Snakes

, also known as, are the signature summons of , his right-hand-man, , and his students: and. They reside at the.

Overview
The snakes vary greatly in size, body mass and species, from small enough to hide in one's sleeves to larger than buildings, and thin enough to be used to tie someone's hands to sufficient strong to choke a colossal animal like the Island Turtle. Although the common snakes cannot speak human language like toads, some of the summoners could comunicate with them. They can sense live beings by their heat and smell, track and lead their summoners to their prey.

Orochimaru frequently summons them in battle, either having them attack for him or instructing them to carry out other tasks. Despite this, he treats them as disposable pawns, typically sending them into battles which they are likely to be killed, as if they were only tools. Sasuke were equally unattached to these snakes, often summoning them only for use as a shield. While most snakes are very obedient and do what is instructed of them, the largest snake, Manda, demanded a sacrifice of a hundred humans in exchange for helping Orochimaru.

Snakes have also mastered the use of natural energy to enter a Sage Mode of their own. The only known way to learn it is in the Ryūchi Cave with the White Snake Sage.

Known Snakes

 * Manda III
 * Manda III


 * Bōmanda
 * Yanaga
 * Yashagōra (Snake)
 * Yamata
 * Nag
 * Nagaina

Summoners

 * Contract::Ishihara Uchiha


 * Contract::Orochimaru
 * Orochimaru
 * Orochimaru

The most frequent summoner, Orochimaru's techniques, personality and even appearance were snake-like. After many experiments and forbidden techniques, Orochimaru's form indeed became a snake.


 * Contract::Anko Mitarashi (Incapacitated)

The first of Orochimaru's students to sign a contract with snakes. Anko learned several forbidden and snake-related techniques with Orochimaru such as the Twin Snakes Mutual Death Technique.


 * Contract::Sasuke Uchiha

Sasuke mainly used the snakes he summoned as shields to defend himself. He would later summon them once again during the Fourth Shinobi World War when he summoned to the battlefield.



At first Kabuto only aided Orochimaru in summoning snakes while his arms were disabled. He later began to summon snakes after implanting Orochimaru's remains within himself. Kabuto continued Orochimaru's research and discovered the Ryūchi Cave, where he learned senjutsu from the White Snake Sage. He gained access to a Sage Mode which, according to him, has allowed him to figuratively transcended from a snake into a "dragon".


 * Contract::Ichi (Deceased)

A movie only character who used snakes mutated by the Chimera Technique.


 * Contract::Ao Jūrai
 * Contract::Munenobu
 * Contract::Echidna
 * Contract::Kōzuki Sarutobi
 * Contract::Tsubasa Yuki


 * Contract::Yagetsu Sariyoto
 * Contract::Durzo Yakuza

Durzo encourperates the snakes and snake techniques in his assassin style combat and utilizes their ability to use poison to incapacitate his opponents. His personal summoning is Bōmanda


 * Contract::Ray Moon

Ray learnt how to summon snakes whilst he was a kid, learning from a friend of his who had gotten the scroll from their father. Ray uses them to administer poison to his targets.


 * Contract::Kuchinawa Gekkō

Kuchinawa highly relies on snakes and his body has been stated to compose mostly of snakes. He had Orochimaru's DNA added to his body which helped in controlling snakes to a much higher degree then most summoners. His snakes have been noted to be more poisonous and are mostly chakra absorbing species.

After wondering, and landing into Ryūchi Cave, Loyalty had been able to summon snakes. When he became a Snake Sage, he had contracts with many more.
 * Contract::Shingi

Leon use's a special breed of snakes which are crimson in color and absorb chakra by bitting or swallowing the target whole. He can also use the snake sage jutsu like kabuto but to a higher level due to his high chakra levels and knowledge of the technique.
 * Contract::Leon Sanyu

Being a previous student of Kenpachi Ketsueki, Sigma, was able to learn and summon snakes.
 * Contract::Yamaren Seija
 * Contract::Eimii Runō
 * Contract::Dokuja Zen'nou
 * Contract::Sunate Nikakusa (anime only)
 * Contract::Kibou Hatake
 * Contract::Konjou Youeki
 * Contract::Takumi Uchiha
 * Contract::Warujie
 * Contract::Shoji Kengen
 * Contract::Tokino
 * Contract::Order of the White Snake
 * Contract::Haru Hyūga
 * Contract::Okimoto Senju
 * Contract::Honey Senju
 * Contract::Ryouma
 * Contract::Hakana Osoroshī
 * Contract::Maigo
 * Contract::Joshin
 * Contract::Ryun Uchiha
 * Contract::Mamushi
 * Contract::Yukiteru Madoka

Trivia

 * It was mentioned by Hiruzen Sarutobi to his grandson Konohamaru that the rainbow symbolizes snakes, and is deemed an omen of the coming of evil. This was recalled during the Invasion of Konoha led by the snake-themed Orochimaru.
 * Snakes have long since been associated with dragons: a testament to this, after entering Sage Mode, Kabuto stated that he had evolved from being a simple snake into a dragon. Orochimaru's Eight Branches Technique is also described as ascending beyond snakes, becoming a dragon god.