From Orochimaru's current perspective, the Three-Colored Pills had very little technical content.
It was truly a brute-force approach: if you didn't die, you just ate it until you did.
It must be said that the Akimichi Clan's physique, strengthened by Yang Release Chakra, was truly resilient. If anyone else took the Red Chili Pill, they would probably be blown apart by its violent medicinal power before they could even charge at an enemy for a one-for-one trade.
At the Akimichi Clan's territory, an eating contest was being held. Naturally, all participants were from the Akimichi Clan; who would be so idle as to compete with the Akimichi Clan in eating?
"Multi-Size Technique!"
The participants of the eating contest all used the Multi-Size Technique, eating large amounts of food served in basins.
Oh my Six Paths Sage's eyebrows!
Are your Akimichi Clan's eating contests this wild?
Orochimaru watched this scene in shock. Her slender, small figure appeared particularly delicate and petite among a group of burly, well-fed individuals, as if she could be held in the palm of a hand.
"Orochimaru! Why are you here?"
Akimichi Torifu immediately spotted Orochimaru standing among his clansmen. Her small stature was extremely conspicuous among the Akimichi Clan, who were all large.
"Uncle Torifu, the improvement of the Three-Colored Pills formula is complete. Here are the formula and the experimental samples."
Orochimaru handed the Three-Colored Pills formula and the experimental Three-Colored Pills to Akimichi Torifu.
"The Green Spinach Pill and Yellow Curry Pill are about twice as effective as before, with reduced side effects. The Red Chili Pill's strength-boosting effect isn't as exaggerated; it can increase strength by about 5 times. After the effect wears off, there will be a long period of weakness, but if a large amount of food is consumed, the side effects will be alleviated."
"That's great, Orochimaru!"
Akimichi Torifu grew more and more excited as he listened, the fat on his chubby face jiggling with emotion. His large, fan-like hand clapped Orochimaru's shoulder. Back then, he had even considered taking the Red Chili Pill to fend off the Kumogakure pursuit squad led by Kinkaku and Ginkaku.
If there had been a genius like Orochimaru—no, a prodigy beyond genius—to improve the Three-Colored Pills formula at that time, perhaps Lord Tobirama would not have died.
"Uncle Torifu, are you trying to pound me into the ground?"
Orochimaru looked at Akimichi Torifu's large hand and moved two steps aside, dodging his clap. She felt as if she would be pounded into the ground if he used any more force.
"Ah… haha…"
Akimichi Torifu gave an awkward laugh, too excited to remember that Orochimaru was a frail little girl.
Given Orochimaru's contributions to Konoha and her kindness to the Ino–Shika–Chō clans, no one would underestimate her because of her appearance.
Soon, the Akimichi Clan's eating contest came to an end. The champion, who was so full he couldn't eat another bite, kept burping and couldn't even deliver his acceptance speech. He clutched his stomach in discomfort, shakily raising his hand.
"I… I won!"
"Tōu."
Akimichi Torifu took out the Red Chili Pill from the experimental Three-Colored Pills that Orochimaru had given him, and with a flick of his finger, the Red Chili Pill landed in Akimichi Tōu's hand.
"Chief, this, this is…"
Akimichi Tōu burped several times while speaking. How could he not recognize the Red Chili Pill in his hand? This was the Red Chili Pill from the Three-Colored Pills!
Akimichi Tōu looked at Akimichi Torifu with a shocked expression, then forced a smile uglier than crying and said, "I don't want the convenience store and barbecue restaurant vouchers, okay?"
Didn't he just win the eating contest?
Did it have to cost him his life?
Chief, aren't you making too much of a fuss?
"Don't worry, this is the Red Chili Pill with Orochimaru's improved formula."
Akimichi Torifu saw Akimichi Tōu's expression, which clearly said, "Why are you sending me to my death?" He reached out to pat Orochimaru's shoulder, but Orochimaru, sensing his intention, quickly moved further away from him.
Akimichi Tōu saw Orochimaru, then confidently threw the Red Chili Pill into his mouth and bit it apart.
"Uwoooooo—!!!"
Akimichi Tōu let out a powerful battle cry. Massive Chakra surged through his body, creating strong air currents. All the accumulated calories in his body and the food he had just eaten were converted into Chakra, and butterfly-shaped Chakra wings unfurled behind him.
"Is this… Butterfly Mode…"
Akimichi Tōu looked at the Chakra butterfly wings behind him, his eyes wide, a joyful smile on his face, as he tried to control them.
Akimichi Tōu was incredibly excited, controlling the Chakra butterfly wings behind him to flap. Each flap created a gust of wind. Under the excited and eager gaze of the Akimichi Clan members, his feet left the ground, though only barely; the Chakra butterfly wings were not yet enough to carry Akimichi Tōu into flight.
Akimichi Tōu pushed off with his legs, launching himself into the air like a cannonball. He glided through the air using the Chakra butterfly wings, excitedly waving to the crowd below.
Even people outside the Akimichi Clan's territory saw Akimichi Tōu, now thinner, flying in the air with beautiful Chakra butterfly wings unfurled behind him.
The Akimichi Clan members couldn't help but exclaim, their eyes filled with anticipation and longing.
Previously, taking the Red Chili Pill meant a brief glory after metamorphosis, followed by death.
