Intuitive Guidance

The first thing Goku felt upon waking up was the stiffness that accompanied him all the way from his shoulders to his legs. It took more than a few seconds before his body moved for the first time in what felt like ages.

Turning his face to the side, his eyes slowly adjusted to his surroundings until he noticed that he was lying on a futon within a room of some sorts, for what seemed to be a while judging from the stiffness of his body.

With a bit of effort, Goku lifted his upper body from the bed. The moment he did so however, he received a headache that caused his thoughts to be in an even messier state than before. It was so bad that he was unable to sense anything around him as someone entered the room.

"It seems you're awake. I have to say, I wasn't quite sure what to think of the whole situation when both you and Her Excellency were brought back here unconscious," a woman, garbed in the traditional shrine maiden attire.

Goku knew that voice, "Tsuyuko?"

She nodded in affirmation, "Seems you're conscious enough to still remember me, which has to mean I left quite a bit of impression last time, didn't I Goku?" she said somewhat teasingly.

With a slight daze, Goku decided to inquire about his current whereabouts, "Where am I?"

"But not cognitive enough to recognize a place you've already visited. Well, right now, you're in one of the guest rooms of the Sangonomiya Shrine."

Right...now that he got his bearings back, the room did look somewhat familiar to him. Then again, his thoughts at the time weren't particularly on the design of the infrastructure.

Still feeling quite wooden, Goku finally decided to stand up in an attempt to stretch his entire body.

In doing so, the bed covering fell off from his person, exposing his bare upper body to the natural elements. That wasn't unusual per say, but as Goku's eyes traveled downward, he noticed something that wasn't present before.

A scar.

He had never thought about it too much when it came to battle injuries. Despite the many battles he had involved himself with, there were hardly any battles that ever had any lasting effects on his body. A good rest or a quick snack of a Senzu would usually heal him up quite nicely.

Even taking on the entire Red Ribbon Army or having broken limbs when fighting Piccolo did not have any long lasting consequences, physically speaking.

This was different.

It was neither a small nor a light cut either, but one embedded deeply into his person, for it was a clean straight line that connected from his left chest to his right side of his stomach.

This would be a reminder of a battle that he had with the Raiden Shogun. One that he couldn't simply wash away.

Normally, one would lament on their past decisions, but for Goku...he was fine with it. It was simple after all, he fought the Raiden Shogun, and he lost. Nothing more complicated than that, and the scar was simply the consequences of what occurred from such a battle.

Goku grinned as he turned towards Tsuyuko, "Hehe, guess it's what I get for losing then."

Tsuyuko's expression did not indicate a hint of bemusement at his words, rather concern was plastered all over her.

Unaware of her thoughts, Goku expressed the first thing that came to mind, "Since I'm up and all, I guess Kokomi woke up way faster than I did."

It took a moment before Tsuyuko could give him an answer, "...Let's discuss this after I get you something to eat. I bet you're going to wolf down the futon at this rate, right?"

Goku was about to refute that for once, but his stomach disagreed as it let out a loud rumbling noise.

"Just as I thought. Don't stress your head about it, I'll whip up something quick and easy."

As Tsuyuko stood at the shoji, she stopped momentarily before continuing on, "Oh yeah, your clothes are to your left. Unfortunately, your original gi was already in tatters when you were brought here, and there wasn't anything we could do to recover it. So, you'll have to put up with one of our spares for now."

Before Goku could reply, she was already gone, leaving him to stare at the piece of clothing beside him. When he picked it up to give it a once-over, all he could think of was how unsuitable it was for training.

"Eh!? I've been asleep for more than two weeks!?" Goku yelled out after placing the last empty bowl on the table, with pieces of rice stuck on the corner of his mouth.

"You wouldn't believe the amount of noise you two caused at the shrine brought back like that. After that, most of the shrine maidens here were beginning to think that Her Excellency would never recover since there hasn't even been a hint of her waking up until now."

"So, Kokomi hasn't woken up yet..."

With the way he put it, Tsuyuko had a suspicion that Goku at least knew more than all the others here, "Do you perhaps have an idea why Her Excellency hasn't recovered at the same time as you have?"

Goku thought about it for a bit, before giving her a knowing smile, "It's probably cause it's taking her longer to drown."

It was obvious to Tsuyuko that it was some sort of joke between the two, but to utter that so casually...

"Goku, you are extremely fortunate that I am the one tending to you, and not anyone else."

And wasn't that the truth? If the others had heard him say such a ridiculous statement, they would have already cursed him both figuratively and perhaps even literally, especially because of Her Excellency's current condition.

Not that they didn't bear any ill wills towards him already. It was why she alone was the only one taking care of their guest upon being dropped off by that particular woman with the eyepatch.

Sometimes, Tsuyuko believed that none of them even knew Her Excellency that much, if at all. Even she, to some extent, was not able to completely grasp the Divine Priestess's thought process.

