Chapter 5
The Tournament Begins: Part 2
I own Nothing
To say the Z fighters were growing tenser and tenser would be an understatement. As they sat helplessly on the sidelines, they watched as Krillin took a beating from Nappa, his sick, twisted grin plastered on his lips as he continued his assault. None of them could bear to watch this monster's depraved game continue, each wishing that someone, anyone would jump in and stop this madness. However, one look at the event organizer made it perfectly clear that no one is to interfere. Though Naruto's rules held firm, he couldn't help but hate what it is bringing - Krillin is demonstrably ill equipped to deal with the Saiyan and Nappa was more than willing to take full advantage of it.
With another heavy chop to the back of Krillin's neck, her body went crashing into the ground - leaving her a twitching heap in the center of the ring. "Come on now, you can't be serious." he chuckled, stomping hard onto the monk's lower back, "where'd all that fire you had with the Saibamen go, huh?"
The grinding of his boot let loose a screech of pain from Krillin, her eyes welling with tears as she looked to her friends with honest to goodness fear in her eyes. As Gine and the others had warned, Krillin had taken on a challenge beyond her skill level, leaving her wide open for a devastating beat down. This feeling of loss was an all too familiar sting, her mind flashing back to her death at the hands of King Piccolo, as she felt that same amount of dread slink over her. "I-I won't die...right?" Her thoughts betrayed her as she felt the Saiyan's foot rise before his massive hand slipped around her throat, lifting her to eye level. "N-Naruto wouldn't l-let him kill me...right?" As her mind began to race she felt the Saiyan's fist collide with her chin, sending her skidding across the tournament ring like a rock across a pond, ending in front of the stone faced Uzumaki.
"Ya know, I'd say I'm getting tired of grinding this cue ball into the ground," Nappa snickered, slowly inching his way towards the downed monk. "But I'd be lying,"
"Naruto!" Gine yelled, catching the attention of both the referee and the burly Elite Warrior. "That's enough, call the damn match! Obviously, Krillin is unable to continue, if this keeps going she'll surely die at his hands."
"Hahaha!" Nappa howled, shooting an amused glare towards the lower Saiyan warrior in question. "Keep your nose out of this, scum, unless you wanna trade places and be my new punching back."
"I'd gladly trade just so I can wipe that stupid smile off your fac-," Gine began, her muscles now clenched and her power spiking only to be silenced by Naruto's powerful voice.
"Enough!" Proclaimed the Uzumaki, "A match ends when the contestant concedes on their own volition, is disqualified or is unconscious. Nothing more, nothing less. Do I make myself clear?"
"Crystal," Nappa tightened his fist, prepared to continue his onslaught.
"H-Hai, Master," Gine muttered, feeling her seal burn ever so slightly for her outburst.
"Good. Now, Krillin, are you able to continue?" Naruto asked, leaning down to her level.
"Y-Yeah," she chuckled lightly, stumbling to her feet once more. "I still got a few tricks up my sleeve." Her smile didn't seem to shake the hesitation in Naruto's heart. He didn't wish for this match to continue, Krillin's undershirt was completely gone, revealing only her tapped chest and midsection which was dotted with brightly colored bruises that matched her face. She looked like a gust of wind would end her but, whether it was her own fighting spirit or the idea of buying a few more minutes for Goki to arrive, Krillin's eyes gleamed with determination.
Naruto smiled, "very well," before allowing the match to continue.
Nappa wasted little time by charging the monk, crashing down against the tournament floor with a powerful right in hopes of crushing Krillin's skull in the process, but was met with nothing but Krillin's afterimage. He was quick to react, whiping back and unleashing a powerful stream of ki that carved a hefty line through the ring but, once again, found nothing after the smoke cleared. "What the hell?" he muttered, scanning his surroundings with growing frustration, "where the hell did she go?" As if on cue, he noticed her shadow about a foot in front of him, indicating she must have taken to the sky. With a snicker, Nappa shot skyward, aiming square at Krillin, "nowhere to run now!" he shouted, opening his mouth wide as his yellow ki began to build in the back of his throat. As Nappa ramps up for one of his signature attacks, Krillin did the same, flying high enough to find herself in front of the sun.
"Everyone," Tien began, loud enough to alert his team but soft enough to keep the Saiyan's out of the loop, "close your eyes, now." Just as the words left his lips Krillin's voice echoed throughout the barren planes.
"Solar flare!" She declared as her spread out fingers touched her forehead, a blinding light exploded outwards, singeing the eyes of anyone who was foolish enough to keep their gaze on her, one of those being Nappa. The brute let out a mighty scream, the yellow ki in his throat now fading away as he focused on his burning retinas.
