The Very Next Morning.....
It was a peaceful and quiet morning that overtook the dragon world. The sun was bright, emitting rays strong enough to envelop everything in it's light. The rays of light were so lively that they managed to slip through one of the small windows that was above and next to a bed. Laying on the mattress were two figures that didn't seem to separate from each other nor disturbed for eternity. But unfortunately fate had other plans for them since inevitably, one of started to stir in his sleep as he was starting to wake up from his slumber. The male's eyes fluttered open, adjusting to them to his surroundings before pondering on where he was, his outward question coming out into a tired mutter, "What...happened last night.". He wasn't fully aware on where he was until he felt something shift against his chest which caused him to look down. There he saw the majin girl's sleeping and peaceful form all curled up within his arms. He was confused until he remembered everything that happened yesterday bit by bit and smiled at the image of the kiss the two shared.
"We've must of fell asleep after that. I can understand since it was emotionally draining after all....," Kuzuku assumed as he hugged her closer to him. The warmth of just being near her was enough to cause his heart to flutter. It was strange to him since he's never been like this to anyone. He's considered the Z-fighters themselves as family and cares deeply about the friends he's made on Earth, that was obvious. However, his affection towards 21 was just...different. It seemed stronger and he's more prone to soften up to her than anyone while he just simply enjoys being around her and make her happy. Her smile was something that brought him a happiness that was foreign to him, simply because he's never been in this kind of relationship before. In fact, he's never felt this way towards someone...even Nana. He squirmed through his thoughts for a while in attempts to come to complete terms with his feelings. He stayed still so he wouldn't disrupt her sleep. He sighed, eventually coming to a simple conclusion, "What am I doing. I think it's obvious that I simply just love her.....".
Once he came to that conclusion, he noticed 21's body started to shift a bit more actively. Her eyes slowly open, revealing their bright azure color that made him blush at first sight. She seemed exhausted, unaware of her surroundings for a moment until Kuzuku leaned down to plant a quick kiss on her forehead. The gesture startled her awake immediately and look up at him with surprise. The Saiyan couldn't hold his chuckle at her reaction, "Good morning, sleepy head. Did you have a nice sleep?".
21 quickly recalled everything that happened yesterday and tried to not make eye contact due to embarrassment, reply meekly to his question, "I--I did. Thank you for asking...Kuzuku....". She stared into his shirt, noticing that both of them were still in the very same clothes that they wore yesterday. Her blush was now visible to him, which was actually cute in his book while he watched her try to collect her thoughts. She sighed and stared up at him with eyes filled with slight hope.
"Uh, Kuzuku...after everything that's happened last night. Does this mean..." 21 whispered, her voice soft and wishful.
Kuzuku nodded, obviously knowing the answer to her question, "Yeah, I guess we are a couple now since our feelings for each other is clear as day.". The majin's eyes softened, almost glittering as her tears wanted to flow down her cheek. She smiled genuinely at him while he returned one of his own.
"This seems too good to be true...," 21 admitted.
The Saiyan couldn't even disagree, "Yeah, I can hardly believe it myself.". 21 buried her face into his chest, taking in his scent as much as she could.
"It feels wonderful. But, what do we do now? You know, now that we are aware of each other's affection," 21 asked, curious as to what his take on the situation was.
Kuzuku cupped his chin and thought for a moment before giving his own thoughts, "Well, this is the first time I've actually loved someone this much before. This is all new to me since I've never fallen in love until now, ya know? But, in my opinion, I think the best thing for us to do is simply be ourselves but we can be more honest with our feelings and show more affection to each other. We'll both have each other's backs whenever anything bad happens and I'll always be supportive of you.". Though she was as oblivious to such a feeling herself, she couldn't help but smile at his words.
"I agree..." 21 said softly. They shared a moment of silence, only enjoying each other's company until it was interrupted by the sound of two stomach growls. They looked down and then back at each other before bursting out into a fit of laughter.
"Looks like we can lay here and be all lovey-dovey all we want, but our stomachs disagree," Kuzuku jested, chuckling at how ironic it was.
21 giggled at his comment and rolled out of bed to let out a cute yawn, "You couldn't be more right. I'll make us some breakfast so something like that doesn't happen again.". As she started to walk towards the door, Kuzuku got out of bed as well and noticed he was still wearing the same clothes.
"Alright, that definitely sounds good but I'm going to need a shower first," Kuzuku noted, stretching his arm over his head before letting it blop down at his side.
The majin paused in front of the door and gave him a small smile, "Okay, I'll head to my room so I can take one as well. After that, I'll start making breakfast so I suggest you take a longer shower to save you the trouble of waiting. Oh yeah, there are also some spare clothes for you in the drawer over there.".
"Alright, have a nice bath....," Kuzuku nodded, taking her advice while she exited the room. He sighed into a smile before heading into the bathroom to take a long shower. After a good half-hour, he got out of the bathroom and headed over to the drawer to fetch out some clothes: choosing a plain-black shirt with sweatpants to match. After folding his clothes, he noticed the sweets that he brought her yesterday and used the bag to hold his used clothing. He smiled, taking the container out of the bag before heading towards the kitchen where he smelled an aroma that would draw any hungry man towards it's scent. After navigating the hallways, Kuzuku finally made it to the kitchen, catching a glimpse of the majin going to work at the stove. He smiled and simply sat down at the table to admire her work. There were already several omelets made and some sweets such as cookies and cake with pancakes to go with it. He couldn't help but imagine how much time she put into honing her skills in the culinary arts.
When she got done with the rest of the food, 21 sat down at the table and smiled at him, "All done, shall we dig in?".
"Yeah, but let me give you this. You gotta try them, they were from this shop that I wanted to give you since yesterday," Kuzuku offered. She took the box to see the contents and was instantly marveled at the decorated chocolates. Her reaction was enough to make Kuzuku laugh a bit as she took a bite of the sweet substance, blushing at the marvelous taste.
"These are so delicious, where did you pick this up?!" 21 asked, enthused by the taste.
Kuzuku thought for a moment, "Uh, it was some store buy the movie theater but I kinda forgot the name, though, you could probably recognize the box through the display window." 21's face fallened after remembering that he went out on a date yesterday and how she reacted to it all.