Now, they could finally use the Akimichi Clan's most important calorie control method, Butterfly Mode, as a trump card that didn't require sacrificing their lives.
All of this was Orochimaru's achievement; she had improved the Three-Colored Pills formula, and she had changed the Akimichi Clan.
"You! You let me down! What are you doing?!"
Orochimaru looked at the Akimichi Clan members surrounding her, realized the situation was bad, and tried to escape, but it was too late. She was cheered and tossed into the air by the Akimichi Clan members.
You've worked hard, my Shadow Clone.
Behind a nearby tree, Orochimaru hid, holding a string of Three-Colored Pills she had snagged from a plate on a nearby table. She wiped away non-existent cold sweat from her forehead. If she hadn't used the Substitution Jutsu in time to swap herself with her Shadow Clone, it would be her being tossed into the air by the Akimichi Clan members right now.
Orochimaru bit into a pink pill. Its sticky, chewy texture, and strong glutinous rice and cherry syrup flavor, she didn't particularly like.
"Orochimaru, is that your Shadow Clone over there?"
Orochimaru heard Akimichi Harudō's voice from behind her, and cold sweat instantly broke out. She put a finger to her lips, signaling her dear Aunt Harudō to be quiet, then looked at the Three-Colored Pills in her hand, unsure whether to put them back.
"Don't worry, don't worry! I won't betray you."
Akimichi Harudō looked amusedly at Orochimaru, who was hiding behind the tree like a cat. She stroked her hair with a large hand, "You like Three-Colored Pills too!"
I don't like eating them, but I was curious about the taste.
Go ahead and touch, go ahead and touch. When I grow up, you won't be able to touch me anymore.
Orochimaru grumbled helplessly in her mind.
Soon, the news of Orochimaru successfully improving the Akimichi Clan's Three-Colored Pills formula reached Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo Shimura.
Both Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo Shimura were quite happy about it.
Orochimaru's action not only improved the Three-Colored Pills formula but also enhanced Konoha's overall strength.
The Akimichi Clan's Butterfly Mode, as a trump card that no longer required sacrificing one's life, would be incredibly terrifying on the battlefield.
---
On Konoha's bustling streets, a richly dressed woman held a sleeping baby in her arms. Sarutobi Biwako walked beside her, a faint smile on her usually serious face, listening as the woman spoke.
Today, the wife of the Land of Fire's Daimyo had come to Konoha for a visit with her child, and she was being hosted by Sarutobi Biwako, the wife of the Third Hokage Sarutobi Hiruzen.
"Biwako, your complexion has improved so much since we last met!"
Strolling along the street, Michiko, who held a sleeping baby in her arms, looked at Sarutobi Biwako, who seemed like a flower that had been nourished. She cupped her hand to her mouth like a megaphone and whispered, "Did you use that?"
"That?"
Sarutobi Biwako was very confused, not understanding what Michiko was referring to.
"It's that popular skincare product in the Land of Fire, you used it too, right? Especially that 'lotion'… I saw it in his collection of forbidden books…"
Michiko opened up like a floodgate, chattering incessantly to Sarutobi Biwako about skincare products.
Lotion… it also has that kind of use?
Sarutobi Biwako's eyes widened slightly, and a blush appeared on her face.
The two women walked and chatted, and inevitably, their conversation turned to their respective husbands.
In the park, Michiko sat on a bench with a sigh, watching the children play in the park. She said mournfully, "Perhaps after I had children, I got older, my figure changed, and I'm not as pretty as I used to be… I can feel he favors that woman from the concubine's side more… Biwako, you and Hiruzen must be very loving, right? Do you have any secrets?"
"Secrets…"
Sarutobi Biwako thought of the medicinal tea Hiruzen Sarutobi drank. He had only become so vigorous after drinking that tea.
Come to think of it, that medicinal tea was given to Hiruzen by Orochimaru… Surely Orochimaru hadn't discovered that the medicinal tea had such effects, right?
Sarutobi Biwako was momentarily unsure whether she should thank Orochimaru.
While talking with Michiko, Sarutobi Biwako inadvertently brought up the matter of the medicinal tea.
After speaking, she regretted it. Michiko was a well-known loudmouth in the Land of Fire's aristocratic circles.
If this loudmouth got going, wouldn't the entire Land of Fire's aristocracy know about the medicinal tea?
Just thinking about the entire Land of Fire knowing that her husband drank medicinal tea for virility or something… even if he didn't drink it for virility, it would appear that way to others.
Fortunately… I didn't say who gave the medicinal tea to Hiruzen.
Hiruzen Sarutobi, having finished a day's work, left the office and returned home, where he saw his wife looking as if she had something to say.
"Biwako, what's wrong? What happened?"
"Actually…"
Sarutobi Biwako then recounted the day's events.
"Oh, that kind of thing… that kind of thing doesn't matter."
Hiruzen Sarutobi cleared his throat to hide his embarrassment. He was only facing a problem that all men would eventually have; there was nothing to be ashamed of. So what if it became known?
Men, once they reach a certain age, always have some unspoken difficulties.
He didn't believe those nobles wouldn't face the same problems.
Otherwise, Michiko, the Daimyo's wife, wouldn't be so interested in the medicinal tea.
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