A/N:
Please go back and read all new chapters, that begin with either "11th Hour" or "Interlude". As, given the original fic "What's in a Destiny", has a lot of interconnected moments with "Lord Uzumaki", I decided to combine the 2 fics into one.
• 12 Years Before the Uzumaki Clan moved to Konoha.
"Why haven't you burned this world to the ground!?" Raditz Demanded.
The little boy, after all of Saiyan kind were brought to this backwater, had easily been able to find his brother... there weren't many cubs left. Most of the survivors had been the more powerful soldiers, sent off world to conquer the more advanced planets... Or the weaklings, that King Cold sent on suicide missions.
However, Raditz didn't really understand that last bit. He figured, any little brother of HIS, could easily conquer a pitiful planet, that didn't even have something as primitive as nukes yet.
However... Kakarot hadn't even ATTEMPTED to conquer the planet. The cub had chosen to, instead, live a domestic life, with one of these pathetic creatures.
Kakarot just growled at him. Saiyan cubs, as young as this, were little more then Feral beast. They were driven purely by instinct. Only capable of understanding a handful of words. So Raditz would have to speak through his fist.
The older brother did his duty, and attempted to slam his fist into the disobedient toddler... only for the smaller boy to side step. Pushing Raditz arm away with his palm, while stepping on the elder's foot.
Raditz managed to power through the pain, and the disorientation. Not willing to let his little brother dominate him. Slapping the toddler, with his tail, and sending him flying into a boulder.
Kakarot hit the rock, with a yelp, but manage to stumble back to his feet. Then... took on some kind of fighting stance.
"Goku!"
Kakarot flinched, immediately dropping the stance. The tiny cub looked over at... a human? The boy had taken a more submissive posture... the kind that should only be reserved for an Alpha.
Raditz growled. Realizing why his brother hadn't taken this world. This pitiful creature had tamed him.
Raditz jerked his hand forward, despite being several yards away. Kakarot would see. Whoever this man was. He was unworthy of being head of a Saiyan family. Raditz would roast the pathetic creature.
Unleashing his Ki, a small ball of energy, the size of the child's fist, was thrown at the speed of a professional pitcher's baseball.
The humanoid wasn't phased. He merely reached out, and swatted away the ultimate power of the Saiyans.
Sure, Raditz had a lot to learn, about channeling this sacred power. But for the man to just do that... Raditz... WAS ENRAGED!!!
Charging forward, Raditz began swinging his fist. Even occasionally switching it up with kicks. But not a single one touched the man. He moved with such speed, even Saiyan eyes had trouble keeping up. Raditz couldn't make contact. All the while the man was using the minimum amount of effort.
Then, without warning, the man went on the offensive, with one move. Just one... He snatched Raditz tail.
The cub screamed bloody murder, falling to the floor.
"I'm beginning to think," The man wasn't even slightly winded!!! "I'm going to have to do this." He squeezed the tail a little harder. "With every tailed boy I meet."
So this is the REAL reason Kakarot didn't destroy the planet. He found someone actually capable of keeping him in line. A legitimate alpha. On this Backwater?
"Can you talk?" The man asked. Probably because he was used to the near mute of a Saiyan 3 year old. Their language skills do take a little longer to develop, then most humanoids.
"Y-yes!" Raditz gritted his teeth. The sensation, of his tail being held, was too much for him. "You're hurting me."
To Raditz surprise, the old man immediately let go of the tail. Raditz let out a sniff, before standing straight. Being sure not to look the Alpha in the eye.
"Mind telling me, who you are?" the human asked.
Raditz held back his sniffles, refusing to rub his still smarting tail. Looking at the small toddler, Raditz informed, "I'm his older brother."
• 4 Months Later:
Grampa Gohan, wondered how much longer he would be a Grampa. He was standing in the local hospital. Thankful he had decided to move to Saiyan Village. Yet wondering, if he hadn't, would Goku still have gotten hurt...
Goku, had fallen off a cliff, badly injuring his head... the poor boy had severe brain damage, but thankfully, the Saiyan Doctors were able to treat the injury... by cutting out the injured area, and putting the boy in some kind of healing gel.
" Not much can hurt a Saiyan," the Saiyan Doctor had explained. Although he was more like a butcher, despite their advanced technology at his disposal. " But when something does, and we survive, we become stronger. With the sheer amount of damage, to the cub's brain. He'll probably be the smartest Saiyan, in several generations. If he survives, that is." His bedside manner, left much to be desired.