"Oh.....I see," She muttered meekly.
The Saiyan quickly took notice of her facial expression, "I know what you're thinking and if it makes you feel any better, it's okay. I'm not mad in the slightest nor do I resent you. It's actually flattering to think that you can be jealous over me which was quite unexpected.". The mood lightened, the two chuckling at how things turned out in the end, though, 21 was embarrassed from the last part. She sat back in her chair while she watched the Saiyan enjoy her food.
"Hey, Kuzuku. You said you didn't exactly kiss her, right?" 21 asked, tempted to ask such a question for some clarification.
Kuzuku swallowed at least three pancakes before replying, "Oh, yeah. I think I have you to thank for that since your outburst kinda saved my bacon back there.". 21 blushed deeper at that fact.
"If that's the case, what exactly happened between you two? Like, how did you manage to call it off?" 21 questioned.
The Saiyan placed his fork down and smiled with a hint of guilt before explaining, "Well, to put it simply, she kinda figured out the whole thing herself and was actually content with how I felt. I kinda felt bad for her and offered that we both can be friends. After that, she accepted my offer and pretty much left with her limo-driver without a second thought.".
"I see, I kinda feel bad for taking you from her...," 21 muttered, feeling guilty for her actions. However, Kuzuku shook his head in disagreement.
"Not really, I wasn't really interested in her in the first place and I was pressured into it. I think it was my fault for pulling her along without flat out telling her. I was just lucky that she was more understanding than her ex-boyfriend," Kuzuku noted.
21 blinked at the last part, "Her...ex-boyfriend?". Kuzuku sighed, remembering everything that happened between them.
"Yeah, he was pretty much an egotistical jerk that manipulated other people to gain popularity. His ego was probably larger than Vegeta and that's saying something. I mean, one day, I accidentally flung one of the trays onto Ryusika while they were still together and I apologized but he wasn't having it. He was one of those guys that wanted you to grovel for mercy but I wasn't having it so I guess that kinda hurt his ego somehow. After that, we became enemies up until he got arrested for trying to kill me," Kuzuku explained.
21 thought for a moment and processed the situation, "I see, though, he must at least cared for her a little bit. I mean, how would you react to someone did something to me?". Kuzuku stared at her for a moment until his face darkened into a sly grin.
"What type of question is that, 21? If they did anything remotely close to that then I'll just send them to the moon and blow it up," Kuzuku answered, causing the majin to go pale.
His expression lasted for a moment until it returned back to a happy smile, "Don't worry, I was joking. But seriously, we are going to have some problems if that ever happens and about Glade's relationship with Ryusika, he was only using her. In fact, the guy didn't even care about her one bit after I listened to one of the recordings that one of the kids he used to bully somehow obtained. Trust me, he was beyond help despite the chances I gave him.".
"I guess that's fair but did you really have to make me nervous?" 21 sighed with relief.
"What, it was the perfect opportunity," Kuzuku teased. She didn't reply and only took it as a form of messing around. They went back to enjoying their breakfast, enjoying each other's company while allowing their new found feelings to sink in little by little. Eventually, the two finished the refreshing breakfast and were getting ready to start their day. 21 was about to head over to Bulma's to help her out with one of her inventions since she's received notice of her assistance a few days ago while Kuzuku informed that he was going to train some more which meant that he was going to head home to get his Gi and find a proper place to train which actually popped a question of concern to the majin's mind. She motioned them to stop just outside of her laboratory where the sun was shining.
"Kuzuku, are you going to take it easy during training? I know you said you've fully recovered and all, but I just want to make sure," 21 said with uneasiness in her voice.
Kuzuku looked at her with a comforting smirk and patted her head in order to soothe her worries for him, "Yeah, I'll be fine in terms of training. It's not like I'm going to nearly kill myself in a session...unless someone comes by and offers a serious spar, but we always have insurance for that.". 21 felt a little bit at ease and sighed.
"Alright, but what are you exactly training to achieve? You are already strong as you are now, right?" 21 asked, curious as to why Kuzuku became so strong.
The Saiyan's eyes softened along with his smirk, "That's a good question. Really, all I want to do is try to catch up with Gohan and the others. That way, I can at least be of use in terms of protecting the Earth which I made my new home. Though, I guess it's just something that is a part of my daily life because I am a full-blooded Saiyan so it's just in my nature since as you know, I did train before I arrived here.".
The majin looked for a moment before giving up, understanding full well that it's something that she has to cope with despite having some Saiyan cells within her too, "I suppose that is a fair answer, you are Saiyan after all. But, I want you to be careful, okay? I don't want to see you limping at my doorstep all bloodied and bruised.".
Kuzuku gave her a wide grin, "And here I thought you'd be happy to see me if something like that would happen. Anyways, enough with the jokes, you don't have to worry. I will take care of myself just for you,".
As he assured her, he leaned in just to give her a quick kiss on the cheek that caused her face to flush red. He took in her scent before pulling away to reveal a small smirk spread across his face. After taking in her current expression and saving it in the back of his thoughts, Kuzuku turned towards the sky and took off towards his house to retrieve his Gi.
After Some Time Of Flying......
Kuzuku flew through the sky at insane speeds with a gleeful expression on his face. In no time at all, he arrived at his home and quickly landed just in front of his door. He opened his front door quickly and ran to his room to change into his Gi with some new boots to go with it. Without much left to do, he exited the front of his home and closed the door behind him with his bag of supplies over his back, however, he noticed a familiar Ki teleport behind him which nearly startled him but he remembered that there was only one person capable of doing that. He turned around with a greeting grin as Goku was standing before him with a grin of his own, "Yo Kuzuku, how've you been?!".
His cheerful tone was enough to make anyone happy which Kuzuku always marked as one of his charms, "I've been great, Goku! What brings you here?". Goku looked at Kuzuku up and down and nodded before giving him his answer, which was odd at first but he passed it off as nothing to fret about.
"Well, seeing that you are about to train and all...," Goku paused as Kuzuku interrupted.
