Author's note: Hello everyone, so I have to apologize in advance this chapter is a little bit shorter then my previous work. Hopefully the quality makes up for that though as honestly I think this is my favorite piece so far. With that said have a great Friday and enjoy the weekend, you guys deserve it. And as always, please enjoy.

As the sun began peeking over the tallest mountains Krillin had already been awake for some time. The simple basics greeted the ball of fire in the sky as the monk spoke to the crisp morning air with his fists and feet.

As far as I can tell Gohan seems to be alright. The two have a strange relationship to be sure but I can't say it isn't working. Gohan's kick had a lot of strength behind it especially when you remember he's only four. Six months ago he was afraid of the water and now he's getting along with Piccolo like its natural.

Letting out a sign and giving up his stance Krillin scratched his head in annoyance.

Do I just let them train on their own? Maybe I'm just getting in their way by being here.

Before he could think on the matter further Krillin's eyes spotted a trail of smoke shooting upward into the still sky.

A fire?

Without anything better to do the monk abandoned his sleeping area to go investigate. Flying over the trees it wasn't long before Krillin came across the source of the smoke which to his surprise was the same four-year-old he had spent most of the morning thinking about.

Gohan? What's he doing?

As he got closer Krillin couldn't help noticing the half saiyan standing over a roaring fire cooking what remained of a ceratosaurus's tail. As he began his descent Gohan heard the monk and turned with a smile.

"Good morning Mr. Krillin!"

"Uh…morning, what are you doing?"

"Making some breakfast do you want some?"

"…Sure."

So Krillin joined Gohan and received the smaller portion of the dinosaur's tail.

When I was twice as old as him my training consisted of running away from ceratosaurus's not going after them and eating them for breakfast.

Stealing a look at the half saiyan Krillin watched as the child scarfed down the dinosaur tail like he had never been fed before.

How strong is he going to become?

The duo ate their tails quickly before putting out the fire and throwing away the remains.

"So what do yo-"

The question was interrupted by a swift punch by the four-year-old. Barely dodging the strike Krillin backed away unsure what brought this on. Before he could get another word out the onslaught continued with Krillin on the defensive. This awkward dance continued as the older fighter watched Gohan attack while deflecting or slipping through his punches and kicks. Eventually, Gohan stopped and looked at Krillin, clearly confused.

"Why aren't you fighting back?"

Cause you're just a kid. Though I don't think he will accept that, Piccolo's probably been beating him into the ground despite his age. No doubt the saiyans will do the same... maybe I can teach differently.

"I'm watching you." Krillin finally said.

"Watching?"

"Yes, so I can tell where your guard is weakest."

"What does that do?"

"You want an example? Sure, ready yourself because I'm coming at you."

Krillin watched Gohan slip into a basic but serviceable stance.

He's got his arms up that's good. His feet are planted as well. Guess Piccolo's been tripping him a lot. Crouched down too, he's learned how to keep his vitals closed. For an experienced fighter, this is pretty good. For a four-year-old, it's completely genius. But…

"You're back's open."

Moving faster than the child could see Krillin vanished from sight and dashed around Gohan before regaining his attention with a soft poke to the back of his head.

"If I were Piccolo I probably would have hit you. If I were the saiyans I would have killed you."

Gohan whirled around and leaped back hoping to gain safety with distance.

"You can do it too."

"Do what?" Krillin asked.

"Disappear; Mr. Piccolo does that when we train."

"Well you know we aren't really disappearing we're just moving fast."

"But how can I catch you if I can't see you?"

Krillin thought on this for a moment. "What does Piccolo say?"

"He always tells me to feel my enemy."

"Hmmm, good advice but I'm guessing you don't know what that means do you?"

The half saiyan quietly shook his head.

"Okay…then how about we try something new. Close your eyes and count to thirty. After that come find me. But you won't be able to find me just using your eyes."

Gohan looked confused.

"You mean we aren't going to fight?"

"There's more to training than fighting Gohan."

"Mr. Piccolo doesn't think so."

"Well you're not training with him right now are you?"

When the smile he expected didn't appear Krillin floated upward but waited for the child to close his eyes before taking off.

Still a little awkward around him, then again I don't know the first thing about the kid. Other than he is half alien.

Krillin didn't travel far but landed in a thick forest and hid himself in a tall tree. The monk sat on one of the thick branches and leaned back but not before flexing his power enough that someone looking for him would be able to track his location easily enough.

That is only if they know how to sense energy.

Krillin passed the time by thinking about where he went wrong in his fight with Piccolo and counting leaves. It wasn't long before Krillin sensed Gohan getting closer to his location.

Good, let's try something different now.

Lifting off from his branch Krillin wiped all traces of his presence and flew silently towards his best friend's son. Unsurprisingly the child was confused. He had been following his instincts to lead him but with Krillin suppressing his ki he felt lost. Landing on a nearby cliff Krillin watched the young half-saiyan wandering around looking for his bald teacher.

