All Manners of Help
On the shores of Narukami Island, a young woman could be seen walking about by herself, her eyes wandering around the area while looking for a particular group she was deeply associated with.
Her name was Kuki Shinobu.
If one were to give her a moniker, then she herself would say that the most fitting one would be deputy leader.
The deputy leader of the Arataki Gang.
Her current objective was to find out what exactly her gang had gone off to, as the last she had seen of them was when she was observing them at the outskirts of Hanamizaka with an individual she had never seen before, but ultimately disregarded it as she had other matters to attend to earlier in the day.
Now that her prior engagement was done, she had walked back to Hanamizaka, only to find the rest of the Arataki Gang had completely disappeared.
After asking the residents there, it seemed that Itto and the rest of the gang had moved deeper into the city, only underneath instead of inside.
...alongside a number of patrolling officers, notably from the Tenryou Commission following behind them.
Shinobu let out a sigh as she could sense the potential headaches if those boys were to be locked up in jail cells again.
It has happened so many times now she was already preparing the next set of excuses and justifications to reduce their sentences.
Having thought that, her thoughts also wandered to what happened with the sky just now...
The fluctuation from the calm blue sky to the thunderous roar of lightning was not the most unexpected phenomenon to any person that lived in Inazuma, but it had never occurred so abruptly without reason before.
Whatever it was, there was no way Itto and the others had anything to do with it right?
Upon walking for half an hour, she finally stopped as she saw three silhouettes standing at the shore, unmoving.
Recognizing who they were, Shinobu walked over to their location, intending to hear their excuses before doing anything else.
...And they better have one.
"Guys...do you think the boss was able to grab Goku in time?" Akira asked the other two, wondering what was holding their boss for so long.
Mamoru merely let out an aura of confidence, "Of course he has, it's the boss."
As far as they were concerned, their boss was the most reliable person around...barring other insignificant matters of course.
Akira continued, "Then why is he taking so long? We've been waiting here for a while now, but they haven't come back up yet."
The other two did not have an answer for that, for none of them knew what was going on right now.
Genta was the one who was thinking of the worst sort of possibilities as he suddenly yelled out loud, "Did you think...the boss drowned as well!?"
Before they could let the questions settle in, a familiar voice cut into their conversation.
"...What was that about drowning?"
The three jumped in fright upon hearing the sudden interjection, and turned towards the new person among them, only to gulp upon realizing who it was.
Mamoru was the first to greet their deputy leader, "Ahhaha, Shinobu...umm, what brings you here?"
With her left hand on her hip, she began listing them, "Oh I don't know. How about the fact I saw the four of you talking with someone I've never seen before a few hours ago? Or the fact I've heard patrol guards following you knuckleheads sneaking into an area right underneath the city?"
Akira could feel the sweat pouring out of him just from sheer nervousness alone, "Shinobu, I know it sounds bad, but for once, we didn't get caught by the Tenryou Commission."
Shinobu raised an eyebrow at his explanation, as to her knowledge, that has never happened before.
"Get caught? So you all did something after all, it's just that the Tenryou Commission couldn't find a reason to arrest any of you."
Once more, the trio was utterly terrified by their demon of a deputy leader. It was almost like she had some sort of sixth sense whenever they did anything.
But no, it was simply because unlike those guards just now, Shinobu's perceptiveness in figuring out their antics was on a whole other level.
Surprisingly, she didn't let out an exasperated sigh, "Well, at least you all weren't arrested this time so you can explain it to me later. By the way, where's the boss...and that other person?"
As the three scrambled to provide an explanation to her, all their attention was caught by a splashing noise a few distances away from shore.
Water burst forth from a small area as one Arataki Itto popped out from the ocean, gasping ever so loudly as this was the first instance of fresh air he had ever gotten since diving into the ocean.
After getting back his breath, Itto hastily placed a figure onto his back, and proceeded to swim towards their general location.
The trio cheered upon seeing the scene, while Shinobu was understandably confused.
The cheerful atmosphere slowly dissipated as the pained expression on their leader's face became more apparent as he got closer to shore, telling them that something was wrong.
And they were right when their eyes shifted to the person Itto was carrying.
They could not get the clearest view on Goku's current condition, but the purple glow that emanated from his back was more than enough to convey his well-being.
The moment Itto arrived on shore, he dropped to his knees, stubbornly maintaining his balance to avoid hurting Goku in the process.
After all, their new member was already in a pretty bad condition.
"Boss!" the trio cried out in worry, while Shinobu watched them closely, something that did not go unnoticed by Itto.
"Krrgh—Forget about me! Shinobu, I don't know how you found us but I ain't gonna question it. Do you think you can help Goku!?"
It was clear to her that this Goku was the person that was on Itto's back. While she had many questions for him, she pushed them off for now.
"What exactly happened?"
"I don't know. All I know is these things on Goku aren't leaving him no matter what I do, even after carrying him all the way back here."
Upon seeing the visible strain their leader was showing, the trio approached Itto as they prepared to take Goku away from him, only for all three to flinch from the slightest contact with the martial artist.
Just as their leader had said, there was indeed something hovering around Goku, notably purple sparks flying in and out of his body. Due to their haste just now, they did not acknowledge its existence until they physically felt it themselves.
It was similar to the stinging sensation of being zapped, only much more amplified.
