Valkier: Here's the next chapter.

Vegeta: That was quick. What's gotten into you?

Valkier: Just been writing a bit a day like I said. And writing in a different location once in a while changes things up.

Vegeta: Really now? Where'd you go to write?

Valkier: A little bit a day at the library after my classes. Anyway Vegeta time to make my pre-chapter announcement.

Vegeta: Fine, better be a good one.

Valkier: Well now that we've reach chapter ten this story's finally kicking into gear. I've read over my own past chapters and I know I been going at a snail's pace. Most stories that are popular in varying degrees have one common thing that I've seen. In this chapter you'll finally see my hand at that common event-taking place. Pre-chapter isn't really the place to say what that common factor is, so you'll just have to read.

Vegeta: Well, looks like it was worth it *previews the chapter and smirks* you're finally doing that after all this time? A snail's pace is an understatement if you ask me.

Valkier: Well I didn't ask you, did I? Besides this story's a hobby. Hence why I changed some things on my profile and my review policy; going into more detail as to why I don't ask for reviews at the end of each chapter unlike a majority of writers on here. Now I've wasted enough time, onto the Disclaimer!

Vegeta: Fine…

Disclaimer: This is a non-profit fan base story made for entertainment purposes only. DB(z/gt) is property of Akira Toriyama and Naruto is Property of Misashi Kishimoto. Please support official release of both manga/anime.

XXXX – Scene change

"Formation! Dragonball Hunting Squad"

"Well?" Tsunade asked.

Gohan stood before the Hokage and everyone in the room. It was his turn on the spotlight now that it seemed like they finally took him seriously when it came to the Dragonballs. Gohan remained calm, despite the clutter of emotions that ran through him at that very moment. He was nervous, excited, and cautious at the same time. He couldn't get his mind straightened out from all the concerns he had. Gohan thought back to his times back on Namek. All those lives that was lost, just to gather the seven balls. It made him sick reminiscing about the past, but what Gohan had to do now was look ahead into the future. Gohan looked down blankly lost in thought as he thought of what to tell everyone.

The room was silent and tension grew every second that passed. The only sound in the room seemed to come from Tonton, Tsunade's pet pig, which rested in the arms of her aid, Shizune. The tiny pig looked around, whining gently sensing the tension in the room.

Jiraiya stood calm, crossing his arms looking at the boy. Granted they knew little about Gohan in general. Other than knowing that the boy could fight and that he was a powerful warrior beyond possibly every shinobi, Gohan remained a mystery to nearly everyone in the village. Jiraiya half doubted that the boy claimed who he was when they met, that being, someone from another area or dimension in some way or form. The look in Gohan's eyes worried Jiraiya.

"If he's taking this long just to tell us what we might be facing with these Dragonballs…" Jiraiya couldn't finish his thought, the fear and worry built up inside, worrying him further. "Something tells me we might be looking at something far worse than war between villages…"

"Gohan?" Jiraiya reminded.

Gohan snapped back to reality and looked around. "Sorry…"

Gohan looked at Tsunade seriously as he began to explain as best he could. "If the Dragonballs are here…then it's best to collect all of them as soon as possible. If other villages or towns figure out what the Dragonballs are able to do once all seven are collected you're looking at a world where alliances don't matter anymore. I've seen what people do just to get them…" Gohan tightened his fist as flashes of his memory replayed, forcing him to briefly relive seeing Frieza, his men, and Vegeta even, killing all the Namekians just to the Dragonballs. He looked down in disgust. Sometimes he wished that he never heard of the Dragonballs or that they never existed.

Tsunade took a moment to consider the boys words. Some of the things Gohan stated had already crossed her mind: war, the loss of team work for selfish desires, and deaths of many innocents. She had much to go over before she made a decision. Tsunade opened a drawel and pulled out the orange one star ball, placing it on her desk. Gohan, Naruto, and Sasuke's eyes immediately shot to her desk—to the object resting in front of her.

Naruto looked at the ball confusingly. He remained quiet for the most part this whole time since he didn't know shit about what was going on. He pointed at the orange ball curiously. "So wait, that's the thing that we were going to get?" mentioning the previous mission that was cancelled, oblivious to who stood by him.

Sasuke shot Naruto a look, "What do you mean?" He began wondering if Naruto knew anything about this Dragonball from how he spoke about getting one at an earlier time.

Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Shizune looked at Naruto sternly. Naruto's eyes shot wide when he realized what he had done. "Shit!"

Gohan turned around, shocked that Naruto had forgotten what he agreed to do. "He didn't…"

There was an awkward silence before someone finally spoke.

"You three, go home! I must take a moment to consider what you've told me, Gohan." Tsunade ordered. The order was hasty. She could have considered what to do then and there, but with Sasuke's presence, it would only make the situation more difficult since they had chosen to hide the fact that the previous event even occurred in the mind of the young Uchiha.

"Wait a moment! What's going on here?" Sasuke demanded to know what the group knew that he did not. "You all know something…and I'm betting it has to do with that Dragonball…"

Sasuke began to feel like the black sheep of the group, the uncool kid cast aside by the popular ones, the nerd among the jocks. He gritted his teeth angrily looking at everyone intently wondering what it was that they knew that he didn't. It frustrated the Uchiha to his core. He thought he was part of a team, part of a village. If it had anything to do with the safety of this village, shouldn't he be in the loop too? As he stood there angrily, Sasuke's mind drifted to encounter with Orochimaru, thinking about what the fallen Sanin had told him.