The sound of the doors opening caught Gohan's attention. With a familiar Ki signature stepping into the room.
The boy didn't say a word, merely stepped beside Gohan, looking at the tank Goku floated in. The child's brain exposed, and healing before their eyes.
Raditz growled, grabbing the lead Doctor. "How bad is the damage!" The boy demanded.
"We are doing everything we can, cub," The Doctor assured. Though in a rather harsh tone.
"That area of the brain centers around his animal instincts, even his urge to mate!" Raditz snapped, "You might as well have cut off his tail!!!"
In that moment, the Doctor... did not act like a Doctor. He slammed his fist into the child's stomach... or, attempted to. Gohan had grabbed it, just before it made contact.
"If you did not need this arm, to treat my ward, I'd have broken it." Gohan calmly informed.
Pulling back the wrist, and causing the Saiyan to fall to his knees, screaming. Strangely, none of the other Doctors seemed to care about the violence. Mostly giving them a casual glance, before returning to their work.
Regardless, the Saiyan in Gohan's hold, snapped. "The brat just accused me of something worse then CASTRATING the boy!!!"
Gohan glared, pulling the wrist further back, and getting another growl of pain. "No matter. I decide the 'how' and 'when' my charges are disciplined. Consider it a human failing, in our cultural norms. I try my best to honor your own customs, and expect the same courtesy."
The Saiyan gave jerky nods. Normally, this is when Gohan would demand an apology. However, Saiyans perceived that as an ultimate humiliation. A level of domination only appropriate from a mate, or parental figure. As Gohan said, he tried to be respectful of their culture.
Releasing the Saiyan Doctor, Gohan then demanded. "Explain to me, the full level of the damage."
The Doctor growled, as he stood tall. Gohan immediately unleashed his Ki. Letting the Saiyan know that HE was the stronger of the two, and thereby in charge. The Doctor instantly wilted. Looking very much like a kicked puppy, without need of injuring him.
Saiyans had extremely strong pack instincts. Making them value a strong alpha. It's how they were so easily conquered, by the Frost Demons, and the Tuffle before them.
It also made them value family, which had been difficult to maintain, given King Cold kept demanding their children. So they could understand a guardian's concern for a cub brought into their pack. They just believed it was the duty of the entire pack to shepard the young... and had ways of disciplining them, which humans would interpret as abuse.
"The Healing Chamber," The, now far more cooperative, Doctor began to explain. "Can repair most injuries. Even regrow lost tissue. However... that leaves scars. As I said before, if the cub makes it. Which it's looking more likely he will. His Saiyan biology will improve the entirety of the organ that was damaged. So he WILL be much smarter...
"but the direct areas affected will have scars... and scars, on the brain, are never a good thing. Because of the area affected... his instincts will be more diluted. He won't have as strong predator instincts as a healthy child... I didn't mention that before... because I assumed that be a good thing, in your case."
Raditz attempted to pounce at the Doctor, but somehow found himself over Gohan's knee, getting his rear repeatedly swatted.
"Sensei!!!" Raditz blushed, always finding the way Gohan chose to discipline him, embarrassing as all hell.
"You DO NOT attack the people helping us!" Gohan chastised, swatting the rump.
Their doctor was confused. Although, after thinking about it, didn't really see how this was different then just punching the cub. If anything, it had less risk of serious injury, while still physically correcting the cub in a way their instincts would understand... he might suggest this method to his patients.
"You attacked him!!!" Raditz cried, kicking his little legs, that barely touch the floor, from his place over the man's out stretched knee.
"I RESTRAINED him, and purely because his actions graded against human taboos." The man explained. "Apologize!!!"
The Doctor flinched. Well it was right, for a parental figure, to demand such of a cub. That seemed a bit too harsh for his minor transgression.
The cub seemed to agree, "SENSEI!!!" his voice completely scandalized.
"Now Raditz!" The old human demanded.
"I'm sorry!!!" The cub wailed.
Gohan picked the cub up, and stood them both, in one movement. Immediately facing the cub to the Doctor. "Do it properly."
Raditz Sniffed, having lost the air of a defiant cub, and acting with the appropriate submissiveness. "I'm sorry I lost my temper..."
