The Fifth Saiyajin
Chapter 3: Well I'll be a Monkey's Uncle.
A Dragon Ball Z Fanfiction by Selene Starblade.
Disclaimer: Toriyama-sama owns most of them, not me. Sarada, however, is all mine.
"Master Freiza!"
Freiza looked sidelong at the toady that had spoken up.
"There are signs of some Nameks approaching from that direction!"
"Well, that's good news. Maybe they can lead us to the next Dragon Ball. Our collection is growing."
Zarbon and Dodoria looked back at the diminutive Tyrant.
"Make sure you keep on your guard," he continued, " Until you know who those other guys are."
"Yes." The two muttered in unison.
"Let's head out!" Ordered Freiza.
With a series of sounds, orbs of blue flight-chi flashed off into the distance.
*******
Sarada kept running, even as she noted Freiza and his men departing in a different direction. It wasn't too much farther to Guru's. Once there, she could speak with him and whoever his current guardian Warrior was, and maybe establish a plan.
Perhaps the two flying after her would want to join in. She hoped so. It would be a waste of time if she had to stop and talk to them, only to have them refuse to help.
Guru was going to need everything he could get.
*******
Kuillin and Gohan kept their chi levels to the minimum necessary to keep up with Sarada.
"Whoever this is, they're fast. I don't think they're flying, either." Called Kuillin.
Gohan just nodded, and kept his focus on the chi they were following. Something about it reminded him of someone, but he wasn't sure who.
*******
There it was. Guru's spire. Sarada was never going to figure it out.
Her 'uncle' wanted to be more or less left alone. Yet, he had put himself in one of the most prominent, obvious locations on the planet.
Ah, well. It wasn't to her to make decisions for him.
Using a standard chi-trick, when she reached the bottom of the spire, she shifted her chi, changing the direction her inertia was carrying her in. But Sarada did it a little differently. She turned it all upwards, and kept running. The result was that Gohan and Kuillin were treated to the sight of what appeared to be someone running straight up the last dozen or so meters of the spire.
Sarada noticed them slowing to a stop on the fringe of her senses, and came to a stop on the spire, turning to face them and wait. Powering down her aura, Sarada sent off a tiny burst of nondestructive chi into Guru's home, so he would know she was there. She folded her arms behind herself, clasping both wrists behind her waist, just above the base of her tail, which was wrapped around the waistband of her armor, and released most of the extra chi she had gathered from the village. She couldn't afford to waste any of what she could get, and it was taking some of the chi she had 'borrowed' to keep it all bound to her. At least it would deteriorate slower when it was embedded in the local landscape.
Gohan and Kuillin landed, skidding to a halt, seeming to gape a bit.
"Gohan.. Are you seeing what I'm seeing?"
Gohan nodded. "It's.. a Saiyajin!"
Sarada blinked. She hadn't done anything to give that away. There had to be at least a dozen galactic races that looked a lot like the Saiyajin, including whatever race the two in front of her happened to be. So how had they recognized her race?
"She's got her tail wrapped, too. I wonder if she's like Vegeta and Nappa?" Asked Kuillin.
Sarada was beginning to get annoyed. "I'm standing right here, you know. I can hear you."
Kuillin gulped audibly, and laughed nervously. "Hee hee hee. ah, sorry about that. U- um, are you-"
"We don't have time for this." Stated Sarada, turning to the home. She headed for the door, which opened in front of her. She started to step in, then paused, one hand on the doorframe. "Follow me if you want to help out against that bastard who's been hunting down the Nameks. Otherwise, just go away." With that, she stepped inside.
Kuillin blinked, and looked at Gohan.
Gohan shrugged. "Beats me. Can't hurt to check, though."
Kuillin nodded in return. "Keep on your guard though. She is a Saiyajin."
"I heard that!" Sarada shouted from inside.
Gohan frowned at Kuillin, and then ran inside. Kuillin sweatdropped for a moment, then followed him into the building.
******
Buruma looked up.
"Oh, great. I think it looks like rain. Of course, since I don't know Namek weather patterns, I can't tell worth beans. What am I gonna do for shelter??"
