How could he aid a person who refuses all help? Could he call himself a friend if he watched his friend self-destruct and not intervene? Boundaries - walls that required respect and distance; did anything justify breaking them down? Goten wrestled with himself while he sat in a late night lecture, tapping his pencil against a desk.

Trunks fought to rise above an ocean of guilt and shame. He kicked and flailed, but nothing helped him stay afloat. Soon enough, he accepted his fate and let himself drown. Yet Goten planted his feet on the shore, knowing that if he swam in and dragged him out, Trunks would run in again and repeat the process. He could only hope his friend learned to help himself.

These recurring thoughts distracted him from anything else. Goten didn't plan his college days to start like this; he grew weary of loneliness. He made friends and tried to be social, but no one replaced the lifelong bond he established with Trunks. Goten found himself at a crossroads, and he needed advice before he proceeded in any direction. After class, he went to visit the only person he could speak to about this issue.

He glided above the lights of Satan City and landed at the doorstep of a two-story home. When Goten rang the doorbell, his sister-in-law opened the door and greeted him.

"Goten?" Videl said. "It's been so long! How are you?"

"I've been good," he said. "Sorry for dropping by so late. I was in the neighborhood, so I thought I'd say hi."

"No, no, it's not a problem." Videl opened the door wider to let him in. "I'm sure Gohan and Pan would love to see you."

Goten stepped inside and removed his shoes, but before he asked about his brother's whereabouts, the aroma of food carried his feet across the hardwood floor and into the dining room. A chandelier hung above Gohan's head as he stood over a dining table, picking up bowls.

Gohan readjusted his glasses once he noticed his brother. "Huh? You didn't tell me you were coming. I would've made more food if I knew."

"Eh, it's cool. It was a last-minute thing, anyway."

"Well, I don't know if you ate already, but we still have a bit of leftovers. Sit down and I'll make you a plate."

Goten thanked his brother, and once he pulled a chair out to sit, his niece flew into his chest and embraced him. "Uncle Goten!"

Goten stumbled backward and laughed. "Jeez, Pan! Go easy on me, will ya? I'm getting old."

Videl chuckled as she entered the room. "I think she's dying to tell you about her latest accomplishment."

"I almost turned into a Super Saiyan!" Pan said.

"No way! Gohan, is that true?!"

"Yup!" Gohan shouted from the kitchen. "I recorded the whole thing. Her hair only changed color for a second, but she's really close."

"That's amazing! I shouldn't expect less from my favorite niece." Goten took Pan between his arms and sat down with her on his lap. "Now, why don't you tell me about school? I'm sure you've got plenty of stories."

Gohan entered and placed a plate of food in front of his brother, then sat down with Videl. Goten stuffed his face while Pan entertained him with tales of her first grade experience. Once her bedtime neared, Goten hugged her goodbye and allowed Videl to take her away, leaving the brothers alone to talk.

"You make family life look so easy," Goten said.

"Heh, believe me, it's not," Gohan replied. "But it's all about finding balance between work and home. Whenever I'm swamped with work, Videl's here to help me out, and whenever I have time, I spend as much of it as I can with them. It all comes with its own challenges, but I wouldn't trade this for the world."

"I can't wait to be doing this one day. Hopefully, I'll have two or three little Super Saiyans running around a house."

"You've got a long way to go until you're a dad, but for now, slow down and smell the roses. Live a little before you settle down. But I don't know how much free time you'll have while you're studying for pharmacy exams."

"It already looks like hell. I needed to take more classes to graduate on time. Now I'm taking nineteen credits. I wanna graduate a year early, but at this rate, who knows?"

"Sounds like you'll be living in the library." Gohan sighed and folded his hands. "So, how's Trunks doing?"

Goten blew a raspberry. "I talked to him last week and… he's in a bad spot. He's failing classes, and I never see him outside. I told him I'd give him space to figure this out, but is that wrong? Should I keep trying to reach out? Should I drag him out of his room, or do I leave him be? I… I don't know what to do."

