard,” the woman pointed to the right and at a spare uniform cupboard.

She was gently placed on her feet and the child went to the cupboard to put on some clothes. She stayed behind, looking at the ninja that had been dispatched by the demon in disguise. Or rather, a child that had been pushed too far by horrible torture. She had been against that the second she saw the little ninja. She didn’t leave even when the child came back out. She was tucking in a dress shirt and tying a string around her waist to keep a pair of pants on. It was the smallest size and she was still swimming in them. She couldn’t help it, she let out a snort and the child glanced at her with those strange eyes of hers.

“It does look ridiculous doesn’t it?” Ichigo asked, tilting her head a bit.

”Why aren’t you hurting me?” The woman asked the ninja and she looked up at her.

”I only attack those that hurt me first,” Ichigo answered, putting her hands together, “you didn’t hurt me, and you aren’t a fighter I can tell that much by how you reacted when I picked you up.”

”I only took this job because I needed experience for a better job,” the scientist informed her, “I just graduated university and this was all I could get.”

”Ok,” Ichigo nodded her understanding, “then come with me, I’ll get you out of here while trying to find my things.”

The woman was thankful that the child was kinder than others thought she was. She felt a small tug on her coat and looked back at the girl. She was looking up at her with soft lilac eyes and she felt a smile appear on her face. Ichigo began to lead them through the building. The scientist was a little surprised when she left her and began to fight the red ribbon army by herself. The white hair was all she could keep track of, it glinted like moonlight. At least, she wasn’t fighting to kill, at least she was hoping so. She watched as the girl paused as she finished the men in her way off. Those lilac eyes were wide and glancing towards the north. It was like something had clicked in her head.

“Goku,” she heard the girl whisper before a bright smile appeared on her face, “miss, do you know where my items are?”

”Oh, they should be down this hallway,” the woman informed her, “it might be guarded.”

”Leave it to me,” Ichigo stated with a smile still on her face.

”Who is this Goku to you?” The woman asked.

”He’s my best friend, and he said he’d marry me one day,” Ichigo answered, for once being completely honest with someone as to what Goku meant to her, “though I doubt he’s figured it out.”

“Most boy’s don’t until they're older,” the woman agreed before she was picked up by the girl.

”Let’s get going!”

There weren’t any guards in the area with her things and soon she was wearing what other clothes she had. She had a tank top and a pair of silk pants to wear. Where had all her other clothes gone? She made a face before pulling her belt on and double checking all the pouches. Good, her weapons and medicine were still there…including all her scrolls. Good, her own seals had made it impossible for them to get into them. She picked the woman up again and the scientist was amazed at the speed the girl could get up to. They burst through a door and she noticed that Goku was glaring down a dark skinned man.

”I’m going to take those dragon balls, and my best friend back,” Goku informed the man and the man chuckled.

”Your best friend was incredibly stubborn,” he said as he moved to pick up a cup filled with a liquid Ichigo couldn’t identify, “she refused to sense anything for us, rendering her useless to us.”

”She isn’t useless,” Goku snapped at him and the scientist was surprised.

Maybe at some level he reciprocated the girl's feelings. She smiled happily before realizing what she was doing. She had gotten attached to the little demon ninja because she was polite and had protected her. She looked down at her hands, all of them had driven the girl to that point. She brought a gun out of her coat pocket and Ichigo sent her a surprised look as it was leveled at the man.

”Leave these kids alone,” the scientist ordered.

”Miss Green, are you betraying the order?” The man questioned.

”Yes, Officer Black,” Miss Green stated, and Ichigo looked to the side.

She couldn’t say anything about strange names seeing as her’s was the name of a berry. Goku glanced over and his expression lightened. She was all right, her eyes looked a little weird but she was okay. The officer was stopped by the gun pointed his way, even if it was from a woman that wouldn’t shoot. So, Goku took his time to grab the dragon balls before rushing over to his friend's side. She didn’t wait to pull him into a hug, the tight grip seemed to confuse him before he relaxed a bit.

“Sorry for worrying you,” Ichigo apologized.

“Don’t do it again,” Goku muttered and her eyes widened in surprise.

”I’ll try not to,” Ichigo admitted, “I can’t make any promises.”

He gave a sharp nod of agreement before turning towards the man. She felt something tighten around her waist and saw that he had a hold on her by his tail. She felt as though she had scared him, and she hadn’t meant to. He glanced at the man and she could sense his anger. He was vengeful? She was oddly happy by that. She pushed her hair back for a few seconds before glancing at the scientist.

“I’m going to get her out of here, will you be able to take him down?” Ichigo asked and he gave a sharp nod. “Good luck, ready Miss Green?”

”Oh?” Miss Green stated before she let out a surprised sound as Ichigo picked her back up and left through the window.

They got far enough away to watch as Goku fought the man, he ended up in a robot suit of all things. What he didn’t know was that Goku was one hell of a fighter. Miss Green was placed on her feet and she looked back to see that little boy kicking the robot into a building. She felt sweat going down the side of her face when an explosion happened and took down a mountain. They were both demon children, adorable children, but still demons. It was when her boss was blown up that she fell to her knees in relief.

”Oh man,” she muttered, “just what are you two?”

“Humans…probably,” Ichigo answered with a shrug before she fell to the side.

”Oh no, little girl are you okay?” Miss Green asked as she caught Ichigo. “You’ve been through a lot, haven’t you?”

”Ichigo!” Goku called and Miss Green blinked for a few seconds. “Where are you?”

”Over here, Goku!” Miss Green called and the boy ran up to them. “She was constantly electrocuted back there, it can take a toll on the body.”

”Kinto-un!” Goku called and Miss Green blinked at the little gold cloud that came racing towards them. “I know someone that can help. Get on.”

Miss Green hesitated before climbing onto the cloud with the girl sitting in her lap. She looked at the boy and blanched as they traveled through the sky. Since when did he have a tail?! And why was it wrapped around Ichigo’s wrist?! She didn’t understand anything that was going on! She just wanted to build robots that could help the agricultural world! Not be stuck in strange fights!

“Hey Goku! Over here!” Someone called and the cloud went that direction.

”What are you guys doing out here?” Goku asked.

“Did he think twice about attacking the base?” Roshi asked before they all blanched at the sight of Ichigo.

”What’d you guys do to Ichigo?” Launch asked, her blonde hair a clear indicator of her current personality.

Launch began to look over Ichigo and found that she was simply bruised and exhausted. She smoothed the white hair back and noted there was a strange substance in it. She flicked it off her hand and sighed in relief. The kid would be fine, good. She was a sweet girl, and one that took well to her lessons about how to keep a creep away from her. Those senbon were nifty.

“Did you really attack that base?” Yamcha asked in disbelief as Bulma looked in her bag for some clothes for Ichigo.

“I did, I have six dragon balls now,” Goku admitted, “Ichigo has one in a scroll.”

“Man, you beat the whole red ribbon army by yourself?” Kuririn asked.

”Ichigo here took down quite a few while trying to get both of us out,” Miss Green added, her soft voice carrying a little.

“And who are you?” Roshi asked as he gave the woman a long look.

”I am Doctor Grace Green, I used to work for the red ribbon army just for some experience for another job,” Miss Green admitted, “I work in agricultural robotics…not weaponry.”

”Capsule corporation will hire you on,” Bulma stated, “you stayed with one of my friends. I owe you at least a stable job.”

”Thank you, miss Briefs!” Miss Green was overjoyed.

“I climbed Karin tower, I want to go back,” Goku stated.

”I have a message to deliver to Karin,” Ichigo muttered as she woke up and they all turned to look at her, “what’s wrong?”

”Don’t you dare go scaring us like that!” Bulma yelled at her before slamming a fist down on the head of white hair.

Miss Green noticed something, her eyes were normal. The girl looked normal. She watched as she got to her feet and was embraced by her friends. She looked a little surprised by the embracing, but slowly closed her eyes to enjoy it. She had something pressed into her arms and she gave Bulma a thankful smile before rushing off to change.

“Knowing her, she’ll make it up Karin tower just fine,” Roshi sighed.

“Yeah, she can be pretty stubborn,” Kuririn agreed.

Ichigo came back while smoothing down the front of the new shirt that Bulma had gotten her. It was made out of the same silk material of her usual shirts, but the back was open and there were no long sleeves. She was a little confused by it. She felt just the slightest bit exposed.

”Listen, be proud of who you are,” Bulma informed her, “damn what that village of yours did.”

“That’s right, wear it as a badge of honor that you’re better than those idiots,” Launch stated ruffling the longer hair.

Ichigo smiled a little at the words of confidence. Goku got Bulma’s attention and motioned towards the dragon radar. How did it keep getting broken? Ichigo fondly smiled and Miss Green was welcomed to the insanity that was their group. She looked at the radar in surprise, and noted how it was made from scraps. It was the work of a genius. She was going to learn so much from Capsule Corp and put all her knowledge into it. She got into the plane with the others and watched as Goku pulled Ichigo onto the cloud with him. The two kids sped ahead and she could’ve sworn she heard them laughing together.

”They make me want to hit my head,” Bulma sighed and Kuririn let out a sound of agreement, “it’s going to take me a while to fix that radar.”

“I’m going to train with Karin before the next tournament,” Ichigo informed Goku and he blinked in surprise, “that letter I have, I get the feeling that it’s a recommendation from one of the few ninja on my side…I’m curious as to what they’d been hiding from me and the only way to learn it is to grow stronger.”

”Then I’ll get even stronger as well,” Goku agreed.

”I think that means our paths are going to split for a while,” Ichigo admitted and he looked towards the sea as they glided over it, “but at least I know we’ll always be best friends.”

”Of course!” Goku confirmed. “We have a promise!”

Ichigo was surprised that he remembered that. He was rubbing under his nose and that surprise grew. He was embarrassed? That was sweet to see, and unusual. He was usually so self assured. She could only hope that someone would tell him what he needed to know before they met as adults. They stopped at Roshi’s island and got off the Kinto-un. They went inside to wait for the others.

“There’s nothing wrong with the dragon radar,” Bulma informed them as she fiddled with it.

”Maybe it flew into outer space,” Oolong suggested and she shook her head.

”No they don’t fly out that far,” Bulma countered.

”All of them were there until just lately,” Goku informed them.

“Which means something swallowed it, or…” Bulma trailed off.

”Swallowed it?” Yamcha asked.

”Why not,” Bulma shrugged, “the radio waves emitted by the dragon balls are blocked by a biological matter.”

”Even I would have trouble sensing it,” Ichigo added, putting a hand to her chin in thought.

“What idiot would swallow a dragon ball?” Oolong questioned.

”It could have happened when it was still a regular stone,” Bulma pointed out.

”Meaning we can’t find it without some outside help,” Ichigo sighed before glancing towards Goku, “and it's your grandfather’s.”

“What should I do?” Goku asked.

”There’s one place I can think of,” Roshi stated, getting everyone’s attention, “the place of Baba Uranai, the all seeing crone.”

”A seer?” Ichigo asked and her serious tone caught all their attention. “There’s always a price or stipulation when it comes to genuine seer’s, what’s the catch, Roshi-Shishou?”

”It’s your best bet,” Roshi informed her and she had to concede that he was right, “She is over here, in this area.”

“We’ll go with you,” Yamcha stated.

”I won’t,” Bulma stated, “I’m heading home.”

Ichigo, Goku, Kuririn, Yamcha, and Pu’ar went together. The plane ride was pleasant with Yamcha at the helm and Ichigo closed her eyes to focus her senses. They were still raw from the gel she had been suburged in. It would take a while to reorient herself. Longer than she would like.

”Asleep again?” Yamcha asked, his tone fond.

She could see him in the immediate area, his form easily taking shape. Pu’ar was hanging on his shoulder and glancing her way. Kuririn was right next to him while Goku was by her side. He shifted and looked her way, it was clearer than usual. She could see him shake his head.

”No, she’s awake,” Goku stated and Yamcha jumped a little, “I think she’s trying to sense something.”

”They put me in a weird gel and it’s made everything seem ten times…more than usual,” Ichigo answered before frowning, “that’s the best way I could put it.”

“What was that about seers and prices?” Yamcha asked and Ichigo was surprised that he caught that.

”For information about the future to be gained something of equal price must be exchanged,” Ichigo quoted and he blinked, “it was something they taught us when we started to become ninja…it’s to make sure that we don’t get caught by psychics and forced into servitude by them.”

”Has it happened before?” Pu’ar asked.

”Not in a long time, but there are a few of us,” Ichigo confirmed, “seer’s rarely ask for servitude anymore, nowadays its money they want.”

”We should stop to get Goku some new clothes,” Yamcha commented, “I doubt this Baba will like it if we show up looking scruffy.”

”I do only have one set,” Goku confirmed.

”That’s disgusting,” Kuririn informed him.

”We’ll land in a city and buy you some more,” Yamcha explained.

”Yeah, but these are so comfy,” Goku sighed.

”I’ll look around the area for a while,” Ichigo stated, “to try and get my senses to calm down a bit more, being around large groups of people will help.”

“Be careful,” Yamcha warned and Ichigo gave a serious nod.

They landed and soon she was walking around a shopping district with wide eyes and her hands in the pockets of the silk pants that Bulma had given her. It was the fabric she was used to. She watched as people whispered about the brand on her back that was now visible to the world. It was hard to have confidence when the entire world saw it and believed she was a child stealer. She wouldn’t harm anyone that didn’t harm her first, or threaten her friends. She scratched her cheek in thought before looking back. Goku was approaching on the Kinto-un.

”I’m heading to Karin tower,” Goku informed her.

”All right, be safe,” Ichigo said and he nodded before rushing off, “I don’t think he’s ever told me where he was going before…boys sure are strange.”

She smiled a little to herself at that. She didn’t mind that Goku was so strange, that was what made him, him. She looked around some more for an hour and regrouped with the others. Yamcha looked surprised to see her awake and aware of the world, usually she was asleep during the day. When Goku came back he had another person with him. A boy with a feather in his hair.

“This is Upa,” Goku introduced, and Ichigo gave a polite greeting of a bow.

”I’m Ichigo, nice to meet you,” she said with a kind smile.

”I’m Pu’ar,” Pu’ar said as they clung to Ichigo’s hair and grinned.

”I’m Kuririn,” Kuririn said with a light blush on his face.

”You’re clothes are ready, Goku,” Yamcha informed him as he handed him a package.

”She’s pretty cute, but not as pretty as Ichigo,” Kuririn quietly said to Goku as Upa walked up to Ichigo and motioned towards her brand.

”The family of a dragon,” Upa stated, “my people know about yours, and we are glad to see this brand.”

”Very few are,” Ichigo admitted with a strange smile.

”An exiled Ninja, is one who has a heart,” Upa stated before sheepishly rubbing their head, “at least, that’s what my father says.”

”He’s a smart man,” Ichigo complimented.

”Upa’s a boy,” Goku pointed out to Kuririn before gaining a strange frown on his face, “is Ichigo pretty?”

”You’ve never noticed?” Kuririn asked in disbelief, “are you blind?”

”Ichigo is Ichigo,” Goku shrugged, it sounded like something she would say about him.

Yamcha covered Ichigo’s eyes as Goku changed into his new clothes, right in public. He couldn’t believe him, he really hoped he’d grow out of it. He made sure all the kids got into the plane and Ichigo looked at the map in thought. They were getting close to the area they needed to be in. She brought a hand up to her chin and tapped it in thought. Goku gave her a quick glance upon seeing the movement and thoughtfully looked out the window. Kuririn was weird when it came to girls. He didn’t get it.

“That’s it, right down there!” Ichigo pointed out and Yamcha slowly moved the plane to land in the right area. “I’m surprised she lives out in a desert, but I guess it keeps people away.”

”Only the truly desperate would go to a desert,” Yamcha confirmed and she nodded her understanding.

He would know all about that with his background. Once they landed they all took a few seconds to stretch their legs and get used to the ground once again. Ichigo mentally noted there were some people already waiting outside. Well, they would have to wait it seemed.

”Get in line,” a small spectre ordered nand Ichigo looked at it in surprise.

”Is this the all seeing crone’s home?” Ichigo asked as Goku scratched his head.

“Yes, are the six of you together?” The spectre asked.

”Yes,” Yamcha confirmed.

”Indeed,” the little spectre chortled before looking towards the other group, “then I shall call you when your turn arrives.”

“That was weird,” Kuririn commented.

”That’s normal for spirts, especially familiars,” Ichigo shrugged, “my people can summon spirits to fight for them so I can’t say much.”

”The world is weird,” Kuririn sighed and she gave a nod of agreement.

”The group in front of us looks so tough,” Yamcha stated as he glanced at the large group.

”I wouldn’t worry about them, they’re probably a bunch of buddies from a martial art’s school,” Kuririn stated.

”Now that you mention it, I did leave my solid gold pickling stone there,” A woman said as she walked out with her husband.

Ichigo smiled at the two. Their ki was completely entwined, a rarity in the world. Two people made for one another, and she couldn’t be happier for them. She was too young to tell if her own had something like that, so she wouldn’t worry too much about it.

”At least they aren’t all tough guys,” Ichigo pointed out.

”Will the next group please follow me?” The spectre called and the large group went in with a cheer.

”They sure are full of oomph, aren’t they?” Kuririn asked.

”It does seem a bit odd,” Pu’ar agreed.

Ichigo got a bad feeling about the whole situation. She just didn’t know what it was. She shared a look with Yamcha when they heard the sound of fighting. Perhaps that was what was giving her that strange feeling. They knew there was a need to be prepared.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Age 750, May 12th

The group that had been before them stumbled out of the home with bruises and bandages on them. The little spectre floated above them with a smile on it’s face. Ichigo supposed that the afterlife sure had to get boring if it was working for a seer. Maybe she could ask Baba about the woman in her dreams, but decided against it. She didn’t want to pay the price that would come from that. She would earn the answer through her own hard work.

“W-What happened to those fellows?” Yamcha asked the little spectre.

”Don’t worry, please follow me,” it stated as it laughed.

”That’s not concerning,” Kuririn dryly commented.

“Isn’t it?” Ichigo asked with a wry smile.

”That is,” Kuririn pointed, out, her good humor was usually an ominous sign.

They walked across a nice bridge over a long river and Ichigo looked into the water. She looked exhausted, but she wouldn’t be getting any rest any time soon. She would have to get used to it. She watched the water in thought, at least for a few seconds. Someone was slightly dragging her by the wrist, and knew who it was. Goku glanced back at her for a few seconds before glancing forward again. She wasn’t going to leave without saying anything.

“I’m scared,” Upa quietly admitted as he moved closer to Kuririn.

”I can’t exactly blame you,” Kuririn admitted and Pu’ar hid behind Ichigo as they looked around the area.

”Right through here,” the spectre informed them and Ichigo gave a slight nod before moving through the large archway, “I have brought them.”

Baba was one heck of a crone, someone’s who Ki was impressive. Ichigo noted the pink hair and the dark eyes, so she had to be related to Roshi. Their eyes were practically identical. She noted the way that the woman was looking at her. She recognized her, and it was obvious. Just who did she know that looked like her? Another ninja? Or…one of her parents? She froze a little at that thought before narrowing her eyes a little.

”My, My, you’re all so young,” Baba commented looking at the whole group.

“Are you the all seeing crone?” Goku asked and Baba nodded, “What a weird name.”

”It’s not my name! It’s my professional title!” Baba snapped at Goku.

“Oh, well there’s something I want you to find for me,” Goku said, not dragging any of his friends in.

“Very well, that will be ten million zeni,” Baba stated and Ichigo blanched.

“Ten million!?” Yamcha shouted and Ichigo sighed.

”You already know we can’t pay that,” Ichigo commented and the woman looked her way, “what else would you rather have them do?”

”Ahh, so you are as sharp as you look,” Baba commented, “your friends shall follow me, you will remain on the sidelines.”

”Why isn’t Ichigo allowed to help?” Goku asked with a frown.

“Because the ninja have an advantage when it comes to Ki manipulation,” Baba explained as the glass ball underneath her glinted in the light and the room gained a strange tension, “and hiding their ki at the same time.”

”No way that’s her ki,” Kuririn softly muttered.

”It is,” Baba cackled before the room returned to normal and she moved to float next to the ninja, “I also want her as a referee.”

”Then knock off a few million zeni from their total,” Ichigo demanded and Yamcha looked to the side.

Bulma would be proud of the kid. Ichigo had mastered a form of bargaining. Those violet eyes didn’t move an inch from Baba’s form and the old seer began to cackle, and cackle loudly. Oh, this was that

woman’s

daughter all right. Yet, this girl was tempered with a gentleness that was missing from most shinobi. A product of being around her friends, and that tailed boy. She gave a small nod and Ichigo’s stern expression vanished before she nodded her agreement to those terms.

“I want you to battle my champions, one by one,” Baba informed them, “win and you can fight the next champion, lose and one of your companions must try. If you defeat five of my champions I will divine for you without a charge.”

”Then those other five…” Yamcha said in thought.

”They got creamed!” Kuririn exclaimed before smirking a little. “You should know that the three of us went pretty far in the
Tenka’ichi budokai.”

”Oh?” Baba asked as she peered down at them in amusement. “Well then, this will be fun, won’t it?”

”Are you guys sure?” Ichigo double checked with them.

”Of course,” Goku confirmed and she gave him a serious nod of agreement before pausing.

”Have you ever tried tucking your tail around your waist when not using it for battle?” Ichigo asked, genuinely curious.

Goku’s expression showed he had never thought about it before. Baba reached out and swatted the ninja behind the head, at least she would’ve if the girl hadn’t dodged it. That head of white hair moved and those damned eyes looked at her in confusion. She used to do the very same to that

woman

. She wouldn’t tell the girl anything about her. It wasn’t her job.

“Would it be all right if I just watched?” Upa asked.

”I was about to ask the same,” Pu’ar admitted.

”It should be fine,” Ichigo said with a tiny smile towards her friends.

”Then the three of us will take care of it,” Goku informed Baba.

”You’ll fight me with just three?” Baba asked. “The confidence of youth, one of you already knows what comes of that.”

Ichigo bristled at that before looking towards the small arena that Baba had for matches of this sort. It was scuffed, but she noted that the next arena had nothing of the sort. It was pristine, as though people didn’t typically make it to the second round. She was given a sharp look by Baba and she moved to where she could completely see the arena. Kuririn stepped up first and she gained a worried expression, before it vanished. No, her friend had this. He was quite the fighter.

“It reminds me of the tournament,” Kuririn stated and Ichigo had to agree with him.

“Don’t get too carried away,” Yamcha warned the bald boy.

“I won’t, besides, Ichigo is fair, she won’t let anything underhanded happen,” Kuririn pointed out.

”Oho? This one has a moral compass?” Baba asked and they all looked towards her in confusion. “The one of her kind I met before took all the advantages she could get in a fight…odd that someone from the same village would have morals.”

“She’s nice,” Goku stated and they were surprised that he admitted that out loud.

So, Ichigo’s kidnapping had finally kicked him into gear. Yamcha was happy to see that, but wondered if anything would really change between them. He glanced up at the ninja as she finished setting up a post to watch the matches with. She was standing on a pole of sorts. Her gaze was sharp and he could’ve sworn that there was something different about her.

“Count Dracula, enter the ring!” Baba called and they all watched as a bat came flying in.

Ichigo could only sense an odd coldness from the bat as it transformed into a humanoid figure. The living undead, it was such a horrible thing to sense. She kept her focus on standing on her pole. From the angle she was at, it would allow her to interfere to the best of her abilities. Or, as much as Baba would permit. Kuririn got ready to fight, his feet slipping into his stance.

”Let the fight begin!” Ichigo called and it surprised everyone.

Kuririn quickly caught his slip in concentration and watched his opponent. He mentally cursed, this was an opponent that was tailored more towards Ichigo than him. One that was built for speed and quick hits. He shuffled back from a few strikes sent his way before something sunk into his head. He let out a squeak and slowly looked up to see that the humanoid was drinking his blood. Ichigo faltered a little. Where did she find a genuine Vampire?

”Shake him off, Kuririn!” Goku called.

”Surrender soon, or you’ll perish from blood loss,” Baba informed Kuririn.

Kuririn made a quick decision. He jumped up and suplexed the vampire into the ground. It freed him and Ichigo watched as blood ran down his face from his forehead. Did…did it get its mouth all the way around his head? Her mouth opened in disbelief before she shook her head. Now wasn’t the time to question everything. Her friend needed help. Blood spurted from Kuririn’s head the angrier he got.

“Don’t get so worked up!” Yamcha warned.

“It’s like he grew hair,” Goku stated and that got a slight chuckle out of everyone.

”At least he isn’t being mean spirited about it,” Ichigo murmured before watching Kuririn get kicked out of the ring, “we’ll take a short break while I patch him up!”

Kuririn seemed a little surprised when she jumped down from the pole and landed on the surface of the water, not even causing any ripples to form. Baba was surprised by that show of Ki manipulation. The girl had more than an aptitude for it. A genius of Ki manipulation? That was rare to see, even with ninja. Just what did that

woman

do? She studied the girl as she applied a paste to Kuririn’s head and gently bandaged it. Her aura was calm and at peace, showing that she enjoyed the act of helping someone in that manner. Odd, the child was too odd!

“Who’s next?” Baba asked and the group of fighters began to discuss it amongst themselves.

”Would it be all right for all five of us to fight after all?” Yamcha asked, rubbing the back of his head.

”I told you so, that’s what you get for being so boastful,” Baba chided him.

”Hey, since these two are so short, can they fight together as a team?” Goku asked as he motioned towards Upa and Pu’ar.

”Well?” Baba asked, turning towards Ichigo and the vampire.

”It would make it fair,” Ichigo stated.

”It’s a tasty idea,” the vampire agreed and she sent him a strange look.

“After careful consideration, I will allow it,” Baba stated and the group of boys let out a sigh of relief, “to your post, ninja.”

Ichigo once again bristled, before doing as asked. She was technically hired to make it easier on her friends. She took up her post and watched as Upa put something in his mouth and chewed it, Pu’ar doing the same. She smirked, good her friends had learned some tactics from her. The strong smell of garlic filled the air and the vampire tried to fly away from it and bite Pu’ar, only to get a mouth full of needles. She almost laughed when Upa pretended to be a crucifix. A hand took out the vampire once and for all. Yamcha would be the next fighter and he looked around for his opponent.

”An invisible man?” Ichigo asked as she followed the man around with her senses.

“Oho, of course I have an invisible man in my corner!” Baba exclaimed. “Now, we’ll let the match begin.”

Ichigo watched as Yamcha tried to fight against an enemy he couldn’t sense, couldn’t see. Kuririn shouted something at Goku, but she was more focused on the fight below. She only looked away when Goku appeared behind her. He gave her a grin and she waved in response.

”I’m going to get Bulma and the old man,” Goku stated, “can you look after Upa for me?”

”I’ll try my best,” Ichigo stated.

He sped off into the distance and Baba looked at the golden cloud in disbelief. That was a Kinto-un. Her brother was the only human in current history that had one. She glanced back at the ninja and noted that she was easily following the fight. That was why she didn’t allow her to fight, it would be too easy for her to win and that boy wouldn’t learn anything. She already gave him a tip to keep his tail wrapped around his waist. She quickly looked back to the fight when Yamcha figured out how to find the invisible man. She broke into song and Ichigo covered her ears with a wince. It got worse when her idiot of a younger brother was brought in by the monkey boy.

“Kuririn!” Ichigo shouted at the boy before throwing a senbon his way when he used Bulma to get Roshi to have a bloody nose.

“Nice throw!” Bulma called to the ninja as Yamcha took out the invisible man. ”Now that is no way to treat a girl, Kuririn!”

“It saved your boyfriend, didn’t it?” Kuririn asked as he pulled out the senbon from the back of his hand.

“You could’ve given me a hemorrhage doing that,” Roshi informed him and Kuririn sheepishly laughed, “any time, my boy, anytime.”

“You are a clever one,” Baba reluctantly complimented the group, “but it will take more than that to defeat the next three.”

”Why is Ichigo working for Baba?” Roshi asked Kuririn.

”It knocked the price that Baba was asking for, and she’s trying to keep it fair within reason,” Kuririn answered and Roshi looked towards Goku, “he’s not mad…at least I don’t think so.”

”He’s not,” Bulma confirmed before putting her hands on her hips and frowning, “so that’s Baba.”

“Yeah,” Kuririn confirmed as Upa nervously shifted from foot to foot.

“How much was it?” Roshi asked.

”Ten Million Zeni,” Pu’ar answered.

”Greedy as ever I see, big sister,” Roshi sighed.

”I knew it!” Ichigo’s shout had him smile a little behind his mustache.

”Imagine growing up with her,” Roshi nodded at Ichigo and she made a face at that as the others shouted in surprise.

“Long time no see,” Baba snorted before looking to the side, “you still can’t control those nose bleeds of yours, eh?”

”Oh stuff it! And let my student out of her deal with you!” Roshi stated, waving his staff about.

“There’s no way she’s one of your students,” Baba huffed and Ichigo found herself scratching her head in confusion.

Were they having a sibling rivalry? And why was she in the middle of it? She felt Goku’s ki flicker a bit and glanced his way. He waved at her and she waved back before noticing the way his tail was moving. He was getting a little agitated? She pulled her Ki away from her feet and slowly slid down the pole. She stopped before she hit the ground and took a quick step down.

“Why don’t you guys think of it as good training?” Ichigo asked as her friends glanced down at her. “It can help you pick up on weaknesses that can be trained.”

”And you,” Baba said, sending the ninja a quick glance, “you have something you need to be doing! So why aren’t you?”

”I want to help Goku first,” Ichigo said and Baba narrowed her eyes at her.

It wasn’t a bad narrowing of the eyes, more like a study on her character. Baba had to know someone connected to her. Or perhaps she divined it. One could never be sure. She walked behind Goku as Baba led them further into her “palace”. She didn’t get the same feeling she had from Pilaf’s or the Red Ribbon Army’s tower, but there was a strange feeling coming from deep inside the place.

“The contestants will go through this door,” Baba said, coming to a stop outside of a door with a skull for a door knocker, “the rest of you must come this way. There’s an excellent view of the match from here.”

”What the,” Ichigo muttered as Yamcha exclaimed it upon seeing the arena.

Two, gigantic, stone Devils sat across from one another with their tongues out. Ichigo looked at the liquid below and noted the strange colour of it, and the smell that wafted from it. She covered her nose and wondered how Goku seemed fine. Didn’t Bacterian bother him? Maybe it was something only she could smell? It made her sick to her stomach.

“It’s a swamp of acid,” Roshi explained to her and she glanced at him, “you would be able to smell it.”

“Some acids are used in highly dangerous poisons,” Ichigo confirmed and she closed her eyes as the smell started to get to her.

Something was pulled around her head and she blinked as she saw a familiar object. Goku still had the makeshift mask she had made him? The smell was gone and she could think clearly, even if her stomach felt as though someone had dropped stones in it. She glanced over at the Imp Devil, feeling more undead Ki. It made her senses crawl the longer she had to feel it. It was unnatural.

“Here he is, the living hunk of jerky himself, the Mummy!” Baba exclaimed and a large figure came out of the imp’s mouth, darkly laughing.

”Dracula, the Invisible Man, and now the Mummy,” Yamcha sighed.

”Remember, even a mercy is a losing call,” Ichigo reminded her friend as he got into his usual stance, “you two may begin!”

“Why’d you still announce the fight?” Bulma asked Ichigo.

”I don’t mind doing so,” Ichigo shrugged, “a deal is a deal.”

Bulma made a slight face at that before sending Yamcha a worried expression as he rushed the Mummy, only for the undead man to jump out of the way. Ichigo watched with her hands in front of her. She could easily watch the match, and she knew she wasn’t the only one. Goku was watching with a thoughtful expression on his face. Learning how the Mummy fought. They all let out worried sounds as Yamcha was left hanging onto one of the devil’s tongues so he wouldn’t fall into the acid.

”You can do it, Yamcha!” Pu’ar and Bulma yelled in unison.

Ichigo felt his Ki grow and knew what move he was using. Fist of the wolf fang. It had been impressive the first time she’d come across it, but the more her world expanded the more she realized that he was giving himself a handicap. He needed to branch out with his fighting styles, otherwise he would stunt his natural growth. She smiled when he was downed and used the Mummy’s own stature against him to knock him off the tongue. It vanished when the undead man used the gauze around his arms to stop his fall. She looked down when Yamcha was forced to surrender.

“I’d fight if I could,” Ichigo sighed, looking at the Mummy, “his Ki is that of the undead…it’s not natural.”

”I would stop while you’re ahead,” Baba warned her, “that sort of thought process will lead you down a dark path.”

”Oh, I’m not interested in bringing people back,” Ichigo stated, “the undead have a corrupted Ki, I can only think of one creature that can bring someone back from the dead without them feeling like a different version of themselves.”

”I see,” Baba commented.

Well thought out. Just who was this girl’s father? She didn’t get this from that

woman

. Goku grinning at the ninja broke her from her thoughts as he got a smile in response. Those two were interesting together, still they were complimentary in personality.

“Don’t get killed,” Kuririn demanded of their friend.

”I have faith you won’t, but don’t get too hurt,” Ichigo stated and Goku gave them a confident laugh.

”Of course not!” Goku stated before rushing off.

”He’s going to get himself killed one of these days,” Kuririn grumbled.

“I hope not,” Ichigo quietly sighed before looking towards her best friend and taking a deep breath, “all right, if both parties are ready you may begin!”

The first thing Ichigo noticed was the lack of openings in Goku’s stance, his tail was no longer around his waist. So he was going to use it as another part of him? That was smart of him. She let out a strangled sound when Goku took a few hits and slammed into a statue. Just what was he doing?! He got back to his feet and she scanned his face. He wasn’t even bruised, it was like he hadn’t been hit. She shook her head before chuckling a little. He wouldn’t be Goku if he didn’t pull something like that. He calmly walked forward and slammed his first into the Mummy’s stomach, making him fall down.

”I only need to beat two more guys, right?” Goku asked Baba as the woman shot him a look.

”Don’t be so cavalier,” Baba chided, “you won’t be smiling soon. I’ll call forth the fourth champion, the Devil!”

”Are all you guys weirdos?” Goku asked and Ichigo snorted.

“Can he really ask that while he and Ichigo are in the room?” Bulma teased and Ichigo felt her cheeks heat up. “Face it kiddo, you two are pretty weird.”

”Being normal is overrated,” Ichigo said and that got Kuririn to snort.

“And he can fly,” Bulma dryly commented, “how is that a fair fight?”

”It’s not, but has that ever stopped Goku before?” Kuririn countered.

“Didn’t he use his tail to fly at one point?” Roshi asked Ichigo and she nodded. “I wonder if he’ll try that again.”

”I don’t know,” Ichigo stated.

”Or he could use his tail,” Yamcha dryly commented as they watched as Goku used his tail to throw the devil into the far wall.

“I’ll show you my true strength!” The Devil shouted at Goku as he got to his feet, blood slowly trickling down his face.

Ichigo noted the way all the noses of her friends crinkled, it had a smell to it. It most likely smelt sweet, or like copper. The old blood smell was bad, and she was quite glad she didn’t have the sense of smell that Goku had. She turned her attention towards her best friend and watched as he shifted his weight from side to side, keeping his feet moving. He had a grin on his face, obviously enjoying himself.

”I’ll blow you to bits!” The Devil shouted as he put his hands to his head and focused on Goku.

”It’s the beam of evil! He really is planning to kill Goku!” Roshi shouted and Ichigo was confused before she felt a sinking feeling in her stomach.

“Wait, you don’t have to go that far!” Baba called as she put a hand out, glancing at the ninja.

Goku froze and Ichigo’s eyes widened at the dark energy that was covering him. That Ki was trying to latch onto something, but it was like it couldn’t. Whatever it was trying to find, Goku didn’t have it. The group moved closer to the half-wall that was keeping them from falling into the acid below. The Devil laughed for a few minutes before it slowly stopped as Goku looked at him before tilting his head in confusion.

”What was that all about?” Goku’s question echoed against the walls.

“You…you don’t have any evil in your heart?” The Devil asked, obviously confused.

”His heart is like a baby’s…or an animals!” Baba stated in surprise and Ichigo closed her eyes.

It was the latter. Goku was closer to the animal's heart than a baby’s. She put her hands together in front of her before smiling a little. Goku would win the fight, she was certain of it. The ki in the room shifted and she looked to see that he was crouching, a serious expression on his face. The Devil had brought out a trident, cheating instantly.

”Baba-sama, you already know what I will do to keep things fair,” Ichigo informed the old woman, “I have faith in Goku to win, so I won’t interfere.”

