Every city and town in the world had crime. Some worse than other's, and even then, other's were worse still.

Now Satan City despite its name was actually a pretty nice place with very little crime. But no matter where it was or what they did they all had one common enemy; The Great Saiyaman.

Perched high atop a building was the hero himself. With his homework all done, and his girlfriend busy this is how he preoccupied his time.

Standing atop a tall building overlooking the city he saw everything through his dark tinted visor, and it looked beautiful. The sounds beneath him of everyday people going about their day, blissfully unaware of the struggles the Great Saiyaman had gone through, even before he put on this cool costume. Though the upper part of his face was obstructed the lower half showed a happy, content smile.

Truthfully, though he was here, he had wanted to go follow his father, brother, mentor and their friends on their latest misadventure they found themselves in, but he had to stay here to look after the city; someone had to right. To provide some home guard defense in the best way he could. But he assumed one way or the other he would be roped into this one just as he had been all the others.

He was right.

The tranquility of the scene was suddenly broken by the blaring sounds of alarm and anguish. Not from any disturbance in the city, but from his pocket. Pulling out his phone, he saw Bulma was trying to contact him.

"Hello" Gohan answered calmly into the phone "You caught me at kind of a bad time. I'm pretty busy" he answered even though he sounded a bit bored.

"GOHAN!" Bulma shouted so loud, the people down below looked up to him. "GET OVER HERE RIGHT NOW!" she screamed so loud that she might as well have been standing there with him, and he was so unprepared for her outburst that he almost dropped his phone from the top of the tower, and almost fell off himself along with it.

"Wh-bulma" Gohan tried correcting himself teetering on the edge "what's wro-"

"Some freaks in my house! And no one else is here so I need YOU to take care of it!" she yelled angrily, but sounded equally petrified. What was in her house? He didn't need to hear any more than that, before he took off into the sky. The way he saw it Satan City was fine, but one of his friends was in trouble-no in grave danger by the way she sounded. He knew now, that this was the reason why he stayed behind.

He flew as fast as he could to get to West City. Everything blended together in a blur of colors as he tore through the air.

Then in the distance he saw the city, and before he could blink he was at the door of Capsule Corp. Being the most profitable company in the world, he wasn't surprised someone tried to break in and make a grab at anything, considering all the money Bulma and her family was worth. This was something he could not overlook. Landing before the dome he raced to the doors and barged through them to see what was inside.

But when he entered, he couldn't see anything. It was dark, so dark that he couldn't even see his hand before his face. Luckily he used his other heightened senses. And he could already feel something out of place.

"Bulma!" he shouted out to the darkness. Only his echo down the hall could be heard before it was silenced into nothing. "Bulma!" he called again, his voice getting father this time as it rang out before getting dimmer and being silenced in the distant darkness. With no reply he took off down the hall to find any trace of her-or anyone. His feet echoed down the hallways and all around as he ran through, but the more he stopped to look the more he a dreaded feeling came upon him that he may have come too late.

Running through the halls did little to comfort him. There was no sign of any one. He could hardly make out overturned furniture, torn off walls, lights broken and completely off; everything was out of place. It felt more like he was in a deep, dank cave than the friendly familiarity of Capsule Corp. He cut around a corner, but only found more of the same. He came to a stop trying to find his bearings and anyone else.

"..gohan.." a woman's voice whispered from the dark behind him. A shiver of alarm went up his spine, and he turned around quickly. Only he was relieved to see a woman poking around the corner.

"Bulma?" he questioned. He peered forward to see her poke her head out just a little more "Bulma it is yo-"

"sshh" she quickly silenced him still cowering behind the corner. She finally came out from the corner. Seeing her now, it appeared she wasn't harmed. He was thankful for that at least, but she looked terrified.

"What happened?" Gohan asked shocked.

"That madman" Bulma grimaced.

"Who?" Gohan questioned.

"I don't know, he just appeared in here. I don't even know how he got in he just showed up. I've never seen anyone like him before." Bulma shivered "He said he wanted to see the lab, but when I refused him, he started thrashing around. I called for you as fast as I could, but he just, just-" she couldn't finish her sentence, in horror of what happened.

