"How strange. I can't sense this cute cat's energy signature," said Lazuli. He approached Karin, crouched down, and attempted to stroke the cat's head. However, the cat moved his body slightly to the side, avoiding the caress.
"Girl, don't you know that cats are finicky? You must convince me first before touching my soft fur!" the cat growled, standing on his hind legs and leaning on a wooden cane.
"Hey, you look pretty strong. Would you like to fight?" Goku approached Karin as well, looking at the white cat with an intense gleam in his eyes.
"No, I'm a teacher, not a fighter. Why did you climb my tower?" Ignoring the intense gaze of the young Saiyan, Karin looked closely at Bulma, slightly opening his perpetually closed eyes to scrutinize the blue-haired girl.
He had long since noticed a promising young woman roaming the Earth; after all, Bulma's ki had reached several peaks over time.
He had also paid attention to the last tournament, so he recognized these young people who had climbed his tower. Inevitably, though, Bulma attracted his attention more, especially since Kami-Sama himself had told him to pay more attention to her.
Karin did not hold the title of "Immortal" for no reason. After living for 800 years, he had developed an acute ability to evaluate talent. He could see that the young martial artists who had climbed his tower were talented, but that wasn't what he was evaluating right now.
He was reviewing their temperaments. Having great potential was useless if one's mentality wasn't right. Ki and its mastery weren't things that could be accumulated haphazardly. Many factors were much more important than power or a large amount of energy.
'Hm, he has a great connection with nature. His movements are natural and efficient. He has synchronized breathing and the necessary alertness despite being in a safe place. He's confident but cautious. Interesting. At least she's much better than that pervert, Muten Roshi,' Karin reflected on Bulma before closing his eyes again. In fact, he didn't need his eyes to see the outside world.
He could perceive the world in great detail, even with his eyes closed. This ability was the result of his training and a way to refine his control of power.
Using this ability, he thoroughly reviewed the other young people who had come with Bulma, creating a profile of each of them and deriving a suitable training method for each.
Even though Muten Roshi and Gohan were excellent martial artists and teachers, nothing could surpass Karin's experience. Not only had she lived for centuries, but she was also considered an immortal.
'The boy with the tail is very impetuous. Although he seems to have moderated his nature, he has held back his wildness too much. I must teach him to strike a balance between his restraint and his true self,' Karin assessed Goku, noting that he was like a tamed wolf. It shouldn't be that way!
Self-control was good, but for people like Goku, it was best to find a balance. That's what Karin thought. Calmness was undoubtedly vital, but achieving it by suppressing one's true self was not the most appropriate way. She had a plan to help the young Saiyan achieve true balance, which she could tell he had been seeking.
'The blonde girl is creating her own style, but her inexperience has led her to adopt many things foreign to her. Some suit her; others are a burden. I have to hammer away to remove the dross,' Karin concluded when evaluating Lazuli.
If there was one thing he excelled at, it was helping young people improve, so he would undoubtedly help the blonde girl reach her full potential.
'This little creature's mind is practically blank. She knows some fundamentals, but she has hardly any training. Building up this new apprentice will be rewarding!' For the first time in a long time, Karin had taken on a complete novice.
It had been centuries since an inexperienced person had climbed his tower. Although he was good at training already-formed martial artists, there were some things he fundamentally couldn't change.
However, a young woman had come to him whom he could educate from scratch and to whom he could undoubtedly impart many of his core ideas. Could Earth give birth to a new Immortal in the future? Karin hoped so.
"Well, would you be so kind as to introduce yourselves? You've come to my house, and I don't even know your names." Of course, he knew who they were. Living under Kami-Sama was no small thing. He had already received an oracle from the god, but he thought it would be more fun if they introduced themselves.
"For example, my name is Karin, the Immortal Karin! Who are you? Let's start with you, girl," the cat said, pointing his staff at Lazuli. The blonde remained silent for a few seconds before speaking.
"Um... My name is Lazuli," she said, causing Karin to shake his head.
"Say something else! Do you have a last name, family, or profession? Tell us more about yourself!" the Immortal urged, making Lazuli, a fierce fighter with great willpower, feel embarrassed.
It was one of the most difficult things for a person to do if they weren't used to it! The group watched as Lazuli lowered her head, thinking about who she was and how she should organize her introduction.
"My name is Lazuli!" I don't have a last name yet. I'm a martial artist and studied economics in college. I have a twin brother named Lapis." The blonde was finally able to introduce herself, causing Karin to nod and scratch his chin, satisfied with her words.
"Good, that's the spirit. Now, kid, who are you?" The white cat pointed at Goku, who pointed at himself with his index finger.
"I'm Son Goku! You can also call me Kakarot. I'm a Saiyan who was raised on Earth. I still go to school, but I'd like to study insects in college. My family includes my grandfather Gohan, my sister Bulma, my uncle Brief, my aunt Bikini, my sister Tights, Chi-Chi, and Master Roshi..." Goku gave a long list of all his acquaintances. At the end, he stared at his hands before clenching them tightly.
"Also... my father, Bardock; my mother, Gine; and my brother, Raditz." In this universe, he was the only one who did not lose his memories. He had a last message from his parents and was aware of his Saiyan heritage. He considered those lost parents and his brother, who always made faces at him while he was in the incubator, as his family.
Inevitably, Goku thought about Freezer. He had thought it would take a long time to find out anything about him, but since Bulma created the space forum, he had a window into the deep universe and inevitably learned more about the 'Emperor of Evil.'
Bardock had told him about his suspicions based on the records remaining on his ship. Even though he knew Bulma wasn't on Freezer's side, Goku was bothered by Freezer's lack of concern for the extermination of one of the races that made his real estate business so successful.
