Chapter 2 - The voyage

Hinata Hyuuga had always been careful about expressing any emotions in front of her clan. She only ever let her guard down around Neji and Hanabi, and even then, only when they were alone. But she could not help the small smile that crossed her face when Naruto greeted her father warmly and familiarly, asking where he could stash his things.

They were standing on the deck of the ship which was to take them to the Dragon World, and Naruto was the last to arrive. To his credit, Hiashi Hyuuga barely flinched at the casual greeting before he asked Ko to show Naruto to the cabin he would be sharing with Kiba, Neji, and Shino.

"Thanks, Hiashi-sama," Naruto took a deep breath of the ocean air, relaxing as if he was on a vacation instead of a mission. Then he caught sight of her standing a bit behind her father and his eyes lit up, "Oh, Hinata, hey. Long time, no see."

Hinata was glad he looked so happy to see her. She had not caught sight of him much since the war had ended. Her stomach did flip flops at his focused gaze and soft smile. Naruto had calmed down a lot over the last few years and his behaviour towards her had matured slightly. He wasn't nearly as loud or as ostentatious as he used to be, but he was still the most sincere person she had ever met. Naruto was not one for false pleasantries. The fact that he looked happy to see her must mean that he was.

"Hello Naruto-kun," Hinata wondered if her father could hear the amusement in her voice. She was thankful that she was no longer as shy around Naruto as she had been, especially if they were going to be spending the next few months together. "Yes, I've been on back-to-back missions since the war ended. It's really good to see you again."

Naruto grinned widely at her before following after Ko. Hinata knew he was settled in when she heard him and Kiba getting into an argument about who would get the top bunk. She stifled a giggle at the noise. No matter how mature Naruto looked with his new black and orange mission gear, he and Kiba always managed to push each other's buttons.

Not long after that, the captain finally set sail. Most of the branch family had stayed behind in Konoha. Aside from Hiashi, Hinata and Hanabi, one of the elders, Hideki, was accompanying them. Three branch members were also on board to assist and protect the main family: Neji, Ko, and an older woman named Ichika. Naruto was assigned to the mission for extra protection; while Kiba, Akamaru, and Shino were along for the ride since they had their own mission on the continent. Hinata was grateful for the opportunity to spend time with Naruto for a few months, and she was curious about the continent and the people they would meet, but she could not help but be apprehensive about this journey.

"Ne-sama, did father say anything else?" Hanabi asked her as they settled into their shared cabin.

"No," Hinata admitted to her little sister. "Just that he volunteered us all to find out more about the Dragon World. Hogake-sama signed off on the mission, but we all know that father will be using this mission to make alliances that will strengthen the clan."

There were two strands of hair that were always hanging in Hanabi's face, and it was worse now that Hanabi had short hair. Hinata, who was not easily peeved, found herself unable to resist tucking the strands behind her sister's ear. Hanabi complained about her fussing, but she blushed happily at the attention her older sister gave her. Hinata was pleased by how much her relationship with her sister had improved over the years; but her expression fell as she contemplated the question.

Her father was being very vague about the true purpose of this trip. Not that he had ever been forthcoming with his daughters. Hinata knew that her father was thinking of the long-term future of the clan. Hiashi knew that while the sensory abilities of the Hyuuga were equal to none, the Byakugan used up a lot of chakra and they were still lacking when it came to physical strength and stamina.

She knew that her father had approached the Akimichi clan, who were among the strongest in Konoha, to discuss a possible alliance, and to find out about other strong clans they were aware of. Chōza had then informed Hiashi of the Ox King and, after getting the approval from Kakashi, had made all the arrangements for their stay. Hinata and Neji had discussed it and agreed that Hiashi was most likely using this trip to secure strong marriages for the remaining clan members. Either that or he wanted to maintain a good relationship with the warriors of this continent to secure marriages for future generations of Hyuuga.