She stood there for a moment, then smacked her forehead. "Duh! I'll use a capsule-house. Now, which pocket was that in?"
******
Gohan and Kuillin looked around.
"What's she tryin' to pull? This place is empty!"
"Up here, you nitwit!" Shouted Sarada, from somewhere above.
Gohan, already floating up towards the hole in the ceiling, gave Kuillin a look.
Kuillin laughed nervously and followed him.
******
There, they were treated to something of a sight. Aside from Sarada, there were two other people present. One of them looked remarkably like Piccolo. The other one of them looked remarkably like Piccolo- or at least like Piccolo would if he put on about a thousand each of years and pounds.
The female saiyajin was lying on her back on the floor by the edge of the hole. Just boosting herself enough to reach Guru's room had used up enough of her remaining personal chi to wear her out. This was not good. She didn't even have enough left to take in ambient chi, not that she wanted to. It was a useful ability sometimes, but the problems with it generally far outweighed the benefits, and she would rather have relied on her personal ability, except that that wasn't so high. She had gotten no exercise in the spacepod, though it kept her relatively fit (for a saiyajin), and less as a statue. The pod had at least kept her physically fit, but now, after being freed from the statue and running like that, leg muscles she hadn't known she had were screaming in agony. Very not good. Breathing a bit hard, she tried to focus and find her center.
Looking curiously at the saiyajin woman, Gohan was surprised to note that her aura's strength had dropped very low- her aura's strength was only about that of Master Roshi, or rather would have been. Most of it was used up. Part of the familiar quality of her chi had disappeared, too. Now he could figure out what it was though- her chi reminded him of his father and Vegeta. More of his father, but still. Now he was sure she was a saiyajin. He wasn't sure what it meant, though.
Kuillin gaped at the larger namekian. This guy was big! No, bigger than that. Large. Huge, even. And while he didn't seem to have much in the way of chi, there was some sort of quality to it.. Kuillin got a few shivers.
The bigger Namek coughed slightly, and the smaller one stepped forwards. "Who are you?"
Before Kuillin could respond, the saiyajin woman chuckled dryly. "Always suspicious, aren't we, Nail?" She took another breath. "Back those years ago, you wouldn't even completely trust Guru."
Nail snorted. "I learned better about that, Sarada, but that doesn't mean I haven't got the right to be suspicious on a first meeting."
Sarada sat up, nodding. "True enough. Well, these two followed me here after Ikim spent the last of his life to revive me. They don't seem to bear any bad intentions. What do you think, Guru-sama?"
The tremendous bulk of the larger namekian shifted slightly. "Please, Sarada." Guru rumbled, "You need not show such obesciance. I am still your 'uncle Guru'."
Sarada smirked. "That doesn't mean I can't show you proper respect, uncle Guru."
Guru's mouth curled up ever-so-slightly at his 'niece'. She always had a bit of an odd sense of humor, and refusing something while accepting it was just another facet.
Gohan frowned slightly. "Uncle? But. you aren't a saiyan."
The massive, seated namekian nodded. "True. But I am as close as Sarada here can get to family. I did, after all, raise her, or as close as I could."
Sarada, leaning heavily on the wall, managed to make her way to her feet, though she was leaning over and sweating some.
"Uncle, we have a serious problem."
"I know, Sarada. Your spirit is in good shape, but you need to catch your body up to it. I am afraid I do not and never have known any better way to have kept you so long. I am sorry I was not able to let you retain your strength."
Sarada shook her head. "No, uncle. It is not your fault. I was hoping, however, that you might know of some way I could fix that well enough to make a difference in the end."
Kuillin frowned, looking from one to the other, watching whichever of the two was speaking at any given moment. He started slightly as a hand landed on his shoulder, and then he looked up, recalling the other namekian in the room.
Nail looked down at the diminutive man. "Perhaps we three should go outside. It would probably be better to let them converse alone."
Sarada turned to Nail, Kuillin, and Gohan. "No, this involves all three of you as well. There are some things that need to be done, if Freiza is to be defeated. Guru and I have already discussed that at length."
