Dragon Ball Roshi

 However, things didn't go as North Kai had hoped after all...

 A month passed.

 North Kai furrowed his brow, his face showing signs of frustration. In front of him stood Taro, shirtless with his fists tightly clenched at his sides, his focus intense as he gathered energy... In the next moment, a red fiery aura erupted from his body!

 "Kaioken!"

 Taro gritted his teeth, and the energy inside his body exploded under the effect of Kaioken, doubling in power. This was the first stage of Kaioken, a beginner's level at double strength!

 The grass beneath his feet was blown away by his red aura, pressing flat against the ground. Even his loose, rough cloth pants began to flutter as if caught in an invisible wind.

 North Kai adjusted the small round sunglasses on his nose, observing Taro's muscular upper body that had visibly expanded, his muscles twitching in constant motion. He nervously asked,

 "So, can you still not stack Muken on top of that?"

 Taro furrowed his brow, his voice low as he replied.

 "I'll try again."

 With that, the familiar Muken technique began to flow through him. This was the martial art he had derived from his Mangekyou Sharingan—a technique that, so far, could only be mastered through his "genjutsu transmission." Now, it had become second nature to him, able to be activated with just a thought.

 But this time, it failed!

 "Pfft!"

 Blood leaked from the corner of Taro's mouth as his eyelid twitched. The red aura around him immediately dissipated, and his muscles began to spasm uncontrollably. His tightly clenched fists slowly loosened, and Taro struggled to remain standing, fighting against the sharp pain in his body. With trembling hands, he reached into his waistband for a Senzu Bean—

 Crunch.

 The overwhelming pain receded like a tide, and Taro let out a relieved breath.

 North Kai, clearly disappointed, sighed.

 "Failed again... Looks like it's impossible after all."

 Taro shook his head and said softly.

 "It's clear now. King Kai, your Kaioken and my Muken are two completely incompatible martial arts. Kaioken is about recklessly unleashing internal power at all costs, while my Muken... requires absolute control over my energy to perform 'multiplication' and unleash its true potential."

 North Kai nodded in understanding, sighing as he did so.

 "Yeah, one requires abandoning reason, and the other demands perfect control."

 However, North Kai wasn't fully satisfied. After a moment of thought, he asked.

 "Is there any possibility... of adapting to Kaioken first, then quickly regaining control over your energy to use Muken?"

 His tone had shifted, no longer one of a teacher, but as if speaking to a peer on equal terms regarding martial arts.

 Taro immediately shook his head.

 "I don't think so. Under Kaioken, my energy becomes so volatile and erratic, constantly shifting. It would be impossible to maintain the precise control needed for Muken." He paused, then added with a slight, bitter smile. "And I think you've already noticed, Lord Kai, with my body's potential, even the most basic Kaioken is my limit. Pushing for higher multipliers... that's just not possible."

 North Kai nodded in agreement.

 "I had a feeling something wasn't right when you were training with Kaioken... How old are you, by the way?"

 Apologies for the misunderstanding. Here's the revised version with the punctuation adjusted:

 "I'm going to keep training, of course. I'll focus on refining my Muken. I'm not ready to give up on it yet. Even if it's incompatible with Kaioken, there has to be a way to push its limits further."

 North Kai raised an eyebrow, impressed by Taro's determination.

 "You've got the right mindset, kid. Even if it seems impossible, perseverance is key. But remember, there's more than one path to power. If you can't combine these techniques, there are others out there you haven't discovered yet."

 Taro nodded thoughtfully, the gears in his mind already turning. He understood that martial arts were far from simple, and the path to mastering them was not linear. There had to be a way for him to evolve beyond his current limits, even if it wasn't through combining Muken and Kaioken.

 "Thanks, King Kai. I'll figure something out."

 The North Kai chuckled and patted Taro on the back, though it was more of a light tap due to his smaller stature.

 "I have no doubt you will. Just make sure not to push yourself too far. You're strong, but even the strongest need to know when to step back."

 Taro smiled at the advice, grateful for North Kai's guidance, before walking away to begin his training once more. He knew his journey was far from over, and there were still many challenges ahead. But for now, he was content with the progress he had made.

 "King Kai, why ask when you already know the answer? The Kaioken isn't suitable for me. I'll continue focusing on refining my Muken."

 North Kai nodded.

 "That's fine. Well… I'll be your sparring partner. Let's see how far you can take this martial art!"

 "Thank you, King Kai," Taro said, joining his hands in a gesture of respect and giving a slight bow.

 North Kai and Taro exchanged a smile, sharing an understanding like rare friends.

 ---

 Time passed slowly, and before long, another two months had passed...

 During these months, North Kai sparred with Taro every day. He watched as Taro's Muken improved from three times the normal power to four, then five...

 To deal with Taro's attacks, North Kai had to use more and more of his strength. And this "increased power" was growing rapidly—because Taro's Muken was evolving at such a fast pace!

 Once the Muken broke through, it doubled its power!

 This forced North Kai to use even higher levels of strength to keep up.

 Boom!

 Taro and North Kai collided in mid-air and were both sent flying in opposite directions, flipping through the air before landing firmly on the ground with steady "thuds."

 North Kai, being overweight, was breathing heavily as he asked:

 "How many times is it now?"

 "About thirteen times!" Taro replied.

 North Kai shook his head in disbelief.

 "Unbelievable! I've carefully analyzed your Muken, and I've realized… Although it doesn't put the same kind of terrifying strain on your body as the Kaioken does, the mental and spiritual burden is much lighter than the Kaioken!"

 He glanced at Taro strangely.

 "You haven't particularly trained your mental strength, yet you're able to fight me at thirteen times the normal power? Can you multitask like that?"

 Taro shook his head.

 "It's just sheer willpower."

 With that, he assumed his attacking stance again.

 North Kai clicked his tongue, half in admiration, half in resignation.

 Seeing that Taro was preparing for another attack, North Kai chuckled and said:

 "You should keep training. Thirteen times isn't enough. Thirty times might be manageable."

 "Thirteen times is my current limit." Taro smiled faintly, his expression gradually turning serious. "Lord Kai, now… I'm going to use my secret technique!"

 "Secret technique—"

 Before North Kai could even finish the word, Taro vanished from his view!

 A fist-wind rushed toward the back of his head!

---

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