Senshi No Pasu

by Kazuma Bushi

A simple change involving a more actively involved Chichi, a son who reaches his full fighting potential adhering to his Saiyan genes, and humans who are not resigned to watching the action unfold from the sidelines. (The rewrite of DBZ: A Warrior's Path). AU.

Written: 3/27/14-3/30/14

Published: 3/31/14

Thoughts

Shenron

Special attacks/ Computer speech

"Telepathic Speech"/ Flashback

"Speech"'

AN: It took me a couple of weeks but finally; here's the rewrite I promised. I reread DBZ: A Warrior's Path and I am completely satisfied with the decision I made. Everything in this story will not be the exact same as it was in DBZ: A Warrior's Path. There will be several differences, which you will see later on and throughout the story. Senshi No Pasu translates as: The Path of the Warrior. I hope you all enjoy the story.

Disclaimer: I don't own Dragon Ball Z, Dragon Ball GT, or anything having to do with the Dragon Ball franchise. This is just a fan fiction made for personal pleasure and writing experience.

Chapter Cover: Goku and Chi-Chi stand facing one another as they prepare to battle.

Chapter 1: Genesis

Age 760, January 12th

Oxygen.

Oxygen…

Chi-Chi's enervated lungs desperately needed oxygen. She could feel her breath grow heavier with each waning moment. Her heart was beating rapidly, at twice it's normal pace attempting to keep her conscious. Her skull throbbed in excruciating pain, her already blurry vision becoming almost completely fuzzy as she uprooted the soil in her hand. Her knees wobbled, already having succumb to the pain which now echoed throughout her body. Gritting her teeth she repressed the urge to scream, knowing it would deplete what little energy she had left.

"C'mon I know you're better than that."

Her teeth grit even harder at the tone of the playful voice. Slowly lifting her head she crossed gazes with the man who had caused all of this; Goku. A scowl spread across her features as she viewed the gleeful smile that was etched onto his face. Here she was gasping for air and he didn't appear to have a care in the world. In fact he was feverishly hopping back and forth on both legs anticipating another go around.

"I hope that last attack didn't hurt too much though. Your Ki dropped quite a bit"

Her scowl further deepened as she mentally replayed the event that had just occurred. She had charged directly at Goku aiming a lotus kick at his head. Her husband, without even breaking a sweat had evaded it, and reciprocated her strike with a bone jarring punch to the chest.

A punch.

A single powerful punch was responsible for her body's current fatigued condition. How could one little punch have resulted in such pain? After all her training, all her struggles, she still couldn't keep up with him. Admittedly it was her own fault though. She was the one who had adamantly demanded that Goku not withhold any of his power today. He hadn't, and this was the result of her foolish request.

"I shouldn't have hit you so hard; you really look hurt." Goku's excitement ceased as he carefully observed his wife's condition. "I'll go get some Senzu beans." He said, turning as he headed back towards his house.

"No."

The world's strongest martial artist paused mid-stride as he turned back to his wife, his face covered with confusion.

"Wh-what?"

"I said no Goku, I'm going to do this on my own. How will I get stronger if you keep coddling me like some child?"

The Kamesennin student involuntarily flinched at her harsh tone. "I'm not coddling you I just don't want you to get hurt is all." His arms defensively waved in protest at her words. "You can't even get up right now. Just let me get the Senzu beans and then we'll…."

"No!" Chi-Chi pounded the dirt, her knuckles imbedding a deep imprint as she used them to rise up.

Goku sighed as he watched the woman slowly climb to her feet. Her body trembled with every determined movement she made. Goku had to willfully restrain himself from rushing over to help her, as her body nearly toppled over several times.

"See." She panted, the exhaustion clear in her voice. "You said I couldn't even stand and I just did it."

Goku couldn't contain his smile at her last comment; she had indeed proven him wrong.

"So how about we continue this battle of….Crash!" The fatigue had finally won and Chi-Chi had collapsed in exhaustion. Goku immediately dashed over as he saw her tumble to the ground. Carefully picking her up, he carefully caressed her petite frame as he carried her into the house.

She was not going to be happy when she woke up.

-DBZ-

Goku sat beside the bed, his eyes hovering over his wife's still body as he watched her sleep. She looked so peaceful, so calm...so cute. It was almost in stark contrast to who she was on the battle field. When she fought she turned into a raging beast and fought with all the strength she had. She never held back. She wouldn't even hold back against their Son Gohan. He chuckled recounting a recent spar he had witnessed between the two.

-Flashback-

Chi-Chi charged head on, her Gi waving in the wind as she rushed at her son. The frightened expression on his face made it vividly clear, that he was not prepared for the woman who was zooming towards him. She watched his eyes instinctively close shut as her fist neared collision with his jaw. The boy was both shocked and delighted, as he slowly opened them to find his mother's fist hovering inches away from his nose.

"Wh-why'd you stop?" His brows furrowed. As pleased as the child was at this discovery he was distrusting of his mother's intent. She never stopped an attack for anyone, not even his dad.

"Because you weren't trying." A frown settled onto the brunette's face as she lowered her right hand. Her son hadn't even bothered to try to defend himself. "You quit almost immediately after I charged at you."

Gohan lowered his head as he sighed, his mother's deduction being right as usual. He had never encountered anyone that moved that quickly; not even dad! From the second his mother started her sprint towards him he knew he was dead meat. How could he hope to match his mother?

"You're right mom I did quit. You moved even faster than dad; I can't keep up with that!"

Chi-Chi's hands clenched as she heard her flesh and bloods words. Normally a shout from him would have resulted in a whooping, but she'd let it slide this time. She wasn't even angry about him raising his voice at her. What did enrage her was his defeated mindset. She didn't raise her son to be a quitter and she certainly would not allow him to mature into one.

Gohan gulped, unconsciously taking a step back as his mother walked towards him. His lips had just moved on their own, he hadn't realized he had shouted at her. "No son of mine is going to be a quitter!" He winced at the decibels she yelled her words with.

"Do you want to know why I appeared to move faster than your father?"

