Chapter 22

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After Keiji was born, Kenshin received his third level, and spent a long time considering where to invest his free skill point, and eventually he chose "Formation Creation", upgrading his ability to third level. At first Kenshin didn't feel any change, but when he woke up the next morning, he found that his knowledge of the art of Formation Creation had improved slightly.

Kenshin now knew how to improve the efficiency of many "old" formations. He had finally learned how to create a primitive protection formation against material influences, but he needed practice, so the day after Keiji was born, he devoted almost entirely to practicing his new knowledge, trying to put what he had learned into practice.

Ichiro practically trained his body hard all day long. Aya took care of the baby, and some daily chores, while little Keiji crawled around and pulled everything his little hands could reach into his mouth.

In the evening Kenshin went to bed with his wife and little son, having spent the previous night in the "barracks" with Ichiro in the next bed. He was completely unused to sleeping alone, and it was hard for him to fall asleep without the girl he loved, so ten minutes later Kenshin was sleeping like a dead man, ignoring the restless Keiji, who was trying to crawl onto his daddy and laugh loudly, drooling.

The second day after Keiji was born, Kenshin called Ichiro to the gym after breakfast and said: - You must have heard about shinobi and chakra. - Said Kenshin, and after waiting for an interested nod, he continued: - Unfortunately, I can't interact with chakra myself, so I can't teach you anything specific, but I'll try to give you a nudge in the right direction. If that doesn't work, that's okay, we'll earn money for guidance and make you into a shinobi! - With a laugh, Kenshin stated, and then told Ichiro to sit in a lotus pose.

For the next fifteen minutes, Kenshin tried to remember everything he knew about chakra, urging Ichiro to concentrate, to comprehend the energy flowing inside him, or to light the invisible light inside his belly. Ichiro did not understand how to do this, and "learning" stood still.

- Okay, sit back and try to feel the chakra. Today you are released from physical training, and if after six hours you don't feel anything, we'll discard the idea of comprehending chakra on your own. - Kenshin declared, and then left the gym, heading outside, wanting to reinforce the old hiding formation.

Finished with this task in about three hours, with a satisfied chuckle, Kenshin headed back home, satisfied that now no random genin would wander into his territory, but would intuitively choose another path, or suddenly change his mind about going to this place. Unfortunately, the formation wouldn't work on those genies who purposely go into that area, but purposely going into his territory by ordinary people-it unfolded perfectly.

By lunchtime, Kenshin was sitting in the kitchen, drinking coffee, and playing a little with little Keiji sitting on Aya's lap.

"You got it, father!" - Suddenly he 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 as you said, I suddenly felt a little light in my stomach area, it's still burning! - Ichiro said enthusiastically.

- Well done! - Kenshin said complimenting him and added: - Now try to send your chakra all over your body. I don't know how it works, but there are invisible chakra channels in the body, try to influence your chakra and get it to circulate through your body.

- Okay, I'll try it now. - Said Ichiro, and concentrated on controlling his chakra. He failed for a long time, and Kenshin's enthusiasm subsided a little, but after half an hour, Ichiro suddenly jumped up, and shouted happily: - It worked!

- Ha-ha-ha, well done! Let's go have lunch and get back to training. You haven't eaten anything since this morning, your mother would skin me alive if she knew you were hungry! - Kenshin said with a laugh, and took Ichiro to the kitchen.

- Aya, our son is finally able to feel the chakra! - Kenshin said cheerfully as he entered the kitchen.

- What?" the girl asked in surprise, and then her eyes brightened and she added happily: - Gosh, Ichiro, baby, this is so great!

- Come on mom! Stop calling me baby! - Ichiro got indignant, and blushed.

- Oh, come on. You'll always be a little boy to me! - Aya replied with a laugh, being in a great mood.

After eating lunch, Ichiro went back to his chakra circulation training, while Kenshin went to get more rabbits and fish. Toward evening, the wine finally "matured" and Kenshin planned to go to Shukuba City the next day, taking Ichiro with him.

After seven o'clock in the evening, Kenshin decided to check on Ichiro's progress, and entered the gym.

- How's it going? - He asked his son.

- Hmm... I don't know, but I already feel a lot better about getting my chakra to circulate through my body. And I think I'm a little stronger now... I don't know how to explain it..." Ichiro muttered doubtfully.

- Stronger, you say? Come on, hit the punching bag.

Ichiro stood up, put on his gloves, and struck the pear very quickly, making it sway even farther than before.

- Hmm, and it's true, your punch is twenty percent stronger. Come on, let's spar, let's test your strength. - Declares Kenshin, picking up his helmet and gloves.

Kenshin withstood Ichiro's pressure for about a minute, but then he missed a few punches. One of them was particularly accurate, and made Kenshin lose his coordination, and fall over.

- Father!" Ichiro exclaimed, falling to his knees in front of him, helping him up.

- It's okay..." Kenshin muttered, waving the help away. 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 meaningless.

Kenshin was greatly impressed by Ichiro's strength and speed. He figured that after a week, even the strongest boxers from his past world would not be able to defeat this youngster.

He wondered what had made Ichiro's physical characteristics stronger, 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? The bastard Kogi had muscles that were unusually strong, like those of a draught buffalo, almost made of 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 decide on moral grounds.