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Tsunade (Naruto)

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Tsunade
(綱手)
Tsunade
Tsunade by Masashi Kishimoto
Debut Manga Chapter 148
Naruto Episode 85
Seiyū Masako Katsuki
Haruhi Terada (as a child)
Profile
Age 51 in Part I
53 in Part II
Birthday August 2
Blood Type B
Height 163.1 cm
Weight 48.9 kg
Known relatives Nawaki (Brother, deceased)
First Hokage (Grandfather, deceased)
Second Hokage (Granduncle, deceased)
Information
Current rank Fifth Hokage, (Medical specialist)
Current affiliation Konohagakure
Previous team Team Sarutobi (Third Hokage, Orochimaru, Jiraiya, Tsunade)
Signature jutsu/Kekkei genkai

Tsunade (綱手?) is a fictional character in the anime and manga series Naruto.

The names of Tsunade, Jiraiya and Orochimaru come from Jiraiya Goketsu Monogatari (児雷也豪傑物語, "The Tale of the Gallant Jiraiya"). The Tsunade in this story excelled in snail magic and was married to Jiraiya. The name "Tsunade" (綱手) means "mooring rope".

Contents

[hide]

[edit] Background

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.
The young Tsunade, Orochimaru and Jiraiya with their sensei, Sarutobi
The young Tsunade, Orochimaru and Jiraiya with their sensei, Sarutobi

Tsunade is a former student of the Third Hokage. Tsunade and her former teammates, Jiraiya and Orochimaru, are known as the "Legendary Three Ninja" (伝説の三忍 Densetsu no Sannin?) or simply the "Sannin". The word "Hime" (姫, "Princess") is often attached to Tsunade's name because she is the granddaughter of the First Hokage and the grandniece of the Second Hokage. Tsunade is best known for her large breasts, despite the fact that Jiraiya referred to her as "flat-chested Tsunade" during their childhood.

One of Tsunade's noteworthy possessions was an amulet that belonged to her grandfather, which is said to be valuable enough to buy three mountains. On her brother, Nawaki's, twelfth birthday, Tsunade gave the amulet to him in the hopes that it would help him achieve his dream of becoming Hokage. The next day, Nawaki died as one of the many casualties of the war going on at the time, and the amulet was returned to Tsunade's possession. Sometime afterwards, Tsunade fell in love with a man named Dan, who also wanted to become Hokage. As a sign of her affection and in the hopes that it would help him achieve his goal, Tsunade gave him the amulet as well. Dan too would go on to die a bloody death during the course of the war, once again returning the amulet to her possession.

The deaths of Dan and Nawaki greatly changed Tsunade; Dan's death and her failed attempt to save him gave her a fear of blood, causing her to freeze up when ever seeing it. The amulet's repeated returns to her also led her and many others to believe that it was cursed, and whoever Tsunade might give it to would die soon after. Similarly, Tsunade came to lose faith in the title of Hokage, believing that only fools would want such a position. With these changes of ideals, Tsunade left Konoha with Dan's niece, Shizune, taking the latter in as her apprentice.

Tsunade's trademark ability is her inhuman strength, which is derived from her excellent chakra control. By storing chakra and releasing it at the point of contact, she can enhance her strength to the point where she can break through boulders with her bare hands. She is also an extremely talented Medical-nin, and can heal wounds that most others would consider impossible. As a result of her chakra control and her medical abilities, Tsunade has created the Creation Rebirth, a technique that can regenerate all of the user's wounds by releasing the chakra-filled seal on her forehead. While an extremely useful technique, it also dramatically cuts down the user's lifespan, making it a technique to only be used in desperate situations.

