The next morning started early, even by Capsule Corp standards. Kaito was up before dawn, having spent most of the night monitoring the planet's power grid. He was already standing in the massive backyard by the gravity chamber, which sat like a giant, shimmering silver egg on the perfectly manicured lawn.
He didn't have to wait long. Goku arrived first, landing with a focused grin, followed immediately by Piccolo, who landed hard, scowling darkly. Gohan, wearing a simple white Gi and his trusty hat, clutched tightly to his father's legs, looking utterly terrified.
"Morning, Kaito! Ready to start?" Goku asked, bouncing slightly on the balls of his feet.
"As I'll ever be," Kaito confirmed. "Piccolo, you know the drill. Goku, the dial is set to 20x gravity. That's double your previous record. Your goal is to not only survive but to master this pressure until it feels like nothing."
Piccolo didn't spare a word. He stepped into the chamber with cold determination. Goku gave Gohan a quick, reassuring ruffle of the hair.
"Be brave, Gohan. Listen to Kaito," Goku encouraged before stepping inside himself.
The chamber hissed shut, the silver dome instantly radiating immense, barely contained pressure. Kaito turned his full attention to the small figure standing alone on the grass.
Gohan was only four years old, a tiny, timid boy. He looked up at the towering, muscular stranger who now commanded his father's actions. Tears immediately welled up in his eyes.
"I... I don't want to," Gohan whispered, his voice shaking. He crumpled slightly. "I just want to go home and read."
Kaito knelt down on one knee, bringing himself eye-level with Gohan. The action was gentle, a complete contrast to his demeanor yesterday.
"Hey," Kaito said softly, his white eyes warm. "Look, I get it. This is scary. You want to study, and that's great. But right now, there are some really bad people coming, and they want to hurt everyone you know—your mom, your friends, and especially your dad."
Gohan sniffed, staring at the ground.
"But here's the secret," Kaito continued, keeping his voice light and steady. "You are incredibly strong. You have a huge secret power inside you. Right now, it's a mess. But if you let me help you control it, those bad guys won't be able to touch you or anyone you love. You're going to make your dad so proud, Gohan. He's counting on you to be the strongest hero in the end."
Gohan looked up, his fear still present, but curiosity sparked behind the tears. "Really?"
"Really," Kaito affirmed, standing up. "We aren't going to hit or break anything. We are just going to breathe and focus. Can you do that for me?"
Gohan wiped his eyes with his sleeve and gave a small, wobbly nod.
"Good," Kaito grinned. "First lesson: ki control. Sit down, criss-cross applesauce."
Kaito sat down facing Gohan, cross-legged, adopting a perfect meditative pose. He took Gohan's tiny hands and placed them gently on the boy's knees.
"You have amazing power in your belly," Kaito explained, focusing his immense power entirely on stabilizing and soothing the child's fluctuating Ki. "I need you to imagine pulling every bit of energy in your body right to that spot. Now, breathe deep, Gohan. Breathe."
Kaito spent the next hour working with the terrified child. Gohan cried several times, not from physical pain, but from the immense mental focus required to concentrate his wild energy. Kaito gently calmed him each time, sometimes by telling him ridiculous stories, sometimes by just being silently reassuring.
By mid-morning, Gohan was exhausted, but he had managed to hold a stable, though tiny, Ki flow for ten minutes straight.
"That's it for today," Kaito announced. "You did amazing. Now, let's get some ice cream."
Kaito gently led Gohan back toward the massive house. "We need to wait for your dad to finish his training. We'll get you a huge bowl of ice cream and some cartoons to watch while we wait."
He watched Gohan's face brighten considerably at the mention of ice cream, confirming the bribe was effective. Kaito then returned to the backyard.
'The raw potential in that child is staggering. It's a miracle Piccolo can even handle him,' Kaito thought.
Kaito walked over to the door of his gravity chamber. He checked the seal, ensuring the integrity of the pressure field. He walked into the intense, oppressive weight, the only place on Earth where he truly felt comfortable.
He looked around the empty chamber. He had the full year to prepare.
'Time to start tackling those negative tokens,' Kaito thought, and the work began anew.