The Third Hokage nodded. "I had the same thought before, but Konoha's Great Families are getting along, and the village as a whole is growing stronger.
There's no need to test them now. The Uchiha have produced a remarkable number of capable people in recent years. Something could easily go wrong and sour our relationship with them."
Orochimaru smiled. "I understand, Sensei. Better to leave things as they are."
That night, Orochimaru was conducting a small experiment in his Laboratory when a figure appeared without a sound.
"Fugaku, your abilities are becoming harder and harder to fathom. Even I didn't see how you appeared," Orochimaru said with a smile.
"You're too modest, Senior. It was just a little trick of the eye. How is your Sage Mode training going?"
"I've made considerable progress. I should master it by the end of the year. But my Sage Mode is much like Jiraiya's—it has its flaws too," Orochimaru said.
"I understand. Natural Energy is different from the Chakra within our bodies. Absorb too much, and your body will turn completely to stone," Fugaku said.
"Exactly. Each of the Three Great Sacred Lands has a different training method. If you can't master Sage Mode perfectly, your body will change to some degree. In severe cases, you'll turn to stone entirely.
In the end, Sage Mode tests your control over Natural Energy.
Jiraiya has spent all these years training at Mount Myoboku mainly because he wants to master Sage Mode completely. I've never expected to do that myself. The White Snake Sage told me that achieving Sage Mode at all would take extraordinary luck.
Still, I have you to thank, Fugaku. If we hadn't spoken before, I wouldn't have decided to devote so much time to learning Sage Mode."
"You give me too much