A/N: Bwahahaha! I'm so glad you're all enjoying this story! Events have been progressing at a rapid pace as of late! In other news, I finally found myself a job. Even had orientation today. It'll be during the mornings and afternoons, so my update rate might not be what it's been these last few months, but I'll be damned if I don't try my darndest to get all these chapters out to ya'll! And on that note...

...onto the next chapter of Imperfection!

"Who the hell is she?!"

~?

Reunion

The warm orange rays of the setting sun kissed the unbroken horizon, casting a warm glow on the Lookout formerly belonging to Kami. Although its caretaker had ceased to be upon merging with Piccolo it remained an all but constant sanctuary for the Z-fighters. It was here that they had taken refuge after Naruto's brief bought with Cell, here that they waited to plan their next move. And it is here, that our story continues.

For the moment, one such warrior, a woman who had died centures in the past, finally began to move. Her body cringed as the fading daylight stabbed into her eyelids, silently beckoning forth for her to rise. seven warriors turned their faces to the sea, letting the salty spray and the crimson light wash over them.

Samui opened her eyes slowly and stirred, her body reacting violently as she felt Naruto in battle once more, sending goosbumps scrawling across her skin. How amI still alive? Was her very first thought. The last thing she remembered was Cell's death beam piercing her chest, falling into Naruto's arms, and then...blackness. Her eyes widened as she felt where the beam had gone through her-the tissue was painfully stiif and sore but somehow she felt stronger than she'd evern been. Her every cell tingled with energy; energy that hadn't been there

She touched a hand to the tear in her outfit where the hole should be, remarkably, no such orifice remained. What in the nine circles of hell...? Even if that beam had missed what functioned as her heart, she should be dead! Not that it mattered anymore; she was alive, and Naruto was alive, THAT was all Samui cared about.

Truning at the sound of a groan, her icy blue eyes went wide.

Here in the bed next to her was a petite-looking teenage girl with shoulder- length blonde hair, blue eyes, and hoop earrings in both ears. She wore a black vest, a white undershirt, blue jeans with a golden chain, black gloves with a gold bracelet on the left one, and black flats with orange socks.

As wherever they were shook, the other woman opened her eyes, exposing they were the same shade of blue as Samui's own. God-it was like she was looking at a younger version of herself or something. Honestly, the sight was starting to freak her out a bit, what was more, she knew this person: Android Eighteen. But Samui had never met her before in her life. So how had she known that?

Eighteen gazed back at this stranger, this someone who was almost her mirror image, though, to Eighteen's envy, was FAR more developed in the chest area. It was almost a blessing to realize she was covered in dried bile from Cell's forced regurgitation, up, as it spared her the indignity of having to compare her body to that of her look-alike's.

"I need a shower." Eighteen muttered, standing up abruptly and started looking for a bathroom, but this place was completely unfamiliar to her.

"Naruto's fighting someone." the other woman spoke, causing Eighteen to freeze. What?!

"And before you ask, yes, he's perfectly alright." Samui said, seeing the fellow blond tense up. "For some reason I can tell from his ki - he's just ticked off about something juvenile." Visibly relaxing, Eighteen smirked at that. Throwing punches for something juvenile? Seems Seventeen had rubbed off on Naruto a bit. That was actually a bit amusing. Less amusing, was this stranger sitting across from her. Jeez, it was like looking at her sister for crying out loud! A taller, older, better endowed twin...

"Who are you?" Eighteen asked.

"Samui. Although, the coffin-thingy I was in had the number Twenty-Two on it." she told her fellow female blond as she stood up and started walking with the fellow android, if they were going to have a conversation, it didn't make much sense to have one while Eighteen was moving away.

Eighteen's eyes widened, then she shook her head. Of course, Dr. Gero wouldn't stop at only Cell, the man's primary reason for creating androids and cyborgs, he always dreamed of replacing the entire human race with artificial beings even before Goku defeated the Red Ribbon Army. in fact, he joined the Red Ribbon Army in the first place to get the resources to do that.

"I see." Eighteen said, ignoring the way the place they were in shook, having seen Naruto fight, that was something she expected. Finally finding a bathroom, Eighteen then realized she had yet another problem. These clothes she wore, having been drenched in Cell's bile, stank.

"I am NOT wearing these until they've been cleaned off."

Samui nodded, reaching into a pouch she wore like a fanny pack and pulled out...a scroll?