Even though she is in her fifties, Tsunade's Transformation Technique makes it appear as if she were still twenty. Tsunade's transformation is somewhat different from a normal transformation as it seems to be permanent, not getting dispelled when she is slashed or injured, and she apparently does not need to exert any effort to stay transformed. Tsunade is also a compulsive gambler who has the unfortunate disadvantage of having terrible luck. As a result, she has been elevated to a comical status as "The Legendary Sucker" (伝説のカモ Densetsu no Kamo?) for the gross profits others have made off her misfortune and gambling addiction. In the rare instances that Tsunade hits a winning streak, she believes it to be a bad omen, and bad things do tend to happen to her afterwards. The symbol on the back of her coat, 賭 ("kake"), means "gamble," or "wager," as gambling is one of her favorite pastimes.

[edit] Part I

[edit] Search for Tsunade arc

After his failed invasion of Konoha, Orochimaru seeks out Tsunade. Upon finding her, he asks her for a favor, though before he can specify what this favor is she declines, having already noticed his wounded arms. Trying again, Orochimaru asks her to heal his arms, explaining that the injury is a result of his carelessness when killing the Third Hokage. Shocked by this revelation, Tsunade prepares to kill Orochimaru, though he once again intervenes by offering to resurrect her dead loved ones: Dan and Nawaki. Interested in this offer, Tsunade considers it, and is left a week to decide.

Soon afterwards, Tsunade is approached by Jiraiya and Naruto Uzumaki who want her to become the next Hokage. After turning down the offer and ridiculing it, Naruto challenges Tsunade to a fight, enraged that someone could disrespect the title of Hokage due to his undying desire to become Hokage himself. Tsunade accepts and easily wins, though not before witnessing Naruto's attempt at using the Spiraling Sphere. Intrigued, Tsunade makes a bet with Naruto to master the jutsu in a week, and if he wins he will get the First Hokage's amulet. Naruto accepts, and resumes his training. As the week progresses, Tsunade keeps a careful eye on Naruto's progress and all the while contemplates Orochimaru's offer. When the week is up and Naruto appears to have failed in mastering the jutsu, Tsunade goes to meet Orochimaru, though not before drugging Jiraiya to make sure he doesn't interfere.

Upon meeting with Orochimaru, Tsunade asks that he not destroy Konoha when his arms are healed. Orochimaru complies, and Tsunade prepares to heal him, though is interrupted by Orochimaru's assistant, Kabuto Yakushi. Kabuto, being a medical ninja himself, was able to notice the killing intent of Tsunade's healing jutsu and as such knew that she really intended to kill Orochimaru. Her motives known, Tsunade reveals that she knew Orochimaru lied when saying he'd leave Konoha alone, and that she couldn't bring herself to allow it due to Nawaki and Dan having loved Konoha until the end of their days. While she had tried to forget this fact over the years, Naruto's determination and desire to be Hokage reminded her of their dreams, and she has decided to do whatever is necessary to protect those dreams.

With that, Tsunade attacks Orochimaru, though Kabuto fights her in his place. As the two trade blows, Kabuto begins to realize that he is outmatched and decided to use her fear of blood to his advantage by slitting his wrists and thus making her immovable. As Kabuto begins to beat on Tsunade, Shizune and Naruto come to her rescue. While both are easily defeated, Naruto is able to overcome his injuries and continue to protect Tsunade. Although Tsunade tells him to run, Naruto refuses, and manages to hit Kabuto with a perfected Spiraling Sphere in his effort to protect her, defeating Kabuto. As Naruto collapses and is left near-death due to Kabuto's last attack, Tsunade rushes to his aid and attempts to heal him, not willing to allow him to die. Her efforts are successful, and Naruto claims the amulet he has now won before losing consciousness. Putting the amulet around his neck, Tsunade asks once more for its wearer to become Hokage.

Tsunade as the Fifth Hokage
Tsunade as the Fifth Hokage

Orochimaru, worrying about what kind of threat Naruto may become when he gets older, tries to kill him, though Tsunade blocks that attack as a human shield. Orochimaru inquires as to why she is protecting Naruto, to which she replies that Naruto will someday be Hokage and that she will not allow him to die before that happens. With that, Tsunade accepts the title of Fifth Hokage (五代目火影 Godaime Hokage?) that she had been offered and overcomes her fear of blood, her first action being to kill Orochimaru. Joining forces with the still drugged Jiraiya, the two attack Orochimaru, with Tsunade eventually being the one to deal the finishing blow. Defeated, Orochimaru escapes, vowing to destroy Konoha once he's healed himself. Once Naruto recovers, the group returns to Konoha, Tsunade ready to take the role Dan and Nawaki so dearly desired, and secretly believing that Naruto will someday become a great Hokage.

