It Is Common Knowledge That Bloodline Families Have Bloodline Diseases

Izuna followed Madara all the way, grumbling under his breath.

Inside the hospital room, Uchiha Gen was indeed not cultivating Chakra at the moment. He was studying something else.

The Chakra Breathing Method!

It was a technique recorded in a fanfiction novel Uchiha Gen had read in his previous life.

It had evolved from techniques in a certain blade anime and JoJo. In that blade anime, one drew energy from the air through breathing, passed it through the body's organs in sequence to produce a unique energy, then used weapons to create endlessly varied techniques against enemies.

In JoJo, one likewise absorbed energy to produce something called Ripple. Its effects were even more varied, capable of altering space and even bringing the dead back to life.

In that fanfiction, the Chakra Breathing Method could strengthen the body and restore Chakra.

It might not have seemed particularly useful, but Uchiha Gen had his eye on the body-strengthening aspect.

The Senju Clan had risen to where it was today through its abundant Chakra and powerful bodies. Wood Release was currently mastered only by Hashirama. It was called a Kekkei Genkai, but anyone with eyes could tell that if Asura's soul had not resided within him, he might not have been able to master Wood Release either.

So, whether one's body was strong had a great deal to do with how far one could go in the future.

Time passed slowly. By the time morning had gone by, Uchiha Gen opened his eyes.

"Hmm... I ran into a problem before I even started. Just like me, huh~"

He was a little speechless. He really could not understand why he was not the protagonist of one of those power-fantasy stories, but instead some poor bastard who had to figure everything out himself.

The problem he had encountered was related to the hand seals ninjas had relied on for ages.

After Chakra was refined, the body itself formed a kind of inertia. Hand seals were like molds, used to alter the shape of Chakra.

The greater one's control over Chakra, the fewer seals one needed. For example, there was Momochi Zabuza's Water Dragon Bullet from the later stages of Naruto, which required forty-nine seals, and Senju Tobirama's Water Dragon Bullet, which required only one. Then there was Hashirama Senju, who could simply clap his hands together and summon whatever he shouted for.

All of these reflected Chakra's control over the body's habitual patterns.

The problem Uchiha Gen faced now was how to alter the sequence of Chakra refinement and circulation, allowing his body to refine it automatically through breathing, then going even further until he could maintain Total Concentration around the clock.

"Looks like this will take time to grind through. The body's habits are too deeply ingrained. If I had started practicing from childhood, it would have been much easier."

Although Uchiha Gen had learned the clan's refinement method, its distinguishing features were nothing more than slightly better speed and quality. Other clans were much the same. After thousands of years, they had essentially reached the point where there was no further room for improvement.

Uchiha Gen did not want to go through the trouble of creating a personal refinement method either, because it would simply be a thankless waste of effort.

There was not just one kind of energy in this Naruto World. Before Chakra existed, there had already been another energy called Natural Energy.

It was power naturally born from heaven, earth, and all things. It was no weaker than Chakra. Put simply, it was the spiritual energy used in Cultivation.

Uchiha Gen stood and stretched his body. After sitting all morning, his legs had gone a little numb.

Hmm? What was that smell?

He sniffed. What kind of roasted meat smelled so good?

His gaze swept toward the door. The scent was coming from there.

Uchiha Gen put on his wooden sandals, which exposed his toes, and opened the door. A half-meter-long grilled fish, wrapped in unknown leaves, had been placed beneath the threshold.

He picked it up. It was still warm inside, though its surface had cooled. It looked like it had been sitting there for quite some time.

"Grilled fish? It was probably left by my bargain-bin brother, Izuna."

As for Madara? Uchiha Gen truly did not want to meet him too early, and he did not know how to get along with him either.

On one hand, the impression from his original memories ran too deep. It was difficult to treat him as an older brother or family.

On the other hand, there was the original body's perspective.

Madara wore a stern face all day, as if everyone owed him money. Although Uchiha Gen knew he was cold on the outside but warm inside, the original owner did not, so he had always been afraid of him.

Respect, longing, admiration, fear, unease—amid all those tangled emotions...

Uchiha Gen happily finished the grilled fish.

"Emmm, delicious."

Afternoon.

Uchiha Gen continued researching the Breathing Technique. When his mind grew tired, he practiced hand seals. Although he would eventually phase them out himself, he was still "weak" right now and needed them badly.

Besides, he was still injured, so he had plenty of time to strengthen himself.

A week passed slowly.

Within the Uchiha Clan Grounds, a high-level war council was being held in Uchiha Tajima's room.

"Speak. What do you all think about this matter?"

Uchiha Tajima sat at the head of the table, with Madara and Izuna seated at his left and right. The remaining higher-ups were arranged in order.

It was worth noting that every one of these Uchiha higher-ups possessed considerable presence. At the very least, they had the strength of Jōnin, if not Elite Jōnin.

"Clan Head! That minor Kaguya Clan has failed to recognize the situation. It has been quite a while since we last put them in their place. I think it's time to make them hurt, or they will forget who is in charge."

"I second that!"

"I agree as well."

"Mm!"

Uchiha Tajima raised a hand and pressed it down twice, then looked at his eldest son, Uchiha Madara.

"Madara, as the young clan head, what are your thoughts on the Kaguya Clan?"

Uchiha Madara thought for a moment, his eyes narrowing slightly as he slowly said:

"It is nothing more than a carrot and a stick. But that clan is like a pack of dogs. I think we should find an opportunity to wipe them out completely. If news gets out that our clan possesses Frostbone Grass, they will inevitably set their sights on it."

"Mm!"

Uchiha Tajima then looked at his second son, Izuna, and asked the same question:

"Izuna, what do you think?"

"Huh? I'll listen to Big Brother!"

Hearing that answer, Uchiha Tajima shook his head with a laugh. He knew that while brotherly harmony was good, every conflict in the Warring States Era was unpredictable. No one knew whether an accident might suddenly happen to them.

He had hoped Izuna would have thoughts of his own, but it seemed unlikely that he could be corrected.

So be it!

"Fine! Since everyone thinks they need to be put in their place, go make the preparations for battle. This time, we will break one of the Kaguya Clan's dog legs!"

"Yes!"

The Kaguya Clan, also known as the Shikotsumyaku Clan, had earned that name because they possessed a Kekkei Genkai called Shikotsumyaku. It allowed them to turn their bones into Chakra and use many unique bone-based ninjutsu.

But although bones could be shot out or even broken after being infused with Chakra, they were Chakra bones, so they would often retract. As a result, the Kaguya Clan had developed a bloodline disease.

Bloodline diseases were widespread, and no cure had been found to this day. They could only be alleviated, and Frostbone Grass was the lifeline of the Kaguya Clan.

But Frostbone Grass grew only in gloomy, damp places and required an environment heavy with yin energy to develop. It was also extremely difficult to cultivate, so its numbers were dwindling.