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Tuishi didn't have time to consider the notion of hookah.
At this moment, he was completely focused on studying the Tree of Life.
"It's not above, so it must be below…"
There were no traces of earth and stone above, so Tuishi set his sights on the ground.
"The Art of Earthwork."
Earth and stone fell from the air, sinking into the ground, as chakra spread out around him, activating his spiritual perception secret technique.
The underground area was dim, but the weak light—combined with the heat perception from the soil and stones—helped him determine the general direction of the Tree of Life's roots.
"The roots of the Tree of Life are highly regular. The largest roots finally converge together in this direction."
The soil and stones shifted toward where the roots gathered.
Breaking through the wall, the earth and stone revealed an unbelievable sight—an empty underground space.
The hollow area was where the roots of the Tree of Life intertwined.
Ignoring his surroundings, Tuishi activated his Sharingan to see the situation clearly.
At the very center, a temple-like structure came into view.
"Someone built a temple here!"
Tuishi understood that he was very close to the Water of Heroes.
Inside the temple, the earth and stone saw a gourd-shaped container hanging in front of him.
"The Water of Heroes!"
He removed the gourd and carefully opened it, sensing the contents.
The Tree of Life's water appeared to be the Water of Heroes.
The concentration of natural energy was even higher than that around the Tree of Life—as if the Water of Heroes was a liquefied form of natural energy.
"Wait…"
Tuishi realized something.
The Water of Heroes should be condensed by the Tree of Life,
So why was it already packed into the gourd and hung there?
"Don't tell me the Water of Heroes, condensed by the Tree of Life, is transferred directly into this gourd?"
"This gourd must have been collected a while ago…"
Earth and stone offered his guess.
But this only led to more questions:
Where did the Water of Heroes originate?
Where was it gathered from?
Tuishi's gaze focused on the temple's structure.
Such a temple didn't exist for no reason.
The Water of Heroes had to be condensed within the temple.
Using his spiritual perception, Tuishi could now clearly sense the structure of the entire temple.
At its depths, it wasn't sealed off—it connected to the outside world.
Placing the gourd with the Water of Heroes back into his ninja bag, Tuishi began to move deeper into the temple.
With the help of his Sharingan, Tuishi could clearly see everything around him.
There was a reason there was no fire here.
The natural energy around was too rich.
After being purified by the Tree of Life, this energy contained the essence of wood attributes.
If ignition occurred here, the consequences would be unimaginable.
"Is it here?"
At the deepest point of the temple, Tuishi discovered a connection to the Tree of Life's main root.
At the root's end, several large roots extended out.
The taproot hung vertically, while the others formed a spherical shape, protruding from beneath, creating a container for the Water of Heroes—guarding the taproot.
"The magic of nature is beyond imagination!"
Tuishi couldn't help but be awestruck by the sight.
The Water of Heroes—a secretion of the Tree of Life?
As Tuishi observed, the pool of water was nearly full.
Perhaps the secret of this place had been lost ever since the Koto slaughtered the high-ranking officials of Taki Ninja Village.
The gathering place for the Water of Heroes had been forgotten.
No one had collected it for a long time—resulting in its accumulation.
Before Kakuto's defection, during the early years of Taki Ninja Village, the Water of Heroes wasn't considered a relic or sacred object.
The village ninjas could still find it regularly, and many even drank it.
This suggested the production rate was high—sufficient for hundreds each year.
The amount in this place far exceeded the previous gourd.
It was like a vast pool—a difference of thousands of times!
"The amount here is sufficient for me and my clones to cultivate the Immortal Mode."
Taki Ninja Village…
The Tree of Life…
Even though Tuishi would not return for a while, he knew his main body would eventually study the Tree of Life more carefully.
If nothing else, this tree could gather and absorb vast amounts of natural energy.
Perhaps, this tree could be called a "spiritual root."
After collecting all the Water of Heroes, Tuishi left the area immediately.
Now was not the time to investigate the Tree of Life further.
With a thoughtful expression, Tuishi placed the gourd back to its original spot.
"Leaving some for them. I still have principles."
Using Earth Movement, Tuishi returned to the surface.
"Sir, have you found it?"