Tsunade grunted. The young genin's demand to know what had happen and the quick temper reminded her of somewhat of the old slithering bastard she once considered a comrade. "Look, give me my time, and I will explain everything to you, Sasuke. Now go…all of you!" she shouted.

Gohan shifted back, looking at the Hokage. "But Miss Tsunade!"

"I said go. Besides, it's nearly night time now, get some rest and I'll call you back here in the morning when I'm finished." She said.

Gohan sighed and surrendered, knowing that she was going to plan something pertaining to the Dragonball. Gohan gave one final look to the one star ball before leaving with the other two.

As the door shut Tsunade sighed, leaning back in her chair as she looked up at the ceiling for a brief moment.

"So what should we do?" Jiraiya questioned.

Tsunade crossed her fingers together and glanced at her long-time friend. "Get me Kakashi…" she requested.

Jiraiya looked at her calmly for a moment before disappearing in a cloud of smoke.

Shizune looked down at Tsunade cautiously. She narrowed her eyes in a grimly fashion. Letting go of Tonton, she excused herself, leaving Tsunade alone in her office. Tsunade watched Shizune carefully when she left, narrowing her eyes.

XXXX

Outside, the three young warriors spread out outside the tower as soon as the door closed. Sasuke turned and looked at Naruto and Gohan, still angered by what happened inside.

"Tell me what's going on?" he demanded.

Naruto looked at Sasuke nervously, holding his hands up in defeat. Naruto knew what kind of situation he was in, but he wouldn't allow himself to be saddened or troubled by it. Smiling his biggest falsified smile ever, he spoke. "It's nothing Sasuke, come on, Granny Tsunade's going to explain it to you anyway."

"Can it, dweeb. I know you know something about that Dragonball or whatever it's called." Sasuke took a moment to pause and shifted his attention to Gohan. "So why don't you spill it, Gohan. Ever since you got here all you've done was been a big shadow. I haven't seen you do anything since we fought."

Gohan remained calm, but serious as per the situation. He stared down Sasuke's eyes as if he was trying to look deep into the Uchiha's soul. "Look, since Naruto mentioned it I guess there's on point in hiding it. Considering that Miss Tsunade's going to tell you something about it."

This time it was Naruto who shot Gohan the surprised look. He hadn't expected the young saiyan to be so open about the situation. Sure he screwed up, but he was used to messing up once in a long while like what happened in Granny's office. As to why Gohan agreed to tell Sasuke what happened, he was stumped. Naruto looked curiously at Gohan. He remained quiet thinking back to the beginning of that mission. "Oh yea…"

Flashback

Sasuke stopped and looked at Gohan.

"Gohan,"

Gohan stopped and looked at Sasuke. Assuming he would want to cause more bitterness, Gohan started treating Sasuke like he treated him.

"What?" Gohan's tone had signs of pure annoyance.

"What's this Dragonball we'll be searching for? It's obvious this escort mission's going to be easy, but what about the search?"

Naruto and Sakura stopped and listened to the conversation. Naruto smiled, agreeing that it was a good idea to know what this Dragonball was. "Yea, Gohan. What's so special about this ball that you just got to find before everyone?"

Gohan looked at everyone. It was obvious they wanted to know what the dragonball's powers were. He wondered if telling them should be a good idea. Would they laugh? Would they want the Dragonball for their own desires? Gohan's mouth moved, as he prepared to answer when he noticed multiple objects raining down on the group.

"Get out of the way!"

End Flashback

Thinking back, Naruto realized Gohan didn't get a chance to explain what the Dragonball was to any of them. Seeing how Granny and the Pervy-Sage seemed so serious about the whole thing with the ball, it made him even more curious now, especially with the new knowledge that they're seven of them. Naruto turned, looking at Gohan. Oddly enough his curiosity about this item stirred up questions in the young Shinobi. Questions that he knew only Gohan could answer.

Sasuke smirked, feeling mildly victorious. "Well, go on then, Gohan. Unless, you got some problem telling me the truth…?"

Naruto grunted and rushed at Sasuke holding up a threatening fist. "What's the deal Sasuke, he said he was going to tell ya so don't you think you could be a bit patient?"

Sasuke smiled evilly. "Comes from the guy that charges into fights before thinking. You want to get beat up again?" he provoked.

"Last time I checked we ended in a tie!" Naruto argued.

Tempers flared as the two locked eyes, ready to pound each other to the ground.

Gohan sighed and stepped between the young fighters, trying to quell their anger. "Come on you guys. I'll talk. Just calm down, this isn't the place to be fighting."

The boys backed off, turning their attention elsewhere, waiting on Gohan to speak.

With a final sigh Gohan began. "Look Sasuke, there was this…mission that we were a part of, but searching for the Dragonball was something that was going to be a side mission, or something we'd do after the original one was done." He tried to put it in a way he thought was best. A way hopefully that would not make Sasuke angered again.

"Then why did it seem like there was something more? I find it strange that I'm not remembering this mission at all. Sounds like something happened during the mission." Sasuke grunted as he tried to pry his mind, trying to force him to recall such a mission. In the end it was no luck at all. All that was in his mind were blurs of events he couldn't make heads or tails. If they all were on such a mission, why was there a Dragonball in the Hokage's office? Did they succeed in the mission? "No, it couldn't be. That Dragonball on the Hokage's desk came from the monument. The one we were supposedly going to look for is a different one."

Sasuke thought back to what Gohan said about there being seven of them. Why seven? What was so special about these Dragonballs that kept the Hokage—hell even Jiraiya on their toes?