Noticing their failed effort, Itto slowly removed Goku from his back as well, only to feel a sudden jolt assaulting his senses. He groaned as the rest of the gang helped him in his endeavor, enduring the pain until finally, the unconscious martial artist was now laid on the ground.
While they were still reeling from the stinging sensation, Shinobu crouched down and began a more thorough observation on Goku's condition.
It did not take long for her to find out what was going on.
Suffice to say, not good.
Not good at all.
Besides the trail of electro energy enveloping him, there were also the multiple slash wounds all across his chest.
And they weren't shallow ones either, as blood was constantly trickling down from the open wounds.
If something wasn't done to close it in time, then he was definitely going to bleed out.
The only good news out of her observation was that somehow...this person was still alive, despite the presumably many minutes that have passed.
It was a miracle honestly, because Goku shouldn't even be breathing by this point.
And this wasn't even accounting for the electro energy emanating within him. If Itto and others were already experiencing pain just by being close to him, then what of the person that was continually enduring them at its strongest.
"Gargh—"
The person in question let out a groan, his head tossing to the side from the sudden jolt of intensity as sparks flared up out of nowhere.
Shinobu remained silent despite what just occurred, while the others looked at Goku worriedly, as they did not know what to do for their new friend.
"Do you think it's because he might have fought the Raiden Shogun?" Akira asked, concerned still.
"Well, he did say he wanted to talk to her...yeah yeah, that's totally what happened. I just didn't think it would turn out like this," Itto remarked as he recalled the specific reason Goku wanted to find the Shogun.
"If that did happen, what did she do to him? And was the Raiden Shogun always this scary?"
Although she was not present with them at that time, Shinobu agreed with their conclusion on what transpired. She was secretly a bit proud that they were able to come up with such a reasonable guess, even if they fully grasp the whole picture.
"The Musou no Hitotachi. It's the only reasonable explanation."
She had never personally seen the technique upclose, merely whispers and hushes from time to time. However, that did not mean she did not know of it, considering how famous the technique was within Inazuma.
...or infamous, depending on who you were asking.
Still, what exactly compelled someone to face the Raiden Shogun of all people?
She didn't know who this Goku person was, and the others clearly only met him recently, most probably today if she had to guess. Still, those remaining inquiries were pushed aside.
A rebel...or some sort of crazy fool...if the gang trusted him enough, then it was a decent enough reason for her to at least help out with the repertoire of skills she possessed.
"Musou no whatever, who cares about that! I'm asking again, can you do anything about Goku?" Itto yelled out, desperation in his tone.
Leave it up to her boss to ignore a technique that even some swordmasters worshiped to no end for the safety of a friend.
"Maybe...but before anything else, we have to stop the bleeding. Until then, it's far too risky and unstable to try anything else."
Itto faced her with the utmost seriousness as he spoke, "Alright, so what do we need to do?"
"...I don't exactly have the tools nor do we have the time to be delicate here, so the only option we have is cauterization."
Judging from the amount of time that has passed, who knew when exactly would it be too late?
Sewing up the wounds would take too much time, and with the constant wave of electro energy coming on and off his body, it would hinder more than help if anything, as the moment it jumped in intensity, her hand would slip.
Cauterization, on the other hand, was simple and quick. It might leave scars, but it was much better than the alternative.
There was one obvious issue however.
"So, what's the problem then? You already figured it out!" Itto yelled out in frustration.
She shook her head, "I can't, the electro energy lingering within his body is preventing me from even trying to approach him. I'm sure I can withstand them, but even a single mistake can make the situation even worse."
Not to mention she had willingly given up her Vision, which for the first time since she had done so, believed that she might have made the wrong choice.
"Let me do it then. If you're the one guiding me through it, then I'm sure it's as good as done."
Itto made a good point. Being a descendant of an oni, he was naturally better than her in terms of endurance. Then again, she could already see the stress that her boss had accumulated on his back just by carrying Goku back onto shore.
Shinobu was indecisive, struggling with the idea as she didn't want to put Itto in further danger...that was until her boss cleared away all her concerns.
"I'm the 'One and Oni' Arataki Itto, I'm more than tough enough to handle the pain! So, let's stop wasting time and just do it," Itto stated seriously, snapping her out of her stupor.
Right, this was no time for hesitation. If the boss was fine with it, then she would share the same resolution.
"Akira, Genta, Mamoru!" She yelled out in a commanding voice, alerting the trio.
"Yes!"
"Gather some firewood and make a fire. The larger the better, understand?"
The three nodded in affirmation as they immediately spreaded out, searching for the materials that their deputy leader had requested.
Itto blinked in confusion, not knowing what he was supposed to be doing at the moment.
Noticing her boss's confusion, she pointed at him as she spoke, "You just rest for a bit boss, cause the important part is up to you."
Itto let out a confident grin, "Just leave it to me. Course I know you can handle it as well, but as the leader of the Arataki Gang, I obviously have to be the one to do it."
Normally, Shinobu would admonish him for being so boastful but in this case, she had a feeling that he was telling her that as much as he was telling himself.
Guessed he was looking out for her in his own absurd way.
"Uh Shinobu, what exactly are you doing?" Akira as he stared into the fire before, alongside the rest of the Arataki Gang.
