Although he already knew that the miniature world's spell wasn't as unbeatable as he had first imagined, Uchiha Retsu was still deeply curious about it.
The people inside could live normally, farm, and even cultivate themselves. It was practically a "budget version of a paradise realm."
He decided to send his shadow clone inside to investigate. Even if something went wrong, the clone could be dispelled at any time, so there was nothing to worry about.
Feeling the spell energy coil around his body, the clone didn't resist. Instead, he restrained his chakra and allowed himself to shrink rapidly. A faint flash of light passed over him, and his reduced form was smoothly absorbed into the bonsai, vanishing from sight.
"Huh? Your clone went inside that bonsai?"
Standing outside, Kikyo clearly saw what happened. Surprise filled her eyes as she turned to Retsu.
"It's just the bonsai's spell. It's fine," Retsu replied calmly. "It's only a clone. Let's wait."
He wasn't worried. If the clone encountered danger, it would dispel itself immediately, and he would learn everything that happened inside.
Meanwhile, inside the bonsai world, the shadow clone landed steadily from midair.
Looking up, he found himself beside a village. The tiny houses he had seen from outside were now all normal-sized.
He bent down, scooped up a handful of soil, and squeezed it. The texture was no different from real earth.
Then he plucked a blade of grass and snapped it. Pale green juice slowly seeped out, carrying the scent of fresh vegetation.
If he hadn't known in advance that he was inside a bonsai, he wouldn't have noticed anything strange at all.
Clearly, the land and plants here had been shrunk and transferred from the outside world, just like himself.
He raised his head and looked at the sky.
Blue skies, white clouds, and even a blazing sun hung overhead, casting warm sunlight—nothing like the ceiling he had imagined above a bonsai.
Retsu grew even more curious about how this world had been created. It was practically a real miniature universe.
As the clone observed his surroundings, villagers occasionally passed by. Yet none of them reacted to his sudden appearance. They went about their work with dull, lifeless expressions.
Obviously, they had long grown accustomed to people appearing and disappearing here. It also proved how frequently Peach Man captured outsiders and threw them into this place.
Ignoring these humans who were being raised as nourishment for the demon tree, the clone wandered freely.
He checked the fields and saw crops growing vigorously. Nearby, tall trees flourished as well. Everything here functioned normally.
The bonsai world wasn't very large. Before long, he had explored it entirely.
Standing at the edge of this world, he looked at the towering wall that seemed to pierce the sky. He knew that, just like in the story, breaking through it would allow him to escape.
But instead of doing that, he wanted to try climbing it and see what lay beyond the "sky."
After glancing at the wall and the clouds above, he pushed off the ground and sprinted upward along the surface.
As he climbed higher, the square outline of the bonsai gradually unfolded beneath him, and the clouds drew closer and closer.
Just as he was about to touch the blue-white mist, he suddenly passed through an invisible barrier.
In the next instant, the sky vanished.
Blue clouds disappeared, replaced by a stone ceiling. The wall beneath his feet had reached its top.
Standing on the edge of the bonsai, he could now see the entire miniature world below, unobstructed.
"So that's how it works… Interesting."
The clone muttered softly.
"Poof!"
He dissolved into white smoke.
Outside, Retsu instantly received the clone's memories and let out a quiet breath of relief. The shrinking spell was far less troublesome than he had feared.
He turned to Kikyo.
"Let's go in. Be careful of the bonsai in the center. If you get too close, it'll shrink you and pull you inside. There are a lot of people living in there."
"A lot of… living people? Inside?"
Kikyo froze, staring at the bonsai in disbelief.
"Yeah." Retsu nodded and reached out to hold her hand. Warmth spread through his palm. "The spell isn't that strong. I can block it with sage chakra."
Kikyo tightened her grip on his hand, her curiosity overwhelming her unease, and followed him to the bonsai's edge.
Because sage chakra covered their bodies, the spell couldn't affect them. Neither of them was pulled in.
Looking at the tiny figures bustling inside, Kikyo asked softly,
"Th-They're… living in there?"
"Yes. It's an incredible creation. Too bad it's used for evil."
A cold smile appeared on Retsu's lips.
"Do you remember the human-faced fruits we saw earlier?"
Kikyo snapped out of her focus and turned to him, shock in her voice.
"You mean… these people are being raised as nourishment for the demon tree?"
"Exactly." Retsu confirmed. "Deep in these mountains, without people being bred like this, how could they grow so many human-faced fruits?"
"Raising humans as food for a demon tree… That so-called 'immortal' is nothing but a monster."
Kikyo's brows knit tightly. Her expression turned icy, killing intent flashing in her eyes.
"Either way, he's no good. Let's go meet him."
Retsu grabbed her hand and led her toward the stairs on the other side.
The moment they stepped onto the upper floor, three small demons inside noticed them.
Seeing the two intruders, the little demons widened their eyes and were about to scream.
Kikyo reacted instantly. She drew her bow and released an arrow.
A purifying arrow streaked out and pierced one demon clean through, erasing it on the spot.
Before the other two could flee, Retsu flicked his wrist. Two kunai shot out and pierced their heads with pinpoint accuracy. They collapsed lifelessly to the floor.
Retsu walked over, bent down, and picked up the bloodstained kunai. Chakra gathered at his fingertips, wiping away the blood in an instant. He slipped them back into his pouch.
These things were hard to come by in this world. Kagome had gone to a lot of trouble to have them made for him.
Better to be thrifty.
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