Disclaimer: Own nothing.
Last time: Gohan gets a theory about the seals on him.
This time: Chichi and Bulma have a meeting and Gohan meets some new people.
As Gohan and Kakashi made their way to the Tower for an audience with the Sandaime, in another world there was also a meeting happening, but it was of a much less happy and casual nature.
"WHAAAAAT!?"
The shout that came from the small house on the top of Mt. Paozu seemed to shake the world and birds in the forest took flight in terror at the sheer viciousness in the screaming voice.
Inside the house, Son Chichi, Gohan's mother was on her feet with a knocked over chair behind her and her hands on the table. She was looking at the blue-haired woman straight across from her, who was hiding behind the shoulder of a tough-looking man with a widow's peak and gravity-defying hair.
"Waddaya mean that Gohan's gone!?" Chichi demanded, glaring at Bulma as the other woman cowered behind her husband, Vegeta. Vegeta wasn't there because he wanted to be. In all honesty, he'd rather be miles away from Kakkarot's house in this situation, but his wife had demanded that he come or he didn't get dinner. It wasn't until Bulma had explained what'd happened in the lab that the Prince of Saiyans regretted his decision to come along.
Even a Super Saiyan couldn't stand up to the wrath of Son Chichi where her sons were concerned.
"Umm, well, Chichi, it's just like I said," Bulma answered nervously. "Gohan was helping me out with an experiment I was running and well…He sorta…fell…through."
Chichi's face went through a series of angry contortions and she glared at the inventor. "So you're saying that there's no way he can come back!?" she shrieked, making Vegeta wince. Saiyans had more sensitive hearing than humans after all. His patience with the whole situation had reached its limits too.
"That's what she said, woman," he said in a rough and abrasive tone. "How many more times do you want it to be said?"
"Why you…You keep out of this!" Chichi yelled, making Bulma hide behind Vegeta's shoulder again. This was why the Prince was here. To be her bodyguard in the hopes that he'd be able to do something if Chichi got mad, though privately, both of them knew that there was nothing that he could do if Chichi started swinging that frying pan of hers.
"Now now, Chichi, calm down. I'm sure Bulma meant no harm," Ox King said gently, trying to calm his raging daughter down. He'd come by to see his two grandsons only to find that Goten was asleep and Gohan had been missing for a few weeks now.
A vein was going in the pissed off mom's forehead as she forced herself into the chair her father had set upright. "How long will it take to bring my Gohan back?" She demanded.
Bulma came out from behind Vegeta, knowing she had to be careful here or she'd find herself with a frying pan sticking out of her forehead. "Uh, well. I don't know how long it'll take, Chichi." She said softly. "A while though. I have to rebuild the generator from scratch."
The woman of the Son household's ear twitched and she lunged for a cupboard and pulled out her frying pan. "WHAAAT!?" Ox King lunged and grabbed his daughter around the waist as she raised the pan and got one foot on the table, but even the mammoth man's stupendous strength couldn't stop the wife of Goku.
"Chichi wait!"
It was too late and Chichi began her swing. Bulma yelped and grabbed Vegeta, pulling him in front of her like a human shield.
"HEY! WAIT! ONNA, WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING!?" He yelled over his shoulder, but looked back around when a shadow fell over his face. He saw the burnt steel bottom of the frying pan. There was a tremendous 'clang' that rocked the top of the mountain and Vegeta fell unconscious with a square mark on his face.
Chichi raised her now-deformed frying pan for another strike as Bulma heaved her husband up and bolted from the house, running as if the devil herself was after her.
Sure enough, Chichi was following, brandishing the pan and yelling obscenities, her father still cling to her waist, bouncing along on the ground.
"Chichi! Stop!"
"Shut UP, Dad!"
Bulma reached into her jacket and pulled out a capsule that she threw. The capsule exploded and revealed a sky car, into which she threw the unconscious Vegeta and hopped into the driver's seat. The car bolted into the sky as Chichi raged below, her father still holding onto her.