"What? You want to spar with me or something?" Kuzuku asked.
The hero of Earth shook his head in denial, "No, nothing like that. As much as I want to, I actually came here to offer you a chance to get in some serious training. You see, I know a place where you can get a whole lot stronger in just a single day.". Kuzuku's interested sky rocketed at the words "Stronger" and "A single day".
"Really?! You're kidding, right? I can get a whole lot stronger in just a single day?!" Kuzuku asked, nearly running over the Saiyan as he tried to search his eyes for any signs of lying.
Goku chuckled with slight nervousness though he was glad he got him hooked on the idea, "Whoa, Whoa, slow down there and let me explain first, will ya?". Kuzuku backed off a little though he was excited to hear what he had to say which gave Goku enough room to breath.
"Alright so, back when were fighting against Cell and the Androids, we found ourselves to be outmatched at the time. Due to that, we all had to get super strong real fast so we can actually stand a chance. In order to do that, we needed a years worth of training with no time to waste," Goku explained.
Kuzuku raised an eyebrow since he noticed something was wrong with his tale, "Wait, so if you needed a years worth of training but you didn't have time to wait, how did you guys get strong enough to defeat them?". Goku smiled widely as he was glad that he asked.
"That's the juicy part. You see, at Dende's Lookout, there is a special door that leads into a room that is separated from this dimension. In that room, time is different and is much faster compared to the realm we are in. One day there is literally one whole year in there.".
"Are you for real!" Kuzuku shouted in disbelief.
Goku nodded, his face displaying no deception to it, "Totally real. I am planning on sending you in there along with Piccolo and Gohan so you three can get stronger. At the moment, you guys are about the closest to each other in power so it makes sense that you'll be perfect training partners. That and they already agreed to enter in with you.".
Kuzuku thought about it for a moment. To 21, it'll be like he's been gone for a day but to him, he'll not be able to see her for a year and that's if they don't decide to stay longer! Though, he does want to get stronger, especially if he wants to protect her in the future. He made up his mind and gave Goku a nod, "Alright, I accept! Besides, this is a perfect opportunity!". Goku smirked at his energy.
"Great, then let's go! Be warned, the room is rather intense. When I was a kid, I couldn't even last a month in there but I'm sure you'll be able to handle it," Goku warned. He motioned the Saiyan to follow him since they both felt that they needed to catch up on some things so they decided to fly instead. In no time, they took off into the air before zooming off like two comets zooming through the sky.
Now At Bulma's Place.....
On the other hand, 21 and Bulma were out in the back working on an invention that would provide a special fluid for Jaco's spaceship since the galactic patrolman was requesting it for quite some time. She was in her human form and honestly, they were having quite the fun time, sharing ideas and some studies that they've been intrigued by. Though, while they were working, they were interrupted by the sound of the door opening which caused them to look over to see who it was, only to find it was just Chi Chi, Videl, and a sleeping Pan. Bulma placed down her wrench and got up to greet them, "Hey gals, just what are you two doing here?"
"Nothing much, just thought that we can chat and hang with you for the day. It's good to see 21 here to which only means more to marry, right?" Chi Chi said with blatancy. Bulma looked over to Videl to see if she had an excuse as well but before she could answer, Chi Chi decided to explain to her, "Videl came over as well since she was just informed that Gohan wasn't going to be around for a day or two.". Bulma and 21 looked at each other confused, the revelation abruptly stopping 21 from programming the device.
"Huh, why not? Is he doing overtime at work?" 21 asked.
Videl waved her hand to the side with a nervous smile, "No nothing like that. He actually finished all of his assignments way before the deadline so he's had a ton of free time on his hands."
"Then what's going on with him?" Bulma questioned further, trying to press the truth out of her.
Chi Chi placed her hands on her hips and puffed loudly to express her irritation, "My Goku had a grand idea to make Piccolo, Gohan, and Kuzuku stronger today. He seemed eager and somewhat desperate on accomplishing that goal so he set out to find them for some sort of 'recruitment'. He already got Piccolo and Gohan hooked on it, so he definitely got Kuzuku by now, especially since he's a Saiyan as well. The poor boy probably couldn't resist the urge anyways.".
21's concern trailed towards the safety of her Saiyan almost instantly, "That explains it, but how are they going to accomplish that? It has to be some pretty intense training.".
"I don't know, but he said something about the Hyperbolic Time whatever its called!" Chi Chi shouted.
Suddenly, a familiar voice that came from the door behind them corrected her, "He must of been talking about the Hyperbolic Time Chamber." They all turned to see Vegeta walking towards them with a towel over his face.
"The Hyperbolic Time Chamber? What is that?" Videl asked.
Bulma thought for a moment before remembering exactly what he was talking about, "Oh, you mean that room that you guys went into so you can train to fight Cell? Now it makes sense.". Vegeta smirked at the fact that his wife was about the only one who caught on.
"Yes, the room is a separate dimension from this one. One day in our dimension is the equivalent of one year in there. That's not all, but the conditions and gravity may vary from time to time. Sometimes it may be scorching hot as the sun or as cold as space. If I'd have to say it's the perfect training environment." Vegeta explained.
"Sounds grueling. Are you sure they'll be okay in there?" Videl asked with concern.
Vegeta laughed with a tone that would probably designate him instantly as a jerk, "They will be fine alright. Unless they accidentally blow up the door then they might as well kill themselves so they can have us wish them back with the dragon balls.". Bulma instantly got angry at how inconsiderate he was being.
"Vegeta, that is not funny!" Bulma scolded.
His laughter settled down into a twisted expression of both guilt and pride, "Tch, don't get it twisted women. Gohan and Piccolo have been inside once already and Kuzuku is a pure-blooded prodigy that most likely has a bloodline of Saiyan elites.". The girls still glared at him collectively since they still believe he wasn't right.
"You should still at least show an ounce of consideration," 21 advised.
Vegeta's attention turned towards her, his nose instantly acting up at a familiar and almost irrefutable smell. He stared at her for a usual amount of time which caused her to wonder if she offended him, "Huh, what is it? Did I say anything out of line?". Vegeta didn't reply to that question and only focused on what he smelled.
