One of Naruto's most enigmatic characters, Orochimaru, has long been an enemy of Konohagakure. However, against all odds, he went through a redemption arc and became a good guy during the runtime of Boruto. Overall, Orochimaru is considered to be an upstanding citizen now, but how did the snake-person creepily obsess over Sasuke's teenage body make such a drastic transformation? Since Orochimaru is a master shape-shifter, let's examine the character's moral shift over the course of the franchise.
First and foremost, Orochimaru is a shinobi driven primarily by the pursuit of knowledge. He was curious about many things in the ninja world, conducting countless gruesome experiments in his effort to find answers. After years of tinkering, his goal became to learn every Jutsu in existence, so he tried to make himself immortal in order to buy time. This quest for a vessel sparked his obsession with the Uchiha in general, and Sasuke in particular. In the Chunin Exams arc, Orochimaru preyed on the original Team 7 in the Forest of Death, giving Sasuke his infamous Curse Mark.
Here, Orochimaru cemented himself as Naruto's most threatening villain at the time, going on to invade Konoha and kill the Third Hokage. These actions were partially motivated by his plans to abduct Sasuke, but also contained elements of revenge, since Orochimaru felt betrayed at being denied the position of Hokage by his mentor, the Third.
By the time the Fourth Great Ninja War reached its climax, Orochimaru's role in Naruto: Shippuden had drastically changed. Though he was still infatuated with Sasuke, Orochimaru claimed to have no interest in the war, sharply contrasting the character who literally tried to start a war with Konoha.
Faced with the Infinite Tsukuyomi and Kaguya's wrath, Orochimaru finally acted heroically at end of Shippuden to save the world. By this point, he'd seen how strong Naruto and Sasuke had become, their powers easily surpassing his own abilities. They weren't those same children in the forest anymore. After realizing his own inadequacy, Orochimaru conceded that he could never take Sasuke's body and relinquished the fate of the world to his former protégé. It's at this moment when Orochimaru embraces a more passive philosophy, preferring to watch change happen instead of causing change himself.
From here on out, Orochimaru is treated like he's been redeemed. He received a pardon for his help during the war, which led him into Konoha's good graces. Under Hokage Naruto's leadership, Orochimaru appears to be a good guy, sending his son, Mitsuki, to the Ninja Academy and generally cooperating with village affairs. But despite this apparent change of heart, there is still room to doubt Orochimaru's intentions.
His behavior toward Sasuke is a tad suspicious and Mitsuki just so happens to occupy the same Genin squad as Sasuke's daughter, Sarada. Will Orochimaru use Mitsuki to go after Sasuke or his daughter for their DNA? Or will he continue to bide his time until the tide changes, perhaps giving him a chance to rise again? After all, Naruto won't be Hokage forever, and the undying Orochimaru should have no problem with waiting for a few years.
Whatever the future may hold, Orochimaru certainly presents an interesting case study of a villain-turned-good-guy within the Naruto franchise. His story is an interesting one whether he proves to be friend, foe or something in between, but let's not forget: once a snake, always a snake.
