Kaito leaned against a freshly patched wall in Dr. Gero's lab, the faint hum of the stabilized reactor vibrating through the metal. His body ached from the past 46 hours of frantic repairs, and his hands were smeared with a cocktail of coolant grease and what he 'hoped' was just pudding residue. The lab was at 88% functionality—good enough to fool Gero, who was due back any minute now. Kaito's AI maid floated nearby, her chibi form glitching slightly as she scanned the room with a critical eye.
"Master Kaito, aesthetic score: 7/10. Functionality: acceptable. Pudding contamination: unresolved," she reported, her pigtails twitching like judgmental antennae.
"Pudding's not a hazard. It's a lifestyle," Kaito shot back, wiping his hands on his tattered jumpsuit. He glanced at the glowing sign he'd rigged above the entrance: "Welcome Back, Definitely Nothing Exploded." It was sarcastic, sure, but it screamed, 'Kaito Nakamura' more than any sterile lab ever could.
The system pinged in his vision, its neon-blue interface as intrusive as ever.
[System Notification: Lab Restoration Objective Complete!]
Reward: +2 Charisma | +1 Wisdom | Title: "Improviser Extraordinaire"
[New Quest Unlocked: "Binkies and Betrayal" – Phase 2]
[Objective: Sabotage Gero's surveillance network to conceal your progress. Obtain Android schematics before escape window.]
[Time Limit: 24 hours until Gero's return.]
Reward: Shadow Clone Jutsu | +50 EXP | Bonus Gacha Pull
[Penalty: Gero's Suspicion (Trust Level -50%) | Potential Dissection]
Kaito's stomach twisted. "Dissection? Nah, we're not doing that arc." He cracked his knuckles, eyes narrowing. "Time to channel my inner Naruto and go full stealth mode."
He opened the Multiverse Chat Room, hoping for some last-minute wisdom from his cosmic peanut gallery.
[Multiverse Chat Room – Active Members: 7]
[K-18]: Yo, need tips on hacking a mad scientist's surveillance without getting caught. Also, how do I not die? Asking for a friend.
[Goddess of Explosions]: Easy. Blow up the cameras. No cameras, no problem. 💥
[Captain Sogeking]: Dude, stealth. You've got Ki Suppression, right? Sneak like you're looting a boss dungeon.
[Crimson Alchemist]: Precision over chaos. Find the central node—every surveillance system has one. Disable it surgically.
[Senpai Noticed Me]: Maybe flirt with the cameras? Distract them with your toddler charm?
[Master of Cards]: Don't listen to her. You're not *that* cute.
[Rider of the Storms]: Vents. Always vents. Also, watch for laser grids. Nearly lost a leg to one once.
Kaito snorted. "Flirt with cameras? I'm desperate, but not *that* desperate." Crimson's advice stuck, though. A central node made sense—Gero was a control freak, and control freaks loved centralized systems.
He crept toward the system hub, where the lab's AI core pulsed like a digital heart. The air was thick with the scent of ozone and recycled air, and the faint buzz of drones patrolling the corridors kept him on edge. His Ki Suppression skill cloaked his energy signature, making him a ghost to the scouters embedded in the walls. Still, every creak of the floor felt like a death sentence.
"AI Maid, scan for the surveillance node," he whispered.
Her holographic form flickered, projecting a 3D map of the lab. A glowing red dot pulsed at the hub's core, buried behind a locked panel guarded by two floating drones. Their red scanners swept the room in lazy arcs.
"Node located. Security level: moderate. Drone hostility: high. Recommended action: don't be an idiot," she said, her chibi eyes narrowing.
"Love the confidence," Kaito muttered. He crouched behind a crate, weaving ki threads into a delicate net. With a flick of his wrist, he sent the threads snaking through the air, wrapping around a loose pipe on the ceiling. He tugged, and the pipe clattered to the floor on the opposite side of the room.
The drones whirred, scanners locking onto the noise. They zoomed toward the distraction, leaving the panel unguarded.
"Classic misdirection. Naruto would be proud," Kaito grinned.
He darted to the panel, his tiny fingers working fast to unscrew it with a stolen tool. The panel popped open, revealing a tangle of wires and a glowing data core. His AI maid projected a quick schematic, highlighting the surveillance node's connection points.
"Sever the blue wire, reroute the green one to the auxiliary port," she instructed.
"Got it. I'm basically a toddler Tony Stark." Kaito's hands moved with surprising precision, his ki threads steadying the wires as he worked. A spark zapped his finger, and he bit back a curse.
[Ki Thread Control: +1]
[Stealth: +1]
The node flickered, then dimmed. Across the lab, camera lights winked out one by one.
[System Update: Surveillance Network Disabled!]
[Progress: 50% of Objective Complete]
Kaito exhaled, but the victory was short-lived. A low hum grew louder, and the floor vibrated. He spun around to see one of the drones rebooting, its scanner glowing an angry red.
"Uh, Maid? Why's it doing that?"
"Emergency protocol activated. You tripped a silent alarm. Hostile drone now in combat mode."
The drone's arm extended, revealing a mini laser cannon. Kaito dove behind a console as a beam scorched the spot where he'd been standing.
"Okay, okay, think!" He activated his mental VR sparring mode, pulling up a simulation of Krillin's fighting style. The drone fired again, and Kaito rolled, mimicking Krillin's low-center dodges. He flung a ki thread, snagging the drone's cannon and yanking it off-center. The laser carved a smoking line across the wall instead of his face.
