Chapter 17: Training Montage
SON GOKU VS SABAKU NO KANKURO
Gekkou, who was standing nearby, looked at both competitors, and finding no objections on either of their expressions, he shouted simply, "Hajime!"
The fight ended in approximately five seconds.
Not feeling the urge to waste time gauging his opponent's ability, Goku's boot found itself planted on the puppeteers painted face.
The next moment, the puppeteers face was lodged into the green walls, utterly unconscious.
No words needed. No jutsu to be said. Nothing.
"Proctor."
"Winner: Son Goku." Hayate announced, moving to drag Kankuro out of his hole and throw him to the wolves.
Needless to say, the matches after Sakura and Hinata were a travesty to say the least.
To recap: Sasuke demolished Yoroi Akado, Gaara killed Choji, Hinata creamed Sakura, Shikamaru outsmarted Ino, Lee destroyed Misumi Tsurugi, Temari embarrassed Tenten, Naruto farted on Kiba, Neji squeaked by Shino, and Goku one-shot Kankuro.
Most of those fights did not need to be written. Maybe Neji against Shino but that fight would've been a drag.
The story is about Son Goku.
The Hokage jumped down from his viewing area.
"Congratulations, all of the winners passed the preliminary part of the Third Exam. You will have one month to prepare for the finals."
The Hokage then glanced at the genin who had passed, "To determine who fights who, we will draw lots. Anko?"
Anko shuffled over with a box that had a bunch of papers in it. The Hokage called them up one by one to draw a number.
"Seven." Shikamaru.
"Five." Neji.
"Nine." Hinata.
"One!" Lee.
"Six." Sasuke.
"Three!" Naruto.
"Two!" Goku.
"Four." Gaara.
"Eight." Temari.
"Alright." The Hokage nodded to a nearby chunin proctor who was scribbling down the names on a white board.
1st Round:
Match 1: Rock Lee vs. Son Goku
Match 2: Uzumaki Naruto vs. Sabaku no Gaara
Match 3: Hyuga Neji vs. Uchiha Sasuke
Match 4: Nara Shikamaru vs. Sabaku no Temari
Number 9 gets a bye.
2nd Round:
Match 6: Match 1 victor vs. Hyuga Hinata
Match 7: Match 2 victor vs. Match 3 victor
Match 8: Match 4 victor vs. Match 6 victor
Final Round: Match 7 victor vs. Match 8 victor
Goku smiled. No jutsu or gimmicks, he was finally fighting someone just like himself!
Hinata looked at the chart and swallowed her saliva. The possibility of fighting Lee...let alone Son Goku...those were insane match-ups for her. Did she stand a chance?
"Aww," Naruto scowled, "Lee gets to fight Goku and they get to fight Hinata! I wanted to kick their asses!"
"Hn." Sasuke smirked at Neji, who smugly smirked back.
"It's the battle of the geniuses!" Lee shouted, almost bouncing up and down, "My two rivals fighting each other in pitched combat!"
"More like the battle of the bastards," Naruto muttered, and Sasuke mock glared at him.
Naruto slapped him on the back, "You're a lucky asshole. Kick his ass."
"Will do. See to it you take out Gaara, you're one of the ones I want to fight the most."
The jonin instructors began to herd their students out of the room, Gai searched around for Kakashi, but the other jonin had already left to follow Sakura to the hospital, so Guy couldn't even gauge his reaction that Neji would be fighting Sasuke.
Kakashi remained too hip.
"I have one question..." Shikamaru said, earning a 'mmm' sound from the Hokage. "...if it's a tournament, that means there's only one winner, right? So only one person can become a chunin?"
He asked, his finger raised into the air.
"No, the tournament style is just to amuse the crowd. The judges and Kage's will decide the promotions, as strength alone is not enough to become a chunin. You need to display sufficient skills in all categories to become chunin." The Hokage replied, earning nods from all around.
Temari then piped up.