The child froze unsure of what do. He glanced towards his father who had been silently watching the scene for help, but received none. Goku's response was a stare that said 'keep me out of this'. Sighing, he turned back to his nettled mother whose torrid gaze was still searing down upon him.

"Well?" Her muscles flexed, indicating she was running low on time and patience. Deciding he could no longer bear the brunt of his mother's wrath, Gohan quickly nodded yes.

"It's because he holds back against you and I don't."

Gohan's mouth hung open in shock as his eyes darted over to his father, firing an angry glare towards him. The Kinto'un rider could only shrug in embarrassment.

"Goku holds back against you because you are a child and he's right." Gohan's glare diverted from his father to his mother. Of course he was a child but his parents had never treated him as one during their training sessions. This new revelation was both startling and saddening.

"You may be my son, but I'm not going to treat you like it during a spar. I don't hold back and I certainly won't hold back against you."

The youngster suppressed a sniffle as he wiped his eyes. At least he had one parent who would be truthful with him.

"Now knowing this will you attempt fight for real this time?"

Chi-Chi's son nodded immediately as he settled into a fighting stance. "Hai! Don't hold back against me mom. Come at me with everything you've got." Turning back to his father he paused. "I'll prove that I don't need training wheels."

Goku and Chi-Chi both smiled at the determination brimming in their child's voice. This was who they had both raised their son to be.

"Enough talk then…let's go!"

-End Flashback-

The beating Gohan had taken that day had been tremendous. Goku's chuckle grew louder as he thought back to the sight of his son wobbling to the house, too tired to even eat. Chi-Chi had nearly beaten the poor boy to a pulp that day. As harsh as the training was, Goku knew his wife was correct. He was far too kind for his own good. His personality seemingly wouldn't allow him to go all out during a spar with his family. The events that happened today certainly did not help bolster his confidence that his family could handle the full brunt of his abilities.

Glancing down at his wife Goku massaged his temples. Why had he allowed himself to be coerced into going all out? He knew it was a bad idea from the moment she had proposed it, but Chi-Chi's usual rambunctiousness had swayed him. She was so determined to make him display his full fighting abilities. Chi-Chi was strong, far stronger than he had been during his fight with Ma Junior, but she was not ready for his full power yet.

His wife's determination was something else. She had always been a committed person, but something had changed significantly since they had gotten married. It was on their wedding day back in Age 756, July 8th that Goku had begun to notice a significant change. The turtle student had asked his wife on several occasions what had occurred but she always responded vaguely. Slumping back in his chair, Goku sighed.

Whatever had occurred on that day had resulted in a momentous change for him and for her. Admittedly he hadn't been too joyful at the prospect of marrying Chi-Chi. She wasn't ugly or anything but the idea of marrying someone he didn't even know was frightening. Hell he didn't even know what the word marriage had meant at the time. He simply went through with it because he had made a promise to her and he never broke promises.

His friends had initially been happy at the proposal. Yamcha and Krillin had both been envious of him for snagging 'a babe like Chi-Chi' as they'd called it. But the jubilation had died down once his friends seriously examined the situation. Chi-Chi was a woman Goku barely knew and had some strange obsession with him. On top of that she was highly possessive and extremely temperamental.

Unbeknownst to his wife, several of his friends had confided their fears to him. None of them had thought the Ox king's daughter was a bad person, but her attitude and personality didn't mesh well at all with his. Nam had even gone as far as to say it reminded him of the deceptive arraigned marriages held back in his village. With every negative remark he heard about the situation, Goku had begun to truly dread his dilemma.

Chi-Chi's comments prior to their wedding day hadn't helped either. All her talks about raising a family and having multiple children terrified Goku. Of course the Kamesennin student wanted children and a family, but every situation Chi-Chi described sounded awful, not only for him but for their unborn children as well. Working a job, making their children study all day until they became renowned scholars and scientists simply sounded dreadful. This of course sparked several arguments between the couple. He remembered one particularly raucous argument they'd had.

-Flashback-

"D-don't you think that's a bit extreme Chi-Chi?"

"Extreme?!" The Ox king's daughter's eyes enlarged to the size of saucers as she glared at her lover. "Raising our children to be something in life is extreme?" Her nostrils flared, her glare strengthening as she impatiently waited for her answer.

Goku gulped now realizing he was in a no win situation. No matter what he said to his soon to be wife; he would not win this argument.

"N-no that's not what I meant at all." Every word stammered out, his face looking queasy as he tried his best to quell his fiancé's anger. "I just think it would be better to let our children decide their own future. Who knows they might not want to be scientists, I know I certainly don't want to be one." He made sure to mumble the last comment so not to further incite Chi-Chi's rage.

"It doesn't matter what they want because I know best." Her arms folded across her chest, a sneering scowl on her face. "It's their best possible future. I don't want our children ending up like you."

Goku's head hung low at the last comment. He had been attacked physically in every possible way imaginable but he had not been prepared for this. No one had ever questioned his worth before. Goku was not a prideful person at all, but he did take pride in being himself. That was the thing he was most secure about….and she had attacked it. Was this truly the person he was going to marry?

"What's so bad about being like me?" He asked meekly. "I've saved the world plenty of times and I'm the strongest martial artist breathing." The more he actually thought about it being him was great. He had accomplished far more than most people did in their entire lifetime.

"Seriously? You have to ask?" Her snort could not be suppressed as she walked over to her fiancé.

"For starters you wear these awfully tacky clothes." Her hands snaked out, violently tugging on Goku's orange Gi. The fabric nearly tearing as continued to pull it. "On top of wearing that orange eyesore you call an outfit you wear those hideous shoes as well." Her foot trampled on Goku's boot, her heel landing on his toe.

"You wanna know what else?" She paused striking a faux thinking pose. Truthfully Goku didn't want to know but she continued anyways. "There's the fact you know almost nothing about anything. How's a clueless man like yourself supposed to provide for me?"

Goku had always known he wasn't the brightest bulb in the box. Grandpa Gohan had died early on in his life and from there he had practically raised himself. No one had bothered teaching him either; this wasn't his fault. What he did know was how to survive in the wilderness, and how to live on his own. Balling his fists, Goku decided he'd heard enough.