...but she was at least sure that Her Excellency did not want Goku to be treated with such wariness.

"Guess it's a good thing you're here then Tsuyuko. Anyway, with Kokomi still not up, I guess I'm gonna take a walk around then. My body still feels really stiff, so I really need to do something to loosen them up," Goku said, rolling his right shoulder.

"I suppose I would have to alert the others about your current condition, which I'm sure they would be happy about. With that said, it would be best if you don't return too early...as there are going to be a few issues that need to be sorted out."

Mainly on the other priestesses' reaction to Goku waking up faster than their Divine Priestess, which Tsuyuko was sure was going to go as well as their last discussion on what to do with their guest.

"That said, I'm curious. What are your plans after seeing the scenery? That can't be the only thing you're thinking of, right?"

A normal person would have been affected to their very core because of such experiences, yet Goku was treating it as normal despite going through what could be considered an execution from the Archon herself.

"If you're talking about what I'm going to do...well—"

What was uttered by Goku next was heard by the only individuals present in the room, for it was an answer that surprised Tsuyuko more than what she initially thought of the individual known as Son Goku.

"Hah!" Goku roared out as he let out a high kick into the air.

At the moment, he was at a location that no resident of Watatsumi Island would ever bother to wander around at. This was not a case for him, as this was the perfect place for what he had planned ever since he had awoken from slumber.

The very first thing he had done upon arriving was to practice his kata, repeating the motion of patterns that he had ingrained himself ever since he began training all those years ago. This was sorely needed since he still felt as if there was a gigantic weight holding down his body.

Despite that however, he wasn't sure if he was imagining it, but he did feel the tiniest bit lighter when he was moving around just now, but that feeling was quickly overtaken by the stiffness in his muscles.

Besides that, there was also something obviously slowing down his recovery.

His ki.

At the moment, his ki reserves were ridiculously low, so much so he could probably only fire off a single Kamehameha.

It wouldn't hinder his ability to fight per say, but it did significantly hamper his ability to go further beyond his full physical strength. Then again, it did make sense why his condition was so poor right now, seeing his body was actively protecting him from dying to the aftermath of the Musou no Hitotachi for so long.

Naturally, this meant that it was going to take a while before he was at full strength again, but it was nothing a good rest or two won't do, so at least there wasn't any abnormality beside his low ki reserves.

That said, Goku wasn't too worried about his physical condition, but more so focusing back on his clash with the Shogun.

He extended his right arm, clutching nothing but the air as he envisioned her standing right in front of him, her sword already in motion to cut him down.

No matter how much he recalled back to that particular moment, he just did not understand what happened with the final clash between his Kamehameha and her Musou no Hitotachi.

He understood how his opponent was able to maintain her balance by enduring the technique head on, but the slash was the one thing that evades his understanding of the entire fight.

One moment she was readying her swing, and the next, she had somehow completed the motion of the slash as she stood behind him.

It was as if she somehow separated herself from the blast and bypassed it completely, with speeds that even he couldn't perceive.

Was it just sheer strength, or was there something more to it than that?

Goku shook his head as he began to relax himself, his eyes turning to the sea instead.

Why was he overcomplicating it? Analyzing and understanding the technique was fine and all, but there was no use overthinking on something that he did not understand one bit.

This applies even more, what with him being in a world unlike his own. So, not everything he understood about combat could apply with what he had learnt in his journey thus far.

Ki was similar to Vision, but at the same time, they were not the same.

Inwardly, he was a bit excited at noticing the differences more and more, as he believed that with a better understanding there was a chance that he could perhaps mimic the use of elements with his own usage of ki.

With the topic in mind, he didn't think he could copy every element out there, as he himself was only able to understand about ki intimately just more than a year ago, so there were still many things he couldn't do by himself without any sort of guidance.

Heh, even after all the training he did, he still had a long way to go huh?

His thoughts were then interrupted, as he sensed a person approaching his general location.

He would have disregarded it, as even in areas like these, there would always be one wanderer or such that would travel to places such as this one, but there was something distinctly different about this person.

The ki of this individual was blatantly different from the many residents situated at Watatsumi Island. What was more alarming however, was that he was sensing a lot of other life signatures following behind them.

...and they were very similar to the one-eyed monsters that floated on the island, the ones where he had eaten a bunch of them just to satiate his hunger and curiosity. Strangely, they were moving at a walking speed, so it didn't seem like that person was in any danger of sorts.

What he thought turned out to be true, as said individual arriving came into view, as well as a group of specters with different colors accompanying him.

Goku already knew what needed to be done, as he began to spring into action.

Shikanoin Heizou considered himself a talented individual. Why would he not? After all, there was no point in humility if his achievements had already said much more than his words ever could to those who doubted him..

So when he was ordered by a superior at the top to obtain information on Watatsumi Island by infiltrating it, he quickly agreed.

He did not do it for the sake of completing the task given however, as it just happened to be an excellent opportunity for him to sightsee one of the islands that had distanced itself from the mainland of Inazuma.