Gohan nodded to everything he said. "Well, let's unpack everything that happened. I don't have a psychology degree, but I think there's a lot to consider. When the Espada attacked Karakura Town, he blamed himself for what happened and rushed into the Time Chamber. Most likely, he pushed it to the side for the entire year and never made peace with it."

"He was with Ichigo, but they probably never brought it up. Or maybe Ichigo tried, and Trunks shut down the conversation. When something goes wrong, Trunks hyperfocuses on making it right. It's crazy to think he did that for a year, but then again, he's Vegeta's son."

"Which brings me to my next point: Aizen crushed his ego. I mean, he crushed all of our egos, but he took it harder than you or I did because of who raised him. Dad raised both of us to brush it off with a smile and train harder. I think Vegeta raised him to have pride, but never taught him how to manage when that pride gets torn down."

"I guess he never had time to decompress, either. Then he tried to spar with Soi Fon, who seemed like an intense person herself. But I told you how that ended."

"Yeah. That alone sounds impossible to get through. If something like that happened with Videl… I don't even wanna think about it. Honestly, I think you did the best you could. For now, keep checking up on him, but give him time to sort things out."

"I hope he can. Watching him go through this… it hurts."

"When you've been friends with someone your whole life, their mental health is bound to affect you, too." Gohan pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "Okay, let's switch gears for a bit. Have you been training?"

"Haven't since I got back. I had to wait for three months, and then I got busy with school. Actually, that was the other reason I came."

"Oh, I see." Gohan smirked before he leaned back in his chair. "So you thought you could come and beat up on your older brother, huh? Well, unlike you, I've been practicing every day."

Goten grinned and stood from the table. "Guess I gotta spar with you before I fight Dad again. How about we take this somewhere else so we don't bother your neighbors?"

"You read my mind." Gohan changed into clothes that mimicked Piccolo's, then departed with Goten to a deserted island hundreds of kilometers away from any city. Rocky terrain and patches of grass painted the landscape. Waves crashed onto the shore as Gohan and Goten stepped back into identical fighting stances.

"Take it easy on me," Goten said. "I'm rusty."

"You're a natural. It'll all come back in no time."

The two planted their feet into the dirt and bolted toward each other, clashing forearms as they exchanged grins. They pulled away and exchanged strikes, each one landing a few blows on the other. But as Gohan turned up the intensity, Goten found himself on the defensive.

After Goten dodged a flurry of fists, Gohan swept his leg from under him. Goten fell onto his hands and sprung backward to avoid a follow up blow from Gohan. He leaped into the air, but Gohan fired a Masenko from the ground. Goten chopped it away, only for his brother to teleport behind him and kick him in the back, causing him to careen into the sea. Gohan waited in the sky until a Kamehameha wave emerged from the water. After he evaded it, Goten rose from the water, catching his breath.

"I didn't plan on getting wet," Goten said.

"That'll teach you not to underestimate me. It's a new era, little bro."

"Hmph, not for long." Goten clasped both of his hands. "Let's end the warmup and get to it."

"You sure? You look kind of winded."

Goten shouted and transformed into his Pseudo Blue form. "Yeah. Like I said, I'm rusty."

Gohan powered up to match his brother's level. "Alright. Come at me."

Goten rushed forward to land any hit he could, but he noticed an issue with his conditioning. Even though he went without training for five months, a few minutes of sparring should've been easy. However, every strike he threw exhausted more energy than the last. He fought much slower than ever before, and his technique grew sloppier with time.

Gohan dodged each attack before he retaliated with a blow to the gut. As Goten clutched himself, Gohan grabbed his shirt and flung downward. Goten crashed onto his back, then rolled over and struggled to lift himself on his palms and knees. He hacked out several times; blood streaked onto the ground.

No, not again. His cough left him three months ago, and he hadn't seen his own blood since Unohana treated him. Before he wrapped his head around the situation, heartburn shot through his chest. He returned to his normal form and clenched his shirt.

Once Gohan landed next to him, Goten collapsed onto the side of his face. Gohan flipped him over and held him in his arms, but gasped once blood streamed from the corner of his brother's mouth. "Goten? What's going on?!"

