It would be several, several hours later when Haru would later awake not to a world of Z-Fighters but rather…a land of Ninja…
As Haru tiredly opened his onyx colored eyes, the first thing that came to mind was his recollection of the events prior to now.
"Dad! Mister Piccolo!" Haru yelled in a cold sweat before exhaling.
"Just…what happened? Why am I in a hospital gown? Am I in the hospital? If so, where's Vegeta and everyone?" Haru asked himself before attempting to feel the Ki signatures of all his friends before coming to a startling discovery.
"I can't feel anyone! What the heck's going on? Did they all die? Wait shouldn't I be dead?" Haru wondered before the pain from his injuries came back full force as he grunted in pain. It was then he realized that bizarre effect that happened during the Kamehameha clash with Cell.
"Just… what… the heck… is going on?" Haru moaned before two people walked into his room. One of which was an old man with a red kimono under a set of white robes with a red hat. Haru had a feeling this man was important in some way given his appearance. To the side of him was a boy roughly around his age with spiky blonde hair and blue eyes. Haru commented to himself how much of a Super Saiyan he looked like along with an orange and blue tracksuit with a huge white collar and blue sandals. He had a goofy grin which instantly reminded the half-saiyan of his father. Why? He couldn't put his finger on it. The boy was then snapped from his thoughts as the elderly man cleared his throat.
"Hello there. My name is Sarutobi Hiruzen, the third Hokage of the Hidden Leaf Village." Hiruzen greeted the young boy who nearly raised an eyebrow at the old man before his manners kicked in.
"Hello sir. My name is Son Haru and I'm sorry but I don't know what a Hokage is. Could you please tell me what that is?" Haru politely asked as Hiruzen and Menma raised an eyebrow.
"The Hokage is the leader of the village! Did ya hit your head on a rock or something dude?" Menma rudely asked as Hiruzen glared at Menma for his impoliteness.
"Menma!" Hiruzen glared as Haru couldn't help but laugh at the kid. It was nearly like being with Goku.
"You kind of remind me of—"Haru was about to comment with amusement before more pressing matters came to mind such as finding out where he was.
"Um, Mister Hiruzen, not to be rude but could you tell me where I am?" Haru asked the Hokage.
"You're in Konohagakure, the Village Hidden in the Leaves." Hiruzen replied as Haru raised an eyebrow at the name of his current location.
"Konohagakure? I'm sorry but that doesn't ring a bell?" Haru said in a voice of pure confusion as Hiruzen raised an eyebrow.
"So you're not familiar with the Five Great Nations?" Hiruzen inquired as Haru's look of confusion never left his features. In fact it widened.
"No… I'm not…." Haru said as Menma raised his own eyebrow.
"How could this guy not be aware of the Leaf Village or any of the other ones? He's definitely stronger than a civilian though… Where did he come from?" Menma asked as Hiruzen decided to speak up.
"If you don't mind me asking, where are you from?" Hiruzen asked.
"I'm from Mount Paozu." Haru answered as Hiruzen stared at Haru pensively as he had never heard of such a place from all the time he had been around the world.
"I see…. Well I'm sorry to say but I've heard of no such place in all my travels around the globe. However this may sound bizarre to you but we were able to look through your memories and we discovered… you're not from this world…." Hiruzen explained as Haru stared at the old man in utter disbelief.
"W-what!? How could you do that!? And what do you mean I'm not from this world! What's going on!?" Haru asked as he could barely breathe.
"One of our forces was able to scan through your head for details of your origin and we were able to discover our worlds are particularly different… According to them, you were in a fight with someone before you abruptly ended up in our world." Hiruzen attempted to reason with the boy not even one hundred percent believing the words he was saying.
Haru continued breathing heavily as he attempted to process this before he remembered his fight with Cell and the lasting effect on it, the lasting effect making him sigh sadly. Could that distortion during his clash with Cell possibly have sent him somewhere else? If so… was he gone from his world forever? Maybe… his father and his friends could try to bring him back with the Dragon Balls? Wait, definitely! That had to work!
"Seeing as you're not in your home setting, I'd like to say however that I'm very sorry for your current plight. We'll be sure to figure something out for you in the meantime while I promise to find a way to send you back to your home. Although, if you don't mind me asking, would you happen to be a warrior of some kind? I ask that because your injuries were definitely those inflicted in a battle?" Hiruzen asked as Haru nodded.