"You little bitch, my eyes!" The gorilla screamed, rubbing his eyes in a desperate attempt to bring back his sight, a foolish idea to be sure. Krillin took this opportunity to go on the offensive, delivering a destructive flying kick to the side of Nappa's head, sending him soaring back down to earth with a heavy impact. As Nappa tried to get to his feet he felt a barrage of ki blast collide with his armored back, eroding it like rainfall to a mountainside. The barrage soon gave way to another, Krillin taking on the big brute hand to hand while he tried meekly to swat at her through his blurred vision. Though his blind flailing didn't add up to much he was able to catch the monk by surprise as he flexed his ki, sending out a shockwave that fired her back a few feet.
"Smart move, earthling," Vega smirked, her vision still intact thanks to her deductive reasoning and a little bit of luck. "But tricks will only get you so far,"
"You're damn right, Vega." Nappa hissed, his teeth clenched in rage. "Blinding me was a smart move but you don't have the power to put me away, so once my eyesight is back I'll splatter you all across the floor!"
"D-Damn it, he's right!" Krillin hissed, feeling the wear and tare on her body every second she moved - in a few moments his eyesight will return and they'll be back to how it was, Nappa pummeling her into the dirt. So, with what little energy she had left, Krillin took a wide stance and raised her hand high above her head. "H-Here it goes!"
With every ounce of energy she had left, Krillin began to form a disk of sorts that hovered over the palm of her hand. As the disk widened electricity started to crackle down her forearm and throughout her body as she tried her best to keep her focus, "Destructo Disc!" She cried, hurling the fully charged disc of ki directly at her seemingly unaware opponent. As the attack grew ever closer Nappa's eyesight began to clear, giving him a moment to take in the world around him before he noticed this strange new attack's trajectory. With a snicker, Nappa merely braced for impact, all but certain this weakling's new attack would do just as much damage as her previous attempts.
"Nappa, move!" Vega ordered, much to the aggravation of Krillin. Heeding Vega's command, Nappa slanted his neck just in time to dodge the technique, allowing the destructo disc to harmlessly fly backward and into an adjacent mountain. However, as the Destructo Disc made contact with the mountain range, it sliced through it like it was nothing, sending its tip toppling to the ground below, shocking everyone who saw it. Infuriated at the mere idea of coming so close to death, Nappa turned his attention back onto Krillin only to notice a splash of red trickling down his cheek. "You fool, if that attack had landed it would have sliced you in two!"
Krillin's body went limp, every ounce of strength she had gone, leaving her open to this brute's next attack. "D-D-Damn, t-that was...all I had left,"
"Y-You! You cut me! How dare you scar my perfect face! I'll make you regret that!" Nappa snarled, wiping his cheek clean of his own blood. However, as Nappa went to charge the defenseless monk, Naruto appeared before both combatants, his hand raised to call a stop to the match. "What now?!"
"For the use of a lethal technique, Krillin has been disqualified," Naruto decreed, causing silence to befall the entirety of the viewing public.
"WHAT!" Screeched Nappa, his snarled features now inches from the blonde. "Do you think I'll just let that little runt get off scot free after she maimed me?!"
"Vega," but Naruto seemed to look past the brute's mad screech and face the shorter of the two Saiyans. "Discipline your mutt before I do,"
"M-Mutt…" Nappa seemed taken back by the earthling's statement. "Why you...how dare you speak to me like tha-,"
"That's enough, Nappa," Vega spoke, waving her large companion over. "Your blustering can wait,"
"B-But...but-," Nappa tried his best to articulate his frustration but found no word able to suffice before Vega cut him off.
"Are you disobeying my command, Nappa?" Vega barked, her voice low and methodical as a chill seemed to rush up Nappa's spine.
"N-No Vega, I'd never," Nappa mumbled, his face filled with terror as he shuffled back to his partner.
"Good," she nodded before turning her attention back to Naruto. "Now, get that filth out of the ring so we can continue."
Naruto didn't seem to dignify her statement with a response, simply scooping up the wounded woman and taking her to her allies' side, "I-I-I...I'm sorry, Naruto-kun. I-I wasn't...strong enough,"
"it's alright Krill, you fought well. It's time for you to rest," As he stepped from his ring to the ground below he wordlessly summoned a clone of himself before handing his doppelganger the wounded party. "Take her to the nearest hospital alongside Yamacha, she need-,"
"N-No!" Krillin shouted, jolting forward only to regret it thanks to the pain that followed. "I-I'm not leaving...not until Goki's here. You...You might need me,"
"I think we'll do fine without you, Krillin." Piccolo chuckled, taking into account her damaged state. "Besides, we don't need another liability."
