On the tournament stage, Jackie Chun — Master Roshi in disguise — and Tien Shinhan traded blows in a fierce and dazzling match.
After dozens of intense exchanges, neither side had managed to gain the upper hand.
This was truly a battle between the Turtle School and the Crane School.
Master Roshi's strength lay in his solid fundamentals and vast experience, while Tien's advantage came from his youth, stamina, and extraordinary talent.
From initial arrogance to growing seriousness, and finally to complete focus — Tien's attitude toward his opponent transformed as the fight went on.
Who exactly is this old man…? He's even stronger than Master Shen!
Even Tien, proud as he was, had to admit to himself that this "Jackie Chun" was powerful — perhaps the strongest opponent he had ever faced since mastering his training.
"Your kung fu is remarkable," Roshi said while blocking a strike, his tone calm but probing. "So why have you chosen to follow Master Shen and his crooked ways?"
As he fought, Roshi began conversing with Tien — his heart stirred with genuine admiration.
The centuries-old martial arts master seemed capable of seeing straight through others' hearts.
"Why not walk the righteous path instead?"
It made sense, after all.
If Naruto — after just a few years of training in ki — could develop so many techniques, then what about the founder of the Turtle School himself?
Hypnosis, the Thunder Shock Surprise, the Binding Spell, the Evil Containment Wave, telepathy, mind-reading — all these mystical abilities had been shown throughout the story.
So it wouldn't be strange if he truly possessed the power to see into another's soul.
"Old man, what nonsense are you spouting?" Tien shouted back. "My dream is to become a killer — the greatest assassin in the world!"
"That's right, Tien!" Master Shen called proudly from the sidelines. "You will become the strongest assassin alive!"
Indeed, Tien's original dream had been just that — to become an assassin like the man he idolized most, Tao Pai Pai.
It was because of that admiration that Master Shen had decided to train him as a killer in the first place.
But that… was long, long ago.
After all — everyone goes through a chuunibyou phase.
Who hasn't, as a kid, dreamed of having the "Evil King's Eye"?
Or of awakening their cosmos?
Of becoming an Ultraman, a being of light from M78 Nebula?
Or traveling to the world of Digimon?
And who hasn't at some point said, "I want to be a scientist when I grow up" — only for reality to take them elsewhere?
"I get it, I get it," Roshi said lazily, picking his ear with his pinky. "No need to yell so loud."
Then, his expression suddenly sharpened. His eyes locked onto Tien's with the piercing intensity of a sword aimed straight at his heart.
"But your heart… tells me otherwise."
"You don't really want to be an assassin. You don't even want to kill.
What you truly desire is martial arts — to push further down the path of martial mastery."
"Haven't you noticed? Your heart is crying."
Tien froze. He couldn't find words to refute the old man.
Everything Roshi said… was true.
He could only repeat the words, almost dazed:
"My heart… is crying?"
"This method of teaching…!"
From below, Master Shen suddenly narrowed his eyes, realizing something.
"I see now!"
His voice resonated directly inside Tien's mind:
"That old man — he's Master Roshi!"
This kind of mental transmission, telepathic speech, was something that would later be used by King Kai in Dragon Ball Z — but it had, in fact, first appeared way back in the early Dragon Ball days.
"So it's you…" Tien muttered, momentarily forgetting the lecture.
"Oh dear, I've been found out," Roshi said lightly, scratching his head. He didn't seem embarrassed in the least.
After all, his only purpose in joining the tournament had been to keep his disciples humble.
"I'd appreciate it if you kept it a secret for me," he said with a grin.
"I've been waiting a long time for a young martial artist like you to appear.
If you choose the right path… you'll become a truly remarkable man one day."
Having said that, Roshi turned around — and jumped off the stage.
"What are you doing?! We haven't even finished the match!" Tien shouted in disbelief.
"Victory and defeat… are they really that important, young man?"
Roshi climbed back up just long enough to whisper those words into Tien's ear — then cheerfully slung on his shirt, hummed a tune, and walked away.
That tune, amusingly enough, sounded suspiciously like the opening jingle of the Sunday Women's Fitness Program.
"Hmph, he must've been afraid of losing and didn't want to embarrass himself — that sly old fox," Master Shen sneered.
But Tien, who had fought Roshi head-on, knew the truth.
He wasn't fighting seriously. He held back.
According to official power level data:
Master Roshi's normal battle power was 139, and when he powered up into his muscular form, it rose to 180.
Tien's power during the 23rd Tenkaichi Budokai was also listed as 180.
So, theoretically, if Roshi had gone all-out, their match would have been a fifty-fifty draw — evenly matched.
But in terms of feats, Roshi's Kamehameha could push the moon away and destroy Fire Mountain, while Tien's strongest Tri-Beam had only been able to blow up the tournament arena.
For reference, Master Shen's battle power was a mere 129 — a full tier below the others.
By conceding the match, Roshi hadn't just lost this round —
he was symbolically acknowledging that his era had come to an end.
"From here on, it's the age of you young ones," Roshi murmured as he walked toward the tournament's resting area. It was like he was talking to himself, calmly accepting that the times had changed — but there was no trace of regret in his voice.
"I can't wait to see… what kind of era it will become."
"When it comes to character and martial arts, there's just no one like Master Roshi… aside from being a bit of a pervert, of course. And yet, that perverted old man has lived for centuries…"
Standing in the waiting area, Naruto watched Roshi's figure fade into the distance.
If Goku's master had been someone else — say, Master Shen or Piccolo — he might have become stronger faster in the early days… but he'd never have achieved what he did later.
Having Roshi as a master… really was a blessing.
Roshi's open-mindedness had truly given Naruto a lesson to remember.
"The third match — Naruto vs. Yamcha! Contestants, please prepare to enter!"
"If you don't want to get hurt, you'd better surrender now," Yamcha said confidently.
Even as he prepared to step into the ring, his attention was still half on Tien.
Naruto was about the same age as Goku, but his build was sturdier, more muscular — though the youthful innocence on his face was still evident.
Unfortunately for him, Yamcha was the type who judged people by appearances.
And combined with his blind overconfidence in his own strength, that led him to say what he did.
"The Turtle School's Yamcha, huh?" Naruto said calmly, giving him a level gaze.
"You really think someone who made it to the top eight could possibly be weak?"
"Do you think I got this far on pure luck?"
"Put away that arrogant, judgmental attitude of yours — that habit of underestimating others."
"Otherwise… one day, it'll be the end of you."
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