Goten winced in misery, then responded between shortened breaths. "Gohan… I-I can't breathe."

Gohan jumped to his feet and flung him over his shoulder. "Just stay with me!"

Delirium set in as his brother sped toward the nearest hospital. Once they arrived at the emergency room, Goten didn't possess the strength to stand. Nurses and doctors passed by faster than he had processed. An oxygen mask helped him breathe with more ease, but the substantial loss of strength caused him to fall asleep.

He woke in a hospital bed, hooked up to tubes and dressed in a gown. He turned his head to see his brother seated next to him.

"Look who's up already," Gohan said. "I thought you would sleep till the morning."

"How long have I been out?"

"Eh, a little over an hour. Mom's outside talking to the doctor. Dad came in, but as soon as he saw a needle, he said he'd wait outside."

"Heh, of course. The last time he got a vaccine, Mom and I had to hold him down. He almost turned Super Saiyan, but he passed out when the needle touched his arm."

"Sounds just like him." Gohan stood from his seat with his hands on his hips. "I thought I was gonna lose you back there."

"Me, too, but it's gonna take a lot-" Goten turned away and coughed into his elbow. "A lot more to put me down."

"Well, you look like you're doing better. Anyway, I have good news and bad news."

"Hit me with the bad news."

"It'll make more sense if I tell you the good news first. Back when we fought the Androids, Dad got hit with a nasty heart virus. I thought you had the same thing, but that doesn't look to be the case."

Goten sat up and lowered his brows. "Okay? So… what's the bad news?"

"The bad news is that we don't know what happened. You'll still have to get checked out by a specialist in the morning. You had a cough before, right?"

"Yup. I had it for a couple of months."

"And when's the last time you used your energy?"

"I haven't since the fight with Aizen."

"It sounds like this is coming from your energy use."

"Yeah… I was afraid of that. It felt like when I used the Kaioken, only worse. I've never been so drained. And the chest pain, it was so weird."

"Maybe Dad might have an answer, but I'm not sure he's ever attempted the Kaioken in a form that wasn't his base or Super Saiyan Blue. If he can't answer, I guess you'll have to ask King Kai."

Goten agreed and took the remainder of the night to rest from his episode. As his mother and brother slept next to him, he laid awake, eyes glued to the ceiling fan above his head. What would King Kai do to heal him? Could he be healed, or would this be a permanent condition? No, there had to be a solution.

In the morning, after a cardiologist discovered nothing wrong with him, Goten checked out of the hospital. While Gohan flew Chi-Chi back to Mount Paozu, Goten made a discreet ascent onto the hospital's roof, where he found his father doing handstand push-ups.

"Oh, hey!" Goku said. He pushed himself upright and smiled. "Did it go well?"

"Not really. The doctors didn't say much, and most of my symptoms went away on their own. Still got a little cough, though." Goten sighed and stuffed his hands into the pockets of his sweatpants. "What was it like when you got the heart virus?"

"Oh man, that was tough. My chest was on fire, and my energy felt like it was being sucked out of my body. Even flying made me tired. Luckily, Trunks from the future gave me medicine, but I had to stay in bed for ten days."

"Jeez, ten days? Well, I'm still standing, so I guess I can check the heart virus off the list. If that's not the problem, it might stem from when I used the Kaioken against Aizen."

"The Kaioken, huh?" Goku hummed as he pondered for a moment. "Well, you used it without mastering god Ki. The only time I've ever done that was in Other World, and it left me pretty sore afterward. I think we should ask King Kai for some help."

"Yeah, I was gonna suggest that. I've always wanted to check out Other World before I die."

Goku touched his two fingers to his forehead, prompting Goten to set a hand on his shoulder. In an instant, Goku transported them onto King Kai's planet. Before Goten could observe anything else but the pink sky and augmented gravity, something crashed beside him.

"What- Goku?! Are you kidding me?!" Goten turned to discover that a red coupe collided with his father's leg, leaving a semicircle dent on the hood. A blue, short man jumped from the driver's side and bared his teeth at Goku. "This is the third time you've dented my car! How hard is it for you to teleport somewhere else?!"

