"Using the Tomorrow's Tea would be counterproductive"

Lloyd blinked, well, he wasn't expecting that.

Misako, whose face's in the screen of the communication room continues to explain.

"Then how-"

"We just wait"

He stared, flabbergasted. The Green ninja didn't need to turn around to know the others were mirroring his expression.

"We just wait? For what? Him to grow up? That's gonna take years!"

Jay couldn't help but overly dramatically point to the small kid glued to Nya's side. Kai glares.

"He's what? Five?!"

"Jay, Not. Helping"

The lightnining ninja scoffs, choosing to just sulk on his chair.

"It'll take only a couple of months at most, the time blade effects will eventually worn out until he has reached his previous age"

Lloyd frowns.

"So, for now we just take care of him? What about his memories?"

Misako shrugs. "I can't tell you about that. I myself don't know but he'll probably regain them as he grows up"

Cole looks at the kid, who just hides.

He sighs.

"So, I guess we're on babysitting duty?"

"What about our search for Sensei?"

"We can't just leave Kai at the bounty!"

"Well, we can't be dragging him around either!"

Lloyd rubbed his temples, this was such a mess, gosh.

"Alright everyone, down!"

Everyone at once shut up.

"We're not going to stop looking for Master Wu"

"But-"

He held a hand up

"We're just gonna change our current approach"

"So that means-"

Lloyd nodded.

"For now we will continue searching from the bounty, we will also make stops at ports and cities so we can ask for clues, it will also help us go over what we know and if we've missed something"

Everyone nodded, that sounded like a good plan.

"Then~"

Lloyd looked at Jay, currently sitting in one of the chairs close to the console.

"What do we do with Kai?"

Right, they had to play babysitter too.

"What do you mean "What do we do? " take care of him until he's back obviously"

"I mean" Jay scratched the back of his head, he didn't want to deal with an angry Nya, no one wanted that. "How are we gonna do that? He looks like we're gonna skin him alive and what about our shared bedroom?"

"What about it?"

"Do you really think he's gonna want to stay there?"

Ah, good question.

Nya looked at her right side were Kai was clinging.

"We have a spare room" Kai blinked. "Is... A bit far from mine, but no one is occupying it. You can have it if you want"

Kai blinks, slowly, before shaking his head.

He doesn't want to sleep alone.

Nya blinks, but she doesn't seem that surprised.

"That's fine" She ruffles his hair, he scoffs slightly "You can sleep in my room, like a sleepover, how's that sound"

This time Kai nods and bats Nya hand away when she tries to ruffle his hair again.

Lloyd can't help but smile a little at that, now that's more in brand for the Kai they know, he catches the others smiling softly too.

"Alright then, let's get some stuff the room" And with that Nya less the young kid away, leaving the other 5 people of their team behind.

"... I know our records match but I wouldn't believe that kid is Kai if I didn't know better"

Jay smiles and turns around to face Pixal. "I know right?! He hasn't said a single word since we found him"

Zane frowned from his place close to the door. "I wouldn't have expected for him to be such a shy and clingy child" He admitted.

Besides him Cole shrugged.

"I mean, I'm sure he's just getting using to it, remember Lloyd? Two days after he arrives at the monastery he was already being a menace to everyone"

Lloyd bristles, slightly embarrassed.

"I wasn't that bad"

"Greenbean, you somehow made the whole place a completely trap maze the first moment we left you alone"

Said ninja turned red and looked anywhere but the three older Ninjas in front of him. He heard Pixal snicker.

"I was just practicing"

"Oh yeah, because mud buckets are gonna stop anyone who tries to kills us"

Everyone laughed as Lloyd cringed at his young self.

"Ahem, yeah anyways, I'm sure Kai will get used to us soon enough"

"Don't try to run away from your crimes Lloyd"

More laughter.

Meanwhile in the corridor Kai couldn't help but look back everytime he heard laughs and noises come out of the room he and Nya just left.

"Uhm, We don't have clothes your size but I think this might do."

Kai turned around to see Nya carrying a lot of old clothes mostly hoodie and oversized t-shirts but there were some pants and shorts.

"There are from the other Ninjas" She explained yeah, he could've figured that one.

Atop the pile there was a big red hoodie that caught his attention so he took it, Nya smiled.

"Yeah, I guess that one has always been a favourite" It was barely a murmur.

He ignored it. They have been saying he's this "Kai" person, yeah sure his name is Kai but he's just five, come on.

"Let's go leave this onto the room and then we can eat something if you want"

Kai nodded, following Nya as if he was a lost duckling.

In a sense he was.

She walked down a long hall and turned left, where her room was.

"This is the room" Kai nodded and went ahead to open it, it was a mess, as he saw a pile of dirty clothes in the floor he had to wonder if that's where he's gonna slepp.

"Yeah, uh, I'll clean later"

Kai deadpanned her, a five year old, Nya felt her cheeks burn.

"Anyways, lets just leave this here.. And let's go get something to eat"

Kai smiled a little, he wasn't sure what to think for all these people but he knew he liked Nya, he grabbed her Gi from behind, making sure to not lose her.

(Not that he exactly could, this was a flying ship)

As they walked outside and headed towards the kitchen the bumped onto someone, Kai hid again.

"Ah Zane!"

"Hello there"

Kai only glared.

Right...

"Zane!" Nya smiled warmly. "We're about to grab something to eat"

"Then allow let me, I was about to make the me thing for dinner"

"Ah perfect!" Her stomach rumbled. Zane smirked.

"Jay requested I make some rice cakes for tonight, it shouldn't take long"

Nya's eyes practically shone.

"Oh rice cakes? I haven't had any in months! " Zane lets out a deep chuckle. "I know they're your favourite, shouldn't be long, maybe an hour, moreless, though if Kai is hungry we still have some cereal and milk".

The water Ninja raised an eyebrow. "The milk hasn't expired?"

"Is a new one, Pixal bought it"

She nods and turns to address her younger(? Brother.

"Do you want cereal or rice cakes?"

Is clear Kai still isn't used to being addressed by the others because he seem quite surprised and doesn't know how to respond. Eventually he holds two fingers up.

Zane can't help but wonder why he isn't talking.

"Rice cakes?"

Kai nods.

"Okay, we'll have to wait a bit for those" Nod again. "Let's wait on the living room then"

Zane waves as he turns around to go cook and Nya leds the kid towards where everyone else is lazying around, Lloyd and Jay are playing games, big surprise.

"Ah, Nya, Kai" Pixal greets. Cole who is resting in the couch besides her waves and smiles.

"Hey guys" Nya sits in on of the smaller couches and Kai follows, sitting on the floor besides her, watching the siblings play.

"Hey" they parrot back, clearly paying more attention to the game than their surroundings.

Typical.

They watch in silence except for the bickering of the two youngest ninja (... Almost? Kai right now is technically the youngest) goes on until finally Lloyd let's out a loud cheer while Jay complains louder.

"That's not fair!"

"Life's not fair, suck it!"

It isn't until after the bickering has subsided and the controllers have been passed to Cole and Pixal that they address the Smith Siblings.

"Kai, do you wanna try?" Jay voice is a bit softer and warmer than usual, it makes Nya smile.

Kai blinks and hesitantly shakes his head.

"Okay buddy" Jay tries to not look or sound dejected.

The child rests a cheek on Nyas leg, humming as callous fingers stroke his hair from above, he closes his eyes, lulled by the chaos around him.