On the third night at sea, Hinata caught the elder Hideki looking at her with disdain. It left no doubt in her mind that he did not see much use for her other than to be married off. She had confided in Neji when the others were asleep. The two of them often met at the prow of the ship in the middle of the night, as they both struggled to sleep through the rocking caused by the waves.

"Your father is not as strict nor as dismissive of you as he once was," Neji reassured her as they stared out into the black night, "He has realised your value. Most of the clan were impressed by the way you took charge during the war. I think I have more cause to worry than you, Hinata-sama. I am a bit more expendable."

"Don't say that Neji nii-san," Hinata's voice trembled at the matter-of-fact way Neji was speaking, "You led the clan during the war. Everyone has acknowledged your strength. But I'm afraid many still see me as weak and timid."

Hinata was aware that even her posture came across as meek and uncertain. She knew she had the tendency to wrap her arms around herself, but she was slowly breaking this habit. She had become more confident and more willing to stand out. Even her new mission gear attested to her desire to no longer blend into the background. Neji turned to face her, and she did the same. No matter how familiar they were with each other, their relationship would first and foremost be a formal and respectful one. At least he saw her for who she truly was. He knew that though she may seem easy to bully, she could have a will of iron when she needed it.

"Then, let us form our own alliance, Hinata-sama," Neji suggested without any inflection in his voice. "If Hiashi-sama tries to make us marry against our will, we will support each other when that time comes."

Hinata bowed gratefully at her cousin. She appreciated that he was always looking out for her. When she straightened up, she saw him wearing a rare smile.

"Besides," his eyes sparkled slyly while the rest of his expression did not change, "We all know you won't want to marry anyone besides Naruto."

She blushed and waved her hands in front of her face in protest, trying to shush him as she simultaneously looked around her to see if anyone had heard. She was happy that her hair was so long now as it was easier to hide her face.

"And I…" Neji ignored her reddening cheeks and his eyes steeled with determination, "I don't have anyone in mind for myself. But after meeting Naruto, I will never underestimate the value of making my own choices."

The ocean air cooled Hinata's heated skin, and she looked at her cousin with pride. Gone was the man who had once thought he could not fight his own destiny. She decided right then and there that she would do anything in her power to ensure that Neji was never again manipulated out of his own choices.

However, she was a different case. Neji was both right and wrong about her. True, she did not want to marry anyone besides Naruto. But as that possibility became more and more unlikely, Hinata found she did not really care who she married. If she could not marry Naruto, she might as well marry someone who would help her clan in the future.

Still, she would prefer to choose her own husband. So, she and Neji bowed to each other in honour of their newfound anti-marriage alliance.

The rest of the trip passed without incident, and they arrived at the Dragon World as the sun was setting after nearly two weeks at sea. Naruto had gotten bored often, but luckily Kiba and Shino were able to keep him occupied, and Neji prevented all three of them from irritating Hiashi too much. Having Naruto on board entertained Hinata greatly and made the trip tolerable. When the ocean was calm, he occasionally stretched his legs by using his chakra to run on the seawater alongside the ship. He and Hanabi would also team up to play pranks on Shino and Kiba, but Hanabi was much better at concealing her involvement than him. They never played pranks on Hinata though. Hanabi was all for it, but at night she grumbled to Hinata that Naruto was reluctant to tease Hinata too much.

"He's scared of you, Ne-sama," Hanabi complained to the sound of Hinata's laughter.

Hinata did not know what to make of Naruto's strange reluctance. She was not sure whether to take it as a compliment or an insult.

"Naruto isn't scared of me, Hanabi. Maybe he just has more respect for me than you do," she teased her sister, before becoming concerned, and thinking: Or maybe he thinks I'm a stick in the mud or that I can't handle it?

Whatever his reasons, Naruto had been very mild around her. He constantly sought her presence when he and Kiba argued too much, and she seemed to have a calming effect on him. Hinata was happy that he appeared to enjoy her company and she was a little sad that they would soon be leaving the ship.

Everyone was in good spirits as the land came into view. The first thing they saw were large mountains and they all stared in awe. They had arrived near the lavish green countryside and the captain anchored the ship offshore so that he could continue his journey. He would meet them back here in two months.

