Alright, the actual beginning of this series thingamajig. If you're seeing this without reading Ryu's Beginning, I advise you do so, so you can get a feel for the character and know all of his abilities n stuff like that. If you don't care or already read the prequel, continue on.
Note: This story holds theme from both DBZ and Naruto, but this series is primarily consisted of OCs. More of the Naruto universe is shown around the end of chapter five.
Disclaimer: All rights go to their respective owners.
Ryu sat on the floor as his newest brother crawled up to him, toothlessly grinning as he sat his hand on his older brother's leg. Ryu smiled down at the toddler, lifting him up lightly, the two face-to-face as the young baby sat his hands on his older brother's cheeks lightly, heaving a gurgling laugh. Ryu sat the baby on the floor as he stood up, glancing up at his mother, who was cleaning dishes furiously in the kitchen, her father helping her out.
Gohan walked out of his room, grinning down at his baby brother and older brother, "Hey, Goten! You're looking bigger by the second!"
Goten sat his hands on Gohan's feet, and the Saiyan lifted up his baby brother, swinging him around lightly, the two laughing. Ryu smiled softly at the peace inside his home.
Earlier that day, Ryu's birthday, the Z-Fighters, minus Vegeta, all came together to celebrate Ryu's special day. Games were played, a feast was eaten, it was a good little party, but Chichi and the Ox King were paying for it all.
A year and eight months ago, the bio-android Cell had fallen to the hands of both Ryu and Gohan. Gohan enjoyed the peace to the fullest, getting all of his schoolwork done obediently and helping around the house as much as he can. Ryu, however, made sure to train daily, keeping his skills sharp. The young boy's nightmares didn't fade, but it all only served as motivation, fueling his determination to keep his family protected.
As Chichi moved to her room after her and her father's labor in their kitchen, she murmured as she picked up Goten, "Bedtime, you two. It's already 2:00 AM. What a day... You're already 14."
"Doesn't feel like it." Ryu murmured back, and Chichi grinned.
"It's like that sometimes. Give it a second to kick in. One of these days you'll be crying out in pain from your knees, or your back."
Ryu smiled softly, and Chichi ruffled his hair as she gave Gohan's forehead a kiss. "Sweet dreams."
"Sweet dreams!" Gohan grinned, and Ryu nodded in return.
Chichi stepped in her room, and Gohan stepped in his, Ryu starting after him, but he stopped, glancing backwards.
...?
Ryu stepped in his room, sliding on his bed as Gohan flicked the lights off, murmuring, "G'night, Ryu."
"Night."
Ryu closed his eyes softly, but they wouldn't stay closed for long. Ryu's eyes pierced open in the dark, and he glanced over at his brother after a few moments. Gohan was sound asleep, snoring lightly.
Ryu levitated above the ground, dashing to the door of his home and opening it softly, glancing around outside. Ryu closed the door, then glared to the right of his home, a barely visible, white dot in the air slowly swirling into a large, spiraling hole of darkness. A strange spacecraft whizzed out of the hole in the sky, the hole swirling back into a small dot as the spacecraft landed far from Ryu's home. Ryu narrowed his eyes as he vanished, then reappeared in front of the spacecraft instantaneously as he gazed at the strange machine.
A stairway slowly carved itself as the entrance to the spacecraft creaked open slowly, light beaming from within the spacecraft. Two figures stepped down the stairway, and stood in front of Ryu as the Saiyan scanned the two.
The figure to the right was recognized as a female, pink hair in a ponytail that stretched down to her waist, blue eyes with small, pink hearts as her pupils. She wore a costume identical to a school girl's, and she had a golden star pinned to her chest. Just from looks, she appeared as if she were 13.
The figure to the left was recognized as a male, blonde, wavy hair that spiked over to the right of his head, red, pupil-less eyes, and he sported a black tuxedo, a black bandana wrapped around his neck in place of a tie. He had a golden star pinned to his chest, and he appeared as if he were 15.
"We finally made it. And assuming by the color of your hair, and the color of your eyes, you must be Hoshiko." The male spoke up. Ryu shook his head softly, and the male's eyes twitched. "...You're not? You dare lie to me?!"
"I'm not lying. My name is Son Ryu, not Hoshiko. Your name would be...?" Ryu murmured.
"The name's Doki, don't you forget it. We're here to retrieve you, Hoshiko, for the time is right." Doki grinned, pointing towards Ryu with a sense of superiority. "If you refuse to comply, then we have full consent to use force."
"Retrieve me?"
"All the answers you seek will be answered once you come with us."
"I'm not coming with you."
Doki stared at Ryu in disbelief, and his disbelief rose when Ryu narrowed his eyes and ordered, "Leave this planet. My planet. Or you won't live to regret it."
"...Did you just... Threaten us...?" Doki murmured as his mouth began to curl into a scowl. "Did you just... Threaten... Me...?"
Ryu clenched his hands into fists as Doki's face darkened, the quiet female beside him stepping backwards out of their way. Doki's scowl switched to a smirk as he chuckled softly, and his eyes shining lightly as he spoke softly, "Tenjin, stay back. This won't take long."
