Disclaimer: I do not own Dragon Ball Z nor any of the character found within the story.

Gentle Warrior.

Chapter 1.

The instructor glared down at the Sayian boy. The low class was disgraceful, even for a low class. Even his tail disgraced him by hanging between his legs in shame. A bright purple bruise was blooming rapidly to life on one cheek bone even as his eye started to swell closed and bruise as well. Black eyes looked down shamefully. His tiny frame shook slightly as he sniffled and tried to stop his tears. The instructor sneered in disgust before touching the side of his scouter.

"Bardock! Your presence is requested, yet again, in the low class training centre."

"Kakarot?" came the weary static reply.

"Who else?"

"I'll be there as soon as I'm done checking in. I just got back from my mission." Bardock replied sharply before ending the transmission.

"You! Sit over there where I can't see you any more you pathetic piece of low class trash." The instructor barked at the sniffling boy in front of him.

He nodded pathetically and went to sit in the corner he had been directed towards, wincing as the action of lowering himself to the floor caused his possibly broken ribs to sear painfully. It took Bardock exactly fifteen minutes to arrive at the centre. There were no words exchanged as the instructor pointed silently at the sniffling boy in the corner. Bardock sighed and walked over to the boy that looked too much like him to deny relation.

He didn't bother with words of comfort to the clearly distressed Sayian. He simply picked him up the scruff of his training gi and walked out again with a nod at the instructor. Snickers from the remaining low class Sayian children followed Bardock out of the room. He wasn't sure if they were directed at him for being the father of such a disgrace or if they were directed at the object of such embarrassment himself.

He flew through the air towards his small quarters in the third class sector of the vast Sayian Empire. Someday the sniffling sack of bones he held in his hand would have to move to the low class sector but for now he was allowed to live with his father and older brother. This was all assuming he survived the training.

Bardock lowered to the ground and pushed open the unlocked door on to his and his sons' quarters. He dropped the boy onto the carpet in the middle of the front room. The room was bare aside from two couches. There was a door that led to a bathroom, two doors that led to bedrooms and another doorway that led to the small kitchen. There was nothing else. The bedrooms held chest of draws and beds. There was nothing that was not needed. In Bardock's room there was, however one extra piece of furniture that was in almost every Sayian household. It was a small simple table that held tribute to the God of the Moon Artemus (Greek unisex name meaning of the moon.), the god that gave them the ability to transform into the great and powerful Oozaru every eight years.

"Stay right there. I want to go and shower. When I'm done you and I are going to have a talk." Bardock told the pitiful heap on the floor.

Bardock took his time in the shower, trying to sort through what he was going to say to the boy. He couldn't count on both hands and toes the amount of times he had had a talk with his son about the very same subject. He sighed and got out of the shower, wrapping a towel around his waist. He didn't bother with clothes as he went back to the main room, barely noticing the scars that covered his tan skin.

"So." Bardock said looking down at the still sniffling heap at his feet as he used his Ki to slowly dry himself, "What are we going to do about this Kakarot?"

The small boy was barely six years old. His black eyes shone with tears that really wanted to be shed but were not allowed to due to Sayian customs. Sayians did not cry. Period.

"I don't want to fight Daddy." Kakarot said in a very small voice.

It was the first time the boy had ever said as much. Usually he always faithfully promised to try harder and even though Bardock knew he was just pretending, playing the role he was brought up to play, he ignored it and sent the child back to the training centre. Fighting was all a Sayian had, especially when they were a low class. The endearment 'Daddy' had never before crossed the boys lips either. It made Bardock flinch in surprise. What was he going to do now?

"Kakarot." Bardock sighed sinking lower to be level with the child, "You have to fight."

"It's all we Sayians have." Kakarot finished for him looking down at his scuffed training boots.

"Especially you." Bardock said softly.

Kakarot frowned and looked like he was concentrating.

"I like fighting, I do but I don't like the way he teaches it. I mean what was I supposed to do when he made five Sayians jump me at the same time?" Kakarot asked his small frame now shaking with anger, his tail whipping back and forth as well.

"It's called learning how to fight under pressure. Multiple attackers are a fact of war. It's a good skill to have Kakarot." Bardock said patiently, "And what have I told you about your tail?"