Sasuke glared at Gohan. "What about the Dragonball, Gohan? Why do seven of them need to be collected?"

Gohan grunted silently as possible, trying to hide his frustration. He didn't want more people knowing what these things did. Under different circumstances sure, Gohan wouldn't mind telling them about the dragonballs, but with the thought of Madara still out there, he had to keep things quiet as possible. If anything, the less people knew, the better. Though, in the short time that Gohan spent here, he knew that Sasuke was not the type to let things slide. In the end, Gohan felt it was for the best.

"When the Seven Dragonballs are collected, they can be used to call upon the Eternal Dragon, who will grant the summoner two wishes…"

Naruto and Sasuke were shocked by Gohan's response. Out of all the things Gohan could have withheld in secret, neither of them would have guessed it. Gohan stood there seeing the stunned look on the two's faces. It was a look he found slightly enjoyable despite the situation that he was in when revealing the secrets about the Dragonballs.

Sasuke narrowed his eye and fled, leaving the two alone, without saying a single word as to why he left them. Gohan looked toward the direction Sasuke fled, his mind wondering if it was right to let Sasuke know.

XXXX

Beyond the borders of the Land of Fire was the Land of Rice, though sadly better known as the Land of Sound, a land ruled by a decrepit Shinobi. Inside a small building, sounds and cries of anguish and pain were heard.

"Grr…Blast you Old man!" the voice cried out.

The door opened, shining a bright light into the room revealing the figure in pain. The man had a skin of pale gray. His hair was black and long as the dark shadows that surrounded his room. His eyes were amber and had slits like a snake's. Purple markings shadowed his eyes that seemed both menacing in some manner and flamboyant in others. The man looked up at the other who stood at the door, narrowing his eyes in pain.

The male at the door had a head of silver hair. His hair was tied back leaving a brushy bundle in the front. As he approached the other male, he looked through his circular glasses, seeing the male's pain escalating.

"The pains gotten worse…" he said dryly.

"So observant…!" the other male retorted annoyed by the males comment.

"Lord Orochimaru, you should really consider moving to another host. The pain has gotten to the point that my skills couldn't even mend your pain."

Orochimaru smiled despite the pain he felt. "There is only one host I seek, Kabuto."

"Yes, I know that. But there may be another…" Kabuto said with a sly smile.

"Hm? Who?"

"There's been mention of a boy that is vastly powerful. The boy's garnered much attention. So much so that Akatsuki seems interested in the boy. From what I guess, He may be the one that's instigated Akatsuki's interest in this boy."

Orochimaru chuckled at the mention of that particular man. "If HE is interested in this particular boy, I wonder who this boy is…?"

"Do you have any more information on this boy?" Orochimaru questioned.

"Not much at the moment. I do know that there was a small quarrel between Sasuke and this boy. Sasuke was close to using the cursed seal, had it not been for some of the other Shinobi interfering. The boy seems to be on Akatsuki's high priority list. They've kept a lot things quiet, making difficult for even me to discover what they're goal is concerning this boy. Even with the difficulty I manage to discover his name. Gohan…"

Orochimaru's eyes widened with glee. "Fascinating," Orochimaru was delighted beyond belief. The cursed seal was something that augmented a marked shinobi's strength nearly ten-fold if they used it to its fullest capability, but this was not why he was happy. The fallen Sanin knew if this boy was able to force Sasuke to draw on the seals power, the sooner Sasuke would come to him. Even if that were to fail, a second planned detailed behind his fallen motive.

"I'd like to see Gohan for myself…"

"But Lord Orochimaru, your condition—"

"Just use that Jutsu…" He breathed heavily holding back the urge to scream from the searing flaming pain that engulfed his arms. " I don't want to wait any longer!"

Kabuto smiled as he left his master's quarters. "Yes, Lord Orochimaru. I'll have the preparations done immediately." He closed the door, leaving his master alone.

As Kabuto walked through the halls he smiled, knowing what Orochimaru had planned. Honestly he too was intrigued. "What is Akatsuki's goal? Normally source would be spot on, but even he's having difficulty leaking the information…"

"Whatever it is…" Kabuto entered his room, a deathly shine on his glasses, showing the boy's true nature behind the gentle smile. "I'll find out soon enough…"

XXXX

"Are you sure?" Tsunade questioned, looking up at the one eyed Shinobi. "That's the direction you saw it heading towards?"

"Yes, Lady Hokage." Kakashi sighed as he thought back to the brief moment he and Sasuke saw the strange object headed toward the northeast.

Jiraiya sighed worriedly. "If it is indeed headed toward that direction, it could be anywhere from the Land of Frost to somewhere far out as the Land of Lightning. I'm not liking this…"

Tsunade nodded in agreement. She looked Kakashi dead in his eye before speaking. "What I'm about to tell you is of the utmost importance. If there'd be anything to compare this to it would be the Third's Law pertaining to Naruto. It does not leave this room and the less people that know about this, the better. Understood?"

Kakashi gave a silent nod, but stared at the Hokage with his calm stern eye. Whatever she had to tell him had to relate to Gohan in some way, that much he knew.

Tsunade pulled out the orange sphere, placing it on her desk as she had done when Gohan and the two genin were in her office.

Kakashi's eye widened, surprised by the sight of the object. "So that's what crashed into the Monument. Who would have thought that something like that could do such damage…?" Kakashi commented nonchalantly. He tried to hide his curiosity about what the orange sphere was, and what this object had to do with Gohan and what headed toward the northeast.

