Disclaimer: I do not own Dragon Ball.
Betaed by: Zim'smostloyalservant and my best friend.
Previously on Dragon Ball IJ:
Having concluded their quest for the Dragon Balls with nothing to show for it but a new tail for Chichi, Goku and his fiancé decided to call on Master Roshi. While the old master was willing to train them, he wanted some company of the female persuasion first!
After some dubious results in their fetch quest, the situation was complicated by the approval of Krllin. This young monk journeyed great distance to study under Master Roshi, and possibly pick up some girls! With Chichi being tagged out in favor of Krillin, the boys finally hit pay dirt for their master in the form of the damsel Lunch. Or so it appeared!
Turns out, Lunch is only one side on a coin, and Launch was not inclined to humor Master Roshi's interests. Some quick talking by Chichi averted gunfire, and now Master Roshi has an unplanned pupil.
With a class of four, the Kame School is in session today, on Dragon Ball IJ!
Chapter 4
"So, this is where we will be training?" Chichi said, jumping out of the boat onto the new beach. Master Roshi had capsuled Kame House and uncapsuled a hovercraft to take them to a larger island. With everyone on the beach, he now capsuled the craft again.
"Correct, Chichi. My island may be good enough for warm-ups and maintenance training, but for harnessing your potential, we need far more than it can offer," Roshi said, gesturing at the island spreading before them, with its fields, forests, and even a modest mountain.
"I'm going to look around. Nimbus!" Goku yelled. Leaping into the air, he let the small gold could catch him and zip off.
"Goku! Phooey, we could have done that together," Chichi pouted. Launch grinned, turning her attention from the island to the girl.
"What, you like him or something?" the blonde teased.
"Of course I don't like him! I love him," Chichi said with a blush, unable to meet the older girl's eyes at the confession, holding her cheeks.
"Huh, that teasing didn't go as planned," Launch admitted.
"I get the feeling 'not according to plan' is going to be a theme with those two," Krillin whispered to her. Roshi got their attention with a cough to his fist, and led them to a rise overlooking the shore. Looking around and taking a moment to pat the soil a bit, he nodded and uncapsuled the house.
"Alright then, this will be home until further notice. Just think of this place as your training island; I have been using this island as a training ground for over two hundred years, and it hasn't changed so much as to not still be useful for that."
"Hey guys, there are people living here!" Goku said, zipping in above their heads on the Nimbus.
"Of course, I don't own this island. Now get down here, Goku, I don't want to repeat this."
Goku hopped down, and Roshi addressed the students.
"Now listen up, this island will be your world for the next 8 months. There are a little more than two hundred permanent residents here. About half live in the fishing village, which also hosts the ferry to the mainland. That's also the marketplace where we will get supplies. The rest are in farms and what-not across the wilderness that covers this island. The first order of business is to be respectful to those who live here. We are guests in their lands, and it is beneath the Kame School to be poor guests. Secondly, as my students, what I say goes. Feel free to question, but if you don't like my answers, the door is always open to leave. Thirdly, I can only show you the path, it will be up to you to have strength in all things to walk it. I'm not here to hold your hand. Got that?"
They gave a chorus of affirmatives.
"Good, now let's begin with bit of assessment. Now, Krillin, you studied at the Orin Temple how long?" Roshi asked.
"Eight years, master."
"I see, and Goku, Son Gohan trained you?"
"Yeah, for as long as I can remember, until a monster stepped on him."
"Er, yes. Chichi, you've received training from your father?"
"Only a bit; he gave me my laser helmet instead, and I can use a boomerang blade."
"Hmm, it's something. And what about you, Launch?"
"I'm a blackbelt and a Muay Thai master," she grinned, a hand on her hip.
"Really?" Goku asked. Chichi stared with starry eyes.
"No, that's sarcasm, Goku," Krillin said.
"Good to see you have some brains, cueball," Launch chuckled, "Gotta admit, old timer, my only training has been with the hard-knock school called 'life is tough'."
