Chapter 147: The Lumberjack
That being said, martial arts must ultimately be practiced with one's feet firmly on the ground.
After a brief rest, Son Gohan led his slightly recovered disciple and his curious grandson into the mountains. He taught them how to identify the abundant resources of Mount Paozu: where to find fruits, where to pick wild vegetables, and where to hunt wolves, tigers, and bears for a hearty supply of meat.
Of course, for now, his lessons were mainly directed at Yamiru.
Son Goku, being so young, neither understood nor remembered anything.
This little rascal was full of curiosity, wanting to see and touch everything in the deep forest. If not for Yamiru holding his hand the entire time, the boy would have wandered off and gotten lost.
Fortunately, unlike other kids his age, Son Goku didn't cry out of exhaustion after walking for a while or wail after a bump or scrape. This gave Yamiru some peace of mind.
As they passed an open clearing, Son Gohan stopped and stared at it for a long time.
"Master, is there something special about this spot?" Yamiru asked, noticing his master lingering.
Son Gohan smiled. "Not now, but who's to say there won't be in the future?"
He stroked his white beard, reminiscing. "This reminds me of my days training under Master Roshi..."
Yamiru didn't quite understand and stood there pondering. When he looked back, he realized something. "Wait a minute, where's Goku?!"
"Ha, ha." Son Gohan shook his head. "Bring him back. I'll stay here and have a look. You might find this place useful in your future training."
Training? Yamiru thought as he glanced at the clearing. This empty patch of land?
Activating his sharp vision, Yamiru quickly spotted Goku's humanoid ki nearby and headed in that direction. Son Gohan's words had triggered a vague memory in his mind.
"Wow!"
It turned out that Son Goku had been chasing a butterfly. Its deep blue wings were adorned with sky-blue patterns, and it seemed to leave a trail of shimmering powder in the air. It was truly a beautiful sight.
Yamiru grabbed Goku by the back of his collar — since there were no properly sized clothes for him yet, Goku was still wearing his Saiyan battle suit — and carried him back with ease. Goku, dangling in Yamiru's grasp, kept his eyes fixed on the butterfly. Yamiru muttered, half to himself, "This butterfly looks familiar. Don't tell me it's the same one your eldest son was chasing..." Of course, no one could understand what he was talking about.
"Wow!"
When Goku was brought back, he looked upset, glaring at Yamiru and shouting in protest.
Yamiru studied Goku's displeased expression. Whether it was his own bias or a preconceived notion, he felt that Goku didn't seem as ferocious as he had a few days ago.
"Come on, let's go back and make breakfast."
Son Gohan led them back.
Yamiru had a good memory. After walking the path once, he could easily retrace it. Taking the lead, he grabbed a stick and began swinging it at the weeds along the way like a child playing.
Finding this amusing, Goku picked up a branch too and began imitating Yamiru, swiping at the lush vegetation on the roadside. At some point, something seemed to tickle his nerves, and he burst out laughing.
Two kids!
Son Gohan followed leisurely behind them. Then he heard his disciple call out without turning back, "Master! This might be the first time Goku's laughed so happily, isn't it?"
"Oh?" Son Gohan was taken aback. "Now that you mention it, I hadn't noticed. Yes, this is probably the first time this child has laughed since he landed on Earth."
He realized his disciple was rather observant.
During their earlier training, Yamiru's remarks about ki, though somewhat rudimentary, were indeed fresh and insightful, offering a perspective that hadn't been considered before.
Son Gohan chuckled softly.
Yamiru had once mentioned that two years ago, before the martial arts tournament, he had been rejected by Master Roshi. "What was Master Mutaito thinking? How could he have refused someone like Yamiru? Or perhaps... the Yamiru of two years ago was completely different from the boy standing before him now?
If that were the case..."
Son Gohan recalled the mysterious old man Yamiru had mentioned — the one who had guided him to Mount Paozu.
If that was the case, this nameless elder truly had a keen eye. He had pointed Yamiru toward a path filled with thorns and obstacles, a journey that would reshape him and bring lifelong benefits. Son Gohan also felt gratitude toward this mysterious master, who had unwittingly gifted him such a bright and talented disciple.
---
After breakfast, Son Gohan took the two back into the mountains.
This time, however, his task for Yamiru was simple: find suitable trees in the forest, chop them down, and bring them to the clearing near their small house. The goal was to prepare materials for building another cabin. Their current one-room dwelling was fine for now, but in a few years, when both Yamiru and Son Goku grew bigger, it would be far too cramped.
As for how Yamiru should cut the trees down or transport them back, Son Gohan left that entirely up to him.
The old master issued his instructions and then strolled off with Son Goku in tow.
Yamiru watched his teacher and the little Saiyan disappear into the distance, noting that they seemed to be heading out of the mountain entirely. He had no idea what his master was up to, but he wasn't worried. After all, today was still Age 737. There were twelve full years left before the "storyline" officially began in Age 749. Time was on his side.
With that thought, Yamiru took a deep breath and kicked a tree.
The tree shook violently.
Thud! He kicked it again.
The tree swayed, trembled, and, after repeated kicks, eventually fell over with a loud crash.
Yamiru figured that since this was physical labor and he was here for training, he might as well go all out and use brute force. This way, the task would double as a form of practice.
The forest echoed with the sound of his labor.
Carrying a tree trunk several meters long over his shoulder, Yamiru returned to the clearing in front of the house and dropped it with a loud thud. Excited, he ran back to the woods for more.
Again and again, he carried back logs until the sun rose high in the sky, nearing noon.
By then, the clearing in front of the cabin was piled high with logs, forming a small mountain. Yamiru figured this should be more than enough to build another cabin. With his master and Son Goku still absent, he began stripping the excess branches and leaves from the logs. Eventually, boredom set in, and he started snapping off branches as if practicing Wing Chun on a wooden dummy.
When Son Gohan finally returned with Son Goku, they found a mountain of neatly stripped logs and Yamiru sprawled on top, utterly exhausted.
"My, so many?" Son Gohan exclaimed, surprised.
"Master," Yamiru slid down the log pile, "you're finally back."
Son Gohan chuckled. "Hungry?"
He raised a hand, and Yamiru noticed that his master was carrying several wild rabbits. Behind him, Son Goku happily dragged the carcass of a leopard.
Son Goku swayed his head from side to side, clearly excited about the prospect of roasted leopard meat. Even with his amnesia, it hadn't taken him long to remember the deliciousness of roasted meat. To him, these two people were clearly the ones who could make him tasty meals.
---
After lunch, Son Gohan disappeared again.
This time, he went off alone, leaving Yamiru with the task of watching over Son Goku. There were no specific instructions, other than to wander around the mountain freely, keep an eye on Goku, and stay safe while learning the lay of the land. Yamiru guessed that his master was likely preparing for their formal training and wasn't too concerned.
Taking Goku by the hand, he spent the afternoon leisurely exploring Mount Paozu.
"Ah, these mountains, this water!"
Standing atop a peak and looking out at the vast scenery, Yamiru felt a sense of clarity and joy that was hard to put into words.
"Woo!" The little tailless Saiyan clapped his hands at his feet, clearly amused, though it was anyone's guess what he found so entertaining.