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Chapter 5:

CLASH OF SUPER SAIYANS!

Note: Here you go folks, a new chapter is here :). It's taking a bit longer now since I'm actually starting to write the new chapters and kinda re-writing the 6th and 7th, to make the story more coherent and connected. I have a couple of ideas how to go on; just need to somehow sort them out and bring them all together to make the story as believable as possible (from the DBZ point of view), so things actually make sense and are not just slapped together just for the sake of writing something. Have fun reading, that's an order XD.

Room of Spirit and Time - an endless dimension as far as the eye could see. Empty and barren, where silence is present every second that passes. Only the sound of the clocks and massive hourglasses can be heard. Sands of time within those two hourglasses slowly tick the remaining time away. Normally, peace and tranquility would be present here, but these have been disturbed by numerous explosions and shockwaves which were the result of two participants, who have decided to train and endure their bodies and spirits. Their training consisted of no compromises, no slacking off and definitely no quitting. As Gohan has finally reached the Super Saiyan state, Goku is now facing not only a powerful sparring partner, but a person, determined to overcome his limits and surpass them as much as he is. Gohan may look just like a child, but his power is slowly starting to rival his father's. His fighting style is adapting to Goku's, correcting errors as much as he can and trying to soak up all the advice Goku is giving him.

To break the repetitiveness of their training, they decided to do something a little different to heighten their agility and dexterity - playing tag. The rules were simple: Gohan needs to catch his father, using everything he knows and vice versa. The full-blooded Saiyan transformed first and Gohan gave him a couple of seconds head start. As his father vanished into the distant mist, the half-breed Saiyan tensed his muscles, and with a little struggle, also transformed and started thinking.

I've never imagined I'd possess this kind of power at my age. It's almost... terrifying. Trying to keep calm in this state is almost impossible; it's like I have an urge to fight and test myself even more. Now I understand why dad, Trunks and Vegeta all have that specific look in their eyes when they transform. Now I'm one of them and it's time I embrace the Saiyan genes in me. I need to get even stronger so I can protect my family and friends.

After his little revelation, he rushed to where Goku had disappeared in the mist. As he landed, he tried finding his father Ki signature. A split second later he located him and fired a Ki blast in that direction. Goku appeared and just dodged it.

"You're gonna have to do better that that," he told his son and disappeared again.

"I'm just getting started," replied the newborn Super Saiyan.

The chase continued and more and more Ki blast could be heard whooshing all over the place. As Goku tried to dodge a whole barrage, the little demi-Saiyan rushed towards him from the side, but missed him as Goku had somehow managed to dodge all his Ki blasts. Well, he wasn't going to just let his son have all the "fun", so he fired a couple of his own Ki blasts at Gohan. The little boy, now empowered with the Super Saiyan state, had no trouble of dodging them. But as soon as he had dodged the last one, more were coming his way.

"That won't work dad," he said to himself.

He blasted them with an energy beam and proceeded towards Goku, who was still trying to not get caught. This game went on for quite a while until Gohan managed to corner his father by firing Ki blasts all around him. The final wave was heading towards the older Saiyan, but he managed to roll away, making them miss, creating an explosion. But before he managed to gain some ground, another wave was on collision course with him. With nowhere to go, since other waves kept exploding around him, he fired a Ki blast at them and blew them up. A split second later, everything went quiet...

"Got you," said Gohan and landed on his shoulders. "I win," he smiled.

"You got me there son. You took me by surprise. I guess I let my guard down with all those Ki blasts and explosions, so I never saw you coming from above."

Gohan jumped from his dad and continued.

"Hey dad, can I ask you something?"

"Sure. What's on your mind?"

"I was wondering... can you see how strong I am? I mean, can you compare my power to yours, just so I can see where I am?" asked the little Saiyan.

"Well, I guess so. But you need to ..."

Before he could finish, his son has already started powering up. His muscles tightened and bulged, his power started rising. It didn't take long for him to reach his peak. Goku's expression remained the same, but on the inside, he was surprised.

He's really taking this training seriously. When I was his age, I wasn't even nearly as strong as he is.

After reaching his max output, Gohan powered down, but stayed in the Super Saiyan form.

"Well, what do you think? I'm probably way below you," asked Gohan curiously.

"Well yeah, I am stronger Gohan, but I've had a lot more training than you. BUT... you could defeat Frieza easily. You're A LOT stronger then I was at your age. But don't worry, we have a lot more training to do. Why don't you go train alone for a while," Goku explained.

The little Saiyan just smiled and ran off to train on his own, but Goku started thinking.