"I see. Well, the first test is the same regardless of your backgrounds, but it seems Launch and I will have some extra training to cover some fundamentals. Now, as to the test, a simple short dash to start with, this line to that tree," Roshi said, dragging the tip of his shoe to make a small line in the dirt.
"I'll go first, as I have the most formal training," Krillin said proudly. Roshi got out a stopwatch as the young monk lowered himself into a running position.
"Alright, ready, set, go!" the old master commanded.
Krillin was off like a shot, Roshi clicking the watch to a stop as the boy touched the tree.
"10.4 seconds, the training of Orin Temple indeed. Goku, how about you go next, as you also had significant training?" Roshi asked.
"Okay," Goku said. While he stretched a bit, he didn't lower himself in preparation to run like Krillin had.
"Alright, ready, set, go!"
Goku dashed himself, and Roshi confirmed his time as eleven seconds.
"I'm not much of a spectator, I'll go next," Launch said. Setting her feet and lowering her head, she took a breath before Roshi gave the signal. Years of literally outrunning the law bore fruit, as she smacked a hand against the tree and Roshi raised an eyebrow at her time.
"10.5, quite good for someone who has no formal training."
"Not as good as me, and I have shorter legs," Krillin grinned, crossing his arms.
"Yeah, shorter legs and eight years of training, right? We'll see who's faster after I train," Launch cackled, flicking his bald head as she walked back to the others.
"Then Chichi, you're up," Roshi said.
Chichi ran, her skirt flaring a bit at the speed, and bent slightly as she leaned against the tree, catching her breath.
"Hmm, eleven seconds, you match Goku," Roshi stated.
"Oh, how romantic," Chichi said, her tail forming a heart shape.
"I wonder what my time would be if my shoes weren't broken?" Goku wondered.
"Hey, don't go making excuses just because you tied for last," Krillin snapped.
"What's this? What's wrong with your shoes, Goku?" Roshi asked, walking over.
"They're a bit worn out," Goku said, holding up one foot with the sole of the relevant shoe almost peeling all the way off.
"Goku, that's more than a bit," Chichi admonished.
"Hmm, that's no good for this test. Krillin, see if your shoes are a match."
They proved to be, and Goku after happily hopping in the shoes for a minute, settled down at Launch's command.
"Simmer down, squirt. Do your run time, and tonight Lunch can sew those shoes back up for ya."
"Really? Thanks!" Goku said.
"Don't thank me, she's the one good at all that domestic crap."
"Ohh, can she teach me to fix shoes?" Chichi asked, looking up at Launch.
"I'm ready, Master Roshi," Goku said, getting into position again.
"Very well. Ready, set, go."
They could all tell the difference, even before Roshi spoke.
"…8.5 seconds. If this was a contest, Goku would be the winner. Fortunately, it's not," Roshi said. The students stood looking at Goku, Launch and Krillin with dropped jaws and Chichi sparkling.
"Isn't he wonderful?" she asked Launch.
"What is he? And you for that matter, those tails ain't fake, are they?" the criminal said.
"No, they're not fake, but they do match right?" Chichi asked. Launch blinked, wondering if the girl was being evasive on purpose or not.
"I might just be the sane one in this bunch," Krillin mumbled.
"Well then, let's see what this old man can do. Launch, if you would time me?" Roshi asked, planting his staff in the grass. Launch took the stopwatch, raising an eyebrow.
"Sure about that, gramps? Wouldn't want you to kneel over before we even start."
"Show some respect to the Muten Roshi! Uh, if you feel like it, that is?" Krillin backpedaled as Launch glared at him.
"Right then, ready when you are," Roshi said, after a little stretching.
"If you insist. Ready, set, go!" she said. A bit of wind seemed to kick up as Roshi seemed to practically leap the distance.
"5.6 seconds. What?" Launch asked.
"Incredible," Krillin gulped, trying to see the stopwatch in her grasp for confirmation.