"I'm with the Namekian," Gine parroted, "you did all you could do in the fight, there's no need for you to stick around. You'll just be dead weight,"
"Well, thankfully, it's not up to either of you," Naruto remarked, getting a glare from Piccolo and a sigh from Gine who, as per usual, thanks to her marking, had no real reaction against whatever her master was about to do. "Now Krillin, are you sure you wish to stay?"
"Y-Yeah,"
With a smile, Naruto said, "very well," before looking at his clone, "heal her enough to keep her stable. There's no point in her having to stand here and suffer."
"So, this earthling can heal as well, hmm? What other abilities does he have up his sleeves," Vega hummed, watching the clone's hand become engulfed in a light green hue as he slowly hovered it across the woman's small frame.
Taking his spot on the opposite side of the ring from both the Z-warriors and the Saiyan's, Naruto made his boisterous voice heard as he proclaimed, "Round four of the tournament is now underway! Combatants, choose your fighters!"
"...Is he always this bipolar?" Chiaotzu whispered, catching the ear of Gohan.
"Yeah, I think it adds to his charm," Gohan chuckled naively, finding his strange switch between emotions similar to her mother.
"Is that what you'd consider it?" Gine asked sarcastically, shooting a glance towards the half-breed and her green companion, "I see it more of a detriment." As the Z-Fighters talked amongst themselves, the Saiyans had no need to deliberate as Nappa took center stage once again, ready to hopefully find more of a challenge with his next victim.
"Nappa," Vega called, catching Nappa mid-stride. "I've grown bored of this foolish tournament, I want it over as soon as possible so we can have our little wish. So, I don't want to see you playing with your food this time. End the battle as soon as you can,"
"Very well," Nappa remarked, though you could see in his eyes he despised the command. He was always one who enjoyed savoring his battles like someone would savor a wonderful meal - the fear he saw in the eyes of his victims once they've realized they're doomed is just too satisfying to ignore. However, he wasn't one to disobey Vega, especially if he knew what was good for him.
"Once again, Nappa has stepped up for the Saiyan team," Naruto remarked before taking aim towards the Z-warrior's corner. "Z-Warriors, choose your combatants!"
Before the team could discuss it Tien took towards the ring, saddling up to Nappa with little in the way of fear as his three eyes glared daggers at the bald Saiyan, "I'll be the one to put this Saiyan in his place!" Tien growled, "you're going to pay for what you did to Yamcha and Krillin,"
"W-Wait, Tien!" Chaiotzu shouted, hovering to his companion's side. "I won't let you do this alone. I'm here to fight by your side,"
"What? Chiaotzu, I-," Tien began only for his pale companion to interrupt.
"No, Tien! I trained just as hard as you, Yamcha, and Krillin! I deserve to be here," Chiaotzu's declaration seemed to catch his tri-eyed friend off guard. "B-Besides, I don't want to see you fight alone. We're a team,"
With a smile, Tien couldn't help but agree. "You're right, Chiaotzu. With our combined might, we'll topple this Saiyan!"
"Yeah!"
"Do you agree with this handicap, Nappa?" Naruto asked the brute who seemed surprisingly quiet.
The Saiyan quickly cracked a smile, tightening his massive mitts into fists as he began to size up his opponents. "Handicap?! Haha! You'd need the whole damn team for me to even break a sweat. So go ahead, three-eyes! Bring all the help you want, it won't change a thing!"
After Nappa's strange yet terrifying decree, Naruto continued on with his usual referee mindset. "Very well. Combatants, are you ready?!" He cheered, getting a nod from all three fighters. "Hajime!" As Naruto's hand went down to signify the round to begin, Nappa let out a mighty scream, cracking the ring under his very feet and exploding his ki outwards with such speed and veracity it blasted anyone unprepared for it back. Two of those people being Tien and Chiaotzu who skidded to a halt mere inches from the ring's edge.
Nappa's yellow, pulsating ki hung around his body as arcs of electricity sparked across him, the very pressure he oozed seemed to paralyze all except for his partner and Naruto. Without warning, the brute zipped towards Tien with reckless abandon, moving faster than the triclops could even perceive. Once in range, Nappa placed every ounce of energy he had collected into his right hand and delivered a pernicious strike to Tien's left forearm, severing it cleanly like a sword would if swung with the same power.
