Anyways once I got a solid handle on Ice release I moved on to the final documented water based Kekkai genkai, Wood release. Like with the other elemental chakras I was pretty sure there were other Kekkai genkai that used them but those were undocumented and not something I wanted to waste my time trying to discover. In theory though each elemental pairing had two kekkai genkai possible for it with both being more or less opposites in terms of ratio. An example would be Mud release that was more water than earth but the other Kekkai genkai for those elements would be more earth than water, in theory at least.-
I had assumed that was the case for Wood release and started out with a fifty one earth and forty nine water ratio as a result. Contrary to what I assumed however I went through literally every single possible ratio with earth chakra being the majority and water chakra being the minority over the span of a week and STILL failed to replicate the Kekkai genkai.
‘The first and second Hokages make it absolutely clear that it’s a mix of water and earth chakras so how am I failing to recreate it?’ I thought with a deep frown.
Clearly there was something missing from this equation and I only had one source that I could use to figure out what that was, the only known user of the wood release other than the first Hokage, Yamato of the anbu. Yamato was originally unable to use Wood release but after successfully having the first Hokages cells integrated into his body that changed. However despite this he was considered a failed experiment by Danzo and Orochimaru as his wood release was dramatically weaker than the first Hokages.-
After Danzo’s death he had been integrated into the Anbu by my sensei and slowly broken of the mental brainwashing Danzo put on him so while rather expressionless he was more or less an normal person if you ignore the Wood release he could use.
“You know how this sounds right?” My sensei asked with an exasperated expression when I asked to study Yamato.
“I’m not some mad scientist asking to vivisect him just because or anything like that. I just need to study how his chakra works when he uses Wood release because despite trying literally every ratio I could between water and earth chakras I still failed to get so much as a sapling to sprout. It’s not just water and earth chakra or I would have already recreated it so I need to figure out what exactly is the problem.” I said defending my request.
“Fine but if you do succeed in recreating my grandfathers Kekkai genkai I get first dibs on it am I clear?” she said sternly and I nodded in agreement.
A average sized man with short brown hair and large black eyes walked in shortly after she sent for Yamato and kneeled in front of her desk. “You called Lady Hokage?” he said questioningly.
“My student here has made the discovery that Wood release is not purely a mix of water and earth chakras. As the only one capable of using it he wants to study your chakra when you utilize it to understand what is missing. You are to cooperate with him so long as none of his studies become too invasive or cross into forbidden territory.” My sensei said seriously.
“As you command, Lady Tsunade!” the man said respectfully before standing up and walking over to me and smiling lightly. “I will be in your care Lord Kenzo.” he said formally.
“You can drop the lord bit, I don’t care for formalities all that much.” I said calmly.
We left after that for one of the training grounds so I could see his Wood release in action. For this I chose training ground one which was one of the five places specifically set aside for S rank jutsu or wide area techniques to be practiced. Training ground one was designed to be a wide field in appearance with only a scant three trees in the whole place and a pond in the center.-
“Lets start small, simple begin to create Wood release chakra but don’t use it for anything.” I said and Yamato nodded before clasping his hands together.
I fully activated my eyes to see all the energies used during this process which startled him for a moment before he regained his composure. I watched as he created both earth and water chakras like normal before frowning as I saw small “sparks” of another type of energy mix in and transform it. I checked his body in those locations and discovered that it was where a small collection of foreign but integrated cells was located.-
“I understand! The ratio of chakras is actually only the preliminary step and only after the first’s cells send a spark of a different type of energy into the mixture does Wood release chakra form. Now I have to figure out what that energy is. I assume you have no knowledge of what these cells have been doing do you?” I said while asking a question at the end.
“No, in fact this is the first time I’ve heard of this information. Is it possible that the energy of Lord firsts cells is unique to him?” Yamato asked with a troubled look.
I shook my head “No, I’ve seen this energy before but until now I’ve never paid it any mind as it’s not yin or yang chakra nor is it any of the basic elemental chakras. Regardless if it was unique to the first then whatever remained of it would likely vanish after a small number of uses of Wood release which is certainly not the case here.” I said debunking that theory immediately.
It was troubling how whatever this energy was while present in every living thing was from what I can tell entirely passive in nature. I tried poking and prodding it with every method I could think of in myself but I achieved nothing at all as it was as if my energies slipped right through it. I wasn’t disheartened though as this just meant I would need a lot more trial and error to find out what worked. On the plus side however after witnessing Yamato using Wood release I figured out the exact ratio of earth and water chakra needed to create it, a seventy four earth and twenty six water ratio.