"Heheh, not bad for an old man past his prime and a bit out of practice, eh kids?" Roshi chuckled, adjusting his glasses.
"That's nothing, you guys should see the Kamehameha," Goku grinned.
"Yeah, he blew up the mountain. And got all muscly," Chichi said.
"I almost believe you, and I find that concerning," Launch gulped.
"Right then, speed is acceptable, though you all remain in the boundaries of humanity. We will have one last exercise today, before turning in early to begin training tomorrow. Return here as the sun nears the start of twilight. Until then, feel free to settle in the house or familiarize yourself with the area in the meantime. Trust me, you will be quite busy going forward," Roshi told them.
Goku went off to explore the surroundings on the Nimbus, while Launch set herself down in the den area, uncapsuling several guns.
"So, how may I be of service to the master?" Krillin asked, as Roshi pulled a beer from his fridge.
"You could start by dropping the brownnosing," Roshi said, before taking a pull.
"Uh, master?"
"A little respect is appreciated, but I ain't showing any favoritism on account of boot polishing. Guess that sort of thing flies at Orin Temple these days, shame to see a once respectable institute decay. But I suppose if longevity has taught me one thing, it's anything people build starts to break down eventually. So anyway, unpack, settle in or whatever, I'm not in the mood for insincere courtesies."
Krillin left, looking troubled, and Roshi went to his TV, taking idle note of the arsenal including hand grenades laid out on the carpet. The blonde herself had an assault rifle disassembled on a light brown cloth, and was in the process of cleaning it.
"So, don't care for butt-lickers, eh old timer? That integrity, or you just find them annoying?"
"It's bootlicker. When will young people learn overusing profanity doesn't make them sound cool, just unimaginative and annoying?"
"…I could shoot you with any one of these, ya know."
"And without the element of surprise, I think you'd be disappointed by the results. And why so many, anyway? For a gang, this would be excessive. You collect them?" Roshi asked.
Launch didn't answer, getting out a pepper pack and tearing it open. Putting the black powder on the palm of her hand, she raised it to her nose and inhaled.
"Achoo! …Oh, cleaning time again?" Lunch asked, picking up the gun-cleaning tools.
"She often tag you in to deal with her messes?" Roshi asked.
"We have an understanding."
"I hope you are alright with this. My training is quite intense, and not what you signed up for."
"Honestly, while I'm not thrilled, it may be a bit fun."
"Fun?"
"Well, fun to not have to wake up every time wondering if I'm in jail, under arrest, in a skeevy motel, or lying low in the brush avoiding a dragnet. Eight months on the same island with the same people… I haven't had anything like that since we aged out of the orphanage."
Chichi stuck her head in from the kitchen.
"Master Roshi, did you have food capsules? I'm not sure this will be enough for everyone."
"Well, excuse me for not planning for four-" Roshi griped.
"Oh, Miss Lunch, you're back! Would you mind looking over my sandwich-making technique? Goku liked them, but your delinquent side said they tasted like someone stepped on them."
"Certainly! I'm no chef, but I'm a steady hand in the kitchen."
Alone for the moment, Roshi took a sip of his beer and turned on a rerun of "Move Your Body, Shape Your Body", volume down.
"Four students, I really might have bitten off too much. But darn it, my pride… there's a bit of a challenge seeker in me yet, it seems. …I actually kind of want that busybody turtle to get back from vacation," Roshi lamented.
X X X
The students had assembled as the sun began to dye the sky with twilight. Roshi stood before them near a cliff, the thick forest spreading out below.
"And so we draw close to the end of this, the first day as teacher and students. All is in readiness for a sumptuous dinner that I will prepare while you carry out this task. Behold, a rock," Roshi said, pulling a rock about the size of his fist from his sleeve. Reaching into a pocket, he pulled out a simple black marker like any student might have, and proceeded to draw on the stone.
"Now it's a turtle rock, see?" Roshi said, holding it up to display the character "kame" written on it, simply but clearly.