”He also wouldn’t appreciate it,” Kuririn agreed and she smiled a little, glad that he understood completely.

Ichigo swiftly moved Bulma out of the way when she felt the Devil approaching. He hit the wall where they had been and Bulma gave a relieved sigh before patting the ninja’s head. Ichigo stepped back and put her hands together as Roshi looked at Goku in surprise. It furthered when Ichigo jumped out of the viewing window and onto the wall itself. Baba let out a sigh before watching the girl roam the room before reaching the devil and pulling him out of the wall.

”You shouldn’t have cheated,” Ichigo informed him before lowering him onto one of the tongues of the statues.

“Bring on the last one!” Goku exclaimed, obviously pumped to fight another opponent.

”You might want to get down,” a kind voice said to Ichigo and she blinked, not noticing the masked man approaching at first, “I wouldn’t want you to get hurt.”

”Oh,” Ichigo softly said before pulling her Ki back and dropping down onto the statue's tongue.

“Ichigo,” Goku greeted with a grin and she gave a soft smile back.

”You did great,” Ichigo complimented and he moved forward to quietly inform her of something.

”The old man behind you seems familiar,” Goku stated and she tilted her head in thought.

She hummed, unable to say anything. What could she say? She didn’t know why the, seemingly, old man felt familiar to him. They moved to the outside arena as a unit, Goku taking up a very familiar action. She watched as his tail stayed around her wrist, and she caught the masked man watching the two of them. He seemed particularly interested in Goku. She narrowed her eyes and her Ki began to grow. His ears shifted and she relaxed a bit. He was…smiling?

”He kinda smells nice,” Goku tried to explain further and Ichigo gave him her full attention, “I don’t know how to really say it, but it’s a happy smell.”

”Maybe he’s someone you know?” Ichigo suggested and she saw him smiling at that thought.

“Maybe,” Goku agreed, she felt his tail leave her wrist and he wrapped it around his waist with a look of concentration.

”Are you worried about him?” Bulma asked Ichigo, a teasing grin on her face.

”I have faith in him,” Ichigo stated, a slight blush on her face, “I’m worried that he might have to seriously fight someone he knows.”

”His voice is familiar,” Roshi agreed, “I just can’t place it.”

Ichigo wondered about that. Goku and Roshi both felt as though the masked man was familiar. It dawned on her and she opened her mouth to say something when Baba moved to slap a hand against it. She shifted back and got the warning. She wouldn’t say anything. She looked at the halo over the man’s head and felt for his Ki. His life force felt like a complete echo, not like the other undead they’d come across. He even fought completely differently from the others. He fought like a true master of the arts, easily dodging and returning blows from Goku. It was such a rapid fight, that it was almost impossible to follow, well, until the man used the Kamehameha against an illusion of Goku. And he returned the attack in full force.He went to finish off the man and stopped when the man laughed before grasping onto his tail.

“His weakness!” Yamcha exclaimed, and Bulma sent him a confused look, “if you squeeze his tail he gets weak.”

”He wraps it around Ichigo’s wrist all the time,” Kuririn pointed out.

”I don’t yank on his tail,” Ichigo countered, “I’m aware of his weakness.”

She grimaced a little as Goku was slammed into the ground, multiple times. He was left hanging and swinging from his tail. Baba laughed as he completely lost his strength. The masked man hit Goku against the ground a couple more times. He kept it up until the tail came off. Everyone let out a yell of horror at the fact that his tail was removed. Goku jumped to his feet with a cry of pain and Ichigo scratched the side of her face in surprise. She wasn’t expecting for his tail to just tear off like that. Goku let out a growl and got into a fighting stance.

”Uncle, I lose,” The old man said, laughing as he did so, “it seems you’ve been slacking about training your tail, I thought I warned you about that…”

”You don’t mean!” Goku exclaimed and the old man slowly took the mask off.

”It’s a little embarrassing it took you so long to figure it out, your little friend there figured it out first,” the man said as his face was revealed to be that of an old mans, “it’s me.”

”Grandpa?” Goku quietly asked as he took a few steps forward, tears gathering in his eyes. “Grandpa!”

Ichigo gave a soft smile as he ran to his grandfather and hugged him by the head. It was nice to see that kind of smile on Goku’s face. Bulma shared a smile with Yamcha as Ichigo slowly walked up to the two as the old man gently patted Goku’s back. Her hands were behind her back as the old man gave her a kind smile.

”Thank you for being good friends with my grandson,” he thanked her and she shook her head.

”I’m proud to be his best friend,” Ichigo countered and he gave a soft chortle as Goku stepped back while wiping his eyes.

”Sorry about your tail,” the man apologized, “it looked like you haven’t overcome your one weakness so I thought I’d treat you a lesson, I guess I didn’t know my own strength. In any case, did you receive training from Lord Muten Roshi? You’ve gotten so strong.”

”I did!” Goku said before motioning towards Ichigo. “Ichigo did as well, and so did Kuririn.”

“You’re still dead, aren’t you?” Ichigo quietly asked and the old man nodded.

”Lady Baba scouts deceased martial artists to fight for matches, not a bad salary I must say,” he stated.

”Can you come live with me again!?” Goku asked with a large grin.

”I’m sorry, but no,” he apologized, “it doesn’t work that way, I can return to this world for only a single day.”

”You mean this was a coincidence?” Bulma asked as the rest of the group went to stand by their friend.

”No, my big sis can read the future she

knew

this was going to happen,” Roshi pointed out and Baba cackled a little.

”Gohan asked me to let him know if a lad with a tail came by, I had no idea you were his grandson,” Baba stated and Gohan nodded.

”I was concerned about how Goku was doing, I would never have dreamed that he would train under you master,” Gohan informed Roshi as Ichigo and Goku shared a look.

”What are you guys whispering about?” Goku asked as the two old men whispered to one another.

“Oh, uh, nothing at all,” Gohan quickly stated.

“Oh yeah, I’ve got something to show you,” Goku said before turning towards Ichigo.

She slowly blinked before bringing out a scroll and taking the dragon ball out and handing it to him. The three star ball shone in the daylight and Gohan bent at the waist to look at it a little closer. It was just like his, but only with three stars instead of the four.

“We’re still looking for yours,” Goku stated, “but we’ve found almost all of them.”

”Those balls changed Son Goku’s life forever,” Bulma pointed out before delving in and explaining the whole story to him.

“To think about reviving my father when Goku’s grandfather is dead as well,” Upa quietly said and Gohan gave a kind smile.

”Don’t you worry about me, I’m enjoying the other world quite a bit,” Gohan informed them all, “there are quite a few fetching lady-souls there.”

”Why am I not surprised,” Ichigo sighed before scratching the back of her head.

She was surprised when a hand ruffled her hair. She blinked and glanced at Gohan to see that he was also doing the same to Goku. It was as though he knew something that they didn’t. He gave her a small bow and she gave one in return. She respected the man a bit more than she did Roshi. He was her best friend's Grandfather after all.

”Please keep looking after Goku,” Gohan requested of her and she gave a serious nod in response, “I’m looking forward to seeing him all grown up. I will all see you again in the next world.”

”I’m really glad I got to see you, Grandpa,” Goku informed him with a sad smile.

“Ditto,” Gohan nodded with a sad smile of his own, “I hope you’re happy in the future…goodbye everyone, take care.”

”Good bye,” Bulma said as the man slowly vanished from sight.

“When my tail grows back I’m going to train it as well, and I’ll be a whole lot stronger!” Goku exclaimed and Ichigo nodded her understanding.

“You guys wanted me to divine for you, you want to know the location of the seventh dragon ball, correct?” Baba asked as she jumped down from the glass orb she had been sitting on and focusing on it, “hm…it’s moving.”

”How is it moving?” Bulma asked as she moved closer.

”The ball is inside of a moving car, can you all see it?” Baba asked of the group.

“Why isn’t it appearing on the radar?” Ichigo asked with a frown.

“Where is the car going?” Goku asked and she gave a small shrug.

“It’s over there, about two hundred kilometers away and heading our way,” Baba explained and Goku gained a large grin.

”It’s almost here!” Goku exclaimed, excited at the prospect of a fight. “I’m going to go find that car and then I’ll ask them to let me borrow the dragon ball.”

”It’s not going to be that easy,” Yamcha warned him.

”It might be,” Baba countered.

“There’s something fishy going on, if it’s in that car then it should be showing up on the radar,” Bulma pointed out.

”It’s over there, right?” Goku asked Baba and the crone nodded, “Kinto-un!!!”

”We’ll hold onto these until you get back,” Ichigo informed her friend as the golden cloud came racing their way.

He gave a quick nod and jumped onto the cloud before vanishing. Ichigo gave a quiet sigh before reaching back for the scroll with the message for Karin.  She wasn’t sure what the future was going to hold for them, but they’d be prepared for it.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Age 750, May 12th
“I wonder who has the dragon ball that can pull this kind of stunt,” Ichigo muttered and Bulma nodded her agreement.”Are you sure you can’t sense it?” Bulma asked and Ichigo frowned a little.”It’s too far away,” Ichigo admitted.She could sense the dragon balls they had already collected. It was so odd, but it didn’t feel as bad as it used to. She gave the orange globes a blank look before letting her senses stretch a little to show more of the world around her. The edges had grown, the field she could sense was even larger than it had been before! She could see her friends as though her eyes were wide open, she watched as Roshi shifted his weight as Pu’ar floated side to side to keep themselves busy. Kuririn was rubbing at the bandages on his head and Bulma was fiddling with the dragon radar. Upa was the odd one out, he was nervously wringing his hands together, obviously worried for Goku. She jolted when something entered her field of sensing and tuned in on what it was. A smile appeared on her face, it was Goku. “It’s Goku, he’s back!” Kuririn exclaimed.”It looks like he has the final ball,” Roshi pointed out. “You found it!” Bulma exclaimed with a grin as Upa smiled as well.”What happened to your clothes?” Kuririn asked as they all noticed that he was wearing a purple outfit with long sleeves. “This is the last ball, Upa, let’s go back to Karin,” Goku told the other boy and Ichigo helped to gather the balls into a scroll for easy carrying.She was surprised when he easily picked her up and put her on the gold cloud before she moved to help Upa up as well. The small boy looked around the area before moving closer to the ninja. She was warm to the touch, something that he liked compared to the cold of the higher atmosphere. Goku jumped up and they immediately took off. Ichigo watched as they moved through the air faster than they ever had before. It was amazing.It was almost like Kinto-un was a different cloud. She looked into the distance and saw a large tower climbing into the sky and made a face. She was going to have to climb up that, wasn’t she?“We’re here!” Goku informed them as he brought the cloud down to the ground so they could hop off. “My father’s grave is over there,” Upa informed them and Ichigo brought her hands together in prayer before pulling the scroll out and opening it.”Ready?” Ichigo asked as she hovered a hand over one of the drawn seals.Upa gave a quick nod while Goku grinned. She focused her ki and brought out the dragon balls in a long line and let them hover for a few seconds before they slowly fell to the ground. She tried to ignore the stinging in her eyes before bringing a hand up and rubbing at them. She wondered if something got into them. “All right, get your wish ready,” Goku told Upa before turning to the dragon balls that were starting to brightly glow, “Hey Shenlong, come on out!” Ichigo froze when the dragon balls glow as bright as the sun, making the sky above dark like night. Her eyes didn’t leave the ki that was surrounding the area like a typhoon. A gust of air came from the dragon balls and she marveled at how cold it was. A large burst of energy rocketed into the sky, gaining the form of a dragon the further up it went. Shenlong let out an almighty roar before glancing down at the ones who had summoned him, one of them was quite the surprise for a dragon his age. “He’s just as awesome as before,” Goku stated and Ichigo remained silent, her eyes on the wish granting dragon. “Reflect upon your desires, Mortals ,” Shenlong spoke to them, “ for I shall grant any wish, but only one.””Upa, your wish,” Goku called and Upa quickly ran forward.”P-Please sir, my wish is to have my murdered father restored to life,” Upa softly requested.”Can you do it?” Goku asked and Ichigo was snapped out of the strange trance she was in.”Can I perform such a trifle? ” Shenlong dryly asked before moving closer to the group and wrapping his body around them. “ There is no wish that Shenlong cannot grant.”Ichigo felt his tail gently bump against her head as he pushed his ki out into the universe. She felt the sudden appearance of another Ki from the grave that Upa had buried his father in. While the other two welcomed the man back Ichigo watched as Shenlong studied her as she studied him. There was something there, it was odd to her. It was like there was a connection between them, but she wasn’t sure what it was. She brought a hand up and gently patted the dragon's tail, trying to give him some comfort. A scale broke off and she inwardly panicked, she hadn’t meant to do that! Shenlong gave a low rumbling that suspiciously sounded like a laugh.”I’m so happy father!” Upa cried as he hugged his father and Ichigo gave a sad smile. “You were murdered, Father! But Son Goku gathered the dragon balls and resurrected you!” “Astounding,” the tall man softly said as he stared up at the mythical dragon.”Your wish is granted, ” Shenlong informed them and Ichigo noted that he was returning to his usual stance, “ fare you well.”He vanished into a bright light and Ichigo felt as though she could breathe again. Like a weight had been pressing down on her that she hadn’t really noticed. Goku watched the dragon balls with a keen eye and quickly found the four star ball. He readied himself to jump, and did so the second they were about to split. He grabbed onto the four star ball and Ichigo let out a sound as he landed in front of her with a grin.”You got your grandfather’s ball?” Ichigo asked and he grinned in response, “that’s a relief.””Son Goku, thank you so much,” Upa’s father said as he walked up to the two with Upa on his shoulder.”I’m just glad you’re alive again,” Goku stated.”Our gratitude is as infinite as the stars in the night sky,” the man informed Goku. “He even climbed Karin tower, you know!” Upa informed his father. “And he beat up the guy who killed you, too!” ”Son Goku is a blessing to us all,” the man kindly stated.”I better get going,” Goku said and Ichigo gave a small nod.”This is where our paths split for a while,” Ichigo confirmed and the man looked down at her in surprise before nodding his understanding.”I would offer you a feast of gratitude, but if this young lady is correct then there is something important that you must do,” the man said and Goku nodded before turning to the distance.”Kinto-un!” He called and the gold cloud came and picked him up.”I must start my climb up the tower, it was nice to meet you both,” Ichigo said and Upa gave her a happy wave.She glanced at the tower and started to move towards it. She focused her ki on the bottom of her feet and stuck it to the stone wall of the tower. It stuck, but she felt as though it was trying to repel her. She wouldn’t allow it to do so. She started to make her way up the tower, feeling the air gaining a cool bite to it the further up she went. It was going to take her a while to fully climb it, but she would make it.  
Age 750, May 14th
 Ichigo had never used her ki for two days in a row and was starting to feel a pounding in her skull. She looked up and saw a strange dome at the top. She reached it and with trembling limbs she grabbed onto one of the circular holes that acted as an entrance and slowly pulled herself up and through. Sweat was practically pouring down her face as she leaned against the opening, rewatching her breath. She brought an arm up and wiped at her brow. She twitched when she felt something enter the room. She paused at the sight of a large white cat with a staff.”Congratulations on reaching the top,” the cat informed her, “and quite quickly for a shinobi, most of your kind lose their ki before they even reach the halfway point.”“You must be Karin-sama,” Ichigo said and the cat gave her a smile of sorts, “I was asked to give this to you.”She pulled the scroll out and handed it over. Karin rested his staff against his shoulder and undid the seal. Ichigo sat in seiza and waited for him to restart the conversation. He let out a hum and she felt nervous energy beginning to rise in her. She really hoped that was a letter of recommendation, and not anything bad. She watched as Karin rolled the scroll up and studied her a bit more.”I once taught your mother,” He informed her and he watched as her eyes grew in surprise, “you look just like her, but your temperament is incredibly gentle compared to hers.””I never knew her,” Ichigo admitted and he gave a slow nod of understanding before motioning her to stand up.”There’s a story there that most of us who knew her don’t know,” Karin confirmed, “I believe the man who told you to give this to me, knows much more than he’s letting on…I will train you, but you must show that you are worthy.””Of course, Karin-sama,” Ichigo rapidly nodded. “At the end of your training I will allow you to drink the holy water,” Karin informed her, “You are a student of the turtle school, so I am expecting some knowledge of hard work.”She nodded and he motioned for her to follow him and she did so. He would have to look after the small shinobi for the next three years. He looked at the scroll and gained a slight frown. He felt bad for the kid, being exiled from her village for something out of her control. He knew that the Hime in charge thought she was making the girl stronger, but he knew it was for a selfish reason. He watched as Ichigo glanced at some of the herbs he had set to the side for some medicine he was making and her eyes grew wide and a smile appeared. No, that Hime had made the girl stronger, but she had also grown due to the people around her. “Are you the Ichigo that Goku informed me made medicine?” Karin asked and he watched as her cheeks became a light pink.”Yes, I enjoy making things that help other people,” Ichigo admitted and he gained a soft expression, “I was told it was unusual when I asked the sensei about it, so I kept quiet about it.””Then the training I give you will have more focus on such things,” Karin informed her and she gave a curt nod, “while also making sure you are able to fight.”Ichigo nodded her understanding and Karin immediately put her to work in making the medicines she already knew how to. He was keeping a close eye on her skills to see what needed improving and what was solid. Her timing needed improving, if he could get her to make the medicine faster than she would be just fine. In fact, she was much better at this than her mother was. He inwardly grimaced at the memory of the girl's mother, a bright girl just like Ichigo but with such an attitude. “Karin-sama, what sort of bean is this?” Ichigo asked as she picked up one of the senzu beans he always had on hand.”It’s a senzu bean, they can heal you to full health and can fill your stomach as if you’d eaten for ten full days,” Karin explained and she nodded her understanding, putting the bean down and returning to the making of her medicine.He would train this child to the best of his abilities, but all of the work would be done by her. He glanced at the water he would allow her to drink and quickly turned away. There wasn’t any time to really focus on the future, he needed to focus on the present.Ichigo delved into her studies and ignored the passage of time. She soaked in the medicine that was being taught to her and the way senzu were grown. The dragon scale that had fallen off Shenlong sat in her pouch, a small souvenir of a time where she had been more adventurous. Its weight reminded her that she had people she wanted to keep safe, and would do anything to make sure they were. A part of her wondered how Goku was doing with his training.  
Age 750, May 20th
Ichigo looked at the new clothes that Karin had kindly supplied her and noted the neat stitching on them. The hanfu was something she’d only ever seen worn by the Hime of the village, to have one of her own was maddening to her. She slowly put it on and noted that the turtle school symbol was proudly displayed on the back. It was still that bright orange, not that she was bothered by the colour of it. She went to join Karin for their morning lessons, the gardening aspect was calming and allowed her to focus on strengthening her ki, and the cat gave a meow in greeting. Every so often he would do something that showed his form's nature, but she didn’t mind. She was used to an old man being a pervert, having a cat creature meow was a nice change of pace.“I am going to give you your own senzu plant to look after,” Karin informed her as she ate some toast, “don’t let it die.”She gave a curt nod before making a face. Could she even keep a plant like this alive? She would have to, just to keep her training on track. 
Age 750, June 30th
Ichigo was starting to find a genuine dislike of the heat as she meditated in the hot summer air. She wasn’t wearing the hanfu, even though it was light enough that she didn’t feel the heat as much, but the shirt that Bulma had given her and a pair of shorts that Launch had put into one of her pouches without her noticing. She was barely able to keep her mind from wandering about the heat when she felt the ground below her disappear. She paused a bit. The ground disappeared? She opened her eyes and looked down, she was floating in the air. Well, until she broke her concentration and fell right on her face. Well, that just told her she could eventually fly with her Ki. Karin smiled from his workplace as he moved some canisters over for medicine. She was one of those kids that could easily work things out on her own. 
Age 750, December 28th
Karin carefully placed a small candle on a small cake he had made. His student was turning thirteen, quite an accomplishment. She was at her work station, creating some new balms to use on her friends when they got into another tousle of sorts. He had the perfect gift as well. He hummed happily and his tail swished side to side. It was rather nice having another person around to talk to, even if said person was still learning the ways of the world. He would say one thing, both her and Goku were honest. Neither would try to take the holy water while he was asleep. He enjoyed trying to get her to take the water from him while they trained her physical abilities. She had gotten pretty close a couple of times, but not too close. He heard her footsteps and noted that she had a couple of pastes in her arms. “Take a break,” Karin commanded and she paused midstep, giving a small smile.She had grown to be a quiet kid, showing a gentler side of her personality around him. He knew that she was growing when she didn’t react strangely to things, but he also knew one thing. She missed her friends, especially Goku. He chortled a little and waved her over.”Happy birthday,” He said and she blankly looked at him before smiling happily, “what, it’s not everyday you turn thirteen, go ahead and blow out the candle.”She did so and he knew that she didn’t really have a wish for herself, but for her friends. She wanted them to grow even stronger so they could have a grand tournament when they all met again. He had made her a strawberry shortcake and it had been a good call when she gave him a large hug. The hair pin he had gifted her never seemed to leave her hair after that day. 
Age 751, September 21st
Ichigo was using her Ki to hover, not so much as fly. Sweat was going down her face as she hovered back to avoid a strike from Karin’s staff. He was pushing her with the ways she could use her ki. Flying was her current objective, it would make things much easier. He hit her with his staff and she dropped to the ground, her concentration lost. Karin shook his head, but smiled as she slowly got back up and closed her eyes to ground herself.Perfect. 
Age 752, January 1st
 ”You shouldn’t have drank so much, Karin-sama,” Ichigo gently admonished the cat as he was a little hunched over a bowl of congee she had made for breakfast.”I rarely have anyone around for new years,” he waved off her worry and she shook her head.She had really grown out her hair, the silver strands reaching her shoulder blades. The hair pin he had gifted her, a golden dragon that informed her that he knew some of her background where she didn’t, glinted in the soft morning light. She certainly hadn’t grown taller, if not just an inch, but her face was showing that she was getting older. The fourteen year old was able to concoct a medicine that would help with a hangover, but instead she was making sure he ate something and drank plenty of water. “Ohhhh, just wait until you’re older,” Karin stated and she gave a low chuckle.”I’ve had sake before,” Ichigo pointed out, “it was always served when the Hime demanded it…which was often…please don’t tell Launch.”He didn’t know who Launch was, but he got the feeling that Ichigo saw her as a mother figure of sorts. He gave a slow nod as he slowly ate some of his breakfast. She had some wonderful cooking skills, she had put pears and cinnamon into the congee giving it a sweet flavour. A loud crash came from outside and he groaned and Ichigo gave a soft laugh before rushing out to see what it was. It being one of the spare pots falling had really put a bad omen on the entire year. 
Age 752, November 13th
 Ichigo was flying, she was really flying! She grinned down at Karin as he oversaw her training. He was amazed that she had been able to learn the ability to manipulate her Ki in such a way that it allowed her to fly. She was happily moving around the air with such a grin on his face that he wondered if she had never found out what element her ki was suited to. He would hazard a guess and say air, or water. He didn’t know if someone could have both.He called her down and let her peek into the special waters that allowed him to watch the world below. He would allow her to see how her friends were doing as a reward for all her hard work. She patiently watched the surface of the water and he watched as her pupils became slits as she focused on the images of her friends. Oh…so that’s what her mother had done. He felt bad for the child, because when she learned what she was she was going to have a hard time coming to terms with it. He slowly left her alone so she could watch them a little longer.”If you’re here for the water, you can forget it,” he warned a shinobi that stood in the middle of his home.”Relax,” the man lazily stated, waving a hand, “I’m only here to check in on her…””You’re…” Karin trailed off before sending the man a sharp look, “I don’t know what plan her mother had, but destroying that girl is the worst thing you could have possibly done to her.””The Hime is moving, wanting us to keep an eye on her,” the man responded as he shrugged, “I am here to make sure she grows stronger, and doesn’t die any time soon.”Karin hit the man with his staff and the shinobi sent him a pout in response. Good, that was what the whole village deserved for what they put his student through. Even if she didn’t say anything, she still had nightmares. He could hear her sometimes, crying in her sleep for them to stop hurting her, to stop pushing her when she couldn’t even walk. The senbon that she was so good with came from having them thrown at her to learn where they should hit. He disliked the entire village of shinobi. “Well, she’ll be my student next so I can teach her, her past,” the man dryly informed him and his eyes opened in surprise, “as per her mother’s request…she’ll need to know before she’s eighteen.””You’re allowing her to grow as a person and have a personality that won’t be destroyed by your training,” Karin commented, getting what the man was doing.”That gentle personality is who she really is, the fighter is who she has to become to protect those she cares about,” the man stated, his voice no longer carrying the lazy tone, “she would’ve made a wonderful Hime, please take care of her for a little while longer.””Karin-sama, are you all right?” Ichigo asked as she came into the main room, the male shinobi was nowhere to be seen.”I’m fine, have you learned how to prune your senzu plant yet?” Karin asked and she tilted her head in curiosity. “Let’s go do that for a while.”

Age 753 April 20th
Karin and Ichigo jumped back from one another, this spar showing a growth that made the cat grin in response. She had been one of the best students he had ever had, and that was saying something. He used his staff to maneuver around her quick blows and his tail swished in thought as she became a silver blur to him. She had grown faster, but not taller. He was starting to think her hair had grown the most, but that was due to her having it short when he first met her. She slid back on the xiuhuaxie that covered her feet, the embroidered dragons had taken her a while to create. He had taught her more than he thought they’d have time to learn. She used her ki to vanish completely before he was suddenly looking up into her face, the red markings around her eyes had grown darker over the years and a second line was starting to appear under the first. She stepped back and held a hand out to him, helping him up before giving him a bow of respect.“I have nothing more to teach you,” Karin informed her, “I will allow you to drink the true waters, as the letter of recommendation called for.””Will I need such strength?” Ichigo asked and he nodded.”One day, you will meet an opponent that you must take care of by yourself,” Karin informed her and she gave a slow blink, “you won’t always have your friends by your side.””A scary thought,” Ichigo admitted and he gave a low chuckle.”One day, you may even tell them your real name,” he pointed out and she paused.She could tell them the name she was unable to utter, the name that was sealed within her? She would love nothing more to go by her true name, but knew it was unlikely to happen. Even if she wanted it to. She didn’t mind being an Ichigo, she really didn’t. She thought back to the waters she had been told about and knew that it was a poison. Fourteen people before her had attempted to drink it, and no one had survived. “I’ll drink it,” she said and he gave her a sharp look, “I want to protect my friends.”Good, that was what he was hoping she would say. He grabbed the poisoned water from the hidden shelf he kept it on and took the cup off the spout of it. She sat down in sieza for him as he poured it. If she was nervous, she didn’t look it. She accepted the cup and took a deep breath before downing it with one gulp. She collapsed and held her chest. It was on her to survive, and he would stay nearby to keep her safe, and see what her hidden power was. She had tremendous power to unlock, but didn’t seem able to harness it. He watched as her body tensed up and something strange seemed to appear on her forearms the longer the poison stayed in her system. He knelt closer, were those scales?  
Age 753, May 5th
 She had been down for fifteen days. Karin knew she was stubborn but to this extent. He felt her ki reacting to her pain levels and soon she was opening her eyes. The silted pupils slowly returned to normal and he was sure that the scales that had appeared were gone as well. She slowly sat up, obviously worn from her experience.”At least I’m alive?” Ichigo asked and he let out a low sigh of relief.”You are astonishing,” Karin informed her and she gave a lopsided grin that would’ve had Goku grinning as well, “and you’re going to be late for the tournament if you don’t start heading out.””Right, thank you, Karin-sama!” Ichigo thanked as she swiftly got to her feet and moved towards the small room she was using as she studied under him.He stood still in thought. She had moved so fast she had become a blur, and yet she still wasn’t going to win the tournament. She would always lose to her best friend, knowing that she would find herself holding back just the slightest. Without realizing it. She practically flew back into the room, all of her belongings held in the pouches of her old belt, the hanfu she had taken to wearing while at Karin tower was starting to look a little small on her. He should’ve made a new one before she headed out, but he hadn’t thought about it. “I’m off!” She cheerfully informed Karin giving him a warm hug.”Don’t go getting into too much trouble, young lady!” Karin called as she jumped out of a window.Her responding laugh had him fondly sighing, at least he knew she’d be able to take care of herself. He turned towards the medicine tables and saw all that she had been able to make before heading out. At least he knew he wasn’t going to run out any time soon.Ichigo sped through the air and watched the world below her. She liked being able to fly, but there was something about riding on the Kinto-un, it had to be because her friend was there. That was the most likely reason. She smiled to herself as she kept her speed constant. 
Age 753, May 7th
 ”I wonder when Ichigo and Goku will get in,” Bulma stated as she checked her watch.”I don’t think they were training together this time,” Kuririn informed her as he looked around with his hands on his hips, “they might’ve beaten us there with how long Master Roshi is taking in the toilet.””Sounds about right,” Yamcha sighed before chuckling a little, “I wonder if they’ve grown any taller.””Probably not,” Launch bluntly stated, pushing her blonde hair back.”Let’s hurry up and get to the registration stand,” Roshi stated as he came back to join them, “we’ll be late if we don’t.”Kuririn was surprised that they still managed to beat both Goku and Ichigo to the registration desk. He blinked when something silver passed by him, a flash of gold erupted from the silver strands. His cheeks grew a little warm when he noticed who it was. Ichigo was hovering before the desk, a slight smile on her face.”I’m here to register as a fighter,” she informed the monk behind the desk, “under the name Ichigo.””Ichigo?!” Her friends all asked in surprise as the monk quickly registered her.”Hey, it’s been a while, huh?” Ichigo asked with a tiny smile.”You were training with master Karin,” Roshi observed as he noted the new clothing she wore, “you’ve gotten stronger.” “I have,” Ichigo confirmed before glancing around, noting that Roshi had stepped away to register himself as a fighter, “I see we’re still waiting on Goku.””Yeah, I doubt he’s going to miss this,” Kuririn said before he blinked, “are you…are you flying?””I finally worked it out,” Ichigo stated as she dropped to the ground with ease, “it took months of countless meditation to figure out how to focus my ki enough to even hover.””You’re insane,” Kuririn stated, as he wondered if it was possible for him to learn how to as well.”Yeah,” Ichigo agreed with him.”He only has three minutes left,” Bulma stated and Roshi slunk back in as though he’d never left them to begin with.”If it isn’t the turtle master,” A voice stated and Ichigo looked back to see who had spoken.He had a hat on the top of his head in the shape of a bird. She tuned out most of his words as she stared at it. So, he was the crane master. She focused a bit more on him, mainly his hat, and found that his Ki was dark. It made her wince a little and she turned the the tri-clops next to him and noted that while his Ki was also dark, there were specks of light inside of it. The smaller dwarf on his other side was similar, but his Ki was also stagnant as though waiting for him to manipulate it. So, he was someone she needed to look out for, him and Goku. The tri-clops was easier, he could be taken down with a couple of palm strikes, but another Ki manipulator could be dangerous to her. “So this is one of the disciples of yours that couldn’t even take first place last tournament, how low you’ve gotten,” the crane master sneered at Roshi and Ichigo bristled a little, “I thought I would remind everyone what a real martial arts school looked like and entered my disciples too. I hope you don’t suffer too much embarrassment.” “You still have your warped sense of humour, Tsuru!” Roshi cackled.”Say’s you baldy!” Tsuru snapped at Roshi.”Yeah says me, half-baldy!” Roshi snapped back and Ichigo sighed in disbelief.”Let’s go, we don’t have time to waste on fools,” Tsuru stated and one of his students let out a snort as they walked away. “Oh, Goku’s coming,” Ichigo stated as she looked to the street, a smile on her face.That smile remained on her face when someone quite literally ran into her. Ichigo hugged Goku back with as much strength as she could. He seemed so happy to see everyone. Roshi registered him as the teen greeted his friends. He was pleased to see that Goku had gotten a bit taller, if only by a little. “Hey you’re the only one of us that really grew,” Ichigo commented and Kuririn made a sound.”Hey, I grew too!” He stated, getting everyone to laugh. “You had us worried that you weren’t going to show up, what happened to the Kinto-un?” Roshi asked as he rejoined them.”You’re the one who told me not to use it, remember?” Goku pointed out.”Y-You swam here?” Oolong asked in disbelief.”Yeah, just from this place called Yahhoi,” Goku confirmed and Ichigo let out a soft laugh.”That’s halfway across the planet, that’s impressive,” Ichigo complimented and he rubbed at his nose as he laughed.”Attention all contestants, we will now commence the preliminary rounds, please make your way into the gymnasium,” a monk announced.The group split up to get ready and Ichigo looked towards the sky, hoping that everything went smoothly. She couldn’t shake the feeling that something bad was going to happen, and she wouldn’t be around to help.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Age 753, May 7th

“I can’t believe we’re all back together again,” Kuririn said to Yamcha as the three boys got ready.

”Yeah, I wonder if Goku and Ichigo got stronger over the last three years,” Yamcha stated as he finished tying the sash around his waist.

“Who knows, he doesn't look too different,” Kuririn observed before tilting his head, “Ichigo can fly, but I don’t know if that means she got stronger…at least physically stronger.”

Yamcha had to agree with him there as Goku made sure his uniform was on correctly, a grin on his face. It seemed to widen when Ichigo rejoined them. Her own uniform was still in perfect condition. She was pulling her hair back to where it wouldn’t be held onto by her opponents. She hadn’t grown much taller, but her hair had grown longer. Gone was the severe looking child and now there was a gentler girl standing there. Her eyes had grown serious over the years, but there was an air to her that she wasn’t going to hurt anyone.

“How was training with Master Karin?” Goku asked Ichigo as Kuririn put on the final touches of his uniform.

”I learned a lot about medicine,” Ichigo stated knowing she couldn’t say anything about the poisoned water.

“You guys all better get through the preliminary rounds,” Bulma shouted as the group was able to hang on the wall.

”Good luck!” Launch called.

”Thanks!” The four called back.

”Now listen!” Roshi called as he stood on the head of Mr. Turtle, “Show them everything you have learned in the last three years! Got it?!”

”Got it!” They chimed in unison.

”It looks like a lot more people than last time,” Kuririn commented as Ichigo stayed close to Goku, his tail already wrapped around her wrist as was usual with them.

“Maybe they’ll have to extend the amount of people they include in the finals if the preliminaries get any larger,” Ichigo pointed out and he shrugged.

“Hey, weren’t those four in the finals last time?” She heard the whispering and shared a look with Yamcha. “They were awesome!”

”Did you see the fight between the girl and the boy with the tail? It was almost impossible to keep up with!”

Wait, people were still talking about the match she had with Goku? She was a little surprised by that. She felt Roshi enter the room and glanced his way, so he was still pretending to be Jackie Chun. She supposed that he had to do something that would keep them from plateauing with their strength. Something that would keep them training to get stronger. Goku greeted him with a wave and Roshi stopped before them.

“I’m going to do my best to beat you this time,” Goku informed him.

”Oho, it seems you’ve trained even more,” Roshi stated before smiling, “this will be fun.”

”Thank you all for gathering today from all corners of the world for the twenty second tenka’ichi budokai, as you are all wway the numbers of participants has increased that from this time on we’ll continue holding the tournaments every three years,” a monk announced and Ichigo handed Goku a rice ball she had made a while back and had placed in a stasis scroll, “from all the participants that have entered, only eight will be selected to go on. This will be a grueling battle so be prepared to give everything you have!”

“I’m in the second half of block four,” Ichigo stated as they all began to draw numbers.

”I got the second half of block one,” Goku chimed in.

”I’m in the first half of block one,” Yamcha said in relief.

”The second half of block two,” Kuririn stated.

”Well, I should get going, good luck you three,” Ichigo stated and Goku’s tail lowered to the ground.

”Good luck!” He called back and she looked back to give him a grin.

“It might be getting through to him,” Yamcha muttered in amusement as Goku’s tail slowly moved to wrap around his waist.

“Maybe, I’m surprised it’s taking him so long,” Kuririn muttered to him.

”Some guys are like that,” Yamcha shrugged.

They watched as a wolf man was thrown from the ring when he fought against Ichigo and Goku’s eyes gained an excited spark. So far, they’d both faced off against each other once. He was excited to see how strong she had gotten. With how easily she was taking care of her opponents, it was fairly strong. She easily stepped back when the next opponent came in and took care of him with a few palm strikes to the stomach. She secured her spot in the finals and noted one of the crane students walking up to her. The tri-clops, she waited for him to speak so she would know what it was he wanted.

“You’re interesting,” he informed her and she raised a brow, “you aren’t even trying.”