If he only knew what power is hidden deep within him. I can't imagine how strong he'll become when we end our training here. I was actually surprised how powerful he was in his Super Saiyan form and he'll just continue to grow in strength, maybe even faster than me.

Numerous days have passed and Goku had a feeling his son was making fast progress. Based on that assumption, he wanted to have a serious sparring match to see how they are both doing.

"You ready for another serious sparring Gohan? I think it's time we see the results of your training."

"Yeah. Whenever you're ready, dad," replied his son with a teasing voice.

They both got into positions and transformed. After doing that, they appeared in the air, delivering fast punches and kicks to each other. Like that wasn't enough, Ki blast started raining all over the place and occasionally a Masenko and Kamehameha caused an explosion. The fight went on for around 4 hours and they both started to feel the drain on their energy. Gohan was bruised and scratched, while his dad had almost no signs of damage.

They both landed and the demi-Saiyan was breathing heavily, showing his fatigue.

The older Saiyan noticed that and said: "We should take a break."

Gohan, breathing deeply: "... No... not yet. I can continue."

"You sure?"

"I said I can go on, dad!" said his son with a serious voice.

He rushed at Goku with shocking speed and attacked him, trying to land a punch to his face. He dodged and hit Gohan in the stomach, but the little boy managed to kick him in the face. As he jumped back, he fired a Ki blast at his father, who deflected it away and waited. That's what made Gohan angry.

"What are you waiting for, dad? ATTACK!"

The full-blooded Saiyan was confused: "What do you mean? I am attacking."

"No you're not. You're just sparring. And not just this time, but all the sparring matches we've had before," explained his son in an angry voice.

"But..."

"If you want me to grow stronger, you need to push me to my limits. You're too gentle, fight like you mean it. FORGET I'M YOUR SON!" shouted Gohan.

His father was shocked, hearing those words from his son. He knew Gohan never enjoyed fighting and always let him be the training teacher. but this time he wanted Goku to forget he is his son and start treating him like a true sparring partner. Goku didn't approve, but decided to do what Gohan had just asked of him. Out of nowhere, a big power surged from Goku's body; he's accepted Gohan's dare and charged at him with full power.

Finally, this is what I've been waiting for, thought Gohan and mustered all the power he had available.

The fight was fast and relentless. There was no father-son relationship on the battlefield, only two opponents trying to knock each other out. It wasn't long when the little Saiyan was totally overpowered. Punch to the face made his nose bleed and a punch to the stomach caused him lots of pain, but he managed to fight on. Goku grabbed his arm from behind and threw him into the air, following in high pursuit. As Gohan had managed to regain control, Goku's fist was already in his stomach... again, making the half-Saiyan spit out some blood. After that he got a kick in the back which sent him crashing to the ground, but before reaching it, Goku had caught up with him and pushed a Ki blast right into his torso, making Gohan hit the ground very hard and causing an explosion.

As the smoke settled, he was all burnt and beaten lying on the floor in his base form. His father landed and said:

"Is this what you wanted Gohan? I can't say I approve."

After hearing this words, the half-Saiyan opened his eyes and managed to get on his feet, just barely.

"T-This is the only way dad, and you know it."

Goku didn't want to admit it, but his son was actually right. If he wanted Gohan to become as strong as he is, he'll need to train with him harder than ever.

"You n-need to push me, above and b-beyond my limits. T-That's ...the... Saiyan... way," Gohan added and lost consciousness because of the exhaustion.

His father picked him up and carried him to bed, mending his bruises and scratches.

Chichi is going to kill me if she finds out what kind of training Gohan wants. But I guess there really isn't any other way. We have to defeat Cell and the androids no matter what.

After 6 months in the ROSAT, Gohan's appearance has changed slightly: he was just bit taller and more muscular because of all the training and his Saiyan heritage. But looking at his mental picture, it didn't change one bit. He insisted on Goku pushing him to his absolute limits, every time they trained and sparred together. No exceptions. He wanted to become stronger no matter what. He didn't expect, but demanded only the best from himself. He was still defeated in every battle against his father, BUT, the gap between their power was closing at an alarming rate.

Even though the little Saiyan was never victorious in battles, he was enjoying every bit of them. The fact that his father was stronger than him, motivated little Gohan to push himself even more when training alone. Both have trained long and hard up to this day but Goku had a little surprise which didn't make Gohan happy at all.

As the young half-Saiyan was taking a break from his solo training, he noticed his father sitting on the ground quietly. Not too long after that, he stood up and changed into a Super Saiyan which caught his son's attention. A yellow aura surrounded his father and then he started screaming in powering up immensely. His hair got spikier and the muscles increased dramatically, making him really buff.