"Get back here! I'm gonna tan your hide!"
Inside the house, the one-year-old Goten watched from his crib as his mommy did funny things in the front yard and he giggled, clapping his pudgy hands in approval.
Elsewhere, Son Gohan was oblivious to his mother's ranting, but for some reason, a chill ran down his spine and he looked around, as if expecting to see Chichi looming behind him with that frying pan in her hands.
Kakashi noticed his charge's sudden nervousness.
"Something wrong, Gohan?" He asked mildly.
Gohan shook his head. "No. I've just got this feeling that my mother's not too happy right now." He shivered, a look of nervousness on his face. "She's got a wicked arm, especially with that frying pan. Even Dad doesn't like it."
Kakashi quirked an eyebrow. "Your father? Isn't he the one that's saved your world and others several times over?"
The demi-saiyan nodded. "Yeah, and Mom scares even him."
"Sounds like I wouldn't want to cross her."
Gohan shook his head vigorously. "No you don't trust me. But usually she's really nice, it's just when she gets mad that you have to watch out." He shuddered again. "The problem is she's got a really short fuse."
Kakashi shrugged. It wasn't like he was going to meet Gohan's mother anyway. Not unless he decided to visit Gohan in his dimension anyway. "Well, never mind that now. We've got a meeting with the Sandaime. It's better if we don't keep him waiting."
"Right."
The pair continued their trek towards the Tower, Gohan looking around in amazement. He started when a shinobi dropped out of the sky from out of nowhere and vaulted back into the air, landing on the power lines and running off ahead of them.
Kakashi noticed the boy's stunned expression and the person who'd caused it. He grinned, the expression hidden beneath his mask. "Watch him," the jounin said, making Gohan break his gaze from the other shinobi to look at him. "He's gonna get busted here in a minute."
Gohan watched and, sure enough, almost as soon as the word left Kakashi's mouth, a cloaked and masked ninja popped out of thin air. The first shinobi skidded to a stop on the lines and looked sheepish. Words were exchanged between the two and the masked ninja reached into his cloak and withdrew a small sheet of yellow paper and handed it to the disgruntled-looking shinobi who pocketed it and dropped off the line, heading away on rooftops instead. The masked shinobi watched him go then made a hand sign and disappeared in a burst of smoke.
"ANBU," Kakashi said with a little laugh at Gohan's expression. "The Special Forces for Konohagakure. One of their secondary duties also happens to be doing some minor police work." His eye darkened. "They're good at what they do. Don't cross them and you'll be fine."
Gohan nodded with a little grin. Unless he was very much mistaken, that shinobi had just gotten a ticket. Finally the duo arrived at the Tower and were waved through by the two ninja at the entrance who were dressed like Kakashi with black bodysuits and green vests.
The tower was alive with activity, shinobi constantly entering and leaving, some with exhausted looks on their faces, others with excitement, boredom, or trepidation. Inside there was a massive room with a long table at one end and three or four other ninja seated behind it, clearly the ones handing out missions. One of them saw Gohan and Kakashi and stood up.
"Kakashi-san, Hokage-sama is waiting for you upstairs. He'll see you as soon as you get there."
Kakashi nodded and clapped Gohan on the shoulder, guiding the boy up a spiraling flight of stairs and past several doors. Finally the stairs ended and they exited into the open air. The half-saiyan could see that they were about halfway up the tower and still had some ways to go. The two headed up a flight of stairs that wrapped around the outside of the tower and gave an unobstructed view of the four heads of the Hokage Monument before taking them back inside and down a hall lined with ink paintings and a lush carpet. At the end were two more masked ANBU who nodded to Kakashi as if they knew him and opened the doors for him.
Inside was a room with wrap around windows that showed the monument through them and just in front of them was a finely-crafted desk with stacks of paper on it and a grizzled old man seated in the large chair behind it. The doors boomed shut and the old man looked up and smiled kindly.