The trio were able to successfully collect the firewood needed, and moments after that, a fire was made near the position of the still unconscious Goku.
Currently, their deputy leader was holding a dagger of some sort atop the fire, resulting in the blade giving off a red hue.
"Heating it up. It's what we need to do if we want to close those wounds."
They merely stared in anticipation, while the faint noises of Goku's groans echoed throughout the night.
"...and done. Here, you hold it boss," she said as she handed the dagger to him.
Itto took the blade awkwardly, for a weapon like this was not one that he was used to handling, not to mention it belonged to Shinobu of all people.
Shinobu gave him a nod of approval, "Good, we can begin then. The more time we waste, the less of a chance of us saving him. I'll guide you on what to do, but do you still think you're up for it boss?"
Amongst the tension and pressure he had felt for a while now, Itto let out a tried and true smile that exuded pure confidence, "I ain't changing my mind, that's for sure."
For Kuki Shinobu, it was as good an assurance as any when it came from Arataki Itto.
"Pah!" Itto released a tired gasp as he sat on the soft sand, releasing his hold on the still heated blade.
A crackling noise could be heard as the hot metal hit the ground, only for it to be picked up by its original owner.
"Nice work, seems like it did the trick," Shinobu complemented as she held her blade high up in the air, her right hand feeling the warmth coming from her weapon as trickles of blood drop from the edge.
Shinobu was correct, as there was no longer blood seeping out of Goku's wound.
However...
"Gargh!" the martial artist yelled out in pain as another sudden jolt of electro energy struck from within.
"It still hasn't stopped!?" Mamoru said in frustration.
While there was no longer the possibility of the martial artist bleeding out, the situation was by no means better, merely lessening one of the worst possibilities.
"We got the first step done right Shinobu? What do we have to do next?"
"...I don't know."
All of them were stunned, they couldn't believe what they were hearing. In all the time they had known their deputy leader, there was never a single time that she did not know what to do for any sort of situation. From bailing them out of arrest, to selecting work that was suitable for even deviants like them...Kuki Shinobu knew it all.
"What do you mean, you don't know? You always know what to do!" Itto cried out in disbelief.
"This situation is unlike any case that I've ever seen before, so we can't just reckless proceed with whatever treatment I can think of at the top of my head."
There was no denying there were few methods she could try, but she had a feeling none of them would actually work.
After all, this was a case that she had never encountered before.
The trails of electro energy that remained from the aftermath of the Musou no Hitotachi intensified once more, startling them as Goku howled in pain.
For Itto and the trio, it was a frustrating feeling.
For Shinobu, it was a sign that things could become even worse.
"So there's nothing we can do?" Akira asked.
"...All we can do is wait and see what happens. Who knows, maybe the electro energy coursing through his body will dissipate sooner than we think."
Despite the fact it was said by their ever knowledgeable deputy leader, even they did not wholeheartedly believe that it would be that simple.
She didn't think so, either.
"Damn it, nothing changed!" Itto yelled out in sheer frustration as his fist hit the ground beneath him.
The other members of the Arataki Gang shared similar sentiments, as they stared once more at Son Goku's condition.
Though night had fallen, the ever bright glow emanating from Goku's body still continued to shine, illuminating the darkness, and it was through that small source of light they were able to clearly see the status of their new member.
It was no better than before.
Goku let out another dulled groan as he turned to the side from the sudden jolt, with small bruises now located at several areas of his body.
"That's it, I can't just sit here doing nothing, I gotta get out of there and ask if anyone knows anything about this."
Anything. He needed to try anything and everything, as he was not going to give up on saving Goku just because he didn't know what to do.
Because if he continued to do nothing, at this rate...
"Yeah, I'm sick of standing around here. We can at least ask around if anyone has any idea on what to do," Akira said, agreeing with Itto.
Mamoru and Genta were just as motivated, joining the other two in their new goal.
Shinobu made no move to stop them. After all, she understood that feeling all too well. If they were to be the one to lose their cool, then she'll keep a cool head to try and figure out another way.
Who knows, they might just be able to find something that she couldn't.
"If you guys are that intent on trying to help, then—Who's there!?"
Itto and the others stopped in their tracks as they heard the intensity coming from Shinobu's voice, and looked towards the direction she was staring at.
They were greeted by the sight of a shadowy figure walking slowly towards them, until the light coming off from Goku revealed the person's appearance.
"...I apologize for startling you, my name is Kaedahara Kazuha," the young man greeted as he gave them a small bow.
"Kaedahara..." Shinobu murmured as the name was vaguely familiar to her, but couldn't quite pin it down on when exactly she had heard of such a name.
"Don't know what you're here for, and I don't have time for it either. If you got a job for us, then the Arataki Gang is currently closed until we're finished with more important things," Itto explained as he waved Kazuha off.
"Oh? What if I were to say that I am here for one Son Goku?"
Now that got their attention.
"How did—you from the Tenryou Commission or something?" Itto asked suspiciously, now actually on guard.
Kazuha covered his mouth with his left fist, thinking up an adequate answer to Itto's question.
In the young man's opinion, the truth would be the best for this sort of situation, lest it turned any worse, "It would be incorrect to say I am from the Tenryou Commission, but I do indeed have a relation with them."
That was not the answer Itto was looking for.
