World of Differences
The silence lingered on, but finally, Kokomi was able to give a response to his absurd question.
"...That would be incorrect. I'm quite sure I'm as human as you are."
"Ehh, really? Well, if you say so..." Goku answered back, a hint of disbelief at her claim.
Once again, she was reminded that this was not what she had anticipated on how this conversation was going to begin. So, she needed to guide it back to her favor.
"Regardless, may I ask for your name?"
"...Oh right, I'm Son Goku. Nice to meet cha!" he said enthusiastically.
It was a simple, yet straight to the point introduction. Thus, she followed along his pace.
"I am Sangonomiya Kokomi, the Divine Priestess of Watatsumi Island."
He blinked, confused by the term. "Watatsumi? Never heard of any place like that before."
She was a bit surprised, but did not show it outwardly, "Then may I ask where you come from Goku?"
"Well, the last thing I remember was training at the Room of Spirit and Time, which was at the Sanctuary but..." he trailed off, his thoughts trying to remember what had exactly transpired.
Kokomi remained silent, absorbing the information and assessing them in order.
Room of Spirit and Time...it might be a domain of some sort, but the name Sanctuary...there were a few locations that might bear some resemblance to the name.
"And where exactly would this Sanctuary be located?" She inquired, desiring to pinpoint its whereabouts.
"Ahaha, you probably won't find it anywhere on a map. After all, it's up there," he explained as he pointed his right finger to the sky.
She followed along the destination he alluded to, and found herself believing his statement. After all, it would explain how he was dropped into the waters of Watatsumi Island.
To her knowledge however, she could not recall any location within Teyvat that could reach such a height, and certainly not one with such a general name.
Goku continued on, his eyes scanning the sky above him, "It belongs to Kami, but between you and me, I think Mr. Popo cares more about it than he does, since he cleans the place more times than I can count."
God? Judging from the name, alongside the origin of his location, this Kami was presumably not part of the Seven.
It certainly was not an impossibility, yet she believed that there was something that did not seem coherent with the story when she combined her knowledge with Goku's.
"So, I gotta ask. What's with the air around here, everything feels...kinda weird."
Ever since he was dropped into the ocean, there was something unusual in the air. Heck, he could especially feel there was some sort of energy flowing beyond the sea, something deeper.
It was definitely not one that he felt before arriving at the Sanctuary.
Then again, he hadn't quite grasped how to sense ki back then. Now that he had sharpened his senses to the point that he no longer needed to rely on his eyes to fight, he had become more sensitive to living things around him.
But the energy he was feeling right now was off in more than one way.
"Where exactly are we anyway? I don't think I can see Korin Tower anywhere," he asked as he searched around the area.
Now that was definitely not a name she was familiar with.
"Korin Tower? I don't believe I've ever heard of such a place before."
It was certainly not a location within Inazuma, yet once again, she could not recall such a name from the other nations either.
Goku was a bit confused, but then he remembered that not anyone would know of its existence. In order to figure out where exactly was he right now, he needed a general location of where he was so that he had a reference point to use.
He thought hard on the issue, and an idea immediately came into form.
"Have you ever heard of the Tenkaichi Budokai then?"
She shook her head, implying that she had never heard of such a name either.
"Seriously!? But anyone that I ever asked about always knew what it was!"
And that was true. During his travels around the world for the 22nd Tenkaichi Budokai, he had inquired many people when he was asking directions to the location of the tournament. The ones that did not know of it could be counted on one hand.
And from the way Kokomi spoke, she didn't seem to be lying either. Goku could not help but scratch his head in confusion, as everything he saw seemed to be different to what he knew.
So, what exactly was going on here?
Meanwhile, Kokomi was compiling the details that she was able to glean from Goku's words, as several ideas now floated around in her thoughts.
One possibility was that his mind was not sound, seeing that he had just crashed from such a high place. The fact that he had survived such a fall should already be considered a miracle itself, so a concussion from the resulting impact was not unbelievable.