"Uh, is this one of those contemplate the pebble things? Cause I'd just call out Lunch if we're supposed to zone out," Launch said, while Roshi blew on the rock, drying the character.
"It's not that," Roshi said.
"Do we have to take the rock from you?" Goku asked, perking up.
"Nope."
"Good, that'd be like stealing. My family doesn't do that anymore," Chichi said.
"Oh?" Launch said, looking at Chichi intrigued.
"Perhaps calligraphy, an under-appreciated art that builds hand-eye coordination and patience WAHH!" Krillin cried out as the stone zipped past his head from Roshi's throw.
"A simple, 'not that either', would be fine!" Krillin objected.
"Fetch the stone," Roshi said, tucking his hands behind his back.
"What?" Launch said, glancing backward to the nearby cliff and the forest spreading below.
"You heard me, this test is to find that stone and bring it back to me. You have one hour after I set the timer in the house. By then, dinner should be ready. Only the winner gets to eat, and if no one brings it back in time, I'll be dining solo. And as hard as tomorrow's training will be, I assure you it will be harder on an empty stomach."
"No, way," Krillin, Chichi and Launch said. Noticing they were short one shocked voice, they looked around and saw Goku frantically dashing for the cliff.
"Dinner!" he screamed, before leaping off the cliff.
"Goku!" Chichi said as they all rushed to the cliff, Roshi walking briskly but calmly. All of them witnessed Goku break his fall on the canopy and dart off into the undergrowth like nothing happened.
"As I thought, he may be impulsive, but he has some mighty chops to back him up. …Are you all just throwing in the towel, then?" Roshi asked, and set them off for the trail like a starting gun. Chuckling to himself, the old master walked off toward his house and the kitchen within.
"Master Mutaito was right, it is funny every time, provided you're not on the receiving end."
X X X
Launch paused on the trail, Chichi getting ahead of her, looking out over the forest.
"One rock in all of that? This ain't even a needle in a haystack. This is impossible," Launch spat, before taking another step, then stopped as something occurred to her.
"Wait, it is, ain't it? The old man's being tricky, like that Karate Boy movie. Yeah, I mean, it was just a rock with writing, right? So, what we really ought to do is just bring him that," she grinned, showing off a few teeth. Glancing around, she spotted and grabbed a rock she deemed close enough.
"Hmm, I don't have a marker. But this ain't no desert island, I'll get one from the local yokels," she decided, then cursed, "I really should have cased the countryside, like Goku earlier."
Hurrying back up the trail, she stuck her head over the cliffside to make sure Roshi was out of sight. With the coast clear, she ran to the nearest tree and climbed it with the ease of many an escape.
She smiled, spotting the white roof of a capsule house. It wasn't close enough to be nearby, as it were, but quite close enough for her needs. There wasn't a trail, but her sense of direction let her cut through the foliage quick enough, easily lowering herself to avoid being spotted.
"A farm, eh? Just like the geezer said," Launch remarked, reaching the edge of a field. She was no country girl, to be able to tell what was to be grown here, but whatever season it was hadn't begun yet, though she spotted a dark-skinned man in overalls and a broad hat walking the property, away from the house.
"While owners are away, the bandit will play," she said, sneaking over to the capsule house. It looked pretty standard in design, but had paint and some additions testifying to the many years the farmer had made it his own. A window peek revealed a fairly prosperous-looking household, and testing the window convinced her this guy deserved to be robbed, as it was unlocked.
Launch tended to prefer loud banditry to sneaking, but she could be a freaking cat when she wanted to be; slipping through a window silently was no biggie. Of course, once inside she didn't relax; no telling if the farmer lived alone, for all she knew he might have a half dozen brats underfoot. And she realized she wasn't sure where normal people would store stuff like markers. The orphanage had an arts room, underfunded and neglected as it was, but where the heck did other people keep stuff like that? Even if the house was empty, tossing the whole thing would be a huge pain.