Kakarot automatically wrapped the furry appendage around his waist. The door opened and slammed shut. A disgruntled fifteen year old Radditz walked into the room. He looked tired as he should be. He had just come back from the third class training centre. His training was almost complete. He saw his younger brother and scowled in disgust and anger at his beaten and bruised appearance. He walked over to the bathroom and slammed that door as well. Bardock sighed.

"Go to bed Kakarot. You look tired and besides you have to go back tomorrow. You know what will happen if you don't complete your training." Bardock said nudging the boy towards his room that he shared with Radditz.

"Yes I know. A Sayian who can't fight is a worthless Sayian." Kakarot mumbled.

Bardock stood and watched the small boy limp towards the door to his shared room. He only turned away when the door had closed again. He walked to his own room and threw on a training gi. He then walked to the closed bathroom door. He thumped a fist against the door and entered.

Radditz stood in front of the mirror, a towel around his waist. He was busy bandaging a Ki burn on his left side. His long spiky hair was still dripping wet. Bardock had left his scouter on the basin. He reached around the younger Sayian and picked it up, clipping it to his ear.

"He got kicked out again didn't he?" Radditz asked quietly.

"He's allowed to go back." Bardock replied.

"For now." Radditz muttered darkly.

They both knew what happened to 'worthless' Sayians. Execution or banishment. Bardock could only pray that it was banishment for his son.

"Now remember, you have to fight, even if you don't like it." Bardock said very quietly to the small black haired boy.

Kakarot nodded before walking back into the training centre. Bardock headed to the third class soldier barracks. He wanted to see if he had any assignments. He hoped not because he just knew he was going to be called back again.

"Bardock, I can't believe you sent this worthless piece of shit back in here." The instructor's angry voice said via scouter.

"He has to fight." Bardock replied hovering in mid air.

"Fine but one more incident . . ."

He didn't need to finish. One more incident and the boy would be officially reported. Reported meant trial. Trial meant assessment of worth. Assessment of worth ended in either execution or banishment.

Bardock did not reply but rather flew towards his previous destination. He landed and walked into the building. He checked in with Command and found that he was not scheduled for anything till three days. He went to the third class soldier training room. Everything was categorized to class. The low class Sayians had it hard and someday his son would live that life.

"So Bardock, how's that pathetic little runt of a son of yours doing? I heard he was snivelling like a baby yesterday." One of the Sayians asked loudly as Bardock walked in.

"You're forgetting something." Bardock replied calmly.

"Oh yeah, and what's that?"

"I'm not my son." Bardock replied in a voice the dripped boredom before casually planting his fist in the Sayian's stomach.

"Was that necessary Bardock?" Fasha asked behind him.

"Yes." Bardock replied tonelessly.

He heard her sigh, "So what are you planning to do today?" she asked.

"Wait." Bardock replied in the same tone as before.

"For what?"

"For the instructor to call and tell me to get my and I quote 'worthless piece of shit' when he fails yet again." Bardock replied with just a hint of anger.

"Would you like to spar until then?" Fasha offered quietly.

"Sure, why not?" Bardock replied turning and dropping into his fighting stance.

The two crewmates blazed across the training room as they fought. They were stronger than the average third class but it didn't matter. They had been classified at birth and that is what they stayed.

Bardock stopped mid punch when the transmission came through. He barked that he was on his way before leaving a panting Fasha behind. He himself was not even winded.

When he arrived he was scowling so murderously that the low class Sayians duck away from him. He had a reputation after all.

Kakarot was lying on the floor panting. Bardock looked down at him before scooping him up and dragging him to the other side of the room.

"I thought we had this straightened out." Bardock muttered to the boy.

"I uhm I. . ." Kakarot started.

He appeared to be having difficulty with his statement. Bardock knew that he wasn't going to like what ever came out of the six year olds' mouth if it ever did.

"What happened this time?" Bardock asked to distract him from his statement.

"The third class trainees were asked to fight the low class beginners." Radditz said tonelessly from behind them.

"So what happened with him?" Bardock asked.

If he knew what the problem was then he could eliminate it.

"He didn't even get in one punch. To be honest I don't even think he was trying." Radditz said looking away and crossing his arms over his chest.

"Kakarot." Bardock scolded sternly.