But just as quickly as she came up with the idea, she dismissed it almost entirely. This was mostly due to her observation on his actions up until now, or rather, his overall demeanor.
Truthfully, he was a bit odd, but Goku did not come off as someone not in his right mind, he instead came off as being aware of his situation, as he himself was rational enough to ask about his current circumstances.
There were other possibilities of course, and just to be sure, she needed to be very obvious in pointing it out.
"Do you perhaps know which nation of Teyvat is it at then?"
"Teyvat? Never heard of that before. Is it me or is something wrong going over here?" Goku repeated, his expression now filled with confusion.
That more than affirms her assumption. There was more than a chance that Goku was simply ignorant in the ways of the world, but she found the evidence for the more fantastical being more convincing.
While Kokomi was busy with her thoughts, Goku on the other hand had closed his eyes in order to enhance his other senses, specifically the one that allows him to hone in on a person's ki.
Concentrating, he tried to track down Kami's ki signature. What with how he had trained under his current mentor for more than two years now, he was more than used to Kami's ki, even if the distance between them was far away.
But no matter how hard he tried, he could not sense him, nor even the caretaker Mr. Popo.
Instead, this overwhelming flow of energy had returned, even more than before. He tried disregarding it, but ended up noticing Kokomi's ki instead.
If he were to compare hers to his own ki, then it would not be simple to just say it was night and day.
Rather, it was fundamentally different on every level. His ki was simple yet solid, but hers felt like it was enraptured by something more...formless, resembling water if he had to describe it.
Goku then suddenly put it all together in regards to the situation he found himself in, as this abnormality was more than enough to convince him that he was not back on Earth, rather...
"I'm in another world!?/ Do you perhaps come from another world?" the two announced at the same time.
They both stared at each other, blinking in sync, surprised that the other reached the same conclusion.
"Eh!? You think so too?"
On her part, she did not completely believe in the idea that he was an outsider from Teyvat itself, but the evidence spoke for itself. From his lack of knowledge to the most basic of things , his description of places and names that was nonexistent as far as she could tell.
Looking at them in isolation, the idea that he was from another world was preposterous, but the one fact that ties it all together was how he arrived here.
He had dropped from the sky, which had her initially thought of him as a falling star from above.
Perhaps there was a location high above the skies that she simply did not know about, but for now, she had decided to trust in Goku's story.
"It is...a bit hard to believe, but it is not impossible."
Technically, Enkanomiya too was not considered as a part of Teyvat, so it was not unbelievable to her that there were other worlds out there.
"Hehe, thanks. Still, it's amazing that I'm in another world!" Goku yelled out in excitement as he stretched out both his arms in the air.
...only to immediately find himself sinking into the ocean.
In response, Kokomi swam closer to his location, albeit cautiously just in case this was a ruse to strike her when her guard was lowered.
Goku swam right back up the moment she arrived, splashes of water accompanying him as they fell onto her.
"Sorry, got a little bit excited there." Goku said rather apologetically once he noticed what he had just done.
"It's alright, it makes no difference since we're already in the ocean," she then decided to take the initiative back as she posed another question to him.
"Since we have established that you are a visitor, what are your current plans then? Your sudden visit was not planned, I assume?"
"Yeah...I definitely wasn't planning on going anywhere as far as another world. Right now, I need to figure out a way back," he stated, adopting a serious look.
While it was amazing that he was in an entirely new world, there were still things he needed to take care of in his own world, or more specifically, Piccolo.
The bad thing was that trying to find a way out of here would probably be pretty difficult since he was in a foreign and unknown world, so he would probably need a lot of time to figure everything out.
Good thing he still had a bit of time to do so, probably around almost a year for him before the start of the 23rd Tenkaichi Budokai.
That would be his deadline.
Kokomi found his response interesting to say the least. While she wanted to inquire more, she presumed that it would be better done in a more private location.
"May I suggest taking a rest at my residence for the night, seeing as it is getting quite dark? We could discuss matters in more detail there."
