Death—Taro had never feared it, nor did he place much weight on it.
Having struggled and fought in the ninja world, where human lives were as insignificant as weeds, for more than twenty years, people were bound to beco insane or twisted.
Soone who disregarded even their own life—how much could you expect them to care about the lives of others?
The ninja world was full of people who had lost their sanity due to the death of soone—or the deaths of many.
Like Obito Uchiha. Like Itachi Uchiha. Like Madara Uchiha. Like Sasuke Uchiha.
And... like Taro Uchiha.
Taro had never considered himself particularly gifted. Looking back on his journey, he often felt that his aptitude was rather poor, and the only reason he had reached this point was due to nurous innate advantages.
His early progress in martial arts was largely thanks to the foundation he had built in his past life, training in the ninja world.
His mastery over ki and the developnt of Muken were entirely derived from the abilities of his mutated Sharingan.
His prolonged youth and longevity were the result of his God Tree physique and the special properties of the Elixir of Life.
And, of course, his "foresight" of the Dragon Ball world. But this so-called foresight—there were plenty of people in his previous, previous life who knew far more than he did.
The longer he lived, the more Taro felt that the "himself" in the original story—that old hermit, Master Roshi—was truly a man of great wisdom.
If it weren't for Hathaway appearing in his life, if it weren't for what happened with Fanfan, he might have long since beco a cold and detached madman, lost in the endless passage of ti.
Just like Tsuru in the original story.
Master Roshi, however, had found a way to live that suited him within his long lifespan.
As for Taro himself, he wasn't sure if he could ever achieve that sa carefree existence.
If ti were a river, then the longer one waded through it, the more likely one would beco waterlogged—losing the weight of certain things.
...
His family all knew that Taro preferred solitude, so the next day, Tam and the others prepared to leave.
"Dad, we'll be going now."
At the helicopter, Tam and his group bid farewell to Taro and Hathaway. Ninn gazed at the nearby phoenix, sighing wistfully—she still wanted to ride on Red's back, just like when she was a child.
"Rrrooo..." The phoenix flapped its wings at Ninn.
Ninn blinked, a smile spreading across her face. Holding her son's hand, she said to the phoenix, "Alright, Little Gam, say goodbye to Little Red!"
Gohan stood beside his master and mistress. After more than a year of training in martial arts, the ten-year-old already carried himself with a straight and firm posture.
"Go," Taro said flatly.
"Get going already. It's windy here—don't let the child catch a cold." Hathaway, draped in a thin coat, waved them off.
The helicopter's whirling blades stirred up a gust of wind, but Taro's ki shield kept it from affecting Hathaway. She watched as the helicopter gradually disappeared into the sky, her expression unchanged, as if nothing had happened.
...
Once again, only three people and one bird remained on Martial Immortal Island.
One could say they were truly living in seclusion.
Gohan trained without fail every day. Once Taro had taught him all he needed to, he let the boy cultivate on his own. That was how martial arts should be practiced. Only a fool would follow their master around for decades, picking up scraps, and only a foolish master would spoon-feed a disciple, afraid they'd starve if they learned too much.
The research at the lab continued, though progress was slow. The world was not short on brilliant minds—many had tried to alter the human body through genetic engineering, but the technical hurdles were imnse. Just as space travel in the Dragon Ball world relied on seemingly incomprehensible technology, other scientific advancents here couldn't be judged by the standards of Taro's previous, previous life.
Genetic bioengineering might never see real breakthroughs—or it might make a groundbreaking leap tomorrow. Neither outco would be surprising.
Taro spent his days training, watching sunrises and sunsets with Hathaway. Sotis they would leave the island to explore different parts of the world, or even venture to other planets, watching alien skies fade into dusk on worlds devoid of sentient life.
Hathaway, on the other hand, often imrsed herself in research at the island's laboratory.
And Gohan—aside from training, all he did was train. Occasionally, he would study basic knowledge with Hathaway, but only enough to grasp the fundantals.
...
The following year, 669.
"Master, I'm heading out now."
At eleven years old, Gohan hadn't grown much taller. He stood outside the crystalline house, carrying a travel pack, bidding farewell to his master and mistress after two years of training. His eyes were red-rimd, reluctant to part.
"If you don't win the World Martial Arts Tournant, don't bother coming back to see ."
Taro's expression remained indifferent. He had witnessed too many farewells, grown used to them long ago. Now, he simply spoke these words.
Gohan laughed, "Of course! If I don't win the championship, I wouldn't have the face to return to see you and Mistress!"
Hathaway gave Taro a light slap and said to Gohan, "Ignore him. Go out and train, and when the ti is right, co back in a few years. No matter what, this will always be your ho."
No matter how strong, brave, and skilled Gohan was, he was still just an eleven-year-old boy. When they first t, he had been a frail nine-year-old orphan. Now, after more than two years, it seed as if he had grown by more than a decade.
"Caw..." The phoenix circled high above, letting out a long cry, as if bidding him farewell.
Gohan smiled, then finally soared into the sky. As Muken circulated through his body, he transford into a streak of white light and vanished into the distance. The phoenix let out another cry from the island, flapped its wings, and watched the direction in which Gohan had disappeared. After a while, it turned back and descended.
...
Life went on, just like the never-ending waves surrounding Martial Immortal Island.
In 670, Gohan made a stunning debut at the 5th World Martial Arts Tournant, seizing the championship at the re age of twelve, shocking the entire world! After the tournant, the sixty-one-year-old chairman of Planet Company, Mu Tam, personally presented the award to him, publicly acknowledging Gohan as the direct disciple of Muten Roshi!
The dia went wild. It had been nearly twenty years—those who had witnessed Taro claim the championship at the 1st World Martial Arts Tournant had mostly aged, and now, at last, there was news of the legendary Muten Roshi once again. Not only that, but his personal disciple had reclaid the championship after twenty years!
A mont of legend and history!
The young "Strongest Under the Heavens" stood on the podium, holding the champion's dal, and declared, "My master is the strongest person in this world. He is Earth's guardian. The Martial Arts Association was founded under his guidance. Every mber of the association must take up the duty of upholding justice and eliminating evil. This is also the best way to earn internal resources from the association. Those who act improperly will, at best, be expelled. At worst, they will be handed over to the governnt's judicial departnt. And for the most heinous criminals..."
Here, the much-matured Gohan paused for a mont. Under the glare of countless cara flashes, he continued in a steady voice, "My master will personally eliminate them."
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