Gohan didn't need to hear anymore. He clenched his fist "Where is he now?" he gritted his teeth.

"In the lab." she told "But he's locked himself in and changed the code. I can't get in. I'm a prisoner in my own home" Bulma said shaken "Some one else is in there too with him."

"That shouldn't be a problem." Gohan said holding up a fist. That definitely raised her spirits. Exactly the reason why she called. And so she took him to her lab, which was now under new management. She had to feel her way through the dark as Gohan walked with her, but she had known this building all her life and was able to take him to the exact spot he needed to be.

"Here it is." she announced before the sealed iron door. "But like I said he's locked himself in."

Gohan took a step forward standing right before the door. He paused briefly, not to look it over, but to try and sense what was on the other side. It was certainly something foreign for it had an energy, unlike anything he sensed. Powerful yes, malicious clearly, but distinct and all it's own. But he was here before the door now and there was only one thing he came here to do. He picked up his right arm, reared it back and punched the giant metal door. The metal crunched from his fist and it started bending.

A second blow wasn't needed as Gohan punched through the door, knocking it off it's hinged and slamming it onto the ground. Looking into the room, they saw it was entirely dark just like the rest of the building, with the exception of all of the bright monitors on and running casting light into the room; the only part of Capsule Corp that still had it, it seemed. More wires ran from the monitors and walls than Gohan had noticed. Looking inside disregarding the monitors they could see someone was sitting in a chair with his back to them, facing the computers. A young woman was standing next the chair, wearing in dark clothes and a short skirt, revealing long legs. And on the other side of the chair from her, propped up against the monitor was a three pronged bronze sword with a babies face on the hilt.

Gohan grilled the spectacle before him, but a voice called out to him first.

"It's rude to enter without being invited" a voice hissed from the chair, but the figure didn't turn around. A strange statement coming from him. "But at least you had the courtesy to knock" he still did not turn to them. His voice was thin and menacing.

"Who are you?" Gohan asked assertively. "What are you doing here?!"

The figure froze at the sound of his voice. Then a face turned over his shoulder to look at him. A twisted face with a grin to match eyed him curiously. Then he flung the chair around and looked them over. He was truly a frightening sight; his face was an alternating colors of black and white. A golden brace traced his face with a long extension at his chin making all the more unnerving. And a large blue mane surrounded his head and unlike the girl beside him he wore a long white cloak over his black ones.

He glanced at Gohan before his eyes rolled over and he addressed Bulma.

"I must admit your laboratory is more impressive than I thought. I think I'll be taking it with me when I go.." he paused to lick his lips "And you'll be coming with me" his fingers strummed on the armrest where her father would usually sit.

Gohan then put himself between his view of Bulma; whoever this was he couldn't ignore him any more.

"That's not going to happen." he declared. His eyes remained where they were since he was already staring towards Bulma, but now a new figure had his attention.

"And you are her husband? Perfect." he clapped his hands together. Gohan now noticed that one finger nail was extremely long on the right hand.

"No, I'm not" he responded harshly though the figure didn't stir from the chair "Who are you?!"" his anger growing the longer he toyed with them.

He placed his hands on the armrests and pushed himself out of the chair standing upright. "Captain of Squad 12 of the 13 Court Guards Squads and President of the Department of Research and Development. Mayuri Kurotsuchi" he introduced himself motioning a hand to his chest.

Gohan brought his hands up to each side of his helmet, gripping it he raised it above his head taking it off and reveling his face along with his short spiky hair.

"My name is Gohan." he responded seriously.

"The half breed?" Mayuri questioned "The human part does not interest me at all" he waved a dismissive hand to accompany a reviled voice "The Saiyan however" he paused and peered in to Gohan as his fingers danced over the sword resting by the chair. It seems he knew who Gohan was by what he said, but more importantly from his movement just now, Gohan realized what was going on. 'The swordsman?!' he thought instantly.

"Don't reach for that!" Gohan commanded. Mayuri paused for a moment, freezing in place after Gohan's threat. Bulma cowered from behind. The other girl was like Mayuri was now. Frozen in place, yet she was like that the entire time and registered everything as if nothing was going on at all. The standoff seemed to go to a standstill. That was until Mayuri's freakish grin grew even wider when he looked at Gohan and then he closed his wiggling fingers to grip the sword. Gohan didn't wait to see what would happen next. He flew across the room, and right up to Mayuri.