"You're a cub," The Doctor pointed out the obvious. "It is expected." Then looked at Gohan. "Cubs are little more then feral beast. They need to learn restraint. I... had my doubts a human was capable of properly controlling them. I now realize I was mistaken."
That was as close as an adult Saiyan was willing to get to an apology. More an admittance of fault, then saying "I'm sorry" for it, but Gohan understood that was just their culture.
Still, Gohan knew how the Saiyan expected him to act, in turn. "I've had a Saiyan infant, in my care, for over a year, and I'm not dead. It should have been obvious I could handle it."
The Doctor nodded, "Impressive... for a human." he smirked.
"You were saying," Gohan motioned for the Doctor to continue. "About the expected damage."
"Yes..." The Doctor frowned. "The scars will make him... more docile..." He trailed off, with clear disgust. "He won't be as large a handful, and will need more dedicated training. If he is too survive to adulthood. Something I now acknowledge, you can provide."
• One Year Later.
"School?" Kakarot, or rather "Son Goku" as he had been renamed, looked confused. "What's that?"
It was still weird, hearing a 4 year old speak so eloquently. That recent blow to the head, had quickened the boy's development... probably by diluting his instincts. As the cub wasn't so clouded by them. Normally, Saiyans don't start really talking, in complete sentences, until they are 7. Raditz just barely got the hang of it, himself.
"It's where cubs go to... learn... things." Raditz didn't know if he could make it any more simple then that. He was a bit to young to start school. Not that he would ever need to, but even his military training wouldn't officially start for a few more years.
Cubs, his age, might be starting to talk, and focus better, but they still had a difficult time controlling their instincts. It be a few more years, for him to have the discipline needed, to sit in a dojo setting. Until then, parents were expected to teach their child. Which "Grampa" Gohan was handling... guess he was "Parents" now.
"For Saiyans," Raditz tried to explain. "School is only trusted for the most mature cubs. Ones that have Mastered their instincts, and can interact with other cubs, without fighting. At least, without unsupervised fights."
"So they learn how to fight?" Kakarot nodded. That making sense to him. "Guess, not all cubs, are lucky enough to be raised by a martial arts master." The boy gave his goofy grin. All proud of himself, for being accepted by such a mighty caretaker.
Raditz sighed, "Well... that's not ALL they learn." he then gave a shrug. Before going into more detail. "You know how Sensei teaches us how to read, write, basic math, and all that? School has a lot more of that."
Kakarot scrunched up his face, "Sounds boring."
Raditz smiled, "I imagine it is. But it's also crucial. How cubs do in school, determines where they will be assigned. Some cubs skip over school, like the weakest and the strongest. We only need to know the basics, from our parents. Before being put into the military.
"School is more for lower class Saiyans. Those that can't become warriors, but are still strong enough to not be a burden to Society."
Goku deflated, "Burdens like me..."
Raditz eyes widened. He hadn't expected Kakarot to make the connection.
"That's how King Cold shaped our world," Raditz explained, while tiptoeing around the toddler's comment. "He doesn't see the value in weaker cubs. But Cooler," under the Doctor's watchful eye, "Is allowing all lower class cubs to go... that includes you."
Where Raditz' power level was just high enough to go to military training, instead of formal school. "And with how smart you are, I bet you'll be put to work in the Sciences!" That was one of the few respectable positions, besides the Warrior class.
"I don't wanna be a science-thingy," Kakarot pouted. "I wanna be a Warrior, like you and Grandpa!!!"
Raditz flinched, before attempting to encourage, "Our father was in the science clutch." Kakarot's large eyes widened. Raditz gave a firm nod of confirmation. "He invented many techniques, of great destructive power. To the point he was allowed to fight beside the warriors." As tech support, but the kid didn't need to know that.
Kakarot might not remember their birth parents very well, but their Father really was a great Warrior, despite being put with the Scientist. One of the best. Although not in power.
In the final days of Planet Vegeta. The man had led a resistance against King Cold... yes, they hadn't stood a chance against someone who could destroy star clusters, with a wave of his hand... but he inspired the Saiyans to die honorable deaths, as the warriors they were.
"Power levels, aren't everything Kakarot," Raditz insisted. "There is no reason, you can't become just as good a warrior, as Gohan Sensei. It... it will just take more effort for you. But if you work hard, you'll be able to surpass us all."
Even knowing it was wrong to give the cub false hope, Raditz couldn't help it... he didn't have it in him to crush his little brother's dreams.