Chapter 2: Academy Lesson 1: Taijutsu
"Did you hear? There was an attack on Konoha! Some people passing through have seen the damage done to the woodlands. Apparently it's incredible. They don't know what could have caused that much damage, as it literally went on for ages. Some people even said there are massive craters miles apart! What do you think did it?"
Jiraiya's ears pricked up as he heard what the two civilians at the table next to him were saying. As much as writing was important to him this sounded serious. Why hadn't the Hokage called for him? Right, because he moved around so much. Guess the old man figured he'd find out sooner or later.
While he had been following leads on Orochimaru, he'd just hit a dead end. Guess now was as good a time as any to head back and see what all the fuss was about. From the sounds of the damage this was serious. He hoped no one was injured. He'd be distraught if one of the fine kunoichi of his village had been hurt.
Giggling at the thought of peeking on the women of Konoha again he packed up his equipment and headed out, looking to get some distance covered before nightfall.
-Iwagakure, Tsuchikage's Office-
"Did you hear that Tsuchikage-sama? Konoha came under attack, what do you think the damage is?"
The hunched old man wondered what exactly had attacked the village he so despised; home to Namikaze Minato, before his demise at the hands of the Kyuubi no Yoko. Not many forces were game enough to go head on with the village Hidden in the Leaves.
"I don't know, but we need recon if we are going to act on it," if Konoha was weakened he wasn't going to pass up this chance to finally knock them from their pedestal. But first he needed Intel, and that wasn't going to happen overnight.
-In Hi no Kuni-
All over the elemental nations, the news of an attack on Konoha was spreading. The damage having been done to the village going from a truthful nothing, to being exaggerated beyond belief as the Elemental Nations played Chinese whispers. Small nations began militarizing while the larger nations began gathering intel, trying to find out if the one great village might be toppled in the near future. One particular party that was very interested in the fate of the village hidden within the leaves was a very powerful man. A man with many fingers in many pies.
That was if you could call him a man; he looked more like a snake.
HSSSSSS.
-Later in The Hokage's Office-
Goku stood nervously in the center of the office as Naruto sat off to the side. When the Hokage had gone to them to return the Dragon Ball, he'd asked Son if he would be willing to have some people look at him, so that they could try and better understand his physiology. Naruto, naturally, had asked to come along and the Hokage had had no problem.
That was how the Jinchuuriki found himself sitting to the side, watching as his best friend stood, looking around, holding his recently returned Dragon Ball to his chest. Two people walked through the double doors to the room, followed by a man with black hair that resembled a pineapple.
"Hiashi, Mitate, thank you for coming," the Hokage said to the two people that preceded Shikaku.
"What is it that you require Hokage-sama?" Hiashi said in a slightly annoyed tone; he'd been called to the office and given no reason.
"Yes Hokage-sama, what have we been called here for?" Mitate asked.
Mitate was a medical-nin wearing the standard white high collared full body uniform of the Konoha Medical Corps. He was more amicable as he'd been called off a dull shift at the hospital so it wasn't like he was complaining.
"I would just like you to run an analysis on this boy," the Hokage said, "Hiashi you will obviously take a look at his chakra network and stores and Mitate I'd like you to run a diagnostic on his body."
"Is there any particular reason we are running these tests on an orphan boy Hokage-sama?" Hiashi had better things to be doing than running tests on the small boy who was friends with Naruto.
"Yes Hiashi. He is that boy, and I would just like you to run the tests and give me the results. You are free to leave then," Hiashi immediately understood, and now he was wary of just what he was going to find when he examined the child. Quickly activating his Byakugan what he found completely surprised him.
"Okay," Mitate spoke first leaving Hiashi waiting to share his results, "I'll go first, the physical shouldn't take long."
The Hokage didn't miss the surprised look that Hiashi was trying to hide, and the disdainful looks that he clearly wasn't.
Mitate quickly ran a chakra-coated hand around Goku, who was at first alarmed by the blue glow. As soon as the strange medic had started though he realized it was harmless and relaxed, allowing the man to do his job. After quickly running his diagnostic technique over most of Goku he then proceeded to check his temperature and pupil dilation before turning to the Hokage.
"Aside from a dense skeleton, extremely durable skin, enhanced muscles and a slightly more defined tailbone than any other villager, there is nothing strange about this boy. He's just a regular seven year old. A very durable seven year old at that, but still a regular child."
"Thank you Mitate, you can go now, that is all I needed to hear."
"Hai Hokage-sama," Mitate said as he left Hiashi alone with the two boys and the Hokage. Goku went and sat himself down next to Naruto, waiting for further instructions.
"Now from your surprise earlier, I suspect there is nothing ordinary about this boy at all? Is there Hiashi?" the Hokage said, slightly worried at what the man had found. He was glad Goku had passed the physical, but Hiashi looked to have uncovered something troubling.
"I would prefer to discuss this alone," the elder Hyuga said as he looked sternly toward the two children, clearly not a fan of either of them.
"Fine, fine. Goku, Naruto wait outside, I'll call you both back in, there is more to discuss when we are finished," Hiruzen said with a faux smile.
The two young boys didn't protest as they got up and ran out the door to the office.
"Now Hiashi, what is it?"
"He has one, one inside of him."
"Excuse me?"
"That, that thing doesn't have a true network," Hiashi said harshly.
"That thing is a young boy Hiashi, just like any of us-"
"No, he's nothing like any of us. He does not have a network of chakra, rather his entire body is flowing with constant energy. There are no tenketsu's there no inner gates, it's as if his energy is a perpetual flame with untapped potential for growth!" Hiashi was almost shouting by now, and he had to recompose himself. "The scary part of it all, is that I can't even sense a limit. All I can say is that his potential downright enormous, and what is right now is like a small lake being flowed into an ocean. It feels transcended, but the boy is worlds away from even attempting to tap into it. I can only assume that it's a kekkei genkai from his clan."
"And you said it was dormant or inactive?" the Hokage inquired before Hiashi could continued, which irked the clan leader to say the least.
"Yes, it's currently dormant and untapped, but that doesn't mean he won't tap into it in the future. So no Hokage-sama, this boy is nothing like any of us and I will not stand for having this boy freely wandering the village." Hiashi said with as much composure as he could summon.