Nail nodded. "If you say so." Removing his hand from Kuillin's shoulder, he took a step back, remaining centered behind the two smaller fighters.
"The real problem here," Continued Sarada, as though she had not interrupted her conversation at all, "Is not so much one of bringing me up to the necessary level of physical ability as it is of managing it quickly enough."
Guru nodded slightly again. "I think there may be a way, though."
Sarada quirked up one pale-blue eyebrow. "Oh? So, you've been keeping a secret, Guru-sama?"
"No, no." Guru sighed. "Or rather, I have, but for a good reason. Tell me, Sarada, what is the most noticeable thing about my house?"
Sarada folded her arms over her chest, returning a curious gaze to Guru's indecipherable one. "It's on top of a huge, blatantly obvious spire?"
Guru nodded, then raised one hand from its armrest, allowing it to swing out over the floor. Pointing down with one green, wrinkled finger, he answered.
"Indeed. And there is a reason for this spire. Deep underneath the ground, years ago, a large pocket of air formed, in a vertical column. It pushed this spire up from below, leaving a considerable space underground. In this space, this storage, are a considerable number of things. Most of them are useless, held in case of happenings that never occurred. But there is one thing there that I placed for your sake, Sarada, so long ago when I foresaw only the faintest shadows of this day."
Guru coughed twice, and raised his hand to wave off Nail. "I will be fine, Nail."
"But, Guru-sama, you need to re-"
"Hush, Nail. This is more important." His hand finally returned to the armrest, sitting as though glued in place. "In this cavern, on the very floor of it, sits an object I built for you to use, Sarada. It is very specific. Consider it a 'birthday gift' of sorts. It took a long time to get the measurements just right."
"I thank you greatly, Uncle Guru," Sarada stated impatiently, "But could you please say what it is already? Time is as short as a fresh-planted Tree of Life."
Guru sighed again, nodding in aquiescence. "You are, of course, correct. Straight to the point as usual. What I have for you is an outfit- something like full-body armor. However, instead of providing resistance to blows, this 'armor' resists the wearer's own motions. It can be set to varying degrees of tension, so it can adjust to always provide exercise."
"I see." Stated Sarada, thoughtfully. "So, your idea behind this is that I wear this until it becomes unnecessary or I need to function without it? That's not going to be enough time- we have a few cycles at most."
Guru nodded once more, sadly. "So it would seem. However." Here, he turned his attention to Gohan and Kuillin. ".These two, it would appear, have a friend approaching- one who may well turn the tide. All that is needed-"
"Is enough to delay until this person's arrival, hm?" Sarada cut Guru off. "And what assurance do we have that this friend will be good enough to defeat Freizer?"
"Hey!" Exclaimed Gohan. "My dad's REAL strong! He'll send anyone packing! He was stronger than Bejita, and that was months ago!"
Sarada gave Gohan a disbelieving look, her eyes narrowing. "Kid, compared to Freiza, Bejita's nothing. I should know- I can feel Bejita now, and I met Freizer face-to-face. Even relaxing, Freizer has more power than I or anyone else I've ever heard of even likes to think about."
Kuillin swallowed thickly, turning to Guru. "Just. how strong IS Freizer?"
"That," replied Guru, "Will take some explanation. So as to be more effective, though, I believe Sarada should go and get the suit. I trust you can get her into the chamber, Nail?"
Nail blinked, then looked at the two from offplanet. Looking back to Guru, he spoke. "But, what if they find you while we're down there?"
Guru shook his head. "These two from Chikyuu may not look like much at a glance, but together they are nearly as capable in combat as your predecessor, Nail. I will not be defenseless while you are so short a distance away."
Frowning, Nail nodded slowly. He hated to trust Guru's safety to strangers, but he also knew that his father must have his reasons. Reluctantly, he headed to the hole leading down to the 'ground floor' of the building.
"Are you coming, Sarada?"
The female Saiyan nodded, heading over to the hole and clambering down partway. Hanging from the edge by her hands, she let go, allowing herself to drop the short distance to the floor. Nail followed her down the hole.
