Dragon Ball Roshi

Kakarot rubbed his nose and stood up, glancing back to see Krillin still sleeping soundly on the bed. He understood all too well—his own body was utterly exhausted, and he longed to lie down right there and sleep...

But he couldn't. He had only just awakened, only just gotten a chance to become himself. How could he just fall asleep now?

At that thought, a shadow flickered across Kakarot's eyes. Wearing a cold expression, he stepped out of the room under the faint moonlight.

---

The empty house was dimly lit. Since it was nighttime, Jarvis had adjusted all the crystal walls to an almost completely opaque setting.

"Ow!"

In the pitch-black darkness, a low groan of pain suddenly echoed out.

Kakarot clutched his head. He'd been feeling his way through the dark, with no sense of direction, and had no idea what he'd just bumped into—but it hurt like hell. Rubbing his forehead, he cursed silently. But before long, he caught a noise in the darkness…

The sound of air moving.

Kakarot recalled what the old man had said during the day, when he'd been teaching Goku and the others. Holding his breath, he calmed his mind and focused on listening, trying to identify the flow of air… Suddenly, his ears twitched.

Something was coming!

There was something there!

Rage flared in Kakarot's chest, but he suppressed it and dodged as best he could. But the "wind" chased him relentlessly, as if mocking him. Frustrated and furious, Kakarot clenched his teeth in silent fury. He already had a guess what it was—but knowing didn't help. He was no match for it.

You damned mangy bird! Just you wait—someday I'll cook you into stew!

And so, Kakarot was chased by a mischievous "mangy bird" through the pitch-black house. He stumbled and crashed into things, fell several times, and got sneak-attacked more than once. In the end, dizzy and dazed, he burst out of the house.

Once outside, the air felt clearer, the world broader. The moon was bright, casting silver frost over the mountain path. The air was crisp and refreshing… He turned back sharply and saw two red dots glinting in the dark house, mocking him—then they vanished.

"Che…"

A glint of menace flashed in Kakarot's eyes, but he didn't dare lose his temper.

He knew whose turf this was. Every flower, blade of grass, stone, tree, person, and bird—he wouldn't dare touch any of it, even if he had ten times his courage. He had the beastly instincts of a Saiyan, a creature of battle and destruction… but that also meant he possessed an innate fear—a primal alertness toward terrifying power.

He walked away from the house and, for a moment, found himself with nothing to do.

Should he run? Never mind whether he could even escape. Even if he did manage it—where would he go? This world might be vast, but as long as he remained on this planet, no matter where he hid, that old freak would find him. Of that, Kakarot was absolutely confident.

Stay here then. It's late—where could he even go? The people here might barely tolerate him because of their connection to that old man. But the others… most of them probably didn't want to deal with a "Goku" who shouldn't exist. Tch.

He stood in the mountain breeze for a while, then walked to the edge of a cliff midway up the mountain, planning to climb down and wander around. But as soon as he reached the edge, he hit an invisible barrier. Thud thud thud—he punched the air hard, and each time, faint white ripples appeared where his fists landed.

That old man again?

Kakarot cursed, scowling as he looked around. Overhead was a dim starry sky, but the moonlight was so bright that the stars looked faint. As he thought of this, his mind drifted to that annoying guy currently fast asleep in his head… No, the annoying one was probably… maybe… most likely… himself.

Staring at the figure floating in the air above, Kakarot clenched his jaw, his eyes dark and fierce.

Taro had, of course, sensed Kakarot's return. The moment Goku had fallen asleep and Kakarot's personality had taken over, the ki had changed—from Goku's calm and balanced to Kakarot's brutal and cold. Ki never lied.

Sitting cross-legged under the starlight, Taro slightly turned his head and glanced down at the black-haired boy staring up from the mountainside.

That one fleeting glance from Taro's indifferent eyes sent Kakarot's whole body into high alert. His nerves tightened—he felt like he was being hunted by some terrifying beast. Each heartbeat felt suffocating… But then Taro looked away, seemingly disinterested.

He'd been ignored.

Rage welled up inside Kakarot. He bit his lip hard, drawing blood. Not letting me down, huh? Fine. I won't go down! His fierce eyes darted upward, and he looked toward the mountaintop that seemed to reach into the starry sky. Spitting into his palms, he began to climb with a vengeance.

Under the moonlit night, a small figure scaled the mountain with the agility of a monkey.

Floating in the air, Taro looked back again, eyes glinting mysteriously for a moment—then the expression vanished.

---

Who… such a familiar feeling. Was it that person… the one who fell from the sky so long ago… it feels so familiar…

Hehehehe… so evil… hehehehe… I like it…

---

A hand slapped onto the edge of the mountaintop. Fueled by sheer stubborn will, Kakarot grit his teeth and hauled himself up. With a roll, he finally flopped onto the peak. Relaxing for a moment, he rolled a couple times more—only to bump into something.

He frowned and turned his head. It was a huge spherical rock.

"What the hell is this doing here… totally in the way… Tch. If I wasn't so drained right now, I'd smash you to bits…" he muttered, grumbling and crawling until he could rest against it. Here… the old guy probably couldn't see him anymore, right? He was high up now. The old man should be down below.

Sshhh…

Kakarot curled up, hugging his knees, and looked up at the stars.

Planet Vegeta… which one was it?

I'm a Saiyan. I am a Saiyan. Not some weakling Earthling! Disgusting… everyone's so disgusting, all that whining and nagging, it's so damn annoying. Why can't people just slice each other up calmly and get it over with? Tch…

Before he realized it, he'd fallen asleep leaning against the stone…