He punched him right in the gut so hard that Mayuri reeled and bent over spitting blood onto the floor. One punch seemed to do the trick, the captain seemed immobile as if the only thing holding him up was Gohan's fist embedded into his stomach. From behind him the woman next to him even more so; she didn't even move. The room was silent as if Gohan's punch had not only knocked all the air out of Mayuri, but the entire building.

Then strange as it was, he heard a dark, low chuckle coming from above his fist.

"Oh, that is quite painful" Mayuri admitted with a red smile as he reeled over "I admit you might have even ruptured a few organs and perhaps even punctured my lungs.." he paused "if I had them" he grinned. Gohan's eyes shot open.

"What do you-"

"Simple really" he cut him off as he leered his head back up to look at Gohan. His face looked madder and even more crazed now "When you're going to fight, you better make sure you'll win. I replaced my organs to make sure they wouldn't hinder me." This was insane. How could he have done such a thing and remained alive?Yet he spoke of it as if it was a simple action. What was keeping this guy alive?

Gohan was so stunned by the revelation that he didn't move next. In that hesitation Mayuri reached up and slashed his sword upward at Gohan, but he got over his daze and dived back before it could hit him. Another slash came at him as Mayuri came forward, but Gohan dodged that too. But then suddenly Mayuri disappeared as a shadow cast itself on Gohan. The woman from the corner finally moved, her black robes overtook his vision as she jumped at Gohan. She grabbed ahold of him tightly and held him in place. Gohan was about to push her off him and break free until a sword cut his into his left shoulder. But not before stabbing through her to get to him.

Her grip on him weakened, and he jumped back as she slumped down, collapsing to the floor. Behind her stood Mayuri whose sword had both their blood on it.

"Nemu! You stupid girl." Mayuri said down to her as she squirmed on the floor. "I only managed to hit him once" he reached the sword down and wiped the blood on her back. Then he turned it over to do the same on the other side. He raised it to look at the now clean blade. "But I suppose only one will have to do."

"Mayuri" she winced from the floor "can you-" he suddenly kicked her in the face. Gohan's eyes went wide with shock and anger, more than the blow he had given her than himself.

"Where are you manners Nemu?" Mayuri chided "Let's not forget formalities" he waved a finger.

"cc-captain" she started to bleed from the mouth "can I please have the antidote?"

"Your a bothersome thing aren't you?" he said with disdain "Later. I'm very busy right now."

"You monster!" Gohan screamed.

"Oh" he let out in a mock surprise turning back to him "you're still standing?" Just as he said that Gohan suddenly felt stiff. Mayuri's grin grew wider "There it is" he said evilly as Gohan's body grew even more tense and stiff. He thought he could feel the blood trickling down from his shoulder and onto his arm, but aside from that he felt like he was going numb to all other sensations. He thought his legs were wobbling, and his body against his own will began to buckle and bend low to the ground, despite his efforts to remain standing against him "You may feel just a little queasy" Mayuri began to narrate as he saw Gohan's figure began to change "It's perfectly natural. Maybe you should sit down!" he roared and with that said Gohan gave in and dropped to the floor.

"Gohan!" Bulma called out to him "What did you do?!" Bulma shrieked. Mayuri held up his sword for all to see. His face peered through the three prongs making it look like it was was cut up even more than the black and white designs on it.

"My zanpaktou's special ability is poison. It paralyzes its victim with even a single strike. Of course, despite your immobility, you'll still feel all the pain that comes your way." Gohans eye rolled over to the sadistic captain and his body fidgeted "Oh still able to move?" But that wasn't all he was able to do.

He was filled with an immense amount of anger and hate for what he had just seen. The blatant danger posed to his friends and even his own subordinates was too much for him to handle. He started letting out grunts through his closed mouth. Then slowly his mouth began to open and those grunts turned into screams.

Mayuri stood the entire time gazing at him curiously.

An aura started to surround Gohan, it shook the entire building, the city and likely even more than that. Then something happened that no one expected do; he started to get up. Powering through the pain, and numbness he managed to bring himself to his feet, surprising them all. Even Mauri was captivated.