[edit] Sasuke Retrieval arc

Soon after arriving in Konoha, Tsunade heals the wounds of Rock Lee, Kakashi Hatake, and Sasuke Uchiha. Once healed, Sasuke defects from the village so that he can go to Orochimaru, and Tsunade is forced to send out a group of Genin to stop him. The group ultimately fails, and Tsunade helps in healing their fatal injuries, bringing them back to full health. In the aftermath of Sasuke's betrayal, Sakura Haruno asks to become Tsunade's apprentice, which Tsunade gladly accepts.

[edit] Anime filler arcs

Tsunade appears in numerous filler arcs, though she typically does nothing more than sending others out on missions, occasionally trying new ways of deciding who will go on a specific mission.

[edit] Part II

After Naruto's return to Konoha after the timeskip, the village's elders question Tsunade's decision to allow Naruto to go out on missions when Akatsuki seeks to capture him. As such, the elders force Tsunade to allow one of Danzo's, a fierce opponent of the Third Hokage, men to be teamed with Naruto. Not trusting Danzo, Tsunade assigns Yamato to lead Naruto and keep an eye on Danzo's addition to the team.

Later, when two Akatsuki members enter the Land of Fire, Tsunade mobilizes the Niju Shotai to look for and, if possible, capture the Akatsuki duo. While capture never comes to be possible, the Akatsuki members are both defeated.


Jiraiya (Naruto)

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Jiraiya
(自来也)

Jiraiya by Masashi Kishimoto
Debut Manga Chapter 90
Naruto Episode 52
Seiyū Houchu Ohtsuka
Toru Nara (as a child)
Voice actor(s) David Lodge
Richard Cansino (Naruto: Ultimate Ninja)
Profile
Age 50-51 in Part I
53 in Part II
Birthday November 11
Blood Type B
Height 191.2 cm
Weight 87.5 kg
Information
Current rank N/A
Current affiliation Konohagakure
Previous team Team Sarutobi (Third Hokage, Orochimaru, Jiraiya, Tsunade)
Team Jiraiya (Jiraiya, Fourth Hokage, two unknown members)
Signature jutsu/Kekkei genkai

Jiraiya (自来也?) is a fictional character in the anime and manga series Naruto.

His name literally means "coming on one's own", which pretty much describes his personality; quietly appearing and disappearing from Konoha at any time. It may also be a reference to his perverse hobbies.

The names of Jiraiya, Tsunade and Orochimaru come from the old story Jiraiya Goketsu Monogatari (児雷也豪傑物語, "The Tale of the Gallant Jiraiya") from Japanese literature. The Jiraiya in this story excelled in summoning a giant toad (the toad itself was sometimes called "Jiraiya") and toad magic. In that story, Jiraiya and Tsunade were a married couple. There, his name is written as "児雷也" meaning "Young Thunder" which in turn comes from the name Garaiya (我来也, "I came") from the Chinese story Kaishi (諧史).

Contents

[hide]

[edit] Background

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.
The young Tsunade, Orochimaru and Jiraiya with their sensei, Sarutobi.
The young Tsunade, Orochimaru and Jiraiya with their sensei, Sarutobi.
Jiraiya's Genin team with the Fourth Hokage and two other unknown members.
Jiraiya's Genin team with the Fourth Hokage and two other unknown members.