This applied more so with the ongoing civil war.

Really, he had no plans at all to involve himself with such a thing. He merely wanted to be one of those excited tourists that were simply transfixed by every little thing they saw before them.

Despite the initial difficulties that came from simply docking his boat onto the island, courtesy of the many guards that were situated here, he found Watatsumi Island to be a perfect location for a vacation getaway. He could very safely say he had been enjoying his vacation here even with the somewhat watchful eyes some of the Sangonomiya soldiers here had on him.

Still, there was another matter that was at the forefront of his mind...

The strange dream that he had on the first night on this island.

The main thing he could recall from it was that there was something missing on Watatsumi Island.

One would usually write them as mere nonsense, or perhaps some divine message from the Gods themselves. He, on the other hand, did not believe in any of that. To him, dreams such as these were flashes of his intuition shining through.

And so far, they had never led him astray, so why would he ignore them now?

Thus, on his fourth day at the island, he had ventured out a bit further to see what he was missing out compared to walking around in Bourou village. This was done not only for sightseeing more of the scenery, but also to discover the meaning behind his dream.

What he did not expect was to see a group of specters quickly noticing his presence by one of the many waterfalls that were present on Watatsumi Island.

Being the collected person he was, he merely let out a composed smile before turning to another direction.

Unfortunately, that only urged them on to follow him instead, slowly converging as they moved forward until they were right behind him as he continued onward to his next destination.

It was why he was currently heading towards one of the edges of the island, as an open area was a much more suitable arena for his fighting style.

That, and there was always the possibility they could leave him alone once they were satisfied.

What he hoped for unfortunately did not occur once reaching said location. Resolving himself to the upcoming skirmish, he turned around to face the specters but did not stop moving as he walked backwards, his eyes tracking their every movement while he thought of his next best course of action.

"My, I must say. I wasn't quite expecting my vacation day to turn out so eventful today," he said casually, as if what was transpiring did not concern him one bit.

The specters responded by floating towards him at a pace faster than before, something that he noticed almost immediately, causing him to clench his right fist unconsciously.

Before any of the sides made the first move, an unexpected factor came into play as a seeming blur jumped in from the side, causing small clouds of dust to be formed as it landed in between him and the specters.

None of the specters were even able to respond to the suddenness of the situation, as one of them was immediately thrown straight towards one of the smaller cliffs, shattering into pieces upon impact.

As the dust settled, Heizou was finally able to bear witness to who his unknown savior was.

It was a young man, presumably at the cusp of being an adult themselves, with loose clothing that clearly did not fit his fighting prowess.

"Oi, you alright?" the person asked in a somewhat crude manner.

Knowing that this interesting newcomer was referring to him, Heizou gave him an almost immediate response, "Yes, very much so. I would thank you, but I believe there's still quite a bit of cleaning up to do."

The person waved him off before giving a confident grin, "Nah, don't worry about it. Just wait a bit while I take care of 'em."

The moment his savior turned around to face the group of specters, every one of them visibly backed away, almost as if they were scared of the opponent standing before them.

Heizou found this scene surreal, because it was definitely a first for him to see specters behave in such a way.

A staredown between them occurred for only but a moment, but it was enough as the specters all quickly fled in terror as they dispersed into multiple directions.

Blinking confusedly at the retreating form of the specters, his savior relaxed his stance almost entirely, "Huh. Guess they didn't want to fight after all. That, or maybe they recognize me since I ate so many of them already."

The off-handed comment absolutely did not escape Heizou's notice.

Still, his interest was piqued, and his intuition was telling him that this person before him was exactly who he was looking for.

"I must thank you again, o' valiant savior of mine. A regular tourist like me would definitely have been in a heap of trouble if it weren't for your timely intervention."

"Don't mentio—Hmmm" his savior hummed in contemplation, stopping what he originally wanted to say as he observed Heizou from top to bottom.

Heizou was used to stares that were filled with malice due to his occupation, but not so much one out of pure curiosity, "Yes?"

The person relented in his scrutiny as he spoke, "Nah, guess I was wrong. You definitely didn't need my help back there."

Now this certainly took Heizou by surprise, "Oh, and what would make you come to such a conclusion?"

"Your stance. I can tell you were ready to fight now that I got a closer look at ya. You're a martial artist too, right?"

Although it came out as a question, Heizou could clearly tell that this individual before him was already assured of his assessment, and merely asked out of confirmation.

While he had already known this person was someone who practiced the arts from the way he moved, he did not expect to be deduced just as easily as well.

His savior was certainly not one to be underestimated, that was for sure.

"Ah, it seems I've been caught red-handed, and here I thought I was doing a good job of disguising myself as a simple tourist. There is one thing I must correct however, I consider myself to be of another profession first before being a martial artist."

"Really? But I can tell you're pretty good at it though...hey, you wanna spar?"

