Shin Zangetsu
Member
Hi guys. I've been lurking this site for a while so I thought why not post a thread I had already made on another site and get views from this large Naruto community. Here goes it has to with kekkei genkai and I believe it's worth the read.
I've always been interested in the mechanics behind Kekkei Genkai and I have some ideas as to how it works. One particular topic seemed to be an active interest among people for a while and that was the issue of why certain KG didn't seem to be passed on. I'll explain that here.
What is Kekkei Genkai? It first important to remember that the bloodline limit is not what you see happening but what causes that particular thing to be expressed. The KG is a gene or a mutation in a particular gene that can result in something atypical in an individual when compared with what is considered the norm in people. I've always found it easier to consider KG as an "extra factor". That way, things tend to make more sense.
Elemental kekkei genkai
In terms of the Elements. Anyone can have a fire and water affinity. They can even use these simultaneously and all you'll get is fire and water mixed together. However, one can possess a KG allowing them to combine both types of chakra (not elements!) to create a new chakra type and subsequently element altogether as can be seen with Boil Release.
Now, what was necessary for it to happen this way? Everything. All of these components were essential to forming the jutsu.
This is very important when you look at elemental KG in comparison with other KG.
Elemental kekkei genkai are very specific
As I've explained above, in order for kekkei genkai, especially elemental one's to be expressed, all factors must be present along with the KG itself. In the above scenario if the person had a KG allowing them to combine fire and water elements but had an affinity for fire and wind, do you think that particular KG would be expressed? The answer is no. KG are rather specific, there is no miracle KG that allows someone to combine elements but rather specific one's that ensure one can express it given the right conditions. This is why Mei cannot express a combination between earth and water despite having those affinities and fire/water and fire/earth combinations. She simply doesn't have that particular KG. Notice how she isn't described as having a single KG but as having two. Because of this specificity, a different KG can combine the same two elements to generate a completely different result. This is shown by those guys "pretending" to use lava release but having completely differing properties (Rubber, Quicklime etc). Personally, I believe Pakura's Shakuton to be a variant fire/water KG. It's also evident in the Kekkei Tota which is simply a KG that wasn't random or hereditary but specifically bred and simply serves to reinforce the point. Onoki's Dust Element is a combination of three different elemental chakras yet outside of it he can only utilize each elemental chakra individually.
Not expressing doesn't mean not having!
The need for all componets to be present can explain why Elemental KG may skip generations.
In such a scenario. Tobirama may have possessed the KG that allowed for Mokuton generation (whether he did or not is irrelevant, this is for the sake of presenting an argument) but he didn't possess all the elemental affinities (namely earth) in order to be able to express Mokuton. The same would go for Hashirama's relatives and descendants, including Tsunade. They might all be "carriers" who simply cannot express the gene but can pass it on to further generations until someone with the right combination appears.
Why then does it differ in this manner between Elemental KG and other KG which rarely, if ever, skip generations such as Uchiha and Hyuuga bloodlines? The answer is it doesn't. Those other KG behave in almost the same way. I'll say it again, as long as all components and/or conditions are present the KG can be expressed. It just so happens that elemental affinity tends to vary more frequently by person even among family members hence the infrequency with which elemental KG are expressed while the other KG require only the adequate human anatomy in order to be expressed. Even then, some like Sharingan require even more complex conditions or stimuli to express further forms.
I hope this was informative and I'd like to hear your views on this.
EDIT: A clearer point came up in a response to another forum member so I'll just add it to the OP to supplement what has already been said.
I've always been interested in the mechanics behind Kekkei Genkai and I have some ideas as to how it works. One particular topic seemed to be an active interest among people for a while and that was the issue of why certain KG didn't seem to be passed on. I'll explain that here.
What is Kekkei Genkai? It first important to remember that the bloodline limit is not what you see happening but what causes that particular thing to be expressed. The KG is a gene or a mutation in a particular gene that can result in something atypical in an individual when compared with what is considered the norm in people. I've always found it easier to consider KG as an "extra factor". That way, things tend to make more sense.
Elemental kekkei genkai
In terms of the Elements. Anyone can have a fire and water affinity. They can even use these simultaneously and all you'll get is fire and water mixed together. However, one can possess a KG allowing them to combine both types of chakra (not elements!) to create a new chakra type and subsequently element altogether as can be seen with Boil Release.
Now, what was necessary for it to happen this way? Everything. All of these components were essential to forming the jutsu.
- The affinity for water,
- The affinity for fire
- and finally the gene that allows one to combine them and mold them into something different.
Elemental kekkei genkai are very specific
As I've explained above, in order for kekkei genkai, especially elemental one's to be expressed, all factors must be present along with the KG itself. In the above scenario if the person had a KG allowing them to combine fire and water elements but had an affinity for fire and wind, do you think that particular KG would be expressed? The answer is no. KG are rather specific, there is no miracle KG that allows someone to combine elements but rather specific one's that ensure one can express it given the right conditions. This is why Mei cannot express a combination between earth and water despite having those affinities and fire/water and fire/earth combinations. She simply doesn't have that particular KG. Notice how she isn't described as having a single KG but as having two. Because of this specificity, a different KG can combine the same two elements to generate a completely different result. This is shown by those guys "pretending" to use lava release but having completely differing properties (Rubber, Quicklime etc). Personally, I believe Pakura's Shakuton to be a variant fire/water KG. It's also evident in the Kekkei Tota which is simply a KG that wasn't random or hereditary but specifically bred and simply serves to reinforce the point. Onoki's Dust Element is a combination of three different elemental chakras yet outside of it he can only utilize each elemental chakra individually.
Not expressing doesn't mean not having!
The need for all componets to be present can explain why Elemental KG may skip generations.
In such a scenario. Tobirama may have possessed the KG that allowed for Mokuton generation (whether he did or not is irrelevant, this is for the sake of presenting an argument) but he didn't possess all the elemental affinities (namely earth) in order to be able to express Mokuton. The same would go for Hashirama's relatives and descendants, including Tsunade. They might all be "carriers" who simply cannot express the gene but can pass it on to further generations until someone with the right combination appears.
Why then does it differ in this manner between Elemental KG and other KG which rarely, if ever, skip generations such as Uchiha and Hyuuga bloodlines? The answer is it doesn't. Those other KG behave in almost the same way. I'll say it again, as long as all components and/or conditions are present the KG can be expressed. It just so happens that elemental affinity tends to vary more frequently by person even among family members hence the infrequency with which elemental KG are expressed while the other KG require only the adequate human anatomy in order to be expressed. Even then, some like Sharingan require even more complex conditions or stimuli to express further forms.
I hope this was informative and I'd like to hear your views on this.
EDIT: A clearer point came up in a response to another forum member so I'll just add it to the OP to supplement what has already been said.
That's the way I understand it.
