It wasn't surprising that Son Goku could unleash such immense power with a basic Gōkakyū no Jutsu. As the saying goes, the strength of the technique depends on the strength of the user. With Goku's sheer power, even the smallest Fire Release could reduce the planet to cinders if he wasn't careful.
Destroying the ecosystem is bad form, Goku thought. He immediately learned another jutsu: Suiton: Suiryūdan no Jutsu! Well… he'd miscalculated again. A colossal water dragon surged forth, dousing the flames but also washing away what remained of the forest, leaving behind a scene of soggy devastation.
Incidentally, Goku's system registered a gain of several hundred thousand Energy Points. Apparently, a significant number of forest creatures had perished in the calamity—perhaps even an unlucky traveler or two.
"Looks like I really need to work on my chakra control. It's no good if a simple jutsu ends up leveling a city," Goku mused with a shrug, returning to study more ninjutsu with the women.
As dusk settled, painting the sky in hues of orange and purple, Goku spoke up. "You should all return to the World Ring to continue your studies. I've got some business to attend to." Reluctantly, the women vanished back into the ring's space, and Goku focused his senses. In an instant, he stood atop a building in the heart of Konoha.
His gaze settled on the Hokage Residence, nestled below the stern faces carved into the Hokage Rock. With another silent shunshin-like flicker, he was gone.
---
At that moment, the Sandaime Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, having finally carved out a moment of peace after a long day, was hunched intently over his crystal ball. A decidedly un-Hokage-like, lecherous grin was plastered on his face. The orb showed a scene of steamy warmth and indistinct, pale forms—it was clear the old man was using his Telescope Technique for some illicit bathhouse viewing.
A voice suddenly spoke up right behind his ear. "Wow, the ladies at that sentō are something else. All mature women, too. Didn't peg you for having such refined taste, old-timer."
"Of course! A mature woman's charm is truly... Huh?!" Hiruzen jolted upright, spinning around so fast his hat nearly toppled. Someone had gotten behind him without a whisper of presence! Had he been that engrossed, or were his senses truly fading with age?
"Hey, relax. I'm not here to cause trouble," Son Goku said, holding up his hands placatingly. "I just have a small favor to ask."
"A favor? What is it?" Hiruzen's eyes narrowed, his warrior's instincts fully alert. Anyone who could bypass Konoha's defenses and enter his office unseen was no one to be taken lightly.
"Mind if I borrow your Scroll of Seals for a quick look?" Goku asked bluntly.
"The Scroll of Seals?!" Hiruzen's face hardened. "I must refuse, stranger. The Scroll is Konoha's most sacred forbidden text. It is not for outsiders. You must leave. Now."
"Forbidden text, my foot," Goku muttered under his breath. Aloud, he said, "Don't be so rigid. I just want to glance through it. I mean no harm. If I really wanted to take it by force, there isn't a soul in this world who could stop me."
"If you wish to lay hands on the Scroll, you will have to do so over my dead body!" Hiruzen declared, his posture shifting into a defensive stance, chakra beginning to stir around him.
"Well, if you're sincerely asking for a beating, I suppose I can oblige." Before the words had fully left Goku's mouth, he appeared directly in front of the Hokage. A single, precise fist drove into Hiruzen's abdomen.
"Guh—!" The Sandaime's eyes bulged. He crumpled to his knees, clutching his stomach, waves of nauseating pain robbing him of breath and strength. One punch had utterly neutralized the "God of Shinobi."
"Wh-Who... are you?" Hiruzen gasped, looking up at Goku with a mixture of pain and profound shock. To be defeated in a single blow... was this the frailty of age, or was his opponent simply on another plane of existence entirely?
"The name's Son Goku. And I'm telling the truth—I mean no harm. I just want to learn a technique or two. If my intention was theft, none of you could have stopped me." Goku's reason for holding back was simple: he planned to stay in Konoha for a while. It was a lively place, after all, and not without its interesting inhabitants.
Hiruzen bowed his head, his mind racing. The weight of the village's safety pressed upon him. After a long, tense silence, he finally let out a weary sigh and nodded. He had little choice. This man's power dwarfed his comprehension. He, who had once battled the Nine-Tails, had been incapacitated by a single casual strike. Faced with such a disparity, pragmatism won out. If surrendering the Scroll could avert a catastrophe for Konoha, then it was a price he had to consider paying.
With a heavy heart, Hiruzen led Goku to a hidden chamber deep within the building. Dismissing the vigilant ANBU with a gesture, he unlocked a massive, reinforced door. From within, he retrieved an enormous, tightly bound scroll and handed it over. "This is the Scroll of Seals. I expect you to honor your word and return it once you are finished."
"Don't worry. I keep my promises." Goku unfurled the scroll, and his eyes immediately lit up at the very first entry. Kage Bunshin no Jutsu. The Multiple Shadow Clone Technique was precisely what he had come for.
He studied it intently, committing every detail to his near-photographic memory. His eyes scanned further down the scroll, where names both familiar and obscure leaped out: the Shiki Fūjin, the Eight Inner Gates Formation, Edo Tensei... techniques he knew of but held little personal interest in.
For someone of Goku's capabilities, most were redundant. However, two entries near the end caught his keen attention: Kekkei Kakusei no Jutsu (Bloodline Awakening/Detachment Technique) and Kimera no Jutsu (Chimera Technique).
The Bloodline Detachment Technique was a forbidden art that could forcibly extract an individual's Kekkei Genkai and transplant it into another. Its success rate was notoriously low, and the physical and spiritual backlash was severe, hence its forbidden status.
The Chimera Technique, which Goku recalled from a theatrical tale, Hi no Ishi o Tsugu Mono, was far more profound and brutal. It allowed a user to physically fuse with other shinobi or even summoned creatures, absorbing their abilities, memories, and—crucially—their bloodline limits. The scroll's notes suggested that absorbing five distinct Kekkei Genkai through this method could theoretically lead to a form of perfected, immortal ninja existence.
"Now these are interesting. Might be worth looking into later." Goku quickly memorized the intricate seals and theories behind these two forbidden arts before carefully rerolling the massive scroll and handing it back.
Hiruzen accepted it with palpable relief, the tension in his shoulders easing slightly as the sacred object returned to his custody. The immediate crisis, it seemed, had been averted—though what new challenges this mysterious powerhouse named Son Goku might bring to Konoha remained a worrying unknown.