The Catalyst of Exhaustion
After weeks of brutalizing himself on the mountain peaks, Tatsu finally collapses on the summit. The thin air, combined with his relentless training, has pushed his Saiyan physiology to its limit. His lungs burn, his muscles ache, and his mind, usually a whirlwind of instinctual aggression, is finally too exhausted to fight.
It is in this state of total depletion that his consciousness, no longer tethered by his physical fighting instincts, reaches a new level of awareness. It is not Gohan's peaceful meditation, which Tatsu dismissed as weakness, but a raw, unrefined form of Battle Meditation, a natural Saiyan adaptation born from a life of warfare and the need for efficiency.
The "Battle Meditation" Effect
A "map" of his surroundings: In his state of heightened awareness, Tatsu's mind creates a mental map of his surroundings, not in terms of peaceful landmarks, but in terms of threats and resources. He can feel the tiny tremors of a distant animal, the gentle ripple of the wind, and the subtle ki signatures of Gohan and Goku far below.
His entire environment becomes a single, cohesive unit of information, a battlefield where he is the general.
The "flow" of power: Tatsu's ki, which he has brute-forced into submission, now flows through his body with an effortless grace. He can feel every muscle, every bone, and every strand of energy within him. He is still in pain, but the pain is no longer a distraction; it is just another variable on his internal map, a signal of his current physical state.
A natural fighting state: He doesn't think about techniques or strategies. He just knows where the weak points are, where the openings are, and where to strike for maximum effect. His mind is calm, but his will is as sharp as a blade. This is not the serenity of a meditating monk, but the lethal tranquility of a seasoned warrior, perfectly attuned to the art of battle.
An easier path: For Tatsu, this state of exhaustion is an easier path to control than Gohan's gentle methods. He doesn't have to fight his primal instincts; he has to submit to them entirely, to his exhaustion, and let the innate, brutal efficiency of his Saiyan nature take over. It is a state of pure, unadulterated awareness where nothing matters but the fight.
Gohan's Unwitting Success
Gohan finds Tatsu on the mountain peak, not in the throes of a Saiyan rage, but in a state of profound, if aggressive, peace. He doesn't understand the complex psychological process that has transpired, but he sees the result. Tatsu's control over his ki is stronger, his focus is sharper, and his movements, when he gets up, are more deliberate.Gohan believes Tatsu is simply mastering the ki control he has been teaching, a testament to Saiyan persistence.
He doesn't realize that Tatsu has taken Gohan's lessons and bent them to his own, Saiyan will.The path to inner peace for Tatsu is through battle and dominance, not through serenity and coexistence.Gohan has succeeded, in a way, in teaching Tatsu control. But he has no idea that the "meditation" Tatsu has discovered is a path to a more efficient and deadly form of battle. He has nurtured a warrior's soul, not a monk's.