The triclops screamed in agony, gripping his bloody stump as blood oozed from it, leaving his partner and the remaining Z warriors stunned into horror and silence. But the ape's onslaught didn't end there. As Tien was still gripped with pain, he was unable to protect himself from the next attack as Nappa grabbed hold of Tien's screaming skull and drilled him into the ring. As he dug a crevasse with Tien's head, Nappa used his free hand to charge up another attack, this one being far more powerful than his last one.
"Naruto! Do something!" Krillin screamed, her major wounds now fully healed but her energy and strength still far from what it was. "Nappa cheated, he went against the tournament rules!"
"I hardly see how he cheated," Vega spoke up, catching their attention. " 'Murder and outside interference is strictly prohibited', aren't those the only rules? From where I'm sitting the triclops is still breathing so I see no reason for disqualification. It's not Nappa's fault that this silly little earthling is so...breakable,"
The Z-fighters looked to Naruto for his ruling, hoping that somehow, someway he'd find a reason to disqualify this brute before this got out of hand. "...Vega's right, Nappa has broken none of the rules set up before the tournament."
"B-But...but Tien could die from that injury!"
"I would step in before that happened," Naruto remarked assuredly, trying his best to keep Krillin and the remainder of the Z-warriors calm. "If he goes unconscious or is unable to put up a proper fight I can and will put a stop to it. Until then...it's up to Tien and Chiaotzu on how long this battle is to continue."
Nappa snickered as his eyes seemingly lit up with wicked intent, "you hear that, triclops?! Your pals are helpless to save you, so I'm going to pull the limbs off of you one by one until you scream 'uncle', got it?!" Lifting Tien up, Nappa took aim with his supercharged fist once more, prepared to sever his leg next but, before he could make contact he felt a nebulous force come over him, halting his strike for the time being.
Behind Nappa floated a very teary eyed yet determined Chiaotzu, using his powers of Telekinesis to hold the brute in place, "D-D-Don't you dare...h-hurt Tien!"
Nappa couldn't help but chuckle at the small doll's proclamation, motioning towards his companion's disembodied arm, "I hate to break it to ya, squirt, but you're a bit too late for that." But soon, his deprived snicker gave way to another roar of power, shattering Chiaotzu's concentration and his hold on Nappa along with it. "So, we got a telepath on our hands, huh? I guess I was focusing on the wrong one this whole TIME!" as 'time' left his lips, the giant vanished from his spot only to appear behind the frightened little boy. Before Chiaotzu could even mount a defense he was caught with a powerful kick to the side of his head, sending him speeding into the ring below.
The impact was sudden and loud, leaving a child-like crater in the center of the ring with a poor, beaten Chiaotzu in the bottom of it. This impact seemed to rock Tien from his unconscious stupor, allowing him to catch a glimpse of his battered brother in arms before Naruto made his way into the ring.
"Chiaotzu is unable to battle," Naruto spoke, his clone carefully picking up his unconscious body for all to see. As the clone left with Chiaotzu, Tien sat there, unable to comprehend what had happened to his friend that, because of his moment of weakness, is now in critical condition.
"C-C-Chiaotzu…" Tien whimpered, his eyes widened in shock as he tried but failed to reach out and take the poor boy into his last remaining arm. He let out a cry of rage, "CHIAOTZU!" before slamming his fist into the ground as this wild bloodlust seemed to fill him. "H-How could I have let this happen again?!" Tien thought, his mind racked with guilt as the previous death of his comrade replayed in his memory. "I wasn't strong enough then a-and I'm still too weak to protect him now! I should have left him home with Launch! I should have done this alone, I should have...I should have-!"
"Hey, triclops!" Nappa yelled from his floating position. "I was told to end this quickly so I'll be generous and let you surrender. Give up now or suffer the same fate as your little runt of a friend!"
"Y-You!...YOU ANIMAL!" Tien screamed, stumbling to his feet as he prepared himself for his final standoff. "YOU'LL PAY FOR WHAT YOU DID TO CHIAOTZU!"
"You humans are so overdramatic," Nappa chuckled, "the midget is still breathing. You should be thanking me for holding back,"
Tien pupils seemed to dilate at that before pointing a finger towards Nappa, "Dodan Ray!" A powerful, thin green beam of ki shot from Tien's finger tip, taking aim at Nappa's heart. However, with one swift slap, the beam deflected off the back of Nappa's hand and disappeared across the horizon. Nappa wasn't too impressed with Tien's technique but was seemingly caught off guard by the triclops' disappearance. But, before he could investigate, Nappa was drilled from above by a downward elbow by Tien followed up with a knee to the side of his head, sending a sharp ringing throughout the Saiyan's skull.