"I didn't make a note or business to mention this to anyone other than the ones who met Gohan before I arrived at the village, but…"

Tsunade began telling Kakashi what Gohan had told her, albeit in an improvised and less accurate manner as Gohan told.

"That's every—"

Tsunade stopped when the door swung open. Her eyes widened to see the Konoha Council. The surprised look quickly shifted to a glare as the two elderly couple entered.

"Guess I should have you to thank for this…" she said shooting a glare at Shizune.

Shizune stood her ground, though still frightful of the look Tsunade gave her.

The duo stood in the room as all attention shifted to them.

They shared many similar features. Gray hair, old wrinkly skin, and to Tsunade's unenthusiastic surprise, the same look on their grumpy faces. The elderly female wore a long kimono that was closed by an obi. The outfit was completed with a jacket that had a sash over it going from her left shoulder down to her right side. The male looked at Tsunade staring her down through his glasses. His wardrobe reminded many of the late Third Hokage.

"Kakashi, Jiraiya, please leave. We have much to discuss with the Hokage." The male said.

Jiraiya and Kakashi traded looks and prepared to leave, but a call from Tsunade stopped the two.

"Stay! What you two have to discuss with me can be discussed here and now in front of everyone. I already told Kakashi everything, so having him leave would be pointless, Homura."

The female looked at Tsunade disappointedly. "You have avoided our requests for council about the boy you brought into the village…Gohan, I believe his name is. Now that the incident with this…Dragonball or whatever it is called has come to our village's attention it cannot be ignored and kept to yourself!" the female said sternly.

Tsunade remained calm. She had dealt with the council when she arrived. They were madly annoying but she knew their concerns were for that of the village and its people.

"I've already decided on a course of action for this."

"What course of action? What are you doing, Princess? You're letting a stranger into our village and influencing your decisions. Why would you believe such a tale? For all you know that…thing could have been some kind warning or sign of war from another village. You should reevaluate your choices." Homura stated.

"We cannot allow you to send those two out again. Do you not remember the last time they were out on a mission you assigned without consulting us?" the female questioned.

Tsunade sighed heavily at their lecturing. She knew the importance of a council, yet at times, she wished they were more lucid and open to the idea of following one's gut; a skill that Tsunade trusted for a majority of her life.

"I've taken precautions for this measure, that is why Jiraiya will be leading the group, Koharu…"

"Jiraiya may be a skilled Shinobi, but what if something goes awry with Naruto and the Kyuubi? Not to mention if this Gohan boy get out of control as well. You can't expect him to handle all of that, do you?" the elderly woman asked.

"H-hey!" Jiraiya shouted annoyingly. He scoffed at Koharu's comment. He crossed his arms and looked the other way, pouting slightly like a child. Just as he turned, Jiraiya thought, the two fossils had valid points. Naruto had used a large amount of the Kyuubi's chakra, larger than he had seen the boy used ever since he taught him how to draw upon the chakra and use it. Then there was Gohan, the boy who seemed to be a mystery. Who knows how far that boy's power could go?

Tsunade narrowed her eyes, slamming her hand on her desk, scaring Tonton and Shizune for a brief moment.

"I understand you two. Its not like I don't understand, but what you do not understand is following your gut and heart!" she looked down at the Dragonball on the desk, seeing it shine brightly. "Something's telling me that it's important to gather these. From what we know there's more out there. Exactly how much, we don't know for sure if we do not try…"

"Are you truly going to waste your time chasing what could be a fairy tale?" Homura questioned angrily. "If we knew that you would turn out like this we would never have sought you out for Hokage!" he yelled.

Tsunade's eyes widened with a new fury of anger. She tightened a fist and slammed it down on her desk, pulverizing it, shocking everyone there.

"Get out of my sight!"

The councilmen stood their ground despite what Tsunade did.

Jiraiya and Kakashi looked back and forth between the two. They grew nervous as the tension thinned more and more by the second.

Jiraiya stepped in between the two looking at the Council. "Look you two, think of it this way. If it proves to be false, then fine, it's been a waste of time. But if it's true…" Jiraiya paused, smiling, hoping their senility would give him what he wanted.

Even the elderly had their curiosity peaked that evening. Exchanging glances they looked at Tsunade one final time before giving their final message.

"You'll have one week. If you do not find anything, then they are to return. Once they return, Naruto is to remain in the village, and Gohan is to leave the village for good."

Leaving the office, there seemed to be a silence that loomed over the remaining group.

After moment and clearing his throat, Kakashi looked at Tsunade, "So what shall we do about the situation? If what you tell me is true, then…."

"We know Kakashi, that's why I'm considering forming a small team to go find these balls and keep the neighboring lands from finding out this…legend…or ask those idiots called it, a fairy tale." She interrupted.

Tsunade looked at a few of the papers that managed to survive her attack. Tsunade shook her head. "I would ask you to join the team, but there are too many missions that have already been contracted for completion." Picking up other sheets around the decimated furniture, she looked at Kakashi.

"We have to act quickly. Some countries that hired our Shinobi have cancelled, due to the delay that occurred with the discovery of this ball. We need the funds to help rebuild the damage received from Orochimaru's attack.

Tsunade looked at Jiraiya, scoffing lightly. "Think you can handle those three? I was going to have Kakashi join, but considering he's contracted to completing three missions back to back, our higher classed ninja are stretched thin. With what happened the last time I let them go alone I don't want something like that happening when they arrive in another village." She warned.