"You did it, dad. You ascended past the normal Super Saiyan," he cheered.

"There's one more transformation possible..."

He started powering up again, the hair became even more spiked, his muscles enlarged even more and Gohan couldn't believe the power he was sensing.

"Wow, you must be stronger than Cell now."

"No, that's not it. I might have this awesome power, but all these muscles are just slowing me down. There's no point in being this strong if you can't catch or hit your opponent," explained his dad and powered down completely.

"And besides, it takes a lot of energy just to transform which is a big disadvantage on the battlefield," he added.

Gohan just sat there, listening to his father. He didn't say anything, his mind was preoccupied with what had just happened. The fact that his dad surpassed an ordinary Super Saiyan not once, but twice in a couple of minutes, annoyed him beyond belief. But on the other hand, now he knew that these 2 new transformations drain to much energy and stamina which meant that there must be a better way to surpass the regular Super Saiyan and he was determined to find it.

"You know what Gohan," continued Goku: "I think we should slow down our training and focus on our regular Super Saiyan forms."

"What do you mean?" the little Saiyan asked surprised.

"I mean we should try to use as less energy as possible to transform and maintain that form. We need to get used to it, so the strain on our bodies will be minimal."

"That's... that's a great idea, dad. So I should just be a Super Saiyan all the time?"

"Yep, as much as you can. But don't overdo it son, you know it takes quite a bit of energy just to stay in that state for long periods of time."

"Don't worry dad, I can handle it," replied his son full of optimism.

"Great, now let's get something to eat, I'm STARVING."

After a nice meal and some relaxation, Gohan was itching to fight his dad, so he proposed: "Hey dad, wanna fight me, all out, no holding back? We've only got 6 more months before our time here runs out."

"Sure. I've been meaning to ask you the same for a couple of days now but kinda didn't since you were doing a lot of your training alone and I didn't want to mess with your routine."

"I appreciate that dad. I know I've been acting different since I transformed into a Super Saiyan, but you have to understand that here, we're sparring partners. We need to push ourselves way beyond our limits if we want to have a chance against Cell," added the little Saiyan and prepared for battle.

"I know exactly what you mean. And believe me, I won't be holding back, just like you asked," answered Goku and transformed into a Super Saiyan.

"Let's see what you've got, dad," teased Gohan also transforming into a Super Saiyan.

The older Saiyan charged head on and attacked his son, who evaded his attack, but Goku quickly turned around and swung his fist towards the little boy. A shockwave occurred when the hit connected... with Gohan's hand - he had blocked successfully. They both jumped back to create some distance.

"I see you've improved even more. You ready for the full power battle?" asked Goku.

"More than ever," replied the little demi-Saiyan with a smirk on his face.

At that point Goku started powering up... 40 %... 60 %... 80 %... 100 %. Gohan was standing still and observing. Goku's energy made his hair blow in the wind, the ground started shaking, until the power up was complete.

"Wow, you're strong dad," nodded his son.

"Let's see what you've accomplished in these past weeks," he challenged Gohan.

The half-breed assumed the power up stance and did the same... 40 %... 90 %... 100%.

Goku was surprised how quickly he had powered up, but before he could do anything, his son was already charging at him. Goku barely parried his kick, but Gohan jumped over him, grabbed his armor and threw him into the air, quickly following him. Before he could regain control in mid air, Gohan was already on top of him with a Ki blast in his hand. The full-blooded Saiyan crossed his arms in front of him when the energy ball collided with him. The explosion was small, but just enough of distraction for Gohan to kick his opponent in the back and sending him to the ground. This time, he waited in the air as Goku recovered a few meters from the ground and immediately rushed towards his son. They've engaged in a hand to hand combat, exchanging blows and kick like true Super Saiyans. Goku managed to punch Gohan in the face, giving him a bloody nose, but the young Saiyan returned the favor by kicking his dad in the stomach.

They we're going at it for hours, flying all over the place, firing Ki blasts, fighting, trying to get an advantage over one another. Goku had the upper hand at the beginning, but as the fight lasted longer, Gohan started becoming his equal, until they were at the same level. Both bruised, burnt and with blood coming out of their noses and mouths, they finally landed, both breathing heavily.

"I-I'm surprised you... you can keep up Gohan," Goku commended him.

"Ah... ah... I guess I've improved more than I imagined," answered his son a bit arrogantly.

" You're... you're not going all out are you?"

"As a matter of fact... I am. I'm just not using or let's say wasting so much energy, trying to fight at my maximum AND staying a Super Saiyan."