The sheer bluntness and enthusiasm that exuded from this person was unexpected even for Heizou, but he was thankfully able to answer in his usual manner.

"While enticing, I would like to simply enjoy my vacation at the moment so you'll have to forgive me for refusing your request."

Honestly, Heizou did not really mind going for a simple sparring session with another martial artist, but what he was truly interested in was this person's response.

"That's too bad. Guess I'll just have to continue training by myself then."

With that, the supposed martial artist turned his back towards him and walked away, with nothing more to say.

Meanwhile, Heizou found his answer to be...intriguing.

In his experience, people tend to be more curious when they are aware they are being withheld from information they believe they should possess. Yet, this person moved on as he had nothing more to inquire despite finding his answer to be an unfortunate one judging from how excited his tone and voice was. It informed him that this person currently held a single-minded mindset, which was strange considering the serene yet relaxing location they were in that did not justify the need for such a thing.

He couldn't let his subject of curiosity go just like that now, could he?

"Let's not get too hasty here. How about this, I won't spar with you, but I'll demonstrate a bit of my martial arts for you to see. I believe that is good enough of a compromise for you?"

The immediate turnaround almost made Heizou believe that he was faking disinterest, "Ooh, I'm okay with that. I bet it's really cool."

"Great, but before we get into it, would you first give me the privilege of knowing your name?"

"Sure! The name's Goku!"

He suspected it wasn't his full name, but chalked it up to Goku preferring to introduce himself informally rather than deliberately hiding it, "Goku you say...well, Goku, my name is Shikanoin Heizou, currently a tourist on Watatsumi Island."

Goku stood in a thinking posture upon hearing his introduction, "Now that I think about it, I never did see anyone like you around before."

"I've only just arrived a few days ago, so it's understandable for that to be the case."

"I guess that makes sense, I've only woken up after two weeks of sleep so I wouldn't know what's been going on lately," Goku said casually.

Heizou observed his body language, but could not find any sort of sign that he was lying, which made him raise his eyebrows.

"Anyway, you gotta show me your moves already," Goku said as he walked a step closer towards him, eyes filled with excitement.

"I can quite confidently say I've never seen such an enthusiastic person towards the ways of martial arts before. Are you perhaps always this excited to see new techniques?"

The response was almost instantaneous.

"You bet!"

"Then I suppose I will try my best to meet your expectations then. Now, where would be the ideal place for such a thing..."

Heizou's eyes looked over to their surroundings, and found the nearest spot that was suitable for his demonstration.

"Ah, this would do," Heizou stated before walking off to the direction he alluded to, with Goku following in tow..

Goku sat in full concentration as his eyes followed every little movement Heizou was currently executing. Between Heizou's combination of punches, elbows, and kicks, he was able to quickly identify the type of fighting style that Heizou employed.

It fit the supposed tourist, and assured him that he was correct in his assessment that Heizou would have been fine without him butting in with those one-eyed monsters.

However...there was something off about it. In Goku's eyes, what Heizou seemed to be doing was far below what he was truly capable of, judging from the small gaps that occurred between each strike.

If he had to relate it to training, then it was like going back to an old routine despite the new one being far more efficient. He could tell Heizou had become somewhat awkward with this pattern of kata, eventhough it seemed perfect at a quick glance.

Finally finished with his demonstration, Heizou walked towards Goku, his breathing still normal despite the techniques he had displayed.

"What's the matter, Goku? Are you perhaps disappointed by what you just witnessed?" Heizou asked, having seen the expression on Goku's face.

"Nah. I think it's a pretty nice fighting style, but there is one thing that's bothering me about it..."

Heizou's eyes were once again lit in curiosity, as he proceeded to question him, "And that would be?"

He held no hesitation as he vocalized his thoughts, "You're holding back. I can tell from how you moved just now. Sure, you kinda did your best with what you currently got, but it also feels like you go even faster than what you just showed me."

It was not an accusation, but a statement that Goku was completely confident in.

"...to think I could be seen through this easily yet again. You might make a good detective if I do say so myself, Goku," Heizou remarked, letting out another easygoing-smile.

"As for your thoughts, you would be correct. While I've practiced the Fudou Style regularly like this, I have another way to utilize them in a more effective manner, if you will."

In response, Goku pointed towards the accessory that Heizou carried on his person, "It's that thing around your waist, a Vision was it? You can only use your full strength with it right?"

"Right again. Still, I don't feel the need to demonstrate the elemental power of my Vision, unless..."

Goku did not understand what Heizou was implying at all, but he had his own idea on how to approach things.

"I'm not really good at talking about stuff all smart-like. How about this, if I show you I can do the same thing you did just now, then you show me how you can use it with your Vision."

Heizou was strangely quiet, his expression exhibiting a hint of seriousness for the first time Goku had met him as he mulled over the idea by the looks of it.

"Very well, I can agree to that. I am curious about the confidence you're showing Goku. Is it bravado or..."