Turning to face Nappa once again, Tien charged up another Dodan Ray, prepared to use one of his deadliest moves up close and personal for what he did to Chiaotzu. "Dodan Barrage!" 5 distinct green beams arced from Tien's finger, each solidly connected against Nappa's armor into an eruption of smoke.
"T-That...was for...Chiaotzu," Tien huffed, feeling his energy seep away from him thanks to the lack of blood.
"Well then," Nappa's voice cut deep as sweat began to drip from Tien. "You can't say I didn't try to end this peacefully,"
"N-No way…" Tien whispered as he watched as the smoke that once consumed Nappa had faded, revealing an uninjured Saiyan with a pissed off expression. "T-The Dodan Ray can pierce through anything,"
"Anything but a Saiyan," Nappa remarked, a slick, almost joyful smile crept across his features - leaving Tien to fear for the worse. As the minutes went by, Tien tried his best to defend the barrage of punishment that was dealt out by Nappa but even at his full strength and with both of his arms Tien was unconvinced he would have done better. All there was left to do was to buy some more time for Goki's arrival; every second felt like a minute and a minute to an hour but he tried. It all came to a head as Tien found himself, once again, hunched over while Nappa, on the other side of the ring, chuckled to himself.
"I must say," the brute proclaimed, stretching his neck. "You put up more of a fight than those other earthlings. Both of the midgets could barely leave a dent in my armor let alone give me a good work out. Hell, the pale one could only smudge my boot with his face!" The brute continued to cackle, his sick sense of humor is the only thing that could make him laugh.
"Chiaotzu...I'll avenge you," Tien thought, his eyes glazed over as his body seemingly moved on its own, setting up for one final attack. As Nappa did before, Tien began to build up his ki in his last remaining hand, a sphere of clear green energy began to form as Tien strained to keep conscious.
"Oh? What's this?" Nappa cocked his brow as he felt a build up of pressure around them, a feeling that got Nappa a bit excited. "Well, if you think I'm going to stand around as I did for that runt then you're sorely mistaken!" With his decree, Nappa reared back and fired a beam of yellow ki from his mouth, "Break Cannon!"
However, his preemptive attack only played into Tien's hands as he used what's left of his physical strength to launch himself above Nappa's Break Cannon, giving Tien a perfect shot. "This is over, Nappa! Spirit Tri-Beam!" With one final thrust of his arm, Tien blasted Nappa with all of his might, carving a square like cavity at least 50 yards (150 feet) deep and 5 yards (15 feet) wide on each side. Such an attack nearly blinded everyone in attendance by it's sheer strength and power, filling the barren plains with a holy green light until Tien's last ounce of ki was drained, leaving him clinging to life.
"Phew," was the next sound to break the silence, bringing the eyes of the onlookers directly to the damaged Nappa. His armor was now completely demolished, revealing his muscular frame and his black shorts to the world, his breath now labored and his body covered with bruises. "Don't scare me like that,"
"H-He's...a monster!" Krillin whimpered, gazing at the bald Saiyan as he seemingly brushed off one of the strongest attacks seen here today. Even Naruto seemed impressed by the blowhearts durability, though he did notice that if Nappa hadn't blocked he would have been in much worse shape than before.
As Tien looked on in fear he felt his heart start to give, his Tri-Beam took too much from him, leaving him nothing more than dead weight. "I-I'm sorry...everyone...I-I failed," he muttered before his body gave in, collapsing against the cold floor below.
"Both combatants are unable to battle, Nappa, is your victor." Naruto proclaimed before sending another clone to pick up Tien and take him far, far away from this battlefield.
"He fought like a man…" Vega began, a smirk etched onto her lips. "And died like a dog,"
"I-Impossible...is he...immortal?" Piccolo whispered, a sense of dread oozing from the Namekian as he watched on in horror.
"I've forgotten how much of a demon Nappa is," Gine hissed, a bead of sweat dripping from her forehead as the weight of the situation began to dawn on her. She was next up to face him...and she wasn't so sure if she was going to make it out of here in one piece.
"GOKI! HURRY!" Krillin screamed to the skies above, praying that somehow, some way she would hear her call.