To be frank this child unnerved him and he didn't want him wandering around freely. "We don't know what he can do with this...this overflow; what power he is capable of nor whom he is working for. For all we know he's one of Orochimaru's twisted experiments."
That was the last straw for the Hokage, Orochimaru was always a touchy subject, with a pained expression he rubbed the bridge of his nose, this was getting more and more troublesome with every moment. The only people he knew rumored to possess a "network" similar to that is Muten Roshi of the Turtle and Shin of the Crane.
"That is enough. He is not a twisted experiment of Orochimaru's," he composed himself slightly. "I thank you for your chakra network analysis, but he is just a little boy who happens to be hiding a power none of us can even comprehend. Even he doesn't seem to know what he is. Your analysis might help us in the long run, so I thank you, but your words need not ever be repeated outside these walls!"
Hiashi, the proud man that he was, only barely bit back the words that were going to spill from his mouth; he was still in the presence of the Hokage after all. Straightening himself he replied, "If that is all, I have affairs to attend to."
"Yes you may leave," the Hokage said as if nothing had just happened.
"Hai Hokage-sama," Hiashi said before turning and leaving.
As Hiashi opened the door and departed, the two young boys poked their heads around the corner of the frame, causing the Hokage to laugh, despite the situation.
"Haha, yes come in boys."
They hurried up to the desk and each sat in a chair, both waiting intently to hear what the Hokage had to say.
"Goku, there doesn't seem to be anything wrong with you, you are just a bit different than we are, which is no surprise," Hiruzen smiled at the relief on the face of the young boy. "Now I wanted to talk to you about what's going to happen to you. I've decided to permit you entrance to the academy if you so wish. If that happens, you'll both immediately live in the same apartment."
The faces of the boys both lit up at the prospect of what it would mean.
"You should become a ninja with me Goku!" Naruto exclaimed, eager to get his friend to join him in his dream. "Then we can be strong and protect everyone. Like you said, you wanna become as strong as you can be, so this is your chance!"
That sealed the deal for the young Saiyan. He'd join the academy; Son Goku was to be a Shinobi. Or so he thinks.
"That settles it then, class starts in a week, until then you two must remain at the orphanage. At the end of the first day you'll be going to your new home. How does that sound?"
-One Week Later – Ninja Academy-
Goku and Naruto sat chatting, wondering what they were going to be taught today. As they threw ideas back and forth, most of them ridiculous, the door opened slowly and a small girl poked her head in as if checking to make sure it was the right room. When she saw Naruto and Goku her face lit up and she opened the door fully, revealing a small indigo haired girl with pale skin and white eyes.
She'd found them! Finally the two boys she'd seen in the park. Hoping that they could be friends she walked shyly up to them. They were the only people in the room so she could hardly ignore them.
"Um, hi," she said shyly as she stood in front of them.
"Hello," Goku said, remembering the girl from the park, "Remember me, I'm Goku!" He said, reintroducing himself exuberantly.
"And I'm Naruto, dattebayo!" Naruto said, not bothering with being subdued.
"Heh," she said shyly, "I-I'm Hinata, do you m-mind if I sit n-next to you?"
"No, go ahead," Goku replied with a smile, and soon there were three children sitting in an empty classroom coming up with fanciful ideas about what might be taught on the first day of the new year. It wasn't long until the classroom began filling up and their teacher walked in.
Enter: Iruka-Sensei.
-Lunchtime the Next Week – Ninja Academy-
He ducked under a fast right, and jumped the following sweep directed at him by Naruto. Goku had to admit that he loved to roughhouse/spar with his friend. His friend was very competitive just as he was, and his natural thrill for battle was kept in check by Naruto. He enjoyed the fights themselves, and while he was the much better fighter, Naruto kept coming back for more with a Will of Fire.
The young Saiyan jumped over the sweeping leg only to find Naruto had recovered by the time his feet hit the ground. Bringing his arms up in an X to form the best guard he could against his friend's monster of a punch was all he could do. He dug his feet in to prevent himself from sliding and grabbed the offending limb, quickly throwing Naruto over his shoulder in response.
Ever since they'd started fighting each other they'd been getting better, it was slow progress due to not being the usual, formal training, but they'd still been conditioning their bodies by fighting each other day in and day out. Their reflexes were getting sharper and their responses were more natural than they otherwise would have been and it showed immensely.
Naruto quickly broke the hold Goku had before he hit the ground, allowing him to roll away unscathed, but now it was Goku on the offensive. He closed the distance quickly and lashed out with a punch that Naruto managed to side step, making Goku's fist hit the ground and leave a noticeable dent in it. Naruto countered by dropping his shoulder and stepping into the attack to ram his friend.
The resulting hit sent Goku backwards, forcing him to stumbling backwards, where he rolled back to his feet, a grin on his face as he stared down his friend. He wasn't sure what it was, but the simplicity of fighting, the focus and anticipation of the next move, there were times when it allowed him to forget his troubles completely.
It was Goku's turn to strike now, sprinting forward he ducked under a straight jab launched by Naruto, blocked a rising knee with his left arm and hit his friend square in the chest with a solid right handed palm strike. The resulting impact knocked his friend back several feet, forcing him out of his stance and causing him to stumble, falling flat on his ass.
Naruto flipped back up, tapping himself to show he wasn't hurt and rushed towards the Saiyan. Goku, simply being the better one at taijutsu, anticipated each of the blonde's punches and evaded swiftly each time. He then parried Naruto's fist and threw a jab to which Naruto ducked under. The blonde then attempted to uppercut him but Goku used a spin move to outmaneuver his opponent. Rearing his leg back, he thrusted it forward only to have his shoe caught and be thrown a good five feet. Goku landed on all fours, but flipped over. He then nailed the Uzumaki in the chest with a hind kick, his instincts telling him that he was charging from behind.
Naruto shot upwards two feet off of the ground and landed on his back, gasping from the blow. Goku proceeded to walk over and extended a hand with a smile, helping the Hokage hopeful to his feet.