Goku didn't hear anymore of it, as he simply got up from the ground and was already beginning the motions of what Heizou had shown him just seconds ago.

He was able to easily imagine an opponent right before him, and proceeded to copy the exact movements he had seen.

First, it was a quick right jab into the air, followed up by an immediate left elbow.

With his imaginary opponent disoriented, he then gave a spin kick into the air to hook his opponent back onto him, before releasing a successive series of kicks on their abdomen until finally, finishing it with another spin kick that was aimed to push the opponent away.

Without even waiting for Heizou's response to his display of the martial arts, Goku continued on with the many other combinations of kata Heizou had also demonstrated.

This went on for minutes on end, with the observer looking on with silence at the impressive display.

Once Goku completed everything he remembered, Heizou clapped his hands together as he approached, "I have to say, I was honestly skeptical you could pull it off but to think, you were able to grasp the Fudou Style Martials Arts with a simple glance."

"Hehe. Well, what you showed me was pretty clear, so I was able to get it pretty easily."

Heizou let out a mild laugh, before going into a more combative stance, "A deal is a deal. So, now it's my turn again to show you what I can truly do."

As Goku stood back, he quickly sensed the fluctuation of energy around Heizou as wind began to gather around the other martial artist's right fist.

Then, he saw it.

As Heizou let out a right hook into the air, Goku could feel the air shaking momentarily as the air around pushed and pulled, almost like a swirl of sorts if he had to explain what he had just felt.

This continued on just like his earlier demonstrations. Still, there was a noticeable difference, not in terms of stances, but of movement.

Every little movement Heizou displayed was sharper, and he could tell they were stronger as well, and that noticeable gap that Goku saw before had diminished.

There was also that small gust of wind swirling around the area of his right hand, lingering even after he had dispersed them with each one of his strikes.

So this was the use of Vision through...Anemo.

In a way, it was sort of similar to a technique Kami had taught him, the one where he was able to push someone from afar by simply exerting ki in a single direction.

With the way Heizou used his Vision however, he was not only pushing the wind away but also pulling them in as well, to the point that it was circling above the palm of his hand.

Goku had never thought of using ki in such a way, and neither did any of his teachers apparently. Either that, or they wanted him to discover techniques like this by himself. He might need to ask them whenever he would meet with them again.

His thoughts halted as Heizou jumped high up into the air, with strong wind circling around him until it coalesced into a small ball of concentrated air.

It was only a moment but Goku could feel the torrent of energy contained within it, preparing to burst open as it struggled to maintain its form.

...only for Heizou to kick it towards the ground below him.

The ground shook as a vortex of wind exploded upon impact, to the point that even Goku who was several distances away realized that his body was being slowly pulled towards the center of the technique. It did not take much for him to maintain his balance, but it was still a noteworthy feat nonetheless.

"How was that Goku? Surely this one met your standards," Heizou asked in a nonchalant manner, as he descended back onto the ground near his vicinity.

Despite his tone of voice, Goku could tell that Heizou had indeed exerted a significant portion of his stamina, with his breathing being slightly ragged than usual.

"It was great! But...I still get the feeling you haven't shown me your best yet, Heizou," Goku said cheekily.

"You're rather hard to please, aren't you Goku? Whether I did or not, I can tell from the expression on your face that you're at the very least satisfied, correct?"

Well, yeah. Even if Heizou hadn't displayed everything in regards to the Fudou Style martial arts, he had already seen all he needed to, especially in regards to the utilization of Vision in combat.

"Yeah, I'm good. Alright, so if I'm remembering how ya did it..." Goku muttered off as he walked off into the area Heizou was just standing on.

Heizou curiously observed from the sides, anticipating his next action as Goku stopped in his tracks, thinking how exactly to recreate it with his own ki.

It did not take long for Goku to break the silence.

"Yosh, I think I got it," Goku proclaimed loudly as he got into the same stance Heizou did moments ago.

Goku twisted his right wrist around for an instance, but nothing occurred.

This was fine, it just meant that simply exerting his ki outward wasn't enough to produce the results he wanted, which was what he already expected. For his next attempt, he needed to twist the air around and maintain its rotation with his ki after moving his wrist around.

He then did the same action again, only this time it resulted in the wind around him to slightly shift towards his direction.

It was progress. He was able to pull the wind towards him, but he still came up short in pushing it out until it rotated around his hands.

Despite his second attempt, Goku knew he was at the cusp of grasping the technique already. Instead of thinking about it too deeply, he twisted his right wrist for the third time. However, he did not wait to see whether or not it would work, but immediately followed up by letting out a quick jab into the air.

As soon as his arm leaned forward, a small pool of air swirled around it, his loose clothes flapping in the wind until it finally spreaded forward, blasting the area in front of him.

After doing so, Goku pulled back his right arm to observe the current condition of his hand, only to find that there were now indeed traces of wind lingering between his fingertips, evidence that what he had just done was exactly the results he had been after.

