The Group had waited anxiously for a few weeks, and with Kami's help and powers, Goku recovered faster than he would have done at the hospital. It had taken longer because even if Kami could have healed him in a few days if he used all of his power, the earth still needed a protector and he didn't want them to be caught by surprise if another threat was to show itself. In that time the others had been waiting patiently ... well some of them, Trunks was waiting for his training to begin and Piccolo had told Gohan he would pick him up when he felt like it was time to start his training.
Kami had been debating what the others had told him the days before and what he had felt. In terms of power, he knew just what the Saiyans were capable of with his time in space, which to this day he never told the others about, and although the one that had come to earth was not as powerful as the ones from his memories that he had sensed many years ago before he thought them gone, he wasn't what he used to be before, and they had grown in power. So he knew that this was not going to be his fight.
It would have been easier to take Goku where he needed him to go if he died because he could no longer train him to the capacity he needed to be to reach his full potential ... he was beyond that. The gate was still functioning, he would have to call in a favour, but it would be worth it. He debated killing Goku while healing him in order to get him in line on the other side quicker but quickly brushed off the thought. He wasn't his old self, he would not deal in absolutes, even with the younger Piccolo who always seemed to be watching him all the time. They hadn't seen each other since the tournament, even as he kept an eye on him, because even if Goku said he deserved to be free, he wouldn't be so trusting of a part of himself ... never again.
He had slowly started to train Trunks ... training would be a stretch, but he wanted to test the boy's will, so he had him running around completing tasks around the lookout. His mother had protested for a moment, but after he had given his reasons and brought up the emotional toll he could sense the first battle had taken on the boy, she had relented. It was somewhat reassuring watching the boy running around the lookout in the last few weeks dawning a white Gi with a purple belt, it was similar to his father's but not dawning the turtle school insignia but instead Kami's own, he had a thought that Goku and his other sensei would have a problem with that, which brought a laugh to him, especially since his mother had said she would rather have him here than with that pervert, her words.
Gohan had wanted to join in, but at the menacing glare from Piccolo, he had thought against it, he had a feeling that Mr. Piccolo did not want him training with the old man. He wasn't too bothered about it as he saw that Trunks was mostly doing chores all the time around the lookout, like removing weeds from the Lookout Garden, cleaning around and reading books, he was glad that he had dodged that till his mom had seen what Trunks was having to do, Gohan was expecting her to shout at the old man for making Trunks do so much work but quickly found himself being shouted at for not doing anything and then thrown into the ring to do Chores too, no matter how much Mr. Piccolo glared at him, his mom was still scarier.
Goku woke up not too long after and was not surprised to see Kami waiting for him by the door, he was already dressed and clean, but what surprised him was the serious look that was on the man's face. He quickly jumped to attention standing before him and he gave him a nod, "I was beginning to think I would have to hit you awake, you slept so soundly." Goku rubbed the back of his head nervously, "Sorry for that ... but is everyone okay?" he asked. He had known that everyone was fine after the fight, the only casualty being ... his supposed brother ... he tried not to think about that too much.
"They're fine, but you need to bid farewell to them"
"bid them farewell? what do you mean Kami?" Goku asked confusedly any remnant of sleep leaving him.
"I have taught you all I know but there is still room to grow ... beyond me, beyond my strength ... you're strong Goku but they're evils beyond strength." Goku just stared at him still confused as Kami turned around and began walking down the hall.
Goku quickly checked himself over before rushing after the man, because what did he mean by saying that he had to leave? He caught up with him and he could see that he was deep in thought with a strain on his face, "This would have been simpler had you died in battle, but that is of no consequence, I can have an old friend fulfil a request." Goku was confused because Kami was back to speaking in riddles again and he sighed but he caught on to one tangent, whatever was necessary for him to do would have been easier if he died, but he shook off that grim thought that sent a shiver down his spine.
They arrived outside where Goku could see Trunks and Gohan doing what looked like chores with Chi-Chi watching them closely while Bulma was on some monitors, he remembered how that felt like ... it seemed just like yesterday and now he was watching his kids do the same ... it was oddly fulfilling. "Your power is already beyond one of the stronger of those two Saiyans, but I fear that might not be for long." Goku just nodded as he listened, because if what Kami was saying was true and it usually was, he didn't like the odds being that close ... he had already seen that having some of your power beyond an enemy didn't guarantee you a victory.