The ten people and one dog got into two rowboats and made their way to the new continent. Since these boats were mostly made up of Hyuugas, it was a silent trip. Hinata thought that Naruto would lose his mind at the silence soon. Especially now that Kiba was leaving.

"Well, we're going this way," Kiba announced with a jerk of his head, as they disembarked. "King Furry lives in a place called Central City. Shino will send a message when we're coming back this way."

The other Hyuugas nodded their heads in greeting and started walking off towards the mountains, but Hinata and Naruto stayed behind to greet their friends properly.

"Good riddance," Naruto greeted with a toothy grin. "Don't learn any awesome techniques without me."

"If I do, I won't share them with you," Kiba laughed, but gave him a fist bump in acknowledgement. "You just make sure to look after Hinata."

Hinata gave a fake scowl at Kiba's implication that she could not look after herself. But she could not help giggling as Naruto saluted Kiba in acknowledgement of his words.

"Be careful Kiba-kun, Shino-kun," Hinata warned her team-mates gently, "This place is still relatively unknown to us. Look after yourselves."

Kiba shrugged happily and hugged her. "We'll be fine, Hinata! Stop worrying."

Akamaru barked happily to show his agreement and rubbed his head into her palm. Shino was not a hugger, but he nodded to show he was confident.

"Yes, we will survive." Shino added, his sunglasses gleaming, "Why? That's because we are strong shinobi, and we are specialists in survival. Come Kiba. We must take the route through that forest. Why? This is because I can sense many insects there that are unknown to me."

Kiba grinned at his team-mate and nudged him playfully on the shoulder.

"Naruto, you probably can't tell but that's his excited voice," Kiba laughed. "In the report Kakashi gave us, we saw there was once a massive green bug here that tried to destroy the planet. Shino's been dying to add it to his collection."

"That is inaccurate, Kiba. Why? Because even I would have trouble taming such an insect."

Hinata giggled at Naruto's expression. His eye was twitching as he felt the atmosphere of Shino giving Kiba the cold shoulder. After all these years, Naruto still did not know how to interact with the Team 8 dynamic.

"Hinata," Naruto complained to her under his breath, "You have some weird team-mates, ya know? Man, I'm glad I'm stuck with you and not them."

Hinata sincerely hoped Naruto did not feel stuck with her, but she understood what he was trying to say. Kiba and Shino dissolved into an argument and Hinata shook her head fondly at them. Without Hinata to keep the peace between them, she wondered how many of these arguments they would have before they reached their destination. Naruto was obviously wondering the same thing. He didn't wait for Shino to finish his last retaliation before he grabbed Hinata's hand and pulled her along to follow her family.

"That insect was human-sized Kiba. I could never have tamed it. Why? Because it would not fit in my pockets…"

"Okay, bye guys. Catch ya later!" Naruto greeted loudly and led the giggling Hinata away, shaking his head.

Hinata could not help but laugh as she turned and waved at her team-mates. They were still arguing and had not even noticed their departure. Naruto was still holding her hand as he led her away, but he let go once they caught up to her family. Hinata regretted the absence of his warmth, but the heat on her cheeks was keeping the chilly evening at bay.

She looked around herself in awe as she took in her surroundings. The countryside was much wilder than she had anticipated. The orange light of the setting sun made everything seem softer and more surreal. There weren't any paths to tread. The birds seemed bigger. The vegetation and shrubbery were all foreign to her. And…were those dinosaurs in the distance?

The seven Hyuugas and Naruto walked away from the sea and into the mountains. Naruto was walking beside her, and he was far less disciplined than her clan members. His head swung from side to side as he tried to take everything in with his optimistic bright blue eyes. Hinata found his unbridled curiosity refreshing, and she caught herself smiling.

"How will they know we have arrived, Hiashi-sama?" Ko broke the silence.

"The Ox King wrote that someone would sense us and come to collect us," Hiashi replied with a frown, as though he seemed suddenly doubtful.