"So, everyone here could become a chunin?" She asked, getting a nod from the Hokage before he began to elaborate.
"Yes, but there is also the possibility that none of you will become Chunin you see," he replied in an almost sage-like fashion.
Temari just nodded while her opponent considered it 'troublesome'.
"And that is all, I believe." He said, turning to his selected proctors who all nodded at him. "Then we are adjourned until next month."
"I'll see you in the finale, teme!"
"Count on it dobe."
The two fierce rivals fist bumped each other.
- Later -
"Either you or Lee..." Hinata muttered to herself. "Even Lee-san is really strong. What can I do against either of you?"
Goku smiled earnestly. "A whole lot! When this month is over, you'll be more than strong enough to give us a run for our money!"
"I want to say that's not possible," the kunoichi started, her lips curling up slightly. "But you said it. So I believe it."
"So you two intend to train with each other?" Yugao asked, looking kind of surprised.
"Of course sensei, she's my best friend!"
"Alrighty then," Yugao responded. "Let me know if you need me for anything."
And then she disappeared in a swirl of leaves.
Patented Shunshin.
- Later -
"Finally!"
At the door of Goku's apartment happened to be a sizable box with the 'Caspule Corp' logo on it.
After all these months, he was finally receiving his end of the Dragon Ball bargain. The training machine as promised! Maybe with it he could ascend to the next level, breaking through his current plateau and then surpassing that which lies ahead.
So what was the machine thingy supposed to be anyway? Bulma never specified.
Only one way to find out.
Goku smirked with excitement.
- Elsewhere -
"Lee!" Gai called, causing Lee to stop his push-ups and look over at his idol.
"What is it Gai-sensei?"
Gai frowned, leaning against a tree. "You need a trump card against Son Goku."
Lee's eyes widened. "But Gai-sensei, I have the Gates. Surely they should be enough to defeat him."
Gai shook his head. "No. Taijutsu alone is not something capable of defeating Goku, he is just like us. What you need is an ace in the hole that not even he could account for. Yet you are not strong enough yet to know higher level techniques as you are still incapable of opening the sixth. Lee…truly…I have nothing to help you. I can't help you. It's impossible to master the sixth gate so soon. You may have reached a wall that you cannot overcome."
Lee frowned, glaring at Gai.
"You're wrong."
Gai looked at Lee, surprised. "Lee?"
"You said it yourself Gai-sensei. With hard work and dedication every wall can be overcome. Sure, this may be a challenging hurdle, but if I can punch it, if I can kick it. I can crack away at it until it crumbles, and that's exactly what will happen with Son Goku. I shall kick, and I shall punch, and I shall crack away at him until he crumbles."
Gai's eyes widened before he smiled, pride overtaking his features.
"I understand. Lee. And I shall help you do just that."
Lee nodded, before he dropped back to the ground. He had push-ups to finish.
- Later In A Remote Konoha Location -
POP! PSSSHHHH!
"Training starts now, with this."
An orb-like gravity room plopped into existence. Unlike the other timelines, this GR did not come as an attachment to a spaceship, rather it solely functioned as a stationary, actual building.
No space travel, for now.
"What is it?" Hinata asked, her curiosity piqued.
"A training machine thingy from Mirai Toshi. It was a promise!" Goku exclaimed, his excitement palpable.
"Oh, from giving up your Dragon Ball?"
"Yup. Now let's jump inside."
With that, the duo made their way into the room, seeing a console with numerous buttons on it in the center of the large construct. While Goku was the type to push buttons and learn through experience, Hinata offset his impulsiveness with her intuition to ask questions first and then answer them.
Activating her Byakugan, she began to process all accessible information. Her eyes saw it all.
"Goku, wait," she called out.
The Saiyan stopped and turned his head. "What is it, Hinata?"
"Apparently...this thing is a gravity machine?"
"Nice! You're excited too, aren't you?"