A Dragon Ball Z Fanfiction by Selene Starblade.
Disclaimer: Toriyama-sama owns most of them, not me. Sarada, however, is all mine.
"Master Freiza!"
Freiza looked sidelong at the toady that had spoken up.
"There are signs of some Nameks approaching from that direction!"
"Well, that's good news. Maybe they can lead us to the next Dragon Ball. Our collection is growing."
Zarbon and Dodoria looked back at the diminutive Tyrant.
"Make sure you keep on your guard," he continued, " Until you know who those other guys are."
"Yes." The two muttered in unison.
"Let's head out!" Ordered Freiza.
With a series of sounds, orbs of blue flight-chi flashed off into the distance.
*******
Sarada kept running, even as she noted Freiza and his men departing in a different direction. It wasn't too much farther to Guru's. Once there, she could speak with him and whoever his current guardian Warrior was, and maybe establish a plan.
Perhaps the two flying after her would want to join in. She hoped so. It would be a waste of time if she had to stop and talk to them, only to have them refuse to help.
Guru was going to need everything he could get.
*******
Kuillin and Gohan kept their chi levels to the minimum necessary to keep up with Sarada.
"Whoever this is, they're fast. I don't think they're flying, either." Called Kuillin.
Gohan just nodded, and kept his focus on the chi they were following. Something about it reminded him of someone, but he wasn't sure who.
*******
There it was. Guru's spire. Sarada was never going to figure it out.
Her 'uncle' wanted to be more or less left alone. Yet, he had put himself in one of the most prominent, obvious locations on the planet.
Ah, well. It wasn't to her to make decisions for him.
Using a standard chi-trick, when she reached the bottom of the spire, she shifted her chi, changing the direction her inertia was carrying her in. But Sarada did it a little differently. She turned it all upwards, and kept running. The result was that Gohan and Kuillin were treated to the sight of what appeared to be someone running straight up the last dozen or so meters of the spire.
Sarada noticed them slowing to a stop on the fringe of her senses, and came to a stop on the spire, turning to face them and wait. Powering down her aura, Sarada sent off a tiny burst of nondestructive chi into Guru's home, so he would know she was there. She folded her arms behind herself, clasping both wrists behind her waist, just above the base of her tail, which was wrapped around the waistband of her armor, and released most of the extra chi she had gathered from the village. She couldn't afford to waste any of what she could get, and it was taking some of the chi she had 'borrowed' to keep it all bound to her. At least it would deteriorate slower when it was embedded in the local landscape.
Gohan and Kuillin landed, skidding to a halt, seeming to gape a bit.
"Gohan.. Are you seeing what I'm seeing?"
Gohan nodded. "It's.. a Saiyajin!"
Sarada blinked. She hadn't done anything to give that away. There had to be at least a dozen galactic races that looked a lot like the Saiyajin, including whatever race the two in front of her happened to be. So how had they recognized her race?
"She's got her tail wrapped, too. I wonder if she's like Vegeta and Nappa?" Asked Kuillin.
Sarada was beginning to get annoyed. "I'm standing right here, you know. I can hear you."
Kuillin gulped audibly, and laughed nervously. "Hee hee hee. ah, sorry about that. U- um, are you-"
"We don't have time for this." Stated Sarada, turning to the home. She headed for the door, which opened in front of her. She started to step in, then paused, one hand on the doorframe. "Follow me if you want to help out against that bastard who's been hunting down the Nameks. Otherwise, just go away." With that, she stepped inside.
Kuillin blinked, and looked at Gohan.
Gohan shrugged. "Beats me. Can't hurt to check, though."
Kuillin nodded in return. "Keep on your guard though. She is a Saiyajin."
"I heard that!" Sarada shouted from inside.
Gohan frowned at Kuillin, and then ran inside. Kuillin sweatdropped for a moment, then followed him into the building.
******
Buruma looked up.
"Oh, great. I think it looks like rain. Of course, since I don't know Namek weather patterns, I can't tell worth beans. What am I gonna do for shelter??"