”I’m here to fight, not to kill my opponents,” Ichigo told him and he smirked a little, “if that is your prerogative then you have no respect for your opponents and are a sad excuse for a martial artist.”

Both their attention was caught by Goku flying into the air as he fought against his opponent. He went down as fast as he could and used his own breath to stop himself from being hit. He ended the match with a kick that forced the man out of the ring. Ichigo let out a cheer from her spot and the tri-clops gained an annoyed look. He wasn’t too pleased that their conversation had been interrupted by her fellow students. She gave him a polite bow before rushing off to talk with her friends. He watched as the silver disappeared into a sea of countless gi’s.

“You guys are doing great,” Ichigo informed them as she came to a stop outside of the first block.

“So did you,” Kuririn pointed out, “the matches for the fourth block are practically finished, the only one still fighting in that block is Jackie Chun.”

“It’s going to be an interesting finale,” Yamcha commented and she nodded her agreement.

“Well, I have to leave after the tournament, so I’m glad that I get to spend time with everyone before I have to head out again,” Ichigo admitted and Goku’s responding look was a little sad, “hey, in another three years maybe one of us will have actually grown taller.”

Kuririn gave her right arm a light punch at those words. She was poking fun at them. She grinned, attempting to hide it behind her hand. It was so easy to mess with them, they had such fun reactions. Karin would be shaking his head if he could see her. Yet, he also liked to mess with people when he could get away with it.

“Let’s go tell everyone that we made it through,” Kuririn suggested taking the lead.

”Congratulations,” Bulma said as she handed Ichigo a waffle cone with strawberries and cream on top of some matcha flavoured ice cream, “I can’t believe all four of you are in the final rounds again.”

”Where did Master Roshi go?” Kuririn asked as Launch handed him a small treat as well, a waffle cone with chocolate ice cream and some caramel drizzle on top.

“He’s been gone the whole time, he’s most likely committing petty acts of lewdness in the crowd,” Bulma answered watching as Ichigo shared some of her treat with Goku.

”Who are you calling, lewd?” Roshi huffed as he rejoined them. “I disappear for a second and you all start to say horrible things about me. I only snuck in to watch the preliminary matches.”

“Did you?” Kuririn and Ichigo asked, Ichigo was more of the disbelief as Kuririn was touched.

“Yup, all four of you displayed your progress magnificently,” Roshi stated, “any one of you may win the top prize this time!”

“The strongest under the heavens martial arts tournament finals will begin momentarily!” An announcement cut through their attempts of having a conversation. “Will the eight chosen finalists please assemble in the main tournament hall?”

“Isn’t this a bad spot to watch us from?” Kuririn asked as they hesitated before heading in.

”Don’t you worry about a thing,” Launch stated as she pulled out a Glock, “I’ll get the best seats in this house!”

They left when they heard the sounds of a shot coming from the gun. At least Launch had everything taken care of. They entered the main hall and Ichigo watched as Goku walked on his hands to keep his energy up. She gained a fond expression as he started to walk circles around her. She was easily amused by him. He stopped in front of her and returned to his feet, rubbing the back of his head.

“The entire sluggish turtle team survived,” the tri-clops stated, “the quality of competition really must be dropping here.”

”You must have had a lot of luck to have qualified with your kindergarten skills,” Yamcha stated.

”I look forward to settling this dispute in front of the crowd,” the tri-clops stated.

”And everyone is fighting,” Ichigo sighed as Kuririn went after the other dwarf.

”We aren’t fighting,” Goku pointed out.

”This is true,” Ichigo nodded before rubbing the back of her head in thought.

“Hey, it’s good to see you four again,” the announcer stated as the blonde looked at all of them, “please don’t destroy any buildings this time…as it is, you will be drawing numbers to find out who you’re fighting against…please come forward and draw your number. We’ll start with Ichigo as she is the youngest here.”

Ichigo stepped forward and pulled out a number. She got the number three. She watched as the other numbers were drawn and she made a face. She was going to fight against Roshi? How well was that going to work? She looked down at her feet in thought and felt something wrap around her wrist and saw that Goku was frowning at a nearby wall.

“You’re fighting a boxer,” Ichigo commented and he nodded, “maybe we’ll fight against one another again.”

”I was excited to see how strong you’d gotten,” Goku stated and she gave a soft laugh.

”We’ll fight again,” Ichigo pointed out as they all headed out of the hall and outside, “I have faith in that.”

It was hard to tell how she had that faith. She focused her ki and hovered behind the wall so she could watch the first fight. The tri-clops and Yamcha. She was a little nervous for this battle. Yamcha was overconfident in his own abilities, sure he was a strong fighter, but there were so many people stronger than him. She would watch the battle with sharp eyes, if she won against Roshi then she would have to face off against the tri-clops. The two started to trade blows. Ichigo found their fight easy to follow, the tri-clops was strong. He was a bit stronger than her, only because she had only just awakened to her potential. She wasn’t like Goku where he got stronger the more he was beaten, she needed to train and have her Ki match her physical strength. Once she got to that point, she could only grow stronger.

She noted that the tri-clops could use his ki well enough to hover in some of the battle, but not all of it. She watched as Yamcha started to get tired. They both paused for a few seconds to stare one another down and she heard her two friends murmuring in surprise. This was one hell of a fight. Goku moved closer to see the match, his eyes on their friend. She felt something wrap around her waist and she glanced down. Goku’s tail was around her waist. So, he was keeping balance that way? That made sense. The sounds of blows caught her attention and she watched as Yamcha did his best to meet each hit with one of his own. It was a heavy hit to the stomach that caused him to be sent flying. He dropped into a crouch and brought his hands together in a familiar stance. A kamehameha wave? Since when could he do that? Even she wasn’t sure if she could do it! She let out a sound of surprise when the tri-clops ki flared to such heights that it was too bright. He was able to reflect the kamehameha wave right back at Yamcha. He jumped up and the ball of energy went right into a nearby building, hurting a small bit of the crowd. As he was in the air the tri-clops brought his leg up into Yamcha’s stomach before moving around to bring it down once again into his stomach. Yamcha hit the ground with a nasty thump before a loud snap followed when the tri-clops landed on his leg with his knee.

”You bastard!” Ichigo yelled at him as she quickly dropped to the ground and ran to check on Yamcha

“Yamcha!” Goku called for their friend.

The Tri-clops was surprised when Ichigo sent him an icy glare and he slowly gained a smirk. She stopped by her friend's side and gently checked his leg. It was completely broken, she was only glad that it was a clean break. It would heal faster, and better. She looked over to the announcer as he nervously looked at Yamcha.

”The contestant Yamcha is unable to continue the match, the winner is Tenshinhan,” the announcer stated and the crowd remained silent, “we need an ambulance!”

“No, Pu’ar!” Ichigo called and the small cat creature flew to her. “Can you get him to the hospital?”

”Of course!” Pu’ar exclaimed, transforming. “You two, please lift him onto me.”

”Don’t move his leg too much,” Ichigo stated as she and Goku set Yamcha on the magic carpet that Pu’ar had transformed into.

“You’re all set,” Goku told Pu’ar and the small creature left as fast as possible.

”He was already down,” Ichigo said to Tenshinhan with a cold glare.

”And you purposely broke his leg,” Goku added.

”Just be grateful that I didn’t kill him,” Tenshinhan stated and Ichigo bristled at the same time Goku did, “I am quite a softie, you see.”

”I swear to avenge Yamcha in a match,” Goku practically growled.

“Ha, you’ll have to survive your next match,” Tenshinhan pointed out, “now let’s get out of the way. We don’t want to be rude to the next contestants.”

“Ichigo you can stay there,” the announcer informed her and she nodded, “will Jackie Chun please step out so we can begin match number two!”

Roshi walked out and knew one thing. He was not making it past this round. Ichigo was too furious at Tenshinhan to even think about pulling back her punches. He gave a bow and she returned it. He was proud of his students for not jumping on Tenshinhan immediately. They had certainly gotten mature over the years. He knew it would happen the second he learned that Ichigo was training with Karin. She was showing incredible restraint.

”Contestant Chun was the champion of our last tournament,” the announcer informed everyone, “and contestant Ichigo was the third runner up, we here hope that the two give us a true showing. We will begin!”

Ichigo moved faster than he could remember her going. He didn’t duck under her first punch to his flank, instead grabbing her fist. She gave him a serene smile and brought her foot up into his chin. He backed up with a few backflips and landed on his feet with his hands behind his back. He studied his student for a few seconds before blinking when she appeared behind him and brought her foot into the back of his left knee to bring him down. He jumped up and decided to take her seriously. They started to trade blows, her ability to duck and dodge his attacks were surprising. They were surprising the others as they kept up pace with one another. Ichigo pushed and was going faster than him.

”Roshi-shishou,” Ichigo softly said as she caught one of his fists, “isn’t this tiring for you?”

”Not at all,” He cheerfully answered.

Ichigo nodded her understanding of that and brought her foot into his face. He staggered from that sudden attack and she continued the pace, kicking his feet from underneath him. He had misjudged his female student, she had grown a lot more than he realized. He chuckled as she downed him once more and knew what she was trying to do. She was going to push him out of the ring. He did something that would surprise the others. He brought out a white flag and gave it a wave, her fist paused a few inches from his face.

”I call uncle,” he stated and she pulled back in confusion.

”Why?” Ichigo asked as she was declared the winner.

”Because you three don’t have anything else for me to teach you,” he responded with a fond look, “you have grown strong on your own merit and hard work, I would rather you three show the crane students how to fight honorably.”

“You didn’t want to be kicked out of the ring, did you?” Ichigo asked and he shrugged, getting a small laugh out of her.

”Now, go rejoin your friend,” Roshi stated, pushing her a little, “you need to rest before your match with Tenshinhan.”

Her blood ran cold at that before a cold burning filled her. She sent Tenshinhan a glare as she walked past him while Kuririn went to fight against Chaozu. She was brought out of her cold glare by Goku grinning at her and patting her back in congratulations. She rejoined him on the wall. She was starting to worry about the way the fights were going to happen.

“He’s going to win,” Goku stated as they both looked at Kuririn.

”He is,” Ichigo agreed with a curt nod of her head.

”Are you worried about your next fight?” Goku seriously asked and she gave a slow nod. “Don’t be, you’re going to win!”

”If I don’t, give him hell,” Ichigo requested and it was his turn to give a blink of surprise before he seriously nodded, “thank you, Goku.”

They both turned back to Kuririn’s fight as it began. Chaozu was the ki manipulator, and a little unsure of things. Ichigo watched as he tried to figure out which side was his left when Kuririn used his distracted state to deck him in the face. He blocked the attacks that Kuririn sent his way and Goku moved further to watch the fight even more.

”You’re pressing him!” Goku yelled and Ichigo nodded.

”And he’s flying,” Ichigo sighed, “at least I had the courtesy not to do so.”

”Right,” Goku agreed.

Kuririn watched his opponent as he tried to figure out how to get him back down. Dodon-pa, she caught that exclamation with ease and she watched as the bolt of energy hit the tiled flooring. He released a few more as well. She felt Goku tense up next to her and he looked up at Chaozu in surprise.

”Wait, did he say Dodon?” Goku asked.

”Yes, why?” Ichigo questioned.

”That’s the same move that Taopaipai used!” Goku exclaimed.

“It’s the same move as who?” Tenshinhan asked as he walked up to them.

”What’s it to you?” Goku asked as he hopped down from the wall. “He was an assassin I beat up.”

”Spare me your lies!” Tenshinhan stated.

”Hey, if he said he did it, then he did!” Ichigo stated, sticking up for Goku. “Don’t you dare call him a liar.”

”What do you care anyway?” Goku asked as he slowly stepped in front of her when Tenshinhan sent a glare her way.

“The lord Taopaipai…” Tenshinhan muttered before glaring at the both of them before briskly walking away.

”What’s his problem,” Goku grumbled and Roshi walked up to them.

”You didn’t really take down Taopaipai?” He asked Goku.

”Not you too, gramps,” Goku sighed before nodding, “I did so! It wasn’t easy thought, him being so strong and all.”

”Taopaipai was Tsuru’s younger brother,” Roshi informed them.

”Oh.”

They both turned to Ichigo when she said that. She winced, a mental

oh

going through her head. That was a bad omen. He wouldn’t be happy with taking them out by defeating them through a match, he would want them dead. Well, they would have to make sure that didn’t happen. She felt some heat on her face and glanced back at Kuririn’s fight. He had brought his hands together to form a kamehameha wave. He tested it out just once and she felt some energy from it. He let out a better one just as Chaozu let out another dodon. He jumped just before the dodon hit him and he unleashed the wave. Ichigo gave a slight grin as it hit Chaozu head on, causing the dwarf to fall to the ground. He levitated onto the tiled ground. She let out a sound of disbelief and felt the urge to pull her hair out. Kuririn didn’t let up in his attack and quickly moved forward to give him a kick.

“He can manipulate others ki?” Ichigo asked in surprise as Chaozu performed a feat even she couldn’t do yet, “He has more training in that department than I do.”

“Can you learn how to?” Goku asked as they both intently watched the match.

”Yes, but it would take years to master it,” Ichigo confirmed as Kuririn found a tactic that worked, distracting him with math problems, “anything that works.”

He won doing that, confusing his opponent and using that confusion to attack an opening. It was a stroke of genius, and luck. She wondered how long that luck was going to hold on for them.

”Looks like it's my turn,” Goku stated as Kuririn rejoined them.

”You got a world class boxer,” Kuririn said and he hopped up and rested next to Ichigo so he could easily see the match.

“Yeah, I think he’s been recognized by the other two martial arts tournaments,” Ichigo stated as the announcer confirmed it.

“I didn’t know he was so great,” Kuririn admitted.

”So, that’s the rumoured “genius of martial arts”,” Roshi muttered as Goku walked onto the tiled ring.

He didn’t seem worried about the fight, if anything he seemed excited. She couldn’t help but let out a soft sigh at the sight of him. The crowd was cheering his name and she smiled softly at him.  He deserved to be recognized for his brilliance in martial arts. The match hadn’t even begun when his opponent pretended to punch at Goku. He performed a few feats that were impressive to the other civilians, but not so much to the martial artists there. The match began and Ichigo watched with such intensity that Kuririn was a little surprised. The two of them really made him want to hit his head against the wall, even if it had been three years they were still maddening. The fight didn’t last too long, as his opponent went down with ease. With one hit. She landed on the ground and gave Goku a hug when he walked past the wall. Kuririn gave him multiple high fives, happy for their fellow student.

”Looks like we’ve all gotten stronger,” Kuririn commented and Ichigo nodded, “that guy looked impressive and had a great record, but he went down so easily.”

“Maybe he was having a bad day?” Goku suggested with a slight shrug.

”That’s not it,” Roshi informed them as he walked up to them, “you three are fighting martial artists from a normal level, which is why he seemed so weak. It shows how far you’ve advanced in the terms of strength you’ve all gained.”

”But Yamcha has the same amount of skill as I do and lost,” Kuririn pointed out, “and I struggled with that shrimp.”

”That only proves my point, your opponents were also super martial artists who have gone beyond human limitations as well,” Roshi stated.

“We will now begin the semi-final rounds with the fifth match, will the victors Tenshinhan and Ichigo please step forward,” The announcer called and Ichigo took in a deep breath.

”Wish me luck,” Ichigo softly said and the two nodded seriously.

She stood across from Tenshinhan as they both stood in the arena. They both had serious expressions on their faces. Ichigo didn’t trust the crane school to cheat, and she didn’t expect to win the match. She closed her eyes for a few seconds and realigned her ki, conserving it a little bit.

“I want to avenge Yamcha, but knowing your school you’ll fight without honor,” Ichigo stated, opening her eyes to stare him down.

”So you say,” Tenshinhan stated as they both shifted into their fighting stances.

He moved first, bringing his fist into Ichigo’s blocking forearm. She didn’t feel his hits as they rapidly exchanged blows. She shifted her weight and slid her feet across the tile to sweep his feet from underneath him. He held in a hiss as she kicked his side to send him flying a few feet. He used the speed from her kick to kick off the ground and return the hit with a punch of his own. She jumped to dodge him, landing on her hand and moving with them to dodge his attacks. They matched punches and they both flew back. Ichigo felt her hands aching from his hit. She focused her Ki and created semi solid after images, creating the illusion that there were more of her.

“Way to go, Ichigo!” Goku cheered and Kuririn sent him a look before letting out his own cheer.

She moved in unison with her clones and she let out a strangled sound when he found her without any problems. His foot had hit the side of her face and she was sent to the ground. She swiftly got back on her feet and wiped at the bloodied corner of her mouth. Tenshinhan smirked and gave a few dark chuckles and pointed at his third eye.

”Right, I’ll have to get serious,” Ichigo stated as she crouched a little, her eyes narrowing.

“I won’t hold back because you’re a little girl!” Tenshinhan stated as he rushed forward. “I doubt you can even see my hands.”

She easily grabbed his hands and brought her knee into his stomach. He was surprised when she kicked his leg, the same one that he broke on Yamcha, and made him back up. She landed on her feet and started to go on the offensive, making him have to block her attacks. She jabbed at his arm and he felt it go numb. He recognized what she was doing.

“A ki blocker,” He muttered as he shifted his arm to regain some feeling in it.

He studied her a bit more, surprised that she was so strong. She didn’t look like she was. Her slitted pupils were staring back at him and he didn’t let his gaze leave those violet eyes. She had some long strands of hair in her face, and he saw her eyes narrow before a thought seemed to hit her.

”You’re strong, and you have a light hidden within the darkness of your Ki…why do you hang around with Tsuru-sen’nin?” Ichigo asked, genuinely curious.

”That is none of your business, you can’t bad mouth my mentor like that!” Tenshinhan snapped at her.

”Watch me!” Ichigo snapped back. “You’ve been holding back on me the entire time.”

“Fine, you want me to fight you with my full strength?” Tenshinhan asked as he brought his hands up to his face. “You have a minute before I take you down! Enjoy this Taiyo-ken!”

He used his ki to create a bright flash and she closed her eyes to watch him through her senses. He was attacking from behind and she easily moved to her left to avoid his attack. That had surprised everyone when they saw that she had dodged it. They hadn’t been her biggest fans at the last tournament, but the crowd was starting to chant her name. She got the feeling that Launch was behind that.

”You can’t even face me like a man,” Ichigo coldly informed him.

”What on Earth are you?” Tenshinhan asked her.

“Does it matter?” Ichigo asked, shifting her weight a little more. “Your ki is crying out in shame! It hates what you’re doing, and so do you! You need to find your own path before the crane master drags you into depths you can’t recover from.”

”What do you know about it?!” Tenshinhan asked.

”Because I was there, from the moment I could talk and walk I was raised to be an assassin…I was born into the darkness and my friends dragged me out of it and into the world full of bright sunlight,” Ichigo quietly informed him and he saw the tears in her eyes, “and that’s why it’s unforgivable for you to hurt my friends!”

”What kind of nonsense is that!” Tenshinhan asked as he came after her with some blows of his own. “Why are you spouting such things!?”

”You’ve lost some of your bite behind your blows,” Ichigo pointed out as she grabbed onto his arm as he threw a punch her way, “is what I’m saying really so upsetting? I know that life is better when you’re able to laugh and love, not when all you have is hate…or do you prefer being hated like that, like your teacher?”

They jumped back and he let out a few hard breaths. He brought his hands together in a familiar stance and she followed suit. It was time to see if she could even perform the Kamehameha wave. She felt the ki gathering in her hands as the ki in his grew as well. She waited until he let his loose before keeping hers growing. She kept waiting, and waiting, until it was right on her to release her own.

”Kamehameha!” She called out, and the ki that burst from her hands felt like a nice summer rain, warm and welcoming.

“Unbelievable, who would have guessed that a fighter of the crane school would release a kamehameha the same day that most of the turtle school released theirs!” The announcer stated, obviously excited.

”She’s amazing,” Kuririn stated as the two boys watched as Ichigo breathed heavily, unused to the strain that the Kamehameha wave could bring.

“Why don’t you show me your true strength, you’ve been holding back on me,” Tenshinhan stated as he looked at Ichigo.

”All right,” Ichigo agreed.

She vanished from sight and suddenly he was being attacked by a blur of silver with a slight hint of gold. He couldn’t keep up with her speed! She hit him from multiple points and he was surprised when she suddenly stopped in front of him, holding onto her side in pain. He brought his hands down on her back. Ichigo clenched her jaw and sent a glare towards the dwarf. He was attacking her with his ki! The entire school was filled with cheaters. He didn’t let up his attack, allowing Tenshinhan to use her as a punching bag. Nothing could beat the pain of the brand of an exile being put on her back, but the broken ribs and internal bleeding was a close second. He kicked and punched even when she was already down on the ground. She was still conscious, and fighting to get back on her feet. Blood came out of her mouth from a few coughs that she couldn’t quite stop.

“She’s too stubborn,” Roshi said, watching as his sole female student stumbled to her feet with blood practically rolling down her face, “she’s going to get herself killed.”

”What happened, she was fighting without any issues,” Kuririn stated as she took another hit to the face, “it’s like someone hit her in the stomach and it finally took hold.”

Goku didn’t know but he certainly didn’t like it. Tenshinhan continued to beat her until she was barely standing. Ichigo stood there, her eyes blank, and she didn’t even have the strength to stop the drop kick that Tenshinhan hit her in the head with. She hit the ground and created a small crater in the tile. Tenshinhan looked down into the crater and noticed she wasn’t getting up again.

”Start the count,” he told the announcer and the man hesitated.

”Due to being unable to move, the victor is Tenshinhan!” The announcer stated and the crowd was quiet for a few seconds before giving some applause.

Goku vaulted over the wall and ran forward. He passed a surprised Tenshinhan and jumped into the crater to check on his friend. Her hair had come undone from the pin and practically covered her face. He knelt next to her and brought a hand out to gently shake her shoulder. Her head slowly moved to the side and though the bruising and slight cuts he saw an apologetic smile on her face.

“Sorry…I didn’t win…” Ichigo apologized and he paused, he was going to get payback for his two friends.

He gently picked her up and jumped out of the crater. She needed to rest, and most likely needed medical attention as well. Her head was tucked under his chin and he moved his head a little, making it a little more comfortable to carry her. He noted people rushing his way and Kuririn came to stand next to him.

”They called an ambulance when it turned bloody,” Kuririn informed him, “they didn’t want what happened to Yamcha to happen again.”

“We’ll make him pay,” Goku stated and Kuririn nodded.

”Of course we will,” Kuririn agreed.

Ichigo was taken from him and he watched as she vanished into the building. He didn’t like it, and he couldn’t explain why he didn’t. He hadn’t felt this way when he lost his grandfather, no that had been a pain that was constant and it still remained. This felt like fear, but he knew that Ichigo would be okay. She was too stubborn to die. That…that thought left a bad taste in his mouth. A frown was on his face as he joined Kuririn. He saw a glint of gold and picked up Ichigo’s hair pin, tilting his head in confusion as he read the words on it. The characters for her name were wrong. It said Amaya, with the characters for night and rain, not Ichigo. He wondered about that for a few seconds before pocketing the hairpin, he would give it back to her the next time they met.

He hoped it would be soon.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Age 753, May 7th

“
It’s time,” a voice said as Ichigo came to.

She was in a sterile environment, the lack of harsh scents let her know that much. She opened her eyes to see the lazy shinobi that had sent her Karin's way. Someone who knew her past. She slowly sat up in the bed and made a face at the white sheets. She was in the hospital. She thought to why and noted that she had bandages everywhere. Right, Tenshinhan had beaten her, and beaten her good.

”Am I not allowed to say goodbye to my friends?” Ichigo asked and he shook his head. “Why?”

”Because you need to clear your mind completely,” he said moving closer, “these next three years you are going to learn in the in between.”

”That place is forbidden for a reason,” Ichigo pointed out.

”A place between life and death, the place where all will be reveled,” he confirmed, “you need to learn this before you turn eighteen, this is the best course of action. With the demon lord Piccolo arising you will be in danger as you are now.”

”Then let me fight with them,” Ichigo countered, moving to glare at him.

”No,” he denied and she started to grow angry, “you’re a liability to them as you are right now. You would only hold them back.”

Ichigo went silent and hung her head. She clutched the white sheets and blankets in her hands. She hated the whole situation. She always knew that there would be someone in her village that would stop her from being around her friends, but for it to happen so early? She had barely gotten to talk to Goku, and the other’s. She heard the other shinobi sigh before plopping a hand on her head.

”This will be the last time I will take you from your friends,” he said and she looked at him through her long bangs, “Once you turn eighteen and you know everything you are allowed to choose how you live your life.”

”I…I want to marry Goku and live a long life,” Ichigo admitted, “I enjoy martial arts, I don’t want to be dragged back into the village's problems.”

”Good,” he said obviously smiling, “now, let's get going before any of the demon king's men come after you.”

Ichigo didn’t know what he meant by that when she was grabbed by the back of her hospital gown and thrown through a small hole in the wall. She hit the ground and felt her ribs scream in protest. She fle the tears gathering in her eyes as she slowly sat up and sent the man a look. She was still injured after all. He joined her in the unknown area and stepped to her side.

“I will start by having you meet someone that’s been waiting quite a while,” he said and she got to her feet with some difficulty.

They walked side by side through the unknown, the in between. It was forbidden for a reason, the matters of life and death needed to be untouched by shinobi. Whoever this person was that he wanted her to meet was either dead, or a god of sorts. She wasn’t sure which one she would rather it was. It left an uncomfortable pit in her stomach. She was a healer by trade, but this place made her feel worthless.

“She’s through those doors,” he informed her and she went to ask what doors the doors appeared before them.

He gave her a gentle nudge forward and the doors slowly swung open. The metal doors didn’t even squeak and she sent them a look before walking through the newly constructed doorway. A woman was kneeling before an altar of a Shenlong statue and Ichigo paused as the scale she carried on her person warmed in response. The scale had become a small necklace, one that she would never give up. She turned her attention back to the woman and noted some things.

First of all was the crushing longing she always felt for the woman in her dream, and the near identical features she had to her. Long silver hair framed the woman’s body and face, making her seem ethereal. The violet eyes were dark and held a violence to them that almost made Ichigo take a few steps back. The woman shifted her weight and gave the young Shinobi her full attention.

“My darling girl,” the woman said, her voice holding a musical tone, “you’ve finally decided to show up.”

“You’re…” Ichigo trailed off.

“Your mother,” the woman confirmed, “our hime sealed me in the in between due to my crimes.”

“Crimes?” Ichigo quietly asked.

“Have you ever wondered what would happen if you wished for a child while using the dragon balls?” Her mother asked with a growing smile. “I know what happens.”

“W-What?” Ichigo almost didn’t want to know the answer.

“A child borne of such a wish becomes a part of Shenlong, part dragon,” the woman gleefully stated, “you are my most precious treasure, my most beloved piece of knowledge, my favourite experiment.”

Ichigo was disappointed. This was the woman she had been longing for. The woman she had wanted to know? She was a freak of nature! A creature brought about by the wish of a mad woman. Gentle hands touched her face and she was forced to look into her mothers eyes.

“I can sense the power rushing through your veins,” her mother commented, “I wanted you here to learn how to control it, I don’t want my son-in-law getting killed due to your carelessness!”

She said such things with a smile! Ichigo almost slapped the woman’s hands away from her face. This…this couldn’t be her mother! She refused to believe this was who had given birth to her. No wonder Baba didn’t like her, and that Karin had very few positive things to say about her. The woman shifted back to the altar with a serene smile on her face as she unrolled a scroll.

“Of course I approve of that match,” her mother stated, “an oozaru in the family would bring more power into our bloodline but you genuinely fell in love with him…how quaint!”

“Yuki-Sama, please remember she’s your daughter and not an underling,” the Shinobi from earlier stated as he finally showed up, he stood in front of a frozen Ichigo, “she’s here to know her past, and regain her name…not to be your play thing.”

“You always spoil my fun, Kaito-kun,” her mother pouted.

He narrowed his eyes at her before sighing. He had grown fond of the little Shinobi, watching her journey with her friends and seeing her grow as a normal person. Watching her around that Goku kid had brought him back to his own childhood when he thought there was something between him and Yuki. He had been wrong, gravely so. Her own daughter was subjected to her twisted experiments. He just…she hadn’t always been like this. She was once like Ichigo until she had been sent on a mission where everyone had died.

“Fine, come here, Amaya,” Yuki ordered her daughter, “your first lesson will be on what you are.”

“Half dragon apparently,” Ichigo stated without thinking.

“Yes, it grants you that impressive healing,” Yuki said with a cheerful smile, “it also grants you healing abilities, you have noticed that you haven’t awoken to your ki element, correct?”

“Er…yes,” Ichigo confirmed awkwardly, sitting next to her mother.

“That’s because you are keyed to healing ki, your element would’ve been wind if it weren’t for all the light ki you possess,” Yuki explained and Ichigo had to admit it made sense, “Karin-Shishou picked up on it and made you focus on medicine and plant keeping…you still have your senzu plant, don’t you?”

“Yes, it’s in a stasis scroll,” Ichigo confirmed.

She probably shouldn’t have done so, her mother decided on something as a larger smile appeared on her beautiful face. Her mother was dangerous, and Ichigo felt her fight or flight reflexes go into overdrive. She wanted to run, she needed to run! Her own mother was dangerous, and would see her dead if she stood in her way. The epitome of a true Shinobi.

“Hmmm,” her mother hummed in response and Ichigo felt her skin crawl, “I have trouble believing that my own sister would destroy her niece's name.”

Kaito watched the little Shinobi and noted that she was looking for ways out of her mothers presence. She had that effect on people. He sighed and sat next to her, acting as silent support. He’d watched over her since she was a baby, he felt some level of responsibility for her. He watched as the gentle child was buried under conditioning and was slowly dug out by her friends. He refused to let Yuki ruin her.

“This will take the full three years, are you prepared?” He asked and Ichigo looked at the scroll before giving a curt nod. “Then I will take over the physical aspect of your training, I’ll even teach you some cool jutsu.”

“I’ll be showing you the healing portions,” Yuki informed her daughter, “and seals…you’re already proficient in medicine due to Karin-Shishou, but I can also teach you poisons.”

Ichigo felt as though her plate was going to be completely full for the next three years.

Age 753, December 28th

Ichigo ducked under the blade of the katana that Kaito used and returned with a strike of her own Tanto. The weapon never left her side since he originally gave it to her. He watched as she used her slightly new height to her advantage. The more she trained, the taller she seemed to grow as though her body was starting to catch up. She was finally getting closer to her eighteenth year and he couldn’t be prouder. She wasn’t expecting a birthday celebration from her mother, and he didn’t blame her, but he still had something planned for her..

She brought her hands together and a cloud formed in his vision. He let out a sharp laugh and quickly jumped back. Well, at least her lessons in illusions were paying off. He waited a few seconds to rush her, and she gracefully ducked and weaved around his strikes. She finally reached that level with her form. She had taken the dragon style of Shaolin boxing and had meshed with the turtle style of martial arts. She used her torso to dodge his attacks and she struck quickly with her hands. He was grateful for such a clever student.

“Uncle,” he stated, drawing the fight to a close.

Her fist stopped right in front of his solar plexus and he let out a soft breath. Even if he didn’t end the fight, she would’ve. She slowly slid back to give him a serious look before it softened just the slightest. He was going to hate what he was going to send her to, but it would make her strong. Strong enough to ignore her mother’s wishes and grow as a person, just as her friends were doing. Bulma had stepped up as Capsule Corps CEO and was making a large stride in technology with Doctor Green as her personal assistant. Yamcha, Tenshinhan, and Kuririn had all gotten together to train under Karin, who was teaching the manners that he saw Ichigo possess. Goku, well he wouldn’t tell his student where he was, but training with Kami was no small feat. He approved of the boy, simply because it made Ichigo happy.

“I want you to travel through the eastern side of the in-between,” he told her and she sent him an alarmed look, “it’ll let you come out mentally stronger than before, and stop your mother from forcing you to do something you don’t want to do.”

”Fine,” Ichigo reluctantly agreed and he gave her a small smile in response.

”Right, get to it,” Kaito ordered.

Ichigo started to walk through the in-between and let out a soft huff. She was back to being on her own again, no one could go with her for this. She felt a shiver go down her spine the second she entered the eastern side. A part of her wanted to turn back, to return to the machinations of Kaito and her mother, but another refused to back down. If she got stronger she could protect everyone! She could learn how to use her Ki to heal. Her mother couldn’t do such things, and neither could Kaito. She knew it was due to her…

unique

genetic makeup. She was aware that she was a monster, the people from her first tournament were correct in calling her one.

“A thing, that’s what we are…” a silvery voice said in her ear and she spun on her heel with an extended hand, “a little creature that doesn’t belong anywhere…I wonder what your

precious

friends would think about you?”

”They…” Ichigo trailed off, she didn’t know what they would think.

”Even that precious Goku, do you think he’d care for a friend that wasn’t even human?” The voice continued, right behind her again and she spun around to see where it was coming from. “Your own mother doesn’t see you as a person.”

”Shut up…” Ichigo quietly said.

”Oho, this from a girl who can’t even utter her own name because of a

seal

?”

“You say that as if it’s the only thing stopping me from doing so.”

”Isn’t it? Don’t you know seals better than most people?”

Ichigo stepped into something wet and looked down to her feet submerged in dark water. It reflected her as she was when she first left the village, her white silk shirt covered in her own blood and her hair cropped so short it barely touched her ears. Another reflection stood by that one, she had slightly longer hair but her eyes were strange. It was the first time she had awakened to the power that her parentage brought her. North versions of herself shared a look before turning to where she could see the seal on her back. She studied it for a few seconds before she started to pick it apart. She could easily break the seal that didn’t allow her to speak her name, it was the easiest one to do so. She had no want, nor need, to break the one that didn’t allow her to return to the village.

“Let the ki flow,” the voice instructed as she stared at her reflection and followed the familiar paths, “come back to being Amaya.”

Ichigo felt it when the seal broke and she let out a strangled scream before quickly clenching her jaw to stop the noise. It hurt just as much to break the seal as it did to have it carved into her skin. She let out a few harsh breaths before taking some deep ones in. She calmed herself and brought her Ki in, protecting herself the best she could.

“Now,why don’t you heal it?”

She didn’t know how! It would’ve been healed already if she did! She felt frustrated and watched as the water around her ankles started to move away, rippling as it did so. She felt the water growing before her and turned her gaze towards the towering water.

“Failure isn’t an option, you are very aware of that…

Amaya.

”

Ichi…no Amaya jumped back as the water tried to submerge her. She let her ki move from her core to her feet and took a stand on the remaining dark water. She was too focused on staying alive that she barely had any time to notice how the dark water lightened under her feet, and only her feet. The silvery voice hummed in response before urging the water forward.

“Focus.” It ordered.

She was focusing! She was growing more frustrated before she watched the water. It was giving her clues the longer she evaded it. She watched as a young woman with long silver hair held her hands over someone’s arm. The ki held a silver colour to it and was mesmerizing. The person it was being used on pressed a hand against the woman’s, making her shoulders slump in slight relief.

“What is this?” Amaya wondered aloud.

“What can be, and what won’t be,” the voice answered as it stopped its attack, “you have many paths, and several of them lead back to one person…Son Goku, every time you meet that boy your paths become intwined. Such is the strange thing about fate.”

“That was…” Amaya commented before shaking her head, “the future is best left to be unknown…I don’t want to know such things.”

“A smart decision,” the voice agreed as the wave was lowered, “and you’ve healed yourself…”

“I didn’t even…” Amaya trailed off.

“Instinct is a wonderful motivator,” the voice soothed and Amaya looked down at the clear water below her, “you are a balance in a dark universe, one that can change everything or nothing at all…the choice will always be yours as we speak now things have changed.”

“Like what?” Amaya cautiously asked.

“Tenshinhan should have fought against Muten Roshi and not you, yet fate decided you were the better opponent,” the voice answered and she paused, “you had a voice that he couldn’t truly ignore, someone who allowed themselves to be pulled from the dark. Who embraced the light and the people that came with it.”

“He…he needed to hear that someone else understood him,” Amaya gently admitted and the voice gave a soft sigh.

“So unlike the woman your mother is, and that is a blessing,” the voice stated as Amaya felt something gentle moving through her hair, “practice on your own, be able to grow where she couldn’t…the way is open to you now.”

There in the water was a clear path that stretched from Amaya’s shadow. She picked a foot up, the slippers she’d been wearing were gone, and placed it back down on the surface. It was a small path, but the danger seemed to be gone. At least, for the moment. She continued to walk and noted that there was someone up ahead.

