Kaito awoke the next morning feeling refreshed, a strange, pleasant novelty after a life spent in temporal limbo. He sat up in the incredibly soft bed and stretched, hearing his joints crack lightly. He slid off the mattress and walked out of the room, immediately facing the bewildering labyrinth of Capsule Corp.
'Why the hell isn't there a bathroom in the room? This place is supposed to be the pinnacle of human technology,' he thought, though he didn't truly complain. Finding a room that was dedicated entirely to personal hygiene was surprisingly easy for someone who could read the structure of atoms.
He entered the luxurious bathroom and walked to the mirror, splashing cold water on his face. He paused, his gaze drifting over his own reflection—this was the physique of his prime. He had a strong, chiseled jawline and short, impeccably black hair that framed his startling, piercing white eyes. His body looked as if it had been sculpted by the Greek gods themselves, every muscle group perfectly defined and compact—a masterpiece of human (or rather, godly) biology.
'God damn I'm hot,' he thought, a purely narcissistic but factual observation.
Kaito stepped into the shower, letting the warm water slide across his perfect physique, washing away the lingering metallic scent of alien blood and ozone from yesterday's fight.
He finished quickly, stepping out and drying his hair with one towel, wrapping another around his waist. Just as he turned to look for his discarded clothes, the door clicked open.
Bulma stepped in, looking tired but determined, a tablet clutched in her hand. She froze dead in her tracks upon seeing Kaito. Her eyes widened, taking in the full sight of his muscular frame, the water dripping down the definition of his chest and abdomen, highlighting the compact power coiled in his physique.
"Morning," Kaito said, snapping her out of her stunned daze.
Bulma instantly blushed a deep scarlet. "Oh! Sorry! I didn't realize anyone was in here!" She stammered out the apology, whirling around and rushing back out the door, which slammed shut behind her.
Kaito stood there for a moment, then shrugged, entirely unfazed. 'Well, that was certainly an effective wake-up call for her,' he thought.
He finished getting dressed and walked out to find Bulma waiting awkwardly in the hallway. She immediately apologized again, her cheeks still pink. "I'm so sorry, Kaito, I really should have knocked."
He waved it off with an easy smile. "Don't worry about it. I don't mind."
She visibly relaxed and offered him breakfast, which he gladly accepted. They headed to the dining room, and she brought out a plate piled high with five fluffy pancakes and a side of maple syrup.
As he ate, Bulma leaned forward, her scientific curiosity overriding her embarrassment. "Kaito, where are you actually from? I've never heard of anyone remotely as strong as you."
Kaito casually layered syrup onto his stack. "I'm from the mountains," he lied smoothly. "A very remote part of the mountains. Up until yesterday, I didn't interact much with the outside world."
"And how did you get so strong?" she pressed.
He swallowed a mouthful of pancakes. "I trained for years under impossible conditions. My master was very... demanding." He paused, then gave her the plain truth wrapped in a lie. "In fact, I trained under such pressure that I am strong enough to end the entire solar system without much effort."
Bulma dropped her fork. It clattered loudly on her plate. She stared at him, genuinely shocked by the casual immensity of his claim.
"I... I guess we're lucky to have you on our side, huh?" she managed, her voice hushed.
"I was always going to be on your side," he said, finishing the last pancake.
"But why?" she asked, genuinely confused. "Why wouldn't you destroy Earth? You have the power."
Kaito leaned back in his chair, his white eyes softening slightly as he looked out the massive window at the city. "Because I'm an Earthling, and why would I destroy it? It would be a pointless hassle. There are too many beautiful things and beautiful people here." He tilted his head slightly. "Like you. You're beautiful. Why would I destroy that?"
Bulma's cheeks flushed again, darker this time. "T-thanks," she mumbled, looking down at her plate.
Kaito stood up. "I'm going to head to Goku's house now. We need to settle the matter of Gohan."
"Wait!" Bulma jumped up. "I want to come too! But I need to get ready first."
Kaito blinked and nodded. She dashed off, and minutes later, she reappeared. She was dressed meticulously in a long-sleeved azure turtleneck sweater paired with fitted navy slacks that reached her ankles. Her outfit was accented with sparkling white diamond earrings, a delicate necklace, and a bracelet.
"That's a bit excessive for a trip to the countryside, isn't it?" Kaito commented.
Bulma adjusted the collar of her sweater with confidence. "It's cute, and I wanted to wear it. Besides, I also need to look my best."
Kaito nodded, taking the hint. "Are you ready?"
"Yes," she confirmed.
He picked her up again, settling her securely in his arms. "Hold on."
He shot off, and within a picosecond, they arrived at Goku's house. Kaito placed her down gently, and Bulma wobbled slightly.
"I'll never get used to how fast that is," she sighed.
They knocked, and Chi-Chi opened the door, frowning at Kaito before spotting Bulma. "Oh, Bulma! Come in, how have you been? Why are you here, and with him?"
Chi-Chi invited them into the humble home. Goku, already waiting, immediately walked up to Kaito. "So, how are you going to convince Chi-Chi?"
"Convince me of what?" Chi-Chi asked suspiciously.
Kaito stepped forward, his tone shifting back to professional. "Chi-Chi, Gohan has truly amazing latent potential, and with two Saiyans coming, he needs to be trained so he may better protect himself and others."
Chi-Chi immediately frowned. "No! My little Gohan will not go into any fights! He needs to focus on his studies!"
Kaito argued firmly, "There won't be any studies if the Earth is destroyed." He quickly softened his tone. "However, I understand your feelings about not wanting him to get hurt. So, I will offer you 100 million Yen to let me train Gohan for one year."
Chi-Chi froze, shock written all over her face. Goku shook her lightly to snap her out of the monetary daze.
Kaito seized the moment. He internally asked the system: 'System, hey, could you make a bank account for me, transfer that money into it, and place a checkbook into my pocket?'
[...SYSTEM REPLY: OF COURSE. TRANSACTION AND ITEM CREATION CONFIRMED...]
Kaito felt a faint shift in his pocket and pulled out a clean, new checkbook. He quickly wrote out the amount—100,000,000 Yen—and handed it to Chi-Chi. "Please, Gohan's potential is too great to be ignored."
Goku added quickly, "I'll be there, Chi-Chi, I promise I'll make sure he doesn't get hurt."
Chi-Chi stared at the check, her resistance finally collapsing. She sighed, her eyes glistening. "Fine. But you make sure he studies and trains."
Kaito smiled. "Great. We start tomorrow morning."
He headed out with Bulma. As they reached the door, Bulma asked, "Why tomorrow and not today? We could get a head start."
"I still need to find a place," Kaito replied.
Bulma immediately offered a solution. "In that case, you can absolutely continue staying with me. Since you're protecting the planet and all, my place will become the safest spot on Earth having you around. It's a win for me, too."
He blinked, surprised by her generosity. "Are you sure?"
She waved it off. "Why not? No problem. Now, since the day is still young, take me home. I have work to do."
He nodded, picked her up, and blasted off, arriving back at Capsule Corp in a picosecond. Bulma disappeared into her lab almost immediately. Kaito, however, walked into the vast backyard.
He brought out the metallic Gravity Chamber sphere and placed it on the grass. With a gesture, the sphere expanded into a massive, shimmering silver dome. He activated the internal console, setting the dial to the maximum: 500 times Earth's gravity.
Kaito stepped inside, ready to begin the final phase of his preparation.