"Ah, Kakashi. You've returned from the Wave Country I see."
Kakashi nodded and the old man stood up and looked down at Gohan who looked back with a puzzled look. The man had on a wide triangular hat that was solid red except for a little diamond shaped patch of white on it on which the symbol for fire was clearly visible. Cloth fell from the underside and hid his ears. The man was swathed in red robes held closed with a white sash and there was a white haori over the red robes.
"And this would be the mysterious boy you told me about?"
"Yes Hokage-sama. This is Son Gohan and he arrived here via means that would boggle even a Kami."
The Hokage strode out from behind his desk and walked over to Gohan to better take in his appearance. "Indeed." He made one round trip around the nervous saiyan before stopping and offering his hand with a kindly smile. "I am Sarutobi Sanosuke, the Sandaime Hokage my boy."
Gohan grasped the old guy's hand. "I'm Son Gohan. Thank you for letting me into the village, Sarutobi-sama."
The old man laughed heartily. "Well, at least you have manners! I thought that you'd be like Naruto after reading Kakashi's report!"
Gohan blinked. "You know Naruto?"
Sarutobi smiled jovially. "Of course! That little trouble-maker is in here every day of the week if he isn't out on a mission!" Gohan grinned. He could get to like this Hokage. He was obviously an honorable man and in Gohan's mind that went a long way. Now the Sandaime turned serious. "Now, Gohan-kun, we must find some accommodations for you and see about getting you some money for your stay here in Konohagakure." He tapped his bearded chin. "We do have a welfare system in place. I suppose we could get some resources out of there and…"
"Please sir, I don't want anyone to be pitying me like this." Three eyes turned onto Gohan after he spoke. "I can find my own way and get my own food and things. I really appreciate what you're doing for me, but I can pull my own weight."
The Third smiled. "Kakashi, you've got a real independent kid here," he remarked, to which the saiyan colored slightly. The old man looked at the Copy-nin. "I don't suppose you have a solution to this problem do you?"
Kakashi blinked a couple of times before speaking. "Well, Gohan did help us out with the mission in Wave. I don't suppose that he could receive the pay for the mission could he?"
The Sandaime scowled. "That would mean cutting your teams pay again," he warned.
"How about a compromise then?" Once again, all attention turned onto Gohan. "You can keep the pay, but I get to live in the village for free as long as I do missions for the village."
The elderly Fire Shadow stroked his beard. "Yes, I suppose that could work. It still doesn't cover food though."
"But the living for free would cut the amount Kakashi would have to hold back from the others," Gohan pointed out. "Or you could pay me on commission. You know, I get paid on how many missions I do?"
"That's how all shinobi are paid with the exception of jounin and ANBU. And there's the problem of assigning you to a team…"
Kakashi spoke up. "Put him on Team Seven. I wouldn't mind having him and I don't think my team would mind, even Sasuke, though he'd never say it outright." Sarutobi nodded.
"Okay then. I'll assign Gohan-kun to Team Seven. Now there's the matter of the seal you were talking about?" He looked at the saiyan, who was suddenly looking nervous. "May I see it?"
"I guess." Gohan pulled off his gi top and prepared to transform.
"Wait." Kakashi's voice brought him up short. "Don't actually try to transform. Bring it close, but only until the seal appears. We don't need ANBU turning you into a pincushion." Gohan nodded and began raising his ki a little bit at a time. Soon enough, the kanji for one appeared. The warrior held his power there as Sarutobi leaned in, examining the brand with an expert and interested eye.
"You say you got it from switching dimensions?"
"Yes."
The village leader went to his desk and pulled out a pipe into which he tamped some tobacco and lit it, staring out the window as he did.