"Incredible" he said.

Then in a surge of anger Gohan dashed towards the scientist.

Gohan burst through the air heading right towards the madman. He grabbed him by the throat and threw him through the wall, shattering it behind them and letting in the bright rays of the outside world to cast out the darkness. Gohan had hurled Mayuri through the wall and into the sky and without a moment to spare he followed him out of the hole he had just made.

"Gohan?!" Bulma cried from behind looking at him fly away through the hole in the building "I brought you here to fix things not break them!" her voice got more distant the farther away he got.

Gohan had launched him through the wall and all the way to the outside of the city. By the time he got to where he landed Gohan saw him face down, sprawled out on the ground and landed before him. His feet planted before him Mayuri looked to see two clean boots before his face.

Organs or not, the blows he had given him were great. Gohan could hear hushed grunts and curses by his boots as Mayuri looked to the ground.

"Is this where you expect me to grovel?" he asked.

"No. But It might do you some good to apologize." Gohan told. He couldn't see his face, but he bet he smirked.

"I must admit, I feel differently" his voice slithered by his feet. He then began to pick himself up which Gohan allowed. "Your ability to overcome paralyzes is impressive. Not unheard of, but impressive none the less." He picked himself up to his full height. His eyes locked onto Gohan who starred right back. The two of them were almost even in height, with Gohan being only slightly higher. Yet he was the stronger and more muscled of the two as he could tell for all the clothes he wore, Mayuri's body was thinner and frailer by comparison. "I can only imagine what a full-blooded Saiyan would be capable of." he said greedily "I'll surely have to devote my time to finding one once I'm done here."

"I hope you don't expect me to allow that or to be complicit" Gohan grilled him.

"I'm glad for it" Mayuri grinned "the ones that put up the biggest fight are always the ones I remember." He said as he reached his hand to his sword. But he held it differently than before. Instead of a tight rough grip only a few of his fingers lightly touched its hilt and tugged on it. It was not a motion for an attack, but something else. Then his mouth opened. "Bankai"

A blinding bright light suddenly flashed from his sword. Gohan covered his eyes; it was like witnessing a Super Saiyan transformation. And he felt something just as powerful was appearing. Peering through his fingers and into the light, something started to move before him. It looked like it was growing out of the light.

The light dimmed and Gohan lowered his hands. When Gohan looked up, his face curled in shock, and disgust by what he saw. His eyes trailed up see what had come.

Hovering over them, dwarfing both him and Mayuri was some kind of... horrible monster. It was a round giant, golden babies head. It looked like the one that was on the hilt of Mayuri's sword before as if it had grown and come to life. But instead of a normal body it had the body of a caterpillar with stubby golden arms that were the size of Gohan reaching out from it. A red cape didn't help to cover up that grotesque body and that halo didn't help it look any bit divine. He was so focused on this terrible thing before him, and it's sudden appearance that he did not notice Mayuri's sword itself had changed as well, looking more like a regular sword save for a pink hilt wrapped in cloth with several protrusions from it.

"What.. is that?" he asked both shocked and disturbed.

"Bankai" Mayuri repeated though there was no bright light that appeared this time. Gohan's eyes steadied, and he raised an eyebrow to him in silent confusion "The ultimate power of a released zanpaktou. The spirit that dwells in the sword come to life" he then licked his lips. Gohan understood now. So this was their power. No common swords, but entire beings that wielded them. Looking up to the horrifying creature above him, Gohan was speechless. It was like a perversion of summoning Shenron from the Dragon Balls. "Do you feel that?" Mayuri sked twisted his head at on an angle as he looked at Gohan.

Finally, he spoke.

"Feel..what?" he asked suddenly feeling a bit woozy. He put a hand to his head, and he noticed some of his skin underneath his glove had turned purple. He tore the glove off to look in shock as a purple hue trailed it's way to cover his hand "What is-"

"Konjiki Ashisogi Jizō" Mayuri hissed. But that didn't seem to answer Gohan's question. "Oh I do hate repeating myself" he sighed disappointment. "That is my swords name. My sword that has the ability to paralyze those cut by it as you well now. My Bankai, it's ultimate released state amplifies that power and emits poisons once released." he paused and pointed to Gohan "You are probably feeling that right now" Although Gohan couldn't see it his neck had also started to turn purple. "You may last longer than others due to your genetic make up, but I have no doubt you'll go down anyway."