"Tell me, has Kuzuku considered you his mate yet? I can smell his scent on you and it's pretty strong if I'd have to say," Vegeta asked.
The majin flushed read, flabbergasted by his statement, "Wh--WHAT?! Why ask such an inappropriate question?!". She looked at the girls for some support but all they did was stare at her with curiosity, as if they knew what Vegeta was implying.
"21 are you and Kuzuku....," Chi Chi muttered.
"I don't know what you guys are talking about!" 21 defended, trying to defuse any
Bulma rubbed her forehead with a nervous chuckle, "21, I don't think you can hide it. We've caught you red handed.". 21 calmed down a bit but was still puzzled at what was such a big deal.
"What do you mean by that?" 21 said, her eyes seemingly begging for the answer.
Vegeta smirked, explaining things himself rather than just beating around the bush, "Here's a thing you probably should know about Saiyans. Normally, when a Saiyan finds someone they consider worthy enough to be their partner, they'd be more protective during missions until they receive the same affection. However, there will be those times that a Saiyan would leave his scent on someone if he develops strong feelings for them. Of course you could wash it off and they don't do it all the time but it becomes easy to distinguish from a Saiyan's perspective. Consider it as them practically claiming you as theirs before you two even got to the point of mating.". She thought back to when Kuzuku kissed her goodbye on the cheek and blushed deeply. Her reaction was just a dead giveaway.
"So I was right! You two are together, congratulations!" Chi Chi exclaimed with excitement. She rushed over and nearly tackled her off the chair with a tight hug around her waist. 21 giggled nervously as she couldn't help but think, "So much for keeping it a secret."
At the Lookout.......
After some time, Kuzuku and Goku made it to the lookout where they saw Gohan and Piccolo waiting for him. They landed on the circular structure that was floating above the world and walked over to them to let them know that Kuzuku was ready when they are. Goku raised his hand into his signature greeting salute, "Sorry to keep you guys waiting but we're here now!".
Piccolo unfolded his arms as his cape flowed with the high winds, "About time you got here. I thought you were going to skip-out on some good training.". Kuzuku stopped just in front of them with a smirk on his face.
"Are you kidding, this is too good to pass up. So, are you guys ready?" Kuzuku asked. They both nodded, verifying his question without much words to give. With no time to waste, the three warriors who will be training with each other walked towards the room all the while Goku explained some of his experiences with the room. He took care of some of the major questions such as food supply and clothing, noting that their will be enough for each of them during their time there.
"So how long will we be in there?" Kuzuku asked the moment the thought came to his mind.
Piccolo continued to look straight ahead but answered his question, "We'll be training in there for two years. If you want to back out now then go right ahead.".
"Nah, I'm fine. But, it's a good thing I am a straight A student in most of my subjects because it looks like I'll be skipping out on school," Kuzuku noted.
The Namekian huffed at his comment, "Hmph, I always thought school was overrated anyways."
"I'll say.....," Goku added at the right time since after that conversation, they arrived just in front of the entrance to the Hyperbolic Time Chamber. Goku smiled as they all waited for him to leave, "Well here it is! I wish you guys the best of luck! For now, I got to go tend to those radish fields before Chi Chi get angry so, see ya!". In a blink of an eye, he vanished from their sight. Kuzuku made a mental note to at least try to learn that during his training when he gets the chance.
"Well, let's waste no more time then," Gohan suggested as he opened the door and entered the room. The other two followed as soon as they embark on their intense two year training session.
Inside The Hyperbolic Time Chamber.....
As the door closed behind them, Kuzuku couldn't help but noticed a distinct change in pressure that was weighing down against his body. He also noticed that he was having a slight trouble in terms of breathing as well but he ignored it for now and looked around for a moment, only to spot the necessities that were required for them to live here. He took a mental note as to where everything was and decided to ask, "So this is the place, huh? I must admit, it's a bit more spacious than I thought but the bigger question is, where do you we train?". Gohan and Piccolo settled their stuff down at their beds, practically claiming them before giving the Saiyan a smirk.
"Follow us and you'll find out," Piccolo said as he walked in the direction that lead to the training area. Kuzuku nodded and placed his stuff down on the remaining bed across from them and followed the Namekian and half-breed.
When they reached the exit of the house, all he could do was stare. What he saw was not only breathtaking but also outright intimidating. Nothing was there other than an endless void. He couldn't believe his eyes on how an infinite and vast space could be on the other side of the door they just entered a few minutes ago. He was frozen, trying to process everything he saw until Gohan patted his shoulder to knock him out of his trance while smirking at the young Saiyan, "Don't worry, when I entered for the first time, I was a bit overwhelmed as well. I'm sure you'll get used to it.". He walked passed him to start his stretches. Kuzuku gulped out of reluctance but followed suite anyways with Piccolo trailing behind them. They all began to stretch since they didn't want to waste time and get in the most amount of work.
"Now Kuzuku, since you've been training at high gravity levels for quite some time, we are going to head out deeper into the void right off the bat, okay? I left behind a bottle that contains a bit of my energy that should last about a half a year so we can get back," Piccolo explained.
Kuzuku raised his head since he was stretching his hamstrings while sitting on the ground, his eyes curious about how this realm works, "Wait, how does going deeper into the void help us?".
"The deeper we go, the more intense the gravity is and not only that but the frequent change in temperatures combined with the air getting thinner by the minute, makes things more difficult," Gohan informed.
The Saiyan nodded, "That's good to know. I can see why you guys are praising this place so much. If the conditions live up to their reputation then I have no doubt in my mind that we'll get insanely stronger.". His training partners nodded and continued on with their stretches. When they finished, Kuzuku, Gohan, and Piccolo started to make their way deeper into the void. That was when Kuzuku started to fully understand where they were coming from since he immediately felt the sudden shift of gravity grow more frequent and intense with each step. He followed them for a while until they eventually stopped and landed in a clear area that was pretty far from the house that was barely visible.
"Alright, I think the routine should be for us to work on individual training so we can strengthen our weaknesses along with improving our overall abilities. After that, we can do some one-on-one sparring once per day and on some days, we'll do two-on-one sparring as well in order to sharpen our senses when we are in danger," Gohan suggested.