He took a draft and exhaled, the scent of burning socks clawing at Gohan and Kakashi's noses. "Well, it is certainly a complex and powerful seal. Kakashi's report describes you as having a fair bit of power and this seal is holding that back." He turned to face them. "I really don't see how it's possible to break it," Gohan slumped in defeat. If the wise village leader couldn't figure it out, how could he? Sarutobi spoke again. "However, if Gohan-kun will permit me to make a copy of his sea to examine in greater detail, I may be able to find a way to shatter it."
"Yes!" Gohan exclaimed without hesitation. The Hokage smiled at his enthusiasm and drew out a sheet of paper and a bit of charcoal. Placing the charcoal against Gohan's chest, he quickly sketched the thing, making sure to miss not a single detail. Then he made a set of one-handed seals and the copy shimmered.
"There. That should do it. The jutsu I just used will copy the finer details, like lines of script that are too small to be seen with the naked eye and too fine to be copied with a piece of charcoal. With this, I'll be able to study the seal closely and hopefully find a solution for you, Gohan-kun." Sarutobi strode to his desk again and reached inside, pulling out a Konoha hirai-ate, just like the one Kakashi and his team wore. "Here, wear this hirai-ate. You'll get fewer questions if you wear it around. You're a strange face in the village and people here are understandably wary of strangers, but with this, they'll see you belong in the village and will hopefully leave you alone."
The teen took the headband with a word of thanks and tied it to the sash of his gi, making sure the engraved plate faced outward, leaving the stylized leaf obvious and visible.
"Now, Gohan-kun, you may leave. I still have some things to discuss with Kakashi and I'm sure you'd like to explore the village." Gohan bowed and left, closing the door quietly behind him and leaving the tower.
He paused outside the gates to the Tower, wondering where he should head next. Konohagakure was so big and there was so much to explore. Gohan shrugged, grinning like his father and ran off in a random direction, figuring he might as well get started.
Soon enough, the demi-saiyan found himself wandering down a street, looking left and right as fast as he could turn his head. Then his stomach rumbled loudly, causing some of the pedestrians to pause and look up at the cloudless sky. It was lunchtime, but Gohan hadn't the foggiest idea of where to get some food.
"Hey! Gohan!"
The warrior turned at the voice and saw Naruto waving at him with a bright grin, accompanied by a young-looking man with a scar running across the bridge of his nose.
"Naruto, hi!"
Neither noticed some of the villagers look at them with disgust and hurry off elsewhere. No one wanted to be near the demon and a stranger. How Umino-san could stand the boy was beyond the comprehension of many. "What're you doing here?"
Naruto laughed. "Iruka-sensei said he's gonna treat me to ramen for helping out against Zabuza!"
"Naruto was telling me how you took on Zabuza and his partner, Gohan-kun," the man said with a smile. He stuck out his hand. "I'm Umino Iruka by the way."
"Son Gohan, nice to meet you, Iruka-san."
"Hey, hey! Iruka-sensei, can Gohan come with us?"
Iruka grinned. "I don't see why not." He looked at the Z fighter. "Would you like to join us?"
Gohan waved his hands. "I couldn't. I don't have any money!" He looked away. "It wouldn't be right."
The scarred chuunin laughed. "It's okay, I insist. You probably don't eat as much as Naruto!"
Gohan still looked doubtful. "I dunno."
Naruto clapped him on the back. "Aww come on, Gohan! It'll be fun!"
The warrior only smiled at his friend's exuberance. "Well, okay I guess." The blond whooped happily and the trio went down the street a ways until they arrived at a small stand that proclaimed 'Ichiraku Ramen'.
Naruto laughed and ducked through the flap. "Hey! Old Man, Ayame-chan, I'm back!"
The girl working at the woks, Ayame probably, turned around and grinned when she saw the blond. "Hi, Naruto-kun! Back from your mission?"
"Yep! And now Iruka-sensei is going to treat me to ramen!" He plunked himself down and promptly ordered a bowl of miso ramen. Iruka ordered vegetable and Gohan looked over the menu inked out on the pine board behind Ayame.