“Oh, hello,” a small child greeted and Amaya paused.

It was her.

“Are you my big sister?” The small version of herself asked as she put a hand down on a scroll to keep her place.

“Ah…no…” Amaya informed herself.

“Oh, that’s okay,” the smallest version stated, “I still have Bulma! Pu’ar even likes my hair, and that’s so rare! Even mom likes it!”

“Mother likes your hair?” Amaya asked.

“No…Mom! Miss Launch!” The small version stated and it hit Amaya what the eastern area was.

It was her mind and soul, the hidden parts of her that she liked to believe didn’t exist. This small child was her childlike wonder and love. A love of reading and a deep love for her friends and the people she saw as family. The small version of her had the hair pin that Karin had given her and a few other items.

“Karin-Sama is like my dad!” She inform herself. “And Roshi-Shishou is like my grandpa, but we won’t tell him that he’d get a little sad by that.”

“Oh? And your other friends?” She gently asked, kneeling next to herself.

“Kuririn is my brother, but I think he likes me in a different way, and Yamcha is my big brother he always seems to make sure I’m alright when he sees me,” little her stated with a grin before that smile became so soft, “and Goku is someone I really care for…I don’t know much about love, but I think I feel that for him.”

“It’s possible,” Amaya softly agreed before looking at the scroll, “anything good?”

“Have you heard of the senzu plant!?”

She was being lectured by her younger self, and she couldn’t help but give a low chuckle at how ridiculous her situation was.

Age 754, March 20th

Amaya focused on the cut on her leg and pushed her ki forward. She frowned and watched as the skin slowly melded together. This was a technique she’d only use if absolutely necessary. It was taxing on her energy, but it seemed to work correctly. A sharp pain went through her hand and she saw blood welling onto the pure white skin. She glanced at Yuki, she had stopped referring to her as

Mother

because that spot belonged to Launch, the woman had been talking with Kaito about something when she had started to heal her leg.

“Be glad I love you my darling daughter, I’ve done something you’ll like,” Yuki stated as her daughter calmly healed her hand as well.

“Is that so?” Amaya asked as she finished healing her hand up, flexing it a bit.

“You’ll find out soon enough, I’ve always wondered what a matured dragon would do in the moonlight,” Yuki practically purred and Amaya sent her an unimpressed look.

“Nothing that would bring you any enjoyment,” Amaya stated before wryly smiling, “besides the moon was destroyed by Roshi-Shishou.”

“Are you sure?”

Amaya didn’t get to respond when Kaito reappeared with fabric in his arms. He grabbed Amaya, who was getting to talk for him to drag around, by the back of the simple silver hanfu she was wearing and dragged her to the small living quarters she used. She sent him a look before fixing her clothing.

“I’m not sending you back in such an outfit,” Kaito sighed before running a hand through his now black hair, “I had to dye my hair to get these fabrics and the ki weights!”

“I’m sorry,” Amaya apologized.

“Don’t worry about it,” Kaito waved off her apology, “there’s enough for you to make several types of clothing, a new uniform to fight in, and wedding clothes.”

“That is if Goku remembers the details of our promise if he decides he doesn’t want to marry me then I will agree to his terms,” Amaya stated.

“A weak willed child,” Yuki’s voice stated as she slowly walked into the room and gazed at her daughter with a cold expression, “one needs to grab a man and hold him tight to keep him.”

“I will keep that in mind, mother,” Amaya dryly stated.

She ignored the stinging in her cheek from her mother’s hit. She didn’t react and Kaito mentally applauded her. Good she wasn’t allowing her mother to do anything that could sway her convictions. Yuki turned on her heel and left her daughters room to meditate in front of Shenlongs altar.

“The village plans to make an example out of you during the next tournament,” Kaito quietly warned her as she went to look through the different fabric and pulling some dark purple fabric out, “you’ll be up against someone high ranking.”

“If it’s the hime I won’t hold back,” Amaya informed him before sending him a small smile, “she took my name from me, and scarred my back…I refuse to let her win.”

That’s all he needed to hear.

Age 756, May 5th

Amaya stepped down into the long grass and looked up towards the sky. Her long hair reached her waist and swayed in the soft breeze. She smiled a little as she fixed the straw hat on her head. She had gone to the previous style of clothing that her great grandmother preferred, the style that had been common with her people. The kimono in her scrolls had quite the embroidery work on it. The in-between left her with nothing but time on her hands when she wasn’t training.

“Remember the veil to keep others from identifying you,” Kaito reminded the seventeen year old, noting the nod she gave in response, “you’ll need it so your friends won’t get hurt.”

“I know, thank you, Kaito,” Amaya said as she looked back towards the sky with that gentle smile still on her face, “I wonder how the others have grown.”

“If they are anything like you, they had a late growth spurt,” he pointed out and she let out a soft laugh in response, “I don’t know how you’ve stayed so gentle even around your mother.”

“I refuse to stoop to her level,” Amaya shrugged before stepping forward in her zori, “we should keep moving, the less time we spend standing the less the others can try and figure me out.”

“Eat your heart out, Goku,” Kaito softly muttered, “if you didn’t think of her as pretty before you will now.”

He didn’t know if the boy didn’t think of such things, but he was sure the other one would. Amaya took after her mother in looks, a beautiful face with two lines ponder her eyes with seven circles above those, and a permanent red pigment on her eyelids. If he didn’t know better he’d think she was part Yokai. But he did, and he refused to allow anyone else to think that way of her.

“What happened to that scale Shenlong-Sama lost?” Kaito asked.

“A small protective charm,” Amaya answered as she brought the green scale out from the sleeve of her simple pink and purple yukata, “I’m going to give it to Goku, I feel like he’s going to need it one of these days.”

Kaito had to agree with her.

They started their trek to the place where the tournament would be held. He easily kept step with her until he was sure she could get by on her own. She sent his hiding spot a small smile before continuing on her path. This final tournament was where their paths finally split, and permanently. He watched as she picked a flower and looked at its soft yellow petals. She ducked down and reattached it with her ki.

“You learned healing to such a proficiency,” Kaito observed and she nodded, “being between life and death had been good for you.”

“So it has,” Amaya muttered.

He went silent, knowing she didn’t want to talk about such things. She truly believed that she was a monster, and that caused a sad expression to appear on his face before he glanced to the sky himself. She enjoyed flying, yet purposely grounded herself to blend in with others. She didn’t want her friends to notice her presence, even if it hurt.

Amaya knew when he left her side and breathed out a sigh of relief. She was able to act as she wanted to, not how she needed to around him and Yuki. He didn’t even realize the pressure that was on her shoulders, out there by himself. She rubbed the back of her neck in a very familiar manner before shaking her head. She would have to truly try to blend in with other people. She pulled her hat down and slowly gathered the long silver locks and pulled them into a bun that would hide her hair to the best of her abilities. She put the straw hat back on and grabbed the veil. She would be putting on the costume as she walked. The elaborate kimono and clothes just weren’t her, even if it was a ploy to confuse the person the hime sent to try and use her as an example.  It was certainly going to be a surprise when the person reported that he was defeated by someone who dressed in the old ways. She ran a few fingers against the marks on her face and closed her eyes for a few seconds. She should move faster, she might not make it on time if she dawdled any longer.

It wouldn’t do for her to arrive late, even if the idea made her smile in amusement.

Age 756, May 7th

“I wish to register under the name of Amaya, but I wish to remain anonymous until I request,” Amaya told the monk manning the registration desk, her hat was keeping rain from getting all over her clothes.

“Oh, uh sure,” he confirmed quickly, writing down her name and her strange request.

“We’re going to have to extend the finalists,” another monk stated, “we have too many participants.”

“But,” the receptionist monk started but the other shook his head.

“It can be done, next time we might have even more participants and we can keep the new temporary rules,” the other one stated and Amaya looked between the two in slight amusement.

She didn’t mind having another block to fight in, or another opponent in the finals. She would make her way to them with ease. She had two people she needed to face. Her would be attacker, and Goku. She couldn’t help but wonder how he’d changed as she went into the crowds within the area. She pulled her ki back to act as though she didn’t exist and simply watched normal people. She briefly wondered what it was like to be like that, but she couldn’t quite imagine herself in that lifestyle.

“She’s so pretty,” a little girl whispered to her father as they walked past.

“She’s a fighter,” the man calmly explained and the girl gained an awed look, making Amaya flush in slight embarrassment.

“I want to be like her when I grow up!” The little girl exclaimed.

Amaya smiled a little as the man laughed at his daughter before moving over to the game stalls that had been set up. The tournaments had started to bring in quite the crowd it seemed. She went to push her hair back from her shoulders in thought and all she hit was the veil. The embroidered dragon along its edges was thick and clunky, not her work but Yuki’s. She rubbed the back of her neck again and slowly lowered it to hide her dissatisfaction. She glanced towards the street as the rain started to come down a little heavier. Roshi and Launch had just arrived. They would wait for everyone to arrive. She moved away from her current spot to stand closer to listen in on their conversations, a sad smile on her face. She missed everyone, she missed them a lot. Her attention was quickly grabbed by a very familiar presence. It was the Hime…her aunt. Hayami-Hime, the one to rule over the village. She didn’t sense any others from the village and her blood ran cold. She wanted to make an example out of her? It was a few seconds of fear before she calmed down and gained a serious expression. She refused to let the women of her family haunt her like they did. She was going to move past them, and make her own family along the way.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Age 756, May 7th

“Everyone’s running late,” Launch softly said as Roshi checked his watch.

Amaya looked their way before glancing back at Hayami. She didn’t trust the woman to not try anything, granted she wasn’t marked like she was. Amaya couldn’t wear anything without a back because of the brand she was so

graciously

bestowed. Hayami was moving around with a serene smile on her face as she bought food. She even smiled at the children around her! Amaya couldn’t help but think of all the times where she’d been physically struck by the woman and her anger started to boil. She didn’t care for hypocrites. Not one bit.

“I wonder how Ichigo has grown over the years,” Launch stated with a happy smile on her face.

“Maybe she’s stayed a short squirt,” Rōshi said and Amaya sent him a look as Launch puffed out a cheek at him, “knowing her she most likely hit a growth spurt and will surprise us all. She already is, she’s usually on time for things.”

She was early, but Amaya wasn’t about to reveal herself. Not yet. If she was up against one of her friends she would, but until then she was going to keep herself hidden. She felt some familiar ki signatures stopping before Roshi and Launch. Bulma got out with Oolong, Pu’ar, and Doctor Green. Bulma was always fashion forward, and the two piece suit she was wearing showed it clearly. Amaya couldn’t help but think she looked professional, and wondered if she took over her family’s company. Bulma smiled at the others and Launch smiled back.

“It’s been a while,” Bulma stated as they all got their umbrellas out to stay dry.

“It has,” Launch happily agreed.

“Where is everyone else?” Bulma asked, looking around for the others.

“We thought Ichigo would be here first,” Pu’ar stated from the top of Oolongs head.

“So did we, we’ve been keeping an eye out for her but we haven’t seen her anywhere,” Launch sadly admitted, and Bulma gave a sad one as well before she huffed in annoyance.

“Why the hell is she worrying us so much!” Bulma stated and Oolong backed up at her slight frustration.

“Miss Briefs, remember she was taken from her hospital room,” Doctor Green kindly reminded.

“But still, she’s always been strong so where’d she go?” Bulma countered.

“The world is full of mysteries,” Rōshi stated and Amaya made a face in unison with Bulma.

“What about Yamcha?” Launch asked, knowing that talks of Ichigo always ended up in an argument.

“He took off training without saying anything,” Bulma stated and Doctor Green looked to the side.

“So did Kuririn and Tenshinhan,” Rōshi confirmed before sighing, “all my students have gone their own ways.”

“To be fair one of them didn’t leave because they wanted to,” Oolong muttered and Pu’ar nodded their agreement.

“Hey old man, you’re back to life!” The voice had changed but the ki signature was the same. “You all look great!”

Goku had gotten taller, much taller. Amaya barely stood at his chin and she thought she had a growth spurt. She scratched at her cheek before feeling how fast her heart was beating. Now that she was older, she was certainly sure of what she felt for him. She noted that he was glancing through their friends and a slightly disappointed glint entered his eyes.

“Is everyone already in the gymnasium?” Goku asked.

“You…you got taller Goku,” Doctor Green stated, her eyes wide as she had to look up at the young man.

“Yeah, I had a pretty good growth spurt,” Goku agreed with an easy laugh that made everyone relax.

It was him. He removed the turban from his head and his hair popped back into place. It made everyone relax further. Amaya couldn’t help but be a little amused before looking at her own watch. She needed to be in the gymnasium since she’d already registered. She had spent too much time watching her friends from afar…like a creep. She supposed it was a good thing she was aware it was creepy. The others appeared and she relaxed a little. This was going to be an interesting tournament.

“Hey Goku, was Kami’s training as tough as I think?” Kuririn asked a distracted Goku.

“Oh man!” Goku stated as he gave a slight smile. “It was incredible.”

“I wonder where Ichigo is,” Yamcha stated as he looked around for the white haired kid, he saw a tall woman with hair the same colour but the markings on her face were all wrong, “I thought that was her at first, but she has different markings.”

“And she smells better,” Goku added and they all looked at him, “what, she does.”

“What would Ichigo even smell like?” Kuririn asked with an amused smirk.

“Rain and jasmine,” Goku bluntly answered and that made the others gain varying looks of disbelief.

“Glad to see you still have that tail of yours,” Tenshinhan stated as Goku’s tail was more pronounced as they changed into gi to fight.

“Yeah, Kami was going to make a deal with me to remove it in exchange for the moon but it just suddenly appeared in the sky,” Goku stated and Amaya looked to the side.

So, that’s what Kaito was doing the one time she couldn’t find him. She finished putting on her fighting clothes and packed the rest of her stuff into a storage scroll. It went into the pouches around her waist as she fixed the veil hiding her identity. She went to stand near her friends, but not too close. If Goku knew her scent then he would pick it up, and she wasn’t ready for them to know she was there.

“This is quite the turnout,” a familiar voice stated and Amaya kept her calm.

“Is it? This is my first tournament,” Amaya said, glad that her voice had changed over the last three years.

“Yes, an old student of mine always makes it to the preliminaries but loses before she can even win,” her aunt stated and Amaya kept her temper in check, “she’s such a disappointment…I’ll have to show her how it’s done.”

Her attention was dragged away by her aunt by a dark ki filling the room. It was coming from a tall man with green skin. This was…demon king piccolo? That was the description that Kaito had given her to have her catch up on events that happened. She wondered how accurate it truly was.

“You do that,” Amaya absentmindedly told her aunt, “please excuse me.”

“Goku? What is it?” Kuririn asked his friend.

“Than man is one of Piccolo’s children,” Tenshinhan hissed and Goku gave a serious nod.

“Don’t say anything, it’ll cause a panic,” Goku warned and the seriousness took them all by surprise before they nodded their agreement.

“I’m more worried about the woman wearing that veil,” Yamcha admitted, watching as the woman walked around with a strong, yet silent, stride.

“It’s weird, but she seems familiar,” Kuririn admitted as he rubbed the back of his head in thought.

“Yeah,” Tenshinhan agreed.

“Maybe she’s really beautiful and wants to be taken seriously?” Kuririn suggested and they all looked his way. “It’s always possible.”

“Welcome contestants!” The announcer stated and everyone paused as they got ready for the rest of the announcement. “Due to the influx of even more fighters than last time, we have shifted the rules temporarily to allow ten finalists instead of the usual eight! If our numbers dwindle for the next tournament we will return to eight! I want you all to follow the rules and make this a tournament to remember!”

“He really should work on the phrasing of that,” Amaya sighed before gaining an amused smile.

They all lined up to draw numbers and she tried to ignore the person behind her. Goku was staring holes in the back of her head, trying to figure out who she was. She reached into the box of numbers and looked at hers. She was in the fifth block, the first half at that. She waited to see where her aunt got placed and smirked a little. The second half of the fifth block. She glanced around and Chaozu, he was staring right at her and he gave a slight nod. So, that was his apology? He knew based on how similar her ki was to her aunts. She would have to thank him later. She moved to the fifth block and quickly jumped onto the box.

“This is the woman I have to fight, you don’t look like much,” a large man sneered down at her before leaning down to get in her face, “you should head back home and apologize to your father for being a disappointment for a woman.”

Would Shenlong even be disappointed in that? Amaya wasn’t sure. Next time he was summoned she would try to have a chat with him, she had so many questions for him. Why grant her mothers wish being the main one. She wasn’t sure why he had. Why create something unnatural like her? She shook her head and bent at the waist to quickly avoid the man’s attack. He sure seemed surprised when she slid her foot forward to give him a strong palm strike to his stomach.

“Man, she’s strong,” Kuririn commented as the man went flying out of the ring.

“She really reminds me of someone,” Goku admitted.

“Yeah,” Yamcha agreed as they all got together to watch the fights of the fifth block.

“The winner is Anonymous!” The referee announced. “Will the next fighter come up!”

“I yield,” a man with sandy blonde hair stated as Amaya slowly turned his direction.

“Hold it back,” Kaito instructed Amaya as she jumped down from the ring, “you went too far with that man.”

“I agree,” Amaya admitted, “I hadn’t meant to put so much strength behind that hit…no wonder he was always pulling his punches against certain opponents.”

Her gaze wandered towards Goku and she noted he was looking towards her block. She looked back and watched as Hayami won her battle with such grace that it made her feel unsure of her victory. She closed her eyes for a few seconds before staring ahead. No, she was going to win. She refused to let such a sight cow her. Never again. She moved to the side when a person from the fourth block flew her way. She heard a few surprised cheers from the first block and saw that Golu was up again.

“He’s gotten fast,” Amaya observed before smiling, “he finally figured out how to use his Ki…good.”

“Isn’t that bad for you?” Kaito asked and she shook her head.

“He doesn’t know what he’s looking for when it comes to mine,” she stated before glancing over at the Piccolo that had appeared, “besides it too well hidden, isn’t that correct, Kami?”

“That is true,” a middle aged man stated as he came to a stop by her side, a hand being run through his graying dark hair, “I had heard stories of someone of your kind, it's fascinating that you exist.”

“If you start to treat me like a creature, we might have a few problems,” Amaya swiftly warned him and he gave a serious nod, “thank you.”

“You wish to fight the other shinobi?” He asked as he saw her quickly look at Hayami before looking away.

“She’s my aunt and the reason I was exiled,” Amaya shrugged before sending him a smile that he could sense was sincere, “she’s here to send a message, but it’s not the one she expects.”

“You’ll defeat her and tell her to leave you alone,” Kami already knew her plan and she nodded at him, “a plan I hope works…you know your aide made it so I couldn’t request Goku to give up his tail for the moon to be returned.”

“I couldn’t tell you how he accomplished it,” Amaya admitted, “I don’t even know how he did it…all I can do is heal but Kaito-san is on another level when it comes to absurdity.”

“You most likely could if you truly pushed,” Kami pointed out and she conceded his point.

Besides, she had to go back up. She had a smaller woman against her and she noted the crane motif on her clothing. So she had a particular inclination towards the crane style. The woman didn’t last very long. Amaya looked at people from under her veil and noted the cyborg man. Who the hell was that?

“Taopaipai!” Tenshinhan exclaimed and she blinked.

So that was the man Goku had been talking about three years ago. She went to scratch her cheek but stopped herself from doing such a familiar action. She kept her hands at her sides and stepped down from the ring. Kaito was watching Taopaipai with a keen eye. It seemed as though the false shinobi had caught the attention of the real thing. He was going to learn just how bad of a situation that was. She was called back up to fight the last battle and she noted that it was a man with boxing gloves. This was going to be a little too easy. She surprised him by matching his punches and getting him bare knuckled. He rubbed at his cheek before having his feet swept from under him and a foot embedding itself in his side.

“Anonymous has made it to the final rounds!” The announcer said in an excited tone. “With a move that seems to have been inspired by a previous finalist!”

Shit!

She hadn’t meant to use one of her usual moves. Kaito was thankful for the announcer at that point, it was the only thing keeping Son Goku from finding out before she was ready to show herself. He knew her the best, and would be the first to figure it out if she made another mistake. He kept an eye on them as the finalists all stood together. Amaya was near Hayami, Taopaipai sticking close to them. Kami stood back and watched the others, something Piccolo was doing as well. Goku, Kuririn, Yamcha, and Tenshinhan were looking at the others with a curious glance. There was one person they were all unsure of. A blonde woman with wide eyes that seemed surprised to have been able to make it as far as she had.

“I wasn’t expecting to get this far,” she quietly admitted to Amaya.

“You did well,” Amaya informed her and the woman’s answering grin made her shoulders relax a little.

“Must you lie to the rabble?” Hayami hissed at her.

“Is it a lie to congratulate someone for fighting well?” Amaya asked and Hayami clicked her tongue in annoyance.

“All right, we now have the matches decided!” The announcer called and Amaya was pleased to see how things were paired.

She was facing off against her aunt, and would fight against Goku if he won against the blonde woman. Tenshinhan was going against Taopaipai, Kuririn had

Jr

, and Yamcha was facing off against Kami. If the creature of the eastern side was to be believed then things hadn’t changed too much save for the addition of her fight and Goku’s opponent.

“The guy who took down Chaozu worries me,” Yamcha stated as everyone moved outside.

”He’s the younger brother of Tsuru-sen’nin,” Kuririn filled him in, “Taopaipai, he used to be a top assassin.”

“But Goku killed him,” Roshi said as he moved to talk to the group.

”Looks like he survived,” Kuririn pointed out with a slight frown, “they turned him into a cyborg.”

”He’s planning to go after Goku and Tenshinhan,” Yamcha stated, “in the first match he’s fighting Tenshinhan.”

”That’s bother and he knows Tenshinhan’s fighting style well,” Roshi said, moving his hat a little.

”It’s not a big deal, he’s no match for Tenshinhan,” Goku stated with a confident smile, and Amaya blinked in confusion.

”I can not let that statement slide,” a familiar voice stated and Amaya sent Tsuru a look that wasn’t dissimilar to her aunt’s current expression.

”Tsuru-sen’nin,” Kuririn stated, glaring at the man.

“Your dumbfounded faces float before my eyes,” Tsuru sneered before looking towards his brother, “you all ought to run before you turtle students are cooked in your shells.”

”All my students have passed me,” Roshi stated, “even the one who isn’t here…they are all trail blazers within their respective martial arts.”

”And yet they still wear turtle uniforms?” Tsuru asked and Amaya placed a hand on the symbol hidden behind a haori.

“Because master roshi is worthy of respect,” Kuririn answered stepping in front of his teacher.

Tsuru felt a cold chill go down his spine. It wasn’t from the ready glares of the turtle students before him, no it came from the veiled woman. It was as though she agreed with them. It was impossible, she shouldn’t even know him! He was surprised when the blue haired woman stepped forward and narrowed her eyes of the same colour at him. He left with a turn of his heel, he wanted to be rid of the strange sensation.

”The matches will begin momentarily, will the contestants please assemble!” The announcement finally rang out.

”Good luck everyone!” Bulma called as the fighters began to head to the arena.

”May the best fighter win,” Hayami informed her disguised niece.

”Indeed,” Amaya agreed.

”I wonder what Taopaipai’s deal is,” Kuririn stated.

”It’s because Tenshinhan’s even more incredible than him,” Goku stated and Kuririn chuckled before nodding.

”Yeah, it seems he passed his mentors like we did,” Kuririn agreed.

”Master Karin said that Ichigo surprised him by passing him in her studies of medicine,” Yamcha stated and Goku gave him his full attention, “he even taught her how to keep a senzu plant alive…apparently she still has it.”

If she was still alive

, went unsaid. No one knew if Ichigo was still alive, it was best to believe she was. Amaya looked at the group with her mouth open just the slightest. He hadn’t told her that, she was glad she could make him proud. A true smile appeared on her face at the idea of making her father figure proud.

“Yeah, I hope she’s okay,” Kuririn stated and Amaya looked towards the sky and took a few deep breaths.

She didn’t need to reveal herself just yet. She didn’t. She was trying so hard to fight the urge to tell them she was all right. That she was right there.  That urge disappeared the second she saw the mustache the announcer had grown. It was a little silly looking.

”Ladies and Gentlemen, thank you for your patience!” He called and the crowd cheered in response. “We shall now begin the twenty-third strongest under the heavens martial arts tournament! Match number one will begin against contestant Taopaipai and last tournaments champion Tenshinhan! Will both contestants please step forth!”

“Good luck,” Goku told Tenshinhan and the tri-clops gave an embarrassed nod of his head.

”Don’t worry, I’m not going to kill you right away, in fact, during the match I’ll only half kill you and then do the same for Goku,” Taopaipai threatened and he straightened up when he felt the same chill his brother had.

“What a creep,” Amaya muttered as she leaned against a wall to watch the match.

She wanted to see how the person who beat her fought now. His ki had changed, most of the darkness was gone, save for a small speck of it. He had moved on from his past and had grown as a person. She smiled a little, glad to see it. Hopefully he doesn’t beat his newer opponents the way he had done to her and Yamcha the last tournament.

“She can’t possibly be comfortable up there,” Kuririn muttered as he watched the unknown woman sitting on the top of the wall to watch the matches.

Yamcha spared a glance that way and narrowed his eyes. Something was so familiar about her, it wasn’t a facial or vocal familiarity. It was the way she held herself, the straight posture but quick movements. He rubbed the back of his head in thought. Well, eventually they’d figure it out. If the woman wanted her anonymity they would respect it. He was more interested in the fight that was taking place.

Taopaipai took the aggressor in the fight, sprinting towards Tenshinhan. It wasn’t a surprise when Tenshinhan used that to his advantage and side stepped him while bringing an arm out to hit the man in the head. Taopaipai went flying a few feet away from him and struggled getting up for a few seconds. He moved back into his fighting stance and sneered at Tenshinhan. Amaya closed her eyes for a few seconds and noted that the tri-clops was able to move faster than he could before. She reopened her eyes to see the multiple strikes from Taopaipai, each one missing its target.

“No way!” The crowd exclaimed when Tenshinhan caught his old mentor's hand mid strike.

They spoke some choice words that Amaya couldn’t make out but she certainly noticed the knife the cyborg had hidden in his hand. She sat up straighter, slightly alarmed. How was he able to sneak that in? The announcer quickly moved forward to say something.

”That’s a foul, the use of weapons is strictly forbidden, the match goes to contestant Tenshinhan!!” The announcer quickly stated.

“Shut up!” Taopaipai snapped. “This match doesn’t matter anymore! I’m going to kill you! I’m going to kill you, Tenshinhan!”

”You lost your pride as a martial artist,” Tenshinhan told the man, “if you are going to attack me then do it now!”

Super dodon-pa. Amaya watched the energy form and noted how fake it felt. This wasn’t the ki attack it should’ve been. No wonder it was so weak compared to the regular dodon. She could disrupt that from where she was sitting, but she noticed the look on Tenshinhan’s face. He let out a yell of concentration as the ray reached him, and it fizzled out from the actual ki that he could use. Taopaipai stumbled back in disbelief and let out a sound of fear as Tenshinhan rushed him and gave him a good punch to the stomach. He beat his opponent with ease and even had the good graces to take him back to his brother.

”Despite this disturbing occurrence we would like to continue with match number two, will Contestant Son Goku who narrowly missed winning the last tournament, and Contestant Mika come to the stage!” The announcer called.

“Ah,” Mika said as she hurried forward and Amaya sent the woman a slight smile.

”If you are ready, then begin!” The announcer called and Mika moved forward immediately.

So, she was a boxer. No wonder she was somewhat keeping up with Goku. He was dodging her attacks to figure out the pattern to them. She didn’t remember that from the times they fought before. She heard quietly chuckling below her and she decided to jump down to listen to Kami. He had to have something good to say if he got her attention.

”I taught him to really focus,” Kami explained, “though I believe Mr. Popo really hammered it into his head.”

”He’s still the same Goku, if not a little more knowledgeable,” Amaya said with a light chuckle of her own as she noticed how he was pulling his punches, “he’s not giving this fight his all because he’s stronger.”

”You can tell,” Kami observed and Amaya nodded.

”I’ve always been able to tell,” she admitted, watching as he got Mika out of the ring within seconds.

”Out of bounds! Victory goes to Son Goku,” the announcer told everyone and the crowd cheered for a good match without any insanity.

“Nice fight,” Goku grinned at Mika and she chuckled in response before shaking his hand.

“This was a fun tournament,” she stated before looking around, “are you free after this?”

“Oh, uh, I’m going to go look for someone after this,” Goku stated with a kind smile, “my best friend went missing three years ago, and I want to make sure she’s okay.”

“She’s certainly lucky!” Mika stated without missing a beat.

None of the previous tournament goers knew how to respond to that. Amaya scratched the back of her head in thought before shaking it. At least Mika took it in stride, not even upset with being turned down for a date with Goku.

“Now for match number three! Will the Contestant Anonymous and Contestant Iga Hayami please come to the arena!” The announcer called and Anaya left Kami behind to walk into the ring. “Now, Anonymous has asked that she be the one allowed to reveal herself, now I’m not the only one who’s excited to see who she is.”

“Iga?” Roshi asked, humming a little and Bulma glanced his way. “Iga is a shinobi clan name, much like the one that Ichigo was from.”

“Wait, with that hair colour they might be from the same village!” Bulma stated as she looked at Hayami. “Actually, they look very similar…maybe they’re related.”

“Too bad the exile couldn’t be here to see this,” Hayami tutted and Amaya rolled her eyes.

“She should be glad,” Amaya stated and Hayami froze, “it means that she doesn’t care at all what you think.”

“You…” Hayami gained an embarrassed flush to her face and Amaya was surprised she got that kind of reaction.

“If you two are ready, the match can begin!” The announcer stated, he wiped at his brow.

Man the tension between the two ladies was almost visible. He let out a squeak of sorts when Hayami charged the unknown woman, using graceful moves that were almost unable to be seen. The unknown woman didn’t move at all as she simply let the hit make contact. Amaya simply glanced down at the palm between her chest. Killing was against the tournament rules, but since when did her aunt even follow rules and laws? She brought a hand up and captured the hand, and twisted it behind her back.

“You should be dead,” Hayami hissed.

“I’m well aware,” Amaya stated before kicking her feet from under her, “just as you are that you’re out classed…Aunt Hayami.”

“You’re!” Hayami exclaimed, vanishing to get out of the hold. “Amaya! How are you still alive?!”

“That’s one loaded question,” Amaya pointed out before shaking her head, “beat me and I might tell you.”

“You won’t tell me anything,” Hayami muttered before regaining her composure.

She could sense ki, but she couldn’t find her nieces. It was obvious that she had gotten stronger, but how! She was missing for three years! All her friends couldn’t figure out it was her. She lead with her left foot and sprinted forward. She was met with a left elbow to the stomach. She wasn’t surprised when her niece moved faster to combo her attacks. The kick to the back to launch her in the air and the drop kick to drop her back to the ground. She was bruised, she was sure of it. The veil lifted up enough to catch a glimpse of her niece's face. She was calm, looking at her with indifference. That beautiful face that looked just like her mother’s was so different. Too much softness in the eyes and mouth, a gentler composition of an otherwise harsh woman.

“Just kill me,” Hayami hissed.

“No, I won’t give you that satisfaction,” Amaya hissed back before picking her up and throwing her out of the ring, “you act so high and mighty, yet you couldn’t adapt.”

“The winner of the fight is Contestant Anonymous,” The announcer confirmed and Amaya headed out of the ring.

“To fight one’s own demons with restraint is admirable,” Kani said as she took up her usual spot.

“There’s no need for revenge,” Amaya stated, “she’ll leave me alone now, she doesn’t have anything to gain from hunting me down.”

“You’ve grown too strong for any normal shinobi,” Kaito confirmed as he stood in the shadows, hidden from sight, “besides, you’re only interested in being with the friends and family you’ve made.”

She smiled, that she was. She glanced in their direction and saw them animatedly talking  about the fight. She knew she was pulling off a combo that was usual for her. Goku was giving her a look that showed he was trying to figure out who she was. She looked back to Kami and saw that he was obviously amused. She couldn’t help but gently shake her head in disbelief. She needed some tea to drink, or some water. She wanted out of the embarrassing conversation.

“How did you bring back the moon?” Kami asked Kaito.

“Trade secret,” Kaito said with a smile, “besides it allowed that boy to keep his tail…did you explain to him about his transformation?”

“Yes, if he were to keep the tail it would be imperative that he knew,” Kami confirmed and Amaya was glad she wouldn’t have to be the one to tell her friend.

“Amaya-hime,” Kami stated and he could visibly see her shudder at that honorific, “that is what you are, and you know it. You know the truth about several things.”

“The in-between is a place where the living should never venture and the dead will stay trapped,” Amaya softly explained, “mother is imprisoned there, and during my training with her and Kaito I was sent to the eastern side. It shows the past present and future of the person who enters it and makes them make their choice…I chose my friends and to stay with Goku.”

“You could’ve stayed with Shenlong,” Kami stated and she gave a slow nod, “love is a more powerful tool than people realize.”

If her face was visible he’d see that she was heavily blushing. As it was, her hands had turned a vibrant shade of pink. Kaito hadn’t known she was a full body blusher. The only one that could figure that out was Goku, and he wasn’t the type to pay attention to such things. They all watched as Kuririn went up against Piccolo.

“We will observe the situation,” Kami stated.

The two ninja nodded their agreement.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Age 756, May 7th

Kuririn looked at Piccolo and felt his heart hammering in his chest. He was a part of the creature that had killed him. He thought back to the land of the dead, how everything seemed so peaceful and yet so empty. He had seen faces that had been lost, and those who had been gone for a long time. He knew Ichigo wasn’t dead, because she hadn’t been there. There was no sign of his pretty friend, the one that had been taken out of a crater by an angered Goku. It had been hard to console him when it was found out that Ichigo had gone missing. Yamcha informed everyone that he just sat on the ground, completely still and silent. It was as though he couldn’t believe she wasn’t around.

“C’mon, Kuririn,” Amaya quietly cheered her brother on.

Yamcha thoughtbhe heard something and glanced her way. She was just sitting there observing, a hand propping her head up as she leaned forward with rapt attention. It was as though she was very invested with how the match went. He narrowed his eyes at that. He didn’t trust that at all, but it also felt like something Ichigo would do.

“Come at me whenever you feel like it, little nothing,” Piccolo informed Kuririn, the silence of the arena let their words be clearly heard.

”Nothing?” Kuririn asked, his grin faltering a little. “You’re pretty sure of yourself, aren’t you? In that case, I’m not holding anything back! Here I come!”

Kuririn’s Ki changed as he dropped into a deep stance. It seemed to confuse the other’s as Amaya watched in surprise. He’d gone and learned a different form, one that would work best for him. She gave a proud smile, happy to see that he’d grown. She watched as the ki blasted from his hands, putting one of hers up to keep her veil from being forced up. Piccolo dodged it with a sneer and Amaya grinned as the attack followed him. Kuririn had created a technique he could control. She felt Piccolo hit them with beams of his own.

“He left himself open,” Kaito commented and Kami gave a small nod, “why are you sticking so close?”

“It will make the sting lessen when she shows herself and then I am revealed,” Kami said and Amaya tensed for a few seconds as Kuririn hit Piccolo in the side and Kami flinched.

“If he gets hurt, and it injures you, then why would you try to fight him?” Amaya asked as she got down off the wall and knelt next to him.

Kami was more than a little surprised when her ki entered his system and gently covered the pain he was feeling. He glanced towards the stronger sensors of the group watching the fight and noticed that they hadn’t noticed. He watched as she drew back, the veil moving enough for him to see the slight frown on her face. He gave a deep breath and felt no pain at all.

“Thank you,” Kami thanked.

“Don’t worry about it,” Amaya waved him off before standing up straight, “that didn’t help him…did it?”

“We may be connected, but your Ki entered my body and not his,” Kami explained and she felt a little lost before rethinking it.

Pain was shared, but Ki obviously wasn’t. The spiritual energy was split up. It was the best she was going to get, and that they would get out of her. She felt Kuririn flex his Ki as he started to exchange blows with Piccolo. He had gotten so strong.

“You hold such pride in your friends,” Kami observed and she nodded, “you are different than your mother.”

“You can know the knowledge but it’s different seeing it, huh?” She was teasing him now.

It was refreshing to see humans…or rather humanoids…not be afraid of him. Amaya didn’t have that fear because of what sort of creature she was, and Goku was too light-hearted to. If he was correct, and he usually was, and the two were connected then he would give them his blessings. He would know when the two finally fought.