He turned to his old master, "So what do I need to do? To protect everyone, to be strong enough to do it." Kami looked at him as if considering a decision before he let out a huff, "If you had died you would have passed the first hurdle and my favour to Kai would have covered the rest of your passage ... but since that didn't occur ... a fee must be paid, luckily I'm owed a favour." Goku didn't like the sound of that and Kami must have been able to tell because he let out a small smile before focusing on him intently.
"There's a gateway in one of the rooms of the lookout, I will call in a favour and have passage granted to you to head to Kai." Goku was confused because who was Kai? "who is that?" Kami wasn't even paying attention to him as he looked at the kids playing, "he is a higher being per say ... one that can train you far beyond that which I lack."
Goku was awe-struck for a moment because there was someone stronger than Kami ! he couldn't believe it, but it really got him excited. "Come on let's go already that sounds really awesome," he shouted excitedly and Kami just looked at him with a smile, "even after all these years you still get excited by training ... never change Goku ... never change, but as I said you need to bid your family goodbye and head for the portal ... the journey there will be long Goku ... i suggest you say your goodbyes."
The Saiyan nodded with a huff before heading forward towards his family, he didn't like the idea of leaving them without him protecting them ... but he trusted Kami, Krillin and the others to look after them, hell he even somewhat trusted Piccolo ... especially after spending a whole year trapped with him.
"TRUNKS, GOHAN, COME HERE FOR A SECOND!" he shouted at the boys both of whom were relieved to finally have a reprieve from their chores, no "training" as Kami called it. They rushed over to where Goku was in between Chi-Chi would had been watching the boys closely and Bulma who had been on her monitors deciphering all that she could from Raditz's pod databanks.
"Goku it's so Good to see you, I'm glad that you're okay" Bulma exclaimed rushing from her work to hug him before he felt a smack on the back of his head from Chi-Chi, "I'M GLAD THAT YOU'RE OKAY, BUT NEXT TIME TRY TO WRAP IT UP FASTER BEFORE THE KIDS GETS HURT!" she shouted with a huff before he pulled her into the hug as well. The boys arrived excited to see their dad moving up and about, they hadn't been allowed to see him and he looked fine from the outside, except for a few bandages that they could see, but he got those even when he trained at home. They rushed to him and were picked up and spun around for a bit before Goku slowed to a stop facing Bulma and Chi-Chi with each boy in his grasp.
"I'm so happy that you're all fine, I was worried when I didn't feel you initially but I'm glad to see you here ... but," he heard the sigh from Bulma, likely she already knew, he had given her the same speech before he went to train with Kami. "I need to go for a while, to train," "WHAT!" the two boys shouted "BUT YOU JUST GOT BACK!" "AND THE BAD GUY IS GONE!" he smiled at them before he nodded in understanding. "He is gone, but more are on the way" he heard their collective gasp, "they are even stronger than he was ... and for me to protect you ... i need to go train."
Everyone was groaning and he could only chuckle a bit, but he did notice Trunks and Gohan's sadness masked under it. "Hey you two" he said garnering their attention "I'm going somewhere amazing, and when I come back I will tell you all about it." They nodded solemnly and he knew just that wouldn't be enough, "Trunks, Gohan ... while I'm gone ... i need you to protect your moms for me." The boys looked at him a bit nervous, "So get big and strong right?" he asked and it took a moment before they nodded a yes, each puffing out their imaginary muscles.
He put the two down before taking a step back to just burn the picture of the four into his memory before he smiled at them, gave them a long hug that he lost a sense of time in while he was in its grasp, then pulled away and gave one more wave then turned to walk away. He was halfway across the courtyard when he noticed Piccolo's figure lurking in the shadows and their eyes met before delivering silent nods towards one another, and he whispered under his breath "Look after them for me" and all he got was a huff in reply, it didn't seem like much, but after having spent a year with the man it might as well have been a promise. Krillin and Yamcha were standing there with the other z fighters and he threw them a smile and a thumbs up.
Goku walked towards Kami silently as he followed the man into the building and behind him, he could hear a flurry of steps, he could guess it was his family and his friends coming to see him off, whether Kami had a problem with it or not he didn't say a thing.
They arrived at a room Goku hadn't seen before and walked up to a giant slab that stood ominously with odd patterns and markings and he could hear the gasp in awe from the group. Kami called him to grab onto his shoulder as the man walked up to touch the slab before he started muttering something in a language he couldn't understand. This was it, he was going to be gone for a while, so with one last glance, he turned around to see everyone standing behind him. Some had worried looks on their faces, others had smiles and he could only reply with his own giving them his trade mark smile and a thumbs up before he vanished from view.