"Hmm…." Jiraiya remained silent. He heard of what had happened with his young student and his new friend. The details of the battle's results surprised him, even after decades upon decades of combat experience. Jiraiya closed his eyes smiling. It would be chance to train Naruto again, longer this time considering how long it might actually take them to find seven of those balls. A question dawned upon the wise Sage.

"Now that we have a heading, Gohan and Naruto should be enough company for the journey. Having time with the boys will give me a chance to know more about him and figure out what really is going on. Uh…wait a moment…three?" he questioned confusingly

"Yes, three." Tsunade turned and looked out the window, thinking of how Sasuke acted in her office just hours ago. "I know of the fight that those boys had. Don't forget, Jiraiya, Gohan had a hand in instigating that fight. Don't think just because it doesn't rest on my desk as a report that I don't know what happens in this village."

Kakashi and Jiraiya froze. The two senseis had desired to deal with this quarrel off the books, thus leaving any report of the fight ever happening.

Tsunade turned back and crossed her fingers, resting her arms on her desk. "Right now what that boy needs is to be surrounded by people. Leaving him alone or giving him a chance to be alone is detrimental." Tsunade closed her eyes thinking back to her time as a comrade to Orochimaru. Their relationship indeed mirrored what Team 7 had at this time, and again in the past with the Fourth's team. It was around this time that Orochimaru developed an introverted personality, a desire for seclusion so he could conduct his experiments.

"If that boy decides to go to Orochimaru now, not only will it cause this village to weaken in both fighting strength and political image, but the emotional damage from his defection inflicted on Team 7 will be far more concerning. Keep him close, Jiraiya." Tsunade warned looking at her friend with the most serious eyes Jiraiya had seen Tsunade have.

Hearing Tsunade mention the possibilities of the Uchiha's defection to Orochimaru stirred up unwanted memories. The clash and battles he had with Orochimaru, just to get him to return to the village. To find another way instead of following the path of a demented Shinobi who lusted after power. He sighed, thinking of Naruto and the stupid smile of his.

Jiraiya walked out of the office, heading for the door. He was about to leave when he stopped, giving Tsunade a thumbs-up, acknowledging her wish for Sasuke to be on the team.

"Wait, Master Jiraiya. I've a request." Kakashi interjected turning around.

"What is it, Kakashi?"

"If you're going to take Sasuke and Naruto, then take Sakura with you. If you both are concerned about Sasuke's possibility of defection, and with me not being able to be present with you, having her to support him may be the next best thing. Once I finish my missions I'll join you…"

Jiraiya smiled and patted the Jonin on the shoulder. "Don't worry about it Kakashi. Now…to find those kids." Jiraiya held up one hand, forming a seal. A cloud of smoke surrounded him leaving nothing behind.

Tsunade groaned, yelling aloud. "Can he ever just use the freaking door? He was right in front of it for crying out loud…"

Kakashi sighed and calmed, assuring himself that Jiraiya would be able to keep the genin in check before he joined them.

"Do you really think you'd have the time to join them, Kakashi? The paper's not here in front of me, but as I recall, you're staring down two B class mission and an A class mission. Even a Shinobi skilled as you might have problems with this considering they're sequential missions." Tsunade stated half-heartedly teasing the Jonin.

Kakashi sighed and looked down. "Oh great…" he said idly with a slight hint of sarcasm. Kakashi didn't mind the rank of the missions; B classes were quick if he really tried. The A class on the other hand was something that he dreaded and the thought of doing all three consecutively bothered him.

Tsunade chuckled, finding Kakashi's change in emotions humorous that evening. She sighed and looked at Shizune, "Bring in another desk…" she said in a cold tone.

Shizune bowed and left the room hastily.

XXXX

Late that night, two figures sat up on the rooftop of one of the buildings. The two sat there silently staring up at the stars.

"So why aren't you sleeping, Naruto?" Gohan asked gently.

Naruto scoffed light-heartedly. "Why aren't you?"

"Hmm…" Gohan smiled staring at the stars. "I just got a lot on my mind."

Naruto chuckled. "Gohan…why…" Naruto paused unsure if it was right of him to ask Gohan such a question given everything that happened.

"Huh? What is it, Naruto?" the half saiyan looked at the blond ninja curiously, wondering what the boy had in mind.

Naruto looked at Gohan and smiled in return, sighing briefly before he continued. "It's just…ever since we found you, you haven't told me or anyone anything about you. Sure it was cool that we saw you beat Sasuke. It was awesome when you showed Sasuke and me how to use our jutsus in a different way, but…that's all I know about you. You're just strong and you use something that isn't chakra. Now that you told Sasuke and me about the Dragonball…I just feel like I want to know about you more, you know? Like where you're from and what kind of stuff you did back home. I mean…we are friends, aren't we, Gohan?" Naruto looked down, staring at the tiles of the rooftop silently; a weak-smile showing on the boys face.

Gohan looked at Naruto, listening to his questions and words. He sighed heavily and looked up to the stars. It was true that he didn't reveal much about himself since he got here. He was so focused on getting the Dragonball that, for the most part, making friends and letting them know more about him had slipped his mind. Gohan was not like his father.

Gohan laughed lightly, thinking about how his father would have acted in his shoes. "If dad were in my shoes he would have admitted everything and get them to help him. Probably get them to believe him in the first explanation too."