It was an offer. It was not done on a whim, but one that she had deliberated on ever since the conversation had begun. The conclusion she had arrived at was that Goku was not a threat to the safety of Watatsumi Island, he was simply lost.
"You sure? I was planning on just sleeping outside like I used to."
She nodded her head, signifying that she was fine with the arrangement. After all, she was getting just as much out of this arrangement as he was.
"Thanks Kokomi! Guess we gotta swim out of here first huh?"
"Indeed, but before that however..."
Goku stared in confusion as she placed her left hand on his wounds, where he then noticed the small accessory on her chest started glowing.
Just as he was about to ask about her actions, a sense of relief washed over him.
He stared in wonder as he felt the injuries he accumulated subsiding into nothingness, almost as if he never fell in the first place.
"Woah, that was amazing! What was that?"
It was certainly a first for him to witness someone using energy in such a way. The closest equivalent would be the Senzu bean, but even then, those were not techniques in the slightest.
"How about we discuss it along the way instead? We'll have plenty to talk about."
Goku grinned as an idea popped up in his head, "Since you help me out, guess I gotta pay you back huh?"
Before she could realize what was happening, Kokomi could feel her sense of balance being disrupted as she was suddenly being lifted up from the ocean.
In a single instance, she now found herself being placed on Goku's shoulders, her hands gripping onto them as she sat on his back.
"Since I'm at full strength, let's give it everything I got!" Goku yelled out, his voice full of energy.
In one swift movement, they began moving at high speed, leaving splashes of water in their trail.
Kokomi only had one response, and that was to simply—
"HYAAAAAAH!"
For the second time of the day, she had been completely taken aback once more.
Sand.
A type of land that one Sangonomiya Kokomi was more than acquainted with, given the amount of time she had spent enjoying herself walking on them.
But it certainly was a unique experience to be thrown facing towards it, as a result of her losing her grip on Goku at the last second.
"Didn't think it would surprise you that much," Goku commented, the two having just arrived at shore.
"...It was a first for me, to be carried so suddenly like that."
And that was true. Ever since she was raised to be the Divine Priestess, she had no memories of a person treating her as casually as he did.
She couldn't tell if she liked or disliked it.
Ignoring her internal dilemma, Goku stared at the land before him, "So this is your home huh? I didn't expect it to be this big."
Even his old home in the mountains paled in comparison to the size of this island.
Regaining her composure, she stood up as she patted her robes, dusting the sand off of it.
"Not exactly, the Sangonomiya Shrine is located in the heart of Watatsumi island, so that will be where we are going," she explained.
Thus, the two started following the path, with Goku's eyes wandering to the nearby scenery while Kokomi observed his every little action.
After a few minutes of walking, Goku remembered what he wanted to ask just a few moments ago, "So, how did you heal me back there? I could feel some sort of energy, but not anything that I know of."
So he could sense energy. She noted that down in the back of her mind as she answered him, "It is a part of my Vision, hydro specifically. I merely used its elemental energy to heal your wounds."
"Vision? You mean like seeing things with my eyes?" he questioned, emphasizing his point as he cupped both his eyes.
She shook her head, "A Vision...is considered to be a gift from the Gods themselves. When an individual is deemed worthy, they will receive one in the form of a small gem, hence a Vision. The Vision grants the person control over a certain type of elemental power. You've seen mine, and that is of the hydro element, but it is not the only one out there."
Goku's face lit up in understanding, "Ooh, I get it. So there's probably gonna be other people that can use stuff like fire, or wind right?"
It reminded him of ki in a sense, only that theirs were more refined as they could form the elements on command, while he needed to control the flow of his ki in a certain way to create them.
He could at best replicate the push of strong wind, but not really the others. Thinking about it, he wondered if it was possible for him to do such a thing as well?
"Yes, that would be correct. However, to what criteria one is eligible to obtain a Vision is anyone's guess."
Although it was common belief that a Vision was given by the archons themselves, she personally believed it was something else, though what it actually was eluded her.
"That's neat. Kinda reminds me of how Kami created the dragon balls," he commented offhandedly, stretching his arms over his head.