Jiraiya is a former student of the Third Hokage. Jiraiya and his former teammates, Orochimaru and Tsunade, are known as the "Legendary Three Ninja" (伝説の三忍 Densetsu no Sannin?) or simply the "Sannin", while Jiraiya himself is known as the "Toad Hermit" (蝦蟇仙人 Gama Sennin?). Later in his life, Jiraiya became the Jonin sensei of the future Fourth Hokage and two other, as yet unknown, Genin. Jiraiya's favorite foods are garlic root and fried chicken, with his least favorite being kiwi and gratin. His favorite phrase is "free-spirited".

As a child, Jiraiya developed a close relationship with Orochimaru. When Orochimaru would years later betray Konoha and flee the village, Jiraiya pursued him, trying to convince his friend to come back. Orochimaru refused and attacked Jiraiya, and turned his back to Konoha forever. After asking himself why Orochimaru had defected and eventually determining that he wasn't coming back, Jiraiya too left Konoha so that he could follow Orochimaru's movements, and in time came to follow the organization that Orochimaru joined: Akatsuki.

Although he was fairly clumsy when he was younger, Jiraiya is a genius S-Class ninja who specializes in summoning toads and using ninjutsu. The kanji on Jiraiya's forehead protector (油, Abura) means "oil", which probably has to do with the use of toad oil for medicine and his flame-oil attack with Gamabunta. Jiraiya's abilities are apparently exceptional in the Naruto universe, as Akatsuki members Itachi Uchiha and Kisame Hoshigaki felt that they couldn't defeat Jiraiya without dying themselves.

Jiraiya is a self-proclaimed super-pervert and a frequent voyeur, going so far as to create the Transparent Escape Technique so that he wouldn't get caught spying on naked women (or "data-gathering" as he calls it). He never actually hides his perversion, and even seems proud of it, as seen when he told the Third Hokage about it when he was still a child. Despite this, Jiraiya doesn't like being called Ero-sennin (エロ仙人? literally Perverted hermit or Erotic hermit; Pervy sage in the U.S. dub) by Naruto Uzumaki in front of others. He has been caught peeping at least once when he was younger by Tsunade who, in her anger, beat Jiraiya to within an inch of his life, breaking both his arms, six of his ribs, and rupturing a number of organs.

Some time after leaving Konoha, Jiraiya became an author of adult novels, his most popular work being Make Out Paradise (イチャイチャパラダイス Icha Icha Paradaisu?). In a filler episode of the anime, Naruto ghostwrites one of Jiraiya's Icha Icha novels and the book is found to be very popular, meaning that Naruto is capable of writing on the same level as Jiraiya, or that Jiraiya's writing abilities are no better than that of a child. The popularity of the Icha Icha series seems to have paid off well, as Jiraiya's checkbook reveals that he is fairly wealthy (Naruto exclaims that there are quite a few zeros at the end). Despite his wealth, Jiraiya is not above taking Naruto's money and spending it on sake and women.

[edit] Part I

[edit] Chunin Exam arc

During Naruto's chakra training with Ebisu in a bathhouse, Ebisu finds Jiraiya to be spying on women. When Ebisu tries to reprimand Jiraiya, Jiraiya summons a toad to instantly defeat Ebisu. No longer having someone to help him train, Naruto demands that Jiraiya become Ebisu's replacement. Although reluctant at first, Naruto's persistence and his Sexy Technique finally persuades Jiraiya to agree.

During their training, Jiraiya discovers that Orochimaru had sealed Naruto's Nine-Tailed Demon Fox chakra, making it difficult for Naruto to perform jutsu. After removing the seal, Jiraiya starts to train Naruto to use the demon fox's power at will by teaching him the Summoning Technique, the former being required for the latter to be effective. Later, during the invasion of Konoha, Jiraiya joins the fight in repelling the invading forces.

[edit] Search for Tsunade arc

After the death of the Third Hokage, the village elders ask Jiraiya to take up the title of the Fifth Hokage. Jiraiya declines, and instead promises to search for Tsunade, who he thinks would do a better job as Hokage. Jiraiya brings Naruto with him, needing the help but also wanting to protect Naruto from Akatsuki who want the demon fox sealed within him. As they search for Tsunade, Jiraiya teaches Naruto the Spiraling Sphere, which Naruto is able to learn very rapidly via a number of shortcuts.

