With editing from babykitune-9


Kakarrot's eyes slammed open to the sound of the choppers landing and medic listen to his chest and feeling his pulse. His and the medic's eyes meet, and the medic jumped back. The medic then took off going to find the Captain. Afterwards, Kakarrot tried to get up only to find multiple bones broken. His entire body felt sore but regardless of the pain, however, he got up to look out the doors.

It was such breathtaking scenery.

The Crane School was built at the foot of a plateau.

The plateau was not alone however, it was one of many that seemed to go on forever. The area was foggy, lush, and green it had a magical quality to itself almost surreal in its look. The dojo itself and the town below looked as though they had always been there, it seemed as old as the plateaus.

They had landed a ways away but it was obvious why. There was nowhere to land close to the dojo the trees were as tightly clustered as the town was. It was a jungle with only one road built possible hundreds if not thousands of years ago. The Captain arrived drinking and walked in front of the boy's view of the marvelous landscape.

"So, your finally awake sunshine."

Kakarrot snarled, "Shut the hell up or I'll rip your face off."

"You know. You should be nicer to me. After all I saved your life."

Kakarrot chuckled. "Like you honestly want me to believe that you did it for me? Not because Red would have your hide if I were to die?"

Yellow scoffed, intentionally not responding to Kakarrot on the subject said, "Can you walk, or do you need to be carried?"

Kakarrot said in a biting tone. "What you think I'm some sort of weakling!"

"No, I'm wondering if your legs are broken?"

"Well stop then. Their fine." He got up despite the pain to a mild shock of the Captain. The boy managed to get out of the chopper and onto the plateau that they were on. The soldiers were gathering around looking at him. The boy faking strength forced his back up straight. and said, "So are when going to get a move on?"

They marched down the plateau slowly, but surely. Every step caused his pain to get worse and worse while getting down from plateau. It would be easier when they finally got down to level ground. The soldiers were joking amongst themselves comparing this place to another place. They came through the village to find the villager's worried glares.

The villagers were from an earlier era.

The mountains and plateaus seemed to have cut them off from the rest of the world. The soldier's enjoyed the villager's frightened stares soaking them up. The cadre made it up to the doors of the Crane School up the long steps to the dojo.

Waiting for them there was an ancient man with a crane hat. He was wearing green robe and had on black sunglasses. His hair was a greyish blue, his face was saggy and had a cruel look to it. Kakarrot felt something familiar to this old man to the last old man despite the fact he could already tell they couldn't be farther apart.

The old man scowled. "Took you long enough."

"Aw Master Shen. Sorry we were held up by unforeseen circumstances."

"I see…" (He was starting at the injured Kakarrot.) "So, this is the sickly weakling infant that Red wants me to teach."

It was like someone had just hit the bull in the ball. Kakarrot was zero to sixty in a second. Now foaming at the mouth, teeth grinding, face red and fists clenched. Kakarrot lunged at the Shen his mouth going for the jugular. Faster than the soldiers could see Shen dodged and gave the boy a chop to his neck knocking him out. Yellow was stunned along with his men.

"Hmm not very smart boy. He has quite the temper and quite strong considering he tried that with all of those broken bones. He has a high pain tolerance that could be useful. Why is the boy all broken up? You had made it sound as if I was getting a ready to get pupil not a wounded animal."

"The boy made us stop and he go into a scrap with an old man with a turtle shell."

Shen then also suddenly became hostile and aggressive yelling "An old man with a turtle shell!"

Yellow gulped and said back, "Yes."

Shen was snarling and look down at the boy spitting with rage. "It's high time I do something about Roshi."

Shen grabbed ahold of the boy's tail tightly squeezing it. Then as an afterthought while walking away said, "You can go now." The soldiers looked at each other shrugged and walked back towards their LZ. One of the lesser disciples of the Crane School came to Shen as he reentered the school.

"How may I help master?"

"Take this." He tossed Kakarrot over to the arms of the disciple who was surprised and fell back at the sudden increase of weight. "Make sure the boy is taken out of that armor and given a proper gi. Bring him to me when he wakes. I will be in the Zen room." The rude master walked passed him not even bothering to look at the disciple.


Hours later Kakarrot woke to see a raven-haired girl starting at him from above with her black eyes and pink old fashion dress. Tight hair buns on her head almost looking like yarn balls. She had been for some reason about to examine him, and he didn't like that.

The two's eyes met, and she backed off but seemed none too pleased about it. Kakarrot lurched up to look at himself. He no longer had on his Grandpa's armor instead was wearing a black and ashen grey gi not to dissimilar from that orange gi that that girl was wearing.

"What the hell am I wearing!?"

Young girl angrily spat, "Your new gi jerk. Master didn't want you in your armor. You need proper train gear, and this is that. Oh, and if you were wondering my name is Yurin."

"I don't care."

Yurin pouted then said loudly, "Jerk's up!"