Although she did not show it outwardly, his casual attitude to the revelations in regards to Visions was a relief. It meant that he had no issues with those that possessed visions.
Still, she was curious about the new term he had just brought up.
"These dragon balls, what exactly—"
"Your Excellency!"
The two stopped at the sudden yell, turning to the source as they just arrived at the fork of the path.
It was a young man, who was standing near a small farm. While the soil was tilled, no crops of any sort were grown there, which certainly piqued Goku's interest.
"Good evening Iwata, how are your crops developing?" Kokomi greeted him without issue as the two moved towards him.
"Not very good, I'm afraid to say. But I'm not willing to call it quits just yet!" he proclaimed, punching his fist in the air.
"There is something I needed I wanted to ask about, Your Excellency..." he said almost unwillingly, shifting awkwardly from one foot to another.
Iwata then finally noticed Goku, who was just staring at the farm that was near their vicinity.
"Huh, who are you supposed to be?"
Instead of answering, Goku walked towards the farm instead, squatting down as he inspected the soil.
Seeing that Goku was strangely focused on something else, she decided that it would be better if she introduced him instead, "His name is Goku and he is a guest of mine, so please treat him amiably."
"Well, if your Excellency says so then sure, no problem."
Iwata then noticed that Goku was now holding the soil in the palm of his right hand, scrutinizing it.
Noticing that his attention was placed elsewhere, Kokomi continued on, "Ahem...Iwata, your question?"
"...Oh right! I was wondering if Your Excellency knows any other types of seeds I could use? The last one turned up to be a dud like usual."
She dwelled on the issue. Truthfully, this was not her area of expertise, nor was she optimistic on growing any sort of crop on Watatsumi Island, especially with its special type of soil.
"Why don't you try using carrot seeds?" Goku spoke up, joining in the conversation.
Iwata raised his eyebrows in confusion, "Why carrot seeds?"
"Well, my grandpa Gohan used to farm a lot. I don't really understand all the things that he did, but I just got a feeling that carrots would work out, you know?"
Iwata could not believe in that kind of flimsy reasoning at all, but an idea was an idea so he took it all the same.
"Haaaa...Why not? As long as it's one that I've never tried before, then I'll give anything a go."
"Along with that, I'll compile a list of possible vegetables that can be grown and send it to you at a later date. Perhaps you might be able to narrow it down to the ones that you have not tried yet."
Yes, she was not optimistic, but it would be remiss of her to turn down a request from one of her people.
"That would help out a lot! Thank you, Your Excellency! Uhh, you too... Goku? I'll be taking my leave now, enjoy your stay at Watatsumi!"
Iwata ran off excitedly, leaving the two alone once again.
"Hey Kokomi, are you someone important or something?" Goku asked out of curiosity.
He didn't think much of it, but after seeing the way Iwata interacted with her, it was kinda obvious that she was well respected at the very least.
"Hmm, why would you say that?" she asked, curious about his reasoning.
"Well, that guy did keep saying Your Excellency a lot. I don't really know what that means, but it sounds pretty important."
So, he was only vaguely aware of her status from the conversation just now, eventhough he did not understand its meaning.
"...As I've said before, I am the Divine Priestess. This means that I generally take care of most matters on Watatsumi Island."
"Eh!? That sounds like a lot of things you gotta handle, and I'm guessing it's not just that guy calling you that long name either huh?"
She did not speak, nor did she respond outwardly, showing neither confirmation nor denial.
Goku however, simply carried on, "Doesn't it get really annoying if it's like that all the time? Ehehe, I think I'll just keep calling you Kokomi instead."
She merely stayed silent before taking a step forward, something of which Goku did not understand, but followed along anyway as they continued on the given path.
Ah. To think that she was caught off guard not just once, not even twice, but three times in total within the span of an hour.
Truly, today was not one she could strategize for at all.
"Ooh, so there's a village here huh?" Goku commented as they had just moved further downwards.