"I know! I know! I just don't think it's fair!" The small boy exploded before his eyes widened in shock and he clamped a hand over his mouth.

"Fair?" Bardock asked raising a brow.

Kakarot shook his head, his hand still clamped over him mouth as he slowly backed away until he was against the wall.

"What don't you think is fair and you will answer." Bardock said roughly.

"I don't think it's fair to hit someone without a good reason to. I mean here all we're doing is learning how to fight, not kill each other, so since my life is not in danger than I don't think it's fair to hit someone for no reason." Kakarot explained in a tiny voice.

"No reason." Bardock repeated in disbelief.

He looked at his son who seemed perfectly serious and then behind him at the gawking Sayians.

"Ai I knew there was going to be trouble when Radditz dropped him." Bardock muttered pinching the bridge of his nose and squeezing his eyes shut.

There was a horrified gasp and Bardock opened his eyes to see Kakarot looking at his older brother is disbelief.

"Is it true? Did you drop me?" Kakarot asked in a shaky voice that sounded strangely hurt.

"Well, i-i-it wasn't my fault. You kept squirming and kicking and you wouldn't stop crying and I didn't mean it. We hadn't had sleep in ages because you never stopped crying. You just sort of slipped out of my grasp because you were moving around so much. You hardly cried after that and you slept more than cried but I swear it wasn't on purpose." Radditz said quickly trying to defend himself.

"This is all your fault." The little boy yelled angrily before launching himself at his brother.

Radditz did not see nor expected his little brother's kick. Radditz slide across the room, more surprised than hurt. He didn't have enough time to get up before Kakarot was on his chest and pounding his fists down as hard as he could while screaming incoherently. Radditz got over his shock and caught his brother's wrists, stopping the flurry of punches. He spun the boy so that he was pinning him to the floor. Kakarot managed to wiggle his hands free. A look of steely determination dominated his features and he closed a hand into a fist.

Bardock recognised the move. How could he not when he had been trying for years to perfect it, had only done so a few weeks prior. When Kakarot's hand started to glow he started to panic. Was that boy stupid? Without thinking he blasted both boys with enough Ki to make them crispy around the edges. Bardock's panic turned to anger and he stormed forward to pick up the younger Sayian by the scruff of his training gi. He barely realised that the energy and concentration it took to do the technique was beyond what he had thought the young boy capable of.

"What the hell do you think you were doing?" he demanded.

"I-I-I was j-just t-trying t-t-to beat him." Kakarot replied while trying to keep back his tears of pain and terror.

"Where the hell did you learn how to do that?" Bardock asked softening his voice.

"I couldn't sleep one night so I went to the kitchen and I saw that you were awake so I went to your room but you were busy." Kakarot muttered looking down so that should he lose the battle to keep his tears from falling no one would see.

His tail was also hanging down instead of around his waist. Bardock looked at the pathetic sight and lowered the child to the floor with a weary sigh. He looked over at his older son. He was fine apart from a few smoking patches. He also looked very confused.

"Kakarot, do you realise the seriousness of the technique you were about to use?" Bardock asked.

"Yes. I was going to make a moon so that I could turn into the sacred Oozaru and beat Radditz." Kakarot replied beaming at the fact that he at least knew the answer to this.

"Is the child mad?" The instructor asked.

"No. It's quite possible." Bardock muttered more to himself than the others around him.

"So you know of a technique that emits Blutz waves?" The instructor asked.

Bardock just waved a hand impatiently before turning back to Kakarot.

"You do realise that had you released that technique then every Sayian in the room would have turned as well?" Bardock asked.

"Well it was a chance I was willing to take. When we are the Oozaru we are one. There is no difference. Each one is the same as the other." Kakarot replied.

"I don't want you to use it ever again. Now as for fighting in the centre being unfair, that is an irrational thought." Bardock ordered.

"Why?" Kakarot asked predictably.

"They hit you. Is that fair?" Bardock replied sending the boy into a moment of deep thinking.

"No." he eventually replied, "No it's not."

"So what do you plan to do about it?" Bardock asked daring himself to think that maybe just maybe he was getting somewhere.

"I'm going to stop going to the training centre." Kakarot replied seriously.

Bardock slapped his forehead and groaned something that sounded an awful lot like why me.

