When they turned around, they found themselves facing a man with spiky silver hair and wearing somewhat unusual clothing. His most striking feature was the mask that covered the lower half of his face, while a bandana on his head completely covered his left eye.
Behind him were three boys about the same age as the Saiyans, and finally, an older man wearing glasses and a pointy hat.
"Do you need help?" the masked man asked again, looking them up and down.
Due to the fight they had fought, the two Saiyans were somewhat battered, with dirty clothes and light scratches all over. This caught Kakashi's attention, as he thought the boys might have been victims of an attack. After all, just a couple of hours ago, they had faced two mercenary ninjas who had tried to assassinate Tazuna, the bridge builder.
"Help? Help for what?" Goten asked innocently.
Kakashi thought the boy's question was a little silly. It seemed more than obvious what he meant by needing help.
"Well, seeing the state they're in, I'd say they've been victims of a mugging or something similar..."
"Ahhh, that... No way! That's because I was training with this idiot! I was teaching him how to fight." Trunks replied, pointing at his friend with a mocking smile. For his part, Goten was about to get furious again.
"Training? And why would they train in a lonely place like this? Not to mention it's dangerous. They could be ambushed by ninjas."
"Did you say ninjas? Real ninjas, right?"
Kakashi was about to think the boy in the orange dogi had some sort of mental disorder. That was two things he resembled Naruto in. His clothes and his intelligence.
"Did you hear that, Trunks? I've never seen a real ninja! It would be great to meet one!" In his excitement, the Saiyan began to shake Trunks by the shoulders, and that's when, carelessly waving his tail from side to side, he ended up drawing a look of astonishment from those present.
"THAT KID HAS A MONKEY TAIL! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU SUPPOSED TO BE!? A FREAK?" Naruto screamed hysterically, unable to believe what he was seeing.
"Have you never seen a tail? That's because..." But Trunks immediately covered his friend's mouth with his hands to prevent him from talking too much.
"Hehehe… Excuse me for a moment?" Trunks chuckled as he dragged the young Son a few meters back to avoid being heard by the group of strangers.
"Are you stupid or something? Are you going to tell them we're half-Saiyan or something? Remember, we can't just go around saying that. The others shouldn't know." He whispered very carefully into her ear.
"Ahh, yes, that's right, I had forgotten," Goten answered with an innocent smile and putting his hand behind his head.
The two then walked back to the group, who were watching them expectantly, as if waiting for answers. Everyone remained completely silent, awaiting the explanation the orange-clad boy would offer.
"What were we talking about? Ahh, yes, what tail?"
The unexpectedness of his question made Naruto and Sakura fall backward, while Kakashi and Sasuke raised a hand to their faces. For his part, Tazuna was dumbfounded by the boy's idiocy.
"DON'T TRY TO FOOL US BY PLAYING LIKE AN IDIOT! We all saw your tail, and it's right there!" Naruto shouted from very close, pointing at the Saiyan's strange appendage.
"Well, you see, it's just that―"
"The poor guy is embarrassed to talk about it. It's a birth defect, so he's very ashamed of it, and that's why everyone rejects him. In fact, I'm the only friend he has, because I don't care if he has a tail or not." Trunks tried to explain as calmly as possible. He had to intervene, otherwise Goten might screw up again.
The comment made Naruto feel a little bad. The tailed boy must have been the victim of a lot of bullying and rejection from others, just like he was. Even Naruto himself was quick to judge him for it. He ended up doing almost the same thing the rest of the inhabitants of Konoha had done to him for as long as he could remember.
"Hey, I really didn't mean to, it's just―"
"It really doesn't matter. I'd be surprised if I met someone with a tail, too. By the way, my name is Son Goten. What's your name?" He held out his hand with his father's typical innocent and friendly smile.
For the first time, someone was acting so sincere and friendly toward the blond. Unlike everyone else he'd ever met, this Goten didn't look at him with that icy, ice-cold stare everyone gave him. Not to mention that the few who didn't give him that look saw him as a freak, with rejection, almost like garbage. On the other hand, the rest looked at him with disgust, revulsion, and sometimes even fear.
But he didn't. He looked at him like someone perfectly normal, like just another kid, and even with sincerity and kindness.
"I am Naruto Uzumaki, and I am a ninja from the Hidden Leaf Village! One day I will become the Hokage, and I will be the greatest of all the ninja who have ever lived! Really!" He exclaimed energetically while shaking her hand.
"You're a ninja? That's fantastic! Have you heard that, Trunks?"