When he saw the island from the sea before, he didn't expect that the size of the island wasn't merely big on the horizontal front, but the vertical front as well. So, suddenly seeing a village out of nowhere just because he didn't look down was certainly a surprise for him.
"Yes, this is Bourou Village. Right now however, most have returned indoors to relax after a long day of hard work."
She would know, since the reason why she picked this exact time to relax in isolation was due to the least possible amount of people out and about.
That said, there were occasionally people still walking around, like Iwata just now. Fortunately, there was no one around at the moment, nothing but the cool breeze accompanying them.
"We still only have a bit before we arrive at the shrine. I'm sure that you can explore more of the village at a later date, if you want."
It was obvious to her that Goku had no issues with interacting with other people, even if they were not quite sure what to make of him. In fact, it almost seemed like he did not care at all about what others thought of him, but that remained to be seen.
"Hehe, I sure hope so. I know I'm supposed to be worried about finding a way home and all, but going to new places always gets me excited."
And apparently very excitable and optimistic.
"Do you...perhaps do this often?" Kokomi commented as she watched his every movement.
"What do you mean?" Goku answered, visibly confused by the question.
Presently, they were walking on a suspension bridge leading up to the Sangonomiya Shrine. Normally, two people would take turns to walk across as the gap was much too narrow for more than one to fit, yet Goku had instead to walk on one of the ropes that held the entire structure. What was more alarming was that even though his weight was clearly leaning on the right side, the bridge did not falter, if at all.
It was almost as if Goku's feet were not even touching the ropes themselves.
She would say she was surprised, but over the course of their interaction, she had unusually come to accept that this was simply the norm for him.
Then again, as someone with a position such as hers, adaptation was a necessity skill to possess.
"Yosh!" Goku shouted gleefully as he jumped onto one of the giant coral structures that were leading up to their destination.
Of course, he could have taken the normal path there, but where was the fun in doing that?
He was in a new world after all, and he definitely didn't want to waste a chance exploring more of it later. It was almost unbelievable how many new things he was experiencing from today alone.
As he jumped onto the final coral, he decided to stop for a bit in order for Kokomi to catch up. Usually, he would just run off to the stairs, but there was something he had wanted to do beside waiting for her.
He then turned, admiring the gigantic scenery in front of him. Sure, he had been to many islands before during his past journeys, but there was none that had so much...bodies of water before.
Rivers...Waterfalls...and especially the huge whirlpool at the very bottom of where he was standing. It was hard to describe, but he felt there was some sort of reason for it being this way, but his train of thought halted as the corner of his eyes caught Kokomi walking towards him.
"You sure took your time huh Kokomi?"
"I wouldn't say that, you were simply faster," she countered back, not missing a beat.
"That kinda means the same thing doesn't it?" he argued back, smiling cheekily.
Kokomi simply walked up the stairs, with Goku doing the same thing. As they passed the torii, they were greeted by a shrine maiden that was standing in the vicinity, as if they had been waiting there for a single purpose.
"Your Excellency, I see you are back from your walk. Is it correct of me to assume that this young man beside you is a guest for tonight?"
"That would be correct. Naki, please prepare dinner enough for two people."
At the mention of food, Goku's stomach let out a long growl, clearly implying his hunger. Goku simply laughed as the other two stared at him, one judging him slightly while the other took it in stride.
"...Make that more than two," Kokomi added.
"It shall be done."
Naki bowed, before moving towards the shrine, presumably going towards the kitchen.
"We'll use one of the guest rooms. After all, we still have matters we need to discuss, correct?"
He would agree, but his stomach said otherwise.
Kokomi lightly placed her chopsticks back on the table, having just finished dinner.
It was nothing extravagant, since she had a small appetite to begin with.
Goku on the other hand, was the exact opposite.
There were bowls upon empty bowls stacked upon his side of the table, and all of them came from minutes of Goku eating them up, something of which had baffled Naki as she couldn't believe anyone would have such a huge appetite.
Right after he had finished eating the dishes in the beginning, he had requested if there were any more as he was clearly not satisfied.