To any experienced shinobi, their fighting was mere roughhousing, they were simply children after all. While their technique at certain things was improving slowly through trial and error and sheer practice, they were still inexperienced children in the eyes of any ninja worth their salt.
Well, specifically Uzumaki Naruto.
The rest of the children in their class didn't share that view. And nearly all of them were standing dumbfounded at what they'd just seen.
Uchiha Sasuke was colored impressed. While he had formal training and his technique was very solid because it was something he practiced everyday, the sheer speed, durability and power the two displayed was incredible when compared to anything he'd seen of anyone his age, including himself. Sure his brother would have easily outdone them, but his brother was an Uchiha prodigy.
Choji could only watch their fight with his mouth agape, while Shikamaru muttered "Troublesome" under his breath.
"Oh my kami, that was so cool!" Ino shouted when the fight was over, she walked over to Naruto to get a better look at the blonde. There was no malice in the fight, anyone watching could tell that, there was just the sheer enjoyment of competition, "you really are cool Naruto!"
"You think so?" Naruto beamed, he'd never been complimented by a girl as pretty as Ino before. "Thanks I guess, I'm gonna be Hokage after all, dattebayo!"
Ino just giggled before retreating back over to Choji and Shikamaru, and this time it was Hinata that spoke up, "Y-you fought a-amazingly Goku-san."
Sasuke was genuinely interested, he might be able to learn something from these two, something that might help him surprise his big brother. He'd have to ask one of them for a fight, especially Goku, as his technique was good unlike Naruto's.
"I wa-" he started before being cut off.
"Alright class!" Iruka shouted from the door to the academy. "It's time to get back inside, we've got more history to learn!" He shouted with a devilish grin and a cackle.
-Later that afternoon - Hyuga Compound-
Hinata had a reasonably nice time at the academy that day and she was content when she returned home with her escort, having been awed by the fight her two friends had put on for the rest of the class unintentionally.
For once she went into the training session she had with her father with a tiny amount of hope. Hope that she could do well, that she could learn, because if Goku and Naruto could fight so amazingly she'd need to be able to as well.
As she stood in the door of the Hyuga main house dojo, her escort Shinten walked over to her father, the stoic clan head sitting in the center of the room with his eyes closed, and bent down whispering in his ear.
Hinata was confused.
Her father sighed after Shinten had finished speaking and stood, issuing a command that she couldn't hear before turning toward her.
"I hear news that you haven't heeded my words Hinata, that you were seen supporting, what was his name? Goku, yes, that brat. You will listen to me Hinata and you will have nothing to do with those boys," her father uttered coldly, sending shivers of fear through her body. "And just so you remember," he paused and looked toward the opposite entrance to the dojo where a young boy and Shinten now stood. "Neji shall be your sparring partner until I decide otherwise. And don't worry too much, I won't let him kill you."
Hinata didn't know what she'd done to deserve any of this, but still she proceeded to step further into the dojo. She resolved that she'd face Neji with all her strength and will, no matter what the obvious outcome would be.
-One week later – Ninja Academy-
"Uchiha Sasuke vs Son Goku."
Goku smiled eagerly and began shaking, vibrating even, his blood pumping.
"Hah, what's he afraid of, getting destroyed by Sasuke-kun?" Sakura sneered from the sidelines, earning a slight glare from Hinata.
Sasuke's eyes narrowed at this before he spoke up. "I think you're pretty strong from what I've seen, but I want to be the strongest so I can make my aniki proud alright? Don't hold back or you won't stand a chance."
Goku could respect that.
"Same to you, I wanna get better too so bring it," Goku replied with a grin, getting into a basic Martial Arts stance.
"Hajime," Iruka barked, indicating the start of the bout.
Sasuke dashed forward, the signature speed of the Uchiha clearly on display as he lashed out with a clinically precise jab at Goku's ribs before the young Saiyan sidled out of the way.
"You're fast, but I'm still faster!"
Goku commented, a gleam in his eye that only ever surfaced when the boy was sparring with Naruto. It was as if his whole demeanor changed when he was in combat, like he was a whole different person.
The Saiyan struck out with his right fist, hitting nothing but air as Sasuke rolled beneath the attack, sweeping his leg out once he'd finished and forcing Goku to retreat.
Now that there was a little space Sasuke had room to charge once again, coming down on Goku swiftly, they exchanged blows that hit nothing but air, each of them moving in sync; a rhythmic fighting that Goku found himself enjoying more and more. His movements became faster and his confidence increased as he dodged the strikes of Sasuke who in turned avoided his punches and kicks; the tempo of the fight increasing rapidly.
Anyone watching was mesmerized by the display that two seven year olds were putting on, and the level of their fighting stunned even Iruka. Goku had never done this when he was fighting Naruto, maybe because while Naruto had tenacity, yet the technique wasn't there as he'd rather take a hit to make a hit than avoid strikes. Sasuke was more on level with Goku it would seem, but even this was surprising.
It was as if the boy fought only to match his opponent, but when had Goku learnt to fight like this?
Goku wasn't even thinking by now, he was just moving naturally in whatever way his instincts urged him, as if he were born to fight, as if his sole purpose was combat; hardwired into his muscles and brain. It didn't take long for Sasuke to find his limit. It had only been one-hundred and twenty seconds since the start of the fight but at the pace the two were fighting it was only expected that the young Uchiha be out of breath, his strength fading. Goku however felt he could do more, that he could push past this limit, and that's when he saw Sasuke slip up, not able to sustain the level of fighting when he hardly even felt fatigued.
However, Sasuke had willpower and used that to keep going, to try to better his brother. Sasuke evaded Goku's jab to the side and caught him off-guard with a low kick. The Saiyan stumbled, and Sasuke tried to go in for the kill, knowing he was fatigued. Elbowing Goku, he then proceeded to palm strike Goku, knocking him close to the edge to the point that one more attack would put him out of it.
Just when Sasuke threw the final punch, Goku's eyes flickered with white and an invisible split-second rush of energy coursed through him. He caught Sasuke's fist and twisted around, switching their positions. Sasuke tried escape the Saiyan's grip, but Goku was simply too strong. Sasuke blocked Goku's other fist coming, but couldn't stop his momentum, and with a great shove and kick, Sasuke flew outside of the circle five feet, panting.