Hinata activated her Byakugan and could not see any other person at all. If someone were coming to fetch them wouldn't there be a carriage or something approaching? All she could see were large animals. Then she saw something that gave her pause. Just as she was about to warn the rest of the group, a loud roar informed them of what she had seen, and they all came to a halt at the sound.

They had entered a valley between two mountains and a large T-rex was blocking the way forward. Naruto sprang forward and held a kunai aloft. Neji was at his side in an instant – his Byakugan activated and his stance defensive. The two of them were poised to protect everyone from the beast. But they were rendered unnecessary.

There was a loud whooshing sound and suddenly a man wearing an orange gi appeared out of nowhere in front of them. He was holding the hand of a little version of himself, wearing more traditional clothes. They turned to face the Hyuugas with identical grins and identical unruly spiky black hair.

"Yo!" the man greeted with one hand held up in an informal wave, "You must be the Hyuugas. I'm Goku. Sorry I'm late. I can't believe I could sense your energy from so far away. You guys must be pretty strong…"

The loud roar of the dinosaur behind him interrupted him. Goku frowned and pursed his lips at the noise, turning to stare at the T-rex with his hands on his hips.

"Well, that wasn't very nice," he scolded the T-rex, and then turned to the boy, "Goten, why don't you teach that big guy some manners?"

"'Kay!" Goten grinned and shot off into the sky towards the dinosaur.

Hinata's eyes widened at the sight of the little boy flying. She was a little concerned that Goku was willing to let a little boy fight such a huge monster, but he did not seem concerned at all. The Hyuugas were too composed to show much reaction, despite their shock, but Naruto's jaw dropped at the sight. He was visibly trembling with excitement as the little boy punched the dinosaur on the nose, making it turn around and run far away with its tail between its legs. Hinata marvelled at the boy's strength. So, the tales about this continent had not been exaggerated.

"Did you see that?!" Naruto yelled at Neji in surprise, clutching his own head in confusion, "What the hell, Neji! That kid is flying! What's with this place?!"

Neji frowned at the loudness and at Naruto's lack of composure. But it was obvious that he was just as surprised. Hiashi was also taken aback for a few seconds before he smoothed his expression. But Hinata could sense the satisfaction rolling off Hideki and took note of the calculating expression in his white eyes.

"You must be Goku Son," Hiashi cleared his throat and already seemed as though he saw flying little boys punching dinosaurs every other day, "I am Hiashi Hyuuga. And these are…"

"Sorry," Goku interrupted with a smile and a sheepish shrug, "I'm just going to forget your names if you say it now. I'm not very good with all these formal greeting things. My wife's way better at that stuff than me. I'm just your escort, dude. Now everybody grab hold of me, and I'll take you to her."

Hinata hid a giggle behind her hand and exchanged an amused smile with Hanabi. This man reminded her so much of Naruto. The same obliviousness. The same warmth. The same carefree smile. It seemed impossible to dislike him. Naruto, who had obviously been expecting more stuffiness from this trip to visit the Ox King, was elated by the man's attitude. He caught Hinata's eye, and his blue eyes twinkled happily.

Hiashi did not look too surprised by the lack of formality or by the need to make physical contact with a stranger. Indeed, her father seemed to take everything as it came, without so much as changing his expression. Hideki, however, frowned in disapproval. But this was Goku's world, and they had to trust that he knew his way around better than them, so they all reached out to touch some part of him. Ichika was the only one who hesitated, as she seemed wary around the friendly man, but she could not refuse if everyone else was doing it. Goku did not seem bothered at all by the fact that so many strangers were touching him.

"Come on, Goten!" Goku called out to the boy, who flew back faster than Hinata would ever have imagined possible.

"Coming, Dad!" the boy laughed and hardly seemed perturbed by all the people staring at him.

He settled himself on Goku's shoulders, grinning down at them all. Goku pressed two fingers to his forehead. Hinata heard a whooshing sound and felt a squeezing sensation before they were all transported away.