She stood there for a moment, then smacked her forehead. "Duh! I'll use a capsule-house. Now, which pocket was that in?"
******
Gohan and Kuillin looked around.
"What's she tryin' to pull? This place is empty!"
"Up here, you nitwit!" Shouted Sarada, from somewhere above.
Gohan, already floating up towards the hole in the ceiling, gave Kuillin a look.
Kuillin laughed nervously and followed him.
******
There, they were treated to something of a sight. Aside from Sarada, there were two other people present. One of them looked remarkably like Piccolo. The other one of them looked remarkably like Piccolo- or at least like Piccolo would if he put on about a thousand each of years and pounds.
The female saiyajin was lying on her back on the floor by the edge of the hole. Just boosting herself enough to reach Guru's room had used up enough of her remaining personal chi to wear her out. This was not good. She didn't even have enough left to take in ambient chi, not that she wanted to. It was a useful ability sometimes, but the problems with it generally far outweighed the benefits, and she would rather have relied on her personal ability, except that that wasn't so high. She had gotten no exercise in the spacepod, though it kept her relatively fit (for a saiyajin), and less as a statue. The pod had at least kept her physically fit, but now, after being freed from the statue and running like that, leg muscles she hadn't known she had were screaming in agony. Very not good. Breathing a bit hard, she tried to focus and find her center.
Looking curiously at the saiyajin woman, Gohan was surprised to note that her aura's strength had dropped very low- her aura's strength was only about that of Master Roshi, or rather would have been. Most of it was used up. Part of the familiar quality of her chi had disappeared, too. Now he could figure out what it was though- her chi reminded him of his father and Vegeta. More of his father, but still. Now he was sure she was a saiyajin. He wasn't sure what it meant, though.
Kuillin gaped at the larger namekian. This guy was big! No, bigger than that. Large. Huge, even. And while he didn't seem to have much in the way of chi, there was some sort of quality to it.. Kuillin got a few shivers.
The bigger Namek coughed slightly, and the smaller one stepped forwards. "Who are you?"
Before Kuillin could respond, the saiyajin woman chuckled dryly. "Always suspicious, aren't we, Nail?" She took another breath. "Back those years ago, you wouldn't even completely trust Guru."
Nail snorted. "I learned better about that, Sarada, but that doesn't mean I haven't got the right to be suspicious on a first meeting."
Sarada sat up, nodding. "True enough. Well, these two followed me here after Ikim spent the last of his life to revive me. They don't seem to bear any bad intentions. What do you think, Guru-sama?"
The tremendous bulk of the larger namekian shifted slightly. "Please, Sarada." Guru rumbled, "You need not show such obesciance. I am still your 'uncle Guru'."
Sarada smirked. "That doesn't mean I can't show you proper respect, uncle Guru."
Guru's mouth curled up ever-so-slightly at his 'niece'. She always had a bit of an odd sense of humor, and refusing something while accepting it was just another facet.
Gohan frowned slightly. "Uncle? But. you aren't a saiyan."
The massive, seated namekian nodded. "True. But I am as close as Sarada here can get to family. I did, after all, raise her, or as close as I could."
Sarada, leaning heavily on the wall, managed to make her way to her feet, though she was leaning over and sweating some.
"Uncle, we have a serious problem."
"I know, Sarada. Your spirit is in good shape, but you need to catch your body up to it. I am afraid I do not and never have known any better way to have kept you so long. I am sorry I was not able to let you retain your strength."
Sarada shook her head. "No, uncle. It is not your fault. I was hoping, however, that you might know of some way I could fix that well enough to make a difference in the end."
Kuillin frowned, looking from one to the other, watching whichever of the two was speaking at any given moment. He started slightly as a hand landed on his shoulder, and then he looked up, recalling the other namekian in the room.
Nail looked down at the diminutive man. "Perhaps we three should go outside. It would probably be better to let them converse alone."
Sarada turned to Nail, Kuillin, and Gohan. "No, this involves all three of you as well. There are some things that need to be done, if Freiza is to be defeated. Guru and I have already discussed that at length."