"You're wrong Chi-Chi I know several things actually."

The woman in turn raised an inquisitive brow, curious to hear more. "Well spit it out already."

An uncharacteristically cruel smirk settled onto Goku's face. He would truly enjoy what he was about to say. "I know that you're a mean, controlling, possessive, obsessive, weirdo!"

Chi-Chi's mouth hung open, her ears not believing a single word she'd heard. She shook her head refusing to believe that Goku, her Goku had said that.

"Who seriously remembers a childish promise to get married? I didn't even know what marriage was back then! You devoted so much of your life to me based on something I didn't even remember saying. You said who would want to be like me? Well who would want to be like you? You've done nothing in your life but stalk me!"

Goku finished panting heavily, almost unwilling to believe those words had come out of his mouth. But as mean and harsh as they were it felt great to finally get them off his chest. Chi-Chi had continuously berated him; she more than deserved it. His hands clenched as he gazed over to her expecting a flurry of snide, rude remarks as well. His hands unclasped as he surprisingly heard none, instead seeing the brunette grasp her mouth as she mumbled to herself.

"Out….." The voice was muffled as Chi-Chi spoke through her still clasped lips.

"Huh?" Goku scratched his nasal bridge in confusion, unsure of what he had heard her say.

"I said get out." The tone was much clearer this time making it easier to hear, but still confused her fiancé.

"I'm still not sure what you mean Chi-Chi..."

"I said get out!" Her voice rose even higher than it had during their argument, the house seemingly shuddering under its tone.

Goku's confusion was erased as he saw her march towards the door. She wanted him to get out and leave. But wait…..this was his house.

"You should leave- this is my house!" Goku protested, his shout seemingly fell on deaf ears as the woman treaded on with her mission to make him leave.

"I don't care! Just get out and go….now!" Her eyes were swelling up. She absolutely detested crying. Her father had told her to never let a man see her cry. Why did that idiot have to go and say all of those mean things? Had she really wasted her life on someone she barely knew?

Goku's lip curled, quivering as he conjured up another remark to make. But as soon as he saw the crestfallen expression on Chi-Chi's face he let it go. She had said much meaner things to him, not only during this conversation but previously as well. Had his few words really cut that deep?

"I'm not going to say it again Goku; get out!" She had to suppress a sniffle as she jarred the door open, a cool breeze flooding the room.

Hanging his head in shame Goku whistled for Kinto'un as he walked to the door. Even though his words had made him feel better they had really stung Chi-Chi. He felt like a real jerk for feeling satisfied with what he'd said. Taking one last glance behind Goku attempted to apologize.

"Look Chi-Chi I'm really sorry about….."

He never received the opportunity to finish as the Ox king's daughter shoved him out, promptly slamming the door in his face. His hand wavered at the doorknob for several seconds as he contemplated begging her to let him back in. Finally deciding against it he hopped atop his trusty steed and took off into the night sky. Where he was going didn't matter as long as it was quiet, he needed to do some thinking.

At the familiar sound of Kinto'un zooming off Chi-Chi collapsed to the floor, her sobs filling the now silent room

-End Flashback-

Goku had spent the next two following nights crashing on Bulma's couch. His best friend had practically flipped out when he'd told her what had happened. She told him that they were both wrong but that Chi-Chi had taken it too far. She resolved to have a few words with the Ox king's daughter. Till this day Goku didn't know if she ever did end up talking about it to his wife, but the two had been cordial towards each other on their wedding day.

After two days of eating up Bulma's food and bumming it up, Goku had decided to head home. His heart and mind had been racing as flew back home. Once there he promptly apologized for his words and his actions, and much to his surprise; Chi-Chi did the same. The apology had resulted in the couple's first official make out session. Goku had been clueless as usual, as to what was going on, especially when he'd felt Chi-Chi's tongue coiling with his.

For a few days afterword things had been great, until the couple got into another argument. This argument hadn't been as raucous as the previous one, but had still resulted in Goku sleeping outside. For several weeks the couple's on and off again arguing continued. At one point Goku had considered calling it quits but changed his mind as he saw the joy their wedding was bringing to the Ox King. Finally after what seemed like a tremendous waiting period, their wedding day arrived.

The Ox king had spared no expense for his only daughter's wedding. Every delicacy that Goku could have imagined was made available on that day. Seemingly endless plates of rice, chicken, fish, beef and other assorted foods lined the wedding reception table. All of his friends had been there even the one's he'd seemingly forgotten about. Annin, Launch, King Chappa, Ranfan, Fortuneteller Baba, Nam and several more friends had shown up. Even Kami and Popo had descended down from the lookout on that day.

In essence their wedding day had been perfect. It was on that specific day when Chi-Chi had begun to make changes. After their wedding day his wife's over attitude had changed for the better. She became much easier to communicate with and became much friendlier in general. She even began to train as seriously as she did before the World Martial Arts Tournament. During their few months of getting to know each other Goku hadn't seen his wife train once. But almost immediately after their honeymoon his wife began training almost as hard as he did.

Goku had practically racked his brain attempting to figure out what had caused the sudden metamorphosis. Was it something he had said? Was it something he had done? It irritated Goku to no end that he had no answers to the question which perplexed him the most. But whatever had caused the change; he was extremely grateful for it.

"G-Goku?"

The Kinto'un riders head snapped in the direction of the hoarse voice. Fixing his face with a smile, Goku turned as he faced his now conscious wife.

"What happened?"

"You over exerted yourself during our training, though I may have had something to do with that." He said sheepishly, an apologetic smile adorning his face as he scratched his head.

Chi-Chi's expression darkened as the memories came crashing back. "I remember. A single full powered punch from you and now here I am." She frowned, her eyes glancing away from her husband towards the window.

"You managed so stand up after though." Goku said with a chuckle, miserably failing in his attempt to be humorous.

The Ox king's daughter's eyes glided back over to her husband, her face devoid of all humor. "It's not funny Goku. After all the training I've been doing; I still can't keep up with you."

"But you're still one of the strongest people on the planet."