"Your crazy" he said as his skin began to change its hue "You'll kill yourself"

Mayuri twisted his head at him again this time in revulsion "Do you really think me that stupid?" his slimy voice took offense "Like I would fall victim to my own zanpaktou."

"So there's a-" he coughed "cure?"

Mayuri's head twisted back the other way at him "Of course there is" he admitted as if it was a foolish question to ask "But you'll get than once were done here."

"Then let's finish it!" Gohan roared. He was tired of hearing this. Gohan rushed at Mayuri just as he did before. The Captain stood his ground in the shadow of his great Bankai. Gohan was prepared to get up and close to him.

Then his Bankai swooped in from above and came down at him. Something he was prepared for. Gohan stood his ground as the arms squirmed in his direction reaching for him as the massive mouth babbles wordlessly. Gohan put his hands together and let out an energy blast from his hand. It struck the face, but the Bankai bulldozed through it drilling through the smoke and then all of a sudden spouted dozens of blades from its chest. Recalling his previous encounter with his sword, he didn't want to know what happens when all of these hit him. He dodged back as it collided with the ground breaking into it clumsily. Then it picked its massive head up from the ground and like its master starred him down.

"Very good" Mayuri hissed "It seems you've learned from last time" he complemented "But" he put a finger up unnerving Gohan more "Time is still ticking." Gohan wiped some more blood from his mouth as he looked under his sleeve to see more purple.

"Your-" he grunted "you're sadistic"

"I'm a genius." Mayuri retorted simply.

Despite the poison running through his body Gohan couldn't help but smile at that comment, even as blood started to flow from the edges of his mouth "Believe it or not.." he winced "I think I've been through worse."

"Hm" Mayuri perked up "Is that so?" he seemed genuinely interested.

"Yeah." he panted "The way I see it your no worse than Dr. Gero or even Perfect Cell" he clenched a fist strongly.

"Perfect?" Mayuri questioned. It seemed that stuck his interest, even offended him "I will contest that statement." Well, Cell was not here now so whatever statement he had to make was already done through Gohan. "How can you possibly obtain perfection? Where do you when you've reached such an end? Men of the mind pursuing such drivel as that will only reach their end"

It seems that struck a cord with the mad scientist.

"Hm. You know what?" Gohan asked "I think we finally agree on something" he said as he eased himself down as if he was going to crouch, but moved his hands along with them "And that's why I have to beat you" Gohan said determined. After all he had seen him do, Mayuri was no different that Dr. Gero with Nemu as his Android and his Bankai his Cell. Gohan placed his open hands on top of each other and then placed them behind his back. He may only have one real chance at this with opinion rushing through his body. He better not waste it. "Kah" his began as his voice rumbled. Mayuri seemed content waiting for him to drop before anything else came his way "mehahmeha!" he shouted, and flung his arms forward and the blue blast went with it. Releasing from his hands it few right towards the demented Captain and the manifestation of his sword. His Bankai's form was hit first as the Kahmehahmeha went right through it, overtaking it in a bright light greater than that that spawned Konjiki Ashisogi Jizō, ripping it to pieces before it hit the captain too. Mayuri's face didn't cringe or twist as he was engulfed in the blue wave, but Gohan heard his scream and that was good enough. Panting and lowering his arms he saw the outcome of this fight.

His body may be poisoned, but it was intact, unlike Mayuri's. When the light faded, he saw the twisted remains of the captain and absolutely no sign of his Bankai. His Captains cloak and the robes underneath it were practically burned off. His body swayed in the wind before he dropped to his knees.

"Well" he hacked, and coughed out blood "there's only one thing to do now"

Then he raised his sword and turned it on himself.

"Wait!" Gohan called out. Before he could do anything Mayuri had slashed himself and he exploded into a pile of green slime. "You couldn't bear a defeat, so you finished yourself." Gohan lamented bowing his head.