Gohan Son was waiting anxiously for his father's return. Chi-Chi and the Ox King were wandering all around the castle trying to finish some last-minute preparations for their guests. Today was only supposed to be a meet and greet, as the Hyuugas would most likely be exhausted from their journey.

There would be a dinner tomorrow where they could get to know each other better. Gohan intended to bring Videl then and introduce her to Hiashi. Chi-Chi thought it best for them to get a feel for the clan first before asking any favours and Gohan agreed. He hoped he would be able to get along with them. Gohan had few friends his own age, and they all came from the city. The Hyuugas came from a country that was even more rural than Mount Paozu, and his curious mind was eager to hear about their experiences. Gohan would have to observe their interactions and customs so that he could advise Videl on the best way to approach them.

Gohan was helping his mother place vases of flowers when he felt Goku and Goten arriving with a group of eight in tow. Gohan blinked as he felt their power levels with surprise. He absentmindedly finished up with the room and informed his mother of their arrival. One of them had an unfamiliar and powerful ki which was simultaneously warm and wild. That one had an endless amount of hidden energy that was kept under control. The rest of them did not seem to know how to lower their power levels and he was surprised that they were not as physically strong as Videl. But Gohan could tell even from this short inspection that they were experts in ki manipulation. Their strength must come from their skill, Gohan thought.

"Let's go rescue them from your father and brother," Chi-Chi sighed, causing Gohan to laugh.

He and Chi-Chi made their way towards the foyer of the palace. Gohan knew that despite her caution, his mother was excited to play hostess to respectful guests after all these years surrounded by unruly Saiyans. She did not often get to shine in her personal capacity as the Ox-King's daughter. Gohan was determined not to embarrass his mother. He went over all the traditional customs in his mind as they approached the foyer. But everything slipped out of his mind as he heard a confused male voice sounding far more casual than Gohan was expecting.

"I never thought you guys would know the Hiraishin no Jutsu."

"The what now?" Goku asked, sounding confused.

"The teleportation technique, ya know!" the same voice sounded both frustrated and eager.

"Oh, you mean instant transmission?" Goku chuckled, "I picked it up on planet Yardrat. It's really come in handy, I'll tell ya."

Gohan and Chi-Chi came across the group in the giant foyer, looking quite composed albeit a bit out of place. They were all staring at Goku and a tall blonde guy around Gohan's age. This guy was the source of the energy Gohan had felt. He seemed to be different from the rest of the group, in both colouring and demeanour. Gohan could barely take in the appearance of the rest of the group or try to greet everyone politely before the blonde was all up in Goku's face. What Gohan at first thought to be anger actually turned out to be excitement.

"Hey, hey. You're that alien guy Kakashi told me about, aren't you?" His blue eyes sparkled with innocent curiosity, "I bet you know a ton of techniques I've never seen before."

Goku scratched the back of his head cheerfully and gave a full belly laugh.

"That's me," he admitted, and then his face took on the cocky smirk which Gohan easily recognised and which Chi-Chi dreaded, "But you're really strong too. I could feel your energy from all the way over here. You can feel it too, can't you, son?"

This question was aimed at Gohan, who wasn't expecting it. Two pairs of guileless eyes were locked on him like black and blue missiles. Gohan could feel Chi-Chi begin to bristle with anger beside him at her battle-obsessed husband.

"Uh…yeah," Gohan started, not knowing what he wanted to say after that, only knowing that he wanted to head off Chi-Chi's anger. "…Dad, maybe we should let them get some rest first…"

"I could feel it, Dad!" Goten announced proudly.

Gohan's little brother was staring up the blonde guy excitedly, the other guests already forgotten. The blonde seemed both flattered and flustered at the attention.

"How can you feel my energy so easily?" He mused out loud, stroking his chin and tilting his head to the side, "I need to go into Sage mode to do that. Let me try…"

He closed his eyes and became as still as a statue. Gohan could sense his ki rising, and unconsciously kept his guard up. But Goku did not seem defensive at all. He bent down to peer at the guy's face, inspecting him curiously.