The universe only knew that a supposed meteorite had destroyed the planet Vegeta. Thinking about his parents' deaths and how their end had been obscured made him angry.
He had kept his cool for a long time and remained relaxed. Although it was part of his nature, he had not given in to the negative and wild emotions that inevitably arose within him.
He had a pure heart, but that didn't mean he could only experience positive emotions. He had tried to achieve mental balance, but he still lacked experience.
Emotional control isn't something you can just train yourself to do; it comes with time and experience. After all, he was just a young man who had recently entered puberty. As he struggled with the colliding emotions in his heart, Karin's staff gently tapped his head.
"Emotional balance isn't achieved by repressing your feelings or by letting them control you. Shout, little boy. Express yourself." Upon hearing these words from the Immortal, Goku simply let go.
A crimson aura emerged from his body. Strangely, however, neither the tower nor the building he was in shook, despite his growing power. This demonstrated the steadiness of these places.
"Goku, have you been repressing so much?" For the first time, Bulma felt that her empathic ability wasn't as powerful as she had thought. Right now, she hadn't discovered many of the emotions Goku was feeling.
She had no idea that Goku was keeping so much inside! Although he sometimes acted like a capricious child, expressing his anger and other feelings, it seemed that the young Saiyan had kept much of what he really felt inside.
That's why his ki, heightened by his emotions, could be felt throughout the land. Because of the special place he was in, however, no one could guess where he was.
"I don't know how he was taught, but it seems that for too long, he has been taught to control himself. Although we all need some control, his young mind interpreted this as 'don't reveal all my true feelings.'
Although he may have expressed some of his feelings, the pressure will continue to build. However, this catharsis and my subsequent guidance can help him a lot. There's no reason to worry because we caught it in time.
Now, we just have to let him express himself as he sees fit," said Karin. She watched as Goku gradually brought his power back under control. Instead of dissipating it, however, he showed his palm, where a mass of red ki swirled menacingly.
Instead of releasing it and seeking destruction, however, Goku's control caused his energy to transform into small, fairly detailed humanoid figures representing everyone he knew, even his enemies.
"Hmm? You have a great artistic spirit, young man." Karin was amazed this time.
Although shaping Ki was possible, it was the first time she had seen someone represent it so realistically. This did not mean that Goku's control was superior, but rather that he had a knack for this type of representation.
"I feel more comfortable now," Goku murmured before storing his power inside his body. Before he could say anything else, he felt a pair of arms wrap around him, and his head fell onto something soft that prevented him from breathing.
"Don't scare me like that, brat!" Bulma complained softly but continued to hug her younger brother tightly.
"It's okay, Bulma, but will you let me go? I can't breathe..." Goku patted Bulma's arm, hoping she would release him.
"HAHA! Many would love a hug from me, and you're wasting it!" Bulma complained but agreed to the Saiyan's request, releasing him from her fierce embrace.
Although Bulma had decided to pay attention to the emotional state of her loved ones, she relied heavily on her empathic ability. However, she had never trained herself to pick up on the finer details, which is why this situation was able to occur right under her nose.
'It seems that I need to improve my sensitivity to emotions and stop relying on my ability. Not everything should be done through it,' Bulma reflected as she listened to Letty introduce herself. Letty simply said her name and that Lazuli was her mother, which made the blue-haired girl smile.
She would not allow today's situation to happen again!
"I'm Bulma Brief!" When it was her turn, Bulma introduced herself energetically. Given all that she had done in her short life, her introduction was much longer than the others'.
"Girl, don't you know moderation? You know too much science, and now you're going for the humanities!" Karin exclaimed. He even let out a meow when he heard about all that Bulma had learned. Not only that, but she had corresponding doctorates as well.
How could such a person be a martial artist? She should be seeking transcendence instead of training!
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AN: I've emphasized Goku's emotional control quite a bit, but I haven't shown how chaotic he was in his youth, despite showing his restlessness. The emotional balance I mentioned appears in Goku as an adult in the Buu Saga. However, I feel that with proper guidance, he can achieve it in this version, where he is closer to his Saiyan nature.
On another note, be clear with your emotions, whether they are positive or negative. Don't seek destructive outlets; seek healthy, recreational, and artistic outlets, even if you don't think you have any talent. Don't break things; venting emotions through destruction is never good.
That's all :'0. Also, the Super Saiyan Goku outburst was not just because of Krillin's death but also because of the negative emotions and stress that Goku had built up from his first death to the fight with Freezer. Dying, losing your only family member and friends, watching your son suffer, and watching your best friend die would make anyone explode, even a pure-hearted person like Goku.
Goku knows who he is, who his parents were, and who their possible killer was. Even though he grew up in a happy environment, negative emotions must have built up, right? As I mentioned, although restless, this story emphasizes that he must moderate himself. For a young mind, that can be risky because they don't know how to set boundaries. Even when they do, it's ironic.
Obviously, I don't plan to create a canonical Goku, but his real maturity will start here. I've already hinted that his puberty started late, but it started. By the way, I think he's 15 by now. Bulma would be 19 or 20. In any case, that would make Goku 16. I should check that. In any case, it's about time the personality changes become more visible.
As for Bulma, her personality has changed due to her experiences, although it may not seem that way. Girls reach mental maturity sooner than boys, and since I didn't write much about her childhood, she seems somewhat homogeneous. Likewise, is there a need for a Bulma who can get serious but then throw a tantrum like a little girl? We already have that here! Haha!
This note is too long. I'll say goodbye.