Orochimaru

Biodata

Feature	Value
Name	Orochimaru (大蛇丸)
Alias(es)	One of the Sannin 73 124
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Formerly Konohagakure; summoning contractor of Ryūchi Cave; later collaborates with Uchiha Ryūban and Uchiha Madara 73 178 236 256
Occupation/Role	Forbidden-jutsu researcher; former supreme commander of Konoha’s Eastern Front; unsuccessful Fourth Hokage candidate 33 124 127
Rank	Former Konoha jōnin; subsequently designated an S-rank rogue ninja 127 179
Status	Alive in his latest documented appearance, continuing his Rinnegan research 271
Bounty	200 million ryō, described as a record bounty when issued 179

Power Progression

The dates of Orochimaru’s bloodline transplants are unspecified; the table records when their successful use is revealed.

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Sharingan transplantation	177	Reveals an implanted Sharingan and immobilizes Jiraiya with genjutsu. Its three-tomoe form is subsequently shown explicitly 234.
Wood Release transplantation	178	Uses Wood Release during his escape from Konoha. Hiruko attributes his acquisition of both bloodlines to deductions inspired by Hiruko and Ritsu’s successes—not to learning the Chimera Technique.

Background / History

Eastern Front Commander

Orochimaru is Sarutobi Hiruzen’s student and one of Konoha’s Sannin. Hiruko regards him as an immensely talented contemporary whose achievements he hopes to match. By the war against Kirigakure, Orochimaru commands Konoha’s Eastern Front and holds the Ryūchi Cave summoning contract 33 73 124.

He discovers that Aburame Ryoma supplied false intelligence about the Fourth Mizukage to draw him away from camp. Aware that Hyuga Ritsu’s movements expose him to an attack, Orochimaru confronts Ryoma and anticipates how Ritsu will respond 55.

After Kirigakure’s losses create an opening, Orochimaru organizes a counterattack and fights Fourth Mizukage Karatachi Yagura. He secretly replaces himself with a snake clone during the battle, then breaks a Water Prison with Earth Release: Ant Hell. Before the operation, he arranges for Nara Shikaku to assume command if anything happens to him 79 85 91 94.

Betrayal Investigation and Hokage Succession

Orochimaru refuses to let Ryoma’s resignation close the investigation into the ambushes on Ritsu and Kakashi’s team. He later gathers senior officers and clan representatives, assigning Uchiha Shisui to interrogate the captured Suikazan Fuguki with genjutsu 81 94.

Fuguki implicates Danzō and suggests Hiruzen’s complicity, but provides suspicions rather than direct proof. Orochimaru notices that the account seems suspiciously smooth. Nevertheless, he insists that the official record preserve every statement, rejects requests to censor the accusations, and sends the signed testimony to Konoha 98.

His alliance with Ritsu includes a political bargain: Ritsu promises to support his Fourth Hokage candidacy, while Orochimaru enables Ritsu to contract with Ryūchi Cave. Although Orochimaru’s desire for office has diminished, he resents Hiruzen’s preference for Minato and refuses to accept being dismissed as a successor 82.

Orochimaru supports the impeachment of Hiruzen and the senior advisers. He subsequently loses the Fourth Hokage election to Minato by 28 votes to 51. Around the election, his attention shifts toward Ritsu’s Wood Release; he receives no official appointment in Minato’s new administration 124 126 127 129.

Human Experimentation and Defection

While incorporating Root, Minato discovers Kinoe, a surviving child experiment with Wood Release. The investigation exposes Orochimaru and Danzō’s theft of cells from the First Hokage’s remains and their experiments on abducted Konoha villagers, including children. Only one child survived the implantation experiment 164 165.

Because Orochimaru remains powerful and enjoys substantial support among civilian ninja, Minato fears that arresting him could cause another internal conflict. Jiraiya volunteers to confront his former teammate personally, while Minato prepares evacuation and interception forces 165 176.

In his laboratory, Orochimaru admits that he willingly pursued the experiments to master all ninjutsu, uncover the world’s truths, and overcome death. He rejects surrender, defeats Jiraiya through Sharingan genjutsu, and then fights Minato’s Shadow Guard. He survives Shisui’s sword through his chest by shedding his damaged body and ultimately escapes Konoha 177 178.

Konoha declares him an S-rank rogue ninja and offers a 200-million-ryō bounty. His escape causes extensive destruction, and Jiraiya leaves to pursue him. The public charge concerns illegal forbidden-jutsu research; the use of fellow villagers as experimental material initially circulates only among the upper ranks 178 179.

Alliance with Uchiha Ryūban

Ryūban locates Orochimaru’s underground base in the Land of Rice and offers Madara’s cells in exchange for Impure World Reincarnation. Orochimaru dismisses the Moon Eye Plan’s promised illusion of peace, but accepts the trade because he covets Madara’s cells and the Rinnegan 233 234.

