Escalating Conflict
Orochimaru and Konoha Shimura Danzo, maintained a cooperative relationship based on mutual interests.
Research on Wood Release and Konoha Hashirama Cells: The Konoha leadership attempted to conduct Hashirama Cells transplantation experiments on adults who volunteered as test subjects in an attempt to cultivate users capable of using Wood Release. However, these experiments repeatedly failed, resulting in numerous casualties, and were therefore immediately terminated.
However, Orochimaru continued his previously terminated Hashirama Cells transplantation experiments in secret. Orochimaru kidnapped sixty infants from Konoha, including genin, chunin, ANBU, and those from Konoha villages. He extracted genetic material from the First Naruto's corpse and injected it into the infants for human experimentation. However, the rejection was severe, and they died one after another. As time passed, to Orochimaru's surprise, one of the test subjects survived. This infant was none other than Yamato.
Orochimaru's defection from Konoha: Later, when Orochimaru was preparing to dispose of the experimental corpses, his strange behavior was exposed by the Third Naruto and the ANBU, so Orochimaru eventually left Konoha.
The Third Hokage, who was at the peak of his power at the time, originally wanted to kill him, but in the end he couldn't bring himself to do it.
When Orochimaru betrayed Konoha, Jiraiya chased after him to try and persuade him to Orochimaru, but he couldn't change Orochimaru's decision to Konoha. Later, Jiraiya still felt guilty for not being able to persuade his friend who had gone astray to return, and for that reason, he secretly tracked Orochimaru's whereabouts for many years.
Shortly after, Orochimaru began investigating the Akatsuki. Through Kabuto Yakushi, he deliberately let the Akatsuki know about his actions. After receiving a letter from the Akatsuki, Orochimaru went to the meeting place and discovered Deva Path's Rinnegan. After deliberately losing to Sasori, he transformed into a snake and attempted to seize Deva Path's Rinnegan at incredible speed, but was Deva Path by Shinra Tensei. Orochimaru then volunteered to join the Akatsuki, and Deva Path agreed to let him join for "easier surveillance." At the same time, Orochimaru recognized Deva Path's face as one of the war orphans Jiraiya had taken in Jiraiya Amegakure.
Sasori (Hiruko form) and Orochimaru: After joining Akatsuki, Sasori's ring was "empty," worn on his left pinky. During an Akatsuki meeting, he revealed information about the immortality experiments conducted by the River Village cult. Deva Path, along with Kakuzu, dispatched them to the area to recruit Hidan, a successful experimental subject. After subduing Hidan Kakuzu, Sasori successfully persuaded Hidan to join using sealing talismans and Akatsuki's ideology. After Akatsuki officially assembled, Sasori teamed up with Orochimaru for a mission.
After Itachi joined, Orochimaru, wanting the power of the Sharingan, attempted to seize Itachi's body as a vessel for reincarnation. However, he was subdued by Itachi's genjutsu and had one of his arms severed. He then escaped under the cover of Kabuto Yakushi. Later, due to differing goals from the Akatsuki, he eventually left Akatsuki.
Later, Orochimaru gathered his forces and established his own ninja village in the Land of Rice Fields — the Otogakure, marked by an eighth note. Its sphere of influence was located in the northern part of the Land of Fire. His important subordinates included Guren, Suigetsu Hozuki, Jugo (northern base), Karin (southern base), Kabuto Yakushi, Sound Five (Kaguya Kimimaro, Tayuya, Jirobo, Kidomaru, and Sakon/ Ukon).
Twelve years after the Chunin Exams, Orochimaru, now middle-aged, allied with the Fourth Hokage Wind Shadow, Rasa, and together they launched an attack on Konoha, an operation known as the "Konoha Crush Plan."
He infiltrated Konoha with his subordinate Kabuto Yakushi as a spy, while he himself disguised himself as a female Chunin examinee from Kusagakure and infiltrated Konoha. In the Forest of Death, Orochimaru encountered Sasuke Uchiha. Because Orochimaru intended to use Sasuke's body as a vessel for reincarnation, he gave Sasuke the Cursed Seal of Heaven and prophesied that Sasuke would seek him out for power to avenge the annihilation of the Uchiha clan.
After Orochimaru assassinated the Fourth Kazekage, he then impersonated him, gaining complete control over the Sand Village's actions. During the third Chunin Exams, Orochimaru, disguised as the Fourth Kazekage, was specially invited by the Third Hokage to the Konoha Chunin Selection Tournament to watch the elimination matches with him. During the tournament, Orochimaru's four trusted subordinates—Tayuya, Jirobo, Kidomaru, and Sakon and Ukon—disguised themselves as two Sand Village ninja as bodyguards. Because Sasuke Uchiha was unable to attend the exam, the Third Hokage repeatedly postponed the exam, but Sasuke still failed to appear. The Third Hokage then decided to disqualify him, but was dissuaded by the "Fourth Kazekage" and abandoned the idea.
In the Konoha Crush Operation, Orochimaru, at the age of fifty, allied with Wind Shadow Fourth Hokage Naruto, a former ally of Konoha, and the two conspired to attack Konoha in what became known as the "Konoha Crush Plan." Orochimaru, however, had other plans. With the help of Orochimaru and Kimimaro, he assassinated Rasa and impersonated the Wind Shadow, successfully instigating a battle between the Rasa Sand Ninja and Konoha ninjas. Maki's body wasn't discovered until after the Chunin Exams. He infiltrated Konoha using his subordinate Kabuto Yakushi as a spy, while he himself disguised himself as a female Chunin Exam candidate from the Grass Ninja Village.
He encountered Sasuke Uchiha in the Forest of Death. Because he intended to use Sasuke's body as a vessel for reincarnation, he deliberately gave Sasuke the Heavenly Curse Seal and prophesied that Sasuke would seek him out for power to avenge the annihilation of the Uchiha clan.
Later, after successfully instigating a battle between the Sand Ninja and Konoha ninjas, he immediately dropped his disguise and challenged the Third Naruto within the barrier maintained by the Sound Four.
During the fierce battle, the Third Naruto used "Ninjutsu: Tile Shuriken" to attack Orochimaru, but Orochimaru easily dodged it. Orochimaru immediately countered and attacked the Third Naruto with "Hidden Shadow Snake Hands". Afterwards, the Third Naruto used "Earth Release: Earth Flow River", "Earth Release: Earth Dragon Bullet" and "Fire Release: Fire Dragon Bullet" to attack Orochimaru in succession, but Orochimaru used Earth Substitution to dodge them.
After summoning the First and Second Hokage, when the Third Naruto used the "Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique," Orochimaru used the Edo Tensei to summon Naruto First and Second Naruto. Their wills were completely erased, and they were forced to participate in the battle, unable to unleash their original strength.
During the battle, Hiruzen Sarutobi used "Fire Release: Fire Dragon Flame Bullet" to spew flames from his mouth towards the two brothers. In response to the Fire Release attack, the Second Naruto used Water Release: Water Wall to violently spew out a wall of water like ocean waves from his mouth to block Hiruzen Sarutobi's Fire Release attack.
Immediately afterward, the Second Naruto clasped his hands together and used Water Release: Water Rush Wave to instantly summon water that spun and rose rapidly like a tornado. The water then spread like a waterfall and crashed down on Hiruzen Sarutobi. Hiruzen Sarutobi used Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall to build a giant rock to block the flood. But just as he was returning to the castle from the rock, the First Naruto used Wood Release: Deep Forest Emergence to rapidly grow many trees from the ground. The trees were uprooted and created a forest in an instant, and their branches tightly bound Hiruzen Sarutobi's hands and feet.