"Not necessarily, I might not be able to move," she admitted.
"Why not?"
"It... it can go up to 100x Earth's gravity? That's unheard of. Resistance seals and weights are one thing, but gravity amplification is a step above. Wow."
"But still, why can't you move?" Goku asked, puzzled.
"Uh, I'm just not used to training like this."
"Oh well in that case, we just hafta turn it on. I've never done this before either."
"But you're Son Goku-"
"And you're Hinata! Anything I can do you can do better."
"If you say so," the girl murmured with doubt.
"Just trust me on this, okay?"
"Hai, Goku-sensei."
- Later -
The girl was struggling to even lift a leg.
The gravity was set at 3x Earth's normal gravity. 2x was a struggle but nothing they couldn't handle. 3x gravity?
Lunacy. Even Son Goku struggled to breathe, let alone operate normally.
Everything about a particular person, from their hair strands to their eyeballs to their blood cells to their clothes, weighed three times more than normal. The weight of their bodies was not the direct issue; it was the heaviness of life itself. They were far more dense than they were used to being.
Adapting to a new climate was essentially the hardest aspect of the training.
"H...Having fun, Hinata?" Goku asked, his voice strained.
"N-nope. I-I don't have...super s-strength l-like you!" she responded, gasping for breath.
"Try to pump your energy into your body as you move," Goku directed. "Might be the boost you need."
And it was so. Hinata managed to walk around uncomfortably, a far cry from her stationary position.
"Nice!" The Saiyan complimented. "This is only the first day, we have so long to go. Buckle up!"
"As long as you're here, I wouldn't have it any other way," Hinata responded in kind, her chakra control enabling her jaw muscles to speak fluidly for the first time.
The two smiled at each other enthusiastically.
- Several Days Later -
Hinata's progress was astonishing. By the end of the week, she was moving with relative ease at 3x gravity, her chakra control improving with every step. Goku, too, was pushing his limits, finding new ways to utilize his energy to cope with the intense pressure.
"You're really getting the hang of this," Goku said one day as they rested after a particularly grueling session.
"Hai. I wouldn't have believed I could do this if you hadn't pushed me," Hinata replied, a determined glint in her eyes.
"Ready to take it up a notch?" Goku asked, a mischievous grin spreading across his face.
Hinata took a deep breath and nodded. "Let's do it."
Goku turned the dial on the console, setting the gravity to 4x Earth's normal gravity. Immediately, the pressure intensified. Hinata staggered for a moment before steadying herself, her resolve firm.
"We gotta keep pushing our limits," Goku said, his voice filled with encouragement. "We'll become stronger than ever."
Hinata smiled, her heart swelling. "Together."
- Later -
For the next two weeks, Goku and Hinata trained hard every single day from the morning through the evening, taking the nights off for proper rest and recovery. After a healthy amount of sleep—sometimes together, sometimes separate—they proceeded with their routine. Wake up. Eat a form of breakfast. Enter the Gravity Room. Train for hours on end. Spar lightly. Work on techniques. Eat dinner. Talk about whatever. Sleep and repeat.
During that time, the two grew closer and closer, to the point that "best friends" happened to be the only term that could be considered an appropriate description. Granted, Goku had the faintest clue about emotional intelligence and, by proxy, love or what it even felt like. Hinata was not that much better given that they were both 13 years old.
Love "seemed" important to the latter, but neither would truly understand it on the level that it was supposed to be understood until later in life.
Son Goku only did things that came naturally to him, while Hinata was the one more cognizant of their closeness. Goku was dear to her heart, that much was obvious. The innocence, pure-hearted nature, authenticity, joy, and warmth that he radiated...
She basked in it, wishing she could be more like him. And the admiration and respect translated itself into "love-like" feelings.
He was who she liked.
Did he like her too? Probably. Did he know why he liked her? She had no clue.
Only time would tell. The hugs, embraces, and snuggles were phenomenal. Maybe she could take it a step further?