"Goki?" Vega questioned to herself, curious as to this sudden name drop. "Could they be referring to...wait,"
"Alright maggots, which one of you wishes to take me on next?" Nappa sneered before beginning to go down the line of his next victims. "Maybe you, Namekian! You look like you can give me some entertainment. Or maybe you want to join, Raditza? But I do want to save you for last, I want to savor your loss. Ohhh…" the Saiyan trailed off, catching a glimpse of Gohan. "Or maybe you'd like a go, small fry."
"There will be no battles for the next 10 minutes, am I understood?" Naruto explained, once again having to step between Nappa and his comrades. "The ring has been severely damaged, it will take some time to repair."
"This again, who gives a damn about the ring!?" Nappa bellows, incensed by the mere mention of another stoppage.
"Nappa, hold on a moment." Vega said, before shooting a glance towards Krillin, "You there, baldy. You spoke of a 'Goki' a moment ago, yes?"
"Y-Yeah, I did," Krillin answered nervously, almost like the mere act of Vega staring at her pulled the truth from her.
"And this 'Goki', it's Kakarot, right?" Vega deduced.
"Yeah, what of it?" Krillin fired back, still a bit hesitant as to why the female Saiyan cared so much about who 'Goki' was.
"Well, well. The failed low class warrior is still alive, and yet she's not even here to greet us." Vega hummed, switching her gaze from Krillin to Gine. "Where'd your sister go, Raditza? Did she run and hide after she realized we were coming?"
"No way, my mommy would never run from a fight, ever!" Gohan interrupted, seemingly enraged by Vega's mere accusation.
"Haha! Is that so?" Vega all but laughed, "then tell me, little one. Where is your 'Mommy'?"
"Training," Piccolo interjected, stepping in front of Gohan in a paternal instinct to protect her. "For this whole year, Goki has been in the afterlife training like her life depended on it."
"In the afterlife?!" Nappa's confused expression said it all, "what nonsense are you three spewing?"
"It's true," Gine chimed in, her features firm and unwavering.
Vega shrugged, her expression seemingly unfazed by the idea they've brought up. "Regardless of where she trains it won't be enough, she'll be decimated just like your other friends."
"If you're so confident then why not wait?" Naruto spoke up, sparking intrigue in the mind of Vega.
"Why on earth would we wait for a woman that's probably too much of a coward to even show her face?!" Nappa howled, too thick headed to realize the implication.
"My mother isn't a coward! She'll be here any minute now and when she does, you'll be sorry!" Gohan shouted, her teeth grinding in frustration.
"Is that so?" Vega humored, her prideful smile still evident on her lips.
"You bet," Krillin spoke up, shaking in righteous indignation. "She'll be more powerful than ever before!"
Even Piccolo couldn't help but argue Goki's case, "Son Goki is a bad one to underestimate,"
"How touching," Vega mocked, "and you, Raditza? Do you hold as much faith in your sister's return?"
Gine seemed hesitant to speak at first but, after a nod from her master, she proclaimed, "...If she does, you two won't stand a chance. With our combined might, no one can stand in our way, especially a bunch of elite blowhards such as yourselves!"
"Such confidence…" Vega pondered for a moment before she was struck with an idea, "that settles it. We must wait for Goki's return,"
"WHAT?! B-BUT VEGA!" Nappa screamed, surprised at his partner's decree. "You must be joking?! She'll never come! Let's just finish this tournament and be done with this!"
"We'll wait for three hours, not a second longer," Vega remarked, flashing the remaining Z-warriors three fingers before finding a nice place to rest on an errant rock. "I think that's more than enough time for your precious Goki to arrive."
Nappa seemed to seeth at Vega's nonchalant attitude, he hated the very idea of waiting let alone for three whole hours. "Three hours?! What the hell am I supposed to do for three hours!? I've been in suspended animation for too long, my body hungers for battle!" His rage got the best of him as his body seemed to charge towards the Z-warriors on its own, unwilling to go three hours without a proper battle. "To hell with waiting!" He decreed.
"Nappa! DO AS I COMMAND!" Vega screamed, stomping her foot hard enough to send spider web like cracks across the terrain.
The brute skidded to a halt in mid-air, his face drained of color and fear now present on his features. "S-Sorry, Vega...I-I must have got carried away."
"There you have it," Vega remarked as she locked eyes with Naruto. "Three extra hours of life. Cherish it," and, true to her words, the Saiyans disengaged and allowed time to pass, giving the remaining Z-warriors and Naruto time to plan.
"T-This is bad...this is really, really bad." Krillin whimpered, her features grim as the minutes continued to tick on by. "That brute's already gone through three of us and all he has to show for it is a few cuts and scrapes."
