Review Responses:
To Ushindi: Thanks for the questions, man. I appreciate you following along with the story. Gohan will not stop studying. He is a scholar at heart and it's a part of his character.
You know I'm hyped for Super: Super Hero!
Hm… I suppose Super Saiyan Rose 2 and 3 are interesting.
Oh, most definitely. Goku has more experience, has Godly ki absorbed in his base, and is frankly stronger than all three girls.
To ACuriousReader: Buu exists, but he's not the boss villain of the story. I won't spoil where he is. You'll have to find out as the story unfolds. As for the Supreme Kai, find out in this chapter.
That's all for now, on with the show.
Last time on Dragon Ball Z: PRIMAL, Gohan had his assessment with Vegeta in the form of an all-out fight. Upon Gohan's loss, Vegeta harshly parted words of wisdom and encouragement, urging him to go beyond his limits if he wished to surpass him and protect his loved ones. Later on, a heated argument with Chi-Chi forced the young man to storm out of the house, which led to him meeting the mysterious Kibito and Shin, which the latter revealed to be the Supreme Kai? What does this mean for Gohan? Find out, now!
Deep In Mount Paozu, Age 774
"Son Gohan, my name is Kibito. I am one of the Shinjin, or Core People. I serve as the attendant under Lord Shin." Kibito said, causing Gohan to look at the smiling man. "And Lord Shin, here, is one of the Gods of Creation, the Sōzōshin. However, you may be more familiar with his other title; the Supreme Kai."
Gohan couldn't believe it. What stood before him were gods. Nothing like Kami or Dende, but actual deities. And they were watching him.
'Wait, did he just say that he was the Supreme Kai?' The hybrid questioned mentally.
"...Wow, so you're the Supreme Kai?" Gohan echoed in an inquiry, taking the hand of the shorter god as he shook it. "It's an honor to meet you. Truth be told, I heard of King Kai but I wasn't aware that there were more of you."
Smiling, Shin released his hand from their shake as he said, "That is to be expected. You may have been aware of the lesser Kaiō like this Quadrant's North Kai, or King Kai. My identity as Kaiōshin, the Supreme Kai, was kept in secrecy for my protection."
"Your protection?"
"That is right, mortal," Kibito said, making his presence known to Gohan. "Lord Shin is the last of the Sōzōshin that were under the job of Kaiōshin. His duty is not only to maintain the balance of life and death as a deity of creation but to oversee the preservation of the entire universe."
"Hold on. So, you're telling me that you guys are responsible for protecting the whole universe?" Gohan questioned.
Kibito nodded while Shin stated, "Correct."
"If that's the case, then where were you when Namek was under attack by Frieza? And what about Cell?" Gohan inquired.
"Gods of Creation are under certain strict protocols that prevent us from directly intervening in mortal affairs." Shin answered evenly. "And while Frieza was indeed powerful, he ultimately posed no threat to the universe since he was under the supervision of my…destructive counterpart. As for that artificial being, let's just say that I foresaw the future. A future that you paved the path for. I saw no reason to act because of that."
"But why come now, and why have you sought me?" Gohan questioned. "I may be a half-human, but I am still a Saiyan. My kind wasn't exactly…liked. They were absolute jerks if I want to be honest."
"I am aware of you and your people's past, Son Gohan. Be as that may, I find you to be a special case. Special enough to warrant my attention." Shin explained with his smile never leaving his face. "That is why I am here. I offer you to train under me as my disciple."
"W-What!?" Gohan screamed incredulously before looking around, then turning to Shin as he pointed at himself. "Y-You want me as your student?"
"Why, of course. You happen to be the most suitable choice." Shin nodded with a nonchalant attitude.
As he thought about the Supreme Kai's words, the haunting thoughts of Goku's sacrifice and Sharpner's death came crashing down with Chi-Chi's rant still fresh in his mind.
Saiyans, I swear, no good has ever come from their kind.
Gohan's initial interest in the proposal of the god swiftly turned into that of self-doubt.
Averting his eyes, Gohan said, "I'm sorry, Supreme Kai, but I think you've chosen wrong. I am not worthy of your tutelage. You made a mistake."
Frowning upon Gohan's words, Kibito said, "A mistake? You dare question the Supreme Kai's judgment? You should be honored that out of all of the mortal warriors throughout the known universe, he is choosing you!"
"Hey, I didn't mean to offend you or your lord. But if you guys were watching me all of this time then you should know that I'm a constant screw-up." Gohan said while lightly glaring at the red-skinned Shinjin. "At the end of the day, I ended up failing those who mean the most to me. Even my own mother can't stand the very side of me that gives me strength. Face it, you've got the wrong guy."
