Arthur decided it was time to return to the Leaf Village. There, he would reach out to Sasuke and convince the boy to leave. All this had to be done before the others still in this country could return.
While a task like that might have seemed challenging, for him it wouldn't be. That was because Sasuke was still under his Evil Illusion Flattery technique.
Convincing the boy would be easy. Simply prey on his insecurities or ambitions—the very qualities that had driven the Uchiha clan to the brink time and time again.
And what of Naruto? Could Arthur use him too? Nay. A character like that was not as straightforward to manipulate.
Exploiting him, however, was a different story since their friendship was a wedge that would sap strength from everyone else.
'Flying raijin…'
Not a moment later, he was back in his hotel room with multiple bags. He set them down and then wasted no time pulling out a processor.
A few cables hooked up here, a few wires connected there, and he was finished. A monitor flicked on, projecting static before settling into a montage of battles.
"Summoning jutsu..."
A puff of smoke enveloped the room as an average-sized monkey appeared.
"Surprise!" Koko said. But she looked around, only to see she was inside a hotel room. "Where is everyone, daddy?"
"Koko, I have a special task for you…"
"What is it, daddy?" she asked with sparkling eyes.
"I need you to watch some footage of other ninjas fighting. Learn their hand signs and anything you can, okay?"
Koko squealed with excitement, her tiny fingers balling up as she said, "You can count on me!"
Arthur was pleased on two accounts. First was that Koko was smart enough to learn by visual watching. And second was that she looked different, more plump.
Not once had she slacked on her duties back in the Cayman Jungles. But while her spirit was admirable, she still had much to learn.
It didn't take Arthur long to set her down in front of the monitor as a video was playing.
"I don't have much time," he began, "so I'll explain as much as I can." The first clip was of Rock Lee and Omoi. "The first few matches will consist entirely of taijutsu, okay?"
Her eyes widened, glued to the screen as the two combatants squared off. Based on her look, she seemed quite entranced by their well-coordinated fighting styles.
Albeit, just showing her wouldn't be enough; Arthur also needed to teach her how to use the device.
"If you need to review something," he said, handing her the remote, "hit this button."
"What is it, daddy?" she asked, trying to bite it.
"Don't." He quickly pulled it back. "It's a remote control, and it's sensitive to touch. Just press a button like this one for it to replay the last few seconds of the video."
"Okay!"
She said okay, but he could tell she didn't fully know how it worked.
It's times like these that tested his patience. Who could blame him? Trying to teach a monkey how to operate a television wasn't as straightforward as it looked.
"What does this one do?" she asked, pressing a button without permission.
Suddenly the monitor turned off.
Arthur narrowed his eyes slightly. He had hoped that, due to her intelligence, she wouldn't be so alien to such modern technology.
"That's the power button," he corrected.
"Oops!" she giggled.
"Don't worry about it. As long as you're learning, that's what matters."
To reinforce her positive learning, he scratched the top of her head.
The monitor turned on, and once more Koko's eyes were glued to the match. Arthur stood next to her as she leaned forward, committing to the lessons he laid out.
"See how they move?" he interjected. "Their taijutsu is precise, so you'll want to memorize their patterns."
Koko slowly nodded as her big eyes absorbed every detail. While she didn't have a special dōjutsu to copy those exact movements, at least she was trying.
"I saw something cool, daddy!" She pressed the rewind button a little too enthusiastically as the monitor replayed Rock Lee executing his signature technique. "Leaf attack! Yay! Can I get a suit like him, daddy?!"
Arthur's focus returned to the monitor, and when he looked back, he saw that she was trying to mimic their moves in real-time.
"Impressive," he praised. "But this is only a glimpse. I specifically chose the fights that were important for you to watch. Just don't break anything if you choose to practice here."
Koko rapidly nodded solemnly.
He knew she was learning when he saw her once again press the rewind button to further analyze their fight.
This was quite interesting. Many people could train a dog to sit or give their paws, but there were few who could teach a monkey how to use a television.
A strange partnership, to say the least.
Arthur's time here was running thin. But he had to be one hundred percent certain that she understood what she was watching before thinking of leaving.
"Show me what you've learned," he ordered. "If you mess up, I'll guide you through it."
"Okay!" she said, bouncing to her feet.
With the first fight fresh in her mind, she launched into a series of punches. The execution looked like a child version of Rock Lee fighting, but there was something strange about her motions: she lacked proper form.
"Stay on your feet," he instructed.
Koko beamed as she danced through the air. Thank goodness he had made enough space for the little chimp to go all out.
"Your breathing should be measured," he encouraged, stepping forward. "Twist your hips into your strikes so you have better control."
"Okay, okay! I'll do my best, daddy!"
After several more corrections, Koko finally sank to the floor, panting heavily.
"Wow, I'm tired, daddy!' Arthur took a bottle from the kitchen and poured it over her. When she stood up, she shook the water off her fur and then gave him a smile. "Can I watch more?!"
"Tenacious… That's good." He turned on the monitor again. This time to showcase Margaret. "You can after a break. But I'll be heading out soon."
"Where ya going?!"
"To handle some business in the Leaf Village."
Koko then peered back at the monitor and pointed. "That's where mommy's from!" She could tell because of Margaret's headband.
"Right…" he said, ignoring that 'mommy' comment.
Before he could teleport away, she leapt on his back and scrunched her nose against his neck. "Be safe, okay, daddy?!"
"Okay…"