"Yes, it's really something incredible. You should do a technique for us."
Naruto was delighted. He was eager to show off. But just as he was about to perform a ninjutsu, Kakashi placed a hand on his shoulder and stopped him.
"Wait, Naruto. Remember, we're on a mission. We shouldn't waste any more time. We have to continue on our way." But before he could finish, Trunks immediately interrupted him.
"A ninja mission? Wow, that's great! We want to go too. Don't we, Goten?"
"Of course. We promise not to bother you at all. Besides, we can take care of ourselves perfectly well; we're very strong, so don't worry about us."
"Of course not," Kakashi replied, taciturn as usual. "It's too dangerous. This isn't child's play."
While they looked like energetic and determined boys, they weren't even shinobi. They only wore martial arts clothes, as if they were simple taijutsu users from a very small village, where apparently no one knew ninjas in person.
Of course, they couldn't have any battlefield experience. Besides, he couldn't allow anyone outside of Konoha to interfere with the mission. The boys were complete strangers; he couldn't trust them, until suddenly, something happened that completely shocked him.
"Don't worry, sir. If anyone tries to attack us, I'll just have to teach them a lesson, like this..." With that, Goten casually punched the trunk of a huge tree next to him.
¡CRAAASSHH!
The thick, solid wooden trunk cracked loudly as it came into contact with the Saiyan's fist, exploding into hundreds of tiny splinter pieces. It didn't even crack or split; the trunk simply exploded. The worst part was that it barely seemed like it had hit him. After all, the boy could have done it with much more force if he had wanted to.
"You see? We have quite a high ki."
That small word left Kakashi even more shocked. "Who the hell is this kid? He has beastly strength. Plus, he said he had ki; according to unsubstantiated stories, ki stopped being used thousands of years ago because it was too difficult for humans to control. It became completely obsolete when we were able to start using chakra. No one uses ki today; it's impossible… There are even doubts as to whether it ever existed. It's just an ancient legend…"
"What the hell did you do?" Sakura asked in a trembling voice, frightened by the sight that had unfolded before her eyes.
"That's nothing, he just gathered a bit of ki in his fist in a matter of seconds. This is harder to do."
With that, Trunks raised his palm, pointing directly at a rock twenty meters away. Then, a small sphere of golden energy formed in his hand, which shot out at a speed imperceptible to the human eye.
¡BAAAAAAMMMMM!
The gigantic boulder, weighing at least ten tons, thundered violently as it exploded into small pieces that flew everywhere. Everything happened so fast that at first glance, it seemed as if the boy had raised his hand and the rock had exploded. But Kakashi knew better. He was able to see, albeit with difficulty, the energy blast the boy emitted.
"That's so they don't ask you what ki is later," Goten said, raising a finger, as if lecturing them. That was exactly how he'd explained the meaning of ki to Videl a long time ago, when she was only seven years old. Verbal explanations weren't his strong suit.
Everyone was open-mouthed, impressed, in a state of shock. Sasuke, for his part, was trembling with rage. It bothered him beyond belief that a pair of idiots his own age had such incredible powers. As a true Uchiha, he couldn't allow someone so young to be stronger than him.
"Fine, that seems more than enough. You're welcome to join us," Kakashi said, his eyes closed and a slight smile beneath his mask, which the boys could clearly see.
The jounin couldn't pass up the opportunity to learn more about the two children. After the mission was over, he would convince them to return to Konoha with him and present them to the Hokage to see what decision the wise old man would make on the matter. In the right hands, the two youngsters could be very useful.
They walked for a couple of hours, gradually getting to know each other better. Everyone had already duly introduced themselves, but that didn't stop the group from feeling somewhat tense. Naruto, Goten, and Trunks were the only ones who didn't seem to notice, as they walked calmly at the front of the group, animatedly talking about any nonsense that occurred to them.
Sasuke remained completely silent, watching the two newcomers' every move. He didn't have the slightest trust in the pair of strange boys.
For her part, Sakura maintained her reservations. It bothered her that at first glance they seemed as foolish and immature as Naruto, but they were certainly not charlatans, far from the boisterous blond. They had incredible powers that they bragged about little to nothing about. It was as if it were something completely normal to them. That ki thing was extremely strange. Besides, she was a little repulsed by the fact that the black-haired boy had that tail. There was nothing wrong with his appearance; in fact, she even thought he was a little handsome, but with that tail, she would never dare approach him.
