What's Good About Life? (Dragon Ball Z SI Chapter 12)

It wasn't something she noticed at first.

There were moments when it felt like Gohan just wasn't in his room, or taking a break in the safety of his home, watching TV or something. Of course when she comes back, he's there and there's no problem.

Yet still the feeling that something was off lingered. Especially since it looked like Goku and the other fighters had some kind of a secret hidden from her. She assumed it was something fighting and training thing, yet seeing that "I know something you don't" look from that violent woman, Nach, infuriated her.

Honestly who does that woman think she is, telling her how to raise her son. Nach maybe a Saiyan, but Chi Chi was his mother, she knew what her son needed in his life, not some hooligan "reformed" space pirate.

Of course she eventually found out when Goku and some of the other Z-Fighters were talking when they were visiting their home, and the words "Gohan" and "Instant Transmission" dropped in a conversation.

Chi Chi rounded on Goku later on and got him to confess.

Oooooh! That Dive! She's gonna give him a piece of her mind!

"So who do you think you are teaching my son to be a delinquent!? What do you have to say for yourself?" Chi Chi finished after finding Dive's house in the woods, and ranting at him for the past hour.

Dive waited for her to catch her breath, with a nervous Goku looking at both of them, and giving Dive an apologetic smile.

"Chi Chi, what do you know about Saiyans?" Dive asked, the question seemingly out of the blue.

"My husband is one. My son is half-one. They are alien and fighters." She said the basic answer that came to mind. "But that doesn't mean they must do all this fighting stuff."

"Actually it does." Came the sharp reply.

"W-What?" Chi Chi was thrown off by how serious Dive was at that moment.

"Look," Dive said with patience and a tone that emphasized the need for her to listen. "Saiyans. Are not human."

"I know that!"

"No I don't think you do." Again his blunt curl answer threw her off. "For Saiyans the need to fight, to push our bodies to the limit and see how we can grow."

"That's true." Goku said to which Chi Chi just glared at him.

"That doesn't mean Gohan has to be the same!"

Dive paused for a moment, as an idea came to mind. "Let me tell you a little story." He said, pivoting for a moment. "When I was a kid on Planet Vegeta, home of the Saiyans were being strong is the same as eating and breathing, my childhood...was a living hell." That made both Goku and Chi Chi blink, yet stay respectfully quiet. "I hated Saiyan society, because most of my problems stemmed from being weak.

"So I left. I went on my own journey, learned some techniques from the Yardrats and mostly meditation skills." He paused, making sure to keep his audience's attention, while accounting for both. Thus essential information for Chi Chi, and minimal or exciting information for Goku. "Then I went somewhere were I can train and grow strong alone, without interruptions, and without anyone finding me, so I can just focus on myself." Dive took a deep breath.

"And?" Chi Chi asked.

"I had a long time to meditate and introspect, and what I discovered it, well, the thing is because I hated Saiyans and their society, I found out I hated myself, since I was a Saiyan too." He said, throwing the pair off. "And that was a mess to work through. Eventually it all ended well, but I needed to confront that I am a Saiyan and what that actually meant." Dive said looking at Chi Chi specifically.

"So...what does it mean?" She said, feeling humbled from being told a personal story like that.

"That the need to fight and grow in integral to us. Humans are more likely to compromise, or find an alternative solution. Try and depend on external strength to aid your cause. That's not how it works with Saiyans." Dive said, trying to emphasis the importance of this. "Yes, we can work with ours. Yes, we can try to find peaceful solutions, but if it comes down to it, our favorite method of dealing with something is head on. Is to fight." He said again, to which even Goku nodded in understanding. "You want Gohan to be safe and I get that. None of us want him to be in danger, but danger will exist. If a day comes where Goku, I or any of the other fighters aren't here, he only has himself to depend on."

"He has me!" Shouted Chi Chi.

"He's not gonna be a child forever. At the very least if he trains now, he can do so in a safe environment, so when he's an adult he can look after himself." Dive said back. "And as I said, the need to fight, train and grow strong is always within us. If he grows up with no positive associations with training and fighting, a part of his psyche will always feel that something is wrong. Wrong with him."

Chi Chi look down, the winds taken out of her. "So what, my son is broken?"

"Chi Chi, don't say that!" Goku argued.

"I know about how strong he gets when he's angry, Goku!" She shouted. "I listen to when you, Raditz, or even that Nach talks. I worried that my son might grow up to be some violent thug, but now you're telling me there's something wrong with him, that is he isn't constantly putting himself in danger, he, he's... his mind will break or something."

"That's not what he's saying." Goku hugged his wife. "Gohan is just like any other kid. Yeah, the part of him that's Saiyan is telling him to fight, but he can choose not to, but it's bad for him to just be cooped up and held down doing nothing but reading all day."

"Honestly a strong intensive physical activity will work just as well." Dive chimed.

"But...but what about his future?" Chi Chi argued. "Okay, I'm fine with physical exercise. But he can't leave his studies! For you guys, it might not matter, but once the fighting is over, we have to continue living our lives. Fighting doesn't put food on the table, or help you raise a family."

"..."

"..."

Goku and Dive just stared silently at one another then at Chi Chi.

"World Martial Arts Tournament, honey." Said Goku.

"The last one was over 8 years, Goku! We don't know if there's gonna be another!" She argued.

"Yeah I suppose you're right, he does need a career and a job." Dive said standing up, to which Chi Chi was glad but feeling odd that he was agreeing with her. "That's why I taught Gohan how to clone himself so he can both study and train at the same time."

"...!" Chi Chi was shocked she froze in place.

"Honestly the only reason I taught him was because Gohan is such a good responsible kid. So I know he'll use my teachings well. See Chi Chi, martial arts solved all of your problems." Dive said with an 'innocent' grin.

"...ggrrrrrrr..."

"So, no need to thank me, and I'll see you both later." Dive disappeared in Instant Transmission.

Chi Chi's explosive scream can be heard from Dive's empty house.

"GRAAAAAAH! GET BACK HERE YOU DAMN EVIL TRICKSTER MONKEY MAN!"

"Chi Chi, calm down!"

"AFTER HIM!"

"I don't know how to do that technique."

"LEARN AND TEACH ME SO I CAN CATCH MY BABY BOY AND ALL HIS BROTHERS! NOW!"

"HEEEEK!"

And so Goku went Dive to ask him to teach him something else.

Learning Instant Transmission was good and all, but then Chi Chi realized she needed to sense Ki as well.

While a headache inducing experience for the Z-Fighters, dealing with a Chi Chi that can teleport and sense energy, thus able to chase after Gohan. It was a humbling one for her to learn how strong everyone is compared to her. How strong her son is compared to her.

And then realize there were greater threats out there, with power higher than even her friends. Vegeta alone, who was once their enemy, was still a monster compared to anything Chi Chi felt was "normal".

After that, she might have decided to be a bit lenient on Gohan.

AN: Note to self - 1 month till Future Trunks.