Before celebrating too early, Goku closed his eyes in deep concentration to feel out his current ki reserves, and noticed that using this new technique did not take too much out of him.

It probably would be at a higher intensity, but since he was still at the beginning stage of the technique, learning how to control it first would be more important than increasing the output so he'll probably be fine if he kept practicing it. In his weakened state, this was the perfect way for him to train.

As Goku opened his eyes once more, he was greeted by the sight of Heizou eyeing him with bewilderment, "You are...a bag of surprises Goku. Truly, I've underestimated your capabilities."

"Well, it ain't the exact same since I don't have a Vision, but for me, this is more than enough,," Goku said cheerfully.

This would open up another option during battles, in addition to that lightning technique he recreated before leaving Watatsumi Island for the first time..

"It might be intrusive of me to ask Goku, but if your skills are what I believed them to be, I see no reason why you would not continue strengthening the arts that you already possessed? I can tell that it isn't simply your enthusiasm in the martial arts that fuels your desire to learn."

Goku guessed that was reasonable for him to ask, so he answered honestly, "Well, it's cause I just lost a fight. So, I'm training to prepare for the next time I fight her again. With what I had before, it really wasn't enough even when I gave it everything I got."

"Her?"

"Yeah, the Raiden Shogun."

Silence ensued as Heizou was struck with a look of realization, while Goku innocently blinked at him, unknowing of the other's thought process.

"And…when exactly did this battle take place?"

"Well, Tsuyuko said I've been asleep for more than two weeks, so probably around that long."

Heizou put on another contemplative look, one that Goku finally took note of. Was there anything wrong with what he just said?

"Heizou, you alright?"

It was Goku's voice that finally broke Heizou from his trance, "Oh, I'm fine. It's just that if you told that to anyone else they would be hard-pressed to believe you."

Goku scratched his left cheek as he thought about it harder, "Ehh...I guess you might be right. With how bored she looked, I guess not a lot of people like to fight with her, huh?"

Though he said that, he knew the Shogun he fought wasn't emotionless. He definitely felt it during the end of their battle.

…and when he was trapped in his inner world.

Unbeknownst to Goku, what he had just said thoroughly baffled Heizou into further silence. It was simply because what he uttered was unheard of, because no citizen of Inazuma would ever consider that to be the case when it came to their Archon.

"But you believe me right Heizou?"

Heizou looked up to him slightly before responding, "To tell you the truth, I'm still trying to digest this information myself. That being said, logically speaking with what transpired that day...it does add up."

Goku tilted his head sideways in confusion, "That day?"

"Don't worry your head about it Goku. Isn't it better to put your efforts into your training at the moment?"

To a more perceptive person, they would have noticed that Heizou was deflecting the question. Fortunately for Heizou, Goku was more interested in his training compared than anything else right now.

"Hey, you're right! Guess you're going back to the village then Heizou?"

Heizou shook his head, denying Goku's assumption, "Oh no. If it's not too much of a bother I would like to watch you train for a bit."

"Okay, but don't blame me if you get bored Heizou."

He shrugged, "Oh, I have my ways to preoccupy myself if that ever happens."

Goku did not pay much mind to it as he repeated the technique once more, concentrating it strongly on his right hand before letting his body do the rest of the work.

"Whew," Goku let out a sigh as the heat rays of the sun shone brightly above him, indicating that it was now noon.

Guessed he had been here for a few hours now.

"Good work out there. I am astounded how much progress you have achieved in such little hours," Heizou commented as he took a glance at the numerous holes that were now present all around the area.

"Still can't really use my feet too well with it, but I can work on that later."

This isn't even talking about techniques like trying to fly. Somehow, he found that one harder to replicate than Heizou's style of martial arts.

It might have to do with the fact that he had a blurry memory of it. So, he probably would need another look at his rival Tenshinhan using it again in order for him to mimic it perfectly.

It was fine, since he still very much preferred fighting on land, and was in no hurry to achieve the ability to fly. His priority right now was to strengthen his current technique. With this, he felt that he was one step closer to figuring out a counter to the Shogun's Musou no Hitotachi.

Not everything was in place yet, but he felt that this technique was a vital step in finding a solution.

"If what you demonstrated to me earlier was merely a simple training routine for you, then I have no doubt you'll overcome the challenge nonetheless."

Out of nowhere, Goku felt something unsettling crawling out from a particular direction. It wasn't as if he never felt this before, but the fact it had suddenly become so noticeable was worrisome to him.

If he would have to put it in words, it was like this chilling presence had finally been awakened from slumber, releasing its dreadful aura all the way from its location.

Beside him, Heizou merely raised a brow at his strange reaction as the tourist felt nothing different in his surroundings.

It meant that only he could sense what was going on, and as he gazed into said direction, he found that the aura led to Yashiori Island, the place where the Resistance was situated. He didn't know how, but every one of his senses were telling him that what just happened was something that should not have occurred at all.

