Board Thread:Theories and Speculation/@comment-5407586-20150624095943/@comment-732150-20150626182644

Just because the snake hand seal is often present in Earth Release techniques, it doesn't mean it's always an Earth Release technique. Wood Release uses that as well. About what Deidara does being similar to what Gaara does, I agree. Though with Gaara, we never see him actually putting chakra in the sand, while with Deidara, we almost always do.

Back on the topic of Steel Release, I think there's another possible argument for it involving Earth Release. I haven't seen the translations myself, but it was added to the kekkei tōta article that using two kekkei genkai techniques together would result in a pseudo kekkei tōta, based on what happened in Gaara Hiden. As I understand, that's a reference to a combination of a Steel Release and a Lava Release jutsu. The only example we have of kekkei tōta is Dust Release, which is a three-way nature combination. If the Steel/Lava combo is like a kt, it suggests that it also possesses three different natures, meaning Steel Release shares a component with Lava Release. Water and fire makes Boil Release, fire and wind makes Scorch Release. I can't see how fire and lightning would make Steel Release, and fire and earth is already Lava, so the nature they'd share is Earth Release. With Magnet Release being earth and wind, and earth and water being Wood Release (even though Magnet Release's composition itself makes no sense without lightning), that only leaves lightning to be a combination with earth for Steel Release.