"Yeah I am. I got those injuries from my fight against Cell. Although…" Haru explained before he turned his head to the side in slight sadness as Menma and Hiruzen both inquired about who this "Cell" was. Hiruzen then noticed the look in his eyes was a look he hadn't seen even in the most experienced of ninja. The pain in his eyes was the same pain Kakashi used to have as a child.
What on earth could have happened to this child? Hiruzen asked to himself.
"Cell? Huh….." Menma crossed his arms as Haru decided to ask a pressing question in his head to Hiruzen.
"Mister Hiruzen, if you don't mind me asking, what do you all do here in the Leaf Village? And how could you see my memories?" Haru asked as Hiruzen smiled at Haru's politeness.
Such manners… He's definitely more well-mannered than most kids his age. Hiruzen thought smiling before deciding to answer his question.
"In the Leaf Village, our peace and stability are maintained thanks to our various ninja. Memory scanning is one of the abilities select people can actually do." Hiruzen explained as Haru skeptically raised an eyebrow.
"Ninja?" Haru asked as he remembered how his father actually battled the ninja Murasaki as a boy. From the way Goku described it, he defeated the ninja in a pretty humiliating way with his trusty power pole.
"Correct, and your previously injured state made me falsely assume you were a ninja who was in a fierce battle of some kind. Our ninja are assigned in different ranks, Jonin is the highest state with Chunin following slowly after which Genin is at the dead bottom. The boy right beside me is a Ninja Academy student and in the Ninja Academy is where students study to become ninja. Now I would ask if you were personally interested in becoming one but with your broken arm, it'll obviously take some time to heal." Hiruzen said as Haru's eyes suddenly brightened.
"Wait, that's it!" Haru exclaimed as both men gazed at him in confusion.
"What's it?" Menma and Hiruzen asked simultaneously before reaching into the pocket of his torn up GI pants and getting out a peculiar looking green colored bean. Thank goodness he decided to keep one in his pocket after retrieving them from the Cell Jrs. Although he only had one since he had to feed the injured Z-Fighters injured from fighting the little demonic munchkins.
"What is that? Some sort of Lima bean?" Menma narrowed his eyes as Haru smiled.
"No! It's a Senzu bean." Haru explained as Menma and Hiruzen became even more puzzled.
"Senzu bean?" Both males asked as Haru's smile widened.
"Yep! It heals all your injuries." Haru further explained before downing the magical seed. Menma and Hiruzen watched intensely before all the wounds left his face along with his arm snapping back into place. He celebrated his rejuvenation by jumping out of his bed and appearing right in front of the bewildered Menma and Hiruzen.
"Okay back to one hundred percent!" Haru happily exclaimed in a voice as cheerful as his father's. Menma and Hiruzen couldn't believe their eyes.
"H-holy crap, dude! That bean just made you all better!" Menma stammered out with comically blank eyes as Hiruzen's reaction was slightly mellower.
"U-unreal! If we had something like that in our medical corps, it would most certainly be a huge asset to us! Have you any more of those beans, Haru?" Hiruzen asked Haru who frowned.
"Sorry but that was the last one. All of them are made in a place called Korin's tower. He's the one who grows them." Haru explained as Hiruzen sighed.
"I… had a feeling you'd say something like that… And I see…." Hiruzen sighed despondently as Menma couldn't believe what he saw.
Earlier today this guy could've been on his death bed and thanks to some strange bean he's okay!? Even better!? What the frick man!? Menma thought in amazement as his thoughts continued, This seems like some crap you'd read in a damn manga!
After retaining his composure, Hiruzen decided to speak up once more.
"I don't want to pressure you though. If you wouldn't want to study in the Academy, I could arrange for you to work a job with one of our civilians in exchange for you earning some money. And before then, I'll even give you some money to live off on while everything's being arranged for you, Haru." Hiruzen suggested to the hybrid who put a hand to his chin in thought.
Maybe… .this is a second chance. I nearly let my own world be destroyed because of my naivety and arrogance. But perhaps… I can change and learn things from this world before returning to my own! Haru thought before making up his mind.
"Okay Mister Hiruzen, I'll study at this 'Ninja Academy' and become a ninja! That way I can repay my favor. After all you all saved my life so I should probably find some way to return the favor, right?" Haru grinned a grin reminiscent of his father as the elderly man returned the grin with one of his own.