Once they eventually find Tsunade, Jiraiya tries to convince her to assume the role of Hokage. Not fond of the offer or Jiraiya's persistence, Tsunade drugs Jiraiya, making it difficult for him to move and use chakra. During Tsunade's later fight with Orochimaru, Jiraiya finds his drugged state to be very debilitating in assisting Tsunade, as it halves the potency of his techniques several times over. After finally forcing Orochimaru to flee, largely due to Tsunade's efforts, Tsunade accepts the position of Hokage.

[edit] Sasuke Retrieval arc

After Naruto's failed attempt to stop Sasuke Uchiha from abandoning Konoha, Jiraiya tries to convince Naruto to forget about Sasuke, remembering his own experiences with Orochimaru and not wanting Naruto to go through the same thing. Naruto retorts that he would be happier wasting his time if it means that Sasuke might come back to Konoha. Touched, Jiraiya offers to take Naruto away for two and a half years of training so that he can get stronger. Naruto accepts, and Jiraiya says that they will set out when Naruto is ready.

[edit] Anime filler arcs

During the course of the filler arcs, Jiraiya gathers information on Akatsuki, occasionally offering assistance with missions. The filler arcs also shed some light on Jiraiya's early years, showing that he often bickered with Orochimaru and Tsunade as children, and that he was responsible for turning the tide of a war in Konoha's favor, which also resulted in the annihilation of a rival village. Eventually, once deciding that Naruto is ready, Jiraiya leaves with Naruto to begin their training.

[edit] Part II

Over the course of the timeskip, Jiraiya teaches Naruto how to more readily access the demon fox's chakra. In doing so, Jiraiya is for a second time in his life brought to the brink of death, with Naruto in his four-tailed demon fox form being too much for Jiraiya to handle. Upon returning Naruto to Konoha, Jiraiya disappears so that he can research Akatsuki's whereabouts and motives.



Orochimaru (Naruto)

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Orochimaru
(大蛇丸)

Orochimaru by Masashi Kishimoto
Debut Manga Chapter 45
Naruto Episode 27
Seiyū Kujira
Yuriko Yamaguchi (as Grass ninja)
Mayumi Yamaguchi (as a child)
Sachiko Kojima (as his female body)
Voice actor(s) Steven Jay Blum
Mary Elizabeth McGlynn (as Grass ninja)
Wendee Lee (as his female body)
Profile
Age 50-51 in Part I
53 in Part II
Birthday October 27
Blood Type B
Height 172 cm
Weight 57.3 kg
Information
Current rank Missing-nin
Current affiliation Otogakure
Previous affiliation Konohagakure, Akatsuki
Previous team Team Sarutobi (Third Hokage, Orochimaru, Jiraiya, Tsunade)
Team Orochimaru (Orochimaru, Anko Mitarashi)
Sasori, Orochimaru
Signature jutsu/Kekkei genkai

Orochimaru (大蛇丸?) is a fictional character and major antagonist in the anime and manga series Naruto.

Orochimaru borrows heavily from Japanese literature — his name, as well as those of Jiraiya and Tsunade come from the Jiraiya Goketsu Monogatari (児雷也豪傑物語, "The Tale of the Gallant Jiraiya"), and the Orochimaru in that story was originally Jiraiya's student until he was corrupted by snake magic.

Orochimaru is male, but speaks in a very formal female tone to make him more sinister. Because this cannot be reproduced in English, he is instead given a masculine but quiet and high-pitched voice.

