Retsu knew that Kikyo was asking about his Edo Tensei body. There was nothing to hide about it, so he spoke frankly:
"This body is the result of the 'Impure World Reincarnation Jutsu.' To put it simply, it's a technique that uses a living person as a sacrifice to pull the soul of the deceased back from the Pure Land to the human world, possessing this body made of dust."
He paused, remembering the little episode during his resurrection, and added:
"However, my resurrection this time was a bit special; the sacrifice used seemed to be a demon. I didn't expect that such a thing could also serve as a sacrifice for the Impure World Reincarnation Jutsu."
"You seem... unable to die, right?" Kikyo asked as she continued to walk forward aimlessly.
"Yeah, this jutsu was originally designed to resurrect the dead so they could drag their enemies down with them."
Retsu explained,
"As long as the caster doesn't release the jutsu, the resurrected soul will remain trapped in this body. Even if the body is smashed to pieces, it can reform and recover from the dust."
"This jutsu sounds very evil," Kikyo couldn't help but say.
"Correct." Retsu nodded in deep agreement.
"The white-haired guy who invented this jutsu was an evil old ghost of the Senju Clan."
"Senju Clan?" Kikyo caught the unfamiliar term and asked curiously.
"Yes, the Senju Clan, the archenemy of our Uchiha Clan! A bunch of naturally evil guys."
Retsu spoke with such conviction it was as if he had experienced it personally.
"When we have time, I'll tell you the hot-blooded stories of our Uchiha fighting against the Senju Clan's evil rule."
"Alright..."
Kikyo nodded, but she felt something was off. No matter how she heard it, his words sounded like intentional slander, yet looking at his serious expression, he didn't seem to be lying.
As they were talking, a few more blind demons lunged out from the dense forest, only to be casually cut down by Retsu.
He looked up at a thick tree ahead and stopped walking.
"Let's rest here for a bit and move on when it's light. There are too many demons in the jungle at night, and it's a hassle to keep killing them."
"Fine."
Kikyo nodded and was about to raise her hand to set up a Barrier to keep the surrounding demons out, but she saw Retsu run straight up the tree trunk.
She looked up curiously and saw Retsu stop at a height of five or six meters from the ground. His hands quickly formed seals as he shouted softly:
"Wood Release: Four-Pillar House Technique!"
As soon as he finished speaking, thick wood suddenly grew rapidly from the tree trunk, weaving and joining together. In the blink of an eye, a small and exquisite treehouse was built around the trunk.
Even the usually cold and calm Kikyo couldn't help but widen her eyes at this moment, looking at the treehouse that appeared out of thin air with a face full of surprise.
Retsu went into the treehouse to inspect it, and after confirming it was stable, he pushed open the wooden door and jumped down, landing steadily in front of Kikyo.
"Alright, let's go up. This way we can avoid the demons on the ground."
Saying that, he pressed his hand against the trunk, leaving a Flying Thunder God Mark. Before Kikyo could react, he raised his hand to her shoulder and directly activated the Flying Thunder God Technique.
Kikyo felt her vision blur for a moment, and in the next second, the two of them appeared inside the treehouse.
Looking at the dim wooden room, there were simple windows on the walls, and a section of a circular tree trunk stood in the middle—it was the main trunk of the tree from just now. She had a guess in her heart.
"We are in the treehouse on the tree now. I used the Flying Thunder God Technique just now to teleport directly up, saving us the trouble of climbing."
Retsu's voice came, confirming her suspicion.
"...Mm." Kikyo walked to the window and leaned out to look down. By the bright moonlight, she could clearly see the grass and trees on the ground, confirming she was indeed in a high-altitude treehouse.
"I'll set up a Barrier here to prevent demons from breaking in."
As Kikyo spoke, she was about to start setting up the Barrier when her gaze was suddenly drawn to the objects in the room. A candlestick had appeared in the middle, and there was a simple bed on either side, even laid with clean mats.
"You... where did these things come from?"
Kikyo pointed at the items in the room, no longer able to maintain her cold expression, her tone full of surprise.
Looking at Kikyo's surprised expression, Retsu suddenly felt that compared to her usual holy and distant appearance, the current Kikyo, with a face full of surprise, was quite cute.
It was as if the high-and-mighty priestess had suddenly become a cute girl-next-door.
He suddenly remembered what Onigumo had once said to Kaede in the plot:
"Kikyo always puts on a holy act; I really want to see her expression when she's flustered."
Looking at it now, when Kikyo showed other expressions, she was indeed quite different.
"I can open a different dimension, and these things are kept inside."
Retsu explained, "I rarely stay in the Village. Most of the time I rest in the wild, so I always carry these common items with me."
"A different dimension..."
Kikyo murmured. Although she was still surprised by such an ability, she finally understood the source of the items.
While setting up the Barrier around the room, she asked, "Aren't you going to set up a Barrier? What if a demon breaks in?"
"Uh, I know some Sealing Techniques, but as for Barriers, I don't know how to make them."
Retsu spoke as if it were a matter of course, his tone relaxed.
"If a demon really breaks in, I'll just kill it. Consider it a pre-sleep activity."
Kikyo's movements paused, and she gave him a speechless look before saying no more and continuing to focus on setting up the Barrier.
This guy's way of doing things was truly simple and crude.
---
Near noon the next day, Retsu sat at the entrance of the treehouse, staring blankly at the dense forest outside. Slight footsteps came from behind him.
Without turning his head, he asked, "You're awake? Does that body of yours made of clay need to eat?"
Perhaps due to insufficient soul power, Kikyo had slept for a long time this time, only waking up now.
"No need."
Kikyo walked to his side and sat down, looking at the scenery outside with him, her voice calm.
"This is just a pottery figurine fired from clay. It doesn't need food. As long as there are dead souls to maintain it, it can function normally."
"Where do you plan to go next?" Retsu retracted his gaze and turned to look at the priestess beside him.
Kikyo didn't answer, but instead turned her head and stared at him seriously. "Can you really truly resurrect someone?"
"Of course." Retsu smiled confidently.
"If I didn't have a means for true resurrection, why would I have specifically put myself into an Edo Tensei state? This shell is only temporary."
"...You mean, you cast this Impure World Reincarnation Jutsu on yourself?"
Kikyo looked at him in surprise, recalling the name of the jutsu she heard last night to confirm.
"Exactly."
Retsu nodded and admitted frankly.
"I had a premonition that I might die, so I prepared an Edo Tensei scroll in advance, with myself as the target for resurrection. Although there was a small accident in the middle, I managed to survive in this way."
"..." Kikyo gave him a speechless look, not knowing what to say for a moment.
"What's with that look?"
Retsu raised an eyebrow in annoyance.
"I was still young when I died. I hadn't even held a girl's hand before I died so inexplicably. I wasn't about to accept that."
Kikyo was originally going to ask about the cause of his death, but hearing this, she suddenly froze, a trace of undetectable sadness flashing in her eyes.
She was only eighteen when she died, the most beautiful age for a girl. That sense of unwillingness and regret was something she understood even better in her heart.
Silence fell inside and outside the treehouse for a while, with only the rustling of leaves as the forest wind blew through. The two sat side by side without speaking.
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