"Not quite" he heard the Captains voice. Alarmed Gohan looked around for him, but all he saw was the slime. As it turns out that was exactly all there was to it. "I'll withdraw, for now." his voice spoke again but he saw no sign of him "but when I regain my full form I'll be back soon enough." the ooze started slithering away meet up and reform together into a blobby mess "By that time you'll be dead from that poison. And I'll move on to catching the rest of the Saiyans and the Namekian as well." his voice threatened cruelly and Gohan knew it was no idle one. Gohan ran to chase after him; no matter what form he took, he couldn't allow him to get away.

But as he took off, he instead fell to the ground. Looking at his exposed hand, he saw it had turned entirely purple and his body stiff. Then he felt his throat clog up, and he threw up blood onto the ground. Looking ahead he saw the green slime fade in with the grass to slink away.

'This is it' Gohan thought to himself as the poison took him over. This was all he could do. Closing his eyes dreadful mages began to flash in his mind of Goku, Goten, Piccolo and everyone else. Each meeting their end to in a way each more terrible than the last. No different than him. And there was nothing he could do to help.

"Here" a woman's voice called. It was not Bulma's. Opening his eyes, he saw two pale legs kneeling before him, giving him the opportunity to look up the skirt they sprouted from if he was like Master Roshi. Thankfully he wasn't.

Struggling he looked over to see Nemu standing over him, blood still on her robes and the same plain, placid look on her face. He thought she was here to finish him though he was already finished off. But it didn't appear that way. One hand was over her wound, but the other was holding down a vial to him.

"What is that?" he questioned cautiously.

"The cure. For the poison." she stated emotionlessly.

"But-" he tried to keep down more blood "what about you?"

"I'll be fine." she admitted passively, still holding out for him. Gohan had trouble reaching for it so, she put her hand in his and ended up applying it herself.

Before long he was back up and on his feet as if nothing had happened.

"That's interesting" she admitted without any astonishment in her voice as Gohan began to move freely as if it never happened "The recovery isn't usually that short. It is probably a byproduct from your alien biology."

"I guess so" he threw a couple of punches to test his mobility. He threw in some kicks for good measure. Good as new, it truly did work. Settling back down he then turned to her "Thanks a lot." he smiled.

"You don't have to thank me. This is my way of thanking you." she said. He knew exactly what for. She was probably waiting for an opportunity to get away from that madman, not that he could blame her. But thankfully he wouldn't be able to hurt her now. "I have to go back now" And without even a good bye she turned her back to him and walked off. Gohan was speechless at what she said and intended to do, so much that he wasn't able to properly call out to her as she walked away.

"Wait!" Gohan held his hand out. Nemu turned around to look at him stoically. "Don't go back to him. I can tell your not bad like he is. You shouldn't be with someone like that."

"Oh he's not bad" Nemu admitted blandly, but still surprisingly genuine and that shocked Gohan to his core more than anything he'd seen. He couldn't find the words to make her stop before she was out of his sight. But he had other things to worry about. He had to get back to Bulma.

Needless to say she was happy to know he was alright, but that happiness turned to scorn once she realized that not only Mayuri might be back, but that there were more of him. Gohan looking at the situation as it was quickly came to a conclusion.

"I have to get out there and help my father as soon as I can!" he said determined. After a run in like this, what if they were all suffering and had no way of helping each other?

"But what if they come back?" Bulma asked "What about here?"

Gohan bit his lip. Decisions, decisions. He couldn't leave this town or any others unprotected, but at the same time his father, brother, Piccolo and the others would likely need his help too. If this was just the swordsmen, what about the Tailed Beasts?

He didn't have an answer for her, but luckily it didn't seem like he'd have to giver her one. A loud crash and a scream caught their attention.
Gohan turned his head to see a crane collapsing on the other side of town. It seemed the Great Saiyaman was needed once more.

"Sorry Bulma! Gotta go!" he said before taking off into the air, not even bothering to grab his helmet before he left and leaving her behind once again, though she seemed more forgiving this time.

"Are you not even gonna help me clean?!" she screamed.

Maybe not.

