(He orchstrates a fight for Goku, that turns serious. Goku still prevails and tries to celebrate with Tatsu).
Tatsu, driven by his Saiyan understanding of what makes a warrior great, believes Goku is missing a crucial element: the raw, thrilling joy of victory after a hard-fought battle. He decides to orchestrate such a moment for Goku.
Tatsu uses his cunning and heightened senses to bait and manipulate a powerful animal from the forest—perhaps a larger, more ferocious wildcat than the typical woodland creatures, one he knows could actually challenge the younger, less-experienced Goku. He leads the beast to a clearing and disappears into the shadows, observing.
The bait: Tatsu leaves one of Goku's favorite toys in the clearing, knowing Goku's innocent nature will draw him there to retrieve it.
The plan: Tatsu's "battle meditation" allows him to perceive not only his surroundings but also Goku's weaknesses. He knows Goku's tendency toward compassion could leave him vulnerable. Tatsu ensures the animal is aggressive enough that Goku will have no choice but to fight back seriously.
The Turning PointGoku, drawn to the clearing, sees the fearsome beast guarding his toy. His initial approach is playful, but the creature's ferocity surprises him. For the first time, Goku is in a real fight, one he didn't start playfully. He's pushed to his limits, using all the techniques Gohan and Tatsu have taught him—his speed, his ki control, his burgeoning strength. The fight is difficult and prolonged, forcing Goku to adapt and overcome, just as Tatsu had in his own brutal training.Goku finally triumphs, not through a final, killer blow, but by incapacitating the creature with a decisive, well-aimed strike. The animal retreats, and Goku stands victorious, exhausted but filled with an exhilarating rush he's never felt before.Goku's CelebrationGoku's victory is immediately followed by a surge of pure, unadulterated excitement.
The happy shouting: He whoops and hollers, jumping up and down with glee. He isn't celebrating a defeated enemy but the feeling of pushing his limits and succeeding.
The Saiyan smirk: For a moment, a Saiyan smirk, an echo of his warrior heritage, crosses his face, a raw, primal expression of triumph that Tatsu, from his hiding spot, instinctively understands.
The shared experience: But Goku, with his compassionate Earthling heart, doesn't want to enjoy this feeling alone. He instinctively looks for his companion, his "pod neighbor." He finds Tatsu's hiding place and, with a wide, infectious grin, runs over to him.
The gift: With his newfound sense of camaraderie, Goku holds out the toy he had just risked his life for. He wants to share his victory, his joy, with the one who, in his mind, shared the adventure with him. He is offering Tatsu a symbol of his hard-won triumph, a precious gift to his only real friend.Tatsu's Unspoken AcceptanceTatsu is bewildered by Goku's reaction. He expected an aggressive cry of victory, a show of dominance. Instead, he got... sharing. He stares at the outstretched hand holding the toy, completely flummoxed. His instinctual teaching method, designed for a cold-blooded warrior, produced an act of pure, Earth-bound compassion.
Initial confusion: His eyebrows furrow in confusion. This wasn't the Saiyan response he expected. He was supposed to be met with a challenging growl, not an offering.
Internal shift: A flicker of something new, a feeling of... acceptance, passes through Tatsu. This is not the "joy of victory" he knows, but it is a genuine, powerful joy nonetheless.
The silent nod: He doesn't take the toy. He simply looks from Goku's happy, smiling face to his outstretched hand, then gives a single, subtle nod. It's an unspoken acknowledgment of the moment, a silent acceptance of Goku's strange, Earth-born victory ritual.Tatsu turns and walks away, but he is not leaving the adventure. He is pondering a new discovery: that victory, like power, can manifest in unexpected ways, even in the form of a shared smile and a simple wooden toy. His brutal lesson has just taken a turn he never anticipated, teaching him that his methods, while effective, cannot fully account for the boundless, compassionate heart of his Saiyan kin.
Goku trips while chasing a butterfly
The Prankster and the PoutFollowing his exhilarating victory against the wildcat, Goku, still buzzing with a new and unfamiliar kind of energy, chases a vibrant, yellow butterfly through the sunlit clearing. Tatsu watches from a distance, leaning against a tree, his earlier confusion replaced by a quiet, watchful pride. For him, Goku's exuberance is a direct result of his brutal lesson, a testament to its success.
Goku's carelessness: Unfamiliar with the intricacies of balance and momentum while his mind is focused on a fluttering insect, Goku trips over an exposed tree root. He tumbles in a tangle of limbs, landing with a soft, comical thump in the dirt. The butterfly, for its part, seems entirely unbothered by the chaos, and with a mischievous flourish, lands directly on the end of Goku's nose.
The pout: Goku's newfound high is instantly replaced by a deep, childish pout. He doesn't cry, but his lip trembles as he stares, cross-eyed, at the insect perched on his face. The contrast between his earlier ferocity and his current childish disappointment is stark and undeniable.
Tatsu's snicker: This is the moment. A strange, unfamiliar sound escapes Tatsu's lips. It's not a full, human laugh, but a short, sharp burst of sound—a snicker. It's a spontaneous, unguarded reaction to the sheer absurdity of the situation. The same creature who just demonstrated a capacity for ferocious combat is now completely defeated by a tiny insect and a root. It's a spectacle of irony that Tatsu's pragmatic, warrior mind, for all its brutality, cannot help but appreciate. It's a genuine moment of amusement, born not of malice, but of genuine, if brutal, appreciation for the humor of the situation.
The unspoken bond: This tiny snicker, for Tatsu, is more than a laugh. It's a crack in his armor, a moment of unguarded humanity. He recognizes the strange, contradictory nature of his kin, the bizarre mix of power and innocence that makes Goku, and perhaps himself, so unique. The harsh, aggressive training and the soft, comedic moments are two sides of the same coin, and in that one, small snicker, Tatsu acknowledges that.Gohan's ObservationGohan, from his position in the treeline, sees it all. The triumphant victory, the clumsy fall, the butterfly, the pout, and the snicker.
A confirmation of his hopes: He doesn't see Tatsu's amusement as mean-spirited, but as a sign of progress. The cold, brutish Saiyan who arrived on Earth a year ago would have seen Goku's blunder as pathetic. This Tatsu, however, is capable of a more complex, nuanced emotion: amusement. He is not just training a warrior; he is helping to shape a person, a Saiyan with a sense of humor.
The gentle lesson: Gohan, sensing the moment is right, emerges from the shadows. He doesn't scold Goku for his carelessness. He simply smiles, gently removes the butterfly from his nose, and says, "That's enough for today, boys. Come on, let's get some food." He understands that the lesson has already been learned, not through words, but through experience. The victory, the fall, the laughter—it is all part of the process, and Gohan is there to guide them, one step at a time.