Orochimaru (大蛇丸), feature in the Japanese folktale Jiraiya Goketsu Monogatari, is the arch-enemy of the ninja Jiraiya. He was once named Yashagorō (夜叉五郎) and was one of Jiraiya's followers, but he was overtaken by serpent magic. Having changed his name to "Orochimaru", he gained the ability to turn himself into a giant serpent. He attacked Jiraiya and his wife Tsunade and defeated them with his venom (only for another follower to save the couple's lives afterwards). "Orochi" is the name of a giant eight-headed snake in Japanese mythology. The kanji (大蛇, usually pronounced daija) literally mean "giant snake" or "serpent".