"But that's not enough for me Goku!" She snapped, her head rising from underneath the silk covers. "I want to be as strong as you are or at the very least be able to fight on par with you."

The Kamesennin student sat in silence for several seconds as he contemplated what to say. He hated seeing his wife's sullen expression; it did not suit her. He had watched her train herself into exhaustion several times. She was probably the most powerful woman breathing, but she was still not satisfied.

"But why though?"

"Why?" An incredulous look appeared on Chi-Chi's face, stunned that Goku could even ask such a ridiculous question. "For the same reasons you want to get stronger. Why do you train so hard? Why do you fight until your muscles scream for you to stop?"

The Kinto'un rider paused, thinking deeply as he pondered his reasoning's. He had a natural predisposition to fighting. Ever since he was a child it was just something he'd loved doing. Fighting was like second nature to him. Training came naturally as it was the way to become powerful. But truthfully at the root of it all, he trained so hard because he felt the urge to protect his loved ones.

"I train so hard because I want to protect you and everyone else I love." He said firmly as he reached his conclusion. "If I'm weak I can't protect you, Gohan or anyone else."

An irresistible smile floated onto Chi-Chi's face as she heard his words. "I want to be strong for the same reasons. You can't always protect me Goku." She paused, she and Goku's face both becoming tense. "And someday you might not even be able to protect yourself."

Goku nearly fell out of his chair at her last remark. Not be able to protect myself? What does she mean? His hands tightly gripped his Gi, his brows curling in confusion. "What do you mean by that Chi-Chi? I've always been able to protect myself and those around me."

Her husbands face was a torrent of emotions ranging from shocked to addled. Seeing the distress her words had caused him she sighed. Me and my big mouth. "Just forget that last part. I just want to get strong to be able to protect my loved ones."

Goku's eyes darted back up from the ground. That was an admirable goal and one he would definitely help her achieve. "You're getting there Chi-Chi. Don't feel too bad about not being able to keep up with me, heck most people can't keep up with me."

Chi-Chi couldn't help but reciprocate her husband's goofy smile. Those eyes get me every time. "So about those Senzu beans…." Her voice trailed off as she struggled to get out of the bed. She could still feel the pain coursing through her body from that one blow.

"Yes what about them?"

"Ca-can you go get me one?" She sputtered out. She hated to admit it but Goku had been correct in his suggestion earlier.

Goku tittered at his wife's abashed expression. Though Chi-Chi had changed over the years she still had trouble asking for help when she needed it.

"Sure thing Chi-Chi."

He rose from his seat, leaving the chair behind as he opened a door and walked into the couple's bathroom. Opening his rather large medicine cabinet his shoulders slumped. There were literally hundreds of various items in here; this would take a while. "There's a lot of stuff in here Chi-Chi, This might take a while." He shouted to his wife as he began scouring through the cupboard.

"Take all the time you need honey…it's not like I'm going anywhere." She muttered to herself as she settled back into the bed. I knew I should have cleaned that thing out months ago.

Sighing she discarded the thought, there was nothing she could do about it now. Gohan had been the last person to use beans, had he been home he could've found them easily. But unfortunately her only child was not home at the moment, he was off visiting his Godmother Bulma. Gohan had monthly visits with Briefs heir and she was more than happy to spend time with the boy. The boy almost didn't want to come home every time she went to pick him up. It slightly irked Chi-Chi but she was glad her son had a great relationship with his Godmother.

Her own relationship with the world's foremost scientist was great as well. It was amazing considering how the two hadn't always been on the most amiable of terms. But it was partially due to Bulma's words that Chi-Chi had decided to change for the better. It was what she had said on her wedding day that had caused her to reevaluate her life.

-Flashback-

Age 756, July 8th

"Goku if you keep shoving the food down your throat like that you're going to choke!"

Chi-Chi could feel a large tick mark developing on her forehead as she watched her husband devour plate after plate. She had previously seen his eating habits and had been disgusted to say the least. All of her attempts to correct his food etiquette had failed miserably, but her husband had pledged to do better on her wedding day. But yet here he was wolfing down plate after plate, embarrassing her in front of their guests.

"Goku!" Her foot stomped down, her voice raising even higher as her agitation grew. He wasn't even listening to her!

"But…gfjgbf…the…gggsdg…food….dfkj….is….dfsdf…so...fjf...…good." Her husband inaudibly muttered in-between gobbles of food, only serving to further incite his wife's anger.

The other guests at the table paused from their meals, sensing the palpable tension growing between the newlyweds. They of course were used to Goku's eating habits and had almost no problems with it now. They couldn't see why his wife did.

"Calm down Chi-Chi, Goku's just being Goku. He's been that way ever since I've known him. At his age nothing's going to change him now. Trying to correct Goku now would be like trying to reinvent the wheel." Laughter spread throughout the table at Yamcha's words. Everyone who knew Goku knew this was of course true.

Chi-Chi's face remained petulant. She was not amused in the slightest. "This is between me and my husband…not you Yamcha; stay out of it!" The Lone Wolf gulped, quickly peering back down to his empty plate as he met gazes with Chi-Chi's wrathful glare. The rest of the table followed his lead, wisely deciding to avoid her wrath. However one person stood up from the table, completely ignoring her.

"Chi-Chi can I have a word with you." It wasn't a request, it was a demand.

Chi-Chi's glare hovered over from her inattentive husband to Bulma who was now lightly tapping her shoulder. "Yes? What do you have to say?"

"I'd like to speak to you in private."

A scowl formed on the Ox king daughters face. Who did she think she was to interrupt her wedding reception? No one was going to ruin her wedding day. "Whatever you have to say you can say it here in front of all of us." Without another word she turned, her gown twirling as she faced her husband who had demolished another round of plates. "Where are you manners Goku?!"

Dr. Brief's daughter had heard enough. She would not idly stand by while her best friend's wife childishly berated him in front of everyone. With a swipe that would've impressed Yamcha, Bulma grabbed the newlyweds hand and dragged her off to a quiet corner of the wedding hall.

"Where do you think you're taking me? Let go of me! If Goku keeps eating like that he'll….."

"SHUT UP!"