"What'll it be?" Ayame asked kindly.
"Uh…beef ramen I guess." Gohan answered.
"Coming right up…uh…?"
Naruto saved Gohan the trouble. "His name's Gohan!"
"Nice to meet you, Gohan-kun." Ramen was served at that moment and the three dug in with gusto, though none more so than Naruto, who wasn't so much eating as he was inhaling. The Z fighter could only stare, having never seen someone outside the Saiyans eat so damn fast.
Iruka laughed at the look on his face. "See what I mean?" He asked. The teacher looked fondly at Naruto. "Cleans out my wallet every time we come here."
An old grizzled man came out from the back door. "That kid's the reason we give Umino-san a big ol' discount. If we didn't he'd starve!"
"Go ahead, Gohan-kun," Umino said. "Eat as much as you want."
Gohan split a pair of chopsticks and shrugged, the movement exaggerated by the wide shoulders of his cape. "Well," he replied, still uncertain. "If you insist…" He trailed off and dug in.
Ten minutes later, Iruka, Old Man Ichiraku, and Ayame were all staring, dumbfounded at what was happening before their very eyes. Son Gohan and Uzumaki Naruto were eating as if it was their last day alive. What was really amazing though is that Gohan was actually outpacing Naruto. The black haired fighter had three tottering stacks of ramen bowls beside him. Naruto only had two and a half.
Iruka's chopsticks, halfway to his mouth, fell back to the table with twin clinking noises. Ayame and her father just looked at each other and then at Iruka before leaning over the table, rubbing their hands together, grinning greedily. Somewhere in the background there was the noise of a cash register opening.
"Sorry, Iruka-san," Gohan said later as the trio walked down the street, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. Iruka didn't answer, just staring at the limp wallet he held in his hand with a forlorn look on his face. "I'll pay you back somehow."
That brought Iruka back and he waved his hand dimsissivly. "Don't bother, Gohan-kun," he answered, "I just never thought that I'd ever find someone who can match Naruto in an eating contest."
The aforementioned blond was walking beside them and gave a large belch, sighing in relief. "Boy that was great ramen! Thanks Iruka-sensei!" The blond hadn't even blinked twice when he'd seen Gohan's stack of bowls. If anything it made him eat even faster, his drive to be the best showing even in something as simple as an eating contest. Despite the punishment inflicted on his wallet, Iruka couldn't help but smile when he saw the pair.
'They act like brothers,' he thought with a smile. 'Gohan-kun is probably the only person in the whole village who doesn't already have some sort of previous impression of Naruto. It's something completely new to Naruto and I think he's loving that, despite maybe not even knowing himself.' The trio came to an intersection.
"Well, I've gotta get back to the academy. My class should be coming up soon, and I don't want to be late."
"I'm gonna go home and take a nap in a real bed!" Naruto proclaimed loudly, drawing scowls from some of the villagers. He noticed and leaned forward, slapping his butt with his tongue out and a mischievous look on his face.
"I think I'm going to train. I gotta work off that meal. Piccolo-sensei would kill me if I got fat." Iruka looked at the boy.
"Is this Piccolo your sensei?"
"Yeah. He's gruff most of the time, but he's a good guy deep down." The warrior looked around. "Now, is there a training area or something around here?"
Iruka nodded. "Yeah, just go down that road and keep going. You should hit the outskirts. The training areas are all there, you should be able to find one no problem."
"Thanks, Iruka-san!" Gohan called as he ran off down the street, eager to actually get the time to work out. He hadn't had the chance to do it since before the battle at Tazuna's village.
Sure enough, following Iruka's instructions, Gohan arrived at a wide, spacious training field. It was open, only a simple meadow ringed by trees that grew thickly on all four sides, except for the path that led into the field. The Z fighter grinned. It was perfect, just the open space he'd grown used to back on Mt. Paozu and the wilderness where he'd first started learning from Piccolo.
