The next morning, Uchiha Fugaku did not go to the Guard Division but stayed at home.
He entered his study and then moved into the secret chamber adjacent to the study, which had been converted into a training room.
"Unseal."
Taking out a sealed scroll, he broke its seal, and two White Zetsu corpses appeared inside the chamber.
"Corpse smelting—"
Activating his Mangekyō Sharingan, the pattern in his left eye rapidly spun.
A pitch-black vortex appeared.
Uchiha Fugaku grabbed one of the White Zetsu corpses with one hand and quickly threw it into the black vortex.
The black vortex vanished, and the two White Zetsu corpses reappeared in a space filled with black liquid, immersed in it.
Underneath the black liquid, the two White Zetsu bodies rapidly dissolved and disappeared.
A kind of biological tissue, resembling cells but not exactly cells, possessing bloodline characteristics, was extracted and flowed from the blood vessels in his left eye.
After flowing out, this biological tissue traveled throughout his body, reacting with his own cells.
The sensation he had experienced twice before returned.
A burning heat spread through his whole body, causing him to sweat profusely, soaking his clothes quickly.
Meanwhile, the cells throughout his body underwent rapid transformation; their forms and structures subtly changing.
After a short while, the two White Zetsu corpses were completely melted away, the production of the biological tissue ceased, and the burning sensation in his body faded.
Uchiha Fugaku felt that his body was somewhat different compared to before.
After smelting the first White Zetsu corpse, his cells had become more active and his recovery ability stronger.
Now, this cellular activity and recovery capability were further enhanced, and he felt a surge of vigorous energy within.
It made him want to take a nap and then do some morning training with Mikoto.
"The Wood Release bloodline limit must have improved. I wonder if I can now use Wood Release without relying on real genjutsu…"
Thinking this, Uchiha Fugaku couldn't help but feel hopeful.
If he could use Wood Release without needing real genjutsu, playing the role of Uchiha Obito in the future would be much easier—he wouldn't have to drag enemies into real genjutsu every time.
"Wood Release: Implantation Technique!"
Forming hand seals, Uchiha Fugaku tried the Wood Release technique he often used in real genjutsu—the Wood Release: Implantation Technique.
A change appeared in his palm.
A green branch grew out from his palm, extending over a meter in length.
He carefully observed this growing branch.
After smelting the first White Zetsu corpse, he had also tried this technique and reached this stage.
However, back then, the green branch quickly withered and shattered, causing the technique to fail.
"It didn't disappear!"
After waiting a moment, a smile appeared on Uchiha Fugaku's face.
This time, the branch didn't wither and vanish like before; the Wood Release: Implantation Technique hadn't failed.
He tapped the branch with his hand—the texture was hard, with a metallic knock.
Combined with its sharp tip, this thing could easily pierce flesh and blood.
After watching for a while longer, the branch still didn't disappear until he released the technique, when it finally withered and crumbled.
"Success!"
Uchiha Fugaku was very satisfied.
After smelting a total of three White Zetsu corpses, his Wood Release bloodline limit had improved to the point where he could now perform the Wood Release: Implantation Technique even outside of real genjutsu.
"But the biggest gain isn't just being able to perform Wood Release without genjutsu…"
Joy shone in Uchiha Fugaku's eyes.
His greatest discovery was verifying that smelting corpses that share the same bloodline limit can increase the strength of that bloodline limit.
Knowing this, he could strengthen his existing bloodline limit through this method, making it more powerful.
"If I can obtain enough White Zetsu corpses, I could continuously increase the strength of my Wood Release bloodline limit, even to a level comparable to Senju Hashirama!"
He couldn't contain his excitement.
He had suspected this before but hadn't been certain—now he was absolutely sure.
As long as he had enough White Zetsu corpses, he could definitely raise his Wood Release power to rival Hashirama.
Suppressing his excitement, he returned to testing.
"I wonder if I can perform other Wood Release techniques besides Implantation…"
He recalled the methods to perform other Wood Release jutsu stored in his mind and tried them one by one.
After a short while, he had tested them all.
He ultimately discovered that the Wood Release techniques he could currently perform were Wood Release: Wooden Clone, Wood Release: Wood Transformation, Wood Release: Wood Clone, Wood Release: Silent Binding Technique, and Wood Release: Implantation Technique.
These Wood Release techniques are low rank and relatively weak in power.
Though he could perform these Wood Release jutsu now, they were all comparatively weak.
This meant his Wood Release bloodline limit was still not strong, even weaker than Orochimaru's experimental subject, Yamato.
The main reason was the low strength of the White Zetsu's Wood Release bloodline limit most White Zetsu can't even perform Wood Release, except for a very few exceptions.
"Oh, I should also test those two other jutsu!"
Uchiha Fugaku recalled two other techniques extracted by interrogation from a White Zetsu, besides the Floating Technique, and decided to test those too.
"Impersonation Technique!"
Forming hand seals, he performed the Impersonation Technique.
His body changed.
His skin became unusually pale, his eyes turned an eerie yellow.
His hair became gray-green, and his body shrank somewhat.
He transformed into a White Zetsu.
He took out a mirror stored in the secret chamber, used for casting real genjutsu on himself, and looked at his reflection.
The reflection showed himself transformed into a White Zetsu, with appearance and physique almost identical to a real White Zetsu.
"Maybe I could blend into a White Zetsu squad by impersonating them… No, that would be difficult!"
He thought, then shook his head.
White Zetsu have a certain kind of mutual sensing ability, able to feel each other's presence.
Though he could perfectly imitate their appearance, he couldn't establish this connection, so he would be easily exposed.
"Spore Technique!"
Forming seals, he cast the last jutsu interrogated from a White Zetsu.
A small bump appeared in his palm, quickly separating from his hand and becoming a tiny, nearly invisible spore.
Chakra infused into the spore, which rapidly expanded until it transformed into an exact copy of him, indistinguishable in any detail.