"Eat this!" Kaito shouted, hurling a weak Destructo Disc. The spinning energy blade wobbled but sliced through the drone's arm, sending it sparking to the floor.
[Destructo Disc Proficiency: +1]
[Combat Reflexes: +1]
The second drone zoomed in, but Kaito was ready. He leapt, using his novice flight skill to hover just out of reach, and laced ki threads around its thrusters. With a tug, he sent it crashing into a stack of crates.
[Quest Progress: Surveillance Sabotage – 75% Complete]
[Bonus Objective Unlocked: Neutralize All Drones Without Triggering Main Alarm]
Kaito landed, panting. "This is why I hate escort missions."
He turned back to the hub, searching for the Android schematics. Gero kept his most sensitive files on an encrypted drive, but Kaito had spent months memorizing the old man's habits. He knew Gero's arrogance would leave a backup somewhere accessible—geniuses always underestimated the help.
"Maid, scan for data signatures matching Gero's encryption."
"Scanning… Found. Locked drive in sub-panel B-7. Biometric lock detected."
Kaito groaned. "Of course it's biometric. Because why make this easy?"
He crept to the sub-panel, his ki threads probing the lock. He couldn't mimic Gero's fingerprints, but he *could* manipulate the sensors. Channeling ki into a thin, precise thread, he tricked the scanner into reading a false positive. The drive clicked open, revealing a glowing data chip.
"Jackpot," Kaito whispered, pocketing the chip.
[Quest Progress: Android Schematics Acquired!]
[Objective Complete: Sabotage and Schematics Secured]
Reward: Shadow Clone Jutsu | +50 EXP | Bonus Gacha Pull
[Title Unlocked: "Sneaky Saiyan"]
The system chimed, and a rush of energy surged through Kaito's body. His mind buzzed with the full knowledge of Shadow Clone Jutsu, the technique settling into his muscles like a long-forgotten memory.
"Time to test this bad boy," he said, forming the hand signs he'd seen Naruto do a thousand times. "Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
A puff of smoke erupted, and an identical Kaito appeared, grinning like a gremlin. "Yo, boss. What's the plan?"
Kaito blinked. "Okay, that's freaky. Uh… clean up the rest of the lab. Make it look like nothing happened."
The clone saluted. "On it. Don't choke on pudding while I'm gone."
"Rude!" Kaito shot back, but the clone was already zipping around, scrubbing scorch marks and stacking debris with uncanny efficiency.
Kaito opened the chat again.
[K-18]: Just hacked Gero's surveillance and stole his schematics. Also, Shadow Clone Jutsu is *busted*. I'm living the Naruto dream.
[Goddess of Explosions]: You WHAT?! Okay, kid, you're officially my favorite chaos gremlin. 💥
[Captain Sogeking]: Bro, you're speedrunning the villain arc. Respect.
[Crimson Alchemist]: Impressive. But don't get cocky. Gero's not the type to miss details.
[Senpai Noticed Me]: Pics of the clone or it didn't happen.
[Master of Cards]: Bet the clone's better at cleaning than you.
[Rider of the Storms]: Save some of that energy for the escape. You're not out yet.
Kaito smirked. "Escape's next. I've got a plan."
He glanced at the data chip in his hand. It held Gero's secrets—Android blueprints, power core designs, maybe even clues about Kaito's own creation. But more importantly, it was leverage. If he could get this to the right people—Bulma, maybe?—he could turn the tables on Gero.
The lab's lights flickered as the main door hissed open. Kaito's heart stopped. His clone froze mid-scrub, and both of them dove behind a crate.
Dr. Gero's silhouette loomed in the doorway, his mechanical eyes scanning the room. "K-18. Report."
Kaito's Ki Suppression kicked in, cloaking his energy. He motioned for the clone to stay low. His AI maid flickered into view, projecting a hologram of Kaito sitting innocently in his crib, babbling nonsense.
"Subject K-18: vitals normal. No anomalies detected," she lied smoothly.
Gero grunted, his gaze lingering on the "Welcome Back" sign. "Sloppy sentimentality. This place reeks of interference."
Kaito held his breath, ki threads ready to lash out if needed. His clone mimicked his tension, clutching a wrench like a makeshift kunai.
But Gero turned away, muttering about recalibrating the reactor. The door hissed shut behind him.
Kaito exhaled, slumping against the crate. "Too close."
The clone grinned. "Told ya I'm the cooler Kaito."
"Shut up and keep cleaning."
[System Notification: Gero's Suspicion Level – 10%. Narrow Escape!]
[Bonus Objective Complete: Avoid Detection]
[Reward: +1 Luck | +10 EXP]**
Kaito pocketed the data chip and stood, his toddler frame buzzing with adrenaline. He had the schematics, the Shadow Clone Jutsu, and a lab that didn't look like a warzone. Now, he just needed to survive one more day—and get the hell out.
He glanced at the stars through a cracked skylight, the same stars he'd watched from the tower the night before. "One step closer," he whispered.
[Goddess of Explosions]: Yo, K-18. You're gonna make it. Just don't trip over your own plot armor.
[K-18]: No promises. But if I die, I'm haunting you first.
Kaito grinned, his tiny fists clenching. The Multiverse Chat Group, a stolen chip, and a whole lot of ki were his weapons now. Dr. Gero had no idea what kind of protagonist he'd created.
=====
AN: Hope you you all enjoyed this Chapter! Because I have no clue what I just wrote.
All I know is that my head hurts and I may have had to much to drink today, and writing on a small phone is hella difficult.