"What're you...?"

Unrolling it, Samui bit one of her fingers, drawing blood and then slammed it into an array of some kind Eighteen didn't recognize and it let out a plume of white smoke that cleared to expiose a fresh outfit, including a bra and panties, which she handed to the other android. The outfit Android Twenty-two had given her was a top-skirt combination, made to compliment her figure, yet still be battle-practical. Eighteen looked it over in slight admiration. Not bad. Not bad at all.

"Guess we'll finish this later once I'm out." Eighteen said.

Samui nodded and stood outside the door. After a while, Eighteen came back out, dressed in the outfit Samui had provided. She had to admit, it looked pretty good on her. Much better than the tattered atire she'd had only a few hours before. Her w

"Now, who are you, really."

"Actually...I think I died." Samui said, a plainitive hint of sadness piquing within her voice. "A long time ago. It's hard to remember whether I did or didn't." she surmised with a shrug. "But I'm obviously alive now, so I suppose that's what matters."

Eighteen blinked.

So Twenty-two was a genetic reconstruction-model, same as Naruto? That explained things. A lot of things. But now she had a sinking feeling in her gut about both her fellow blondes. Earlier, Samui had spoken of their counterpart with an alarming degree of familiarity. That could only mean she knew him, somehow.

"So...how do you know Naruto?" she asked, silently dreading the answer.

Samui blushed, her cheeks burnished the slightest shade of pink. "Well...he and I were...kinda...in a relationship..." she muttered.

"And did you two ever...sleep together?" Eighteen asked, suddenly feeling as though a pit had opened in her stomach.

Samui glared. "None of your business!"

Eighteen, being a woman herself, knew that was a distinctive yes.

"You what?!" Eighteen shouted at the other android. No...way. Eighteen couldn't believe that Android Twenty-two had already stolen Naruto's virginity...before her! She wouldn't accept it! No! Not at all! Granted, seeing as it happened long before Eighteen herself had even existed; given the fact Twenty-one and Twenty-two were both resurrected through genetic reconstruction as Androids, she really had no room to complain. But dear Eighteen didn't care about that. She'd thought she had an attachment to the blonde...and here Twenty-two claimed to already have a place in his heart?! Unacceptable!

"Speaking of which," Samui frowned, utterly unware of her fellow blonde's rising wrath, "How do you know him?" She found it strangely suspicious that this girl-this Eighteen-should know so much about Naruto in those very same veins.

A muscle jumped in Eighteen's jaw. Tricky bitch. Fine, then. Two could play this game.

"I happen to be in love with the idiot." It wasn't a lie; she genuinely had feelings for her fellow blonde. She couldn't quite guess when it had happened; when their relationship-if it could even be called that-had evolved from harmless teasing into something...more. After all he'd done to say and defend her against Cell...was that when she'd started to care? Eighteen couldn't say, for certain. It just happened. There was just something about Twenty-one that drew her, something that made her feel human again.

"What?!"

Samui's shout nearly deafened her; Eighteen didn't care.

"I said I love him." she replied stonily, feeling just a tad sorry for her fellow blonde. "He probably feels the same way, too." There was genuine hurt in Twenty-two's expression when she heard those words...

"No, he loves me!" Samui snapped back. "I've known him much longer than you!"

"Lets ask him them!" Eighteen challenged, unwilling to back down.

"Yes, lets!"

Shooting one another one final; furious glare, they flew out to where the conflict was taking place. Naruto was so preoccupied with Goku that he failed to even notice their approach until it was too late. By the time he'd realized what was happening, they'd each grabbed one of his arms and dragged him back to the top of the Lookout, both looking upset as they landed.

"Naruto..." said Samui.

"Twenty-One..." began Eighteen.

Naruto gulped.

"...Who the HELL is this?!" The two females demanded in stereo.

There was a silence as both women awaited his response. And, Eighteen thought to herself, it had better be a damn good one. Naruto wasn't exactly one for words, but she looked forward to hearing whatever pitiful old excuse he tried to form before she beat him senseless. In hindisght, she'd expected him to be the one thing he wasn't. Predictable.

He was anything but!