"Haha, glad to hear it! And I'll arrange for you to live with this boy right next to me. His name is Menma Uzumaki and he's a student at the ninja academy as I previously said. He's the one who brought you here to this hospital so after that perhaps you two can become roommates of some sort." Hiruzen smiled as the two boys smiled at each other.
"So you really brought me here. Thank you for that, Menma. I'm Son Haru." Haru smiled as he held his hand out for a handshake before Menma whole-heartedly accepted it. He didn't even know Menma for five seconds yet he took a huge liking to the blonde. His goofy, kind-hearted attitude, his unique charisma and bright, sunny personality was absolutely just like the man he admired and respected the most in the world, his father.
"Of course! I'm Menma Uzumaki!" Menma exclaimed in a particularly happy mood. It had been the first time any person his age had ever done this to him.
As the two boys held hands, they instantly felt a strong form of kinship between the two evaporate. Right then and there, something told the boys that they'd always be close, no matter what.
"Haha, it seems Haru's arrival here will be good for us all." Hiruzen laughed to himself as he was happy for Menma gaining a potential new friend before getting their attention.
"Although, the first thing you boys should probably do is get Haru a spare change of clothes. His top was ripped while his pants are barely holding together." Hiruzen suggested as Haru smiled.
"Haha it's fine! I've already got a solution!" Haru said before pulling out a peculiar looking tray.
"What is that?" Menma asked before raising an eyebrow as Haru opened the container to seeing a couple of bizarre looking devices.
"They're called Capsules." Haru replied as Menma and Hiruzen's raised eyebrows widened for the hundredth time that day.
"Capsules?" Both males asked.
"Yeah, you can seal anything in there, clothes, food, you name it." Haru explained before coming to a particular one and pressing the top on it before throwing it to the side causing a ball of smoke to come, making Menma and Hiruzen cough as Haru was used to the smoke.
The smoke cleared revealing a bag of sorts as Haru opened the bag and looked through a couple of outfits before making a decision. He dressed himself in a long sleeved blue t-shirt with white shorts and black sneakers and white socks.
"Thank goodness for Bulma!" Haru grinned as Menma and Hiruzen stared puzzled at the half breed.
"Who's Bulma?" Menma bluntly asked as Haru laughed at Menma's manner of speaking. Yep, he was definitely like his dad.
"Bulma's a genius who's really handy with these. The business she's with practically lives off of these." Haru explained as the two looked at the peaceful fighter with eyes of blatant disbelief.
"…This world of yours sure is eccentric….Here we seal our essential items in scrolls." Hiruzen said as Haru looked at the former professor with intrigue.
"Oh yeah? That's reall-"Haru tried to say before a huge grumbling noise cut him off.
"What was that!?" Menma asked in amazement as a blushing Haru held his stomach.
"My stomach….Hehe…I haven't eaten since this morning…" Haru admitted in embarrassment as Hiruzen heartily laughed at Haru's "plight".
"Well you were out since this morning and it is evening time now so I suppose you'd be a bit famished. Menma, why don't you take him to your favorite place to eat? Haru, come by my office and I'll give you a stipend to sustain you for the rest of the month." Hiruzen suggested smiling as Menma grinned excitedly.
"Heck yeah! C'mon Haru, I'll take you to Ichiraku!" Menma grinned.
"Ichiraku?" Haru could barely ask before he was dragged out by a grinning Menma.
"Hey! Slow down!" The son of Goku yelped as Hiruzen laughed at the two.
"Son Haru….Let's see where your life as a ninja takes you…" Hiruzen thought as he smiled at the two from behind.
"It's only like the best ramen place ever!" Menma giggled excitedly as he explained his personal slice of heaven to the Z-Fighter while Haru was equally excited to get food into his grumbling stomach.
"Haha, I'll take your word for it!" Haru said as he observed the villages and structures around him. When he looked around, this world was different from all of the skyscrapers and high buildings and cars he was experienced too. This world was definitely designed in a date that preceded his world to a civilization that resembled those he read about that were centuries behind his.
Haru couldn't help but notice all of the looks he received. While some of them were of amazement and curiosity of him, the vast majority of them were filled with anger and distrust. He was immediately reminded of the looks the other Z-Fighters often shot Vegeta when he was in the same vicinity as them.
"I wonder what's up with them?" The son of Goku asked Menma who rubbed his head sheepishly.