"Hehe, sorry King Kai," Goku said with a hand behind his head. "I'll fix it… again. I promise."

"You shouldn't have done it in the first place!"

"Well, what do you want me to do now? I can't go back in time and change it."

"Ah, just forget it. Who's your friend? He looks just like you."

"This is my son, Goten."

Goten smiled. "It's nice to meet you, King K-" His grumbling stomach interrupted and prompted a nervous chuckle.

King Kai rubbed his forehead. "The apple doesn't fall far from the tree."

"Hey, do you have any food lying around?" Goku asked. "I'm starving, too."

"You won't even get a grain of rice out of me until you fix my car."

"Ah, come on. You know I'll get it done."

"No means no, Goku!" King Kai sighed, then turned to Goten. "I'm sorry, I forgot to introduce myself. I'm King Kai, ruler of the North Galaxy in our universe. Your father is my greatest student and the biggest thorn in my side, evidenced by the halo above my head. It's been twenty years, and he hasn't even tried to wish me back. Now that introductions are out of the way, what can I do for you?"

"I used the Kaioken while I was a Super Saiyan, and it might've messed up my energy," Goten said. "That was months ago, but when I tried to use my full power yesterday, it felt like I had a heart attack."

"Hm, I've never heard of something like that happening from the Kaioken technique. Let me check to see if anything's wrong."

King Kai's antennae straightened into the air, then pulsated every few seconds. Goten and Goku stood silent, awaiting the results from the examination. After a few moments, King Kai's antennae descended as he hummed. "Interesting."

Goten leaned forward with his eyebrows raised. "Interesting? Did you find something?"

"Well, yes, and no. I found nothing wrong with you physically, but you definitely have distorted energy."

"Damn," Goku said. "I guess we can see if the Supreme Kai or Old Kai can help."

Goten put his hand on his father's shoulder once more. "Okay. Thanks for the help, King Kai."

"Hang on, Goku," King Kai said. "When are you coming back to fix my car?"

Goku looked away. "Oh, uh… eventually."

"Hey! You can't just-"

The two left before King Kai finished. In the next moment, they found themselves on the Sacred World of the Kai. The Supreme Kai and Old Kai sat in front of them, peering through a crystal ball with their backs turned.

"Hi, guys!" Goku shouted. The two Kais leaped into each other's arms, then separated once they laid eyes on the two Saiyans.

"Must you always be so loud?" Supreme Kai asked.

Old Kai stood up and shook his fist in Goku's face. "Don't you have any respect?! The next time you enter like that, you are banned from this planet! Do you hear me?! B-a-n-n-e-d!"

"Man, I'm striking out with everyone today," Goku said. "Sorry about that. We wanted to get some help with something. Goten's having trouble with his energy, but we don't know why. We asked King Kai, and he said he couldn't find anything wrong with his body."

"If North Kai had trouble, then I doubt that either of us could diagnose the issue, either," Supreme Kai said. "Tell me, Goten. When did this start happening?"

"It started when I was in Hueco Mundo. I pushed my body with the Kaioken, and I started having strange symptoms like coughing. One of the Soul Reapers that treated said I should wait three months before using my energy. I ended up waiting six months, and I'm still having adverse effects."

"Hueco Mundo, you say?" Old Kai said. "Sounds like it's an issue with your spiritual body rather than your physical. After all, your body converted into spiritual particles in that realm."

"That makes sense, but how do we figure out the root of it? It's not like I can change out of my body on command."

The Supreme Kai stood to his feet. "We'll have to ask the Supreme Kai of Universe Six. He'll have a much better understanding than we can offer. Come, I'll transport us there."

"I'm coming, too," said the Old Kai as he rose from the ground. "I have business with that lazy oaf."

Using the Kai Kai technique, the Supreme Kai teleported them to a planet that looked the same as the one they were on a moment ago.

"I can't sense him," Goku said. "Are you sure we're in the right place?"

