Chapter 5: Gather for the Tournament
The Archipelago
The evening after their first day of Turtle Hermit training Ranko gathered the boys in front of the house in the darkening twilight to tell them her goodbyes. She had changed into a light jacket and shorts and was carrying a single suitcase. She approached Goku first and gave him a crushing hug and planted a kiss on his cheek.
"You continue to be good now, my sweet" she said pulling away. "Respect the master as you have respected me." Goku nodded and wiped his cheek. Turning to Krillin and giving him a big hug as well, she then planted a kiss on his shaved head. When she pulled away Krillin was blushing so furiously his head looked like a giant tomato. "And you my little chestnut, just be careful you don't end up like the old man. Women don't like men who have wandering eyes." Krillin simply nodded sheepishly.
The boys waved their goodbyes as she jumped into a flying car and zoomed off. Once out of sight, Ranko landed at the top of the mountain at the monk's shrine, who led her into a sealed room where the transformation incense was already lit for her use. She took out the brown contacts and her brilliant blue eyes shone a dull navy color in the dim light. She then undressed to where she was only wearing a white tank top and boxers and then sitting cross-legged, began to meditate while deeply inhaling the incense.
She had only been meditating for a minute before the change took effect. Her hair began receding into her head, and at the same time a thick beard began to emerge on her face. Her smooth cream colored skin darkened and became loose, her bones creaking as they took on a new shape, and she even began to shrink. In no time at all the beautiful young woman was no more, and the old man Roshi sat there in her place. The old man stood up and stretched and walked over to the suitcase. In the suitcase was a suit, dress shoes and fedora, both were weather worn as to look as though he had been traveling.
He then thanked the monk and flew off the mountain but when he was a mile away from the Kame house, he landed and stowed the ship in a capsule. He then got into a taxi car that he prearranged to meet him near there, which took him back towards the Kame House. On the way Ranko spoke to him,
"They're good boys, my love, I think they'll do well. Especially Goku, even if he was trained by Gohan, his instincts are uncanny."
"I quite agree, I'll have to up their training to match their skills." Roshi mused silently.
"Just promise me you'll have them read age appropriate books" she scolded. "You won't be doing them any favors in the long run if they end up like you. Krillin is already in danger of that path."
Roshi just sat silently in the car, blushing with light embarrassment.
7 months later
In the following months Roshi had their noses to the grindstone more than ever. Their morning runs became longer, the fields they tilled before were seeded and harvested, the construction work became more intense as a little town slowly took shape. They could now swim so fast the shark couldn't hope to catch them. Although they no longer had to do the hornet training, as they got all the practice, they could need in evasion by dodging bullets from Launch's many sneezing episodes. Roshi did however give them Sundays off after the milk delivery, and it was on one of these days that Goku came charging into the house excited.
"Master! Come quickly it's an emergency!" shouted Goku practically bouncing up and down.
"Settle down, what kind of emergency?" said Roshi mildly annoyed.
"Just hurry and come with me!" he said, grabbing Roshi by the arm and dragging him out the door.
Goku dragged Roshi up to the mountains by the lake and met Krillin who was standing in front of a rock. Krillin also looked extremely pleased with himself and was practically bouncing.
"Alright now what's the big idea?" Roshi said grumpily. "It's a rock, big deal."
"Don't you remember what Ranko said, Master?" Krillin said excitedly.
"She said if we could break a boulder about this size with only a finger, you'd teach us martial arts!" said Goku.
"S-she did?" Roshi asked haltingly.
"Oh yes! I did say that didn't I?" Ranko said in his mind laughing nervously.
"Watch this!" Goku said. He stood in front of the boulder, held up his finger and closed his eyes. After a moment he opened his eyes and struck a point of the rock just a little bit to the right. The moment his finger made contact with the boulder, it cracked and practically exploded into a hundred pieces. Roshi's eyes bulged in disbelief and his mouth hung open.
"I can do it too!" Krillin said excitedly. "Sometimes it just splits in half, but most of the time it shatters, look!" And then he stood before a nearby boulder and mimicking Goku, he held up his finger and concentrated. He struck with his finger and the boulder shattered just like the other one.
