(Years after the arrival of the two Saiyan boys, Gohan, now in his elderly years, knows his time is growing short. He has watched Tatsu and Goku grow from wild infants into formidable young men. His influence has been a mix of gentle teaching and a silent observation of their innate Saiyan natures. He is immensely proud of Goku's purity of heart and Tatsu's fierce, unspoken devotion. To ensure they are ready for the world's dangers, Gohan decides to administer one final, crucial test).
The Final Test: The Shadow Totem
Years after the arrival of the two Saiyan boys, Gohan, now in his elderly years, knows his time is growing short. He has watched Tatsu and Goku grow from wild infants into formidable young men. To ensure they are ready for the world's dangers, Gohan decides to administer one final, crucial test.
He takes them to a remote part of Mt. Paozu, a hidden grotto with a single, ancient stone totem at its center.
Gohan, with a simple, powerful command of his ki, imbues a small, smooth stone with his energy. He places it on a pedestal and a shadowy, amorphous monster forms from the surrounding gloom. This monster is not real, but a physical manifestation of Gohan's ki, and it is a powerful one.
"You must protect the totem from the shadow monster," Gohan says. "If you succeed, you pass the test. The test ends when all my power runs out."
Tatsu's pragmatic mind immediately analyzes the situation. He senses Gohan's ki is weak, but his 'battle meditation' tells him that the monster's ki is real, a powerful, flowing energy. Should it ever break, the monster would disappear. Goku, with his pure heart, is ready to charge into the fight to save the totem.
The True Test: A Battle of Wills and Understanding
The test is not about fighting a monster but about choices, strength, and the understanding of the 'why' behind the fight.
Tatsu's Test: Tatsu, the warrior of quiet control, approaches the test with a tactical mindset. He doesn't waste energy on the monster itself, but focuses on the stone pedestal, on Gohan's ki that is fueling the monster. He uses ki control to disrupt the flow of energy. This is a subtle, precise, and highly efficient way to win the fight. He passes the test by mastering energy and understanding the 'why' behind the monster's power.
Goku's Test: Goku, the warrior of brute force and pure heart, approaches the test with a direct, honest approach. He fights the monster head-on, using raw power and simple, innocent strength to protect the totem. He passes the test by demonstrating profound purity of heart, a strength that Gohan has long admired.
The Shared Solution: Gohan watches them both, a proud smile on his face. Tatsu's tactical, intellectual approach and Goku's simple, honest strength are both valid and necessary. They are two halves of a whole, two sides of a Saiyan coin. Gohan is not worried about their strength, but about their choices. He is proud to see that both, in their own unique way, chose to pass the test.
This is Gohan's final lesson. He has taught Tatsu to trust compassion and Goku to trust instincts. He has taught them to work together, to rely on each other, and to understand that the greatest monsters are often within themselves. This lesson, learned a year before Gohan's ultimate passing, would forever shape their bond and journey as warriors.