Kenshin decided not to interfere with the training process without good reason. All this time he was busy researching psionic properties and made some progress. Most importantly, with difficulty he managed to rework the protection formation to use psionic power—after which he discovered the shields became many times stronger.
After long tests he found that even with monstrous losses—around 85% of psionic energy—a shield that barely withstood the weakest fireball could easily take a one-and-a-half-meter fireball from Ichiro. However, afterward Kenshin couldn't use telekinesis for several minutes. He concluded he was spending all his psionic energy on defense. After numerous tests he discovered that even a minute after Ichiro's strongest fireball, he lacked psionic power to repeat the feat.
Through experimentation Kenshin established that full psionic depletion took about two hours to recover—after which he could again stop Ichiro's strongest fireball with the weakest protection formation.
Recalling his previous experience, he again lamented the inability to track this energy and was pleasantly surprised when the "system" added a Psi energy counter, converting it to a numerical value.
Name: Nakayama Kenshin
Age: 21
Level: 14
Class: Patriarch
Available: 0 skill points
Skills:
Harem Master (MAX)
Will of Patriarch (MAX)
Patriarch Mind (MAX)
Talented Offspring [Level 8]
Create Refuge [Level 4]
Formation Creation [Level 5]
Psi — 1118/1280
???
???
???
******
This was followed by another series of experiments in which Kenshin calculated approximate Psi consumption and finally reduced losses in the protection formation from 85% to 72%. He urgently needed to raise "Formation Creation" to the next level—his current knowledge was insufficient for his plans.
On the morning of day 237 another key event occurred. After Kenshin arrived for another treatment session and entered the office, he froze in surprise for a second—Hitomi was dressed very unusually. She wore a tight white blouse that barely contained her large fourth-size breasts. He had noticed her large chest before, but the white coat had hidden its true glory.
"Good morning, Hitomi," Kenshin greeted with a smile and approached the desk.
Seeing the young man enter, Hitomi blossomed instantly, smiled warmly, stood up, and hugged him. She herself hadn't noticed how skillfully Kenshin had introduced hugging as a greeting for good friends. Over the past week Hitomi had come to see him as a good friend and looked forward to each session.
"Good morning. How are your arms?" she asked with a smile and hugged him.
"Getting better," he said, hugging her with his right arm and lightly running his fingers along her back before kissing her cheek.
Hitomi stared at him in surprise with her snow-white eyes. Kenshin hurried to calm her: "Sorry, Hitomi—in our village it's customary to greet good friends of the opposite sex this way. I couldn't help myself…" he whispered.
"Ahem, it's fine. But try not to do it again. What if someone walked in? People might misunderstand, and the Hyuga clan wouldn't let it slide… We'd both be in huge trouble," Hitomi whispered with a sigh and returned to her desk, activating the heating fuinjutsu directly under the kettle.
"Why not just lock the office door and greet each other as much as we want…?" he whispered, sitting across from the magnificent mature woman.
Hearing Kenshin's ambiguous suggestion, she blushed slightly but quickly regained composure and laughed softly: "Good joke. Either way, a locked door would raise just as many questions and problems."
"True… Problems never leave us alone. Speaking of problems—it's unpleasant to say, but unfortunately I have nothing left to pay for your treatment. This is probably the last time we see each other…" Kenshin whispered and sighed heavily.
"W-what? But you said your father was an elder…?" Hitomi said in a trembling voice. She feared most that this bright streak in her life would end.
"My father recently spent a lot on shinobi equipment, and our village is currently in decline, so…" Kenshin sighed again.
For half a minute dead silence hung in the office until Hitomi finally said: "Maybe I can lend you money?" she offered with a smile.
"Thank you, Hitomi-san. You truly are a wonderful woman… Unfortunately, starting tomorrow I'll have to return home… Perhaps in the future I'll come to the outpost with a caravan again, and we can have tea—if you still want to see a simple commoner like me…"
"Don't say that. You're the most wonderful commoner I've ever met. I'd be happy to treat you to tea!" Hitomi declared, then added: "But what about your left arm? You can't stop treatment—there's still a small piece of bone left to regrow!"
"I know, but there's nothing I can do," Kenshin said and immediately changed the subject: "Alright, let's forget the sad stuff for now. You look amazing today—some kind of holiday?" he asked with a smile and stroked her hand.
"Well… You said I should dress more youthfully, so I tried…" Hitomi mumbled embarrassedly, suddenly feeling not like a stately forty-year-old woman but like a young academy student praised by the handsomest sensei.
"It's true—if you showed up like this in front of young academy graduates, you'd spark terrible envy. All eyes would be on you alone," Kenshin said and gently took the beautiful woman's delicate hand again.
"You truly have golden hands, Hitomi…" he whispered and lightly kissed her hand.
"Ah, stop it… What's gotten into you? Flattering an old woman more than usual. Aren't you ashamed?" Hitomi laughed softly but immediately grew sad, remembering this was their last session.
Dead silence fell; they silently smiled and continued gazing into each other's faces, enjoying wordless affection. Hitomi loved peace and was happy Kenshin shared that feeling. Over the past week her icy heart had begun to thaw under this young man's warm gaze. She scolded herself countless times for starting such a relationship with a man half her age, but she couldn't help it.
"Kenshin, I can't leave you untreated. I'd ignore anyone else, but not you. Wonderful people like you shouldn't suffer for life because of injuries from youth—so I've decided. Come at seven tonight to this address. In the name of our wonderful friendship, I'll break regulations and heal your wounds," Hitomi said confidently, taking his nearly healed but still very weak right hand and gently stroking it with her glowing palm.
"H-Hitomi, uh… Alright, I'll come, and I'll never forget your help," Kenshin replied emotionally and finally sighed in relief. This adventure was incredibly risky for him, but visiting the outpost daily for a month would have been even riskier. He couldn't leave a huge trail linking him to Hitomi—he knew the Hyuga clan's wrath was beyond his current power to survive.
*****
After warmly saying goodbye to Hitomi, Kenshin and Ichiro left the hospital and, as if nothing had happened, went to a local eatery. Right now Kenshin wanted no extra attention, so he tried to be as inconspicuous as possible.
Six hours remained until seven in the evening; Kenshin barely found places in the outpost to visit like a tourist. At the appointed time Ichiro quietly separated from him and left the outpost after receiving instructions, while Kenshin, strolling through the wealthy districts, discreetly slipped into the courtyard of one of the houses.