Finding Hope

Chapter 92: An Intense Training Session

3rd person's pov

Goku, Bulma, and Trunks stood off the sidelines watching Vegeta and Tsubaki prepare for their training session. It was a first for them; Vegeta had never openly trained Tsubaki, as he had never had the chance to. Though he never trained with her, he kept a watchful eye on her during the battles they fought together. He could see the similarities in her fighting style to that of her older brother and her father, she even had picked up on some of his own moves which made him wonder how she picked up on it so fast. He had always held her in high regard when it came to fighting, unlike Gohan, Tsubaki was always ready to fight battles when she was needed. He respected her as a fighter, he could see the brewing potential she had to surpass both him and her father. Hell, he knew that even his timeline's Tsubaki carried a lot of hidden potential. He had seen that for himself when they fought those twins on Gengoro Island, which led him to believe that Future Tsubaki had the same hidden potential as hers. Vegeta wondered what was going through Tsubaki's mind as she stood across from him. He could see that glint in her eye, one that her father had whenever he went into a big battle. Her body language exuded confidence and determination, she often carried herself like her father. Tsubaki kept her eyes on Vegeta, her mind clear on the same goal as Trunks. "I'm going to give you another goal," Vegeta spoke, his arms steady at his sides. "Another goal?" Bulma tilted her head in confusion, wondering what he meant by that. "Not only is your goal to land a hit on me, but I want you to go to the highest level of Super Saiyan that you can. And don't hold back." Vegeta said, Bulma looked shocked by Vegeta's statement while Goku just shook his head. "This might just be the best training session I've seen. Tsu has a unique skill set in her arsenal." Goku said, he seemed proud of Tsubaki at this moment. "Alright, then. I won't hold back." Tsubaki held herself with confidence, her stance and posture mirroring Vegeta's own. A moment of silence passed, the wind blowing a soft breeze causing Bulma to sneeze. Without any further words, both Vegeta and Tsubaki made their moves and disappeared. They reappeared two seconds later, Vegeta blocking Tsubaki's left leg with his arms defensively. Bulma watched in complete awe as the two started delivering blows, Tsubaki managing to keep up with Vegeta's pace. With a swift sidestep, she narrowly avoided a devastating uppercut that would have sent her flying. Instead, she countered with a spinning kick aimed at Vegeta's midsection. The fierce impact echoed in the clearing as Vegeta barely managed to twist away, his smirk fading momentarily as he registered her speed.

"Come on, Tsu. You can do this." Trunks thought to himself, watching her match Vegeta's speed. 

"Not bad!" he grunted, his voice a mix of surprise and admiration. He launched himself forward, a blur of motion, aiming a quick jab at her face. Tsubaki ducked low, her heart racing as she felt the rush of air from his punch. She rolled to the side, springing back to her feet with a fluid grace that seemed to defy the laws of gravity itself. 

"Wow," Bulma stared in amazement, "She's fast." 

"I've never seen her move that fast." Trunks said. 

"Me neither. If she keeps up the pace, she might just be able to hit Vegeta." Goku stated, "But one wrong move might throw her completely off." Goku said, he was amazed to see her fighting at Vegeta's pace now when the two of them had been training and reaching higher levels of Super Saiyan. Just as Goku said that, Vegeta turned Super Saiyan Two. He threw several ki blasts at Tsubaki, catching her off guard as she wasn't expecting him to transform in the middle of their blows suddenly. She quickly moved to her right, narrowly dodging the blast, and turned Super Saiyan without saying a word. "Will she really be able to keep up with Vegeta in that form? The power dynamic has shifted because he changed during heated exchanges. He hardly gave her any warning." Bulma thought to herself, Tsubaki struggled to keep Vegeta's pace as the gap between power had drastically shifted. "Come on, Tsu! You're slowing down! Keep up!" Vegeta yelled, throwing a right hook. The punch landed on Tsubaki's stomach, making her cough up spit as she flew back into the rock formation behind them. Bulma gasped, concerned for Tsubaki but it was short-lived as Tsubaki suddenly reappeared in front of Vegeta, throwing a slew of punches at him. She instant transmitted behind Vegeta, catching him off guard, and kicked at his side but he narrowly dodged it. He blocked her leg with his arms, the two putting a small distance between them. "Enough playing around," Vegeta said with a serious tone. "Show me what you've got." Tsubaki's eyes widened in determination as she felt herself pushing beyond her limits. She let out a powerful yell as she transformed into Super Saiyan 2. The two clashed once again, creating shockwaves that shook the ground beneath them. 

"Impressive," Vegeta remarked, a smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth. "But it's going to take more than that to keep up with me."

"Don't underestimate me!" Tsubaki shouted, launching herself at him again. This time, she moved faster, her fists a blur as they connected with Vegeta's defenses. Each hit landed with a resounding thud, and for a moment, it felt like she was truly matching his power.

"Come on, Tsubaki! You can do it!" Bulma cheered from the sidelines, her hands clenched in anticipation. She exchanged a glance with Trunks, who was wide-eyed, watching his mentor and his fiancee push her limits. "Look at her go!" Trunks exclaimed, excitement bubbling in his voice. "She's really holding her own against Dad! This is amazing!"

Goku, who stood with his arms crossed, nodded appreciatively. "You know, Tsubaki's got a lot of heart. I think she's figuring out how to tap into her strength. It's just like when I fought against Vegeta for the first time."

"Yeah, but Dad's not holding back," Trunks replied, worry creeping into his tone. "What if she overexerts herself?"

"Trust her," Goku said confidently. "She's tougher than she looks. Besides, Vegeta won't let anything happen to her."

Meanwhile, the clash between Tsubaki and Vegeta intensified. She managed to land a solid punch to his jaw, sending him staggering back momentarily. "That's more like it!" Vegeta growled, wiping his mouth and grinning. "Now we're getting somewhere!"

With a roar, Tsubaki charged again, and this time, she unleashed a flurry of energy blasts that Vegeta expertly dodged. "You'll have to do better than that!" he taunted, but there was a glimmer of respect in his eyes. With that Vegeta lunged forward, closing the distance between them in a heartbeat. His fist shot out like a bullet, aiming for her midsection, but Tsubaki was ready. She twisted away just in time, the wind from his punch ruffling her hair. "Nice try, but you'll have to do better!" she taunted, drawing on the energy within her. The air crackled as she channeled her growing power, her aura flaring brighter than before. With a swift motion, she launched herself at him, her fist glowing with a brilliant light. Vegeta's eyes widened for a split second, but he quickly regained his composure. He sidestepped her strike, countering with a powerful elbow aimed at her back. Yet Tsubaki was one step ahead; she spun around, deflecting his attack and sending a knee crashing into his gut. "You're not the only one who can throw a punch!" The impact reverberated through Vegeta's body, but he grinned through the pain. "That's the spirit!" he exclaimed, his voice dripping with excitement. "Let's see how much more you've got!" With renewed vigor, Tsubaki unleashed a barrage of energy blasts, each one more potent than the last. Vegeta danced around the projectiles with the agility of a seasoned warrior, but the intensity of her assault forced him to focus. 

"You're improving!" he shouted, a challenge laced in his words. "But can you keep up this pace?"

"Don't underestimate me, Vegeta." Tsubaki smirked.

"She's gaining more power as she's fighting him. It's incredible." Trunks said, he felt so proud of Tsubaki in this moment and he wasn't the only one. Goku was proud of his daughter, her potential was starting to shine through and even Bulma could see it. They could only hope that Tsubaki would be able to reach her goal, all three of them had confidence in her.