Contents

[hide]

[edit] Background

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.
The young Tsunade, Orochimaru and Jiraiya, with their sensei, Sarutobi
The young Tsunade, Orochimaru and Jiraiya, with their sensei, Sarutobi

Orochimaru is a former student of the Third Hokage. Orochimaru and his former teammates, Jiraiya and Tsunade, are known as the "Legendary Three Ninja" (伝説の三忍 Densetsu no Sannin?) or simply the "Sannin". His parents died when he was young, leaving him to fend for himself for much of his life. While under the Third's tutelage, the Third recognized Orochimaru's natural talent, often telling Jiraiya to be more like Orochimaru. The Third was aware of a malice and a lust for power within Orochimaru, but chose to pretend not to notice for he hoped he could quell this part of Orochimaru's personality. As the years went by Orochimaru formed a friendship with Jiraiya, and all the while his desire for strength grew.

Orochimaru and a young Anko as his student
Orochimaru and a young Anko as his student

After spending many years learning under the Third, Orochimaru began acting upon his inner desires of obtaining immortality in the hopes that he could learn every jutsu in existence as a result. To accomplish this goal, Orochimaru began abducting villagers and experimenting on them, trying to better understand how the body works and what modifications it could handle. In one such experiment, Orochimaru branded ten children with his own unique cursed seal in an effort to see what its success rate was. One of the ten was his own student, Anko Mitarashi, and she was the only one to survive. In another experiment, he injected the First Hokage's genes into sixty babies in the hopes of replicating the First's ability to use Mokuton techniques, as well as the First's ability to control tailed beasts. Orochimaru would not be able to see this experiment through to its completion, though he believed all of the test subjects had died. In reality, one subject, Yamato, survived, and retained the First's abilities that Orochimaru had desired.

While Orochimaru carried out his experiments in secret, he also tried to acquire the position of Hokage in the hopes that such a position would allow him easier access to secret jutsu. As the Third approached retirement, he attempted to teach Orochimaru about the concept that shinobi are only truly strong when protecting others, and that all members of a village should be seen as a family. Orochimaru, however, scoffed at these ideas, only desiring the title for the privileges it would provide him. Disappointed in his student's viewpoints, the Third passed the title of Hokage to one of Jiraiya's students who became the Fourth Hokage, denying Orochimaru the position he coveted.

Robbed of his only reason to keep face in Konoha, Orochimaru began to be less discrete with his abductions and experimentations, allowing the Third to eventually discover what Orochimaru was doing. Upon being found out, Orochimaru gave his former master the chance to kill him, but the Third couldn't bring himself to do it, thus allowing Orochimaru to escape. As he fled the village, Jiraiya, having come to think of Orochimaru as a dear friend, tried to stop him and persuade him to return to Konoha, though Orochimaru refused and turned his back to Konoha forever, acquiring a hate for his former home.

After leaving Konoha, Orochimaru joined Akatsuki, where he was teamed with Sasori. While what he did while a member of the organization is unknown, it is known that he attempted to get close to Itachi Uchiha with the hopes of gaining Itachi's body and as a result the Sharingan. Failing to accomplish this goal due to Itachi's strength, Orochimaru left the organization. When leaving the group, Orochimaru took his ring with him, and Akatsuki has, perhaps as a result, attempted to capture him ever since. At some point in time, Sasori inserted Kabuto Yakushi into Orochimaru's ranks as a spy, though Orochimaru soon became aware of this and persuaded Kabuto to side with him. Orochimaru would go on to take over the Land of Rice Fields. There he would create his own ninja village, Otogakure, the Village Hidden in Sound, filled with ninja loyal to him.

The snake contract on Orochimaru's arms (purple skin is due to the sealing of his arms by the Third Hokage)
The snake contract on Orochimaru's arms (purple skin is due to the sealing of his arms by the Third Hokage)

Being one of the Legendary Three Ninjas as well as a former member of Akatsuki, Orochimaru is a very talented ninja. Since his leaving Konoha, he has done many modifications to his body, allowing him to stretch any body part to great lengths as well as giving him a fairly inhuman appearance. While he has only displayed a limited amount of jutsu, it stands to reason that in his quest to learn all existing techniques his array of abilities is vast. The few techniques he has shown typically deal with snakes, using snakes for attack, regeneration, and even transportation. His apparent interest in snakes has caused him to apply the snake summoning contract to his arms, allowing him to summon snakes with great ease. Additionally, as a result of his extensive research about acquiring immortality, Orochimaru can transfer to a new body once every three years, allowing him to escape the effects of old age. This has caused Orochimaru himself to mutate into a composite entity made of many white-skinned snakes. At the start of the series, Orochimaru says to have used the ability twice. Despite this, he has kept the hand of his original body with the Akatsuki ring still on its finger.