Goku was also breathing in and out at faster pace as well, not knowing what the rush of energy was or where it came from. Sasuke stayed put on the ground, moaning in pain and exhaustion on the ground. The Saiyan, seeing his opponent on the ground, decided to help him up.
Sasuke had two stray tears going down his eyes at the pain, and saw his classmate sticking out a hand for him to take.
"You okay?" Goku asked, taking Sasuke's hand and pulling him back to his feet, surprising many.
"Y-yeah, just some itty bitty pain, arrgh!" Sasuke shouted, his shoulder in agony.
The medic nin on standby rushed over to Sasuke and ran a quick diagnostic before revealing to everyone else that he'd be okay. "He appears to only have one fractured rib and a pull in his shoulder, any stronger and he could have had a truly serious in-"
"Not in front the others," Iruka said quickly, cutting off what the medic was about to say, the last thing he needed was his students to feel fear.
"Hey, I'm just calling it as I see it, anyway he needs rest and treatment. I'll take him to the infirmary," and picking up the boy who cried out in protest, the medic left.
Iruka looked at the young Saiyan with a focused curiosity — there were mysteries about him that no one had the answers to. What was that surge of energy that erupted at the end that felt palpable?
If the young adult didn't know he wasn't an evil soul he'd be afraid of him, with the kind of power he had, once trained not many could even hope to stop him.
While Goku was being congratulated by Naruto about how awesomely he fought against Sasuke and stuff, the Saiyan was really concerned about said person he just fought. He never noticed the pair of lavender eyes following him curiously, nor the girl that they belonged to tilting her head quizzically. She couldn't quite work out what she was seeing with her Byakugan, but if Goku had been a curiosity before, he was truly a mystery to her now.
'If only he could teach me how to fight like that, then maybe one day I'd be the one to give my father the bruises and tell him what to do, Neji too,' the young Hyuuga thought to herself as she rubbed the welts hidden beneath her grey long-sleeved top.
Iruka had to put his thoughts of Goku aside and turned away from the young boy examining himself with wide-eyes, wondering about how dangerous he was to everyone around him. Facing back to the rest of the class, he continued to pair up sparring partners to find out the aptitude of his students, and to draw the attention away from Goku.
Most of them were easily distracted, but Sakura couldn't take her eyes of the boy she had thought as sweet. The boy whom had just callously hurt Sasuke in combat.
Maybe her mother was right after all? Maybe she should stay away from Naruto and Goku?
Goku was distraught; he'd never wanted to hurt anyone, if anything, he wanted to test his limits. Part of the reason he was fighting was to get stronger so he could protect himself and those close to him from bullies; the bad guys. The other part was to be the best, the strongest he could possibly be. He always aimed to push himself to the limit, and the result was his opponent Sasuke going to the infirmary.
Maybe his limits were above Sasuke's? He didn't want to seriously hurt him, he just wanted to test himself. But what if he can't protect them from himself? He wouldn't fight if it meant his comrades would get injured like that. He just hoped that Sasuke was okay.
"W-why are you sad, Goku-san?" A meek voice asked right next to him just as he escaped his own thoughts to pay attention to the other fights.
Turning his head just slightly, he saw Hinata sitting down, her round lavender eyes peering at him inquisitively, having used the distraction of the remaining bouts to sneak closer to him.
"Because I hurt Sasuke," he grumbled, "and I didn't wanna but I couldn't help myself."
"B-but you were a-amazing Goku, I've never seen someone so young m-move like that, even Neji-niisan..." she drifted off solemnly. "I wish I could move like that," she wanted to tell him everything, to open up to him at that moment, to show him her bruises. But would he think she was weak then? She had to be strong, but maybe he could help her become stronger.
"I almost really injured him," Goku said softly shaking his head. "I love to fight, but I never wanna injure someone," he finished, burying his head in his hands.
Hinata frowned, trying to gain the courage she needed to say what she was going to say.
"But if you don't wanna fight as hard as you can...who will protect me?" She meekly whispered with a somber look on her face. "I mean. I wanna get strong so nobody has to protect me at all! But seeing you fight...I know you could protect me if you wanted," she said, well mostly hoped.
"Protect you from what?" Was she being bullied just like he and Naruto were? "Do people bully you too?"
She remained still for a moment, pain showing on her face before she nodded, and began rolling up her sleeves. Goku couldn't help but go wide-eyed in shock at the number of welts and bruises covering the young girls arms.
"Who did this to you?" He asked, his concern for Hinata now outweighing his self-loathing. He felt his anger rising, the people whom did that must have done a number on her and did it on purpose, making them bad guys in his mind.
Just as quickly, she rolled her sleeves back down and looked at the ground. "I c-can't say," she stuttered, "Will you still get stronger and fight? So that bad things d-don't happen to anyone?"
"Heck yeah!" The young Saiyan said, fired up at seeing his friend being abused. However, he still wound up having a few doubts. "But what if I ended up hurting you too?"
"Because I'd like to think you...you wouldn't hurt anyone to be mean," the Hyuga responded, chuckling softly.
- A Few Rounds Later -
"Ino and Hinata. I understand you're both from clans, so let's see what you've got," the brown haired sensei said with a smile as he ticked off the last of his class and waited for them to enter the ring.
"Ino-chan is so gonna win," Naruto said to Goku, whom was still a little upset but hid it perfectly. "Go Ino!" he cried out.
Goku glanced at Naruto with a competitive look, grinning at the thought of going against him. "Go Hinata!"
Iruka face-palmed and it wasn't long until the two girls, both having been confused by the boy's cheering, were ready to fight, "You can begin."
'If Goku-san isn't going to protect me...then I need to get stronger than everyone else,' Hinata thought to herself as they both began circling each other.
'Naruto did really well, so I just have to win and show him I can be a good ninja too!' Ino shouted internally, getting ready for whatever attack Hinata was going to throw at her. Surely Hinata, the meek little girl that hadn't said a thing in class all week, wasn't going to be a threat.
Right? Wrong.