Using a White Zetsu sacrifice, Orochimaru reanimates Madara. He later summons the First Hokage, Second Hokage, Third Kazekage, and Fourth Kazekage, allowing Ryūban to copy their chakra with his dōjutsu. Their partnership assigns Orochimaru the task of seizing the Rinnegan 234 236.

Orochimaru infiltrates Iwagakure under another person’s identity and battles Ritsu over the eyes. When his other methods fail, he unveils the Eight Branches Technique. Ritsu destroys two serpent heads with Sage Art: Ninefold Wheel Kill, prompting Orochimaru to withdraw through the reanimated Tobirama’s Flying Thunder God Technique. Although he fails to obtain the Rinnegan, observing Ritsu’s body gives him fresh research inspiration 238 239 240 241.

He later participates in a three-pronged attack on Konoha: Orochimaru attacks the hospital and targets Shisui, Madara occupies Ritsu at Tamagushi Shrine, and Ryūban attempts to eliminate Hiruko 251.

Artificial Humans and Madara’s Revival

After Ryūban’s defeat, Orochimaru continues cooperating with the reanimated Madara and plans to relocate his research base. His new objective is an artificial human capable of bearing the Rinnegan’s power 256.

He completes Number One, an obedient artificial human designed to perform the Outer Path: Samsara of Heavenly Life Technique. Number One receives the Rinnegan from Number Zero, adapts to its power, and revives Madara. Witnessing Madara’s restored strength makes Orochimaru more cautious about their alliance 265 267 268.

Orochimaru’s later research goes beyond merely creating a compatible vessel: he reveals that he can replicate the Rinnegan by combining six clans’ bloodlines with an Uchiha Sharingan foundation and his own techniques. Madara and Black Zetsu have not realized the extent of this breakthrough 271.

Appearance

• Skin: Pale as paper after dispelling the Eight Branches Technique 241.
• Eyes: Golden, snake-like pupils; his implanted eyes can appear as crimson three-tomoe Sharingan 178 234.
• Clothing and accessories: A loose kimono and blue-green magatama earrings 233.
• Expression: Frequently wears a cold, snake-like smile; his presence is described as chilling and unapproachable 127 233.
• Modified forms: Can emerge from a discarded body with a human torso and snake tail, or transform into a colossal eight-headed serpent 240.

Personality

Orochimaru values genuine knowledge and immortality over comforting illusions. He explicitly rejects the Moon Eye Plan’s fantasy of peace, yet willingly cooperates with its supporters when their resources advance his research. Once confronted over his experiments, he acknowledges his responsibility without remorse and challenges Jiraiya’s right to forgive him on his victims’ behalf 177 233 234.

He is calculating rather than blindly reckless. As commander, he prepares a replacement leader before a dangerous operation; as a rogue ninja, he recognizes that attacking a fully defended Konoha for the Rinnegan would be suicidal. He also abandons the Iwagakure battle rather than die for Ryūban’s objectives 94 233 241.

His scientific curiosity increasingly outweighs political ambition. Repeated exposure to death weakens his earlier desire to become Hokage, though Hiruzen’s preference for Minato still wounds his pride. Even a failed battle can satisfy him if it reveals something useful about an exceptional body 82 126 241.

Abilities & Skills

Snake Summoning and Snake-Based Ninjutsu

• Ryūchi Cave contract: Holds the summoning contract and facilitates Ritsu’s access to its snakes 73 82.
• Manda: Has previously deployed the enormous purple snake against Kirigakure. Manda’s strengths include speed, defense, and the impact of its massive body 71.
• Shadow Snake Hand / Hidden Shadow Snake Hands: Releases snakes from his sleeves to bind and bite opponents; developed using Ryūchi Cave’s summoning technique 177 178 239.
• Snake clones: Creates a convincing substitute that breaks apart into numerous small snakes when struck 91.

Body Modification and Substitution

• Soft Body Modification: Makes his body supple enough to twist around attacks like a snake 178 239.
• Orochimaru-Style Substitution: Escapes severe injuries by producing an unharmed body from his mouth; survives both a pierced heart and Ritsu’s potentially fatal chest strike 178 240.
• Efficiency: Others can learn the substitution, but expend tremendous chakra and cannot reproduce Orochimaru’s fluid execution 240.
• Earth Substitute / mud clones: Uses an earthen replacement during his confrontation with Jiraiya 177 178.

Sharingan

• Genjutsu: Immobilizes Jiraiya and, in his Eight Branches form, traps dozens of Iwa ninja through his sixteen Sharingan eyes 177 240.
• Prediction: Reads Ritsu’s attack trajectory to support evasive movement 239.
• Research observation: Studies unusual bodies and chakra flow, including Ritsu’s physiology and Number One’s adaptation to the Rinnegan 241 268.

Wood Release

• Transplanted bloodline: Successfully incorporates Wood Release without learning Hiruko’s Chimera Technique 178.
• Wood Golem Technique: Uses it against Ritsu, but finds it ineffective in that encounter 240.
• Experimental risk: A later research subject loses control, turns into wood, and becomes a tree within half a minute 250.