Initially, Kokomi was reluctant to provide more considering their food situation in Watatsumi, but found that it was just about enough to not sink their supply entirely. Naki's judging gaze clearly implied that she did not approve of Goku gorging down their food supply, nor for his lack of etiquette.
It was only fortunate that Goku simply ignored her glare, for he was simply too focused on indulging the food before him.
The sound of chewing dragged on as the martial artist for several more minutes, until he finally let out a satisfied burp upon finishing his meal.
"Ahh man, that was great! Haven't had something that good in a while," he complimented wholeheartedly.
After eating pre-prepared food for almost a month, it was no doubt this was one of the most fulfilling meals he ever had.
Now that dinner had passed, she believed that it was about time that their discussion continued on in regards to a certain matter.
"Have you decided on your current plans in finding a way back to your world?"
"...I don't really know where to start," he confessed.
She nodded her head, expecting his answer, "That's understandable. You've just arrived here, where everything is unknown to you."
"Do you have any ideas Kokomi?" Goku asked, turning to her for help.
"I personally believe that your best chance of acquiring such knowledge would be to head out to Sumeru."
"Sumeru?"
"It is said to be the land of wisdom, knowledge on various matters there are wide and deep, so it is not a stretch to say there would be a way for you to acquire said necessary information."
He perked up, surprised to have found a solution this quick, "Ooh, that sounds great. Guess I'll probably head out after a good night's sleep then."
Just as Goku was about to stand up, Kokomi stopped him as she outstretched her left hand.
"I...do not recommend you immediately heading out."
"Huh, why not?"
It didn't look like a difficult thing for him to do. After all, he's traveled the world once, he could probably do it again considering how much stronger he had gotten since then.
"Right now, you are located in the land of eternity, Inazuma. In order for you to get to Sumeru, you would first need to move across the turbulent waters."
"If it's just the ocean, then I'm fine. I can just swim across it no problem."
"Even if you could, it is not just a simple matter of the high seas. Once you've reached a certain point, you will find a barrier of lightning storms awaiting you."
Yeah, those certainly would hurt him if he was not careful. Adding that he was swimming instead of moving on land, dodging them was not an option. Flying was not an option either, as he's only just begun to grasp that technique and could only use it to the extent of levitating lightly.
"Can't I just wait until it's gone?"
"It is impossible, those thunderstorms are always present, never fading. There is a specific reason why, but...I can't tell you of it just yet."
Goku wanted to ask her reason for keeping it from him, but relented upon seeing her serious expression.
"Even if you could get past the barrier, are you certain your method can ensure you will obtain what you seek out? I've heard before that Sumeru uses...a certain type of resources, one that you would need if you desire to obtain a specific kind of information."
That he also did not know. She sure made it out like this world was more complicated than it needed to be.
She continued on, "If you are to rush in without considerations nor plans, then you would have wasted more time and effort than required."
She...had good points, and he couldn't refute any of them. Sure, he could certainly just give it a go, multiple ones at that and hope for the best, but he couldn't quite afford to make many mistakes right now.
If it was a few years ago, he would have no doubt ignored her warning and just rushed in, but after being repeatedly reprimanded by Kami about his past recklessness, he had learnt to hold it back. Since he didn't know anything about this world, just going ahead without any sort of plan would cost him.
While he had once gone out into the world, the purpose for that one was different compared to traveling in this new one. Back home, he was only focused on becoming stronger, which took him three years to do so. Here, he needed to find a way back under the span of a year.
"I also presume that you are short of time?"
He had never mentioned the duration of time, but she was more than able to infer it from their previous conversations.
"Almost a year, that's about all I have, but even then I ain't too sure of the specifics."
"...I see. I won't ask for the reasons why, seeing as we've just met. Nonetheless, please think hard on what you want to do from now on. I won't stop you if you decide to head out regardless, but understand the consequences if you do."
She then stood up from her seat, walking past him before stopping at the door.
"Naki will bring you to the guest room in a bit, so I'll take my leave for today. I hope you have a good night's sleep, considering today's event."