Hinata blazed forward at Ino. 'I will not fail! If I fail here then what am I worth? I'm useless if I lose to Ino! And Goku believes in me.'
Driven by her urge to win, to make Goku realize she wasn't useless, and to prove to herself that she could be strong, strong enough to defeat Neji and her father, the Hyuga of the class came out uncharacteristically guns ablazing.
Time slowed down for Ino as she watched Hinata approach her, a look of unadulterated rage in her eyes. It didn't matter that Hinata wasn't angry at Ino specifically, she was merely another obstacle, a target to be knocked down.
And so like any animal faced with such a sight Ino had to make a decision.
Fight or Flight?
Her body made the choice for her.
As Hinata closed the gap, lashing out with a flurry of palm strikes Ino relaxed her body, doing her best to dodge and weave her way through them. Whenever she couldn't get out of the way of a strike she merely deflected it as best she could.
It wasn't working though and with each attack Hinata made Ino lost ground, getting clipped here and there by the chakra-less strikes of the young Hyuga. It was wearing her down and she had to do something about it now, or she'd lose. She'd lose for all to see; for Naruto to see.
Ino used the remaining distance behind her, jumping backwards to just where the ring ended and baiting Hinata to overextend in one of her strikes. What was a jab turned into a lunge and Ino, without conscious thought capitalized on the mistake, knocking the limb out of the way before shouldering Hinata backwards to create space.
And she made sure to use that space.
Following up with a kick that hit a surprised Hinata square in the breast bone, she was sent stumbling backwards.
Yet still she was standing, her eyes downcast and her right hand over her chest, where she'd just taken a hit.
'I will not lose,' Hinata thought as she heard her own strained breathing, and flashes of memory of training sessions with Neji appeared before her eyes. Looking up at him from the ground as he beat her, teaching her to be strong, as her father liked to call it.
"I WILL NOT LOSE!" She cried, her head snapped up and she began sprinting toward the young blonde.
Ino stepped forward, standing her ground in a defensive stance, she wasn't going to lose in front of everyone, not to Hinata. Hinata got closer, and now Ino was sure she could get the drop on her, she only needed to step into the attack and she could throw Hinata to the ground.
Only Hinata jumped, of all the reckless things she could have done, she jumped.
Ino tried to take a back step, to get away from the reckless attack, but her previous attempts at setting up worked against her, and so, almost as if it were in slow motion Hinata's palm made clean contact with her face, knocking her out instantly and sending her rag-dolling towards the ground.
The young, indigo haired girl herself hit the ground with a roll and stood, turning to see the damage she'd inflicted only to find Ino sprawled on the ground, blood seeping into the dirt from where her palm had, with the help of Ino's cheekbone, cut into her face. Now that she was once again aware of exactly what was going on she simply swallowed any feeling she had at all and walked out of the ring, back toward the classroom, hiding the look of sadness on her face.
What the hell is wrong with these kids?!
-At The End of Class-
"Yo Hinata," Goku abruptly said, surprising the young girl who had just exited the academy. Before she could reply he continued, "I'll protect you from anything, be there for you and help you train, I promise!"
Her tense posture softened a little, but she didn't return conversation or bother making eye contact — if she was seen talking to him she'd definitely have to train with Neji again. When he realized he wasn't getting a response he smiled, before calmly departing the scene.
And thus, Hinata left with her escort.
As Goku was about to leave the academy entirely, the doors to the academy opened and an injured Sasuke Uchiha came limping through the threshold with an older boy next to him in blue track pants, a simple white t-shirt, and black sandals. He was tall and lean with black eyes and straight black hair.
Uchiha Itachi had been resting when the shadow clone from one of the Hokage's bodyguards delivered him the message. His brother had been injured in an academy training fight it read; the damage having been inflicted by Son Goku. And so without wasting a second Itachi had been at the scene. He spent most of the day sitting next to his younger brother's bed as he rested.
"Sasuke," Goku said nervously in Itachi's presence, "I didn't mean to hit you as hard as I did, I'm sorry."
"Don't be. Just tell me," Sasuke asked, shaking his head and wincing with the pain of talking, Itachi just watching the exchange. "How did you get so strong?"
"I-I don't know, I just train with Naruto everyday. And my grandpa also taught me martial arts when he was still alive," Goku replied, confused at the response of the Uchiha, whatever he expected it hadn't been for Sasuke to ask him how he got so strong.
"Can I train with you when I'm better then?" Sasuke was determined to get stronger than Itachi's shadow. If it meant having to train with the same boy that had injured him pretty good then so be it.
"But I don't wanna hurt you again!" Goku cried out, but then he smiled gleefully. "You're a great fighter though and I would do it, but only if you were able."
"You won't," Sasuke smirked — he needed a challenge, "I'd prepare if I were you, because next time I will beat you."
Before they could continue, Itachi spoke up. "Come on Otouto, let's go home," the older boy leading the limping younger one back to the compound.
Out of earshot of the young Saiyan, the prodigy turned to Sasuke. "I know me telling you to not go near that boy will do nothing to assuage you or make you change your mind, so I'll simply say this. Be careful Sasuke."
"I will, don't worry. And don't tell our father I was injured aniki. I don't want him thinking that I'm some weakling."
Itachi nodded, glad that he didn't have to tell Sasuke not to tell their father. If Fugaku found out that Goku had hit his son hard enough to the point of a broken rib and torn ligament in his shoulder, Itachi was unsure of what the man might do.
Things were already in dire straits as is.
-Later In The Council Room-
After what had happened today the Hokage had called a meeting with the small council.
Inoichi looked distracted, almost as if his mind were elsewhere, Shikaku's gaze was focused intently on her however, and Itachi had sat himself down with a grave look; the young agent clearly worried about his brother. The elder council still didn't have much of an idea about what else had happened, but as the events of the day were explained to everyone present their expressions grew darker.
"So," Nara Shikaku began, "it surely won't be long before Fugaku finds out that Goku injured his boy. And no doubt this story will spread throughout the village. This is troublesome indeed. We do not need Fugaku creating a scene trying to make Goku pay. Especially if it wasn't intentional as the report indicates."