He strode to the middle of the field, his weighted cape flapping in the breeze and began stretching. Once that was done, he began to run through some katas, exaggerating the movements in order to better improve his form. As he flowed from one technique to another, his mind disengaged and went to drift somewhere while his body took over. He was reaching into that state of no-mind that all martial artists strived for. It'd been so long since he'd made it to that state. It was the first time since the Cell Games he'd been there.
There was the sound of voices and feet approaching, but the young saiyan didn't hear them, completely absorbed and consumed by his task at hand.
It was a female voice that reached the meadow first. "Really, Lee. Did you have to do that pose? You almost blinded that old lady!"
A hearty laugh followed the statement. "Poor Tenten-chan! You still have yet to appreciate Lee-kun's burning passion of youth! But fear not my student, for someday you will or my name is not Maito Gai!" From the path burst the sources of the noise. One was a boy with long brown hair held back by a Leaf hirai-ate and a tie at the end of his long hair. He had on a white shirt and brown pants. Bandages were wrapped around his right arm, but he didn't seem to be injured. Probably the boy just liked the look, though his most striking feature had to be his purple eyes.
The girl in the group had on a pink Chinese-style shirt and her hair was pulled back into twin buns. Looped over one shoulder was a thick scroll that must have weighed a decent amount. That left the last two, and what a pair they were. Both had round enthusiastic eyes with thick caterpillar-like eyebrows over them. Both wore green spandex body suits with the hirai-ate tied around their waists and orange leggings encased their calves. The only difference was the green shinobi vest that the taller of the two clones wore, denoting his higher rank in the Konoha ninja hierarchy.
"We're not alone," the boy with the lavender eyes said in a soft monotone. The other three stopped their conversation and saw Gohan out in the middle of the field, completely ignoring them and running through his forms.
"Who's that?" Tenten wondered as she looked at the boy with the messy black hair and purple gi. Around his waist was a red sash with a Konoha hirai-ate tied to it. She'd never seen him before and he wasn't a chuunin because he didn't have the vest. The only thing he had was a white cape with wide shoulders and a high puffy neck that gave the impression that his head sprouted directly from his shoulders. She knew he couldn't be a genin because they'd just passed the latest batch of nine and the next batch wouldn't come through for three months. "I've never seen him before."
Lee was observing this kid's motions with a professional and experienced eye. "He's got fantastic form, Gai-sensei."
The taller of the clones, Gai, was watching with a critiquing eye as well. "Indeed, Lee. Whoever trained him did a good job." Neji was silent, watching the boy with an unconcerned eye. Who cared who this mystery boy was? He didn't look special.
"OKAY!" Lee announced loudly. "I wish to spar with him! A test of my skill against a new opponent! Could anything be better!?"
Tenten sighed. "Oh boy. Here he goes again." Neji just closed his eyes.
"THAT'S MY LEE!" Gai bellowed, striking his 'nice-guy pose'. "Seeking battle to better yourself! I have taught you well my student!" Both master and clone ran out into the field, making a beeline for the boy.
Tenten just sighed, shrugging. "Oh well. Those two idiots will never change." She followed after her sensei and teammate at a much leisurely pace. "Coming Neji-kun?"
The stoic Hyuuga crossed his arms and followed after the kunoichi.
Gohan finished his last kata and exhaled, bringing himself back to the present. Just in time to see two green blurs shoot past him and crash into the trees to his right with a loud 'CRUNCH'. Tenten could almost see the question mark pop up over his head as he watched the two twins lay there with swirling eyes.
"Don't mind them," she said with a smile as the boy turned to look at her. "Those two are always like that. They're just special."
"Special needs you mean," groused Neji as he stalked past, going to revive his sensei and his worthless student. Tenten just sighed at her teammate's rudeness.
"Uh, don't mind him either. My name's Tenten. Nice to meet you."
Gohan smiled shyly at her. "I'm Son Gohan."
