"Very good. Talking to smart people is effortless—much easier than talking to that idiot Jiraiya."
Orochimaru watched the crowd at the end of the street gradually return to normal and beckoned to Uchiha Gen. Soon, the two arrived at Orochimaru's home.
Although he was only in his early twenties—someone who would still be a rookie with less than two years out of university in another world—the current Orochimaru had already been a Jonin for a full decade. He was one of the rare high-end combatants in Konoha approaching Kage-level. His assets were likely more substantial than those of some small ninja clans, so his residence was naturally quite impressive.
The most prominent feature of the estate was its sheer size; it seemed Orochimaru had purchased several surrounding houses and knocked down the walls to create a single, unified interior. The second feature was the clutter—though it was an organized clutter. All sorts of incomprehensible experimental equipment, ninja tools, and sealing scrolls were neatly arranged everywhere. The sheer variety was dizzying.
"Follow me. Everything is ready. Tonight, you should be able to master the Rashomon technique."
Orochimaru first took Uchiha Gen through a full-body disinfection and had him change into sterilized clothes before they entered a laboratory. In the center of the room was a large wooden tub big enough to fit an adult, with firewood placed underneath. Beside it were bundles of medicinal herbs emitting various sharp scents.
"Orochimaru-sensei, is this... the Soft Physique Modification?"
Uchiha Gen asked curiously.
"That's right. However, I asked Tsunade to adjust the formula and effects based on your physical condition. This Soft Physique Modification is different from the one I taught you before; its effects are temporary. But with your current chakra intensity and physical fitness, after absorbing the medicinal power, your body will temporarily soften for two hours—reaching a level sufficient to withstand the recoil of the first gate of Rashomon."
Orochimaru picked up a medicinal bundle from the side, opened it, and tossed it into the wooden tub, then instructed:
"Take those large experimental bottles of purified water over there and fill this tub halfway."
"Yes."
Uchiha Gen ran to the side and poured the water from several transparent, sealed bottles into the wooden tub. Orochimaru had clearly prepared in advance for this temporary modification. To ensure the effects weren't compromised, even the water was distilled and purified. Everything else here, presumably like the clothes he was wearing, had been specially treated.
"Fire Style: Fire Walk."
While continuing to pour herbs into the tub, Orochimaru formed a seal with one hand and exhaled a thin line of fire. It acted like a flexible fire snake, coiling around the outside of the wooden tub and lighting the firewood beneath. This was to heat the medicinal water in the tub as quickly as possible while maintaining precise temperature control.
Uchiha Gen couldn't help but activate his Sharingan to observe Orochimaru's movements. This Fire Style technique didn't look powerful, but it required an extremely high level of shape transformation to control the flames so flexibly.
"Turn off your Sharingan. I'll teach you that later; don't waste chakra right now."
Orochimaru spoke after he stopped heating. He took a bottle of slightly fishy-smelling slime from the table, poured it in, and began stirring with a glass rod.
"Take a Military Ration Pill from the green bottle on the table and eat it, so you don't run out of chakra later."
Hearing this, Uchiha Gen spotted the only green bottle on the table. Upon opening it, a refreshing fragrance wafted out. These were the Nara Clan's refined ration pills, which were usually only sold in limited quantities. Each one was worth no less than a high-quality explosive tag. Not only did they restore chakra faster than ordinary pills, but the amount restored was also much greater. Most importantly, the medicinal properties were mild; even if a second one was taken shortly after, it wouldn't cause significant side effects.
And there were five pills inside. After swallowing one, Uchiha Gen soon felt his body heat up slightly as a warm current rose from his belly.
By this time, Orochimaru had finished preparing the medicinal bath. The pale green liquid bubbled under the high temperature, looking somewhat viscous.
"Strip, bite onto this, and get in. Your head too."
Orochimaru said as he tossed a bamboo straw to Uchiha Gen. The latter didn't care about being seen by Orochimaru. He stripped on the spot, took a deep breath, bit down hard on the end of the bamboo straw, and dived headfirst into the medicinal bath.
As soon as he entered, Uchiha Gen realized the bamboo straw wasn't just for breathing; it was also meant to be used as a bite bar.
It hurt like hell!
It wasn't just pain in one or two spots; his entire body ached. It felt as if snake venom was invading his body, seeping through his skin from the medicinal water.
"Don't just endure it blindly. Quickly mobilize your chakra to strengthen your body, alleviate the pain, and speed up the absorption of the medicinal power."
Orochimaru's voice reached Uchiha Gen's ears through the water, sounding slightly distorted and muffled, but clear enough to understand.
As he refined his chakra, Uchiha Gen endured the intense pain underwater. His hands moved tremulously to form seals, mobilizing chakra to surge through his tenketsu and meridians. The sensation of pain lessened significantly, and Gen's seal-forming speed increased, eventually returning to his normal speed even while submerged.
By this point, although the pain was still intense, he had perhaps grown accustomed to it, or it was within his threshold of endurance. Uchiha Gen felt he could bear it. Fortunately, after Orochimaru's hellish training during this period and obtaining the Uchiha Madara character card, Gen's chakra quality was much stronger than before. Otherwise, the pain would have been unbearable.
However, the chakra consumption was also very rapid, like a flood through a broken dam. While not as massive as directly releasing a high-power ninjutsu, it was continuous. The refined ration pill he had swallowed also took effect at this time, continuously restoring his reserves. Although it couldn't keep up with the consumption, it certainly allowed Gen to hold out much longer.
Outside the tub, Orochimaru looked up at the clock on the wall from time to time to calculate the duration, judging the absorption effect by the depth of the water's color. After a long time, the medicinal water in the tub changed from its previous pale green to a somewhat transparent state.
Inside the tub, Uchiha Gen also felt the pain rapidly receding. The medicinal power had been absorbed to a certain extent, and some of the properties in the tub had evaporated due to the high temperature.
"That's enough."
Orochimaru's raspy voice reached his ears through the water again, and Uchiha Gen immediately popped his head out of the medicinal bath.