Naruto Really Underplayed How Awful Orochimaru Was in the Anime

Naruto has a problem as a Shonen franchise, and it’s one that we’ve mentioned in the past. The Hidden Leaf Village has offered redemption to characters that are practically beyond it, seeing nasty antagonists join Konoha’s forces even though they may not have offered apologies for their nefarious acts. Recently, a Shonen fan discovered a scene from the manga that shows just how evil Orochimaru was when it came to honing his dark ninjutsu and how Naruto and friends might have made the wrong move in making him a Konoha resident.

Orochimaru was the main villain of the Naruto series for quite some time, attempting to use his dark ninjutsu to destroy Konoha as well as gain the allegiance of Sasuke Uchiha to eventually claim his body for his own. Throughout his ninja career, Orochimaru took the opportunity to extend his lifespan by swapping bodies, to the detriment of those who were quite attached to their physical forms. Unfortunately for the snake ninja, he didn’t realize how powerful Sasuke would grow to become and the dedication that the Uchiha had in getting revenge against his brother. During the Fourth Ninja World War, Orochimaru would eventually join Konoha and give the Hidden Leaf one of its strongest young warrior in Mitsuki, who has joined Boruto and Sarada as a part of Team 7.

One Twitter User shared a brutal scene from Naruto’s manga in which Orochimaru’s “lab” was shown in all its terrifying glory, proving just how far the snake ninja was willing to go in learning new dark techniques that would both make him more powerful and potentially make him immortal:

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At present, Orochimaru has been absent from the fight against the Kara Organization in the latest chapters of Boruto: Naruto Next Generations manga, with the anime allowing the snake ninja to fight against the Otsutsuki-based band by taking on Victor. While the former villain has been playing nice with those he once attempted to murder, there is always the possibility that he is biding his time to launch another attack on the Ninja World. 

Do you want to see Orochimaru return to his villainous ways? Feel free to let us know in the comments or hit me up directly on Twitter @EVComedy to talk all things comics, anime, and the world of the Hidden Leaf Village.