"You're not human?"
Looking at the woman before him with pointed ears and the appearance of a Western myth, Tōshirō's face showed a surprised expression.
Ichiki, with her elven appearance, calmly stated, "I am human, merely a special physique."
"Special physique?"
Tōshirō frowned slightly, sensing trouble.
The fact that the opponent took a direct hit from his Peerless Strength to the head and still stood up as if nothing happened was likely thanks to this bloodline.
Kekkei Genkai did not solely refer to new ninjutsu distinct from the five basic nature transformations; it also included special organs and physiologies.
For example:
The Shikotsumyaku of the Kaguya clan, controlling bones in combat. The Iburi clan, whose bodies could turn into mist, entering a ninja's body to control it and probe their thoughts.
Of course, not only Kekkei Genkai constituted special physiques. For example, the Senju clan and Uzumaki clan also possessed special traits, just not as obvious as the former.
But regardless of the type, it meant the woman before him possessed a special ability she hadn't yet used.
Tōshirō's mind rapidly searched for information related to this type of special physique.
Ichiki saw through Tōshirō's thoughts and sneered, "You don't need to try; you won't find any information about me."
"Why?" Tōshirō frowned.
Ichiki's voice held a hint of sorrow. "All members of my clan were exterminated over a hundred years ago, save for me, who luckily managed to cling to life in this world."
"Exterminated?"
Ichiki's delicate face was filled with hatred. "By your Land of Fire."
Not long into their engagement, Tōshirō had dispelled his Transformation Jutsu. Ichiki deduced his identity from his attire.
Unexpectedly being blamed for the Land of Fire's actions, Tōshirō exhaled. Out of curiosity, he asked what the reason was.
After all, it wasn't something to boast about, so Tōshirō asked without much hope.
Perhaps to vent and accuse the Land of Fire of its egregious acts, Ichiki told him the reason for their extermination, her voice laced with deep-seated hatred.
The gist of it was that her clan, named the "Kala" clan, lived near a sacred tree called the Tree of Life. Blessed by this tree, their clan members were born with exceptional beauty, ears different from ordinary people, and incredibly long lifespans.
The Lord of the Land of Fire coveted this power and also their clan's beauty, so he dispatched troops to capture them.
The Kala clan possessed more than just beauty; they also had special abilities. Even facing the overwhelming forces of the Land of Fire, they initially fought back evenly. It wasn't until the Land of Fire spent a fortune to hire the most renowned Uchiha clan of that time that the tide began to turn.
After a fierce battle, Ichiki's clan was annihilated, and the Tree of Life was also destroyed during the conflict.
Presumably valuing the power contained within the Tree of Life, the Uchiha clan used special techniques to craft a Uchiha War Fan from its most vital part. Because the fan possessed powerful abilities unlike other ninja tools, this fan was highly revered, becoming a ninja tool that only the Uchiha clan head could wield, passed down through generations, symbolizing power and glory.
Since clan extermination was not something glorious, the Land of Fire, to cover up this "truth," spread rumors claiming the existence of a secret technique called "Elf Art," which could prolong life and grant eternal youth, thereby replacing the truth of the Kala clan's existence.
Ichiki, as the sole remaining bloodline of the Kala, sought a mysterious mineral called "Grerl Stone" to exact revenge on the Land of Fire.
Although she didn't find this miraculous mineral, during her search, she unintentionally discovered super-civilization technology created by ancient people using this mineral.
Ichiki, possessing a long lifespan, meant she had a vast reserve of knowledge. Thus, she successfully absorbed and improved this technology, eventually founding the current Land of Sky through it.
After learning this history, Tōshirō gained a clearer understanding of his own clan's history. So, this was where the clan's flame fan came from.
This thing was apparently set to be the "root" of the Divine Tree.
When Tōshirō first saw this detail, he wondered why. At that time, the Divine Tree was sealed by the Sage of Six Paths. Even if there were remnants, by the time of Indra's generation, they would have long turned into fertilizer on the ground. What kind of flame fan could be made then?
This also solidified Tōshirō's hypothesis that he was correct; failed Divine Trees existed in this world, at least in the past.
"I've told you so much; it's about time I dealt with you."
Ichiki displayed a confident smile.
"You're that sure you'll defeat me?"
Tōshirō chuckled, "You say that as if our fight just now was nothing more than child's play."
"You could say that..." Ichiki maintained a composed expression, not denying it.
Tōshirō smiled, turning the tables. "So, being punched away by me, even having your mask shattered, was also child's play?"
The immediate rebuttal made Ichiki frown, showing displeasure. "Your glib tongue is far stronger than your actual power."
Tōshirō replied amiably, "I'm merely stating facts."
Enough small talk. Ichiki's aura shifted.
Tōshirō shed his relaxed expression, not daring to underestimate her in the slightest.
Unless it was the Uzumaki clan, who, despite suffering fatal injuries, had that plot armor preventing them from kicking the bucket.
Normal ninjas were squishy; a single stab would severely injure them, and Tōshirō was no exception.
Their previous exchange had already shown him Ichiki's impressive strength, possessing both Water and Earth nature transformations.
He watched as she brought her hands together, fingers interlaced.
Tōshirō reacted incredibly quickly, deducing with keen insight that this was the "Snake" hand seal.
Different ninjutsu had different hand seal sequences, but there were still patterns to follow, most typically in the finishing movements of the seals.
A typical Fire Style ninjutsu's hand seal sequence ended with the Tiger seal.
Ichiki, however, displayed the "Snake" seal, which, in Tōshirō's knowledge, was typical for "Earth Style."
If it was Earth Style, Ichiki had already shown it, so she wouldn't use it again.
Tōshirō considered many types of ninjutsu, but he was still shocked when he saw the jutsu she actually used.
Vines covered with thorns burst from the ground, twisting wildly.
Tōshirō's pupils widened slightly.
This is...
Wood Style?
Ichiki let out a soft cry, "Thorn Style: Bramble Forest!"
As her words fell, the twisting vines grew furiously, shooting out at incredible speed. Even Tōshirō found it extremely difficult to dodge, forced to jump up and down, weaving and darting to avoid being entangled by the thorns.
And even more troublesome than their speed was their rate of growth. This main chamber was quite large, but after being filled with thorns, it suddenly became confined.
Ichiki's Kekkei Genkai allowed her to manipulate thorns. While Tōshirō's attention was focused ahead, she manipulated thorns from his blind spots, directly grabbing and entangling him.
Tōshirō, entangled by the thorns, unable to form hand seals, cursed, "Damn it!" looking somewhat disheveled.
"Don't worry, I won't kill you immediately," Ichiki said with a sadistic smile. "You seem to possess a very interesting power within you."
Tōshirō frowned, keenly sensing from her words that she knew about the Tailed Beast inside him.
"Come... let me show you something interesting."
P.S.: Because "elf" easily brings to mind concepts like the World Tree, which is very similar to the Divine Tree.
And then my thoughts just expanded a bit, commonly known as fantasizing.
Consider it an upgrade for Tsunade. Filling the earlier plot hole about Tsunade's ears, and next up is the gem on Tsunade's forehead, which still has no explanation.
(End of Chapter)
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