The moon hung high over the Land of Fire, and stars glittered across the night sky.
A laboratory on the outskirts of Konoha was still brightly lit. Orochimaru sat alone in a chair, deep in thought.
Just then, Fugaku appeared silently inside. Orochimaru's pupils contracted. He had not sensed Fugaku's arrival at all.
Even so, he forced himself to remain calm, betraying nothing.
"What was so important that you asked to see me this late, senior?" Fugaku asked.
"Please, sit down, Fugaku. The Shinobi World has been turbulent lately. I'd like to hear your thoughts."
Fugaku nodded. He understood Orochimaru's concerns.
"Are you worried about the Seven Death God Swordsmen and Danzo?"
"I wouldn't say worried. I'm keeping an eye on them. Both are somewhat hostile toward Konoha, and both have considerable strength."
"I don't think you need to pay them too much mind. In the end, strength is what matters in this world. As I've said before, even if Danzo masters true Wood Release, there's nothing to fear. He isn't Hashirama Senju. Wood Release won't reach its full potential in his hands.
"As for the Seven Death God Swordsmen, their upper limit should exceed the Three-Tomoe Sharingan, but not by much. There are no shortcuts to becoming stronger in this world.
"No one can mass-produce the truly powerful. All Five Great Ninja Villages have their own secret laboratories. If they could produce powerful fighters at will, the Shinobi World would have descended into chaos long ago."
Orochimaru thought for a moment. "You have a point, Fugaku."
He was a genius at experimentation himself and had conducted countless experiments over the years. If powerful fighters could be mass-produced, he would have discovered how by now.
Every ninja created through experimentation had serious flaws.
Time passed, and before long, it was