Would it ruin the dynamic or would it enhance it? She was somewhat scared to find out, but...
Goku instilled faith within her unlike any other. It likely would turn out in her favor.
- Another Day -
One afternoon, after a particularly grueling session in the Gravity Room, Hinata found herself watching Goku from across the room. The young Saiyan was performing one-finger handstand push-ups, his brow furrowed in concentration, muscles straining against the intense gravitational pull.
"Goku?"
"Hai?" The Saiyan asked, stopping his strenuous exercise to hold the position and speak.
"C-can you turn down the gravity a notch?"
Six times Earth's gravity was absolute hell.
The teen rolled over from his position and collapsed on the ground, panting. "Y-you have a point. I'm surprised...you even stayed in here...with good ol' me."
"Well..."
"Thank you so much, you're the best!"
The kunoichi blushed, trudging toward the center of the room. "I...who else? W-who else would...be here...but me?"
"Nobody I would rather have. That being said, race you to the console!"
And with that, two turtle-paced human-like people struggled to get to the center of the room.
Obviously, Goku won the race, but his typical advantage was stymied given his weighted clothing atop the gravitational pull of the room.
Hinata shockingly gave him a run for his money.
"Beat you!"
And then the red light of the Gravity Room shut down, returning to its normal white ambiance.
The duo then dropped to the ground in a heap, thoroughly exhausted. And happy.
The next day followed the same pattern, but this time, as they trained, Hinata couldn't shake the thoughts running through her mind. She admired Goku's determination, his unyielding spirit, and his gentle heart. Her feelings for him were growing stronger, and she found herself wondering if he felt the same way about her.
After dinner that evening, they sat together under the stars, the cool night air a welcome relief from the day's exertions.
"Goku, do you ever think about... the future?" Hinata asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Goku looked up at the sky, his eyes reflecting the starlight. "Sometimes. I think about getting stronger, protecting my friends, and... just being happy."
Hinata smiled softly. "Do you ever think about us? About what we could be?"
Goku turned to her, his expression thoughtful. "Not really no, but we can be whatever we want. It's on us."
Typical Son Goku response.
Hinata's heart fluttered. She reached out and took his hand, feeling a warmth spread through her at the touch. "I feel the same way."
They sat in silence for a while, watching the stars.
- Elsewhere -
"Do that, quite literally by the end of this week. You won't be able to do this any sooner than that, that I promise you."
Naruto frowned, grabbing one of the many rubber balls he had left before he channeled chakra into it, causing it to swell but nothing else.
"What the…" Naruto said, frowning, causing Jiraiya to smirk. "Like I said, you'll never be able to break it as is Naruto. You're not strong enough to do it yet."
Naruto shouted, pure chakra running through his body as he channeled chakra into the rubber balloon. It swirled and looked like he almost had the right makeup, however Naruto still failed in causing the balloon to burst.
Jiraiya laughed, looking at Naruto. "You'll never get it through sheer chakra output alone kid…"
- At Night -
"This is the plan you are to carry out."
"Hai."
"And remember, make sure you tell them about the plan as soon as possible."
"Yes. I know."
"Alright, then I'll be going."
Kabuto smirked, looking towards the turn next to the building. "One more thing. I'll take care of our little spy."
He leaked killing intent, his eyes shining in the moonlight.
"No wait. I will handle this, as a gesture of faith in our allegiance. The least we sand ninja can do is lend a helping hand. Besides, it's just one little spy. It'll be easy."
Baki disappeared as he felt the presence nearby disappear quickly.
Hayate cursed, glancing backwards as he sped through the village, attempting to get away from Baki. Yet Baki was hot on his heels, his killing intent only seeming to be sensed by Hayate.
The man frowned.
And then Baki caught up to him, appearing in front of Hayate and throwing a punch that was barely dodged.
Hayate jumped backwards, landing on another building, his eyes tense as a bead of sweat rolled down his face.