Chi-Chi's ears winced, reeling back from the abrupt rise in decibels. Her eyes quivered as they met Bulma's. The look on her face was one of pure rage. She barely knew the woman but had never seen her like this before.

"I don't care if you are Goku's wife now. I'm not going to sit by while you treat him like a child! You're lucky Goku is such a nice person; no one else would have put up with your crap!"

The Ox King's daughter flinched, her legs unconsciously taking another step back. She could literally see the steam blowing from Bulma's ears.

"I've never met a person as frustrating as you! Goku is a great person he deserves better than this. This should be a joyful occasion but here you are being you usual bitchy self! I thought Goku was wrong with what he'd said to you during your argument but I'm starting to think he was 100% right."

"He…he told you about our argument?" Chi-Chi's fear began to twist into anger as she heard that statement. That had been a very private issue. She hadn't told anyone about it; not even her dad. How could Goku have told her?

"Yes he did." Bulma replied, doing her best to restrain herself from lunging at the woman in front of her. "He not only told me about that argument but about some of your previous arguments as well. Based off everything I've seen today I've reached the same conclusion as him."

There was momentary pause as Chi-Chi found herself at a loss for words. Her mind racing as she alternated between various facial expressions. "Go-Goku really meant all those things he said?" She said as she settled into sullen frown.

Bulma's umbrage began to recede as she saw the tears dripping down Chi-Chi's face. As mad as she was she couldn't stand to see crying, especially when it was directly in front of her and had been caused by her ."Well yes and no."

"So he does hate me!" Bulma groaned as more of the brides tears began to pour down, her mascara now smearing. She needed to be careful with her choice of words.

"I mean yes Goku does feel like that but only when you act like some spoiled brat. But when you're not acting like this he likes you…heck he might even love you."

"Lo-love me?" Chi-Chi sniffled. Her fondness for Goku had always been made clear. But the adopted son of Gohan had never openly expressed similar sentiments before.

"Keyword there being might I can't say for certain. But he does care for you. He would probably express it more if you didn't act like some deranged harpy."

"I-I don't act like that!" Chi-Chi's foot slammed down in protest. She had modeled herself after the romance novels she had read. How could she be a harpy?

Noticing the confusion blanketing the woman's face Bulma decided to speak up. "You yell at Goku all the time, and you berate him for the littlest things. Your plans for the future completely contradict who Goku is as a person. If you keep this up you're just going to end up pushing him away in the long run! Who wants to be around someone who acts like this?"

"Push…Goku away?" Chi-Chi had never considered the possibility that her actions could result in her loosing Goku. She was just trying to build the ideal life with him. Goku wouldn't leave her…. right?

"I don't know what happened to that shy, bashful girl you were when you were a kid, but that's who Goku remembers you as."

"But I was weak then!" Chi-Chi's fists clenched as she remembered her first encounter with her husband. "All I did was whimper and cry. I promised myself I'd get stronger never let myself be that weak again."

As much as Bulma disliked the Ox king's daughter's volatile personality, she admired the determination she possessed. If Chi-Chi could tone down her aggression, she and Goku could potentially make a great couple. "That was laudable and you've succeeded in your goal. But don't you think you've taken it a bit too far? You've veiled yourself behind this mask of false strength to protect yourself from ever feeling weak again and look at where it's gotten you. Your wedding guests can't even look you in the eyes." Bulma's hand pointed back over to the reception table where all of her guests were currently sitting cracking jokes. But as soon as Chi-Chi glanced over the laughter dispersed.

"See? Just look."

As Chi-Chi's gaze settled back on the lavender haired woman in front of her, the cheerful sound of laughter could once again be heard. What had she let herself become? Was she truly as bad of a person as everyone thought her to be?

"Am I really that bad Bulma?" Her voice sounded despondent, having to forcefully restrain herself from bursting into another fit of tears.

"No one thinks you're a bad person Chi-Chi it's just your attitude. If you weren't so hotheaded people would like you a lot more. The fact that you're even listening to me proves there's something good in you."

Chi-Chi glanced up, wiping her eyes as she battled another sniffle. "You really think so?"

"I know so." A warm smile filled Bulma's face as she took a step towards the newlywed. Chi-Chi reflectively flinched. Though the capsule corps c.e.o was smiling, she was still unsure of her intent. Her tension dissipated as she felt a pair of warm hands envelop her into a tight hug.

"I don't expect you to completely change your personality but you can at least tone down your anger. If you're going to be a part of Goku's life that means you're going to be a part of my life as well." The hug grew tighter as Chi-Chi's tears began to sprinkle Bulma's clothes. "Just give it a try and see how it goes."

-End Flashback-

Chi-Chi had taken Bulma's advice to heart and true enough it had worked. It was a hard change to make, but for the sake of Goku she had done it. Immediately after their conversation she had apologized to Goku and to the rest of their guests. The rest of the wedding reception had gone off without a hitch. They had punctuated the fantastic day with an amazing evening to say the least. Just thinking about it made Chi-Chi blush.

"Chi-Chi is something wrong? Why's your face red? Don't tell me you're bleeding now." Chi-Chi's blush deepened as her husband's finger prodded her face. She hadn't even noticed him walk back into the room.

"I'm fine…I'm fine" She nearly yelped immediately springing up from the bed. But as she leapt out of the bed her foot tangled with the covers, inadvertently leading to her landing directly on top of Goku. Her face grew beet red as she realized the suggestive position she was now.

"Your face is even redder now, maybe we should go to the doctor."

Chi-Chi sweat dropped as she rose back onto her feet assisting her husband as well. Goku was still clueless when it came to several things. "I'm fine Goku and did you find the Senzu beans?"

Her husband quickly nodded as he showed her the bag before tossing a bean over to his wife.

"Thank you." She said as she quickly gobbled the bean, her energy instantly replenishing as she took a bite.

"So now what do you want to do?" The answer was obvious to both of them but Goku still felt the need to ask.

A smile settled on his wife's face. "Train of course."