"I warned you all, yet none of you wished to heed it," Gine snarled, though, you could see in her eyes that a part of her was still surprised by the amount of damage Nappa could take. Many of those attacks, the final one from Tien included, could have seemingly put the bald saiyan away and yet, somehow or another, he found a way to shrug it off. It was unnerving and down right petrifying to witness. "But harping on it won't solve our current situation. So, Piccolo, got any ideas?"
The Namekian stood there, seemingly in a trance, glaring down the Saiyans with an analytical curiosity that caught the group's eye. "Seeing as we're down to two in this tournament of ours, we have two options. One on one bouts to try and drag it out as long as we can or…"
"We double up to try and take Nappa out?"
"Exactly,"
As the trio continued to discuss their strategy, Nappa had a few questions of his own that needed to be answered. "I still don't get it...why are we waiting for Kakarot?"
"Because, Nappa, she's a traitor to her very race just like her sister," Vega remarked as she slipped on her scouter once more in order to make sure of the precise moment Goki was close to arriving. "A traitor like that deserves to see her family and friends die before her eyes. She deserves to feel how powerless she is, how much agony we can inflict until, after three to four hours...she'll be begging us to send her to hell."
"Haha! I knew it, I should have had more faith in you, Vega!" Nappa cheered, his wicked smile now once again fully plastered on his features.
"That's IF she shows up in three hours," Vega grumbled as she gave a few pulmonary scans of the area with her scouter only to come up short.
"Hey, I'll leave Kakarot to you but, please, let me have the remaining two!" Nappa seemingly begged as his eyes lit up with a powerful hunger for battle. "I've been itching to slap that traitorous bitch Raditza around since we got here."
She chuckled at Nappa's giddiness before she remarked, "of course, but I want that Namek left alive. He's our key to retrieving the Dragon Balls,"
"I hope she shows," Nappa sneered before, instinctively, shooting a glance towards one of Naruto's clones who was fixing the demolished ring. "What are we gonna do about him?" He did well in hiding it but Nappa wasn't too keen on going toe to toe with their 'referee' again.
Vega was just as concerned as Nappa, she's seen the raw power the man could produce along with his plethora of illusionary tricks but, just like any warrior, he must have a weakness, they just needed to find it. "For now we'll still play his little game, as long as we do that we won't invite any unnecessary wrath."
As the two sides continued their idle planning a third and unheard conversation was happening, starring Naruto and a sudden voice that made itself known inside his own mind. "Hello, hello," it began, it's nazzly voice snapping Naruto from his musings. "Can you hear me down there?"
Instinctually, Naruto's eyes widened, "Kurama?!"
"What?! No! It's me, King Kai!" The voice, now known as 'King Kai', remarked, seemingly upset by the man's random assumption.
"King who?" he wondered, scouring his mind to see if a name like that could ring any of his bells.
"The great and powerful King Kai? The King of the Worlds? North Kai? Is any of this ringing a bell?!" King Kai listed, his voice progressively growing more and more aggravated at the mere idea that this man knows nothing of who he is.
The blonde's face seemed to scrunch in thought, "...Kami?"
The King of Worlds let out a frustrated sigh, "NO!...We spoke a few months ago, Goki told you about me."
"Oh yes! You're the one with the sweaty back!" Naruto remarked with a snap as the memory started to flood back to him.
"HEY! You try having someone's hand on your back for minutes on end and try not to sweat!" the Kai barked before clearing his throat, "but my back sweat aside, I wanted to get in touch with you about Goki."
Naruto seemed to panic at the Kai's phrasing, "what's wrong? Is everything alright?!"
"Yes, yes! Everything's as fine as it can be. She left about an hour ago, I would have informed you sooner but you seemed a bit preoccupied," King Kai explained.
"Preoccupied? What's that supposed to mean?" Naruto hummed.
King Kai only chuckled, "well, refereeing a tournament takes a lot of concentration, I would hate to get in the way of that."
"You saw that?!" Naruto was taken back by the statement.
"Of course I can, you dimwit! I can see everything, I'm King Kai after all!" The Kai boasted, incensed by Naruto's implication.
"Well, I suppose everything should work out fine then." The blonde spoke with a knowing nod.
"I wouldn't start counting your chickens before they hatch, youngling." King Kai remarked, "She still has a long way to go before she's back in the mortal world."
This caused Naruto to pause, "pardon?"
