Interlude-Kame Island

Yang was definitely grateful for Roshi's Training. The first thing the Legendary Master did was fix his Imperfect Max Power technique. With Roshi's Training for the technique, not only was Yang now able to not only employ the Max Power technique more or less instantly but in teaching Yang, Roshi had worked out a way to fix the deficit in speed that came with the technique from the simple expedient of seeing someone else channel Ki through their body to employ the technique. As it turned out, when he had first come up with the Max Power Technique, Roshi had been training on his own without any students or partners and thus never had an outside point of view when coming up with it. Now that he had, it seemed to click with him more or less overnight. That was just the kind of fighting genius the legendary Muten Roshi was. By the end of the month, Yang would be able to use the Improved Max Power Technique to Muten Roshi's satisfaction.

Of course, that was nothing compared to how quickly Yamcha had picked it up. The former bandit had been working on Muten Roshi's Kamehameha Wave for the first week and a half or so of training while Muten Roshi fixed what was wrong with Yang's Max Power technique. By the time that Roshi had begun teaching Yang how to perform the Improved Version, Yamcha had started watching his training sessions. The former bandit had picked up the improved version in a week, without having the prior training that Yang had. Once again, Yang was humbled by being around a natural like Yamcha and a genius like Muten Roshi. As an apology, Yamcha had helped Yang master the Kamehameha Wave. It had taken Yamcha a week and a half to learn it from scratch, but it took Yang a full week longer to be able to fire the beam. 5 weeks in and Yang had just barely learned 2 techniques. Yamcha had started on his third, the famed Thunder Shock Surprise by now, and had almost picked it up.

Of course, that wasn't to say they had slacked on Physical Training in favor of learning techniques either. Muten Roshi had handed them a pair of 100 Kilogram Turtle Shells and had them wear the things every day, then not only had them swim to an adjacent, mountainous island with those things on but also to climb the tallest mountain on said Island. Every day. This would occur before any technique practice, and the Turtle Hermit would always know if it hadn't been done. Not that Yang had ever tried to slack off, but Yamcha had been caught a couple of times, usually whenever a West City Titans baseball game was on that Yamcha wanted to listen to on his Capsule Radio. That was one thing Yang didn't understand about Yamcha. The guy was a fighting genius, a natural Martial Artist, he could be so much stronger than he was if he trained just as hard as anybody else, but if given the choice, Yamcha would train lighter and try to watch baseball. It was mind-boggling.

Still, though, he couldn't deny that the former bandit had put in the effort after Roshi had caught him out the first couple times. Yamcha was stronger than Yang was now, even with Improved Max Power, Yamcha would just use the same technique during spars. They were close, and Yang was still more skilled than the former bandit, but Yamcha had definitely overtaken him in pure power, speed, and stamina. So much so that it seemed that Yang was going to have to take Uranai Baba up on her offer to learn Magic just to stay competitive. If Yamcha was this strong, Yang couldn't imagine what Son Goku would be like. The next tournament was only 2 years and 11 months away now, that was a long time for someone to grow stronger. At any rate, Yang was currently racing up the mountainside after Yamcha. He was only a couple feet behind the former bandit, but that was telling on its own. A little further and they had made it to the top. Roshi was waiting for them on the summit.

"You both have come a long way in such a short time. Yang, I think it is time you have begun learning the Thunder Shock Surprise. I know Yamcha has almost mastered it by now. If you both learn it, then I have one final technique to teach you both. Telepathy isn't something everyone learns to be proficient with, not even I can claim to be a master in its use, but I have developed a way to use telepathy and instinct, along with reading body movements and the like, to be able to read what my opponents are doing and counter as they are doing it. I will teach you this once you both finish learning the Thunder Shock Surprise. After that, you may stay with me, or seek out further training elsewhere." Replied Roshi with a knowing glance at Yang.

Yang wondered if he knew about the offer that Uranai Baba made to teach him Magic briefly, but chalked it up to the old master being the legendary Muten Roshi. If anyone would know, it would be him. As he began instruction on the Thunder Shock Surprise, Yang couldn't help but think that maybe all this training was building to something. The next tournament, certainly, but the appearance of so many natural Martial Artists and fighting geniuses couldn't be a coincidence, could it? He couldn't think what the crescendo to this build-up could be though. After all, it wasn't like King Piccolo was still kicking around after 300 years or an alien invasion was suddenly going to come out of nowhere, right? Maybe the Red Ribbon Army would start a war for control of the planet? Who knew.