Nail nodded. "If you say so." Removing his hand from Kuillin's shoulder, he took a step back, remaining centered behind the two smaller fighters.
"The real problem here," Continued Sarada, as though she had not interrupted her conversation at all, "Is not so much one of bringing me up to the necessary level of physical ability as it is of managing it quickly enough."
Guru nodded slightly again. "I think there may be a way, though."
Sarada quirked up one pale-blue eyebrow. "Oh? So, you've been keeping a secret, Guru-sama?"
"No, no." Guru sighed. "Or rather, I have, but for a good reason. Tell me, Sarada, what is the most noticeable thing about my house?"
Sarada folded her arms over her chest, returning a curious gaze to Guru's indecipherable one. "It's on top of a huge, blatantly obvious spire?"
Guru nodded, then raised one hand from its armrest, allowing it to swing out over the floor. Pointing down with one green, wrinkled finger, he answered.
"Indeed. And there is a reason for this spire. Deep underneath the ground, years ago, a large pocket of air formed, in a vertical column. It pushed this spire up from below, leaving a considerable space underground. In this space, this storage, are a considerable number of things. Most of them are useless, held in case of happenings that never occurred. But there is one thing there that I placed for your sake, Sarada, so long ago when I foresaw only the faintest shadows of this day."
Guru coughed twice, and raised his hand to wave off Nail. "I will be fine, Nail."
"But, Guru-sama, you need to re-"
"Hush, Nail. This is more important." His hand finally returned to the armrest, sitting as though glued in place. "In this cavern, on the very floor of it, sits an object I built for you to use, Sarada. It is very specific. Consider it a 'birthday gift' of sorts. It took a long time to get the measurements just right."
"I thank you greatly, Uncle Guru," Sarada stated impatiently, "But could you please say what it is already? Time is as short as a fresh-planted Tree of Life."
Guru sighed again, nodding in aquiescence. "You are, of course, correct. Straight to the point as usual. What I have for you is an outfit- something like full-body armor. However, instead of providing resistance to blows, this 'armor' resists the wearer's own motions. It can be set to varying degrees of tension, so it can adjust to always provide exercise."
"I see." Stated Sarada, thoughtfully. "So, your idea behind this is that I wear this until it becomes unnecessary or I need to function without it? That's not going to be enough time- we have a few cycles at most."
Guru nodded once more, sadly. "So it would seem. However." Here, he turned his attention to Gohan and Kuillin. ".These two, it would appear, have a friend approaching- one who may well turn the tide. All that is needed-"
"Is enough to delay until this person's arrival, hm?" Sarada cut Guru off. "And what assurance do we have that this friend will be good enough to defeat Freizer?"
"Hey!" Exclaimed Gohan. "My dad's REAL strong! He'll send anyone packing! He was stronger than Bejita, and that was months ago!"
Sarada gave Gohan a disbelieving look, her eyes narrowing. "Kid, compared to Freiza, Bejita's nothing. I should know- I can feel Bejita now, and I met Freizer face-to-face. Even relaxing, Freizer has more power than I or anyone else I've ever heard of even likes to think about."
Kuillin swallowed thickly, turning to Guru. "Just. how strong IS Freizer?"
"That," replied Guru, "Will take some explanation. So as to be more effective, though, I believe Sarada should go and get the suit. I trust you can get her into the chamber, Nail?"
Nail blinked, then looked at the two from offplanet. Looking back to Guru, he spoke. "But, what if they find you while we're down there?"
Guru shook his head. "These two from Chikyuu may not look like much at a glance, but together they are nearly as capable in combat as your predecessor, Nail. I will not be defenseless while you are so short a distance away."
Frowning, Nail nodded slowly. He hated to trust Guru's safety to strangers, but he also knew that his father must have his reasons. Reluctantly, he headed to the hole leading down to the 'ground floor' of the building.
"Are you coming, Sarada?"
The female Saiyan nodded, heading over to the hole and clambering down partway. Hanging from the edge by her hands, she let go, allowing herself to drop the short distance to the floor. Nail followed her down the hole.