Kakashi seemed calm enough, though he kept an eye on them nonetheless. He could tell they were innocent and friendly by the way they'd bonded with Naruto, but on a ninja mission, anything was possible, and he couldn't rule out any eventuality that could put his group in serious danger. If they wanted to, those two boys could be truly dangerous.
"I think it's best to stop here and rest. It's getting dark, and it wouldn't be a good idea to walk in the middle of the night," Kakashi announced, stopping in a clearing near the dirt road. "Start setting up camp."
The boys complied and began unpacking their sleeping bags from their backpacks. They soon realized that Goten and Trunks had no luggage, so they wouldn't have a way to camp and would have to spend the night on the ground.
Kakashi thought there wouldn't be any problem with that. All he had to do was have one of his apprentices guard one of the two boys, and in the meantime, the others would take their places in the sleeping bags. Then, they could take turns. However, it all remained just an idea, as he didn't have time to say anything when something unusual happened.
Trunks took two strange capsules out of his pockets, too large to be medicine, which he threw a couple of meters away.
¡BOOOMMM!
Everyone thought it was some kind of smoke bomb. But the surprise was to see, once the grayish vapor dissipated, two rolled-up sleeping bags. It wasn't a summoning jutsu either, as there were no hand signs or blood sacrifices.
"How did they do that?" Kakashi asked, sounding normal.
"What? Don't ninjas know about capsules?" Trunks said, surprised that there were still humans who didn't know about such common technology.
"Of course they are, the capsules are medicine, but that doesn't explain how they managed to get the sleeping bags out," Sakura replied, confused. The pinkette glanced at the rest of the group, just to check the shocked expressions on their faces. Now she knew that at least she wasn't the only one impressed.
"Well, I'm not a ninja, and I've never seen anything like it," old Tazuna chimed in. "No one in the Land of Waves has them, but I can assure you they don't exist anywhere else I've been before."
"The capsules we have are for storing objects. It makes traveling easier. It's strange that you don't know about them, everyone uses them!" Goten commented innocently. Of course, the young Son hadn't noticed the strangeness of it all, but Trunks had.
It was impossible for any of them to know about the capsules. Something was wrong. Suddenly, nervous thoughts began to cross Trunks's mind, fearing that the worst had happened. Now everything made more sense; that's why he hadn't been able to sense Lord Goku's or his father's ki, or rather, anyone's ki, until now.
Kakashi noticed the boy's worried expression. The intelligent jounin knew something was up and would soon find out, but not in front of the rest of the group.
"Well, the only thing that matters is that our new teammates have their own sleeping bags, so there won't be any need to take turns," the copy-nin said, settling the matter of the capsules. "Now we must form the groups that will keep watch. The first will be Naruto and Sasuke." The decision caused the blond to give his rival a provocative look, a gesture that Sasuke, of course, took without any importance. When Naruto was about to protest, Kakashi interrupted him, continuing his instructions. "Afterwards, Trunks and I will keep watch from midnight until four. Finally, Sakura and Goten will take ours until dawn. Any questions?"
Goten's hand rose, which, for some reason, the jounin imagined.
"Yes, Goten?"
"Why do we have to keep watch? Can't we just sleep through the night?" he asked as he settled into his sleeping bag.
Again, his question was utterly stupid. I couldn't understand how a kid like that could possess the great power he demonstrated that afternoon.
"Because we must be alert to any enemy, ambush, or danger. That's something even the least experienced shinobi would know,"
Sasuke explained without even looking at Goten. "But of course, you're not even a shinobi. It's obvious you don't know anything about anything."
When he finished his arrogant speech, the Uchiha turned around to observe the boy's expression, only to find, to his astonishment, that Goten was already asleep, snoring happily and without a care in the world.
He had left him talking to himself.
"How dare you!" Sasuke stood up, indignant, clenching his fists.
Both Trunks and Naruto were dying of laughter, literally rolling on the floor. Sakura, on the other hand, was annoyed because she had made her beloved Sasuke look like an idiot. Although deep down, she had to admit that it amused her a little.
"Okay, everyone except Naruto and Sasuke should follow Goten's example. We'll have a long day tomorrow, so we should rest." Without further ado, the jounin settled into his own sleeping bag, pretending to go to sleep.
It was midnight, and nothing new had happened. Trunks felt someone lightly shake him. When he slowly opened his eyes, he realized it was Kakashi who had woken him up. Lazily rubbing his eyelids, he realized it was his turn to keep watch, so he got up and accompanied the jounin to a large rock near the camp.