"Hey Kokomi, why are you helping me so much?"
It was a valid question. He didn't suspect her of anything, nor did he sense any sort of maliciousness. At the same time however, it was kinda weird she was going out of her way to explain a lot of things to him.
"I have my own reasons to do so, and it is not simply out of altruistic reasons."
And with that, she left the room, leaving Goku alone to his own thoughts. That only lasted for a few moments as the door opened once again, revealing to be Naki staring at him in irritation.
"Come along. I'll lead you to your room."
She spoke no more than that, as the two began moving around the shrine. After several minutes of mere silence, they reached their destination.
As Naki opened the door to him, she kept a neutral look as she spoke, "This is advice as a shrine maid of the Sangonomiya Shrine. Do not overstay your welcome, you have already burdened Her Excellency more than enough as it is."
Goku was no stranger to hostility, but this one felt like it was done for someone else's sake, rather than just themselves.
"But I don't remember doing anything that bad...all I did was eat the food here."
Her glare immediately came back in full force, "That is precisely the problem because your appetite is insatiable. Do you have any idea of the food crisis issue we might face on Watatsumi Island if you overstay your welcome here? I know not of your situation, nor do I care. If it were not for Her Excellency, I would—hmph, forget it."
Having said her piece, she immediately left without looking back. Goku merely blinked in response, wondering what that whole rant was about as he entered the room.
It was a traditional room, one that he had never seen before. That wasn't on his mind currently, as his thoughts were still on what Naki just said.
Food crisis? It didn't seem like that would ever happen in his eyes, but then again, he had just arrived today, so of course he didn't know all of the details of this island.
Then there was Kokomi. Certainly, he was grateful for her extending a hand to help, but from the way she phrased it, it seemed like she wanted him to know and not know of what was going on at the same time.
Lastly, the matter of finding a way back home. There was currently a destination, but not one he can reach immediately from the looks of it.
It was all very confusing, and he didn't really do so well on complicated matters.
Hence, instead of overthinking too much on those matters, he decided that he would just tackle them in his own way.
That was what he had settled on before going deep into slumber.
Sangonomiya Kokomi let out a groan as the first light of day startled her from her sleep. She found herself rubbing her eyes, tired despite the deep sleep she had just experienced.
Between the matter of meeting Goku yesterday, reading through the reports she had received from Kannazuka, and writing in her personal book, she had fallen asleep without realizing it, with her head slumped on said book instead of lying on her futon.
After shrugging off the drowsiness, she carefully placed her book in place before beginning any other activity of the day.
Suddenly, she heard a burst of noise from outside her room, which was alarming. Considering the height and position of the Sangonomiya Shrine, it should not have been possible to discern any sound at all unless it was near the vicinity.
She quickly took off, before coming to a stop at the edge of the area of the shrine. Not only was it her, but she was also joined by the other shrine maidens as they too were made aware of the sudden disturbance.
Kokomi squinted her eyes, and saw that there were several figures gathered around at one of the rivers below, alongside baskets near one of them. What stuck out to her however, was that the majority of them seemed to be from the Watatsumi Army judging from the uniforms.
All except for one that was.
Eventhough the distance made it hard to identify the individual, it didn't take her long before she recognize the person as she saw a very distinctive hairstyle.
Truly, her energy level was already decreasing and it was only early in the morning.
AN-So, this chapter mostly serves as a base for interactions between Goku and Kokomi. Hopefully, I was able to capture it well enough. Also, I should also state here that I'll probably be adding a little something or other to the characters here, especially the main two. That certain something could be a positive or negative, but we'll see. I'm adding them because sometimes I can only make assumptions, like for example, grandpa Gohan farming a lot eventhough it has never been officially stated. At the same time, I can sorta see that happening just because he lives in the mountains all by himself and he would probably get bored just foraging for food everyday. So yeah, I'll probably make those kinds of assumptions a lot in this story, but hopefully not ones that makes you break your suspension of disbelief.