Itto was not someone that could be considered the most rational person, even if one were to compare him to a child's mentality. In his current state of emotion, the hotheadedness of his has now exploded to the point that almost all his rational and logical thinking was thrown out into the wind.
Realizing what her boss was about to do, Shinobu outstretched her arm towards Itto as she called for him, "Wait boss, don't—"
It was too late. Itto had already leapt forward into the air, his right arm reeled back to wind up a right hook on his opponent.
In response, Kazuha did nothing but stood completely still as Itto approached him from the air, only for him to raise his sword at the final instance before the hit connected.
The air shook around them as Itto's fist collided with Kazuha's blade, neither of them recoiling from the resulting impact.
After landing back on the ground, Itto felt the need to compliment the person he just attacked, "Heh, you're not half-bad. Here I thought I was going to knock you out a bit."
"The same compliment also goes to you. I was not expecting such a strong strike from just your bare fist alone," Kazuha complimented back.
"Ahaha, what do you expect? I'm Arataki 'Punch King' Itto. That wasn't even everything I got either."
One moment they were about to look like they were going to fight each other to death, now they were just bantering as if it was the most natural thing in the world.
Even as a fighter herself, Shinobu would never understand moments like these.
"Alright, that's enough," she said as she now stood between the two of them.
"But Shinobu, this guy's from the Tenryou Commission. I bet he's here to arrest Goku just because the Electro Archon couldn't finish the job. Real petty of her if you ask me."
"That's impossible, because he's a fugitive that's running away from the Tenryou Commission. If anything, they would be the one who wants to capture him first instead of finding someone who is believed to be dead."
Itto blinked in confusion, not quite understanding what she was getting at.
Kazuha showed no sign of discomfort at her words, "...I see that my identity is more well known than I first believed."
"Not exactly. I just got a good look at the criminal list once, and your name just happened to be the one I can recall," Shinobu stated.
At the time, she was merely assisting the Tenryou Commission with organizing some files and documents, so the name had come up a couple of times.
"It is perhaps my own fault, my wording could have been conveyed in a way that did not leave any room for misunderstandings."
Shinobu disagreed, but Itto felt otherwise.
"Yup, it was totally your fault. I mean, what do you expect me to think? A guy suddenly shows up and somehow knows Goku's name eventhough we only just met him today!"
"Hm? Then he had challenged the Raiden Shogun on the very first day he had stepped foot on Narukami Island?" Kazuha asked, mildly surprised that such a development had occurred.
"Wait, how exactly do you know that?"
Even she wasn't privy to that knowledge until an hour ago, yet Kazuha already knew what was going on?
Itto pointed his right thumb at their new guest, "Now do you get what I mean Shinobu? He's totally suspicious."
"Let's just say there is someone who was aware of his actions, the past and the present. That very same person made a request of me to search for him, which led me to meeting all of you all here," Kazuha explained calmly.
The members of the Arataki Gang had no clue on who this individual was, as they were far too focused on the other implication from his words.
"Now that you've found him. What exactly are you planning to do with him?"
"..."
Kazuha remained silent, staring eerily long at the unmoving martial artist, his eyes scanning his body from top to bottom.
Then, he closed his eyes to deliberate on a decision, only to open them moments later as he spoke, "I believe my first course of action would be to take him to the ship I came here with, the Alcor. There, he may receive the medical help that he needs."
"Hey, are you saying our Shinobu did something wrong?" Mamoru said, raising his fist in mock anger.
"Oh, were you the one who sealed his wounds? I mean no offense, merely suggesting that seeking an alternative perspective might illuminate another path."
"Don't be. I completely agree with what you're saying," she said offhandedly.
"Shinobu!?" They all cried out in surprise.
She was not done, "However, that doesn't mean we're just leaving him all to you just like that."
Kazuha merely let out a formal smile in response, "Very well, I see no qualms with such an arrangement. Shall we get going then?."
With a loud thud, Itto held Goku up by his left shoulder, now facing towards Kazuha, "Alright then, take us to this Allcar."
Just then, another spark of electro energy came forth out of the martial artist, causing Itto to lose a bit of his strength as his knee fell to the ground...
Only for Kazuha to catch them in time, preventing their fall entirely.
"Here, let me."
Just as Itto was about to question Kazuha's action, the fugitive simply showed a smile as he explained his action just now, "This way, we may be able to arrive there in a quicker manner, and lessen your burden. Not to mention...I'm sure you would be more relaxed if I were to hold him like this as I lead the way, correct? "
Kazuha's statement was clear to them; to show he was willing to put down his guard just so they could move Goku towards the Alcor. This was especially apparent given the way he had sheathed his sword in favour of helping Itto out, and sharing the burden of enduring the pain with him.
Itto bellowed a chuckle at Kazuha's demeanour, "Maybe you're not so bad, even if you are kinda boring."
The others in the Arataki Gang couldn't believe their ears at their leader unknowingly insulting someone, but Kazuma merely took it in stride as he readjusted his shoulder to somewhat fit Itto's height.
Thus, they began their journey towards the Alcor, with Itto and Kazuha at the front of the group while the trio followed along.
Shinobu was at the very back of the group, observing the supposed fugitive just in case anything unforeseen were to happen.
She then noticed Kazuha staring into the distance, a direction that was in opposition to their supposed destination.
