Okay, so earlier today, my mind came about this epiphany of sorts... Back when Orochimaru was a small child, he was raised by the Ramen Guy, trained in secret... many miles away from Konoha. How?
Well, how do you think he learned about snakes? Why do you think he became infatuated with them and even transformed half of his entire essence into one?
You might answer, well... he took notes while reading Harry Potter--Voldemort was a great villain.
Wrong!
Ramen Guy first taught him how to hunt down snakes and eat them... raw. Instantly, this became Oro's new fetish, or should I say, delicacy.
Anyway, the secrets of the Ramen Guy were only revealed to Orochimaru. That is why he became a prodigy to Konoha and was praised for being a genius.
You now might say... well, the Ramen Guy is just Kishi. He placed himself in the manga for the lulz. Yeah, that's only half the truth.
I mean, this is all in theory... but there is substantial evidence that Orochimaru will soon become the next Sage of the Six Paths since he has his hands back. The plethora of Jutsu that Oro possesses is staggering... mind-blowing even.
There are a total of two immortal characters in the Narutoverse.
Orochimaru and Ramen Guy. Thanks for reading guys. Thoughts/comments and questions go right below. :y
Ramen Guy is the Sage of the Six Paths