“C’mon,” Kaito stated under his breath as he began to mentally cheer Kururin on.

He may adore the woman he had helped train, but he was a sucker for an under dog. He brought his hands up in unison with Amaya as Kuririn was smacked through the air, but she grinned. He was flying!

“That’s awesome Kuririn!” Goku exclaimed, just as excited as Amaya.

“What an incredible match, I’m speechless,” The announcer stated as he brought out a handkerchief and dabbed at his brow.

Amaya heard Kaito let out an intrigued sound when Piccolo was able to lengthen one of his arms to grab at Kuririn. He was very aware when Amaya sent him a look. He wasn’t thinking of trying that. Not at all. They both watched as Kuririn was pulled through the air at such a speed that it would make a normal person sick to their stomach. He was hit in the face and sent flying, only to use the wall to flip himself and bounce back towards Piccolo. The demon king’s spawn was able to fall back on his hands and use a kick to force Kuririn into the sky. Amaya glanced at her friend. He was powering up for a kamehameha wave. She then looked towards Piccolo, he vanished and appeared next to the bald ex-monk. Only to receive a ki blast point blank.

“Zan-zo-ken,” Amaya and Kaito said in unison.

”You would know what a shadow attack is,” Kami sighed in regret.

”The demon arts were lost to our people for a reason,” Kaito stated with a shrug, “I think we lucked out with shinobi like Amaya-Hime.”

”Not you too,” Amaya sighed, shaking her head before watching Kuririn hit the ground from a harsh over the head hit.

He bounced before laying still. She knew that he was still alive. Roshi called out to him for Amaya as she began to bite her lip in worry for him. Piccolo landed on the arena tile and gave the short man a cold look. He seemed so bored by the fight. Kuririn had fought well, and to seem bored was such an insult. She smiled as Kuririn slowly got to his feet before plopping back down with a light laugh.

”I’m finished, I give up,” he admitted with a smile, which seemed to surprise Piccolo.

”Oh, Contestant Kuririn has given up! He’s forfeited! Contestant Demon Jr is the winner!” The announcer stated as the crowd clapped and cheered. “But to the very end, Contestant Kuririn gave us a valiant, unforgettable match!”

Goku moved forward to help Kuririn to his feet, grinning at how well his fight had gone. He walked him over to the small medical tent that had been set up by the monks in case something happened again. They knew that once the Kame students showed up then someone was getting hurt. Granted it wasn’t all of them this time. Kami looked over at Amaya as he knew his time to fight was getting closer, and then she would go next. He was somewhat excited for that match.

“Now for match number five, with this all ten of our finalists in this year's strongest under the heavens tournament will have appeared,” the announcer stated, “now let us meet match five’s opponents! Contestant Yamcha and Contestant Shen!”

”Shen?” Kaito and Amaya asked in disbelief and Kami let out a quiet cough before heading out with his hand behind his head.

He was obviously embarrassed by the applause sent his way. Yamcha went out with a cheery grin on his face. He was probably glad that his opponent wasn’t insane, and Amaya felt bad for him. He got stuck fighting against Kami, he wasn’t going to make it to the next round. She wondered if there would be one of these where he would make it past the first round of the preliminaries. She hoped it would happen one day.

“Why do you look so grim, Goku?” Kuririn asked as he sat on a step to watch the fight, an ice pack on his head.

“This guy worries me,” Goku admitted and Kuririn blinked.

”This guy huh…it’s another Ichigo then,” Kuririn sighed before looking to the side, “nice looking but easily able to fight.”

”Let the fifth match begin!” The announcer stated before Goku could say anything.

His tail wasn’t wrapped around his waist, so it showed his unease by lowly swaying. His arms were crossed across his chest as he watched Shen get into form that was familiar. It was when he was fighting that he got an idea of his style. A trip that looked like an accident, but was a distraction for a kick to the side. Yamcha was holding onto his side as he looked at Shen in slight confusion. He moved to attack, and the entire male audience and contestants winced in unison. He had been hit in the crotch. He fell to the ground in absolute pain. Shen had an incredibly hard head.

“Oh the pain,” The announcer said with a grimace on his face, “let’s hope he can get back in the match. He’s back on his feet so everyone please applaud this man’s courage.”

”I feel bad for the kid,” Kaito said to Amaya, “Kami is just messing with him now.”

”Do you think he gets bored on the lookout?” Amaya asked.

“Yes.”

Yamcha was giving Shen a free pass to hit him and Amaya wanted to yell at him. Well, he was going to learn when

Shen’s

hit landed. The ki blasted from around the hit and caused Yamcha to fly back a few feet. He crouched in confusion and glanced back at the picture of an office working man. He would fight with everything he had. Only to get a kick to the leg that had been broken three years previously. Amaya wondered what it was with people and that particular leg. It was a beat down from god, and that was the best way Amaya could put it.

”That guy…don’t tell me,” Goku muttered in thought as Shen was talking about using someone else’s form, “transferred…”

”I can’t fully make it out, but he’s telling Yamcha he’s not who he seems…” Amaya muttered before frowning, “that man.”

Kaito nodded in agreement as they both watched Yamcha concentrate his Ki in his hand. Everyone was confused by it as it spun around. A so-ki-dan? He had worked pretty hard to be able to figure out a spinning chi bullet. He tossed it Shen’s way and the disguised deity dodged to the right. He kept an eye on the blast as Yamcha sent it around to try and hit him with it. He got him under the shin while he was distracted.

”Woah!” Kuririn and Goku exclaimed in unison.

“And he’s finished,” Amaya observed as Shen landed on his feet and swiftly moved forward to hit him in the chest, “maybe one day he’ll win one of these.”

”And I will go and watch,” Kaito agreed and she nodded.

”Out of bounds, Contestant Yamcha has been defeated! Contestant SHen is the winner!” The announcer said in disbelief.

”Shen…” Goku muttered as he thought about it.

It hit him and his mouth opened just the slightest in disbelief. His tail bristled from his surprise. Tenshinhan glanced at Piccolo and knew that he wasn’t going to move past him. He’d get his rematch with Goku another time. He glanced at the match board and knew one thing. Whoever was going against Shen was going to have a difficult time. They were given a small break to eat something and regain some energy before the next round of fighting.

Amaya walked out of the arena to look for something sweet to eat. She was looking at some mochi, something she could easily eat without removing the veil when she brought a hand back to grab a senbon being thrown her way. She glanced back at the thrower of it and gave a mental sigh. Of course, her aunt really didn’t know how to accept defeat that well.  She took nothing from their fight, nothing at all.

“You cheated,” Hayami hissed at her, “an exile like you couldn’t have found such power.”

”Hard work and dedication,” Amaya stated as she sent the senbon back to her, “anything is possible through it…just because you fail to realize that, it doesn’t mean I cheated.”

Hayami moved forward with a fist out, only to have it stopped by someone. Amaya blinked in surprise at the fact that Tenshinhan stepped in. He was giving her aunt a cold look and the woman wrenched her arm back to get free from his hold. She thought all of the sub-categories of humans were disgusting. The tri-clops might be a strong fighter, but he was a freak. Just like her niece.

“It’s not over,” Hayami informed Amaya and the other ninja let out a sigh.

”Yes, it is,” Amaya countered, “leave me alone, and I won’t take down the protective barrier around the village.”

”You wouldn’t dare,” Hayami stated.

”If it gives those kids under your thumb the chance at a normal life, I would in a heartbeat,” Amaya confirmed and Tenshinhan felt it click.

They both watched as the disgraced shinobi walked off, she was most likely going to plot her revenge against her gentle hearted niece. She may be a strong fighter, but she didn’t like to hurt others. Tenshinhan glanced at the disguised Ichigo before ordering two mochi for the two of them. He was walking around by himself, needing the time away from others to calm his mind.

”Here,” Tenshinhan said as he held out a mochi to her, “it’s not much of an apology for beating you like I did all those years ago.”

”You were in a bad place,” Amaya said as she accepted the mochi, “you’ve change since then, and it’s obvious…that’s all the apology I needed.”

”Kuririn is right, you are too nice,” Tenshinhan said with a slight grin as he heard her huff.

”Only to an extent,” Amaya stated, “besides, I was able to regain my name a while back so it’s going to be interesting to see how many of you still call me by Ichigo.”

”Regained your name?” He questioned and she chuckled.

”You’ll learn later,” she answered, “Goku’s going to win our fight, but I’m not going to make it easy.”

Tenshinhan wanted to point out that everyone was worried about her, but Goku seemed distracted by her disappearance. It was as though the man didn’t like that she was gone, and he knew why. Goku and her, they were connected in a way that the others couldn’t comprehend. But it worked for them. He watched as she gave him a wave before walking off, passing by Goku. Tenshinhan watched as Goku paused to watch her for a few seconds, a frown on his face. That…that was impressive for him.

“Now, we will have three matches to decide the finalists!” The announcer stated to everyone as the small break came to a stop. “The winner of the second match will fight the third as well! Now, the first match will be between Contestant’s Son Goku and anonymous! These two don’t have a history together, but they are both impressive fighters in their own rights!”

“So, who are you?” Goku asked as the two stood across from one another.

”If you’re able to take the veil off then I’ll answer your questions,” Amaya informed him and he pouted just the slightest before grinning, “I won’t make it easy for you.”

”I don’t doubt it,” Goku stated with a nod.

”If you two are ready, begin!” The announcer exclaimed.

Amaya was welcomed to Goku speeding forward and she bent at the waist to dodge his attempt at grabbing the veil. He blinked in confusion and she almost gave a small chuckle. It was sort of funny that he was surprised she’d been able to dodge his attempt. He moved for it again, and she stepped back. For anyone watching it would look like a dance of sorts, with Amaya being the lead of it. Her feet slid around the arena in the zori, creating a strange noise that Kaito knew was her counting how many rounds of punches Goku could do. It gave her a timing agent to be able to pull more tricks off.

“Is she…messing with him?” Yamcha asked in confusion and Tenshinhan watched the fight with a keen eye.

“Somewhat, but it’s also a fairly serious fight,” Tenshinhan answered.

“Fairly?” Kuririn picked up, a slightly teasing tone to his voice.

“You know what I mean,” Tenshinhan stated with a slight blush on his face.

“I did,” Kuririn laughed and he got a long sigh in response.

“That’s…” Launch quietly said as she watched the fight, noting how the two on the arena were practically weaving around the other.

“It sort of reminds me of how Ichigo liked to fight, if not a bit different,” Pu’ar stated and Oolong agreed with them.

“It can’t be,” Bulma muttered before watching the way that the unknown woman pushed Goku away from her, “actually…”

She was starting to think that was her missing friend. If it was, then she’d gotten taller. And faster. The fight was slowly turning to a speed that most of the crowd couldn’t follow. The two broke away from one another and landed on either side of the arena. Their breathing wasn’t even heavy yet, but there was a grin on Goku’s face that spoke volumes. He was enjoying the fight, and the challenge to unveil her. She didn’t have a scent, nor could he sense anything from her. He wanted to know who would go through such lengths to hide themselves, and for what reason.

“Not even tired,” he heard her fondly mutter, and he tilted his head in response.

She didn’t say anything else when she rushed forward and started to lay attacks his way. He was able to block them, until she swept his feet from under him. He was heavy, too heavy for his current size. So, weighted clothing. He was always looking to get stronger. Amaya sharpened her mind and easily kicked him into the air before swiftly kicking him back down. He was expecting to hit the ground but she appeared to kick him to the side, towards the end of the arena. He flipped in the air and landed on his feet, sliding a little. He heard her sigh and he frowned in response.

“You can stop holding back,” she informed him, “if you don’t then you’ll never get the answer you want.”

Goku was shocked that she knew he was holding back. Amaya watched as that shock turned into determination. He was now serious about the fight. Good. He rushed towards her and she had to duck to the side. He had gotten closer that time. He brought his other hand back to try and his fingers brushed against the veil. He was too close.

“Then you should stop holding back too,” Goku pointed out and her eyes widened just the slightest before she smiled.

Something’s never changed it seems. She dropped the ki from her weights and seemed to flicker for a few seconds before vanishing completely. Goku was startled by that, unable to keep up with her speed. His training had allowed him to sense Ki to such a degree that it would make his best friend proud, but it didn’t work too well when the person was actively hiding it. She appeared by his side and he jumped back, landing on all fours to propel himself with even more force.

“Who is she?” Kuririn asked as Tenshinhan watched in amazement at how far the two had gotten.

“I don’t know,” Tenshinhan stated, giving some respect for her choice to remain unnoticed, “I’m more worried about that.”

Hayami was watching the match with narrowed eyes.  Her niece had gone easy on her if she was following the fight correctly. She would show the

monkey

boy respect, but not her own blood family? What a little traitor. Goku’s sharp laugh caught her attention as he swerved to the side to avoid a drop kick that destroyed the tile from the force behind it. She frowned deeply at the obvious enjoyment from the two. She hated them.

“You’re pretty good,” Goku complimented Amaya.

“And you as well,” she said back as she felt some sweat going down her face.

She forgot how fast Goku could fight. He was in the same situation and pulling at the blue undershirt he was wearing. So that was one of the weighted pieces of clothing that he was wearing. They studied one another before moving again. The rest of the group blinked in surprise at how fast their exchange of blows were. Amaya found herself dodging countless attempts at the removal of the veil. They were stopped once again when they reassessed the other. Amaya was aware of the fact that she was starting to favour her left arm over her right. She found that her dominant arm lasted longer, which wasn’t unusual.

“I’ll get your veil in this move,” Goku informed her and she wondered if he really would.

Goku closed his eyes for a few seconds and Amaya tried to prepare herself. She sensed his ki directly above her and she glanced up, already moving back to dodge him. He moved forward and her eyes widened behind the veil. His fingers touched the black fabric and he grabbed hold of it. She fell back a little as she tried to stop him from pulling it off. His own eyes widened in surprise as he pulled it off to see the silvery hair and familiar lilac eyes. She watched as his ears began to turn red. Something was wrapped around her waist to keep her from falling to the ground and she knew exactly what it was. She felt her hair fall down her back and idly wondered where her hair tie went.

“I-Ichigo!” She heard everyone exclaim.

“What a turn of events! It turns out anonymous was none other than Ichigo, one of our previous finalists!” The announcer stated and the crowd let out a roar in response. “Ichigo has been missing for three years, and now she has finally shown up.”

“Hah,” Amaya softly said before looking for Kaito, “yeah, training without being told about it.”

“Why didn’t you say goodbye,” Goku quietly asked and she knew he was upset with her.

“I wasn’t allowed to,” Amaya said, her tone apologetic, “Kaito kind of grabbed me from the hospital while I was newly injured. Apparently, King Piccolo was a concern of his.”

Goku was quiet for a few seconds before nodding his agreement. She wouldn’t have been able to fight, not with how injured she was. He was surprised when she held up a hand and the crowd went silent. She gave him a soft smile that he slowly returned.

“I give up,” Amaya stated and the crowd let out a sound of disbelief.

“That’s evil!” Kaito yelled and she shook her head at him.

“No it’s not,” Goku stated as he slowly helped her back to a standing position.

“It really is a wonderful turn of events!” The announcer gleefully stated before rushing towards Amaya. “So, you were training all these years?”

“Yes, I was able to regain quite a bit during those three years,” Amaya confirmed.

“You grew taller,” he said with a grin and she let out an amused huff.

Tenshinhan watched as Goku hovered by her side, as though he refused to leave it. Kuririn was ready to beat his head into a wall with those two. He couldn’t believe that they were still the same around one another. He wondered if there really was a god or not when he watched them walk off the arena.

“So, what did you regain?” Goku asked, genuinely curious.

“Use of my actual name,” Amaya answered with a small smile, “it’s actually Amaya, part of the brand on my back was a seal that stopped me from using it.”

“It’s pretty,” Goku said and her eyes widened a little when she saw his slight blush.

“You’ve changed a bit,” Amaya pointed out, “you trained under Kami.”

“Yeah, he kind of drilled societal norms into my head,” Goku explained with a light laugh, “and readings to help…I think Mr. Popo did most of those.”

“Well it’s a good change, not that I was hoping for one,” Amaya admitted before smiling at him with a teasing grin, “you’ll always be Goku, no matter what.”

But she wouldn’t be Ichigo, she would be Amaya. Sure she seemed confident, but that gentle smile being sent his way told him that she hadn’t changed all that much. He found himself smiling back, standing a little closer than he would’ve as a kid. Kami had informed him of what puberty was, granted the old god did seem unsure of it before he had to consult some old books. He knew that girls were pretty to boys, or sometimes other boys. But when he looked at her, he couldn’t help but feel a little weird.

“Are you all right?” She asked bending a little at the waist to peer into his face. “You’re a little flushed.”

“I-I’m all right,” he said, his voice cracking a bit.

“You two are so sweet it’s going to make me sweet,” Hayami said and Amaya felt her shoulders slump a little in response, “so, this

monkey

is the reason why you would refuse to return to the village.”

Goku found himself surprised at the name she called him, but even more so at the anger on Amaya’s face. He needed to intervene, and quickly. He stepped forward and the older white haired woman gave him a skeptical look before giving him a twice over.

“Well, I’ll give it to you that he’s a handsome one at least,” Hayami stated, “too bad he doesn’t know about what you are.”

“I was getting to that,” Amaya calmly informed her aunt, “I thought I requested you to leave me alone, aunt Hayami.”

“That’s your aunt?” Goku was completely surprised.

“He’s not the brightest of the bunch is he,” Hayami dryly commented and Goku was surprised at the insult.

“No, he’s smart,” Amaya pointed out, “he’s a genius when it comes to fighting…it’s hard to keep up with him sometimes when it comes to fighting.”

“Love, how quaint, does my sister know?” Hayami slyly asked and Amaya stared at her.

“You really don’t know where I was those three years,” She softly said before looking towards a confused Goku, “c’mon I’ll explain everything while we watch Tenshinhan fight Jr.”

“I have nothing better to do,” Hayami stated and Goku looked at her.

“But I want to talk to her without you,” he stated and Amaya was quite glad she had a fairly good poker face.

Her aunt looked so disgruntled at the fact that he basically told her to go away. He stood close to Amaya, a slight frown on his face. Hayami knew she couldn’t fight against him, she couldn’t even fight against Amaya. She clicked her tongue and strided away from them. Goku let out a sigh and Amaya took a deep breath. Her aunt was trying to cause issues, even after being informed that she needed to leave her alone. Well, Kaito knew what to do. She glanced his way and he gave a slight nod. He would keep an eye on her aunt to watch what she was plotting.

“So, what did she mean by what you are?” Goku asked as they both sat down on a step to watch the fight.

“My biological mother may have…made a wish on the dragon balls for me to be created,” Amaya tried to explain and he blinked, “so I’m part dragon.”

Then he blinked again. He wasn’t sure how he could react to that. He watched as she scratched at her cheek and a strange expression appeared on her face. Ah, he wasn’t weirded out by it! His tail slowly went around her waist and he watched as she relaxed a little. He then saw a lot of what she hid. She was exhausted. Tenshinhan stood in the arena and looked at Jr as he stood across from him.

“I would like Tenshinhan to win, but it’s Jr,” Amaya admitted.

“Yeah,” Goku agreed before a thought hit him, “did you miss everyone while you were training?”

“Of course I did,” Amaya stated, almost surprised that he would ask, “I was in the in-between a place between life and death…it’s pretty hard to enter or exit it if you can’t find the entrance.”

“You were dead?” Goku asked, he didn’t look happy about that.

“No, I was still alive,” she assured and he seemed to relax at that, “just unable to leave it without Kaito’s help, he taught me how to create a path in and out before we came to the tournament.”

“You won’t leave again, will you?” Goku’s question was on the quieter side.

“I’m here to stay, unless it’s not of my volition,” Amaya informed him, “anything can happen but I’m not willingly leaving again…all my family is here.”

“Do you remember the promise we made as kids?” Goku asked, as though it just hit him.

“Yeah,” Amaya nodded.

“I want to keep it,” Goku stated and Amaya froze for a few seconds.

He panicked a little as she began to cry a little. He didn’t like the idea of her crying, he never had. She brought a hand up and wiped at her eyes. She actually looked happy.

“All right,” Amaya agreed, and he grinned in response.

“Finally!” Kuririn exclaimed, making the two jump a little and eyes turn their way.

“The match hasn’t started yet,” the announcer said in confusion.

Kuririn simply looked towards the sky and knew one thing. There was a god, and it finally made the two of them get together. He could weep for joy. He blinked before getting up and rushing off.

He needed to tell

everyone.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Age 756, May 7th

“Those two finally got together?” Bulma asked in surprise before glancing over towards Goku and Amaya.

They were sitting pretty close, Amaya had her head resting on his shoulder, a soft blush on both their faces. It was as though they didn’t know how to act with one another anymore. It was probably new to both of them. She almost gleefully laughed when the two looked at one another before looking away.

“So…” Amaya softly muttered before chuckling a little, “nice to know we’re both awkward.”

“Yeah,” Goku quickly nodded before looking to the side, “the books did say that couples like to hold hands…and other things but, can we try the hands?”

He was kind of shy about it. Goku knew that Kami had supplied those books for a number of reasons, but he wasn’t really expecting to use them. He felt something small grab his hand and he looked over at his half human best friend. She was holding his hand, and didn’t look awkward about it at all. He grasped her hand back and felt his heart hammering in his chest. It was hard to describe the feeling.

“It’s nice,” he admitted and she smiled at him.

“Yeah,” she agreed before looking towards the match, “so, that’s a spawn of piccolo?”

“Direct spawn too,” Goku confirmed, glad to have something to distract him from her small hand, “I don’t doubt he’s here to get revenge.”

“You can beat him,” she stated and he sheepishly looked away, “you’ve stood against worse odds before.”

“Now for our next match, contestants Tenshinhan and Demon Jr will face off against one another,” the announcer said as he glanced around the arena, “when you two are ready, begin!”

Tenshinhan looked at Jr in thought before glancing around. He wasn’t expecting to win, but to put up more of a fight then he did the last time he fought Piccolo. He could feel the ki of all his friends, even the ones he didn’t know too well, and knew he had their support. It was strange, the entire group was one weird family. He glanced towards Goku and Amaya as the two watched together with nearly identical levels of intensity. Those two brought people together and changed them, more than they knew. A true Shinobi and a boy raised in the forest with a tail, what an odd couple.

“If you aren’t going to fight, then I will,” Piccolo stated as he hovered into the air.

“Impatient, are we?” Tenshinhan calmly asked. “You hurt someone I care about, big mistake.”

“He hurt Chaozu,” Amaya agreed, before looking for said dwarf, “he must be with the others.”

“He’s with Bulma and Launch,” Kuririn said as he ran up to them to watch the match as well, “congrats to you two!”

“Aw, thanks Kuririn,” Goku said with a slightly embarrassed grin.

“Thank you,” Amaya said, a genuine smile of appreciation on her face, “you’ve always been a pretty cool brother.”

Kuririn nodded before pausing. She always saw him as a brother? He was touched. Really touched actually. He gave her bicep a light punch and she returned it with a grin. He looked towards the fight and frowned in thought. Jr hadn’t been a joke, he had sensed his power during their fight and knew he wouldn’t be able to push the fight further, not without getting hurt. He didn’t need to be hurt again to learn his limits.

“I’m worried he’s not going to win,” Kuririn stated and Amaya gave a slow nod.

”Jr is stronger when it comes to the darker side of Ki,” Amaya said and he blinked in confusion, “we’d be evenly matched when it came to a fight because we’re polar opposites…but Tenshinhan uses a different style of fighting all together, so I don’t know how it’s going to work.”

Tenshinhan started by going into the air as well and throwing punches and Piccolo dodged them with ease. Amaya couldn’t help but narrow her eyes at the sight. He was overly powerful with that dark ki. She supposed that was the issue with splitting one's self into two separate beings. Kami was a light ki like she was, and Piccolo was a dark ki. She found it difficult to keep sending his presence due to how dark it really was. He filled up the void of darkness with even more, it was different. She could tell Kami was watching the fight from a few feet away, and Goku was a bright becon right next to her. He shifted his weight a little and she noted that he had moved to see a little bit better, but not move her any.

“He’s giving it his all too,” Kuririn commented as Amaya watched as Tenshinhan was hit away by a well timed kick.

”Yeah,” Amaya agreed as she shared a glance with Kami, “if anyone gets too injured I’ll heal them up. I’ve got some senzu and my medicines with me.”

“I miss those medicines,” Kuririn admitted, “they worked miracles.”

Amaya sent him a slight smile of thanks before watching Tenshinhan be hit with a beam of Ki. It went through his chest and she slowly got up. She could feel the hidden attack within that one. The dark ki was eating at his. She would have to work fast to try and neutralize it before it got into his ki system. It could cause issues in the future. Heart problems and other health issues. She would try to get to him in time. Goku quickly got to his feet, noting her expression.

“What is it?” He asked.

”He’s going to need medical attention,” she stated, “dark ki attacks the host's ki system and can cause serious health issues, I’m going to make sure that it doesn’t do any harm.”

”And he used that against Tenshinhan?” Goku asked, a frown on his face as he looked over at Piccolo.

”Yes,” Amaya confirmed before moving towards the arena where Tenshinhan had fallen.

”It looks like Contestant Tenshinhan has been taken out, the winner is Contestant Demon Jr is the winner of this match,” the announcer said and Amaya quickly jumped up onto the arena and headed towards the tri-clops, “will Contestant Shen come up to the arena so we can finish this round before taking another break before the final match?”

”I’ve got you,” Amaya informed Tenshinhan as she easily picked him up off the ground and moved him towards the sidelines, she glanced towards Kami as they passed, “good luck, Shen.”

”Oh, thank you,” Kami said as he gave a few laughs as the disguised Shen.

She ignored the fight in favour of trying to help her newest friend. Tenshinhan was slow to wake up, so she stopped moving him and placed him back down on the ground. He looked around in confusion before grimacing in pain. He glanced at Amaya as she brought a hand down near the hole in his chest and concentrated. Warmth began to spread from the contact point and he slowly turned his glance towards the hole. It was slowly, but surely, stitching itself back together. It was strange, but he felt lighter than before.

“What…” He went to ask, but felt his chest throb in pain.

”You were hit with a beam of Ki that was mainly filled with dark ki,” Amaya informed him, “while you may have some already, it’s not like Jr’s…his eats away at the ki you already have and if I don’t neutralize it with my own you could end up having a heart attack or worse.”

”I owe you,” Tenshinhan stated and she shook her head at him.

”No you don’t,” she said, “healing is my chosen path in life, so I really don’t mind doing this.”

”I beat you to the point where you were in danger from piccolo because you couldn’t defend yourself, and now you’re healing a hole in my chest,” Tenshinhan pointed out, “and yet you say I don’t owe you?”

”I already forgive you for the beating,” Amaya said as she focused even more on his wound, “so really, don’t worry about it.”

”I wouldn’t fight with her on this,” Kuririn stated as he came over to check on Tenshinhan, “she’s one of the most stubborn people I know.”

”Fine,” Tenshinhan sighed and he looked over her shoulder to see that even Goku had come over to check on him, obviously worried, “I was hoping to have a rematch against Goku.”

”We’ll have one eventually,” Goku agreed and Tenshinhan smiled as he felt his breathing become easier.

Kuririn was watching Amaya. She was so focused on healing Tenshinhan that she was neglecting her own health. Sweat was slowly going down her face, and dripping onto the concrete. She had some heavy bags under her eyes, and he thought back to all those times they were kids. Maybe the reason why she slept so much was because her Ki was making sure she was healthy. It explained a lot more than he would like to admit. Once the hole was fully closed he expected her to sit back and take a break. She continued on with what she was doing for a good two minutes before finally pulling back.

“You should be just fine,” Amaya informed Tenshinhan, “I wouldn’t do any training for a couple days to allow the muscle to heal fully, but after that you’re all good.”

She slowly got to her feet and Goku and Kuririn helped Tenshinhan to his. He held out a hand to her and she slowly accepted it. They shook, cementing their friendship. He glanced towards the arena. It was time to watch another match.

“And this match will be the one to decide who fights in our final round!” The announcer stated and Amaya found it a little difficult to pay attention as her ears began to ring a little. “And I believe we can expect another splendid battle! Even though both participants are newcomers they are stupendous martial artists!”

“Are you okay?” Goku asked Amaya as she watched as Kami rubbed the back of his head from all the applause.

“I used more Ki than I should’ve…” Amaya admitted. “I’ll be fine, during the short break I’m going to eat something that’s not Kaito’s cooking.”

“He can’t have been that bad,” Goku chuckled.

She was silent.

Oh he was that bad.

Goku made the mental note to never allow Kaito to cook him anything. He stood behind her and noted one thing. She blinked when something rested on the top of her head. Goku had his chin there and was going to watch the match that way. She relaxed a little and knew he wouldn’t let her fall if her strength finally gave out. She peeked at the crowd and saw Bulma watching them with a grin on her face. It grew a little before she waved at Amaya. Anaya brought her hand up and gave a small wave back.

“I have the sudden fear that I’m going to be dragged shopping,” Amaya lightly commented.

“Bulma?” Goku asked, glancing that way.

“Bulma.” Amaya confirmed.

“I still need to check Grandpa's home,” Goku said in a light tone looking at Kami.

“It has been a while,” Amaya agreed and he put a little weight on the top of her head, “all right.”

His answering laugh made her grin a bit. Their attention was caught by the start of the match. They both knew that it was Kami. But Amaya was wondering one thing.

“How long did it take you to recognize Kami?” Amaya teased and Goku let out a chuckle.

“Too long, but you two seemed to know each other,” He pointed out and she looked back at him, making him have to move his chin to meet her eyes.

“He knows the village and therefore my family,” Amaya admitted, “ours is the main branch in charge of the village…I’m quite glad I never knew.”

“Your aunt is certainly something,” he said and she nodded her agreement.

“I know she’s going to try something, so I’ll keep an eye out for that,” she admitted before making a face, “I was hoping she’d leave me alone after our fight…but I think that was wishful thinking.”

Goku trusted that she had a plan of sorts. He moved to stand closer when he saw a glimpse of Hayami walking close to them. He didn’t trust the woman not to do something. His tail kept Amaya from going anywhere, it was wrapped around her waist.

“Can you make those soup filled
Xiaolongbao?” Goku requested and she let out a few chuckles.

“Of course,” she agreed, he seemed to brighten up quite a bit at that.

“Is everyone ready?!” The announcer called and the whole arena went silent. “This is a semi-final match! If not he contestants are ready, you may begin!”

Kami studied Piccolo for a few seconds and noted what Amaya had. The darkness of his ki was infinite, yet there was something small growing within its depths. He would have to ask the young ninja to sense further for him. He wanted to know what it was. As it stood, he had to steel his resolve to take care of his other half.

“I must end this quickly,” Piccolo informed him as he slid into a fighting stance, “my destiny is with Son Goku, not you.”

“I believe Amaya-Hime’s destiny is with Son Goku,” Kami pointed out, “you plan on trying to dominate the world again, it’s a ridiculous thought as always Piccolo.”

“You…how do you know that?” Piccolo barked at him.

“I won’t let you have your way,” Kami stated as he brought his hands together and focused on his ki.

He let out a soft grunt and everyone in the arena felt his ki weighing on them as it hit piccolo, creating a blast. Amaya brought a hand up to stop her hair from moving too much, a frown on her face. Goku brought an arm around her to keep her from moving and he watched Kami with one of his eyes open. He had been able to launch Piccolo into the air.

“His mastery of Ki is better than mine,” Amaya said in awe.

“Who or what are you?!” Piccolo asked as he brought a hand out to send a ki blast back at Kami.

Kami was forced on the defensive as Piccolo tried to get him with a multitude of punches and kicks. He was able to land one hit and made Kami hit the ground, landing on all fours. Piccolo appeared behind him and Kami turned to glance at him, jumping out of the way of another punch. Goku watched in amazement at the fast fighting. Amaya was watching the Ki side of the battle. It was amazing.

“What’s going on?” Kuririn asked in disbelief.

“Who are you to have borrowed a human body?” Piccolo asked as he took on a few deep breaths.

It was silent for a few seconds before they started to shout at one another in a language that no one could understand. Amaya was silent as she focused on their words, her ki burning through her system as she sharpened her focus. She knew her features were changing a bit, they always did when she delved into her…father’s side of her genetics. She felt something gently grab her arm and bring it up to study it. She was more focused on the words she could now understand.

“What business do you have here in the lower realm, Kami?!” Piccolo yelled at his older half.

“So you finally figured it out?” Kami calmly asked. “Then I shouldn’t have to tell you my reasoning for coming here to the lower realm.”

“Has a god left his domain to seek my destruction?” Piccolo asked and Amaya twitched.

“He’s here to hurt Piccolo?” Amaya muttered in thought.

“Of course,” Kami confirmed.

“There’s now been a violent exchange of words in a language no one understands!” The announcer stated as he looked between the two fighters.

“Can you understand it?” Goku asked Amaya as he checked the scales that appeared on her arm.

“Yeah, he’s going to stop Piccolo,” Amaya confirmed before noting how he poked at the scales, “by any means.”

“Do gods go mad!?” Piccolo yelled at Kami. “To kill me means death to yourself!”

“Of course I know this,” Kami stated, “but you also can’t kill me. You don’t want to die, do you?”

“You want me to believe that you would kill yourself?” Piccolo was in disbelief.

“You don’t need to worry, I have a means of defeating you without going to such extremes,” Kami stated as he reached into his polo’s breast pocket.

“What?” Piccolo questioned.

“A bottle?” Amaya asked as it was uncorked. “What’s Kami going to do with a bottle?”

“Shen has taken out a small bottle-like object and placed it on the arena floor,” the announcer told everyone, “it doesn’t seem to be a weapon, is it some sort of charm?”

“I hope you’ve prepared yourself,” Kami said.

“This cannot be!” Piccolo exclaimed in a language everyone could understand.

“The mafû-ba!” Kami shouted.

The arena was filled with Ki once again and everyone was pushed back by it. Goku and Amaya watched as Kami focused on Piccolo. She couldn’t help but lessen her ki in her body,she knew that being engulfed in Ki and allowing her other half to come out could end up disastrous. It felt a little worse as she returned to normal. She was burning through her energy without eating anything to replenish it. A dark feeling hit her and she widened her eyes.

“He’s repulsed it!” Amaya exclaimed.

“What?!” Goku asked in alarm.

“Goku!” Kami called and he quickly turned his attention to the old god. “I don’t care if it kills me, make sure to take him down! Clones this world of Piccolo!”

The ki in the air vanished completely as Shen fell to the ground. Piccolo rushed forward and sealed the bottle shut with the cork. The arena was silent as everyone looked at him. He was smirking while holding the small bottle. The countdown started and Piccolo laughed to himself.

“Contestant Demon Jr has won with a mysterious move!” The announcer stated. “He’s going to the final round!”

“Don’t get too hurt, all right?” Amaya asked Goku and he blinked in surprise before nodding. “Still, he was able to pull off a repulse with such a technique…no wonder Kaito wanted to get me out of the area before Piccolo went after the tournament fighters.”

“You would’ve been hurt,” Goku agreed and she gave a slow nod, “not that you can’t fight or anything.”

“I wasn’t upset,” Amaya stated, “you were right. I wouldn’t have been able to defend myself not with the injuries I had at the time…I’m still mad I couldn’t say goodbye to anyone.”

They heard the crowd sigh in relief and saw that the human Shen was getting to his feet in confusion. He asked a few questions before blushing heavily. He rushed off the ring and into the crowd itself. His son came up to him and wrapped his arms around his waist. Amaya smiled softly as the boy proudly informed people that his dad was

cool!

It was a sweet sight after seeing Piccolo seal Kami.

“We will have a ten minute break before the final match!” The announcer informed everyone.

“I don’t need a break,” Piccolo stated before walking up to the entrance of the gymnasium where Goku, Kuririn, and Amaya were, “you’re in the way, move.”

“Hand the jug over,” Amaya demanded and Piccolo gave her a once over.

“Oho, so you’re a

hime

,” Piccolo stated and she stood her ground with ease, “since you asked so kindly.”

He swallowed it. Amaya stared at him as her eyes narrowed. He wasn’t going to get the rise that he wanted out of them. Goku’s tail around her waist was a source of comfort so it didn’t bother her at all. She may have grown up, but she still didn’t take well to snubs like that. It had to be because of her mother. Launch didn’t take well to them when she was blonde.

“And what are you going to do? Unless you kill me you will never get this jug back,” Piccolo informed the group of fighters as the other joined them, “if you kill me, then Kami dies.”

“You…” Goku growled.