What did Gohan have to fear about telling Naruto more about himself? He wasn't home. He wasn't in a public school or any of those other places that would make revealing himself to friends any trouble. Then again Gohan knew why he didn't share a word with anyone. Jiraiya and Tsunade had a difficult time believing in his story about fighting Madara. Hell, they probably shook off the fact that he was from another dimension from the first time he explained how he ended up where they found him.

Naruto looked at Gohan silently, slowly realizing the his silence was beginning to remind him of how everyone in the village ignored him, except a few that shared their kindness with him. "Maybe he's just like the rest of them…" he quickly assumed sadly. "Maybe I shouldn't tell him about me…"

"You're right, Naruto." Gohan spoke, snapping Naruto back to reality and away from his depressing thoughts.

Gohan looked up and noticed four stars brightly shining in the night sky. He smiled as his mind pictured the square-like shape that the four stars created with the positions it took at the four individual corners. His mind began to think of the four star ball, the ball that had a significant meaning to his family as his mother mentioned once during a meal.

Gohan turned and smiled at Naruto. Gohan was not ignorant of normal society and how people acted to absurd stories, unlike his father. Deciding to reveal his origins was something that he had to consider deeply, considering the consequences to revealing such information. Gohan had been trying to find his way home ever since he came to the Village Hidden in the Leaves, failing to take time to enjoy his days and take it as it was given to him. Sure, he had enjoyed the days he spent with Naruto and his friends, but his head was always focused on returning home; assuming that, since he was going to go home as soon as possible, it would have been best to let them not know about him. Especially since everything he experience would be hard for them to believe.

Letting go of how Naruto would react to his story, Gohan began explaining his origins, bit by bit; telling Naruto of his earliest adventures. But all of this had to begin with the most difficult icebreaker of them all: revealing that he was in fact from another dimension.

"Well Naruto, I'm not from the Hidden Leaf Village."

"Well yea, that much I know, we found ya after all. Where are you from?"

Gohan took a moment to pause, trying to find a way to word this just the right way, even though there might not have been one to begin with. "I'm actually from another place…another dimension. That's the best way I can explain it."

Naruto froze. He looked at Gohan shocked for a long moment before the young genin burst out in laughter. "That's…wow" Naruto couldn't take him seriously as he snickered, looking at him. "Come on Gohan, be serious here."

Gohan remained calm, letting Naruto laugh his heart out. "Could be worse," he thought.

When Naruto finally calmed down he looked into Gohan's eyes noticing that they did not change at all since his statement. Naruto's eyes widened when it finally sunk into his mind that what Gohan said might have been true.

"No way…" he said in disbelief

Gohan stared at Naruto surprised that he would use the two words he heard so many times from movies or social media books back at home. "Way…"

Naruto looked down and gave everything heavy consideration. Thinking back to everything that happened since he met Gohan, things began making more sense when he related them to him being from another dimension. It seemed logical now that that's the only way Gohan could use Ki, and Granny along with everyone else be surprised by it. Not to mention how he knew so much about these Dragonballs.

Naruto looked at Gohan as questions flooded his mind like a broken dam. "How did you get here?"

Gohan once again paused, but this time not for the hesitation of explaining, but for recalling what happened when he mentioned Madara's name. "Naruto wasn't allowed to be there when I explained things. Guess Madara's some guy they don't want going around. If people think he's dead then I guess it's for the best that Naruto doesn't know too."

"Hey come on now don't leave me hanging!" Naruto argued.

"It was a Shinobi from this dimension. I don't know who he was, or his name, but he was really strong. He was able to come to my dimension looking for the Dragonballs. My dad fought him once, but the battle didn't end conclusively. Years later he came back…but my father was gone, so I had to fight him."

Naruto sat there in awe at Gohan's story.

"We fought but he was always one step ahead somehow, dodging my punches and Ki attacks."

Naruto swallowed. The thought of a Shinobi being able to keep up with Gohan, someone so fast and powerful, it frightened him. It wasn't like how they encountered Itachi, that was different on its own, but from what Gohan told him, this other Shinobi made Itachi seem like nothing in his opinion.

"So what happened next?" Naruto questioned.

"He got his hand on one of the Dragonballs and made his way back to this dimension. I tried to stop him and went in after, thus that's how I ended up here…"

Gohan looked down partly saddened when he realized the difficulty of finding all seven dragonballs without a radar. "Now I'm not sure if I ever will be able to get back."

"Huh? What are you talking about? All we need to do is convince Granny Tsunade to let us go find those seven Dragonballs, right?"

"It's not going to be easy Naruto. Back in my dimension we had this thing called a Dragon-radar. It was able to tell us the location of each ball. Even with the radar it took weeks, at times months to find them. Without one, it might take years."

Naruto felt like he choked on ten bowls of ramen at once. His eyes turned ghost white, nearly popping out of his eye sockets. "Y-y-years?" he shouted.

"Yea…" Gohan began to lose hope that he would return home. The best thing he could do now was to keep the Dragonballs away from the hands of those that would misuse them; like Madara.

Naruto noticed the look on his friend's face, the unsure sadness, and the loss of hope. It was a face that he knew all too well. Naruto stood up pointing his thumb to his chest, smiling proudly. "Well don't worry about it Gohan, with me we'll be able to cut those years to weeks—I bet I can even cut it to days even. Don't forget about my Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu."

Gohan's face lit up when he heard Naruto's words. "Yea! With more than just a couple people searching, something's bound to show up."

Gohan looked up at Naruto smiling. It seemed like the young ninja knew just what to say to keep his spirits up.