"Why you insolent foolish boy-" Kibito said in a cross manner, preparing to march over Gohan.
However, Shin stopped him from moving his arm in the way.
"Kibito, that's enough."
Turning his head in shock, Kibito said, "But Lord Shin! This mortal child has disrespected your wisdom after you offered–"
One glare from the shorter being was enough to silence the taller and lesser Kai.
Turning to Gohan with a softer expression, Shin said, "...I sense a great disturbance from within you. You're confused, lost. You've been given expectations with high standards that are considered overwhelming for a mortal, especially one of your age. Your dual heritage weighs on your conscience. And your heart is tied by all of the past hardships and struggles that you perceive as failures."
Gohan remained silent but continued to stare at Shin with Kibito by the Kaiōshin's side.
"Your silence speaks volumes." Said Shin, with confirmation in his tone. "While it may be true that you are a flawed mortal being, you've also done this universe a gracious service on more than one occasion by your pure intentions. You are a benevolent and honorable man. That is the first reason why I chose you."
Gohan nodded, crossing his arms. "Are there more, Supreme Kai?"
Shin nodded as he said, "Yes. While you'll have to accept my offer to learn more about the most important reason, all I can say about that, for now, is that your power may be needed in the future. Sooner than you think."
"What do you mean? Is something bad going to happen?" Gohan asked with concern. "Will it affect the Earth?"
"That is no concern to you, child," Kibito said stoically. "Not at the moment, at least. However, there is one more reason for Lord Shin's selection."
"And what's that?"
Chuckling, Shin asked, "Son Gohan, has anybody ever told you that your irises turn gold whenever you get angry?"
Gohan blinked a few times in a similar manner to Goku whenever he got confused or was clueless about a particular subject.
"What? N-No!" Gohan blurted out, scratching his head. "I didn't even know they could do that or why. Why hasn't anybody mentioned this earlier?"
"I personally wouldn't know why the latter is the case, but as for what it means, I say it's a sign. A sign of your true potential peeking through the cracks of your limit's ceiling." The Kaiōshin stated calmly.
"Eh!? Are you saying that I'm close to discovering the next level of Super Saiyan already!?" Shouted Gohan, with his eyes widening.
The deity shook his head as he clarified, "That's not the case, I'm afraid. The potential that I see is different. In my opinion, that may even overshadow the third level of Super Saiyan."
Gohan was staggered at the thought of his power which he underestimated for so long.
'... A power that exceeds even a level three Super Saiyan? I didn't know a third level existed! And he says my potential is greater than that!? This is nuts! Maybe… maybe this is a sign. Perhaps Vegeta's right. This may be the chance I need to get stronger and crush my limits.' Gohan contemplated.
"Interestingly enough, our current working theory is that this power may have a correlation with your Super Saiyan form and the key to your heritage's power," Kibito added, pointing at Gohan's tail that swayed behind him.
Gohan turned to look at his tail, saying, "My tail?"
That brought him back to his dream of the war between an unknown planet and the Golden Oozarū.
"That's right, Son Gohan," Shin said, snapping Gohan out of his thoughts. "The visions that you were given within your sleep about the ancient Saiyans of old were all from me. I wanted to show you them to prove to you that what you aspire for your Saiyan brethren has been done in the distant past. And that golden ape you saw was among that small group of righteous Saiyans in a world shrouded in wickedness."
"He was? And you're saying I have his power? To become the Golden Oozaru?"
Shin shook his head, saying, "No. I believe that with your potential and with the right guidance, you can perfect the Golden Oozaru, and go beyond that form."
Gohan's jaw dropped at that revelation.
'What kind of beasts were these ancestors!? Next thing he's going to tell me that some were able to turn into gods or something!'
Walking to Kibito, Shin said, "Kibito and I are willing to help bring that hidden potential out and control what comes with that Saiyan power. I assure you that if you are willing to accept me as your instructor, the end result will be rewarding. Perhaps, my teachings could bring you a step closer to what your heart desires the most in life."
Gohan stared at Shin upon hearing that last sentence with a serious glance. The boy had forgotten that he could read his mind. After all, the Kaiōshin had studied him like he was one of his old Chemistry textbooks. So much so that it left him a bit unnerved. Still, Gohan couldn't help but be intrigued by the offer.
Looking back at his whole life and what it led up to. This was a wake-up call. The highest of all the Kai, the Supreme Kai, had asked for his help. Considering who King Kai was and how important he was according to his father, Gohan knew that this was an incredible opportunity. But then he thought about his life as a human with his human friends.
