Chapter 2: A Familiar, Yet Different Path
I don't know what I expected to feel after being reborn as Goku, but life as an infant was much more frustrating than I could have anticipated. For the first few weeks, I was utterly helpless. Every time I tried to speak, nothing but incoherent baby sounds came out. My body was weak, my arms and legs uncoordinated. It's one thing to watch Goku as a baby in the anime, but it's another to be him, trapped in a body that can barely move.
I had all my memories, all my knowledge of what was to come, but none of the physical ability to act on it. It was maddening. I was used to having control over my body, to having autonomy, but now I was an infant all over again. I couldn't even walk yet, let alone train. It was going to be a long road.
But I had time. So much time.
Grandpa Gohan, for his part, was everything I expected and more. He was kind, patient, and deeply caring, just as he had been portrayed in the show. He took me in without hesitation, raising me as his own, despite the fact that I had literally fallen from the sky. I could see the love in his eyes whenever he held me, and it warmed my heart in a way I hadn't anticipated. Knowing that this man who cared for me so deeply would eventually die because of my transformation into a Great Ape kept me up at night. But I was determined to change that. I had to change that.
The days passed slowly at first, but I cherished every moment. Each day, Gohan would take me outside, carrying me on his back as he went about his daily tasks. The forest was vast and beautiful, with towering trees and gentle streams. It was peaceful here—quiet and serene. A part of me understood why Goku had grown up so carefree in this place, so far removed from the dangers of the world. It was a paradise. But I knew that peace wouldn't last forever.
By the time I could finally walk, I started to feel more like myself again. My Saiyan heritage was already making itself known. Even at such a young age, I could feel the raw strength inside me, waiting to be unleashed. But I had to be careful. I couldn't afford to let Grandpa Gohan know how strong I really was—not yet. I needed to bide my time, train in secret, and prepare for the challenges that I knew were coming.
At night, when Gohan was asleep, I would sneak out of the house and into the forest to train. My body was still small, but I could already feel the potential coursing through me. I started with basic exercises—push-ups, sit-ups, running through the trees. I pushed myself harder than I ever had before, knowing that every second I spent training now would pay off in the future.
It wasn't long before I began to feel the difference. My muscles grew stronger, my movements more fluid. I was still just a kid, but I could already tell that I was progressing faster than Goku had at this age. I wasn't just relying on raw talent—I had the knowledge of Goku's future training. I knew what needed to be done, and I wasn't going to waste any time.
Two Years Later
Life with Grandpa Gohan was peaceful, but I knew it wouldn't stay that way forever. By the time I was four years old, I had mastered walking, running, and basic combat forms. I could feel my power growing every day, and while Gohan didn't seem to notice at first, it was only a matter of time before things started to change.
I had a plan. I wasn't going to let history repeat itself. I wasn't going to let Gohan die because of my Great Ape transformation. I had to find a way to control it—before the full moon came again.
I knew from the anime that Goku's tail was the key to the transformation, but I didn't want to just cut it off. No, that would be a last resort. Goku's tail was a symbol of his Saiyan heritage, and I wanted to keep it. I wanted to master it. If I could learn to control the Oozaru form, I would be unstoppable.
But the question was—how?
One evening, after a long day of chopping wood and helping Gohan around the house, I sat by the fire, staring into the dancing flames. Gohan was humming to himself, preparing dinner, while I sat deep in thought. I couldn't just wait for the full moon to appear. I needed to train now. I needed to learn how to control my Saiyan instincts before it was too late.
"Goku?" Gohan's voice pulled me from my thoughts. I looked up to see him smiling down at me, his eyes full of warmth. "You've been awfully quiet today. Is something on your mind?"
I hesitated for a moment, wondering how much I should tell him. Gohan didn't know about my Saiyan heritage. He didn't know that I wasn't from this world, or that I wasn't even truly his grandson. But in this moment, he was the only family I had, and I owed him everything.
"Grandpa," I said slowly, choosing my words carefully. "Do you think... I'm different?"
He raised an eyebrow, clearly surprised by the question. "Different? What do you mean, Goku?"
I glanced down at my tail, which was slowly swaying behind me. "My tail... And, well, I feel... stronger than other kids. Like, a lot stronger."
Gohan's smile softened, and he crouched down beside me, placing a hand on my shoulder. "You've always been special, Goku. Ever since the day I found you, I knew you weren't like other children. But that doesn't make you any less my grandson."
I felt a lump form in my throat. Gohan's kindness was overwhelming at times. He had no idea who—or what—I really was, but he loved me just the same. I didn't deserve him. I had already doomed him once, in the original timeline. I wasn't going to let that happen again.
"Grandpa," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "I want to be strong. I want to protect you."
Gohan chuckled softly and ruffled my hair. "You're already strong, Goku. Stronger than you know. But strength isn't just about fighting. It's about heart. And you've got plenty of that."
I smiled, but deep down, I knew that heart alone wouldn't be enough to protect him. I had to get stronger—much stronger.
Over the next few months, I dedicated myself to training harder than ever. I woke up early every morning, long before Gohan, and snuck out into the forest to push myself to the limit. I practiced everything I remembered from Goku's later training—running, jumping, climbing, and even trying to harness my Ki. It was difficult at first, but I could feel the energy inside me, waiting to be unleashed.
Eventually, I began to make progress. I could feel my Ki flowing through my body, though it wasn't nearly as strong as I knew it could be. I tried to mimic Goku's early techniques—simple Ki blasts, nothing too fancy—but even that required immense focus and concentration. Still, I was getting better every day.
But no matter how hard I trained, I couldn't shake the feeling of impending doom. The full moon was coming, and I wasn't ready. I had to do something—anything—to stop the transformation before it happened. But I didn't know how.
The Night of the Full Moon
The night I had been dreading finally arrived. The air was cool and still, the sky clear and dotted with stars. But it wasn't the stars I was worried about. It was the massive, glowing orb rising slowly on the horizon.
The full moon.
I could already feel the change stirring inside me, like a beast waking from a long slumber. My tail twitched uncontrollably, and my heart began to race. I knew what was coming. I had seen it in the anime. I had felt it in my bones. The Oozaru transformation was inevitable unless I did something.
But what?
I ran out into the forest, my mind racing. I couldn't let Gohan see me like this. I couldn't let him die because of me. But no matter how hard I tried to resist, the pull of the moon was too strong. My body was changing—my muscles expanding, my bones shifting.
"No," I whispered, clutching my head in desperation. "Not now. Not like this."
But it was no use. The moment I looked up at the full moon, I felt the transformation take hold. My body grew larger and larger, fur sprouting from my skin, my senses sharpening. I was becoming the Great Ape—the Oozaru.
I roared in agony as the transformation completed, my mind slipping away, replaced by primal instincts. I was losing control.
But then... something happened.
In the midst of the chaos, I felt a spark of clarity. A tiny voice in the back of my mind, a voice that wasn't overwhelmed by the transformation. It was my voice. The voice of the person I had been before. The person who had been reborn as Goku.
I latched onto that voice, clinging to it with everything I had. I couldn't let the beast take over. I couldn't let it control me. I had to fight it. I had to control it.
Slowly, painfully, I forced my mind to focus. I concentrated on the image of myself—my real self. The person I had been before I was reborn. The person who had all the memories, all the knowledge. The person who knew how to fight.
And slowly, ever so slowly, I began to regain control.
By the time the sun rose the next morning, I was back to normal. The transformation had ended, and I was lying in the middle of the forest, exhausted but alive.
I had done it.
I had controlled the Oozaru.
But this was only the beginning.