"Yes, I'm certain of that." Supreme Kai assured as he searched left and right. "Lord Champa is still sleeping, so he must be here."

A roar of snoring struck Goten's ears. He turned to a large, green-skinned man with white hair sprouting from the middle of his head. He sported a variation of the Universe Seven Kai outfit: a magenta top with yellow lining, a blue sash and pants, a purple undershirt, white boots, and a pair of green Potara earrings. The man napped underneath the shade of an apple tree.

"Is that him over there?" Goten asked.

"I'll handle this." Old Kai approached the sleeping Kai, then cleared his throat and leaned over into the man's ear. "Wake up, you drooling buffoon! Why are you napping on the job?!" The Old Kai kicked him in the side repeatedly, to little effect. "Wake up, wake up, wake up!"

The others stood dumbfounded at what they watched, and the Supreme Kai tried to interject. "Um, Grand Elder? Maybe you should be more polite."

Universe Six Kai yawned and sat up, causing Old Kai to lift his foot away. "Old Kai? What are you doing here? Have you come back to lose another game of cards?"

"I lost on purpose, you bum. I wanted your Zanpakuto all along, and if I had to trade free labor, so be it."

"Hold the phone," Goten said as he and the others approached them. "Trunks and I had to go to Universe Six because you lost a card game?"

"It didn't have to be you two, but with all the youthful energy you both have, I thought you two were the best suited. And it worked well, just as I planned."

"Grand Elder, you were very upset when you lost," the Universe Seven Kai said. "You bet that if you won, he'd have to make a woman from this universe kiss you."

"Would you shut your trap?! No one asked you to reveal that private information!"

The Universe Six Kai stood and dusted off his clothes. "Shin, it's always a pleasure to see you. I'm afraid I can't say the same for your ancestor."

"Shin?" Goku turned to his Supreme Kai. "That's your real name? I thought it was just a fake one you used at the World Tournament."

"No, that really is my name." Shin faced the other Supreme Kai and greeted him. "It's good to see you, too, Fuwa. You'll have to pardon my elder."

"And you two must be Son Goku and Son Goten. It's a pleasure to meet the both of you. So, what brings you to my planet?"

"Goten seems to have an energy related issue, and we think that it's stemming from his spiritual body."

Goten chimed in to elaborate. "It happened when I fought Aizen in Hueco Mundo. I pushed myself to my limit, then I started coughing up blood. Retsu Unohana said I should rest my energy for three months, and-"

"Retsu?" Fuwa said. "Ah, that's right. She goes by Retsu now."

"Huh? That's not her name?"

"She used to go by Yachiru Unohana, but she relinquished that name, along with her title as Kenpachi many, many moons ago."

"K-Kenpachi?! You're kidding!"

Fuwa shook his head. "She was the first, and Yachiru was a bloodthirsty one."

"Wow, that's insane. No wonder why she's so scary."

"Anyhow, let's see what the issue is." Fuwa walked to Goten, pulled his open hand back, then thrust it into his chest. "Out you go."

Goten fell backward onto his rear, while his physical body plummet to the grass. He yelped at the sight of his lifeless self. "What the hell?! That's me?!" He observed his spiritual body and noticed that his clothes were the same. His Zanpakuto sat beside him. "Hey, shouldn't I be wearing shihakusho?"

"Not unless you'd like to wear one. Now, stand up for me." Goten did as he said and allowed Fuwa to place a hand on his chest. His eyes shot open once he examined Goten. "Oh, well, that may explain things."

"What do you mean?"

"Do you know how far above your limit you pushed yourself? Would you say it was twice your full power?"

"Twenty times my full power…"

Fuwa sighed. "Well, that would explain why this scenario is so unique. I've never seen this, but your Soul Sleep burst from the inside."

"My Soul Sleep? Is that important?"

"There are two points on a Soul Reaper's body that contribute to their power. The first is the Soul Sleep, the source of your spiritual power. The latter is the Soul Chain, which provides a boost to your power. If both were to be pierced from the outside, your spirit energy would seal away."

"But I can still use all of my power."