The two sat on the rock and remained silent for several minutes, until the copy ninja decided to break the ice.
"Trunks, I promise I won't comment on anything we discuss here. Now tell me, in all honesty, where did you and Goten come from?"
The boy fully understood the situation and knew what he was getting at with his interrogation. He wasn't as naive as his friend, but somehow, he wanted to test his luck and get off on a tangent.
"I'm from the Western Capital, while Goten lives in the countryside, on Paoz Mountain," he replied, trying to sound as casual as possible.
"Those places don't sound familiar to me. In fact, I can swear they don't exist. That's why I ask you again, Trunks, where do they come from?"
The serenity in Kakashi's voice, as well as his carefree and lazy attitude, didn't match his cunning and intelligence. He had truly noticed something strange, to the point that he seriously doubted the origins of both boys, almost as if they came from another planet.
Slowly, the little boy began to speak. "I'm not sure. Just a moment ago, I thought we were home, but I'm afraid we aren't."
"What do you mean by home?" the jounin asked, his expression changing to an evidently gloomy expression that was impossible to hide even behind his mask.
"I mean, we accidentally fell into another dimension. I didn't realize it until a few hours ago, when we started setting up camp, but now I'm almost certain of it. Apparently, Goten hasn't noticed yet. As you may have noticed, he's a bit distracted."
"Yes, I do. And how did you end up here?" he asked, trying to hide his astonishment, to the point where he seemed unfazed by what he'd heard, but the truth was, he was dying to hear the explanation.
For some reason, Trunks felt Kakashi was trustworthy. After all, he offered help along the way, not to mention being the sensei of a very friendly group of kids… well, except for Sasuke.
Furthermore, he couldn't perceive any hint of evil energy emanating from him. The only strange thing was that his energy didn't resemble ki, but was something very different, but that didn't stop him from perceiving it. Figuring out what was going on required collaboration from both of them, so there was no room for lies. That's how Trunks understood it, knowing he was lost in what could be another world. He wasn't exactly in a comfortable situation to digest.
So, with a deep sigh, he proceeded to tell him absolutely everything. He told him they came from another dimension, that they were both fighters whose veins ran the blood of an extinct warrior race of grandiose powers, and that was why Goten had a tail. He also told him about the incident on the Moon, the punishment they had to serve, and how they ended up opening a hole in the Time Room that apparently transported them to a parallel dimension.
It all seemed crazy, but every time Kakashi interrupted him to ask a question, the boy seemed to answer with complete sincerity and coherence. The young man even dared to float a little in the air, just to prove a point.
The jounin was stunned. He had now ruled out the boys being spies or enemies of some kind. However, it was all too strange to be believable. It was almost insane!
What worried him most was the story of the Moon. Apparently, neither of them had complete control over their powers, at least psychologically. Perhaps it was due to their young ages. A shudder ran through the jounin's body just imagining someone as immature as Naruto with a power of that nature. No doubt he would also do many stupid things, perhaps worse.
"And now... What do you plan to do?" Kakashi spoke again after an awkward silence.
"I don't know, I have no idea. We have nowhere to go. Trying to open another portal would be crazy, because we might end up in a different dimension. After all, there must be millions of parallel dimensions and planes."
Kakashi completely agreed. There was no point in trying the same thing. They might end up getting even more lost.
"It means they'll be here forever…"
"Unless they use the Dragon Balls," Trunks added. "When they notice we're gone, they might use them to bring us back. But it'll take some time before they can be used again."
The copy ninja had completely forgotten. Once again, the Saiyan was mentioning those strange spheres that apparently possessed an extremely mysterious magical power, capable of granting wishes to those who wielded them. Without a doubt, a terrible object in the wrong hands.
"No way, you'll have to stay with us. I'll just have to explain to the Hokage what happened, and he'll probably assign you both a house. Nothing fancy, but at least you'll have a roof over your head. In return, you'll have to offer your services to the village as if you were Konoha ninjas."
"That sounds good. I'm sure Goten will be happy... although I don't know how he'll react when he finds out we're trapped, far from home..."
"I won't say anything. I think it's best if you explain it to him yourself when you're ready. Just make sure it's not too late," Kakashi warned in a slightly more serious tone, something Trunks didn't miss.
"Don't worry, I'll tell you tomorrow. I just wanted to ask you a favor. Don't tell Naruto and the others, because they might get scared of us. Humans aren't usually ready to understand our powers, so our mothers forbid us from talking about it."