"Well well what do we have here? If it isn't the exam proctor. What do you think you're doing, coming here all alone?"
Hayate coughed.
"It seems I have no choice but to fight," Hayate drew his blade, examining Baki, yet the man simply bent his legs and spread his arms. It wasn't much for Hayate to go off of.
The boyfriend of Yugao surged forth, surprising Baki as he seemed to stumble backwards. And then Hayate jumped in the air, "Mikazuki no Mai!"
Baki's eyes widened as he saw three figures, two of them obviously a clone of some sort. One clone attacked from the left and another from the right, yet Baki avoided those two, causing them to hit each other and dispel.
He looked above, where Hayate was quickly descending before he smirked, letting the blade hit him.
Hayate's eyes widened as he saw his blade fail to even pierce Baki's flak jacket. He couldn't even pull it out.
"Impressive. Such a legendary technique, and being capable of mastering it so young. As I expected your village is full of talented ninja."
Hayate stumbled backwards, his hands still gripping his sword as he felt Baki's killing intent.
"Your talent with a sword is superb. Of course, stopping a physical sword is easy. However, a wind sword is a different story. No one can stop it!"
Hayate began to panic as he saw Baki flick his fingers, a blade of wind forming.
The proctor cursed, jumping away from his blade and preparing to flare his chakra, yet he was too slow?!
And before he could do anything else, Baki slaughtered him.
Gekkou Hayate was killed.
- The Next Day Away From Konoha -
"CHIDORI!"
The jutsu, named after its legendary sound of one-thousand birds, rammed itself into a cliff, creating a sizable but deep hole within.
"Not good enough," was the only response.
Despite being hailed as a genius throughout virtually his entire life, the month of training had humbled Uchiha Sasuke more than ever before. Orochimaru had toyed with him like a predator with prey, Gaara could potentially be stronger than him, and even Naruto was gaining on him. And then there was Son Goku, who was objectively far and away stronger than him.
He could feel it in his curse mark.
If he wanted to kill his older brother, Itachi, he would have to surpass all of them.
Yet his genius sensei, Kakashi, was drilling him into the dirt repeatedly, pushing him far beyond anything he had experienced up to this point. As laissez-faire and lackadaisical as the man appeared to be on a consistent basis, anyone would be a fool to believe he was anything short of brutal, calculating, and efficient. He was an S-ranked jonin for a reason — one feared throughout the shinobi world.
And Sasuke had this fact literally beaten into him every single time it appeared he needed to be reminded.
"If you want to accomplish your dreams, Sasuke," Kakashi began, pulling up a panting Sasuke by his shirt. "You have to go in with the intent to kill."
Letting go of his charge, he continued, "Going through the motions and not giving it every ounce of effort you could possibly muster is what's holding you back."
"Nnnn...right," was the reply.
"Now do it again. Your limit is three, but we both know you have more in the tank."
"Hai, sensei," Sasuke ground out, gritting his teeth and forcing himself to stand despite his exhaustion.
He would just have to endure, like a true shinobi.
Kneading raiton chakra into his left hand, blue electricity began to form once again, far more potent than his last attempt. He focused, drawing from the depths of his reserves, feeling the power surge through him. The air around him crackled with energy, and the intensity of his Chidori grew.
Kakashi watched, his single eye keen and unyielding. "Remember, Sasuke, precision and power. Don't let your emotions cloud your judgment."
Sasuke nodded, the determination in his eyes unwavering. He dashed forward, the ground beneath his feet exploding as he propelled himself towards the cliff. With a fierce cry, he thrust his Chidori into the rock, the impact sending shockwaves through the ground.
"Better," Kakashi acknowledged, his tone less harsh but still demanding. "But not enough. Your enemy won't be a stationary target. Adapt, adjust, anticipate."
Sasuke withdrew his hand from the newly formed crater, his breath heavy, but his resolve unshaken. "Again," he muttered, steeling himself for another attempt.
