Korin was dozing in the tower's hall when, suddenly, he woke up with an unusual feeling.
"Soone is climbing? And at an impressive speed! This energy... it feels familiar..."
Grabbing his wooden staff, Korin ran to the outer parapet of the tower and looked down.
Whoosh!
A figure shot upward, passing so close that it ruffled Korin's fur, which stood on end.
"Oh?" exclaid Korin, taking two steps back and narrowing his eyes to observe the man floating in front of him.
It was a young man, just over 20 years old, about 1.60 ters tall. His muscular torso was bare, and he wore pants typical of the people living in the lands around the tower. The man seed curious, glancing at the hall behind Korin before fixing his gaze on the feline.
"Isn't that Mutaito's disciple? What's he doing here? Wait..." thought Korin, noticing the package the young man was carrying. Suddenly, sothing caught his attention. "Is that... the electric rice cooker Mutaito used to seal Piccolo?!"
Taro calmly floated into the hall, landing barefoot on the stone floor, his back turned to Korin.
"I used all my energy on the Bukujutsu (Flight Technique) to get here, and it took about an hour... That's roughly how long it took Goku after improving his strength. But, of course, he climbed with his hands, while I used Ki. They're different types of effort, so it's not exactly a fair comparison..."
As these thoughts ran through his mind, Taro turned around, maintaining a calm expression, and introduced himself:
"Hello, I'm Taro, Mutaito's disciple."
At the sa ti, he observed Korin closely. Unlike the simplified design in the comics, the feline before him had an almost ethereal presence. His fur, though not completely white, radiated an aura of purity, as if untouched by worldly impurities.
Korin noticed that Taro was at ease, but in his eyes, there was sothing extraordinary: courage, determination, and an unshakable purpose. Though surprised, Korin kept an indifferent expression. He scratched his face with a paw and slowly asked:
"... what do you want here in my tower?"
As he spoke, Korin glanced at the center of the hall, where the water jar rested on the altar. He recalled when Mutaito, still young, had climbed the tower to retrieve the Sacred Super Water and sighed internally.
"Knowing that, you've likely already figured out what I'm carrying." Taro replied, placing the package on the ground with a heavy sound. "This is the rice cooker used to seal the demon king. "
"Oh? So that's what it is?" Korin replied without turning around.
Looking at the feline's back, Taro continued:
"My companion and I are on a journey to find a suitable place to seal this object once and for all, ensuring that the Daimaoh can no longer wreak havoc on the world."
Korin partially turned, scratching his white whiskers with a paw, and responded:
"So you plan to leave that thing here with ? Well... I don't agree with that, you know?"
Korin knew very well that Piccolo was the embodint of Kami's darkness, the celestial guardian. Leaving sothing like that so close to the temple atop the tower was a terrible idea. After all, who could guarantee that the current Kami wouldn't, at so point, decide to release Piccolo again?
Actually, Korin was quite suspicious of the new Kami. He had neither a good impression nor trust in him. For Korin, soone who unleashed their evil incarnation into the human world, causing countless tragedies, did not deserve the title of protector of Earth.
"No" Taro shook his head. "In fact, I heard that you, being so wise and knowledgeable about the world, could help us find a person. This person knows where we can seal this pot once and for all."
"Oh?" Korin narrowed his eyes and examined Taro from top to bottom. Suddenly, as if recognizing sothing, he asked with apparent disinterest: "Who are you looking for?"
"My sister. When I was five years old, before being taken in by my master, she was taken by soone to learn mysterious sorcery." Taro answered calmly.
"So that's it! I never imagined this boy was the brother of that woman from the desert..." thought Korin, ntally frowning his "eyebrows." "Now it makes sense why that woman's master brought the Water of Life from the Underworld to the Mutaito mountain back then."
Though many thoughts ran through his mind, Korin maintained his composure and replied:
"You said your sister was taken to learn sorcery. Well, I know who this person is, and I also know where she is. But for to reveal this information... you'll have to pass my test."
"If you know, that's already a good start. What's the test?" Taro smiled slightly.
"Hmpf, you seem quite confident, huh?" Korin grabbed his wooden staff, expertly using it to pull the jar of Super Sacred Water from the altar and continued:
"This is the Sacred Water. They say that by drinking it, a mortal can greatly increase their strength. Here in my tower, the rule is simple: whoever wants to speak with must first defeat and drink the water from my hands."
Taro flashed a smile and replied:
" I see. I think I can try.
But internally, he thought: "Increase strength? This Sacred Water is just regular water."
As he spoke, his eyes briefly glead, and the Mangekyou Sharingan manifested in his irises for an instant.
His left eye activated its unique power: Control of Ki, granting Taro absolute mastery over his vital energy.
Korin watched attentively.
"Oh? He managed, in an instant, to completely hide his Ki presence? What an impressive skill! This boy is truly remarkable."
A phrase passed through Taro's mind as he focused: "Be serene like the sky, but quick like lightning."
This was one of Mr. Popo's lessons to Goku at the Lookout, and since being sent to this world, Taro had used this advice as the foundation of his training. With the help of his ocular technique, he had now fully mastered the first concept.
Korin, intrigued, thought: "This is really strange. I can't feel any Ki from him at all. It's as if he doesn't exist... How curious."
Taro, however, was completely calm, both inside and out. Everything around him began to disappear from his perception, leaving only Korin and the jar of Super Sacred Water. In the end, even Korin vanished, leaving only the object in focus.
Taking a single step, Taro reached out and touched the jar.
"Hm?" Taro made a sound of mild surprise. Korin hadn't moved an inch.
The feline stared at him as though seeing a rare phenonon and shook his head:
"Since you've reached this level, this kind of training no longer holds any aning for you. As for the Sacred Water... it's just regular water.
With a casual motion, Korin returned the jar to the altar and, without looking back, walked toward the back of the hall.
"Co with ."
Taro followed as Korin led him down a staircase to a lower level of the tower. Stopping in front of a large water cistern, Korin used his staff to open the lid and said:
"Here it is. See for yourself. Your sister lives here."
Taro leaned over the cistern and saw the water move smoothly, forming an image. The scene depicted a vast desert, with a small village resembling a primitive tribe standing out in the landscape.
Korin touched the surface of the water with his staff, and the image zood in, revealing a middle-aged woman.
She had long purple hair and an elegant face, but carried an air of enigmatic authority. The woman was sitting cross-legged, ditating. Floating in front of her was a translucent crystal sphere.
Suddenly, she opened her eyes and stared directly at Taro, as if she sensed his presence watching. Her expression grew serious, and she furrowed her brow before emitting a soft sound of disapproval. The image in the water quickly disappeared.
"So Baba the Seer is really that powerful? She was able to detect and interrupt Korin's vision..." thought Taro, impressed. "In the original story, she was one of the few who could travel between the world of the living and the dead without relying on Kami. She also brought Goku back to participate in the Martial Arts Tournant... what a privilege!"
He felt a shiver as he realized the recklessness of his action. "What if she realizes I'm not really Taro? I'll be giving myself away."
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