“Prepare yourself, in the next round it will be Son Goku’s turn to become tattered like a fish rag,” Piccolo stated.

He felt ki flash against his skin and jerked his arm back a little. Amaya was sending him a death glare, her eyes fully narrowed and her pupils slitted. He was sure her canines had lengthened into fangs and scales started to appear on the skin on her arm and face. So, she was part of Shenlong. He sneered down at her, a true hime in that regard. He pushed past the ragtag group.

“What in the world is going on?” Tenshinhan asked Goku.

“Hey, don’t get too angry,” Kuririn said to Amaya and she slowly calmed down enough to where the scales were gone.

“Who is that Demon Jr?” Yamcha asked.

“He’s the great demon king Piccolo,” Goku answered and everyone froze before sending worried looks towards the gymnasium.

“Didn’t you destroy him?!” Tenshinhan asked.

“I did,” Goku confirmed, “I found out from Kami that Piccolo left an egg behind before he died and he put his own life force into it so the demon that hatched out of it isn’t any different from the original Piccolo.”

“How strong is he compared to the original?” Amaya asked, her serious tone getting everyone to stand up straight. “He’s strong from what I can sense.”

“He’s stronger than the original,” Goku confirmed.

“Looks like it’s going to get messy again,” Rōshi said as he joined the group.

“When Shen used the mafû-ba I thought I saw Piccolo be sealed up,” Yamcha stated.

“It wasn’t Piccolo, that was Kami, they look alike,” Goku explained , “he used a human body to fight Piccolo.”

“He sealed Kami?!” The others asked in horror.

“They were an original being before Kami split into two so he could become a god,” Amaya explained and they all turned to her, “he’s been around long enough to appear in the village scrolls, the creature that grew from his darkness was Piccolo.”

“That’s why killing Piccolo would kill Kami,” Goku added.

“That’s why he wanted to use the mafû-ba, it was his only choice,” Rōshi stated.

“Except Kami got himself stuck in the jug and we can’t get him out yet,” Goku stated.

“What are we going to do, he’s so strong that even God couldn’t stop him,” Kuririn pointed out.

“I’ll figure something out,” Goku said.

“It’s all we can do,” Amaya admitted before rubbing at her temples, “what do you want now, Piccolo?”

“Son Goku is an obstacle to my goals more so than Kami,” Piccolo stated as the others spun around to see the tall man standing there, “but every obstacle is destroyed in time. The Demon King Piccolo you are about to encounter cannot be compared to the one you fought three years ago.”

“That goes for me too,” Goku claimed.

“Heh, then enjoy your final moments of life,” Piccolo stated before stalking off while laughing.

“That man,” Amaya huffed and Kuririn nodded his agreement.

“You’ve grown tall,” Rōshi stated as he took the time to lighten the mood.

“Yeah,” Amaya agreed as she caught what he was trying to do.

“Why didn’t you say anything when you saw us?” Yamcha asked, hurt that she’d been quiet.

“Hayami,” Amaya answered and he blinked, “she’s the leader of the village that exiled me, and my biological aunt…she’s grown a vendetta for some reason.”

“It’s because you’ve gotten stronger than her,” Kuririn pointed out.

“Why don’t we get something to eat?” Rōshi suggested.

“I am kind of hungry,” Goku admitted and that got smiles on everyone’s faces.

“Right, I forgot to give this to you,” Amaya said as they all headed into the gymnasium, “it’s a scale from Shenlong, I made it into a charm for good luck.”

Goku looked at the green scale as she put it into his hand by the string through it. His face grew warm for a few seconds before he put it around his neck and tucked it into his Gi. She was wishing him luck in his fight against Piccolo. It reminded him that he still had her hair pin. He returned it to her and she took the chance to pull her hair back out of her face.

“What are we going to do after the tournament?” Kuririn asked as they all grabbed some food before sitting down.

“Amaya and I are going to see if my grandpa’s house is still standing,” Goku answered and they all blinked at that.

“Right,” Yamcha said as he remembered what Kuririn had told everyone, “congrats you two.”

“From me and Chaozu as well,” Tenshinhan added, watching as Amaya started to turn pink.

Goku was happily smiling. It wasn’t hard to tell that they were both happy, even if the current situation wasn’t a good one. Tenshinhan realized it was probably why the two of them had seemed so close at the previous tournament. He remembered how Goku had reacted when he had injured her. The glare sent his way had been unforgiving. The man across from him now was happy, and easily out eating the woman next to him. She didn’t seem surprised, but amused.

“Be glad I’m allowed back here and not Launch,” Rōshi informed Amaya, and she paused in the action of eating.

“I know,” Amaya admitted before looking to the side with the fish skewer still in her hands.

“Oh man, she’s going to kick your butt,” Yamcha snickered and he got an elbow to the side from Amaya.

She had missed everyone. She went back to eating with a fond expression on her face. She could feel her Ki settle as the rest of her began to get energized. She could hear Goku eating as she let her senses roam. Bulma and Launch were having something to eat as well. Oolong and Pu’ar were walking around, hand in hand. Amaya hadn’t been expecting that but she was happy for them. She looked around some more and saw Piccolo. He was waiting for the match to be called, but she focused on him. He had two Ki signatures coming from him. Himself and Kami. She could make out the shape of the jug in his stomach. One good hit would allow them to free Kami.

She just hoped that Goku would toss it her way when he got it freed. That way she could get Kami unsealed. Once she did that, the fight should be a little easier on Goku. She then saw something attached to Piccolo himself. There was a small speck of light ki among the pure darkness. She opened her eyes with a thoughtful expression. If he had that, then there might be hope for him in the future. She felt as though someone had brought some light into his life. She heard Goku shift next to her and saw that he was removing his blue undershirt.

“Uh…Goku?” Kuririn asked in confusion.

“It’s weighted,” Goku answered, “I want to be able to fight without any restrictions.”

“I’ll hold onto it all for you,” Amaya said and he handed his undershirt to her.

Kuririn wondered how strong she truly was as she didn’t even react to its weight. She simply nestled folded it before placing it on top of one of her many storage scrolls. His boots soon joined and they all watched as she brought her hands together above the items and pushed them into the scroll with ease. She rolled up the scroll and placed it in a holster for it.

“We should’ve figured it out sooner,” Kuririn dryly said, “you’re the only person I know of that wears a belt like that.”

“It’s okay,” Amaya waved it off, a little amused, “I’m just glad it’s all resolved…well…for the most part.”

“When’s the wedding?” Yamcha asked, looking between the now blushing young adults.

“Soon,” Goke said and Amaya nodded her agreement.

They both wanted to make sure Grandpa’s house was still standing, and to know they were comfortable living alone together. Goku didn’t foresee any issues, and neither did Amaya. Well, she knew that her aunt was going to cause some issues, but she could easily take care of her. She felt a hand grab hers and she glanced at Goku as he continued to eat. He was going to need his strength to defeat Piccolo. Goku was going to win, she knew that much. He had faced strong opponents before and had come out on top. Why would it be any different this time around? She still felt worried about him. He might push himself too much. At least she would be there to heal him if it came down to it. She had a couple of senzu for emergencies. Tenshinhan hadn’t been able to use one, due to the nature of the wound. She doubted Goku would be able to have one either. Not without her neutralizing the ki while he ate it. She blinked. She could do that. It might cross a couple boundaries, but she would ask permission first. She wouldn’t do anything that would make him uncomfortable.

“Ladies and gentleman! Thank you for your patience!” The announcer called and the group all froze for a few seconds. “Now the final round match will finally commence! Who is the world's greatest martial artist!? Is it Son Goku? Or is it Demon Junior!? Will both contestants please step forward.”

”Jeez, ten minutes seemed to go by way too fast,” Kuririn stated as they all got to their feet.

”Yeah,” Amaya agreed before looking towards Goku, “good luck, and if you’re able to get the jug out just throw it our way. We’ll unseal Kami.”

Goku’s brain seemed to empty itself and time stood still when she gave him a small peck on the cheek for lunch. She hurried off to get her spot on the wall. He watched as she jumped up and was joined by a familiar figure. At least someone would be looking after her. His hand slowly moved to the side of his face.

”Man, that’s one hell of a goofy smile,” Yamcha lightly teased, noting the grin on Goku’s face.

”You better win this fight,” Kuririn stated, “you’ve got confidence and a good luck kiss!”

”I don’t have confidence, because I haven’t fought him yet,” Goku stated as he slowly became serious, “I have to go and see if I can.”

He stepped onto the ring with his bare feet and the crowd went wild at the sight of him. Bulma felt her eyebrow twitch at all the women that had pushed their way to the front to get a look at him. They should be glad that Goku was a nice guy and not the type to hurt anyone’s feelings on purpose.

“The crowd is going wild!” The announcer stated as he glanced around. “These two contestants are in a class of their own! We’re in for an unprecedented battle!”

”He sounds so excited, as though he doesn’t know that the fight is going to decide the fate of the world,” Kuririn said as they all joined Amaya on the top of the wall.

”He’s not in the know, which is a good thing,” Amaya stated and Tenshinhan nodded his agreement.

”There would be too much of a panic,” Tenshinhan added.

“This is the twenty-third Tenka’ichi-Budo-Kai! Who will walk away with the title!?”

Piccolo removed the white cape around his shoulders and it let out a heavy thump when it hit the tile. So he also wore weighted clothing. Amaya couldn’t help but notice that his Ki had grown from doing so. He was evenly matched with Goku. She clenched her jaw and shared a look with Kaito. The fate of the world was now on Goku’s shoulders.

”The strongest under-the-heaven’s final match begins now!” The announcer called.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Age 756, May 7th

“Those two finally got together?” Bulma asked in surprise before glancing over towards Goku and Amaya.

They were sitting pretty close, Amaya had her head resting on his shoulder, a soft blush on both their faces. It was as though they didn’t know how to act with one another anymore. It was probably new to both of them. She almost gleefully laughed when the two looked at one another before looking away.

“So…” Amaya softly muttered before chuckling a little, “nice to know we’re both awkward.”

“Yeah,” Goku quickly nodded before looking to the side, “the books did say that couples like to hold hands…and other things but, can we try the hands?”

He was kind of shy about it. Goku knew that Kami had supplied those books for a number of reasons, but he wasn’t really expecting to use them. He felt something small grab his hand and he looked over at his half human best friend. She was holding his hand, and didn’t look awkward about it at all. He grasped her hand back and felt his heart hammering in his chest. It was hard to describe the feeling.

“It’s nice,” he admitted and she smiled at him.

“Yeah,” she agreed before looking towards the match, “so, that’s a spawn of piccolo?”

“Direct spawn too,” Goku confirmed, glad to have something to distract him from her small hand, “I don’t doubt he’s here to get revenge.”

“You can beat him,” she stated and he sheepishly looked away, “you’ve stood against worse odds before.”

“Now for our next match, contestants Tenshinhan and Demon Jr will face off against one another,” the announcer said as he glanced around the arena, “when you two are ready, begin!”

Tenshinhan looked at Jr in thought before glancing around. He wasn’t expecting to win, but to put up more of a fight then he did the last time he fought Piccolo. He could feel the ki of all his friends, even the ones he didn’t know too well, and knew he had their support. It was strange, the entire group was one weird family. He glanced towards Goku and Amaya as the two watched together with nearly identical levels of intensity. Those two brought people together and changed them, more than they knew. A true Shinobi and a boy raised in the forest with a tail, what an odd couple.

“If you aren’t going to fight, then I will,” Piccolo stated as he hovered into the air.

“Impatient, are we?” Tenshinhan calmly asked. “You hurt someone I care about, big mistake.”

“He hurt Chaozu,” Amaya agreed, before looking for said dwarf, “he must be with the others.”

“He’s with Bulma and Launch,” Kuririn said as he ran up to them to watch the match as well, “congrats to you two!”

“Aw, thanks Kuririn,” Goku said with a slightly embarrassed grin.

“Thank you,” Amaya said, a genuine smile of appreciation on her face, “you’ve always been a pretty cool brother.”

Kuririn nodded before pausing. She always saw him as a brother? He was touched. Really touched actually. He gave her bicep a light punch and she returned it with a grin. He looked towards the fight and frowned in thought. Jr hadn’t been a joke, he had sensed his power during their fight and knew he wouldn’t be able to push the fight further, not without getting hurt. He didn’t need to be hurt again to learn his limits.

“I’m worried he’s not going to win,” Kuririn stated and Amaya gave a slow nod.

”Jr is stronger when it comes to the darker side of Ki,” Amaya said and he blinked in confusion, “we’d be evenly matched when it came to a fight because we’re polar opposites…but Tenshinhan uses a different style of fighting all together, so I don’t know how it’s going to work.”

Tenshinhan started by going into the air as well and throwing punches and Piccolo dodged them with ease. Amaya couldn’t help but narrow her eyes at the sight. He was overly powerful with that dark ki. She supposed that was the issue with splitting one's self into two separate beings. Kami was a light ki like she was, and Piccolo was a dark ki. She found it difficult to keep sending his presence due to how dark it really was. He filled up the void of darkness with even more, it was different. She could tell Kami was watching the fight from a few feet away, and Goku was a bright becon right next to her. He shifted his weight a little and she noted that he had moved to see a little bit better, but not move her any.

“He’s giving it his all too,” Kuririn commented as Amaya watched as Tenshinhan was hit away by a well timed kick.

”Yeah,” Amaya agreed as she shared a glance with Kami, “if anyone gets too injured I’ll heal them up. I’ve got some senzu and my medicines with me.”

“I miss those medicines,” Kuririn admitted, “they worked miracles.”

Amaya sent him a slight smile of thanks before watching Tenshinhan be hit with a beam of Ki. It went through his chest and she slowly got up. She could feel the hidden attack within that one. The dark ki was eating at his. She would have to work fast to try and neutralize it before it got into his ki system. It could cause issues in the future. Heart problems and other health issues. She would try to get to him in time. Goku quickly got to his feet, noting her expression.

“What is it?” He asked.

”He’s going to need medical attention,” she stated, “dark ki attacks the host's ki system and can cause serious health issues, I’m going to make sure that it doesn’t do any harm.”

”And he used that against Tenshinhan?” Goku asked, a frown on his face as he looked over at Piccolo.

”Yes,” Amaya confirmed before moving towards the arena where Tenshinhan had fallen.

”It looks like Contestant Tenshinhan has been taken out, the winner is Contestant Demon Jr is the winner of this match,” the announcer said and Amaya quickly jumped up onto the arena and headed towards the tri-clops, “will Contestant Shen come up to the arena so we can finish this round before taking another break before the final match?”

”I’ve got you,” Amaya informed Tenshinhan as she easily picked him up off the ground and moved him towards the sidelines, she glanced towards Kami as they passed, “good luck, Shen.”

”Oh, thank you,” Kami said as he gave a few laughs as the disguised Shen.

She ignored the fight in favour of trying to help her newest friend. Tenshinhan was slow to wake up, so she stopped moving him and placed him back down on the ground. He looked around in confusion before grimacing in pain. He glanced at Amaya as she brought a hand down near the hole in his chest and concentrated. Warmth began to spread from the contact point and he slowly turned his glance towards the hole. It was slowly, but surely, stitching itself back together. It was strange, but he felt lighter than before.

“What…” He went to ask, but felt his chest throb in pain.

”You were hit with a beam of Ki that was mainly filled with dark ki,” Amaya informed him, “while you may have some already, it’s not like Jr’s…his eats away at the ki you already have and if I don’t neutralize it with my own you could end up having a heart attack or worse.”

”I owe you,” Tenshinhan stated and she shook her head at him.

”No you don’t,” she said, “healing is my chosen path in life, so I really don’t mind doing this.”

”I beat you to the point where you were in danger from piccolo because you couldn’t defend yourself, and now you’re healing a hole in my chest,” Tenshinhan pointed out, “and yet you say I don’t owe you?”

”I already forgive you for the beating,” Amaya said as she focused even more on his wound, “so really, don’t worry about it.”

”I wouldn’t fight with her on this,” Kuririn stated as he came over to check on Tenshinhan, “she’s one of the most stubborn people I know.”

”Fine,” Tenshinhan sighed and he looked over her shoulder to see that even Goku had come over to check on him, obviously worried, “I was hoping to have a rematch against Goku.”

”We’ll have one eventually,” Goku agreed and Tenshinhan smiled as he felt his breathing become easier.

Kuririn was watching Amaya. She was so focused on healing Tenshinhan that she was neglecting her own health. Sweat was slowly going down her face, and dripping onto the concrete. She had some heavy bags under her eyes, and he thought back to all those times they were kids. Maybe the reason why she slept so much was because her Ki was making sure she was healthy. It explained a lot more than he would like to admit. Once the hole was fully closed he expected her to sit back and take a break. She continued on with what she was doing for a good two minutes before finally pulling back.

“You should be just fine,” Amaya informed Tenshinhan, “I wouldn’t do any training for a couple days to allow the muscle to heal fully, but after that you’re all good.”

She slowly got to her feet and Goku and Kuririn helped Tenshinhan to his. He held out a hand to her and she slowly accepted it. They shook, cementing their friendship. He glanced towards the arena. It was time to watch another match.

“And this match will be the one to decide who fights in our final round!” The announcer stated and Amaya found it a little difficult to pay attention as her ears began to ring a little. “And I believe we can expect another splendid battle! Even though both participants are newcomers they are stupendous martial artists!”

“Are you okay?” Goku asked Amaya as she watched as Kami rubbed the back of his head from all the applause.

“I used more Ki than I should’ve…” Amaya admitted. “I’ll be fine, during the short break I’m going to eat something that’s not Kaito’s cooking.”

“He can’t have been that bad,” Goku chuckled.

She was silent.

Oh he was that bad.

Goku made the mental note to never allow Kaito to cook him anything. He stood behind her and noted one thing. She blinked when something rested on the top of her head. Goku had his chin there and was going to watch the match that way. She relaxed a little and knew he wouldn’t let her fall if her strength finally gave out. She peeked at the crowd and saw Bulma watching them with a grin on her face. It grew a little before she waved at Amaya. Anaya brought her hand up and gave a small wave back.

“I have the sudden fear that I’m going to be dragged shopping,” Amaya lightly commented.

“Bulma?” Goku asked, glancing that way.

“Bulma.” Amaya confirmed.

“I still need to check Grandpa's home,” Goku said in a light tone looking at Kami.

“It has been a while,” Amaya agreed and he put a little weight on the top of her head, “all right.”

His answering laugh made her grin a bit. Their attention was caught by the start of the match. They both knew that it was Kami. But Amaya was wondering one thing.

“How long did it take you to recognize Kami?” Amaya teased and Goku let out a chuckle.

“Too long, but you two seemed to know each other,” He pointed out and she looked back at him, making him have to move his chin to meet her eyes.

“He knows the village and therefore my family,” Amaya admitted, “ours is the main branch in charge of the village…I’m quite glad I never knew.”

“Your aunt is certainly something,” he said and she nodded her agreement.

“I know she’s going to try something, so I’ll keep an eye out for that,” she admitted before making a face, “I was hoping she’d leave me alone after our fight…but I think that was wishful thinking.”

Goku trusted that she had a plan of sorts. He moved to stand closer when he saw a glimpse of Hayami walking close to them. He didn’t trust the woman not to do something. His tail kept Amaya from going anywhere, it was wrapped around her waist.

“Can you make those soup filled
Xiaolongbao?” Goku requested and she let out a few chuckles.

“Of course,” she agreed, he seemed to brighten up quite a bit at that.

“Is everyone ready?!” The announcer called and the whole arena went silent. “This is a semi-final match! If not he contestants are ready, you may begin!”

Kami studied Piccolo for a few seconds and noted what Amaya had. The darkness of his ki was infinite, yet there was something small growing within its depths. He would have to ask the young ninja to sense further for him. He wanted to know what it was. As it stood, he had to steel his resolve to take care of his other half.

“I must end this quickly,” Piccolo informed him as he slid into a fighting stance, “my destiny is with Son Goku, not you.”

“I believe Amaya-Hime’s destiny is with Son Goku,” Kami pointed out, “you plan on trying to dominate the world again, it’s a ridiculous thought as always Piccolo.”

“You…how do you know that?” Piccolo barked at him.

“I won’t let you have your way,” Kami stated as he brought his hands together and focused on his ki.

He let out a soft grunt and everyone in the arena felt his ki weighing on them as it hit piccolo, creating a blast. Amaya brought a hand up to stop her hair from moving too much, a frown on her face. Goku brought an arm around her to keep her from moving and he watched Kami with one of his eyes open. He had been able to launch Piccolo into the air.

“His mastery of Ki is better than mine,” Amaya said in awe.

“Who or what are you?!” Piccolo asked as he brought a hand out to send a ki blast back at Kami.

Kami was forced on the defensive as Piccolo tried to get him with a multitude of punches and kicks. He was able to land one hit and made Kami hit the ground, landing on all fours. Piccolo appeared behind him and Kami turned to glance at him, jumping out of the way of another punch. Goku watched in amazement at the fast fighting. Amaya was watching the Ki side of the battle. It was amazing.

“What’s going on?” Kuririn asked in disbelief.

“Who are you to have borrowed a human body?” Piccolo asked as he took on a few deep breaths.

It was silent for a few seconds before they started to shout at one another in a language that no one could understand. Amaya was silent as she focused on their words, her ki burning through her system as she sharpened her focus. She knew her features were changing a bit, they always did when she delved into her…father’s side of her genetics. She felt something gently grab her arm and bring it up to study it. She was more focused on the words she could now understand.

“What business do you have here in the lower realm, Kami?!” Piccolo yelled at his older half.

“So you finally figured it out?” Kami calmly asked. “Then I shouldn’t have to tell you my reasoning for coming here to the lower realm.”

“Has a god left his domain to seek my destruction?” Piccolo asked and Amaya twitched.

“He’s here to hurt Piccolo?” Amaya muttered in thought.

“Of course,” Kami confirmed.

“There’s now been a violent exchange of words in a language no one understands!” The announcer stated as he looked between the two fighters.

“Can you understand it?” Goku asked Amaya as he checked the scales that appeared on her arm.

“Yeah, he’s going to stop Piccolo,” Amaya confirmed before noting how he poked at the scales, “by any means.”

“Do gods go mad!?” Piccolo yelled at Kami. “To kill me means death to yourself!”

“Of course I know this,” Kami stated, “but you also can’t kill me. You don’t want to die, do you?”

“You want me to believe that you would kill yourself?” Piccolo was in disbelief.

“You don’t need to worry, I have a means of defeating you without going to such extremes,” Kami stated as he reached into his polo’s breast pocket.

“What?” Piccolo questioned.

“A bottle?” Amaya asked as it was uncorked. “What’s Kami going to do with a bottle?”

“Shen has taken out a small bottle-like object and placed it on the arena floor,” the announcer told everyone, “it doesn’t seem to be a weapon, is it some sort of charm?”

“I hope you’ve prepared yourself,” Kami said.

“This cannot be!” Piccolo exclaimed in a language everyone could understand.

“The mafû-ba!” Kami shouted.

The arena was filled with Ki once again and everyone was pushed back by it. Goku and Amaya watched as Kami focused on Piccolo. She couldn’t help but lessen her ki in her body,she knew that being engulfed in Ki and allowing her other half to come out could end up disastrous. It felt a little worse as she returned to normal. She was burning through her energy without eating anything to replenish it. A dark feeling hit her and she widened her eyes.

“He’s repulsed it!” Amaya exclaimed.

“What?!” Goku asked in alarm.

“Goku!” Kami called and he quickly turned his attention to the old god. “I don’t care if it kills me, make sure to take him down! Clones this world of Piccolo!”

The ki in the air vanished completely as Shen fell to the ground. Piccolo rushed forward and sealed the bottle shut with the cork. The arena was silent as everyone looked at him. He was smirking while holding the small bottle. The countdown started and Piccolo laughed to himself.

“Contestant Demon Jr has won with a mysterious move!” The announcer stated. “He’s going to the final round!”

“Don’t get too hurt, all right?” Amaya asked Goku and he blinked in surprise before nodding. “Still, he was able to pull off a repulse with such a technique…no wonder Kaito wanted to get me out of the area before Piccolo went after the tournament fighters.”

“You would’ve been hurt,” Goku agreed and she gave a slow nod, “not that you can’t fight or anything.”

“I wasn’t upset,” Amaya stated, “you were right. I wouldn’t have been able to defend myself not with the injuries I had at the time…I’m still mad I couldn’t say goodbye to anyone.”

They heard the crowd sigh in relief and saw that the human Shen was getting to his feet in confusion. He asked a few questions before blushing heavily. He rushed off the ring and into the crowd itself. His son came up to him and wrapped his arms around his waist. Amaya smiled softly as the boy proudly informed people that his dad was

cool!

It was a sweet sight after seeing Piccolo seal Kami.

“We will have a ten minute break before the final match!” The announcer informed everyone.

“I don’t need a break,” Piccolo stated before walking up to the entrance of the gymnasium where Goku, Kuririn, and Amaya were, “you’re in the way, move.”

“Hand the jug over,” Amaya demanded and Piccolo gave her a once over.

“Oho, so you’re a

hime

,” Piccolo stated and she stood her ground with ease, “since you asked so kindly.”

He swallowed it. Amaya stared at him as her eyes narrowed. He wasn’t going to get the rise that he wanted out of them. Goku’s tail around her waist was a source of comfort so it didn’t bother her at all. She may have grown up, but she still didn’t take well to snubs like that. It had to be because of her mother. Launch didn’t take well to them when she was blonde.

“And what are you going to do? Unless you kill me you will never get this jug back,” Piccolo informed the group of fighters as the other joined them, “if you kill me, then Kami dies.”

“You…” Goku growled.

“Prepare yourself, in the next round it will be Son Goku’s turn to become tattered like a fish rag,” Piccolo stated.

He felt ki flash against his skin and jerked his arm back a little. Amaya was sending him a death glare, her eyes fully narrowed and her pupils slitted. He was sure her canines had lengthened into fangs and scales started to appear on the skin on her arm and face. So, she was part of Shenlong. He sneered down at her, a true hime in that regard. He pushed past the ragtag group.

“What in the world is going on?” Tenshinhan asked Goku.

“Hey, don’t get too angry,” Kuririn said to Amaya and she slowly calmed down enough to where the scales were gone.

“Who is that Demon Jr?” Yamcha asked.

“He’s the great demon king Piccolo,” Goku answered and everyone froze before sending worried looks towards the gymnasium.

“Didn’t you destroy him?!” Tenshinhan asked.

“I did,” Goku confirmed, “I found out from Kami that Piccolo left an egg behind before he died and he put his own life force into it so the demon that hatched out of it isn’t any different from the original Piccolo.”

“How strong is he compared to the original?” Amaya asked, her serious tone getting everyone to stand up straight. “He’s strong from what I can sense.”

“He’s stronger than the original,” Goku confirmed.

“Looks like it’s going to get messy again,” Rōshi said as he joined the group.

“When Shen used the mafû-ba I thought I saw Piccolo be sealed up,” Yamcha stated.

“It wasn’t Piccolo, that was Kami, they look alike,” Goku explained , “he used a human body to fight Piccolo.”

“He sealed Kami?!” The others asked in horror.

“They were an original being before Kami split into two so he could become a god,” Amaya explained and they all turned to her, “he’s been around long enough to appear in the village scrolls, the creature that grew from his darkness was Piccolo.”

“That’s why killing Piccolo would kill Kami,” Goku added.

“That’s why he wanted to use the mafû-ba, it was his only choice,” Rōshi stated.

“Except Kami got himself stuck in the jug and we can’t get him out yet,” Goku stated.

“What are we going to do, he’s so strong that even God couldn’t stop him,” Kuririn pointed out.

“I’ll figure something out,” Goku said.

“It’s all we can do,” Amaya admitted before rubbing at her temples, “what do you want now, Piccolo?”

“Son Goku is an obstacle to my goals more so than Kami,” Piccolo stated as the others spun around to see the tall man standing there, “but every obstacle is destroyed in time. The Demon King Piccolo you are about to encounter cannot be compared to the one you fought three years ago.”

“That goes for me too,” Goku claimed.

“Heh, then enjoy your final moments of life,” Piccolo stated before stalking off while laughing.

“That man,” Amaya huffed and Kuririn nodded his agreement.

“You’ve grown tall,” Rōshi stated as he took the time to lighten the mood.

“Yeah,” Amaya agreed as she caught what he was trying to do.

“Why didn’t you say anything when you saw us?” Yamcha asked, hurt that she’d been quiet.

“Hayami,” Amaya answered and he blinked, “she’s the leader of the village that exiled me, and my biological aunt…she’s grown a vendetta for some reason.”

“It’s because you’ve gotten stronger than her,” Kuririn pointed out.

“Why don’t we get something to eat?” Rōshi suggested.

“I am kind of hungry,” Goku admitted and that got smiles on everyone’s faces.

“Right, I forgot to give this to you,” Amaya said as they all headed into the gymnasium, “it’s a scale from Shenlong, I made it into a charm for good luck.”

Goku looked at the green scale as she put it into his hand by the string through it. His face grew warm for a few seconds before he put it around his neck and tucked it into his Gi. She was wishing him luck in his fight against Piccolo. It reminded him that he still had her hair pin. He returned it to her and she took the chance to pull her hair back out of her face.

“What are we going to do after the tournament?” Kuririn asked as they all grabbed some food before sitting down.

“Amaya and I are going to see if my grandpa’s house is still standing,” Goku answered and they all blinked at that.

“Right,” Yamcha said as he remembered what Kuririn had told everyone, “congrats you two.”

“From me and Chaozu as well,” Tenshinhan added, watching as Amaya started to turn pink.

Goku was happily smiling. It wasn’t hard to tell that they were both happy, even if the current situation wasn’t a good one. Tenshinhan realized it was probably why the two of them had seemed so close at the previous tournament. He remembered how Goku had reacted when he had injured her. The glare sent his way had been unforgiving. The man across from him now was happy, and easily out eating the woman next to him. She didn’t seem surprised, but amused.

“Be glad I’m allowed back here and not Launch,” Rōshi informed Amaya, and she paused in the action of eating.

“I know,” Amaya admitted before looking to the side with the fish skewer still in her hands.

“Oh man, she’s going to kick your butt,” Yamcha snickered and he got an elbow to the side from Amaya.

She had missed everyone. She went back to eating with a fond expression on her face. She could feel her Ki settle as the rest of her began to get energized. She could hear Goku eating as she let her senses roam. Bulma and Launch were having something to eat as well. Oolong and Pu’ar were walking around, hand in hand. Amaya hadn’t been expecting that but she was happy for them. She looked around some more and saw Piccolo. He was waiting for the match to be called, but she focused on him. He had two Ki signatures coming from him. Himself and Kami. She could make out the shape of the jug in his stomach. One good hit would allow them to free Kami.

She just hoped that Goku would toss it her way when he got it freed. That way she could get Kami unsealed. Once she did that, the fight should be a little easier on Goku. She then saw something attached to Piccolo himself. There was a small speck of light ki among the pure darkness. She opened her eyes with a thoughtful expression. If he had that, then there might be hope for him in the future. She felt as though someone had brought some light into his life. She heard Goku shift next to her and saw that he was removing his blue undershirt.

“Uh…Goku?” Kuririn asked in confusion.

“It’s weighted,” Goku answered, “I want to be able to fight without any restrictions.”

“I’ll hold onto it all for you,” Amaya said and he handed his undershirt to her.

Kuririn wondered how strong she truly was as she didn’t even react to its weight. She simply nestled folded it before placing it on top of one of her many storage scrolls. His boots soon joined and they all watched as she brought her hands together above the items and pushed them into the scroll with ease. She rolled up the scroll and placed it in a holster for it.

“We should’ve figured it out sooner,” Kuririn dryly said, “you’re the only person I know of that wears a belt like that.”

“It’s okay,” Amaya waved it off, a little amused, “I’m just glad it’s all resolved…well…for the most part.”

“When’s the wedding?” Yamcha asked, looking between the now blushing young adults.

“Soon,” Goke said and Amaya nodded her agreement.

They both wanted to make sure Grandpa’s house was still standing, and to know they were comfortable living alone together. Goku didn’t foresee any issues, and neither did Amaya. Well, she knew that her aunt was going to cause some issues, but she could easily take care of her. She felt a hand grab hers and she glanced at Goku as he continued to eat. He was going to need his strength to defeat Piccolo. Goku was going to win, she knew that much. He had faced strong opponents before and had come out on top. Why would it be any different this time around? She still felt worried about him. He might push himself too much. At least she would be there to heal him if it came down to it. She had a couple of senzu for emergencies. Tenshinhan hadn’t been able to use one, due to the nature of the wound. She doubted Goku would be able to have one either. Not without her neutralizing the ki while he ate it. She blinked. She could do that. It might cross a couple boundaries, but she would ask permission first. She wouldn’t do anything that would make him uncomfortable.

“Ladies and gentleman! Thank you for your patience!” The announcer called and the group all froze for a few seconds. “Now the final round match will finally commence! Who is the world's greatest martial artist!? Is it Son Goku? Or is it Demon Junior!? Will both contestants please step forward.”

”Jeez, ten minutes seemed to go by way too fast,” Kuririn stated as they all got to their feet.

”Yeah,” Amaya agreed before looking towards Goku, “good luck, and if you’re able to get the jug out just throw it our way. We’ll unseal Kami.”

Goku’s brain seemed to empty itself and time stood still when she gave him a small peck on the cheek for lunch. She hurried off to get her spot on the wall. He watched as she jumped up and was joined by a familiar figure. At least someone would be looking after her. His hand slowly moved to the side of his face.

”Man, that’s one hell of a goofy smile,” Yamcha lightly teased, noting the grin on Goku’s face.

”You better win this fight,” Kuririn stated, “you’ve got confidence and a good luck kiss!”

”I don’t have confidence, because I haven’t fought him yet,” Goku stated as he slowly became serious, “I have to go and see if I can.”

He stepped onto the ring with his bare feet and the crowd went wild at the sight of him. Bulma felt her eyebrow twitch at all the women that had pushed their way to the front to get a look at him. They should be glad that Goku was a nice guy and not the type to hurt anyone’s feelings on purpose.

“The crowd is going wild!” The announcer stated as he glanced around. “These two contestants are in a class of their own! We’re in for an unprecedented battle!”

”He sounds so excited, as though he doesn’t know that the fight is going to decide the fate of the world,” Kuririn said as they all joined Amaya on the top of the wall.

”He’s not in the know, which is a good thing,” Amaya stated and Tenshinhan nodded his agreement.

”There would be too much of a panic,” Tenshinhan added.

“This is the twenty-third Tenka’ichi-Budo-Kai! Who will walk away with the title!?”

Piccolo removed the white cape around his shoulders and it let out a heavy thump when it hit the tile. So he also wore weighted clothing. Amaya couldn’t help but notice that his Ki had grown from doing so. He was evenly matched with Goku. She clenched her jaw and shared a look with Kaito. The fate of the world was now on Goku’s shoulders.

”The strongest under-the-heaven’s final match begins now!” The announcer called.
 
18

Age 756, May 7th

Goku and Piccolo eyed one another before rushing the other. Blows were starting to be exchanged, from fists to feet, and elbows to knees. No part of the body was off limits between them. Goku matched a punch with his own, and got a hit from Piccolo’s head. He was sent flying but he easily caught himself with his hands and flipped over. He brought his leg back and got Piccolo with his heel when he tried to silently attack from behind. Piccolo wasn’t Amaya, he couldn’t mask his presence to the point where that wouldn’t work. He swiftly turned to look at the tall demon and narrowed his eyes. He was going to win this fight.

Piccolo focused his ki and made his arm grow longer. He sent it flying towards Goku, only to have the monkey-tailed man grab it with a grimace and use it to launch him into the sky. Goku used a ki attack that had been taught to him to attack Piccolo from far away, it was a type of telekinesis that had taken him three years to perfect. He crouched down before launching himself into the sky. Piccolo let out a loud laugh that echoed through the arena. He sent a Ki blast at Goku, hitting him point blank.

”Goku!” The group called in unison as he began to fall towards the ground, some blood trailing behind him.

Piccolo didn’t give him any time to breathe. Sending more ki blasts his way. First with one hand, and then with both. Then he added multiple blasts to the attack. The wind, dust and debris that was kicked up from the destruction had people attempting to take cover. Kaito and Amaya watched with identical looks of horror. Kaito was quite happy that he had taken her when he did, if that's how strong the copy was, then how strong was the original Piccolo?