Earth Release: Ant Hell

• Terrain manipulation: Creates a rapidly rotating, suction-producing area beneath a Water Prison 91.
• Water Prison counter: Removes nearly a quarter of its water in less than a minute, disrupting its balance and collapsing it 91.

Impure World Reincarnation

• Requirements: Uses cells from the deceased and a living sacrifice to summon the dead; successfully substitutes White Zetsu as sacrificial material 234.
• Control: Silences summoned Kage and inserts prepared talismans to erase their consciousness 236.
• Combat support: Deploys reanimated Tobirama as a shield and uses Tobirama’s Flying Thunder God Technique for escape 240 241.
• Limitations: The summoned Hashirama possesses less than one-tenth of his living strength, yet Orochimaru still reports difficulty controlling him 236.

Eight Branches Technique

• Transformation: Becomes a snow-white serpent with eight heads, eight tails, and sixteen three-tomoe Sharingan eyes 240.
• Purpose: Developed before his Wood Release acquisition to provide a body capable of confronting tailed-beast-sized enemies 240.
• Advantages: Enormous size reduces the effectiveness of attacks designed for human anatomy; the form also possesses powerful regeneration 240.
• Destructive scale: Its emergence alone crushes more than a dozen houses and devastates half a street in Iwagakure 240.
• Limit: Ritsu’s Sage Art: Ninefold Wheel Kill destroys two heads and forces Orochimaru to retreat 241.

Artificial Humans and Rinnegan Research

• Artificial subjects: Creates thinking beings without emotions who obey his orders completely, even when ordered to die 268.
• Compatible vessel: Number One successfully adapts to transplanted Rinnegan and performs the revival technique on Madara 268.
• Rinnegan replication: Combines the bloodlines of the Uchiha, Hyuga, Kaguya, Horn, Uzumaki, and Senju clans, using the Sharingan as the foundation 271.
• Unconfirmed personal acquisition: His ability to reproduce the Rinnegan is established, but these passages do not show him implanting it into himself 271.

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Kusanagi Sword — A sharp, extendable sword produced through a snake from his mouth. He uses its flat to knock away the Rinnegan container and its edge to cut through Ritsu’s wind blades 239.
• Ryūchi Cave summoning contract — Gives access to the cave’s summoning creatures 73.
• Reanimation materials — Scrolls, preserved flesh samples, living sacrifices, and prepared control talismans support his Impure World Reincarnation 234 236.
• Underground research bases — Maintains concealed facilities, including a tightly protected, barrier-sealed base in the Land of Rice 233 250.

Relationships

• Sarutobi Hiruzen — Teacher. Orochimaru resents Hiruzen’s preference for Minato as successor and later supports his removal from office 82 124.
• Jiraiya — Former teammate and longtime friend. Jiraiya attempts to persuade him to surrender, fights him when persuasion fails, and pursues him after his defection 165 177 179.
• Tsunade — Fellow Sannin and former teammate. Orochimaru attributes her refusal to return as Hokage to her unresolved grief over her boyfriend and younger brother 125 250.
• Hyuga Ritsu — Former military and political ally, later opponent. Their summoning-contract bargain supports Orochimaru’s Hokage candidacy; after their relationship cools, they clash over the Rinnegan 82 179 239 241.
• Hiruko — Contemporary and fellow forbidden-jutsu researcher. Hiruko sympathizes with him but condemns his use of Konoha villagers as experimental material; he explicitly denies teaching him the Chimera Technique 33 178.
• Namikaze Minato — Hokage-election rival and eventual arresting authority. Minato defeats him in the election, then authorizes his capture or death after he refuses surrender 127 178.
• Shimura Danzō — Accomplice in grave robbery and illegal human experimentation on Konoha villagers 164 165.
• Uchiha Shisui — Former subordinate and later adversary. Orochimaru trusts him with Fuguki’s interrogation and sincerely praises his speed during the arrest attempt 94 178.
• Uchiha Ryūban — Transactional partner. Trades reanimation knowledge for Madara’s cells and coordinates attacks with him, but refuses to fight to the death on his behalf 234 236 241 251.
• Uchiha Madara — Reanimated ally and research partner. Orochimaru supplies the artificial vessel needed for his true revival, while maintaining doubts about whether Madara can overcome Ritsu 256 268.
• Number Zero and Number One — Artificial creations used as Rinnegan carriers and resurrection instruments; both obey him without resistance 267 268.

Notable Quotes

“If you want to keep me here, force is the only way you might achieve that.” 178

“The Moon Eye Plan? An interesting idea, but I'm afraid I can't help you. I have no interest in pursuing peace within a fantasy.” 233

“Uchiha, Hyuga, Kaguya Clan, Horn Clan, Uzumaki Clan, and Senju Clan. Gather the bloodlines of these six clans, use the Sharingan of the Uchiha Clan as the foundation, then add my techniques—and the Rinnegan is born!” 271