"We've already been through this Kakarot. You have to come and you have to fight. So what does that leave you with?" Bardock asked as calmly as he could.

"So then I should hit them back because they hit me first?" Kakarot asked narrowing his eyes in thought.

"That's the idea." Bardock said almost daring to hope.

"Ohkay." Kakarot replied with the unnatural grin that made the Sayians look at him funny.

He scratched the back of his head and said with a laugh, "Now why didn't you just say that the first time around? Here I thought I was being fair."

Bardock shook his head as those around him witnessed the oddity that was his son. He had this all the time so he was sort of used to it. Radditz just shook his head.

"Now go and train like a real Sayian. If you don't win one fight by the end of today you're not getting dinner." Bardock said pointing towards the other Sayian children.

Kakarot gasped in horror and took off like a hurricane towards the other low class Sayian children.

"What is this Blutz wave technique the child was talking about Bardock?" The instructor asked.

"You are a low class. I do not answer to you." Bardock snapped harshly.

He had not wanted this technique out for all the Sayians to use and know about. He supposed that it was too late now. The rumours would start and he would be brought in front of the King and Prince when the rumours reached them. The possibility of the technique would be just too much to resist.

He watched as Kakarot challenged one of the other children. He ground his teeth as Kakarot's tail waved in the air behind him. He looked at the happy friendly smile on the boy's face and thought back to the gesture where he had scratched the back of his head to the reasons he had been doing so poorly in school. The child seemed almost . . . innocent? Absurd for a Sayian even if it was a child. How had he done the technique by merely watching?

As the two Sayians got into a fighting stance Bardock touched the side of his scouter. The children were almost equal. They were both low class Sayians so they should be about the same. Every class had its own brand of training. You could tell what a Sayian was just by looking at the way he fought. Sure, some Sayians tweaked their style a bit but the basics were still there.

A whistle was blown and the two started. Radditz walked over to his father and narrowed his eyes in concentration as he watched the two boys fight.

"It's nothing like before. Their fighting styles aren't even the same. Don't they have the same instructor?" Radditz commented.

"They do but Kakarot isn't fighting like a low class. He's fighting like a . . ." Bardock muttered trailing off.

"He's fighting like you." Radditz finished, "Have you been training him."

"No." Bardock said in shock.

It was against the law to mix the fighting styles on purpose. If a fighter took it upon himself to learn then that was his own incentive. If a Sayian of a higher class trained a Sayian of lower class then the higher class Sayian was stripped down to the lower level. The lower level Sayian did not receive any punishment. It ensured that the higher level Sayians did not get the idea to be stupid.

They watched open mouthed as the small child they had all thought was a hopeless loss kicked the ass of the other Sayian child so thoroughly that the child was knocked unconscious. All of it was done using Bardock's style and a lot of his strategic combinations. He didn't use any sort of low class move what so ever. Would he get into trouble for that? Kakarot walked over to them slightly out of breath. He was smiling again.

"So do I get dinner tonight?" he asked worriedly.

"Only if you tell me where you learned to fight like that?" Bardock replied.

"That wasn't the deal." Kakarot replied with a childish pout, "I learned it from you. When you have to fetch me from the training centre and you have nothing else to do you train. I was watching you because you made me sit against the wall and not move."

"Why do you not use the style you have learned from here?" Radditz asked.

"It's hard to learn when you're always being beaten up. Anyways dad's fighting is strategically better." Kakarot replied as though that were obvious.

"Who are you and what did you do with my pathetic little brother who couldn't pick a fight with snot and win?" Radditz asked.

"You never talk to me so don't say things like that." Kakarot yelled angrily.

Bardock tuned out the sibling fight. This was a new and interesting discovery. Kakarot may have been odd and rather pathetic in general but when his heart was in it he became a brilliant fighter and strategist. Why had he not noticed this before? The child learned things just by watching it.

When the two hadn't stopped arguing Bardock smacked them both upside the head. There were two owws followed by two what was that for.

"March those furry tails back to the house. I'll be right behind you in a minute." Bardock ordered.

The two shuffled to the door grumbling under their breaths.

"Does he still have to be reported?" Bardock asked the instructor.

"No I suppose not after seeing the last battle." The instructor grudgingly admitted.

Bardock nodded and walked out of the centre, taking off into the air and quickly catching up to his sons.