Orochimaru relishes conflict and unrest, becoming bored when neither is in motion. Ibiki Morino, when first seeing Orochimaru as a child, claims to have been terrified at the sight of Orochimaru, believing him to be a monster in human skin. Despite this, Orochimaru has a knack for winning otherwise desperate people to his cause, filling the void in their life with loyalty to him. He brands some of his most powerful subordinates with a cursed seal that corrodes their body and free will in exchange for power. While many of Orochimaru's subordinates seem to admire and respect him, the reverse does not seem to be true. Orochimaru generally treats his subordinates as pawns, caring only for their ability to further his interests. The only ones he shows any sort of care for are those he intends to use as a host, and this too is only because they can prolong his existence.

[edit] Part I

[edit] Chunin Exam arc

Prior to the start of the Chunin Exams, Orochimaru approaches Sunagakure with a proposition of joining forces in invading Konoha. After killing the Fourth Kazekage, Orochimaru disguises himself as the Kazekage so as to give the illusion of approval by the village's leader, and Sunagakure agrees to join Orochimaru's Otogakure in Konoha's invasion.

Before the invasion is set to begin, Orochimaru kills and impersonates a Grass Genin entering the exams in the hopes of getting to observe Itachi's brother, Sasuke Uchiha. During the second phase of the exams, Orochimaru attacks Sasuke so as to test the latter's ability. During the battle, however, Orochimaru is forced to deal with Naruto Uzumaki, whose fox chakra makes him a formidable opponent. Recognizing Naruto as a potential future threat, Orochimaru seals the demon fox's chakra, preventing Naruto from accessing it and knocking him unconscious at the same time. After Orochimaru's attention returns to Sasuke, Sasuke is able to defeat Orochimaru due to Naruto's example. As a reward to Sasuke for defeating him, Orochimaru brands Sasuke with his Cursed Seal of Heaven, and disappears into the surrounding forest.

As Orochimaru continues to monitor Sasuke's progress through the exams, he begins to worry about Naruto's influence on Sasuke. Because of this, Orochimaru decides that he should remove Sasuke from Naruto as soon as he can.

[edit] Invasion of Konoha arc

Disguised as the Fourth Kazekage, Orochimaru watches the final matches of the Chunin Exam with the Third Hokage, who has since reacquired the position of acting Hokage. When the invasion of Konoha starts, Orochimaru grabs his former master and sheds his disguise, revealing that he planned the invasion for the sole purpose of getting to kill the Third, as well as kidnapping Sasuke. As the two begin their battle, Orochimaru resurrects the first two Hokages so that the Third can experience what it's like to fight a former master.

As the two dead Hokages fight the Third, the Third, in his old age, runs out of options and is forced to use the Dead Demon Consuming Seal to seal their souls. After the two Hokages are defeated, the Third turns his attention to Orochimaru and tries to seal his soul as well. Sensing what the Third is trying to do, Orochimaru stabs the Third in the back with his Kusanagi, sapping the Third of the strength needed to fully seal Orochimaru's soul. Doing what little he can, the Third seals Orochimaru's arms in an attempt to make up for his allowing Orochimaru to escape years earlier. In doing so, he takes away Orochimaru's ability to use jutsu, giving him what Orochimaru sees as a fate worse than death. As the Third dies due to the use of the seal, Orochimaru calls on his subordinates to help him flee the village, the Third's last act making Konoha's destruction impossible for him.