His focus on what was ahead of him he saw the crane crumbling at the beams that held it up. It bent and began plummeting down from the buildings alongside it and onto the highway, filled to the brim with traffic. People began to flee and ran around madly trying o escape. Gohan's eyes focused in on the falling crane. He put his arms out prepared to grab the crane and stop it from falling and hold it in its place.

Until someone got it for him.

The crane abruptly stopped and the people below seemed silenced. Gohan too was admittedly at a loss for words.

Hovering in the air and holding the crane up with one hand was a man draped in black. He actually looked around Gohan's age. He had orange hair, black robes not unlike what Mayuri wore beneath his white coat and a giant sword sling across his back. Needless to say Gohan's mind began going wild with speculation and ways to interpret this. Perhaps the most interesting piece of all this was the one thing he recognized that was held in his other hand; the one star Dragon Ball.

Gohan must have stayed there ogling him too long because he looked back with a dumbfounded look of his own.

"uh.. hey" he let out. Judging by the way he, looked at Gohan he was clearly disappointed; he thought he had enough of these costumed heroes back home.

Gohan's voice however was much more accusatory. "So the Dragon Balls! Is that what your here for?!"

He raised an eyebrow to him "What?" Did he not see him trying to hold this crane up? Then again, he could see him? "Wait you can see me?!" he suddenly let out.

Now Gohan startled raised an eyebrow at him.

Needless to say the two of them had a lot to talk about. But they weren't the only ones with challengers coming their way.

The Land of Fire would be having that in there own good time as well.

The Fire Temple

Now he didn't know it at the time since he was so far away, but he was being talked about right at that moment. Naruto was wondering if he would make a good addition to his ever growing group of body guards. Thrilled at the chance of adventure, yet blissfully unaware of what was going on back home, Rock Lee was currently occupied with his mission here. He was the only one available for the job and thus went alone. Not even Tenten, Neji or even his great master Might Guy accompanied him here. The way Lee saw it, this was just one step towards beating his rival; Neji.

As it turns out, he would pledge to end up fighting some one else this day.

A brief visit to check up on Fire Temple at the request of the Hokage herself was his task. One he was determined not fail at. Those who resided there were in high spirits. Just like Lee himself. And they trained vigorously every day. Just like Lee. The oncoming thought of war didn't seem to bother them much. Just like Lee.

"The Hokage will be pleased to know of your quick recovery" he told them as he stood within the temple. They had recovered quickly and well from the Akatsuki attack. He was sure that the Leaf Village would show the same resilience. What strength, what determination, what a show of wills! He was so focused on his positive thoughts that he didn't seem to notice or be bothered by the wind violently picking up outside by the main gate. He saw some of the men who crowded around the main gate. They appeared to be talking to some one, but Lee was too far away and at just the right angle where he couldn't tell who it was or what was being said.

He paid it no mind until there were some raised voices coming from the courtyard. One voice was very different from the rest. It was rough and irritated, lashing out whenever it was spoken to. When he looked over, he saw the edge of a commotion. The monks standing before the gate and beyond them he heard that rough voice talking back to them. Rock Lee peered a little more at the growing conversation, but still could not see who stood on the outside.

There was a shout now that caught all of their attention. Looking over Lee saw quite a few of the monks being hit by a yellow ball and then exploded in the courtyard. Many onlookers covered their eyes and took cover, but Lee ran towards the danger. It was not just his mission to check up on the temple, but to see it did not come to further harm. Descending the stairs and entering the courtyard he quickly analyzed the men on the ground.

They were not in especially bad shape; they would live, but they would not do any fighting right now. He then looked to the gate. It was clear who had done this.

His back was turned to Lee, and he began walking off away from the temple just as he arrived and towards the top of the stairs outside of the gate. He was in a tight blue sleeveless uniform with white boots to match his gloves. His hair was black as night and noticeably was standing up. Lee walked out towards the gate just as the man was crouching on the ground, as if to jump into the air.

"You!" he pointed a finger towards the back of the assailant. Whoever it was stopped. He came back up, not to bound into a jump like he was originally going to do, but instead to ease back to standing. He paused for a moment at his full height. He may not have been very tall, but he was budging with muscles all over his body. Slowly he stirred, and he turned around to view who called to him. He found many of the monks held back and hunkered up on the stairs or in the temple, yet there was only young man dressed differently from all the others one standing across the wide open courtyard staring at him; Rock Lee. His stone cold expression locked onto Rock Lee who went still, but did not shrink in the gaze. The man regarded him for a few silent moments more as Lee starred back at him. Then the man broke it when he turned his head back down the road, as if looking for something else before looking back to Lee.