"Darn it, how am I supposed to find it?" she growled. Normally, lack of knowledge could be solved by threatening the people who knew, but even if there were people here, she didn't want Roshi getting on her case for shaking down locals. If nothing else, it would be sloppy in his eyes, she imagined.
"Come on, Launch, you aren't going to fail at a little basic burglary, are ya?" she admonished herself.
Then the doorbell rang, and she practically jumped from where she was crouched behind a rocking chair.
Footsteps moved through the house toward the front, and Launch, staying low, moved toward them. Sure enough, looking around a doorway, she watched a dark-skinned woman dressed old-timey-like answer the door.
"Pardon me good lady, might I borrow a marker?" Krillin asked, hidden from sight by the woman's stout figure.
'Why that little so-and-so! He saw through it too. Heh, I had a good feeling about him. But what's he thinking, just asking for a marker? That's cheating!' Launch thought. The woman was confused at such a request, but closed the door and went to get it, unaware of the bandit tailing her and marking the drawer she pulled the marker out of.
She couldn't wait for Krillin to return it. She checked the drawer once the farm lady left, hoping there was more than one.
Two more were in there, so she grabbed both, not trusting they might not be dry. She was gone, closing the window behind her, before anyone knew she was there.
X X X
"Frzzit zeni muncher!" Launch cursed, tossing aside her second rock. No one told her writing on stones was so hard. It certainly couldn't be because her lousy teacher had always remarked on her poor penmanship. Did Lunch have better handwriting? On the other hand, it could hardly be worse, but she wasn't about to concede her other half besting her on something she cared about at the moment.
Assuming Krillin also wasn't experienced writing on rocks (was that a thing that monks did?), she was running out of time. She'd gone without real food for as long as four days between the orphanage, the streets, and laying low in the country, so one night was not much. But she hated going hungry all the same, and really didn't want to lose.
"Okay, this should do," she said, regarding her third effort, "It's probably more credit for seeing through the trick than telling a good lie."
Pocketing the marker from HFIL, she ran off toward Kame House. She pulled up short, seeing Roshi standing outside the front door wearing an orange apron, with Krillin. And holding a stone.
"Arghh, should have just gone with the first rock," she cursed. Then Roshi beaned Krillin in the head with the rock at point blank. The kid fell to the ground in pain, grasping his head.
"Moron! Bad enough you cheat, but this doesn't even look like my handwriting. Be grateful I don't disqualify you right now for incompetence as well as dishonesty! Now move it!"
"Yessir!" Krillin cried, scrambling away before breaking into a run.
Launch dropped her rock, a drop of sweat going down her brow.
"Wait, what? So, it's straight up, not a trick? Oh crap, those other rugrats have such a head start on me!" she cursed, bursting from behind the tree, running after Krillin.
Unknown to her, Roshi watched her go.
"I hope she didn't mug someone for a marker," Roshi sighed, turning his face from the window to return to cooking.
X X X
Chichi pressed her back against the tree as the tall, mean-looking dinosaur stomped by. She really wished she hadn't lost her helmet right now.
Satisfied that the coast was clear, she walked on, eyes on the ground.
"Oh, how am I supposed to find one rock in all of this?" she wondered, crouching to flip over a stone she thought was the right shape. No luck, as it turned out.
'This is bad,' she thought, stomach rumbling.
To her shame, the Frypan Princess had always had quite the appetite, but she had learned early on it was not ladylike to eat a lot. And as a princess, she should have willpower, so she rarely ever ate her fill. Thankfully, her father had decided she had a small appetite as a result, and her portions at meals had gotten small enough she could clean her plate without guilt.
But lately, her appetite had gotten bigger and more demanding. Naturally, she had not given into it, neither relaxing her manners or overindulging. But it was hard. The prospect of going without dinner entirely though, why the very thought made her tail hair bristle in outrage, while cold sweat went down her back, and made her stomach feel like it wanted to punch someone.
In short, she needed to find that stone.
She'd share some with Goku, probably. Maybe? Hopefully.
"Ha! Found you!" Goku called nearby, voice carrying through the undergrowth.
