Korin the Cat

Roshi and Shivaroku journeyed for miles of thick woodlands until they came upon an enormous tower, stretching further than the clouds. Its ornate decorations sparkled, and the sun reflected brilliantly off the shiny marble surface.

"Woah what is this?" asked Shivaroku.

"This, my boy, is where we part ways. Your next teacher is at the top of this tower," answered Roshi.

"You mean I have to climb this entire tower? Well that sounds like no fun," said Shivaroku as he pouted.

"Trust me, it's worth it. Now I myself have only gotten halfway, where I met Korin the Cat, my teacher. He taught me much of what I know, before I trained to become the turtle sage. I don't know what exactly this great master looks like, but I do know that he is the strongest being of this world. So be on your best behavior and show respect. Once you reach the halfway point, tell Korin that you are my student, and he should give you more information of the one who sits on top of the tower."

"How far does this tower go?"

"It took me a full day to reach Korin."

"Why didn't you go further?"

"I did not think I was ready. Neither did Korin for that matter. Maybe I could do it now, but I am but an old man. My purpose is to train the next generation, and that generation is you, my boy."

"I understand," said Shivaroku as he looked up with determination. "Alright, Master Roshi. Thank you…for everything. I hope we meet again."

Roshi smiled and patted Shivaroku's head. "We will, my boy. We will. Now go, and remember, never lose faith in yourself. Persevere until the very end. Work well, train well, sleep well, eat well. That is the way of the Turtle Sage."

Shivaroku started his ascent.

Hours passed, and the sun was slowly setting. Beads of sweat trickled down Shivaroku's face. His muscles began to ache, but if he let go now, he would fall for miles. He had to keep going. Images of Gohan flashed throughout his mind, and so did Roshi and Bulma. They were counting on him. They believed in him. He couldn't stop now.

Shivaroku continued to climb, well after he passed the layer of clouds, and he saw a light. The light reinvigorated him as he climbed faster and finally saw a ledge he could rest on. He was confused, however, since the tower didn't seem to go any further than where he stopped.

"Wait…did I reach the top?" asked Shivaroku to himself.

"No. You didn't. This is only the halfway point," spoke a deep grizzly voice from the other side of the light. "Interesting. I never thought someone so young would be able to get here. You are actually only the 4th person to ever reach this place." A small figure walked out into Shivaroku's view. It was a white, plump cat, holding a large wooden staff.

"Wait. A cat? Ah are you Master Korin?" asked Shivaroku, still lying on the floor while panting hard.

"So you know of me huh? Tell me. Do you wish to train with the one who sits atop the tower?"

"Yes. I do. Master Roshi sent me. He was my teacher for the last several years. But sir, I have a question. Master Roshi told me that this was the halfway point of the tower, but how come I don't see anything extending from this point?"

"In due time, child. First you must rest. We will continue this conversation in the morning," said Korin.

Shivaroku nodded and almost immediately passed out.

He woke up to the bright light of the sun. Shivaroku rubbed his eyes and sat up, still sore from the climb. "Oof that smarts…"

Korin walked up to him and handed him a small green bean. "Here eat this. It will help you recover your strength."

Shivaroku was confused with how a single small bean would do something like that, but he popped it in his mouth, chewed it and gulped it down. Instantly, Shivaroku felt totally reinvigorated. His strength returned to 100% and he no longer felt pain or soreness in his muscles. He also felt like he just ate a full meal. Shivaroku turned to Korin and asked what he just ate. Korin answered that it was called a senzu bean. It was a special bean that only Korin could make. They heal all wounds, no matter how bad, they restore your chakra, and on top of that they are the equivalent of a full day's worth of food. One may think why this type of thing wasn't used by all hospitals or for food shortages. Unfortunately, senzu beans were very hard to make since the process takes several months, just to make one.

"Tell me. Have you surpassed Roshi?" asked Korin intently.

"Well he says I have. I did defeat him in a one-on-one match a couple days ago. It was pretty difficult, but I pulled through," answered Shivaroku.

"I see. Never thought I would see the day someone finally surpassed him."

"So you told me you were going to explain why nothing extends past this point."

"Ah yes. Well you see, think of me as a sort of gateway guard. I make sure that nobody except those who are worthy can go past this point."

"I'm not following."

"See, unless you can complete my challenge, you won't be allowed to go past this point. Only when you successfully complete the challenge will you be able to see the rest of the tower."

"Alright, then I'm ready for whatever you throw at me!" exclaimed Shivaroku as he took a battle stance.

"Hold your horses, child. There's more information you need to hear. First thing's first. You will have three tries to complete my challenge. If you fail all three times, you will be forced down this tower, and you won't be allowed to ascend it ever again."

Shivaroku gasped and began to look worried.

"Second. You will be allowed to train here as long as you want between each attempt. When you feel like you want to do the challenge again, just let me know."