A disciple came in and Kakarrot got to his feet with the girl still angrily staring at him as he was led out of the room and lead to the Zen room. It was an open room with sand on the floor and a rock in the middle which where Shen was sitting. Kakarrot remember what this old man had already done to him. So as polite as he could he sat down folded his legs and stared at the old man who was above him.

Shen said with his eyes closed in the meanest tone he could muster. "You lost..." Kakarrot snarled. "To a better fighter who was better than you in every conceivable measure. He was faster, stronger, calmer and more skilled. In short you are weak."

Kakarrot trying and failing to bite his tongue said, "I'm not weak."

Shen angrily but with his eyes still closed. "Oh, you're weak. You can't examine yourself. You can't leave a comment unchallenged. The reasons why you lost are obvious to everyone but you. You are a spoiled brat who has gotten everything he has wanted until now. You didn't have to work to gain your power you merely had it gifted to you. You simply have no respect for others. You merely decided whether or not they are useful to you or not. This will all change starting today. I am going to teach you respect. Even if I have to kill you." Shen opened his eyes and looked at him. "Much like a wild horse I must break you, tame you, and then I will make you a good little monkey."

Kakarrot growled at this Shen looked in his eyes.

"You will be a killer boy a diamond in the rough but right know you a merely a dirt clod. You will need pressure to turn you into something worthwhile. Starting tomorrow you will run to a farm that is a few miles from here. You will plow that farm's fields and clean the barn and pick the apples from the tree's that are ripe. You will not eat any of the food or animals. If you do. I can assure you. I won't feed you and you will get a good taste of my fist. You will do this until I say otherwise. If you refuse, I will not teach you. Try and kill me again, I will give you a reason to hate me."

Kakarrot said in an irritated tone, "You're going to have me do farm work!?" Faster than lighting Shen jumped from his rock and smacked Kakarrot hard across the face then returned to his rock. To Kakarrot's shock and surprise on the shear speed and pain. The old turtle man was faster than him, he was sure but now this old crane man. It was confusing to say the least.

Shen snapped angrily, "No more back talk! From here on out I talk, you listen. Interrupt me and I will teach you the meaning of the word pain! You will do farm work like a common peasant. Then you will help a construction crew flatten the ground and make a house. You will deliver newspapers and milk. You will clean toilets and receive nothing for it. Except I may decide to feed you once and awhile. You will suffer and as you are suffering you will either learn respect or I will kill you."

Kakarrot mouth wanted to bite something but he forced him to stay silence and didn't show his teeth. Shen smiled at how obvious it looked like the boy wanted to kill him but was staying still and silent. He knew it would take some work, but he would break this brat.

Shen grinned. "I can see we are making headway already. At the very least I hope to at least make you quiet. Now go I have no further use for you today. Enjoy eating for today because you might not eat for quite some time."

Kakarrot got up and was walking to the door when Shen said, "You are to bow to your master, when you are leaving his presence."

Kakarrot spun around and quickly bowed to Shen then continued on his way. Kakarrot was angrily stomping his feet his mind foaming over with rage.

No one had ever talked to like that before and the same with the turtle man. He had been master of his world at RRA headquarters either you feared him or you were Grandpa and loved him. He wanted to eviscerate Shen just as much he wanted to kill that loud turtle, spouting nonsense. He came here to learn how to kill better not learn how to farm.

He was intercepted in the hallway by two figures. Kakarrot had though himself the weird thing around. But he smiled when he saw these freaks as he would put it. A small maybe three-foot creature with a clown's face with painted red checks, he was in green with a black hat and a vacant expression on his face. The other was a very much muscled three eyed man that had to be at least in his late teens. The muscles being visible even in his flowing green robes.

Tien said dismissively, "So you must be the new pupil of Master Shen. You don't look like much little boy."

Kakarrot smiled. "My bad, I didn't realize the circus was in town. I should have bought tickets to see the freaks. I do kind of feel like I am stealing right know."

"Says the boy with a tail."

"I'm not human. My tail is supposed to be there. Can you say the same about your third eye and the clown makeup?" Tien fists clenched. "I mean seriously did you both come from a toxic waste dump." Tien stepped towards to Kakarrot delight. The two were getting ready to slaughter one another when a figure emerged behind Tien.

"I hope Tien you're not planning on breaking one of my brother's rules."

Tien and Chiaotzu spun around then bowed to the pink clad pony-tailed figure that was behind them. Tao was a cruel man a look at his face could tell you that fact. He was tall, slender and his hair black. He looked a lot young then they said he was. Shen look more his age then Tao to Kakarrot and any casual observer. Kakarrot quickly joined in with Tien and Chiaotzu in with the bowing for fear that Tao would share his brother's fury.

"Not at all Sir. I was merely about to congratulate the boy on joining our school!"

Kakarrot could hear the trembling in Tien's voice he was terrified of this man. He was bracing himself for a beating. It would seem that the Crane teaches through pain he quickly figured out.