Piccolo cracked his knuckles and started walking towards his own little area, agreeing since he's been over this with him, "Good, by the end of things we will become stronger than we've ever been before.". Gohan made his way to his training area as well, just as anxious as Piccolo in terms of getting started. The young Saiyan couldn't contain his excitement and fist bump the air.
"Alright, let's get this thing on the road!" Kuzuku shouted with determination. Their respective training started in just seconds. On Kuzuku's end, he made sure to wear the gravity bracelets again to further increase the intensity in his training.
He was starting off with the typical minimum of two hundred times Earth's gravity which wasn't much compared to how he normally trains. The Saiyan was mainly focusing on body movement while trying to exert the less amount of Ki he could so he would not only learn the best way to move his body under extreme weight but also hammer in some muscle memory as well. Step by step, he'd focus his stance and movement are slicing the air with clean and precise strikes. With each strike he unleash only strengthened his body further due to the added gravity and would increase his speed in the process. That and added the temperature changes made things a rather exquisite combination for his training. Over time, he increased the gravity to the point where he would feel strain when using Super Saiyan and would do the same when in Super Saiyan 2. This was meant to make things a lot harder for his body since he would have to keep up with the constant Ki drain which was his main goal for today. Lessening the strain on his forms while also working on reducing the power outage of his two more stable forms would only aid him in the future when trying to master Super Saiyan 3.
Gohan on the other hand was performing shadow boxing while the frequent weather changes were happening. He needed to focus his mind on what attack patterns would deliver the most damage through imagining a person in front of him. When he goes into a real battle, he would have pinpoint all of the persons vitals points making it easier to take down his enemies with swift blows so he wouldn't have to rely on raw power. He learned that he is in fact stronger with his Ultimate Form but even he knows that his overconfidence and reliance on pure strength will cost him fights which is why he needed to learn to exert the least force and target areas that are considered weak. And lastly, Piccolo was self-sparing with his clones over and over again until he's defeated by them. Through putting himself in life threatening situations, he hopes that it would increase his level of power so he could be ready for foes in the future. It wasn't any special training but it was meant to boost his overall abilities.
Eventually, the one-on-one sparing came around after about three hours of intense training. The first match was Kuzuku vs Gohan since Piccolo was pretty much beating himself up the entire time, literally. Seeing how he was fighting Gohan, Kuzuku decided it was best to not use Super Saiyan 3 since that would be suicide if he were to with his current status with the form. The two got into position, both feeling confident in their training with Kuzuku specifically believing that he would win after recalling the last time they sparred. He felt that he lost against Gohan because of lack of stamina and the use of Kaioken kinda screwed him over. Piccolo stood between them, being that he was the referee. He looked at the two before raising his hand into the air, only to slice the air vertically as he swung his arms towards the ground, "You may begin!".
Gohan charged at Kuzuku, causing him instantly to go Super Saiyan 2. He caught the oncoming fist and went in for an elbow to retaliate with, however, Gohan saw it coming and caught it with his free hand. Their few exchanges turned into a swift and short clash of strikes as they struggled to gain ground on the other. Inevitably, the two separated, knowing that it would take them nowhere in terms of progressing towards victory. Dashing at heightened speeds, Kuzuku charged at Gohan with a series of heavy hitting punches that carried more weight behind them than before. The two then started to clash once more, their swings and kicks shaking the ground beneath them. After noticing an opportunity for creating an opening, Gohan ducked under a left hook that was aimed towards his face and uppercutted Kuzuku in the jaw hard enough to send him flying away. While he was recovering from such a shift maneuver, Gohan chased after him, closing the distance between them immediately until Kuzuku suddenly caught him off guard by launching a random knee into his chin. The cheeky blow caused Gohan to be stunned for a bit, which gave Kuzuku enough time to flip backwards to regain ground as quickly as possible before dashing at Gohan once again. In seconds, the half-breed was now put onto the defensive as Kuzuku was now gaining the upper-hand with his relentless strikes all over his guard. Everyone one of Kuzuku's fists came flying at dangerous speeds that force him to either dodge or block while his kicks were enough to make his arms numb. Eventually, he broke through his guard, landing a firm elbow to the chest while also following up with a combination of roundhouse and side kicks to the face and stomach. The Saiyan went on to finish his assault with a reverse roundhouse kick to the face that was meant to finish things, but he was surprised when he noticed that he struck nothing but air. His eyes almost darted down towards the ground slowly, only to notice that Gohan had slipped under him. While the Saiyan was confused, the half-breed proceeded to place his hand on Kuzuku's stomach and applied a certain amount of force into it to where a pulse of energy traveled all the way to the palm of his hands which created a shock-wave of energy that passed through his body like a torrent of wind. Kuzuku gagged at the feeling and was shot backwards like a cannonball until he tumbled across the ground. After rolling against the surprising hard ground and gaining some new scrapes, Kuzuku managed to steel himself back on his feet and skid to a stop while clutching his stomach, "What in the hell was that?! It felt like he hit one of my vital areas with some sort of energy blast, but all he did was placed his palm on my stomach!".
Kuzuku stood up strong as his worries contrasted with a smirk on his face after passing it off to the side. His plan was already set into motion. Without warning, he dashed at Gohan fast enough to catch him off guard, kicking him in the side of his ribs hard enough to send him flying the perfect amount of distance until he caught himself in mid-air. The half-breed groaned, though he was still in the fight, "Not bad, Kuzuku. Your speed and endurance has improved by this much already."
Kuzuku smirked, still putting up the charade until he felt that there will be no escape, "Yeah, and it seems you came up with some new techniques yourself, Gohan.". His tone was enough to alert Gohan that something was up.
"Are you implying that you came up with something as well?" Gohan asked.
Kuzuku gave him a toothy smirk as he pointed towards the ground below him, "Something like that and it seems you are gonna see it for yourself very soon. In fact, you'll feel it right about now". Gohan was confused for a moment, looking down at to finally realize what he was talking about. He grimaced at what he saw, tiny particles of energy laid out across the ground to surround him in pretty much all directions. He couldn't believe that he actually feel for a trap like this which begged the question on how he was able to set something up like this in-between their exchanges.
