Dragon Ball Roshi

Under a starry sky, the cold night pressed on, and the wind howled high above. Tsuru was exhausted.

He clung to the tower's outcroppings with the tips of his fingers, his entire body wracked with the pain of tired muscles. Yet, his determination remained unshaken. Panting, with sweat dripping down his face, he raised his head to try and see the top of the tower. Nothing. There was no end in sight.

"Damn tower..." he growled through clenched teeth, biting his lip with force.

The difference between him and Taro... When had it grown so vast? It seemed that, at some moment of carelessness, Taro had simply disappeared ahead of him, leaving him behind as if he were nothing.

Had he already reached the top? And that flight through the air... how did he do that?

The cold night wind whipped at his body, sending a chill down his spine. The mix of anger and frustration gave new life to his weary muscles. Tsuru pressed his lips together, ignored the pain, and continued climbing.

As the night deepened, the stars shone brighter, and a crescent moon rose in the distance. From afar, the black tower, which seemed to touch the sky, stood with a small solitary silhouette scaling it with determination.

The silence was absolute. The figure was already at an impressive height, where the forest below looked tiny, and the top remained out of sight. The cold night wind tried to dissuade him, but Tsuru didn't give in.

He didn't know how much time had passed. When he finally noticed, the distant horizon began to brighten. Dawn brought with it a new light.

Tsuru's face was so marked by exhaustion that no sweat remained. His eyes didn't allow themselves the luxury of looking up. He simply kept going, a slow and steady movement, climbing a little higher with each moment.

A ray of sunlight finally touched his skin, offering warmth. But, ironically, he felt his heart growing colder.

"Has it already been more than a day...?"

Suddenly, his hand, seeking support, found something solid. He jerked his head up and saw a massive circular structure above him. At the base of the large platform were four small holes, clearly meant for climbers who made it this far.

In the nearest hole, a hand reached out to him. It was Taro.

Tsuru ignored the outstretched hand. Clenching his teeth, he used all his remaining strength to pull himself up and pass through the hole without help.

Taro said nothing, merely sitting silently beside him.

After a few minutes of heavy breathing, Tsuru allowed himself to look down. The forest, which had once seemed immense, was now just a distant blot. He broke the silence:

"When did you get here?"

Taro laughed.

"I thought you'd never ask!"

Tsuru shot him a furious look.

Taro smiled, pulled something from his pocket, and threw it toward him. It was a small bean.

"It took me about an hour."

Instinctively, Tsuru tried to grab the bean, but his arms were so exhausted that he failed. The bean landed on his tattered pants.

...

Tsuru lowered his gaze, picked up the bean with trembling fingers, and asked, still panting:

"What is this?"

"It was given to me by the master here. Eat it, and you'll understand.",Taro said, brushing his clothes before standing up. "You don't need to feel bad. I used a flying technique to get here. It's something you learn by using Ki. You, on the other hand, climbed purely by physical strength. There's no comparison between us." - He shrugged and began to walk away.

Tsuru rolled his eyes, hesitated for a moment, and then popped the bean into his mouth.

Crunch!

He chewed a few times, noting the bland taste before swallowing.

"What?!" Tsuru's eyes widened as he stared at his own hands.

Suddenly, all his energy had returned. Moreover, he felt completely satiated.

With a leap, he sprang to his feet and chased after Taro.

---

"I imagine you're curious about how I can fly. If you want, go to Korin and get his Super Sacred Water. Then you'll be able to do the same." Taro said, giving Tsuru a pat on the shoulder.

They arrived at Korin, who was holding the jar of Super Sacred Water suspended from his staff.

"Is... is that a... cat?" Tsuru pointed at Korin.

"Boy, do you think it's that easy to take my stuff?" Korin replied unphased, licking his paw and narrowing his eyes at him.

"So I just need to grab the jar and I can fly?" Tsuru looked skeptical.

Taro laughed.

"Don't worry. I bet you couldn't do it even if you had an entire year to try."

He remembered Korin's words in the original story: "Master Roshi took three years to get the Sacred Water."

In the past, the Master Roshi who faced Korin to claim the Sacred Water did not have control over Ki. This explained the three years it took him to overcome the challenge. However, Tsuru, under Taro's influence, had already learned how to manipulate Ki. Perhaps he could achieve the same feat in less time.

