The mage should add points like this.

Just like that, after receiving the injection of the Yamato brand gene fusion liquid, the pharmacist Tsunade was handed over by Orochimaru to Uchiha Jinzhu to develop... his qualifications as a ninja.

On the other side, Uchiha Takehide, who had likewise undergone the body reinforcement surgery but could neither employ Wood Release nor awaken the Sharingan, began his elder brother journey of physical training and bone marrow tempering after receiving Orochimaru's pointers.

And as the training regimen for Uchiha Takehide spread, a wave of physical conditioning swept through the Uchiha clan.

They no longer focused solely on ninjutsu and Sharingan development, but redirected their energies toward foundational body training.

To other ninjas, this seemed utterly inconceivable, as if they had abandoned a watermelon to chase after sesame seeds.

Physical prowess? The Uchiha clan actually held no advantage in this area.

Their bodies, burdened by the Sharingan, were even inferior to peers of the same level.

Yet from past encounters, this had never prevented the Uchiha from prevailing in battle.

Why?

With the Sharingan, even if their speed lagged by a fraction, during body technique execution the Uchiha had already judged attack angles through muscle contractions and chakra flow, starting to dodge, block, and counterattack ahead of time...

This unmatched insight could, in some sense, be called prophetic.

Unless one's physical attributes completely dominated, taijutsu ninjas were god-like in close combat, able to toy with opponents without pressure at the same level; after all, among the numerous Konoha ninjas there was only one Might Guy.

And even to confront a ninja like Might Guy, continuing to develop the Sharingan remained a sound choice.

One tomoe was insufficient; three tomoe... continuously improving insight was the Uchiha's normal approach.

Thus, the Konoha ninjas viewed the Uchiha's actions with much bewilderment, like seeing a mage not point agility and intelligence but all in vitality and stamina, brandishing dual swords while huffing and puffing through rushes and whirlwind slashes...

Truly bizarre; these Uchiha, who had boasted they could do anything casually and looked down on body techniques, were now acting this way?

The other major taijutsu family in Konoha, the ninjas of the Hyuga clan, were likewise puzzled by the Uchiha's conduct.

But aside from a few with ambitions, most Hyuga branch families merely watched from the sidelines without kindling any competitive spark; after all, they could only exchange their laborious advances for the elders' tranquil years.

He is strong, let him be strong; he is domineering, let him be domineering... The Hyuga branch family resembled a stagnant pool.

And the Hyuga main family held no objection to this; in their eyes the Hyuga position had always been remote scouts, and even sharing the taijutsu bloodline the Uchiha posed no rival.

Amaterasu

After all, the Sharingan's detection range of mere meters to dozens of meters was no match for the Byakugan that could span several li at will.

Before the appearance of real competitors, the Hyuga clan's standing in Konoha would remain unshaken.

Since this was the case, why hasten? They would firmly guard the family.

“......”

Leaving aside the reactions of all parties in the village, Orochimaru seized this wave of popularity, using body checks as an excuse, successfully harvesting the three stages of the Sharingan from the Uchiha.

“Tsk tsk tsk... Maintaining even one tomoe proves so troublesome.”

Orochimaru blinked his eyes; not only could he not unleash the full might of the Sharingan, but even operating them in normal mode proved impossible.

Compared to the fluidity of the Blood Sight Eye in use, these Sharingan resembled subpar, aged junk.

Without hesitation he returned these eyes to the Uchiha's sockets on the hospital bed, dispatched them, and then fell into deep thought over the table's Soulification Technique documentation.

Naturally the Sharingan was no mere junk; beyond its innate taijutsu it could briefly be driven by extracting Yin Release chakra from the brain.

The predicament encountered when employing the Sharingan ultimately stemmed from his own mental strength being vast yet weak.

Though his personal strength ranked among the elite Shadow-level shinobi, his spiritual intensity was even inferior to that of the youthful Kakashi.

A journey to the Pure Land for soul recuperation was inevitable.

Yet the complication lay in his lack of talent for the Soulification Technique; now seeking ninjutsu to detect shinobi possessing the aptitude for Soulification Technique had led to a standstill.

Soul-based ninjutsu was not so easily developed, even by a master like Orochimaru.

Change perspectives.

Lamp God observed that Orochimaru had pondered for three or four days without progress and reminded him, Rather than wasting time on the Soulification Technique, better to start from those who have successfully cultivated the Soulification Technique.

Orochimaru lifted his head, puzzled, You mean Dan? He is already dead.

But you still have Edo Tensei, do you not? Lamp God seduced from the side, Even without locating a suitable vessel, pulling him back from the Pure Land via prior summoning techniques would be no difficult matter.

This was indeed a viable path, at least with some merit in trying.

But Orochimaru remained silent for a moment, refraining from the usual experimental start, instead shaking his head to decline.

Dan is dead; I do not wish to disturb him. Especially before ascertaining the cause of the previous soul body's inexplicable disappearance.

Lamp God arched an eyebrow, his expression exaggeratedly theatrical, Wow, I never imagined that you, Orochimaru, would possess such principles.

At least for now there is no need to breach the bottom line.

Orochimaru shot him a glance and continued slowly, Though Dan has perished, the Kato family is not extinct; he has a niece named Kato Shizuka, and that girl possesses fine aptitude.

Tsk tsk tsk... striking at a friend's niece rather than the friend himself.

Lamp God raised his thumb, his face teasing, Truly your style, Orochimaru.

Orochimaru turned his head to organize the documents on the table, paying no heed to Lamp God's gossip.

He saw no issue with his conduct.

Kato Shizuka was Dan's niece, not his own; what relevance did that hold?

Even a tenuous connection would not justify detouring from the path to immortality.

Your thought patterns are remarkably akin to those passed down from the Third.

Lamp God raised an eyebrow, adopting a serious tone, But your former companion, Tsunade, does not share this view. Under the guise of affection, Tsunade would never permit your research on Kato Shizuka.

Tsunade, even if she harbored such intentions, lacks the power to do so.

Orochimaru shook his head. I will imprison her and then turn the tables, threatening Kato Shizuka into compliance.

This scheme is indeed straightforward and unassuming... Lamp God pondered, yet offered no denial of its efficacy.

When shall we depart?

Locating Tsunade's current whereabouts requires some time.

Orochimaru licked his lips, Seizing this opportunity, first attend to the village's affairs.

For instance, Yamato had not visited to check his physique for some time now.