"How could it have been unintentional," the elder councilwoman in Koharu asked. "You don't accidentally hit someone so hard you break a rib in a simple spar!"
She paused and Uzuki Yugao took the chance to interject. "He was regretful as soon as it happened. Goku even helped Sasuke up and asked him repeatedly if he was okay. The boy didn't want to hurt him, he just wanted a good spar to test himself."
Inoichi looked up from his thoughts, "Hmm, so either he was put under a Genjutsu, or…" he drifted off, thinking of another explanation.
An explanation the Hokage offered, "Or fighting comes so naturally that he didn't even have to think about it."
Now the ANBU known as 'Cat' was curious, "But if that's the case why hasn't it happened with Naruto before? They fight all the time."
He thought for a second, his hands resting together contemplatively, fingertips touching. "It might just be because of Naruto's erratic and unpredictable fighting style, where as I imagine Sasuke fights with a rigid and practiced method. And it might be we haven't noticed his strength because Naruto has a fast healing factor for specific reasons. I'm only postulating here mind you, but..."
Shikaku decided to interrupt; this was after all a council of free discussion and everyone's opinion was equally valid. "If everyone in his potential clan from the stars are natural fighters or brawlers, and a seven year old boy can do that at this point in time, then what we keep uncovering is more frightening everyday."
"Exactly Shikaku-san," the Hokage sighed. "This boy is trouble without end but I see no alternative action but to stay our current course. It might be wise to have him do physical training with a Jonin or someone of that caliber to gauge his abilities. Having him train with the others may have already caused damage to village relations that seem irreparable at this point. We don't need to exacerbate it."
"Who were you thinking Hokage-sama?" Yugao asked, quietly hoping she'd get to train the young boy herself.
The wizened leader picked up on that straight away, "I'm sorry Yugao-san, but that's not the greatest idea. It would be best if you were to continue watching over Naruto and Goku from the shadows, I'll find someone else to train and gauge his power."
Hiruzen then turned his attention to Inoichi, "I'm sorry your daughter suffered such an injury, my condolences."
Inoichi nodded silently; his daughter's wound would haunt her, but there was nothing that could be done about it.
"If that is all, you are dismissed," Sarutobi had a lot to think about, and Danzo's lack of usual input hadn't gone unnoticed.
-Next Week With Kakashi-
The ANBU captain known as Hound recently received word to help Goku train and learn about his unknown capabilities physically. Maybe even learn how to draw out that unknown energy of his that's inside of his body. Everyone was curious about him and he was tasked with finding out about everything.
The man abruptly yet gracefully landed on the ground in front of Naruto and Goku, making both kids jump back a bit.
"Oi," The man said blankly, "I've been assigned by the Hokage to give you both some pointers in your training for today."
"Awesome!" Goku and Naruto shouted, both eager to get lessons from a professional.
"Good, shall we get started?" The silver-haired shinobi received nods from both of them, and grinned inside his mask. Their enthusiasm would make it much easier for him to train them and observe Goku's abilities.
-Twenty Minutes Later-
"He's a horrible shot isn't he?" Kakashi muttered, causing Goku to jump, having not heard him approach.
"Hey! I heard that," Naruto spun, pointing a kunai at Kakashi, "You only gave me these ten minutes ago how do you expect me to be good at this?"
"I don't, that's why you need to practice." He replied with a eye-smile. "You two are going to have to join in the ranks of shinobi right? Well then get used to it," he said with a slightly raised voice.
Naruto growled, pelting another kunai at the tree.
"Goku, do you want to have a try at throwing those kunai? You'll have to learn sometime and I want to know what you can do," he said as he urged him to have a go at.
"I guess?" He shrugged, "I don't really wanna use weapons."
"Naruto, give Goku a kunai and lets see if he can hit the tree," he said, beckoning the young blonde back over to them.
"Finneeeee," the blonde whined, even though he too was excited to see how Goku would do.
Once Naruto had handed over the pouch of ninja tools, the two of them backed away from Goku, giving him the room he needed. He stood roughly 40 feet from the tree. Not a long throw by any means, but he'd never once thrown a metal object like a kunai before.
"Okay, just relax and focus on your target. Think about the flight of the kunai and the satisfaction of hitting the tree," he relayed to the young boy in an almost relaxing manner, "There is only you and the target, hit it as hard as you can."
With those words Goku's concentration focused to a single point, the dead center of the target on the tree. The sound of Kakashi's voice faded and he felt his muscles tense. Only him and the tree.
His hand reached back, his body flexed and with the hand-eye coordination of a seasoned warrior, he tossed the kunai without conscious thought. Thinking back on it, the young boy wouldn't be capable of describing the sensation. As if the world had fallen away from around him and it would be impossible to miss. An intent focus that felt eerily familiar to the kind he had experienced in his fight with Sasuke.
The kunai impacted the tree with so much force that it ripped straight through the target and the tree itself, going through a few more trees behind it at a constant pace until it finally stopped on the sixth tree behind the first.
After the kunai made contact with the tree target, the sounds of the world returned and he could hear Naruto.
"Whoa! You hit the middle on your first try and went straight through it! What a fluke!"
Kakashi was wide-eyed, he'd thrown that kunai with the precision and force of someone extremely beyond his years and training. The boy possessed immense physical strength for his age, stronger than most of humanity already.
"Yeah, must have been a fluke," he agreed just so no other questions could be raised.
The Anbu could see the kunai jutting from the center of the target...six trees down the line. Proud of the marksmanship he'd displayed; disturbed that he ripped through the trees like wet paper. What exactly is that boy?
Kakashi sighed, already having plenty to report to his leader. "Alright kids, let's finish up the very basics of chakra. I've been notified that Iruka has already taught you how to draw out your chakra, but you all haven't completed it yet. So let's correct that shall we?"
"Awww man," Naruto whined, "I'm never going to get this stuff. It's too hard!"
"That's why you need practice. Now try it again," he commanded, "I don't have to tell Goku twice."
"Fine," the young boy huffed.
Kakashi noted that Goku appeared to be struggling much more than Naruto was, maybe due to the fact the boy had a different type of energy.