Bowing respectfully, Gohan said "Supreme Kai, I would be honored to be your humble disciple. Honestly, I would. But I have responsibilities as an Earthling here in my home. I cannot drop them on the fly like that. I am not only a provider for my family and I have friends that I want to spend time with, but I'm also a scholar who is studying at school. It would be a disservice to the work my mother put in for me to discard my life and education so I can train."
Kibito then said, "Nonsense. We, Kai, have the uncanny ability to teleport from location to location instantaneously without any limitations. If needed, we can always come to you if and when necessary."
Shin offered, "If you like, we can discuss days and times of your availability. That is if you wish to proceed."
Smiling, Gohan reached out his hand for a handshake this time, saying, "Very well. Then I accept, Lord Shin."
Kibito and Shin smiled to themselves as the shorter Kai took Gohan's hand and shook it.
"I'm looking forward to seeing your progress throughout our new journey." Shin expressed.
Letting go of Shin's hand, Gohan nodded as he asked. "So, how will we keep in touch?"
"As a disciple of the Supreme Kai, there is a telepathic link that you share between Lord Shin, myself, and you. Whenever you wish to speak with us, that connection will open up, leaving room for you to speak to either one of us in your mind freely." Kibito explained in an even manner.
"Alright," Gohan said. "How about we talk about planning our schedule here tomorrow and then we go from there?"
Both Kai nodded in agreement, with Shin saying, "That would be ideal, yes. Until then, we will meet again soon. Good day, Son Gohan. Kai-Kai!"
And like that, Shin and Kibito were transported out of Gohan's sight in a mere instant.
Looking up to the sky once again, Gohan thought to himself out loud as he processed the new information that he had received.
"...A level beyond Super Saiyan Level Three, huh? A power that's rooted in my Saiyan heritage." Gohan said as he looked at his tail. "And here I thought you'd be a pain to keep. Yeah, I think I'm definitely glad I grew you back."
Gohan looked to the clear blue sky once more.
"The Golden Oozarū, I'm going to train hard to achieve it, and go even further than that form. Just watch me, Vegeta! And perhaps, I'll surpass you. That way, nobody in the universe could stop me from protecting the planet."
Just like that, Gohan took off to the skies as he flew to a nearby city.
Son Residence, An Hour and Thirty Minutes
Chi-Chi sat at the dinner table, cleaning her face off of the ruined makeup that originated from the tears that fell from her eyes.
For the last forty-five minutes, the wife of Goku had processed the exchange between herself and her eldest son. While she meant to get her point across to the boy that he should pursue a career to provide for himself and his family. After all, Chi-Chi knew what was best for her children, and Gohan was no exception.
…But that didn't mean she had to disrespect him.
Sure, as far as she knew, Saiyans were monsters who did nothing but cause harm to her family, but Goku was a Saiyan and so were their kids. And she fell in love with Goku because of his pure heart, which both of their children inherited.
Recognizing that look that her son gave her earlier, the use of his tail tearing her away from him, and the door slamming on her face, the country lady's gut sank deeper and deeper as the minutes ran by away from Gohan. By the time it reached its breaking point, the woman wept.
Now, she had calmed down while holding a picture of Goku, Gohan, and herself seven years ago before the Cell Games. Her fingers traced around Goku and Gohan's faces in a longing manner.
"Oh, Goku-sa. What would you think of me now?" She babbled and inquired. "I took one of our most precious things in the world and I hurt him. I hurt our Gohan-chan."
She glanced at Goku's cheery smile, causing her heart to skip in a guilty manner.
"How can I look at you in Other World after you said about our son? You and him, even our little Goten, have done nothing but bring joy and love to my life and I practically profiled your race in front of him! For Dende's sake, you all saved the world many times! A-And the way he looked at me… Oh, Goku-sa, he must hate me now!"
Chi-Chi placed the picture to her chest, gripping, "Oh! I can't bear the thought of that! I have to make things right!"
She placed the picture down, and Chi-Chi got up and decided to prepare a meal for her eldest son.
By the time she was finished, Chi-Chi cooked chicken fried rice, steamed green beans, Mongolian beef, orange chicken, steamed rice, and miso ramen.
Upon setting up the dinner table with the food, Chi-Chi smiled at her handy work as she said, "There! All finished! This should put that beautiful smile back on Gohan-chan's face!"
Just as she was about to call Gohan, the front swung open as a familiar voice rang in her ears.
"Mom, are you there? I'm home!"
Hearing Gohan's voice, she quickly walked to meet the teenager as he entered the kitchen with a small box.
