At this time, Chiyo was in her prime, much like the Third Hokage.
Her strength was significantly greater than that of the senile old woman she would become in the original timeline.
The reason the reincarnated Chiyo and Hanzo bickered upon meeting in the future was that they had clashed frequently during the Second Ninja World War.
Since neither could best the other, they had traded insults, calling each other nicknames like "Old Man with the Respirator" and "Puppet Hag."
To be able to hold off Hanzo of the Salamander in his prime—a man who had defeated the Sannin single-handedly—Chiyo was undoubtedly among the top ranks of Kage-level powerhouses.
It was only natural that Orochimaru, unable to defeat her, could only retreat unscathed after a brief confrontation.
However, his frustration was certain; given his personality, he was surely already plotting his retaliation.
"You have already mastered the Mystical Palm Technique?"
Orochimaru looked at the scroll Uchiha Gen had placed on the table.
In truth, even if Gen had failed to learn the technique within the month, the scroll would have eventually returned to Orochimaru to be passed back to him later.
His decision to cooperate with Tsunade to promote the Medical Ninja system was a major affair that wouldn't be determined by whether a single person could learn a specific jutsu.
The wager had actually shifted from being between Tsunade and Gen to being between her and Orochimaru.
If Uchiha Gen truly could learn it within a month, demonstrating a monstrous talent for Medical Ninjutsu, then to avoid wasting that potential, he would have to study medicine under Tsunade in the future.
This meant that from then on, Uchiha Gen would not only be Orochimaru's disciple but also half of Tsunade's.
"Yes," Uchiha Gen nodded to Orochimaru.
"Let me see how well you have mastered it."
Orochimaru extended an arm, which bore the mark of a wound that had been treated and was now scabbed over.
Compared to the other injuries on his body, the wound here was considered minor.
"Yes, Orochimaru-sensei."
A shimmering green light appeared in Gen's palm once more as he gently pressed it against Orochimaru's arm.
In just a short while, the scab fell off, revealing new skin that was slightly pale and tender but otherwise indistinguishable from the surrounding area.
"Well used; you are more proficient than I imagined."
Orochimaru looked down at the newly grown skin, a hint of surprise in his eyes.
His own Medical Ninjutsu was not as advanced as Tsunade's; in the past, he had only researched it enough to be functional without going too deep.
However, even with his casual study resulting in certain achievements, it seemed he was already inferior to Uchiha Gen in this specific field.
"Have you been practicing the Mystical Palm Technique all month? What about the Nature Transformation of Fire Release?"
"You haven't neglected it, have you?"
"It's understandable if progress was temporarily delayed, but it shouldn't be by too much."
"This is the front line, after all; strength is the foundation of survival."
Orochimaru shifted his gaze back to his disciple's face.
"Orochimaru-sensei, to tell you the truth, I have already mastered it."
"You have?"
The astonishment in his narrow, snake-like pupils deepened.
"If you want to verify it, Orochimaru-sensei, we will have to go outside."
Uchiha Gen pointed out the window.
He had mastered the Nature Transformation of Fire Release, but the difficulty of controlling the flames after integrating the change in nature had also increased.
He could release Fire Release with explosive properties, but the raw power wasn't easy to contain.
That required extremely high attainment in Shape Transformation; someone like Hiruzen Sarutobi would be needed for that level of finesse.
"No need. The truth of such a thing is known as soon as it's tested; there's no reason for you to lie to me."
Orochimaru slowly shook his head.
It seemed that as this disciple received more resources, his talent became increasingly monstrous.
This Nature Transformation had taken Orochimaru a month when Hiruzen Sarutobi taught him, and now his disciple had matched that pace while simultaneously mastering the Mystical Palm Technique.
The difficulty of that medical technique was much greater than Nature Transformation, being an A-rank jutsu; its status in Medical Ninjutsu was comparable to mastering an element.
Just as powerful ninjutsu required mastering the corresponding element, most high-level medical techniques required a foundation in the Mystical Palm.
"What do you plan to do next? Help out on Tsunade's side?"
"Yes. Compared to the front lines, my Medical Ninjutsu seems to be more effective staying with Lady Tsunade."
"It's just that Enju and Ruri will have to reform their team," Gen replied.
Being with Tsunade was equivalent to having a steady stream of B-rank missions; there was no better place to grind experience and seniority.
It was only because high-level medical ninja were so scarce that such an advantage existed.
Once medical ninja like Yakushi Nonou grew to a certain level and could relieve the pressure on Tsunade and Sarutobi Biwako, such an opportunity would vanish.
"I will arrange things for them; otherwise, at your growth rate, they truly would be left behind by you."
"In my view, you should be able to become a Jonin within this year."
"At the very least, with your current abilities, as long as you accumulate enough mission counts and military merits, there's no problem in being promoted to Special Jonin," Orochimaru said with considerable emotion.
He had been the same way back then, leading the ninja of his age group and quickly catching up to those much older than himself.
Except for Tsunade and Jiraiya, the speed of his progress had driven all other ninja of his generation to despair.
Among their peers, Hiruko was already considered a top-tier genius, yet he was now only an ordinary Jonin.
The current Uchiha Gen seemed even more stunning than the three of them had been.
All three of them had graduated at age six and became the youngest Jonin in Konoha's history at fourteen.
Uchiha Gen had a high chance of breaking that record, officially becoming a Jonin at thirteen.
In Orochimaru's view, the boy only needed to master a second nature transformation and fill in a few other shortcomings.
The rest would be factors outside of raw strength, such as military merit and the completion of high-level missions.
Within a year, it was truly possible for him to be promoted to Jonin.
"Don't leave just yet; help treat my injuries, and I'll take the opportunity to explain the cultivation of Wind Release Nature Transformation to you."
Orochimaru pointed out the other wounds on his body.
His ability to escape was exceptional, so the injuries weren't heavy and he had no internal damage.
There was no need to trouble the busy Tsunade; with his own skills, it would only take two days to recover.
However, with Uchiha Gen and his mastery of the Mystical Palm here, these minor injuries could be fully healed in less than two hours.