"A year? Are you kidding me!" Tsuru frowned, dissatisfied with the estimate. His eyes glinted with determination as he took a step forward, stretching his hand to grab the jar hanging from Korin's staff.

He failed.

"Huh?" Tsuru was stunned. How had the cat evaded his strike so easily? The surprise gave way to caution. Not underestimating him this time, Tsuru tried again.

Another failure.

And again.

Once more.

Sweat ran down Tsuru's face as he struggled, but the cat moved like a fish in water, slippery and impossible to catch. From a distance, Taro clearly observed what was happening: Korin anticipated every one of Tsuru's moves, reading them with absolute precision, as though he possessed the power of a Mangekyou Sharingan.

Taro couldn't help but associate the scene with Popo's training in the original story. Popo exhibited mastery over Ki that surpassed Korin's, but the sensation was the same: a perception bordering on omniscient.

In truth, Korin, even without possessing great destructive power, had an undeniable martial mastery. In the canon, he was able to perceive Goku's energy in his full Super Saiyan form, an impressive feat. That Tsuru was being completely outclassed by him was more than natural.

Taro, on the other hand, attributed much of his martial evolution to his own ocular powers. He was incredibly grateful for having brought the Mangekyou Sharingan into the world of Dragon Ball.

His arrival in this universe hadn't been peaceful. He vividly recalled the moment when, cornered by his brother Uchiha Musashi, he had used the Mangekyou to explode all his chakra in a desperate attempt to take them both to their deaths. Perhaps the fusion between his soul and the power of his clan was the reason the Sharingan followed him through the crossing.

This ability, now adapted to Ki usage, had transformed into two fundamental powers: "Ki Control" and "Ki Maximization". Both were indispensable tools for navigating the Dragon Ball universe, where warriors could destroy planets with a single strike.

Taro pondered. If he had received the abilities of Itachi, like Tsukuyomi or Amaterasu, or those of Obito, like Kamui, would he be able to use them without chakra? And even if he could, would these abilities have any real impact in this world? Probably not.

The "Ki control" and "Ki Maximization" might not be as glamorous, but they were perfect for delving into the depths of martial training. With these skills, Taro broke through barriers at an impressive pace, as if he had been standing at the peak of a natural mountain since the beginning of his journey.

He sighed, leaning on the parapet of the tower's hall, gazing at the starry sky. His thoughts wandered to possible futures.

Meanwhile, Tsuru, completely exhausted, had already fallen asleep. During the day, he hadn't even touched a single strand of Korin's fur, let alone the jar of Super Sacred Water. Fortunately, Taro wasn't in a hurry. After meeting the seer Baba, he had realized that his journey could follow a more strategic pace. If Tsuru managed to steal the Super Sacred Water, his mastery of flight would be much faster and more efficient.

In the stillness of the night, Korin glanced at Taro for a moment before yawning and curling up to sleep.

The next day, Tsuru's frustrated shouts echoed again through the hall.

And the next.

And the one after.

A week passed. Then two.

Taro spent that time deepening his martial arts and Ki manipulation training. From time to time, he would observe Tsuru's attempts and give him direct advice, which only irritated him further. To Tsuru, accepting Taro's help was humiliating. But the accuracy of the advice was undeniable, and he couldn't help but put it into practice during his fights.

A month and a half passed.

That day, Taro was sitting in the air, outside the tower hall. The wind blew against his clothes, making the fabric vibrate, while his long black hair danced wildly. But he remained still, eyes closed, his hands moving slowly in front of him.

A blue and white glow erupted from his palms: Ki lightning crackled, dancing like electric serpents.

It was the Bankoku-Bukkiru-Shou.

The manipulation of Ki to transform it into electricity.

Suddenly, the lightning vanished, replaced by an orange flame between his hands. It burned with a primal force, as though it were the first spark of fire in human history.

"I did it" Taro murmured, opening his eyes as a slight smile appeared on his face.

In his past life, as Uchiha Taro, he had been a ninja born with both thunder and fire attributes, and later he had only practiced a bit of earth evasion. His experience with these Jutsus had greatly helped him on his journey of transforming Ki into fire.

Inside the hall, a victorious shout broke the silence.

He looked inside and saw Tsuru holding Korin to the ground, clutching the jar of Sacred Water with both hands, refusing to let go.