Chapter 22
****
After the birth of Keiji, Kenshin was level three, and had been thinking about where to invest his free skill point, and eventually chose "Formation Creation", upgrading his ability to level three. At first Kenshin didn't feel any change, but when he woke up the next morning, he found that his knowledge in the art of creating formations had improved slightly.
Kenshin now knew how to improve the effectiveness of many of the "old" formations. He had finally learned how to create a primitive material defence formation, but he needed practice, so the day after Keiji's birth, he spent the next day practicing his new knowledge, trying to put it into practice.
Ichiro had been training his body hard almost all day. Aya was busy with the baby and some daily chores, and little Keiji was crawling around and pulling everything he could get his little hands on into his mouth.
In the evening, Kenshin went to bed with his wife and young son, having spent the previous night in the "barracks" with Ichiro in the next bed. He was used to sleeping alone, and it was hard for him to sleep without his favourite girl, so ten minutes later Kenshin was asleep, ignoring the restless Keiji, who was trying to crawl on top of his father and laugh loudly, drooling.
On the second day after Keiji was born, Kenshin called Ichiro into the gym after breakfast, and said: - You must have heard about shinobi and chakra. - Said Kenshin, and after waiting for an interested nod, continued: - Unfortunately, I'm not able to interact with chakra myself, so I can't teach you anything specific, but I can give you a nudge in the right direction. If you don't succeed, it's okay, we'll earn money for guidance and make you a shinobi! - Kenshin said with a laugh, and then told Ichiro to sit in the lotus pose.
For the next fifteen minutes, Kenshin tried to recall everything he knew about chakra, urging Ichiro to focus, to comprehend the energy flowing within him, or to light an invisible light inside his belly. Ichiro didn't understand how to do it, and the 'learning' stood still.
- All right, sit and try to feel the chakra. You're off physical training today, and if you don't feel anything in six hours, we'll drop the idea of feeling the chakra on your own. - Kenshin declared, and then left the gym, heading outside, wanting to reinforce the old concealment formation.
Kenshin returned home after about three hours, humming with satisfaction, satisfied that now no random genin would wander into his territory and intuitively choose a different path, or suddenly change his mind about going to this place. Unfortunately, the formation would not work on those genins who purposefully go to this area, but the ordinary people who purposefully go to his territory - it unfolded perfectly.
By lunchtime, Kenshin was sitting in the kitchen, drinking coffee, and playing a bit with little Keiji sitting on Aya's lap.
"You got it, Dad!" - He suddenly heard over the telepathic link, and almost spitting out his coffee, he quickly headed for the gym.
- Did it work?! - Kenshin asked excitedly, approaching his son.
- Yes, it worked! I didn't feel anything for a long time, and then, just like you said, I suddenly felt a small light in my stomach area, and it was still burning! - Ichiro declared enthusiastically.
- Well done! - Kenshin praised him, and added: - Now try channelling chakra throughout your body. I don't know how it all works, but there are invisible chakra channels in the body, try to influence your chakra and make it circulate through the body.
- Okay, I'll try it now. - Ichiro said, and concentrated on chakra control. He didn't succeed for a long time, and Kenshin's enthusiasm waned a bit, but after half an hour, Ichiro suddenly jumped up, and shouted happily: - I did it!
- Ha-ha-ha, well done! Come on, have some lunch and get back to training. You haven't eaten since this morning, your mother would skin me if she knew you were hungry! - Kenshin said with a laugh, and led Ichiro into the kitchen.
- Aya, our son has finally been able to feel chakra! - Kenshin said happily as he entered the kitchen.
- What?!" the girl asked surprised, and then her eyes brightened and she added happily: - God, Ichiro, baby, this is so great!
- Come on, Mum! Stop calling me baby! - Ichiro was indignant, and blushed.
- Oh, come on. You'll always be a little boy to me! - Aya replied with a laugh, in high spirits.
After lunch, Ichiro went back to his chakra circulation training, while Kenshin went out for more hares and fish. Toward evening, the wine finally "matured" and Kenshin planned to travel to Shukuba City the next day, bringing Ichiro with him.
After seven o'clock in the evening, Kenshin decided to check on Ichiro's progress, and entered the gym.
- So, how's it going? - He asked his son.
- Hmm... I don't know, but I'm having a much easier time getting chakra to circulate through my body. I don't know how to explain it," Ichiro muttered in a hesitant tone.
- Harder, you say? Come on, hit the punching bag.
Ichiro stood up, put on his gloves, and delivered a very quick punch to the pear, causing it to sway perceptibly, even further than before.
- Hmm, your punch is actually about twenty per cent stronger. Come on, let's go spar, we need to test your strength in action. - Kenshin said, picking up his helmet and gloves.
Kenshin withstood Ichiro's onslaught for about a minute, but then missed a few punches. One of them was particularly accurate, and caused Kenshin to lose his coordination and fall.
- Father!" exclaimed Ichiro, falling to his knees in front of him, helping him up.
- It's okay... - Kenshin muttered, waving away the help. Then he got to his feet, and said: - You've become incredibly strong, and I'm certainly no match for you now. From now on, our sparring is pointless.
Kenshin was greatly impressed by Ichiro's strength and speed. He reckoned that after a week, even the strongest boxers from his past world wouldn't be able to beat this youngster.
He wondered what had served to enhance Ichiro's physical characteristics, and aside from the obvious fact that chakra was to blame, Kenshin had only one guess.
"Perhaps the chakra somehow infuses the muscles, making them stronger and stronger? Koga's bastard had unusually strong muscles, like a draught buffalo, almost steel..." - Kenshin pondered. He couldn't confirm his assumptions until he found a competent shinobi. He was becoming more and more convinced that he needed to come up with a plan to seduce the kunoichi. He had one idea, but there was no way he could make up his mind on moral grounds.