Kakashi was mentally amused by Trunks's comment. He himself wasn't prepared for something like this, but he had to face it with the greatest possible fortitude and give the boys the feeling of having fully assimilated it. Besides, the small demonstration they both put on that afternoon was more than enough to know that they weren't entirely normal. There was no way he'd be crazy to talk about it with anyone other than the Sandaime Hokage himself. This was a matter worthy of summary secrecy. There could be trouble if other nations found out.
"Tell the others what? You haven't said anything all night. You'd better go wake Sakura and your friend. Our shift is over..."
With a slight smile, Trunks gave the jounin a small bow in thanks, then stepped back and did exactly what he had been asked to do.
" And to think two human mothers have to put up with these little monsters. But if they can control them, I shouldn't have any problems with them at all."
What the copy ninja didn't understand was the character of those two human mothers, capable of keeping in check not only the children, but also two of the most powerful beings in the universe, two purebred Saiyans: their husbands. The task wouldn't be as easy as he thought.
The entire group was asleep, and it was almost five in the morning. Sakura was on edge. Her greatest wish was to keep vigil with her beloved Sasuke, to have a moment alone with him, under the silent yet romantic stars that scattered like spilled milk across the sky. But instead, she was paired with Goten, a boy as idiotic as Naruto, and to make matters worse, with a hideous tail.
Maybe she was judging him too quickly, but she didn't care in the least. She didn't want him anywhere near her, not only because of his strange tail, but because of the powers the young man had demonstrated, which worried her so much. She barely knew him, and she didn't know if she could trust him.
They were both sitting on the rock where Trunks and Kakashi had talked. The girl, armed with a kunai in her hands, looked around intently, trying to notice anything that might pose a threat. All her senses were working at their peak when suddenly, she felt something touch her, causing her to jump.
When she turned her head, she noticed it was Goten resting his head on her shoulder, fast asleep. The boy was a mess; he couldn't even stay awake. He was leaving her to do all the work alone, and she couldn't allow that. She didn't understand how someone could be so carefree and calm, not caring about anything around them.
Even Naruto had taken his turn properly! With that, she had concluded: Goten was even worse than Naruto. Unable to stand it any longer, Sakura angrily clenched her hands and hit him with all her might on the head.
¡PAAAAMMM!
"Ouch! What happened? Why did you hit me?" Poor Goten asked, waking up with a start and rubbing his head with a small tear of pain.
"YOU IDIOT, YOU FELL ASLEEP! THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED!" Sakura scolded, red-faced with fury and with a large vein prominent on her forehead.
"But you didn't have to hit me like that. It hurt so much!" he exclaimed, still running a hand over the spot where he'd received the unjust punishment. "You could have shaken me a little, and I would have woken up."
"Don't you understand? Everything's a game to you, right? We're in the middle of an important mission, and you don't care at all! Before we found you guys, a couple of assassins tried to kill us along the way. You have no idea how terrifying that was. That's why we have to be vigilant!" Sakura was beside herself. She wanted to vent all her anguish, stemming from the gruesome events of that day. "Sasuke is right. You're not even a shinobi, you're just a spoiled brat. You would never understand what it means to work and fight to protect others, nor what it means to have someone's life in your hands, depending on you and your performance. In case you didn't know, you're on a team, and your irresponsibility could cost the others their lives. But I don't know why I'm wasting my time explaining it to you. Someone as idiotic as you would never understand!"
Maybe Goten was naive, and at times, he could be a bit clumsy: he was just like his father. But he wasn't as idiotic as anyone might think. Every one of Sakura's words managed to hurt him. She was the one who didn't understand anything and knew nothing about him.
When he was barely seven years old, he was forced to fight alongside Trunks against a terrible demon capable of destroying stars and extinguishing entire races. Not only was Earth in danger at that time, but the entire universe as well, and yet, he had to carry such a heavy burden alongside his friend. Despite his bravery and determination, deep down he was terrified of having to face Majin Boo. After all, he was just a little boy still playing with toys.
That wasn't, under any circumstances, the responsibility of a child like he was back then. And yet, he had to do it. He had to fight Majin Buu when no adult was capable, all because he was born with his incredible powers. If he didn't, everyone he loved would end up killed.
Trunks's company was undoubtedly vital. They both felt equally terrified deep down, but they gave each other the courage to continue and face the dangerous situation, even though they never spoke a word about it. They both knew this very well. They were both able to pull through and fight the evil demon because they had each other. Trunks was his lifelong best friend—his only friend.