"I don't believe it!" Ranko exclaimed in his head. "They actually mastered the breaking point technique without any instruction on the mental focus required!"
"No kidding" he thought back. "It was just supposed to be a little joke to keep them hard at work."
They walked back to the Kame House and gathered in front of the house. The boys wore looks of eager anticipation, ready to learn real fighting at last. Roshi cleared his throat.
"I have almost nothing left to teach about martial arts" he said.
"What? But Master!" the boys complained.
"The entire secret to the Turtle Hermit style is the workout schedule" he continued. "What you boys don't realize is that by doing these repetitive chores over and over again, you've pushed your entire bodies and minds far beyond their built in limitations."
"But master, what about learning to fight?" Goku asked disappointedly.
"You don't need me to teach you to fight" Roshi said dismissively. "You already know how, it's just the other expression of your strength."
"But how are we supposed to win?" Krillin asked.
"You didn't come to win; you came to learn" Roshi replied.
"But aren't there special tricks to win? Like that bullet catching thing that Ranko did when we met her?" Krillin asked again.
"Didn't I just say that winning wasn't the point? Roshi replied annoyed. "This tournament is just another step in your training, get it? There's absolutely no point in teaching you those kinds of moves until you get some real experience! So just keep training! However, we're going to make it a bit harder."
He then took off the turtle shell he was wearing and set it down to the ground where it sank into the soil. "Now, you'll be wearing these heavier turtle shells, they're twice the weight! About 100 lbs. to be exact!"
Both boys face faulted.
"So mean, my love" said Ranko in an amused voice.
1 month later
The morning before the day of the tournament Roshi gathered the boys in front of the house. He had already released a capsule containing a sleek black car and Roshi himself was wearing fine black suit and matching fedora, although the look was somewhat ruined by the purple turtle shell on his back.
"Ok boys, you can remove your turtle shells." Said Roshi.
"Oh good!" said Krillin. "I thought we'd look pretty silly at the tournament wearing these."
The effect was immediately recognizable, the moment they took off the weights they nearly lost their balance from the sudden lightness of their bodies. Goku gave a few small hops in delight as Krillin stretched.
"Ok you two, try jumping as high as you can." Roshi said.
The boys looked at each other and then in unison crouched down for a leap and pushed off with all their strength. They quickly soared off the ground, higher than Kame House, higher than the tallest tree on the island, they were practically in the clouds. When they came down, they landed deftly and looked at each other in delight and started racing around the house.
Roshi watched them revel in their new physical abilities with amusement for a few moments before Launch came out of the house carrying a box and called to the boys to come over.
"I have a present for you boys" she said. "You'll look sharp in these!"
A few minutes later Goku and Krillin came out of the house dressed in suits and fedora in similar fashion to Roshi's, except theirs were blue instead of black, and did not come with a turtle shell.
"Oh, you both look so cute!" Launch squealed.
"They really are adorable!" Ranko agreed.
"Ok boys, we better get going, we have a plane to catch." Roshi said with a little bit of impatience. "Are you sure you don't want to come with us, Launch?"
"Oh no, I think I'll just stay here and wait for you all to come back, I don't really like fighting" she said still smiling.
After they said their goodbyes and promises to be good to Launch, they got into the car and headed to a small airport at the edge of the island. The plane ride was really fun for Goku as he'd never been on a plane before. Goku laughed in wonder to everything from the plane itself to the stewardess who brought him juice, on more than one occasion Krillin referred to Goku as "caveman". At one point the waitress slammed a drink tray into Roshi's face after he not so subtly tweaked her butt as she passed, which caused both boys and Ranko in his head, to laugh. After a few hours the plane landed and as soon as they disembarked Roshi ushered them into a taxi to take them to the tournament arena.
When they arrived at the arena it was already dark, but the city was alight with so many lights and boisterous activity that it didn't feel late at all. The Colosseum was also crowded despite it being so late, which was an incredible sight to Goku as he had never visited a city before. Roshi navigated them through the crowd and found a desk sitting in front of the main building where a man was sitting holding a pen.
"Is this where we sign up?" Roshi said to the man as he approached the desk.
"Yes, it is, may I have your name?" answered the man.
"I'm not entering, those two are." Roshi said pointing at his young students.