"Gohan? That's a strange name." She shrugged it off. "Well, like I said, I'm Tenten and the two clones are Gai-sensei and Lee. The guy with the purple eyes is Hyuuga Neji." She watched as her teacher and his protégé hopped upright in a blur and began laughing ridiculously, despite the massive bump each was sporting. Neji, task completed, strode over to the tree and sat down, closing his eyes, but Tenten was sure that he was watching with his Byakugan.
The smaller clone, Lee Gohan supposed, dashed over to him with a determined fire burning in his eyes. "Hello! I am Rock Lee, one of the Beautiful Green Beasts of Konohagakure, and I desire a spar with you, my unnamed opponent!" Gohan shrank back a little unnerved out by the kid's behavior. He reminded the half-saiyan strongly of that guy Mr. Satan from the Cell Games. The self-proclaimed World Martial Arts Champion had acted much in the same way.
"Lee, this is Son Gohan, and don't you think it's rude to demand a spar as soon as you meet someone?"
"But Tenten-chan," Lee whined in a manner that reminded the young caped warrior of one Uzumaki Naruto. "How am I supposed to improve if I never fight different people?"
The hearty laughing of her sensei drowned Tenten's response out. "You see my students? Lee-kun understands the path to greatness and is willing to pursue it!" He wagged a finger at Tenten. "You have much to learn, Ten-chan."
Tenten's eyebrow twitched and she grabbed her scroll and swung it, connecting solidly with Gai's head and sending him tumbling head over heels into the tree next to Neji's. While Lee looked on horrified and raced over to help his stricken idol, Tenten returned her scroll to her back. "How many times do I have to tell you?" She growled dangerously, making Gohan back up a step. "Don't call me Ten-chan!"
"Uh, I'll just go then," Gohan said timidly, edging away from this strange group. And he thought Team Seven was strange. This team was just plain freaky!
"Oh, okay, Gohan-kun," Tenten said. "See you around then?"
"Uh, sure." He didn't get more than five steps before a green blur cut him off. It was Lee, striking the 'nice-guy pose'.
"Not so fast! I still desire a spar!"
Tenten rubber her forehead, "Lee, quit pestering him! He probably doesn't want to…"
"Sure," Gohan said, his curiosity getting the best of him. This would be his chance to see what other shinobi in this world could do. And it wasn't like this kid would let him go anyways. Something told the demi-saiyan that this Lee would follow him to the ends of the earth to fight him.
"All RIGHT!" Lee cheered, pumping a bandaged fist in the air. Tenten huffed something that sounded like 'boys' and retreated to the tree where her sensei and other teammate sat. If Gohan wanted to fight so badly, she wouldn't stop him. The three spectators settle in to watch as the two fighters settled into their stances, Gohan's low, leaning forward with one arm held out behind him and the other in front, fingers hooked like a claw. Lee simply held his right hand up at an angle in front of him and folded the other behind him.
'Huh? What kind of stance is that?' both fighters wondered, each waiting for the other to make the first move. A minute or two passed and the only sign of movement came from the wind as it tousled the leaves of the trees, even managing to rip some loose and send them drifting over the waiting opponents. Neither blinked when the wind whistled past them or when the leaves in the wind drifted in front of them obscuring their view of the other.
"Why don't they hurry up?" Tenten asked. The pair had been just waiting around for close to two minutes now and it was starting to get dull.
"Lee is waiting for the kid to make the first move," Neji said, looking as if he was asleep.
Gai nodded, all pretense of being a fool gone. Now he was watching Gohan to learn what moves the kid knew. "Lee-kun doesn't know the abilities of Gohan-kun. To charge blindly in would be inviting disaster. Gohan-kun is probably waiting for the same."
The impatient kunoichi sighed. "So we're just going to sit here until one of them decides to take a risk?"