"Hey. You're drawing in a whole lot of energy there, buddy. Are you making a spirit bomb or something?"

The blonde guy opened his eyes and blushed despite himself as he lost his concentration. The energy he had started to draw in faded away and Gohan felt himself relax. There was nothing but good intentions in this guy's ki, even though Gohan could sense something darker and more powerful lurking beneath the surface.

"My Sage mode draws in Nature energy. I wonder if that's what you're doing when you sense me…" he faded off as he thought.

"I knew it! You're super strong," Goku exclaimed with a fist pump, "Let's go somewhere and spar!"

The blonde looked taken aback and folded his arms, trying to look self-important. He lifted his chin to avoid looking at Goku, as if trying to avoid temptation. Gohan sighed in amusement. These two were like two peas in a pod.

"I can't just go spar, old man. I'm on a mission. I'm here to provide protection for the Hyuugas! I can't just run off on an unknown continent. I'm not that impulsive!"

Gohan thought he heard several snickers from the guests behind them.

"Come on, pretty please?" Goku begged with his hands together.

Gohan could feel the pot boiling over beside him and wished he could cover his ears. His father should be glad there was no frying pan in the vicinity. Chi-Chi, who had planned to show her refined side to these guests, had finally lost her temper.

"Goku!" she shouted, "Can't you act like a civilised person for half an hour?! We have guests!"

The two orange-clad figures looked up at her with the same baffled expressions. Gohan chuckled under his breath so that his mother wouldn't hear.

"Aww come on, Chi-Chi," Goku pouted, "How often do I get to fight someone this strong anymore?"

"All the time!" she retaliated, "You already take my baby boys away from their studies and use them as punching bags. I won't have you harassing our guests when they've just spent who knows how long on a cramped ship!"

"It'll just be a teeny, tiny, little spar, okay?" Goku had one eye closed, indicating with his thumb and forefinger nearly touching, "Besides, I can tell this guy ain't good with these formal things either. I'll take him out the way and you and Gohan can do all the polite stuff, okay? See ya!"

Goku put two fingers to his forehead and clamped his other hand on the blonde guy's shoulder. At the last moment, Goten decided he wanted to go and watch, and he rushed forward to clutch Goku's leg.

"Hey, wait!" the blonde guy protested, as he recognised Goku's stance.

But it was too late. With a whooshing sound, all three of them disappeared, leaving an exasperated group of people behind them. Gohan chuckled nervously as he could finally make out the seven people standing in the foyer. Most of them wore expressions of disapproval or resignation, but the two younger girls seemed amused.

Chi-Chi bowed low in greeting, and Gohan followed suit.

"I apologise for my husband. He has no manners, but he's a big sweetheart really," she smiled in greeting, "Welcome to Fire Mountain. I'm Chi-Chi Son, and this is my eldest, Gohan."

"It's a pleasure to meet you all," Gohan replied on cue.

"Unfortunately, he's the only one of the men in my house who knows how to behave in social situations," Chi-Chi continued with a sigh, "It seems my youngest is already on track to become a delinquent."

Gohan's cheeks were red with embarrassment as he straightened up to look at them all. In truth, he would rather be out there sparring with his father and the blonde guy than be here right now with all these white eyes staring at him. Their pale eyes were quite disconcerting. It seemed as though they could see everything he was trying to hide.

The second eldest man stepped forward and bowed back to them. The rest of the Hyuugas followed suit. They all had dark hair and pale eyes, except the eldest man, who had streaks of grey in his hair. The women all had their hair pinned up, and only the blonde guy from before had been dressed for combat. The rest of them were all dressed in kimonos, making Gohan feel underdressed in the traditional black pants and white shirt his mother had made him wear.

"Please, think nothing of it," the man said, "We are accustomed to a more rural and formal lifestyle. Yet, one of the purposes of this visit is to learn more about your civilisation on this continent. We are in your territory and must attempt to adapt to your customs. I am Hiashi Hyuuga. This is our clan elder, Hideki-sama. Our aides, Ko and Ichika. My nephew, Neji. My eldest, Hinata. And my youngest, Hanabi. The young blonde man who was whisked away so suddenly is Naruto Uzumaki."