Doki dashed towards Ryu, but the teenager merely ran towards him, sliding out a strangely carved knife from a small, tan bag from his waist, spinning it around his fingers as he held onto the blade, and slashed at Ryu. Ryu merely swerved his head backwards, then swerved his head to the sides as he dodged each slash. Doki leapt backwards, throwing the blade at Ryu, but the blade merely tapped against Ryu's chest before Ryu grabbed the handle of it. Ryu tossed it to the side as Doki dashed back at the young boy.
Doki threw the palm of his hand towards Ryu's chin, but Ryu swerved his head to the left, crashing his right fist onto Doki's chest, sending the teenager skidding on his back on the ground. Saliva dripped down Doki's chin as he trembled, staggering up to his feet. Doki's eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at Ryu, murmuring, "H-How can someone get this strong...?!"
"Last chance." Ryu murmured. "I don't want to have to do this."
"I've got a mission, and the lives of the entire Kazu clan is on the line! I can't tell you all of the details yet, but please, Hoshiko!" Doki fell on his knee, sitting his right fist on the ground and bowing his head. "From that blow alone, I know I cannot defeat you. So please! Join us, and help us out!"
"No." Ryu murmured immediately, his eyes piercing harshly onto Doki's shaken expression. "I have a family to protect, a world of my own to guard. If you have a problem, it's none of my concern. It's yours."
"Bummer." Doki sighed, glancing back at the girl he acknowledged as Tenjin. "Tenjin, we're doing the thing."
"O-Okay..." Tenjin clamped her hands together, a thick, strange, blue energy swirling around her.
Ryu's eyes widened slightly as a wave of deja vu washed over him from the sight of the strange energy, but he glanced back at Doki as he suddenly vanished, blurring towards Ryu as he threw a punch onto Ryu's raised forearms, Ryu's eyes widening in disbelief at his sudden jump in power and speed.
Ryu leapt back, attempting to create a distance between the two, but Doki dashed back towards him, throwing a sudden barrage of punches towards Ryu, the young boy swerving to the sides to dodge and mashing his forearms against blows to block. Ryu bent backwards as Doki's left foot sliced through the air, then snapped back up as he hopped over Doki's left foot sweeping under his feet. Ryu grabbed Doki's fist as the teenager threw a punch, and Ryu crashed his foot onto Doki's stomach, sending him flying backwards. Ryu's eyes twitched as he glanced at the foot he used to attack, the sole of his shoe sizzling from a burnt patch.
...? Ryu's eyes widened as Doki regained himself, no damage done. I can't sense the girl's energy. I can't sense either of their energy... Another android?! And when I kicked Doki, my shoe was burnt slightly from contact with him. Why did his body temperature raise...?
Doki's eyes swirled into a brighter red as he dashed back at Ryu, a strong kick snapping onto the young boy's side. Ryu stumbled to his left from the blow, then grabbed Doki's right fist as the teenager lunged a fist towards Ryu, the two boys struggling as Ryu clutched onto Doki's fist. Ryu's hand began to sizzle from Doki's fist.
"Pretty hot, ain't it? That's my special technique, alongside with my Zatsugan. I can absorb any sort of energy, and my body will convert it into a fiery chakra! The more energy I absorb, the hotter I get. Soon, I'll be too hot to even touch." Doki grinned. Ryu glanced at Tenjin briefly.
I can't fight with ki attacks, and he's starting to burn... I'll end this quickly.
Ryu let go of Doki's fist, then vanished, reappearing in front of Tenjin instantaneously. Tenjin's eyes widened, then dulled as Ryu rammed his fist onto her stomach, blood dripping from her mouth as she doubled over, the energy swirling around her whisking away immediately. Doki's eyes dimmed, and he leapt towards Ryu, his eyes widened in rage. Ryu swerved his head to the left to dodge a punch, then swerved his head to the right to dodge another, kicking Doki's side harshly, sending the teenager skidding on his side on the ground.
Ryu stepped over to Doki, lifting him up from the bandana around his neck. Ryu's eyes swirled into a scarlet color and his pupils slit as his fingernails slowly cracked, sharpening into claws. Ryu lunged his right hand backwards as his eyes narrowed, murmuring, "I told you, I didn't want to do this. But I've got no choice."
"...Sorry, friend, but I didn't want to do this either. I'm not a sneaky person, but a strategy's a strategy, y'know?" Doki murmured as his face darkened. Ryu's eyes twitched in confusion, then his eyes completely disappeared as he felt someone tap the back of his neck harshly, yet so quick he couldn't sense it. Ryu fell to his side, his ears twitching as he could hear people talking before his consciousness was completely lost.
"Yep, the eyes, the nails, he's his son."
"I just hope he's as strong. We really need him."
"H-He managed to nearly knock me out with just one blow. I-I know that he's the one, a-and he's strong!"
"We need him to be stronger than him, otherwise this is all pointless."
Ryu felt himself rise from the ground as someone lifted him up, but everything around him slowly darkened as his consciousness faded.