"Ladies!" Twenty-One/Naruto exulted, his own relief momentarily overcoming his nervousness in an instance. "You're alright!" Both blonde's balked as he created a shadow clone from the thin air of the lookout-one which immediately snatched up Samui and promptly preceeded to kiss her breathless. Likewise, the original grabbed Eighteen and before she could react gently pressed his lips to hers. The crystal-eyed girl bristled, startled both by the sudden appearance of another Naruto and the sheer passion with which the original was issing her; sending goosebumps scrawling across her skin in sinful measure as her fellow blonde bent her backwards, holding her as though she might shatter if he ever let go.

To his own credit, Goku was the first to react to the sudden existence of another.

"Whoa!"

"What the hell?!" Trunks mirrored his fellow saiyan's asessment at the android's ability to duplicate himself. "Did he just-

"No, that's not the multiform technique." Tien cut in with frown of his own. "His power hasn't decreased in the slightest!"

Gohan shared in his friends' awe. "Are you telling me he made an actual clone of himself?!" Boy wouldn't that be useful to get out of studying...was it possible to learn such a technique?

"Humans." Piccolo grunted, slightly nauseated by the blondes' continuing makeout session. "If this is what you call romance, then count me out...

Despite her best efforts to the contrary, despite all the Z-fighters gawping at them, Eighteen felt her anger leaching away for every second she spent in Naruto's arms. All the pent up spite she'd held for Samui slipping like water through her still-gloved fingers. Hesitantly, she dared to wrapped them round his back. In turn he held her close to his larger frame, kissing nervously at first, but with an ever-growing passion that genuinely alarmed his fellow blonde.

Had he thought them dead?

"I'm so glad you're alright." his words were rich relief, strong arms holding her tight to his chest. A few yards away, the clone could be seen whispering similair words to Samui. But Eighteen wasn't paying any attention to that; now that Naruto had finally released her, now that her eyes were no longer clouded by anger, something felt off about him. But what? Frowning, she peered up at him.

The nervous, almost boyishness crack in his voice was gone, replaced with a staid boldness—a calm composed nature, even. Stunned, Eighteen finally realized what'd been bothering her all this time, ever since she had laid eyes on him once more. Naruto. He'd changed. He was a little taller than she remembered, his body had more muscle, and his face was a touch different, but that wasn't it; he seemed so confident now, so...sure of himself! It was as if she were staring at an entirely different person. Just what'd happened to him while she'd been gone?!

"You still haven't answered my question, Twenty-one." Eighteen refused to be swayed; though her knees were still weak from that last bone-searing kiss, her fury, burned hottter still. "Who the hell is this?" she thrust a finger forth at Samui, demanding answerment.

"That's right, Naruto!" Her fellow blonde had since disentangled herself from the clone, though Eighteen noted with interest the older girl had yet to let go of the darn thing. And why did the doppleganger seem so damn happy about that!

Upon sensing that righteous female fury, Naruto frowned.

"Look, its kind of a long story-

"We have nothing but time." both blonde's replied, sharing a heated glance.

"Geh!"

Well, shit. For someone who had been reborn, recreated solely to destroy Goku, he was suddenly at a loss for words as he beheld the girls' expectant stares. Wait! That was it! Goku! Unbidden his mind flashed back on the saiyan's remarkable ability to read minds with just a touch Back when he had first arrived on Namek, he had done the very thing, reading Krillin's thoughts and learning of every event that had transpired on Namek before his arrival. Naruto himself had experienced it only a few minutes before back on the island; when he'd finally stopped trying to murder Goku, he'd allowed the saiyan to read his mind so that he might understand firsthand just what had driven him into such a frenzy. It had seemed like such an inconsequential decision before, but now...

Now...thanks to the twisted genius the world knew as Dr. Gero, Naruto now knew the technique. He had to hand it to the demented doctor, he'd been able to learn jutsu at an accelerated rate when he'd been human, but now as a hybrid, he was able to learn ridiculously advanced techniques just by witnessing them...coupled with a touch of mental preparation. The same had held true when he'd seen the Kamehameha, Galick Gun, Final Flash, Kienzan, and now this quaint little technique that just might get him out of this fiasco in one piece

After all, if one could read minds with it, than in theory, their own mind could be read...

"Alright," the formr jincuuriki conceded. "Hold very still. This might take a few seconds.

"A few seconds? What're you-

Before either blonde could so much as speak a single syllable more, Naruto thrust out both hands, laying a palm atop each of their heads. His eyelids drifted shut, masking those blazing blue orbs. Seconds later, nearly everone felt it. Energy. Slowly but surely, the most gentle of ki began to flow from his body and into theirs. Even this, a fifth of his strength, was enough to make the Z-fighters quiver.