"Okay," he spoke calmly. "Naruto, just focus on the energy within. Try and draw it out, don't be too impatient, you'll know the feeling when it's there."
"I can't do it!" He complained, pouting, "I just keep getting pins and needles."
"Goku, you work on it alone for a bit, I'm going to help Naruto first as his case is simpler." Goku nodded as the Anbu moved over to sit in front of Naruto placing his gloves around his as he held them in the ram seal.
"This is what chakra feels like," he brought chakra forward to his hands and they were enclosed in a blue glow, allowing him to let Naruto get another feel of the strange substance. "Now draw that same feeling from within your body, bring it to your hands then relax."
His eyes went from scrunched to slightly tense as he did his best to relax and mentally search his body, trying to draw the power from within.
THERE! He'd found the feeling. He grabbed onto his inner energy with all the willpower he could muster and it began to slip away.
"Remember Naruto, relax and draw out the power calmly," he heard Kakashi say.
Relaxing once again he felt his grip on his energy solidify and he was able to guide his own chakra to his fingertips. He felt Kakashi let go of his hands and was afraid for just a moment before he realized he had it under control.
"Now open your eyes," he said blankly, and he followed the Anbu's command, eyes drifting toward the pale blue glow that was surrounding his hands. "WHOOPEE!" He cried in excitement, his concentration breaking and the chakra fading, but he'd done it. He'd finally done it and now it would be easier for him to do it again.
Goku was still struggling to draw his own energy out, not even feeling a pulse from doing the ram seal.
Moving over to sit in front of his black haired charge, who also had his eyes closed concentrating, the Anbu spoke. "Ready for me to help?"
Once again he was startled, but he nodded in earnest. "Good. The energy will feel much different, but I'm going to channel my chakra into your hands so you can get a feel of what it's like while searching for your energy. It might not be the same, but it still might help. Hopefully we can get it done just like Naruto. Just make sure to focus but be relaxed, much like with the kunai or in a spar."
He nodded again as Kakashi placed his chakra charged hands over Goku's.
He delved into the mass of feeling that was his body, searching for his center, for his well of energy, trying to find a way to bring it out, to focus it at the ram seal, much like Naruto had now succeeded doing. And then he stopped. He needed to relax. Stopping all active thought he sat, meditating for a fraction of a second without conscious effort, and he felt it. That small tug. That tiny opening into a galaxy of power. He was unsure how he'd missed it previously. Now that he knew what it felt like, he was unsure how he'd had such trouble in locating such a pivotal part of himself. He felt the warmth of the power, the enormity of it and he began to channel a portion of it to his fingertips. He realized no seal was needed to acquire his power, it ran everywhere inside his body, easily accessible.
He liked the feeling of the energy, it was warm, comforting even, while at the same time it felt very dangerous and unrestrained, extreme.
"Goku, you can stop now, you did it," his voice came through with curiosity laced through.
He had a confused look on his face while Naruto stared at him with a look of wonder.
It was clearly evident why.
Sitting above his fingertips was a ball of glowing yellow light about the size of a small dinner plate. The size of his creation startled him and he accidentally focused more power, doubling the size of the orb. Goku spread his arms out, not used to what he had in his palms. The orb of energy stayed the same size but began shifting sporadically, dangerously unrestrained.
"What am I s'posed to do with this?!"
Kakashi stood back, observing with his Sharingan eye in the stillness of the night. The energy he saw wasn't chakra at all, no it was pure energy. He only heard of five people in history that had similar energy to this: Muten Roshi, Muten Shen, Mercenary Tao, Son Gohan, and Piccolo Daimao. All of them were legends and the last two were deceased by his knowledge, and he never met the others.
And he couldn't recall what their energy was called, but it started with a K.
Goku then turned afraid, he didn't know what to do with this energy, and he was scared, terrified that he would hurt himself and the people closest to him. That fear was enough for him to lose control.
"Get outta here!" Goku called the instant before the explosion. The orb of energy exploded in a blinding flash of light. The Hatake immediately grabbed Naruto after he was impacted by the explosion and fled with a Shunshin. The force of impact easily knocked out the blonde and gave him a few injuries to boot.
The sheer terror of the situation was what kept the young Saiyan from barely feeling a thing as he himself was thrown in the opposite direction. Everything had seemed to happen in slow motion at first. He slammed through a tree and then throughout multiple trees, the pain of the ordeal masked by the fear and confusion as he was spent spiraling out of control. Nor did Goku really feel the splinters and gashes he gained as he continued through the air, or the ground as he came to a tumbling stop beneath the tree he and Naruto had playfully been practicing on earlier a few nights before.
He couldn't see what became of Naruto and the Anbu guy. He just hoped that they were okay. The young boy from another world then let his vision fade and he fell unconscious; the blare of a siren signaling a fire within the village the last sound he heard before blacking out, hidden beneath the forestry.
-The Next Day-
Goku awoke to the sight of a young man with brown hair wearing a strange headband similar to the one he'd see every time he looked up at the Hokage monument. It resembled the Nidaime's in almost every aspect. His thoughts then trailed back to the most recent occurrence in his life, the accidental discovery of his hidden pool of energy. The smoldering training, the outburst accidentally reaching Uchiha territory. He sat up as quickly as he could, no attention paid to the abrasions his arms had sustained, the scratches littered on his legs, nor the bruise on his shoulder. He didn't have time to worry, he had to reach Naruto.
The Anbu noted his resolve, and had to admit, the boy was very tough and resilient for his age to agony.
Bolting into an upright position and taking a step to sprint away in an effort to get to them, he found the strange man had a firm grasp on his shoulder.
"It's okay Goku," he said calmly. "He's been taken to the hospital, I had Senpai take him there when I arrived last night."
"The hospital?! Is he okay?" Goku asked immediately, his eyes wide with concern.
"As far as I can tell he'll be fine, although the ground near the Uchiha compound is destroyed, even ripping through parts of a civilian home," he said with a sad smile before adding, "I'm Tenzo by the way. Can you walk? We should probably get over to the hospital to get you wrapped up and see how Naruto is doing."
