During this period, Orochimaru remains just as sadistic and obsessed with immortality as before, but the inability to use ninjutsu deals a serious blow to his self-esteem. His main weakness — unshakable pride — is what led to this outcome: he wanted to make Hiruzen suffer, rather than kill him quickly. Now he is forced to rely on his subordinates (Kabuto, Sasuke, Guren in the anime), who carry out his orders while he himself is incapable of fighting properly. He remains treacherous and cynical: he killed the Fourth Kazekage, manipulates Sasuke, uses Kabuto as a spy in Akatsuki, but at the same time retains a sincere interest in the development of his protégés. His patience with Sasuke stems not only from a desire to obtain the Sharingan, but also from admiration for a genius surpassing his own at this age. Orochimaru remains a collector of 'rare specimens' and continues his experiments, but physical limitation forces him to act through intermediaries. His main goal is to wait for a new body (Sasuke), and for this he is ready for anything. Arrogance, however, has not gone away: even with sealed hands, he retains belief in his superiority, which ultimately leads to an attempt to capture Sasuke and defeat.