Goku tilted his head in amusement.

"Ah, so that's what he's doing." he thought aloud. "Gosh, I never would've thought of doing it in reverse...

Gohan frowned. "What do you mean, dad?"

"Sh!" Earth's greatest defender raised a finger for silence.

"He's showing them his memories."

Eighteen heard those words as though from a great distance; everything was suddenly muffled. Memories? What was...oh.

Ohhhhh.

The girl felt the rush of images filling her head, but as they began to blur together her thoughts were filled with something deeper: understanding. Immediately she knew not only all of Naruto's past experiences, but the precise chain of events that had led him, drove him until his death all those years ago. The flashes that came next were ones she remained familiar with; yet she marveled at the new perspective all the same. He was looking at her; she saw herself through his eyes, his first sight as he finally awoke from the slumber forced upon him by the dark doctor, sensed the sudden vulnerability as his eyes roamed the room. Back then, she'd wondered why he wouldn't speak. She hadn't realized the poor boy had been terrified out of his mind.

Well, hello beautiful. that had been his very first thought when his roaming eyes finally came to rest upon her. Unspoken, but still there.

Another flash and she saw herself in the van with him, teasing him, silently delighting at his flustered behavior. Everything began to blur together after that. His fight against Cell in his imperfect, then semiperfect form, the deep sorrow that cut him to the bone when Vegeta allowed her to be absorbed, the righteous fury consuming him as the proud prince goaded him on-

Next came his transformation. The first and then the second, each fueled by what he felt for her. Then...

She saw Samui; felt Naruto's disbelief rip through her like a thunderstorm; as if she herself were feelling his very emotions. Love roared over her in a blistering supernova; leaving her concsiousness tingling-the feelings she felt were no greater than what he felt for her. This apocalyptic rage-when Cell cut her down. Another transformation, this one surpassing all others. The brutal assault, cullminating in Cell vomitting her up, his failed attempt to selfdestruct afterwards and subsuquent return, stronger than ever...and now, Naruto's overwhemling relief as he held her in his arms.

As his consciousness began to fade, clarity suddenly washed over Eighteen like a flood.

She understood everything. Saw everything. Every lifetime, every choice, every change, every death and birth and rebirth. Every lingering kiss, every warm smile, every joyful laugh. Flashes of a thousand million billion universes all separate and yet connected, converging and diverging in a great symphony of life. She saw every choice he had ever made and everything he could have ever been…and she wept for the truth-the love she finally understood. It all made sense now.

Naruto didn't just love her or Samui. He loved them both. And nothing, not even death itself, could ever change that. His heart might be forever Samui's-but it was also hers. She didn't think it was possible for one man to love two separate women with such...intensity. By all rights it shouldn't be possible. Impossible, to love two separate individuals, to value them equally...and yet he did. Abruptly she became aware of the tears in her eyes, felt them gushing forth pouring down her cheeks.

Gingerly, Naruto lowered his hands, blue eyes glinting as the sun finally disappeared over the horizon.

"Now do you understand?" Eighteen did.

Across from her, Samui seemed to experiencing a similair epiphany. She wasn't crying, but her icy disposition appeared to have thawed somewhat; moreso when she risked a glance at Eighteen. The younger cyborg did a doubletake then and there it was as if all the anger and confiusion had simply been swept away by the onslaught of Naruto's memories. She didn't look happy about it-but there was nothing left to question. What they had seen inside Naruto's mind had been too real to even doubt. And yet...

Eighteen shot him a murderous glare.

"I swear to god, if you're lying-

"I'm not." There wasn't the sligthest stammer in her counterpart's voice, he would not be swayed in his decision. "This is how I feel; I care for each of you in equal measure. Take it or leave it." His word left no room for arguement; nothing she could possibly say would ever change his mind. Eighteen warred with herself for what felt lie an endles eternity, her pride-her selfishness-silently demanding that she have Naruto to herself, her heart crying at the thought that she had to share him with someone-anyone-or risk not having him at all.

...I'll take it, then." she replied quietly, reaching for his hand. What else could she do? If the only way she could have him meant she had to share him with someone

"As shall I." Samui seconded, taking his other palm in hers.

"Don't think this settles things, Twenty-two." the younger blond warned.