Kuzuku raised his fingers with confidence and got ready to detonate, "Well, looks like I win this one Gohan.". With a snap of his fingers, the mini-bombs of Ki detonated like a series of explosions that overlapped each other, eventually turning into a large dome of Ki that engulfed Gohan completely. Kuzuku watched the light show in front of him, admiring his work with pride in his accomplishment. In due time, the light settled and the dust began to clear slowly as the Saiyan was getting ready to head towards Gohan to help him up. But, that would prove to be a detrimental mistake as when the smoke completely faded away, Gohan wasn't there. Kuzuku's eyes widened with shock.
"Impossible, there's no way he dodged that! Wait...unless..." Kuzuku mentally shouted as his head raised itself towards the sky above. There, he saw the very same half-breed with slightly tattered clothes floating above him.
Gohan smirked down at his bewildered expression, nearly chuckling in the process, "I must say that was a neat trick, Kuzuku and you nearly got me. So as a reward, I think it's time for me to get serious against your Super Saiyan 2.".
The half-breed curled his arms and let out a roar, his Ki flaring his white aura that had neon-blue electricity dancing around it. Sensing the sharp increase in power, Kuzuku groaned he roared as well, his golden aura flaring to the point where he reached his maximum before bursting into a new strength. His hair grew longer with his eyebrows clearly gone, revealing that he had indeed transformed into a Super Saiyan 3.
In mere moments, the two speed blitzed each other, the clash of their forearms causing a shock-wave that extended all the way to the resting area. Without warning, their fists flew at each other with high speeds while also fending off opposing strikes at the same time along with occasionally kicks. Hastily, Kuzuku took the chance to land a swift kick across his stomach that rocketed him backwards. The Saiyan flared his Ki and chased after him with the intent on not letting up on his pursuit. However, before Kuzuku could even land another punch into his stomach, Gohan snap-vanished from his sight and reappeared behind him with Kuzuku's eyes tracking him almost instantly, "Crap!".
Gohan then hurled a right hook towards the side of Kuzuku's head but before it could it, the Saiyan vanished as well which caused his opponent to do the same. With each strike, both fighters continued to vanish behind each other as if it were a test of speed until they eventually ended up on kick each other in the chin. They both stumbled backwards for a moment until they rushed at each other again with another flurry of punches and kicks once more. In the midst of the exchanges, Kuzuku began to notice that something was off and no, it wasn't just his stamina draining this time. He felt that the damage Gohan was dishing out was more than usual and was actually starting to overwhelm him. He tried pushing harder, hoping that he can somehow quickly overwhelm him before he wears him down since he pretty much figured out what Gohan was doing. He was focusing the majority of his attacks on Kuzuku's weakest areas, targeting specific areas while he was just focusing on playing the more prominent offense. In due time, Gohan broke through Kuzuku's onslaught of punches, ending his assault with swift pushing both of his arms to the side so he can widen his guard enough to ram an energy ball into his stomach.
"Sorry, Kuzuku, but it looks like I win this won!" Gohan shouted, commanding his Ki ball to expand. Kuzuku eyes shrunk as the energy ball soon began to envelope him as it started to turning into an energy wave. He let out a cry of pain as the wave extended until it exploded with devastating force, leaving only but a trail of smoke to cover the two. Gohan let out a sigh as the dust unraveled the Saiyan laid out on his back just a few feet away from him. He wiped the sweat off his forehead and exhaled deeply, "Phew, now that was an intense first day of sparring.". Piccolo landed next to him, giving him a look of congratulation even though his face was still stern.
"I'll say, we should head back for now. Our friend here is probably exhausted for his first day," Piccolo insisted. Gohan nodded and lifted Kuzuku's arm over his shoulder and flew back to house with Piccolo following suite. Once they arrived, he laid the young Saiyan down on his respective bed and covered him with the blankets so he wouldn't freeze due to the sudden changes in temperature. After making sure he was comfortable, Gohan walked over towards his bed and decided to get some rest himself while Piccolo meditated on the bed next to him.
Day 2, In The Hyperbolic Time Chamber.....
The next day started kinda groggily for Kuzuku, though, he passed it off immediately and decided to meditate in his Super Saiyan 3 state. After taking the beating he did yesterday, he pretty much decided it was best to try and not over strain himself with rigorous physical training so he can have time to recuperate which was probably the best time to focus on his concentration in this form. He cleared his mind, and focused on trying to lower the amount of energy he was exerting so he can better maintain the form, the ground below him glowing yellow as his aura was jagged.
In the middle of his meditation training, he could hear the sounds of the raging sparring match between Piccolo and Gohan nearby. The two were moving fast, trying their best to out pace the other so they can gain the momentum of the fight. Fiercely, Piccolo finally managed to catch Gohan with a hard elbow across the face, causing him to skid backwards until he came to a stop. While he was rubbing his jaw, Piccolo unleashed a short flurry of energy blast in his direction. After catching a glimpse of the destructive energy blast coming his way, the half-breed leapt into the air in an attempt to dodge them all until he quickly realized that they were homing in on him, tracking him down as if they were heat-signature missiles. He gritted his teeth, taking off into a full on flight in hopes to avoid them at all cost. With swift aerial maneuvers, Gohan lead the blasts towards him before flying around them in a way that would cause them to collide into each other, resulting them to explode all together without so much of scratching him. But, to his misfortune, it was all revealed to be nothing more than a distraction as Piccolo came crashing down from above while he wasn't looking and dropped kicked him hard across the face. Gohan groaned as he was rocketed to the ground and impacted with enough force to cause an explosion. The Namekian hovered above as the dust was blocking his vision, so he kept his guard up just in case for anything out of the blue. He waited, trying to guess what he may throw at him next, "Come on, quit stalling Gohan."
