Chapter 160: Sharingan Data Analysis

The Third Hokage was indeed a bit confused.

He recalled that Orochimaru's previous potions had required rare and expensive ingredients, with one even using materials that were nearly impossible to find now. Yet here Orochimaru was, saying they could produce as much of this new potion as they needed? It seemed worlds apart from the scarcity of the others.

Seeing the Hokage's reaction, Orochimaru explained, "Medicines with very specific applications tend to be relatively inexpensive. That's just how it works, but I doubt it's a concept worth explaining further."

The Third Hokage gave a wry smile, understanding Orochimaru's point. With the potion only effective for the Uchiha, it seemed Orochimaru wasn't too concerned about whether he'd need to share the production method or not.

"Alright," the Third Hokage decided. "Give them sixty doses, but frame it carefully."

They couldn't give the Uchiha nothing, yet giving too much would risk inflating their power unchecked. This compromise allowed Konoha to increase the Uchiha's strength without making them difficult to control.

"Understood," Orochimaru replied with a nod.

The Hokage's caution wasn't misplaced. If the Uchiha clan found out that this potion was technically unlimited, but they were only given sixty doses, it might create resentment. Orochimaru would need a carefully crafted explanation to ensure no one felt shortchanged.

That night, Uchiha Soyama received word from Orochimaru.

"There are only sixty doses available, and Hokage-sama has approved them all for you. All I need in return are the blood samples."

Orochimaru had already mentioned the potion's limited supply, so this explanation fit naturally. Thus, with a bit of manipulation, everyone involved got what they wanted.

The Third Hokage had reinforced the Uchiha's loyalty, Uchiha Soyama was grateful to both the Hokage and Orochimaru, and he now had sixty potions at his disposal.

Meanwhile, Orochimaru not only received a payment of six million ryo in "production costs" from Soyama, but also secured hundreds of blood samples from Uchiha's most talented members.

It was a win-win situation for everyone.

Speaking of the Uchiha clan, there was a long-standing belief about the relationship between the age at which Uchiha awakened the Sharingan and their overall talent. It was commonly said that the younger a member was when their Sharingan manifested, the stronger their innate talent.

This belief, however, was both true and misleading.

In one sense, yes, those with the potential to awaken the Sharingan were indeed more talented than those who could not. That was undeniable.

However, if two Uchiha had the same potential, the age at which they unlocked their eyes only reflected how early they experienced intense emotional stimulation. It didn't necessarily mean they were more gifted.

Take Uchiha Madara, for instance, he awakened his Sharingan at around fifteen or sixteen. Does that make him less talented than Obito, who awakened his at thirteen? Or than Itachi, who awakened his at eight, or Sasuke at seven? Clearly, that assumption doesn't hold.

So while the age of awakening could be an indicator of talent, it wasn't absolute. In the end, early awakening often just meant one had suffered tragic losses sooner than others.

But for now, such theoretical matters were of little concern to Orochimaru, who was preoccupied with purifying the genetic material of the Uchiha.

With this many blood samples, it was more than enough for his purposes, perhaps even for developing a Mangekyo Sharingan variant.

The Uchiha clan was larger than many imagined. There were seven to eight hundred ninja in the clan alone, and counting civilians, their numbers totaled close to two thousand. Even after all the wars they had endured, they remained a sizable clan. During the Warring States Period, at their peak, their numbers must have been staggering.

Out of all the blood samples, Orochimaru had amassed three hundred, and although the process of selection was somewhat random, it was sufficient. Even if a sample hadn't activated its Sharingan potential, it still carried the latent spiritual energy inherent to Uchiha blood, much like how Tsunade's body contained traces of her life energy.

The spiritual energy in a gene with latent Sharingan potential was similar to that of a gene where the Sharingan was already active.

With such a rich source of material, achieving a Mangekyo breakthrough seemed entirely feasible.

A few days later…

In the Uchiha clan's territory, Uchiha Soyama sat in his room, staring at the sixty vials Orochimaru had delivered. He was in a daze, as though he were in a dream.

The potions were all neatly arranged on the table, and next to them were the three hundred blood samples that had undergone analysis. He could hardly believe his eyes.

Orochimaru actually knew more about the Uchiha than he, the clan head, did.

Each blood sample analysis didn't go into specifics; it simply indicated whether each individual had the potential to awaken the Sharingan. To Soyama, this simple information was nothing short of groundbreaking, almost a form of "black technology."

Could you really determine someone's ability to awaken the Sharingan just by analyzing their blood?

What kind of scientific sorcery was this?

Each blood sample had been labeled with the clan member's name. So the moment Orochimaru returned his analysis, Uchiha Soyama instantly knew who within the clan had the potential to awaken the Sharingan.

The most astonishing part, however, was that Orochimaru had also marked each individual's potential Sharingan strength in the analysis.

This was incredible!

For example, Orochimaru had noted that if activating a single tomoe Sharingan required 100 units of mental energy, then two tomoe required 200, and three tomoe required 300. After awakening, a person's mental energy would fall within a specific range that dictated the level of their Sharingan.

If two individuals unlocked a single tomoe at the same time, but one had a mental energy level of 114 while the other had 187, the person with 187 would have a stronger eye ability.

Orochimaru's analysis had essentially quantified the Uchiha's eye strength.

This detailed scientific data was mind-blowing for Uchiha Soyama and the elders.

Unconvinced, Soyama immediately found two clan members with significantly different mental energies and had them use the potion to awaken their Sharingan. The results were undeniable: both members activated their eyes, but the one with higher mental energy had visibly stronger eye power.

It was a turning point for the Uchiha clan. In secret, they began testing eye strength across the clan.

The results spoke for themselves. In the face of such precise analysis, the mysteries of the Sharingan's bloodline limits were laid bare.

Not only did both clan members activate their Sharingan, but when they both reached the single tomoe stage, one's power was indeed stronger than the other's, just as Orochimaru's data had predicted.

"Unbelievable!" Uchiha Soyama muttered, staring in awe at the two clan members who had just finished their sparring session to test their eye strength.

Soyama and several clan elders were in shock.

"This… this is incredible."

"It seems there's no doubt anymore that he was the one who developed the village's previous two potions as well."