This time, Kakashi's voice held a hint of encouragement. "Channel your hatred, Sasuke. Let it drive you, but don't let it consume you. Use it as a tool, not a crutch."
With renewed vigor, Sasuke prepared another Chidori, the crackling lightning more vibrant, more controlled. His mind sharpened, his focus honed in on the task at hand. He visualized his targets, each one a step closer to his ultimate goal.
Kakashi's lessons were harsh, but they were shaping him into the weapon he needed to become. To surpass Orochimaru, Gaara, Naruto, and even Son Goku. To finally stand a chance against Itachi.
"You're improving," Kakashi stated, his expression unreadable beneath his mask. "But there's still a long way to go. Don't get complacent."
Sasuke clenched his fists, the remnants of his Chidori sparking at his fingertips. "I won't stop until I'm the strongest."
"Good," Kakashi replied, a rare hint of approval in his voice. "That's the attitude you need. Now, let's see if you can do it again, and this time, hit a moving target."
The training continued, each session pushing Sasuke to his limits and beyond. But with each strike, each burst of lightning, he felt himself growing stronger, more focused. The path ahead was fraught with challenges, but he would face them head-on.
He had no other choice.
- Later -
Red hair, lifeless blue eyes.
Directly across from the duo lounging on the couch was Gaara of the Sand. His posture was relaxed, with his arms folded across his chest and his back leaned against the wall. Despite his seemingly calm demeanor, the tension in the room was palpable.
Goku and Hinata were both keenly aware that they were being watched, even though they lacked the evidence to confirm it. The boy in front of them was remarkably adept at stealth, a skill that was both unnerving and impressive.
Tracing the redhead's line of sight carefully, Hinata found its focus, and when she did, she tensed. Initially, she would have reckoned that Gaara would be after her, considering it would not be the first time another village had come with such intent. Instead, he was looking directly at Son Goku.
No wonder they could hardly enjoy dinner... Choji's murderer watched them with the third eye.
It was difficult to discern the emotions laced within Gaara's eyes, but both Hinata and Goku could feel the loosening suppression of bloodlust radiating from him. The amount of killing intent within one entity was jarring — he was more monster than man.
Almost as monstrous as Son Goku.
Hinata, despite knowing that her best friend was beyond the need or desire to be protected, instinctively glared daggers at the intruder. If it came down to it...
She would feel little remorse for killing him should he try anything.
The redhead's eyes had become more clear to Hinata — he wanted nothing more than to rip Goku apart.
"Son Goku..."
"That's my name," was the uncharacteristically cold response.
"You are strong. Mother wants your blood," Gaara started. "Right now."
"Can you at least wait until the exams?" Goku asked, his eyes not leaving the serial killer. "Me and Hinata are good and tired—"
"No! I...WILL KILL YOU TODAY...SON GOKU!"
"You will not," Hinata shamelessly interrupted, diverting the redhead's attention. "Especially not in my home."
"Heh. If you stand in my way..." Gaara began, sand slowly pouring out his gourd. "I will just have to kill you first."
"Why are you so adamant about fighting him?" She ignored the threat.
"Because I need to feel...alive! The last guy's blood was so distasteful. And you," Gaara paused, pointing directly at his initial target, "if you do not fight me right now..."
The sand began to converge in the girl's direction.
"I will paint this room with her blood."
The thoroughly exhausted Son Goku's eyes widened. Every part of his body screamed for him to properly rest and rejuvenate, but thanks to this bastard, he could not afford to. His best friend was in danger! And being as burnt out as he was, he figured Hinata did not have the motivation or raw energy to properly stand her ground. This was literally the worst possible timing!
"Hinata-chan...you want this guy?" Goku began with half an eyelid open, not worried about Gaara at all. "Or you want me to take him?"
"I-I can't really move right now," the girl admitted with a blush and soft smile. "So...I need you to save me. Just this once."