Just as he anticipated, a Kamehameha was fired out of the smoke to which Piccolo reciprocated by countering with his Demon Explosive Wave. The two waves collide midway, creating a ball of Ki in the center of their clash before exploding as a result of a draw between their respective attacks. The blinding, yellow light created from the explosion seemed to covered the dimension with its color, causing the Namekian to shield his eyes so he can properly see later. Piccolo then felt a sharp pain at his side as Gohan's fist embedded itself into it, causing him to cringe a bit while his opponent was preparing to target one of his weak points: his lungs. In order to set up for his devastating strike, he slammed his fist again into Piccolo's stomach which caused him to keel over enough for him to be completely under him. But, it didn't stop there seeing how this was a perfect opportunity to unleash a barrage of punches aimed at the same spot in order to increase the damage. Piccolo gagged over and over again as each blow connected, only to soon receive a jaw breaking reverse roundhouse kick across his face. Due to that blow, Piccolo's upper body was now wide open since his arms were completely down at his sides while his face was directed towards his left: allowing Gohan to firmly palm punch the Namekian in the chest before emitting the shock-wave of energy through that area.
"Gaagh!" Piccolo gasped, the feeling of his cardiovascular functions being ruptured nearly made him fall to the ground. However, he steeled himself and used his Namekian biology to grab Gohan by the throat firmly and extended his arms a great distance away from him. While he still had Gohan in his grasp, he slammed him to the ground which made him cough up a bit of blood before he retracted it to charge directly at him. The half-breed slowly stood up and wiped the blood leaking out of his mouth and caught a glimpse of the Namekian charging at him with his fist ready to strike. He crossed his arms, the punch ramming into them with enough force to cause him to push him back a bit as it pressed against him. Gohan pushed his fist aside and retaliated by decking Piccolo square in the face, enough so that he did a full flip until he stopped himself with one hand while the other hand fired a Ki blast at him. Gohan stared at it sternly, deflecting it with ease as such a simple attack wasn't enough to hurt him.
Piccolo then jumped back and began firing a barrage of blasts at him, each one being deflected with immense precision and speed as his hands seemed to be nothing more than a blurr. He kept up his defense for as long as he could in order to spot an opening that would get him out of this predicament, however, he was soon distracted by an odd shadow below him, "Strange, I thought there wasn't enough light to create a shadow that large?".
That was until he realized what was going on before taking a look around him. He found himself surrounded by floating orbs of Ki that were waiting patiently to strike. The Namekian smirked at his surprised face and stopped firing since he finally completed his little trap.
"HellZone Grenade!" Piccolo roared, closing his hand into a fist in order to command the orbs to hurl themselves onto Gohan, each impact causing them to explode one by one due to chain reaction. The explosion left a blinding light before it settled down to dust that clouded his visual on his status. He waited, exhaling as the dust cleared and revealed that Gohan had shielded himself with an energy barrier but it seemed that he still took damage from the attack.
"That was close, but time to finish this Piccolo!" Gohan roared, powering up so much that it pushed the Namekian back a little with his pressure alone. The green man braced himself for what was about to happen next as in mere seconds, Gohan closed the distance and unleashed a barrage of seemingly endless punches and kicks. His speed and power forced Piccolo on the defensive completely which was something he likes since it would push him to go pass his limits. Unfortunately, his defense was proven to be flawed as Gohan found a gap in it and took advantage of it by feinting a punch towards his stomach with an afterimage while in reality he delivered a back-fist to across the face. Piccolo stumbled a little, shortly receiving another blow to the stomach that lifted him off the ground for a bit until he was kicked hard across the face. He flew into the air from the blow, blood leaking from his mouth while Gohan immediately appeared above him and chopped him back down into the ground.The Namekian howled in pain, steeling himself in the air so that he can land on his feet: the impact shaking the area a bit as he felt a shiver coursed through his body. Now, Piccolo was struggling to get up and continue the fight, his body shaking from the damage he received.
To his unbeknownst, the fight was about to end due to the fact that Gohan had already formed a blue orb in-between the palm of his hands, the various rays of light generated by raw energy circulating around it. It was so bright that it even had a slight rainbow around it with blue electricity raging in a wild dance while he chanted it's name, "Kaaaaaaaa......Meeeeeeeee.......Haaaaaaa.......Meeeeeeee....". Piccolo looked in fear, his brain thrown into a panic at the sight.
"That's not good....!" Piccolo noted as his eyes dilated in fear.
"HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Gohan roared, firing his large, blue destrution wave at Piccolo. In no time, the wave engulfed Piccolo with little effort and extended across the transparent ground before vanishing into nothing but flickers of particles that left a trail of smoke. When most of it disappeared, Piccolo was revealed to be on his knees in defeat with one of his arms missing while his Gi was pretty much torn to the point where it only covered one side of his body. In no time, Gohan landed and threw Piccolo a senzu bean for him to eat to which he gladly accepted. He wasted no time in swallowing the bean and he was healed instantly by it's regenerative powers. He stood and he looked at himself from his perspective, clenching his fist as he let out a scream. In seconds, a new arm sprang out from where the former one was, the green liquid oozing from the wound until it closed it immediately.
"It's gonna take some time to break in, but it'll do for now. Anyways, looks like you win this one, for now at least," Piccolo said, moving his arm in a circle so he can get rid of the stiffness.
Gohan nodded, accepting his little compliment, "Yeah, but I can't believe how much stronger you've gotten from just yesterday alone. Looks like you are not messing around.". Piccolo didn't give much of a reply to that and simply gave him a silent nod.
"We should probably grab Kuzuku and head back since the day is coming to a close," The Namekian suggested. Gohan agreed and flew over to where Kuzuku was and caught him doing some shadow boxing in his Super Saiyan 2 + Kaioken form.
"Hey Kuzuku, we are heading back!" Gohan notified, catching his attention while also putting a pause to his training with just his voice.
Kuzuku powered down back to his base form and sighed, "Alright, I was just finishing up anyways.". Gohan smiled with pride at his work ethic.
"Seems you've also been working hard," Gohan noted, taking a clear look at his current power level.
Kuzuku smirked in agreement, "Yeah, I am getting a hang of Kaioken combined with Super Saiyan though, I'd have to admit that it does drain lots of stamina. But, I still can't get Super Saiyan 3's power output to where I wanted to be. Good news is that I am making progress."