Let's see how he reacts to this.

Slowly breathing in and then out Krillin quietly let loose. Freeing his energy he let his presence explode before directing it all to the unsuspecting child. As soon as he did Gohan turned, his eyes scanning for the unseen threat. But Krillin had moved from his cliff and onto another. Wasting no time Krillin repeated the process avoiding Gohan as he tried to track him, without success. Dancing around the monk had the kid spinning in circles unsure where the attack was coming from or if there was going to be an attack at all.

He catches on quick.

Once more Krillin stole the space behind Gohan to deliver another soft poke. In that second Gohan reacted with a kick aimed at Krillin's head. In one motion the monk blocked the attempt and looked at Gohan with amazement.

He catches on really quick.

"So, think you got it?" He said as the half-saiyan shifted out of his stance.

"I guess, but I still couldn't see you."

"You didn't need to see me to react did you?"

Gohan looked down as he tried to absorb what he had been told.

"How do you move so fast?"

"The same way you do, by gathering ki."

"Ki?"

"Oh…you don't know?"

"…No."

Krillin paused as he never really had to explain what ki is.

Now that I think about it no one really told me either. Are you supposed to explain it? Or do you just kind of make it up as you go along?

"Well, I mean…it's that power you can feel inside your body…You just kind of gather it and move…fast."

The blank expression on Gohan's face told Krillin just how badly he was doing.

This is going to be harder than I thought.

"Okay, how about this."

Cupping his hands around an invisible ball Krillin gathered some ki and brought it to life as a small simple sphere of energy.

"This is ki."

"Oh," Gohan said. "You mean this."

Raising his hand towards some rocks Gohan fired a small blast of ki obliterating the nearby stones.

"Yeah just like that."

"Mr. Piccolo does the same thing but he shoots it out of his eyes."

"Oh, really?" Forgot he could do that.

"Um, Mr. Krillin? I have a question."

"What is it?"

"How did you make that disc yesterday?"

"The same way I can move fast, by using ki in different ways you can effectively get different results."

"What's it called?" Gohan asked his face lighten up with curiosity.

"I'm sorry?"

"The name of the attack what do you call it?"

Krillin wasn't sure what to say every attack he had ever learned had already come with a name. He hadn't even considered what he should name his original technique or even if he should.

"Does it need a name?"

"Of course!" Gohan said.

Watching the child almost jump up and down with excitement Krillin couldn't help but grin.

"So? Are you going to name it?" Gohan asked again.

"Why don't you do it for me? You seem to have a talent for this."

Gohan smiled and Krillin could feel his resolve strengthen.

"How about the sky cleaver?"

Krillin said nothing but the look on his face made it apparent that the name was not appreciated.

"Hmmm," Gohan said thinking hard. "What about the Earth splitter?"

"Keep working on it."

The two continued their training with Gohan going back to a muted state as Krillin explained and demonstrated the basic concepts of ki usage. Though at first, it was a little slow going Gohan seemed to be responding to the lecture as he honed his ability to sense and generate energy. Before long half of the day had vanished and lunch was the most important thing on the child's mind.

"Are you sure you don't want to come with Mr. Krillin?"

"You go on ahead I'll catch up later."

"Okay."

Krillin watched Gohan dash off in search of a fish or the same ceratosaurus. The monk sighed but knew he had to stay as he had sensed Piccolo in the distance watching the two train. Now that Gohan had left the green demon stepped forward.

"I was wondering when you were going to show up. I wasn't sure if you were still sleeping." Krillin said forcing himself to look calm.

"I don't sleep."

"Just like Kami then."

Piccolo glared not appreciating the comparison.

"What are you doing?"

"Are you talking about training Gohan or just in general? Because the answer to both is the same, I'm getting ready for the saiyans."

Piccolo looked at Krillin for a moment his gaze cutting through the monk's confidence quite easily.

"What?"

"Come with me," Piccolo said floating up higher.

His curiosity getting the better of him Krillin followed. The two flew for some time before they came to a large clearing with mountains stretching to the sky like buildings littered the ground. Krillin watched Piccolo land and quickly followed, they walked in silence before coming to a point where the mountains disappeared. They had all been reduced to rubble. Whatever had destroyed them the force also had seared and dug into the very Earth.

"There used to be a mountain here," Piccolo said slowly.

"What happened?"

"Gohan destroyed it. All of them, as far as you can see from here."

Krillin eyes widened in surprise. I don't think even I can do that.

"So the training is going well."

"He did that on the first day."

Krillin almost laughed but his eyes caught the dead gaze from Piccolo and realized in an instant that the demon was far from joking.

"You seem to have forgotten so let me remind you. It was Gohan who defeated Raditz. The power he holds is greater than mine, yours, and Goku's. Though he may look like one he is no human child. So stop treating him like he is."

"So what would you have me do? Beat him until he's strong? There are other ways to teach."