His expression steadied, before giving off a smile as he gave it no further attention.
What that was, she did not know, but she somehow doubted it was anything that would directly put them harm's way.
"Wow, that's such a cool looking ship. I don't think even the ones I've seen on Ritou can compare," Mamoru said, admiring the design.
"I'm sure the captain would be delighted to hear such a compliment," Kazuha remarked.
All five now stood on a more isolated location of Narukami Island, what floated before them was the Alcor.
"So, how exactly do we get on it?" Akira questioned, not noticing any sort of way for them to get on it.
But as soon as he asked such a question, a loud voice suddenly boomed out from atop the Alcor.
"Captain, Kazuha is back!"
Said captain gave an equally loud response upon hearing the news, "That so? Took him long enough...lower the gangplank!"
Moments later, a giant ramp was slammed onto the ground before them as it was thrown from the deck of the ship, now acting as a bridge of sorts for them to walk on.
All the members of the Arataki Gang were caught off guard by how fast everything just went, while Kazuha merely let out a content smile as he nudged Itto to move forward as they carried Goku along.
Itto blinked for a moment, only to get it a few moments later as he did just that.
When they took a single step onto the ramp, Kazuha listened in to the hushed conversation behind their backs, courtesy of his sharp hearing.
"Wait a minute. You three should stay here and wait until the Boss and I get back," Shinobu stated as she halted the trio.
Genta was the first to not understand the implied intention,"But how come we can't come along?"
"Look, no matter how nice this Kazuha has been treating us so far. We still don't know why a fugitive returned to Inazuma all of a sudden. If anything, he should be in a location as far away as he can from here, and I doubt retrieving someone you guys just met is worth the risk for it."
Kazuha could not deny that, as that was the natural response. Still, she was not fully incorrect either, as he too had his own personal reason to ensure Goku's safety.
That did not mean it overshadowed his own desire to save a life.
"I guess that makes sense...don't take too long, it's a bit scary being out here by ourselves," Akira said.
Mamoru agreed, "Plus, it is kinda getting cold, but we'll stick through with it. I just hope Goku gets better after all this."
"Yeah..." Genta said with a dispirited tone.
Shinobu did not elaborate any more as she followed along Itto and Kazuha, who were already making their way to the main deck of the Alcor.
As soon as they stepped forth onto the ship, they were greeted by the sight by the captain of said ship, along with many of the crew members being gathered around them.
"Welcome aboard, name's Beidou and I'm the captain of this here crew. Usually, I would give you a better reception but judging on that person the both of you are holding, I'm guessing that's Goku then? From the looks of it, the situation's looking pretty dire huh?"
"Indeed, the only fortune that can be gleaned from this is his strength in persevering and enduring such tribulation."
Kazuha did not exaggerate, for he had merely experienced the fraction of pain that Goku was currently going through, yet even now, the martial artist had not yet given up.
It spoke of his fortitude and character, despite having not talked to him even once.
"Place him here. Before we get a closer look on his current condition, we gotta get rid of those things around him first," Beidou stated as she pointed at the empty space before her.
As Itto and Kazuha placed Goku on the floor, the former immediately sat down at a corner with ragged breath while the latter merely stood against the fore mast, both observing Beidou's next action.
With Goku now laid before her, Beidou unleashed a roar as she clenched her fist.
"HARH!"
The Vision on her person shined as purplish light was brought forth, somewhat mirroring the colour of the one still lingering in Goku.
A dome made of electro energy was then formed around Beidou. As the barrier slowly intensified, the electro energy within the martial artist flowed towards Beidou's direction, momentarily leaving his body.
"I see...this way, you'll be able to remove the residual electro energy trapped in his body," Kazuha commented,
"Krh, not quite. Even when I'm absorbing them, it doesn't feel like I can completely drain it all out of him. What exactly am I dealing with here?"
If even Beidou was having such troubles, then there was no longer any doubt in his mind on the cause of such a phenomenon.
"When one considers it is the lingering energy from the Musou no Hitotachi, then it is not abnormal in the slightest."
After all, the Raiden Shogun was a God. Those who had lived after being struck by such a technique were zero, so this was a first in the history of Inazuma.
"The fact he's still alive says a lot about him. Now that the electro energy within him is turning towards me, it should be easier to inspect his current condition."
Despite the buzzing noise around her, Beidou turned to only one person that had the medical knowledge to help.
"Yinxing, I'm gonna need a thorough examination on what's going with his condition," Beidou called out as she turned to a woman who was standing by, medical supplies in her hand.
"Sorry to interrupt, but mind if I join in? I was the one who closed his wounds before coming here, so I'm hoping you don't mind me helping," Shinobu asked, stepping in now that the timing was more appropriate.
Yingxing agreed almost all too easily, "Oh no, please do. I'm going to need every little detail that you were able to obtain in your examination."
As the two discussed further while examining their patient's condition with ease, now that most of the electro energy was temporarily removed.
"While those two are busy with assessing the situation, might as well ask...where exactly did you find him Kazuha?"
"Hmm, on a shore not quite far from here. However, I was not the first one to discover him," Kazuha explained, his eyes turning to the leader of the Arataki Gang, who had been strangely quiet up until now.
Beidou easily understood what he was implying, "I could tell, since you weren't the only one returning. I'm more surprised no one arrested you at the spot."
