The day slipped by slowly. Early that morning, Buu had descended silently into the forests surrounding a small, modest home resting at the edge of the mountain. The cabin's wood creaked with the breeze, smoke rising gently from its chimney. Inside, Grandpa Gohan moved about with slow but steady steps, preparing breakfast for himself and the boy he had taken in.
Buu lingered among the trees, crimson eyes gleaming faintly as he studied the peaceful scene. "So this is the place… where it happens," he murmured to himself. His grin stretched unnaturally wide, sharp with anticipation. "The moment that shaped Son Goku's path."
The day crept by with unbearable slowness.
From his vantage point in the woods, Buu observed everything. He watched Goku running across the meadow with a childish laugh, chasing a rabbit that darted through the tall grass. He watched the boy spar clumsily with his adoptive grandfather, the old man's wooden staff tapping Goku's forehead again and again until the child stumbled back with a sheepish grin.
The hours bled together. The sun reached its peak, then fell, painting the horizon gold. Buu waited, still as a predator in the brush, his ki suppressed so deeply even the birds did not notice him. His anticipation only grew sharper.
By the time night settled and the moon began its slow climb into the heavens, Buu's grin had returned. His crimson eyes glowed faintly in the dark. "Show me, little Saiyan. Show me the beast inside."
Inside the cabin, Goku yawned loudly, scratching his head as Gohan prepared their bedding. The night was calm, too calm, until silver light spilled across the valley. The moon, full and brilliant, cleared the mountain peaks.
Goku froze.
His body shivered. His dark eyes widened, then dilated into bestial orbs. He staggered, clutching his chest, as if something inside him was breaking loose.
"Oh no..." Gohan whispered, horror flickering across his face.
The child's frame twisted violently, bones cracking, muscles surging with monstrous growth. A guttural roar tore from his throat as his jaw extended, fangs gleaming in the moonlight. His tail lashed wildly, swelling with energy.
Buu leaned forward, eyes shining.
Wood shattered. The roof of the cabin burst apart as Goku's body expanded, fur sprouting across his skin. His small form ballooned into a towering giant ape, eyes burning red with primal fury. The ground trembled beneath each massive step.
The boy was gone. In his place stood a great ape, the Oozaru.
"Goku!" Gohan's voice cracked with grief and fear as he grabbed his staff, staring up at the monstrous silhouette of his grandson. "You have to stop!"
But there was no stopping. The Oozaru's roar shook the heavens, a wall of sound so fierce that Buu chuckled in delight from his hiding place. The creature swung its arm, smashing the cabin to splinters. Debris rained down as the old master leapt aside, his heart heavy with despair.
"Please… come back to your senses!" Gohan cried, dodging another strike. His staff cracked uselessly against the ape's massive hand.
Buu folded his arms, observing with curiosity. He could feel the raw, untamed Saiyan power radiating from the beast. It was intoxicating. "Such destruction… such beauty. No wonder their race is feared."
The Oozaru raised its foot high, crashing it down where Gohan stood. The old man leapt away again, panting hard, knowing he couldn't last. Tears streaked his face—not from fear, but from sorrow. He had raised the boy, loved him as his own… and now he faced death at his hands.
"Goku… forgive me."
The giant ape roared, bringing both fists down with cataclysmic force. The ground split, dust and stone exploding skyward. When the dust cleared, Gohan lay broken, motionless beneath the shadow of the monster.
Buu finally stepped from the trees, slowly.
"Sorry, old man… but I can't afford to be found by that time patroller." His voice was low. He turned toward the Oozaru, whose chest heaved with primal rage.
"So this is the curse—and the gift—of the Saiyan race. A transformation born of the moon, of instinct and fury."
His grin widened, stretching unnaturally. "Heheheh… well then—time to act."