"...Gah, fine. I'll be back in a few," the Saiyan said, pushing himself off of the couch and into the path of the sand. He pointed at the window that projected the back of the apartment building, seeing his escape route.
"Can you please open the window real quick?"
"Hai Goku-sensei!"
They smiled at each other warmly.
And Gaara also smiled. Viciously.
As his prey walked forward with...authority, the sand hastily retreated back into its gourd?
WHOOSSSH!
Before the psychotic genin knew it, he was out of the apartment and on a grass surface, with a vengeful Saiyan crushing his head into the ground. The sand had yet to even make it out of the apartment...
Gaara's mother had nothing on Goku's potential wrath.
"I don't care if you wanna fight me, in fact, I would love to."
And then the alien's hand transferred from his entire head to his esophagus.
"But if you ever." The Saiyan began, picking the sand genin up by the throat. "Threaten Hinata like that again."
Goku squeezed, making the serial killer gag for air.
"I will see to it that you never threaten anyone else ever again."
Then he summoned yellow ki into his left palm, bringing the warmth to Gaara's petrified expression to show he was not messing around.
"If we fight in the exams," Goku began as the ball sizzled with heat in his hand, "you should go all out from the start. I wanna feel alive too..."
He roughly dropped Gaara, letting him regain his breath through a series of coughs and wheezes. Pointing the lively sphere of ki at the perpetrator, Goku did not let up. "Now go! I don't wanna see you again until the exams. If you come back..."
He paused, scratching the back of his head sheepishly. "Forgive me, I'm not good at threats, but just don't come back! You'll regret it if you do!"
"Fine," was the initial response. As Gaara rose to his feet, he began to walk away slowly. But not before eking out parting words.
"When the time is right, I will kill you. You will prove my existence."
"Looking forward to it!" was the cheerful response.
And as Goku poetically turned his back to his wannabe killer, the genin vanished in a whiff of sand.
Patented Shunsin.
- Later -
"Goku."
"Hinata? What's wrong?"
Goku burst back through the door, eyes wide and scanning the room. Finding nothing out of place, he looked at Hinata, worried.
She was crying, tears streaming steadily down her face.
They both stared at each other for a moment until Goku started to speak. "Hinata—"
"Please, don't leave me alone. I don't want to be alone..." she said in a much smaller voice, ending in a stifled cry.
Immediately, he closed the door, kicking off his boots. While he truly had no qualms with staying or leaving to go to his own apartment, he had actually preferred being on his own the majority of the time. Too much time spent with Hinata meant that neither of them were getting stronger individually in his mind. However...
"I'm not going anywhere," he said, plopping down on the edge of the bed. "I'll be right here when you wake up, okay? Promise."
Those words calmed her immediately, her eyes stopping their flow to let her shed tears dry, and her body stilled, no longer shaking.
She took a few deep breaths and nodded, smiling a little. "Thank you Goku. I'm sorry..."
He shook his head. "It's fine. That Gaara guy scared you a little, huh?"
"Hai," she answered immediately, knowing it was true. "E-even though I know you can beat him, what if you're not there? What if I ended up like... like Choji-san—"
"Hinata."
Goku jumped out of his main clothes and remained only in his appropriate undergarments, then corralled his best friend into a much-needed hug. It was the only thing he learned he could do in situations like these.
"I'm always gonna be there," he started innocently, not recognizing the gravity of his statements. "And even if I'm not, you can beat him. And anyone else."
"Are you sure about that? He's really, really strong."
"And you're far stronger than even him! We both see it every day."
Feeling herself relaxing at a rapid rate, she smiled and nodded, pulling back from the embrace and lacing her fingers with his. "Right... arigato, Goku-kun."
"You're welcome! I know it's kinda hard to believe, but you're incredible and I couldn't ask for a better training partner. You keep me on my toes."
The amount of appreciation and platonic love shown in contrast to her own self-loathing happened to be a major factor in their ever-increasing, quickly growing bond.