"From what I understand saiyans live to fight so why not just appeal to his base instincts?"

"Because he's not-"

"He's not like that? You are as blind as you are weak human. The child has the blood of a saiyan in him. Like his father, his love for a fight will drag him through countless battles. But that is only if he lives through this one. He is not a child or some pet you have the luxury of teaching how to sit. I had hoped you had grown some with Kami but it seems I was mistaken. And if you won't teach him properly then I will."

With that Piccolo left Krillin alone with his thoughts. The monk looked at the destruction that supposedly his best friend's four-year old had caused.

Is he right? If Gohan really has this kind of power then we'll need it for the saiyans. But this can't be what Goku meant when he told me to protect his son.

Having wasted enough time Krillin took to the sky and quickly tracked down Gohan who had found his lunch by the river. Gohan greeted the monk with a smile full of fish.

"Would you like some fish Mr. Krillin?"

"Sure."

The two ate in silence with Krillin thinking hard and Gohan inhaling the rest of the large sea creature. Eventually, the only evidence the fish was ever present were the bones it left behind.

"So, what are we going to work on now Mr. Krillin?"

"Actually, Gohan. Perhaps we should try some sparring."

"Okay."

Krillin was a little surprised at the ease at which Gohan agreed to the idea.

Then again that seems to be the focus of Piccolo's training.

Krillin watched Gohan take the same stance he had earlier and adopted one of his own.

"Whenever you're ready."

The child charged with a scream readying an attack Krillin could already see coming. Evading the simple punch Gohan followed with a quick kick which Krillin effortlessly blocked. The two continued like this for a time with Krillin dodging Gohan's attacks without any retaliation.

I need to fight back. He won't learn anything this way.

Finding an opening Krillin shot a fist that connected with Gohan's face with a terrifying smash. The follow through had Gohan flying backward until he hit a tree. The child slowly slunk down to the ground with a small thud. Krillin looked at Gohan with wide eyes unable to believe what he had just done.

"Oooow you really are strong Mr. Krillin."

Breathing again Krillin let himself relax.

"That's because I've been training longer than you've been alive. Are you okay to continue?"

Gohan nodded and the spar went on through the day. It wasn't until Krillin felt the first drops of rain on his head did he realize that sky had grown dark.

"Uh oh looks like a storm's coming in," Krillin said while attempting to shield himself from the falling water.

"There's a cave not too far from here we can take shelter there."

"Lead the way."

Flying through the storm quickly had the two had the entrance to a cave with Gohan quickly taking cover inside. Krillin followed and was greeted by the warmth and light of a small fire as the child had blasted some nearby branches. The two relaxed and warmed themselves in silence. As they sat Krillin took this opportunity to look around and discover that this wasn't just a cave Gohan had picked randomly. This is where he was sleeping. There was a stack of nearby firewood, and even a makeshift bowl filled with some berries. It wasn't the coziest of homes but it certainly beat sleeping in the rain.

Now that I think about it, my stuff is probably drenched.

"Hey, Gohan how-"

Krillin had planned on asking the half saiyan how long he had lived here if only to start up some conversation. But it appeared that the child had silently fallen asleep.

I guess it's not surprising we were sparring for most of the day.

Hoping to avoid waking him Krillin slowly got to his feet and decided to look around. The cave was small with the whole thing being only a bit bigger than his room back at Kame House.

I wonder if he finds this place comfortable. Does he need a bed to sleep in or does his alien nature help him with all kinds of hardships? I can't remember Goku ever complaining about sleeping outside during his dragonball adventures.

Soon Krillin had explored the entirety of the cave and was about to head back to Gohan when something on the cave wall caught his attention. It was a series of math problems highlighted by the soft glow of the fire. They had been carved into the cave wall as easily as a pencil on paper.

This is algebra? Wait did Gohan do this? How?

It was in that moment Krillin's memory played back a time when he had first met Gohan months ago.

"So what do you want to be when you grow up?" Bulma asked "An orthopedist."

I guess he was serious. Goku did mention that Chichi was making him study a lot but this is crazy. This kid isn't just gifted at fighting he's also a genius.

Glossing over some of the more complicated problems Krillin eventually found an end to the math and come across a simple drawing. It was a crude attempt but it only took a second to recognize what the artist was trying to do. The picture had three stick people holding hands. The only traits each person had were their hair and height. One stick figure had crazy hair pointing in every direction while the other had their hair tied up in a small bun. The third was the smallest and stood in between the bigger two holding each of hands. Krillin's heart was in his throat as he studied the drawing.

He's still a child. No matter how strong or smart he is he's still a child.

Slowly walking back to fire near the entrance of the cave Krillin sat back down next to his best friend's son. The careful breathing told the monk he was sleeping peacefully which brought him a small comfort. But it was not enough to wash away the knowledge that Gohan would have to fight in a war that could kill him before his sixth birthday.

"…I'm sorry."