Shivaroku still looked worried, but as Gohan and Roshi's faces flashed through his mind again, he became even more determined. "I understand, Master Korin. What is this challenge?"

"You must land one hit on me."

"One hit? That sounds a bit easy doesn't it?"

"Don't be cocky. Remember, the fact that Roshi hasn't received training from the one who sits atop the tower means that he failed my challenge. He may have been my student, but he never once successfully completed my challenge."

"Right…sorry."

"Are you ready?"

"Yes," answered Shivaroku as he took up his battle stance again.

"BEGIN!"

Shivaroku began with a lunge, which Korin dodged with ease. Shivaroku then threw a barrage of punches at Korin, which Korin dodged with ease again. After a few minutes, Shivaroku realized that his efforts were futile and that he had to take another route. So, he tried as much as possible to block Korin's escape routes and even tried to trip him. Of course, Korin was able to see through this and even used his staff to bonk Shivaroku. After a bit, Shivaroku got annoyed, as he became sloppier and more desperate.

It was at that point that Korin stopped the challenge, claiming that Shivaroku would never succeed if he wasn't calm. He suggested Shivaroku to train some more. Reluctantly, Shivaroku agreed and he took a break for a bit. After about an hour, Shivaroku stood up and began training.

Believing, that he wouldn't be able to complete the challenge at this state, Shivaroku chose to train for several days, honing his speed and reaction times. He even meditated so that he could prepare his mind for the next attempt. He had to make sure he didn't lose his composure. The problem with his first attempt was that he never thought of a strategy. All he did was punch, kick, and maybe try to trip Korin up a few times. However, the next attempt, Shivaroku was going to use his entire arsenal.

Two weeks passed since Shivaroku failed his first attempt. He walked up to Korin, indicating that he was ready for the second attempt. Korin reminded him that after this attempt, he would only have one more try. Despite the warning, Shivaroku stayed steadfast, and he took up his battle stance.

This time, Shivaroku waited for one minute, and Korin was confused with why he didn't attack yet. Then markings began to appear on Shivaroku's face, and his pupils became orange with peanut shaped pupils. Korin recognized this sage mode, and was impressed that it looked more polished than Roshi's Sage mode.

Shivaroku attacked, this time with more speed and ferocity. Korin still dodged every blow, but it was clear that he was struggling. Korin resorted to using his staff multiple times to block. However, Shivaroku still couldn't land a single hit. Shivaroku then leapt back and stood for a few seconds, rethinking his strategy.

"What's wrong? Are you done already?" asked Korin arrogantly.

"No of course not," answered Shivaroku calmly.

"I see you are continuing to stay composed. Good."

Shivaroku then put his hands together and charged up a Kamehameha. Korin was even more impressed now, especially that he was able to learn such a technique at a young age. Shivaroku released the blast and Korin dodged it easily.

"You realize that if you charge up an attack like that, you can never hit me if I know it's coming, right?"

Shivaroku didn't respond. Instead he charged the attack again, this time a little bit faster, and he released it. Korin still dodged it easily.

"Are you even trying to hit me now…I think this attempt is done."

"No wait, I'm not finished just yet," shouted Shivaroku.

"Fine then, if you don't land a hit in the next 2 minutes, you will have failed this attempt."

Shivaroku charged another Kamehameha, to which Korin scoffed, "Don't you understand it won't work?" Shivaroku continued to charge the blast, but instead of releasing it, he lunged forward, catching Korin by surprise. Korin was able to dodge Shivaroku's kicks, and used his staff to pull himself away. But, Shivaroku was counting on this. He released the blast in the opposite direction of Korin, propelling him towards the cat. He turned and looked straight at Korin with a smile. Korin was in shock and was unable to change his momentum and direction. Shivaroku wound up his arm as he was still flying towards Korin and landed a good punch on Korin's soft big belly. Korin fell to the ground in utter shock. Shivaroku stood over him, smiling, as his sage mode dissipated. "Guess I won huh?" said Shivaroku.

Korin got up and said, "I guess you did. Well you are free to continue up the tower."

Shivaroku looked up and saw a thin red pole appear, extending even further up. Happy to see the extension, he was about to start the climb again, but Korin stopped him.

"Don't be too hasty. Rest first, you can start tomorrow."

Shivaroku didn't realize he was almost out of energy, and that he would need all his strength for the rest of the climb. He agreed and went to bed.

When Shivaroku woke up, Korin gave him two more senzu beans and a little bit more information about the one who sat atop the tower.

"The one who sits atop the tower is called Popo. He is also known as the Guardian of the Earth. He is the most powerful being on the planet, but because of his job and rank given by the Gods of the universe, he is not allowed to intervene in any conflict between men. He can only provide guidance. This is why the Shinobi world has devolved into a world of hate and discord. When you meet him, give him the utmost respect. Good luck with your training, Shivaroku. Just know you have done both Roshi and Gohan proud by making it this far."

Shivaroku smiled and bowed to Korin, and then started his ascent.