"I wouldn't dream of it, Eighteen."

Naruto stifled a long-suffering sighe; the rift between Samui and Eighteen wasn't going to close overnight, but the distance between them, not to mention the animosity-had shrunk considerably. It was a start. Perhaps over the next decade or so they'd finally learn to get along-

"If you two are quite done," Piccolo's sharp voice cut in, "I have a question for your boyfriend over there."

Eighteen and Samui simultaneously flushed; incencsed, their wrath gravitated towards the namek. Incredibly the pointy-eared alien actually blanched. Naruto didn't blame him; even he found himself powerless when it came to female fury and he was the strongest one up here! He was only barely able to quell their ire by delivering a swift peck to their cheeks simulatenously and distracting them with his clone.

"What's up?" Naruto turned to face the turban-clad warrior, silently wondering why the namekian requested his attention.

"When you fought Cell, you were a super saiyan, weren't you?"

There was a silence.

"Huh?" Gohan blinked, the young super saiyan was visibly baffled by this revelation.

"Hey, I was actually wondering about that." Goku was next to voiced his confusion. "You were definitely some sort of super saiyan when you fought me back on the island, but how can you become one if you're only an android?"

"Oh, that." Naruto gave a percursory nod. "To answer your first question, yes I can transform. Blame the doctor for that. Most of my body may appear human and for awhile there I thought I was too, but now that my memories are back-I think I finally understand. As some of you may already know, I was originally a shinobi. So was Samui. Unlike Eighteen were both brought back through genetic reconstruction and made into what you see before you. Something...more. Androids, cyborgs, call it whatever you will. Gero obviously wasn't content to stop there. He must've started on Samui and me after he created Cell-he confirmed it himself when we were fighting."

"So what are you then?" Trunks challenged. He wasn't sure how he felt about having an atrificial saiyan around. "An android? Or something else?"

"Dunno." Naruto shrugged. "Unlike Cell, I wasn't imbued with all of your cells. Only saiyan DNA." He paused, touching a finger to his chin. "He probably designed each of us for the sole purpose of killing you, Son Goku, only to deactivate Samui and myself when we refused his orders. My regeneration stems from an old friend that used to dwell inside of me,but I wouldn't be surprised if Samui"-he gave his fellow blonde a gentle nudge as he spoke-"has some of your cells as well, Piccolo."

"Tch." the namekian didn't look very happy about that, but he didn't protest either, not as Naruto continued.

"Although I still retain all my techniques and knowledge from my former life, I possess so much saiyan DNA inside me now, I'd estimate that my body's probably about 75% alien now, the rest is llikely cybernetic or my original shinobi cells. I am curious though; wonder if he revived anybody else after the ol' psycho wnet and deactivated us-Hey!" his eyes shone with sudden interest at the mention of said topic. "Now that you mention it, I'm really interested in that. If I could bo back and visit the laboratory-

"That's not possible." Trunks was already there, cutting him off. "Krillin and I destroyed that lab and the beneath it, including this timeline's Cell."

"I see." Oddly enough, Naruto felt a small pang of anger at the demi-saiyan's words. "Clearly, you were too terrified to even consider the good his technology could do this age."

"As if! I did this world a favor by destroying that bunker!"

'But you obviously missed the bunker beneath the bunker.' Samui had been about to speak out, but now she decided to keep her mouth shut about those other conffins she'd seen. Twenty-three. Twenty-four. Twenty-five. If her suspicions about this Trunks were correct, revealing them would only result in their destruction. And even if she was wrong, she didn't want those other androids released anytime soon. She hadn't been the only love in Naruto's life; if there was even the slightest chance that Gero had brought one of them back...no. She didn't even want to think about it.

"So can you transform right now?" Eighteen finally spoke up; she was finding all this nonsense about Naruto's newfound power to be a little ridiculous. It had only been a few hours since she'd been absorbed by Cell, in that time, had he truly become so powerful?

Naruto's grin bordered on beatific.

"Whatever you say, babe." Just where did he get all this confidence from?! "And if the rest of you wanna stick around to see it for yourselves sure, why not? So long as pretty boy over there doesn't try to take a shot at me while I'm powering up, I'm game."

Trunks bristled. Pretty boy?!

"Here goes." A muscle jumped in Naruto's jaw-veins throbbing in his head as he slowly pulled out the power deep within him; careful not to cause undue harm to those nearby. "Oh, and Eighteen, Samui?" He turned his flickering gaze to greet them, shaking his hands free from both blonde's in silent discouragement of what was about to happen next.