"That's good to hear. Maybe you'll be able to defeat me in the next time we spar," Gohan said.
The word 'spar' popped a question into the Saiyan's mind, "Speaking of sparring, how did you two do? The ruckus sounded like it was pretty close.".
"Yeah, it was a close match between us. Don't take this the wrong way but it was definitely closer than ours but I still came out on top," Gohan explained with a hint of teasement in his voice.
Kuzuku gave him a sly smile, "Oh really now, you may be 2-0 in terms of sparring but don't think we'll let you kick our butts for two years straight.". Gohan laughed at his playful threat along with the sound of both of their stomachs interrupting their little chatter.
"We'll see about that, but we better get back so we can at least get something to eat. We won't be able to spar again if we're hungry," Gohan suggested. Kuzuku chuckled since he was starving as well and followed Gohan as they flew back to the resting area for some quality chow time.
Meanwhile, Back On Earth......
Goku had just got done tending to the field and was taking a nice flight to Bulma's. He enjoyed flying to his destinations as it allowed him to take in the beautiful scenery that seemed to have never got old. He relished the breeze that blew against his face until he was interrupted by King Kai who called out to him telepathically, "Hey Goku, just checking in on whether or not you have the fighters that I've requested.". Goku nodded, and gave him a happy and assuring response.
"Don't sweat it, King Kai. I've managed to gather them together for some training in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber right now. I'm positive that they will be ready for the universal tournament in no time," Goku reassured.
King Kai let out a puff, "You better be right, Goku. I still can't believe that Beerus restricted you two from being in the tournament.". Goku pouted after being reminded of that fact.
"I know, I was kinda disappointed because I wanted to fight too. Like come on, there could be so many strong fighters out there!" The hero of Earth said with disappointment.
The Kai sighed, "Hey, it's not my fault that he banned you guys. Technically, it'd be unfair since you two are the strongest in Universe 7 right now. The north region would probably be given the trophy along with the prize immediately.".
"Yeah, well see ya later King Kai! It's good to be talking to you again but I am almost at Bulma's so I gotta go," Goku agreed, preparing himself to end the call as soon as he notices Bulma's house in his view.
"Alright Goku, but don't forget," King Kai said as he cut the telepathic link between them. With their link severed, Goku speed up and landed in front of the grand building with a soft tap to the ground. He looked around and noticed that Bulma's mom, Panchy, was watering her flowers while humming a tune. It didn't take long for her to take notice of Goku's presence, "Oh, is that you Goku? Long time no see, how's it been!".
"Hey Ms.Brief, where are Bulma and the others? I came over to pick up Chi Chi," Goku replied with another one of his salutes.
Panchy smiled warmly as usual, "If you're looking for Bulma and the gals, they're out in the back. There are some snacks as well so you are welcome to have some if you like.". Goku's face lit up with glee at the sound of food.
"Really?! Thanks, Ms Briefs! I better hurry before they are all gone!" Goku grinned.
In no time, he quickly made his way to where the others are and exited through one of the many automatic doors and entered into the backyard. There, he spotted what he had been looking for, his wife along with Bulma, Videl, and 21 sitting around a table under the gazebo. He walked towards them with his typical cheerful expression, Chi Chi, I'm here!". His wife turned around to face him with a small smile.
"Oh Goku, about time you got here. Have you taken care of the field?" Chi Chi asked, her face quickly turning into a glare.
Goku chuckled nervously at her sudden change in feistiness, but that was what he liked about her at times, "Yeah, I just got done. I must say that some of the radishes are looking pretty ripe if you ask me,". Chi Chi's face returned back into a smile that showed only pride.
"Good, now, why are you having Gohan and the others train? It's not like any new threat would come around and I'm pretty sure you and Vegeta are capable of handling it," Chi Chi questioned further.
Goku began to scratch the back of his head and smiled nervously, explaining the situation with nothing but the truth, "Well you see, King Kai called to ask me for a favor and granted, I was about to turn it down until he made me remember what I did to his planet."
"Okay now what does that have to do with this," Bulma asked, trying to understand where he was going with this.
Goku chuckled at the stares he was getting, "He kinda asked for fighters that could participate in this tournament that is coming up. It's being hosted by Lord Beerus so, he needed only three more fighters to fill his slots.".
"So you chose Piccolo, Gohan, and Kuzuku? Why are you not entering? You not wanting to participate in a tournament, goes against all logic." Chi Chi argued with utter disbelief at the fact Goku, of all people, would miss the chance to participate in a tournament that involves fighting.
Goku got a little bummed at that part but decided to continue to explain himself, "I wanted to enter and I was going to ask Vegeta too, but Beerus banned us from the tournament because he said it would be unfair. Besides us, those three are the strongest fighters we got.".
Bulma put a little thought into what he said and simply agreed with a sigh, "Makes sense, so, what is the prize? I'm sure that there is something in it for them.". Goku tapped his chin and remembered what King Kai told him.
"Well if they win, the northern region will receive a trophy along with the individual winner receiving 20 million zeni," Goku answered.
Chi Chi's eyes shrank at the sound of money being involved, "20 MILLION ZENI?! GOHAN AND THE OTHERS GOT THIS! WE'RE GOING TO CHEER THEM ON WITH EVERYTHING WE'VE GOT!".
The others were now stunned by her sudden outburst, while Goku laughed at her excitement since he was practically used to it "That enthusiasm is nice, Chi Chi, but you got to calm down. You nearly made everyone go deaf."
"Oh, sorry. Where were my manners," Chi Chi apologized, giggling nervously with a face flushed with embarrassment.
The Capsule Corp president giggled at her friends reaction since she hasn't seen her like this in a long time, "It's okay, so when's the tournament? We need to prepare to leave if we want to watch.".
"In about four days," Goku replied.
On the other hand, 21 was finally understanding and somewhat liked the idea, "Great, I think a tournament would lift everyone's spirits.". Unfortunately for her, Goku took notice of the odd scent coming off her.
"21....why do you smell like Kuzuku?" Goku asked which caused her to groan from forgetting that he too, was a Saiyan.