Each Hyuuga gave a slight bow as they were introduced and Gohan was impressed by how practiced they seemed. The chandelier above their heads suddenly shook as a tremor was felt around the palace. Gohan had been sensing Naruto and Goku sparring, but it seemed they had finally passed the warm-up stage. Gohan felt his Saiyan instincts yearning to join them.

"Was that your father?" Chi-Chi asked him with a sigh.

"Yeah," Gohan admitted with a nervous chuckle, and they all turned to look at him, "He wasn't kidding. That guy's really strong."

"You can sense them from here?" the Elder Hideki asked in a tone that expected an immediate response.

"Yes, Hideki-sama," Gohan confirmed, "They seem evenly matched at the moment. But neither one of them is using their full power."

The old man's eyes gleamed in a way that made Gohan extremely uncomfortable. He seemed impressed with both Gohan's skill, as well as his politeness. Another tremor hit, just as the Ox King finally made his appearance.

"I see Goku's brought out the welcome mat," he chuckled, before introducing himself, and getting on with the rest of the introductions. "Welcome to Fire Mountain. I hope you'll enjoy your stay. You must be exhausted. Let us show you to your rooms."

Chi-Chi, after being told that Ko and Ichika were mostly going to remain out of the way until they were needed, led the two of them off to the right to the rooms near the kitchen.

"Father, if I may, I'd like to remain here until Naruto-kun returns," the eldest daughter, Hinata, said in a quiet voice.

She was quite pretty, once Gohan noticed her. But her personality was so docile that she was not easily noticeable. The younger sister seemed to have a bit more energy in her ki. And the nephew, Neji, had a confident air to him that easily rendered him the master of his surroundings.

"As you wish," Hiashi answered, and looked to Gohan expectantly. Gohan jumped, as he only just realised that he was also one of the hosts.

"Uh…it's fine. I'll show her to her room afterwards." He offered and was met by the polite nod of the clan head.

Hiashi and Hideki exchanged a glance filled with something unspoken that unsettled Gohan. He could not help but feel that they were happy about the circumstances. They turned to follow the Ox King. But then Gohan noticed Hinata and Neji exchange a glance as well. Theirs was a bit easier to read. It was clear that they had come to a silent agreement about something.

"Hanabi and I will wait for Naruto as well," Neji announced without consulting the younger sister, who looked up at him in surprise.

This announcement seemed to displease Hideki and Hiashi, but they said nothing as they followed the Ox King off to the left. Gohan noticed Hinata trying to hide a smile, and even the stoic Neji seemed amused. Hanabi merely looked confused, but her expression turned to awe as the latest tremor hit.

"I'm really not that good at meeting new people," Gohan admitted with a sheepish grin, "But I'm really excited to have you all here. I'll try my best to answer all your questions. But I live in the countryside and my city friends think I'm completely old-fashioned. So, I probably won't be much help."

Hinata smiled at his nervousness and seemed to understand exactly what he was going through.

"Please don't trouble yourself, Gohan-kun," her voice was melodic and pleasing, "There is no need to stand on formality. Although we may seem pompous and inflexible at first, we are much more adaptable than we appear."

Gohan grinned appreciatively and relaxed his stiff, upright posture. He realised that there was no sense of expectation. Not from these three at least.

"That's good to hear. I'll try to be a bit more casual then. Tomorrow, I'll bring my friend Videl around and maybe she can give you guys a tour of the city. She knows her way around much better than I do."

The four of them exchanged pleasantries while they waited for Goku and Naruto to return, and the three of them asked Gohan many questions about his civilisation. He answered what he could and asked them many questions in return. They were in disbelief to hear about normal cars, let alone jet copters and dynocaps. Gohan was surprised to hear that they were all technically soldiers serving a village of ninjas and a feudal lord.