And whenever he got the chance to meet other kids his age, Sakura came along and treated him worse than anyone he'd ever met. Slowly, Goten stood up and hopped down off the rock.
"You're the one who doesn't understand anything and knows nothing about me. I'll bet anything your life has been much more peaceful than mine. But I'm glad it's that way. I don't wish you anything like what I went through."
Unlike Sakura, who had screamed hysterically at him, Goten spoke calmly, slowly, almost in a whisper. He didn't seem to even be bothered by her. The boy just started walking away from the large rock.
―W-wait, wh-where are you going?
"Don't worry, I'll keep watching. I'll just do it far away from you. I think you really hate being with me." Without further ado, Goten moved about twenty meters away, sitting under a tree near the camp.
Sakura began to feel a little sick. Perhaps she had gone too far and truly didn't know anything about that boy. That boy who, beneath his clothes, had at least twice as many scars on his body as the young kunoichi was old.
That quiet summer night, Sakura would remember forever, not because it was pleasant, but because it was embarrassing.
She would always be ashamed of herself for what she had done, for having made such a pitiful spectacle of herself. For now, she didn't care at all, because although she was slightly remorseful, she thought every one of her words was more than just and deserved.
And she was very wrong. Only time with Goten would prove her grave mistake. A mistake she would always regret.
The next morning, the group began gathering their belongings, ready to leave at any moment.
"Hey, Goten! Could you come here for a second? I want to tell you something," Trunks shouted from a few feet away from the camp. The Saiyan had packed his things long before the others, thanks to the capsules, so he would take advantage of the time he'd gained to update his friend on the situation.
"I want to tell you something, too," Goten spoke first when he caught up with him. "I honestly don't think this ninja thing is that much fun. We've only been walking and keeping watch during the night. I thought we'd have a few fights along the way, but this is all very boring. Why don't we just go home? We haven't seen the others for a whole year."
Son wasn't just bored, but he was also deeply bothered by what Sakura had said to him last night. If he was so unbearable for the girl, he wanted to get away from her as soon as possible and leave her alone.
On the other hand, Trunks realized how difficult it would be to explain everything to his friend. Apparently, he didn't even suspect the slightest bit of the trouble they were in. He didn't know where to start. They couldn't even leave the group as Goten had suggested, since he had already agreed with Kakashi that they would accompany them back. They also didn't have anywhere to stay.
"You see, Goten, I don't think it's going to be possible. Haven't you noticed anything strange since we left the Time Room?" the Saiyan inquired cautiously. He wanted to be as tactful as possible.
"What do you mean by something strange?"
With a sigh of resignation, Trunks realized there was no point in continuing down that path. He needed to be more direct. So without further ado, he explained to his friend the mistake they had made in crossing the interdimensional wormhole.
Goten's silence throughout indicated the deep thought he was in. He tried to analyze all the possibilities they had, but like Trunks, he thought it would be even more dangerous to try to open another hole that would lead them to who knows where.
"We were fools. We shouldn't have gone so far into the room. And to think that was our last day!" Son lamented, clenching his hands.
"You're right, but there's no point in whining now. It's already done. I imagine they can bring us back with the spheres."
"Our mothers will go crazy when they find out. Now they'll really ground us for the rest of our lives..."
Her comment brought a smile to Trunks's face. It amused him that his friend cared more about the punishment than the realistic chances they had of returning. That innocent, though sometimes frustrating, attitude managed to lift his spirits on more than one occasion.
"Come on, it's not that bad! They'll be so happy when we get back, you'll see. It'll be our parents who will suffer the most while we're gone, especially yours."
"Yeah, I think you're right!" Goten replied with his signature big smile, inherited from Goku.
"I hope you're all ready. The rest of the group is ready to go," Kakashi shouted from a distance. He knew exactly what the boys were talking about. They both nodded vigorously and resumed their journey with the others.
Judging by Goten's attitude, the jounin imagined he had taken it very well. He simply continued chatting happily with Naturo at the front of the group.
"Really! I can immediately detect when an enemy is stalking us. But it's no big deal, after all, I'm a ninja, it's part of the job!" Naruto boasted to his surprised new friend.
"I didn't think ninjas were capable of that," the little Saiyan commented, his expression animated as Naruto watched cautiously from all sides, holding a kunai in his hands. The genin was completely immersed in his role.
"How did it go?" Kakashi murmured softly to Trunks. They were both walking at the back of the group. Of course, he could already imagine what the boy's response would be.
"It turned out a lot better than I thought. It's nothing to be surprised about, though. That's Goten, after all."