But Gai was wrong. Gohan wasn't waiting for Lee to move first. He was waiting for Lee's concentration to lapse…
"Okay, kid, now listen up," The harsh voice of Piccolo demanded. "If you ever find yourself facing an unknown opponent of unknown ability, wait for his concentration to lapse."
Five-year-old Gohan looked up at his sensei. "Huh? What do you mean, Piccolo-san?"
The Namekian sighed, for some reason unable to bring himself to yell at the kid. "Look, your opponent will only be able to concentrate for a short amount of time. Watch his eyes, that's where it'll show up. The eyes will slide out of focus for a second. If you strike in that second, your opponent's reaction time will be slower than normal."
A cold wind whistled over the barren plateau where the pair was practicing for the Saiyan's arrival in less than a month.
"I still don't get it." Piccolo slapped one hand to his turbaned forehead.
"Then stand up and get ready!" The rough alien roared. Young Gohan flinched and hastened to stand up before Piccolo-san pushed him off the cliff again. He settled into his stance and waited. And waited. And waited.
Piccolo's hand was inches from his throat and the son of Goku hadn't even seen it coming. If it'd been a real battle, Gohan would've died.
"See?" The warrior asked as he withdrew his long fingernails from the kid's jugular. "If you can outlast them in the waiting game, you should be able to take the upper hand." Then the two began going over that exercise again and again until Gohan had it down to a science.
'Watch his eyes,' Gohan said to himself, going over the lesson over and over. 'When his concentration slips, I'll be able to force him on the defense.' It was a risk, because if he slipped before Lee did, and the green-clad fighter knew what to look for, then it would be Gohan on the defense.
A leaf drifted in front of Gohan's eyes, but not before he saw a shift in Lee's eyes.
"RAAAAA!!"
Gohan's yell startled everyone as he launched himself forward faster than anyone would've believed.
'FAST!?' was the collective thought of the shinobi fighting and watching as Lee hopped back in an effort to get some distance between him and the onrushing saiyan warrior. The young Z fighter drew back as if he was going in with a right haymaker and Lee prepared his block and counter.
Gohan fazed out.
'What?' Lee wondered, just as he felt a presence above him. He looked up and saw Gohan dropping towards him, one leg high in the air, getting ready for an ax kick. The leg dropped and there was an explosion that sent rock and dust flying, forcing the spectators to shield their eyes. Lee emerged from the cloud, skidding backwards on the grass. Somehow, he'd managed to throw himself back and get out of the way.
The dust cleared and revealed Gohan, the leg he'd used in the kick buried in rock up to the knee, and it looked as if he wasn't able to pull it out.
"Now's your chance, Lee!" Tenten and Gai screamed together. Lee rushed in, jumped and threw a roundhouse kick.
"Konoha Reppuu!"
Gohan raised his right hand, as if answering a telephone, and caught the kick on his shoulder and upper arm muscle. Lee's round eyes widened in astonishment as his attack was stopped as if it was nothing. The other warrior struggled for a moment then yelled as he threw his arm out, knocking Lee off balance and buying himself the time he needed to wrench his leg free.
The caped fighter bounced back in a series of handsprings and skidded to a stop, snapping back into stance. Lee got himself under control and reassumed his pose as well.
A wind passed over the field, whipping Gohan's cape into a white frenzy. Neither fighter hesitated before speeding at each other again, eyes burning and fists ready to strike.
Well, There's chapter Seven. Lee and Gohan are sparring, Chichi knows just what happened to her eldest son, and Iruka knows to never ever treat both Gohan and Naruto to ramen. Not bad for a chapter of mostly talk. This should also answer many of your questions of how I'm gonna get Gohan into the Chuunin Exams. Personally, I can't wait for Orochimaru to show up!
Glossary
Konoha Reppuu (Leaf Whirlwind/Hurricane): One of Lee and Gai's basic moves, it's a simple roundhouse kick done in the midst of a jump and aimed at the target's head. All too easy for Gohan to see coming. Less powerful than the Senpuu.