"The only way to my planet is running Snake Way, an arduous and lengthy pathway that took her half a year to cross! After her training, she's grown considerably faster but not enough to cross within an hour or even two!" King Kai explained with a heavy tone. "I wanted to inform you that the three hour window given by the Saiyans won't be enough time, you'll need to stall just a bit more!"
Naruto began to ponder his options, his mind racing with idea after idea until a thought came to him. "Wait, can you inform me of when Goki arrives from the afterlife?"
"Yes, why?" King Kai wondered.
"Last time she was on earth I placed a 'Flying Raijin' marker on her gi. Once she is back within my range I can teleport her here instantly," explained the blonde, his hand glowing at the mere mention of his father's technique.
"...Y-You said her Gi, right?" King Kai asked, the minor pause very apparent to Naruto.
"Yeah...I did,"
"...W-Well...funny story about that,"
"What happened?!" He said heatedly.
With a startled hiccup, King Kai responded with, "I gave her a new Gi with my symbol on it!"
"...WHY?!" Naruto snapped,
"Well, her old one was in tatters and she'd been in it for over a year and...and...you don't want your new student walking around like a hobo so...you know," King Kai rambled, fiddling with his thumbs as he tried his best to think of a proper explanation.
"Kami above," Naruto mumbled under his breath, massaging his temples to alleviate himself of the coming headache. "Fine, we'll see what we can do to buy more time." With that, the mental link was severed, giving Naruto some time to think. He knew that the tournament could definitely buy them more time after the three hours had elapsed but he was unsure if Gine and Piccolo can last long enough for it to even matter. Maybe it was his turn to step into the ring, drag out the bout with Nappa and possibly even Vega until Goki arrives or maybe he should just end this tournament and take out the two Saiyans with ease.
The thought seemed so tempting, he could easily splatter them across the plains but...he wished to stick to his previous conviction on not being the answer to this universe's prayers. He wished for them to grow strong and struggle without him, only calling upon him with the odds are insurmountable - he wished to grant this world a gift that he should have given to his old one, self-reliance. So, with a sigh, Naruto made his way towards the remaining Z-warriors with his resolve still intact and prepared to discuss what was in store.
And just like that, slowly, agonizingly, three hours had crawled past.
"It's time," Vega remarked, kicking off her perch. "It would seem we were stood up. Three precious hours...wasted," her voice echoed the same sentiment of her colleague as she discarded her scouter once more.
"You shouldn't be so surprised, Vega. A traitor like Kakarot wouldn't do anything other than run and hide," Nappa remarked, cranking his neck in order to release the built up pressure.
"My mom's not a coward!" Gohan yelled, preparing to charge the brute only to be stopped by her caretaker.
"Then where is she, huh? Why would she leave her precious baby girl to die?!" Vega yelled, a sly, sickening smile etching it way onto her features.
"Enough talk, I want to bring the pain!" Nappa yelled, shooting a quick glance towards Naruto. "Come on, let's get this stupid tournament back on track! I want to grind Raditza's face into the dirt!" The blonde said nothing, merely making his way towards his regular position before ushering for the next two combatants to enter the ring.
"If you're itching for a fight then we'll give you one," Piccolo remarked as both he and Gine made their way into the ring.
"Unless you can't handle us both?" Gine asked with a cheeky grin, one only matched by Piccolo's.
"Hahaha! Now we're talkin'!" The brute howled, slamming into the ring with a heavy thud. "I'm actually getting excited over here."
"Gine and Piccolo, are you ready?"
"Of course," Piccolo remarked,
"I was born ready," Gine's eyes seemed to light up with excitement as she centered herself.
"Nappa, are you ready?"
"I'm drooling at the bit here," he snickered, lowering himself into his usual stance.
"HAJIME!"
AND scene! Thank you all so much for taking time out of your busy schedule to read my story, I appreciate the interaction from those who are enjoying this story and I'll update as soon as I can. Please leave a review, those really push me to continue, and if you have any questions please feel free to PM me.
Also, real quick, I have gotten a message or two about how at the end of Naruto: Shippuden Naruto was able to stop Gai from dying and return Kakashi's eye to him so he should easily be able to heal any and everyone in DBZ. Well, for starters I find it kinda strange that he's able to heal this stuff and yet can't fix his own damn arm so I kinda chalked it up to be an ass-pull. I don't really treat it as 'him having the ability to heal all wounds' because if that were true then Gai also wouldn't be in a wheelchair in Boruto. Honestly, I assume it's kinda like a story-sensitive kinda thing so I decided to ignore it for this story. If that upsets you, I understand but I just found it contrived in the original series so I don't like putting it into my stories, sorry.