"Don't jump around for no reason. Once you're in the air, it's hard to dodge an opponent's attack."
Yamcha leapt into the air and aimed a flying kick at Naruto—but Naruto effortlessly deflected it, countering with a punch to the midsection that nearly knocked the wind out of him.
"I was actually saving this to surprise Goku later," Yamcha said, steadying his breath. He shifted into a classic ki-gathering stance.
"Kame…hame…ha!"
"Haa!"
A bright blue beam of energy erupted from Yamcha's palms.
"Nice spirit," Naruto said, shaking his head, "but trying to use a move you've barely mastered, especially when you're already outmatched… that's not a smart choice."
As the roaring Kamehameha wave shot toward him, Naruto didn't dodge or even lift a hand. He simply stood there, calm and unmoving.
"Naruto, look out!"
Gasps filled the arena—
Even Goku and Tien, the strongest among them, wouldn't dare take such an attack head-on.
BOOM!
The explosion sent a shockwave ripping across the arena, forcing the audience to shield their eyes from the wind and dust. When the smoke cleared—Naruto was standing exactly where he'd been, untouched. Not even a speck of dust on his clothes.
"That level of attack…" Naruto said lightly, brushing his nose with a grin. "All it did was kick up a little dirt."
He almost sounded like a certain Saiyan prince delivering his famous "power level of five" line.
In the next instant, Naruto vanished—and reappeared right in front of Yamcha.
"Here, let me send you a little breeze," he said, gently sweeping his hand.
A blast of invisible air struck Yamcha squarely in the chest, hurling him out of the ring.
He landed outside the boundary—defeated in the exact same way as in the previous tournament.
"So strong…" all of the remaining contestants thought at once, their hearts trembling in awe.
"Hey, announcer—did I win?" Naruto asked the stunned man in sunglasses.
"Ah! C-congratulations, contestant Naruto! You advance to the next round!"
Back in the waiting area behind the stage, Naruto greeted Master Roshi warmly.
"Don't worry, Master Roshi. I didn't go too hard on Yamcha. Hopefully, after this fight, he'll reflect and fix some of those bad habits."
Krillin squinted suspiciously, his beady eyes narrowing as he glanced at Roshi—his face clearly saying, "And you still claim he's not your secret apprentice?"
Roshi's face twitched. This was giving him a real headache.
Naruto really wasn't his disciple!
"Next match: Krillin versus Chiaotzu! Contestants, please come to the ring!"
Hearing his name, Krillin rushed out in a hurry.
Naruto watched him go, then turned back to Roshi.
"Your disciples, Yamcha and Krillin, are both extremely strong. Honestly, there aren't many on Earth who could match them. Compared to Crane School's disciples, Chiaotzu and Tien, they're just as impressive."
Roshi raised an eyebrow.
"Oh? So you think they still can't beat Tien?"
"There's still a gap," Naruto admitted, then added meaningfully, "But Master Roshi, you seem to think highly of Tien as well. Otherwise, you wouldn't have conceded your match so easily. If you'd fought seriously, the result could've gone either way."
Roshi chuckled, not even pretending anymore.
"So, you figured out who I was."
"Your disguise skills are impressive," Naruto said respectfully, "but while a person's face can change, their ki never does."
"I see," Roshi nodded, clearly impressed. "So you can sense ki that precisely… it seems your control runs deep indeed."
Naruto truly admired and respected Master Roshi.
People might think he was just an early-era Dragon Ball character—or a shameless old pervert—but he embodied the very meaning of the words martial arts master.
Goku's path to becoming the strongest warrior in the universe was deeply tied to Roshi's teachings.
Roshi not only cared deeply for his students—he even disguised himself and sparred against them to keep their egos in check. When he saw martial artists stray down dark paths, he tried to guide them back. And when evil threatened the world, he never hesitated to sacrifice himself, entrusting the future to the next generation.
That, Naruto thought, was what a true master looked like.
Meanwhile, Chiaotzu and Krillin's match had begun. Their strengths were almost identical—though Chiaotzu had the advantage of psychic powers. By all rights, that should've made him unbeatable.
But Krillin's mind was far sharper.
With some simple, elementary-school-level math tricks, he threw Chiaotzu completely off his rhythm. Taking advantage of the confusion, Krillin landed a clean kick that sent him flying out of the ring.
"Nice one, Krillin!" Goku cheered sincerely.
After all, back when they started, Krillin's academic skills weren't much better than Chiaotzu's. If Roshi hadn't personally drilled knowledge into him, those two together could've been the "twin prodigies" of math disasters.
"Heh-heh!" Krillin grinned, flashing a peace sign. He'd barely even broken a sweat.
"Next match: Tien Shinhan versus Son Goku!"
At the start, both fighters' power levels stood at 180—perfectly even.
Their styles, too, were equally matched: Turtle School versus Crane School. Both were top-tier martial arts traditions, even if Crane Hermit's moral compass had gone astray. After all, both schools originated from the same lineage.
And then there was bloodline.
Goku was a Saiyan from Planet Vegeta—a warrior race born for battle.
Tien, however, wasn't fully human either. He was a descendant of the Three-Eyed People, the last surviving remnant of their alien race.
From any angle—strength, heritage, or training—the two were evenly matched.
The moment the fight began, their blows collided in a storm of fists and kicks.
You punch me, I kick you—each exchange leaving marks on the other.
After several fierce rounds of probing attacks, they both decided to stop holding back.
It became a true duel of dragons and tigers.
After a few more clashes, a sense of mutual respect began to bloom between them.
Then, during one exchange, Goku hesitated midair—suddenly freezing up. Tien seized the chance and unleashed a flurry of strikes to Goku's face.
Behind the scenes, Crane Hermit had ordered Chiaotzu to use his psychic powers on Goku.
"Kill him, Tien!" Crane Hermit's voice echoed in Tien's mind. Seeing his student's hesitation, he pressed harder:
"That's your master's command! Are you defying me?"
After a long, fierce inner struggle, Tien finally spoke.
"I want to win with my own strength. I don't want to be a killer… I want to be a true martial artist."
"So the old turtle's corrupted you too, huh?" Crane Hermit spat, his face twisting in rage.
"Look at that wretched old fool—broke and pathetic! So what if he's called the God of Martial Arts?"
"Being a martial artist leads nowhere!"
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