"Ya might want to stand back."

He gave them no further warning; even as the sudden surge of ki caused his clone to dispel.

"Hiyah!"

Naruto grunted, his body bulking up ever so slightly, his hair standing at end, eyes flashing into teal. A furious scream sent him over the edge, sending golden light splaying about his skin, his already blonde hair taking on an almost whitish-golden hue. A short growl heralded the onrushing power, leaving his body bathed in saffron. Eighteen balkled, unable to reconcile this blazing warrior with the harmless blonde who'd been standing at her side a moment before. Was this really...

"Naruto?"

"In the flesh." The cyborg grinned, wasn't much of a strain to control this form now; it almost felt like second nature to him after reaching the second and third transformation. "Not bad, huh? How do I look?"

"Like a super saiyan." Gohan gasped. "He really wasn't kidding, was he dad? His ki's right below ours!"

Goku merely nodded. He knew full well this wasn't anywhere near the blonde's true power, but why spoil the surprise?

Trunks was having a very difficult time accepting that surprise. There's no way! Just no way! I refuse to accept that this...this...thing can become a super saiyan!

As if he'd read his mind-as if he were mocking him-the hybrid flashed a snarky grin at the purlette.

"I could take it another step further if I really wanted to...

?!"

"ORRAAAAAAGH!"

With a short hiss, he ascended yet higher, a sphere of opaque energy blasting his body into the ascended saiyan state, or as he'd come to call it, Super Saiyan Two. Lightning leapt across his frame, his hair standing at rigid attention even further. It was hard not to let this power slip away from him, in this form, probably because he'd not yet become complete; there was a madness in him, a darker side, one that threatened to break free at any moment, given the slightest provocation. But if that completion meant he had to sacrifice Eighteen or Samui...then no. He'd rather remain as he was, flawed and incomplete.

Imperfect.

"Look at him go...hardcore!" Tien was having greating difficulty believing what he was seeing; someone this strong?! Unbelievable!

Gohan was of a like mind. He's even stronger than my dad now!

"How is he generating that much power?!" Piccolo hissed. "He's not even a super saiyan anymore!"

"I just call it Super Saiyan Two." Naruto shrugged, heedless of the lightning licking at his figure. "Vegeta made me so angry that this form sort of just...happened. If I had to guess, its unlocked either through emotional trauma or sheer trainin. Pretty obvious, huh?" The looks on their faces were priceless, knowing this, the saiyan cyborg decided to take it even higher. His fists clenched at his side, his aura digging a small crater into the lookout, his power visibly fighting his steps to ascend to the next level.

"And this...

"Eh?" Tien blinked, all three of his eyes fluttering open and shut as the blonde's ki raged hotter still. "What's he doing?!"

"Is to go even further beyond!"

This third and final scream lasted longer than the others, all of a minute. His hair grew longer still, his aura flaring turbently as he buckled down and drew upon the most painful memories he knew; reachind deep down into that dark place he kept deep inside to unlock his third and final transformation. The lookout formerly known as Kami's buckled beneath his feet, trembling and swaying whilst its floor cratered beneath his feet. This was no mere transformation, everyone realized, it was as though the blonde were transcending the very limits of mortality unto himself.

And then it was done.

"Sorry that took so much longer than the others." Naruto raised his head, exposing a terrifying visage that would leave even the most soulless villain begging for mercy. "But I havent had much occasion to practice this one. This is what I call a Super Saiyan Three. You'll have to excuse the pun ridiculous appearance." His appearance was like a star itself, a light from which men hide their eyes. All trembled before him-even the lookout seemed to quiver beneath his continued existence. The empowered blond could hear cries of shock and then surprise as he stood there, a glistening god whose very prescence defied the laws of phsyics itself.

Piccolo and Gohan gulped, master and student sharing the same opinion as one. "Super...

...saiyan...

...Three?!" Trunks could barely stand beneath the weight of this ki...how was it the two androids behind Naruto were still standing?

"I hardly recognize you with all that hair and no eyebeows." Eighteen quipped as she planted a hand upon her hip; no longer daunted by the incredible strength of her fellow blonde. If anything, she found this latest an greatest transformation to be...amusing. "What do you think, Samui?"