"You can still access your energy, but your power will drain much faster. The physical effects you described are your Soul Sleep's way of telling you to stop using your energy. This is all a result of you straining your energy far beyond its limit."

"But… how? My body was Reishi, so how could it affect me in the living world?"

"The answer lies with your Zanpakuto. When you activated it, it tied your spiritual power to your physical body, allowing you to stay in your body when you summon your Zanpakuto."

"There's has to be a way to fix this, right?" Goku asked.

"I'm afraid not. If Captain Unohana couldn't reverse the damage, then I'm afraid there's nothing I can do, either."

Goten lowered his head and clenched his fists. "So I can't use my energy forever? No, I'll just fight through the pain. I don't care. I'm not losing my powers."

"That won't be an option, either. Not only has your Soul Sleep been damaged, but your Soul Chain is encroaching as well. I suspect your Soul Sleep feeds off of it when you use a large amount of energy. It's already eroded a large part of your chain. If it ceases to be, you will become a Hollow."

"A Hollow?! No… what am I supposed to do, then?"

"I'm sorry. The only thing I can do for you is relay this information."

Silence prevailed between the five individuals. Goten ran his fingers through his hair, struggling to find anything to say. He bit his lip, then picked up his head and composed himself. "Thank you, Supreme Kai. I probably would've died if you hadn't told me that."

Fuwa nodded, and with nothing else to discuss, the group departed back to Universe Seven. Once there, Goku and Goten thanked the Kais for their help before they teleported in front of their home at Mount Paozu.

"Did you wanna come inside?" Goku asked. "Your mom probably made some food."

"It's okay," Goten said. "I gotta get back before I miss any more classes."

"Oh, sure. Listen, we'll figure something out, okay? Just have faith."

Goten's lips raised to a partial smile. "I'll be fine, Dad. I just have to accept it. At least I'll have more time to focus on school. It's just what Mom wanted."

"Even if the world was on fire, she'd want your nose in those books." They both chuckled, then Goku patted his son on the back. "Take care, alright? And keep your head up."

"Thanks. I'll try." Goten took to the sky and headed back toward Satan City. The facade he held up for his father faded as flew through clouds. He floated above his dorm and landed on the roof when no one would spot him. He sat down and rested his back against the concrete barrier on the ledge.

For hours, he tried to work through his emotions alone, but every thought led to a sinking feeling in his gut. He didn't want to accept it as reality, but he had no choice.

"Something must really be wrong if you're hiding up here." Goten turned and looked up to Trunks' grin. "Bad day?"

"I guess. Since when did vampires become immune to sunlight?"

"You can't see it, but I'm singeing on the inside. Gohan told me you ended up in the hospital."

Goten nodded. "I had a sudden case of the flu, but I'm better now."

"That's such a shitty lie. Is it even the flu season?"

"No clue; I think it's in the winter."

"What happened? Saiyans have pretty tough immune systems, so it must have been something severe."

Goten lowered his gaze, then paused. "To make a long story short, the Kaioken times twenty destroyed my spirit powers. Now, whenever I use a decent amount of energy, it'll feed off my Soul Chain and practically give me a heart attack. If I overdue it, I'll turn into a Hollow."

Trunks' mouth dropped open. "W-What?! Are you serious?!" Goten nodded, which prompted Trunks to take a moment to process. "Who told you that?"

"The Universe Six Supreme Kai. I found out a couple of hours ago."

"And there's no solution, no fix, no nothing?!"

"Nope, and I kinda figured. Unohana told me she couldn't do anything other than what she tried, and if that didn't work after three months, I would have to accept reality. Even Orihime couldn't heal me, and her power literally rejects anything. So, I guess I'm powerless forever, or at least until I die."

"What about the Dragon Balls? We can wish you better."

"No, that's not even a choice. Who knows when we might need them, and if I use them for even one wish, they're deactivated for six months. The same goes for the Namek ones."

"But… you can't just give up. There's gotta be a way."

Goten paused and stared at the sky. "Remember when we used to wonder what it would be like to have no powers? You always wanted it more than I did, but I thought about it sometimes. Now that it happened, it doesn't even feel real. I never thought yesterday would be the last time I transformed into a Super Saiyan."