"Pft, as if this guy could be beaten by those sore losers from the Tenryou Commission," Itto cut in, joining in the conversation.
For the first time since he had stepped onto the Alcor, Kazuha noted it was only now that the leader of the Arataki Gang had spoken, possibly due to the buildup of fatigue from saving Goku.
What the more intricate details entailed, he did not know but it was obvious with how strained Itto looked even now, despite the strong front he was putting on.
Beidou let out a snort, "Hah! You got that one right at least, what's your name kid?"
"Arataki Itto, the leader of the Arataki Gang! And that person you just talk to is Shinobu, she's my deputy leader," he said proudly, pointing towards Shinobu.
"And I'm guessing it's your group that old Kazuha found you with Son right? Gotta thank ya for saving us the trouble of preventing the worst from happening, even if it's temporary."
"Goku's a new member of my gang, even if he's only joined today. As the boss, of course I would save him!"
Beidou took in the new information as she looked at the still unconscious martial artist, "Not even a day and he's already got someone behind his back, even after he faced the Electro Shogun of all people. I can see why our employer wanted us to search for him now."
Kazuha agreed with the assessment, yet it did not only spoke of Goku's character, but also Itto's loyalty.
"Who is your employer anyway?" Itto asked curiously.
"Can't tell you. If I did, we might have to drag you all with us just to keep it from being complicated," Beidou stated simply.
Observing his surroundings, Kazuha noticed that Shinobu's eye twitched upon hearing Beidou's explanation, something that he realized was becoming a bit too noticeable, at least to him.
Itto gave her a noncommittal shrug, "Well, if you wanna drag me along then that's fine, but you better pay me for the trouble. Just...don't involve Shinobu and the others got it!?"
"No promises there."
Though her words were that of indecision, Kazuha knew that the tone Beidou exuded was one of slight fondness.
"Hey, you better not be joking around on that, I'm serious!" Itto called out, only to get back on topic.
"Anyway, what are you going to do with Goku now that you've found him?"
"It will depend on Yinxing's examination. Right now, none of us knows what's gonna happen if we leave him as he is, or whether we can find a way to cure him before he can't make it," Beidou explained coolly.
"Of course he'll live. He's a member of the Arataki Gang after all," Itto stated as if it was a matter of fact.
Both Kazuha and Beidou did not verbally respond to Itto's word, because to them, there was never such a guarantee in life.
Just then, both Shinobu and Yinxing stood up, and walked towards Beidou. Noticing this, Beidou did not let up in absorbing the wandering electro energy, merely turning towards them as she prompted hem to speak first.
"Captain, we are finished with our assessment," Yinxing said, a note in hand.
Beidou nodded in response, "Lay it on me, how bad is it?"
"On the surface, his body may look to be holding up, but his heart rate is definitely abnormal, alongside difficulty in breathing and muscle deterioration. These are expected, but what's more worrisome is that despite the amount of electro energy you have been absorbing, it has not decreased in the slightest. In fact, there is a very real possibility it will either stay at this level, or become worse…by all accounts, he should be dead at this point."
Well, that wasn't good, not one bit.
"So, what are our options?"
"There is none, at least in the traditional sense. His condition is unprecedented, a case that I've never seen before in any kinds of medical records. One wrong step and who knows what will happen."
Beidou took in the information she had just received, and thought deeply on what should be done.
That lasted only for a moment, as she saw there was another way.
"...Guess there's only one thing to do for now. Since we were hired to find him, doing anything risky would be outside the scope of our job," Beidou explained, before breaking into a full blown grin.
She then directed her voice towards the other members of her crew, "Somebody write down what I'm about to say, then send it to Sangonomiya!"
One of the crew members broke into a sprint, probably to retrieve a particular item that was used to message their employer, while another was preparing themselves to write down what their Captain was about to say.
Kazuha turned to their other guests, with Itto looking around the ship, lost in the discussion entirely while Shinobu held a look of disbelief, one that he was able to discern when the name Sangonomiya was uttered.
"Alright men, we're setting out to Yashiori Island. Ready the sails!" Beidou announced loudly to everyone in the vicinity.
The men cheered as they began to move around the ship, while Itto's mind was still in disarray as he hadn't quite caught on with what was going on.
Still, they looked like a fun bunch.
Just as he thought that, he felt a sudden pull from his side until realizing that it was Shinobu slowly dragging him away from his previous spot.
Before he could say anything, Shinobu was the first to speak up as she looked towards the captain, "Seeing as you have settled on your plans for Goku, we'll be taking our leave Captain Beidou. Hopefully, he will be able to recover the next time we see him."
Beidou merely waved them goodbye without saying a word as she continued maintaining her barrier, while Yinxing bowed to them in a respectful manner.
It was only Kazuha who did not give her any sort of response at all.
"Hey, Shinobu!" Itto cried out as they continued moving away from the Alcor.
Once they reached back to shore, Shinobu let out a sigh of relief as the ramp slowly removed itself from the ground, with the trio quickly gathering around her and Itto.
"You guys are back! Where's Goku?" Genta questioned, looking around for their new member.
"That's what I wanted to ask! Shinobu, why did you shove me out of the ship all of a sudden? We should have stayed there until the end. If you were worried about Genta, Akira and Mamoru we could have just brought them along."