"Your entrance caused a bunch of lightning bolts to strike down and some people got injured because of that." Menma explained to the half-breed who immediately donned a guilty look.
"Wait really? I can't believe it…All because of me?" Haru frowned as Menma pat Haru's shoulder encouragingly.
"Don't worry about it, I know it wasn't your fault!" Menma grinned as Haru couldn't help but smile back. His smiles were contagious like his father's.
"Yeah, you're right. Thanks, Menma." Haru thanked the future ninja who grinned.
"Hey, we're here!" Menma said before the two came across a small shack with the name "Ichiraku Ramen" on it. The two then entered the shop as the smell of ramen broth rafted through the noses of the two young boys.
"This smells really good!" Haru thought in excitement of eating Menma's delicious food.
"Old Man, hey!" Menma greeted before two people came from behind the kitchen where the ramen was being cooked to behind the counter where Haru and Menma were. The two were clad in matching white kitchen robes with the same color hats. Although one of them was a middle aged looking man while the other was a female with long brown hair, definitely older than Haru and Menma.
"Ah, Menma! Good of you to be here!" Teuchi smiled in acknowledgement of the energetic blonde before noticing his new campanion next to him.
"And who might this be?" Teuchi inquired with a raised eyebrow.
"This is Haru and he's new here!" Menma explained as Haru nodded deciding to introduce himself.
"They must not've seen his arrival in the Village" Menma also thought.
"A pleasure to meet you both, my name is Son Haru." Haru introduced himself politely while bowing as the older ramen worker couldn't help but smile at Haru's manners.
"What a well-mannered child. Heh and he looks to be no older than Menma." Teuchi smiled before deciding to introduce himself as well.
"A pleasure to meet you Haru. I am Teuchi Ichiraku, the owner of this restaurant while this is my daughter Ayame." Teuchi introduced back while gesturing to his daughter.
"Well hello there, Haru! Hehe, you're just as adorable as Menma is!" Ayame beamed as both boys blushed at the older woman's comment.
"T-thank you…." Haru shyly blushed.
"Now will it be the usual, Menma?" Teuchi asked as Menma grinned eagerly.
"Yep! And get the same for Haru too! Is Miso Ramen with pork okay for ya?" Menma asked the half-saiyan who shrugged his shoulders.
"Sure." Haru answered as long as he would be able to get anything into his stomach.
As Teuchi and Ayame prepared their soup, Haru looked around the shop.
"So do they have ramen like this in your world, Haru?" The curious orange wearer asked as Haru stopped his observation of the shop.
"You mean ramen shops? Well yeah of course." Haru answered before Ayame came out with two steaming bowls of Miso Ramen in hand.
"Thanks for waiting! Here're your ramens. With extra pork for you, Haru." Ayame winked as Haru's blush returned.
"T-thanks Miss Ayame." Haru shyly answered as Ayame had to literally restrain herself from glomping him.
"It's no problem! Such a well-mannered cutie pie." Ayame giggled to herself as Haru's mouth was unconsciously watering at the sight of the soup before him. However, before anyone could say anything, Haru instantly devoured the meal.
"Ah, that was nice!" Haru smiled as Ayame and Menma stared bug-eyed at Haru.
"More please!" Haru politely requested as Ayame could barely make out any words.
"U-um…sure?" Ayame asked before going back to the kitchen to fulfil Haru's request.
"Dude, how'd you do that? How'd you eat so fast?" Menma asked as Haru stared back nonchalantly.
"I just love eating." Haru shrugged before the second bowl of ramen was presented to him.
"Thanks!" Haru thanked before devouring the whole bowl in less than five seconds yet again.
"More please!" Haru requested before he was given another bowl. Before anyone knew anything, Haru had stacked over twenty bowls, definitely beating Menma's record along with a certain Akimichi.
"W-where did he put it all?" Ayame muttered while Teuchi looked mightily happy with Haru's state of paradise.
"Haha, I take it you enjoyed your meal, boy?" Teuchi amusingly asked as Haru gave a food grin definitely reminiscent of Goku.
"Yes sir!" Haru exclaimed with a now full stomach.
"H-how is this guy not fat?" Menma stammered as Haru rubbed his satisfied belly with pure bliss. This kid had eaten over twenty bowls while he only ate five. Was he trying to screw up his perfect ramen eating record?
"Thanks for the food!" Haru happily thanked before belching slightly.
