Kenshin realized at first glance that the technique given to him wasn't Dai and Guy's developments but rather well-known principles and notes from numerous people who had studied it in the past.
He couldn't miss the differences in writing styles, hinting at people from nearly different eras. The conclusions on each technique detail were too contradictory, as if he'd received not a finished technique but a draft with various notes.
"So that's why they agreed so easily..." Kenshin murmured thoughtfully, tapping his fingers on the table.
Having studied the scroll's contents and recalling Tadao's warning, Kenshin finally understood why Konoha had handed over an S-rank technique without much resistance.
Beyond the incredible difficulty in mastering, this technique harbored enormous danger, and even Kenshin, knowing chakra only from his sons' sensations, clearly saw at least several monstrously hazardous elements in its learning.
Moreover, the Eight Gates opening technique was accessible only to the chosen of the chosen. Only a shinobi with truly unimaginable health could use this monstrous technique.
The technique's preface had a succinct yet brutal note: only a chakra-less person comparable to a Genin fighter could open five of eight gates without serious health harm. Only a Chunin equal could open the sixth.
"I wonder how strong Might Guy is without using chakra..." Kenshin thought with interest, habitually recalling the slightly eccentric man in the green bodysuit. He immediately checked himself from past-life memories, not wanting to fall into the trap of false assumptions about characters who might be entirely different in reality.
"And why is his student Rock Lee no less talented than him?..." Kenshin muttered aloud, tapping his finger on the table again.
"It's far easier to find people with Kekkei Genkai than those who can open the fifth gate and survive. So why does Konoha have two such geniuses at once? Unless..." he murmured in surprise and laughed.
"My first thought seeing those two on screen is probably true... But why did Guy desperately hide knowing Lee's mother and keep playing the fool?" Kenshin muttered, then caught himself, deciding against hasty conclusions based on what he'd seen on screen.
"Sarutobi Hiruzen... I wonder what you're like in real life?... You're surely the same old fool as on screen, failing to clear the snake pit right under your nose... And now you think you know everything, that the little Nakayama Family will die rather than master this technique? Your idealism will soon send you to the grave..." Kenshin murmured with a sigh.
If at the start of his monologue he mocked the shortsighted Third Hokage, by the end he pitied him. For the next ten minutes, he pondered whether to help Sarutobi Hiruzen with the looming crisis but decided against interference with a heavy heart.
"Unfortunately, old man, you've harbored a huge number of conspirators under your roof, and my Nakayama Family is too weak to dive into that quagmire without risking annihilation..."
The joy from the highly advantageous contract gave way to sadness from pity for the old idealist who, like Julius Caesar, had forgiven traitors and enemies his whole life and received exactly the gratitude one expects from such people.
With a heavy heart, Kenshin returned to the lounge, instinctively pulling the first girl he encountered onto his lap—Uzumaki Keiko.
"Ah!" she exclaimed in surprise, finding herself in Kenshin's embrace.
Lost in thought, he ignored the familiar feminine cry, pressing Keiko's fragile body closer and resting his head on her back, inhaling her delicate floral scent.
Keiko just blushed and silently let Kenshin do as he wished. She'd witnessed this habit several times and understood it was how he relieved tension and pondered serious matters.
"Oh, sorry..." Kenshin said in surprise, belatedly noticing he held the one woman who still wasn't his wife.
"N-nothing, I knew right away you mistook me for one of your wives..." she replied with a slight smile, surprised that Kenshin wasn't hurrying to release her.
Only after several minutes did Kenshin remove his hands from her flat belly and let her stand. Keiko didn't rush to free herself, sitting on his lap a while longer, feeling the hardening bulge in his pants.
Kenshin spent the rest of the day again with his beloved women and young children. He didn't mind his older sons' company and enjoyed time with those bold enough to approach their father.
All Kenshin's older sons felt terribly awkward around their father and mostly behaved quieter than water, lower than grass. They couldn't ignore the family picnic in the courtyard, as tenderhearted mothers kept calling the sons appearing on the horizon to the table, nearly forcing them to eat chunks of incredibly fatty shashlik.
In such matters, Kenshin stayed neutral, neither dispelling the sons' awkwardness nor chasing them from the table. He liked discussing technique ideas with them, for even with similar life experience bases, they diverged more each day.
Only Ichiro and Fifteenth felt completely at ease beside their father, unafraid to eat, drink, or start conversations in his presence. And the youngest sons were allowed nearly everything. They could unabashedly run to their father, tug his pant leg, and beg to "fly."
Besides the youngest sons, Kenshin greatly favored two cheerful girls, never scolding Makoto and Karin for mischief, and they shamelessly exploited it, hiding behind his back from Keiko and Hitomi's righteous anger.
In the past days, Hitomi had grown very attached to the cheerful, affectionate Makoto, taking on the role of older relative, caring for her and giving life advice. At the same time, she felt responsible for the fragile girl's fate and handled her upbringing.
The only one allowed absolutely everything was Red. Kenshin adored the big cat, and she knew it well, always seeking refuge at her master's feet after stealing meat from distracted children's plates.
Spending time with his beloved family, Kenshin wasn't truly resting; he devoted at least half his mental resources to pondering the Eight Gates opening technique. He wasn't rushing to give it to his sons and planned to thoroughly analyze all aspects before carefully blending theory with practice.