"Gohan-chan! W-Welcome back!" Chi-Chi greeted happily, clasping her hands together.
"Thanks!" Said Gohan before looking at all of the food that had been prepared while the aroma of the food-filled his nostrils. "Oh, what's all of this?"
"I figured you'd be hungry while you were…out, so I made lunch!" Chi-Chi explained, putting a dazzling smile on her son.
Blinking for a moment, Gohan smiled back a bit, saying, "Gee, Mom. You didn't have to, but I appreciate it."
"You know that I like to keep my boys healthy and well-fed," Chi-Chi said, crossing her arms in a prideful yet playful manner. "Go on, now. Help yourself, son."
Nodding, Gohan walked to the table, sat down, letting the box that he was holding be placed on the counter near the table
Chi-Chi watched as the young man was about to feast on his lunch when she gazed her dark eyes at the box her son carried.
"Gohan, dear. What's in the box that you brought home with you?"
Gohan answered, "Oh! I went to a town nearby, and I thought I get you your favorite food to try and cheer you up."
Using his tail, Gohan opened the box, revealing two dozen pieces of chimaki neatly wrapped in bamboo for Chi-Chi to see.
Feeling the happiness that had previously occupied her heart swelling, Chi-Chi said, "That's very thoughtful of you, sweetheart. Thank you!"
"Not a problem, Mom. Feel free to help yourself. You can eat with me. That is if you like to?"
Nodding, the two sat at the dinner table with their food and ate them in a slow and civilized manner.
…At least as civilized as Gohan could get, given his Saiyan tendencies to devour his food.
Still, lunch was silent between the mother and her eldest child. While Gohan remained neutral for the most part, but inwardly beamed with excitement that may have come from his Saiyan side. Chi-Chi, however, felt the sheer tension from her end. She couldn't stand the silence anymore. She had to address the situation.
"...Gohan?" Chi-Chi started. "Do you know that I love you no matter who or what you are, right?"
Gohan glanced at his mother while his mouth was full, nodding in a child-like manner as his father did before him. "Mhm!"
"And you know that as your mother, I only want to do what's best for you and your life. You know that, right?"
The teen swallowed his food down, then said evenly, "That, I understand as well."
Chi-Chi bit her lip for a moment in apprehension and guilt before continuing.
"I know things have been…hard for you since your father died. It's been hard for all of us. Even Goten, and he doesn't realize it." Chi-Chi spoke. "And I have been hard on you all of these years about your studies. While my intentions for you to succeed will be something I'll never regret, how I treated your childhood, or the lack of one was unacceptable."
Gohan cocked an eyebrow, clearly confused at his mother's words.
"...What do you mean by that, Mom?"
"Gohan, as much as I love your father, he wasn't perfect." Confessed the mother. "I never realized that Goku-sa truly didn't understand the concept of being a husband until a few years after you were born. While he was there when it mattered the most, it still doesn't change the fact that Goku-sa spent long periods of time away from his family. Not to mention that while he would be away, it would be so that he could go around battling alien monsters who could kill him. As his wife, that terrified me with the aspect of my beloved not being able to come home to his wife and child."
Gohan remained silent, listening closely as his mother continued.
"And the next thing I knew, it happened. Not once, but twice. And in both scenarios, I had to worry about a child who had to experience being kidnapped, left to fend for himself out in the wilderness for half a year, and get involved in dangerous situations that no boy shouldn't between the ages of four to seventeen. Situations that your father exposed to you, whether intentionally or not." Chi-Chi vented.
"But, Mom, Dad never meant for all of the things that we went through to happen," Gohan stated. "That was almost all circumstantial."
Chi-Chi nodded, stating, "I know that, sweetheart. But it didn't change the fact that my baby had been beaten, thrown to a mountain, nearly pulverized by a disgusting man five times his size at the time, then was thrown into the middle of a ring with an oversized cockroach while expected to save the world. He didn't even take the time to get to know that you never liked fighting to begin with."
Narrowing his eyes, Gohan calmly retorted, "Oh, and keeping me cooped up in a small room with ten textbooks on a desk while expecting me to write two essays for each book with little to no interaction with the outside world is any better?"
The woman's lips thinned at the teen's words.
"While I can't tell you much about your husband, Mother, what I can say about my father is that while he would be away from me a lot of the time, he eventually caught on to my dislike for senseless violence. And he acknowledged and apologized for it." Gohan said firmly. "And despite all Dad's flaws, he acknowledged my growth in strength and my development as a person. In fact, Dad told me to keep studying as you told me to. My father recognized who I am and was proud of me no matter what path I chose. He would still be supportive of whatever I would dedicate myself to pursuing. That is something that you lack, Mother."