"Like I am to believe that. Do you need more instruction Tien?"

Tien quickly shook his head 'No'.

"Well then stop acting like a brat. Speaking of which…" (Tao looks at Kakarrot) "so you're the newbie. You don't look like much."

Kakarrot fury was relit with his fists clenched and teeth clenched.

Tao noticed this and said, "Another live one huh. Good. Heed my advice boy. Keep that fire in your stomach burning because it is the only way you are going to survive my brother's training. Hate is a powerful tool when used properly." Tao began to walk passed Tien and Kakarrot then started to examine his fingernails. Taking up quite a few minutes then as an afterthought said, "You can stop now."

Their heads raised up as Tao continued on into his brother's Zen room. Kakarrot and Tien just stared daggers at one another as Kakarrot walked passed him. The day may have been a shit show but at least he had gotten one over on Triclop.

He returned to his room where the girl, Yurin was still there, pouting and angry by the looks of it.

He had just realized that that there were no beds in the room. He had been laid out on a bedroll on the floor. The room was sparse it had a toilet with a paper curtain. If it was metal or concrete with would be exactly as some of the soldiers described as prison.

"Well what the hell is your problem?" She was about to respond. "Oh, wait I just remembered- I don't care."

Yurin's face was red and she was considering throwing a punch his way. Yurin furiously yelled, "Jerk! My problem is that Master won't train me and it's because of you and the other two. He says that girls shouldn't learn martial arts only witchcraft!"

"Wow that sounds like a whole lot of not my problem."

Yurin started crying. "You boys are all the same!"

She stormed out of the room leaving a confused Kakarrot. Something about seeing her cry was unsetting to him. It would have been like if the other girl had surrendered. For some reason in the back of his mind he enjoyed waking up to her angry glare earlier. He realized this was her room and his room. His nose was twitching.

He rushed out and began to walk beside her. "I didn't know."

Yurin tilted her head and marched away from Kakarrot. Her trying to avoid him only seem to encourage him as he kept pace. "I only want to talk."

"I don't want to talk to you."

Kakarrot was about say something else when the dinner bell rung. He in an instant forgot about her and rushed to the location of the bell to find no food on the table. Instead he was instructed to sit and wait for everyone else to his discomfort.

Slowly they came in as he tapped at the floor. They had no chair they all just sat on some pillows next to a short table. Instead of fork and knives like he was used to, they used chop sticks not that he normally used utensils. But it was obvious that this was a different etiquette style then he was used to.

He had never been forced to wait so long for a meal before, but he knew that this was probably another test of him. They all arrived and sat down and finally the food came. It was rice and stir fry nothing special. The moment it hit his plate Kakarrot was about to just scoop up the food and shove it into his mouth when he suddenly felt a sharp pain.

His nose was bleeding. He looks to see the cruel smile on Shen's face. The Master had broken his nose in the few seconds when his eyes were closed. He then said, "Eat like a human, not a monkey. Try that again and I will break your arm."

Kakarrot swallowed his pride stood up and bowed to Shen. He then tried eating like a human as Shen had put it. The sticks could not get the food into his mouth fast enough for his liking. He had never tried eating like this before and he hated it. The chopsticks required an extra bit of effort he was loathing. He just wanted to throw the chopsticks away and eat as nature had intend.

Dinner for once for Kakarrot took forever, all done in silence.

No one spoke a word to one another. He hated that part too.

Sure, people were silence when he ate but after that they were making tons of noise which felt right. In fact, this entire place was far too quiet. He was used to the sound of jets, gunfire, and machinery that were all common on the base. This place was dead silent except for the bugs.

When dinner was over the students got up first and bowed to Shen and Tao which Kakarrot joined in with. Night had come to Kakarrot's surprise, but he remembered that he had been unconscious for quite some time. Most of the day was wasted being knocked out.

Kakarrot when to his room along with Yurin the two entered their prison of a room. The room was dark unlit. Yurin was forced to feel around to find her bed roll. While Kakarrot found his easily in the dark thanks to his sense of smell.

In the dark the two rested their heads but before Kakarrot could go to sleep he said to her. "I will teach you."

"What?"

"You heard me. You deserve to be a warrior too. Where I came from women could be warriors and they were just as good as the men. Despite your whining and crying you might have potential."

"Why would you do this for me?"

"Not for you but because Shen doesn't wish you to learn how to fight. So, I want you to learn how to fight."

"So, your just doing this to disobey Master."

"Yes."

"You're insane you know that?"

Kakarrot turned over to face Yurin in the darkness to which she could faintly see a sparkling glow lightly filling the room. "Yurin one day I am going rip Master Shen's head off and use his cleaned skull as a drinking cup." The room went dark again.

Yurin had felt it, he was serious.

She didn't understand how he made the room glow and it scared her a little, but she found herself smiling. She would finally get what she wanted. This Kakarrot wasn't as bad as she had thought in fact, he was rather charming now.