'Naruto' Reveals Why Konoha Pardoned Orochimaru

You don't have to tell fans of Naruto that Orochimaru is a bad guy — it's pretty hard to miss that fact. The crazed ninja isn't one you want to mess with, and he committed all sorts of crimes before Naruto: Shippuden wrapped up. And, thanks to Boruto, fans just learned why the snake sannin has not been executed for his crimes.

Apparently, it all comes down to one super slimy pardon.

Recently, Boruto: Naruto Next Generations went live with its new episode, and it made sure to address Orochimaru's status. The on-going anime confirmed awhile back that the snake sannin is under close observation, but as Shikamaru explained, Naruto Uzumkai chose to let the enemy live under strict rules rather than to kill him all thanks to the knowledge Orochimaru possesses.

After news went live that Mitsuki was missing from the Leaf Village, the Seventh Hokage had to field questions about why Orochimaru's son was even allowed to become a Konoha ninja. It was there Shikamaru stepped in and explained Naruto's reasoning.

"The data from Orochimaru's research will be critical to the Ninja World when the time comes to battle the Otsutsuki," the advisor told a fuming Tsunade.

"It was from that reasoning that Naruto [made the decision]," the advisor added.

So far, Orochimaru has been rather well-behaved. As a dad to multiple Mitsuki clones, there is clearly something the snake sannin is trying to research, but his interest in parenting has actually won over some fans. Still, there are plenty more who don't trust the rogue ninja one bit, and Tsunade is high up on that list.

Still, Naruto is savvy enough to know the snake sannin could be an ally in defeating the Otsutsuki in the future and turning the ninja away could push Orochimaru to align with the intergalactic cult. So, it seems the pardon Naruto gave was the best option left to him in a rotten situation.

Originally created by Masashi Kishimoto, Naruto ran in Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump for 700 chapters. The story follows a young ninja with a sealed demon within him that wishes to become the leader of his home village. The sequel, Boruto:Naruto Next Generations is set several years after the events of the original Naruto story and featuring the children of many of its key characters such as Naruto and Hinata.

So, do you agree with Naruto's reasoning here? Let me know in the comments or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB to talk all things comics and anime!