"Of course I can," Goku said simply before taking a step. He wasn't feeling too bad at all; he only hoped the same for Naruto. The boy even felt a tinge stronger and more capable than yesterday for some odd reason. They walked around the side of the house and towards the street, the older and taller of the pair moving over to another masked Anbu and whispering in his ear.
As Goku waited for him his eyes drifted, taking in the scene. A large crowd of concerned citizens had gathered around the now smoldering and partially destroyed home. The outer walls of the house that the explosion had occurred had been completely obliterated and half the floor was missing as if a tornado struck that corner of the house. The people were kept back by a number of masked ninja that had begun to cordon of the affected area of the explosion. Within the crowd Goku saw the faces of the concerned; wondering what misfortune could have befallen the residents of the home.
He heard through the idle chatter a shinobi replying to questions. "An unfortunate gas explosion; this is what happens when you forget to turn the gas off. Luckily everyone seems to be okay. There's nothing more to see here."
There were those in the crowd who bought it, and a few who didn't. Goku noticed a stoic man that looked like Sasuke's brother with a grave expression, two red eyes and black hair, and he wasn't having a bar of that explanation.
Tenzo then walked back over to him and took him by the arm, guiding him in the direction of the hospital. Tenzo hadn't said a word to Goku as they made their way across the village, away from the incident. The remaining ANBU on the scene had dealt with anything that would risk a fire and roped off the scene of the explosion for investigation, leaving two ANBU on guard.
After walking in and getting Goku numerous bandages for his injuries, they proceeded to the room. It was of course the room with two masked guards standing watch outside. The ANBU paid them no attention as they walked past to stand in the doorway, looking into the well-lit room. The Hokage could be seen turning his head and shifting his gaze toward the two new arrivals.
It was a solemn sight indeed. Naruto was sleeping, his head and upper body wrapped in bandages, while a consistent ominous beeping emanated from the large complicated looking machine next to him. Though he appeared to be in much better shape than yesterday already, he must have healed very quickly.
Goku didn't know what to do. He had caused this; he was responsible for this damage, for destroying the grounds near the Uchiha and for injuring Naruto. The Saiyan lowered his head in shame and guilt, ready to own up to his actions. "I'm sorry."
Hiruzen glanced at him, having heard the full story from Kakashi last night after the incident, "It's okay, we know it was an accident in training."
"Is Naruto gonna be okay?" Goku asked.
"Yes," Hiruzen replied quickly to assuage the boy's concerns, "The medics think he will make a full recovery very soon, don't worry about it any longer. He will be fine," he said with a smile.
The boy nodded and sat next to his injured best-friend. A stern look from Tenzo was enough to get the Hokage to promptly exit the room and the silhouette of the Mokuton user was replaced by one of the faceless ANBU guards that had been standing at attention outside.
"So, how bad is it?" Hiruzen asked quietly once they were outside the room and subsequently out of earshot of the boys.
"We're going with a gas explosion as the cause for the damage for the civilians and it is quiet extensive. From the damage alone I'm surprised that Naruto is in a very stable condition right now and steadily healing. How extensive are his injuries?" Tenzo reported matter-of-factly. He needed to maintain his composure and allowing emotions any room for thought at a time like this was unsuitable for a shinobi of his standing.
"He's suffered a number of broken ribs, a torn chest ligament and a concussion. However, many of those broken ribs are already healed and the ligament repaired as well, thanks to you know what. He'll be out of the hospital by tomorrow it seems. Was there anything else of importance to report? You've not had a moments rest in days so if there is nothing more for you to say, go home and sleep."
"There is one thing," Tenzo added gravely, "Uchiha Fugaku was in the crowd, and he didn't look impressed. He clearly didn't buy the cover story."
The Hokage sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose in frustration. "Right," he paused thinking before exhaling again, "You did well, now go, rest."
Tenzo merely nodded before briskly making his way down the hall and onto the stairwell. The Hokage strolled back into the hospital room with a warm smile on his face and sat down next to the boys; sleeping would do him no good, there was too much on his mind. He needed a solution to his problems and he needed it now.
-The next morning at the Ninja Academy-
"Did you hear that there was a gas explosion near the Uchiha district last night?"
"There was a huge explosion, I wonder who was in it?"
"I hope nobody was hurt!"
These were just a few of the phrases that Hinata had been greeted with upon entering the academy classroom. With a sinking feeling in her gut she had quickly searched for Naruto and Goku but to no avail. If they didn't arrive soon they'd both be late for the first class of the day!
She'd remained hopeful until Iruka-sensei had arrived and stood before the class, an announcement to be made.
"It seems news travels fast in Konoha," he said with a level tone. "So I will inform you all that there was indeed a gas explosion last night and that two of your classmates were unfortunately caught within the blast. Naruto and Goku will not be att-"
The class immediately erupted in murmurs before Iruka could finish his sentence, and Hinata had trouble holding back her sorrow at the realization that her friends may well be gone; that Son Goku might be gone forever.
Ino was the first to speak up loud enough over the dull roar that she could be heard. "Are they alright?" She yelled in concern, causing the rest of the class to cease their discussion in hopes of hearing an answer.
Only it was Sasuke that replied first. "Of course they're gonna be okay. They're too strong to be beaten by a stupid explosion," he said matter-of-factually. There was no way anyone whose strength he wanted to acquire for himself could be defeated so easily.
Iruka nodded to second this before reiterating to the rest of the class the exact situation. "Yes, as Sasuke says, they are going to be okay, they just need to rest and heal up, so they may not be back at the academy for a few days."
Ino and Hinata both released the breath they were holding with pronounced sighs and the tension in the room lessened. Comparatively Sasuke just huffed, mumbling, "They better get better soon, I need to train with them if I'm gonna get any better. Especially you, Goku."
-Otogakure Hideout – Location Unknown-
Orochimaru dispelled the snake summon that had just relayed Kabuto's report of Konoha. It appeared things were getting interesting. From what Kabuto had to report, Konoha was on the verge of becoming very unstable and this child, Goku, the one that had caused such destruction, was very interesting indeed. He might be the perfect potential host.
Provided there was an ample supply of Sharingan for him to choose from.
The snake Sannin grinned eagerly; barely able to contain his excitement.