Kishimoto never showed Orochimaru's true potential in Naruto and it's obvious why
Orochimaru might be one of the wisest and most cunning characters in Naruto (or even in anime). The character's ability to gather data and utilize information to its maximum extent proved that the Hidden Leaf Village was destined to doom if they hadn't allied with him after the Fourth Great Ninja War. However, even with this potential, the character never showcased his true battle prowess.
In every battle, from his showdown against the Third Hokage to the protagonist, the Legendary Sannin never tried to fight with his full potential. Rather, he spent that energy on escaping by either releasing his true self or doing something similar. While this resonated well with his personality as a researcher who couldn't die before getting his answers, it robbed the fans of witnessing a strong character.
Disclaimer: Any opinions expressed in this article solely belong to the author.
Naruto: Exploring Orochimaru as a fighter who couldn't receive the spotlight
Orochimaru was a resident of the Hidden Leaf Village and a part of the ninjas taught by Hiruzen Sarutobi (the Third Hokage). Since childhood, he preferred to remain secluded as everyone grew into teenagers, Orochimaru's true colors came out and he started experimenting with taboo jutsu techniques.
One of these techniques in Naruto was the Living Corpse Transformation technique, where Orochimaru sought to achieve immortality by keeping his soul alive and passing it to another body. While researching for this, he was interrogated and, as a result, fled the Hidden Leaf Village before long.
He reappeared during the Chunin Exams against his mentor, the Third Hokage. However, many expected him to utilize his own techniques, Orochimaru instead used the Reincarnation jutsu technique and resurrected the former two Hokage to fight Hiruzen.
Moreover, after feeling backed by Hiruzen's Reaper Dead Seal jutsu, Orochimaru fled instead of countering and taking over the village. The same could be seen in the character's future battles during his battle with the protagonist. Orochimaru fled by releasing his true self, a giant snake.
While it might be the character's personality as a researcher who couldn't risk his life without getting answers the world had to offer, the author never showcased Orochimaru utilizing his full battle IQ against an enemy.
Even during his death battle against Sasuke, Orochimaru preferred to take over Sasuke instead of trying to kill him. So, Kishimoto never showcased the true battle potential of one of the Legendary Sannin, most probably because it was never needed.
Final thoughts
Orochimaru was a proud researcher, and he never showed any shame in researching the tabo jutsu techniques of the shinobi world. This might be a hint as to why he was purposely never a fighter but always someone whose aim was to get maximum information from a battle, instead of defeating his opponent.
However, the point still stands that the author couldn't showcase to his fans the true potential of Orochimaru as a fighter. While his 100% potential as a fighter might not be extraordinary, it might be enough to see him as the winner of some of the battles he fought in Naruto and Naruto Shippuden.
Related Links
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