Shisha's eyes were filled with hope and desire.
Tuishi paused, then shook his head.
He couldn't show it.
He couldn't give it.
Drinking the Water of Heroes would almost certainly result in death.
"For your own good, I won't give it to you."
"Where's the Seven-Tailed Jinchuriki?"
Shisha suddenly recalled the real reason behind the mission.
The Water of Heroes wasn't the only goal.
The most important thing was likely Fū, the Seven-Tails Jinchuriki!
They were already at the level of shadow ninjas, so the Water of Heroes didn't hold the same allure for them.
But tailed beasts…
That was a different matter entirely.
Damn it! I was just focused on the Water of Heroes, but they might have other plans!
What should I do?
Should I hand over the Maple?
Tuishi weighed the pros and cons in his mind.
Eventually, he realized there wasn't much choice.
Besides, Fū's beast—Chomei—was uncontrollable.
Every time they lost control, it brought major trouble.
It seemed acceptable to hand over the Maple after all.
After a while, Shisha ordered his subordinates to bring Fū.
The middle-aged ninja Tuishi had encountered earlier was among them.
Shisha paused his earlier actions, realizing that the Water of Heroes had either been collected or, knowing its side effects, was never meant to be used.
The little girl with short blue-green hair, wearing a hairpin on the right, stood in front of Tuishi, trembling.
Tuishi ignored the fear in her eyes.
He looked coldly at Fū, the Seven-Tails Jinchuriki.
No—more accurately, he was looking at the Chomei within her.
"Should I fight Chomei directly?"
Tuishi briefly considered it.
"Let's forget it. I've just fought the Eight-Tails. No need to engage the Seven-Tails right away."
"And if a fight breaks out, it could attract the Five Great Ninja Villages… the consequences would be unpredictable."
"Besides, Chomei can release poisonous phosphorus powder. It's disgusting."
Tuishi made his decision: no need to fight Chomei.
He formed hand seals.
"Bang! Bang!"
Two shadow clones appeared.
He instructed others to stay back, leaving one shadow clone behind while he and the other moved a safe distance away.
Forming hand seals again.
"Qi Yuan Slash."
Without the melting and escape attributes, Qi Yuan Slash was still strong enough to deal with the Seven-Tails—at least enough to sever its tails.
At this point, Tuishi couldn't help but feel a bit annoyed.
"Why is it that every time I deal with tailed beasts, I end up targeting their tails?"
The shadow clone in front of Fū, seeing the main body's intent, slashed her neck.
Once Fū fell unconscious, the seal was placed to lock her consciousness.
They stepped back.
Tuishi suppressed his aura, avoiding his Lava Giant or Melting Qi Yuan Slash, limiting himself to regular Qi Yuan Slash to minimize the threat level.
This made Chomei underestimate him.
Once Fū's consciousness was sealed, Chomei took control of the body, attempting escape.
Violent chakra surged into the air.
"Gee!" (Chomei's frustrated cry)
The transformation began.
A tail sprouted—then three pairs of wings.
Eventually, the Seven-Tails entered its complete form with a loud roar.
The appearance of Chomei—a massive beetle with six wings—was horrifying.
Its body was 100 meters long, radiating a green glow from its tail.
Immediately, Tuishi launched an attack.
The two shadow clones began forming seals.
"Qi Yuan Slash!"
The sharp disc shot down from the sky.
Though Tuishi wasn't far from Chomei, the Qi Yuan Slash reached in an instant.
"Grumble!"
Chomei's roar rang out—full of pain and rage.
Tuishi covered his ears—the sound was deafening.
The Qi Yuan Slash sliced through Chomei's defenses, severing its tail and wings before striking its carapace.
Chomei's shell was tough—as expected from a beetle—but even so, the force of Qi Yuan Slash left a deep crack in it.
As Chomei roared in fury, the two shadow clones completed their seals and prepared a sealing technique.
"Five Elements Seal!"
The Five Elements Seal pulled Chomei's body back into the Jinchuriki's form.
The double seals enhanced the technique's power.
Just like that, the battle came to an end.
Tuishi approached to collect his spoils, contemplating his next steps.
"Dealing with Jinchuriki seems much easier than I thought…"
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