The two spent the next few hours talking with one another into the late night. They were completely unaware that Jiraiya was watching over them, smirking at how the two got along. He turned his attention away when the boys decided to retire for the night.

XXXX

The next morning the three genin and Gohan were summoned to Tsunade's office once more. This time, it was to discuss the matters of the mission at hand.

"Now Gohan…" Tsunade began. "Considering what you told us yesterday, I've decided that you, Team Seven, and Jiraiya will head to the northeast."

Gohan shot her a confused look. "The northeast? Why there? Is one of the dragonballs in that vicinity?"

Tsunade nodded.

"Then we should get there as soon as possible!" Gohan shouted.

"That's what we're planning on doing. You all pack your stuff, we'll be on a road trip." Jiraiya said with slight joy. Jiraiya blushed as his mind was already thinking about all the female bathhouses in other lands, all the sake for his own "research". Jiraiya noticed a glare from Tsunade and quickly controlled himself, reminding himself of the promise he made to control his super-pervert side around Tsunade.

"Uh wouldn't it be easier if we just flew?" Gohan suggested.

The whole room went silent.

After what seemed like endless hours of silence, Naruto spoke, shouting his lungs out. "YOU CAN FLY?"

Sakura had no idea what was going on. She had trouble keeping up with everything that was happening now, but when Gohan suggested that they flew, it felt like shit hit the fan in her mind. "Just what's going on here?"

Sasuke glared at Gohan angrily. Yet another thing the young warrior seemed to best him at. He had spent the previous night ruminating in his own thoughts, thinking about one thing, the Dragonballs. He thought of how he could get his most desired wish, the power to defeat Itachi, and the reestablishment of the Uchiha's clan. Sasuke grew agitated with each surprise that Gohan seemed to bring. Each one of them something that made his anger boil even more than the last. Sasuke didn't really care if Gohan could fly or not, flying seemed like a child's dream. His childhood dream had grown along with him.

Now all Sasuke dreamt about was killing his brother and reestablishing the Uchiha's rightful place in the village—no…the entire Five Shinobi Nations! Sasuke stared at the Dragonball on the Hokage's desk, staring at with intense eyes.

Gohan was bombarded with questions as Sakura and Naruto questioned him, asking him if he could actually fly? He heard one of them question if he was lying. He smiled nervously.

"Look I'm not lying, watch…" Gohan approached the window. He opened it and stepped out, letting one foot out the window. Gohan jumped out the window and stood at the edge of the small wooden roof that wrapped around the building. Everyone gathered by the window, wondering what he was going to do next. With a smile, Gohan dropped down headfirst. Everyone rushed to try to stop him, but it was too late.

"No, Gohan!" Naruto shouted. Naruto rushed out the window and ran to the edge to see Gohan falling. Naruto hoped that Gohan would move quickly, like he had done at the hospital. He had hoped that Gohan would give him some kind of sign that he wasn't just trying to commit suicide!

The others watched as Gohan dove down passed their view beyond the orange-red roof. Gohan was diving down to ground with nothing to aid him; no nearby rooftops or edges to jump off from, it was a pure dive down that would result in serious injury.

Gohan smiled and began placing his energy beneath his body, letting it push him up. Gohan released equal an equal amount of energy below him, effectively stopping his free dive in mid-air. His body flipped and his arms extended out as he regained composure in the air. Looking up, he smiled and began gradually letting out more energy, as he was elevated up to the window. They watched as Gohan hovered in the air as if it was something he was standing on. Their eyes followed his movements as Gohan proceeded to show more of his maneuvers in the sky flying up high and flipping back coming toward the open window so quickly, everyone's eyes nearly popped out. The saiyan's movements in the sky awed even the Sanin.

Gohan quickly strafed back and forth circling the windows of the Hokage's office.

Sasuke's eyes widened as if he was experiencing déjà vu. He blinked absentmindedly as his head began to flash images of Gohan's feet moving above grass at high speeds. He blinked and shook his head, trying to get a hold of himself.

Gohan finally stopped and returned, closing the window shut. He chuckled lightly and smiled brightly at the group.

While Naruto thought Gohan's actions were amazing, Tsunade and Jiraiya watched him curiously. It seemed like Gohan was like an endless bag of surprises. First, claiming to fight Madara and having the skills to back it up, then this tale of the Dragonball panning out to be true, now this. Gohan displayed the ability to fly; a technique that as far as Tsunade and Jiraiya knew was only a technique that the Tsuchikage possessed.

Hearing all the commotion from the kids, Tsunade slammed her hand down on her desk, creating a deep impression on the wood, silencing the kids. They all turned and looked at Tsunade, with caution.

"It's impressive that you can fly, Gohan, but the majority of Shinobi here cannot. So to be fair, you'll have to stick to walking. Unless you want to carry everyone along for a ride, that is? You'll proceed as ordered, no more, no less."

Gohan was about to open his moth, but held his tongue seeing the depth of the impression on the wood. "Yikes…" Gohan didn't even have time to register that the Shinobi were unable to fly. The thought of carrying three people on his back or in his arms was not an experience he wanted to relive.

"I understand, okay." He agreed.

"Now go…." Tsunade ordered.

"Miss Tsunade wait…!" Gohan shouted, stopping the genin at the door.

"What is it now?" she asked with a tone of annoyance. This whole ordeal was beginning to become troublesome.

"Can I take the one star ball? If I have it with me then it can show us if were close to another Dragonball."

Tsunade remained quiet for a brief moment before taking hold of the Dragonball. "Very well."