"I think he needs a haircut." the former shinobi decided.

"Quite."

"Oi!" Naruto grunted at the perceived slight, his voice an octave lower than usual. "I could blow up the earth ten times over in this form! I can't do anything about the hair!" Trunks stiffened at the casual declaration the other Z-fighters seemed to finally realize just what might hopelessly outmatched they would be were this great god of a man to ever turn against them.

"But you won't...right?" Tien gulped.

"What?! No! Hell! No!" Naruto snapped back furiously, his aura cutting off as though he'd actually been struck. "If I destroyed the Earth, then I'd destroy all the ramen! What kind of fiend would do such a thing?! Ramen is sacred! Godly! Who would dare destroy it?!"

"Cell would." Goku pointed out cheekily. "He doesn't have any of your DNA, remember? In fact, he's probably already destroying it even as we speak..."

"IMMA KILL HIM!"

He would have said so much more, described the ways in which he intended to maim and destroy Cell for even daring to consider touching the sacred cuisine that was his ramen...had not his power deserted him at that very moment, leaving him to sink to a knee, gasping for breath.

"Naruto?!" Samui and Eighteen were almost instantlly at his side; though their assistance was uneeded, it was appreciated nonetheless.

"Tch. I stilll can't maintain it for very long, though." The former ninja observed, powering down. "Ten minutes is my maximum before I lose control, and even then, only if I don't overexert myself. Its just as I thought, this state drains an incredible amount of energy. As I thought, Super Saiyan Two is definitely better.

"The same power you used to kill my father." Trunks accused suddenly seething. "Because of you, we can't even bring him back!"

Naruto's eyebrows shot up. He'd forgotten about all that in the aftermath of having Samui and Eighteen returned to him.

"You reallly want your father brought back that badly, brat?" he replied with a hiss. "Why? Why should we wish him back anyway? Who will miss that arrogant prick of a prince?"

Trunks didn't even falter.

"My mother...

The blonde bit back his vitriolic retort. So even Vegeta had someone who cared for him...interesting.

"Wait a minute." Eighteen frowned, pushing her way between them with a snarl. "This little punk...is Vegeta's kid?"

"Erm...yes?"

Trunks failed to notice that Naruto had been slowly backing away from him this entire time; too late, he realized why. Eighteen exploded with power! Trunks barely had time to recognize it before her fist sheathed itself into his stomach, buried to the elbow within his amored gut. Strong! Where had she gotten such strength?! He was left gagging, gasping for breath as the blonde tore her arm from his stomach, leaving him choking for air at the rapidly bruising flesh. But the assault wasn't over yet.

"DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT I WENT THROUGH BECAUSE OF YOUR DICKHEAD FATHER?!"

"I don't care what you think of him, android!" Trunks snapped back; unable to disassociate this seemingly harmless android from the cruel killer in his world. "My father may have been wrong to let you be absorbed by Cell, but it doesn't change the fact that you're not human; just a bunch of worthless cogs and gears, and you never will be-

"Ohhh, shouldn't have said that." Naruto laughed, and quickly turned to face the now baffled demi-saiyan, watching gleefully as Eighteen mercilessly kneed Trunks in the temple, grabbed him by his hair, and hurled the unfortunate youth off the lookout to greet the earth miles below. He'd forgotten to tell the boy that his fellow blonde had gained more than a little bit of power from Cell when he'd been forced to spit her out. Of course, poor Trunks hadn't know that, and he likely didn't realized it until he finally hit the ground.

Miles below, the earth ruptured.

"Get back here!" Eighteen dashed down after him with almost supersonic speeds, the look in her eyes said she was going to very much enjoy beating the one indirectly responsible for her absorption. That, and the son of the one directly responsible for the worst five horurs of her life. Wisely, no one attempted to dissuade or stop her as she shot after the battered demi-saiyan.

"Oh, and she sticks the landing," Naruto said with a smile, winking at her newfound strength as a dull thud greeted their ears. "Best. Day. Ever."

"Remind me to never get on her bad side." Samui murmurred as she nuzzled up to him, taking advantage of her fellow blonde's brief abscence whilst she beat into Trunks. Naruto laughed with her.

"Female fury truly is a frightening thing, isn't it?"

"Which is why you should never scare me like that again Ever." she grabbed him by the hand and squeezed, silently demanding he look at her. "You promised me back then, remember? You'd never break my heart."