She gave a disapproving gesture, "Boss, it's better if we don't involve ourselves any further with them."
"Why's that? They didn't look that bad to me, weird to have a ship but not the weirdest thing around."
"When she was commanding her crew earlier, she mentioned the name Sangonomiya. Do you know why's that important?"
All of them shrugged dismissively, which to Shinobu, was not unexpected.
"She's the leader of the Resistance, meaning we were on a ship that was either a part of an army that is going against the Shogunate, or people who were working with them. If we stayed there any longer, then we might be branded as traitors in the near future."
The realization finally settled in, as all four took another look at the Alcor, almost not believing who they had just met.
While that was certainly surprising, it also clenched it for Itto's next decision.
"...Hey Shinobu, you mind looking after the gang? I'm gonna be away for a while."
For once, it was Shinobu who didn't comprehend what Itto was saying, yet the trio easily understood Itto's intention.
"Take care of Goku for us boss, we still gotta introduce him to a lot the things we do here in the Arataki Gang."
"I wonder if he would wanna go paint the town with us sometime?"
"Maybe, but he still has to have a round of Onikabuto fighting before anything else."
She wanted to yell at him…to stop him by force if she had to…but the moment she was about to pull out her weapon…she stopped.
The way Itto looked was reminiscent of those very rare moments where he would give it his all for something or someone he wholeheartedly believed in.
Well, she was a member of the Arataki Gang at the end of the day.
"Just...stay alive. I can't quite call this the Arataki Gang if the leader himself isn't here anymore."
Itto grinned with complete confidence, "Who do you think I am? I'm—"
Then, he jumped into the air, his right hand extended trying to reach the end of the retreating ramp.
"Arataki 'Numero Uno' Itto!"
He was able to successfully clutch onto it, and immediately turned to wave goodbye to his friends, who also gave him the same gesture.
All was well…until he realized that grip on the board was beginning to slip…
That was, until a willing hand was extended towards him.
Taking the chance, he grabbed onto it as tightly as he could, and was hoisted up onto the ship.
Once he got back onto the Alcor, he was greeted by the sight of a smiling Kazuha who did not utter a single word at his reappearance, while the other crew members were giving him a strange look.
Beidou however, was the only one amused despite the fact she was still concentrating on maintaining her barrier, "Well well, aren't you reckless to come right back? Even after I tried to scare you two off on purpose earlier."
"Don't know what you're talking about, but I'm coming along with all of you until I'm sure Goku's up and running again, and there's no way I'm letting any of you stop me."
"Or I could just dump you back into the sea and save myself the hassle."
Sweat began to pour out his body, his eyes wandering nervously to the ocean, noticing that the ship was already going further and further away from Narukami Island.
"Relax, where did all that bravado you showed just now went? Sure, you can come along, just don't expect me to take you any further than Yashiori Island."
Just as Beidou finished her sentence, she suddenly felt a strong pull coming from the direction of the still unconscious Goku.
"Krghh—AARH!" Goku yelled out in pain, struggling as bursts of lightning exploded from his body.
Fortunately for him, Beidou was able to reel it in at the last moment as she strengthened her barrier, absorbing even more of the energy.
Upon seeing such a worrying sight before him, Itto frantically rushed towards Goku while Kazuha took another glance at the scene, his expression forlorn.
Sangonomiya Kokomi could feel her concentration slipping as she took one last look at her stack of notes on her table.
Some were summaries of events that had transpired over the week, mostly in regards to the battles that had occurred.
Ever since she had arrived to direct many of the confrontations with the Shogun's Army, the Resistance had many one-sided victories despite the lack of troops on their side.
It was not a sign for relaxation, as she had heard from scouts that potentially, a general of the Tenryou Commission might be joining in the frontlines for the Shogun's Army.
If intelligence was correct, then the general's name would be Kujou Sara.
She did not have many impressions of the general, as for one, she had never seen her in person before, merely rumours and half-truths that might or might not be useful.
Regardless, she was already working on the many possibilities that would come from a general such as a Kujou leading the Shogun's Army, and had thought of tactics that could possibly be utilized.
Directives had been written for this new potential element in the battlefield, which worked as an expansion to the directives she had already prepared for in the past.
As she thought on these directives, she couldn't help but think that making them was a mistake in the first place, as she had only now noticed that many of the troops within the Resistance were too reliant on them.
At the same time, she could not think of an alternative that could achieve the same results in a relatively short manner of time, and at the same time, change their way of thinking.
It was a plain mistake, one that she had made due to her early inexperience in commanding such a large force, which she tried to compensate for in the making of these directives.
Critical thinking and moment to moment decisions were not simply taught, but experienced...though there were some members that were capable of such things, it was clearly too much to expect every one of them to come to adopt such a thinking on their own, as the troops all came from various backgrounds and experiences..
Some were residents of Watatsumi Island simply fighting for to protect their own home, some who had their Vision taken simply joined did not want others to experience the same feeling of being stripped of their ambitions, some who did not even possess a Vision in the first place simply disagreed with the Vision Hunt Decree, and even those that did not care about such things were present, merely reveling in the sports of war.
She did not enjoy all aspects that encompassess the Resistance, but she nonetheless had to accept and work with such factors if the Resistance were to be able to fight against the Shogun's Army.