[edit] Search for Tsunade arc

As a result of the sealing of his arms, Orochimaru is left in great pain, and seeks his former teammate, Tsunade, in the hopes that she can restore his arms. Upon finding her, Orochimaru offers to revive her dead loved ones in exchange for her helping him. Although she considers the offer, she declines, knowing that Orochimaru will destroy Konoha if his arms are healed. As such, she attempts to kill Orochimaru, though Kabuto Yakushi is able to prevent her from attacking him. In time, however, Kabuto is defeated, and Orochimaru is forced to face not only Tsunade, but Jiraiya as well. In his weakened state, Orochimaru is unable to put up much of a fight against the two and is defeated. He flees the battle, deciding to resort to his last option: taking a new host.

[edit] Sasuke Retrieval arc

In a last effort to reattain the ability to use jutsu, Orochimaru sends his Sound Four to bring Sasuke to him so that he can take over the latter's body. As he waits in earnest for Sasuke's arrival, the pain caused by the necrosis in his arms, induced by the Third's seal, becomes unbearable and makes his body unusable. Although he puts it off as long as he can, hoping that Sasuke will arrive in time, Orochimaru is eventually forced to change to the body of Gen'yumaru, a prisoner Kabuto had prepared for him. Sasuke eventually arrives, though Orochimaru is stuck in his new body for the next three years, and so he begins to train Sasuke to live up to his promise of giving Sasuke power.

[edit] Part II

[edit] Sasuke and Sai arc

Orochimaru reappears after the timeskip as he joins Kabuto in trying to kill his former Akatsuki partner, Sasori. As the two attack Sasori, Sasori is shown to actually be Yamato, Orochimaru's former test subject, in disguise, the actual Sasori having been killed by Team 7 ten days prior. As Yamato calls the rest of his team in for assistance, Orochimaru finds Naruto to be among them, and he offers to tell Naruto if Sasuke has gotten stronger than him. Enraged by Orochimaru's words about Sasuke, Naruto enters a four-tailed demon fox form and attacks Orochimaru. Although Orochimaru seems to enjoy the battle, Naruto's attacks are extremely potent and he is frequently faced with near-death situations. After blocking Naruto's most powerful attack with three Rashomon gates, Orochimaru manages to repel Naruto with his Kusanagi, which is barely able to push Naruto back.

Having exerted a great deal of effort in his battle with Naruto, Orochimaru's body begins to fail him due to it being pushed to its limit. As he tries to pull himself together, he is approached by Sai, who proposes an alliance on behalf of his organization, Root, in destroying Konoha. Orochimaru accepts, and brings Sai with him to his hideout, where, upon arrival, he rests his body. As he rests, Sai turns on Orochimaru in favor of allying with Team 7, and Orochimaru confronts him in an effort to determine where Sai's loyalties really lie. Being outnumbered, and still tired from his fight with Naruto, Orochimaru is forced to let Sai go. Orochimaru later reappears to stop Sasuke from killing Team 7, saying that by allowing them to live they may kill more members of Akatsuki, making Akatsuki weaker. Sasuke, willing to do whatever is necessary to make killing Itachi easier, agrees, and disappears with Orochimaru.

[edit] Current arc

Orochimaru's true form.
Orochimaru's true form.

Orochimaru later makes an appearance as Sasuke sits upon a mound of defeated ninja. He scolds Sasuke for not killing any of them, claiming that he's being too soft and doing so will destroy his chances of killing Itachi. Orochimaru thinks to himself that Sasuke's talent has surpassed even his own at Sasuke's age, and is delighted by the fact that Sasuke's power will soon be his. Later Orochimaru is in bed, where it is revealed that powerful drugs have been sustaining him. He is attacked by Sasuke while still in bed, who uses some form of shape manipulation to stab a lightning chakra blade through Orochimaru's arms. Sasuke states that he has nothing left to learn from Orochimaru and will show him no mercy. When Sasuke appears to have the upper hand, Orochimaru reveals his true form: a giant white snake made up of many smaller snakes, and he decides now is the time to take his new vessel for himself. Sasuke resorts to level 2 of his cursed seal to keep up.

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