"Didn't I also promise to give you a lot of children, or something?"

Samui flushed, but only for an instant.

"Not in front of everyone, baka!"

But Naruto was on a roll now. "Come to think of it, I wouldn't mind having a few with Eighteen, either...just think of it! All those superpowered kids...

"Na-ru-to!"

Her beloved chortled softly. "Hai, hai...

Goku couldn't help but feel his Saiyan blood sing at the sight; not just at Eighteen's newfound strength or Samui's indifferent power, but at the realization that there was someone so far ahead of him. Naruto might be an ally now, but if he ever did the unthinkable, if he ever turned against them...he needed to be at his best. So too, did Gohan.

"Son...

"Yeah, dad?"

"Maybe we should spent that extra day in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber after all...

A/N: And there you have it! Sorry, we won't be seeing Broly until next chapter! Everything's shaping up swimingly, now that Goku's actually considering taking another day in the Hyperbolic Time chamber, whether it be out of fear for Naruto, or solely to compete with him. Cell has no idea what he's wrought! NARUTO WILL KILL HIM FOR DESTROYING THE RAMEN! LOL! All humor aside, the issue you've all been wondering about can finally be discussed.

Vegeta.

The question remains should Vegeta be revived? But that's a very big question now, in't it? On one hand Naruto's not all that pissed at him anymore having gotten his revenge and such, but on the other, is it really worth it to bring the Prince of all Saiyans back and risk his wrath? Then we have Bulma, who'll doubtlessly be distraught to have her beloved prince gone. And without our dear Vegeta, how can the events of the Legendary Super Saiyan take place? Should he come back or not?! I leave it up to you, dear readers! Let me know what you think!

So...in the Immortal Words of Atlas...

...Review...Would You Kindly? And of course, enjoy the new (and expanded) preview!

R&R!=D

(Preview)

"And now, you die-

A monstrous blast of ki exploded upon Broly's back, the godlen flames roiling over him and onto the ground below, setting the streets ablaze. The Legendary Super Saiyan landed amidst the fires, his eyes reflecting the orange from the flames that surrounded him on all sides. He touched a hand to his back, cringing as pain greeted his fingers. Pain. How long had it been since he'd last felt such a thing? He calmly reached a hand up to the wound, flexing his massive shoulders to ensure he still had full range of his mobility. His amusement melting away as another blast greeted his effort-this one wasn't a warning shot. He looked over his shoulder and into the flames behind him, searching through the inferno for his opponent. He wasn't hard to miss.

"And who are you?"

Naruto stood there, teeming with untold power. The power of a Super Saiyan Three.

"Goku," he said with a half smile. "I never thought I would actually have to bail your ass out like this."

"Me neither," Earth's greatest defender groaned as he stood up from the flames, the blue orange clothes that'd once been his gi having burned off his chest. A few pieces of debris and rubble rolled from his shoulders as he reclaimed his footing, leaving thin rivulets of blood to streak down her body. "This guy's strong. Mind helping me out?"

"Gladly." Naruto rolled his shoulders, his saiyan cells savoring the prospect of such an opponent. "He'll make a nice warmup before we fight Cell." Raising his aura to inhumane heights, the blond stepped forward to face this inhumane threat. Spending those two days in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber had certainly paid off...if he hadn't, he wouldn't be able to dream of facing this freak. Speaking of training...

"Where's Gohan and the others?"

"Wait, you're actually worried about them?" Goku groaned as he looked over the broken surroundings of New Vegeta. "Oh crap! If something happens to him, Chi-Chi's gonna kill me!"

Naruto sweatrdopped.

"Female fury is a frightening thing, isn't it?"

"Definitely!"

"AHEM!" A deafening growl cut the super saiyans off. "I don't know what you maggots are planning, but one more weakling won't make any difference!"

"Oh?" Naruto arched an eyebrow. "Is that so? Then fight me! If you dare." His aura surged still further, shattering the earth beneath him.

Broly turned to regard this new challenger.

"Hrmph." he snorted. "No matter how much power you gather it still won't be enough!"

"There's only one way to find out, isn't there?"

"Fine, scum." Broly rumbled, "But first-

Without warning, he flung a massive eraser cannon at Goku's position.

"Hey!" Naruto yelped as he leapt backwards! "Forget about me! Can't you at least give those guys a handicap?!"

Broly grinned.

"Is that another word for coffin?"