Lowering her head, Chi-Chi softly whispered, "...I know."
Gohan's expression softened at his mother's guilt-ridden exterior.
"I-I guess the stress of Goku-sa not being the husband that I envisioned in my naive childish imagination may have been a great motive in my pursuit of your studies." Confessed the daughter of the Ox-King. "I love your father with all of my heart. Nothing will ever change that, son. He's a hardworking and strong man, but he's not a good representation of what a husband should be. The truth is that when I decided the way I wanted to raise you, I intended for you to be different from Goku-sa. I wanted to prepare you for the world with the book smarts that your father and I lacked at your age. I wanted you to be better than us."
Gohan nodded once more in understanding.
"...Regardless of my reasons, that doesn't change the fact that I projected my frustrations about my life's issues and my marriage into the difficult learning plans that I had you go through. My hurtful outburst from earlier was inexcusable, and I am so sorry for what I said to you. I didn't mean it."
Sighing, Gohan dropped his chopsticks as he looked at his mother in a tiresome manner.
Cracking a small grin, Gohan said, "All is forgiven, Mom. I knew you didn't mean any harm. …Can I be excused? I'm tired."
Chi-Chi glanced and saw that while Gohan was nowhere near being fatigued, she could see it in his eyes that he wished to end the conversation and wanted some time to himself in his room.
Chi-Chi nodded as she then watched her son get up from his seat and stiffly walked away.
Before losing sight of her son, Chi-Chi said, "Gohan, sweetheart. I know I can be…passionate in my emotions, but don't ever be afraid to talk to me. I'm here for you."
The hybrid responded by saying, "...Thanks, Mom. I'll keep that in mind. See you later."
And with that, Gohan entered his room, leaving Chi-Chi to go back to the dinner table with the box of chimaki her son left for her.
Looking at it, Chi-Chi thought, 'Gohan-chan, what has happened to us? We used to be close, and now I'm barely watching your life unfold from afar. You're almost like a different person, a person that I don't know. This is my fault, I should have been more supportive in the past.'
Sighing, Chi-Chi decided it was best if she packed up the leftovers for Goten and cleared the dinner table's dishes for cleaning.
A Day Later, In the Mountains Nearing the Mushroom Forest
Sharpner Crayon drove in his red Capsule Corp licensed car for a few hours in search of one man.
Tenshinhan, champion of the 22nd Tenkaichi Būdokai.
Why? Well, upon experiencing death, learning of Hercule's lie, and the truth of the Cell Games, Sharpner realized just how weak he truly was compared to the humans in the Dragon Team, let alone Gohan and the other partial/non-humans.
The blond male didn't want to go through life without the power to at least learn to defend himself properly again. If he was going to be serious about his future profession and his life, Sharpner had to retrace his steps. Start from scratch. He was determined to be retrained in the way of martial arts while discovering ki.
And who better to teach him than one of the strongest humans ever.
While driving through the winding roads of the mountains, Sharpner said to himself, "I gotta thank Son and Bulma for the coordinates. With this, finding this guy should be a lot easier than searching the whole place. Hopefully, Tien-san can show me that energy-sensing trick so tracing people could be so much easier."
After fifteen minutes of driving, his GPS led him to farmland on top of a large mountain. There, Sharpner found himself driving near a small capsule home with a post that said "Tenshinhan'' in Kanji.
Seeing this, a confident smirk formed on Sharpner's face as he said, "...Found you."
To Be Continued…
Sharpner reflection on life turned into fierce conviction as his newly found drive for survival and growth leads him to seek out the elusive Tenshinhan, following Gohan's example to climb new heights of their potential respectively. Speaking of Gohan, his determination burns brightly as he now has a goal to aim for. Beyond the Golden Oozaru. What will come next for our heroes? Find out next time on Dragon Ball Z: PRIMAL!
Author's Note: Real quick, this will not be the last time that Chi-Chi and Gohan will argue. It plays a big role in this arc but it will not overtake the bigger issue that will be Hercule and Videl's strained relationship.
Also, the next chapter will mostly be a Sharpner and Tien chapter. They will be training together on how to unlock Sharpner's ki as he learned Tien's own style of Crane School martial arts.
Anyways, make sure to leave reviews if you have comments, questions, concerns, and constructive criticisms. Oh, by the way, don't expect another chapter after the next one for a while. The next saga is going to take a while to plan and prepare before I start writing it. I'll see you guys later!
-DarkShadowGames451