-DBZ-

Age 761, January 12th

Chi-Chi wiped her brow as she evaded another spin kick. Ducking underneath a vicious jab she quickly backpedaled away, silently thanking Kami as her husband's foot slammed into the turf she had just stood on. Landing softly on the ground meters away from Goku she smirked. The Chi-Chi from a year ago wouldn't have been able to dodge that strike. She had come a long way in just twelve months.

Hovering meters away from Chi-Chi, Goku smiled. He was extremely proud of his wife's progression. Her speed had drastically improved in just one year. The training she had undergone with Master Roshi, Yamcha, Tien, and Chiaotzu had helped her tremendously. Just a year ago that last attack would've ended their battle, but now he knew she could withstand it.

"Are you gonna float over there or are you gonna fight Goku?"

The world's strongest martial artist grinned as he glided back down to the ground. "I'm gonna fight!"

Chi-Chi was given no forewarning as her husband abruptly charged towards her, the ground cracking as he sprinted. He's fast! Chi-Chi's forearm instinctively raised to block as Goku fired a punch at her head. The air trembled as the two appendages collided with one another. A power struggle ensued as the couple began a physical tug of war, pushing one another to their limits to see who would bend first. Eventually Goku won, knocking his wife back with a Ki augmented punch.

Chi-Chi snarled as she was shoved back, her heels entrenching themselves in the dirt to halt her slide. In a heartbeat Goku was on her, not giving his wife a second to breathe. His follow up attack was even faster than his prior one, his wife not even seeing the kick before it was too late. Gohan's mother was propelled into the air as Goku's heel-toe slammed into her chin. The world titled on its axis as Chi-Chi back-flipped in midair, managing to land back on her feet in time to evade yet another kick.

Switching to the offensive Chi-Chi lunged at him with a well-aimed palm to the solar plexus. Her face twisted in confusion as the blow struck the passing breeze. Zanzōken. She cursed as she felt his familiar Ki signature reappear behind her. Thrusting an elbow behind as she turned, she managed to catch her husband off guard. Goku's nose throbbed in pain as the elbow was immediately followed by punch to the face. It landed, causing him to visibly shudder as the pain reverberated throughout his face.

Chi-Chi was relentless, a succession of blistering punches and kicks immediately following the strike. Goku was unable to block, his body left totally defenseless as he felt every stinging blow collide with his body. Finally after what felt like eons but was only mere seconds, Chi-Chi backed away, her hands cupping to the right as she uttered her husband's most infamous technique.

Goku's eyes widened in shock as he felt the tremendous build up in Ki. His hands curved together as he quickly mirrored his wife's actions, desperately hoping to fire his own attack before his wife struck. But before his energy could even coalesce into a stable beam; Chi-Chi pounced.

"Kamehameha!"

Chi-Chi's hands exploded with energy as she thrust her open palms forward. The aquamarine ray of energy surged forth charging full speed towards her husband. The surrounding area was illuminated by hazy blue light as the beam finally closed in on its prey. I've got him. With a mental fist pump The Ox king's daughter lowered her hands, anxiously awaiting the result of her attack.

Her eyes expanded as she watched the Kamehameha halt completely in front of her husband. The beam lingered for several seconds before it was tossed aside, being discarded into a nearby forest which instantly vaporized on impact. A frown crept onto Chi-Chi's face as she instantly recognized the technique. Hana Gaeshi Kameha. Chi-Chi could only blame herself for teaching Tien's technique to her husband.

Goku uncrossed his hands as he wiped the sweat now dripping from his forehead. That Kamehameha would have seriously hurt had it struck him. He was extremely grateful he had learned it from Chi-Chi after her training with Tien. He had initially doubted its use. When was someone going to fire his trademark attack at him? But how wrong he'd been, that technique had just saved him a great deal of pain.

Settling back into a battle stance he met gazes with his wife; she was extremely peeved. She had put a great deal of effort and energy into the attack only for Goku to simply bat it away. "You're going to pay for that!"

With a yell she dashed off towards her husband. Goku quickly mirrored her charge, raising his fist as he sprinted to meet her. The two fists met in a head on collision, a small crater forming underneath their soles as they clashed with one another. Chi-Chi's foot stuck out, attempting to catch her husband off guard. Goku's feet immediately leapt into the air, not only jumping over the leg sweep but his wife as well.

Chi-Chi's teeth grit as she quickly followed her husband's ascent into the sky, her fist bouncing off his forearm as she levitated in the air. Unfortunately for Chi-Chi she had overextended her left arm, leaving herself vulnerable for attack. Her husband's palm instantly flashed open as he summoned an azuline Ki beam into existence. She was sent soaring back as the blast detonated on impact, her body tumbling to the ground. Goku quickly capitalized on his opening, charging back towards his wife with a Ki infused fist.

Much to his surprise his attack phased right through Chi-Chi, striking the earth and extending the radius of the crater. He frowned as he instantly realized he had fell for a Zanzōken. Propping back up his eyes quickly darted around observing his surroundings. Where could she be? His arm shot forward as he felt Chi-Chi's Ki signature materialize in front of him.

Gohan's mother quickly clutched her face as she felt blood gush from her nose. Goku pondered halting his next attack but quickly decided against it, knowing his wife would be angry if he did. His proceeding kick to the stomach sent her rocketing back, her body finally skidding to a halt as she crashed into a cluster of rocks. A burst of Ki quickly eroded the rocks leaving them as nothing more than dust particles.

Wiping the still dripping blood with her forearms Chi-Chi raced towards her husband. A flurry of Ki beams preceding her every hasty step. The turtle student's hands became blurs as he worked to swat the beams away. Explosions erupted everywhere as the Ki beams collided with rocks, trees, bushes, and an assortment of other objects. As he finished batting away the last beam his face was greeted with a bone rattling knee to the gut.

The air was instantly knocked out of his lungs as he stumbled back. A shower of punches and kicks rained down on the Kinto'un rider as Chi-Chi followed up her initial strike. His head bobbed, his knees wobbled, his body trembling from the force of every precise strike. No energy was wasted as Chi-Chi struck, she worked almost as efficiently as Tien. Finally with an ear rattling scream, Chi-Chi halted her assault with a palm to the face.