As the next week passed, Yang found his facility for the Thunder Shock Surprise was better than it was with any of Muten Roshi's other techniques, likely due to his prior experience in molding Ki into electricity. He got the technique down at the same time Yamcha did for once. Two weeks later, and Yang had learned the basics of Muten Roshi's Instinct Technique. Of course, Yamcha had already gotten it down 3 days ago, but that was just how life seemed to go. On the first night of the last week of the month, Muten Roshi came to see Yang. It was odd that he would come to talk specifically to Yang. Usually, if the old Master had something to say, he'd say it at dinner.

"I know that you're planning to leave for the Western Desert to learn Magic under the tutelage of Uranai Baba. I also know that she has told you that you'll have to defeat her guardians to be able to learn. As a parting gift, I give you a warning. Her Guardians are creatures of magic. Depending on which ones you face, you will need to learn their weaknesses to defeat them, as a straight fight is not likely to net you a victory. Her first guardian is always the same and in the same arena, a Vampire in a ring surrounded by water. Be careful of his fangs, if he sucks the blood out of you, you'll be that much easier to defeat. If you can, try and knock him into the water. Running water is a vampiric weakness after all. Beyond that, I do not know which ones you will be facing. She has many, but the strongest ones haven't been used in many years and come from the Demon Realm. One, Spike the Devilman, is a former World Tournament Champion, another is Cabot the Troll who is a physical powerhouse that was even stronger than me last time we fought, and the last is Damon the Hellstalker who is maybe a little stronger than Cabot but can fly as well. If you face her demons, know that Spike is likely only to be able to defeat you with the use of his signature technique, the Devilmite Beam which can kill those with too much evil in their hearts. Cabot is able to be beaten conventionally, provided you are strong enough, and Damon can be defeated conventionally if you manage to ground him and are strong enough." Said Muten Roshi.

"Thank you for the warning, I have to ask, however, why tell me this? And how did you know about the offer?" Asked Yang.

"Baba doesn't do anything for free, if she invited you to train under her, she likely sees the chance to either gain a new powerful guardian if you lose or a decent apprentice if you win. With motives like that, I figured you deserved to know what you were walking into. As to how I know? Well, a brother ought to know what his sister is planning, wouldn't you say?" Grinned Roshi.

Yang was silent for a moment before saying, "You're her brother? She told me that I reminded her of you. Something about being the underdog if you can believe it. You, the legendary Muten Roshi, an underdog?" He was incredulous.

Roshi let out a laugh at that and said, "I may be hot stuff now, but you should have seen me in my youth! I wasn't exactly the pinnacle of martial arts back then. Don't tell anyone I said that mind." He grinned.

Yang was speechless at that, then bowed to Muten Roshi. "Thank you for all that you have done for me." He said.

Roshi waved him off and said, "Nonsense, it was my pleasure to teach you. You may not have the raw gift for the Martial Arts that others do, but you work harder than those born with natural talent tend to. It makes me glad that the current generation of fighters are capable of carrying on my legacy."

Then the old master stood and said, "Time for these old bones to go to sleep." Before exiting the room and heading off to bed.

The next morning, Yang began his journey to the Western Desert and Uranai Baba's Palace. . .

XXXX

Author's Note:

In regard to the end of the Budokai not happening with Roshi blowing up the moon, because the 1st round of the tournament went by so quickly, with Roshi even convincing Nam not to fight at all, things wrapped up around 4PM rather than at dusk, so Goku didn't transform in this story.

Also, if you couldn't tell from some of the names dropped in this interlude, I will be drawing heavily from another Toriyama Work for the Magic since we don't really see much of it in Dragonball canon...Dragon Quest.

Power Levels for this interlude only

230: Yamcha (Full Power)

220: Yang (Full Power)

235: Muten Roshi (Full Power)

330: Yang (Improved Max Power)

335: Yamcha (Improved Max Power)

352.5: Muten Roshi (Improved Max Power)