"Goku?" she said. She'd lost him shortly after crossing the rope bridge at the bottom of the cliff; he'd ignored her offer to work together, utterly focused it seemed on getting dinner.
But sure enough, parting the vegetation, she quickly found him brushing off a stone.
"Hey Chichi, look," he said, holding it up to display the turtle symbol drawn on it.
"But how?" she wondered.
"It still smells like Master Roshi."
"Smells?" she asked. Getting up near him, she put her face next to the rock and sniffed it. Yes, she could smell something, that brought the old master a bit to mind. But it was faint.
"He should bathe more," Chichi declared, pulling back, puzzled.
"Well, I get dinner, that's a relief," Goku said. Chichi's stomach growled loudly.
"Goku," Chichi said, summoning forth her cutest eyes, slipping into a pose of adorableness. She had rarely used this power save on her father, but it should be effective on fiancés, she reasoned.
"I could use dinner. Won't you be a gentleman and let me win?" she asked cutely.
"Uh, but I won and you lost. I get dinner. See you back at Kame House," Goku said, turning and walking away, leaving the cute girl accidentally charming random wildlife, and possibly a plant or two.
"What?" she said flatly, cuteness shattering as her expression darkened.
X X X
Goku hummed as he made his way through the jungle, confident he had plenty of time to get back. Unaware of Krillin watching him with shock at the stone, Chichi stomping angrily after him, and Launch a considerable distance away, punching an impatient carnivore to death, unaware of the other three.
"How the heck did Goku find that rock? No, never mind, after my stunt, I need to impress Master Roshi, and that means bringing back the rock…" Krillin pondered.
"…wait, he never said it was who finds it, but who brings it back," Chichi unwittingly followed the same line of thought. And so Goku walked on, unaware of two intersecting yet exclusive plots being hatched against him.
Much to Krillin's surprise, Chichi struck first, leaping into the air to tackle Goku, sending them both skidding on the forest floor.
"Be nice to girls, Goku! Gimme that rock!" she demanded, hair and tail practically bristling.
"Hey, play fair!" Goku said, elbowing her off his back. As the two began to scrap, Krillin blinked.
"Wow, didn't think a girl had that kind of fight in her. Better be careful going forward." Then he noticed the stone laying there overlooked, practically begging to be seized.
Krillin picked up the rock and turned his back on the fight, only to be stopped by one word.
"Krillin?" Chichi asked. Turning his head jerkily, Krillin looked back to see Chichi, scuffed up and kneeling with one knee on Goku's back, and her hands wrapped around his tail. Goku seemed to be out like a light!
"Uhh, bye!" Krillin raised a hand, before dashing off.
"Get back here with my dinner!" Chichi shouted, chasing after him.
"NO!" Krillin yelled.
"Whuh?" Goku said, getting up and blinking blearily. Scratching his butt, he gathered his thoughts, tilting his head to the sound of an angry Chichi and frightened Krillin.
"Wait a minute! Dinner!" Goku yelled, sprinting to his feet and beginning to pursue.
Later:
Launch kicked down the door to Kame House, scratched and hair a mess, with a few tears in her top, and dropped the tail of the dead raptor she'd been dragging along to the floor.
"Well, I didn't find the rock, but I did show this bad girl some manners. Do I get anything for that?" Launch asked. Stopping to look around, she saw Krillin and Chichi standing by the wall, looking like they went a few rounds with a boxer, Chichi even stuffing tissue up her left nostril. And Goku, scuffed but happy, sitting at the table, tapping his palms on it.
"Welcome back, Launch, and what you get is the choice cut when that dino's dinner tomorrow. As for tonight, you get to go hungry, and stand there to watch Goku enjoy his prize," Roshi said, walking in from the kitchen with a food-laden tray.
"…You mean Lunch gets to watch," the blonde said, pulling a pepper pack from her pocket.
Authors Note:
And another one down. I hope you enjoyed this chapter.
Long days and pleasant nights to you all.