"Is there something out of place Goku?" Heizou inquired, noticing his worried gaze.

"Oh, it's just that my gut is telling me something bad is happening right now on that island. If I leave it alone, then it's probably gonna get even worse."

While Goku held no obligation to help, he couldn't simply leave it alone, as it just wasn't in his nature.

"On Yashiori Island you say. Well, if it's instincts guiding you, then I believe it's best you follow it, don't you believe so?"

Heizou was right. He really shouldn't be idling around any longer. The more time he wasted, the more things could escalate, even if he didn't know what exactly was causing it.

"Yeah, that's true. Thanks for all the help Heizou, but I gotta leave now. Hope you're still here when I get back, because there's still a few things I gotta ask you about that technique of yours."

"Oh, you are mistaken here Goku. I have every intention of following you along."

Goku scratched the back of his head, not exactly understanding the reasoning, "Not that I mind, but why?"

"Just like you, my intuition is telling me that I'll be able to find what I am seeking by coming along, even if there might be complications once we're at Yashiori Island."

"Why's that?"

"Because I'm not quite sure how the members of the Resistance would react to my presence...or to my identity for that matter of fact."

Goku did not know why that was the case, but it probably had to do with that other profession Heizou talked about.

"It'll be fine Heizou, don't worry about it. If it doesn't, I'll be there to help you out," Goku said supportively.

There was a pause upon hearing those words, but it quickly disappeared as soon as Heizou gave him a grateful nod, "You've certainly assured me. Alright then, I suggest that the both of us take the boat I used to travel here. With a bit of luck, we'll be able to make it there in two days."

Goku was about to suggest just carrying Heizou to Yashiori Island, but ultimately refrained as he remembered the reaction of the first person he carried around in such a way.

"What are we waiting for? Let's get going then!" Goku said out loud in a jovial tone.

Just right after Goku two steps forward, he suddenly let out a yell as he remembered something important.

"Wait, I completely forgot about something! I can't leave without handling it first," he explained, turning to Heizou who was only looking on with amusement.

"It seems you have your matters to attend to. Will it take long for you to do so?" he asked calmly, completely unperturbed by the loudness of his voice.

Goku crossed both his arms as he thought about it, "Well, I'm just going to Kokomi's room so it probably won't be very long. I got some things to say, that's all."

He then noticed it again...the curiosity that Heizou's eyes were showing. He still really didn't get what the big deal was, it was just visiting a friend after all.

"In that case, I'll be stocking up on supplies while you're gone. Once you're finished, find me on the harbor, it's just south of Bourou Village."

Goku nodded in understanding as they began walking along together. It was only after they reached Bourou Village where they finally split up, heading towards their respective destinations.

Within the many rooms that occupy the space within the Sangonomiya Shrine, one particular room contained their Divine Priestess sleeping soundly on her bed, blissfully unreactive to the world around them.

Though there were usually many of the shrine maidens taking care of the currently unconscious priestess, today just so happened to be one of the busiest at the shrine. Thus, there was only one caretaker that would observe Kokomi's wellbeing during this period of time.

The moment the caretaker left however, was also the time when Son Goku sneaked himself into the room.

"Wow! So this is your room Kokomi? It doesn't look that different to the other ones, except maybe for the piles of books here."

Here he thought she kept most of it at her supposed secret hangout, but it turned out there was still a lot of literature works regardless.

Maybe they had more to do with her job as the Divine Priestess?

Goku erased those thoughts, as his purpose here wasn't to just snoop around her room, but to talk to her after all.

Even if she wasn't awake yet.

Goku sat down right beside Kokomi's sleeping form, who had not shown an inkling of waking up despite the noise he had made.

"Guess you're really still drowning down there huh? You sure know how to stay under water longer than I ever can."

There was no response. How could there be, if the recipient was unable to do so?

Still, he had a feeling that she would be fine, given enough time Kokomi would be up and about again, just like he was right now.

"Once you wake up, I'll be waiting for ya on that island we swam to before. Hopefully, whatever happened there will be over by the time you get there."

Silence, once again.

Goku continued on, unbothered by the quietness, "When we meet again, I got something I wanna talk to ya about. I already told Tsuyuko about it, but I don't think she really believes me all too much."

It was in regards to what he wanted to do from now on...but ever since he woke up, he already knew what he had to do to resolve all of this.

"That's all I gotta say. So, I'll be going ahead first then Kokomi."

With his piece said, Goku stood up once again, a determined face accompanying him.

Just as he was about to sneak himself out, he heard the noise of something dropping onto the floor.

As he turned around, he saw a basin was placed upside down on the door entrance, as well as spilled the contents of water along with it.

His eyes trailed upwards...only to notice that it was indeed one of the shrine maidens standing in the room with him, specifically it was Naki staring at him in disbelief.

Was he really that focused on Kokomi that he didn't notice his surroundings?

Guessed Mr. Popo was right in saying he still needed more training in that regard.

