, featured in the Japanese folktale ''Jiraiya Gōketsu Monogatari'' (''The Tale of the Gallant Jiraiya''), is the archenemy of the

ninja A or was a covert agent or mercenary in feudal Japan. The functions of a ninja included reconnaissance, espionage, infiltration, deception, ambush, bodyguarding and their fighting skills in martial arts, including ninjutsu.Kawakami, pp. 2 ...

Jiraiya Jiraiya (自来也 or 児雷也, literally "Young Thunder"), originally known as Ogata Shuma Hiroyuki (尾形周馬寛行), is the toad-riding protagonist of the Japanese folk tale Katakiuchi Kidan Jiraiya Monogatari (報仇奇談自来也説話, " ...

. He was once named and was one of Jiraiya's followers but was overtaken by

serpent Serpent or The Serpent may refer to: * Snake, a carnivorous reptile of the suborder Serpentes Mythology and religion * Sea serpent, a monstrous ocean creature * Serpent (symbolism), the snake in religious rites and mythological contexts * Serp ...

magic. Having changed his name to Orochimaru, he gained the ability to turn himself into a giant serpent. He poisoned

and

Tsunade Tsunade (綱手), featured in the Japanese folktale '' Jiraiya Gōketsu Monogatari'' (児雷也豪傑物語, "The tale of the gallant Jiraiya"), was the classmate of the ninja Jiraiya. She mastered slug magic and was able to summon an enormous sn ...

the slug princess by pouring his

venom Venom or zootoxin is a type of toxin produced by an animal that is actively delivered through a wound by means of a bite, sting, or similar action. The toxin is delivered through a specially evolved ''venom apparatus'', such as fangs or a st ...

on them as they slept, only for another follower to save the couple's lives afterwards. "The story, first recorded in 1806, was adapted into a mid-19th-century serialized novel (43 installments, 1839–1868) and a kabuki drama, based on the first 10 installments, by Kawatake Mokuami, in 1852. In the 20th-century, the story was adapted in several films, in video games, and in a manga." ''Orochi'' means "big snake" or "serpent". The legend of Orochimaru has modern day correlations. Legend suggests the "power of the white snake" can be found in the fabled Ryuchi cave which grants the user with extraordinary powers, such as immortality, face stealing, and shape shifting. Japanese folklore speaks of a similar snake-like humanoid that stalks the fields every harvest time demanding a portion of the farmers crops. In modern days, the manga and anime franchise ''

Naruto ''Naruto'' is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Masashi Kishimoto. It tells the story of Naruto Uzumaki, a young ninja who seeks recognition from his peers and dreams of becoming the Hokage, the leader of his village. T ...

'' features the characters Jiraiya, Orochimaru and Tsunade where Orochimaru is portrayed to be the legendary ninja with the power of the snakes.

References

External links

* Fictional ninja Japanese folklore Legendary serpents {{japan-lit-stub ro:Akatsuki#Orochimaru

See also

References

External links