He was too shy to be taking the lead in these types of social situations, but they were all comfortable with silence, and only spoke when they had questions. The loudest among them was twelve-year old Hanabi, who became more taken with Gohan as they all became better acquainted. She even went so far as to cling to his arm at one point, making Gohan flush with embarrassment, before Hinata scolded her sister for acting so familiarly.

"But Ne-sama," Hanabi pouted, "Gohan-kun doesn't mind. He's really nice. He's like a male version of you, but I bet he won't scold me half as much as you do."

Gohan chuckled uneasily, and Neji shook his head at the inappropriateness. All four of them were a bit more relaxed without the adults around, but this was nowhere as apparent as with Hinata. She seemed to brighten up significantly away from the rest of her clan and her ki became more energetic in response. Yes, Gohan thought, there was definitely something calculating and manipulative about this clan. He would need to think very carefully before making any promises to them. Luckily, the younger ones did not seem to be a part of the culture of manipulation. Gohan sighed inwardly. He was not good at these subtle things. Usually, the situations he dealt with were more cut and dry. Bad guys were upfront about their intentions, and good guys were straightforward and righteous. He had no idea how to deal with devious people and clan politics. Maybe Videl would be able to manoeuvre her way around better. She was the daughter of the most famous person in the world, after all. Surely, as the daughter of Hercule Satan, she would have had some practice dealing with cunning people.

"I apologise on behalf of my sister, Gohan-kun," Hinata bowed slightly to him with a distressed expression, as Hanabi scowled at her.

Gohan waved her off easily, as he felt that Goku and Naruto were done with their spar. He knew the two would return imminently and that his father would probably be much more inappropriate.

"Don't worry about it. I'm pretty sure my family is a lot more embarrassing than yours," Gohan laughed, and he was surprised to hear Hinata giggle in return.

Speaking of the devils, Goku, Goten and Naruto appeared in the middle of the foyer once more. Goten was bouncing up and down in excitement and he flew up to make himself at home on Gohan's shoulders.

"You should have seen it, big brother!" Goten had stars in his eyes, "It was awesome! I couldn't even see most of it."

Both Goku and Naruto looked dirty, banged up, and wore wide smiles on their faces. Neji sighed in exasperation, and Hanabi chuckled into her palm. But Gohan noticed almost immediately that Hinata's eyes sparkled and her ki became a bit stronger as she stared fondly at Naruto. Everyone thought Gohan was too clueless to notice these things, but the way Hinata felt was so obvious that even Goku couldn't miss it.

He thought about Videl's pleading blue eyes and the way she swept her short raven hair away from her face before giving him the puppy eyes. Gohan's heart sped up happily as he pictured her, and he wondered if he was as obvious in his affections as Hinata was. He hoped not. Videl would probably punch him. Gohan wondered whether there was anything he would not do to make her happy. Including putting himself in the power of the Hyuugas to make sure she got what she wanted.

Gohan shook off his thoughts and paid attention to the people in front of him. He finally met Naruto and immediately understood why he and Goku got along so well. They both exuded warmth and confidence. As Goku and Goten disappeared to find Chi-Chi, Gohan led the others to their rooms.

"Did you enjoy yourself, Naruto?" Neji asked with a slight upward twitch to his mouth.

The blonde dusted the dirt off his clothes and beamed at Neji.

"Sure, I did. It was amazing. Believe it!" Naruto exclaimed, walking with his hands behind his head arrogantly, causing Hinata to smile gently.

"So," Gohan asked "Who won?"

A/N: I, as an author, will never reveal who won that battle as I'm a huge fan of both universes. If that's what you want to see, find another fic, because this story is not about comparing our two orange-clad heroes. Now that the characters know each other a bit better, I'll be getting more into the meat of the story in the next chapter. I know there's too many characters for now. After the next chapter I'll be more focused on the younger generation, since that's where my plot is. So please bear with it for now. R&R and let me know what you think. I struggled quite a bit to stay true to the characters, so I'd appreciate if you let me know if I got them right, or how they can be improved.