The dust settled and Amaya felt her heart stop as she stared at Goku as he laid in a small crater. She had to have faith in him, he was strong. He’d get up…right? The announcer slowly moved forward in disbelief. That’s when Amaya felt it, Goku’s steady Ki. She let out a soft sigh in relief before shaking her head. He had her worried for a few seconds there.

”H-He’s down, Son Goku is down!” The announcer exclaimed.

“C’mon Goku, get back up!” Amaya called out and Kuririn noted that she seemed a little skeptical, as though something was bugging her.

”Goku!” Kuririn called as well, not wanting her to be cheering for their best friend alone.

”Hey, are you really going to just sleep there!?” Yamcha called.

”We still need to have our match!” Tenshinhan loudly stated.

”Don’t waste time counting,” Piccolo stated, “let him up. It’s such a transparent act, Son Goku, even my might would never strike you down so quickly.”

”Was I that obvious?” Goku asked as he got to his feet and tried to pull his uniform back up. “Oh jeez, my uniform’s all messed up again.”

”I’ll make you another one,” Amaya informed him, loud enough that he heard her with ease.

“Why are you still holding back?” Piccolo asked in annoyance as he got Goku’s attention back. “You are cautious one.”

”I could say the same thing about you,” Goku countered as he tied his gi sash a little tighter.

”Well, from here on I will show you more and more,” Piccolo stated, “I will show you a world of terror.”

“You're as evil as they get,” Goku commented as he slid back into a fighting stance, “but you sure know how to put up a great fight!”

”Soon, mortal, you will be able to pour out such biggerish no more,” Piccolo threatened.

”Maybe, or maybe not,” Goku said, “I have someone I need to get back to.”

”That weakness of yours will be your end,” Piccolo pointed out.

”Then that means I’ll just have to start goin’ all-out,” Goku stated.

”They were just testing each other,” Roshi stated in surprise.

”Unbelievable,” Tenshinhan muttered.

”You were able to sense that he was still alive, weren’t you?” Kuririn asked Amaya.

”At first I couldn’t,” Amaya admitted, “he let it drop completely before it became steady again.”

”He’s taking a page out of your book,” Yamcha pointed out, “I think you’re the only one of us that can completely hide in plain sight.”

”It comes in handy when I want information,” Amaya shrugged, before making a face, “they’re back at it again.”

Goku and Piccolo jumped at one another again, faster than before. They could hear their battle cry but the crowd couldn’t see them moving. They could only see a couple of blurs, where one was mostly orange and the other was purple and green. Amaya could follow their fight, watching as they exchanged punches again. They caught one another’s hands and tried to overpower the other. The ki surrounding them was intense. It only grew when Piccolo used ki blasts from his eyes. It burned into the tile behind Goku when he ducked to dodge it. He used Piccolo’s grip on his hands to jump up and bring his feet right into his chin. He was freed and he quickly put distance between them. He decided to take a page out of Amaya’s book and vanished from the spot.

”Woah, contestant Goku has disappeared in a manner similar to that of Ichigo,” the announcer stated and Amaya felt her cheeks burn as people glanced her way.

”It’s brilliant,” Tenshinhan stated.

”He’s erased his presence,” Amaya confirmed, “I’m only getting some of his Ki but that’s because I know what to look for.”

Piccolo let out a shout and brought his elbow to the side, getting Goku in the face and launching him into the wall that the others were sitting on. Amaya looked towards the ring as the others looked towards the spot he had landed. Goku grinned at her before sending Piccolo a serious look. He certainly had learned from all his fights against her, one of which was how she concealed herself.

“Behind you,” Goku stated, letting his presence be known and kicking Piccolo in the face, sending him flying.

”How did he…” Kuririn trailed off before shaking his head.

”It didn’t affect him,” Goku growled as Piccolo took off into the air.

”I will destroy you, arena and all!!!” Piccolo shouted, bringing his hands together.

”Shoot, they’re all going to get caught in the crossfire!”  Goku shouted before looking around the arena, “Everyone run!”

“What?” Roshi asked as Amaya nodded before letting out a shrill whistle as Goku jumped into the air to try and distract Piccolo for a few seconds.

”Everyone, out of the arena, now!” Amaya ordered, her voice echoing through the area.

”You heard her, everyone evacuate!” The announcer stated, knowing that she wouldn’t say such a thing if it wasn’t important.

Bulma and Launch helped to get people out of the arena as a bright light filled the area. Goku was able to deflect the attack by making it hit a nearby mountain range instead. The large Ki blast made people pause for a few seconds before they all started to run out of the arena. The announcer, some monks, and all of the fighters had stayed behind. They wouldn’t leave Goku on his own, not with Piccolo trying to hurt innocent civilians.

”If Goku hadn’t acted, everyone here would have been blasted to atoms,” Roshi stated as he wiped some sweat from his brow.

“I’ll teach you, it’s time for the super kamehameha!” Goku shouted at Piccolo. “Get ready! You’ve never felt this before!”

”Did he say a super Kamehameha?” Tenshinhan asked.

”Can you feel that?” Amaya asked as she felt the ki practically racing across her skin.

”Wait Goku!” Roshi called. “If you kill him, Kami-sama will die too!”

”That’s right…blast it!” Goku exclaimed.

”Why did you stop!” Piccolo taunted. “Were you not about to do something!?”

”Shoot…” Goku groaned.

”Your greatest weakness is your mortal sentimentality, so worried about Kami that you cannot bear to fight me full-on,” Piccolo taunted further, leaning forward while still in the air, “I can do whatever I please, that’s the beauty of being evil! For example I might even choose to annihilate everyone here in an instant!”

“No!” Kuririn exclaimed.

”Let me show you all the splendid world known as hell! The only sad part is that your deaths will be so instantaneous that I will be unable to watch you writhing in pain!” Piccolo continued.

”Stop! That’s not fair! You’re fighting me, leave everyone else alone!” Goku shouted at him.

”Do you think I care?” Piccolo calmly asked before he finished building up his ki. “Take this!”

“This is it!” Roshi yelled and Amaya closed her eyes.

”Wait the dragon balls!” Kuririn exclaimed. “Even if Kami-sama dies, we can ask Shenlong to bring him back to life!”

“That’s right, we can do it!” Goku stated and Amaya felt a sinking sensation in her stomach.

”I don’t know,” Amaya admitted before shaking her head a little, she wasn’t going to be the one to voice her doubts, “Do it, use that super Kamehameha you were talking about!”

”Right!” Goku agreed, “this time I’m really using the super Kamehameha.”

”Fool, Shenlong died three years ago! Begone!” Piccolo shouted as he sent his Ki blast towards the arena.

“Shenlong was brought back!” Goku shouted back as he released the energy he had been able to summon.

The arena was filled with a bright blue light and Amaya watched her best friend in amazement. All that power he had been able to harness, and to be able to use it! He was incredible! He was winning when it came to the Ki blasts, able to reflect the one that Piccolo had sent their way. He let out a sound of pain as he was completely caught in the blast. The announcer let out a slight scream of fear as the buildings surrounding them began to fall apart. He was brought to the ground by someone as a piece came careening his way. He looked up to see a flash of silver, before it moved again. Oh god, that little girl that he had seen fight six years ago was able to punch pieces of buildings into dust.

”My names actually Amaya, by the way,” she informed him as it finally calmed down a little.

”I read you loud and clear,” he weakly said.

“How is he still standing?!” Kuririn exclaimed in horror.

”Y-You!” Piccolo growled, obviously angry, “Insect! How dare you, even for a second, make Piccolo taste fear?!”

”That was my big finish, too,” Goku stated as he tried to figure out how to end the fight.

Piccolo slowly landed on the arena, tiles were missing and the surrounding buildings were destroyed. He had brought so much destruction with his appearance. He only had eyes for one thing. Son Goku, the half dressed man’s tail was swishing around before it wrapped around his waist, he didn’t want anyone to grab onto it. Even if that weakness was gone.

“I will not rest until you are in shreds,” Piccolo informed him before glancing at the half human near the announcer, “and that abomination over there.”

“What an incredible attack by Son Goku,” the announcer said as he glanced at Amaya as she made a face towards Piccolo, “but Demon Junior was able to withstand it, with only his clothes damaged…wait…I’ve seen that face somewhere before.”

”It looks like the great demon king Piccolo,” Launch said and the few civilians remaining, and those that came back at Goku’s attack, echoed her words.

“Of course I look like him!” Piccolo snapped. “I am the great demon king’s reincarnation! Tell the whole world! The moment Son GOku stops breathing, I become your king once more! Lord Piccolo’s reign will be restored!”

“This is horrible!” The announcer stated as Amaya simply placed him over the spectators wall to stand with Bulma and the others, “the so-called demon junior is really the demon king Piccolo!”

“What a pro,” Bulma complimented, surprised that the man was deciding to stay and announcer still.

”We need everyone to stand where there’s still some cover!” Amaya called, and she saw her friends join the other’s on the spectator side. “We’re all out of the way.”

”Thank you!” Goku called back, and she smiled at him before sending Piccolo a dirty look.

”Now that the trash has been swept away, let’s continue,” Piccolo said as Amaya jumped over the wall as well.

“Just to let you know, I’m not going to let you take over the world,” Goku stated.

”Such brave dialogue,” Piccolo sneered, “but a line that might have been saved for after this next move.”

Everyone watched in horror as Piccolo seemed to grow bigger. He was focusing his ki to the point where he wouldn’t stop getting bigger. He grew tall, bigger than anyone else had seen him grow before. Amaya almost wished that the moon was out, Goku’s Oozaru form would’ve been able to fight against giant Piccolo with ease. As it was, he was going to have a tough time fighting him. Piccolo laughed and the world seemed to rumble with it.

”Now at last, your end comes clear!” Piccolo stated.

”He’s kind of an idiot,” Amaya stated and Kuririn let out a sound of horror, “no, I’m standing by that observation. He became bigger to fight against Goku, but he’s handicapped himself with that size. Goku is faster than him, both the same size and bigger size.”

”It’s strange hearing such things from you,” Roshi commented and Amaya nodded.

”But it makes sense, she’s also a martial artist,” Yamcha pointed out, “I agree with her on this one, look.”

Piccolo kept trying to step on and hit Goku. Goku was simply jumping all around the place. The only time he got him, was when he was eye level, smacking Goku into the ground with ease. Both Amaya and Tenshinhan were getting ready to go into the arena and help but Goku held up a hand to them. He sent them both a grin, showing that he was starting to enjoy the fight again.

“If you guys help me, I won’t win the match fair and square,” Goku stated.

“Be glad that I love you,” Amaya informed him as she stepped back, “and I have faith in you.”

“Do you really wish to decline your allies' aid?” Piccolo asked as the others slowly turned towards Amaya at her confession. “Without it, your slim hope becomes none at all!”

“He’s huge, but he hasn’t lost much of his speed,” Roshi commented as Launch finally got her hands on Amaya.

”You disappear without a word,” Launch stated as she shook the ninja, a worried frown on her face.

”Sorry, but King Piccolo was a worry, and I couldn’t really send any letters where I was,” Amaya apologized, slowly bringing Launch into a hug of sorts.

”You better not do it again,” Launch threatened and Amaya gave a few quick nods.

“Size like that means nothin’ to me!” Goku shouted at Piccolo with a large grin.

“Nothing to you?” Piccolo slowly asked.

”You heard me!” Goku confirmed with a nod of his head.

Piccolo snorted before opening his mouth. A beam came out of it and Tenshinhan was quickly grabbed and pulled back by Amaya and Launch. He sent the two a thankful nod before watching as Goku attacked Piccolo, kicking him in the back of the knees. It made the giant version of the demon fall to the ground. One of his fingers was grasped by the young man and soon he was thrown into the air and slammed into the ground. Amaya couldn’t help but feel her heart skip a few beats. Since when has Goku grown that strong? His ki and stamina hadn’t been affected by his countless attacks. Was Kami’s training that good? She smiled a little, glad for him. They all watched as Piccolo got even bigger.

”That was easier than I thought it would be,” Goku muttered to himself and Amaya barely caught it.

”The demon king has gotten even bigger, he’s like a mountain!” The announcer stated and Bulma took off with Pu’ar.

”Goku, you’ve gotta run!” Yamcha called out to an awestruck Goku.

”What now, mortal?” Piccolo asked.

“You really fell for it!” Goku stated with a laugh before jumping up into the air.

He propelled himself into Piccolo’s mouth using a small ki blast. Piccolo grabbed at his throat, choking. Amaya stared at the fight with a blank expression. That was one way to get the jar containing Kami. Piccolo spat him out and Goku hit the ground before tossing something her way. She caught it and saw that it was the jug. She unsealed the cork and Kami appeared in a puff of smoke.

“Thank you,” Kami thanked her and she gave him a slight smile, “he turned the Mafu-ba against me, did he?”

”You were brilliantly rescued by Son Goku,” Roshi informed him.

”I only opened the jar, he got you out of Piccolo’s stomach,” Amaya confirmed.

”Son Goku, huh,” Kami quietly said as he turned to see a giant Piccolo in the arena.

”The sneaking little,” Piccolo stated as he slowly shrunk.

”So, goin’ back to your regular size,” Goku said, “guess you don’t want me flying in your mouth again, huh?”

”You….” Piccolo growled before taking off towards Goku.

The two vanished and Kami couldn’t even see them. He looked towards Amaya and noted that her eyes were slitted and carefully watching the fight. So that was the power that Shenlong bestowed on his offspring. Her attention was up in the sky and soon the two appeared there, exchanging blows with one another. It was so rapid, that it was almost impossible to keep up with.

”Did he just…” Kuririn asked as he slowly looked at Amaya.

”He did, he just learned how to perform a Kamehameha with his feet,” Amaya confirmed as Goku flew through the sky doing so.

He uppercut Piccolo with both hands. Roshi couldn’t help but feel as though Goku had become a genius of sorts with how he was fighting. He gave Amaya a clap to the shoulder noting that she was obviously proud of Goku. They were all worried when Piccolo hit him with a beam from his antenna. Goku fell back to the ground, in obvious pain. Piccolo came flying in with his fist drawn back.

”Goku!” Amaya called and Kami vanished from her side.

He caught Piccolo’s fist with his hands. He was tired of watching Piccolo hurt people. He glanced at Goku as Piccolo backed up a little. The young man still reminded him of the child that came to train with him. Call him sentimental, but he had grown fond of the boy.

“Son Goku, I will help you, let’s take him down together,” Kami offered.

”Stay out of this, Kami-sama,” Goku stated using the right honorific, “the outcome of the match hasn’t been decided yet. Don’t interfere or they’re gonna disqualify me!”

”The match?” Kami was confused by that.

”He’s still thinking about the match?” Kuririn asked in disbelief. “If he doesn’t beat Piccolo, the whole world is finished.”

”Goku was never one to think about the global situation, the only thing that gets him excited is fighting an opponent worthy of him,” Roshi stated and they all nodded in agreement, save for Amaya.

”He’s not that simple,” Amaya stated, “he cares, but the fight is what gets him excited the most.”

”You would know that,” Yamcha teased as Launch gained a small smile.

“It’s sort of sweet,” Launch informed Amaya and the young woman sent them all a look.

“I’ll give you one free shot to make up for that, I’ll feel guilty if I don’t,” Goku informed Piccolo, “you only ever get one.”

Piccolo decked Goku in the face and sent him flying into the wall in front of Amaya. Goku let out a groan and slowly looked up to see Amaya sending him a worried look. He gave her a dazed smile and got to his feet, breathing a little heavily. He was starting to tire.

“Even the little titan shows fatigue at last,” Piccolo stated.

”You’re one to talk, your punches aren’t half what they used to be,” Goku countered.

”Son Goku, give up this stubborn insistence on seeing who can win this tournament! If we don’t defeat him now, we’ll regret it later!” Kami warned him.

”I’ll regret it more if I give up now,” Goku stated, “I’m sorry, but you’ve gotta understand that it’s my pride as a martial artist.”

”Kami,” Amaya called and he sent the ninja a look before sighing quietly, “we both know that he won’t back down, at least have faith in him.”

”If he goes down, then we will gang up and finish the fight,” Kuririn added, “we’ll make it work out okay somehow.”

”You fools! Even a hundred of you together with this supposed god beside you could not compare to my power!” Piccolo snapped at them.

“He’s absolutely right,” Roshi reluctantly said, “Goku’s the only one now who can track those impossibly quick movements of his.”

”No, Amaya-Hime can see it as well,” Kami pointed out and they all turned towards her, “but I will entrust the world to Son Goku. You must defeat Piccolo forever. Do you understand me? It may kill me, but perhaps you will have the opportunity to resurrect me with the dragon balls.”

”Yup, you can count on me! I’ve got this one in the bag!” Goku stated giving the god a grin.

”You honestly believe you can defeat me?” Piccolo questioned as Kami rejoined Amaya on the sidelines. “The dreams of youth.”

”It’s no dream, I’ve already seen through your moves,” Goku stated.

“You’ve seen through my moves?” Piccolo asked.

”Is there no limit to what he can do?” Kami softly asked Amaya.

”Goku’s been like that since I’ve known him back when we were kids,” Amaya confirmed before fondly smiling, “it’s maddening that he adores fights so much, but he wouldn’t be Goku if he didn’t… if he didn’t pull some amazing moves.”

”You truly believe you can defeat the great demon king Piccolo?” Piccolo asked.

”I do!” Goku confirmed.

”You can’t defeat me, in the three years since we last fought I have multiplied my power many times!” Piccolo stated.

”That’s great, because I’ve gotten a little stronger since then too!” Goku said.

”FOOL!” Piccolo fully snapped.

He used a basic ki blast that he could control and chased Goku with it. Goku caught the blast with ease and figured out what Piccolo was trying to do. A secondary blast made Goku get away from the one that would damage him. He hurried down and landed on the ground, staring up at the blast that was following him. He waited until it got too close before rushing Piccolo and ducking between his legs to have the blast hit him. Piccolo let out a roar of pain as he was caught in the blast. When it cleared, purple blood was slowly dripping from the wound in his forearm. He was breathing heavily and he reached up and put a hand on the arm.

”Give up, you can’t fight me with one arm!” Goku told Piccolo.

Piccolo looked at him before grabbing his arm firmly and ripping it off. Everyone was silent as he let out scream and his arm regrew. Amaya looked at Kami. Could Kami do that? If so, then what were they really? They weren’t demons, nor were they gods. They had to be something else.

“You forced me to my final gamble,” Piccolo informed Goku.

”Run everybody, get as far as you can!” Goku shouted

”He’s focusing such a massive amount of ki,” Amaya stated as they watched the fight continue.

”What are you guys doing! I told you to run, so run! Get as far away as you can!” Goku yelled at them.

”Like hell I am going to leave you!” Amaya yelled back at him and he blinked in surprise. “What are you planning on doing?”

”I’m going to try and take the blast,” Goku answered and he watched as she tried to gauge if he could.

”It’s doable, but you have to let me heal you after this,” Amaya told him as she took cover behind the wall.

”Kikoho!” Tenshinhan stated as he grabbed onto the back of her haori, “everyone, get in the hole.”

“We’ll be okay, Goku!” Kuririn called back to their friend as they jumped into the square hole.

“Don’t take on too much!” Yamcha called.

”Don’t worry!” Goku responded.

Amaya knew that they wouldn’t be able to see anything so no one was surprised when she sat down in lotus position and closed her eyes with a frown. She could sense the whole area, both Piccolo and Goku had become such beacons that it wasn’t difficult to see them at all. She could see that Goku had his arms in front of him to block most of the blast from anything too important. Piccolo had his arms out as he finally charged up all the Ki he needed for his attack. It destroyed so much, pieces of tile rained down into the hole as the attack created a large blast on the island. People were being hurt, and killed. Ki’s were vanishing left and right, Amaya opened her eyes as the blast finally stopped. She was buried under some rubble, but most of it had been blocked by someone. Kami and Kaito were standing above her with looks of concentration. She quickly got up and the two relaxed. She glanced over the wall in unison with Kuririn.

”Goku!” they both exclaimed and Piccolo glanced at him in disbelief.

”Well, looks like it actually worked,” Goku stated and Amaya got out of the hole with a smile on her face.

”This can’t be, it has to be a trick!” Piccolo stated.

”Victory is mine,” Goku stated, “you used up so much Ki on that move, you can’t win.”

He focused his ki, his tail unwinding from his waist as he did so. It was strange but some bursts of electricity seemed to come out of his ki as he gathered it. Kami caught it too and the two shared a glance. That was something to keep their eye on. Piccolo yelled at him to stop, and Goku simply got into a sprinters start. He took off after a few seconds and started to lay into the taller man. An elbow to the face followed by several kicks. It was a beating, one that Piccolo hadn’t seen coming. His fist went into Piccolo’s abdomen and he let out a few strangled breaths.  Goku let him fall before jumping into the air and starting to form a kamehameha. He let it loose and everyone was scrambling for the hole again. They had been a part of too many Ki blasts for the day.

”Hey ref, the count!” Goku called after it was over and the announcer rushed forward.

“The fact that I still live is the answer that he is not dead,” Kami confirmed as he and Amaya came to stand by what was left of the arena, “it is unfortunate that Piccolo still breathes.”

”I’ll start it now,” the announcer stated.

They got all the way to nine when Piccolo moved and sent a blast through Goku’s chest. Amaya was silent for a few seconds before being held back from rushing to help him. Goku let out a sound of pain, but the other’s knew that he wouldn’t want anyone else to jump in. She knew it, but she couldn’t help it. She was released when he stomped on Goku once he was down. She was the only one to get past the ki blast he sent out.

”You need to wait your turn to die,” Piccolo stated as she dropped to the ground when he sent one her way.

She grimaced as she held onto her thigh as her clothing slowly became stained with blood. She would focus on getting rid of the dark ki, more than healing it. She felt someone rush to her side and saw that Launch was grimacing. She looked through all the pockets of the ninja’s belt and brought out a long ribbon. She made a makeshift tourniquet to stop some of the bleeding.

”Damn it kid, why do you always have to worry me?” Launch asked as she sent Piccolo a glare.

“He missed the vitals,” Amaya stated as Goku staggered to his feet and shuffled towards Piccolo.

They were exchanging weak blows, and Goku was starting to sway on his feet as the blood loss got to him. Piccolo was threatening the people he cared about, he was threatening his planet. He needed to win the match. Even as his legs were broken, he was going to fight still. He let out a scream as a beam hit his arm as well.

”Tenshinhan you must kill me,” Kami stated and Tenshinhan blanched a little, “if I die, then Piccolo dies.”

”Don’t,” Amaya stated and they all turned towards her in surprise, “he’s going to win, look at him.”

“He’s not going to win anything in that condition!” Kuririn pointed out and she shook her head with a serious expression.

Piccolo sent out another blast of ki, and she wondered how he had so much energy. The blast made contact with the ground and Amaya smiled a little, surprising the others as Piccolo gloated that he had killed Goku. Kuririn looked at the spot where she was looking and slowly blinked.

“Hey Tenshinhan, your eyes are pretty sharp, is that what I think it is?” Kuririn asked as Amaya’s smile grew a bit wider.

”You’ve got to be kidding me,” Tenshinhan stated as Goku came in like a missle.

He slammed into Piccolo with his head, the full speed seemingly taking him out of bounds. The announcer fumbled for a few minutes as Amaya slowly got to her feet. She was going to check on Goku as soon as the match was declared finished.

“Piccolo is out of bounds, Contestant Son Goku has won the Tenka’ichi budokai!” The announcer stated and a flash of silver passed by him.

”Sorry if any of this hurts,” Amaya told Goku as she gently rolled him over so she could get to his mouth, “I have a few senzu, but I’m also going to neutralize the dark ki.”

”It’s all right,” Goku quietly said and she sent him a look, “do what you have to do.”

He opened his mouth when she placed the senzu bean in it and he was surprised when she put both her hands on his chest and focused on him. He felt his energy returning as his wounds started to heal. The warmth from her ki was enough for him to remain laying there. He slowly brought his hand over to her leg and noted that she was still injured, focusing more on him than herself.

“So, you love me?” He asked and her face turned a bright red and she fought to keep her focus on neutralizing the ki. “So that’s what that feeling is.”

Amaya could kiss the man right now if she wasn’t so focused on sending ki into his system to get rid of something that could damage him in the future. She felt someone standing behind her and someone placed a hand on her shoulder. Her ki started to work faster and she was thankful for Kami. After a few minutes of everyone gathering around Goku, she was finished, sitting back with a small sigh of relief.

“There, I believe I got all of it,” Amaya stated and he jumped to his feet.

“I can’t believe I finally won the tenka’ichi budokai!” Goku stated before flying into the air.

“Well, at least he’s in a good mood,” Amaya stated with an amused expression.

She let out a sound of surprise as he flew her way and picked her up, laughing the entire time. The other’s watched in amazement, surprised that Goku had that much energy. Those senzu beans sure worked miracles. Goku looked towards Kami as he moved through the air and quickly rushed his way. Amaya was gently placed on her feet and he stopped Kami from harming Piccolo.

”What is it, Son Goku?” Kami asked.

”That’s my line, what are you doing?” Goku asked as Amaya slowly limped forward.

“He’s still alive, we must stop his breath or else it will happen again!” Kami stated and Amaya looked at Piccolo, watching as some more light joined the darkness.

”Then I’ll have to beat him again,” Goku stated, “I’m not going to let you kill yourself.”

”If I do this, then ask Shenlong to resurrect me!” Kami stated.

”We both know those dragon balls would cease to work the second you vanish,” Kaito stated before shaking his head, “Amaya-Hime may be Shenlong’s daughter, but she can’t keep the dragon balls working…she’s not a kami and she’s not at that level yet.”

”She’ll live as long as a kami would,” Kami pointed out as he stood down, “I should have given up being a god a long time ago. I was the one who brought Piccolo into this world, what right do I have to be a god after all of this?”

”You are also the one who made it possible to defeat Piccolo,” Roshi pointed out, “without the dragon balls you created, Goku would never have become what he is, none of these heroes would have. From one dragon ball this whole journey began and the world was saved.”

”Son Goku, you’ve found yourself a wise mentor,” Kami said with a slight smile.

”He was also sort of sleazy,” Goku added as he nodded, he heard Amaya snort in agreement.

“I only taught them the basics, the ones who helped him grow this far were you and Master Karin.”

Goku blinked when Kami hit him with a beam and his clothes righted himself. He looked best in the turtle gi. He plucked at the clothes before grinning at Kami while the old god chuckled a little. He really couldn’t help but be fond of the young man. He looked towards the young lady that had his affections and motioned for her to move towards him.

”Thank you,” Goku said before turning to Amaya, “can I have another senzu bean?”

”You can be too nice sometimes, but I understand,” Amaya said as she took another out and handed it to him.

”Here, eat this, it will help perk you up,” Goku informed Piccolo, surprising everyone.

”What are you doing?” Kami asked in confusion.

”Have you noticed?” Amaya quietly asked him and he frowned in confusion. “Sense his Ki…he has a spark of light hidden in the dark, good deeds will allow it to grow. I think Piccolo also has the ability to do good if he chooses to.”

”Optimistic,” Kami muttered and she chuckled.

”That’s what happens when you hang around Goku for a while,” Amaya confirmed before watching Piccolo get to his feet and stare the group down.

”Why?!” Kuririn asked.

”If he dies, Kami dies, besides I don’t like the idea of losing my arch-enemy yet,” Goku said with a slight shrug.

“You never learn, your naïveté will be your death,” Piccolo stated and Amaya sighed, “the great demon king shall withdraw for now, but the day shall come for you to die and your world to pass into this grasp!”

”Maybe try living in the world you want to rule before focusing on that path,” Amaya said, making him glare her way, “you might learn something.”

”Why did you give him that advice?” Tenshinhan asked as he peered down at her.

”Remember what I told you all those years ago?” She asked him and his eyes widened. “Sometimes other’s need the reminder that there’s something beautiful in this world, even if they are full of darkness.”

Piccolo took off into the air and Amaya let out a sigh of relief. She was starting to feel exhausted. She felt something at her side and looked over to see that Goku was standing there. She was still for a few seconds before giving him a light hug, she didn’t know if he was still hurting or not and didn’t want to chance it. He hugged her back.

“I kind of forgot that you two are finally a couple,” Roshi stated and the others went silent for a few seconds before a loud cheer went out and money exchanged hands.

”You guys really bet on that?” Amaya asked as she simply turned her head to look at them, Goku was sort of the only thing keeping her up at the moment.

”Of course we did,” Bulma stated as she grinned at her winnings, “I thought you’d get together at this tournament, but last time was a close one.”

”Yeah, I don’t think Goku has ever gotten that angry before,” Tenshinhan stated, and the other’s shared a look.

”He did when she got captured by the red ribbon army,” Yamcha pointed out and Amaya really wanted to be out of the area.

”Why don’t you take my place, Son Goku,” Kami suggested and Amaya sent him a look.

”Don’t even try it, Kami-sama,” Amaya warned.

”You could be a goddess, Amaya-Hime,” he pointed out.

”With who my father is, I’m going to be long lived as it is,” Amaya pointed out, “I would rather stay here on earth and live with the people I care about then watch them from above…besides you’re doing a fine job.”

”Everyone’s all right!” An exclamation caught their attention and Chaozu came flying towards them, hugging Tenshinhan the second he got close enough he then turned towards Amaya and gave a small bow. “I’m sorry for interfering in your fight against Tenshinhan three years ago.”

”I had a feeling…but don’t worry about it,” Amaya said as she brought a hand out and he shook it, “you guys grew to be better people, and much better martial artists than the crane sen’nin.”

“No one else could replace me,” Kami informed Goku.

“I’m good,” Goku stated before turning around, “hey, Kinto-un!”

The gold cloud came racing their way and seemed to grow faster upon seeing Amaya. She reached up and embraced the cloud as it slammed into her person. Goku couldn’t help but snicker as she was practically covered by the cloud, he then blinked. Roshi did as well. Was Kinto-un crying? How was it crying?!

”Hey there my fluffy friend,” Amaya greeted the cloud.

”Let’s get going!” Goku said as he jumped onto the cloud before pulling Amaya up to sit in front of him, “See you guys around! Come and visit sometime!”

“You as well!” Bulma called.

”I’ll make sure to see you guys sometime!” Launch called as the cloud took off.

”There they go again,” Roshi fondly stated, “I really hope they invite us to the wedding when it happens.”

”She wants a small ceremony with the people she thinks of as a family,” Kaito informed them and Kuririn brightened up.

”I call walking her down the aisle,” Yamcha stated, knowing he was the big brother.

”You’d have to fight with Master Karin for that right,” Kami pointed out and Yamcha faltered slightly, “for now I must return to the lookout.”

The group headed out, going to find a place to rest for the night before heading home.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Age 756, May 8th

“Hey, it hasn’t changed that much,” Goku stated as they came to a stop outside of his grandfather's home in the early afternoon.

“That’s a relief,” Amaya agreed as he jumped off the kinto-un before turning towards her and holding out a hand.

She accepted the help off the cloud and stumbled a little. She really needed to take care of her leg. He rubbed the back of his head in thought and simply held onto her hand as they both moved inside the small home. It was a little overrun by spiders and some squirrels. Amaya and Goku shared a look before nodding at one another. They would get everything cleaned up and the lights on before deciding anything else. The haori came off and Amaya tied her sleeves back with some ribbon. Her hair soon joined and she pushed the pin into it to keep it from moving any further.

“Woah,” Goku stated as he caught a large spider with his hands, “look at the size of some of these spiders.”

”It was probably a comfortable home for them as well,” Amaya said with a small smile.

They were able to get the spiders out and start wiping down the area, getting rid of some of the heavier spots of dust. Amaya paused at the small altar that used to hold the four star ball. Goku noticed what she was looking at and tilted his head in thought before moving to plop his chin on the top of her head. It seemed to break her out of her thoughts. She looked up at him in confusion and he grinned at her. He liked being taller than her.

“Are you still comfortable sharing a futon with me?” Amaya asked him and he quickly nodded, though his cheeks started to warm up.

He had missed having another person in his space when sleeping. One might say he missed having someone that held onto him in their sleep. Amaya had been a pretty cuddly person when they were younger, he wondered if she still was. She looked back at the altar in thought.

”I wonder if I could sense your grandfather’s ball from here,” Amaya said and he was a little surprised that she’d offer, “it shouldn’t bother me anymore.”

”Your leg,” he pointed out and she tilted her head to the side.

”Oh right, I should take care of that,” Amaya agreed, “I can get that patched up in a few minutes.”

Goku rubbed the back of his neck in amazement and watched as she brought a hand over her injury. He moved closer to see how she was able to heal. She focused her ki and made the wound close up. He was so used to her using her medicine to heal others that seeing her use ki was incredible. It even felt nice too. He went to say something and saw she had fallen asleep on him. He smiled at the sight, something’s never changed. She still fell asleep with such ease. He looked around towards the small room he used to sleep in as a child and flicked the lights on.

The futons were no longer usable, but that was okay. He cleaned the room by himself and wiped at his brow when he finished. It had been afternoon when they got there and now it was night. They could figure more out in the morning. As it was, he was pretty exhausted as well. Amaya always carried a futon with her, right? He moved towards her and gently shook her shoulder. She snapped awake and gave him her full attention.

“Do you still carry a futon in your scrolls?” He asked and she nodded.

“Yeah, sorry for falling asleep like that,” Amaya apologized as she reached into her scroll pouch and pulled out the right one, “you stayed up all night to get us here on Kinto-un…are you okay?”

“I’m fine!” Goku grinned and she sent him a worried look before nodding.

He trailed behind her as she opened the scroll. It was an older one, before she made her own personal seal that no one could break through, but it still held her futon and a nice blanket. Goku watched as she pushed her arm into the scroll and grabbed onto the futon. She pulled her arm back and out it came, the blankets and pillows following suit. She helped get it ready, Goku helped with the blanket. He removed his shoes and she did the same, she also pulled off her outer kimono and glanced at the white yukata she wore underneath. It was going to be difficult to get the stain out of it. She shook those thoughts away and pulled the pin out of her hair and let the heavy locks fall.

She was more than a little surprised when Goku practically dragged her to bed. His arms were around her waist and his face pressed into her hair. She wasn’t going to go anywhere. She relaxed a bit, knowing that he was worried that she was going to just leave him again. She shifted a little before making it so she was face to face with him. He looked exhausted.

“Hey, you were amazing by the way,” Amaya informed him and he smiled happily, “how’d you figure out you could trick him to grow that big?”

“He likes to talk down to his opponents, but he doesn’t like it when it’s turned on him,” Goku pointed out as he gained a thoughtful expression, “it’s like when someone insults someone you care about, you don’t react when it’s about you…but you get angry for us.”

“You guys are my family and friends,” Amaya pointed out, “I've heard enough insults about myself over the years that I’m sort of numb to them at this point.”

His forehead rested against hers and he watched as she grew sleepy from the warmth he was able to put out. He wrapped his tail around her as well, he was sure she couldn’t go anywhere on him again. He slowly closed his eyes and listened to the soft sound of her breathing and the nature around them. It was nice to be back in his grandfather's house. At least he wasn’t alone in it anymore.

Age 756, May 9th

Amaya woke up before Goku and noted that he hadn’t released her at all. In fact that had gotten more tangled together. She had taken a hold of his legs with her own. He stretched in his sleep and she found herself being pulled closer. She rested her chin on his shoulder and glanced around the room. It was clean, showing that Goku had worked hard on it. She freed one of her hands to gently run it through his hair, making him smile in his sleep. She brought it back and saw that he was starting to wake up. He blearily looked around before blinking a little.

”Good morning,” she greeted and he gained a goofy grin.

”Mornin’,” he greeted back.

”I’ve got breakfast,” Amaya informed him and he released her so she could.

She got up and stretched a little, her arms above her head before she moved into the main room. There was an hearth that she knew that Gohan had been able to use, but Goku didn’t. She grabbed some kindling and wood from her emergency scroll and knelt before it. She started a fire with a flint and got it going fast.

“I’ll be back,” Goku stated as he pulled on his weighted clothing.

“Okay, have a good workout!” She called as he left the home.

She pulled some pans out from the cupboards and paused for a few seconds as a thought hit her. They had fallen into domestic roles with ease. She smiled a little, she had wanted to be like this with him. Still, she would have to train after breakfast. She would use her hands to start a small herb garden outside, if that was all right with Goku. Her senzu plant would have to stay indoors though. It was temperamental at the best of times. She took a deep breath and turned her attention towards her ingredients. Rice, tamagoyaki, miso soup, and some fruit. She would make quite a bit to keep up with Goku’s appetite.