She backpedalled several meters, seemingly giving Goku a moment to breathe. But how wrong the adopted son of Gohan's thoughts were. His eyes narrowed as he saw her lift her right index finger an all too familiar motion. There's no way he could have taught her that! His shock doubled as he felt the amount of Ki being projected into the finger.

Dodonpa! The couple simultaneously thought as Chi-Chi began extending her finger. Goku knew firsthand how deadly this technique could be. He had witnessed it be used several times with his own eyes. He had even been struck by it on a few occasions. Master Roshi had even gone as far as to say the Kamehameha was inferior to the Dodon Ray. Its precise accuracy limited the chances for a misfire.

His wife had seriously come a long way, but he was not proclaimed as the world's strongest martial artist for trivial reasons. Raising his arms up even faster than Chi-Chi had, his hands hovered in front of the center of his face. Before Chi-Chi could even think to blink his fingers spread apart, a scorching white light flooding her vision, her ears faintly hearing the name of the attack.

"Taiyōken!"

Chi-Chi's eyes cried in agony as the sweltering light continued to assault her eyes. Her head tossed back as she cried in agony, momentarily forgetting about the battle at hand. It was at that moment when the Ox kings daughter was most susceptible that Goku began his retaliation. Chi-Chi's knees buckled, her ribs being assaulted by mind numbing tons of force. Her voice, along with her breath waned as a knee from behind sent her stumbling forward. Her vision finally returned in time to see a speeding kick on its way to greet her face. Damn it.

The attack never struck as a familiar confused cry reached her ears.

"MOOOOOOOOOOOOM, DAAAAAAAAAAD where are you?"

Goku's leg retracted immediately as he heard the sound of his son's voice. Both parents smiled as they realized the boy must have just woken up from his nap.

"We're out here honey!" His mother shouted, cupping her hands against her face as she yelled. In a flash their three year old son scampered outside, his tail happily wagging behind him as he raced over to his parents.

"No fair. You said you would wake me up once you started to train." An adorable pout formed on his face, causing his parents to chuckle.

"Sorry little guy your mother and I just got a little overexcited." Goku apologized as he reached down to embrace his son, his hands ruffling his hair. "I promise we'll wake you up next time though."

Gohan's brows hovered unsure of if he could trust the veracity of his father's words. "Promise?"

"I promise" Goku said with buoyant smile. "You really missed out this time too buddy. Mom learned a lot of neat stuff during her training with Tien."

"She did?" Gohan's eyes grew wide, his tail ceaselessly wagging. He had yet to spar with his mother since she had returned from her month long training with the three eyed warrior.

"Yep. She almost had me beat there for a second with that Dodonpa." Gohan's mouth slithered open as he glanced over to his mother. His father's spars with her had always been entertaining but she had never once beaten him. The simple fact that she had almost done it today spoke volumes to how powerful she was becoming.

"Don't say that Goku." Chi-Chi playfully chided, finally deciding to speak up. "I almost had you beat but you still managed to hit me with a Taiyōken, blind me and hit me several times. Honestly you probably would have knocked me out eventually if Gohan didn't wake up."

"Who knows what would have happened though Chi-Chi? But you certainly did hold your own back there." Goku's smile expanded as he turned back to his wife. She really had come a long way in twelve months. "Who knows in another year you might actually beat me."

Chi-Chi reciprocated her husband's smile. She might've stood a chance in another year but if Goku kept progressing like he currently was; she would still have a long way to go. "You say that now but by this time next year you'll probably be…Rumble!"

That was an all too familiar sound. Chi-Chi and Goku's attention both diverted to their son who was now bashfully grinning. They both shared an amused chuckle as they realized what it was.

"C'mon guys I'll go in the house and make us some food."

-DBZ-

Chi-Chi sighed as she watched both father and son, demolish plate after plate of her cooking. After coming inside and showering, Chi-Chi had taken off her Gi and switched into an apron. She had cooked a meal that could serve a small village, heck a small town even. Both males had anxiously awaited their food as they'd watched her make it. Finally after several hours the buffet sized dinner had been prepared. Both of them had proceeded to promptly dig into the meal, leaving her at the current situation she was now in.

She winced as she saw her husband shove an entire piece of beef into his mouth, not even bothering to remove the bone. He almost immediately began choking, prompting Chi-Chi to rise out of her seat to assist him. It was for naught as he pounded his chest forcing the bone out of his mouth. Without even pausing to take a break he grabbed another plate, sliding all of its contents into his mouth. Her son wasn't much better off either but he at least had the decency to finish one plate before moving onto the other.

After their wedding day Chi-Chi had given up on trying to correct Goku's eating habits. It was a wise thing that she had. Attempting to correct someone who ate that fast would have probably resulted in her having a nub instead of a hand. Maybe if she had taught Goku when she'd initially met him things could have better? She had taught her son dinning etiquette so why not Goku? She allowed Gohan to eat like this at home but out in public he was well mannered and behaved when it came to eating.

"Whoo that was some great food!" Goku's hands finally settled on the table as he dropped his last plate. "There's nothing like your home cooking Chi-Chi."

"Yeah mom Godmother Bulma has nothing on you."

Chi-Chi couldn't help but blush at her family's praise. She had spent a lot of time and energy rearing herself to be the perfect bride. Taking care of her father had prepared her for this very moment.

Leaning back in his seat Gohan let out a content sigh. He patted his stomach as he rested his head against the chair's railings. "Mom can I participate in the adult division of the Tenka'ichi Budōkai this year?"

"Sorry honey but no. You're just too young to compete in it at your age." Chi-Chi said, her son's head lowering with every syllable she uttered. "You can when you get older though."

"But dad competed in it when he was twelve!" Gohan protested, his arms motioning over to his father. His dad had still been a kid when he had participated in it, so why couldn't he?

"It was different then."

Gohan pouted, his shoulders slumping as he silently fumed. "How was it different?"

"Well for starters I was older." Goku said as his trademark grin appeared on his face. "And there wasn't a juniors division either. Bulma's the one sponsoring the tournament and it's her rules."

"That's no fair." The youngling's arms folded as he glared at the table. Why had his Godmother made such silly rules? "I'm just gonna beat everyone in my division. Where's the fun in that?"