"Oops, excuse me." Haru embarrassingly apologized as Menma's eyes went wide with horror. How would he pay for this meal when he blew over half of his living expenses for the month for prank equipment? Almost as if sensing the prankster's thoughts, Teuchi raised a hand.
"Don't worry about it Menma, consider it on the house for your new friend." Teuchi smiled as his worried were now extinguished.
"Really? Thanks old man!" Menma exclaimed before glomping Teuchi who pat his head affectionally as he was like the son he never had.
"Haha, of course, kid." Teuchi laughed as Menma sat back down.
"Yeah thank you for the food, Mr. Teuchi, Miss Ayame." Haru politely bowed as the two smiled back at Haru.
"Haha, you're welcome to come back anytime!" Ayame giggled.
"I'll keep that in mind." Haru smiled before Menma pat his shoulder.
"Hey Haru, why don't I give you a quick tour of the village?" Menma suggested as Haru gave an intrigued look.
"Okay, let's do it." Haru replied before the two left the ramen shop. Menma then gave the son of Goku a very long tour around the Leaf Village as he showed him the ins and outs of the place, showing him where the different shops and restaurants were along with the park, the library, hot springs and other places. However, the last of their stops was the Hokage monument.
"And this is where the Great Stone Faces are." Menma said as Haru raised an eyebrow.
"Huh...four of them, huh?" Haru observed before Menma grabbed Haru's hand.
"C'mon, let's go above!" Menma said before the two ran to where the two were at the top of the village.
"That's where you fell from." Menma explained pointing at the crater Haru caused as Haru looked at it in amazement.
"Wow…." Was all Haru could say before his attention was turned to Menma who looked down at the village with a happy smile.
As Haru walked to where Menma was, he was instantly impressed with the view from down below.
"Wow! The view up here is amazing. You can see everything!" Haru noticed as Menma grinned excitedly.
"Right!? I come up here every time I have a bad day…." Menma replied with a nostalgic look in his eyes. It was up here where he decided to become Hokage, a goal that would not only get him power but earn the acceptance and respect of everyone in the village.
Menma then decided to turn his head to where Haru was.
"Why don't we go by my place now? It is getting pretty late." Menma suggested as Haru agreed. With everything he's experienced in this one day, he was pretty winded.
"Yeah, let's do it." Haru agreed before the two made their way to where Menma lived, an apartment in a red building.
As Menma opened the door, he immediately turned to Haru.
"Welcome to casa de Menma!" Menma goofily grinned as Haru observed how small the compartment was but it looked relatively comfortable. Although his mother's manners kicked in from commenting on how small it was.
"Looks pretty cozy." Haru commented before Menma showed him around the living quarters where the kitchen and bathroom were.
"And here's my room. Thankfully I have a sleeping bag for ya to sleep in." Menma said as he went in his closet before handing Haru a green sleeping bag.
"Thanks so much for all this Menma. I really appreciate it." Haru gratefully thanked the jokester who smiled.
"Haha no problem! Besides I can't let you just sleep in the street, right!?" Menma playfully asked as the two boys shared a round of laughter together. They hadn't even known each other for a whole day yet they were already well-acquainted with each other. Although they didn't care to ask why as the bond between them was worth it.
"Thanks again, Menma. You're a true friend." Haru smiled as Menma's eyes went wide with shock. It had been the first time anyone had really referred to him as a friend. While he hung out with Choji, Shikamaru and Kiba, it had been mainly because they shared a similar agenda of pranking and pissing off Iruka but they were more so acquaintances and allies rather friends.
"Friends? You really mean that?" Menma turned around only to see Haru asleep.
"Totally!" Haru grinned as Menma's mind wondered to when Haru mentioned his father.
"So Haru...you mentioned your dad in your sleep...what's he like?" Menma asked, putting on his standard set of pajamas as Haru smiled as he got changed into spare pajamas that Menma had given him.
"My father...is the greatest man I know. He's a bit silly and light-hearted but he has a heart of gold and will help anybody at the drop of a dime. He's my guardian angel." Haru smiled with closed eyes as Menma couldn't help but be amazed at how Goku sounded.
"Wow...he really sounds awesome..." Menma muttered, thinking of how he wished he knew who his own dad was.
"Yeah...he was..." Haru softly smiled before drifting off into a deep slumber.
"I...have a feeling I'm really gonna like this world..." Haru said before he was out.