Recently, She had received complaints from some members who believed that their territory should be expanded upon in order to send a message to the Shogun Army that they were winning in this civil war.
She could not fault them for their thinking, but it was simply not doable.
Due to the ever slow dwindling of supplies, it would destroy them in the long run when they would not have the strength to keep them since their forces were split to maintain such territory.
As such, a momentary defeat was necessary in war.
Speaking of the Resistance, her presence this past week had made her aware on the morale of the troops.
It was not because they were demotivated, rather the issue was they were too motivated.
One would believe this would be beneficial, but she believed otherwise as this state of mind was no doubt dangerous, for there was a distinct possibility that they were believing themselves to be invincible, causing them to be too reckless in their approach to battle...or worse, do something unspeakable.
There was a single instance where she believed something was afoot already, but did not pursue it as she believed it was merely a suspicion with not much evidence, adding to the lack of time as the leader of the Resistance.
She did not want to truly believe something heinous would occur, one that would not only affect Shogun's Army, but to Inazuma as a whole.
Even so, the possibility is there ever since they had won the battle of Kannazuka and she could not deny them.
She had already made stop-gaps in case of such incidents, but they were merely that, stop-gaps, not ones that could conclusively solve the issues.
Nevertheless, these were the main portions of her worries in the time she had stayed on Yashiori Island.
The rest of them were on one particular individual...Goku.
Two days ago, she had received the message from the Crux in regards to his condition, and of his actions up until this point in time.
Goku challenging the Raiden Shogun so early was entirely within her expectations, which was why she had sent out a search for him by employing Beidou and her crew, who were already heading towards Inazuma.
After hearing the news from Beidou in regards to Goku, she was at the very least...glad that he was alive.
Despite the battle he had exchanged with the Electro Archon, he was able to survive it altogether. Sure, she was very much pessimistic about his chances before, but still went through the process of finding him despite that.
At present, his condition was anything but great. In fact, she had just received another report that it was actually getting worse, despite the efforts that the Crux had exerted in helping him.
It was clear her decision to bring Goku here was the right one. If conventional methods did not work, then there was one other way she could think of, and one that only she knew how to perform.
Though, was it necessary for her to heal Goku, for such an impossible task that no one has presumably never done before?
Even her own capability to heal might not be enough to save him.
She pondered on it for a while, thinking back that she had only known Son Goku for a few days, so was it advantageous for her to strain herself to such a degree?
But just as the thought came, she erased it just as fast by remembering one simple fact.
Son Goku was lost in this world, yet he decided to face the Raiden Shogun because he noticed the dire situation in Inazuma.
Or perhaps it was for a much less altruistic reason, but she would not know unless she asked him.
And she wanted to.
It was accurate to say she shouldn't be, but at this point, he was not a simple stranger to her.
He was a friend.
She wanted to help Goku out of this strange condition, not because of her responsibility as the Divine Priestess, nor because it would help in the war effort as the leader of the Resistance, but for her own personal reason.
It might be a bit selfish despite the benefits that would bring from helping him, but she truly only wanted to save him.
Kokomi did not know where that thought came from, as she had never let her own wants and needs ever supersede her responsibilities.
It was why she became the Divine Priestess…
It was why she became the leader of the Rebel Army...
But for once, it wasn't why she wanted to save someone.
It was simply because someone like him simply did not deserve to die in such a way, and that was enough of a reason for her to divert him away from such a fate.
She wondered once more whether or not her current way of thinking was attributed to that same person…
Her thoughts were interrupted as the sounds of footsteps could be heard within the room, approaching in a panicked manner if she were to judge the frequency of the footsteps.
This meant only one thing, thus she would begin her preparation for what was about to come.
She had no intentions of failing, for she will create a strategy to an ending that no one else could reach.
AN: This is the first chapter where Goku has zero interactions with anyone, so I had to use my surface level understanding of GI characters to write this. And yes, I know…it's a mess. Hopefully I get better at writing some particular characters that I will not name.
So, since Goku lost last chapter, I believe zenkai should probably be addressed then since you know, the fact he is at the brink of death is pretty much the main concern for this chapter. I'm just gonna clarify on how they work in this fic; they work exactly how the author of Dragon Ball treats them before its formal introduction, non-existent.
What I really mean by this is that it exists, but the power boost is so miniscule Goku will almost not feel the difference, exactly how it was before it was introduced. Basically, zenkai will never be the main reason why Goku improves and wins battles.
Why exactly am I treating it like this? Cause it was never consistent on how much of a boost they gain in the original anyway, and I really do not care for it nor do I want to use it as a plot device for Goku to suddenly overwhelm someone in a fight, because I can basically adjust Goku to be as strong as I want him to be. While that statement is already true to an extent since I'm the one writing this story, but I really do not like using zenkai just for a bland 'I'm somehow way stronger and faster now' kind of thing. If that puts anyone off with this fic, that's completely fine.
Speaking of fight, I am grateful for all the comments on the last chapter, whether it was in agreement or disagreement of the outcome, I appreciate them nonetheless. I'm not gonna pretend I know everything about accurately gauging strength, especially between two universes. There were indeed comments that made me think about it a bit more, so I genuinely thank you for that.
Next chapter is a Kokomi centric one, which I am very much looking forward to write. Also, Happy CNY from me!