When Goku came back it was to a wonderful smell. His stomach let out a growl as he peeked through the doorway and saw that Amaya was carefully rolling eggs in a square pan. She waved her greeting at him, and he liked the idea that she had eyes in the back of her head but it was just how good she was at sensing. She waved him in and he moved to her side. She gently grasped the front of his gi and pulled him down. She pecked his cheek in greeting before returning to cooking. He let out a few goofy laughs in response before plopping down next to her.

“You’ve gotten even better at cooking,” Goku said as she handed him a plate and some rice.

“That’s good,” Amaya said as she continued to make some more, “I was planning to start an herb garden for medicine…I like having some on hand for any injuries.”

“Do we get hurt that often?” Goku asked as he paused while eating.

“Not as much as when we were kids,” Amaya admitted, “but it doesn’t hurt, besides I can always head down to Kane house to get some more shells with Turtle-San.”

She had already planned to see everyone again. If she went to Kame house, she wouldn't go alone. He would go with her, if only to keep Rōshi from doing something stupid. Amaya was still good with those Senbon of hers. He let his tail naturally wrap around her waist as he ate the food she had made. He would have to find something for later. Maybe a fish. It had been a while since he’d had tuna. He finished his breakfast and Amaya quickly finished hers. She let out a breath of relief. She needed to eat something.

“I’m going to do some training,” she informed him as she gathered the empty dishes with ease.

“Can we spar?” He quietly asked and he saw the glint in her eyes.

“You don’t even have to ask,” she confirmed and he was more than happy to help her with the dishes.

He didn’t mind waiting so she could change into clothes she could fight in. She came out wearing the orange gi of the turtle school, showing that she would always see Rōshi as their main teacher even if it was never spoken out loud. She stretched a little, making sure that she could still move to fight and that she hadn’t messed up healing anything. Goku stretched as well and they shared a look before bowing to one another. It was quiet for a few seconds before they both slid into a fighting stance.

The birds in the tree took off in fear as the two began to trade blows. It was surprising she could keep up with him, seeing as he seemed to grow stronger whenever he got badly injured. She smiled a little as she ducked under one of his hits, she brought her leg over his and twisted hers. He let out a sound of surprise before he landed on the ground, he stared up at the sky before she bent at the waist to check on him. He hadn’t expected her to down him like that. He smiled before launching his feet towards her chin. She jumped back and he started to take their spar a little more seriously. Amaya was aware of someone coming their way and wasn’t surprised that it barely took two days for the others to come visit.

“Are they already fighting?” Bulma sighed as she landed the plane.

“Looks like they’re sparing,” Karin said as he watched his pupil move with ease around Goku, “she’s gotten stronger.”

“Why’d you want to see her?” Bulma asked, “I need to make sure she has what she needs while she’s out here with him.”

“I miss her, she was one of my best pupils,” Karin admitted, his tail sagging a little as his ears lowered as well.

Bulma watched as Goku didn’t hold back and slammed a fist into Amaya’s stomach. She took in a deep breath as Amaya brought a leg up and got him around the neck, easily getting him to his knees. Since when did they fight like this?! It was a gloves off spar between the two, with them evenly matched somehow! Bulma paused, was Amaya as strong as Goku

and

Piccolo? Since when had she got to that point?! She opened the door to the plane as the two slid away from one another, sweat going down both their faces as they assessed the other. Goku’s eyes were bright and Amaya seemed to be enjoying herself too.

“Hey! You two!” Bulma yelled to get their attention, Goku and Amaya ended up punching the other and sending themselves flying.

“You distracted them,” Karin pointed out as Bulma let out a worried sound, “don’t worry too much, those two are incredibly sturdy.”

“Karin-Sama!” Amaya exclaimed, jumping to her feet and rushing the giant cat.

If he was surprised she hugged him then he didn’t show it. He instead gave her a hug back, a happy expression on his face. Goku soon joined them, rubbing at the bruise on his jaw with a smile. Bulma gave him a wave and he blinked in confusion. Why was she there?

“Karin called, he wanted to see Amaya,” Bulma stated, “she had scared everyone by going missing.”

“I can send you guys after Kaito,” Amaya stated as she stepped back from her teacher, “would you like some tea?”

“That would be wonderful,” Karin agreed and Bulma trailed behind them as they all headed inside the small home.

“Wow, this place hasn’t changed much,” Bulma commented before noticing the altar where the four star ball should’ve been, “I’m surprised you haven’t gone to find the sushinchu yet.”

“I’m going to see if I can sense it first,” Amaya admitted as she set a kettle to boil, “I’m tied to them through parentage, so I should be able to find them.”

“Okay, I’m still wondering how your dad is the immortal dragon,” Bulma stated.

“Karin-Sama is my dad, I don’t know Shenlong well enough to call him father,” Amaya said in thought and Karin brought a paw to his eye, he was touched she thought that highly of him, “but my biological mother made a wish for my existence and well being born of Shenlong’s Ki made it change my genetics.”

“That explains the seven circles under your eyes, and how you reacted to the dragon balls when we first started to search for them,” Bulma said as Amaya finally served the tea, “well, it’s not like it changes who you are.”

Amaya smiled at that before being pulled into a conversation about her way to heal through ki. Bulma watched Goku as he gave Amaya a soft look before smiling slightly when she got excited. Bulma almost wished Yamcha looked at her like that. He never did, at least, not any more. Karin left the two with a housewarming gift of a planter for Amaya to plant her senzu plant. Bulma left them a new and improved dragon radar in case it couldn’t be sensed. By the time they left it was starting to get a little dark outside. Goku headed out to grab a large fish for dinner. Before he left he placed an awkward peck to her forehead.

When he came back she had a fire going and a bath drawn with a nice fire underneath it. He couldn’t help but enjoy how easy it was with two people. He helped cook the fish, and she got the rice going. He peered around the small home, they were going to have to expand it. Well, they had some construction experience from when they were kids. They could do it. He gained a confident grin that made Amaya tilt her head in confusion before checking on the vegetables she had brought with her.

“Do you still remember how to construct a house?” Goku asked and she blinked.

“Yeah,” she answered and he knew why he was grinning.

Amaya let the feeling of domestic life wash over her as she did clean up. Goku wasn’t too concerned with modesty and wasn’t surprised when she seemed surprised that he wanted to share the bath as well. Her cheeks were a bright pink and her ears were the brightest red as she awkwardly sat there in the water. He rubbed the back of his neck, feeling it warm up. She certainly had changed since they were kids. Now he knew why Bulma had yelled at him back when he was twelve. It hadn’t been weird like he and Amaya thought, but a practice of modesty. Well, they were going to be married, right? They’d have to get used to it. He would have to ask Kuririn or Tenshinhan how to get past the awkward stage. He’d ask Yamcha, but he wasn’t sure he’d get a good answer from the older fighter. He tucked some of Amaya’s hair behind her ear as she slept in his arms, she had her legs wrapped around him and he inwardly laughed. She refused to let him go. He was glad they were together. He fell asleep after laying an arm around her waist, his tail soon joining.

Age 756, May 10th

Goku watched Amaya meditate that afternoon in an attempt to find the sushinchu. He could feel her ki in the air and he looked towards the forest outside. He didn’t leave before giving her a soft peck on the top of her head. He would go gather some wood for the future building they would be doing. He remembered the way the other workers had shown them how to cut the wood to create strong planks. He pulled on his Gi and felt the familiar weight on his shoulders. Off to work he went.

Amaya knew that stretching her senses planet wide would bring a headache to end all headaches, but she wanted to find this keepsake for Goku. The traditional marriage in the village would have gifts on both sides of the one being married. If she found the sushinchu then it would act as a perfect marriage gift. The good luck charm she had made out of her fathers scale didn’t count. She felt something nudge at her senses and noted that Piccolo was in one of the many wastelands. So, he was reflecting on what she told him. She smiled a little, that was a good sign, and Kami had been worried. She ignored him for the time being and focused on the ki that echoed her own. The one that belonged to Shenlong. She got side tracked by Goku taking down a tree. So, he really was planning on expanding Gohan’s home. She delved back into her search and found one of them.

Which one? She focused on it and found that it had five stars. It wasn’t what she was looking for. She kept that type of attention for the dragon balls ki signature. All seven began to glow in her senses and she focused further. There, she was able to find the sushinchu. But where was it in relation to them? It was in the forest nearby. She opened her eyes and pulled her senses back. It felt like a rubber band had been snapped and something warm went down her face. She brought a hand up to her face to try and stop her nose from bleeding. She’d over done it. She could sense Goku’s incoming ki, but it was a little fuzzy.

“I smell blood, are you okay?” Goku asked as he knelt next to her downed form.

“I may have stretched my senses too much,” she lightly said, her words slurring a bit, “have you ever noticed that you’ve got some gray in your eyes? It’s really pretty.”

She was all right. He sighed in relief before shaking his head in amusement. He gently moved her hand away from her nose and the blood started to flow again. He placed it back and looked around for some type of cloth. He found a spare one and pressed it to her hand. She fumbled with it for a few seconds before holding it to her nose. She slowly sat up and felt a little lightheaded. Yeah, she definitely over did it.

“I would have to work with distances before trying that again,” Amaya admitted as a hand appeared on her lower back, “Piccolo’s in a wasteland just meditating, and the arushinchu is near a volcano.”

“You could sense all that?” Goku was surprised.

“I could also see you taking down trees,” Amaya added before her head throbbed, “but stretching my senses across the earth had been a bit much.”

“Will you be okay?” He asked and she nodded.

“My heads going to hurt for a while, but once it stops I’m going to grab the sushinchu,” she said and at his confused frown she rubbed the back of her head, “the village has a tradition between engage couples…it’s known as a gift of sorts, it’s something that is usually important to the person receiving it.”

“You want to get it for me?” Goku was a little dumbfounded.

“Yeah,” she nodded before wincing at the throbbing that brought about.

“Man, now I have to find you something,” Goku said as he tried to think of something she’d like.

“You already did,” she told him and he wondered what it was.

She wasn’t going to tell him, he was smarter than everyone gave him credit for, even himself. He slowly pulled her to her feet and he made sure she was steady before going to get her something to drink. He came back with water and she downed it within seconds. Well, at least her nose wasn’t bleeding anymore. She got herself cleaned up and pecked him on the cheek before heading out.

“You always give that same goofy smile after she kisses your cheek,” Kaito’s voice startled him and he got ready to throw something at the man, “relax, I’m here to give you some help.”

“Why?” Goku asked, not fully trusting him.

“Because she’s the happiest when she’s with you,” Kaito sighed before sending him a look, “that’s the gift you move given her that no one else could’ve.”

Goku’s face was one of surprise before he quickly nodded. That sounded about right. He glanced towards the forest and wanted to go after her to tell her she didn’t have to go get the sushinchu. He was more than happy to marry her too.

“I’ll give you a rundown of the marriage ceremony that used to be used in the village,” Kaito said as he slowly sat down at the hearth, “if she finds anything, or needs your help she’ll flare her ki. I already know you’d go to her aid.”

“You’re kind of creepy,” Goku informed him as he started to worry about Amaya and the training she did under him.

“I’m going to ignore that,” Kaito stated before sighing, “after all, I brought back the moon so you wouldn’t have to give up a part of your identity…you still need to learn how to use the power that comes from your giant transformation.”

“Right,” Goku reluctantly agreed.

He didn’t want to endanger Amaya. Not while he couldn’t control that form. He felt a deep pit form in his stomach at that thought. Being an adult brought such emotions that he wasn’t too used to, but he would grow to. He swallowed thickly and Kaito sent him an unimpressed expression.

“Right, there’s an exchanging of rings after the clenching of one’s hands and mouths,” Kaito explained, “we typically did these weddings at a shrine, but I’ll have to do with the rites. Which also means supplying the sake.”

“Why sake?” Goku asked.

“The sake ties the two of you together, it’s the sharing of the drink that does it,” Kaito answered, “it’s San-San-kudo, you drink three times from three different cups.”

Goku nodded his understanding, even though he didn’t really get it. He would know when they got to it. Kaito sighed a little before reaching into one of his pouches. He reluctantly set a box down on the hearth and motioned for Goku to take it. Goku blanched a little at what was inside. Bands that would easily fit their fingers.

“Relax, they belonged to a pair that was just as mismatched yet perfectly paired like you two,” Kaito dryly informed him, “just continue to make her happy.”

“Why wouldn’t I?” Goku asked and Kaito prayed to Kami for some extra strength.

Amaya reeked through the forest and kept her raw senses open for the sushinchu. She felt the ground beneath her give and she caught herself and easily slid down the muddy side of the hill. She wondered how many times Gohan himself had gone through these paths. She blinked when she noticed a glint of silver from the corner of her eye. It was a pod of sorts. She slowly walked up to it and placed a hand against it. It was covered in moss, the purple glass that covered the entrance of the pod. It flashed for a few seconds and she stood back. She’d have to come back with Goku and see if he knew what it was. As it was, she wanted to find the sushinchu before it was dark.

She stepped through the forest and looked around. She smiled as she saw the sushinchu nestled in the hole of a tree. She reached for it and felt Shenlong's ki react as her fingers touched it. She closed her eyes and relaxed a little due to it. She put it in one of her pouches before heading back to the house. She jumped up into one of the trees and started to jump from branch to branch. She scared a few birds as she streamed past them. She landed in front of the house after a few minutes and slowly trudged up to the doorway. Goku sat there with a thoughtful expression on his face.

“I’m back,” she stated and he blinked before his expression lightened, “are you okay?”

“Yeah, just thinking,” Goku confirmed before watching her bring out the sushinchu and placing it on the altar.

He was the first one to see her victorious grin before she passed out. He had a feeling that was going to happen. He moved quickly and caught her. He gave a fond sigh and carried her to bed, at least he knew she could push her limits. He placed her in the futon and she startled awake and glanced at him in confusion. He was peering down at her and they stared at one another for a few seconds. He felt his mouth go dry as his face began to burn, her cheeks started to turn a bright red and she fought the urge to hide behind her hands. His hands were on either side of her head. He wasn’t too sure what to do next, but he kept glancing at her lips. Wasn’t that part of the book? He frowned a little as he thought about it.

“I found a strange pod out in the woods,” Amaya informed him as she tried to break the heavy atmosphere.

“Pod?” Goku asked, breaking out of it.

“Yeah, it was circular and covered in moss so it’s been out there for a while,” Amaya stated before tilting her head a little, “have you ever seen it?”

“No, and I’ve lived out here for years,” Goku said as he plopped down next to her, “maybe we’ll go looking in a week or so.”

“Okay,” Amaya quietly agreed and he slowly reached for her hand.

She was really worried for him, she could tell something was bothering him. Goku knew things always moved between them in harmony, but now there was an outside force that felt like it was pushing them faster than they needed to move. He brought the blankets over them and made sure she was comfortable before pressing his forehead against hers. She was sleepily watching him, and he moved to keep her warm.

“Cute,” Kaito’s comment from the window had Goku making a face and Amaya throwing a Senbon his way.

“Nice hit,” Goku complimented and she smiled in response.

He froze when she finally pecked him on the lips before getting comfortable and falling asleep. His body was completely tense as his face turned red. She fell asleep before he could even ask her to do that again. He liked the way it felt. He didn’t really fall asleep that night.

Age 756, May 11th

“Did you get any sleep?” Amaya asked as Goku lethargically moved around the house the next day.

“Not really,” Goku admitted.

He slowly moved towards her and noted she was working on something in a scroll. She sat back a little as he sat down on the ground next to her. Her surprise as he plopped his head in her lap was a little cute. Her eyes were wide before they softened and she began to gently run a hand through his hair. He closed his eyes and enjoyed the feeling. He wrapped his arms around her waist and slowly fell asleep.

Amaya wasn’t going to move anytime soon. He held her through the entire night, it was only fair for her to do the same for him. He mumbled something about his grandfather in his sleep and she focused more on him than her scroll. He needed the comfort more than she needed another storage scroll. She watched as his breathing evened out and he went back to sleeping peacefully. When he woke up a few hours later she was still running her hand through his hair, and he knew one thing.

He wanted to always feel this way.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Age 756, May 20th

Amaya felt Goku’s nose against her neck and let out a soft sigh before glancing back at him. It was the day that he wanted to go see the small pod. Why he wanted to wait so long, she wasn’t sure. But, she welcomed an adventure with him. She always would. He pulled her close and she felt her heart hammering in her chest when he nuzzled into her neck. She couldn’t help but feel warm. She didn’t know what the feeling was, but it was enough to make her crazy. Goku took a deep breath and she could’ve sworn he growled a little. She couldn’t get her thoughts under control.

“You’re so warm,” Goku informed her, and she noted something.

His voice sounded different than usual. It was a little deeper. His eyes were half lidded as he sleepily stared at her. She slowly turned to face him and he placed his forehead against hers, their usual form of affection. She was wearing one of his weighted shirts and a pair of shorts. The traditional clothing had gotten tangled more than once when they were asleep. Taking herself out while trying to get up in the morning really portrayed the image of a martial artist. He moved a hand through her hair, bringing her from her thoughts.

“We have how many more days?” Goku asked.

“Two,” Amaya answered and he made a slight pout, “hey, at least it’s soon, and Bulma was able to get a small shrine moved out to capsule Corp.”

“Bulma helped?” He asked and she nodded.

“She wanted to,” Amaya shrugged, “apparently it’s nice that one of us is getting married…according to her.”

“Hmmm…” Goku said as he returned his nose to her neck and she felt a shiver go down her spine, “you smell nice.”

“T-Thank you,” Amaya took it as the compliment it was meant to be.

He pressed her closer and she let out a soft sound. He peered up at her face and saw how dazed she was. Ah, he had moved too fast for her. He sat back and chuckled at her expression. She hid her face in his chest and his chuckling grew into a happy laugh. He liked it when she got all shy on him, it was cute.

Goku trailed behind her as she got breakfast started. He found himself standing closer, a hand on her waist. He couldn’t help himself. He didn’t know what it was, but watching him move around in one of his shirts made him giddy and he had a hard time moving away. More than once he had simply pressed his nose into the side of her neck and just stayed there. That action always made her pause in sudden shyness or laugh a little because it tickled.

“Hey,” she said as she laughed before trying to flip some eggs.

He looked at the stove that had been sent to them by Launch and Tenshinhan; it was a welcomed addition to the home. It also made for the ability to have baked goods! He moved some spices down for her that he knew she liked to use to cook with and she gave a sound of thanks before turning around and pecking his cheek. He didn’t care if he got a goofy smile on his face, he enjoyed getting that small kiss to his cheek. Once breakfast was ready he dug in with a gusto that amused Amaya.

“You must’ve trained with some heavy weights during those three years,” Goku commented as he noted how easily she moved in his weighted shirt.

“The in-between liked to shift the gravity of the area…” Amaya said and she gained a strange expression on her face at the memory of one of those times, “it wasn’t so bad when it was twice the amount as normal but when it hit ten times or even twenty…”

“That sounds fun,” Goku lightly said and she had to nod.

His love of training sure was something sometimes. Maybe she could find a way to bring that sort of training to him. She wasn’t too knowledgeable on the technology side of things like Bulma was, and she didn’t want to bother the bluenette for something like that. Maybe one day in the future. She blinked when Goku finished eating and took care of the dishes, he must’ve been excited at the prospect of something new in the forest. Something he had never noticed before. He waited until she was finished before pulling her behind him, keeping a hold of her hand the entire time. He was very much a physically affectionate person, a surprise to both of them.

“It’s deep inside, no wonder I never found it,” Goku said as they went further into the forest, “grandpa always told me to stay near the house so I could easily find my way home.”

Amaya really appreciated Gohan for that. She was a little surprised when Goku decided to move in closer. He seemed a little unsure of what they were going to find in the pod. She gave his hand a light squeeze and he seemed to relax a bit more. The two of them came across the pod and he looked at it in surprise.

He felt like he’d seen it before.

Goku moved close to it and brushed some of the moss off it. The silver colour was more apparent in the daytime than the late afternoon. Amaya found herself wondering what it truly was when she saw some markings in a language she couldn’t make out. She gently brushed some of the moss off the letters to try and clear it up some more. Her ki spiked a little and her eyes slowly began to change as she tried to read it.

“Hey,” Goku called as he slowly moved behind her and put a hand over her eyes, “don’t worry about what it says.”

She was surprised, usually everyone wanted to know. She moved to where his hand was no longer in the way of her vision and saw the worried frown on his face. He wasn’t smiling, but his expression softened a little at the slight pout on her face. It was part of her nature to be in the know of things, but he didn’t want her to sacrifice her health to find out. She gave a slow nod and he stepped back before glancing at the pod. It was when she reached out and pressed a small button that the thing opened. The sudden noise startled both of them.

“I didn’t think it would be that loud,” Amaya apologetically stated before noticing that Goku was staring blankly at the pod, “Goku?”

She was startled when a few tears began to fall down his face. Goku blinked when a thumb gently swiped against his cheek and another was placed against the other. He closed his eyes and welcomed her gentle touch, her hands were calloused from years of training but he welcomed it more than a soft one. The rest of her was incredibly so. He regained his composure and opened his eyes. She slowly removed her hands and looked back towards the pod. The inside was still clean and it was fairly big. Bigger than it seemed from the outside.

Goku was able to climb inside and glanced around before pressing a few buttons over head. It was like he knew how to work it, if only a little. The pod powered on and she heard a recording that got her attention.

Destroy the planet?

That was unlikely for Goku to do.

“That’s…” Goku trailed off as his head began to hurt, “it smells like me in here.”

“May I?” Amaya asked as she looked at the control panel on the door and he nodded.

She knelt before it and really checked the buttons. She pressed one and the recording telling Goku to destroy the planet stopped and he let out a sound of relief. She couldn’t help but agree with him on that. She found a blinking red light next to the recording button and hesitated before pressing it. She stepped back when the image of a man that looked nearly identical to Goku appeared. A hologram? She knew what those were, the village did something similar but she’d never learned it. She studied him further, he looked stronger and had a scar on his cheek.

“Kakarot,” the man stated and Goku pointed at himself in slight confusion, “if you’re seeing this then planet Vegeta has fallen, and your mother and I were unable to come retrieve you.”

Amaya had a feeling that he wasn’t fully human. To learn he wasn’t at all was a complete surprise. She squeaked when Goku slowly pulled her into the pod. He wanted to ground himself and she didn’t mind being the person for that. At least he found out now, and not later down the road. He watched as the man awkwardly scratched the back of his, the action was something that he himself did.

“Listen, Saiyan men don’t really connect with their children, the fact that I sent you away is a good sign,” the man stated before frowning not really sure what to say next, “just grow strong…hell find someone like your mother that can fight and cares, trust me you’ll be happier if you do.”

It was obvious with how the man’s face softened that Goku’s mother meant a lot to him. Goku glanced down at the woman in his arms and had to agree with his…dad…that was such a strange concept. He didn’t even know what a saiyan fully was and he guessed his dad hadn’t had enough time to explain it, but he would figure it out. He pulled Amaya closer and she gave him a curious glance before resting her head on his shoulder. She seemed comfortable like that. He brought a hand to the back of her head as he thoughtfully looked at the hologram of his father.

“Am I an alien?” Goku quietly asked.

“Probably,” Amaya softly answered before looking his way, “but you’re still you.”

He was silent for a few seconds before surprising her. He finally initiated a kiss between them. She melted into it as he pulled her closer. She brought her elbow back and it bumped into a button, causing the pod to close on them. She let out a sound of apology and tried looking for it again. A hand covered hers and she glanced back at Goku.

“Can we stay here a while?” He quietly requested and she slowly nodded in confusion before he moved forward again.

Any want she had to leave the pod vanished at that moment. Her hands went to his shoulders as his tail wrapped around her waist and pulled her even closer. He felt a burning in his abdomen, a blazing inferno that he had never felt before. He felt his soon to be wife pull back a little to catch her breath and he took a deep breath. Their scents intermingled caused him to bury his face in the crook of her neck. She jumped in surprise before blushing brightly when he kissed the spot. She clutched at his gi as he continued to pay it special attention. She felt her heart racing as her focus started to vanish. Something sharp hit her skin and within seconds she let out a slight gasp. He bit her? The part of her that wasn’t human decided to rear its head in response. If he wanted to mark her, then she would mark him back. He seemed to enjoy the fact that she did. She was straddling his waist as best as she could and he flipped her so that she was in the small seat as he practically boxed her in with his arms. They parted from one another with identical looks of surprise. Goku was almost tempted to stop, but he knew that Amaya would say something if he went too far. One of his hands tugged on the shirt she was wearing and she nodded her understanding. He couldn’t help but give a nervous smile her way and she returned it. He dove back in, slightly squishing her into the seat.

“I wonder where they are,” Bulma said as she and Kuririn looked around the old home for their friends, the helicopter blades still spinning a little.

“Yeah, I had something that I thought Amaya could use during the ceremony,” Kuririn said as he crossed his arms across his chest in thought, sensing for the two, “they’re in the area.”

“You made a bracelet didn’t you?” Bulma asked and Kuririn let out a sound.

“H-Hey, she’s family at this point,” Kuririn defended himself.

“Didn’t you have a crush on her at some point?” Bulma pointed out with a sly grin.

“Lay off,” Kuririn huffed as he looked to the side in annoyance.

Sure he

had

a crush on Amaya, but it slowly vanished when he saw how she and Goku were together. Even he knew better than to try and get in the middle of something like that. Still, he didn’t know where exactly they were. He glanced at the senzu plant on a nearby window sill and saw that it was starting to bloom, a testament to how much Amaya had paid attention to Karin’s lessons. He gently prodded the plant and it swayed at his touch before standing up straight, as though proud. Well, Karin did say they were very temperamental plants.

“Let’s just head inside,” Bulma sighed, “they’ll be back soon.”

Kuririn noted that the small home had changed a little. Goku and Amaya had expanded the main room just the slightest and Grandpa Gohan now had a proper altar. A picture of the old martial artist had been found and Amaya had made a small shrine for him with the sushinchu proudly sitting on a pillow in front of it. He moved forward and lit some of the incense before bringing his hands together in prayer. He hoped that the old man was happy in heaven, and watching over Goku as best as he could.

“Seriously,” Bulma sighed as she glanced at the clock.

What could those two be doing at two in the afternoon?

Goku ran a hand across the bite marks in Amaya’s shoulder. She winced a little and he gave her an apologetic look. She simply smiled at him as she rested her cheek on his bare, warm shoulder. It was weird, but she could sense him even more since he bit her. She looked to the side, she had gotten him back after all. His hand moved from her shoulder and down to her bare lower back. They were still in the pod, not really wanting to leave. One half human and a non human hiding from the world for just a few hours. She shifted a little and Goku watched the movement with an excited look on his face.

“Can we do that again?” Goku asked as he put a hand on her leg as she slowly sat back to look around for her borrowed shirt.

“Maybe later?” She suggested and he let out a cheer.

“No wonder the old man liked ladies so much,” Goku stated and she felt her face burn and he noted it, growing a little worried he had upset her, “b-but you are the only lady I love.”

“A lady soon to be your wife,” Amaya reminded him and he hummed happily at that thought as he brought his forehead to hers and noted that she was blinking lethargically, “Bulma and Kuririn are here.”

“Aww, I was hoping to have you for a little longer,” Goku pouted.

“You’ll have me for a long time,” she chuckled as she pulled the shirt back on and he brightened at that, “ready to go talk to them?”

He rapidly nodded and she brought a hand up to hit the right button. The pod slowly opened and his tail kept her on his lap as the cold air hit her back. What a time to not be wearing pants. She was gently set down by Goku and she went to find her shorts as he fixed his gi. He shifted the clothing until he was proper. Amaya had been quick in getting herself settled. He moved to pick her back up and she made a yelp of sorts as he placed her on his shoulder. He felt her hands go through his hair and he closed his eyes in enjoyment.

“Let’s go home,” Goku softly stated and she gave him the brightest smile he’d seen from her.

“Where were you guys?!” Bulma yelled at them as they walked into their home.

“We were walking through the woods,” Amaya answered, making an innocent expression.

Goku was immensely thankful for her. He could’ve kissed her right then and there for her quick thinking. Bulma shook her head at the two of them before grabbing onto Amaya and pulling her to the small table that he had watched Amaya make scrolls and seals at. There was some tea already waiting and Kuririn happily greeted them. He grinned as the two sat there as Bulma glared at them.

“Honestly you two,” Bulma sighed, before she brightened at them, “I want to treat Amaya to a girls night, Launch already agreed to it…and I think Pu’ar decided to join us as well.”

“I have a bracelet for the ceremony, the temple used to do marriage ceremonies,” Kuririn explained as he handed the prayer beads to Amaya and she gave him a thankful smile, “and I’m taking Goku out for a guys night.”

“Are we going to fight?” Goku asked as Bulma shook her head.

“Er…we’ll think of something,” Kuririn answered, “we’ll head to Kame house soon.”

“And launch should be here in an hour,” Bulma stated before sending the two men a sharp look, “shoo.”

“Bulma?” Goku asked.

“Shoo.”

“You can’t really shoo a man out of his own house,” Kuririn pointed out.

“Shoo!”

Amaya was just dumbfounded by what had happened before giving Goku a small peck before he headed out. Bulma and Kuririn watched the two in surprise. Kuririn shook himself out of his stupor before grabbing onto Goku and quickly ushering him out of the home before Bulma could yell at them.

“How are you handling being out here with Goku?” Bulma asked when she was sure the two men were out of the area.

“It’s nice,” Amaya stated with a soft smile, “I enjoy living out here with Goku.”

“You two seem close,” Bulma slyly pointed out.

“We are,” Amaya said, picking up her tea and taking a sip of it.

“Did he bite you?!” Bulma asked in surprise and Amaya was held down as Bulma looked at the mark on her shoulder.

“To be fair, I bit him back,” Amaya pointed out, “remember I’m not fully human, sometimes the dragon instincts win out.”

“You guys mark your partners?” Bulma asked as she sat back on her heels.

“We…uh…we mark those we have…well…” Amaya slowly stuttered through the explanation.

“You mark the person you have sex with,” Bulma said, having no shame and grinning as the younger woman became a bright red.

“We’re monogamous!” Amaya squeaked and Bulma chuckled.

“Looks like you two are stuck with one another, not that he seemed to mind,” Bulma said as she picked up her tea.

“Where are ya, Amaya!?” A voice asked and Amaya smiled as Launch walked into the home.

The blonde grinned before letting out a sneeze. The blue haired woman blinked for a few seconds before smiling happily at the sight of Amaya. She quickly moved towards the white haired woman and embraced her. She was happy to see how much she had grown. Bulma was actually glad to see the softer version of the woman. It would be perfect for the at home spa treatment she had planned. A nice trip and then for their honeymoon she was sending the two of them to a hot spring. They were the kind of people to enjoy a traditional place instead of something super expensive.

“I call the hair,” Launch cheerfully said and Bulma grinned as Amaya became alarmed, “why do you have teeth marks in your shoulder?”

Amaya knew it was going to be a long night.

“Hey, Yamcha, Tenshinhan, Chaozu,” Goku greeted the guys as Kuririn landed the helicopter on Roshi’s island.

“Hey, it’s been a bit,” Yamcha cheerfully greeted before blinking.

“Why do you have a bite mark on your shoulder?” Tenshinhan asked before shaking his head. “I’m guessing it’s from Amaya’s dragon side.”

“Woah, you’re right,” Goku said with a smile.

“I don’t want to know,” Yamcha stated and Kuririn agreed, “she’s pretty much my little sister at this point.”

“No guy wants to know what their sister gets up to,” Kuririn added and Goku tilted his head in confusion.

“Don’t worry about it,” Chaozu said before grinning at Goku.

“Hey, would you guys get in already?!” Oolong called as he slammed the door open. “The food is going to get cold!”

Goku may have been the first person inside the house. Amaya made plenty of food when she cooked, but he was always hungry. It was the constant training he did. Rōshi greeted him as the old man swigged some beer. His own students were getting married. His kids were all grown up. He wiped a stray tear away before sitting down at the table with the others. He noted the bite marks on Goku’s shoulder and simply shrugged it off. They didn’t know anything about dragons, and he seemed happy so it wasn’t a big deal.

Age 756, May 22th

Amaya fixed the silk shiromuku and couldn’t help but fidget with the wataboshi. Goku fidgeted with his haori, not used to the type of clothing. Kuririn chuckled under his breath at how uncomfortable his friend was, he looked closer. No, Goku was nervous. He wasn’t fully uncomfortable, the clothing allowed quite a bit of movement that made him happy, he was nervous to see what Amaya looked like. The ceremony started and Kuririn stood straighter as Karin brought Amaya in. Kaito was their acting priest and walked them through the ceremony. From the cleansing of the mouth and hands, to the prayers of food and alcohol to the gods. Their vows were quiet and the only sound was the slight crying of Bulma, Launch, Karin, Roshi, and Kuririn. Yamcha would deny it until the day he died that he didn’t cry, but Tenshinhan had it on camera. Pu’ar dabbed at their eyes and Oolong gave them a slight smile. Bulma wondered who came up with them.

“Bound for eternity,” Kaito agreed as he tied a red ribbon around their hands and Goku smiled at the sight, “the stars will guide your souls.”

Goku was a bit startled by those words. Kaito couldn’t possibly know. He rethought that as the sake was poured into the three sansankudo. No, Kaito most likely did know. Amaya was really different from most of her people. She didn’t mind sharing knowledge with others, and he loved that about her. He didn’t like the taste of sake. They both made faces at the taste and it seemed as though the sharing of the sake had been the fastest part of their ceremony. The exchanging of rings finally got Tenshinhan to sniffle a little. That surprised the others. Amaya led the offering of the branch of a sacred tree and closed her eyes for the prayer. The ki in the room seemed to grow heavy and Goku was worried for a few seconds before the branch gained a silver glow.

“I’ve never actually seen a blessing work,” Kaito muttered as the ceremony finished, “Son Amaya, such is the strange path of fate.”

Goku and Amaya were chatting amongst their friends. Bulma was hoping to get them going to the hot springs before Roshi could do anything inappropriate. He was behaving and it was starting to set off warning bells in her head. Yamcha walked up to her and wrapped an arm around her shoulder and she gave a soft sigh. She wished he could propose already. She glanced at the newly wedded couple before smiling softly. Those two were a special case, if she were to be honest. Goku had his tail wrapped around Amaya and he was standing next to her as Pu’ar grabbed onto her hands and happily congratulated the two. They then allowed Amaya to finally pull them into a hug. It was the nicest hug that Pu’ar had ever received. They should’ve done that before now!

“So, you’ve finally grown up,” Karin said as she removed the wataboshi and he saw the pin he had given her so many years ago, “I’m proud of you.”

“Thank you, Karin-Sama,” Amaya said with a soft expression.

Goku was glad to hear those words. They were both surprised when Bulma started to herd them out with a wide grin. She wanted those two to get going! Goku got the message and grinned back.

“Kinto-un!” He called into the sky.

Kuririn grinned as Goku picked up Amaya bridal style before jumping onto the golden cloud and taking off into the sky. He knew where to go. Amaya had her arms wrapped around his neck and he laughed as they sped through the sky. She soon joined him, and he remembered how her laugh used to sound. How rusty it had been when they were kids. He loved the change to the soft cheerful sound. He brought the kinto-un down to the building that Bulma had described and he could smell the springs before seeing the steam rising into the night air.

“Welcome!” A hostess greeted them with a wide smile. “You’re the one that Miss Briefs called ahead about, you two are on the left side in room twelve.”

Amaya accepted the room key and the newly wedded couple slowly headed to the room. It was fairly traditional, a futon on the ground acted as a bed. Goku sighed in relief as they headed further in and closed the door behind them. Amaya started to remove the shiromuku and Goku watched with a slightly excited look. She caught it and sent him a fond one.

The hostess wondered how the couple was doing, they had been fairly quiet for a while. She noted they were in the combined baths from their shoes and clothing. She smiled in relief before heading back to the front desk. She had some paperwork she needed to do.

“It’s nice here,” Goku said as he played with some of the long silver hair.

“Mmm,” Amaya sleepily agreed and he grinned down at her before she seemed to slump in the water a bit more.

“I think there’s a hot spring in the mountains,” Goku slowly commented as she frowned in thought before glancing his way, “we could move the house there, it can technically capsulise.”

“Goku,” Amaya sighed and he looked up at the night sky.

“I think Grandpa would’ve liked to have moved there,” Goku explained, “he once said that he had been thinking about it before I came in…but he was happy where we lived.”

She hummed in thought at that and reached for his hand. His tail went around her wrist and he slowly moved her closer. He rested his head on top of hers as she fell asleep on him. He was happy to see that some things never changed. He’d have a lifetime to see how things could progress between them. He found himself excited at that prospect.