quillsshadow

To be clear, this isn't about canon. I have no idea if Orochimaru is redeemed (or 'redeemed') in canon at all, and I care less. This is about what I've come across in fanfics.

Orochimaru is to blame for his actions. Danzo might have ordered them (hi, retcon to make the ugly guy responsible for all the actions by the hot villains! *waves obscene gesture at it*), but Orochimaru is supposed to be a genius. He doesn't have to emotionally connect to infants to intellectually understand that risking the lives of Konoha civilians would negatively impact his teacher's opinion of him. He doesn't have to be emotionally affected to understand that killing babies in experiments would not be authorised or approved of by Sandaime.

If the whole 'experimenting on orphans' thing was because Danzo told him to, then Orochimaru could have gone to Sandaime about it! Or if he suspected Sandaime was in denial about Danzo's actions and would refuse to listen, then a genius shinobi should be able to leave hints that someone ordered it and let Sandaime follow them as far as he chose. Know what he shouldn't have done? Experimented on Konoha orphans and hidden it from Sandaime. (Quick reminder that at least 49 infants died in these experiments, btw.) That was his choice, and his actions, and therefore his fault, and his responsibility.

The fanfic that sparked this complaint had 'he was following orders!' as an excuse for him. If he's that dependent on orders over his own judgement, then he shouldn't be capable of running a hidden village! (Otokage, remember? Wanted to become hokage, remember?) He knew the orders weren't from Sandaime - if he didn't, why did he hide his work?

In conclusion, whether Danzo ordered him to do it or not, Orochimaru is the one who killed at least 49 of the people he was supposed to be protecting as a shinobi of Konoha. Pretending that he didn't, or flat-out ignoring it, doesn't make me feel he's redeemable or redeemed. Saying it wasn't his fault doesn't, either. Redeeming him would take a whole character arc - one that should start with him recognising that he was wrong to kill the children he was supposed to be protecting, and then build on that!