"Are you shouting at me?" he asked his tone curious, but as irritated as his voice sounded.

Rock Lee lowered his hand "Yes. Who are you?! What are you doing here?!" he demanded. He had come to see the temple recovery, so he could not let this troublemaker stand. The man smirked.

"You're lucky I don't knock you into the ground for your insolence." he arrogantly said ignoring the question.

"Insolence?" Lee repeated "I have not come to your home and berated you. As of yet I have asked you only for your name" Lee reaffirmed.

This man said nothing. He just looked him over "I've met far too many people this morning who demanded my name and done nothing for me" she said, his voice full of himself "So why?" he paused giving Lee time to speak, but he didn't take it "I tell you my name. What good does it do you?"

"I intend to beat you for the insolence you have shown here." Lee told in a stalwart heroic fashion. The man didn't seem taken back by Lee's words, but he didn't seem to appreciate being told of his own shortcomings, with the same words he spoke no less. A grumble escaped him. He said nothing, but raised his hand to Lee just as he had done to him before. Only he did not point a finger, but showed an open palm. It was empty at first until a bright yellow ball of energy appearing from his palm being suspended in the air before it "I suppose until today you've never seen anyone fight like this? With ki?" he asked with a confident grin showing as he flashed his teeth.

Lee was ready to react to his threat. Hearing his words stirred his Ninja way. He himself was proficient in only one thing and was a master of his craft.

"It's not what we fight with, it's how we fight." Lee said determined to prove this man wrong as he had done to others before. The man's brow furrowed. He continued to hold his hand out aimed at Lee. Their stare off continued as he looked down the sights of his arm at the green clad ninja. The wind was the only thing that stirred as they sized each other up as many from the temple looked on. Then the ball in his hand faded, and he lowered his arm back to his side. For a moment Lee thought that would be it.

"Hm" he let out "I've beaten Saibamen bigger than you when I was younger." That would have been a good insult, if Lee even knew what it meant " So I've no time to waste on you." he said dismissively. The way this man spoke and carried himself when dealing with others. It couldn't help but remind Lee of Neji, and that certainly wouldn't bode well for this man. "It's not you I came here for or any of them for that matter. There's yet to be a beast or blade I've seen." he continued, again Lee was unsure of what he was talking about. "But I know I've finally made progress in my journey to the Hidden Leaf Village" he bent down into the ground "And I won't be slowed down by any of you." he smirked.

'The Leaf Village?!' Lee thought "My home!" he shouted out loud. It seems he was a greater threat than he initially realized. Lee outstretched his hand to this traveler, but what happened next shocked even him.

"Hm?" he turned around "Home?" he said aloud "Be grateful you have one. And you still will once I'm done." the man boasted confidently. "You should be thanking me."

"Never!" Lee let out and charged, but this stranger had no time for him it seemed.

The man powered up, his very power shaking the ground below them and thrashing the wind just as it had before to get Lee's attention only stronger and more violent. Even men inside the temple felt it. They held onto columns, each other or anything else to keep their balance. Then the man bursted off into the air and he did not come back down. He was not merely jumping he was flying! Flying into the air and away from them he headed through the sky back over the road. Though he was far away by now, his voice echoed in the sky as he left.

"Remember this name! Vegeta! Prince of all Saiyans!"

And just like that he was gone. Not even a speck in the sky. The wind started to die down. The ground stopped shaking. Everyone just looked up in awe at the sky. But none did more than Lee.

Such power. Such strength. Such potential. He knew what he had to do. He had to find this Vegeta. He had to defeat him in glorious battle. For the Leaf Village! For his Ninja way!

He took off down the road sprinting as fast as he could following the direction where Vegeta was heading though he lad lost track of him already.

The world wasn't a big enough place to hide.

Next time: Drawing too much attention to yourself. A great alliance is formed and Wait- now he's missing!?