Goku and Chi-Chi had no legitimate answer to offer their son. Their child was probably one of the most powerful people currently walking the face of the Earth. He trained with his parents practically every day. He was stronger than both of his parents had been during the 23rd World Martial Arts Tournament. Truthfully any kid he faced in the juniors division wouldn't stand a chance.

"Well look on the brightside you'll get to test your power against someone other than us."

Gohan sighed as he propped himself back up in his chair. That still wasn't much of consolation prize but he would have to live with it. "I guess so mom. Can I at least spar with whichever of you who wins after the tournament?"

"It's not a given that either of us will win though Gohan."

The Ox king's grandson's eyes narrowed at his mother's remark, his head shaking from side to side in disbelief. "There's no one stronger than you though. Who's going to beat you?"

Goku's hand touched his chin as he struck a thinking pose. "Well Yamcha, Tien, Chiaotzu, and Krillin are supposed to participate this year. I don't know what Piccolo's been doing but I'm almost certain he'll participate in it too."

Gohan's eyes jolted open at the mention of the potential participants. His dad's friends would be fighting this year? This was so unfair. "But you've beat them all before, why do you think you'll be unable to do it again?"

"They've been training just as hard as we have Gohan. I'm proof of that." Chi-Chi responded. Just one month with Tien had resulted in her becoming this powerful. "I've done training with all of them over the past year and they were all more powerful than me. I'm sure their power will rise again once the tournament finally rolls around."

Gohan couldn't argue with his mother's words or her logic. Every time she trained with one of his dad's friends she always came back stronger. If they were even more powerful than her they could possibly win.

Turning over to her husband Chi-Chi's face tensed. "You mentioned Piccolo possibly participating earlier. If we've gotten this powerful in almost four years how strong do you think he'll be now?"

"Hmm I don't know." Goku said cocking his brow. "But I can't wait to find out! I hope he's double….no triple as powerful as he was then!" Gohan and Chi-Chi both winced at the sudden outburst from the Kamesennin student who had now risen from his seat. Chi-Chi couldn't understand how he was excited at the prospect of facing an even stronger version of the reincarnated demon king.

"I hope for everyone's sake at the tournament that he doesn't decide to go on a rampage."

"You worry too much Chi-Chi," Goku said as sat back down. "Piccolo's not like King Piccolo…well not exactly. He's less evil, heck he might not be evil at all."

Chi-Chi eyed her husband as if he had grown a second head. "Piccolo the same Piccolo you fought at the Tenka'ichi Budōkai isn't evil? I'll believe that when Yamcha settled down and gets married."

Goku couldn't help but snicker at her last remark. "Hey Yamcha will settle down." His wife shot him a glare. "Eventually" He muttered silently. "But that's beside the point Piccolo isn't like his father."

"You mean that weird looking green guy you fought dad?" Gohan asked, sliding out of his chair as he began putting plates in the sink.

"Yes, that's who I'm talking about."

"He didn't sound evil from the way you described him."

"See Chi-Chi even Gohan agrees with me." Goku said as he gestured to the boy who was now cleaning the dirty plates. Chi-Chi's face remained impassive; she would never believe him.

Shrugging her husband's words off Chi-Chi rose from her chair as she walked over to the sink. "Well regardless Piccolo's not important right now; these dishes are." The family had accumulated quite a sum of plates. They were stacked high on top of one another and would require serious cleaning.

Goku pouted as he dejectedly rose from the table, his arms flailing limply at his sides as he inched over to the sink. Geez I ask him for help with the dishes and he acts like someone died. Chi-Chi thought with a sweat drop as her husband finally dragged himself over to the sink. Standing over the faucet Chi-Chi handed her husband a plate.

"Alright boy's let's get to work!"

-DBZ-

With the combined effort of the entire Son household, washing the dishes had taken only taken thirty minutes. By herself it usually took Chi-Chi an hour and a half to clean them up. After they had cleared the dinner table and cleaned the kitchen the family had sat down to watch a movie. Space Police Chako, as it had been titled was a ridiculous movie. It followed the adventures of space patrolman who had crashed landed on Earth. The concept had seemed unrealistic to Chi-Chi but Goku and Gohan had absolutely loved it.

Both father and son had fallen asleep on the couch after the movie had ended. Chi-Chi had contemplated waking them up, but after seeing how adorable her husband looked snuggled against their son she decided against it. She was now restlessly lying in bed. Though the king sized bed provided optimal comfort, her mind seemingly couldn't be curtailed tonight. She kept flashing back to the words her husband had spoken in the kitchen.

Piccolo would more than likely be participating in this year's tournament which spelled trouble for everyone. He was enigma. While he wasn't the same as his father he was still his reincarnation, which meant he had the potential to one day be like him. Her husband was powerful, but who knew how strong Piccolo could've become by now?

But that wasn't what was really troubling her. Her mind was retracing her wedding day, the day when Fortune Teller Baba had read her future. Her father had paid a hefty sum for the witch to read her fortune. She could still vividly remember her terrified expression as she peered into the crystal ball. She had foretold of great danger and perils in the future for only her, but for her entire family.

That had been her main motivation to become stronger. That had been the reason she trained herself into exhaustion. Baba couldn't tell her exact details about her future, but what she had seen had been enough to petrify her. This upcoming tournament would feature some of the world's most powerful fighters. Was this the beginning of the peril that Baba had witnessed?

I don't know what the future holds for me and my family, but I will not allow Baba's vision to be my reality!

---

A/N: As you can see in this chapter there was a divergence right off the bat. Goku and Chi-Chi's wedding in canon took place in Age 756, May 8th, the day after the World Martial Arts in this story they were married in Age 756, July 8th. Marrying someone you barely know the day after you met them for basically second time didn't seem reasonable to me. Two months is still pretty short, but it did help plot and character development for this story. The events with Grandma Hakkake and the Bansho fan still took place on in Age 756, May 8th, but the couple did not get married then. Fortune Teller Baba's vision will be expanded upon in later chapters.

Power Levels:

Goku: 400

Chi-Chi: 300

Gohan: 250