"You...you..." Naki said, struggling to form a coherent sentence upon seeing his presence in Kokomi's room.

Goku, unaware of the restrained anger that was directed towards him, merely greeted her amiably, "Heya! Don't worry about me, I was just about to leave so I'll be out of your way."

"Out! Now!"

Despite the sheer frustration and anger that was clearly emanating from her voice, Goku merely laughed heartily as he did what he was told. Before long, the room was occupied only by the still enraged Naki and Kokomi, who was unaffected by the outburst.

"Seriously, what exactly does Her Excellency see in him?" Naki remarked, facing the direction that Goku ran towards.

What went unnoticed by Naki however, was the slight movement that Kokomi exhibited behind her back, alongside the almost silent groan she let out as she turned to the side.

"Mmmh..."

"That certainly was quite an event you just went through," Heizou remarked as he placed another pack of supplies onto the boat.

"I don't get why she was so mad. It ain't like I broke anything..." Goku whined, standing right beside him.

Currently, the two were at the harbor of Watatsumi Island, one that was usually used by guests that came to visit the island.

The Sangonomiya samurai stationed here did give him a suspicious look when he arrived, although that immediately went away the moment Goku showed up and reconvened with him.

Intriguing. This meant Goku held much more respect on this island than Heizou initially thought.

"Looks like we have everything prepared. Shall we get going then?" Heizou asked, to which Goku answered with an all too willing nod.

Thus, the two proceeded to do just that. With nothing but a small boat to ride on, they were finally off the island and into the sea.

It did not take long for Goku to start getting other ideas right after half an hour of sailing...

"Won't it be too slow if we just go at it like this?" Goku asked, placing his left fist under his chin in boredom.

"What you refer to as slow is what everyone else experiences when traveling like this, barring larger ships of course."

He let out a cheeky smile, "Then all we have to do is make it faster right?"

Heizou easily understood what Goku was getting at. Instead of stopping the martial artist, he quickly prepared himself to prevent the boat from toppling over.

As always, his reasoning of deduction was correct.

This was proven by Goku turning around on his seat, twisting his right wrist in a quick manner as a short gust of wind swerved around them. He then let out a right jab into the air, causing the wind gathered to be dispersed and blasted off into a single direction.

This, in effect, propelled the boat forward, almost to the point that it almost skidded off the surface.

It also had the negative consequences of easily disrupting the balance of said boat, something that Heizou had already foreseen.

Foregoing the oar entirely, Heizou extended his arms to both sides, his Vision shining as small bursts of wind were released on each of them, which stabilized their balance.

"Thanks for the assist Heizou. I really didn't think of that happening at all," Goku said apologetically as he clasped both his hands together.

"It's no big deal. If you really want to keep trying this method, why not practice until you no longer need my assistance to maintain the balance of the boat?"

"Oh yeah, that's a great idea. This way, I get to train a whole lot too."

The two continued on like this, with Goku honing himself with this new technique while Heizou watched with a bit of levity as they headed towards Yashiori Island.

On a peculiar spot of Yashiori Island, there was a group of people dressed in the attire of Shogunate soldiers, gathered around on what seemed to be a stone lantern.

…or it was moments ago, for it had been broken into various pieces scattered around the area.

"With this, our journey to restore our great Omikami's dignity truly begins!" A man amongst them yelled out fiercely.

The others cheered almost fanatically, their eyes brimming with the prospect of upending their enemies believing that this will be the plan that truly overturned everything.

"However, this is just the beginning. Once we destroy the other wards holding the great Omikami's divine power, only then will we bear witness to his judgment on the Shogun's army and along with it, the end of this war!"

While they howled and celebrated on what was about to come, there was one member who was secretly smirking at the scene before him. Unlike the others, his aim for this little excursion was quite different compared to the rest.

And he would see to the plan's success, no matter what.

AN: Well, there's not much for me to say in regards to this chapter, because it is mostly set up for what is about to come. If I have to describe it in terms of the structure of an Archon quest, then this will be the start of Act II. I certainly hope you'll look forward to what is about to come and for what I intend to do.

If you've played the world quests, then you will have a bit of an idea what is going on (though it certainly isn't required for understanding later on), the only difference is that the in-game ones are after the civil war, while this one is still happening during it. With Heizou also here, I'm sure you can already tell what his role is in the story beside teaching Goku his technique. I hope I managed to get his mannerisms right this chapter, because trying to write smart characters is one of the hardest things for me to do.

So, let's talk about how the mechanics of Ki work…yeah, I'm not going to, at least not intricately. Here's the thing, don't expect me to go super in depth on how it works, because the whole deep dive into Ki is a topic that is way too wide for me to understand completely. So, I'm going with the approach of 'just the right amount of information' that doesn't sound too outlandish and that would suffice for me.

Anyway, that's all I gotta say. Till next time.

P.S. Does anyone have recommendations for technique names? Cause I'm pretty horrible on them so I haven't really bothered with them too much.