"That explains why I had the upper hand when we started, but started losing ground the longer we fought. I'm amazed son. You've mastered the Super Saiyan."

"I wouldn't say that dad. Sure I'm using my energy more efficiently, but I have a feeling I can go further."

"It's not over yet," ended Goku and started screaming, using all of his remaining energy.

"You're full of surprises dad. But that w-...," before he could finish, Goku had used his Instant Transmission and punched his son in the face, then a series of kicks and punches connected with his body, finally using a powerful kick which sent Gohan flying far away. As the older Saiyan prepared for his final attack, the Kamehameha... he felt Gohan's Ki rise... fast.

"AAAAAAAAAA..." started shouting Gohan, also using all of his remaining energy.

Wow, he still has so much energy. That's unbelievable, thought Goku.

"Ka... me..." started chanting Gohan.

"ha... me..." continued Goku.

"HAAAAAAAA" both yelled at the same time, unleashing their most destructive attack at each other. When both energy beams collided, a huge shockwave emanated from the point of impact. Both were giving everything they had... and more... like it was for life or death. Even though Gohan had used less energy during the fight, Goku was still stronger and could take him on with less. No one was winning, it was a stalemate.

Ughhh, I have to endure... I have to push harder... I need to get stronger than dad. For my friends, for mum... for dad.

These words in his mind ignited a fuse in him, which pushed a portion of his "hidden" potential out.

"AAAAAAAAAAA..." screamed the little Saiyan, increasing the size of his Kamehameha, which engulfed Goku's and was heading towards him at an incredible speed.

As there was nothing he could do, the older Saiyan quickly used his Instant Transmission and evaded the huge blue beam of energy. When it hit the ground, a massive, blinding explosion erupted. When the blinding light faded, he could see Gohan lying on the ground but still in his Super Saiyan form.

"Gohan!" he yelled and quickly ran to him.

He supported his head with his hands and lifted him into a sitting position.

"D... dad?" his son asked, all worn out and exhausted.

"It's me son. You sure put on quite a show back there," Goku smiled.

"Heh... I-I gave it all I had."

"I guess you're starting to tap into your hidden power."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, ever since you we're just a little boy, you had an uncontrollable power hidden deep inside you. You managed to hurt Raditz, even fought with Nappa and Vegeta. Remember Namek? You actually fought Frieza and gave him a run for his money. Don't you see son... whenever you or your friends are in danger, you unleash that power which is locked deep inside you," explained his dad.

"Then I guess I have to somehow find a way to bring that power out."

"Don't worry about it Gohan. I'm sure you'll know how to use it when the time is right."

They both got on their feet and slowly made their way to the building. It was a long day and both were tired, not to mention bruised and scratched from all the fighting. When they finally reached the building, they both went into the bathroom and took a nice, long, relaxing bath.

"Can you pass me the shampoo?" asked Goku.

"Sure. Here 'ya...," and he squished the bottle. "Whoops... sorry," smiled the half-Saiyan.

"It looks like you haven't fully mastered the Super Saiyan yet", laughed Goku.

"Well, why don't you pass me the towel then, dad?" teased his son with a smirk on his face.

"No problem. Here, catch," and he threw the towel so hard it actually stuck to the ceiling.

"Hahaha, look who's talking," chuckled the little boy.

"Gosh, this IS hard," laughed back his father, scratching his head.

Well they managed to somehow not break anything in the bathroom, but the kitchen was another story. Plates, glasses, cutlery, mostly broken or twisted.

"Mr. Popo is gonna be so mad. At least we're lucky he had stocked the kitchen with extra plates and stuff," Goku chuckled.

After their first Super Saiyan feast they brushed their teeth, geeeeently. Success, no toothbrushes broken. Gohan was already sleeping in his bed when Goku returned from the bathroom and went to bed himself. He was really tired and exhausted, proving that Gohan had become a formidable opponent and an equal sparring partner.

Note: Hope you enjoyed this chapter... it was a bit longer than the rest :). I'm satisfied with it, because balancing Gohan's changing attitude with his father's relationship is difficult. Gohan is not an arrogant boy, or disrespectful, he just wants to become stronger no matter what, but at the same time still keeping that genuine father-son relationship they've always had. As you have seen, I also included a few humor or funny scenes, just to break that tense and serious atmosphere. Gohan and Goku always had these moments which deepen their bond. It's an important thing to remember as it will play a big role in the near future chapter(s) ;). Any comments, suggestions, or anything else is much appreciated :). Until next time, byeeee.