Gohan held out his hand ready to receive the ball but watched as she handed it to Jiraiya.

"Now…for the last time. Go!"

The four left the office hastily or fear another wave of Tsunade's yell.

Tsunade looked at Jiraiya for what seemed like the millionth time. "Remember, get what you can from him. If they ask, just make something up, you write stories. Shouldn't be hard for you." She argued.

Jiraiya chuckled, then sighed heavily. "It might be a bit difficult considering that Gohan has mentioned what the balls do to Naruto and Sasuke. As it is now, the only one of the group that knows nothing, is Sakura." He said calmly.

Tsunade looked out to her right. She had her suspicious that something like that had happened. Sasuke wanted to know what was going on, and today he seemed quiet as ever. Now there remained only one last member. "Well, lets inform her…but that ends there." She said sternly.

Jiraiya headed for the door, but stopped when he heard Tsunade calling out to him again.

"Be careful. We don't know what kind of trouble this whole thing is going to bring. We neglected Gohan's tales, but now it seems his tale is slowly becoming reality. If its true, then He might show up at some point…" she warned.

Jiraiya knew the seriousness of the situation, but it didn't hurt to be reminded considering they were possibly dealing with him. Despite all this Jiraiya jokingly shook off her words, "Yea, yea. I gotcha…" Jiraiya left, thankfully using the door this time.

XXXX

A few hours later the group gathered at the front gate. Team seven had backpacks full of minor supplies while Gohan arrived with nothing on hand, save for some capsules for storage in his pockets.

"Everyone ready?" Jiraiya asked.

The group nodded.

"Uh Master Jiraiya what are we doing for this mission. What's with this Dragonball stuff?" Sakura questioned.

Jiraiya smiled as he pushed her ahead, "I'll explain on the way there." He replied.

The four walked down the path casually, heading northeast.

XXXX

Back in the Land of Sound, Orochimaru's screams filled his hideout. After a long period of anguished screams, the room fell silent.

"The jutsu's complete. It may take a while for the effects to finalize, but you should be able to regain all function within a few hours. Though, there has been an unexpected development."

"What is it?" Orochimaru questioned.

"It seems Sasuke and the others, including Gohan have left the village. It seems that Jiraiya is accompanying them for some reason. The latest news claims they're searching for something, but as for what, I do not know, yet."

Orochimaru frowned beneath the bandages that covered his face, leaving his right being the only visible area of his body. He looked down at his arms and then glanced up at Kabuto. "Send them," he requested.

"Them? Don't you think that's a little out of their league? It's a Sanin they'll be facing."

Orochimaru smiled evilly as he stood, looking at the door happily. "They've been anxious to see if Sasuke lives up to the rumors. They want to see for themselves if he's worth my desire." He said. "And besides, if they can't even by me the time I need, they're worthless…."

"Yes, Lord Orochimaru…" Kabuto looked at his master, seeing the joy in his eye. Despite his condition Kabuto was amazed that Orochimaru had suggested such an action. One would think it would have shown signs of weak leadership, but Kabuto knew better. He smiled realizing Orochimaru's true intentions behind using them.

"That's Orochimaru. He is smart enough to know if Akatsuki were interested in the boy then engaging him personal would result in running into the organization sooner or later. It'd be best to stay away and gather as much Intel as possible before making a definitive maneuver. But that's not all he desires from using them."

Fleeing from the base, four Shinobi took to the trees as they headed for the Land of Fire.

[DBZ World – Other World]

Sounds of thunder rocked the sky as shockwaves were seen for brief moments as they scattered about the sky. Down below Sage remained seated meditating as his clone continued to spar with Goku. His eyes opened suddenly, looking down below, and then to the sky observing Goku's action.

He looked down at his own two hands, focusing. In his right hand a blue flame burned brightly. In his left, a red flame burned just as equally. He closed his eyes, letting the flames die out.

He sighed and kept his eyes closed.

"I'll have just enough power to do it…hopefully. But…" Sage looked up at Goku with hopeful eyes. "I pray that he will be ready…as will all of them…" he thought.

[End Chapter 10]

Valkier: Well Chapter 10 is completed, and I'd say it has all I wanted to start everything off. As you can tell from this chapter, I finally decided to let Gohan drop the bomb about where he's from. In many fanfics that I have read a lot of authors go with the whole him admitting who he is, what he is, where he's from, and what kind of fights he's been in. I chose to hold off on this because of his encounter with Madara and Gohan's natural knowledge of how people are. If your first experience with a Shinobi was with Madara of all people I'd guess even Gohan would be extra cautious around his newly made friends. Unlike his father, Gohan wouldn't likely just tell them straightforward that he's from another dimension or that he's a Saiyan. I like doing it this way since to me; it feels like it's bringing some realism into the situation. Granted, Gohan is someone that would admit everything and that it does make for quick character bonding so he'd fit into the Naruto Universe, I have just seen it done so much that I wanted to do things my way, differently.

Vegeta: Talk about a lengthy explanation for something some readers may deem insignificant in their opinion…

Valkier: What are you, some expert on what readers like? People like what people like, can't say anything more about that. And sure, some people may think the explanation is needless, others don't mind knowing why an author did something.

Vegeta: I was just saying, and hey…*looks at the reviews* When am I going to be in this story besides being mentioned while you explain what's going on back home?

Valkier: That'll be explained in due time. Until the next chapter, enjoy it for what it is.

Vegeta: *last word victory*…. idiot.