Son Goku gave her all the confidence in the world... and she appreciated it so, so much. Without another word, they both went from a seated position to lying up against one another, reveling in the other's warmth and companionship.
Turning her head to face the boy who had his face nuzzled softly into the small of her back, she swiftly kissed him on the forehead, causing the boy to stir and smile.
He liked it. She liked it too. Then she turned back around before he could react further.
They both slept unbothered.
If Gaara decided to show up ill-advised, the pure-hearted duo would murder him on the spot.
- The Next Week -
"Son Goku."
"Hai?"
"Why are you helping me so much if I'm going to be your opponent?"
"I want you to get stronger so you can face me at my best," was the blunt response. "Oh, and so you can win the exams!"
"Me? Win the exams? Why not you?"
"Being a shinobi never mattered to me, I am a Martial Artist. I don't care about winning the tournament."
"Is that the real reason or are you saying that as an excuse?"
"Nope, it's how I feel. I wanna see you win the whole thing."
"Goku..."
"Hai?"
"Don't throw the fight for me. I want to earn it, fair and square. As your equal."
"You already are my equal, you just don't know it yet."
"Equal in battle?"
"Just give it some time and there'll be no doubt. You're freakin' awesome!"
"Not as awesome as you, Goku..."
"Yes, you are."
"No, I am not."
The two's smiles began to brighten.
"You are."
"Nope."
"Hinata," Goku said, grabbing the girl's shoulders and shaking them playfully. "Say it with me."
"...Yes." The former heiress agreed, too immersed in the abyss known as Son Goku's shiny onyx eyes to refuse his direct order. "What is it, Goku-sensei?"
"I, Hinata Hyuga, am awesome!"
"I...Hinata Hyuga, am awesome!"
"There ya go," the adorable alien winked, before grabbing the girl's hand and abruptly leaping into the sky.
They did not descend downward.
Suspended in air among the clouds, Goku twirled Hinata's arm and corralled her into a tight hug. Both of them blushed, the intimacy of the moment palpable despite the platonic undertones.
Hinata then snapped back to reality, eyes widening.
"Um," she began. "Are we... flying?"
The clouds from a sky view were so beautiful. It was awesome! The vibes reminded her of the man child holding her...
"Almost there," Goku said honestly, taking in the sights as well. "Hopefully, I'll get it down before the month is up."
The thought of being able to fly seemed ludicrous at the very least, and yet Goku spoke on it so casually. She believed him wholeheartedly.
"What can't you do?"
"Uhhh... fall in love?"
"...That's not hard."
"Whaddaya mean it's not hard?"
"Just fall out of the sky."
"Ummm sure, why not."
And the duo fell out of the sky.
As they were falling, Hinata broke Goku's grip on her body, creating separation and thus increasing the speed of her fall. Flailing about as if she was in danger, she cried out in "despair."
Not seeing through the ruse, Goku's Saiyan genetics kicked in, and he instinctively propelled himself in a downward spiral of metallic light blue ki. One instant, an indigo-haired genin was on a collision course with death. In the next?
She was in the arms of a transcendent boy from the stars.
Seeing Goku's lovable look of concern, Hinata smiled with more happiness than she could ever hope to control. She wanted nothing more than to melt away.
"You okay?"
"Hai."
"Good good, I was so scared! I mmph-"
A soft pair of lips cut him off as she planted a sweet kiss on his cheek, her arms actively draped around his neck during their descent.
Goku's eyes widened in surprise, the warmth of her gesture catching him off guard. He blinked a few times, processing the platonic yet deeply affectionate act. Hinata pulled back slightly, her eyes shining with gratitude and admiration.
"You really are something else, Goku."
"And you're freaking awesome, Hinata. Don't forget it."
Maybe Goku was wrong, maybe he could fall in love.
Maybe he literally just did. Falling out of the sky and all.