The man looked at the boys with a look of concern and turned back to Roshi. "Are you certain? While it's true there's no age limit, this can be a brutal contest. We won't be held responsible if they are seriously injured." He said warningly.
"Don't worry" Roshi said reassuringly. "These boys can take care of themselves."
Not exactly looking reassured, the man hesitantly placed the sign up sheet in front of Roshi. "Very well, sign their names here."
While Roshi was busy at the desk, Goku and Krillin were staring all around them with wide eyes, drinking in the experience and the activity. Suddenly, someone called out to them.
"Hey, Goku!"
"Did you say my name?" Goku said to Krillin looking puzzled.
"Goku! Over here!" From behind them a young man came up to greet them. He was a tall, very good looking young man with short dark hair. "Long time no see, how are you Goku?"
Goku stared blankly. "Who are you?"
The young man smiled and struck a battle pose and said clearly, "Wolf Fang Fist!"
Goku's face lit up with joy. "Yamcha! Wow, I didn't recognize you because your hair fell off!"
Yamcha blushed and ran his hand through his hair. "Yeah, well Bulma said long hair is out this year..."
"Hey, who's the tall guy?" Krillin asked Goku tapping his shoulder.
"This is Yamcha" Goku said. "He used to be my enemy but now he's my friend!"
As he said that a small group of people approached them. A pretty young girl with blue hair, a short anthropomorphic pig in overalls, and a floating green cat.
"Goku! How did you get here?" Bulma said in delightful surprise upon seeing him.
"Hey kid! Looking sharp!" Oolong said grasping both of Goku's hands and shaking them vigorously.
"Yay!" Puar the cat cheered, doing a few midair flips.
Suddenly Roshi popped up from nowhere and was inches away from Bulma. "Why hello there!" he said eyeing her up and down.
"Oh brother" Ranko said. "Can't you control yourself? I swear you're getting worse."
"Ugh, it's you!" Bulma said in disgust. Her face quickly turned from shock and revulsion to anger. "Thanks for telling us you were moving by the way! We came to your island to visit Goku and your whole house had disappeared!"
"Sorry, but that island wasn't suited for the kind of training we required." Roshi said. "You know, I can't help but remember the last time we met…" He let out a lecherous cackle while she shrinked back with a look on her face that was a combination of fury, revulsion, and embarrassment. "You were wearing a cute little number, a bunny suit. Why don't you slip it on?"
"AS IF!" she shouted and slammed him with a large mallet she somehow brought out of nowhere.
As he lay twitching on the ground, Ranko spoke into his mind, "Well now, a beautiful blue haired girl with a temper and a mallet? Doesn't that sound familiar, Ranma-baka?"
"Yes" he thought back, "She's very much like my late wife."
As he got to his feet he took notice of the other two friends. The pig he remembered from the Ox Kings mountain the other however...
"Eek, no! Get it away! Shoo-Shoo-Shoo!" Ranko was screeching in terror in his head. Over the centuries Roshi had gotten therapy to overcome his fear, but Ranko still had pretty severe ailurophobia. "Calm down, she's not going to hurt you" he thought back to her as he approached the group again.
"Well Goku, I suppose we should all hang out and have fun while we can, because tomorrow we'll be rivals." Yamcha said. "How about we get something to eat first?"
"Oh boy, I'm starving!" said Goku enthusiastically.
The group of friends decided to get dinner at an Okonomiyaki restaurant nearby. As they sat down they began to talk of the tournament and what challenges they'll face. This talk died down once their order was ready and their conversation shifted to the food.
"Wow, this stuff sure is tasty!" Goku said between mouthfuls. "I've never had it before, is it new?"
Roshi chuckled softly at his young apprentice's innocence. "No, it's not new, Goku. Okonomiyaki has been around long before even I was born and has been a favorite food of mine since I was a young lad. I once had an acquaintance who ran her very own Okonomiyaki restaurant. She passed the business down to her children and they passed it on through the generations. I lost touch with their clan about 50 years ago when the family relocated though, I wonder what became of them…"
"I wonder that too my love" Ranko mused. "It's a shame, they had the best Okonomiyaki in all of Japan at one point. Ukyo passed on her recipes to her children, who improved upon them and made even more creative recipes. The stuff at this restaurant is good, but a bit garden variety compared to the cooking of Ukyo Kuonji. Pity you couldn't make it work out with her."