"Goten… I'm so sorry."

"It's okay, it's just…" He took a deep breath to withhold a knot in his throat. "It sucks. I feel so useless now. I can't even spar with my dad, and that's how I felt like I got close to him. It's just… This is so fucking stupid!"

A pair of tears rolled down his cheek as he slammed his fist into the ground and broke concrete. Trunks kneeled and provided Goten a shoulder to weep on. Once they pulled apart, Trunks gave him a smile.

"If you punched any harder, you might've split your dorm in half. Your dad doesn't think of you any differently. That's more of a Vegeta thing. And who says you're useless when you've still got superhuman strength and speed? Just think about it, we could be the next Great Saiyaman duo."

"Oh god, no," Goten chuckled. "I used to think my brother looked so cool in that outfit. Now I'd wear a paper bag over my head before I wear that goofy suit."

"Same here. We'll get through this. I know I've been… distant, but I'm working on it. Whenever you need me, I'll be here."

"Says the guy who locked himself in solitary confinement. Considering what happened, though, you have every right."

"I'll deal with that on my own time." Trunks stood and extended his hand. "You hungry?"

"When am I not?" Goten grasped Trunks' and pulled himself up. "Thanks, I really needed that."

"What the hell are you thanking me for? You're like my-" Trunks winced and dragged his hands from his forehead to his chin.

"You alright?" Goten asked.

"Yeah, just a headache. I haven't been sleeping great. Anyway, you're practically my brother. You don't have to thank me."

"Sure. Oh, before I forget, do you wanna hear something crazy?"

"What is it?"

"I found out that one of the current captains used to be a Kenpachi. In fact, they were the first Kenpachi."

"A Kenpachi?! Who?"

"Give it a couple guesses before I tell you. I'll tell you right now, it's not Yamamoto."

Trunks crossed his arms and pressed his lips together. "Hm… is it Shuhei's captain?"

"Nope. Guess again."

"Is it Komamura?"

"No way."

"Kyoraku?"

"You're getting closer."

"It can't be Ukitake, right?"

"You're really close now."

"… Unohana?"

"Bingo!"

"Get the fuck outta here! She's the nicest person ever. I'm calling bullshit on that."

"You always have to watch out for the nice ones. The Universe Six Supreme Kai described her as 'bloodthirsty'. It all makes sense now; she gave me a feeling like there's something dark about her."

"Holy shit… she could've cut my head off."

"Count yourself lucky you walked out of those barracks with your limbs." Goten hopped onto the wall and lowered his eyes to the street below. "Come on. Let's go before anyone sees us."

Goten fell from the building, prompting Trunks to follow suit. As they traveled to the dining hall, gloom crept back into Goten's heart.

"I always thought I would grow up and protect the world like my dad. All I ever wanted was to live a calm life, but part of me dreamed of being the hero for once."

"You can still be a hero. I'll pick up the slack for the both of us."

"Don't force yourself. My condition shouldn't bring you out of retirement, especially not while you're a week into it. I'm sure Gohan will step up once I tell him."

"You're always worried about everyone else except yourself. How about you take care of the killers and sex offenders, and I'll handle the galactic war lords?"

With his hands shoved in his pockets, Goten flashed his eyebrows and sighed. "Fine. Officer Goten is officially on duty."

A/N: My bad… again. I didn't really take a break. Writing this chapter was just a process. Might be a little bit of a wait with the next chapter, too, but it'll definitely be long. That one will be titled, 'New Cavity', after the Deftones song, 'Teenager'. That one's gonna send us back to the Soul Society and Karakura Town.

Not really gonna say much about this one, but I hope you all enjoyed it. Writing and sharing this has been one of the highlights of my life recently, and I appreciate all of you that read, even if you're passing by or just glancing. Lemme know what you guys think.

Have a great day, and I'll see you all next time.

Spotify playlist: openDOTspotifyDOTcom/playlist/3fwx98Tc1W7CDAyheF0tln?si=80ced423f48641a9