Roshi did not reply to her but instead let his thoughts wander to the past. He saw Ukyo in his minds eyes, first as a small girl from when they were children. Then when they met again in High School, he noticed her beauty for the first time as well as the shock that she too was a fiancé his stupid father had arranged. She was skilled not only as a cook, but a decent fighter in her own right. In the end he had chosen Akane over her and she was heartbroken for a while, but in time she moved on and found a man whom in his opinion was a better match, as he shared her love of the craft.
Yamcha took another bite and contemplated the flavor before speaking. "You know, my grandmother used to make the best Okonomiyaki in the world. Whenever I travel to new places, Puar and I always stop at a cart or restaurant that serves it to see how it compares, but they never come close."
"Oh really?" said Bulma interestedly. "This is the first time I'm hearing you speak about your family, tell me more about her!"
"There's really not much to tell" Yamcha said apologetically. "She died when I was young, and my parents soon after. All she had to her name was a small cart and a giant spatula she would use as a weapon sometimes."
This comment about the spatula broke Roshi out of his silent reminiscence and caused him to look at Yamcha sharply.
"No way, you don't think…" Ranko whispered.
"A giant spatula?" Oolong said laughing. "What kind of excentric hillbilly uses kitchenware as a weapon?"
Yamcha laughed. "You'd be surprised, anything could be a weapon in the right hands, and this one had been passed down for generations if what she said was true. I don't know what became of it though, my parents didn't care for her business and got rid of it when she died."
Roshi couldn't stay quiet any longer. "Yamcha this might seem like a strange question, but what was your grandmother's maiden name?"
Everyone stared at him. But apparently Yamcha didn't think it was any harm and after a moment of contemplation he said, "I believe the old family name was Kuonji."
"I knew it!" Ranko exclaimed. "Small world, huh? In fact, look at his eyes! I can't believe I didn't see it before, but they're definitely Ukyo's eyes!"
Roshi smiled and said aloud to Yamcha, "You probably won't believe this, but the Kuonji's were friends of mine for many, many years. In fact, the acquaintance I spoke of was named Ukyo Kuonji and that spatula was her signature weapon."
"Whoa, that's crazy!" Bulma said. "You really have lived a full life haven't you, old timer."
Yamcha looked amazed and said, "That really is quite a coincidence. I had no idea that my family was acquainted with the great Master Roshi. I wonder why they never told me…"
"I was not always Master Roshi" he replied. "For many years I was just an ordinary man. A skilled warrior of course, but still unknown. By the time I gained infamy Ukyo had passed on and her children knew me only as a friend of their mother. I kept tabs on them for a long time until, as I said, they relocated. In fact I'm extremely relieved that her clan hasn't died out."
"Wild!" Bulma breathed. "Well? Don't leave us hanging! Tell us more about her!"
Roshi then spent the next few hours regaling them with tales of the past, occasionally helped by Ranko when his memory began to fail him. He told them how he and Ukyo had met as children, how he had mistaken her for a boy at first and didn't learn the truth until years later. Also of the adventures and shenanigans he and his circle of friends got up to in Nerima. Of course, he left out the fact that he and half his friends were cursed by the Jusenkyo springs and that they all suffered transformations. They seemed to find most stories hilarious, Bulma actually spit her drink in shock when he said he at one point in time had four serious marriage suitors, she couldn't believe it and laughed that much harder when he tried to convince her that he was telling the truth.
Eventually they began to get tired and called it a night. They said their goodnights and wished each other luck for tomorrow and took separate cabs to their hotels. Not long after they had signed in, Goku and Krillin had fallen asleep. Roshi too was preparing for bed but looked in the bathroom mirror first, his head was full of thoughts of the past and his heart was awash in feelings of warm nostalgia and loss and longing for times long gone. He uttered a small prayer for Ukyo, wondering if she was watching. He looked back up at his reflection and his mind was suddenly back in the present.
"Tomorrow" he said.
"Yes my love, tomorrow their test begins."
End of Chapter 5